Update to Baptismal Regeneration

This is an update to a previous post. I want to present another interpretation that I have since heard concerning John 3:5; I would also like to try to expound on my view a little more.

First, the alternate view. I was listening to a sermon by Pastor Bob DeWaay. He presented an interpretation of the phrase, "born of water and of the Spirit," that I don't remember ever hearing before. His view is simply that the reference to water is another way of describing the Spirit. He points to passages such as the following:

John 4:13-14 Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: (14) But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.

John 7:37-39 In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. (38) He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (39) (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)

I don’t necessarily disagree with this since water is often clearly symbolic of the Holy Spirit. But I still think that there are two births in view here (the natural and the spiritual) simply because of John 3:6 – “That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.”

Now I’d like to present some more Scripture to reinforce the view that it is not the water that saves us. (And let me say once again that I do believe that water baptism is good and proper and should be done as soon as possible after a person is born again [i.e. “baptized into Jesus Christ” (Romans 6:3)].)

Let me use that verse as an example.

Romans 6:3-4 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? (4) Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

We are accustomed to thinking that the word ‘baptism’ always refers to water, but read it again carefully. It clearly says “baptized into Jesus Christ,” not baptized into water. This is reinforced here:

1 Corinthians 12:13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.

When we are born again by grace through faith in Jesus Christ and His finished work on the cross, we are “baptized into one body.” Someone might say that we are placed into the Body of Christ through water baptism. But look who is doing the baptism: it is the Holy Spirit, not a man.

About the word “baptism”

We must realize that baptism does not always refer to water. Here is one of the best examples:

Matthew 20:20-23 Then came to him the mother of Zebedee's children with her sons, worshipping him, and desiring a certain thing of him. (21) And he said unto her, What wilt thou? She saith unto him, Grant that these my two sons may sit, the one on thy right hand, and the other on the left, in thy kingdom. (22) But Jesus answered and said, Ye know not what ye ask. Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? They say unto him, We are able. (23) And he saith unto them, Ye shall drink indeed of my cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with: but to sit on my right hand, and on my left, is not mine to give, but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared of my Father.

Here Jesus is clearly referring to something other than water baptism. The word baptize simply means to immerse or overwhelm. Baptism basically has three aspects to it: 1. Something being baptized; 2. Something doing the baptizing; and 3. The medium in which the baptism takes place. The KJV New Testament Greek Lexicon (based on Thayer's and Smith's Bible Dictionary) gives the following:

"baptizo: to dip repeatedly, to immerse, to submerge (of vessels sunk); to cleanse by dipping or submerging, to wash, to make clean with water, to wash one's self, bathe to overwhelm.

"Not to be confused with bapto. The clearest example that shows the meaning of baptizo is a text from the Greek poet and physician Nicander, who lived about 200 B.C. It is a recipe for making pickles and is helpful because it uses both words. Nicander says that in order to make a pickle, the vegetable should first be 'dipped' (bapto) into boiling water and then 'baptised' (baptizo) in the vinegar solution. Both verbs concern the immersing of vegetables in a solution. But the first is temporary. The second, the act of baptising the vegetable, produces a permanent change. When used in the New Testament, this word more often refers to our union and identification with Christ than to our water baptism. e.g. Mark 16:16. 'He that believes and is baptised shall be saved'. Christ is saying that mere intellectual assent is not enough. There must be a union with him, a real change, like the vegetable to the pickle!"
-- Bible Study Magazine, James Montgomery Boice, May 1989.

Greek scholar Kenneth Weust says that the word baptizo is used in the Greek classics to describe a metal smith tempering a hot piece of iron by dipping it in water; it also described soldiers dipping their swords into a bowl of blood. He gives this definition for baptizo: “'the introduction or placing of a person or thing into a new environment or into union with someone else so as to alter its condition or its relationship to its previous environment or condition.” Weust claims that this is how the word is used in Romans 6 (see above).

I think it is clear that if a person believes the Gospel and is born again, they will desire water baptism, just as they will desire communion. (Remember Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch in Acts 8; Philip said that he could be baptized if he believed with all his heart.) But we have to be careful that we do not believe that the water is the agent of regeneration. Consider the example of Abraham:

Romans 4:1-5, 9-12 What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found? (2) For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God. (3) For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness. (4) Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. (5) But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness...(9) Cometh this blessedness then upon the circumcision only, or upon the uncircumcision also? for we say that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness. (10) How was it then reckoned? when he was in circumcision, or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision. (11) And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised: that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised; that righteousness might be imputed unto them also: (12) And the father of circumcision to them who are not of the circumcision only, but who also walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham, which he had being yet uncircumcised.

Halloween

Ephesians 5:11-13 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. (12) For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret. (13) But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light.

I had always celebrated Halloween as a kid. But in recent years, I have grown more and more weary of it, wanting nothing to do with it for the last several years. But it's funny that when people find out that I don't do Halloween, most never ask me why. They just look at me like I have two heads or even ridicule me (fellow Christians included). So I wanted to use this as an opportunity to explain my reasons. [This ended up much longer than I realized. There is a summary at the end.]

Symbols of Death and Evil

First, and most obvious, is the fact that Halloween exalts death. From ghosts (which are unbiblical) and skulls to blood and gore, Halloween trivializes the idea of death and therefore its root cause: sin (Romans 5:12). The Christian life is contrary to death and darkness. The only death we should rejoice in is the death of our Messiah on the cross. And He died to bring us life, then He rose from the grave and conquered death.

John 10:10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I [Jesus] am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

It also celebrates evil of every kind, especially the occult. We are warned about such things in Deuteronomy 18. Examples include witchcraft, divination, astrology, necromancy, etc.

Fellowship with the World

When Christians celebrate Halloween, I believe they are compromising in order to be acceptable to the world.

We are warned against compromising with the world all throughout the Word of God.

2 Corinthians 6:14, 17 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? ... (17) Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you...

James 4:4 Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.

1 John 2:15-17 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. (16) For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. (17) And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.

I see this as just one of many areas in which the Church in general is compromising Biblical principles in order to make friends with the world. The idea that some Christians have is that we should look more like the world in order to attract unbelievers to us. But the Bible is clear that believers are to stand apart from the world, and it is the Holy Spirit who draws people to faith through the preaching of the Gospel.

The Root of the Problem

In the past, I was able to dismiss these other difficulties mentioned above, choosing instead to believe that Halloween could be good clean fun. I mean, what's wrong with kids getting dressed up and going around begging for candy? Well I'm certainly not opposed to candy, and I don't necessarily have a problem with my kids dressing up as certain innocent characters. The problem lies in the context in which these things take place. For example, I also don't have a problem with raisin cakes either, but in the context of Hosea 3:1, we can see that there are certain situations in which they are extremely inappropriate.

Hosea 3:1 (NKJV) Then the LORD said to me, "Go again, love a woman who is loved by a lover and is committing adultery, just like the love of the LORD for the children of Israel, who look to other gods and love the raisin cakes of the pagans."

Samhain

That brings me to my primary disagreement with this holiday. Almost everything about modern Halloween practices can be traced back to ungodly pagan celebrations and rituals.

Halloween can be traced back to the Celtic pagan festival, Samhain. The Celts had four holidays that centered around the transition of seasons, but Samhain was the biggest and most important one. Their calendar year began on November 1, so October 31 would have been their New Year's Eve.

"According to the Celtic pagan religion, known as Druidism, the spirits of those who had died in the preceding year roamed the earth on Samhain evening. The Celts sought to ward off these spirits with offerings of food and drink. The Celts also built bonfires at sacred hilltop sites and performed rituals, often involving human and animal sacrifices, to honor Druid deities."
-- Microsoft Encarta

As the Romans conquered Celtic territories, they incorporated their traditions into their own religious practices. "In Britain, Romans blended local Samhain customs with their own pagan harvest festival honoring Pomona, goddess of fruit trees." This is probably one of the origins of the practice of bobbing for apples (which was at one time used as a form of divination).

Apparently the Celts, as well as most pagan peoples, were Sun worshippers. Samhain was the summer's end, a time at which "the Earth nods a sad farewell to the [sun] God."

"According to Irish mythology, during that night the great shield of Scathach was lowered, allowing the barriers between the worlds to fade and the forces of chaos to invade the realms of order, the material world conjoining with the world of the dead."
-- from http://www.crystalinks.com/halloween03.html (produced by a so-called psychic and reiki master; not recommended except for the purpose of research)

In other words, they believed that the veil which separated the spirit world and our world was transparent at the time of Samhain. "During this interval the normal order of the universe is suspended, the barriers between the natural and the supernatural are temporarily removed, the sidh lies open and all divine beings and the spirits of the dead move freely among men and interfere sometimes violently, in their affairs" ("Halloween Origins and Customs," Jeremiah Project, originally citing Celtic Mythology, p. 127).

Wicca

Samhain and other Celtic festivals are still celebrated today by neo-pagans and Wiccans. You can view the different Wiccan holidays in the "Multiculturalism in the Armed Forces in the 20th Century" 2002 calendar (disturbing, I know). Take this excerpt for example from wicca.com:

"It is generally celebrated on October 31st, but some traditions prefer November 1st. It is one of the two "spirit-nights" each year, the other being Beltane. It is a magical interval when the mundane laws of time and space are temporarily suspended, and the Thin Veil between the worlds is lifted. Communicating with ancestors and departed loved ones is easy at this time, for they journey through this world on their way to the Summerlands. It is a time to study the Dark Mysteries and honor the Dark Mother and the Dark Father, symbolized by the Crone and her aged Consort."

One Wiccan described Samhain as "the most beloved of pagan holidays." Well, forgive me if I have reservations about celebrating the most beloved pagan holiday.

All Hallows Day

So what? So the Druids, Wiccan, and neopagans celebrate their demonic sabbaths on or near October 31. What does that have to do with Christians? After Rome conquered the lands of the Celts, Christianity came to those lands. Sparing all the details, let me say that instead of preaching the pure Gospel to the people, they were allowed to “believe the gospel” (which was a different gospel) and retain their pagan beliefs as well. Of course we know that is impossible. A person cannot serve two masters (Matt. 6:24).

We also know that by this time much of the realm of Christianity had been influenced by the world and had been compromised (Constantine, etc.). It is a worthwhile study to take the time to understand the Babylonian, pagan influences that are present within the Roman Catholic Church (RCC). The following from Jeremiah Project is only one example:

"… in the 7th century, Pope Boniface IV introduced All Saints' Day, a time to honor saints and martyrs, to replace the pagan festival of the dead. It was observed on May 13. In 834, Gregory III moved All Saint's Day from May 13 to Nov. 1 and for Christians, this became an opportunity for remembering before God all the saints who had died and all the dead in the Christian community. Oct. 31 thus became All Hallows' Eve ('hallow' means 'saint').

"Sadly, though, many of the customs survived and were blended in with Christianity. Numerous folk customs connected with the pagan observances for the dead have survived to the present."

I was very confused the first time I heard someone say that we Christians need to take back Halloween. I now understand that this is what they meant. I know that there are things associated with Christmas and Easter that are of pagan origin. But there is a legitimate, biblical aspect to those holidays, namely the remembrance of the birth of Christ and the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. However, with Halloween, there is nothing we can point to in the Bible to make its celebration valid. The facts are that Halloween derives its name from All Hallow’s Eve. Apparently it was a common practice to honor the death of a martyr on the anniversary (a practice I don’t necessarily disagree with, at least not the honoring part), but the RCC, "feeling that every martyr should be venerated, appointed a common day [Nov. 1] for all." (from Catholic Encyclopedia, New Advent) All Souls’ Day follows on Nov. 2, showing just how unbiblical these holidays are:

"The theological basis for the feast is the doctrine that the souls which, on departing from the body, are not perfectly cleansed from venial sins, or have not fully atoned for past transgressions, are debarred from the Beatific Vision, and that the faithful on earth can help them by prayers, almsdeeds and especially by the sacrifice of the Mass."
-- from Catholic Encyclopedia, New Advent

Satanism

And of course I can’t forget the most forthright group of the bunch, the Satanists and Devil worshippers who are very candid about who they serve. They make no bones about it (no pun intended). This is one subject that many Christians don’t even want to think about, much less discuss. Instead they tend to ignore it, and so it is with their involvement in Halloween. But I think we must look into this somewhat. A rather shallow search reveals exactly what one Devil worshipper thinks about Halloween:

"…Halloween is the most important Satanic festival. Obviously I do not agree with fundamentalist Christians that animal or human sacrifice are necessary (or even desirable) aspects of Satanic practice. But I do happen to agree that when people dress in costumes, go trick-or-treating, and decorate their homes with various Halloween symbols (which I also consider to be "occult"), they are indeed glorifying the Prince of Darkness and His ways, however unknowingly. I share the ancient Celtic belief that, as Samhain, Halloween represents a "gateway" between the carnal world and the spirit world, through which the spirits of the dead and the yet-to-be-born are temporarily free to pass and visit upon the living…"

"To me, it is no accident that midnight, the darkest hour of the night (also called "the Witching Hour"), is considered to be the beginning of a new day. Likewise, Halloween, the "darkest" night of the year (in the sense of being the most supernatural and occult-oriented night of the year -- even from a secular standpoint), is the beginning of a new year. It represents the victory of darkness over light. It is the night when the Devil roams the earth and possesses people to make merry and give in to their darker, "unrestrained" selves, most often by wearing these darker selves on the outside as costumes. Halloween is the one night of the year when grown adults are allowed to act like children, and we are allowed to temporarily do away with everyday reality and be whatever we truly want to be, in the deepest, darkest heart of our imaginations. Halloween is literally the Season of the Witch, a time for myth and magic, for ghost stories and the occult. It is the night when the creatures of the wild make ready to hibernate for winter, and to sleep and live in dreams until the call of spring wakens them to life and lust. Halloween, to me, is the Devil's Night, pure and simple.”

This person then goes on to suggest some ways Halloween can be celebrated as a Satanic holiday. A poem is suggested, the words of which I will not duplicate, not because they contain profanity, but because they are they most appalling exaltation of Satan I have ever seen.

Summary

Let’s just review the reasons I no longer participate in Halloween.

1. It extols death and evil, therefore it is a celebration of sin.
2. It involves compromising with the world system.
3. Halloween customs and traditions can be traced back to the pagan festival of Samhain practiced by the Druids. This involves:
   1. the worship of nature and the seasons
   2. animal and human sacrifices
   3. divination
   4. superstition
4. Halloween is an unholy sabbath recognized by Wiccans and other witches
5. The effort has been made to sanctify these pagan rituals and traditions for "the church," but the Bible is clear that we cannot purify an unclean thing, but an unclean thing can certainly corrupt us (Haggai 2:11-13, 1 Cor. 5:6)
6. Halloween is a special night for Satanists, Luciferians, and devil worshippers

I hope this information is useful. I have tried to be as accurate as I can be. I hope you will honestly consider these points. Here are some other websites that might be useful if you're interested:

Rethinking Halloween
Jeremiah Project
The Fantasy and Folklore of All Hallows - Library of Congress Website
A Seductive Bridge Between Two Worlds

Some examples of Halloween from a wicked perspective. THESE WEBSITES ARE EVIL. FOR THE PURPOSE OF RESEARCH ONLY. USE CAUTION.

Inner Sanctum
How to Celebrate the God and Goddess at Samhain
Crystalinks
The Celtic Fire Festivals

Another Jesus?

Many people are talking about Jesus today. On the surface, this might seem exciting to some. But in light of the Bible, Christians should be very cautious when someone starts talking about Jesus. For a long time, I thought it was great anytime a person would name the name of Jesus. Today I am wary, and I listen carefully to the Jesus they are describing. This is because I now understand that the Bible teaches that a person can believe a false gospel.

Galatians 1:6-7 I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: (7) Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.

Paul clearly says here that the Galatian Christians had turned from the true gospel they had received to a counterfeit gospel. It is a little confusing in English, but it helps to understand that there are two different Greek words used in these verses which are both translated another in English. In the first phrase ("...unto another gospel..."), Paul used the word heteros, which means 'another of a different kind.' In the second ("Which is not another..."), he used the word allos, which means 'another of the same kind.' The importance of what Paul is saying here is underscored by his next statement:

Galatians 1:8-9 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. (9) As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.

Paul also speaks of another Jesus, another spirit, and another gospel in his second letter to the Corinthians:

2 Corinthians 11:3-4 But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. (4) For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.

Paul used the word heteros (another of a different kind) to describe "another spirit" and "another gospel" (similar to Galatians 1:7). But for "another Jesus," he used the word allos (another of the same kind). So he is literally saying someone could preach another Jesus of the same kind, but they would receive a different spirit (not the Holy Spirit) and accept a different gospel. And we know that there is only one Jesus (John 14:6, 1 Tim. 2:5). So any "Christ" which produces a different spirit and gospel is not Jesus Christ but antichrist. This is why it is so important to understand what the gospel is and is not. Interestingly enough, the Greek prefix anti- can mean "against", but it also means "in the place of" or "instead of." So "another Jesus" could be one that stands "in the place of" the true Jesus -- that is one that stands "in the place of" Christ, or "anti-Christ."

We often picture an antichrist as some malevolent character with the number 666 emblazoned on his forehead. Now I do believe that there will be a specific man (the son of perdition, the man of lawlessness, the beast, etc. -- often referred to as the Antichrist) who will try to set himself up "in the place of" Christ. But 1 John speaks of many antichrists and the spirit of antichrist. This is a very broad topic (one I hope to cover in detail later), but suffice it to say that anything that we place in the stead of Jesus Christ is antichrist. This should really sober us up. We can even come under the umbrella of antichrist if we are trying to do something that only the Messiah can do -- if we are trying to pay our own debt of sin. That is why we cannot be saved by "the works of the law." (Gal. 2:16)

Going back to the subject of "another Jesus," the cults definitely fall into this category. One way I would define a cult is a group whose doctrines pervert the person of Christ or His redemptive work (or both). Many cults, such as the Jehovah's Witnesses and Mormons, teach that Jesus is a created being and that His death on the cross does not atone for our sin. Mormons teach that Jesus and Lucifer are brothers, and the Jehovah's Witnesses teach that Jesus is Michael the archangel. Now to the Bible believing Christian, these should be obvious examples of "another Jesus." But there is a more subtle "Jesus" that is often preached, even by those who should know better. I'm talking about presenting Jesus correctly in person, but misrepresenting His work. All the time, I hear pastors inviting people to "begin a relationship with Jesus" or to "believe in Jesus." The problem is that they never tell people why they should trust Jesus. Absent from their message is mankind's problem of sin. We have offended a just and holy God, and His wrath already abides on us (John 3:36, Romans 1:18, Romans 5:9, Eph. 5:6, Col. 3:6, 1 Thess. 1:10, Rev. 6:15-17).

We must place our faith in Jesus Christ, not only who He is, but also what He did. So what did He do? When John the Baptist saw Jesus, he said, "Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world." (John 1:29) On the cross, Jesus Christ bore our sins, and His soul became an offering to God for the sin of the world. (Heb. 9:28, Isaiah 53:10-12, Eph. 5:2, Heb 10:10) The Word of God is perfectly clear that we cannot approach God on the basis of our works; only by our simple faith in Christ and His finished work on Calvary's cross can we be justified, sanctified, and redeemed. (Rom. 3:28, 1 Cor. 6:11, Heb. 10:10, 14, 1 Pet. 1:18-19, Gal. 3:13)

A sobering realization, in the light of these passages and others, is that we cannot take away from what Christ did on the cross, nor can we add to it. And I think the most common error is that of adding to Christ's work of atonement. Romans 11:6 is very clear that grace and works are mutually exclusive; Romans 4:16 says that our salvation comes through our faith, so that it may be by grace. In other words if we expect God to do anything based on something we have done, it cannot be by God's grace because (in our eyes) we have earned something, and grace is unearned, unmerited favor.

Romans 4:3-5 For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness. (4) Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. (5) But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.

So if we say we place our faith in Christ and Him crucified, yet we try to merit something from God at the same time by our own works, then we frustrate God's grace because we are essentially saying that what Christ did was not enough.

Galatians 2:20-21 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. (21) I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.

I think we can draw the conclusion, then, that to trust in our own efforts aimed at pleasing God and earning something from Him is to believe in "another Jesus." Please realize just how important it is to place our faith in the correct Jesus, the one described in the Bible.

Philippians 3:8-9 ... I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, (9) And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith.

What About the NLT?

I'm a purist. I think we should be as thorough and accurate as possible regarding certain important matters. So it is no surprise that I think that a translation of the Bible should be as accurate as possible. Here is another example that warns us to be careful when choosing a translation. This one involves The New Living Translation. From my understanding, it is a translation and not a paraphrase such as The Living Bible. However I have heard many warnings about its accuracy in translation. This is just one that I recently ran across.

It seems that the translators of the NLT found some importance in making many of the pronouns gender inclusive. The same goes for passages that use the words man or mankind to refer to all of humanity; for example, they often changed man to person or men to humans, etc. The latter seems harmless enough, since it is understood by the contexts of the passages that men refers to both men and women. There is a problem, however, when it comes to the pronouns; this usually involves changing he to they or his to theirs, etc. In other words, the translators chose to change a first person, singular, masculine pronoun to a first person, plural, neutral pronoun.

John Fonville has written an extensive evaluation concerning this matter. Being a purist, I think it is dishonest to change any of these pronouns from the original meaning. But one of his examples really stood out to me. In this example, changing the pronoun from singular to plural seems to diminish a prophetic passage involving the crucifixion of Christ. See what you think:

The passage is in Psalm 34:19-20.

KJV:
Psalms 34:19-20 Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all. (20) He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken.

NLT:
19 The righteous face many troubles, but the LORD rescues them from each and every one.
20 For the LORD protects them from harm––not one of their bones will be broken!

Many commentators point to this passage as one of the Scriptures referred to in John 19:33, 36 (the other being Exodus 12:46):

But when they came to Jesus, and saw that he was dead already, they brake not his legs... For these things were done, that the scripture should be fulfilled, A bone of him shall not be broken.

And again we should be reminded of the importance of knowing exactly what God has said.

Proverbs 30:5-6 Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him. (6) Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.

Doing Damage to the Word of God

I think it's a sign of the times that we are seeing "Bibles" that are customized to a certain group of people. This trend has no regard for the fact that people of all backgrounds have the same problem: sin. God's pure Word is sufficient to save anyone. We should never compromise or "help God out" by changing His Word to something that a certain individual supposedly has an easier time relating to. Remember how Sarai and Abram tried to help God out. Instead of believing God the first time, that Sarai would bring forth a child, they tried to produce the son of promise by their own fleshly efforts, using Hagar instead.

So here is an article that gives an example of such a "bible": New Indian Bible Contains Hindu References

I will try to include other examples in the future.

Red Letter Christians (part 2)

Go to part 1.....Go to part 3

This is a follow-up to a previous post from April 12, 2008. In it I noted some of the views of so-called "Red Letter Christians." I'd like to give some more examples in their own words, and I hope to show where I believe they are in error according to the Bible.

In an interview on Beliefnet, in response to the question, "What do you wish evangelicals might accept in terms of salvation for non-Christians?", Tony Campolo said the following:

"We ought to get out of the judging business. We should leave it up to God to determine who belongs in one arena or another when it comes to eternity. What we are obligated to do is to tell people about Jesus and that's what I do. I try to do it every day of my life."

"I don't know of any other way of salvation, except through Jesus Christ. Now, if you were going to ask me, "Are only Christians going to get to heaven?" I can't answer that question, because I can only speak from the Christian perspective, from my own convictions and from my own experience. I do not claim to be able to read the mind of God and when evangelicals make these statements, I have some very serious concerns."

There are several problems with these statements. First of all, this idea that Christians shouldn't judge anything at any time is completely wrong. There are certain things we cannot judge, but there are others which we must judge. Jesus told us to "judge righteous judgment" (John 7:24). I go into more detail on this subject in a previous post.

Next I must say I take great issue with his statement, "I don't know of any other way of salvation, except through Jesus Christ." I think the implication taken in context is that he doesn't know of any other way of salvation, but he isn't denying that another way may exist of which he is not aware. This is clearly contrary to the teaching of Scripture.

John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

Acts 4:12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

We don't have to "read the mind of God" when it comes to such matters because God has given us special revelation in His Word concerning "all things that pertain unto life and godliness" (2 Peter 1:3). All we have to do is read His Word with the help and understanding given by the Holy Spirit and take it seriously.

There is one other thing Campolo said in this interview that I want to point out. He said,

"There are a group of evangelicals who would say, 'Wait a minute. We're evangelicals but we want to respect Islam. We don't want to call its prophet evil. We don't want to call the religion evil. We believe that we have got to learn to live in the same world with our Islamic brothers and sisters and we want to be friends. We do not want to be in some kind of a holy war.'"

Now we can certainly respect Muslims as we should respect any human being. However we should have enough love and respect for them to tell them what's wrong with what they believe. The fact is that Islam is evil as any false religion is evil. Islam teaches that Allah is no father and has no son; it presents Jesus as a prophet only and not the Son of God. And while it is true that Christians do not desire "to be in some kind of a holy war," ["My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight..." (John 18:36)] the fact is that Islam has been at war since the 7th century. Muhammad claimed to receive the words of the Koran from the angel Gabriel (words which are contrary to the Bible). Centuries earlier the apostle Paul wrote,

Galatians 1:6-8 I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: (7) Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. (8) But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.

Again I think the problem is a failure to consider the whole counsel of God.

More to come later.

Go to part 1.....Go to part 3

The Word of God (part 5)

Go to Part 1

The Message

I'll be blunt. I think The Message is irreverent, erroneous, and even blasphemous. Let me explain why I take such a strong opinion.

The first time I read a verse from The Message, I wondered how anyone could take it seriously. I don't remember what the verse was; what I do remember is my thinking that it was totally useless for understanding the Bible. And therein lies the irony. Paraphrases (we are told) are meant to aid in our understanding of the Bible. Yet I find that they create more confusion than anything else. Take this passage for example:

(John 1:1-5; 9-13, The Message)

1 -2 The Word was first,
the Word present to God,
God present to the Word.
The Word was God,
in readiness for God from day one.

3 -5 Everything was created through him;
nothing—not one thing!—
came into being without him.
What came into existence was Life,
and the Life was Light to live by.
The Life-Light blazed out of the darkness;
the darkness couldn't put it out.

9 -13 The Life-Light was the real thing:
Every person entering Life
he brings into Light.
He was in the world,
the world was there through him,
and yet the world didn't even notice.
He came to his own people,
but they didn't want him.
But whoever did want him,
who believed he was who he claimed
and would do what he said,
He made to be their true selves,
their child-of-God selves.
These are the God-begotten,
not blood-begotten,
not flesh-begotten,
not sex-begotten.

Now compare that to the New International Version (which I don't use anymore for various reasons; I am comparing it to The Message because many people use it.):

(John 1:1-5; 9-13, NIV)

¹In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ²He was with God in the beginning.
³Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. ⁴In him was life, and that life was the light of men. ⁵The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.

⁹The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world.

¹⁰He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. ¹¹He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. ¹²Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— ¹³children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God.

I am also of the opinion that much of the language in The Message is irreverent, such as John 1:14 -- "The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood. We saw the glory with our own eyes, the one-of-a-kind glory, like Father, like Son, Generous inside and out, true from start to finish." Compare with the NIV: "The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth." "Grace and truth" is much different than "true from start to finish." And that brings me to another problem which the primary reason I cannot accept The Message: Eugene Peterson's willingness to change the meaning of the biblical text. Take the familiar John 3:16-17 for example:

The Message: This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life. God didn't go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again.

NIV: For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

"A whole and lasting life" is completely different than "eternal life." It is the difference between the temporal and the eternal, the flesh and the spirit. And "to put the world right again" sounds like some kind of political social change. It more closely resembles the rhetoric of some 2008 presidential candidates than God's plan of redemption. Many other examples could be given, and I plan to post others in the future.

The simple fact is that The Message is not a translation of the Bible. It is not even a good paraphrase, because to paraphrase something is to say something with different wording without changing the meaning. Since The Message changes the meaning in so many places, it cannot be considered a paraphrase.

For a very good comparison regarding The Message, visit Kjos Ministries.

Go to Part 1

Where Are Our Priorities?

On March 17, 1883 Friedrich Engels spoke these words at the funeral of Karl Marx:

... "Just as Darwin discovered the law of evolution in organic nature, so Marx discovered the law of evolution in human history; he discovered the simple fact, hitherto concealed by an overgrowth of ideology, that mankind must first of all eat and drink, have shelter and clothing, before it can pursue politics, science, religion, art, etc..."

(By the way, I don't consider Darwin's notion of evolution to be a scientific law, but that's a topic for another time.)

Psychologist Abraham Maslow said essentially the same thing in his 1943 paper, A Theory of Human Motivation. He said we need to meet the needs of physiology, safety, love and belonging, and esteem, before we can meet the "higher" needs he deemed as self-actualization which includes morality and religion.

Much of the modern Church is doing the same thing. Often I hear that we must meet people's physical needs before we can even begin to discuss spiritual matters with them. What they're saying, whether they know it or not, is that a full belly is more important than eternal life and salvation.

Before I go any further, let me make it perfectly clear that I'm not opposed to meeting people's material needs. The Bible is full of this kind of example. I simply take issue with Christians who would say (and I've heard this myself) that Jesus wouldn't preach to people without meeting their "felt needs" first. This simply isn't true. Look at these examples:

Matthew 15:32 Then Jesus called his disciples unto him, and said, I have compassion on the multitude, because they continue with me now three days, and have nothing to eat: and I will not send them away fasting, lest they faint in the way.

Mark 8:36 For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?

The problem is that unregenerate man has no idea of his need for salvation, so he won't ever come to God on his own no matter how well his fleshly needs are met.

Psalm 53:1-3 The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. Corrupt are they, and have done abominable iniquity: there is none that doeth good. (2) God looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, that did seek God. (3) Every one of them is gone back: they are altogether become filthy; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.

They need to hear the Word of God and be drawn by His Spirit.

Romans 10:13-17 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. (14) How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? (15) And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things! (16) But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report? (17) So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

The Word of God (part 4)

Go to Part 1.....Go to Part 2.....Go to Part 3

The Problem with Paraphrases

There are several paraphrase versions of the Bible on the market. The two most popular seem to be The Living Bible and The Message. I'll get right to the point. I personally don't use paraphrases; I think we should be careful to know what God says as accurately as possible. I realize there are no perfect translations since there are always difficulties between any two languages when it comes to translating certain idioms and figures of speech. Even the most literal English translation makes use of some dynamic equivalence; it simply has to be done to make the English readable. Even with very good translations in which the translators have been very careful, there are certain concepts that may not come across as clearly in English as they do in Hebrew or Greek without using a whole sentence or more to explain that one word. That is why I believe it is important to have Greek and Hebrew scholars to aid in our understanding of the original texts.*

Certain Bible versions (such as the NIV) can be said to make a liberal use of dynamic equivalence in which the text is translated "thought for thought." This is in contrast to formal equivalence in which the text is translated "word for word." Paraphrases go a step further in that the writers put the thought in their own words. Many people would say, "Isn't that what a preacher does? He explains the text in his own words." This is true, and it seems to have a biblical basis.

Nehemiah 8:8 So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading.

The problem arises when a person is bringing a paraphrase to church. If they were using a strict translation, they could diligently search the Scriptures to verify the pastor's words (Acts 17:11). But if they are trying to follow the pastor with a paraphrase, they are only comparing the words of one man to another. In Nehemiah 8:8 above, the leaders read from the Law distinctly; that is they read the Word literally. Then they gave the sense or understanding. The people therefor had the actual Word of God to compare with what the leadership was saying.

We should also keep in mind what the Bible says about itself.

Proverbs 30:5 Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him.

Psalms 138:2 I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.

Revelation 22:18-19 For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: (19) And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.

Considering these issues, we can then see how a paraphrase may not be such a good thing. People often use them in order to better understand what the Bible is saying. But we must understand that a paraphrase results in man rewording what God has said. Should we not trust that God has communicated to us in a way that we can all comprehend? Not that the Bible is always easy to read or understand. There are many difficult passages. Even Peter said that some of Paul's writings were hard to understand (2 Peter 3:15-16). I have no problem with books and commentaries that explain the Bible. But the reader should have a good translation of the Bible next to the commentary in order to see if what the writer is saying is scriptural.

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*For example, the English word love is used several times in John 21:15-17. What we don't see is that Jesus is using one word in Greek, while Peter is responding with a different word. In verse 15, Jesus asks, "Simon, son of Jonas, lovest [Greek: agapao] thou me more than these?" Peter responds, "Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love [Different Greek word: phileo] thee."

The difference which does not show itself in English is that Jesus is asking if Peter loves Him with an all-consuming love; Peter is afraid to commit after his former denial of Christ and responds that he loves Him as one loves a brother. This same sequence happens in verse 16, but when we get to verse 17, something changes (again, not noticeable in English). Jesus stoops to Peter's level and asks, "Simon, son of Jonas, lovest [phileo] thou me?" And this explains the next part of the verse: "Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me?"

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Another example is the word another. Reading in English, we see that word only, but in Greek there are two words, and it helps to know which one is used. Allos means "another of the same kind"; heteros means "another of a different kind." This helps us understand Galatians 1:6-7.

I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another [heteros] gospel: Which is not another [allos]; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.

What Paul is saying is that they had turned to another gospel of a different kind and not one of the same kind. In other words, there is only one Gospel: Jesus Christ and Him Crucified (Galatians 3:1; 1 Cor. 1:23; 1 Cor 2:2)

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Go to Part 1.....Go to Part 2.....Go to Part 3

Are You Washed in the Blood?

Here is another great hymn that points us to the Cross and Christ's atoning death thereon. This one was written by Elisha Albright Hoffman.

Are You Washed in the Blood?

Have you been to Jesus for the cleansing power?
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?
Are you fully trusting in His grace this hour?
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?

Refrain

Are you washed in the blood,
In the soul cleansing blood of the Lamb?
Are your garments spotless? Are they white as snow?
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?

Are you walking daily by the Savior's side?
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?
Do you rest each moment in the Crucified?
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?

Refrain

When the Bridegroom cometh will your robes be white?
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?
Will your soul be ready for the mansions bright,
And be washed in the blood of the Lamb?

Refrain

Lay aside the garments that are stained with sin,
And be washed in the blood of the Lamb;
There's a fountain flowing for the soul unclean,
O be washed in the blood of the Lamb!

Refrain

Purifying Unclean Lips

Isaiah 6:5-7 Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts. (6) Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar: (7) And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged.

I love this passage because it contains the Gospel. Isaiah exclaimed, "Woe is me!," after he saw "the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up." He recognized that, although he was one of Israel's great prophets called by God, he was "a man of unclean lips" dwelling "in the midst of a people of unclean lips." Notice how he made no distinction between himself and the people to which God was sending him to prophesy.

Then one of the seraphim touched Isaiah's unclean lips with a coal from the altar. Why? The altar was a type of the cross. The sins of man were transferred to the sacrifice (typified in the Old Testament by the sinner placing his hand on the head of the sin offering), and its blood was shed and put on the altar.

Leviticus 4:27-30 And if any one of the common people sin through ignorance...or if his sin, which he hath sinned, come to his knowledge: then he shall bring his offering...for his sin which he hath sinned. And he shall lay his hand upon the head of the sin offering, and slay the sin offering in the place of the burnt offering. And the priest shall take of the blood thereof with his finger, and put it upon the horns of the altar of burnt offering, and shall pour out all the blood thereof at the bottom of the altar.

The sacrifice was placed upon the altar after its blood had been shed.

John 1:29 The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.

Matthew 26:27-28 And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.

The sacrifice was then completely consumed by fire on the altar signifying God's judgment of sin. One could argue that since this altar was in heaven before the throne of God, it came from the Lamb who was foreordained before the foundation of the world (1 Peter 1:18-20). Therefor when Isaiah's lips were touched with a coal from the altar, they were touched by Christ and Him crucified (1 Cor. 2:2).

Isaiah 53:3-12 He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth. He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken. And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth. Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities. Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.

Offering a Proper Sacrifice

Proverbs 15:8 The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD: but the prayer of the upright is his delight.

Many Christians might read this verse and think, "This doesn't apply to me. We don't worry about offering sacrifices anymore." Before I talk about how this can apply to us, let me give an example of this from Scripture. Cain and Abel both presented sacrifices to the Lord. "Cain was a tiller of the ground..." and he offered "the fruit of the ground." "Abel was a keeper of sheep..." and he offered "the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof." (Genesis 4) For a long time, I thought that God rejected Cain's offering because of some unmentioned sin. But Abel offered a sin offering as well, "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." (Romans 3:23) So it wasn't his sin that made a difference (sin was a problem for everyone); it was his sacrifice.

So what was wrong with Cain's sacrifice? We can infer from the rest of the Bible that God had ordained the sacrifice of a lamb, bull, etc. as a burnt offering because "without shedding of blood is no remission [of sin]." (Hebrews 9:22) Remember even in the garden of Eden, God took the leaves with which Adam and Eve covered themselves and gave them coats of skins which implies that innocent blood was shed to provide a covering for them. Going against God's prescribed sacrificial order, Cain offered God the fruit of his own labor. He offered that for which he had toiled and sweat. This is a picture of religious man. Religion consists of man trying his hardest and doing various works to earn favor with God. But this is not what the Bible teaches. Instead it teaches that none of our own efforts are good enough to merit any favor from the Lord. We are saved only by God's grace through faith in the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ upon the cross.

Titus 3:5-7 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; (6) Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; (7) That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

The abominable sacrifice can also be seen in the episode of Aaron's sons:

Leviticus 10:1-2 And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the LORD, which he commanded them not. (2) And there went out fire from the LORD, and devoured them, and they died before the LORD.

Concerning this matter John Gill said,

"this fire was not that which came down from heaven, and consumed the sacrifice, as related at the end of the preceding chapter, but common fire, and therefore called strange; it was not taken off of the altar of burnt offering, as it ought to have been..."

The altar of burnt offering typified Christ's atoning work on the cross. Therefor offering fire from another source was unacceptable to God just as it is unacceptable for us to place our faith in anything other than Christ and Him crucified (1 Cor. 2:2). In fact there is such a thing as believing in another Jesus.

2 Corinthians 11:3-4 But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. (4) For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.

Let us therefor be careful not to place our faith in anything other than God's plan of redemption which is Christ's finished work on the cross.

The Occult, part 2: Divination

part 1

Deuteronomy 18:10 There shall not be found among you any one...that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch...

I purposely skipped the first forbidden practice in this passage (child sacrifice); I wanted to save it for last, partly to do more research and partly because of the disturbing nature of the subject. Many of the practices seem to be nearly the same or at least very much related (for instance a witch/wizard/sorcerer may use divination or enchantment or consult with familiar spirits), so I may end up including others in this and later discussions.

So what is divination? Wikipedia defines divination as “the attempt of ascertaining information by interpretation of omens or an alleged supernatural agency…”
A British website, Holistic Shop (an occult site), says,

“Divination is the art of making apparent information that is hidden or not immediately obvious. From the outside looking in, it can appear magical, mystical, and maybe even scary, because we may not understand where this information is coming from.”

So here we have the definition of occult ("information that is hidden"). We also have to wonder where is the information coming from? Of course the people who wrote this have their ideas (probably a pantheistic/panentheistic view that some force they call god is in everything, therefor everything is connected by this force, and all we have to do is learn to tap into it). I want to submit the explanation that the real source is evil, demonic spirits. As we go along, I'll try to include not only biblical reasons why I believe that but also logical ones.

Simply put, I'd say divination is the attempt to discover hidden knowledge (often about future events, sometimes about things or people in a distant location) by means of signs or omens (such as observing the flight pattern of birds or using tarot cards) or by using devices such as pendulums or divining rods (dowsing/water witching). Okay, that wasn't as simple as I thought it would be.

Here is an example of divination using a crab. This is a crab sorcerer in Cameroon who "tells the future by interpreting the changes in position of various objects as caused by a fresh-water crab..."

Common forms of divination

There are various techniques I have heard of over the years which, until recently, I did not realize were really forms of divination. One example is bobbing for apples. Apparently this was at one time related to Pomona, the Roman goddess of fruit trees, gardens, etc. who was also associated with fertility and whose symbol was the apple. It was said that the first person to grab an apple with their teeth would be the next to marry.

Dowsing is another example. I remember watching an old black and white western movie as a child in which an old man used a small forked tree branch to find water. He would walk around with the branch in both hands until the end began to bend downward, indicating there was water underground in that location. This has also been used with a metal rod to find water lines and has even been used in oil exploration. Of course some try to say that this is scientific, that somehow there is a magnetic attraction between the metal rod and the water. But what about in the case of the wooden branch? And why wouldn't that work over a pond even more powerfully than over water that is in the ground. Something has to apply the force to bend the stick or move the pendulum. I believe this is the work of a demon spirit. This scenario seems clear to me considering the fact that some dowsers can actually find oil by using a pendulum on a map of a distant location. Take a look at the International Society of Dowsers to understand that this is a supernatural, occult technique. They say that "dowsing has been used to find water for wells, mineral deposits, oil, buried treasure, archaeological artifacts - even missing people." The society's purpose: "In Uniting the International Community of Dowsers, Healers, Intuitives, Clairvoyants, thru Communication and Education, We Hope to Bring to Light, the Scientific, Educational, Health and Social Applications of Dowsing, Healing and Intuitive Technologies to the World Community." They also compare dowsing to remote viewing, another occult method:

"Some theorize there is a psychic connection established between the dowser and the sought object. We consider it more of a Subtle Energy connection among all things, living and inanimate, Another theory suggests, all things possess an energy force, a part of the "Living Field". The dowser, by concentrating on the hidden object's field or the energy signature of information , is somehow able to tune in to the energy field force or "vibration" of the object which, in turn, thru a trained subtle reaction or other means, causes the pendulum to swing in a decisive direction, or the dowsing rod or stick to swing."

The ouija board is another form of divination. It is not a simple child's game. Wikipedia defines ouija board as "any flat surface printed with letters, numbers, and other symbols, to which a planchette or movable indicator points, supposedly in answer to questions from people at a séance." Again people have proposed various scientific explanations for this phenomenon, but physics can't account for the retrieval of information in this manner. The movie, The Exorcist, is apparently based on a true case study (with some details changed for Hollywood's sake of course) in which a child became demon possessed by using a ouija board.

Another popular form of divination involves holding some type of pendulum or chain over the belly of a pregnant woman in order to determine the gender of the baby. Supposedly the pendulum moves one way for a boy and another for a girl. This was described to me by a friend who said he tried this on his wife before he was saved. He said the object he used (a necklace, I think) began to move in a circular motion. He recounted that it greatly disturbed him, and he quickly stopped the practice. I'd say that was a good call.

Another way used to divine is in observing the entrails of animals, usually after their being sacrificed to idols. This is mentioned in the Bible.

Ezekiel 21:21 For the king of Babylon stood at the parting of the way, at the head of the two ways, to use divination: he made his arrows bright, he consulted with images, he looked in the liver.

I have even heard that those groups who participate in human sacrifice observe the writhing of the victim on the ground as a means of divination. Also the phrase "he made his arrows bright" in Ezekiel 21:21 describes another method. According to Albert Barnes, this means rather that "he shook his arrow; [it was] a mode of divination much in practice with the Arabians. It was usual to place in some vessel three arrows, on one of which was written, “My God orders me;” on the other, “My God forbids me;” on the third was no inscription. These three arrows were shaken together until one came out; if it was the first, the thing was to be done; if the second, it was to be avoided; if the third, the arrows were again shaken together, until one of the arrows bearing a decided answer should come forth." This sounds very similar to our magic eight ball today...

If you are a born-again Christian, I would advise you not to be involved in any of these practices. However you should not let these things scare you "because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world." (1 John 4:4)

part 1

Letting the Enemy In

Nehemiah 13:4-5 And before this, Eliashib the priest, having the oversight of the chamber of the house of our God, was allied unto Tobiah: (5) And he had prepared for him a great chamber, where aforetime they laid the meat offerings, the frankincense, and the vessels, and the tithes of the corn, the new wine, and the oil, which was commanded to be given to the Levites, and the singers, and the porters; and the offerings of the priests.

If you know who Tobiah is then you can see why Nehemiah reacted the way he did beginning in verse 7. He called what Eliashib did an evil thing. If we go back to chapter 2 verse 10, we see that Tobiah was one of those who were already in the region when Nehemiah's party returned to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. "...it grieved them exceedingly that there was come a man to seek the welfare of the children of Israel." So apparently they did not care for the well being of the Israelites. Nehemiah tells us that Tobiah and the others "laughed us to scorn, and despised us" (2:19) But I love Nehemiah's answer: "The God of heaven, he will prosper us; therefore we his servants will arise and build: but ye have no portion, nor right, nor memorial, in Jerusalem." (2:20) Again we see in 4:7-8 that Tobiah was among those who became very angry when they heard that the walls were being rebuilt and "conspired all of them together to come and to fight against Jerusalem, and to hinder it." There are other episodes all throughout the book describing their enemies' efforts to disrupt their work or to attack them. We can probably safely presume that Tobiah was involved in most if not all of them.

So going back to chapter 13, we now understand that Eliashib sinned greatly in what he did. He became the ally of Tobiah; he brought him into the house of God and gave him a space of his own; in order to do so he had to remove the stored grain offerings, frankincense, the temple implements, etc. which were used in temple service. The gravity of this act is evident in what Nehemiah had to do when he found out about it. He threw Tobiah's possessions out and ordered the room to be ceremonially cleansed before it could be used again.

There is a lesson here. We should not ally ourselves with the world. We are told to "come out from among them, and be ye separate...and touch not the unclean thing..." (2 Cor. 6:17) Any time we compromise with the world the gospel suffers. The items which Eliashib removed all signified in some way the atoning work of salvation which Jesus Christ would accomplish on the cross; the cleansing which was ordered by Nehemiah did the same thing. Thus we have our answer to such a problem. Should we find that we have compromised with the world's system in any way, we should repent (because it is sin) and return to the cross because it is the only answer for sin.

1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

2 Chronicles 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

We should also realize that this is a warning to Christians. We must be careful and take heed not to be deceived. We may be able to see the obvious, overt attacks on the Faith (sometimes we fail even at this); however we often lack the discernment to notice the subtle deceptions introduced through our own leadership. (Sometimes this may be done by those who are purposely trying to deceive and mislead the Body of Christ; however, I believe that most of the time, when a pastor, teacher, etc. goes down a wrong path, it is because of their own ignorance of a particular subject or because they have been deceived despite their having meant well.) It should not shock us to realize this possibility; we are warned many times in Scripture of this very thing.

Acts 20:28-31 Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood. (29) For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. (30) Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them. (31) Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears.

Jude 4 For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Timothy 4:1-2 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; (2) Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;

2 Corinthians 11:13-15 For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. (14) And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. (15) Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.

I think it is time for us, as Christians, to get serious about serving the Lord, to humble ourselves, to repent of our wicked ways, to ask the Lord to help us to thoroughly learn and understand His Word, and to separate ourselves from the ways of the world. Don't allow the enemy to enter in any way because "A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump." (Galatians 5:9) Let us rely on the power of God rather than allying ourselves with the world in a common purpose.

James 4:4 Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.

Memorial Day

"It is, in a way, an odd thing to honor those who died in defense of our country, in defense of us, in wars afar away. The imagination plays a trick. We see these soldiers in our mind as old and wise. We see them as something like the Founding Fathers, grave and gray-haired. But most of them were boys when they died, and they gave up two lives, the one they were living and the one they would have lived. When they died, they gave up their chance to be husbands and fathers and grandfathers. They gave up their chance to be revered old men. They gave up everything for our country, for us. And all we can do is remember." - Ronald Reagan

Don't forget those who served and gave their lives to preserve our freedom, as well as those who are currently serving our country. And let us return to God Almighty and the Lord Jesus Christ, without whose grace and mercy this country would not have been a reality.

Jeremiah 6:16 Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein.

Let us not make the same mistake. We need to return to the Cross and live by faith in Christ's finished work, forsaking our self-righteousness and fleshly works.

John 12:25 He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.

Habakkuk 2:4 Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith.

Fourth stanza of "The Star Spangled Banner"

O! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand
Between their loved home and the war's desolation!
Blest with victory and peace, may the heav'n rescued land
Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation.
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: 'In God is our trust.'
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

Pray for our country...

Baptismal Regeneration?

Updated on May 23, 2008

John 3:5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

I have heard some try to prove baptismal regeneration with this verse. That is the idea that you cannot be saved unless you are baptized in water. There are different versions of this false doctrine, some of which are listed below. There are several ways to disprove this view. We must use good hermeneutics when determining the meaning of the verse. We should explore the immediate or local context by checking the preceding and following verses. And we need to place the verse in its proper place within the context of the entire Bible.

First let's look at the surrounding verses.

John 3:3-7 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. (4) Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born? (5) Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. (6) That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. (7) Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.

First notice that Nicodemus thought that being born again meant being delivered from his mother's womb a second time. Then, in verse 5, we might be tempted to think that Jesus is correcting him by saying that physical birth has nothing to do with what He was talking about and that salvation involves water and a work of the Spirit. But if that is the case, we have to ask ourselves, why did Jesus say "born of water" instead of "baptized in water"? Secondly, in verse 6, we can see that Jesus is restating verse 5 because the second phrase in both verses is "born of the Spirit." Therefore it is reasonable to conclude that "born of water" and "born of the flesh" are equal in meaning. This can be summed up in the common saying: "He who is born once dies twice; he who is born twice dies only once."

It is also clearly taught in Scripture that we are not justified by our works but by God's grace through our faith in Jesus Christ and His finished work on the cross which atoned for all sin. (Ephesians 2:8-9, Acts 13:39, Luke 18:13-14, Romans 3:20-28, Romans 5:1-2, Galatians 2:16, etc.) But what about Mark 16:16?"He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned." I think there are two ways we could look at this. First notice the context:

Mark 16:16-18 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. (17) And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; (18) They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.

Some interpret this to mean that water baptism is also a sign that "shall follow them that believe." Also notice that verse 17 doesn't say "And these signs shall follow them that believe and are baptized." But I don't think verse 16 is talking about water baptism, although I do believe that water baptism is an important sign which should quickly follow after one's salvation. But what other kind is there? It seems from the Scripture that there are at least three baptisms:

1. Water baptism

   Acts 8:37-38 And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. (38) And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him.

2. Baptism into the Body of Christ:

   1 Corinthians 12:13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.

3. Baptism with the Holy Spirit:

   Luke 3:16 John answered, saying unto them all, I indeed baptize you with water; but one mightier than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire.

Water baptism, as I stated, is very important and necessary, since it was ordained by the Lord Jesus Christ. But we must realize that immersion into water is not what saves us, sanctifies us, or in any other way initiates the grace of God. It is a public sign of a believer's witness that he has been baptized into the Body of Christ. This is the baptism that counts for salvation. It is the "one baptism" spoken of in Ephesians 4:5. Remember that the thief on the cross who asked the Lord to "remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom" never had a chance to be immersed in water; yet Christ told him, "To day shalt thou be with me in paradise." (Luke 23:42-43) Here are examples of what water baptism is meant to represent:

Romans 6:3-4 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? (4) Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

Galatians 3:26-27 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. (27) For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

Colossians 2:11-12 In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: (12) Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead. [Notice Paul first mentions a circumcision made without human hands; this gives us a clue that the baptism of verse 12 is also one that is done apart from human involvement.]

The bottom line is a person can be saved without being water baptized, although a believer should absolutely be water baptized as soon as possible. The danger in believing that the act of immersion saves a person is that it is a denial of the sufficiency of the atonement of Christ upon the cross. If you must be water baptized for your salvation to be complete, then what Jesus did on the cross wasn't good enough (and the thief on the cross wasn't really saved which would make Jesus a liar!).

Galatians 2:16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.

The power of God for salvation is in the preaching of the cross, not in ordinances performed by men.

1 Corinthians 1:17 For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect.

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Here are some examples of improper views of baptism:

• The Roman Catholic Church

  Here are some sources cited in an article that are typical of Catholic belief.

  "Happy is our sacrament of water, in that, by washing away the sins of our early blindness, we are set free and admitted into eternal life..." (Tertullian - Baptism, 1 [A.D. 203])

  "It is not possible to receive forgiveness of sins without baptism" (Origen - Exhortation to the Martyrs, 30 [A.D. 235])

  "If any man does not receive baptism, he does not have salvation. The only exception is the martyrs, who even without water will receive the kingdom." (Cyril of Jerusalem - Catechetical Lectures, 3:10 [A.D. 350])

  This is why they baptize infants; they believe that the act of water baptism is what saves a person.


• United Church of Christ

  "Through baptism a person is joined with the universal church, the body of Christ. In baptism, God works in us the power of forgiveness, the renewal of the spirit, and the knowledge of the call to be God's people always." ("About Baptism" - ucc.org)

  Notice that they say it is "through baptism" that a person enters into the body of Christ.

  "Through water at baptism, God embraces you — no matter who you are — and brings you into Christ's Church...Baptized, you now participate fully in life of the Church and God's realm." (from "What Matters to Us" found at uccvitality.org)

  In response to the question, "Who is baptized in the UCC?" -- "Infants, children, youth and adults. For infants and children, as well as for youth and adults who have never been baptized before, baptism marks their acceptance into the care of Christ's church, the sign and seal of God's grace and forgiveness, and the beginning of their Christian faith and life." ("About Baptism" - ucc.org)
  [How can an infant begin their Christian faith? Infants have no cognitive abilities to believe anything. Therefor the belief is that the water saves and not God's grace through their faith.]

  Further confirmation that something is wrong here is found in their response to the question, "What words are used?" -- "The recognition of our baptism by the ecumenical church is important to us, and the Book of Worship encourages the use of language recognized in most Christian churches: "I baptize you in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit." Feminine images for God may surround these words to enrich understandings and offer balance." ("About Baptism" - ucc.org)



• United Pentecostal Church International

  The UPCI believes that baptism in water is essential to salvation (as well, they believe in baptism in the name of Jesus only).

  "Water baptism is an essential part of New Testament salvation and not merely a symbolic ritual. It is part of entering into the kingdom of God..." (From "The Apostles' Doctrine" on upci.org)