A CATHOLIC SACRAMENT
The fourth sacrament is penance, of which as it were the matter consists of the actions of the penitent which are in three parts. The first of these is contrition of heart, which consists of sorrow for sin committed and the intention not to sin in the future. The second is oral confession, whereby the sinner confesses to the priest all the sins he remembers in their entirety. The third is satisfaction for sins according to the judgment of the priest, which is mainly achieved by prayer, fasting and almsdeeds.
The Teaching of the Catholic Church, edited by Karl Rahner, S.J. (Staten Island, New York: Alba, 1967), p. 307.
A PROTESTANT SACRAMENT???
“Repentance is a heartfelt sorrow for sin, a renouncing of it, and a sincere commitment to forsake it and walk in obedience to Christ.”
Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1994), p. 713.
Repentance is a heartfelt sorrow for sin, a renouncing of it, and a sincere commitment to for“sake it and walk in obedience to Christ.”
Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology
“The first of these is contrition of heart, which consists of sorrow for sin committed and the intention not to sin in the future.”
The Teaching of the Catholic Church, edited by Karl Rahner
Repent verb Metanoeō 32 x in NT
1 “change one’s mind”
2 “feel remorse, repent,
be converted”
William Arndt et al., A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000), 640.
“to change one’s mind or purpose, hence, to repent”
Abbott-Smith. A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament (Tyndale House, Cambridge)
Repentance noun Metanoia 22 x in NT
“a change of mind”
William Arndt et al., A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000), 640.
“after-thought, change of mind, repentance”
Abbott-Smith. A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament
(Tyndale House, Cambridge)
meta meaning “after” and nous meaning “mind, understanding”
Louis Berkhof pinpoints that the problem occurred when the Bible was translated from Greek to Latin.Sad to say, the Church gradually lost sight of the original meaning of metanoia. In Latin theology Lactantius rendered it “resipiscentia,” a becoming-wise-again, as if the word were derived from meta and anoia, and denoted a return from madness or folly. The majority of Latin writers, however, preferred to render it “poenitentia,” a word that denotes the sorrow and regret which follows when one has made a mistake or has committed an error of any kind.
This word passed into the Vulgate as the rendering of metanoia, and, under the influence of the Vulgate, the English translators rendered the Greek word by “repentance,” thus stressing the emotional element and making metanoia equivalent to metameleia. In some cases the deterioration went even farther. The Roman Catholic Church externalized the idea of repentance in its sacrament of penance so that the metanoeite of the Greek Testament (Matt. 3:2) became poenitentiam agite,—“do penance,” in the Latin Version.
Louis Berkhof, Systematic Theology (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans publishing co., 1938), 481
Charlie Bing writes,.
“We must keep the inward aspect of repentance distinct from the outward exhibit of conduct. Repentance is the root, but conduct may or may not be the fruit. Obviously, an inner change should result in an outward change – that would be natural and expected, but it is not automatic.”
Charles C. Bing, Grace, Salvation, & Discipleship (Grace Theology Press, 2015), 52.
"Agape characterizes God and what He manifested in the gift of His Son. It is more than mutual affection; it expresses unselfish esteem of the object loved. Christ’s love for us is undeserved and without thought of return. The love that His followers show, Paul now says, should be the same."
Charles Caldwell Ryrie, Ryrie Study Bible: New American Standard Bible, 1995 Update, Expanded ed. (Chicago: Moody Press, 1995), 1836.
1 Peter 4:10-11
Each believer has received a gift (v.10a)
This gift is for serving other believers (v.10b)
Serving one another makes us good stewards of this gift (grace) (v.10c)
Spiritual gifts demonstrate the manifold grace of God among the Church (v.10d)
The first category of spiritual gifts is "speaking" (v.11a)
Those with "speaking" gifts are to use them as "speaking the utterances of God" (v.11b)
The second category of spiritual gifts is "serving" (v.11c)
Those with "serving" gifts are to use them as "serving by the strength that God supplies" (v.11d)
God is glorified through our use of spiritual gifts when they are used His way (v.11e)
by faith, not by flesh. When done by faith, they are then being exercised spiritually.
Faith is how the believer accesses the glorious benefits of the Spirit.
What are the Implications of 1 Peter 4:10-11
Every believer has a gift! Therefore, every believer can serve!
By giving gifts, this means that God has plans for us- His will/good works- Eph 2:10
By giving gifts, His will/good works can only be accomplished by what He supplies. It's His way, done with His Word, done in His power which is by His Spirit in us. We are simply the tools that He chooses to work through.
If it is Him working through us, our submission is the only way to experience the supernatural.
Imperative- "A command or exhortation”
"But earnestly desire the greater gifts.
And I show you a still more excellent way."
Indicative- "A statement of fact"
"You are desiring the sensational gifts.
And I show you a still more excellent way.
"Agape characterizes God and what He manifested in the gift of His Son. It is more than mutual affection; it expresses unselfish esteem of the object loved. Christ’s love for us is undeserved and without thought of return. The love that His followers show, Paul now says, should be the same."
-Charles Caldwell Ryrie, Ryrie Study Bible: New American Standard Bible, 1995 Update, Expanded ed. (Chicago: Moody Press, 1995), 1836.
"There is no contradiction between humility and an authoritative boldness. Christ had both. He embraced children and also drove the money changers from the temple. Circumstances dictated which characteristic should be publicly manifested."
-Robert Gromacki
"Many believers today do not realize that the church is involved in warfare, and those who do understand the seriousness of the Christian battle do not always know how to fight the battle. They try to use human methods to defeat demonic forces, and these methods are doomed to fail."
-Warren W. Wiersbe
"Grace speaks of a gift, not of barter or trade however unequal. It is pure kindness, not the fulfilling of an obligation. An act in order to be gracious must stand disassociated and alone. Divine salvation is, therefore, the kindness of God toward sinners. It is not less than it would be had they sinned less. It is not more than it would be had they sinned more.
It is wholly unrelated to every question of human merit. Grace is neither treating a person as he deserves, nor treating a person better than he deserves. It is treating a person graciously without the slightest reference to his deserts. Grace is infinite love expressing itself in infinite goodness."
What is a "spiritual gift?""Gift"- charisma- A supernatural endowment graciously bestowed on believers in Christ for the sole purpose of building up one another.
This may be more properly understood as "grace gifts."
1 Peter 4:10-111. Each believer has received a gift (v.10a)
This gift is for serving other believers (v.10b)
Serving one another makes us good stewards of this gift (v.10c)
Spiritual gifts demonstrate the manifold grace of God among the Church (v.10d)
The first category of spiritual gifts is "speaking" (v.11a)
Those with "speaking" gifts are to use them as "speaking the utterances of God" (v.11b)
The second category of spiritual gifts is "serving" (v.11c)
Those with "serving" gifts are to use them as "serving by the strength that God supplies" (v.11d)
God is glorified through our use of spiritual gifts when they are used His way (v.11e)
Spiritual Gifts Inventory1. I speak up for Christian principles even when what I say is not popular.
I enjoy encouraging and giving counsel to those who are discouraged.
I have an ability to study a passage of Scripture thoroughly and effectively share its truth with others.
I often have insights offering practical solutions to difficult problems.
I enjoy studying difficult questions about God’s Word and tend to find answers more easily and more quickly than others.
I am confident of achieving great things for the glory of God.
I enjoy giving money to those in serious financial need.
I enjoy comforting people in hospitals, prisons, or nursing homes.
I enjoy working behind the scenes without public recognition.
People seem to look to me for leadership in a group where none exists.
People often say I have good spiritual judgment.
I feel a need to speak God’s messages from the Bible to help people know what God expects of them.
After I talk one-on-one with people, they often are spurred to take positive action.
When a question arises from a difficult Bible passage, I am motivated to research the answer.
When they don’t know what to do, people often ask my advice.
Gathering information from multiple sources to find answers or information is one of my abilities.
I often step out and start successful projects other people won’t attempt.
I joyfully give money to the church well above my tithe.
I feel compassion for hurting and lonely people and like to spend time with them to encourage.
I would like to assist my pastor and other church leaders so they will have more time to accomplish their essential ministries.
I can easily delegate significant responsibilities to other people.
I am a good judge of character and can discern spiritual falsehood.
It is comfortable for me to apply biblical principles to present day situations.
I feel a need to challenge others to better themselves in their spiritual growth without condemning them.
Others listen to and appreciate my teaching of Scripture.
The Lord enables me to make appropriate application of biblical truth to practical solutions.
I can independently recognize difficult biblical truths and principles.
I trust God’s faithfulness even when everything looks bad.
I wouldn’t mind lowering my standard of living in order to be able to give more to the church or to others in need.
I want to do whatever I can for the needy people around me, even if I have to give up something.
I enjoy relieving others of routine tasks so they can get special projects done.
I am able to organize people, ideas, and projects to reach a specific goal.
I am able to distinguish between right and wrong in complex spiritual matters that other people can’t seem to figure out.
I speak clearly and am able to organize and present biblical truth so that others understand what I have to say.
People will tell me things they won’t tell anyone else because they find it easy to talk to me.
My thinking is organized and my approach systematic when presenting Bible lessons to a group.
I am able to interpret and apply Scripture with keen insight.
I will stick with a study once begun in order to develop a more complete picture.
I often exercise my faith through prayer, and the Lord answers my prayers in exciting ways.
When I give money to someone, I don’t expect anything in return, and often give anonymously.
When I hear of people without jobs who can’t pay their bills, I do what I can to help them.
I enjoy helping others get their work done.
I can work under pressure with discipline to accomplish established goals and objectives.
People come to me for help in distinguishing between spiritual truth and error.
I find the fundamental truths of Scripture to be worth repeating over and over.
I will stay with people and encourage them to finish a task once they have started it.
I can explain the teaching of the Bible clearly and concisely.
I can put ideas into words easily and can analyze and explain situations well.
I have understood issues or problems in the church and seen answers when others didn’t.
I am willing to take on difficult assignments with a determination to meet obstacles head on.
I desire to share my personal financial resources with others and to assist them in worthy endeavors.
I will lay aside my own personal desires in order to help others.
In difficult situations I am able to get to the heart of the problem and take steps to resolve it.
I can see the “big picture” of a project and am able to coordinate others who only see various parts.
I am able to pinpoint the sources of difficulty when evaluating a situation.
I challenge people to set high standards of biblical conduct for their daily activities.
I have deep concern for the spiritual welfare of Christians who are in a crisis.
I have shared biblical truth with others in a way that they have found it meaningful and helpful.
While discussing a problem I can share in such a way that clarifies what is needed to resolve it.
I study the Bible systematically, trying to see how one part relates to another.
I confidently expect God to respond to situations committed to Him in prayer.
Sharing of my financial resources for Christian ministry is one of the greatest joys of my Christian walk.
People tend to call on me when help is needed for someone in distress.
I openly share my material possessions with others when they are in need.
I enjoy working out the necessary details in order to organize people and resources for a more effective ministry.
I seem to know when a situation is not right.
I desire to proclaim the truth of God’s Word with authority and with conviction.
I enjoy sharing God’s promises from Scripture as a means of encouragement.
I enjoy communicating biblical truth to others and then seeing growth in their knowledge of the Christian faith.
I apply spiritual truth effectively in my own life.
I study matters thoroughly so as to locate information others often overlook.
I have had great dreams and aspirations which have turned into reality despite the unlikeliness of accomplishing them.
I feel confident when I give sacrificially that the Lord will provide for my needs.
I receive great satisfaction and pleasure in preparing meals or in helping those less fortunate.
I enjoy short-term tasks rather than long-term projects.
People often respect my opinion and follow my direction.
When counseling a person, I can identify a problem correctly.
The Gift of Helps "the ability or capacity to help or assist."
This is derived from the word that means "to grasp, to lay hold of."
The God-given ability to see tasks and to do them for or with someone in order to lift external burdens. (1 Corinthians 12:28)
The Gift of "Discerning of Spirits"
"Discerning"- 1. "the ability to distinguish and evaluate,"
"[T]he ability to evaluate and judge—‘to be able to judge, ability to make judgments, ability to decide.’"
"This is the spiritual capacity to determine whether a teacher, prophet, or preacher is speaking under the impulse of the Holy Spirit, his own human spirit, or the evil spirits." -William McRae
The Gift of Discerning of Spirits-
The God-given judicial ability to stand over people in order to detect genuine or non-genuine motives by distinguishing the spirit-source behind any person’s speech or act. (1 Cor 12:10)
The Gift of Prophecy-The God-given ability to set before people the Word and wisdom of God persuasively through personality as a herald. (1 Cor 12:10; 13:2, 8-9)
The Gift of "Prophecy" Prophecy- propheteia (noun)- "the capacity or ability to utter inspired messages."
Compound word:
phemi- "speak" & pro- "before"
Prophesy- propheteuo (verb)
"to proclaim an inspired revelation,"
"to tell about something that is hidden from view,"
"to foretell something that lies in the future."
1 Corinthians 12:4–11
The Gift of "Healing" Healing- iama- "the capacity to cause someone to become healed or cured—‘the power to heal, the capacity to heal.’"
Johannes P. Louw and Eugene Albert Nida, Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament: Based on Semantic Domains (New York: United Bible Societies, 1996), 268.
The Gift of "Miracles"
Miracle- dunamis- "a deed manifesting great power, with the implication of some supernatural force."
Johannes P. Louw and Eugene Albert Nida, Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament: Based on Semantic Domains (New York: United Bible Societies, 1996), 680.
By false prophets in the Great TribulationMatthew 24:23–24
The mark of a true apostle in the 1st centuryActs 2:42–43
Acts 5:12
2 Corinthians 12:12
Acts 4:29–30
Acts 14:1–3
"The apostles and New Testament prophets laid the foundation as they evangelized others and wrote New Testament books. The foundation was completed when the last apostle died. Although the church has continued to grow through the centuries, the foundation has remained firm and constant. No new foundation can ever be built. The revelatory and sign gifts validated the foundation, the doctrinal basis for church belief and behavior. The purposes for those gifts ceased when the apostles and prophets completed their tasks."
Robert G. Gromacki in Understanding Christian Theology (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2003), 523.
The Progressive Silence of Sign Gifts-Any use of "tongues" after 1 Corinthians speaks to either the digestive organ in the mouth or the dialect of Gentile people. It is never used again in reference to a sign gift.
-Any mention of "miracle" after 1 Corinthians refers to either the authentication of an apostle (2 Cor 12:12) or is attributed to God alone (Gal 3:5; Heb 2:4). These last two references emphasize the message of the gospel as greater than the Law.
The uses of "healing" after 1 Corinthians speak of physical or metaphorical restoration, but not through the means of a sign gift (Heb 12:13; James 5:16; 1 Pet 2:24; Rev 22:2).
Hebrews 2:1–4
Acts 19:11–12
Acts 20:7–12
1 Timothy 5:23
Finally, an account of "signs and wonders" after 1 Corinthians refers to the work of the Antichrist (2 Thess 2:9) or the authentication of the message of the apostles (2 Cor 12:12; Heb 2:4).
The Gift of "Faith" "a special endowment of faith for a special service"- F.F. Bruce
"Wonder-working faith"- Vincent
The Gift of Faith-The God-given ability to see through mountainous problems to the Ultimate Resource with the vision that it is timely to rely absolutely on both God’s ability and willingness to perform in this particular matter. (1 Corinthians 12:9; 13:2).
"Many of the most useful men in the church are distinguished mainly for their simple confidence in the promises of God; and often accomplish more by prayer and by their faith in God than others do who are distinguished for their wisdom and learning.
Humble piety and reliance in the divine promises, and that measure of ardour, fearlessness, and zeal which result from such confidence; that belief that all obstacles must be and will be overcome that oppose the gospel; and that God will secure the advancement of his cause, will often do infinitely more in the promotion of his kingdom than the most splendid endowments of learning and talent.
The Gift (Word) of "Knowledge"
"A person who has an insatiable desire to study exhaustively every facet of a subject, leaving no stone unturned, and to bring it forward, and to organize it, and put it forth in such manageable fashion that someone else can take it and use it." -Radmacher
"It is the ability to be able to comprehend the Word of God and to see unifying principles in the Word of God. It is the ability to put the doctrines of Scripture into a meaningful whole." -Fruchtenbaum
The Gift of Knowledge-
The God-given ability to arrange the facts of Scripture, to categorize these into principles, and to communicate them to repeated or familiar situations.(1 Corinthians 12:8; 1 Corinthians 13:2, 8; 14:6)
"The gift of knowledge is the ability to perceive and systematize the great facts God has hidden in His Word. A person exercising this gift is able to recognize the key and important facts of Scripture as a result of investigation. The gift of wisdom, on the other hand, is the ability to apply those insights to a specific situation. It is wisdom that puts knowledge to work."
Ray C. Stedman, Body Life: The Book That Inspired a Return to the Church’s Real Meaning and Mission, Revised Edition. (Grand Rapids, MI: Discovery House Publishers, 1995), 63.
The Pitfalls of the Gift of Knowledge
Arrogance- Because of such great learning, superiority sets in. The point of the gift is to edify the Body. -1 Cor 12:7
Insensitive- Facts can be cold, but the one who ascertains them should not be.
-1 Cor 8:1
Misapplication- Are these truths changing the one with the gift?
Underappreciated- Feels that the time, sacrifice, and skill exercised was in vain. -Col 3:23-
The Gift of "Wisdom"
"Wisdom is intelligence, then practical action in accord with it." -Robertson
"The supernatural power to speak with divine insight, whether in solving difficult problems, defending the faith, resolving conflicts, giving practical advice, or pleading one’s case before hostile authorities." -William MacDonald
The Gift of Wisdom-
The God-given ability to locate formerly unknown principles as well as to combine known principles of God’s Word and to communicate them to fresh situations (1 Corinthians 12:8).
A Common Mistake
The Gift of Wisdom is NOT advice from worldly sources, "the school of hard knocks," or clever stories that should be accepted because they are "logical."
The Church is NOT the world.
It is not a strategy that "works."
"The word of wisdom doesn’t come from one’s ability to figure out a situation. It is supernaturally given to answer a question or solve a problem." -Jon Courson
(1 Corinthians 3:18-23)
Facts on AnxietyAnxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in the U.S., affecting 40 million adults in the United States age 18 and older, or 18.1% of the population every year.
Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)GAD affects 6.8 million adults, or 3.1% of the U.S. population, yet only 43.2% are receiving treatment.
Women are twice as likely to be affected as men. GAD often co-occurs with major depression.
Panic Disorder (PD)PD affects 6 million adults, or 2.7% of the U.S. population.
Women are twice as likely to be affected as men.
Social Anxiety DisorderSAD affects 15 million adults, or 6.8% of the U.S. population.
SAD is equally common among men and women and typically begins around age 13. According to a 2007 ADAA survey, 36% of people with social anxiety disorder report experiencing symptoms for 10 or more years before seeking help.
"The Bible is a finished and complete revelation entirely sufficient for its divinely intended purpose. It need not be supplemented by reason, experience, tradition, other religions, or anything else. It does not wait to be sufficient until it encounters the individual nor does it cease to be sufficient when rejected or ignored by the same."
Rolland McCune, A Systematic Theology of Biblical Christianity: Prolegomena and the Doctrines of Scripture, God, and Angels, vol. 1 (Allen Park, MI: Detroit Baptist Theological Seminary, 2009), 61.
"Trust in yourself, and you are doomed to disappointment; trust in your friends, and they will die and leave you; trust in reputation, and some slanderous tongue may blast it; but trust in God, and you are never to be confounded in time or eternity."
-D.L. Moody
Vengeance and the Attributes of God
Omniscience- God knows the entire situation completely, even down to the intentions of each person's heart.
Justice- God knows the exact measurements of the wrong for all parties involved. He is not swayed by opinion and He cannot be "paid off" to render a false verdict.
Goodness- God is compassionate, especially to the wrong-doer! His vengeance against them is tempered with His goodness so that His wrath is exact, not excessive.
Eternality- God has seen every wrong imaginable. He sees our current situation. He promises a complete vindication!
Mercy- God has been wronged in every possible way. Every sin is first and foremost a sin against Him. It is always personal. He is able to sympathize with those who have been wronged because He has been there to a greater degree.
"The word “spirit” (pneuma (πνευμα)) refers to the human spirit as that part of man which gives him God-consciousness, or to the attitude or disposition of a man, as “that man’s spirit is good,” or to the Holy Spirit. The definite article appears before it in the Greek text. The absence of the Greek definite article emphasizes character.
If that were absent here, the reference would be to the disposition or attitude of a person. The presence of the article points to the Holy Spirit. It is the locative of sphere. That is, Paul exhorts to fervency in the Christian life which is engendered by the Spirit, not produced by the flesh (self-effort)."
The Gift of "Mercy"- "the outward manifestation of pity; it assumes need on the part of him who receives it, and resources adequate to meet the need on the part of him who shows it."
W. E. Vine, Merrill F. Unger, and William White Jr., Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words (Nashville, TN: T. Nelson, 1996), 403.
The Gift of "Mercy"- "to feel sympathy with the misery of another, especially such sympathy which manifests itself in action, less frequently in word."
Kenneth S. Wuest, Wuest’s Word Studies from the Greek New Testament: For the English Reader, vol. 1 (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1997), 107.
The Spiritual Gift of Mercy-
The God-given ability to be sensitive or empathetic to people who are in affliction or misery and to lift internal burdens with cheerfulness. (Romans 12:8)
"Mercy is a form of love determined by the state or condition of its objects. Their state is one of suffering and need, while they may be unworthy or ill-deserving. Mercy is at once the disposition of love respecting such, and the kindly ministry of love for their relief."
John Miley, Systematic Theology, Volume 1 (New York: Hunt & Eaton, 1892), 209.
The Gift of "Leading"- proistemi-
①.- to exercise a position of leadership, rule, direct, be at the head (of)
②.- to have an interest in, show concern for, care for, give aid
"The ability to govern others without 'lording' leadership over them." -Woodrow Kroll
"Administrations" (1 Cor 12:28)- kubernesis- "indicates varieties of such leading positions in the ecclesial body of Christ" (p. 573).
This is the only occurrence of this word in the New Testament.
The one with the gift of administration "is a helmsman who steers a vessel, and thus this gift consists in managing and directing others whether officially as presbyters, pastors, or bishops or in unofficial ways. Some men and some women of the church, including even young people, have this gift to a marked degree and profit the church not a little by rightly putting it to use." -Lenski
The Spiritual Gift of Leading (Administration)-
The God-given executive ability to lead people with care, while collecting data, setting policy, and developing plans which will guide a course of action with skill and wisdom (Romans 12:8; 1 Corinthians 12:28).
"Necessary to the work of the church is the leadership given to it by God. In keeping with this need, the gift of administration and ruling is sovereignly bestowed upon a few (Rom 12:8; 1 Cor 12:28). It is clear that all Christians are on the same level of privilege in spiritual things, but in the providence of God some are given places of great authority. To those possessing the gifts of administration and ruling all Christians should give proper heed, being exhorted to observe such gifts and honor them by obedience (Heb. 13:7)."
John F. Walvoord, The Holy Spirit (Galaxie Software, 2008), 169.
The Gift of "Giving"- metadidomai- "give (a part of), impart, share."
Ex.- "that I may impart some spiritual gift to you" (Rom 1:11b).
"Liberality"- haplotes- "simplicity, sincerity, uprightness, frankness" - ‘without strings attached’, ‘without hidden agendas’ -p. 104
“'Liberality' means generosity that is free of any self-serving motive." -Constable
William Arndt et al., A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000), 638.
The Spiritual Gift of Giving- Radmacher
The God-given ability to make and to give things most liberally and beyond all human expectation. (Romans 12:8; 1 Corinthians 13:3)
"A believer with the gift of giving has the capacity to give of his substance to the work of the Lord or to the people of God consistently, liberally, sacrificially, and with such wisdom and cheerfulness that others are encouraged and blessed."
William J. McRae, The Dynamics of Spiritual Gifts (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2010), p. 50-51.
The Gift of "Exhortation"- parakaleo - verb.
①. to ask to come and be present where the speaker is, call to one’s side
②. to urge strongly, appeal to, urge, exhort, encourage
③. to make a strong request for something, request, implore, entreat
④. to instill someone with courage or cheer, comfort, encourage, cheer up
The Gift of "Exhortation"- paraklesis -noun.
①. act of emboldening another in belief or course of action, encouragement, exhortation
②. strong request, appeal, request
Parakletos- "called to one's aid in a judicial sense" used when speaking of the Holy Spirit ("Helper"- John 14:16, 26; 15:26; 16:7) and Jesus Christ ("Advocate"- 1 John 2:1).
The God-given ability to draw alongside of someone in order to comfort, to encourage, to rebuke, and to lead into insight toward action. (Romans 12:8)
"If you suspect you may have the gift of exhortation (too often exercised as the gift of criticism!), then you need to know the Scriptures well in order to exhort correctly, both in the content and spirit of the exhortation."
"As a part of the work of preaching, exhortation fills an important place. Differing from teaching in that it is an appeal for action, exhortation is the practical aspect of a preaching ministry. Some are given special gift in this work, enabling them to lead Christians into the active realization of the will of God."
The Gift of "Teaching"- didaskon- "instruction, clear explanation" of a doctrine or text. This will be accompanied by a systematic approach and development of a passage or subject while also driving home an application for those who hear.
Radmacher- "The God-given ability to lay down in systematic order the complete ladder of a doctrine and to apply it incisively and diligently to life. (1 Cor. 12:28-29; Romans 12:7).
What is a "spiritual gift?"
"Gift"- charisma- "a supernatural endowment that has been graciously bestowed on those in Christ for the benefit of building up other believers."
This may be more properly understood as "grace gifts."
What We Have Learned About Spiritual Gifts So Far (1 Peter 4:10-11)
Each believer has received a gift (v.10a)
This gift is for serving other believers (v.10b)
We are to be good stewards of this gift (v.10c)
Spiritual gifts demonstrate the manifold grace of God among the Church (v.10d)
The first category of spiritual gifts is "speaking" (v.11a)
Those with "speaking" gifts are to use them as "speaking the utterances of God" (v.11b)
The second category of spiritual gifts is "serving" (v.11c)
Those with "serving" gifts are to use them as "serving by the strength that God supplies" (v.11d)
God is glorified through our use of spiritual gifts that He has given us when they are used His way (v.11e)
What are the Implications of 1 Peter 4:10-11
Every believer has a gift; therefore every believer can serve!
By giving gifts, this means that God has plans for us- His will/good works- Eph 2:10
By giving gifts, His will/good works can only be accomplished by what He supplies. It's His way, done with His Word, and done in His power. We are simply the tools that He chooses to work through.
We are to be good stewards of these gifts- meaning that we must handle them well. Handling God's gifts God's way will be a major factor at the Judgment Seat of Christ -2 Cor 5:10.
What is a "spiritual gift?"
"Gift"- charisma- "a supernatural endowment that has been graciously bestowed on those in Christ for the benefit of building up other believers."
This may be more properly understood as "grace gifts."
I speak up for Christian principles even when what I say is not popular.
I enjoy encouraging and giving counsel to those who are discouraged.
I have an ability to study a passage of Scripture thoroughly and effectively share its truth with others.
I often have insights that offer practical solutions to difficult problems.
I enjoy studying difficult questions about God’s Word and tend to find answers more easily and more quickly than others.
I am confident of achieving great things for the glory of God.
I enjoy giving money to those in serious financial need.
I enjoy comforting people in hospitals, prisons, or nursing homes.
I enjoy working behind the scenes without public recognition.
I can be counted on to step forward and assume leadership in a group where none exists.
I have the ability to organize ideas, people, and projects to reach a specific goal.
People often say I have good spiritual judgment.
I feel a need to speak God’s messages from the Bible to help people know what God expects of them.
After I talk one-on-one with people, they often are spurred to take positive action.
When a question arises from a difficult Bible passage, I am motivated to research the answer.
When they don’t know what to do, people often ask my advice.
I enjoy gathering information from multiple sources to find answers or information.
I often step out and start successful projects other people won’t attempt.
I joyfully give money to the church well above my tithe.
I feel compassion for hurting and lonely people and like to spend time with them to encourage.
I would like to assist my pastor and other church leaders so they will have more time to accomplish their essential ministries.
I don’t mind asking others to accomplish an important ministry for the church.
I am organized, set goals, and make plans to reach those goals.
I am a good judge of character and can identify spiritual falsehood.
It is easy for me to apply biblical principles to present-day situations.
I feel a need to challenge others to better themselves in their spiritual growth without condemning them.
Others listen to and appreciate my teaching of Scripture.
The Lord enables me to make appropriate application of biblical truth to practical situations.
I can independently recognize difficult biblical truths and principles.
I trust God’s faithfulness even when everything looks bad.
I am open to lowering my standard of living in order to be able to give more to the church or to others in need.
I want to do whatever I can for needy people, even if it means giving up something.
I enjoy relieving others of routine tasks so they can get special projects done.
I can guide and manage a group of people toward achieving a specific goal.
I am comfortable delegating significant responsibilities to other people.
I am able to distinguish between right and wrong in complex spiritual matters that aren’t clear to others.
I can organize and present biblical truth clearly in a way others understand.
People will tell me things they don’t tell others because they find it easy to talk to me.
My thinking is organized and my approach systematic when presenting Bible lessons to a group.
I am able to interpret and apply Scripture with keen insight.
I stick with a study I’ve started in order to develop a more complete understanding.
I often exercise my faith through prayer, and witness the Lord’s answers.
When I give money to someone, I often give anonymously and don’t expect anything in return.
When I hear of unemployed people who can’t pay their bills, I do what I can to help.
I enjoy helping others get their work done.
People often respect my opinion and follow my direction.
I can discipline myself under pressure to accomplish goals.
People come to me for help in distinguishing between spiritual truth and error.
I find the fundamental truths of Scripture to be worth repeating over and over.
I will stay with people and encourage them to finish a task once they have started it.
I can explain the teaching of the Bible clearly and concisely.
It is easy for me to put ideas into words, to analyze situations, and explain them well.
I have understood problems in the church and have seen answers when others didn’t.
I am willing to take on difficult assignments and meet obstacles head on.
I want to share my financial resources to help others in worthy endeavors.
I willingly lay aside my own desires in order to help others.
I often rearrange my schedule so I can help others.
I enjoy inspiring others and leading them for the sake of Christ’s work.
I can see the “big picture” of a project and can coordinate others who only see smaller parts.
When evaluating a situation, I am able to pinpoint sources of difficulty.
I challenge people to set high standards of biblical conduct in their daily lives.
I have deep concern for the spiritual welfare of Christians in crisis.
I have shared biblical truth with others in a way that they have found meaningful and helpful.
When discussing a problem, I can clarify the issue and what is needed to resolve it.
I study the Bible systematically, trying to see how one part relates to another.
I confidently expect God to respond to situations committed to Him in prayer.
Sharing financial resources for Christian ministry is one of the greatest joys of my Christian walk.
People tend to call on me when help is needed for someone in distress.
I share my material possessions with others when they are in need.
People seem to look to me for leadership when I am in a group.
I enjoy working out the necessary details to organize people and resources for a more effective ministry.
I seem to know when a situation is not right.
I long to proclaim the truth of God’s Word with authority and conviction.
I enjoy encouraging others by sharing God’s promises from Scripture.
I enjoy communicating biblical truth to others and seeing growth in their Christian faith.
I apply spiritual truth effectively in my own life.
I study matters thoroughly, so as to locate information others might overlook.
I’ve had great dreams and aspirations turn into reality despite the unlikeliness of accomplishing them.
When I give sacrificially, I am confident that the Lord will provide for my needs.
Preparing meals or helping those less fortunate gives me satisfaction and pleasure.
I enjoy short-term tasks rather than long-term projects.
I will take full responsibility to get things done and remain optimistic in spite of difficulties.
When faced with a difficult situation, I can get to the heart of the problem and take steps to resolve it.
When counseling, I can correctly identify a problem.
The blessed risen Lord gives some the gift of apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors, and some teachers, but it is in order that all may profit thereby, for it is for the perfecting of the saints for the work of the ministry and for the edifying of the Body of Christ. Do not be content to come to meeting and just be a spiritual sponge. Fill up, and then let the blessed Lord do some squeezing. Give it out to somebody else, and then you will be carrying out the true principle of New Testament ministry.
H. A. Ironside, In the Heavenlies : Practical Expository Addresses on the Epistle to the Ephesians. (Neptune, NJ: Loizeaux Brothers, 1937), 194.
Ephesians 4Hebrews 5
What is the Enneagram?
"The Enneagram teaches that there are nine different personality styles in the world, one of which we naturally gravitate toward and adopt in childhood to cope and feel safe. Each type or number has a distinct way of seeing the world and an underlying motivation that powerfully influences how that type thinks, feels and behaves." (pg. 24).
"The true purpose of the Enneagram is to reveal to you your shadow side and offer spiritual counsel on how to open it to the transformative light of grace." (pg. 31).
"I sense there’s a truer, more luminous expression of myself, and that as long as I remain estranged from it I will never feel fully alive or whole." (pg. 23).
"The purpose of the Enneagram is to show us how we can release the paralyzing arthritic grip we’ve kept on old, self-defeating ways of living so we can open ourselves to experiencing more interior freedom and become our best selves." (pg. 36).
"May you recognize in your life the presence, power, and light of your soul. May you realize that you are never alone, that your soul in its brightness and belonging connects you intimately with the rhythm of the universe. May you have respect for your individuality and difference. May you realize that the shape of your soul is unique, that you have a special destiny here, that behind the facade of your life there is something beautiful and eternal happening. May you learn to see yourself with the same delight, pride, and expectation with which God sees you in every moment." (pg. 230)
The Main Issue
"Apostles" = Authority and NT Canon
"Prophets" = Authority and Inerrancy
"Evangelists" = Authority and Ability
"Pastors" = Authority and Change
"Teachers" = Authority and Steadfastness
ALL OF THESE ARE WORD-CENTERED
Throughout the Christian centuries, no principle of church life has proved more revolutionary—and more bitterly fought!—than the declaration of Ephesians 4 that the ultimate work of the church in the world is to be done by the saints—plain, ordinary Christians—and not by a professional clergy or a few select laypeople. We must never lose the impact of the apostle Paul’s statement that apostles, prophets, evangelists, and pastor-teachers exist “for the equipment of the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ” (Ephesians 4:12).
Note that neither the apostles and prophets nor the evangelists and pastor-teachers are expected to do the work of the ministry! They are not even expected to do the work of building up the body of Christ! Those tasks are to be done only by the people—the ordinary, plain-vanilla Christians we often call “the laity.” The four offices of apostle, prophet, evangelist, and pastor-teacher exist for one function and one function only: to equip everyday Christians to do the work God has given them—and gifted them!—to do.
Ray C. Stedman, Body Life: The Book That Inspired a Return to the Church’s Real Meaning and Mission, Revised Edition. (Grand Rapids, MI: Discovery House Publishers, 1995), 115.
Teacher- didaskalos
"one who provides instruction—‘teacher, instructor.’"
-Louw-Nida, p. 415.
*Used 48 times in the Gospels, mostly referring to Jesus.
PROPHETSPredictive
"Foretelling"
Future Events,
God's Will,
Possible Judgment
Call to Repentance
PASTORS/TEACHERSPrescriptive
"Forth-telling"
Can be Evangelistic,
Exposition of God's already-revealed Word for the growth of the Church
The Main Issue "Apostles" = Authority and NT Canon
"Prophets" = Authority and Inerrancy
"Evangelists" = Authority and Ability
"Pastors" = Authority and Change
"Teachers" = Authority and Steadfastness
Pastor- "One who is called to the soul-care of God's people."
The derivatives of this word involve leading, guiding, protecting, caring for, and nuturing.
"Pastor"- poimēn
1- one who herds sheep, shepherd, sheep-herder
2- one who serves as guardian or leader, shepherd
-BDAG-
"one who is responsible for the care and guidance of a Christian congregation"
-Louw-Nida-
The derivatives of this word involve lead, guide, protect, care for, and nuture.
"one who is called to the soul-care of God's people"
The Main Issue
"Apostles" = Authority and NT Canon
"Prophets" = Authority and Inerrancy
"Evangelists" = Authority and Ability
"Pastors" = Authority and Change
FUN FACTThe Bible never speaks of "the spiritual gift of evangelism."
It only speaks of the spiritual office of the evangelist (Eph 4:11).
EVERY BELIEVER IN CHRIST HAS THE MINISTRY OF RECONCILIATION!
Evangelist- "proclaimer of the gospel" -BDAG, 403.
"a bringer of good tidings... This name is given in the N. T. to those heralds of salvation through Christ who are not apostles." -Thayer, 257.
The Main Issue "Apostles" = Authority and NT Canon
"Prophets" = Authority and Inerrancy
"Evangelists" = Authority and Ability
Prophecy"Prophecy is the ability to speak for God. It’s not merely foretelling, though some of that is included; it is forth-telling. It is speaking the Word of God."
-Adrian Rogers
PASTORS/TEACHERSPrescriptive
"Forth-telling"
Exposition of God's already-revealed Word for the growth of the Church
PROPHETSPredictive
"Foretelling"
Future Events,
God's Will,
Possible Judgment
Prophet- prophetes- "a proclaimer or expounder of divine matters or concerns that could not ordinarily be known except by special revelation." -BDAG
"Prophets," in partnership with "Apostles"
"Foundation" - Eph. 2:20
Revealers of Church Doctrine - Eph. 3:5
Gifts to the Body of Christ - Eph. 4:11
"The Biblical category of prophecy seems to me to involve inerrancy and trustworthy authority, which modern-day prophets do not have and rarely even claim. When they do claim prophetic status, it seems to me that they often want the authority of the prophetic category without the corresponding responsibility."
Gerry Breshears, “The Body of Christ: Prophet, Priest or King,” Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society 37, no. 1 (1994): 20
"Grudem argues that the apostles and prophets are identical here. This is important to his view of NT prophecy: on the one hand, he holds to a high view of scripture, viz., that the autographs are inerrant; on the other hand, he believes that non-apostolic prophets both in the early church and today mixed error with truth."
Grudem defines "prophecy as "an unreliable human speech act in response to a revelation from the Holy Spirit."
-Wayne Grudem, The Gift of Prophecy in the New Testament and Today (Westchester, IL: Crossway, 1988), 95.
Daniel B. Wallace, Greek Grammar beyond the Basics: An Exegetical Syntax of the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1996), 284–285.
The very nature of the Bible's accuracy shows that prophecy must be inerrant. Otherwise, we cannot trust the Scriptures.
"Historical data set forth in the original writings are inerrant, and prophecy not only discloses the oncoming events of the future, but provides unfailing assurance that all that is predicted will be executed by the sovereign and therefore irresistible competency of God. Thus has the divine authority of the Scriptures been demonstrated in the grand array of predictions already fulfilled, and thus it will be demonstrated in the plenary realization of all that is yet unfulfilled."
Lewis Sperry Chafer, Systematic Theology, vol. 1 (Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications, 1993), 103.
Apostles- apostolos
"sent forth with orders" -Thayer, "delegate"- Unger
Secular Use- A fleet of ships sent out on a mission.
"sent one"- John 13:16
"messengers"- 2 Cor 8:23; Phil 2:25
68 out of 79 times in Luke/Acts & Paul
"Apostles," in partnership with "Prophets"
"Foundation" - Eph. 2:20
Revealers of Church Doctrine - Eph. 3:5
Gifts to the Body of Christ - Eph. 4:11
Qualification #1
From John's Baptism to Jesus' Ascension
Acts 1:20-26
Qualification #2
Eyewitness of the Resurrected Lord Jesus
1 Corinthians 9:1
Qualification #3
Gifted to Perform Signs & Wonders
2 Corinthians 12:12
FALSE APOSTLES
Overview for "Apostles Today"
by C. Peter Wagner
"Transformation of the city was the battle cry in the 1990s. What’s happening on the streets today? How far have we come since then? How do apostles fit into the urban landscape? How do they fit into God’s plans?
C. Peter Wagner, our generation’s greatest authority on the apostolic realm, has been writing on these subjects for a number of years. He now brings these topics together in one volume for an insightful look at the spheres of authority that are all around us. Wagner’s most authoritative book yet on apostles, Apostles Today looks at the progress of the New Apostolic Reformation begun in the beginning of the 1990s and continuing today.
This book is a call for apostles to assume their rightful place of work with God to see his will accomplished here on earth. Wagner relates his decades of experiences and those of others, which show the role of apostles not only in the traditional church, but also in the extended church. Apostles Today offers fresh vision for the role of apostles in healthy churches, workplaces, and cities."
"The apostles were agents of God’s revelation of the truths that would become the Christian rule of faith and life. As such, and through Christ’s appointment of them as his authorized representatives (2 Cor 10:8; 13:10), the apostles exercised a unique and functional authority in the infant church.
There are no apostles today, though some Christians fulfill ministries that are in particular ways apostolic in style. No new canonical revelation is currently being given; apostolic teaching authority resides in the canonical Scriptures, of which the apostles’ own writings are the core and the key. "
J. I. Packer, Concise Theology: A Guide to Historic Christian Beliefs (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House, 1993), 197.
"The canon of the New Testament, by implication from the factors that formed it, should be viewed as closed. It is a reasonable view that the New Testament canon was completed by the first century AD, by which time all the apostles had died. On dealing with this issue, it is important to consider the passage in Hebrews 1:1-2, which states that God has spoken through Christ as final revelation."
Joseph M. Holden and Norman Geisler, The Popular Handbook of Archaeology and the Bible (Eugene, Oregon: Harvest House, 2013), p. 176.
"One thing must be emphatically stated. The New Testament books did not become authoritative for the Church because they were formally included in a canonical list; on the contrary, the Church included them in her canon because she already regarded them as divinely inspired, recognizing their innate worth and generally apostolic authority, direct or indirect.
The first ecclesiastical councils to classify the canonical books were both held in North Africa- at Hippo Regius in 393 and at Carthage in 397- but what these councils did was not to impose something new upon the Christian communities but to codify what was already the general practice of those communities."
F.F. Bruce, The New Testament Documents: Are They Reliable? (Bottom of the Hill Publishing, 2013), p. 25.
Spiritual Forces of This Present Darkness
Ephesians 1:21
“Rule”- arche- ⑥ “an authority figure who initiates activity or process…Also of angelic or transcendent powers, since they were thought of as having a political organization.”
Translated: “principalities”- Rom 8:38
Also 1 Cor 15:24; Eph 3:10; 6:12; Col 1:16; 2:10, 15- word is used to describe dark spiritual forces.
“Authority”- exousia- ⑤ “bearer of ruling authority… ⓑ of transcendent rulers and functionaries: powers of the spirit world.”
Also 1 Cor 15:24; Col 2:10; 1 Pet 3:22.
“Power”- dunamis- ⑤ “an entity or being, whether human or transcendent, that functions in a remarkable manner, power as a personal transcendent spirit or heavenly agent/angel.” Also Rom 8:38; 1 Cor 15:24; Eph 1:21; 1 Pt 3:22.
“Dominion”- kuriotes- ③ “a special class of angelic powers, bearers of the ruling power, dominions.” Also Col 1:16.
Colossians 1:16
“Thrones”- thronos- ③ name of a class of powerful beings, earthly or transcendent, the enthroned, plural… perhaps of transcendent beings Col 1:16… but in view of the reference to things ‘seen and unseen’ in the same verse it is probable that the author thinks also of earthly rulers.”
"In the ancient world the conqueror would parade the captives and demand tribute for himself. Jesus is the conqueror of Psalm 68, and the booty does indeed rightfully belong to him. But booty was also distributed after a conquest. Paul knows that. He quotes Psalm 68:18 to make the point that after Jesus conquered his demonic enemies, he distributed the benefits of the conquest to his people, believers. Specifically, those benefits are apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers (Eph 4:11)."
Michael S. Heiser, The Unseen Realm: Recovering the Supernatural Worldview of the Bible, First Edition. (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2015), 293.
Unseen Realm by Michael Heiser
Demons by Michael Heiser
The Believer's Already Blessings in Christ (Ephesians 1-3)
We are saints- 1:1; 2:19
Blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenlies- 1:3
Chosen in Christ- 1:4
Chosen to be holy and blameless before Him in love- 1:4
Predestined to the adoption as sons- 1:5
Predestined according to the kind intention of His will- 1:5
Predestined to the praise of the glory of His grace- 1:5-6, 12
Recipients of His “freely bestowed” grace- 1:6
Redeemed through His blood- 1:7
Forgiven of our trespasses- 1:7
Forgiven according to the riches of His grace- 1:7
His grace has been lavished on us- 1:8
It is the kind intention of God’s will to give us wisdom and insight into the dispensation of the fullness of times in which all things will culminate in Christ Jesus- 1:9-10
We have obtained an inheritance that was predestined for us- 1:11
Sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise- 1:13
We are God’s possession, awaiting future redemption- 1:14
Capacity to love all the saints- 1:15
Access to greater wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of God- 1:17
Enlightened, that we may know the hope of His calling- 1:18
Enlightened, that we may know the riches of the glory of His inheritance in believers- 1:18
Enlightened, to know the surpassing greatness of His power toward us- 1:19
Have received God’s rich mercy- 2:4
Greatly loved by God- 2:4
Made alive together with Christ by God- 2:5
Raised up with Christ by God- 2:6
Seated with Christ in the heavenlies by God- 2:6
Examples of the surpassing riches of God’s grace in kindness- 2:7
Saved by grace- 2:5, 8
God’s Workmanship, created in Christ- 2:10
Created in Christ for good works that have been prepared beforehand- 2:10
Brought near by the blood of Christ- 2:13
Possessing the Person of Peace, Jesus Christ- 2:14
Unified and at peace with believing Jews in One New Man- 2:14-15; 5:30
Free from the Law- 2:14-15
Reconciled to God through the cross- 2:16
Access to God through one Spirit- 2:18
Fellow-citizens- 2:19
Of God’s household- 2:19
Growing into a “Holy of holies” unto the Lord- 2:21
Built together into a dwelling place for God’s Spirit- 2:22
Able to know the mystery revealed to the apostles and prophets- 3:4-5
Fellow heirs of the body- 3:6
Fellow members of the body- 3:6
Fellow partakers of the promise- 3:6
Revealers of the manifold wisdom of God to spiritual forces in the heavenlies- 3:9-10
Boldness and confident access to the body- 3:6, 12
Strengthened with power in the inner man by His Spirit- 3:16
Greater fellowship where Christ will settle in our hearts- 3:17
Rooted and grounded in love- 3:17
Greater fellowship enabling us to comprehend the multi-faceted love of Christ which surpasses knowledge- 3:18-19
Greater fellowship to be filled up with God’s fullness- 3:19
His power works within us- 3:20
In the Greek, "Worthy" "has the idea of equal weight. Conduct and calling are to balance in weight. The aorist is constative and includes the entire walk of the Ephesians: viewed as a whole, it is to have the mark of worthiness. More is implied than likeness between calling and conduct, namely also corresponding weight and value."
R. C. H. Lenski, The Interpretation of St. Paul’s Epistles to the Galatians, to the Ephesians and to the Philippians (Columbus, O.: Lutheran Book Concern, 1937), 506.
Things That Are Instantaneously True of Every BelieverElect and called of God (1 Thes. 1:4; 5:24).
Redeemed by God through the blood of His Son (Col. 1:14).
Reconciled to God by the death of His Son (2 Cor. 5:19).
Sheltered eternally under the propitiation made in the blood of Christ (1 John 2:2).
Forgiven all trespasses, past, present, and future (Col. 2:13).
Condemned no more forever (Rom. 8:1).
Justified freely by His grace (Rom. 3:24).
Sanctified positionally, or set apart unto God in Christ (1 Cor. 1:30).
Perfected for ever (Heb. 10:14).
Made meet to be a partaker of the inheritance of the saints in light (Col. 1:12).
Made accepted in the Beloved (Eph. 1:6).
Made the righteousness of God in Him (2 Cor. 5:21).
Made nigh to God in Christ Jesus (Eph. 2:13).
A child and son of God (John 1:12; 1 John 3:3).
Free from the law and dead to the law (Rom. 7:4, 6).
Delivered from the power of darkness (Col. 1:13).
Translated into the kingdom of God’s dear Son (Col. 1:13).
Founded on the Rock Christ Jesus (1 Cor. 3:11).
God’s gift to Christ (John 17:11, 12, 20; 10:29).
Circumcised in Christ (Col. 2:11).
An holy priest, chosen and peculiar (1 Pet. 2:5, 9).
Object of divine love, grace, power, faithfulness, peace, consolation (Eph. 2:4, 8; 1:9; Heb. 13:5; Col. 3:15; 2 Thes. 2:16).
Object of Christ’s intercession (Heb. 7:25).
His inheritance (Eph. 1:18).
Seated in the heavenly in Christ (Eph. 2:6).
A citizen of heaven (Phil. 3:20 R. V.).
Of the family and household of God (Eph. 2:19; 3:15).
Light in the Lord (Eph. 5:8).
In God, in Christ, and in the Spirit (1 Thes. 1:1; John 14:20; Rom. 8:9).
Possessed with the first fruits of the Spirit.
Born (John 3:6), baptized (1 Cor. 12:13),
indwelt (1 Cor. 6:19), and sealed (Eph. 4:30).
Glorified (Rom. 8:30).
Complete in Him (Col, 2:10).
Possessing every spiritual blessing (Eph. 1:3).
In addition to this list, every believer in Christ has also been graced with at least one spiritual gift to be used for the edification of the Body of Christ unto the glory of God (Rom 12:6-8; 1 Cor 12:7, 11, 18; 14:1; Eph 4:11-16; 1 Pet 4:10-11). These are gifts exercised in the Spirit (hence “spiritual gifts”) and they reflect the Church’s stewardship of the fruit of the Kingdom of God while it is in postponement (Matt 21:43).
"A believer must put his faith to work. Total involvement in the work of the Lord by all members of the church is one of the great needs of our day. This is true not only for the progress of the work of the church, but especially for the spiritual growth and development of each member. Believers are called not only to salvation, but also to service.
We are not only saints, but servants. Our vocation is service, and there is no genuine satisfaction in life without fulfilling this vocation. Retirement from Christian service is never suggested in the Bible. God has a program of joyful service for every believer wherein he can find joy and contentment, exercising his special ability for the Lord."
-Stanley Ellisen, "The Book of Romans," Progressive Bible Studies (Portland, Oregon, 1975), 180.
But “reasonable,” here, probably describes the area in which we perform this sacrificial, worshipful “ministry” of offering ourselves to God. In other words, we do so in the sphere of reason, rather than in the real, literal sense. The old priests performed a literal, physical, tangible ministry. But ours is a rational, spiritual ministry, in the mind and soul instead of with literal tabernacles and altars and animals.
-Robert E. Picirilli, The Book of Romans, Clear Study Series (Nashville, TN: Randall House Publications, 1975), 241.
The soul ("life") is comprised of :
1) Mind- What I know, believe, & affirm
2) Will- Actions based upon my convictions
3) Emotions- How I feel about a subject
Outline of Romans
Doctrinal - Ch. 1-8
Dispensational - Ch. 9-11
Practical - Ch. 12-16
Because...
1) All creation is guilty before a holy God...
2) We are justified freely by His grace...
3) We have a New Life powered by the Spirit...
4) We have total security of our salvation..
5) God's promises for Israel will prevail despite their unbelief...
TYPE- An Old Testament person, office, ministry, or practice that finds resemblance in the New Testament.
ANTITYPE- A New Testament person, office, ministry, or practice that corresponds to the Old Testament truth.
"The believers’ priesthood is based on their sharing in the heavenly calling with Christ (3:1)... Jesus is our high priest, and believers have been brought into such a relationship with Christ that they too are priests with the concomitant responsibilities and privileges that adhere to the priestly calling."
Inclusio- a phrase that occurs twice within a book that indicates the start and end of a section.
Chiasm- a literary structure which includes a reversal of clauses for emphasis.
Grant Hawley, The Guts of Grace, p. 403, 405.
A -Who will separate us from the love of Christ?
B - Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Just as it is written, “For Your sake we are being put to death all day long; We were considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”
C - But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us.
B’ - For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing,
A’- will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
*Foreknew- "to know by experience previously"
*Predestined- "to be conformed to Christ"
*Firstborn- "preeminent rank, superior"
*Called- "to fulfill God's purpose for your life"
*Justified- "by works, vindicated, maturity"
*Glorified- "the better resurrection out ahead!"
"Glorified"- doxazō
William Arndt et al., A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000), 258.
"Paul tells us there are two kinds of inheritance: all believers are heirs of God (birth-inheritance), and for those who set their life goal to be perseverance in suffering with Christ (even if they sometimes fail), they can become co-heirs with Christ (reward-inheritance).
To be a co-heir with Christ is what Paul elsewhere calls 'inheriting the kingdom.'”
Joseph C. Dillow, Final Destiny: The Future Reign of the Servant Kings, 4th Edition (Houston, TX: Grace Theology Press, 2018).
"Justified"- dikaioō
William Arndt et al., A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000), 249.
"Paul means that believers know, from observation of God’s past dealings with those who love Him, that he has a mysterious way of working things out for the greatest good. By observing the stories of the saints of old—those called to accomplish His redemptive purposes—believers can rest in the knowledge of this truth. God can take whatever evil may come our way and redeem it for good. Believers can know this because God has been doing it for generations."
Leighton Flowers, https://soteriology101.com/2018/02/14/romans-828-30-foreknowledge-and-predestination/
"Calling" -kaleō
"PREDESTINATION"- proorizō
Acts 4:28 -------- Jesus' Crucifixion
1 Cor 2:7 -------- Glorification
Eph 1:5, 11 -------- Glorification
So, what is "predestined" in Romans 8:29?
“You will note that there is no reference in these four verses (Rom. 8:29-30; Eph. 1:5,11) to Heaven or Hell, but to Christlikeness eventually. Nowhere are we told in Scripture that God predestinated one man to be saved and another to be lost. Men are to be saved or lost eternally because of their attitude toward the Lord Jesus Christ.”
H.A. Ironside, Full Assurance (Chicago, IL: Moody Press, 1937), 93-94.
"FIRSTBORN" - prōtotokos (158 times-OT)
1- literally pertaining to birth order (the first in order).
2- pertaining to having special status associated with a firstborn (having the birth right, which was a privilege).
Ex: "of Christ, as the firstborn of a new humanity which is to be glorified, as its exalted Lord is glorified."
-William Arndt et al., A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000), 894.
"pertaining to existing superior to all else of the same or related class—‘superior to, above all.’"
-Johannes P. Louw and Eugene Albert Nida, Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament: Based on Semantic Domains (New York: United Bible Societies, 1996), 737.
Calvinist- "Calvin defined predestination as God’s eternal decree by which He determined by Himself whatever He willed to happen with every person, creating some persons for eternal life and others for eternal damnation. Calvin held to an infralapsarian model of predestination, in which God first understands humans as fallen and therefore lacking the mental faculty to accomplish spiritual good. Then God actively decrees to save some and damn others in a double predestination."
"God is said to set apart those whom he adopts for salvation. It were most absurd to say, that he admits others fortuitously, or that they by their industry acquire what election alone confers on a few. Those, therefore, whom God passes by he reprobates, and that for no other cause but because he is pleased to exclude them from the inheritance which he predestines to his children."
John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, Vol. III, Sec 23, 1.
Arminian- "Arminius affirmed that election is based on God’s foreknowledge of those who would believe in Christ and persevere in faith throughout their lifetimes. Arminius expressed his own understanding of predestination under four divine decrees.
God decreed to create the world and to appoint Christ as Redeemer, Mediator, and Savior to pay for the sins of the world.
God decreed to save everyone who would receive Christ and continue in their belief.
God decreed to give all future persons the means (i.e., the Word, sacraments, and so forth) to believe in Christ, making grace available to all.
God decreed to save particular persons based on His foreknowledge of who would believe and persevere."
Kirk R. MacGregor, “Predestination,” ed. John D. Barry et al., The Lexham Bible Dictionary (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2016).
"PREDESTINE"- proorizō-
“to limit in advance” -Strong's #4309
“to limit or mark out beforehand; to design definitely beforehand, ordain beforehand, predestine” (1)
" to come to a decision beforehand—‘to decide beforehand, to determine ahead of time, to decide upon ahead of time’" (2)
This is a word that is derived from two Greek words:
“Pro”- Strong’s# 4253 meaning “fore, in front of, prior, before”
“horizō”- Strong’s# 3724 meaning “to mark out or bound, to appoint, decree, or specify.”
We get the English word "horizon" from this word.
Gordon Olson notes that “this is a very rare word, and there is a serious question as to how it should actually be translated. It never occurred in the Septuagint Old Testament and is found only once in classical Greek literature before the New Testament (Demosthenes) and a few times in secular Greek from the 3rd to 5th centuries AD.”
C. Gordon Olson, Beyond Calvinism and Arminianism: An Inductive Mediate Theology of Salvation, 3rd Edition (Cedar Knolls, NJ: Global Gospel Publishers, 2002), 330.
“You will note that there is no reference in these four verses (Rom. 8:29-30; Eph. 1:5,11) to Heaven or Hell, but to Christlikeness eventually. Nowhere are we told in Scripture that God predestinated one man to be saved and another to be lost. Men are to be saved or lost eternally because of their attitude toward the Lord Jesus Christ.”
H.A. Ironside, Full Assurance (Chicago, IL: Moody Press, 1937), 93-94.
“God sovereignly decreed that man should be free to exercise moral choice, and man from the beginning has fulfilled that decree by making his choice between good and evil. When he chooses to do evil, he does not thereby countervail the sovereign will of God but fulfills it, inasmuch as the eternal decree decided not which choice the man should make but that he should be free to make it. If in His absolute freedom God has willed to give man limited freedom, who is there to stay His hand or say, ‘What doest thou?’ Man’s will is free because God is sovereign. A God less than sovereign could not bestow moral freedom upon His creatures. He would be afraid to do so.”
A.W. Tozer, The Best of A.W. Tozer Book Two (Camp Hill, PA: WingSpread, 2007), 32.
Foreseen = God saw through the corridors of time who would believe and chose those individuals based on their “foreseen faith.” (Classical Arminian) Foreordain = God set his love on certain unconditionally pre-selected individuals before the world began (“foreloved”) and effectually works to change their hearts so that they want to come to Him for salvation. (Calvinist)
Leighton Flowers, "Proginosko- To 2016/01/07/foreknew-foreKnow Beforehand, https://soteriology101.com/seen-or-foreordained-or-formerly-known/
"KNOW"- ginosko- 1- to arrive at a knowledge of someone or something, know, know about, make acquaintance of
2- to acquire information through some means, learn (of), ascertain, find out
3- to grasp the significance or meaning of something, understand, comprehend
4- to be aware of something, perceive, notice, realize
5- to have sexual intercourse with, have sex/marital relations with
6- to have come to the knowledge of, have come to know, know
7- to indicate that one does know, acknowledge, recognize
*This verb is variously nuanced in contexts relating to familiarity acquired through experience or association with a person or thing.
"FOREKNEW"- proginosko-w/ "pro" being a preposition meaning "before"
1- to know beforehand or in advance, have foreknowledge
2- choose beforehand- Romans 8:29, 11:2, 1 Peter 1:20 & Acts 26:5 are specified, along with general references to Romans 9-11. Do these instances mean "to choose beforehand" or "to foreordain?"
BDAG, 199-201.
William Lane Craig writes, “It is sometimes suggested that ‘foreknow’ with regard to the elect means ‘choose in advance,” so that foreknowledge and unconditional election to salvation become synonymous. But again there is no linguistic evidence in support of this suggestion. Out of the 770 cases of yada (‘to know’) in the Old Testament, the 660 instances of ginosko (‘to know’) in the Septuagint, and the 220 in the New Testament, the term never carries the sense of ‘choose’ or ‘elect.’”
-William Lane Craig, The Only Wise God: The Compatibility of Divine Foreknowledge and Human Freedom (Eugene, Oregon: Wipf and Stock Publishers, 2000), 34.
"What we say about future events being foretold, we do not say it as though they come about by fatal necessity.” -Justin Martyr (100-165AD)
Quote of Justin Martyr in Walter A. Elwell and Barry J. Beitzel, Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1988), 808.
W.T. Moore- "Our conclusion therefore is that in the latter passage as well as in the former the apostle is referring to a long line of worthy saints whom God, under former dispensations, had acknowledged or approved, and having approved them, He marked them out, called them, justified them and made them glorious." "To sum up the whole case, this foreknowledge of God is simply his acknowledgment of real historic characters whose faithfulness in the past is referred to as proof that even now all who love God will secure his help and final victory provided they continue in the grace which God has so abundantly provided."
W.T. Moore, Ph.D. President of The Bible College of Missouri.
This serves as our closing message for the 2020 FGA Summit on Hebrews. Check out the rest of the sessions at the link below
2020 FGA Summit
The Salvation of the Soul, Part 2
Salvation of the Soul 2 Handout
The following is a summary of what we have learned about the salvation of the soul thus far.
take up their cross, and follow Christ. This has no association with eternal damnation, which is a matter that is settled when one believes in the Person and Work of Jesus Christ. However, losing one’s soul/life has everything to do with having nothing to show for in eternity because our earthly lives were lived for ourselves and not for the Lord.
Summary: “The salvation of the soul is the triumph of faith in present trials for which glory is received in a future day.”1 -Zane C. Hodges
Pertinent Passages (cont’d.)
1 Peter 1:9
The Epistle of 1 Peter is another New Testament book which speaks to the subject of the saving of the soul. We must start in 1:1 for the sake of context and clarity. Peter is writing to believers throughout various regions of Asia Minor in what is today known as Turkey. These believers are addressed as “aliens,” emphasizing their citizenship in glory (Eph 2:19; Col 1:13; 1 Pet 2:11a). They are also designated as “chosen.” This word “eklektos” can also mean “elect.” While often understood as God choosing individuals to either be redeemed or to remain damned, there are three indicators that would speak against this conclusion.
First, it is often assumed that God’s foreknowledge necessitates His predestination of an individual for justification. This understanding reads into the meaning of “foreknowledge.”2 Foreknowledge is never causative but means “a prior knowledge of what will come to pass.” This is not the same as “to determine beforehand to take place.” To read the text plainly, those who are “chosen” are those who were “known beforehand” by God.
Second, “those who reside as aliens” (1:1b) are those who are “chosen,” showing this to be of a corporate nature and not an individual selection. With five different provinces mentioned and the fact that they were “scattered” throughout, we do not have any indication that the “elect/chosen” ones are such on an individual basis. Rather, they are a conglomeration of believers.
1 Zane C. Hodges, First Peter: The Salvation of the Soul (Denton, TX: Grace Evangelical Society, 2017), 15.2 See David R. Anderson, Saving the Saved: An Exposition of 1 Peter (The Woodlands, TX: Grace Theology Press, 2020), 6.
Finally, 1:2 is clear that this audience was chosen for a purpose: “to obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood.” The means identified is “by the sanctifying work of the Spirit.” While one is “sanctified” (“set apart”) positionally at the moment of faith, one is also “progressively sanctified” by the Spirit, being set apart for good works. Derickson writes, “Though good works do not produce or prove salvation, they are the goal of the Spirit’s ministry in the life of the child of God.”3 Being “sprinkled with His blood” often draws from the same idea as being “set apart” or “sanctified. “In the OT blood was sprinkled at the cleansing of the temple, the inauguration of the Law, the ordination of Aaron and his sons to the priesthood, the cleansing of lepers, and on the Day of Atonement. Each of these cleansings affected the believing Israelite’s fellowship with God. Their purpose was not to justify, but to sanctify by restoring fellowship broken by sin. In the same way Jesus’ blood cleanses (present tense) us and enables us to be in fellowship with God (1 John 1:7, 9).”4 So we see that these believers were chosen for the purpose of obedience and sanctification, two concepts which walk hand-in-hand.
Peter praises the Lord because of the “born again” standing of himself and his readers through the resurrection of Christ (1:3). Because Christ lives, believers have a “living hope.” This “hope” entails much! Being “born again” gives way to an “inheritance” which is pure, unblemished, and unfading, waiting in heaven for the redeemed (1:4). Believers are then described as those who are “protected by the power of God” with “faith” being the key factor (1:5a). This inheritance is described as a “salvation ready to be revealed in the last time” (1:5b) clearly taking the reader far beyond justification to the quality of glorification that awaits the saints of God.
This grand exhibition of grace is worthy of rejoicing (1:6a)! Do we? Are we? Are we rejoicing in the living hope that we have in Jesus Christ our Lord? Are we praising God for His gracious provision of an illustrious inheritance? In the midst of temporal trials, the proclamation of future blessings should propel us forward (1:6b). Such trials are “necessary” for the “proof of your faith” (1:7).
The word “proof” does not mean that successfully passing through a trial is a “true indicator” that one is really justified. Such reasoning would be forced to conclude that Peter himself was never really saved until Acts 2 when Matthew clearly shows us otherwise (Matt 16:16). The word “proof” holds the meaning of “genuineness due to testing.”5 Such testing develops one’s faith. “Just as the fire melts the gold, so that the refiner can skim away the dross, so persecution enables the Spirit of God to purify and make infinitely more precious the faith of the suffering saint.”6 The “salvation ready to be revealed in the last time” (1:5b) is in view, not one’s initial conversion or the authenticity of their conversion. Those saints who endure this temporary affliction will receive commendation resulting in praise, glory, and honor for the faithful saint at the Judgment Seat of Christ from Jesus Himself (1:7c)! We see this fact in the words “Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master” (Matt 25:21, 23).
3 Gary Derickson, “The First Epistle of Peter,” in The Grace New Testament Commentary, ed. Robert N. Wilkin (Denton, TX: Grace Evangelical Society, 2010), 1145.4 Ibid., 1145–1146.5 BDAG, 256.
6 John Phillips, Exploring the Epistles of Peter: An Expository Commentary, The John Phillips Commentary Series (Kregel Publications; WORDsearch Corp., 2009), 1 Pe 1:7.
Peter’s audience had admirable qualities. Not having seen their Savior, they loved the Savior! This was more than likely identified by their obedience to the commands of Christ (John 14:15, 21) and their love for one another (1 John 4:12). Though they did not see Him, they still exercised their faith by greatly rejoicing in their coming glorification. These were people who were looking out ahead into glory and lived in the light of what God had secured for them. They were setting their minds on the things from above (Col 3:1-2). Theirs was a life of “worship in the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus,” putting “no confidence in the flesh” (Phil 3:3).
Such a life was giving way to the “outcome” of their faith (1:9a). The word “obtaining” here is telōs which means “that by which a thing is finished, its close.”7 Faith is meant to be brought to completion (Jas 2:22). What God began in justification, He will bring to a close in glorification, but it was the attitude, faithfulness, selflessness, and rejoicing of Peter’s audience that was making much of their sanctification leading to a greater glorification. Their perspective and convictions were such that God could mold and move them as He deemed fit. They were humble and willing, full of joy, and waiting in anticipation for the Lord Jesus to return. This was resulting in the “salvation of your souls” (1:9b). Their lives would result in much glory to God because they were trusting His Word!
The proceeding verses (1:10-12) speak to the grand testimony of glorification which did not lie dormant in the Old Testament. Prophets investigated this subject thoroughly, which can be seen in Hebrews 11. The promise of glory to be shared in the presence of the Creator even caused Moses to reject a life of leisure and luxury (Heb 11:24-26). Such choices set the stage for the time of Christ, marking the beginning of the end (1 Pet 1:20; Heb 1:1-2) and has caused all who believe in the Messiah to live in anticipation of His return (Rev 22:12). This mindset finds far less reason to live for the here and now because of the abundant value of living for the Life to come.
Concerning the rest of the book, it is worth noting a few other pertinent verses. In 1:22 we see that Peter’s audience was obeying the truth, and in doing so “purified” their souls for a sincere love for their brothers and sisters. “Purified” literally means “to set oneself apart, cleanse, dedicate.” This is something that they were already doing, and by doing so, they were able to love their fellow believers without hypocrisy, of which Peter encourages them to do all the more!
In 2:2, we see that these believers are to “long for the pure milk of the word” like newborn babies. It is often assumed that they are to long for the Word because they were newborn babies in the Lord, but everything surrounding this book tells us that they were vibrant and maturing believers. It their developed and growing state, they were to drink in the Word of God because it is the greatest necessary component to their continual growth “in respect to salvation.” This is not speaking of justification, but glorification and the salvation of the soul. The Word of God grows the believer in truth and truth sustains us in trials leading to abundant glory.
In 2:11 we find that “fleshly lusts war against the soul in order to block its salvation.”8 This would refer us back to the five sense of the body seeking to convince our mind, will, and emotions (soul) that there is a better truth and a greater satisfaction found somewhere outside of what the Lord has given us. Trusting such temptations will result in a failure to abide in Christ, committing sin, and leading us to
7 Thayer, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament, 620.8 Watchman Nee, The Salvation of the Soul (New York: Christian Fellowship Publishers, 1978), 48.
produce “nothing” (John 15:5b). The reiteration of his audience’s status as “aliens and strangers” (2:11; 1:1) reminds them that this present world is not their home.
First Peter 2:25 exalts Jesus as the Shepherd and Guardian of our souls, reminding us that He is our Guide, Leader, and Provider. This is a summary statement that is linked to the points made in 2:19- 20. When one suffers because of godly convictions and actions, such convictions find grace with God. We are then told in 2:21 that believers have been called to suffering (Phil 1:29; 2 Tim 3:12). With Christ as our perfect example of suffering (2:21-24), His death for us makes it possible to die to sin in our daily experience and to live righteously amid unjust treatment.
In 4:19, we read that the one who suffers according to God’s will does right because he or she has believed that God’s will is the greatest value for their soul/life. This is an excellent summary statement for the entire book, but particularly reflects the grand sentiment shared in 4:12-13. By entrusting our mind, will, and emotions to the Lord, hardships are times of rejoicing because of the greater goal out ahead. Not only are we promised blessing in this life (4:14), but when Christ returns at the Rapture, we will have every reason to rejoice in His presence!
In 5:1-7, Peter addresses the elders of the churches to whom he is writing. He speaks of “the glory that is to be revealed” (5:1b) and their role as “partakers,” which is the opportunity to share in this glory with Christ. Their diligence in leading God’s flock will result in “the unfading crown of glory” (5:4b) which may be a reward reserved only for faithful elders. The conversation then turns to young men, emphasizing the importance of humility (which is stressed 3 times in 5:5-6) as they submit to their leaders. The exaltation “at the proper time” is not our earthly lives, but at the time of the Judgment Seat of Christ. Humility is the attitude that paves the way for the salvation of the soul.
Other Pertinent Passage about the Saving of the Soul
Matthew 16:24-27. As with the parallel passage in Mark 8:34-37, Jesus is calling His disciples to self- renunciation, which is the present essence of what it means to “lose” one’s soul/life now in order to find it (“save it”) in the age to come. Of great importance is v.27 which speaks of “recompense,” being the reward that every believer will receive at Christ’s coming. Such repayment will be for those things done while in the body whether good or bad (2 Cor 5:10).
Luke 12:13-21. Jesus gives a parable of a man who hoards his crops thinking that he can enjoy the rest of his life in leisure and ease. He is declared a “fool” because his “soul” (“life”) was required of him that very night. Hodges writes, “This man’s life experience vanished the moment it was overtaken by physical death. The goods he was planning to hoard for his personal enjoyment over the years to come were totally lost to him. He left this world utterly impoverished.”9 He was rich according to the world’s standards but impoverished in his work for God.
If one continues reading, Jesus encourages His disciples against the worries and anxieties of this life, knowing that the Father will supply (12:22-30). The chief concern of the disciples was to seek the kingdom, for the Father desires to give it to them (12:31-32). The call then comes to sell their
9 Zane C. Hodges, A Free Grace Primer: The Hungry Inherit, The Gospel Under Siege, Grace in Eclipse, ed. Robert N. Wilkin (Denton, TX: Grace Evangelical Society, 2011), 310–311.
possessions and give away the proceeds so that they will be rich in the life to come. Parting with such possessions reveals what consumes the heart (12:33-34).
Luke 14:25-33. Jesus teaches on discipleship. Following Jesus is costly! Jesus wants us to understand this from the start. The choice to follow Jesus will come in-between one’s closest relationships if they are to remain faithful to Christ. The use of the term “hate” in 14:26a should be understood in comparison with the love that entails faithful obedience (John 14:15, 21; also see John 12:25). At the core of this teaching is the call to “carry his own cross” and “come after me” (14:26c), being synonymous with what has been see in earlier passages that have been considered (Matt 16:24; Mark 8:34; Luke 9:23).
He then gives two illustrations.
First, if anyone where to build a tower they would be wise to calculate the cost, using the estimate to determine if the funds are available to bring the project to completion. To fall short of completing the project was to invite public shame and ridicule.
Second, a king must consider whether he can win the battle when he goes to war. He finds that he has half the troops of the opposing army. Can the strength of his warriors overcome the numbers of the opposing forces? Should the king send forth word in asking for peace so that he is not humiliated?
Jesus then draws His conclusion: “none of you can be My disciple who does not give up all his own possessions” (Luke 14:33). In relation to the illustrations given this truth emerges: it will take everything that we have to follow Jesus faithfully. All things- money, possessions, family, jobs, decisions, our very lives, and anything else that falls within our control must be relinquished to save our souls.
Verses Showing a Parallel Between “Soul” & “Life”
35:7 * Lord, how long will You look on? Rescue my soul from their ravages, My only life from the lions.
— Psalm 35:17 * Do not deliver the soul of Your turtledove to the wild beast; Do not forget the life of Your
afflicted forever. — Psalm 74:19 * Hate evil, you who love the Lord, Who preserves the souls of His godly ones; He delivers them
from the hand of the wicked. — Psalm 97:10
The Salvation of the Soul, Part 1
Principles for Interpretation
The Bible gives us four basic truths that serve as principles to guide us in interpretation. If these truths are embraced, they will prevent us from making errors in our interpretation.
#1 The Bible is True (2 Tim 3:16-17), therefore it will never contradict itself.
ResourcesSpirit Body & SoulSalvation of the Soul 1 #2 People Are Justified by Grace Alone, Through Faith Alone, in Jesus Christ Alone (Romans 3:24).
#3 Once Saved, Always Saved (John 5:24; Rom 8:38-39). Eternal Security is just that: Safe Forever!
#4 The Bema Concerns Believers (1 Cor 3:10-15; 2 Cor 5:10). This involves rewards, not loss of justification.
Also, as it is with any form of good reading comprehension, context is key! The context will always clarify
The phrase “The Salvation of the Soul” may draw your mind to conclude that the word “salvation” means “to go to heaven when I die” or something similar. This automatic reaction has immediately placed the matters of “Heaven & Hell” at the forefront of our thinking and has created a great hindrance to understanding the text.
We must remember that “salvation” has three spiritual tenses (justification, sanctification, glorification) and numerous physical aspects (“deliverance, rescue, healing, safety”). Context will always determine the meaning intended by the author. Additionally, keeping the four basic truths above in mind will guard us from the dangers of any “works-salvation” conclusions.
Pertinent Passages
James 1:21
The book of “James” is all about choices and attitudes that lead to the salvation of the soul. This book is written to believers (1:2, 16, 19; 2:1, 5, 14; 3:1, 10, 12; 4:11; 5:7, 9, 12, 19), therefore any notion that James’ readers are not redeemed people is nonsense. James verifies their redemption in 1:18- “In the exercise of His will He brought us forth by the word of truth, so that we would be a kind of first fruits among His creatures.” This shows us that “the Word of God is the agency by which faith is generated.”2 Consideration of the context is essential to understand what James means by saving one’s soul.
Trials are the author’s main focus, to which he immediately exhorts his readers to a joyful attitude and faithful endurance (1:2-4). He espouses “joy” because God is using this trial in developing the believer. Despite how one may feel in the midst of hardship, the believer can be certain that this situation is being used by God for his or her growth. Knowing this should immediately bring light to the
1 Jeremy Edmondson, Getting Started: Basics to Understanding Your Bible (Allen, TX: Bold Grace Ministries, 2013). Available on Amazon Kindle.2 Lewis Sperry Chafer, Systematic Theology (Dallas: Dallas Seminary Press, 1983), 1:121.
what the author means.The Mind’s Immediate Hindrance
trying situation. “Endurance” (“steadfastness”) is commanded because it is the only pathway to the believer being “perfect and complete, lacking in nothing” (1:4). The temptation will be to rescue oneself out of a trying situation (1:3) and doing so, will cut short the opportunity to grow up in Christ to full maturity.
In developing his argument, James later tells us that the one who “perseveres under trial,” having “passed the test” (meaning not cutting the trial short), will receive “the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him” (1:12). Enduring the hardship by trusting the Lord gives way to reward! Take note that it is a love for the Lord that serves as the motivation for this reward and not the reward itself. This “crown” is a stephanos being “the wreath or garland which was given as a prize to victors in the public games.”3 Comparing this passage with Revelation 2:10 we see that the “crown of life” has two requirements for obtaining it. First, one must “pass the test” of their hardship, which would by synonymous with faithful endurance. Second, such endurance is done because of one’s affection for Christ. This sets the attitude of the believer in relation to Christ at center stage. Apart from these two things, the believer in Christ will not receive this reward.
After explaining that God is not responsible for one’s sin (1:13), how sin leads to death (1:14-15), and that God gives only good things to His children (1:17), James then gives an outline for the book in being quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger (wrath) in 1:19. He explains that our personal wrath is never a means of bringing forth the righteousness of God in our trials (1:20). Righteous results should always be the end goal of our trials.
At this point, James offers a sound directive for how believers can operate righteously in their earthly life. Take note of each of the points in 1:21...
“Therefore,...” -In light of the fact that man’s anger will not produce God’s righteousness... “putting aside...” -This phrase literally means “to strip off.”
“all filthiness (moral defilement) and the abundance of wickedness (vice, depravity)...,” - meaning those fleshly behaviors & impurities that come so naturally to the old man. These things are all hindrances to what comes next!4
“in humility...” –“the quality of not being overly impressed by a sense of one’s self- importance.”5 An attitude or demeanor that emphasizes bringing one’s self low.
“receive the word implanted...” -Welcome the Word of God as the means to producing righteousness in your life. It is already “implanted,” meaning that the Word is “inborn.”
“which is able to save your souls.” -The humble reception of the inborn Word can rescue us from wrathful conclusions to our trials, cutting them short, and stunting our path to spiritual maturity (1:4). This gives clarity to the redemptive purpose of the Word (2 Tim 3:16-17).
3 Thayer, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament, 587.
4 Arlen L. Chitwood, The Salvation of the Soul: Saving of the Life (Norman, OK: The Lamp Broadcast, Inc., 2003) 37. 5 BDAG, 861.
POSITIVE NEGATIVE
James follows up this verse with “the ancient principle”- Not being “hearers only” but doers of the Word. To have the Word implanted and NOT apply the Word to our daily lives is to live fraudulently (1:22). The one who forsakes the humble reception of the Word of God will not save their soul.
Mark 8:34-35 & James 1:21
“If anyone wishes to come after Me,...he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me.
RESULT
“...putting aside all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness,...”
“...whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it” (Mark 8:35)
“...save your souls” (James 1:21)
It should be evident that humility is the essential starting place in the salvation of the soul. To deny one’s self is to consider something else greater than our wants and desires. This requires humility. “Filthiness” and “wickedness” are things that we are used to, and they are qualities that often characterize the things that we use to serve ourselves, appease our wants, and satisfy our desires. Again, such things are hindrances to saving the soul. Humility is the cure for these hindrances, allowing us to receive the Word.
The Body of James’ Letter
James covers some serious ground for the Christian in relation to “doing the Word.”
bring about a merciful judgment from Christ (2:12-13). * Good deeds are a benefit to the Body of Christ, while also serving to energize one’s faith (2:14-
26). By serving others, the believer in Christ is “saved” from a merciless judgment before Christ
(2:12-14). * Teachers of the Word will incur a stricter judgment before the Lord. The tongue is the litmus test
of whether or not one is walking in righteousness (3:1-12). * Good behavior in the Body of Christ speaks louder than words. Jealousy and selfishness are
qualities of the evil one. Godly wisdom produces fruit when exercised in good deeds (3:13-18).
“...in humility receive the word implanted...”
upon the Lord in the light of His imminent return (5:7-12). * James offers a series of prescriptions for those who are struggling with sickness and sin (5:13-18).
This series of inter-related topics leads up to the next passage under consideration.
James 5:19-20
By beginning with “my brethren” any doubt about the regenerate state of James’ audience is again laid to rest (5:19). The mention of “any among you” further stipulates that believers are in view, though one “strays from the truth.” The word “strays” is the idea of “losing their way.” We may be more comfortable understanding this man as a “backslider.” Considering the overall subject of the book, this believer may have lost their way because they used sin as an escape from the trial that they were facing. Though we can’t be certain of the reason, the responsibility is placed upon this person’s fellow-believers to “turn him back.” Believers are responsible for addressing other believers who have strayed into sin.
With v.20, James is laying forth the significance of brothers and sisters in Christ mounting up a rescue mission for their wayward family member. The one who has strayed is labeled a “sinner.” Such a designation is appropriate because they are found to be in a way of error. The believer who takes the incentive to turn them back around to the truth will “save his soul from death.” “Death represents the temporal destruction of the person, not his or her eternal damnation.”6 This could be seen in the form of divine discipline, physical death, or James could mean the eventual ruin of one’s life. This would be consistent to his comments in 1:14-15 which reads, “But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death.” The Bible’s definition of “death” always involves “separation” from something. Since the soul will be saved when the believer is turned around, we would conclude that the “soul” is what was in danger of dying, or (to be consistent with Jesus’ words) losing his soul (Mark 8:35), forfeiting his soul (Mark 8:36), and exchanging his soul (Mark 8:37).
How should we understand the comment on covering “a multitude of sins?” All sin has been paid for on the cross (1 John 2:2). When we speak of being “justified by faith” (Rom 3:24-26) we understand this as a legal declaration of righteousness in God’s sight. This is a judicial situation that establishes our relationship with the Father. Sins committed in a believer’s life are in need of confession (1 John 1:9) because such choices disrupt the fellowship that we would normally enjoy with the Father. Turning a sinning believer back to the Lord covers the sins committed because fellowship has been restored. This reveals an important truth: “The Salvation of the Soul” is an issue of fellowship, NOT relationship.
4
6 Tom Constable, Tom Constable’s Expository Notes on the Bible (Galaxie Software, 2003), Jas 5:20.
Understanding the Spirit, Soul, & Body
Genesis 1:26-28- God’s purpose in creating man & woman is that they would “have dominion.”
Genesis 2:7- Man is a tripartite being: Spirit, Soul, & Body. All three are God’s doing.
This should be no surprise seeing that God is a Trinity.
1 Thessalonians 5:23- Paul’s prayer for the “setting apart” of their entirety and the spirit, soul, & body “kept intact,” “blameless” unto the coming of the Lord for His Church. Only God can sanctify us entirely; only He can keep us blameless. This happens with the presentation of the members of our bodies as instruments of righteousness as a result of our reckoning upon our identity in Christ (Rom 6:1-14). Submission in light of redemption is the key! This is the ONLY way that true obedience occurs.
The Material Part of Man
Body- Sōma- A living body, whether of man, animal, plant, or seed. Used once to speak of “slaves” in Rev 18:13, while also being understood as a substantive reality in Col 2:17. Also figuratively used for a unified group, such as the “body of Christ” (Eph 4:12).[1] The redemption of the body is our glorification (future).
· The body of man is made of dust (Gen 2:7) and is considered the “lower” part of a human being.
· The body relates to the material world, having five senses, and is the vehicle by which man influences the world, or is found to be influenced by it.[2]
· The body is in a state of gradual deterioration and will eventually return to dust (Gen 3:19b). The body did NOT die at the Fall (Gen 3:21).
· It is the vehicle used for expression, either of righteous acts (believers only-Rom 8:11) or unrighteous acts (believers and/or unbelievers) (Rom 6:12).
· The body “houses” the soul and the spirit and serves as the “sanctuary of the Holy Spirit” for the redeemed (1 Cor 6:19).
· The believer’s “adoption” takes place with the Rapture of the Church, also called the “redemption of our body,” meaning our glorification (Rom 8:23, 1 Cor 15:53).
The Immaterial Part of Man #1
Spirit- Pneuma – “the non-material, psychological faculty which is potentially sensitive and responsive to God,”[3] “the rational part of man, the power of perceiving and grasping divine and eternal things, and upon which the Spirit of God exerts its influence.”[4] The redemption of our spirit is justification (past).
· Since the spirit of man has its origin in God (Gen 2:7; Zech 12:1; Heb 12:9), it is the part of man that is either connected or disconnected to God depending on if one is regenerate (alive) or unregenerate (separated/dead). Before the Fall, YHWH breathed into man “the breath of life” which is the spirit, and it is the spirit of Adam that was separated (died) at the Fall (Gen 2:16-17; 3:7).
· The spirit is considered the “highest plane” of man when connected to YHWH Elohim, for “God is Spirit” (John 4:24; 2 Cor 3:17) and He must be worshiped “in spirit and truth” (John 4:24). Proverbs 20:27- “The spirit of man is the lamp of the Lord, searching all the innermost parts of his being.”
· It is within the spirit of man that the Holy Spirit dwells at conversion, seeing that our spirit is what is made “alive” at conversion (Rom 8:10) while also being “made righteous” (Rom 5:19).
· The Holy Spirit and the human spirit are not the same thing, seeing that both of them testify together that we are God’s children (Rom 8:16).
· Being led into Truth is done by the Holy Spirit within our spirits which then gives way to our minds for the purpose of renewal (transforming the mind so that the will and emotions follow) and, in turn, aligning the body with the spirit so that the spiritual man is discerning of all things (1 Cor 2:15-16).
· Our spirit is what leaves our bodies when physical death occurs (Eccl 12:7; Matt 27:50; Luke 8:55; 23:56; Acts 7:59; 1 Cor 5:5).
Depending on the context, this word is also used to speak of:
“Wind”- John 3:8; Heb 1:7 The “Holy Spirit”- John 3:8
“An Attitude or Demeanor”- 1 Cor 4:21; 2 Tim 1:7 “Celestial Beings”- 1 Pet 3:19
The Immaterial Part of Man #2
Soul/Life- GR. Psuche/Psyche 1. “life on earth in its animating aspect making bodily function possible,” 2. the “seat and center of the inner human life in its many and varied aspects,” 3. “an entity with personhood.”[5] “The essence of life in terms of thinking, willing, and feeling—‘inner self, mind, thoughts, feelings, heart, being.’”[6]This term is sometimes referred to as the “self-life.” The redemption of our soul pertains to sanctification giving way to glorification (present, future).
· The soul is the “meeting place” between spirit and body, and was quickened by the combination of “the breath of life” and the “dust from the ground” (Gen 2:7).
· The soul consists of mind (natural logic, consciousness, thought), will (self-determination), and emotions (internal and external expressions of what is perceived as truth at any given moment).
· Andrew Murray writes, “Standing thus midway between two worlds (body and spirit), belonging to both, the soul had the power of determining itself, of choosing or refusing the objects by which it was surrounded, and to which it stood related.”[7] In other words, the soul is the place where choices are made, and for the believer, can either be compliant to or dismissive of the spirit.
· When considering passages that deal with “the flesh” or “sin” (singular-referring to the sin nature within every person that causes them to commit “sins”), the origin of such responses is the soul.
· The soul did not die at the Fall. Adam and Eve’s minds, wills, and emotions still worked, although they were severely skewed (Gen 3:10-13).
· Whereas the spirit is redeemed at the moment of justification by faith, and the glorification of the body is guaranteed (Rom 8:30), the “salvation of the soul” is not a guarantee (Matt 10:39; 16:25-26; 8:35-37; Luke 9:23-25; 1 Peter 1:9; Heb 10:38-39; James 1:21; 5:19-20). This does not mean in any way that justification is lost. Rather, it is the result of the believer in Christ not denying himself, taking up his cross daily, and following Jesus (Luke 9:23). “Hating one’s life” is actually to despise the way of the self-life, rejecting it in favor of the leading of the spirit (John 12:25).
Murray summarizes, “The spirit is the seat of our God-consciousness; the soul of our self-consciousness; the body of our world-consciousness. In the spirit God dwells, in the soul self, in the body sense. As long as the right relation existed, and the soul with its self was subject to the spirit, and through it to God, all was well. But sin came as the assertion of self in seeking its life through sense and not obedience to the spirit. And so the soul, self, selfishness became the ruling principle of man’s life.”[8]
For the believer in Christ, it is possible for either the spirit or the body to reign. When the spirit reigns, it only does so through the soul in order to influence the body to comply with righteousness. This would be best understood in the command to “walk by the spirit and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh” (Gal 5:16). When the body reigns, it is because the senses have been promoted to “the bearer of truth,” convincing the mind, will, and emotions leading to actions that reject the spirit.
The Tripartite Nature seen in Jesus Christ’s death
Jesus gives up His spirit- Luke 23:46
Jesus’ soul/life goes to Hades temporarily- Acts 2:27; Psalm 16:10; also see 1 Peter 3:18-20
Jesus’ body was buried- Matthew 27:57-60
[1] BDAG, 983-984.
[2] Andrew Murray, The Spirit of Christ: Thoughts on the Indwelling of the Holy Spirit in the Believer and the Church (New York: Anson D. F. Randolph & Company, 1888), 333.
[3] Louw and Nida, Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament, 322.
[4] Thayer, Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament, 520.
[5] BDAG, 1098-1099.
[6] Louw and Nida, 320.
[7] Murray, The Spirit of Christ,333.
[8] Murray, The Spirit of Christ,336.
Romans 5
Colossians 1:13–20
Hebrews 4:14–16
Titus 2:11–14
ResourcesRomans 5Discussion Questions
Romans 4
Romans 3:19-4:25 shows the Divine settlement between God & Christ over sins. We are the passive party that receives blessings & benefit. However we may try, we are not allowed to have any role in justification. We can only receive.