Wednesday, February 7, 2007
TBC Bible Study
Foundations
My Fear
Sexual Abuse
• Prevalence of Sexual Abuse
• Perpetrators of Sexual Abuse
• Precipitates of Sexual Abuse
Sexual Abuse
• Every single one of us
should read this book.
Why the KJV Is Not the Word of God
• Don’t excommunicate me: Almost
everything I have studied leads me to
believe the KJV is a highly accurate,
trustworthy translation from excellent
manuscripts. But it isn’t perfect.
• And, we have a serious problem with the
rhetoric we use.
Why the KJV Is Not the Word of God
• The Word of God is inerrant
• The KJV is not inerrant (cf. Acts 9:7, 22:9;
see Gal. 6:11)
• The KVJ is not the Word of God. Q.E.D.
KJV: The Right Perspective
• There is no Scriptural nor historical basis for the
belief that God has used the KJV to preserve His
Word. (Rather, we can accept the KJV is a faithful
translation of the preserved Word of God.)
• The Jews understood that translations were
inferior.
– We know Jesus spoke Hebrew as well as Aramaic
because He would not have been allowed to engage in
theological discussions with the temple leaders in any
other language than Hebrew: Theological discussions
had to be conducted in the original language of the
Scriptures.
KJV: The Right Perspective
• Where did the word Lucifer come from?—A
common example of our misunderstanding of the
issues. Other passages are found only in Latinbased manuscripts, .
• The last 6 verses of Revelation were
translated into Greek from the Latin
Vulgate, and then back into English.
• What about other verses that occur only in
the Vulgate, and not in a single Greek
manuscript anywhere?
KJV: The Right Perspective
• Greek and Hebrew are far more nuanced
than English. English is an inadequate
language for translation of either original
language (e.g., love: phileo v. agape).
• The KJV is clearly one of the best
translations of the preserved Word of God.
But it is only a translation!
KJV: The Right Perspective
• A growing problem:
– Significant changes in the English language over the
last 400 years are rendering the KJV less and less
relevant to our spoken language.
– Although most people can understand it, the meaning of
many words and verses is completely unclear without a
historical understanding of the English language.
KJV: The Right Perspective
• Vocabulary Quiz
trow
conversation
firmament
world
betimes
fetched a compass
several
mean
lively oracles
KJV: The Right Perspective
• This is a serious problem. We are in danger of
insulating the common people from the Word of
God, just as the Catholic Church did (most
famously before the Reformation, but through the
1960s).
• We should be very, very wary of the dangerous
rhetoric of Ruckmanism.
Chastisement—It’s Not Always
Punishment
• Again, we have a case of misunderstanding the
words in the Word.
• The best translation is discipline, in the sense of
training.
• παιδεία (paideia / pahee-di'-ah) From G3811; tutorage,
that is, education or training; by implication disciplinary
correction: - chastening, chastisement, instruction, nurture.
• How much insecurity and doubt has been laid at the feet of
believers (not to mention a skewed perspective of God)
because of the failure to consult a Greek dictionary?
The Foolishness of Preachers
• I’ve spent almost 35 years in Fundamentalist
churches—there’s plenty of material here.
• Often caused by ignoring the mantra, “Context!
Context!”
• Finding the verses to support a topic and ignoring
context is a major cause. More expositional
preaching is needed.
• Jack Hyles exemplified the “phrase as a launching
point” method of preaching. Beware!
The Foolishness of Preachers
• We need to learn to object or just walk out.
Remember the Bereans. (Acts 17:11)
• Church leaders have a right to disseminate their
opinions (1 Co 7:6 “But I speak this by permission, and
not of commandment.”)
• Extrabiblical opinion should never be propagated
as doctrine, although this is a tendency of humans.
(See Paul’s epistles, and his repeated corrections
about this, as well as the discussions in Acts about
legalism.)
The Error of Arminianism
• Arminianism and the anthropocentric
Gospel
• Discarding Romans 8 and 9 and God’s
sovereignty
• The enormously destructive “easy
believism”
The Error of Arminianism
• “If the professed convert distinctly and deliberately declares that
he knows the Lord’s will but does not mean to attend to it, you
are not to pamper his presumption, but it is your duty to assure
him that he is not saved. Do not suppose that the Gospel is
magnified or God glorified by going to the worldlings and
telling them that they may be saved at this moment by simply
accepting Christ as their Savior, while they are wedded to their
idols, and their hearts are still in love with sin. If I do so I tell
them a lie, pervert the Gospel, insult Christ, and turn the grace
of God into lasciviousness.”
– C.H. Spurgeon
Biblical or Cultural?
• We tend to interpret historical cultures
through light of our own.
• Do you think it’s appropriate for a Christian
woman to wear nose jewelry?
• Women’s rights under Christianity as
opposed to Roman law.
Other Topic Possibilities
• God Rules: Understanding Sovereignty
• How to do an Inductive Bible Study
• The Glorious Meaning of Grace
• Hermaneutics
Context! Context!
• What can the context tell us in a couple of difficult
passages?
– Rom. 8:8: “So then they that are in the flesh cannot
please God.”
– Rev 22:18: “For I testify unto every man that heareth
the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall
add unto these things, God shall add unto him the
plagues that are written in this book: And if any man
shall take away from the words of the book of this
prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book
of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things
which are written in this book.”
Context! Context!
• If it’s out of context, it’s almost definitely
incorrect.
• Extreme example: “Let him that stole steal.”
(Eph 4:28)
• My contextual idiocy—an example from
which we can all learn.
This slide Is Paradoxically
[not] Left Blank
How to Ruin Your Life
by Misunderstanding
the Will of God
The title is intentionally ironic.
(You’ll see.)
What is the Will of God?
• “[E]vangelicalism is a 19th century revivalistic expression
of excessive self-possession and individualism. We say it’s
not about us, but we think a lot about us, our happiness,
and the will of God. The Bible never tells us to seek the
will of God. It tells us to do it. The will of God is not a
focus for me. Character is a focus for me. If you have
character, you’ll know what to do. Use your head and
make decisions based on your head. The will of God is the
commands and imperatives of Scripture.”
– Dr. John Hannah
Christian Mysticism
• Mysticism
– (1) A religion based on mystical communion
with an ultimate reality
– (2) Obscure or irrational thought
• “God laid you on my heart”
• “I want to find God’s will for my life.”
Obsession
• We, especially as young people, are
obsessed with finding the will of God for
our lives.
• Was it God’s will for Paul to go to
Jerusalem?
• If God’s will is so important, why is it so
seemingly obscure?
Obsession
• When we believe that we have found that
“will of God for our life,” any deviation
from that it must be interpreted as leaving
the will of God.
• What might this produce?
Mythology
• Romans 12:1–2: “good, and acceptable, and
perfect will of God.” Commonly defined as:
– The perfect will of God—God’s perfect plan for
one’s life, which one can ruin
– The acceptable will of God, which is God’s
“Plan B” or fallback
– The good will of God, which is His commands
• This interpretation is completely erroneous.
Greek
•
•
The three adjectives are used as Substantive nouns (“the
excellent/upright/honorable thing” and “well
pleasing/acceptable thing” and
“perfect/mature/complete thing”) are modifying “the will
of God,” NOT speaking of different kinds of wills!
In context, they are describing/defining the MORAL will
of God, which He has revealed in His Word. This verse
tells us that a believer who is NOT conforming his mind
to this age, but is transforming his mind (developing a
godly mind) is able to understand and obey God’s moral
will as revealed in Scripture.
Greek
•
“Excellent/upright/honorable” and “well pleasing/acceptable” and
“consummate human integrity and virtue” are obviously referring to
God’s moral will for the believer ... NOT where he should go to
college, work, buy a house, etc., etc. That seems pretty clear here.
This is a will that can be “proven/tested/discerned.” How can that be
done? By using God’s revelation—His Word.
•
The absolute clincher is that these three Substantival Adjectives are
Nominatives in Simple Apposition. “An appositional construction
involves (1) adjacent substantives (2) in the same case, (3) which
refer to the same thing, and (4) have the same syntactical relation to
the rest of the clause.” They refer to the very same thing. [Wallace,
48] They are connected by “and,” NOT contrasted.
Greek
And
you (pl), on your part, do not be conforming
to [the pattern of] this age,
but
you (pl) be being transformed
by the renovation/complete change for the better
of your (pl) mind/higher reason
for the purpose of
testing/proving/discerning what [is] the will of God
[concerning] you (pl),
[what is] the excellent/upright/honorable thing
and
well pleasing/acceptable thing
and
perfect/mature/complete thing.
God’s Will—As Scripture Teaches
• God’s Moral Will
– Revealed will of God
– The will (commands, duties) God has revealed
to us through Scripture.
• God’s Sovereign Will
– Includes and anticipates the results of every
human action.
God’s Will—As Scripture Teaches
• Will of God:
– Mark 3:35
Rom. 12:2
2 Co. 8:5
Col. 1:1
2 Ti. 1:1
1 Pe. 4:2
Acts 13:36
Rom. 15:32
Gal. 1:4
Col. 4:12
Heb. 10:36
1 Pe. 4:19
Rom. 1:10
1 Co. 1:1
Eph. 1:1
1 Th. 4:3
1 Pe. 2:15
1 Jo. 2:17
Rom. 8:27
2 Co. 1:1
Eph. 6:6
1 Th. 5:18
1 Pe. 3:17
John 7:17
Rom. 9:19
Heb. 13:21
John 9:31
Eph. 1:5
1 Jo. 5:14
Acts 22:14
Eph. 1:9
Rev. 17:17
• His Will:
– Dan. 4:35
Rom. 2:18
Col. 1:9
God’s Will—As Scripture Teaches
• Will of the Lord:
– Acts 21:14
Eph. 5:17
• Thy Will:
– Psa. 40:8
Luke 11:2
Psa. 143:10
Heb. 10:7
Mat. 6:10
Heb. 10:9
Mat. 26:42
God’s Will—As Scripture Teaches
• God’s Moral Will:
–
1 Jo. 2:17
1 Th. 4:3
Col. 4:12
Heb. 10:7
Mark 3:35
Rom. 8:27
1 Jo. 5:14
1 Th. 5:18
Eph. 1:9
Heb. 10:9
Psa. 143:10
Rom. 2:18
1 Pe. 2:15
Acts 22:14
Eph. 5:17
John 7:17
Psa. 40:8
1 Pe. 4:2
Col. 1:9
Eph. 6:6
John 9:31
Rom. 12:2
1 Pe. 4:19
Acts 13:36
Eph. 1:1
Rev. 17:17
Heb. 13:21
2 Co. 1:1
Acts 21:14
Eph. 1:5
Rom. 1:10
• God’s Sovereign Will:
– 1 Co. 1:1
2 Co. 8:5
Col. 1:1
Gal. 1:4
Rom. 15:32
1 Pe. 3:17
2 Ti. 1:1
Dan. 4:35
Mat. 26:42
Rom. 9:19
• Harder to classify:
– Mat. 6:10
Heb. 10:36
Luke 11:2
God’s Moral Will
• Rom. 2:18: “And knowest His will, and
approvest the things that are more excellent,
being instructed out of the law;”
• An overwhelming percentage of Scripture
referring to God’s will refers to His moral
will, or revealed will—the things He has
commanded us to do.
God’s Moral Will
• 1 Jn. 5:14: “And this is the confidence that
we have in Him, that, if we ask any thing
according to His will, He heareth us.”
• God’s moral will is, ultimately, what we
should be paying most attention to.
God’s Sovereign Will
• God rules!
• Dan. 4:35: “And all the inhabitants of the
earth are reputed as nothing: and He doeth
according to His will in the army of
Heaven, and among the inhabitants of the
earth: and none can stay His hand, or say
unto Him, ‘What doest Thou?’”
• “God’s redemptive Plan” — Piper
God’s Sovereign Will
• Rev. 17:17: “For God hath put in their
hearts to fulfil His will, and to agree, and
give their kingdom unto the beast, until the
words of God shall be fulfilled.”
• Acts 21:14: “And when he would not be
persuaded, we ceased, saying, The will of
the Lord be done.”
God’s Sovereign Will
• When do we know what the sovereign will
of God is? When it happens.
• Absolutely nothing we can do can affect the
sovereign will of God (although as a literary
device, that perspective is present in the
Bible, as God is described as “repenting,” or
changing His mind), such as in the life of
Hezekiah.
So …
• Goals, plans, and careers may change—that
does not mean one is outside God’s
sovereign will. There is no “acceptable
will.”
• Humans are wonderfully adept at justifying
departure from God’s moral will. Beware!
• Let Scripture guide you.
• Pray.
Decisions, Decisions
• Is it within God’s moral (revealed) will?
• Is it smart or advisable?
Conclusions
• God’s sovereign will v. revealed will
• There is no other Scriptural will of God.
• You cannot escape from God’s sovereign
will—All your actions have already been
factored in.
• We must escape from our rhetoric and teach
believers to make God-driven decisions, not
rely on mystical divination.