Does giving thanks for the bread and cup differ from other prayers at the Lord's Supper?

Does giving thanks for the bread and cup differ from other prayers at the Lord's Supper?

When believers gather to break bread on the first day of the week, it is an opportunity to call to remembrance the person and work of our Lord Jesus Christ (I Corinthians 11:24, 25)," TARGET="_blank">I Corinthians 11:24, 25), His deity, incarnation, holy life and testimony, the efficacy of His death and glorious resurrection, His ascension to heaven, and His present position seated at the right hand of God. The words of the Lord Jesus were, "This do in remembrance of Me," not, "This do in remembrance of My death." In the Lord's Supper, we remember the Lord and proclaim His death. The consequence of this causes worship and thanksgiving. Although the Breaking of Bread is never called a "worship meeting," worship is the normal attitude of the individual believer toward God.

In 1 Corinthians 10:16," TARGET="_blank">1 Corinthians 10:16, the apostle writes, "The cup of blessing which we bless" and "the bread which we break." This is the act of each individual believer. On behalf of the assembly, a brother gives thanks for the bread and the cup, thanking God that He gave His Son in a human body and His Son's blood was shed to make propitiation for sin. These prayers of thanksgiving have a more specific focus than do the other expressions of worship.

J. Abernathy
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Could you throw any light on the apparent contradictions between the 12th and the 44th verses of Deuteronomy 28:12," TARGET="_blank">Deuteronomy 28:12, 14? We often hear the former quoted in support of the Jews being money-lenders down the course of time. The position in verse is in exactly the opposite order from that of verse 12.

That is so. In verse 12 we read: “Thou shalt lend unto many nations, and thou shalt not borrow,” and in verse : “He (i.e. the stranger that is within thee) shall lend to thee and thou shalt not lend to him.” The positions are reversed, because the conditions are altered. In verse 12, Moses is enumerating the blessings which will accrue to Israel upon obedience, and though the obedience of the nation was very far from perfect, yet for the sake of the godly, and especially of the Messiah, God did accord them a measure of prosperity, though whether we ever hear of Israel actually lending “to many nations,” I very much doubt. But in verse 44 (beginning back from verse 15) Moses is enumerating the disabilities—the cursings on those who disobey, and these have been terribly realised in the great majority of the people. The idea that all Jews are wealthy is a superficial one. Many have accumulated wealth, it is true, in countries like our own and the United States, where they live and carry on business on equal terms with others. In many lands, however, they are hampered and handicapped, with the result that the mass of Jews at the present day are very far from being able to lend, and are reduced to living on a very low scale, on the debtor rather than on the creditor side, if ever the latter. Verse I2 is, moreover, national; verse , individual. I think when above considerations are weighed, even the appearance of a contradiction disappears.

W.H.

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How can we lose the enjoyment of fellowship with God and how can it be restored?

How can we lose the enjoyment of fellowship with God and how can it be restored?

Sin robs a believer of the enjoyment of salvation. Even sins such as dishonesty, harmful anger, momentary lust, or other unbecoming thoughts can bring a cloud over a believers soul. This is not a matter of mood swings or irrational emotions.

Just as the enjoyment of fellowship with God may be lost in a moment, it can be restored as quickly, because confession of sin is not an act of penance. Immediate recognition of sins effects and immediate response in confession ought to be characteristic of a believer. By confessing

this sin to the Lord (1 John 1:9)," TARGET="_blank">1 John 1:9), the believer returns to enjoying the Savior and to fruitfulness.

D. Oliver
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When does the "breaking of the bread" take place?

When does the "breaking of the bread" take place?

Blessing (giving thanks for) the cup and breaking the bread (1 Corinthians 10:16)" TARGET="_blank">1 Corinthians 10:16) are united assembly acts that require each believer’s individual participation. "The bread which we break" is "the communion of the body of Christ" because "we are all partakers of that one body" (verse 17). "Breaking the bread" takes place when each believer partakes of the loaf. "Breaking bread" is used in Scripture where we would say, "eating a meal" (Acts 2:46)" TARGET="_blank">Acts 2:46) and connotes nothing official. It is not "the bread which He break," referring to the Lord’s breaking the bread and passing it to the disciples (Matthew 26:26)." TARGET="_blank">Matthew 26:26). Whether or not a brother breaks the loaf open before he distributes it to others is immaterial. His act is neither official nor significant. Nothing in Scripture suggests that the person who gives thanks for the emblem must distribute it to others or that the person who distributes the bread must also distribute the cup. Pretentiousness is foreign to the Lord’s Supper.

D. Oliver
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Can telling the truth be wrong if it hurts someone?

How can I protect others when, by telling the truth, I will create problems for them?

Never be a talebearer who betrays a confidence or volunteers to tell what has not been asked: "A talebearer revealeth secrets: but he that is of a faithful spirit concealeth the matter" (Proverbs 11:13)." TARGET="_blank">Proverbs 11:13). More likely, the issue is. "how may I avoid speaking truth when it will be unkind to another?" Lying or denying truth are clearly not options. Even selectively telling part of the truth is dishonest if it leaves a different impression upon the one who asked. You may suggest the questioner speak directly with the individual involved if he must know about the matter. You may also suggest that he consider the matter from that person's perspective. In that light, the truth may not be as detrimental to the other person. "Men do not despise a thief, if he steal to satisfy his soul when he is hungry" (Proverbs 6:30)." TARGET="_blank">Proverbs 6:30). They do not excuse theft but they understand the thief!

J. Slabaugh

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Is wavering faith the reason for unanswered prayer (James 1:7)?

Is wavering faith the reason for unanswered prayer (James 1:7)" TARGET="_blank">James 1:7)?

No. On occasion, God allows us to have what we request. The result is not initially the best for us (Psalm 106:15)." TARGET="_blank">Psalm 106:15). He allows this so we will appreciate the security of His will. What He allows in our life is always only for our good -eventually, it is the best for us. The motive of such prayer was self-will, not faith. Nevertheless, God granted the prayer.

In James 1:6," TARGET="_blank">James 1:6, 7 the tried believer asks for wisdom. Verse three makes it clear that faith is being tried. In verse five, faith is being expressed and strengthened. The enemy of faith is double mindedness, a mind for the values of this world and a mind for the values of the world to come. That's the basic conflict James highlights throughout his book. When the thinking of the world motivates a believer's prayer, he cannot "ask in faith." Faith sees another and eternal world; it asks in keeping with that realm. In response to that prayer, our God gives liberally.

What hinders prayer is a mind that tries to accommodate itself to two worlds: the temporal and the eternal. Faith is not working consistently and the result is receiving nothing from God.

D. Oliver
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Is Eternal Punishment a Biblical idea?

Is belief in eternal punishment an archaic remnant of an outdated theology or is it both a doctrine of Scripture and a consequence of the character of God?

The Bible teaches eternal punishment.

1. The Test of Truth
A subject may be believed or disbelieved depending on factors which actually have no bearing on its truth or falsehood. If I say that the test of truth is the measure in which I feel comfortable in believing it, I am not really using logic, but subjective emotions. There is so very much in our tragic world about which we are most uncomfortable, so much that does "not seem right," and yet, we dare not reject reality because it pains us. Cancer, heart disease, child abuse, drug addiction, Aids, rape, hunger and murder have never produced a comfortable thought in our minds, yet they exist. Eternal punishment is not grasped by feeble sense and can never be comfortably believed. We must always make a difference between what is against reason and what is beyond it. Hell is as real as Heaven, because the Lord Jesus taught its reality as clearly as He taught that Heaven was the place from which He came to earth (John 3:13;" TARGET="_blank">John 3:13; John 16:26)." TARGET="_blank">John 16:26).

2. The Warnings Prove God's Tender Mercy
One of the greatest proofs of the love and mercy of God is His faithful warnings of coming judgment. There is a voice that comes down the corridor of time, warning of those who will "be cast into everlasting fire" (Matthew 18:8)" TARGET="_blank">Matthew 18:8) and giving testimony to a place where "the fire is not quenched" (Mark 9:48)." TARGET="_blank">Mark 9:48). It is the voice of the tender Savior who asked the Pharisees and scribes, "How can ye escape the damnation of hell (geenna)?" (Matthew 23:33)," TARGET="_blank">Matthew 23:33), and then wept over them (v.37). His warnings are not only "true and faithful" (Revelation 3:14)," TARGET="_blank">Revelation 3:14), but are tender and timely, for we all are travelers to eternity, and we dare not trifle with it. Obscure teaching on this subject, or half-hearted warnings are not kindness, but cruelty. It is the same kind of cruelty that would allow a child to drink deadly poison when it was in my power to stop it, or see a blind man stepping off a precipice to his death when I could have warned him. What if those who soften this teaching are wrong? The consequences are eternal loss, an irreversible mistake, a shock from which no victim will recover.

It is a great error to suppose that if a thing is true, I must be able to fully comprehend it, for our minds are not the court of final appeal. There are many things in the physical universe beyond the range of our personal experience, and therefore beyond our full comprehension. In the spiritual realm, the holy character of God transcends our highest thought, nor do we comprehend the infinite sufferings of our Savior upon the cross. We will never find in ourselves an untroubled acceptance of the horrors of eternal punishment, but its reality is not based on our feelings, but on the words of the One who was "declared to be the Son of God ... by the resurrection from the dead" (Romans 1:4)." TARGET="_blank">Romans 1:4). We acknowledge His authority as our Lord; He said, "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away" (Matthew 24:35)," TARGET="_blank">Matthew 24:35), and we believe Him.

3. God is Good
Many times Christians have heard an unbeliever ask, "How can a God who is good send people to hell?" or "Would a good man put any of his children into a place of eternal fire?" Human goodness and "the goodness of God" are scarcely comparable. Even God's goodness is holy and just, but the best of human goodness is "as filthy rags" (Isaiah 64:6)." TARGET="_blank">Isaiah 64:6). However, it is not "the goodness of God" that puts anyone in hell, and most certainly God will never put any of His children in eternal fire. Those who perish forever have rejected "the good news" of the gospel. The "goodness" of God was fully displayed in the giving of His Son and in the infinite sufferings of Golgotha's darkness. Even at the cross, it can be said, "Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God" (Romans 11:22)." TARGET="_blank">Romans 11:22). For those who crucified Him the Savior prayed, "Father forgive them..." (Luke 23:34)." TARGET="_blank">Luke 23:34). Surely this was "the goodness of God", but upon the holy Sufferer fell unmitigated judgment. For those who reject God's goodness and His mercy which flow through one channel - the cross, there can only remain "His severity."

4. The Meaning of Everlasting
In the Greek New Testament, "for ever and ever" is a translation of five words that literally mean "unto the ages of the ages". Some have claimed that this is a finite length of time, therefore the fire is not eternal. If a student of Greek wished to translate "for ever and ever" into Greek, he would have to use the same words that are used in the NT, because the language has no other choices. But, there is a far stronger argument against making "for ever and ever" a limited period. This exact phrase is used 21 times in the NT. Eighteen times it refers to God's eternal throne, His everlasting praise and His "glory for ever and ever." Three times the same phrase is used to describe eternal punishment. It must mean the same thing in the second case as it does in the first unless there is contextual evidence for believing otherwise, and there is not. The third major point in this debate hat the Lord Jesus said on at least's three occasions that "the fire never shall be quenched" and we know of no way to circumvent "never".
Two other words in the NT are translated "eternal" (aionios) and "everlasting" (aidios). W.E. Vine quotes Cremer, "While aionios negatives the end either of a space of time or of unmeasured time, and is used chiefly where something future is spoken of; aidios excludes interruption and lays stress upon permanence and unchangeableness". Aionios is used in such verses as "shall inherit eternal life" (Matt 19:29)" TARGET="_blank">Matt 19:29) and "Depart from Me ye cursed into everlasting fire" (Matthew 25:41)." TARGET="_blank">Matthew 25:41). In Romans 1:20," TARGET="_blank">Romans 1:20, aidios is used of God's "eternal power". It is impossible to make a difference in the meaning of these words whether they refer to the Eternal God or the eternally lost.

In Jude 1:7," TARGET="_blank">Jude 1:7, aionios is used of "eternal fire", but this verse does not say, "They suffered," but they are "suffering the vengeance of eternal fire." In Revelation 20:10," TARGET="_blank">Revelation 20:10, two men that have been in "the lake of fire" are still there after 1000 years.

5. Universalism
The doctrine of universalism, that all men will eventually be saved, has a great appeal. It takes various forms. Some believe that after a period of purgation, what the blood of Christ could not accomplish will be done by the purging fire. Purification by fire is Paganism. The Scripture appealed to as proof is, "By which (the Spirit) also He (Christ) went and preached unto the spirits in prison" (1 Peter 3:19)." TARGET="_blank">1 Peter 3:19). This preaching was not in hell, but was "when the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing." It was by the Spirit of Christ that Noah preached (Genesis 6:3)." TARGET="_blank">Genesis 6:3). We must never interpret a difficult verse in contradiction of plain verses. When the door is shut the Lord will say, "Depart from Me ye cursed into everlasting fire" (Matthew 25:41)." TARGET="_blank">Matthew 25:41).

6. Annihilation
This theory has several forms. Some believe that in the day of judgment the wicked will be annihilated, and others believe that after a period of conscious punishment, they will be annihilated. The Scriptures appealed to are those which speak of the wicked being "destroyed" and "perishing", and both qeber and sheol in the OT, as well as hades in the NT are said to be only the grave, which is impossible in the light of the Lord's teaching in Luke 16:19-31." TARGET="_blank">Luke 16:19-31. If Luke 16" TARGET="_blank">Luke 16 is a parable, what is its meaning? The words "destroy" and "perish" are found about 92 times in NT and 80 of these times it is the translation of apolummi (to utterly destroy). We must ask, "Does apolummi mean the end of being or the end of well-being?" The Lord Jesus used it of the end of well-being in Luke 5:37;" TARGET="_blank">Luke 5:37; Luke 15:46;" TARGET="_blank">Luke 15:46; Luke 15:24." TARGET="_blank">Luke 15:24. In His teaching, it is synonymous with the eternal, conscious suffering of the lost.
There is no repentance after death, so those upon whom God's wrath will fall will blame God forever for their pains (Revelation 16:11)." TARGET="_blank">Revelation 16:11).
To all of this, the humble believer responds, "The Savior who suffered for my sins on the cross and in triumph arose from the dead is my Lord. He said that the fire never shall be quenched and I believe Him."

Norman Crawford

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How does the Holy Spirit lead a meeting of the church?

What does the Bible teach about being "led by the Spirit" in an assembly gathering?

Spirit's guiding the disciples into all truth (i.e. The Word of God). In Romans 8:14," TARGET="_blank">Romans 8:14, "As many as are led by the Spirit of God," relates to what is characteristic of all true believers. Being led by the Spirit instead of the flesh relates to the character of our lives, not a specific activity.

In Galatians 5:18," TARGET="_blank">Galatians 5:18, "If ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law" corresponds to the earlier statement "walk in the Spirit." it involves dependence on the Spirit, rather than the law, for fruitfulness in a believer's life.

Thus the three occasions relate to the believer's entire life and not to a specific gathering of the saints. To the degree to which these are predominant in a believer's life, he will be intelligent as to the Spirit's purpose when the saints are gathered together and will be able to contribute to the glory of God.

A Higgins

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Can we interpret dreams?

Are there consistent principles for understanding our dreams?

Dreams are one of ways in which God speaks to His servants, through His servants, and also to the unconverted.

God speaks in dreams consistent with His purposes and plans. We have three principles: interpretation; confirmation; and prevention by warning.

We observe that in the Biblical revelation He spoke in dreams when the Word of God was incomplete.

God revealed His purposes through dreams to Joseph, Jacob, and Gideon.

God warns in dreams as He did with the Magi and Joseph in the New Testament.

God uses dreams to awaken realities in the unregenerate. The butler and the baker (Genesis 40)," TARGET="_blank">Genesis 40), and Nebuchadnezzar (Daniel 2)" TARGET="_blank">Daniel 2) are classic examples. Job 33:14," TARGET="_blank">Job 33:14, 15 confirms this. To the unregenerate, the principle of interpretation is needed.

It is interesting to note that Job, in his dilemma, speaks of being "scared" by dreams (Job 7:14)" TARGET="_blank">Job 7:14) and the wise king in Ecclesiastes 5:7" TARGET="_blank">Ecclesiastes 5:7 contrasts the vanities of dreams with the fear of God.

In His sovereignty, God can still speak by dreams in order to reach sinners; however, wisdom is needed since we have the completed Word of God! A believer could get upset by dreams and have doubts. Let such rest assured that the Scriptures are our ONLY foundation for spiritual and eternal matters; put no confidence in dreams!

We can be sure that God does not save in dreams. It would be the exception when God uses dreams to awaken eternal realities in the subconscious mind. We must be absolutely clear that our faith rests in nothing outside the written Word of God.

A. Hull
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At the transfiguration, did Moses and Elijah have physical bodies?

At the transfiguration, did Moses and Elijah have physical bodies?

In each of the gospel accounts of the transfiguration (Mat 17:1-8;" TARGET="_blank">Mat 17:1-8; Mark 9:2-8;" TARGET="_blank">Mark 9:2-8; Luk 9:28-36)," TARGET="_blank">Luk 9:28-36), the Spirit of God uses the word "appeared," meaning "made visible" (TDNT. Kittel).

On that occasion, the disciples saw a preview of the glorified Christ (2Pe 1:16-18)." TARGET="_blank">2Pe 1:16-18). He was "transformed," a strong word suggesting an inward change (WEV Expository Dictionary). However, Moses and Elijah would not have had glorified bodies. Believers will receive such bodies at their resurrection, which is still future. Because Christ is the Firstfruit of resurrection (1Co 15:23;" TARGET="_blank">1Co 15:23; Acts 26:23)," TARGET="_blank">Acts 26:23), it seems unlikely that Moses and Elijah received a glorified body - even temporarily – before Christ rose from the dead. It seems equally unlikely that God created a special body for each of them at that time. While God is able to do that, each person’s body is unique to and solely identified with that person. God’s ways in providing a body for each person, then raising and changing that body at the resurrection (1Co 15:35-38)" TARGET="_blank">1Co 15:35-38) appear to rule out this possibility.

We have little Biblical evidence to use in answering this question. The best evidence is that by employing the verb "appeared," the Spirit indicates that Moses and Elijah did not have tangible bodies at the transfiguration. By divine power, they became visible to Peter, James, and John.

D. Oliver
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