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Golden Lampstands of Iowa

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 Sketches of Jewish Social Life

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Anthony Elliott

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101 Ways to Teach a Memory Verse

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Is there anything wrong, when seeking to defend the real Deity and true humanity of our Lord, in making use of the statement, “He is very God of very God, and very Man of very man?”

The words, “very God of very God” were inserted in the creed of the Nican elders and teachers at the council of Nica in A.D. 325," TARGET="_blank">D. 325, for whose faithful contending for the faith we may well thank God. They were intended to safeguard the true Deity of Christ, in opposition to the soul-destroying heresies of Anus, which denied it. They affirmed that the Son, though truly said to be the only begotten of the Father, is no less truly God—co-equal, co-substantial, and co-eternal with the Father and the Spirit. The creed, like every human writing must be tested by the Word of God. In this case, I judge, the expression in question to be quite legitimate and laudable. But the expression, “very Man of very man,” stands on other footing. It does not, for one thing, occur in the Nicene creed, nor, as far as I know, in any other, and in my judgment ought to be avoided. It is an attempt to express “the secret things” of the Incarnation, but seems to ignore the part the Holy Spirit had in the conception—”That which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.” We must and do insist on the true humanity of our Lord, but without attempting to define how it was produced.

W.H.

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THE “FLESH” AND THE “BODY”
Explain the difference between the terms “flesh” and “body”? What is meant by the “redemption of the body”?

If the inquirer can examine, in any good Lexicon of New Testament Greek, or better still, in Mr. Vine’s Expository Dictionary, the great variety of meanings which each of the two words “sarx” (flesh) and “soma” (body) may bear, according to the context in which they occur; he will realise that it would be difficult to reply to his question adequately, within the bounds of this page. And if he can avail himself of a Young’s or Wigram’s Concordance to go through all the occurrences of each word, he will probably glean more help in that way than he would from any formal answer.

The fact is that, as used in some passages, there is little or no difference between the two words; and yet in certain other passages a clear distinction is made between them. For instance, in 2 Corinthians 4:10" TARGET="_blank">2 Corinthians 4:10 we have the phrase, “that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our BODY”; while in the parallel statement of the next verse it is, “that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal FLESH.” Here the two words are practically synonymous. The opposite extreme may be seen in Colossians 2:23" TARGET="_blank">Colossians 2:23 (R.V.), where one can show “severity” to the BODY, and at the same time be showing “indulgence” to the FLESH.

Taken in its most literal sense, the “body” is the physical or material part of man, viewed as an organised whole (see 1 Thessalonians 5:23)." TARGET="_blank">1 Thessalonians 5:23). The “flesh” is the substance of which this body is to a large extent composed (see Luke 24. 39)." TARGET="_blank">Luke 24. 39). But either word may be used to represent the entire man, as “body” in Luke 20: 36," TARGET="_blank">Luke 20: 36, and “flesh” in Luke 3:6." TARGET="_blank">Luke 3:6.

It is when the thought of evil, either in state or in tendency, is suggested, that a deeper distinction is at times made between the two words. For example, the expression “in the flesh” may be employed as in Romans 7:5" TARGET="_blank">Romans 7:5 and 8:8, , of the moral standing of the unsaved, but “in the body” is never so used. The latter phrase may refer to one’s bodily presence in some particular place, as in 1 Corinthians 5:3," TARGET="_blank">1 Corinthians 5:3, or to the present earthly life of man, as in 2 Corinthians 5:10;" TARGET="_blank">2 Corinthians 5:10; but this is not distinctive of it, for “in the flesh” may also have either of these meanings, as in Colossians 2:1" TARGET="_blank">Colossians 2:1 and in Philippians 1:24." TARGET="_blank">Philippians 1:24.
Again, “tendency to evil” may sometimes be signified by the term “the flesh,” especially in such phrases as “after the flesh,” etc.; but “the body” is not so used, except in a few remarkable expressions, “the body of sin” (Romans 6: 6)," TARGET="_blank">Romans 6: 6), “the body of this death” (Romans 7:24)," TARGET="_blank">Romans 7:24), “the deeds of the body” (Romans 8: 13)," TARGET="_blank">Romans 8: 13), and “the body of the sins of the flesh” (Colossians 2:11)." TARGET="_blank">Colossians 2:11).

The body is frequently spoken of as capable of being used for God (Romans 12:1)," TARGET="_blank">Romans 12:1), and so are its members (Romans 6: 12, 13);" TARGET="_blank">Romans 6: 12, 13); but this is never predicated of the flesh (see Rom. 7. 25)," TARGET="_blank">Rom. 7. 25), the members of which seem rather to be those named in Col. 3. 5." TARGET="_blank">Col. 3. 5. Moreover, the body of the saint is called a temple of the Holy Ghost and a member of Christ (1 Corinthians 6:15, 19)," TARGET="_blank">1 Corinthians 6:15, 19), but it is his “flesh” that lusteth against the Spirit (Galatians 5:17)." TARGET="_blank">Galatians 5:17). Finally, the saint’s body, having been “bought with a price” (1 Corinthians 6:20)," TARGET="_blank">1 Corinthians 6:20), awaits its full “redemption” when our Lord Jesus comes again (Romans 8:23)." TARGET="_blank">Romans 8:23). Then He “shall fashion anew the body of our humiliation, that it may be conformed to the body of His glory” (Philippains 3:21 R.V.); and when He has done so, “WE (not merely our bodies) shall be like Him” (1 John 3:2)." TARGET="_blank">1 John 3:2).

W.R.

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Why is there pain and suffering?

You may also be interested in the more personal question "Why am I experiencing a time of difficulty? What is going trying to do to me?"

C.S. Lewis called it “The Problem of Pain” in his short, but influential book.

“If God were good, He would wish to make his creatures perfectly happy, and if God were almighty, He would be able to do what He wished. But the creatures are not happy. Therefore God lacks either goodness, or power, or both.  That is the problem of pain in its simplest form.”

Very briefly, there are a number of ways of answering this challenge.  

Choice

God created man, Satan and the angels with the power of choice.  This gives us the option of choosing to obey or to rebel against God.  Building us with a free will has the inherent risk of losing us to sin.  Suffering, being the result of sin, is the inheritance we received from Adam and Eve and their fatal choice to disobey God.  Romans 5:12" TARGET="_blank">Romans 5:12 says that he is the source of death in the world being the head of all humanity.  As a consequence of Adam’s choice, the world is visited by calamity and suffering.

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--

This “bondage of corruption,” with the “whole world groaning and travailing together in pain” (Romans 8:21, 22)," TARGET="_blank">Romans 8:21, 22), has affected all men everywhere. God did not make the world in its fallen state.  In fact, when finishing the world he said "it is very good" (Genesis 2:1-3)." TARGET="_blank">Genesis 2:1-3).  Some day in the future, God will take away the curse from the earth. In that day, “God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain” (Revelation 21:4)." TARGET="_blank">Revelation 21:4). 

God lacks power?

If God is almighty, then why does he allow suffering to exist?  God actually uses suffering to accomplish his will.  Hebrews 12:5-11" TARGET="_blank">Hebrews 12:5-11 says that he disciplines his children with chastening.  Discipline is both punishment and instruction. 

Hebrews 12:5-11" TARGET="_blank">Hebrews 12:5-11  And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? "My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him.  (6)  For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives."  (7)  It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline?  (8)  If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons.  (9)  Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live?  (10)  For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness.  (11)  For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

Hebrews 5:8-9" TARGET="_blank">Hebrews 5:8-9 says that Christ himself “learned” and was "made perfect" by what he suffered. Christ was certainly not ignorant nor unaware of suffering neither was he "imperfect" in the moral sense of sin.  He "learned" by experience what suffering is.  He "learned" obedience by practicing obedience even at the cost of the worst suffering imaginable.  "Made perfect" is the completion of his work by carrying it out to the end.

 Hebrews 5:7-9" TARGET="_blank">Hebrews 5:7-9  In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence.  (8)  Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered.  (9)  And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him,

Just because suffering continues to exist does not logically mean it exists because God is powerless to stop it.  God uses suffering to accomplish his purposes, which raises the next question…

God is cruel?

If God is capable of stopping suffering, then why does it continue?  To end suffering, God would have to end the root cause of suffering – the ability to sin.  This would mean that God would end our ability to make choices. To stop murder, God could end our ability to commit murder.  To stop sin against God, he could end our ability to rebel.  To stop evil implies ending the ability for individuals to choose what they want to do. God created Adam with the foreknowledge that Adam and his sons had the ability to worship God as well as the ability of Cain to kill his own brother.

Doesn’t God want his creatures to be perfectly happy?

Is God leading us somewhere with the aid of suffering?  The purpose of creation is not to give us self-indulgent pleasure.  The ultimate happiness of man is found by being able to glorify God even if that entails suffering on our part.  If God had made Adam with the mind of a programmed machine, Adam would not have sinned nor died.  Adam and his descendents would also not have the experience of being redeemed by grace.  There would be no salvation.  There would be no mercy of God.  There would be no heaven.  Instead, God has created a plan that will be consummated by the salvation of sinners who don’t deserve redemption, but will worship God eternally because of it. Man would never know salvation apart from sin. 

Suffering is turned into goodness in the end.  God was not surprised by Adam’s sin and fall. Of course, this does not mean that God is the source of sin, but it does mean that God is above sin and can use it to accomplish glory in the end.  If God is eventually going to bring glory to himself through the suffering of all humanity, can he not do the same in your broken life?

Conclusion

These are summary paragraphs of a few reasons why suffering is allowed to continue.  We can't know all the reasons why God allows suffering we just know that He does.

Shad Sluiter

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Is the name Jesus enough to refer to Christ or does he have a fuller title like "Lord Jesus Christ, Emmanuel,  King of Kings, Lord of Lords, Father of Eternity"?   These, and many more titles, are not sufficient to capture the fullness of him who is "the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation." Colossians 1:15." TARGET="_blank">Colossians 1:15.

Last names, or surnames, were not used in Jesus' time. It wasn't common in Europe for people to use them until the middle ages.

Surnames were initially based on who the father was (Mike Thomson), the occupation that one had (Mike Miller), or what town a person lived in (Mike Berlin).

Jesus might have been named Jesus bar Joseph, Jesus Carpenter, Jesus Nazareth if they used surnames. Yeshua bar Yosef (Aramaic name form) of Nazareth (Jesus son of Joseph of Nazareth).

A common way to refer to Christ is to use the three, short, but descriptive titles "Lord Jesus Christ" or "Jesus Christ".  There is no one single formula used in the Bible.  The appropriate name is used in all situations to emphasize something about Him.  Sometimes, the name Jesus is used to emphasize his humble birth and earthly life (Acts 9:27;" TARGET="_blank">Acts 9:27; Acts 19:15;" TARGET="_blank">Acts 19:15; Acts 21:13;" TARGET="_blank">Acts 21:13; Acts 26:9)." TARGET="_blank">Acts 26:9).  

Jesus is his earthly name, used to emphasize that he is the Savior (Matthew 1:21)." TARGET="_blank">Matthew 1:21).  The Bible refers to him as simply Jesus in many of the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.  Certainly they show no respect to him for using his earthly name.  He is referred to more fully in the epistles as Jesus Christ our Lord. Romans 6:23" TARGET="_blank">Romans 6:23

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.  

The name of Christ is "one who is anointed" by God which has the idea of being chosen or the Promised One.  John 4:25-29" TARGET="_blank">John 4:25-29

 John 4:25-29" TARGET="_blank">John 4:25-29

(25)  The woman said to him, "I know that Messiah is coming (he who is called Christ). When he comes, he will tell us all things." (26)  Jesus said to her, "I who speak to you am he." (27)  Just then his disciples came back. They marveled that he was talking with a woman, but no one said, "What do you seek?" or, "Why are you talking with her?" (28)  So the woman left her water jar and went away into town and said to the people, (29)  "Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ?"

He is Lord, in the full sense in that he is God.  Acts 2:36" TARGET="_blank">Acts 2:36

Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified. 

Shad David Sluiter 

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I have read somewhere that the Tribulation, a period of seven years, would be shortened by 220 days, which the writer confirmed by a reference to Daniel 8:13" TARGET="_blank">Daniel 8:13 and 14. Is this so?

I do not think there is the least justification for saying that the Great Tribulation is to last seven years. That is the length of time for which the Covenant is made between the Prince (or last Great Head of the Roman Empire Revived—otherwise known as the first Beast) and many of Israel, under the Antichrist, or second Beast (Daniel 9." TARGET="_blank">Daniel 9. and Revelation 13)," TARGET="_blank">Revelation 13), but it is only when the Covenant is broken in the midst of the week, and the daily sacrifice taken away, that the Great Tribulation and “the time of Jacob’s trouble” will occur (Jeremiah 30:7;" TARGET="_blank">Jeremiah 30:7; Matthew 24:21)." TARGET="_blank">Matthew 24:21). It is quite clear from the last passage that the days of the Great Tribulation will be shortened—”For the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened” (v. 22). But by how much, is another question. I have myself believed that this may be inferred from Daniel 8:13, 14." TARGET="_blank">Daniel 8:13, 14. The question in the former verse refers to the vision concerning the daily sacrifice and the transgression of desolation (or that maketh desolate), and the answer is, “Unto two thousand and three hundred days—then shall the sanctuary be cleansed” —that is, 220 days less than the full tribulation of 3 years, but that does not say that the period of seven years will be shortened, but that in some way the years of the Great Tribulation will be. How this will be effected we can safely leave in the hands of God, who alone is sufficient.

W.H.

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Exorcism is the practice of expelling a demon from a person who is controlled, or possessed by the demon.  Several examples of exorcism are mentioned in the Bible – all in the New Testament during the period of Christ’s ministry and the following years with the disciples.

The Christian should resist the devil, but not by exorcism.  Instead, the weapons we have been given are our ability to resist in the power of the Holy Spirit’s presence in our lives and by the liberating power of salvation through the proclamation of the gospel to the lost ones.

Examples of exorcism

Some of the examples include people who were casting out demons (Mark 9:38)," TARGET="_blank">Mark 9:38), Jesus commands to the 70 evangelists (Matthew 10)," TARGET="_blank">Matthew 10), the false accusation that Jesus was empowered by Beelzebul to be able to cast out demons (Luke 11:15-19)" TARGET="_blank">Luke 11:15-19) and Paul’s ability to cast the demon out of a slave girl (Acts 16:16-18)." TARGET="_blank">Acts 16:16-18).

Mark 9:38-40" TARGET="_blank">Mark 9:38-40  John said to him, "Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he was not following us."  (39)  But Jesus said, "Do not stop him, for no one who does a mighty work in my name will be able soon afterward to speak evil of me.  (40)  For the one who is not against us is for us.

Matthew 10:8" TARGET="_blank">Matthew 10:8  Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. You received without paying; give without pay.

Luke 11:15-19" TARGET="_blank">Luke 11:15-19  But some of them said, "He casts out demons by Beelzebul, the prince of demons,"  (16)  while others, to test him, kept seeking from him a sign from heaven.  (17)  But he, knowing their thoughts, said to them, "Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and a divided household falls.  (18)  And if Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? For you say that I cast out demons by Beelzebul.  (19)  And if I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges.

Acts 16:16-18" TARGET="_blank">Acts 16:16-18  As we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit of divination and brought her owners much gain by fortune-telling.  (17)  She followed Paul and us, crying out, "These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to you the way of salvation."  (18)  And this she kept doing for many days. Paul, having become greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, "I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her." And it came out that very hour.

Luke 10:17-20" TARGET="_blank">Luke 10:17-20  The seventy-two returned with joy, saying, "Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!"  (18)  And he said to them, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.  (19)  Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you.  (20)  Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven."

Genesis 3:15" TARGET="_blank">Genesis 3:15  I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel."

Ephesians 6:11" TARGET="_blank">Ephesians 6:11  Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.

James 4:6-7" TARGET="_blank">James 4:6-7  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.

Ephesians 4:25-27" TARGET="_blank">Ephesians 4:25-27  Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another.  (26)  Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger,  (27)  and give no opportunity to the devil.

1 Peter 5:8-9" TARGET="_blank">1 Peter 5:8-9  Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.  (9)  Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world.

Luke 4:18-19" TARGET="_blank">Luke 4:18-19  "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed,  (19)  to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor."

Acts 26:18," TARGET="_blank">Acts 26:18, 22-23  To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me. (22) Having therefore obtained help of God, I continue unto this day, witnessing both to small and great, saying none other things than those which the prophets and Moses did say should come:  (23)  That Christ should suffer, and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead, and should shew light unto the people, and to the Gentiles.

Shad Sluiter

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Why do so many preachers speak of “the destroying angel,” in Exodus 12" TARGET="_blank">Exodus 12?

It seems due to a mistaken idea of what took place on the Passover night, based on a careless reading of the whole passage. Exodus 11:1" TARGET="_blank">Exodus 11:1 speaks of “one plague more.” Exodus 12:13" TARGET="_blank">Exodus 12:13 refers to “the plague” and ver. 23 to “the destroyer,” but there is no such agent mentioned, either in Exodus, Heb. Ix, or elsewhere in Scripture, as “the destroying angel,” in connection with the deliverance from Egypt. Moses says in chap. II.4—”Thus saith the Lord, about midnight will I go out into the midst of Egypt”; see, too, ch. 12. ia: “I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land . . . I will excute judgment”; and v. 23: “For the Lord will pass through to smite the Egyptians, and when He seeth the blood. . . the Lord will pass over the door, and will not suffer the destroyer to come into your houses to smite you.” God is Light and God is Love—God is at once “Avenger” and “Redeemer,” and neither work does He entrust to an angel, however exalted. It was God vindicating His holy claims against sin, who passed through the land in judgment; it was God who intervened in mercy wherever He saw the blood of His own providing, sprinkled. The two words for “passing through” (‘abar), and “passing over” (paali), are quite distinct. This latter is found again in Isaiah 3" TARGET="_blank">Isaiah 3’. : “As birds flying, so will the Lord of hosts defend Jerusalem; defending also He will deliver it and passing over (paal) He will preserve it.” That is, He will interpose between the enemy, who, it may be suggested, will then be attacking Jerusalem from the air, and His people.

W.H.

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