Should all the men in an assembly share in preaching the gospel?

Should all the men in an assembly share in preaching the gospel?

No. All believers are responsible to "do the work of an evangelist" (2 Timothy 4:5)" TARGET="_blank">2 Timothy 4:5) by speaking to individuals as the believers did in Acts 11:19, 20." TARGET="_blank">Acts 11:19, 20. Some have a knack for this, although they may not be effective public speakers. The risen Lord provides evangelists (Ephesians 4:11)" TARGET="_blank">Ephesians 4:11) for the work of the gospel. Since God oversees the operation of gifts (1 Corinthians 12:6)," TARGET="_blank">1 Corinthians 12:6), we can be certain He employs only those He has enabled for this important work.

Testimonies of conversion are one means of declaring the gospel (Acts 22)." TARGET="_blank">Acts 22). Some who may not be effective "preachers" can effectively tell how they were saved.

The priesthood of all believers does not imply that all the males should take their turn "preaching." On the other hand, fairness should be a part of all assembly decisions (1 Timothy 5:21)," TARGET="_blank">1 Timothy 5:21), including selecting speakers for gospel meetings. Wise elders look for potential in a speaker and give opportunity for the Spirit of God to develop that ability by its use. At the same time, they will be careful not to discourage a less capable brother ("a smoking flax shall He not quench," Isaiah 42:3)." TARGET="_blank">Isaiah 42:3).

D. Oliver
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What is Deliverance Ministries

"Deliverance" ministers address personal problems in people that are believed to be caused by demons or Satan. The routine for binding a demon is something like a psychiatrist practicing exorcism.
First the deliverance minister may ask a few questions about the person and his/her problems. "How long has this been occurring?" "When is it most frequent?" etc.

It is assumed that the person needs deliverance from a demon to cure the problem whether it be unexplained pain or a bad habit such as alcoholism.
The deliverance ministries approach then tries to begin a conversation with the demon trying to evoke a response from the demon. If this begins to sound like a prohibited practice in scripture, then you are correct. Notice a few verses from the Bible here:

Leviticus 19:31" TARGET="_blank">Leviticus 19:31 "Do not turn to mediums or necromancers; do not seek them out, and so make yourselves unclean by them: I am the LORD your God.

Deuteronomy 18:10-12" TARGET="_blank">Deuteronomy 18:10-12 There shall not be found among you anyone who burns his son or his daughter as an offering, anyone who practices divination or tells fortunes or interprets omens, or a sorcerer (11) or a charmer or a medium or a necromancer or one who inquires of the dead, (12) for whoever does these things is an abomination to the LORD. And because of these abominations the LORD your God is driving them out before you.

Leviticus 20:27" TARGET="_blank">Leviticus 20:27 "A man or a woman who is a medium or a necromancer shall surely be put to death. They shall be stoned with stones; their blood shall be upon them."

1 Corinthians 10:20-21" TARGET="_blank">1 Corinthians 10:20-21 No, I imply that what pagans sacrifice they offer to demons and not to God. I do not want you to be participants with demons. (21) You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons.

The minister of a deliverance ministry may then try to intimidate the demon through speaking loudly, commanding in an authoritative voice, invoking the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.

If there are not quick results, the practitioner may schedule future sessions to talk to the demons again.
Other forms of deliverance may be in the attempts to bind Satan from entering into a new church or preventing him from attacking a house.

One may seriously question whether such practices border on the spells and charms that cults prefer to practice rather than praying to the Lord to protect and prosper.

If you are feeling the need of God's protection, pray directly to Him, not to Satan or to his demons. The Lord's own example of prayer for the Disciples includes the phrases:

"lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil" (Matthew 6:9-13)" TARGET="_blank">Matthew 6:9-13)

Some verses for you to read for comfort include:

Psalm 139" TARGET="_blank">Psalm 139 – the omnipresent, omnipotent God of the Universe knows you better than you know yourself.

Psalms 91:1-4" TARGET="_blank">Psalms 91:1-4 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. (2) I will say to the LORD, "My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust." (3) For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence. (4) He will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.

The most important protection that God can provide is the salvation of your soul. See other questions regarding salvation for eternal security.

I know Christ took our sins on the cross, but for some reason I'm not sure if I'm saved.

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Doctrine and Beliefs of Gospel Hall

I am having a little trouble finding you doctrine info on your website. Where can I find the information on what you believe?

Benn

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The page at http://www.gospelhall.org/faqs/faqs/your-first-visit.html would give you some information on the doctrine, style and priorities of assemblies.

We believe the Bible is the inspired, once-for-all revealed word of God. We teach that Salvation from sin is through the death of Christ on the cross. Works of any kind do not save, but provide evidence of the reality of the dwelling of the Spirit of God. We believe that the church is a group of called-out believers who share common doctrine and maintain a good testimony of honesty, good works and respect among neighbors and friends. The pattern of believers found in the Acts and Epistles is our model. There is no creed or organization other than the Bible that we follow. We believe Christ will return at some day, known only to God, to rapture all beleivers.

Shad Sluiter
www.gospelhall.org

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What is our condemnation in Adam?

What is our condemnation in Adam?

Romans 5:15-19" TARGET="_blank">Romans 5:15-19 establishes a comparison and contrast between Adam and Christ. In verse 15, they are compared, since both act to bring a consequence to many. They are federal heads who act as representatives of all their "constituents." Verse 18 summarizes the contrast: one man, one act of trespass, condemnation to all in him versus one Man, one act of righteousness, justification to all in Him, resulting in life. One part of this contrast is missing regarding Adam, the result. That is given in verses 17 and 15, death. The condemnation is not Adams sin imputed to us; it is death.

In fact, verse 19 makes clear that Adams one act defined our standing as sinners, not our guilt through the imputing of his sin. Likewise, Christs one act that satisfies Gods righteousness defines our standing as righteous (not through the imputing of His righteousness).

No unbeliever will be condemned at the Great White Throne for Adams sin. The acts of these federal heads were not our acts, nor did we act in them; they aded as our representatives.

D. Oliver
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What basic books would you recommend for Bible study?

What basic books would you recommend for Bible study?

Accurate study of the Bible involves several principles: the meaning of a word in the original Hebrew and Greek (1 Corinthians 2:13);" TARGET="_blank">1 Corinthians 2:13); the context of the passage (since words may have more than one meaning, the context even determines their meaning) (words: Galatians 3:16;" TARGET="_blank">Galatians 3:16; passages: Romans 4:9-13);" TARGET="_blank">Romans 4:9-13); related truth as revealed in the rest of Scripture (2 Peter 1:20)." TARGET="_blank">2 Peter 1:20). For studying the Bible by these principles, the following books give assistance with word meanings: Vine's Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words; Unger's Bible Dictionary (more like an encyclopedia); Strong's Exhaustive Concordance or Young's Analytical Concordance (preferably both). These commentaries will help with context and related truth: The Collected Writings of W. E. Vine; What The Bible Teaches; Believer's Bible Commentary, W. MacDonald; Synthetic Bible Studies, J. M. Gray; Systematic Theology, A. H. Strong; Egypt to Canaan, J. Ritchie; The Tabernacle in the Wilderness, J. Ritchie; The Tabernacle, H. Soltau; The Holy Vessels and Furniture of the Tabernacle, H. Soltau. This is a very brief list and could easily be lengthened to include several hundred excellent commentaries and books on Scriptural subjects.

A. Joyce

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What translations of Scripture help in understanding its message?

Do other translations of Scripture help in understanding its message?

Yes, but be careful! You must know what you are reading. Is it a literal translation or a paraphrase? Does it employ "dynamic equivalence?" Were the texts in the original language reliable? God's Word was given by verbal inspiration to men who wrote down the message. Those original writings do not exist, but copies do. Our responsibility is to ensure we are reading the most accurate translation of the most accurate copies.

With God's Word, every word matters; therefore, using a literal translation is imperative (KJV, NKJV, RV, DARBY, SPURRELL, NASB). Sometimes the literal may be hard to understand because of idioms in the original language, so a paraphrase can help. Also, some versions employ a "dynamic equivalence," where the translator uses words that convey to the modem mind what was understood by readers of the original text (NIV). Be aware, however, that a paraphrase or "dynamic equivalence" includes the editing committee's own interpretation. That could introduce a bias which limits or changes what the Spirit intended in the original text.

Stan Wells

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When did the 2,300 days in Daniel 8:14 begin and end?

When did the 2,300 days in Daniel 8:14" TARGET="_blank">Daniel 8:14 commence and end?

What sanctuary was to be cleansed at the end of that period?

No doubt, all questions concerning what it has pleased God to reveal to us, have their importance, and so with these, but they gain a certain fictitious importance, whether the questioner knows it or not, owing to the use or rather misuse made of the above passage by the so-called Seventh-day Adventists, to build up their arbitrary and altogether unscriptural system of interpretation, which nullifies the atoning work of Christ in its present application to the believer, and justification by faith alone. The originator of the system was a certain W. Miller, who foretold the return of the Lord to the earth on a certain day in 1844. His followers in white garments were expecting the event on that day. When it failed to realise, Miller was himself rid of his idea and confessed his error, and the whole system would have collapsed had not one of Miller’s adepts, a certain Mrs. Ellen ‘White imagined a way of escape to account for the evident failure of Miller’s prophecy. A mistake had been made, she affirmed: the Lord had come, not to earth, however, but to the most holy place of the sanctuary in heaven to complete, (!) the work of atonement. He had till then (i.e., up to 1844) been “pleading in the first apartment” of the sanctuary on behalf of penitent believers, and thus securing their pardon and acceptance with the Father, yet their sins still remained upon the books of record. So that, according to this heory, the sins of believers, though pardoned, still remained upon the books of record, and are supposed to be constantly defiling the heavenly sanctuary. Could anyone imagine a more arbitrary, selfc9ntradictory, or unscriptural system? It rejects the efficacy of His blood to cleanse from all sin. It denies that God has not only forgiven, but has also blotted out His people’s sins from the book of His renembrance—”Their sins and their iniquities will I remember no møre.” The whole theory of “the sanctuary” being in heaven, and that ou Lord was up to 1844 in the “first apartment” of it, is pure imagination, In any case, “the veil was rent at the cross from the top to the bottom”, so that since then, the sanctuary could be no more divided into two apartments, that is, into Holy Place and Holy of Holies. Moreover,, Heb. 8." TARGET="_blank">Heb. 8. i and 9. a. tell us that the place of our Lord’s priestly work is where He is now and has been since His ascension—”on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens”; “in heaven itself now to appear in the presence of God for us.” That was true when “Hebrews” was written, and there is not a line to prove that any other entrance into any other part of the heavenly sanctuary was ever contemplated or took place, still less that such an event would occur in 1844. I believe the prophecy of Daniel does not deal directly with the church at all, but with God’s earthly people, Israel. The sanctuary that is spoken of in chap. 8. 13-14 is the literal sanctuary of the temple at Jerusalem, and “the 2,300 days” are, in fact, days, not years. This passage ought to be read with chap. 9. 27, where we see that the period in question is the last “week” or period of seven years, of the 70 weeks of years (lit. Heb., “seven of sevens”*), during which the covenant will be made between the Man of Sin, the last governmental head of the revived Roman Empire, who is called in Daniel 9:26" TARGET="_blank">Daniel 9:26 “the Prince that shall come”, and the last false King of Israel, the Antichrist. This covenant will be broken in the midst of the week (v. 27), that is after 3 years: the daily sacrifice will be taken away and the Sanctuary of the Temple will in some way be defiled (see Daniel 11:31)" TARGET="_blank">Daniel 11:31) by what is called “the abomination of desolation”, or in more usual language, the image of the beast set up in it, “standing in the holy place” (Matthew 24:15)." TARGET="_blank">Matthew 24:15). It is this vile image which will defile the sanctuary, and it will only be cleansed at the coming of the Lord at the end of the 2,300 days. Seven prophetic years is a period of 2,520 days, so that the time will be 220 days, or a little more than 7 months, short of this. This may be accounted for by God’s shortening of the days of persecution by the two Beasts for the elect’s sake, according to Matt. 24. 22." TARGET="_blank">Matt. 24. 22. There are those who fancy that Seventh-day Adventism is a more or less harmless system taken up with perhaps strange views on the Coming of the Lord. It is a deadly heretical system which denies the fundamentals of the faith, nullifies the atone-, ment, attributes a sinful nature to our Holy Lord, makes Satan the ultimate bearer of Christians’ sins, and insists on his final annihilation and that of all the wicked dead. W.H.

* This is not the same as the day-year theory that every day can be taken for a year, because
the siord for “week” ia period of “seven”, it may b days, weeks or years.

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What does Ezekiel's vision of dry bones mean?

What is the meaning of Ezekiel 37:1-10," TARGET="_blank">Ezekiel 37:1-10, where we read of the valley which was full of dry bones?

The explanation of this vision is given in verses 11-14 of the chapter. This is a prophesy concerning the national restoration of Israel. God's earthly people have long been buried as a nation and the ten tribes hidden out of sight in many countries of the world. They are spoken of here as "dry bones," "very dry." When the Lord comes back to earth again, these dry bones, so to speak, will be raised and brought to life. Then this prophesy will be literally fulfilled. Israel will be restored to the covenant rights given to that nation by God long ago, and placed and established in the land that God gave to His earthly people.

H. Alves (December, 1963)
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Are there two Babylons?

Are Revelation 17" TARGET="_blank">Revelation 17 and 18 dealing with two different aspects of Babylon?

Babylon is mentioned twice (Revelation 14:8;" TARGET="_blank">Revelation 14:8; Revelation 16:19)" TARGET="_blank">Revelation 16:19) before chapter 17. Both mentions relate to the judgment of Babylon. Some translations omit "city" in chapter 14: "‘Great Babylon has fallen, has fallen, which of the wine of the fury of her fornication has made all nations drink’" (14:8, JND). In the second reference, the context (16:19) emphasizes the city: "the great city" (Jerusalem), "the cities of the nations," and "great Babylon," referring to the literal city. This is parallel to the references of chapter 17 and 18. Chapter 17 highlights her "abominations" (vv. 4, 5) and her opposition to the saints and martyrs (v 6). Chapter 17 likewise unfolds a mystery, truth uniquely revealed by God. God declares Babylon to be the mother of harlots and of abominations - the source of all spiritual impurity. This corresponds to the emphasis in chapter 14. Five times in chapter 18, Babylon is noted as a "great city" (vv. 10, 16, 18, 19, 21), the same emphasis as in chapter 16, verse 19.

The two initial references to Babylon refer to judgments at two different times. Chapter 14 refers to a judgment before the instigation of the "mark of the beast" (14:11, see 13:17) in the middle of the 7 year period. The second reference is the climax of the "vial judgments," bringing us to the end of the seven years. This likewise corresponds to the judgments in chapters 17 and 18. The Harlot is destroyed by the 10 kings at the time when they give their kingdom to the beast (vv 16, 17). The word "for" at the beginning of verse 17 connects the actions of the two verses. This is the "middle of the week," when the Beast reaches the summit of his power. From the connection of chapter 18 with the beginning of chapter 19 (see vv 1-3), the destruction of the city (chapter 18) is just before the return of Christ to the earth. Further, the judgment in chapter 17 is at the hands of the 10 kings and the beast (v 16), while "the kings of the earth" (including at least the 10 kings) bewail the destruction of the city (Revelation 18:9)" TARGET="_blank">Revelation 18:9) by a direct intervention of God (18:20, 21).

Chapter 17 interprets the Harlot as a symbol: "The woman . . . is the great city." Noted as sitting on many waters (v 1, interpreted as peoples, multitudes, nations, and tongues, v 15), the beast (v 3), and seven mountains (v 9), the woman exerts influence thus described demographically, politically, and historically respectively. The Harlot, therefore, pictures the spiritual institution which characterizes the city. Chapter 18 presents the commercial enterprise of the city.

The spiritually abominable institution of unholy worship will be destroyed to open the way for the worship of the Beast, which marks the beginning of "the great tribulation" (Matthew 24:21;" TARGET="_blank">Matthew 24:21; Revelation 7:14)." TARGET="_blank">Revelation 7:14). The commercial character of the proud and morally corrupt city will continue until the Lord judges the city, removing every vestige of the Harlot and preparing for the introduction of the Bride.

D. Oliver
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What is the significance of the two head coverings in 1 Corinthians 11?

What is the significance of the two head coverings in 1 Corinthians 11" TARGET="_blank">1 Corinthians 11?

Paul develops only two of the three spheres of headship he introduces in verse three. By engaging in activity within the assembly with a covered head, a man dishonors Christ, his head (v. 4). That is the first sphere of headship. By engaging in activity within the assembly with an uncovered head, the woman dishonors the man, her head (v. 5). That is the second sphere of headship. At that point, Paul adds, "For that is even all one as if she were shaven." He is clearly teaching two head coverings for the woman: her natural covering, long hair; her temporary or cultural covering (whatever form of woman’s head covering is acceptable or normal in her culture), otherwise an uncovered head (v. 5a) and a shaved head (v. 5b) are exactly the same thing and the last part of the verse is a meaningless repetition (impossible!). In what way, then, are the uncovered head and the shaven head "even all one"? One possible answer is that dishonor (v. 5) or shame (v. 6) are the result of both. A difficulty, though, arises from noting that the one dishonors Christ and the other dishonors the woman. Further, the woman has chosen to uncover her head in the first case, but "shaven" is passive, indicating that someone else has chosen to shame her by making her shaved or shorn.

A second, more tenable view is that an uncovered head and a shaved head are equivalent in violating the same truth, the truth of headship as established by God. A woman’s long hair expresses a headship God manifested at creation: the man is the head of the woman. The cultural covering is part of a double symbol; it requires the uncovered head of the man and the covered head of the woman. Together these symbols display a headship that results from Christ’s incarnation and redemption. He is head of the man and the assembly honors that headship by the uncovered head of the man - honoring his head, Christ - and the covered head of the woman - further giving Christ honor by covering her head, the man.

The two coverings relate to the two spheres of headship Paul develops in this passage. A woman’s long hair expresses that not she, but the man has headship. This is a personal and permanent covering. Her cultural covering must be paired with the man’s uncovered head to display that Christ, not man, has headship over the man. This is a cultural and congregational (because it requires others to present this paired symbolism) covering. Further, in the context (vv 2, 17), Paul connects his remarks about headship with his teaching about the Breaking of Bread, "when ye come together in the church." Third, the cultural covering is a "church" matter because the assembly is designed by God as a "pillar . . . of the truth" (1Ti 3:15)," TARGET="_blank">1Ti 3:15), in this case, the incarnation and redemption truth of Christ’s headship over the man.

D. Oliver
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