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For what is our hope, our joy, our crown of rejoicing? Is it not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming?
Our boasting before our Lord at His coming will be the ones we shared the message of the Gospel with. This is not just talking about salvation, but at the very least the basics of the Christian life.
Two types of doctrine are found in Scripture that are revealed through two Greek words used for different types of teaching; doctrine that is to be learned and practiced and doctrine that is to be learned, but NOT practiced.
“All Scripture is God breathed and profitable towards teaching, towards conviction, towards correction, towards child training in the righteousness” , 2 Timothy 3:16.
“Teaching” refers to information to be learned but not practiced. Conviction, correction and child training in the righteousness relates to doctrine that is to be learned and practiced.
“And having various gracious gifts according to the grace, the one given to you, whether prophecy, according as the portion of the faith, whether the one serving, in serving or the one teaching, in teaching…” Romans 12:6, 7.
“… and He gave the Apostles, and the prophets, and the evangelists, and the pastors even teachers…” Ephesians 4:11.
The “Pastor” and the “Teacher” in the Ephesians passage are the same person. It is the primary responsibility of the Pastor as the shepherd to teach doctrine that is to be learned and practiced; however, he is also to properly handle Old Testament information by teaching it as information that is to be learned, but not practiced. In addition to the Pastor properly handling the Old Testament information, God has proved others with the Spiritual gift of teaching who properly teach the value of the Old Testament information without abusing it by seeking to make it doctrine to live by in this day and age (Romans 12:6,7). This is not restricting doctrine to be learned and practiced to only a Pastor being able to teach it, but the Pastor is the primary method by which this type […]
The Definition of Sin
The definition of sin has become so elusive today that there are so called “sins” in many churches that cannot be found in Scripture. How do you know what a sin is? True, we see very well defined sins in Scripture such as adultery, fornication, stealing, lying, murder, etc., but what about the things that are not revealed in Scripture. Is it a sin not to give ten percent of your wages to the Church? Is it a sin for a husband to ignore his wife? What about which movies you watch, what you wear, what friends you hang out with, going to a party…, how do we know if they are sins?
“Missing the mark” as a definition of sin is very predominate in teachings today. However, there is a problem with this definition. First of all, what mark are we missing? When we start asking this question we will find that the answer is a moving target. Secondly, this definition is so generic it allows for really anything to be put in as the mark missed. The mark could be, not living up to God’s glory; having a ruined character; not abiding by God’s law; and they go on and on. Lastly, where this definition comes from is an issue. In the book of Judges the word normally translated as “sin” from the Hebrew is used to describe men who are so good with a sling that they do not miss their targets. The meaning “missing the mark” comes off of a miss understanding of how this word is used in this passage and also requires ignoring other passages of Scripture that specifically define sin. These men are so good […]
The definition of sin has become so elusive today that there are so called “sins” in many churches that cannot be found in Scripture. How do you know what a sin is? True, we see very well defined sins in Scripture such as adultery, fornication, stealing, lying, murder, etc., but what about the things that are not revealed in Scripture. Is it a sin not to give ten percent of your wages to the Church? Is it a sin for a husband to ignore his wife? What about which movies you watch, what you wear, what friends you hang out with, going to a party…, how do we know if they are sins?
“Missing the mark” as a definition of sin is very predominate in teachings today. However, there is a problem with this definition. First of all, what mark are we missing? When we start asking this question we will find that the answer is a moving target. Secondly, this definition is so generic it allows for really anything to be put in as the mark missed. The mark could be, not living up to God’s glory; having a ruined character; not abiding by God’s law; and they go on and on. Lastly, where this definition comes from is an issue. In the book of Judges the word normally translated as “sin” from the Hebrew is used to describe men who are so good with a sling that they do not miss their targets. The meaning “missing the mark” comes off of a miss understanding of how this word is used in this passage and also requires ignoring other passages of Scripture that specifically define sin. These men are so good with the sling that […]
The Complete Thing
1 Corinthians 13:8-12 The love never falls, but whether prophecy, it will be caused to be idle1, whether languages,2 they will cause themselves to cease3, whether knowledge, it will be caused to be idle. For out from a part we experientially know and out from a part we prophecy, but when the complete thing comes, then what is out from a part will be caused to be idle. When I was a baby4, I spoke as a baby, I thought as a baby. When I became a man, I made the things of the baby idle. For now I see through a mirror obscurely, but then face to face. Now I experientially know out from a part, but then I will be fully experientially know just as I am fully known.
Paul speaks of a day when the Church will no longer require the use of the Spiritual gifts of prophecy, languages5, and knowledge. When the full Word of God comes, He will stop giving revelation; therefore, prophecy will become idle. Languages, or better known as speaking in tongues, will cause themselves to stop existing because the purpose for speaking in another language ceases to exist. Speaking in another language was a sign to the Jews. It is no longer active since the Jewish nation has fully rejected Jesus and the Church6. Paul explains what knowledge he is referring to further down in the context where he states that the knowledge comes from only a partial revelation. Paul did not have the full cannon of Scripture at this time. He only had access to the Old Testament. Although he was involved […]