What are the "signs of the times" according to the Bible?

How should we evaluate "signs of the times"?

The context of discerning "the signs of the times" (Matthew 6:3)" TARGET="_blank">Matthew 6:3) is Jewish, referring to prophecies of the Messiah. Some prophecies were fulfilled by His incarnation and ministry Others will be fulfilled at His coming to establish His millennial reign. "Signs" and "times ' relate to God's prophetic program for Israel. The church and its hope are not governed by these, although, while awaiting our Deliverer from that coming wrath (1 Thessalonians 1:10)," TARGET="_blank">1 Thessalonians 1:10), we are cognizant of God's preparation for the fulfillment of these prophecies. Rather than causing us to set dates, our awareness of prophecy helps us to live and teach in keeping with the spiritual needs of the declining hour. Knowing God's coming judgments on the world system confirms our need to separate from it. Daily looking for our Deliverer will increase sacrificial loyalty to His Name.

J. Smith

Other pages in this section

About this site

How should elders treat believers who show no change of life after professing faith in Christ?

What should be the attitude of those in oversight with regard to new converts who continue to attend worldly amusements, and whose manner of life shows no change?

If what the questioner means is that these so-called converts have already been received into the fellowship of the assembly, then the only fitting attitude for the leaders and others, who in such circumstances allowed them to come in, is one of humiliation before God for their negligence and sin. If, on the other hand, they are still outside the assembly, this is the place to keep them, until they show some satisfactory sign that they have become “a new creature,” in Christ, with the “old things passed away,” and “all things become new.” 2 Corinthians 5" TARGET="_blank">2 Corinthians 5:

There is a regrettable lack, amongst both Gospel preachers and assemblies, of giving due emphasis to the truth that there can be no real conversion to God, without changed interests and changed conduct.

W.R.

Other pages in this section

About this site

Why does the Bible refer to the Spirit as "itself" rather than "himself"?

Why do the Scriptures refer to the Spirit of God as "itself" occasionally?

The Spirit is twice referred to as "itself" in Romans 8:16" TARGET="_blank">Romans 8:16 and 26. Greek students tell us that the pronoun in the original is neuter in strict grammatical agreement with the word "Pneuma" (Spirit), a neuter word. Since the Spirit is a person in the Godhead, other translations read, "Himself."

Our Lord Jesus used the masculine pronoun "He" with the neuter "Spirit" in John 14:16, 17;" TARGET="_blank">John 14:16, 17; John 15:26;" TARGET="_blank">John 15:26; John 16:7,8,13." TARGET="_blank">John 16:7,8,13. Using this "phenomenon of grammar," as another has called this exceptional use of the masculine pronoun, He shows that the Spirit is a person.

W. Gustafson
Other pages in this section

About this site

Should we call God our "Father"?

Can we learn from the pattern prayer the Lord taught the disciples about the use of the divine name "Father"?

Teaching His disciples to address the Father, "Our Father Which art in heaven" (Luke 11:2)," TARGET="_blank">Luke 11:2), introduced a profound difference in speaking to God. This elevates prayer to the kind of communication that takes place within the Godhead. When the Lord prayed in John 17," TARGET="_blank">John 17, He addressed His Father six times in 26 verses. By doing so, He deliberately expressed intimacy ("Father," vv 1, 21, 24), urgency ("O Father," v 5; "O righteous Father," v 25), and cogency ("holy Father," v 11; "O righteous Father," v 25). He is requesting His Father to act consistent with His holy and righteous character. As a result, those whom the Father had given to Him would be preserved from the world (v 11) and enabled to be "imitators of God" (v 25) because divine love would be "in them" (v 26). Accompanying that, the Son Himself would be in them as their source of grace (1:16) flowing from His fulness (see Col 2:9, 10)." TARGET="_blank">Col 2:9, 10). Since Christ is all and in all (Col 3:11" TARGET="_blank">Col 3:11b) to believers in this age, therefore, grace characterizes them personally and in the assembly (vv 12-17).

This relationship with the Father is New Testament truth. That is a unique feature of the Lord’s "model prayer" (Luke 11:2-4)." TARGET="_blank">Luke 11:2-4). This is consistent with the subject of prayer in the New Testament. Prayer, with perhaps only one exception (1 Timothy 1:12)," TARGET="_blank">1 Timothy 1:12), is addressed to the Godhead, particularly the Father (Ephesians 5:20)." TARGET="_blank">Ephesians 5:20). Any other prayers directed to the Lord Jesus are connected with visions of Him. Primarily, then, we speak to the Father in prayer, but that certainly is not a limitation.

The fulness of what this title means to us is beyond our finite grasp. The Lord teaches us that we can expect only good from our Father (Matthew 7:11)." TARGET="_blank">Matthew 7:11). He assures us that the Father loves us (John 16:27)." TARGET="_blank">John 16:27). We learn from Ephesians 1" TARGET="_blank">Ephesians 1 of the riches and glory of all that our Father has provided for us in Christ, purchased at the infinite cost of precious blood (Ephesians 1:3-7, 11-14)." TARGET="_blank">Ephesians 1:3-7, 11-14). With such a liberal and mighty Father, we should have great confidence in His ability and wisdom in answering our prayers. John’s gospel highlights the relationship between the Father and the Son. There, we learn the constancy and intimacy of the Father’s care for His Son. This is the model for our relationship with our Father. An appreciation of this relationship will become evident in our prayers.

D. Oliver
Other pages in this section

About this site

Does an elder "assume" the position of leader or is he appointed?

Should the oversight meeting be open to all elder brethren of consistent walk in life, or only to a few, who “assume” the care and rule of the meeting?

I think one qualified by God for such a work would be very slow to “assume” anything;

1 Timothy 3:1-7;" TARGET="_blank">1 Timothy 3:1-7; Titus 1: 6-9;" TARGET="_blank">Titus 1: 6-9; and 1 Peter 5:1-5" TARGET="_blank">1 Peter 5:1-5 give us the qualifications of an overseeing elder: first, he must” desire” it (or “stretch forward” to it, as the original expresses). But that is not enough; he may even be “consistent in walk and life,” and yet fail to manifest the necessary qualification for eldership. Does he rule his home well for instance? or is it a matter of common knowledge, that he is ruled in the home? An overseer of this type is a great hindrance, for sometimes it is the power in the home that seeks to rule the church by his means.

Has he a “good report of them that are without”? Does he “hold fast the faithful Word”? Has he a pastor’s heart, to feed the flock of God?

I think one qualified by God for such a work would be very slow to “assume” anything; he would be apt to do the work, show fitness for it, and have a heart for the Lord’s people, but it would not be for him to push himself into a prominent position; rather his fellowship would be sought. Elders caring for the saints should be on the look out for brethren who are manifesting any spiritual activities, and seek to encourage such, remember that age comes on apace, and that soon perhaps their work will need other hands to take it up.

W.H.

Other pages in this section

About this site

Do differences in the manuscripts mean that our Bible is not totally reliable?

Do differences in the manuscripts mean that our Bible is not totally reliable?

The Lord in His wisdom did not preserve to us the original autographs of the Scriptures. Our translations have come from manuscripts formed from documents which may be many copies removed from the originals. These documents have been found in many places and in varying conditions. Finding them, evaluating their authenticity, and assessing their accuracy is a complex science. There are some variations in the manuscripts. W.E. Vine quotes men considered experts in the text saying that the variations are "formed in great part by changes of order and other comparative trivialities." Further, these men tell us "the amount of what can in any sense be called substantial variation . . . can hardly form more than a thousandth part of the entire text." Mr. Vine concludes, as do others, "There is no doctrine in Scripture which would be affected if all the various readings were allowed or if all the disputed words, or those about which there is any doubt, were omitted." (W. E. Vine, "The Divine Inspiration of the Bible, Ritchies’ Christian Book Service, pp. 27, 28.)

Our Lord asserts the exact inspiration of the original words (Matthew 22:29-32;" TARGET="_blank">Matthew 22:29-32; John 10:35)." TARGET="_blank">John 10:35). Their precise truth has been divinely preserved (Psalm 119:89; 117:2;" TARGET="_blank">Psalm 119:89; 117:2; 1 Peter 1:25)." TARGET="_blank">1 Peter 1:25). We build safely on the reliability of God’s immutable Word (Matthew 7:24-25)." TARGET="_blank">Matthew 7:24-25).

D. Oliver
Other pages in this section

About this site

Why did Jesus tell a young rich man to keep the commandments to obtain eternal life?

Is the “eternal life” asked for by the young man (Matthew 19:16)" TARGET="_blank">Matthew 19:16) the same “eternal life” spoken of by John in his 1 John 1:2," TARGET="_blank">1 John 1:2, etc? If so, why did the Lord Jesus answer—”Keep the commandments”?

I would judge “eternal life” to be one; there cannot be two kinds, but no doubt there are many manifestations and degrees of it. Eternal life is not mere endless existence, it is that with the added quality of harmony with God. In Psalm 133:3" TARGET="_blank">Psalm 133:3 we read, “for there the Lord commanded the blessing, even life for evermore”, and in Daniel 12:2" TARGET="_blank">Daniel 12:2 that “Many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.” Clearly, the saved of the Gentiles will not enjoy this life in the same degree as the true Israel, nor these as the Church, but all the elect and redeemed will enjoy it in their measure. “This is life eternal that they might know Thee the only true God and Jesus Christ whom Thou hast sent” (John 17:3)." TARGET="_blank">John 17:3). It is, then, to know and enjoy God in Christ. “This is the true God, and eternal life” (1 John 5:20)." TARGET="_blank">1 John 5:20). “He that believeth on Me hath everlasting life” (John 6:47)." TARGET="_blank">John 6:47). The young man of Matthew 19:16" TARGET="_blank">Matthew 19:16 was using words he had heard, but of which he knew nothing yet by experience. Of course, you can have eternal life without being able to give any account of it, but your relation to God is changed, though you may not be able to define what has happened.

The very needs and cries of an infant prove it has life, and you would not doubt it because the little one could not explain what life was. The Lord, of course, knew all about the young man, his stage of experience and small capacity, and treated him accordingly in His perfect wisdom. He even pressed home the law to its legitimate conclusion—”Thou shalt love they neighbour as thyself” (though this naturally proved beyond the capacity of the Jews), to bring him face to face with his own deep need. Though we do not hear of this young man again, no doubt, “the word that went out of his (Christ’s) mouth did not return void.” We, too, should seek to diagnose the condition of men, and apply to them the right treatment, in order to bring them to Christ.

W.H.

Other pages in this section

About this site

Does our Lord possess two natures?

Does our Lord possess two natures?

Is this a problem because we are told that we have two natures and these involve a conflict? No such conflict existed with our Lord. He is the indissoluble union of two distinct natures: all that deity is essentially and eternally; all that humanity is essentially and originally, without the possibility of sin.

Historically, the councils at Chalcedony (451) and Constantinople (553) addressed varied errors regarding the unique "substance" of our Lord Jesus Christ. The errors of the Apollinarians (the Lord had no human soul, not truly human), Nestorians (Jesus was indwelt by God, not truly God), and the Monophysites (meaning, "sole nature," endangering both His full humanity and full deity) forced clear "confessions" regarding the union of deity and humanity in our Lord. These "confessions" affirm the integrity of the union of the two natures in the one Person and the preservation of the characteristics of each nature "without confusion, change, division or separation." Jesus is "one and the same Christ, Son, Lord, Only-begotten, to be acknowledged in two natures, inconfusedly, unchangeably, indivisibly, inseparably; the distinction of natures, being by no means taken away by the union, but rather the property of each nature being preserved, and concurring in one Person and one Subsistence, not parted or divided into two persons, but one and the same Son, and only begotten, God the Word, the Lord Jesus Christ." This defines the hypostatic union of our Lord in which His underlying ("hupo") substance ("stasis") is the union of two eternally distinct "substances": He is of the same "substance" or essence as God ("very God of very God"), at the same time being of the same "substance" or essence as man ("very man of very man").

This expresses the profound implications of passages like Luke 1:31-35;" TARGET="_blank">Luke 1:31-35; John 1:1, 14;" TARGET="_blank">John 1:1, 14; Romans 9:5;" TARGET="_blank">Romans 9:5; Philippians 2:6-8;" TARGET="_blank">Philippians 2:6-8; Colossians 3:9;" TARGET="_blank">Colossians 3:9; Hebrews 1:3, 8." TARGET="_blank">Hebrews 1:3, 8.

D. Oliver
Other pages in this section

About this site

How could the Lord acknowledge an assembly when it had departed so far (Revelation 2 and 3)?

How could the Lord acknowledge an assembly when it had departed so far (Revelation 2" TARGET="_blank">Revelation 2 and 3)?

The assembly at Corinth was badly damaged by the influence of the world around it. Galatian believers had been influenced by serious doctrinal error. These and other assemblies, including those in Revelation 2" TARGET="_blank">Revelation 2 and 3, began as assemblies, through God’s work, consistent with the pattern. The Lord determines how far an assembly can depart. He reads the heart and judges righteously. We are not responsible to make that decision. He requests permission of no one and informs no one.

We are responsible, though, to preserve the integrity of the assembly of which we form a part. Whether or not a certain company is an assembly, if its practices and associations will damage young believers or lead any astray, we shouldn’t associate ourselves with that assembly.

David Oliver
Other pages in this section

About this site

Is our Bible with its sixty-six books complete?

Is our Bible with its sixty-six books complete?

It would be difficult to find a verse to prove that 66 books complete the Bible. However, careful research of the material shows that it is indeed complete with no other books to be added.

The Scriptures came not "by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved" by the Holy Spirit (2 Peter 1:21)." TARGET="_blank">2 Peter 1:21). Thus, the inerrant Word is divine and inspired (2 Timothy 3:16)," TARGET="_blank">2 Timothy 3:16), making it authoritative and binding.

God superintended the compilation of these manuscripts, so that 40 writers over approximately 1500 years produced the Bible.

The Lord quoted from these writings during His temptations (Luke 4:4, 8, 12)." TARGET="_blank">Luke 4:4, 8, 12). After His resurrection, He expounded "in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself" (Luke 24:27)," TARGET="_blank">Luke 24:27), proving that these writings are the inspired Word of God.

Other versions such as the Septuagint (the Greek translation of the Hebrew Old Testament) and the Vulgate (the Latin translation of Old and New Testaments from the original languages) include a "collection of religious writings" known as the Apocrypha. However, there is no record that the Lord ever quoted from the Apocrypha. This, in itself, indicates these are only historical writings and not divinely inspired.

Thus these 66 books are a unique and complete volume, dovetailing perfectly without contradictions or errors. Let us value and study them, as God’s complete and inspired Word.

S. Wells
Other pages in this section

About this site

Main Menu