John Dennison

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John Brokaw

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The Music of Glorybound

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Peter Orasuk - "Does life have any real meaning or purpose? Why are we here? In my search for the answer to these questions, I turned to drugs...

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ASSEMBLY FELLOWSHIP

Would it be correct to say that there is only one Fellowship in Scripture, into which alt believers are brought upon accepting Christ as their Saviour? If this be so, how are we to understand the Fellowship of 1 John 2" TARGET="_blank">1 John 2? Again, does not the New Testament teach Assembly Fellowship, into which a believer can be received, and from which he can be put away? and are letters of commendation necessary? Further, does the local church in any district include all the Christians in that district? and should a professed believer who belongs to a sect, but who comes to our Lord’s Day Morning Meeting and expects to get breaking bread, be received, though he has no intention of severing his ecclesiastical association?

The statement that “There is only one fellowship in Scripture, into which all believers are brought on accepting Christ as their Saviour,” is absolute nonsense. The particular kind of fellowship implied in any passage where the word “Fellowship” occurs has to be gathered from the context there; and an examination of this will reveal that there are various “fellowships” spoken of in the New Testament. Moreover, it is to be remembered that the Greek word “Koinonia,” which is usually translated “fellowship,” in the N.T. is also rendered, “communion,” “communication,” “contribution,” and “distribution.”

The first occurrence of the word is in Acts 2:42," TARGET="_blank">Acts 2:42, where it is said that the new converts “continued steadfastly in the . . . fellowship.” Here we have a “fellowship” in which one may “continue” or not continue; and to apply it to the fellowship of life in Christ, in which all true believers cannot avoid continuing, is to make the statement in the verse meaningless.

It is next found in Romans 1:26" TARGET="_blank">Romans 1:26 (where in our English Version it is rendered “contribution”). Could it be said that every saint of the present dispensation, or even every saint then living, had fellowship in the gift which the saints of Macedonia and Achaia sent to those of Jerusalem?

The epistle to the Philippians supplies perhaps the most interesting examples of the various uses of the word “fellowship.” In Philippians 1:5" TARGET="_blank">Philippians 1:5 we read of their Fellowship in the Gospel. Are all saints in this? In Philippians 2:1 we have mention of Fellowship of the Spirit. If all have this, why does Paul say, “If there be any”? In Philippians 3:10" TARGET="_blank">Philippians 3:10 he speaks of the Fellowship of His Sufferings, which he himself desired to know. But could saints who never had the least experience of persecution for Christ’s sake, claim to be in that fellowship? Lastly in Philippians 4:15 (see R.V.) we get the

Fellowship of Giving.

As to the passage in 1 John 1:3-7," TARGET="_blank">1 John 1:3-7, in which we have the last four occurrences of the word “fellowship” in the Scriptures, the expression in verse 3, “that ye also may have fellowship with us,” implies a fellowship which they might or might not have, according to the extent of their knowledge of Christ and His Word; or perhaps it would be more accurate to say, of which they might have more or less, according to whether they knew more or less of Christ and His Word. The further references in verses 6, 7, are clearly to a fellowship in which we can only claim to be, so long as we walk in the light. The man who says he is in it, while yet he is not walking in the light, is described as lying.

As to the next question—whether there is such a thing as “Assembly fellowship, into which a believer can be received, and from which he can be put away”—only a person of warped mind would deny this. When Paul said, in 1 Corinthians 5:13," TARGET="_blank">1 Corinthians 5:13, “Put away from among yourselves that wicked person,” and the Corinthians obeyed him, was the one who was so “put away” to continue in the circle and insist on breaking bread, as being a member of the so-called “local church?” And if, while yet in the position of having been “put away,” he goes to reside in another town, must the Assembly in that town also set him down at the Table, because since he now has his home there, he is a member of their “local church?” If these things are so, we may leave the first epistle to the Corinthians out of future editions of our Bibles.

With regard to the meaning of the word “church,” when used locally, I have to say what already I have said about that other word “fellowship.” What it includes or does not include in any particular case must be judged from the context there. In 1 Corinthians 10:32" TARGET="_blank">1 Corinthians 10:32—it evidently takes in every saved person in the district, just as the other two terms in the verse, “Jews” and “Gentiles,” take in all the others in the district. But in the same epistle at 1 Corinthians 11:18" TARGET="_blank">1 Corinthians 11:18 and 1 Corinthians 11:18, 28, 35," TARGET="_blank">1 Corinthians 11:18, 28, 35, it just as plainly means none but those who come to the Meeting; and this is made even clearer by 1 Corinthians 14:23," TARGET="_blank">1 Corinthians 14:23, in which, after the whole church has come together, there may still come in one who is spoken of as “unlearned,” yet who is distinguished (by the little word “or” that follows) from an “unbeliever.” In other words, he is a saved man, but not yet in the “local church,” in the sense in which the term “church” is used in this verse.
Moreover, not only can a person be put out of a local church when he deserves it, but according to 3 John io, he may be “cast out of the church” even when he does not deserve it. One might well ask, Who were still “in” this local church after Diotrephes had cast these brethren “out” of it? Or were the cast out brethren “out” and “in” at the same time?

As to “letters of commendation,” is it not clearly enough stated in 2 Corinthians 3:1" TARGET="_blank">2 Corinthians 3:1 that some needed them, though Paul, being well-known to everyone, did not? How often would some require a thing to be stated in Scripture, in order to feel themselves bound to act accordingly?

With regard to the other matter—the case of a professed Christian who belongs to some sect, but comes to our meeting and expects to get breaking bread for one Lord’s Day only, and then returns to his own company—I would need a good deal of convincing that the one who wished so to act was an honest man. If he believes that we are right, why should he not come to stay with us? If he believes us to be wrong and his own sect right, why should he want to do wrong even for one Lord’s Day? And if he can do without “breaking bread” on fifty-one Sundays in the year, why should he be insistent on being allowed to do so on the remaining one?

W.R.

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In what sense did the devil have "the power of death" (Hebrews 2:14)" TARGET="_blank">Hebrews 2:14)?

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

The terrible trials of Job show us that Satan had no power over Job in regards to death.  Satan had the capcity to kill Job, but only if God had allowed him to (Job 2:6)." TARGET="_blank">Job 2:6). The Greek word for "power" in Hebrews 2:14" TARGET="_blank">Hebrews 2:14 is not exousia, translated power or authority. Only God has such power in giving (John 1:4)," TARGET="_blank">John 1:4), sustaining (1 Timothy 4:10)," TARGET="_blank">1 Timothy 4:10), and ending (Daniel 5:23)" TARGET="_blank">Daniel 5:23) a life.

In this verse, "power" is the translation of the Greek word kratos, which means "manifested power" (W. E. Vine).  It is found 12 times in the New Testament.  It is translated "dominion" four times in the King James Version, each time in a doxology.

In Hebrews 2:9," TARGET="_blank">Hebrews 2:9, we read Christ tasted "death for every man" (or for "everything," John Darby). For the Son of Man to bring His creation into its intended order and purpose, He must taste the full bitterness of death. Through one man, Adam, deatg was brought into the world (Romans 5:12)" TARGET="_blank">Romans 5:12) and ruined God’s intended order (Hebrews 2:6-8)." TARGET="_blank">Hebrews 2:6-8). The Last Adam, after tasting death, is the guarantor that the world will be subject to a man.

Death reigns as a result of Adam’s sin (Romans 5:17)." TARGET="_blank">Romans 5:17). By dying in obedience (Romans 5:19)" TARGET="_blank">Romans 5:19) to God’s will (Philippians 2:8)," TARGET="_blank">Philippians 2:8), Christ obtained rightousness for each saved person (Romans 5:19)" TARGET="_blank">Romans 5:19) and an eventual physical deliverance for creation (Romans 8:21)." TARGET="_blank">Romans 8:21).

Adam lost his dominion over creation to "that old serpent, called the Devil." He is the "prince (or ruler, English Standard Version) of this world" (John 12:31)." TARGET="_blank">John 12:31). The stench of death spreads over his entire kingdom.

The Devil has exercised his power of death over all of God’s creatures and creation. In a few words, the "power of death" is the devil’s destructive impact on creation as a result of the Fall.

D. Oliver

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THE HOLY SPIRIT
THE DISCIPLES AND THE HOLY SPIRIT
Were all the followers of Christ indwelt by the Holy Spirit before the day of Pentecost?

The true answer is, not one of them was. No doubt, as we shall see, the Spirit was with them in a sense, but the Lord distinguishes between this and His indwelling, in John 14:17" TARGET="_blank">John 14:17: “He dwelleth with you and shall be in you.” But earlier we read, “The Holy Ghost was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified” (John 7:39)." TARGET="_blank">John 7:39).
Later the Lord said, “It is expedient for you that I go away, for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come to you, but if I depart I will send Him unto you” (John 16: 7)." TARGET="_blank">John 16: 7). Does this mean that the Spirit had never been working on the earth before? No, far from it—He had, as we have seen, been always with His people, for we read of His workings throughout the Old Testament. He it is “Who moved (or brooded) on the face of the waters,” preparatory to the renovation of the earth (Genesis 1:2);" TARGET="_blank">Genesis 1:2); “who strove with men” (Genesis 6:3);" TARGET="_blank">Genesis 6:3); who filled His servants and came mightily upon them for special service, e.g., Bezaleel, Joshua, Samson, etc.; who moved holy men of God in the Old Testament to speak, and to write, e.g., David: 2 Samuel 23:2" TARGET="_blank">2 Samuel 23:2(see 2 Peter 1:21);" TARGET="_blank">2 Peter 1:21); and who was vexed with the rebellion of Israel (Isaiah 63:10)." TARGET="_blank">Isaiah 63:10). These various actions He performed as an Omnipotent and Omnipresent Divine Person. But it was later at Pentecost that He came down, Personally to indwell His people and baptise them into “the One Body,” and thus unite them to the Risen Christ in glory, in answer to the request of the Lord Himself.

W.H.

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Does God cause or allow natural disasters to occur such as earthquakes, tsunamis, hurricanes, mudslides or tornadoes?

Every time there is a major disaster such as the massive earthquake in Haiti in 2010, the earthquake in Japan in 2011, Hurricane Katrina in Louisiana in 2005, the earthquake and following tsunami in Indonesia and Thailand in 2004, we invariably ask the question – where is God? Does God cause natural disasters?  Is Satan responsible for causing natural disasters?  Does God permit natural disasters?  Is God sending the disaster as a form of judgment?

Natural Explanations

It is clear from scientific study of the earth that there are natural explanations for every kind of natural disaster.  Warm water in the oceans creates conditions suitable for massive windstorms.  The shifting of the earth’s plates causes earthquakes where tectonic plates come together.  Underwater earthquakes cause tsunamis.  While we may know the immediate natural cause for disasters, we still credit the ultimate hand of providence to God.  Insurance companies won’t cover property damage in times of war or because of “Acts of God”.  Did God design the world to be full of suffering?

God is in control

Colossians 1:16-17" TARGET="_blank">Colossians 1:16-17 says that Jesus Christ is in control of the universe:

Colossians 1:15-17" TARGET="_blank">Colossians 1:15-17  He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.  (16)  For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities--all things were created through him and for him.  (17)  And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

Genesis 1:31" TARGET="_blank">Genesis 1:31  And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.

Romans 5:12" TARGET="_blank">Romans 5:12  Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned--

Genesis 3:17-19" TARGET="_blank">Genesis 3:17-19  And to Adam he said, "Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten of the tree of which I commanded you, 'You shall not eat of it,' cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life;  (18)  thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you; and you shall eat the plants of the field.  (19)  By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return."

Romans 8:18-22" TARGET="_blank">Romans 8:18-22  For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.  (19)  For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God.  (20)  For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope  (21)  that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.  (22)  For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now.

1 Kings 17:1" TARGET="_blank">1 Kings 17:1  Now Elijah the Tishbite, of Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, "As the LORD, the God of Israel, lives, before whom I stand, there shall be neither dew nor rain these years, except by my word."

Exodus 3:19-20" TARGET="_blank">Exodus 3:19-20  But I know that the king of Egypt will not let you go unless compelled by a mighty hand.  (20)  So I will stretch out my hand and strike Egypt with all the wonders that I will do in it; after that he will let you go.

Numbers 16:29-33" TARGET="_blank">Numbers 16:29-33  If these men die as all men die, or if they are visited by the fate of all mankind, then the LORD has not sent me.  (30)  But if the LORD creates something new, and the ground opens its mouth and swallows them up with all that belongs to them, and they go down alive into Sheol, then you shall know that these men have despised the LORD."  (31)  And as soon as he had finished speaking all these words, the ground under them split apart.  (32)  And the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up, with their households and all the people who belonged to Korah and all their goods.  (33)  So they and all that belonged to them went down alive into Sheol, and the earth closed over them, and they perished from the midst of the assembly.

Revelation 16:21" TARGET="_blank">Revelation 16:21  And great hailstones, about one hundred pounds each, fell from heaven on people; and they cursed God for the plague of the hail, because the plague was so severe.

Revelation 8:8-11" TARGET="_blank">Revelation 8:8-11  The second angel blew his trumpet, and something like a great mountain, burning with fire, was thrown into the sea, and a third of the sea became blood.  (9)  A third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed.  (10)  The third angel blew his trumpet, and a great star fell from heaven, blazing like a torch, and it fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water.  (11)  The name of the star is Wormwood. A third of the waters became wormwood, and many people died from the water, because it had been made bitter.

Job 1:9-22" TARGET="_blank">Job 1:9-22  Then Satan answered the LORD and said, "Does Job fear God for no reason?  (10)  Have you not put a hedge around him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land.  (11)  But stretch out your hand and touch all that he has, and he will curse you to your face."  (12)  And the LORD said to Satan, "Behold, all that he has is in your hand. Only against him do not stretch out your hand." So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD.  (13)  Now there was a day when his sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother's house,  (14)  and there came a messenger to Job and said, "The oxen were plowing and the donkeys feeding beside them,  (15)  and the Sabeans fell upon them and took them and struck down the servants with the edge of the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you."  (16)  While he was yet speaking, there came another and said, "The fire of God fell from heaven and burned up the sheep and the servants and consumed them, and I alone have escaped to tell you."  (17)  While he was yet speaking, there came another and said, "The Chaldeans formed three groups and made a raid on the camels and took them and struck down the servants with the edge of the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you."  (18)  While he was yet speaking, there came another and said, "Your sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother's house,  (19)  and behold, a great wind came across the wilderness and struck the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young people, and they are dead, and I alone have escaped to tell you."  (20)  Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head and fell on the ground and worshiped.  (21)  And he said, "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD."  (22)  In all this Job did not sin or charge God with wrong.

Why does God allow suffering and pain?

Why does God allow us to experience trials and suffering?

Shad Sluiter

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What is a Daniel fast?

The Daniel Fast is a diet based on the story from the book of Daniel in the Old Testament.  Daniel and his three friends decided to fast in the sense that they refused to eat the meat provided to them by the King of Babylon.  Daniel was not fasting in refraining from all food.  Neither was Daniel trying to improve his health by losing weight or by avoiding unhealthy fats.  Daniel was interested in obeying the law of Moses.

Daniel 1:8-14" TARGET="_blank">Daniel 1:8-14  But Daniel resolved that he would not defile himself with the king's food, or with the wine that he drank. Therefore he asked the chief of the eunuchs to allow him not to defile himself.  (9)  And God gave Daniel favor and compassion in the sight of the chief of the eunuchs,  (10)  and the chief of the eunuchs said to Daniel, "I fear my lord the king, who assigned your food and your drink; for why should he see that you were in worse condition than the youths who are of your own age? So you would endanger my head with the king."  (11)  Then Daniel said to the steward whom the chief of the eunuchs had assigned over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah,  (12)  "Test your servants for ten days; let us be given vegetables to eat and water to drink.  (13)  Then let our appearance and the appearance of the youths who eat the king's food be observed by you, and deal with your servants according to what you see."  (14)  So he listened to them in this matter, and tested them for ten days.

Daniel decided to fast, not for health reasons, but for spiritual laws in the Bible.  Nebuchadnezzar had conquered the nation of Israel and was training a group of captured Jews to become officers in his government.  Part of the social adaptation to their new kingdom and culture was to eat the King’s meat.  It is likely that the meat itself was healthy, but involved in idol worship.
 
The concept of applying the Daniel fast to dieting is when a person decides to refrain from eating meat for a period of time.  The Bible does not command or recommend a person follow Daniel’s fasting method for health reasons. We are at liberty to follow a vegetarian diet or a diet that contains meat.  Other scriptures that deal with the matter of eating meat are found in Romans 14" TARGET="_blank">Romans 14 and 1 Timothy 4" TARGET="_blank">1 Timothy 4 and 1 Corinthians 8" TARGET="_blank">1 Corinthians 8…

Romans 14:1-4" TARGET="_blank">Romans 14:1-4  As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions.  (2)  One person believes he may eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables.  (3)  Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him.  (4)  Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand.

1 Timothy 4:1-5" TARGET="_blank">1 Timothy 4:1-5  Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons,  (2)  through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared,  (3)  who forbid marriage and require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth.  (4)  For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving,  (5)  for it is made holy by the word of God and prayer.

1 Corinthians 8:4-13" TARGET="_blank">1 Corinthians 8:4-13  Therefore, as to the eating of food offered to idols, we know that "an idol has no real existence," and that "there is no God but one."  (5)  For although there may be so-called gods in heaven or on earth--as indeed there are many "gods" and many "lords"--  (6)  yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist.  (7)  However, not all possess this knowledge. But some, through former association with idols, eat food as really offered to an idol, and their conscience, being weak, is defiled.  (8)  Food will not commend us to God. We are no worse off if we do not eat, and no better off if we do.  (9)  But take care that this right of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak.  (10)  For if anyone sees you who have knowledge eating in an idol's temple, will he not be encouraged, if his conscience is weak, to eat food offered to idols?  (11)  And so by your knowledge this weak person is destroyed, the brother for whom Christ died.  (12)  Thus, sinning against your brothers and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ.  (13)  Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble.

Shad Sluiter

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What scriptural reason is there for stating as a fact that the seventieth week was cut off from the rest and is yet to be fulfilled?

The scriptural reason is understood by reading the passage (Daniel 9:24-27)." TARGET="_blank">Daniel 9:24-27). The seventy “hebdomads,” or periods of seven years are said by Gabriel to be “determined upon Daniel’s people (the Jews) and the holy city, to punish the transgressors. . . and to anoint the Most Holy.” Then, in verse 25, this whole period of 490 years is resolved into its constituents of 49 years (during which building operations were completed), then a further 434 years to the cutting off of the Messiah, that is 483" TARGET="_blank">is 483 years in all, or 7 years short of the total 490. Why is this? Because as Zechariah 11:10" TARGET="_blank">Zechariah 11:10 tells us, when “the staff, even Beauty,” is cut off (a description of the same event as the cutting off of Messiah), Jehovah’s covenant, which he had made with all the people, is broken, so that one period of seven years, or one “hebdomad,” still remains to be fulfilled. This will have its place when the prince of the people who destroyed the city (the Romans in 70 A.D.) will confirm a covenant with many for one week or period of seven years. The fact that He will break His covenant in the middle of the period, i.e., after 3 1/2 years, will not override the fact that this “hebdomad” will complete the 490 years determined on the Jews, to end with “anointing the Most Holy,” which will take place when Christ returns in glory to reign.

W.H.

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In Isaiah 53:7" TARGET="_blank">Isaiah 53:7 we read, “He is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb”; but in Acts 8:32" TARGET="_blank">Acts 8:32 the order is reversed, and it is said to be “as a sheep led to the slaughter, and like a lamb dumb,” etc. How are we to account for this reversal?

The quotation in Acts is almost word for word from the Septuagint or Greek version, the LXX, as it is described in letters. The word for “sheep” in the Hebrew of Isaiah 53:7" TARGET="_blank">Isaiah 53:7 is not the same as that used in verse 6: “All we like sheep (con) have gone astray.” The word here is of frequent occurrence, whereas that in v. 7 (ral.iel) occurs only four times in the whole Old Testament. It comes from an unused root, perhaps the same as rAliam—to cherish—connected with an Arabic root—to have lambs. The word in the first part of the verse, translated “lamb” (sëh), is rendered “sheep” in several passages in the Old Testament. It seems, therefore, that the words employed by the Holy Spirit operating on the mind of Isaiah in this verse 7, are not so precise as to necessitate their rendering in the LXX translation as “lamb” and “sheep,” as they appear in our rendering of Isaiah 53:7," TARGET="_blank">Isaiah 53:7, but leave a margin of liberty to reverse the meaning of the words, and put lamb second, and sheep first, as in Acts 8." TARGET="_blank">Acts 8. It is a question of the words used in the Old Testament verse, which as I have said, are not closely defined and of the choice of words by the translators of the Greek version, from which the Eunuch would be reading.

W.H.

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