BELIEVE IT, OR NOT...?

We find two common reactions to gospel preaching from Acts 17 of those in the city of Thessalonica. Some "believed" and others "believed not". I want to notice these two reactions, but more importantly, what God has revealed in the Bible as to WHY these are the two reactions people have when salvation thru Christ is preached. You might think that one and all would readily accept an offer of free salvation, but sadly, such is not the case is it? Why not? It is because of the nature of religious truth as opposed to religious error. Truth contains commands for the sinner to submit to and error does not. If truth is preached today, we will find these commands mentioned. The grace of God teaches man to turn from sin, NOT continue that grace may abound. (Titus 2:11-12; Rom. 6:1)

What did Paul preach about Christ to those in Thessalonica? He preached the same thing Peter preached in Acts 2:36, “God hath made this same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.” Do you suppose that they had the same question in their minds as those Jews on the day of Pentecost had? “What shall we do?” Do you suppose that Paul told them that they needed to ‘do’ anything? Remember…Jesus’ commands to the apostles’ also apply to Paul. Jesus commanded that “...repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.” (Luke 24:47) Jesus commanded the apostles to preach concerning Him, “All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost; teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you...” (Matt. 28:18-20)

In Acts 1:2, we are told that Jesus had “given commandments” to the apostles in regard to what to preach concerning Him. These commandments pertained to what people were to do in “calling upon the name of the Lord”. We can determine what those commands were from what they preached in the book of Acts, as well as what was obeyed by those to whom they preached.

Let it again be pointed out that in “calling upon the name of the Lord”, there is a ‘form of doctrine’ that must be obeyed (Rom. 6:17) and this ‘form of doctrine’ must be obeyed “from the heart”. It must correspond to the death, burial and resurrection of Christ as seen from 1 Cor. 15:1-4, “Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; by which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures…” This was preached to those in Corinth as we will see from Acts 18. But these in Thessalonica ‘believed’. What is required in order to ‘believe’? From Romans 10:17, “…faith cometh by HEARING…and hearing by the WORD OF GOD.” Was the word preached? Yes, for we read that Paul “…reasoned with them out of the scriptures, Opening and alleging, that Christ must needs have suffered, and risen again from the dead; and that this Jesus, whom I preach unto you, is Christ.” Yet we find that others who heard the same message “believed not” (verse 5). It is recorded of them, “But the Jews which believed not, moved with envy...”.

I want you to consider why these did not believe while others did believe. What was the difference? Today, why is it that some readily accept truth while others reject and despise the message of truth? The key lies in Jesus’ teaching about the heart of man.

In Luke 8:4-15 we are told, “And when much people were gathered together, and were come to him out of every city, he spake by a parable: a sower went out to sow his seed: and as he sowed, some fell by the way side; and it was trodden down, and the fowls of the air devoured it. And some fell upon a rock; and as soon as it was sprung up, it withered away, because it lacked moisture. And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprang up with it, and choked it. And other fell on good ground, and sprang up, and bare fruit an hundredfold. And when he had said these things, he cried, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear. And his disciples asked him, saying, What might this parable be? And he said, Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God: but to others in parables; that seeing they might not see, and hearing they might not understand. Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. Those by the way side are they that hear; then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved. They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away. And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection. But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience.”

Three other texts that show why some can ‘see’ the truth clearly while others “see, yet see not”:

1) John 3:16-21, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.”

The reason some cannot see or understand truth is because they love darkness…because their deeds are evil, and they don’t want their evil deeds reproved. The truth is not beyond their ability to understand, their heart’s desire is to continue in evil. Others, obey out of a desire to have their life proven to be “walking by faith”, which cometh from hearing God’s words (2 Cor. 5:7; Rom. 10:17).

2) John 7:14-18, “Now about the midst of the feast Jesus went up into the temple, and taught. And the Jews marvelled, saying, How knoweth this man letters, having never learned? Jesus answered them, and said, My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me. If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself. He that speaketh of himself seeketh his own glory: but he that seeketh his glory that sent him, the same is true, and no unrighteousness is in him.”

The reason some cannot see or understand truth is because of their "will". They refuse to obey what God's will calls upon them to obey (read again, John 3:16-21 above). Others, have no problem understanding, for it is their will to have their deeds approved of God.

3) 2 Thess. 2:10-12, “And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: that they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.”

The reason some cannot see or understand truth is because they have no love for truth but their pleasure is to continue in unrighteousness. Others love truth because their will is to be set free from their sin, and obeying truth will result in this freedom (John 8:32) Those who ‘saw’ or understood the things Paul preached about Jesus had a desire to please God, hence we read of them prior to hearing Paul preach about Jesus’ authority, being God-fearing or devout. Their heart was honest and sincere, as was Cornelius, Lydia, and Saul of Tarsus, who “lived in good conscience” even during his persecution of Christians (Acts 23:1). These who believed not, ‘moved with envy”.

So likewise will people do so today when the truth exposes their evil deeds, and their love for unrighteousness. The word of God is described as “…quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” (Heb. 4:12)

How people react to the truth reveals whether they are just religious, honoring God with their lips while in reality their heart is far from Him (Matt. 15:8-9). If one’s heart is honest and sincere, whenever they see that they are not in harmony with what Jesus commanded, they will change (repent), because their will is “…to do the will of the Father.”

What about you; what is your view of Jesus' commands?

"THE INFLUENCE OF ONE MAN"

In the Old Testament, following the death of Solomon, the nation of Israel was divided by two rival kings. This was due to the following sequence of events:

1 Kings 11:1-11 – Solomon’s disobedience

1 Kings 11:26-40 – Jeroboam’s rebellion against Solomon

1 Kings 11:38; 14:8 – Ahijah’s message

Rehoboam was the son of Solomon and took his father's place on the throne. In Egypt, Jeroboam heard of the death of Solomon and returned to Israel. In fulfillment of the words of the prophet Ahijah, ten tribes of Israel gave their allegiance to Jeroboam. The prophet had told Jeroboam, "Then it shall be, if you heed all that I command you, walk in My ways, and do what is right in My sight, to keep My statutes and My commandments, as My servant David did, then I will be with you and build for you an enduring house, as I built for David, and will give Israel to you" (1 Kings 11:38).

Jeroboam did not follow after these words. 1 Kings 12:25-33 Instead, he set up two golden calves for the people to worship and serve as the gods who brought them out of the land of Egypt. He allowed priests to come from any tribe and he "ordained a feast on the fifteenth day of the eighth month." He did more evil than all those who were before him and because of his actions, set the tone for the following kings of Israel.

Ahijah prophesied that God would "give Israel up because of the sins of Jeroboam, who sinned and who made Israel sin" (1 Kings 14:8-16). The influence of this one king would set the tone for the history of the Northern tribes of God's people.

Jeroboam's son, Nadab (1 Kings 15:25-26), "became king over Israel in the second year of Asa king of Judah, and he reigned over Israel two years. And he did evil in the sight of the LORD, and walked in the way of his father, and in his sin by which he had made Israel sin."

1 Kings 15:29-30 - Baasha would be the next king of Israel as he conspired against Nadab, killed him, and "he killed all the house of Jeroboam. He did not leave to Jeroboam anyone that breathed, until he had destroyed him, according to the word of the LORD which He had spoken by His servant Ahijah the Shilonite, because of the sins of Jeroboam, which he had sinned and by which he had made Israel sin, because of his provocation with which he had provoked the LORD God of Israel to anger."

1 Kings 15:34; 16:7 - Baasha "did evil in the sight of the LORD, and walked in the way of Jeroboam, and in his sin by which he had made Israel sin...And also the word of the LORD came by the prophet Jehu the son of Hanani against Baasha and his house, because of all the evil that he did in the sight of the LORD in provoking Him to anger with the work of his hands, in being like the house of Jeroboam, and because he killed them."

1 Kings 16:13 - Elah, the son of Baasha, reigned two years before he was murdered by Zimri (his own servant) and Zimri destroyed all the household of Baasha "for all the sins of Baasha and the sins of Elah his son, by which they had sinned and by which they had made Israel sin, in provoking the LORD God of Israel to anger with their idols."

Zimri, 1 Kings 16:18-19 –“…died, because of the sins which he had sinned in doing evil in the sight of the LORD, in walking in the way of Jeroboam, and in his sin which he had committed to make Israel sin."

Omri, 1 Kings 16:25-26 - "…did evil in the eyes of the LORD, and did worse than all who were before him. For he walked in all the ways of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and in his sin by which he had made Israel sin, provoking the LORD God of Israel to anger with their idols."

And then there was Ahab in 1 Kings 16:30-33, "Now Ahab the son of Omri did evil in the sight of the LORD, more than all who were before him. And it came to pass, as though it had been a trivial thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, that he took as wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal, king of the Sidonians; and he went and served Baal and worshiped him. Then he set up an altar for Baal in the temple of Baal, which he had built in Samaria. And Ahab made a wooden image. Ahab did more to provoke the LORD God of Israel to anger than all the kings of Israel who were before him."

Ahaziah, 1 Kings 22:51-53 - "Ahaziah the son of Ahab became king over Israel in Samaria in the seventeenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and reigned two years over Israel. He did evil in the sight of the LORD, and walked in the way of his father and in the way of his mother and in the way of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who had made Israel sin; for he served Baal and worshiped him, and provoked the LORD God of Israel to anger, according to all that his father had done."

Jehoram (Joram), 2 Kings. 3:1-3 - “He did what was evil in the LORD’S sight; he…clung to the sins that Jeroboam had caused Israel to commit. He did not turn away from them.”

Jehu, 2 Kings 10:28-31 - “Jehu eliminated Baal worship from Israel, but he did not turn away from the sins that Jeroboam son of Nebat had caused Israel to commit…worshiping the golden calves that were in Bethel and Dan. Nevertheless, the Lord said to Jehu, ‘Because you have done well in carrying out what is right in My sight and have done to the house of Ahab all that was in My heart, four generations of your sons will sit on the throne of Israel’. Yet, Jehu was not careful to follow with all his heart the laws of the Lord God of Israel. He did not turn from the sins that Jeroboam had caused Israel to commit.” **

(** Although Jehu ‘reformed’ somewhat, still he did not have the approval of God. Reform is not enough!)

Jehoahaz, 2 Kings 13:2 - “He did what was evil in the Lord’s sight and followed the sins that Jeroboam son of Nebat had caused Israel to commit; he did not turn away from them.”

Jehoash, 2 Kings 13:11 - “He did what was evil in the Lord’s sight. He did not turn away from all the sins that Jeroboam son of Nebat had caused Israel to commit, but he walked in them.”

Jeroboam II, 2 Kings 14:24 - “He did what was evil in the Lord’s sight. He did not turn away from all the sins Jeroboam son of Nebat had caused Israel to commit.”

Zechariah, 2 Kings 15:9 - “He did what was evil in the Lord’s sight as his fathers had done. He did not turn away from the sins Jeroboam son of Nebat had cause Israel to commit.” Murdered after only 6 months in power.

Shallum, 2 Kings 15:10 - 13-15, murdered Zechariah, and one month later was murdered by Menahem.

Menahem, 2 Kings 15:18 - “he did what was evil in the Lord’s sight. Throughout his reign, he did not turn away from the sins Jeroboam son of Nebat had caused Israel to commit.”

Pekahiah, 2 Kings 15:24 - “He did what was evil in the Lord’s sight and did not turn away from the sins Jeroboam son of Nebat had caused Israel to commit.”

Pekah, 2 Kings 15:28 - “He did what was evil in the Lord’s sight. He did not turn away from the sins Jeroboam son of Nebat had caused Israel to commit.”

Hoshea, 2 Kings 17:1 - “He did evil in the Lord’s sight, but not like the kings of Israel who preceded him.”

2 Kings 17:6-18; 21-22 summarizes the history of Israel. Another interesting observation following the captivity is the practice of compromise. 2 Kings 17:24-41 tells of this. (COMPROMISE IS NOT ACCEPTABLE! Matt. 6:24)

WHAT DO WE SEE FROM THIS?

All the remaining kings of Israel followed the pattern of their predecessors. All followed in the way of Jeroboam. The destruction of the kingdom of Israel was completed by the Assyrians when they invaded the land and took the ten tribes away, never to be a united people again. "And the LORD rejected all the descendants of Israel, afflicted them, and delivered them into the hand of plunderers, until He had cast them from His sight. For He tore Israel from the house of David, and they made Jeroboam the son of Nebat king. Then Jeroboam drove Israel from following the LORD, and made them commit a great sin. For the children of Israel walked in all the sins of Jeroboam which he did; they did not depart from them" (2 Kings 17:20-22).

The lesson in this sad history is the impact a life can have on so many. Jeroboam's works followed him after he died. The evil he lived in his life was not contained only while he lived but continued on for generations to come. Consider how many lives were lost because of his influence. Think of all the lives that were given over to evil because of his influence. The powerful influence of an evil life destroyed a great nation. While the influence of Jeroboam was felt for many generations, I want to make this observation:

- Jeroboam was a religious person - his changes were not a discouragement to religion; they encouraged it, for they appealed to the comforts of the people. We see this from his words in 1 Kings 12:28, “…it is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem to worship.”

This mindset opens a door that cannot be closed. When man assumes the role of decision-making in religion, then he assumes a role of authority that belongs only to Christ. When man assumes this authority to decide what is best, or how to worship God, it only results in a moral decline.

So likewise today... There are so many deviations, and such diversity among denominationalism, and the “freedom” to do as one’s heart desires, continues to plunge man further into immorality.

Illustration: the 1930 motion picture industry code:

The sanctity of the institution of marriage and the home shall be upheld. No film shall infer that casual or promiscuous sex relationships are the common thing ... These [seduction and rape] should never be more than suggested, and then only when essential to the plot. They should never be shown explicitly ... Crime shall never be presented in such a way as to throw sympathy with the crime ... Brutal killings are not to be presented in detail ... Revenge, in modern times, shall not be justified ... Mercy killing shall never be made to seem right or permissible ... Dances suggesting or representing sexual actions or emphasizing indecent movements are to be regarded as obscene ... Laws – divine, natural or human – shall not be ridiculed.

This shows how far we’ve come as a society. What was once prohibited is now advocated.

Pagan worship was not acceptable to God from the children of Israel. God gave instructions regarding how HE was to be worshiped:

Deut. 12:29-31 - When the Lord your God cuts off from before you the nations which you go to dispossess, and you displace them and dwell in their land, take heed to yourself that you are not ensnared to follow them, after they are destroyed from before you, and that you do not inquire after their gods, saying, ‘How did these nations serve their gods? I also will do likewise.’ YOU SHALL NOT WORSHIP THE LORD YOUR GOD IN THAT WAY; for every abomination to the Lord which He hates they have done to their gods; for they burn even their sons and daughters in the fire to their gods.

This lesson needs to be remembered by God's people today, for not just any worship is acceptable today. God has revealed thru the teachings of Jesus and the apostles HOW HE IS TO BE WORSHIPED.

Likewise, there is a pattern for the organization and work of a local church. Any innovations to these patterns are an unacceptable as the innovations of Jeroboam were in his day.

As those of Jeroboam’s day didn’t know that Jeroboam’s innovations were wrong, so has the influence of denominational theology and philosophy resulted in innovations and reform.

The church that Jesus spoke of in Matt. 16:18 is identifiable by its doctrines. The patterns contained in the New Testament are to be preached so that unity, love and reverence for God will prevail and carry a greater influence on society. In this way, righteousness will "flow" as God purposed; His people will be the "head", not the "tail", as Moses told Israel in Deut. 28:13, 44, "And the Lord will make you the head and not the tail; you shall be above only, and not be beneath, if you heed the commandments of the Lord your God, which I command you today, and are careful to observe them."

Spiritual seed will produce after its kind as does physical seed (Luke 8:11).

WHO WROTE GENESIS?

 

Proof from the Scriptures of who wrote Genesis.

Jesus said in John 5:46, “For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me: for he wrote of me.”

How does this ‘prove’ that the book of Genesis was written by Moses?

In answer, consider these statements from Genesis:

~ Genesis 12:3 – And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed. (to Abraham)

~ Genesis 22:18 – And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice. (to Abraham)

~ Genesis 26:4 – And I will make thy seed to multiply as the stars of heaven, and will give unto thy seed all these countries; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed. (to Isaac)

~ Genesis 28:14 – And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed. (to Jacob)

Abraham, Isaac, & Jacob, the PATRIARCHS!

WHO was this referring to, “…thy seed…in whom ALL NATIONS would be blessed?”

Consider from the N. T., these related passages:

Acts 3:25 – Ye are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying unto Abraham, ‘And in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed’.

What is this ‘covenant’ referring to?

Galatians 3:8 – And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, ‘in thee shall all nations be blessed’.

Galatians 3:16 – Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, and to seeds, as of many; but as of one, and to thy seed, which is Christ.

Another statement from Genesis:

In Genesis 3:15, the statement was made to Satan that “...I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, and you shall bruise him on the heel.”

Who was this ‘seed’ referring to?

In answer, consider these other related passages from the N. T. —

~ 2 Timothy 1:10 — But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel:

Who abolished death? Who had the power of death?

~ Colossians 2:15—And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.

Who triumphed?

~ Hebrews 2:14 — Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;

Who destroyed him that had the power of death?

1 John 3:8 — He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.

Do these passages shed light on Gen. 3:15?

CONCLUSION: Who wrote of Jesus in Genesis?

HOW THE CHURCH BEGAN IN ACTS 2

 

An understanding of the term “CHURCH” is needed as we begin to understand ‘how’ the church began in Acts 2.

It comes from the Greek word ‘EKKLESIA’ and means a “called out body of people”. We can see how this agrees with 1 Pt. 2:9, which describes the church as being ‘CALLED OUT OF DARKNESS INTO HIS MARVELOUS LIGHT’. “But ye are an elect race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, that ye may show forth the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvellous light”.

Please read these related passages and study how this calling relates to the opening of one’s understanding (figuratively, opening of the eyes; or being able to see: Isa. 9:2; 42:16; Acts 26:18; 2 Cor. 4:6).

On a side note: One cannot be saved if they don’t understand the plan of salvation. Faith is not blind, rather it is based upon credible evidence (read Rom. 1:19-20 and Heb. 11:1. The people in Acts 2 heard and UNDERSTOOD – read Acts 2:11 – “we hear them speaking in our tongues the mighty works of God.”).

These ‘mighty works’ of God are not referring to the physical works of creation, but rather they relate to God’s works of deliverance or salvation (read Psa. 74:12).

Another key thing to understand as it relates to how the church began, is to understand what the Bible calls God’s ‘ETERNAL PURPOSE’. The following passages need to be studied in relation to this: Eph. 1:4; 2:10; 3:11; 2 Thess. 2:13-14; Mt. 25:34; 1 Pt. 1:20

We also see from several passages that Jesus was ‘foreknown from the foundation of the world’. This needs to be understood, for it points to things that were purposed by God BEFORE HE created “the heavens and the earth” (Gen. 1:1).

Acts 2:23 – ^“him, being delivered up by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God”. Read also: Lk. 22:22; Acts 3:18; 4:28; 1 Pt. 1:20

We also read of another important word as it relates to “HOW” the church began.

This is the word “CALLED” – it relates to the message of the gospel. Remember Peter said in 1 Pt. 2:9 that we were “called … out of darkness into His marvelous light”. Peter also wrote that we are “born of incorruptible seed”

1 Peter 1:22-23 – Seeing ye have purified your souls in your obedience to the truth unto unfeigned love of the brethren, love one another from the heart fervently: having been begotten again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, through the word of God, which liveth and abideth

Paul wrote:

1 Cor. 4:15 – we are begotten by the gospel

1 Cor. 15:1 – I make known unto you brethren, the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye received, wherein also ye stand,

So, as we answer “HOW” the church began, we see that God planned and purposed it prior to the ‘foundation of the world’. God predestinated salvation to be in Christ and no one else. The gospel, if true, must declare all this plainly. This was what those in Acts 2:11 called “the wonderful works of God”; this was the “works of salvation” mentioned by David in Psa. 74:12.

The gospel is the seed, the incorruptible seed; the word of God, which calls us out of the world.

The Jews in Acts 2 from every nation heard this message (seed; gospel), and about 3,000 responded as Peter commanded (Acts 2:38).

This response is mentioned in the Great Commission texts: Mt. 28:18-20; Mk. 16:15-16; Lk. 24:44-47.

Paul stated that this was the ‘form of doctrine’ that must be delivered and obeyed from the heart (Rom. 6:17-18), in order for one to be translated out of the power of darkness into the kingdom of God’s dear Son (Col. 1:13-14), which was prepared from the foundation of the world (Mt. 25:34).

When the “about 3,000” “gladly received” Peter’s words, their eyes (understanding) were opened. They were baptized, and added to the apostles (Acts 2:41). This continued daily (Acts 2:47). The “adding” was done by the Lord based upon their response as prophesied (read again: Isa. 9:2; 42:16; Acts 26:18; 2 Cor. 4:6).

With this response in Acts 2:41, the church was “built” as Jesus promised (Mt. 16:18).

These were Jews, not Gentiles. What about them? Did God have predetermined thoughts for non-Jews? Our answer lies in the words back in Gen. 12:3, when God promised to Abraham that “ALL” families of the earth would receive a blessing by Jesus.

The Gentiles were certainly included by “ALL FAMILIES OF THE EARTH”. The household of Cornelius was born of the same word/gospel/message. As Peter said, “God is no respecter of persons, but in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is acceptable to him.” (Acts 10:34-35).

Accordingly, we read the apostle Paul stating that the “mystery” which was made known by his preaching was “that the Gentiles are fellow-heirs, and fellow-members of the body, and fellow-partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel” (Eph. 3:6).

“AUTHORITY, SILENCE, & AGREEMENT”

Can we understand and agree on the Bible? How fair and just would God be to place m​an's salvation upon what is written​, then give m​​an ​"w​hat is written” knowing all ​along that ​man could not understand it? (cf. Eph. 3:4; 5:17).​ We can agree on w​ha​t is written, but we disagree about what the Bible​ does not say. Note these examples:

1. Ex. 3:1-3. GOD spoke to Moses out of a “bush that burned with fire.” We​ can agree it was a “burning bush,” but ​disagreement arises when we speculate on what kind of bush it was. The Bible is silent ​as to the kind of ​bush.

2. Jn. 3:1-2. We can agree that Nicodemus came to Christ by night. However, disagreement comes when we force an opinion on “why” he came by night. Unity comes on the clear statement “by night,” and disunity comes when we try to make opinion a basis for unity.

3. Jn. 8:1-8. This scripture explicitly states that Jesus “wrote on the ground.” What did He write? We do not know. The reason is because the Bible does not declare it.

4. 2 Cor. 12:7-10. Much has been written about this thorn, and many opinions have been expressed as to what it is. We can agree Paul had a thorn because the Bible says so. We will never agree on what it was​, because the Bible is silent ​about that​.

​T​he written word provides a universal standard whereby man can live and be in unity with God and one another. While God's silence must be honored, it does not authorize man to act on his own authority.

“AUTHORITY: A SOURCE OR AN EXPEDIENT?”

Authority can be general or specific in nature. If general, there are expedient means to obeying what God has authorized. There must first be authorization to act, before expediency applies. These matters are clear from the scriptures.

When considering the question, “Is there a NEED for authority”; the answer is a clear ‘yes’ from numerous examples in the Bible. The need is seen in the examples of those who challenged it.

          ·      Moses: when confronting two of his brethren, had his authority questioned - Exod. 2:14.
    ·         John the Baptist had his authority to baptize questioned - Jn. 1:25
    ·        Peter & John had their authority challenged - Acts 4:7 
    ·         Jesus’ authority was challenged by the religious leaders of the day - Mt. 21:23

So, the question “Is there a need for authority in religion” is not new. However, it is important that we not misunderstand the issue within the question.  The issue is not, ‘Is authority needful in the sense of useful or helpful.  Rather, the question should be understood to mean, “Is authority necessary?”  

We need to understand this question as asking: MUST we have authority PRIOR what we practice in religion? Otherwise, what the Bible says about a subject is a moot issue (cf. 1 Peter 4:11).

Authority is not an expedient to accomplish what we have determined to do; rather it is the source by which we determine ‘if’ we can do the thing under consideration.                              

Therefore, if we don’t have authority for the practice; we cannot engage in the particular practice. Let us never presume to have authority​, rather let us look into the “perfect law of liberty, and continue therein” (Jms. 1:25).

“NEGLECT”

 No matter where it occurs, neglect results in damage, and possible ruin. This is especially true of spiritual neglect. We recognize when a fellow saint is struggling. Yet we delay. While we may pray for the brother, is prayer ‘alone’ fulfilling our stewardship? Prayer is very important, make no mistake about it. But it is not a substitute for obedience. When you know a brother’s faith is wavering, delay could very well result in death.  But not just for the weak brother…your soul may very well suffer death.  Gal. 6 demands involvement to restore, CONSIDERING YOURSELF. In times like this, the hearts of brethren are made known to one another.

The words from a familiar hymn, “there’s danger and death in delay…why d0 you wait dear brother”, certainly apply here. Unity within a local church doesn’t exist by prayer alone. It is maintained as brethren address the needs of one another. It was exemplified in Acts 2:44-45; 4:32-35; and 6:1-7 in benevolence. It was exemplified when the Corinthian brothers acted in the restoration of a brother involved in fornication (2 Cor. 7:8-11).  Finally, it was exemplified by the Philippians in their willing support of the gospel (Phil. 1:5, 7; 4:15).

When brethren neglect to act in these three areas, it is because of fear. Obedience will never occur from the faint of heart. This is why spiritual growth must be constantly monitored by shepherds. While it is an individual responsibility, when a brother is overtaken, and brethren neglect their responsibility, danger and death result.

May love of the brethren continue (Heb. 13:1).