wednesday, february 7, 2007 tbc bible study. foundations

Wednesday, February 7, 2007

TBC Bible Study

Foundations

My Fear

Sexual Abuse

• Prevalence of Sexual Abuse• Perpetrators of Sexual Abuse• Precipitates of Sexual Abuse

Sexual Abuse

• Every single one of us should read this book.

Why the KJV Is Not the Word of God

• Don’t excommunicate me: Almost everything I have studied leads me to believe the KJV is a highly accurate, trustworthy translation from excellent manuscripts. But it isn’t perfect.

• And, we have a serious problem with the rhetoric we use.

Why the KJV Is Not the Word of God

• The Word of God is inerrant• The KJV is not inerrant (cf. Acts 9:7, 22:9;

see Gal. 6:11)The KVJ is not the Word of God. Q.E.D.

KJV: The Right Perspective

• There is no Scriptural nor historical basis for the belief that God has used the KJV to preserve His Word. (Rather, we can accept the KJV is a faithful translation of the preserved Word of God.)

• The Jews understood that translations were inferior. – We know Jesus spoke Hebrew as well as Aramaic because

He would not have been allowed to engage in theological discussions with the temple leaders in any other language than Hebrew: Theological discussions had to be conducted in the original language of the Scriptures.


• Where did the word Lucifer come from?—A common example of our misunderstanding of the issues. Other passages are found only in Latin-based manuscripts, .

• The last 6 verses of Revelation were translated into Greek from the Latin Vulgate, and then back into English.

• What about other verses that occur only in the Vulgate, and not in a single Greek manuscript anywhere?


• Greek and Hebrew are far more nuanced than English. English is an inadequate language for translation of either original language (e.g., love: phileo v. agape).

• The KJV is clearly one of the best translations of the preserved Word of God. But it is only a translation!


• A growing problem:– Significant changes in the English language over the

last 400 years are rendering the KJV less and less relevant to our spoken language.

– Although most people can understand it, the meaning of many words and verses is completely unclear without a historical understanding of the English language.


trow conversation firmament

world betimes fetched a compass

several mean lively oracles

• Vocabulary Quiz


• This is a serious problem. We are in danger of insulating the common people from the Word of God, just as the Catholic Church did (most famously before the Reformation, but through the 1960s).

• We should be very, very wary of the dangerous rhetoric of Ruckmanism.

Chastisement—It’s Not Always Punishment

• Again, we have a case of misunderstanding the words in the Word.

• The best translation is discipline, in the sense of training.

• παιδεια (paideia / pahee-di'-ah) From G3811; tutorage, that is, education or training; by implication disciplinary correction: - chastening, chastisement, instruction, nurture.

• How much insecurity and doubt has been laid at the feet of believers (not to mention a skewed perspective of God) because of the failure to consult a Greek dictionary?

The Foolishness of Preachers

• I’ve spent almost 35 years in Fundamentalist churches—there’s plenty of material here.

• Often caused by ignoring the mantra, “Context! Context!”

• Finding the verses to support a topic and ignoring context is a major cause. More expositional preaching is needed.

• Jack Hyles exemplified the “phrase as a launching point” method of preaching. Beware!

The Foolishness of Preachers

• We need to learn to object or just walk out. Remember the Bereans. (Acts 17:11)

• Church leaders have a right to disseminate their opinions (1 Co 7:6 “But I speak this by permission, and not of commandment.”)

• Extrabiblical opinion should never be propagated as doctrine, although this is a tendency of humans. (See Paul’s epistles, and his repeated corrections about this, as well as the discussions in Acts about legalism.)

The Error of Arminianism

• Arminianism and the anthropocentric Gospel

• Discarding Romans 8 and 9 and God’s sovereignty

• The enormously destructive “easy believism”

The Error of Arminianism

• “If the professed convert distinctly and deliberately declares that he knows the Lord’s will but does not mean to attend to it, you are not to pamper his presumption, but it is your duty to assure him that he is not saved. Do not suppose that the Gospel is magnified or God glorified by going to the worldlings and telling them that they may be saved at this moment by simply accepting Christ as their Savior, while they are wedded to their idols, and their hearts are still in love with sin. If I do so I tell them a lie, pervert the Gospel, insult Christ, and turn the grace of God into lasciviousness.”

– C.H. Spurgeon

Biblical or Cultural?

• We tend to interpret historical cultures through light of our own.

• Do you think it’s appropriate for a Christian woman to wear nose jewelry?

• Women’s rights under Christianity as opposed to Roman law.

Other Topic Possibilities

• God Rules: Understanding Sovereignty• How to do an Inductive Bible Study• The Glorious Meaning of Grace• Hermaneutics

Context! Context!

• What can the context tell us in a couple of difficult passages?– Rom. 8:8: “So then they that are in the flesh cannot please

God.”– Rev 22:18: “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: 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.”

Context! Context!

• If it’s out of context, it’s almost definitely incorrect.

• Extreme example: “Let him that stole steal.” (Eph 4:28)

• My contextual idiocy—an example from which we can all learn.

This slide Is Paradoxically [not] Left Blank

How to Ruin Your Life by Misunderstanding

the Will of God

The title is intentionally ironic.(You’ll see.)

What is the Will of God?

• “[E]vangelicalism is a 19th century revivalistic expression of excessive self-possession and individualism. We say it’s not about us, but we think a lot about us, our happiness, and the will of God. The Bible never tells us to seek the will of God. It tells us to do it. The will of God is not a focus for me. Character is a focus for me. If you have character, you’ll know what to do. Use your head and make decisions based on your head. The will of God is the commands and imperatives of Scripture.”

– Dr. John Hannah

Christian Mysticism

• Mysticism– (1) A religion based on mystical communion

with an ultimate reality– (2) Obscure or irrational thought

• “God laid you on my heart”• “I want to find God’s will for my life.”

Obsession

• We, especially as young people, are obsessed with finding the will of God for our lives.

• Was it God’s will for Paul to go to Jerusalem?

• If God’s will is so important, why is it so seemingly obscure?

Obsession

• When we believe that we have found that “will of God for our life,” any deviation from that it must be interpreted as leaving the will of God.

• What might this produce?

Mythology

• Romans 12:1–2: “good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God.” Commonly defined as:– The perfect will of God—God’s perfect plan

for one’s life, which one can ruin– The acceptable will of God, which is God’s

“Plan B” or fallback– The good will of God, which is His commands

• This interpretation is completely erroneous.

Greek

• The three adjectives are used as Substantive nouns (“the excellent/upright/honorable thing” and “well pleasing/acceptable thing” and “perfect/mature/complete thing”) are modifying “the will of God,” NOT speaking of different kinds of wills!

• In context, they are describing/defining the MORAL will of God, which He has revealed in His Word. This verse tells us that a believer who is NOT conforming his mind to this age, but is transforming his mind (developing a godly mind) is able to understand and obey God’s moral will as revealed in Scripture.

Greek

• “Excellent/upright/honorable” and “well pleasing/acceptable” and “consummate human integrity and virtue” are obviously referring to God’s moral will for the believer ... NOT where he should go to college, work, buy a house, etc., etc. That seems pretty clear here. This is a will that can be “proven/tested/discerned.” How can that be done? By using God’s revelation—His Word.

• The absolute clincher is that these three Substantival Adjectives are Nominatives in Simple Apposition. “An appositional construction involves (1) adjacent substantives (2) in the same case, (3) which refer to the same thing, and (4) have the same syntactical relation to the rest of the clause.” They refer to the very same thing. [Wallace, 48] They are connected by “and,” NOT contrasted.

GreekAnd you (pl), on your part, do not be conforming

to [the pattern of] this age, but you (pl) be being transformed

by the renovation/complete change for the better of your (pl) mind/higher reason

for the purpose of testing/proving/discerning what [is] the will of God

[concerning] you (pl), [what is] the

excellent/upright/honorable thing and

well pleasing/acceptable thing and perfect/mature/complete thing.

God’s Will—As Scripture Teaches

• God’s Moral Will– Revealed will of God– The will (commands, duties) God has revealed

to us through Scripture.• God’s Sovereign Will

– Includes and anticipates the results of every human action.


• Will of God:– Mark 3:35 Acts 13:36 Rom. 1:10 Rom. 8:27

Rom. 12:2 Rom. 15:32 1 Co. 1:1 2 Co. 1:1 2 Co. 8:5 Gal. 1:4 Eph. 1:1 Eph. 6:6 Col. 1:1 Col. 4:12 1 Th. 4:3 1 Th. 5:18 2 Ti. 1:1 Heb. 10:36 1 Pe. 2:15 1 Pe. 3:17 1 Pe. 4:2 1 Pe. 4:19 1 Jo. 2:17

• His Will:– Dan. 4:35 John 7:17 John 9:31 Acts 22:14

Rom. 2:18 Rom. 9:19 Eph. 1:5 Eph. 1:9 Col. 1:9 Heb. 13:21 1 Jo. 5:14 Rev. 17:17


• Will of the Lord:– Acts 21:14 Eph. 5:17

• Thy Will:– Psa. 40:8 Psa. 143:10 Mat. 6:10 Mat. 26:42

Luke 11:2 Heb. 10:7 Heb. 10:9


• God’s Moral Will:– 1 Jo. 2:17 1 Jo. 5:14 1 Pe. 2:15 1 Pe. 4:2

1 Th. 4:3 1 Th. 5:18 Acts 22:14 Col. 1:9 Col. 4:12 Eph. 1:9 Eph. 5:17 Eph. 6:6 Heb. 10:7 Heb. 10:9 John 7:17 John 9:31 Mark 3:35 Psa. 143:10 Psa. 40:8 Rom. 12:2 Rom. 8:27 Rom. 2:18

• God’s Sovereign Will:– 1 Co. 1:1 1 Pe. 3:17 1 Pe. 4:19 2 Co. 1:1

2 Co. 8:5 2 Ti. 1:1 Acts 13:36 Acts 21:14Col. 1:1 Dan. 4:35 Eph. 1:1 Eph. 1:5 Gal. 1:4 Mat. 26:42 Rev. 17:17 Rom. 1:10Rom. 15:32 Rom. 9:19 Heb. 13:21

• Harder to classify:– Mat. 6:10 Heb. 10:36 Luke 11:2

God’s Moral Will

• Rom. 2:18: “And knowest His will, and approvest the things that are more excellent, being instructed out of the law;”

• An overwhelming percentage of Scripture referring to God’s will refers to His moral will, or revealed will—the things He has commanded us to do.

God’s Moral Will

• 1 Jn. 5:14: “And this is the confidence that we have in Him, that, if we ask any thing according to His will, He heareth us.”

• God’s moral will is, ultimately, what we should be paying most attention to.

God’s Sovereign Will

• God rules!

• Dan. 4:35: “And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and He doeth according to His will in the army of Heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay His hand, or say unto Him, ‘What doest Thou?’”

• “God’s redemptive Plan” — Piper


• Rev. 17:17: “For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil His will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled.”

• Acts 21:14: “And when he would not be persuaded, we ceased, saying, The will of the Lord be done.”


• When do we know what the sovereign will of God is? When it happens.

• Absolutely nothing we can do can affect the sovereign will of God (although as a literary device, that perspective is present in the Bible, as God is described as “repenting,” or changing His mind), such as in the life of Hezekiah.

So …

• Goals, plans, and careers may change—that does not mean one is outside God’s sovereign will. There is no “acceptable will.”

• Humans are wonderfully adept at justifying departure from God’s moral will. Beware!

• Let Scripture guide you.• Pray.

Decisions, Decisions

• Is it within God’s moral (revealed) will?• Is it smart or advisable?

Conclusions

• God’s sovereign will v. revealed will• There is no other Scriptural will of God.• You cannot escape from God’s sovereign

will—All your actions have already been factored in.

• We must escape from our rhetoric and teach believers to make God-driven decisions, not rely on mystical divination.

wednesday, february 7, 2007 tbc bible study. foundations

Documents