Tag / Bible worker
What did Jesus Mean by “Fulfill” and ‘Till” in Matthew 5:17-18?
This week’s Sabbath School lesson.
The Sabbath before and after the cross.
Seventh-day Adventists are familiar with something Jesus said in the sermon on the mount.
“Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.” Matthew 5:17-18 NKJV
We understand that Jesus was endorsing the law. Some though have tried to say that once Jesus fulfilled everything that He then did away with the law. They claim Jesus said “till” all is fulfilled. So did Jesus mean the law would only last till He fulfilled everything on the cross? Well let’s look at how the world “till” is used in Scripture. Paul tells Timothy,
Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine. 1 Timothy 4:13 NKJV
Did Paul mean for Timothy to stop reading and exhorting with doctrine once he got there? After all he said, “Till I come.” Of course not. Just like today, if you child is struggling with her homework and you tell her, “I will be home to help you in a few minutes. Hang in there till I get there,” you don’t mean for her to give up once you get there. Just as by saying “till I get there” you did not mean for her to stop once you got there, so Jesus did not mean for us to stop keeping the law once He “fulfilled” it. By fulfilling the law Jesus showed us how to keep the law fully. To fill means to make full, and Jesus showed us how to keep the fullness of the law by fulfilling the law .Some have the idea that Jesus emptied the law by filling it. Yet logic shows us to fulfill is to make full and not to make empty.
We see this truth as it is in Jesus in Matthew 3:15 Jesus tells John to baptize him to fulfill all righteousness. Once Jesus fulfilled the rite of baptism did he then abolish it? No. In Matthew 28:19 Jesus told his disciples to go baptize. By fulfilling baptism Jesus gave us all an example to continue following instead of discarding. Likewise by fulfilling the law Jesus gave us an example to continue in the law instead of discarding the law. We see that truth as it is in Jesus, that while no one was ever saved or will ever be saved by the law in either the Old or New Testament, the law is still our guide. Jesus shows us how to fulfill the law by being our example. He tells us, If you love me, Keep my commandments.” John 14;15.
Video- Punishment of the Wicked in Light of the Cross
It’s Okay to Just be Another Star in the Milky Way
I am writing tonight somewhere in the universe. It doesn’t really matter where.
You may listen to the podcast version of this article here.
What is the price of two sparrows—one copper coin? But not a single sparrow can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it. And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows. Matthew 10:29-31 NLT
A while back I saw a book that had a picture of the sun as the center of the universe. after that the book had a series of pictures each one backing farther and farther out of the universe until finally the sun was just another one of the 250 billion stars in the Milky Way.
Often times we are insecure and tempted to think that we need to be the center of the universe. We are afraid to see ourselves as just another one of the 250 billion or more stars in the Milky Way. We are afraid if there’s nothing special about us then we won’t get that promotion or our needs will be overlooked and we will be forgotten and not cared for.
That is when the same Jesus who tells us to put everybody else first, also assures us that our Heavenly Father watches over the smallest sparrow. We needn’t feel insecure while being just one of 250 billion stars in the Milky Way. God cares for the smallest sparrow. He won’t overlook us. He will surely care for us too. We don’t have to be the center of the universe in order for God to watch over and love and care for us. Its okay if the 250 billion other stars get the promotion. Its okay if the other 250 billion stars get loved and cared for. Go ahead and put everyone else’s needs first. God will still love and take care of you. God cares for the sparrows and He cares for you. You won’t be forgotten.
Are Study Bibles Inspired?
I am writing today from the beautiful Tampa Bay area.
You may listen to the podcast version of this article here.
Study Bibles for the most part can be a huge blessing. However as a young Bible Worker back in the 1990’s I found them to be very challenging. Numerous times I would begin Bible studies with someone who knew very little about the Bible. They would run out to a bookstore in the community and buy a Study Bible, which they would be very proud to show me at our next Bible study. I would hide my disappointment and act happy for them. But almost always, later when the notes in their study Bible would contradict a Bible principle I was teaching I would need to remind them that the study notes are not inspired. Of course a more seasoned Bible student would realize that more readily than a new Bible student who was looking for something to cling to. Of course when I disagreed with the study notes, both the Bible student and I obviously realized I was not inspired either. So we would have to keep comparing Scripture with Scripture to get our final conclusions.
Even as Adventists we must understand we learn truth by comparing Scripture with Scripture, and not by comparing Scripture with our favorite authors or preachers. Our Adventist pioneers came out of various protestant churches and sat down together to study out different doctrines in the Bible. Even though their group Bible studies led to the founding of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, our Adventist pioneers studied these things out for themselves. They did not study the Bible for us. It is still up to us to compare Scripture with Scripture just as they did so we too can know what is truth. The counsel given to Timothy is for all of us.
Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. 2 Timothy 2:15 KJV
Paul did not study for Timothy. Timothy had to study the Scriptures for himself. Likewise our Adventist pioneers did not study the Scriptures for you. You must study them for yourself.
Likewise commentaries like Study Bibles can be helpful, but keep in mind they are not inspired. In 1953 a group of dedicated people put together the 7 volume Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary. as scholarly and Spirit led as they were even they recognized their human limitations and fallibility. For example:
For such errors as may appear in these volumes we plead not only the indulgence of the reader but also his [or her] cooperation, so that future printings may come ever near to perfection. -Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, Volume 1 Page 17.
and also,
This commentary is published with no thought of presenting a creed or determining for all time the denominational interpretation of any passage of Scripture. Neither the contributors nor the editors possess either the power or the desire to do so. Let this fact be clearly understood at the outset. -Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, Volume 1 Page 18.
Let me make myself clear that I am not telling anyone to throw away their Study notes or commentaries. What I am saying is, remember study notes and commentaries are not on the same level as Scripture. Scripture is inspired and infallible. Notes in study Bibles and commentaries are not infallible.
You may study this week’s Sabbath School lesson here.
Sunday in the Bible
Podcast-Circumcision: Making Sense of an “Awkward” Bible Topic.
I am podcasting today from the beautiful Tampa Bay area.
Many Christians do not understand the exact reasoning for circumcision in the Bible, while many atheists make fun of the Bible and Christianity over this apparent “strange ritual.” So let’s take a look at Scripture to make sense of this seemingly “awkward” topic.
You may listen to the podcast here.
You may read the articlehere.
Podcast-Tithing on Your Increase
Video-The Bible is a Love Story, not a Collection of Proof Texts
The Bible is a Love Story and not a Collection of Proof Texts
I am writing today from the beautiful Tampa Bay area.
But these are written so that you may continue to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing in him you will have life by the power of his name. John 20:31 NLT
In Jacqueline van Maarsen’s book, My Name is Anne, She Said, Anne Frank, Jacqueline tells the story about her best friend, Anne Frank. When Anne Frank went into hiding, she could not tell her best friend goodbye. That would have been to dangerous. In order to protect your family, you simply disappeared with no explanation to anyone. While in hiding Anne did write a goodbye letter to Jacqueline, telling her sorry she could not say goodbye and that she did love her. having no possible way to deliver the letter, Anne simply hid it her diary. After being caught and taken to a concentration camp, Anne died just three weeks before American forces came to liberate the camp. Anne’s father was the only one in the family to survive the war.When he returned to the village where his family and he were captured, he found the house where they stayed. The landlady was still there. She gave Anne’s father the diary of Anne ‘s that she had found in the attic. Anne’s father saw the letter to Jacqueline and and found her and gave her the letter. Finally Jacqueline could read the letter her friend so lovingly wrote even though she had no way of delivering it or knowing that it ever would be delivered.
Anne Frank wrote a letter with no way possible of delivering that letter. In the middle of the chaos of a war where neighborhoods were blown to smithereens, and all of Europe was in upheaval, God watched over that letter, and made for sure that it got into the hands of the person Anne wrote it too. Why did God protect that letter in the middle of the chaos of war? Because Jacqueline needed to know she was loved.
In the middle of a cosmic conflict between good and evil, Christ and Satan, God wrote a love letter to all humanity. He wrote that love letter to you, my friend. Throughout the dark ages, Satan has done all he could to destroy that letter to make sure it never got into your hands. Yet men gave their lives to preserve that letter, and to translate that letter into your language. The Bible is the one book that man has tried to wipe out for centuries, and yet it is the one book that has survived for centuries. God has watched over His own love letter to make sure that it got into your hands. Why did God protect that letter in the middle of the chaos of a cosmic war? Because you need to know you are loved.
Suppose once Anne’s letter was miraculously placed into Jacqueline’s hands, she thought to herself, “This looks boring. I don’t think I want to read it?” That would be unthinkable! Yet after all God has done to miraculously place the Bible into the hands of people, that is the attitude many have. That is too sad! I pray that you take time to read God’s miraculous love letter to you.
Years ago the church I was in had a prophecy seminar series. a young man I will call Nate, attended with his wife. They were fascinated by all the prophecies, especially the mark of the beast. Nate understood that the Mark of the beast was choosing a common day of worship over the day God made holy. Nate loved talking theorizing about how the mark would actually be administered. Would it be a computer program? A chip? Would it be a debit card? Instead of absorbing his mind with the love of Jesus, he absorbed his mind with conspiracy theories surrounding Bible prophecy. One day I was hanging out with Nate and his wife, when as usual he started talking about how the mark would be given. This time I finally asked him, “Nate suppose you knew exactly how the mark would be administered. How would that information make you more like Jesus and help you love him more?” Nate gave me a look of surprise and a response similar to “What does that have to do with anything?” Sadly Nate and his wife did not stay long in the church. He was wrapped up in prophecy conspiracies and proof texts, and never did truly see the love letter that was placed in his hand.
When I first came to a certain church to be a Bible Worker, I met a couple of men in the church who were starch King James Version only men. They were always putting together presentations touting the supremacy of the KJV, forgetting it was a version also. It was not the original manuscripts. The tow men worked together during the week. One day I was at their office, and as always they were having an intellectual conversation on the virtues of the KJV. Well, since I am a fairly simple guy, and obviously not too intellectual, I decided to try to simplify the discussion and bring it down to my lever. So since I was still relatively new to the church, in an order to become better acquainted, I asked them how they came to know Jesus as their Savior and how His love has changed their lives. They both looked at me like a deer in the headlights. Neither of them could simply tell me what Jesus meant to them.
A while back I was talking with an Adventist missionary pastor, who is known for his solid Adventist theology. Even with his devoted appreciation of Adventist theology, he shared with me why the Adventist church is not growing more. He said, “we are so concentrated on being right, that we forget to be relational.” Jesus was always right, but he was also always relational. While sharing proof texts do we also teach people how to have their own personal relationship with Jesus? Do we present the Bible to the unbeliever as a collection of proof texts or as a love letter? Thousands have made it through the Adventist school system with their minds filled with proof texts about the Sabbath and state of the dead, but their hearts have never read the love letter in their hands. Thousands have sat in prophecy seminars where proof texts where shared on the screen one right after the other, proving we are right, but did they see anything relational?
Here is what Ellen White said in regard to those who use isolated verses as proof texts to prove their own belief, which applies to Adventists as well.
Some will take a text, wrest it from its true bearing, and force it into service to sustain some preconceived opinion. By linking together isolated passages of Scripture, they may deceive others. But what appears to be Bible proof for their position is no proof whatever; for the scriptures are not used in their true setting. In this way error is often magnified, and truth diminished. Those who thus wrest the scriptures to sustain error, greatly dishonor God, and in the day of judgment, they will be held responsible for the disobedience of those who through their sophistries have been led to disregard the divine law. –Ellen White, Review and Herald, August 13, 1959
Simply put, proof texting is when you look for verses in the Bible to prove what you believe instead of reading with an open mind like the Bereans did in Acts 17:11.
God did not protect Anne’s letter during the chaos of war to prove that Anne was right. He protected it to prove that Jacqueline was loved. Jesus did not die on the cross to prove that He was right. He died to prove that you are loved. God preserved the Bible so you would know you are loved.
There is a joke a like to tell whenever anyone mentions the dictionary. I tell people,” I tried reading the dictionary but I could not follow the plot”. It brings chuckles because of course there is no plot. The dictionary is simply a collection of definitions and facts with no plot or story line. But the Bible is not a mere collection of facts and proof texts. The Bible has a plot. The Bible has a story line. It is a love story. By reading the Bible the way you would a dictionary things are taken out of context and we miss the purpose of why the Bible was written. Please don’t try to read this greatest love story the way you would a lifeless dictionary. Don’t miss the entire reason the Bible was written.
But these are written so that you may continue to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing in him you will have life by the power of his name. John 20:31 NLT
You may study this week’s Sabbath School lesson here.
In Light of The Cross 