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 What is a Church?

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Sunday School Teacher Resources

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Bonnie Sharp

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Gary Sharp

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Safety, Certainty and Enjoyment

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CHRIST’S GLORIFIED BODY
Does the Lord still bear in His glorified body the marks of the Cross?

Most certainly. In Revelation 5:6" TARGET="_blank">Revelation 5:6 John was granted a vision of the Lord in ascension on the throne of God, and He was seen as a living Lamb, standing, and yet as having been slain, that is, as plainly bearing in His body the sacrificial marks, or in other words, the scars, of Calvary. Besides, how could we admit for a moment that the marks in His resurrection body to which He made appeal again and again to prove His identity, have been removed since? How, moreover, could such appeal be real, unless the marks were something more than temporary and indeed an essential part of His spiritual body? It would be like some one appealing to imitation scars, to prove identity with someone who had received real wounds. We should lose, too, antitypically in a very serious way were we to admit the possibility hinted at in the question. For then how explain the blood on the live bird let loose into the open field in the day of the leper’s cleansing? (Lev 14:7)." TARGET="_blank">Lev 14:7). Or what would there be in the Heavenly temple to correspond to the blood on the earthly mercy seat, if the One on the throne no longer bore the marks of Calvary? When the Lord arose He had the same body that was crucified and slain, but under new conditions, that is, it was now a spiritual body. Again in ascension He had the same body as before, but once more under new conditions, for it was a glorified body, but still bearing as its highest glory the scars of Calvary.
It is indeed the presence of the Lord on the throne, which gives it its character as a throne of grace, and how appropriate then that He should retain His scars of atonement!

W.H.

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Matthew 24:5-8" TARGET="_blank">Matthew 24:5-8 many will come in my name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and they will lead many astray.  (6)  And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars.  (7)  For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places.  (8)  All these are but the beginning of the birth pains.  

Matthew 24:21-22" TARGET="_blank">Matthew 24:21-22  For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be.  (22)  And if those days had not been cut short, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short.

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THE HOLY SPIRIT AND THE CHURCH
Does the Holy Spirit go back to Heaven with the Church at the close of the present Dispensation, or, does He still remain here, to convict of sin, righteousness, and judgment?

In other words, is He here in Person only from Pentecost until the “Rapture”?

We learn from 2 Thessalonians 2:5" TARGET="_blank">2 Thessalonians 2:5 that the common view that the apostle in this passage was correcting the teaching of the first epistle is quite mistaken. Exactly the reverse is the case; he was confirming it; “Remember ye not, that when I was yet with you, I told you these things?” Add to this the fact that in verse 10 he actually appeals to “the coming of the Lord and our gathering together unto Him,” as revealed in 1 Thessalonians 4:11-20" TARGET="_blank">1 Thessalonians 4:11-20 to counter the false teaching abroad “that the day of the Lord” was then present (see R.V.), for the other must take place first. Verse 6 teaches, I believe, the same truth. Some suggest that “that which letteth” is law, and “he who letteth” the executive of law, government But this seems forced and unnatural. Is it not more in harmony with the context to interpret “that which letteth” to be the Church indwelt by the Spirit, and He who letteth, the Spirit indwelling the Church? When the Church goes at the coming of the Lord, the Holy Spirit will, as an indwelling Person, go too. He will therefore be no longer in this scene as the One in Whom the Church is baptised and united to a Risen Christ. That wonderful and unique work of God belongs only to the present dispensation.

But the departure of the Spirit in this sense does not mean that He will cease to work in the world. He will resume His activities of pre-Pentecostal times toward God’s people and the world. What we read in Revelation 7" TARGET="_blank">Revelation 7 and 14, shows clearly that He will carry on a mighty work of conversion, through the sealed of Israel, far beyond, it would seem, anything known in the present dispensation. This began with 120 sealed ones, that will begin with 144,000 and the zenith will be, “a multitide that no man can number.” We must, however, avoid the thought that the wicked one will be revealed at the moment of the rapture of the Church. This chapter warns us against such an idea, for the apostacy will first fully develop and then the way will be open for the manifestation of the Man of Sin.

W.H.

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Does the devil still have this power of death?

This page was adapted from an answer at Truth and Tidings Magazine by David Oliver.

To this date the devil still has the power of death. That is, death still extends its reach to all creatures - animal and human.  The verse in Hebrews 2" TARGET="_blank">Hebrews 2 does not say that Christ destroyed the power of death or took it away from the devil. Christ destroyed the devil himself or, more perhaps better said, Christ rendered him ineffective (Arndt & Gingrich). Satan is still the ruler of this world; the curse of sin and death still affects us all. He is still active and mighty. He will have another, unrestrained opportunity to bring disaster on the earth (Revelation 12:12)." TARGET="_blank">Revelation 12:12). However, the Lord Jesus died and effectively rendered Satan powerless, the devil will not and cannot undo God’s plan. In creation, God had a greater plan that simply creating a peaceful place to live for Adam and Eve.  In Eden, the devil had more in mind than ruining creation or making it his dominion.

D. Oliver

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Do Christians have the ability or the authority to bind Satan?

No. Instead of confronting the Devil with strong language, we need to approach God with our needs and let Him deal with the situation whatever the problem may be.

Despite the frequent claims from some quarters of Christian churches that believers should “bind” Satan through strong prayers or demands against him, there is no basis in Scripture for a believer to be “binding” Satan.

An example of the error

A prayer to “bind” Satan usually takes the form of something like this:

“In the name of Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of God, I come against you, Satan, the Prince of Darkness to bind you, paralyzing your power, forbidding you to come near this person and influencing her thinking.  I demand that you leave her immediately!”

By “binding” Satan, claims are made to be able to paralyze Satan or silence him or forbid him from influencing a person.  As powerful as this commanding prayer may sound, it is unscriptural.  Nobody in the history of the Bible ever spoke to Satan this way, nor are we commanded to speak to him like this.

How to oppose Satan

The believer can oppose Satan by correctly teaching and applying the truth of Scripture to our doctrine and behavior.  Two examples of this command to oppose Satan are found in 1 John 4:1-14" TARGET="_blank">1 John 4:1-14 and James 4:7." TARGET="_blank">James 4:7.

In 1 John 4," TARGET="_blank">1 John 4, the way to overcome Satan is to hold to sound teaching in regards to the divinity of Jesus Christ.  He is truly God and truly a man.  Any claim to the contrary is a doctrine of Satan that must be corrected.

1 John 4:1-4" TARGET="_blank">1 John 4:1-4  Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.  (2)  By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God,  (3)  and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already.  (4)  Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.

In James 4:7," TARGET="_blank">James 4:7, the command to “resist” the Devil does not imply chastise, bind, scold, paralyze or attack Satan.  Rather it is to yield oneself to God for His will.  What is the attack that Satan is utilizing in James 4" TARGET="_blank">James 4?  What form of demon is apparent here?  The first few verses of the chapter tell us that the Devil is behind our selfishness, quarreling and intense covetousness. Resisting Satan implies yielding to the work of the Holy Spirit who gives us his character which is seen in the fruit that He produces in us according to Galatians 5:22-26." TARGET="_blank">Galatians 5:22-26.

James 4:1-10" TARGET="_blank">James 4:1-10  What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you?  (2)  You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask.  (3)  You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.  (4)  You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.  (5)  Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, "He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us"?  (6)  But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, "God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble."  (7)  Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.  (8)  Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.  (9)  Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom.  (10)  Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.

Satan will be bound

Satan indeed will be “bound” by an angel for 1,000 years during the Millennium (Revelation 20:1-3)." TARGET="_blank">Revelation 20:1-3).  This means that Satan is as good as defeated already.  His end is known.  However, the work of binding him is done by the angel who in truth can paralyze his movements, stem his influence and shut his mouth.

Revelation 20:1-3" TARGET="_blank">Revelation 20:1-3  Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain.  (2)  And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years,  (3)  and threw him into the pit, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he might not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were ended. After that he must be released for a little while.

Avoid railing

The Scripture stresses that "Michael made not a railing accusation against Satan over Moses’ body" (Jude 1:9)." TARGET="_blank">Jude 1:9).  This shows us the seriousness in dealing with Satan.  It wasn’t for being too frail that Michael refrained from railing against Satan.  Michael the Archangel has power over the Devil. For example, there was a demon in the Book of Daniel who was withstanding an angel. Michael came to remove him without any difficulty (Daniel 10:13)." TARGET="_blank">Daniel 10:13).  In Revelation 12:7-9" TARGET="_blank">Revelation 12:7-9 Michael and the other angels fight and defeat Satan, casting him out.  Satan is just as good as defeated already.

The point that Jude is making that we need to be very careful in dealing with spiritual powers.  Again, looking at Jude 1:9," TARGET="_blank">Jude 1:9, Michael, the Archangel, did not dare to bind Satan, or even rebuke Satan. He deferred the job of rebuking Satan to the Lord GOD.  It’s awfully presumptuous to think I could exercise such authority. He is telling us to be very careful how you play around with that dimension, even Michael was careful not to get himself involved with Satan in an argument. The point there that is being made is not that Satan is a match for Michael, but that Michael recognized the fearfulness of dealing with the devil, and it’s a warning to the believer to stay away from those things, which are the manifestation of the devil.

Instead of confronting the Devil with strong language, we need to approach God with our needs and let Him deal with the situation.

Shad Sluiter

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IS MAN A TRIPARTITE BEING?
Is man dual or tripartite in nature? If the latter, how are spirit and soul distinguished?

Certainly tripartite, as 1 Thessalonians 5:23" TARGET="_blank">1 Thessalonians 5:23 proves—”I pray God your whole Spirit and Soul and Body be preserved’ blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” An attempt was made by the late Dr. Bullinger to shew that man is dual:—the combination of Spirit and Body forming the Soul—but it was clearly untenable, for if that were the case, the order of the words would be Spirit and Body, even the Soul; and at death the personality would be dissolved, a doctrine even worse than the so-called “sleep of the soul.” The Spirit and the Soul represent the spiritual side of man, which is sometimes called by one name, sometimes by the other.

They are distinct, but only divisible in a metaphorical sense by the Word of God “piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit” (Hebrews 4:12)," TARGET="_blank">Hebrews 4:12), that is, they are never viewed as separated one from the other. The Spirit is the higher part; with it, man understands (1 Corinthians  2:11), and is in touch with the unseen :—“God is Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth” (John 4:24)." TARGET="_blank">John 4:24). The Soul is the other side of man’s spiritual being, and links it with the body—it desires, loves, sorrows, etc. “My soul is cast down within me” (Psalm 42:6;" TARGET="_blank">Psalm 42:6; see also 1 Samuel 18:1;" TARGET="_blank">1 Samuel 18:1; Numbers 21: 4;" TARGET="_blank">Numbers 21: 4; 2 Samuel 5:8)." TARGET="_blank">2 Samuel 5:8).

The personality is sometimes connected with the soul (e.g., “few, that is, eight souls* were saved by water”), or with the body. When Stephen fell asleep, we read that “devout men carried him (i.e., his body) to the burial” (Acts 8:2)," TARGET="_blank">Acts 8:2), but Stephen in a higher sense was not in the graveyard, but with Him to Whom he had just committed his spirit.”

W.H.

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