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From the series:

Issue 019. 2014 October Bible.org Translator's Newsletter

Thank You!

This last few months has resulted in 16 new translated articles being added to the site. We have added our main salvation article into two more languages (Hindi and Swahili), and are always appreciative of the gospel being made available to more people. Please pray that God uses it in the spread of His kingdom. Thank you for your hard work, Mariza, Jenny, Roma, and David!

What a blessing to be able to provide these new resources to our readers around the world. Thank you all for your ongoing translation work. See the Languages and Articles Here.

Hints and Tips

Tip: Want to double-check a hard section to translate? Want to know more about the way a word or phrase has been translated by others in other real translations?

Linguee (http://www.linguee.com/) has an interesting resource that I highly recommend you check out. It is not a “machine translation” like Google Translate, but it provides some translation suggestions on the left hand side of the screen while giving similar real translations for comparison in the main body of the results page. This could be an interesting tool for providing further background information on the translation of phrases that are challenging for you—in complement with traditional dictionary resources and discussion with other individuals. Currently it is available with 25 languages.

Hopefully this will be a helpful resource to you as you work on accurately translating these important messages about God’s Word!

Learn More Tips from our FAQ Section.

Awarding Faithfulness

This time we had the joy of giving out two awards for translation efforts. The first award went to Mariza for having reached the 85 article milestone. She received an ePub version of the book The Hospitality Commands by Alexander Strauch. The second award was to David for his first translation with us. He received an ePub version of the NET Bible with Full Notes. We pray that these resources are a blessing to you in your personal lives and ministry.

For further Award program details see our Awarding Faithfulness article

Know someone else who is bilingual?

If you know of anyone else who would have the time and skills to translate articles for Bible.org please consider recommending this ministry to them. Sometimes the most obvious gifts (like preaching or being a leader) are not the ones with the most impact or need. This is a real opportunity to meet a need and impact thousands and thousands of people with the truth of God’s Word. Click here to contact us and begin impacting thousands around the world

Need help, have questions, or prefer to meet in real time?

I am available and would love to answer any questions you might have. We do have a Frequently Asked Questions section on our Translation Series page, but you can always send me an email! I can also be available through Skype for a voice or chat conversation. Simply let me know through email that you would like to talk and we will get it worked out.

I look forward to hearing from you!

Click here to email us

From the series:

Related Topics: Administrative and Organization

Bible.org Translator's Newsletter

Bible.org has been blessed to provide a location for quality Bible study material for a number of years. With our desire to be a resource and blessing to people throughout the world, these have made available not just in English but in many other languages as well. In the last couple of years we have seen the number of articles available in other languages really increase. We would like to continue and expand this trend even further. In addition to receiving new material in other languages we would also like to translate our best articles into as many languages as possible. 

With this translation goal in mind our translation efforts include having a regular Translator’s Newsletter (this series of pages), by actively recruiting and inviting bi-lingual believers to get involved in this ministry opportunity, by providing timely assistance to any questions or issues that might arise, and by providing an exciting and helpful resource award program for our committed translators.

See our Translation page for more information on getting involved!

Related Topics: Administrative and Organization

33. Recognizing False Teachers (Matthew 7:15-20)

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“Watch out for false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are voracious wolves. You will recognize them by their fruit. Grapes are not gathered from thorns or figs from thistles, are they? In the same way, every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree is not able to bear bad fruit, nor a bad tree to bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. So then, you will recognize them by their fruit.

Matthew 7:15-20 (NET)

How can we recognize false teachers?

Previously, in Matthew 7:13-14, Christ called his listeners to decide which path they would follow. Would they follow the broad path that leads to destruction or the narrow path that leads to life? He challenges his hearers to not simply listen to the Sermon on the Mount and marvel. They must decide whether to follow his words and enter the kingdom of heaven or not.

Here in Matthew 7:15-20, he describes why some will not enter the narrow road. They will not enter because of false prophets. False prophets will usher them off the narrow road onto the broad path of destruction. He calls all listening to beware of them.

In the context, this must specifically apply to the Pharisees and teachers of the law. Since Matthew 5:20, Christ warned his hearers to not be like them. He said, “If your righteousness does not surpass that of the Pharisees and teachers of the law, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven” (paraphrase). The prominent religious leaders of Israel were on the broad path leading to destruction, and they were ushering others that way as well.

This means that false teachers will not only come from recognized cults but often they will come from the prominent religious establishment. The truth, even in popular religious circles, will often be hard to find. It is easy to end up on the broad path if we don’t have a discerning heart.

In this study, we will consider false teachers and their characteristics so we can recognize them and not be led astray by their teachings.

Big Question: According to Matthew 7:15-20, how can we recognize false teachers—what are their characteristics?

To Recognize False Teachers, We Must Know They Will Come

“Watch out for false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are voracious wolves.

Matthew 7:15

Interpretation Question: What does Christ mean by the metaphor of wolves in sheep’s clothing?

When Christ calls for his disciples to be careful of false prophets, he describes them as wolves in sheep’s clothing. Christ probably wasn’t saying that the wolves were pretending to be sheep; the illustration probably refers to their pretending to be shepherds. In those days, shepherds typically wore woolen clothing which came from the sheep they cared for.1 False prophets pretend to be shepherds who care for the flock, but really are wolves that destroy the flock. They feast on unstable and immature believers—those not trained in and obedient to Scripture (Eph 4:14, 2 Tim 3:6).

In fact, sometimes false prophets mimicked the clothes of true prophets. In the Old Testament, prophets were known by their simple, uncomfortable clothing, which symbolized their forsaking the comforts of the world for the cause of God.2 Like Elijah, they often wore animal clothes. Therefore, false prophets would wear similar clothes to deceive others. Zechariah 13:4 says, “‘Therefore, on that day each prophet will be ashamed of his vision when he prophesies and will no longer wear the hairy garment of a prophet to deceive the people.” They were wolves in shepherds’ clothing seeking to deceive others. No doubt, many of them even deceived themselves about their true intentions.

In the same way, false prophets are no different today. They often come in popular evangelical clothing. They went to prestigious seminaries, use orthodox lingo (like Gospel! Trinity! Kingdom living! etc.) and even appear godly. They often know Scripture well, for even the devil quoted Scripture when tempting Christ (Matt 4). However, their outward persona does not match their inward one—they are ferocious wolves who will hurt the flock.

In John 10, Christ used a similar shepherding metaphor when describing pastoral ministry. He talked about the good shepherd, the hireling, and the wolf. When the wolf comes, the good shepherd gives his life for the sheep—he protects them at all cost. However, the hireling runs when the wolf comes because he is only there for pay. Likewise, in churches there are good shepherds who aim to care for the sheep. They feed them the truth of God’s Word and aim to protect them by doing this. Hirelings are professional clergymen who see ministry primarily from a career stand point. They bounce from church to church seeking higher pay and better weather. They are in ministry only for the benefits. Therefore, they neglect the sheep and don’t really teach the Word of God—ultimately endangering the flock. Wolves destroy the flock by teaching error. Also, they tend to manipulate the flock for gain (cf. 1 Tim 6:3-5).

Christ warned of these false prophets because they were already present in Israel and had been there throughout Israel’s history. Jeremiah 23:6 says:

The Lord who rules over all says to the people of Jerusalem: “Do not listen to what those prophets are saying to you. They are filling you with false hopes. They are reporting visions of their own imaginations, not something the Lord has given them to say.

Christ taught that in the last days false prophets would increase in number and lead many believers away from God. In Matthew 24:11, he said, “And many false prophets will appear and deceive many.” The last days began at Christ’s death and will continue until his second coming. False prophets have come and will continue to increase. There is a new Christian cult that begins essentially every day, and people are continually lured from the narrow way to the broad way by them. In fact, the majority of New Testament epistles were written to combat false teachers that were tearing the church apart. Consider what Paul said to the Ephesian elders in Acts 20:29-31:

I know that after I am gone fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. Even from among your own group men will arise, teaching perversions of the truth to draw the disciples away after them. Therefore be alert, remembering that night and day for three years I did not stop warning each one of you with tears.

Paul warned of these false teachers, and they eventually came. Even from the original elders of that congregation, men rose up and divided the flock. In his letters to Timothy, Paul challenged Timothy to warn the false teachers and to faithfully preach the Word in spite of them (1 Tim 1:3, 4:1-16).

Therefore, we must be warned as well—false teachers will come. They will arise from among us, and if we are not careful, we may be led astray by them, or even worse, become one of them, even as the Ephesian elders did.

In God’s sovereignty, these attacks on the church have been used by God to make the church focus on and clearly define truth.3 Their attacks raised a need to define what books were in the Canon, as many false books began to circulate. Their attacks provoked a need to clearly define the doctrines of Scripture such as: the Trinity, the hypostatic union of Christ (the union of his humanity and deity), the inerrancy of Scripture, etc. In the same way, being confronted by error has made many individual believers study God’s Word in a deeper manner, which kept them from being swept away into lies.

To recognize false teachers, we must recognize they are coming. They may already be among us. If we don’t recognize this reality, we will be unprepared and possibly led astray.

Application Question: What experience do you have with false teachers? Why are they so deceptive?

To Recognize False Teachers, We Must Know Their Fruit

You will recognize them by their fruit. Grapes are not gathered from thorns or figs from thistles, are they? In the same way, every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree is not able to bear bad fruit, nor a bad tree to bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. So then, you will recognize them by their fruit.

Matthew 7:16-20

Because false prophets put on the clothes of a true shepherd, they are hard to detect; however, Christ says their fruit will ultimately manifest. A tree always produces fruit in line with its character. An apple tree produces apples—not grapes. In the same way, a minister’s fruit will eventually manifest. It may not be clear initially. It may require a lengthy and intimate inspection, but eventually the fruit will manifest—establishing whether the person is a true teacher or a false one.

Paul says something similar when warning Timothy about not ordaining people hastily. Consider 1 Timothy 5:22 and 24-25:

Do not lay hands on anyone hastily and so identify with the sins of others. Keep yourself pure…. The sins of some people are obvious, going before them into judgment, but for others, they show up later. Similarly good works are also obvious, and the ones that are not cannot remain hidden.

Paul essentially calls for a diligent inspection of someone being considered for eldership—lest the wrong person be chosen, and we share in his sins. For some, their inadequacy for ministry is clear—they have the wrong temperament, unorthodox doctrine, a disorderly family life, etc. For others it’s not so apparent—their lack of fitness appears slowly. Similarly, with others, their good works are obvious—everyone would declare, “This person should be an elder!” And yet with others, their suitableness for ministry only becomes clear later in the inspection process. Either way, their fruit will eventually become apparent.

Likewise, this is true with false prophets. Their fruit will become apparent. Therefore, we must not hastily accept or reject someone. We must patiently inspect his or her fruit.

Interpretation Question: What types of fruits will identify a false teacher?

1. False teachers are identified by the fruit of their character.

In Scripture, fruit often refers to character. In Galatians 5:21-22, Paul describes the fruit of the Spirit as love, joy, peace, self-control, humility, etc. False prophets will lack these fruits. They will often be identified by pride, anger, lust for money, discord, etc. Second Peter 2:3 says, “And in their greed they will exploit you with deceptive words.” Their teaching and ministry will primarily be about making more money and filling their pockets. In addition, they will commonly be identified by their abusive leadership. Second Timothy 3:6 (NIV) says, “They are the kind who worm their way into homes and gain control over gullible women, who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires.” They will seek to control people’s time, money, and relationships. Often, they will become abusive when others make their own decisions. They often claim, or at least act, as though they are the medium between God and their people, as if people can’t discern God’s voice and make their own decisions. Furthermore, they often are identified by their lusts—sexual harassment and multiple affairs, among other vile acts, tend to follow them. False prophets will be identified by their character or lack thereof.

2. False teachers are identified by the fruit of their teaching.

Second Peter 2:1 says,

But false prophets arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. These false teachers will infiltrate your midst with destructive heresies, even to the point of denying the Master who bought them. As a result, they will bring swift destruction on themselves.

They will be known by their destructive heresies, which not only destroy them but others.

Application Question: What are some examples of their destructive teaching?

  • False teachers tend to have unbalanced teaching.

Balanced teaching speaks about both God’s love and judgment. However, false teachers tend to focus on one or the other. When they focus on love alone, it creates an undisciplined people who don’t fear God or hate sin. One of the most popular teachers in the U.S. said that he wouldn’t speak on sin because his people needed to hear about God’s comfort more. The problem is without understanding sin and God’s judgment, nobody can be saved. It is a crucial part of the gospel. One cannot accept the good news without first understanding the bad news. In Jeremiah 6:14, God described false prophets this way: “They offer only superficial help for the harm my people have suffered. They say, ‘Everything will be all right!’ But everything is not all right!” Some versions say, “Peace, peace, when there is no peace.” These prophets focused on God’s love and blessing but neglected other aspects of his character.

Others only teach about God’s wrath, often creating a fear in people, which allows them to be controlled and manipulated. Teaching about God’s wrath apart from his love and grace ultimately fosters a works-based salvation and turns people into Pharisees who condemn and judge one another.

  • False teachers often have a heretical view of the doctrine of salvation.

This is implied by the immediate context of choosing between the broad road and the narrow road (Matt 7:13-14). The narrow road leads to life, while the broad road leads to destruction. (1) Some lead people down the broad road by teaching belief in Christ without repentance, Lordship, or taking up one’s cross. People can live any way they want (antinomianism). As long as they profess Christ, it is OK. Jude 1:4 says they turn “the grace of our God into a license for evil.” Bonhoeffer called this “cheap grace”—a grace that doesn’t change us. Some even teach that one can take Christ as savior first and Lord later. Again, the road has been broadened. Christ said that nobody could be his disciple without hating mother, father, brother, sister, and even one’s own life. Whoever does not take up his cross cannot be Christ’s disciple (Lk 14:26-27 paraphrase). (2) Some teach the broad road of works salvation—one needs to be baptized to be saved, practice the Lord’s Supper, or do some other work. Every religion teaches the need of works for salvation except true Christianity. Salvation is by grace alone, through faith, and that not of ourselves. It is a gift of God, not of works lest anyone should boast (Eph 2:8-9). With that said, true faith will always produce godly works (Eph 2:10). But we are not saved by these works. (3) Others teach the broad road of universal salvation. Christ is the way to heaven, but only one out of many ways. Buddha, Muhammad, and others all speak of the same god and heaven. However, Christ said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father but by me” (John 14:6 paraphrase).

  • False teachers often have a heretical view of the doctrine of Christ.

In warning the Ephesian church about false teachers, John said:

Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to determine if they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses Jesus as the Christ who has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God, and this is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming, and now is already in the world.

1 John 4:1-3

The cult attacking Ephesus twisted the doctrine of Christ—denying either his humanity or deity. Modern cults do the same thing. Prominent ones often teach that Christ was a created being and is not God or not eternally God. Some even say Christ was an angel. Beware of unorthodox teachings about Christ; they are the fruit of false teachers.

  • False teachers often undermine the authority of Scripture itself.

Like Satan in the Garden of Eden, they challenge others with, “Did God really say?” They teach that one can’t believe everything the Bible says. One can’t believe the historicity and/or ethical requirements of the Bible. When Scripture is removed as the only basis for doctrine and living, other foundations can be established. The teacher himself can become the standard by which all things are tested. Beware of teachers who undermine the authority of God’s Word. When they do this, it is simply an opportunity to establish some other authority—including their own.

3. False teachers are identified by the fruit of their influence.

Second Peter 1:2 says, “And many will follow their debauched lifestyles. Because of these false teachers, the way of truth will be slandered.” The influence of a false teacher’s life and teaching will bear bad fruit in his or her converts. Paul said their “message will spread its infection like gangrene” (2 Tim 2:17). Like cancer, it rots beliefs, then character, and ultimately pulls people away from Christ and his church. False teachers will be known by their ungodly influence on others.

Application Question: What types of false teaching are spreading rapidly around the world and what are the effects of these false doctrines? How should the church respond to the rampant spread of false doctrine?

General Applications

Application Question: What applications can we take from the reality of false teachers and their destructive influence on the church?

1. Because of false teachers and their destructive influence, believers must constantly test the teachings they hear with Scripture.

Church members must be like the Bereans. Acts 17:11 said this about them, “they eagerly received the message, examining the scriptures carefully every day to see if these things were so.” God honors them in Scripture because they tested everything that Paul said to make sure it lined up with God’s Word. Each church must develop a culture of opening their Bible to test the teachings they hear, and not just accepting them. If the sermon is void of Scripture or not primarily based on Scripture, there is a problem. Our spiritual leaders must be held accountable for accurately preaching the Word. Good shepherds will appreciate this and encourage it. It means they are developing Bereans in their congregations!

2. Because of false teachers and their destructive influence, believers must be discerning without being judgmental.

In Matthew 7:1, Christ taught that his followers must not judge lest they be judged. This doesn’t mean we shouldn’t call out sin and false doctrine. It means we must call it out in ourselves first. We must take the plank out of our own eye before we take the speck out of another’s (Matt 7:3-5). Also, we must be careful of our attitudes. A judgmental attitude takes joy in the failures of others. It’s a way of exalting ourselves by pulling others down. Though Christ calls us to be discerning, he doesn’t give us freedom to become heresy hunters—attacking every doctrinal (or moral) failure of others. All of us have some doctrinal error. Personal sin affects our ability to always properly understand God’s Word (cf. John 7:17). Therefore, we must be gracious when others fail doctrinally and help them come to the truth. However, we must not tolerate heretical doctrinal errors that ultimately can be damning. When it came to the gospel, Paul said that anybody who taught another gospel should be accursed—condemned to hell (Gal 1:9).

3. Because of false teachers and their destructive influence, believers must become mature to protect themselves through deeply studying and knowing God’s Word.

Scripture describes those who are commonly led astray by false teachers and doctrinal error as spiritual children “tossed back and forth by waves and carried about by every wind of teaching by the trickery of people who craftily carry out their deceitful schemes” (Eph 4:14). The spiritual child stage is a dangerous stage of life because like regular children, spiritual children lack wisdom and commonly endanger themselves because of it. This can lead them into various false doctrines that stay with them throughout their lives and potentially lead them away from Christ all together. Whatever we learn in our early childhood often stays with us and that is true with spiritual adults. Many of us have corrupt areas of doctrine that are hard to root out, which were planted during our spiritual childhood. When Paul warned the Ephesian elders that some of them would become wolves that taught false doctrine, he closed that teaching with this:

Therefore be alert, remembering that night and day for three years I did not stop warning each one of you with tears. And now I entrust you to God and to the message of his grace. This message is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.

Acts 20:31-32

God’s message will protect us as we study it deeply. Are you aiming to deeply study God’s Word?

4. Because of false teachers and their destructive influence, believers must not only become mature to protect themselves, but also so they can protect others.

Though we all bear the responsibility to protect ourselves through deeply studying Scripture, God has specifically called spiritual leaders to protect the flock (Eph 4:11-14). Few of us will do this from the office of an elder, but many of us will do this from the role of a spiritual mother or father, or older brother or sister (1 John 2:12-14). If we never mature in Christ, we will never effectively protect others or deliver them when they are caught in sin. That is primarily what many of Paul’s letters do. They are written to combat false doctrine, equip those fighting it, and deliver those caught in it. We must all develop Paul’s pastoral affection and skill to effectively help others. During spiritual infancy, we primarily care about ourselves and our welfare. During spiritual adulthood, we become consumed with others and their spiritual welfare. Jude said this in calling us to minister to those caught in false doctrine: And have mercy on those who waver; save others by snatching them out of the fire; have mercy on others, coupled with a fear of God, hating even the clothes stained by the flesh” (Jude 1:22-23).

Are you willing to minister to those struggling with sin and false doctrine?

Application Question: What experience do you have with helping someone caught in false doctrine? Is there anybody God currently has on your heart to help?

Conclusion

Many are heading down the broad road to destruction, unawares, because of false teachers and their teachings—ones they met at a Christian university, seminary, church, or ministry. False teachers are dangerous, and therefore, Scripture commonly warns us about them. Their appearance and influence are inevitable. Can you recognize them and their fruits? Being able to recognize them will protect you and others from their destructive influence.

Copyright © 2019 Gregory Brown

Unless otherwise noted, the primary Scriptures used are taken from the NET Bible ® copyright © 1996-2016 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. All rights reserved.

Holy Bible, New International Version ®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Scripture quotations marked (ESV) are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®) Copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, Copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (NASB) are taken from the New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, and 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

Scripture quotations marked (KJV) are from the King James Version of the Bible.

All emphases in Scripture quotations have been added.

BTG Publishing all rights reserved.


1 MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (1985). Matthew (p. 465). Chicago: Moody Press.

2 MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (1985). Matthew (p. 465). Chicago: Moody Press.

3 Stott, J. R. W., & Stott, J. R. W. (1985). The message of the Sermon on the mount (Matthew 5-7): Christian counter-culture (p. 197). Leicester; Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.

Related Topics: Christian Life, Kingdom

Pathway to Spiritual Maturity

Related Media

Below is a suggested discipleship plan using articles on our site (and other sites) covering the foundational areas of the Christian Faith. You might want to download the assessment pdf and answer the questions in order to see in what areas you might be weak.

Preface: Motivation to Grow

Commitment to follow Christ, Intentionality to Grow, Dependence on God’s Grace: this is Discipleship. The Christian life requires commitment to Jesus Christ by the disciple. Spiritual growth requires commitment.

  • Commitment to Christ requires pursuing Christ and what is good above all else: Matthew 6:33; 2 Timothy 2:22
  • Commitment to Christ requires pursuing Christ over all accomplishments and possessions: Philippians 3:8-10
  • Commitment to Christ requires pursuing Christ over life itself: Matthew 16:24; Philippians 1:21
  • Commitment to Christ requires persevering in tough times which will come: 2 Timothy 3:12
  • Commitment to Christ requires resisting sin, maybe even to death: Hebrews 12:3-4; Romans 6:11-14

Being a disciple of Jesus Christ and growing in spiritual maturity is not easy. It does bring the greatest joy and peace in the world (Philippians 4:7-10), and it does bring the fulfillment of the only life purpose that is worthwhile (Matthew 16:24-26).

So where does this commitment, this internal motivation come from? It is the work of the Holy Spirit as we learn, remember, and meditate on -- who Christ is and what He has done for us personally. Titus 3:3-8, and 2 Timothy 1:5-12 declare this clearly and succinctly. (This is why communion is also so important and commanded-- because we are corporately reminding each other of these things.) Selah.

Will you commit to pursuing true discipleship? Or waste your life doing things that will not matter in eternity-- the wood, hay, or straw that will burn on judgment day? (1 Corinthians 3:10-17)

This path to Spiritual Maturity requires commitment because we want to aid you in truly knowing and obeying Jesus Christ as His disciple. Will you decide now to ask God to help you throw off the sin and the distractions which may be so easily entangling your life? (Hebrews 12:1-2) And will you pursue knowing Him and walking with Him by His grace?

My Time With God

A. My Time with God Media:

1. Video: Time with God: Why and How (Outside video; well done, by Wayne Cordeiro, but not a blanket endorsement of a specific pastor or church.)

2. Downloadable PDF: Sample Scripture/Prayer Journal (Usable)

B. My Time with God Notepad:

As you journal consider including four main components: Scripture, Observation, Application, and Prayer (SOAP). See above video for further guidance.

C. My Time with God Further Resources:

D. Share and Discuss:

  • Start a local Path to Spiritual Maturity Bible Study Group with people you know.
  • Write your thoughts or questions in your NET Bible Study Suite Notes
  • Share your progress or thoughts on Facebook, or Twitter.

Links to aid reading the books of the Bible: (Do not substitute for the real thing!)

Concise Book Introductions:

Concise Bible Survey:

Technical Book Introductions:

Maps and Pictures:

1. Salvation

1.A. Salvation Media:

1. Article: God's Plan of Salvation (Hampton Keathley III, Gospel)

2. Article: Sin and Salvation (Vickie Kraft, Gospel)

3. Article: The Gospel for Us and through Us (Greg Herrick, short nice recap, good application)

4. Video: Soteriology (Salvation) in the Theology Program (Michael Patton, 10 videos)

5. Additional Media: Bible.org "Salvation" Topic Category Or Bible.org "Salvation" Search Engine

1.B. Salvation Application:

1. Do I understand and believe that I am a sinner by nature and action who deserves the just punishment of God in hell forever for my rebellion against Him?

2. Do I understand and believe that I cannot earn God’s forgiveness in any way? That it is only received as a free gift of grace from God through Jesus Christ that disallows any kind of boasting on my part?

3. Having received that free gift, what have I done in thankfulness to God for that salvation? Shared it with others?

4. Briefly write out the story of how you came to believe in Jesus and what you came to believe about Him.

5. Try to think through those two above things (#4) and share it with someone in a five minute or less version.

6. Other. 

2. Assurance of Salvation

2.A. Assurance (of Salvation) Media:

1. Article: Can People Really Be Sure of Their Salvation? (Boa, list of verses)

2. Article: Assurance of Eternal Security (Hampton Keathley III, quite in depth)

3. Article: Meditating on Scriptural Assurances (Greg Herrick, practical assurances)

4. Video: The Doctrine of Perseverance (Eternal Security) in the Theology Program (Michael Patton, 1 video)

5. Additional Media: Bible.org "Assurance" Topic Category Or Bible.org "Assurance of Salvation" Search Engine

2.B. Assurance (of Salvation) Application:

1. Am I confident that I have trusted in Christ for the forgiveness of my sins, and that He is able and will bring me to be with Him when I die?

2. Have I memorized any verses to remind myself of these truths? Try quoting it to yourself at least once a day for two or three weeks in order to get it more cemented in your long term memory. (Look in the articles to find a good verse that is encouraging to you.)

3. Could I explain to someone why I am confident in my salvation?

4. Other. 

3. God

3.A. God (Trinity) Media:

1. Article: The Trinity (Charles Buntin, Good)

2. Article: Three in One (Richard Strauss, decent, not too long)

3. Article: The Trinity (Triunity) of God (Hampton Keathley III, longer, more complex)

4. Audio: Truth of the Trinity Audio Series (suggested by Hampton Keathley IV)

5. Video: Trinitarianism in the Theology Program (Michael Patton, 10 videos)

6. InfoGraphic: Tim Challies Infographic on the Trinity (Very Good, freely downloadable)

7. Additional Media: Bible.org "Trinity" Topic Category Or Bible.org "Trinity" Search Engine

3.B. God (Trinity) Application:

1. Do I believe that Jesus is 100% man and 100% God even if I cannot fully understand it? Do I believe the three members of the Godhead are distinct in person but one in essence? Do I believe in only one God? Am I ok with not being able to fully comprehend the infinite God with my finite mind?

2. Can I immediately point to a Scripture that speaks of all three members of the Godhead equally?

3. Am I using the perfectness, oneness, and harmony of the concept of the Trinity as a pattern for my marriage (if I am married)? What one concrete thing am I doing to make your marriage the accurate reflection of God that it should be?

4. Other. 

4. Prayer

4.A. Prayer Media:

1. Article: Spiritual Growth Study Guide: Prayer (John Underhill, good)

2. Article: Spiritual Growth Study Guide: Confession (John Underhill, good)

3. Article: The Paternoster - A Model Prayer (Matthew 6:9-15) (Chip Bell, good, on the Lord's prayer, Audio, Powerpoint available)

4. Article: Paul's Four Life-Changing Prayers (Ken Boa, short list of Scripture prayers to pray)

5. Article: Topical Prayer: Misc (Robert Hill, very long, but a good skim, informative, thought provoking)

6. Article: The Prayer-Filled Life (Part 1) (Hampton Keathley III, good/exhaustive)

7. Additional Media: Bible.org "Prayer" Topic Category Or Bible.org "Prayer" Search Engine

4.B. Prayer Application:

1. Do I have times each day that I pray to God?

2. Am I praising God in my prayer? Confessing sin? Sharing my prayer requests? Praying for salvation of others?

3. Do I pray with my family? With a group of believers from church?

4. Go for a walk this week and just talk to God about everything going on in your life.

5. Other. 

5. Bible Study Methods

5.A. Bible Study Methods Media:

1. Article: What Does It Take To Grow? (John Underhill, pretty good)

2. Article: How to Study the Bible: For Beginners (Greg Herrick, whole series)

3. Article: Appendix 6: Key Verses on the “Daily” Emphasis of Scripture (Hampton Keathley III, good scriptures to meditate on the need of daily time in the Bible)

4. Article: Studying the Scriptures (Ken Boa, pretty good)

5. Article: Interpreting the Bible (Ken Boa, good)

6. Video: Bibliology and Hermeneutics in the Theology Program (Michael Patton, 10 videos)

7. Additional Media: Bible.org "Bible Study Methods" Topic Category Or Bible.org "Bible Study Methods " Search Engine

5.B. Bible Study Methods Applications:

1. Do I have time set aside each day to read and think about God’s Word? Am I looking for what it tells me about God, what it tells me about man, what it tells me I should believe and do?

2. Am I taking notes of the things which I do not understand as I study? Have I found trusted people I can discuss these with?

3. Am I taking any classes at church or reading any books that help me grow in how to study the Bible? Have I used the techniques they taught me in studying a book of the Bible?

4. Read a chapter of the Bible out loud each night or morning together with your family.

5. Other. 

6. Baptism

6.A. Baptism Media:

1. Article: Believer's Baptism (William McRae, good article)

2. Audio: Baptism (Bob Deffinbaugh, broad overview)

3. Video: Ministries of the Church: Ordinances/Sacraments? in the Theology Program (Michael Patton, 1 video)

4. Additional Media: Bible.org "Baptism" Topic Category Or Bible.org "Baptism" Search Engine

6.B. Baptism Applications:

1. Do I understand why Baptism is important, and how it identifies one with Christ in His death, Burial, and resurrection, but does not bring salvation?

2. Have I been baptized? If not, get baptized.

3. Have I explained the meaning and purpose of Baptism to another believer to make sure I understand it correctly?

4. Other. 

7. Communion

7.A. Communion Media:

1. Article: Communion and Christmas (Bob Deffinbaugh, decent)

2. Article: A Feeding Frenzy (1 Corinthians 11:17-34) (Kieth Krell, decent, Audio available)

3. Article: The Lord’s Supper and the Competing Agendas of Luke 22 (Hampton Keathley III, decent)

4. Video: Ministries of the Church: Ordinances/Sacraments? in the Theology Program (Michael Patton, 1 video)

5. Additional Media: Bible.org "Communion" Topic Category Or Bible.org "Communion" Search Engine

7.B. Communion Applications:

1. Do I understand the importance of Communion for believers, that we do not take it to make us right with God, but to remind us of what Jesus did as we fellowship with Him?

2. Before I take communion do I make sure that I am not walking with any un-confessed sin in my life? Do I rejoice in taking communion with other believers?

3. Do I regularly take communion with other believers?

4. Other. 

8. The Church

8.A. The Church Media:

1. Article: The Church (Vickie Kraft, good overview)

2. Article: Introduction to the New Testament Church (Bob Deffinbaugh, good, more in-depth, overview)

3. Article: Ecclesiology: The Church (Greg Herrick, good, nice and succinct)

4. Video: Ecclesiology and Eschatology in the Theology Program (Michael Patton, 10 videos)

5. Additional Media: Bible.org "Ecclesiology (Church)" Topic Category Or Bible.org "Church" Search Engine

8.B. The Church Applications:

1. Have I found a bible believing church and become a regular part of it?

2. Am I seeking and letting other believers help me grow in understanding and in living out my new life in Christ? Have I been challenged, encouraged, or helped this week?

3. Have I encouraged or helped another believer this week?

4. Invite one person/family a week for a meal in order to get to know them better and let them get to know you better so that you can better be family to each other in your congregation.

5. Other. 

9. Sexual Purity

9.A. Sexual Purity Media:

1. Article: Sanctification, Sex, and Love (1 Thessalonians 4:1-12) (Bob Deffinbaugh, good, broad on sexual purity, Audio, PowerPoint available)

2. Article: Flames of Desire (Matthew 5:27-30) (Chip Bell, good, purity, thought, action, Audio, PowerPoint available)

3. Article: Sex and the Spiritual Christian (1 Cor. 7:1-7) (Bob Deffinbaugh, good, mostly about marriage and celibacy)

4. Additional Media: Bible.org "Sexual Purity" Topic Category Or Bible.org "Sexual Purity" Search Engine

9.B. Sexual Purity Applications:

1. Do I understand, believe, and obey the Bible’s commands for sexual purity and expression in my life (i.e. to be enjoyed within the covenant of marriage exclusively)?

2. Am I free from addiction to pornographic material, or making myself appropriately accountable to others to prevent me from accessing such material?

3. Am I being considerate of others and myself sexually in my speech, choice of entertainments, choice of clothing, and the kinds of activities I encourage? (i.e. am I treating fellow believers as if they were my brother or sister in all purity?)

4. Write out a list of the movies you watched this last month, a number of the songs you listened to, and the activities that you were a part of. Think and pray about them carefully, did they encourage you and others towards sexual purity, or away from it? Are there any changes that you can or should make?

5. Other. 

10. Evangelism

10.A. Evangelism Media:

1. Article: Evangelize or Fossilize (Strauch, very practical, motivational,).

2. Article: Mastering A Plan for Formal Time Together—Evangelism (Greg Herrick, very good with texts of Scripture)

3. Article: Readings on Discipleship (Session 1) (Emery Nester, Lorne Sanny, Dawson Trotman, on discipleship/evangelism.{born to reproduce} Very good, engaging stories, lots to think about)

4. Article: The Six Main Points of the Gospel (Session 2) (Emery Nester, aspects to mention in full Gospel presentations)

5. Article: The Bridge (Session 3) (Emery Nester, one method of sharing the Gospel)

6. Audio: It’s Harvest Time! (1 Corinthians 3:5-9) (Keith Krell, good message on evangelism)

7. Additional Media: Bible.org "Evangelism" Topic Category Or Bible.org "Evangelism" Search Engine

10.B. Evangelism Applications:

1. Do I understand the need for sharing the gospel with all people? Try to write out 4 or 5 reasons (or more).

2. Can I clearly share the gospel without missing anything important? Try it with another believer.

3. Have I shared the gospel with anyone this week?

4. Share with one non-believer the story of how and what you came to believe when you became a Christian.

5. Other. 

11. Discipleship

11.A. Discipleship Media:

1. Article: Process of Discipleship (Miles Stanford, need for discipleship)

2. Article: Jesus Christ Disciple Maker @ twenty (Bill Hull, what and how? Very good)

3. Article: Discipleship Overview (Hampton Keathley III, good overview)

4. Video: Choose The Life Journey (Bill Hull series on discipleship)

5. Additional Media: Bible.org "Discipleship" Topic Category Or Bible.org "Discipleship" Search Engine

11.B. Discipleship Applications:

1. Do I understand the need for being taught and helped by other believers so that I can mature in my walk with God?

2. Do I have someone in my life that I am being taught by, whose example I can learn from on a more individual level?

3. Do I have someone in my life that is helping to challenge me and hold me accountable in a good way?

4. Find a person to pray with once a week about growing in your relationship with God.

5. Other.

12. Spiritual Gifts

12.A. Spiritual Gifts Media:

1. Article: The Gifts of the Spirit (Ken Boa, good comprehensive overview)

2. Article: The Stewardship of Talents (Hampton Keathley III, good comprehensive introduction)

3. Article: The Pursuit of Christian Character (2 Peter 1:5-7) (Bob Deffinbaugh, moving to maturity)

4. Article: Mastering A Plan for Formal Time Together—Serving and Spiritual Giftedness (Greg Herrick, good listing of verses with questions and guidance)

5. Audio: No Nobodies! (1 Corinthians 12:12-31) (Keith Krell, audio/article on the body/gifts)

6. Additional Media: Bible.org "Spiritual Gifts" Topic Category Or Bible.org "Spiritual Gifts" Search Engine

12.B. Spiritual Gifts Applications:

1. Do I understand that all believers have been given gifts by God to minister to fellow believers?

2. Am I serving other believers regularly in some way, and looking for new ways to serve so that I can meet the needs of the body that God has designed me to meet?

3. Have I used my skills/gifts/abilities this week to minister to other believers or share my faith?

4. Volunteer for helping out in a ministry in your church that you have not yet been a part of. Try it for a while. Then try another one. This might help you see where you are gifted to best serve, and will stretch you in areas you might not automatically have though to try serving in.

5. Other. 

13. Giving

13.A. Giving (Tithing) Media:

1. Article: Financial Faithfulness (Hampton Keathley III, Good article)

2. Article: Stewards, Not Owners (Sid Litke, good stewardship overview, audio available)

3. Article: Mastering A Plan for Formal Time Together—Giving (Greg Herrick, good listing of verses with questions and guidance)

4. Audio: Give-and-Go (1 Corinthians 16:1-12) (Keith Krell, audio/article, good)

5. Audio: Biblical Financial Stewardship (Sid Litke, good series on giving. Audio/articles)

6. Additional Media: Bible.org "Tithing" Topic Category Or Bible.org "Giving" Search Engine

13.B. Giving (Tithing) Applications:

1. Do I understand that we are to give with a joyful attitude to help believers in need and enable each other to carry on ministry?

2. Do I give 10% or more of your income (not out of requirement from the New Testament, but out of generosity and example from the Old Testament) to support my local church and other ministries?

3. Have I been generous with my time and other possessions for serving God and fellow believers this month?

4. Look for and find one faithful ministry outside of your church (AFTER giving to them!) that is a worthwhile cause and that you would be excited to support and begin praying about being able to help them. As soon as you are able (or see if there is something in your budget you could eliminate) begin supporting them.

5. Other.

Related Topics: Assurance, Baptism, Communion, Sexual Purity, Soteriology (Salvation), Spiritual Gifts

Q. Will God forgive me for losing hope and the will to live?

Answer

Dear Friend,

There are a number of Old Testament saints who “wished they were dead,” or that they had never been born (men like Job, and Jonah, for example). But I want you to think about this passage in 1 Kings 19, which describes how God dealt with Elijah, who also wished to die:

1 Now Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. 2 Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, “So may the gods do to me and even more, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by tomorrow about this time.” 3 And he was afraid and arose and ran for his life and came to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there. 4 But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree; and he requested for himself that he might die, and said, “It is enough; now, O LORD, take my life, for I am not better than my fathers.” 5 He lay down and slept under a juniper tree; and behold, there was an angel touching him, and he said to him, “Arise, eat.” 6 Then he looked and behold, there was at his head a bread cake baked on hot stones, and a jar of water. So he ate and drank and lay down again. 7 The angel of the LORD came again a second time and touched him and said, “Arise, eat, because the journey is too great for you.” 8 So he arose and ate and drank, and went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights to Horeb, the mountain of God.

9 Then he came there to a cave and lodged there; and behold, the word of the LORD came to him, and He said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 10 He said, “I have been very zealous for the LORD, the God of hosts; for the sons of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars and killed Your prophets with the sword. And I alone am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.” 11 So He said, “Go forth and stand on the mountain before the LORD.” And behold, the LORD was passing by! And a great and strong wind was rending the mountains and breaking in pieces the rocks before the LORD; but the LORD was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. 12 After the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of a gentle blowing. 13 When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. And behold, a voice came to him and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 14 Then he said, “I have been very zealous for the LORD, the God of hosts; for the sons of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars and killed Your prophets with the sword. And I alone am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.” 15 The LORD said to him, “Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus, and when you have arrived, you shall anoint Hazael king over Aram; 16 and Jehu the son of Nimshi you shall anoint king over Israel; and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah you shall anoint as prophet in your place. 17 “It shall come about, the one who escapes from the sword of Hazael, Jehu shall put to death, and the one who escapes from the sword of Jehu, Elisha shall put to death. 18 “Yet I will leave 7,000 in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal and every mouth that has not kissed him.” 19 So he departed from there and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, while he was plowing with twelve pairs of oxen before him, and he with the twelfth. And Elijah passed over to him and threw his mantle on him (1 Kings 19:1-19).

  • First, take note that Elijah wanted to die.
  • Second, notice that God graciously, personally, encountered Elijah in the midst of his despair.
  • Third, notice that God met his physical needs – food and sleep (earlier in chapter 19).
  • Fourth, Elijah, in his despair, did not see things correctly:

Elijah thought he was a failure, because a great national revival did not result from his confrontation with Ahab and Jezebel and their false prophets on Mount Carmel (see 1 Kings 17-18). He was wrong about several things:

He assumed that it took great acts of faith, and spectacular success for important things to happen. But God spoke to him through a still, small, voice, not a great earthquake, or wind, or fire (1 Kings 19:11-12).

He thought he was the only faithful one left, but he was wrong. There were 7,000 folks in Israel that had not bowed the knee to Baal (19:18).

He thought that God’s work depended on him, but he was wrong. God’s purposes for Israel will be dealt with, not by Elijah, but by Elisha, Hazael, and Jehu (19:15-16).

  • Fifth, because Elijah wrongly felt alone, God gave him a constant companion, for the rest of his life – Elisha. And God gave him work to do.

So, to sum it all up. God does forgive sins, but the solution to our troubles is never to take our own life, or even to wish that we would die.

It is most important to remember that it is Satan who is “the accuser of the brethren” and the great deceiver (see Zechariah chapter three, and Revelation 12:7-12). Satan wants us to see things wrongly.

To take one’s life, or to wish to do so, is a victory for Satan, and a failure for us, because God has assured us that He is working out all things for our good, and His glory (Romans 8:28), and that there is no temptation that comes our way that God has not provided the means to overcome (1 Corinthians 10:13).

One of the problems in Elijah’s life was that he was alone, and that he felt alone – until God brought Elisha into his life. You need the encouragement of God’s Word (Romans 5:1-11; 8:18-39; 15:4). You also need the encouragement of fellow believers, which means you should quickly associate yourself with a good church, and with the fellowship of fellow-saints, who will encourage you, as Elisha did with Elijah (Hebrews 10:19-25).

Most of all, you need the encouragement that our Lord Jesus gives:

Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, 15 and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives. 16 For assuredly He does not give help to angels, but He gives help to the descendant of Abraham. 17 Therefore, He had to be made like His brethren in all things, so that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. 18 For since He Himself was tempted in that which He has suffered, He is able to come to the aid of those who are tempted (Hebrews 2:14-18).

The right question to ask, then, is not, “If I sin will God forgive me” (which He will), but “Will my suffering draw me nearer to God (see Psalm 73), and bring glory to Him?”

Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you; 13 but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that also at the revelation of His glory you may rejoice with exultation. 14 If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. 15 Make sure that none of you suffers as a murderer, or thief, or evildoer, or a troublesome meddler; 16 but if anyone suffers as a Christian, he is not to be ashamed, but is to glorify God in this name (1 Peter 4:12-16).

I’m praying for you at this moment.

Bob Deffinbaugh

Related Topics: Christian Life, Forgiveness

Q. Do You Have Any Comfort For Someone Who Lost A Loved One To Suicide After An Earlier Profession Of Faith?

Answer

Dear ***********,

What a heartbreaking thing you have gone through.

In the end, it doesn’t matter what I, or anyone else, has to say about this, but only what God says in His Word. So let’s begin with what it does not say, and then consider what His Word does say.

To my knowledge, there is no text of Scripture which states that suicide condemns one to hell.

Indeed, we know that Jonah (see Jonah 1:12; 4:3), and Elijah (1 Kings 19:4) asked to die. Job wished he had never been born (see Job 3:1-2). None of these men were right to wish their death, and God revealed this to them.

Now, take note of these texts, and what they tell us about God:

22 Then the men turned away from there and went toward Sodom, while Abraham was still standing before the LORD. 23 Abraham came near and said, “Will You indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked? 24 “Suppose there are fifty righteous within the city; will You indeed sweep it away and not spare the place for the sake of the fifty righteous who are in it? 25 “Far be it from You to do such a thing, to slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous and the wicked are treated alike. Far be it from You! Shall not the Judge of all the earth deal justly?” (Genesis 18:22-25).

23 Thus says the LORD, “Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast of his might, let not a rich man boast of his riches; 24 but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD who exercises lovingkindness, justice and righteousness on earth; for I delight in these things,” declares the LORD (Jeremiah 9:23-24).

Do I have any pleasure in the death of the wicked,” declares the Lord GOD, “rather than that he should turn from his ways and live? (Ezekiel 18:23)

For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone who dies,” declares the Lord GOD. “Therefore, repent and live” (Ezekiel 18:32).

18 Who is a God like You, who pardons iniquity And passes over the rebellious act of the remnant of His possession? He does not retain His anger forever, Because He delights in unchanging love. 19 He will again have compassion on us; He will tread our iniquities under foot. Yes, You will cast all their sins Into the depths of the sea. 20 You will give truth to Jacob And unchanging love to Abraham, Which You swore to our forefathers From the days of old (Micah 7:18-20).

6 The LORD performs righteous deeds And judgments for all who are oppressed. 7 He made known His ways to Moses, His acts to the sons of Israel. 8 The LORD is compassionate and gracious, Slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness. 9 He will not always strive with us, Nor will He keep His anger forever. 10 He has not dealt with us according to our sins, Nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. 11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth, So great is His lovingkindness toward those who fear Him. 12 As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us. 13 Just as a father has compassion on his children, So the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him. 14 For He Himself knows our frame; He is mindful that we are but dust (Psalm 103:6-14).

27 “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; 28 and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. 29 “My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand (John 10:27-29).

For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus (Philippians 1:6).

6 For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. 8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. 10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life (Romans 5:6-10).

31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? 32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? 33 Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies; 34 who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us. 35 Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 Just as it is written, “FOR YOUR SAKE WE ARE BEING PUT TO DEATH ALL DAY LONG; WE WERE CONSIDERED AS SHEEP TO BE SLAUGHTERED.” 37 But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8:31-39).

The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9).

All of these verses are meant to give us comfort as believers, and to comfort us regarding the eternal security of those believers who have died, whether by natural causes, at the hand of another, or even by their own hand. But even when an unbeliever dies, or takes his own life, we must acknowledge the sovereign control of God, and of His goodness, truth, mercy, and justice. Thus, even in the most painful of cases, we must, like Abraham, say, “Shall not the Judge of all the earth deal justly?” (Genesis 18:25). He does, and He will. If God gave up His own Son as the sacrifice for our sins, will He not always do what is best, even at great cost to Himself?

Take comfort in God, and in His mercy, love, and grace. My wife and I lost our first child, Timmy, at three and a half months. He died suddenly and unexpectedly of crib death, or sudden instant death syndrome. We found great comfort in God, because we knew His character, and we trusted Him completely. We did not have to have all of our questions answered, because we knew all of this was in the hands of our loving God.

There is another factor in all of this, Satan:

“You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies” (John 8:44).

Surely Satan takes great pleasure in the death of a man, woman, or child. But let us never lose sight of the fact that Satan never wins, and that God’s purposes will prevail.

Perhaps I should add that we may not see or understand at this point in time what God’s purposes are for our suffering. We may be like Jacob, who said in his darkest hour,

Now it came about as they were emptying their sacks, that behold, every man’s bundle of money was in his sack; and when they and their father saw their bundles of money, they were dismayed. 36 Their father Jacob said to them, “You have bereaved me of my children: Joseph is no more, and Simeon is no more, and you would take Benjamin; all these things are against me” (Genesis 42:35-36).

It was only later on that Jacob could see that all of this was really God’s good hand at work. As Joseph said to his brothers (overcome by their guilt),

“As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive” (Genesis 50:20).

Blessings,

Bob Deffinbaugh

Related Topics: Christian Life, Comfort, Failure

Lessons From The Leftovers (Mark 6-8)

Related Media

Introduction

As I write this, it is just a week after Thanksgiving, and this means many things. Among them, this is the week of leftovers. (Years ago, I got into some trouble when I made some less than complimentary comments about leftovers, so I’ll try to do better this time.) Hopefully this will help us to identify with our text in Mark’s Gospel, supplemented by the parallel account in Matthew, chapter 15. But in this marvelous text in the Gospel of Mark we see that God had some important lessons to teach the disciples, and us, from the leftovers:

51 Then He got into the boat with them, and the wind stopped; and they were utterly astonished, 52 for they had not gained any insight from the incident of the loaves, but their heart was hardened (Mark 6:51-52, NAU).

16 They began to discuss with one another the fact that they had no bread. 17 And Jesus, aware of this, said to them, "Why do you discuss the fact that you have no bread? Do you not yet see or understand? Do you have a hardened heart? 18 "HAVING EYES, DO YOU NOT SEE? AND HAVING EARS, DO YOU NOT HEAR? And do you not remember, 19 when I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces you picked up?" They said to Him, "Twelve." 20 "When I broke the seven for the four thousand, how many large baskets full of broken pieces did you pick up?" And they said to Him, "Seven." 21 And He was saying to them, "Do you not yet understand?" (Mark 8:16-21)

Both early on, and later in our text, Mark calls our attention to the leftovers. In both instances, Jesus gently rebukes the disciples for being hard-hearted, so that they failed to grasp what the leftovers from the loaves should have taught them. To make things more challenging for his readers, Mark does not include an explanation of what it is that the disciples should have learned. So, we are left to figure it out, too. To do so will greatly encourage us in our daily Christian walk, and also change the way we read the Old Testament Scriptures. So then, with this in mind let us look to the Spirit of God to open our eyes to the truth that is here for those who have ears to hear it.

TWO KEYS TO THIS TEXT

As I have studied this passage over a number of years, I have concluded that there are two keys to the proper interpretation of this text. Strangely enough, the first key is the word “bread” (or, more literally, “loaves”). This word is found twenty times in the Gospel of Mark,1 and eighteen of these appearances in Mark are found in chapters 6-8. Unfortunately, several translations find the term “loaves” so insignificant that they omit it in their translation of Mark 7:5. As we proceed, let us pay very close attention to this word, rendered either “bread” or “loaf/loaves.”

The second key is our Lord’s persistent use of parables as a teaching tool. We might conclude that “parables” were a momentary teaching device used from time to time by our Lord. But this would ignore the very clear language of the Gospels:

33 With many such parables He was speaking the word to them, so far as they were able to hear it; 34 and He did not speak to them without a parable; but He was explaining everything privately to His own disciples (Mark 4:33-34; see also Matthew 13:34).2

Mark has already set the stage for us, because he devoted nearly all of the fourth chapter of his gospel to giving us a record of some of our Lord’s parables. When it comes to defining the term “parable” I would suggest that you might be able to describe what a parable is with only one word, “like.” A parable sets forth something that we are familiar with, and then lays it alongside something less understood. In this way, we can better understand something that is somewhat obscure, and therefore in need of further clarification. This sometimes happens without the word “parable” actually being used. Such is often the case in Proverbs:3

But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn,

That shines brighter and brighter until the full day.

19 The way of the wicked is like darkness;

They do not know over what they stumble (Proverbs 4:18-19).

Doing wickedness is like sport to a fool,

And so is wisdom to a man of understanding.

. . . Like vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes,

So is the lazy one to those who send him (Proverbs 10:23, 26).

Based upon my study of this portion of Mark’s gospel, I am inclined to suggest that the Scriptures may employ what might be called “living parables.” These are parables that are real life events which are recorded in Scripture, which also serve as examples or illustrations of important truths, and yet they are not identified as parables.4 If this is the case, this could greatly impact our study and application of God’s Word.

As we move forward with our study, let us keep in mind the importance (and prominence) of the term “loaves” or “bread,” and look for what might be “living parables.”

THE SETTING FOR OUR TEXT

When Jesus commenced His public ministry, many came to Him for healing. I believe that His teaching was often interrupted by someone seeking a healing. But the end result was that the authority of our Lord’s teaching was underscored by the miracles that accompanied it:

22 They were amazed at His teaching; for He was teaching them as one having authority, and not as the scribes. 23 Just then there was a man in their synagogue with an unclean spirit; and he cried out, 24 saying, "What business do we have with each other, Jesus of Nazareth? Have You come to destroy us? I know who You are-- the Holy One of God!" 25 And Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be quiet, and come out of him!" 26 Throwing him into convulsions, the unclean spirit cried out with a loud voice and came out of him. 27 They were all amazed, so that they debated among themselves, saying, "What is this? A new teaching with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey Him" (Mark 1:22-27).[5

It wasn’t the way Jesus raised His voice, or waved His hands, it was the fact that Jesus paused His teaching to perform miracles, and these miracles set Him apart from the rest of those who taught.

Because Jesus healed on the Sabbath, the Pharisees quickly looked upon Him as a Sabbath-breaker, and so it was not long before they resolved among themselves to put Him to death (Mark 3:6). That, however, did not discourage the crowds from flocking to Him for teaching and healing.6

Jesus chose His twelve apostles (3:13-19), and sadly, His family concluded that He was out of His mind (3:20-21).

The Pharisees sought to dismiss Jesus and His teaching by calling attention to the fact that He “broke” the Sabbath, at least by their definition. But how could they explain the miracles He was doing, which were undeniable? And so, they devised an explanation which, they hoped, would acknowledge His miracles, but which would also discredit Him. And thus, they granted that He performed miracles, but attributed them to the power of the devil:

The scribes who came down from Jerusalem were saying, "He is possessed by Beelzebul," and "He casts out the demons by the ruler of the demons" (Mark 3:22).

Jesus quickly and easily dismissed this accusation, but pointed out that this was blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the One who convicts of sin, righteousness, and judgment (John 16:7-11), and also the One who also quickens hearts that are dead, bringing them to life (John 3:5-8; 6:63; 1 Peter 3:18). Blaspheming the Holy Spirit insults the only means by which men are saved, and therefore results in their eternal condemnation. As a result of this blasphemy, Jesus began to teach by means of parables, not to make the gospel clear to these blasphemers, but to conceal the truth from them,7 thereby sealing their fate:

28 "Truly I say to you, all sins shall be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever blasphemies they utter; 29 but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin "-- 30 because they were saying, "He has an unclean spirit" (Mark 3:28-30).

10 As soon as He was alone, His followers, along with the twelve, began asking Him about the parables. 11 And He was saying to them, "To you has been given the mystery of the kingdom of God, but those who are outside get everything in parables, 12 so that WHILE SEEING, THEY MAY SEE AND NOT PERCEIVE, AND WHILE HEARING, THEY MAY HEAR AND NOT UNDERSTAND, OTHERWISE THEY MIGHT RETURN AND BE FORGIVEN" (Mark 4:10-12).

Mark focused on Jesus’ parables in the fourth chapter of his gospel. After this, He stilled a storm on the Sea of Galilee, which caused His disciples to fear Him:

39 And He got up and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, "Hush, be still." And the wind died down and it became perfectly calm. 40 And He said to them, "Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?" 41 They became very much afraid and said to one another, "Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?" (Mark 4:39-41).

This is followed by the casting out of Legion’s demons into the herd of hogs, the healing of the woman with a flow of blood (by touching Jesus’ garments), and the raising of Jairus’s daughter (Mark 5).

Jesus then went to His home town, where He taught in the synagogue. Sadly, the people were not able to connect the dots. One the one hand, they were amazed at the depth of His teaching, underscored by countless miracles, which were evidence of His authority. But on the other hand, they were perplexed by His humble human origins (as they perceived them). He was the son of a carpenter, and Mary, and the brother of several siblings. How could someone like this be a prophet, or the Promised Messiah?

Jesus then sent out the twelve as His forerunners, to prepare the people for His ministry. In His instructions to them, He told them not to take any provisions, so that they would learn to depend on Him.[8] This prohibition included taking a provision of food (literally bread).9

Mark then turns his attention to John the Baptist, who had just been put to death by Herod.10 The disciples’ fatigue, combined with the death of John,11 was such that the disciples needed some time alone with Jesus.

At this point, we should note two things about food, which set the stage for the feeding of the 5,000. First, the disciples were weary from their ministry when they returned. In fact, they were so busy that they, like Jesus,12 did not even have time to eat.[13 It would seem obvious, then, that the disciples were hungry. Second, when Jesus took His disciples apart from the crowds to a deserted place, they took no food with them. Remember that the only food they had on hand was what a young lad had brought – five loaves and two small fish. Jesus was now practicing, on a very large scale, what He had instructed His disciples to do on a smaller scale, when He sent them out to preach. They would have to rely on our Lord to provide for their needs. This brings us to the feeding of the 5,000.

Act 1
The Feeding Of The 5,000
Mark 6:30-52

My sense is that by the time the disciples arrived at this private place there in the wilderness, their stomachs were growling. John’s gospel tells us that Jesus raised the issue of how they would feed the crowds very early, in fact just as they were stepping out of the boat.14 While they did not exactly say it, I suspect that by the end of that day the disciples not only wanted Jesus to send the crowds away so that these folks could find food (on their own), but also so that they (His hungry disciples) could find something to eat for themselves. The problem was that there was not sufficient food there for either.

My purpose is not to focus on the actual feeding of this crowd, other than to point out that Jesus dealt with this situation so that the bread that was distributed by passing it through the disciples’ hands.15 The crowd is fed, thanks to the five loaves and two fish, which a young lad had brought.16 The entire crowd of 10,000 or more (5,000 men, plus women and children), ate heartily. Mark tells us that they were completely satisfied: “No thanks, I couldn’t eat one more bite!”17 And so, 12 baskets of leftovers were taken up. As we shall soon see, these leftovers were intended to serve as a lesson (a parable?), especially for the disciples.

After the meal, Jesus made18 His disciples go back to the boat, and proceed ahead of Him to the other side of the Sea of Galilee. Jesus then dismissed the crowd19 and went up on the mountain to pray, alone.

That evening, when Jesus went down to the Sea of Galilee, He was alone, because everyone had been dismissed by Jesus and had left. As He looked out, He took note of the disciples’ distress, as they struggled against the wind and the waves. He knew that it was not going well for them. I think it was for this reason that Jesus set out toward them, walking on the water. How else was He to get to them in their time of need?

This is the point at which we must come to terms with a statement that Mark included in his account:

Seeing them straining at the oars, for the wind was against them, at about the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea; and He intended to pass by them (Mark 6:48).

Up to this statement, every indication was that Jesus noted their distress, and set out to come to their aid, or at least their comfort. Suffice it to say for now that Jesus seems to have intended to pass the disciples by, and thus to reach His destination, and theirs, alone.

But when the disciples saw Jesus, they were terrified. Perhaps there was a mist on the lake; at the very least it was dark, and this shadowy figure would indeed have been frightening. Who would have expected anyone to pass by, walking on the sea, and especially a sea as stormy as it was? When the disciples cried out, thinking Him to be a ghost, Jesus spoke to them, putting their hearts at ease. And once in the boat, the winds ceased. John tells us even more. He writes that when Jesus got into the boat, they immediately reached their destination.20

This brings us to another puzzling statement, one which points us to the lesson of the leftover loaves:

51 Then He got into the boat with them, and the wind stopped; and they were utterly astonished, 52 for they had not gained any insight from the incident of the loaves, but their heart was hardened (Mark 6:51-52).

It wasn’t the disciples’ fear to which Mark calls our attention, but their amazement. They were amazed that Jesus walked on the water, and that the winds ceased when He got into the boat. And their hardness of heart revealed that they failed to get the point, the lesson, of the leftovers from the loaves.

Act Two
The Feeding Of The 4,000
Mark 8:1-10[21

Mark has informed us that the disciples were not able to make the connection between the feeding of the 5,000 and the leftover loaves with His walking on the water. I believe that this is why Jesus chose to give His disciples a second chance to “get it.” He virtually reproduces the same circumstances, so that the solution should have been a “no-brainer” for the disciples. Here they were, once again, in the wilderness with a large crowd of hungry people and no food on hand to feed them. What to do? Isn’t it obvious? They should do what they had done only a short time before22 -- feed the crowd. This time, the need was even greater, because the crowd had been without food for three days, not just one.23

Once again, our Lord makes this a problem for His disciples to solve, and they seem absolutely clueless as to what they should do, as though they had never experienced anything like this before. It was as though the feeding of the 5,000 had not even taken place. Jesus had to ask them how many loaves they had on hand. And once again, Jesus breaks the loaves, and then the fish, and the disciples distributed the food.

This time, it was 4,000 men who were fed, but we should not consider the 7 baskets of leftovers insignificant when compared to the 12 baskets that were collected earlier. Here, Mark is careful to describe these baskets as “large baskets” (8:8).24 In other words, the amount of leftovers remaining after the feeding of the 4,000 could have been even greater than what was left after the feeding of the 5,000.25

There is no indication that the disciples “got it.” In fact, it is obvious that they did not. When the feeding was done, and the leftovers were collected, the disciples got into the boat with Jesus and made their way to the district of Dalmanutha.

Act Three
Who Forgot The Sandwiches?
Mark 8:14-21

Mark briefly mentions the demand of the Pharisees for a sign (8:11-13). Is it not incredible that Jesus’ miracles were not sufficient proof of His identity? Nevertheless, shortly after this we find the disciples with Jesus in a boat:

14 And they had forgotten to take bread, and did not have more than one loaf in the boat with them. 15 And He was giving orders to them, saying, "Watch out! Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod." 16 They began to discuss with one another the fact that they had no bread. 17 And Jesus, aware of this, said to them, "Why do you discuss the fact that you have no bread? Do you not yet see or understand? Do you have a hardened heart? 18 "HAVING EYES, DO YOU NOT SEE? AND HAVING EARS, DO YOU NOT HEAR? And do you not remember, 19 when I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces you picked up?" They said to Him, "Twelve." 20 "When I broke the seven for the four thousand, how many large baskets full of broken pieces did you pick up?" And they said to Him, "Seven." 21 And He was saying to them, "Do you not yet understand?" (Mark 8:14-21)26

Like the Pharisees, the disciples were not doing well at “connecting the dots.” When Jesus symbolically referred to the teaching of the Pharisees as “leaven” all they could do was connect “leaven” with yeast, and thus with “bread.” And the mere thought of “bread” prompted the disciples to think about lunch. They took note of the fact that they had but one “loaf” in the boat with them. “What to do?” Here we are once again, on a much smaller scale. One loaf, twelve disciples, and Jesus, and no lunch. Do you see the irony in all this?

Let’s pause for a moment to reflect on what is happening here. Twice, Jesus and His disciples have been with a very large crowd in the wilderness. There was barely any food on hand at all, and certainly not enough for these large crowds. The crowds were miraculously feed by Jesus, assisted by His disciples, and even after everyone was filled, there was a large quantity of leftovers. And then, to top it off, Jesus walked on the water after the feeding of the 5,000, to be with His disciples. Getting into the boat, Jesus calmed the winds and stilled the sea.

Now, take a moment to ponder these details:

  • There is a very large crowd of hungry people.
  • They are stranded, as it were, in a desolate place, a wilderness.
  • This crowd was miraculously fed, with bountiful baskets of leftovers (loaves).
  • Jesus crosses the sea, walking on the water.

Have we ever seen anything like this before? Yes, we have. It was like this at the exodus, when God led the Israelites as they fled from Egypt into the wilderness, and then sojourned in the wilderness for forty years. He fed them “bread” for 40 years, and provided water from a rock. And to get there, God led them through the Red Sea, on dry ground. Should the disciples not have made this connection? And had they done so, should they really have been amazed that Jesus would walk on water and still the winds?

Now think of the current situation, after the feeding of the 5,000, followed by the feeding of the 4,000. The disciples were worried about lunch, with a loaf and bread and the Son of God with them in the boat. Imagine it, a mere twelve sandwiches were needed, and they were distressed because they had not brought lunch along with them!

It seems foolish, doesn’t it? So here we are today, recovering from a covid pandemic, struggling with supply chain issues and rising inflation. Are we, so to speak, worried about a few sandwiches, when the God of the exodus is with us, when He has promised to supply all our needs?27 Twice He gave the disciples a great harvest of fish, just before they went out with the gospel.28 Twice Jesus feed a large crowd in the wilderness, with a bounty of leftovers. Are we not like the disciples, worried about lunch when the God of the universe is in the boat with us?

Do we not have the same problem as the disciples? Do we fail to see the connection between our present circumstances and what we read in the Bible? Is what we read merely Bible history to us, only reports from long ago and far away? Or, are these things a kind of living parable, so that when we find ourselves in difficult circumstances we can be reminded about Whom it is that we have entrusted with our eternal well-being? These two feedings were not just for the disciples; they are for us, and for every saint. The abundance of the leftovers is to remind us that God, unlike our government and many of us, does not operate “in the red,” with a deficit budget. His provisions are abundant and He never fails to abundantly supply what we need to accomplish His purposes.29

Act Four
And Now, Back To Chapter Seven
From The Ridiculous To The Sublime

Let’s start with the ridiculous – the Pharisees. One might wrongly conclude that our theme of “bread” somehow does not occur in this paragraph about the Pharisees. Well, it does: 30

1 The Pharisees and some of the scribes gathered around Him when they had come from Jerusalem, 2 and had seen that some of His disciples were eating their bread with impure hands, that is, unwashed. 3 (For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they carefully wash their hands, thus observing the traditions of the elders; 4 and when they come from the market place, they do not eat unless they cleanse themselves; and there are many other things which they have received in order to observe, such as the washing of cups and pitchers and copper pots.) 5 The Pharisees and the scribes asked Him, "Why do Your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat their bread with impure hands?" 6 And He said to them, "Rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written: 'THIS PEOPLE HONORS ME WITH THEIR LIPS, BUT THEIR HEART IS FAR AWAY FROM ME. 7 'BUT IN VAIN DO THEY WORSHIP ME, TEACHING AS DOCTRINES THE PRECEPTS OF MEN.' 8 "Neglecting the commandment of God, you hold to the tradition of men." 9 He was also saying to them, "You are experts at setting aside the commandment of God in order to keep your tradition. 10 "For Moses said, 'HONOR YOUR FATHER AND YOUR MOTHER'; and, 'HE WHO SPEAKS EVIL OF FATHER OR MOTHER, IS TO BE PUT TO DEATH'; 11 but you say, 'If a man says to his father or his mother, whatever I have that would help you is Corban (that is to say, given to God),' 12 you no longer permit him to do anything for his father or his mother; 13 thus invalidating the word of God by your tradition which you have handed down; and you do many things such as that." 14 After He called the crowd to Him again, He began saying to them, "Listen to Me, all of you, and understand: 15 there is nothing outside the man which can defile him if it goes into him; but the things which proceed out of the man are what defile the man. 16 "If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear." 17 When he had left the crowd and entered the house, His disciples questioned Him about the parable. 18 And He said to them, "Are you so lacking in understanding also? Do you not understand that whatever goes into the man from outside cannot defile him, 19 because it does not go into his heart, but into his stomach, and is eliminated?" (Thus He declared all foods clean.) 20 And He was saying, "That which proceeds out of the man, that is what defiles the man. 21 "For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed the evil thoughts, fornications, thefts, murders, adulteries, 22 deeds of coveting and wickedness, as well as deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride and foolishness. 23 "All these evil things proceed from within and defile the man" (Mark 7:1-23).31

To the disciples’ credit, they at least perceived some kind of connection between “leaven” and “bread,” albeit a literal one. The Pharisees saw no connection at all, because their eyes were fixed, not on the bread, but on the ceremonially unwashed hands of the disciples. This was because they were more committed to their traditions than they were to the Scriptures. One such tradition was that of a ritual ceremonial hand washing, a washing never commanded in Scripture. This was not just a washing of one’s hands before meals, like your mother would have required; this was a ceremonial washing that was added to the Scriptures as an inviolable tradition. And the Pharisees held even more earnestly to these traditions than they did to the instructions of the Word of God – the Old Testament.

Consequently, their distorted devotion to strictly observing their traditions caused them to fix their attention on the hands holding the bread, rather than on the bread itself. And so, we find them here, objecting that the Lord’s disciples ate their bread with ceremonially unwashed hands. They saw this as a “gross violation of their traditions,” something equal to, or greater than, a deliberate violation of the Law of Moses.

Jesus first rebuked them for their hypocrisy, for in their fervent devotion to their traditions they actually overruled the Law. Their tradition facilitated, indeed encouraged, disobedience to the Law of Moses. In doing so, they were guilty of hypocrisy. Jesus does not deal with this matter in mere generalities; He cites a specific example of their hypocrisy -- their tradition of the Corban. The practice of Corban permitted a person to designate some of their assets as “devoted to God.” In practice, this enabled one to set aside some assets in a way that made them inaccessible for other purposes, such as taking care of one’s parents (which was a biblical command).

So it all boils down to this. The “leaven of the Pharisees” (to which Jesus refers in chapter 8) is their distorted teaching of the Scriptures, so that their traditions overrule or set aside God’s commands. This was evident not only in their fixation on the ceremonial washing of hands, but also in the practice of Corban.

But Jesus is not done with this matter of “bread,” or “foods.” Not at all. In dealing with this Pharisaic accusation, Jesus sets forth an important principle regarding defilement (which was such a huge issue with the Pharisees). Notice that Jesus does this by proclaiming a monumental principle to the crowds.

“Defilement comes from within, and not from without” (Mark 7:15).

It is only later, after our Lord’s death and resurrection, and Pentecost, that the significance of these words will become evident, but the matter is literally earth shaking in its implications, as we will see in Acts 10 and 11, and again in Galatians 2. Is the matter of food (“bread”) important? It surely was to Jesus, as it would be to the Jews and early Christians in the Book of Acts, and thereafter.

The point I wish to make here is that these “scholars of the law” were the dullest of all when it came to grasping the meaning of Jesus’ actions and words. Not so with the Gentile woman, the subject of our next inquiry.

Act 5
Jesus And The Gentile Woman
Mark 7:24-30

24 Jesus got up and went away from there to the region of Tyre. And when He had entered a house, He wanted no one to know of it; yet He could not escape notice. 25 But after hearing of Him, a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit immediately came and fell at His feet. 26 Now the woman was a Gentile, of the Syrophoenician race. And she kept asking Him to cast the demon out of her daughter (Mark 7:24-26).

21 And Jesus went away from there, and withdrew[32 into the district of Tyre and Sidon. 22 And behold, a Canaanite woman came out from that region, and began to cry out, saying, "Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is cruelly demon-possessed." 23 But He did not answer her a word. And His disciples came to Him and kept asking Him, saying, "Send her away, for she is shouting out after us." 24 But He answered and said, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." 25 But she came and began to bow down before Him, saying, "Lord, help me!" 26 And He answered and said, "It is not good to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs." 27 But she said, "Yes, Lord; but even the dogs feed on the crumbs which fall from their masters' table." 28 Then Jesus answered and said to her, "O woman, your faith is great; be it done for you as you wish." And her daughter was healed at once (Matthew 15:21-28).

I love this story in Mark’s gospel, which is greatly enhanced by the additional details provided by Matthew. This woman is truly remarkable! In strictly human terms, she would have been considered “least likely to succeed” by a Jew. But in biblical terms, her faith is entirely consistent with how God works.33 She is a Gentile woman, and beyond that, she is a Canaanite.34 She has no standing as a Jew, and in the past, she would have been a mortal enemy of Israel. She would have been slain by the Israelites when they took possession of the Promised Land.35 Her knowledge of Jesus had to be much more limited than that of the disciples. Indeed, she was a woman from the region of Tyre and Sidon:36

20 Then He began to denounce the cities in which most of His miracles were done, because they did not repent. 21 "Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles had occurred in Tyre and Sidon which occurred in you, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. 22 "Nevertheless I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment than for you (Matthew 11:20-22).

Besides all this, she was trying to get an audience with Jesus at a point in time when He was seeking to be inaccessible.37 Indeed, she singlehandedly undermined Jesus’ efforts to remain anonymous.38 Her persistent shouting out to Jesus, calling Him “Lord” and “Son of David” certainly did not help Jesus to remain inconspicuous. And, if this doesn’t make things difficult enough for her, the disciples were so irritated with her persistence that they pressed Jesus to send her away.39 Chances of her obtaining what she desired did not look good for this desperate woman.

Quite frankly, Jesus’ own words did not seem to be encouraging. Initially, He did not even respond to her appeals, and when He finally did, it was to inform her that He had come, first and foremost, to minister to the Jews (not exactly her heritage).40

But this did not deter her from pursuing her mission. So, what kept her going, when the disciples had enough of her ceaseless cries for mercy, and even Jesus did not seem inclined to help? I believe that we can see the reason for her urgency from her own words, and from Jesus’ final response to them. She began by calling Jesus “Lord,” and “the Son of David,” which strongly suggests that she believed in Jesus as the Promised (Jewish) Messiah, or was well on her way to doing so.41

Our Lord’s final response to this woman is very different from His response to the hardness of heart on the part of the Pharisees,42 and even His disciples:

17 And Jesus, aware of this, said to them, "Why do you discuss the fact that you have no bread? Do you not yet see or understand? Do you have a hardened heart? 18 "HAVING EYES, DO YOU NOT SEE? AND HAVING EARS, DO YOU NOT HEAR? And do you not remember, 19 when I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces you picked up?" They said to Him, "Twelve." 20 "When I broke the seven for the four thousand, how many large baskets full of broken pieces did you pick up?" And they said to Him, "Seven." 21 And He was saying to them, "Do you not yet understand?" (Mark 8:17-21)

Then Jesus answered and said to her, "O woman, your faith is great; be it done for you as you wish" (Matthew 15:28).

So let’s see if we can follow this woman’s reasoning, which resulted in our Lord’s granting her request.

First and foremost, she had a good grasp of who Jesus was.43 To this woman, Jesus was Lord, and He was also “the Son of David.” Does she understand this fully, along with all of its implications? Surely not. Neither did the disciples, even after declaring Jesus to be the Promised Messiah.44 But she definitely understood more than the Pharisees and scribes, and more than the disciples, at this moment in time.

I am also convinced that she was assured, not only of the sufficiency of our Lord to grant her request, but also of His predisposition to do so. He loved mercy and compassion in others, because He, Himself, was merciful and compassionate (Matthew 9:13, 36; 12:7, 14; 15:32; 20:34; Luke 7:13). She was bold to ask for what she believed our Lord was not only able to do, but also what He desired to do – show mercy and compassion.

But beyond this, she recognized our Lord’s reference to “bread” as symbolic, and she, unlike the disciples, was able to play out the implications of His words. Did Jesus speak of “bread” and of “children” (and of dogs)? Then she would appeal to Him on the basis of “leftovers.” In effect, she would reason as the disciples should have done, based upon their recent experience at the two feedings of the masses. Picking up on Jesus’ words, she believed that “the children, sitting at the table,” were well fed by His bread. But assuming that He always provided abundantly, there must be more than enough to feed them, with some left over. All she was asking for was for some of the leftovers, “the crumbs,” to meet the needs of the “puppies” under the table.

This woman’s faith was great indeed, and thus it was welcomed and commended by our Lord, and so her request was granted. I think it is safe to say that this woman stands head and shoulders, above everyone else in our text. She is surely the key, for us, and for the disciples, to understand the meaning of “the loaves,” and yet, so far as we know, she was not even there when Jesus fed the masses and the leftovers were gathered.

Let’s Talk About Some Immediate Applications Of Our Text, And Some Abuses

We know where to look for the primary lesson of our text. In chapter 7 Mark put the issue before us at the outset of this text:

51 Then He got into the boat with them, and the wind stopped; and they were utterly astonished, 52 for they had not gained any insight from the incident of the loaves, but their heart was hardened (Mark 6:51-52).

And then, at the end of our text we read these words of our Lord:

17 And Jesus, aware of this, said to them, "Why do you discuss the fact that you have no bread? Do you not yet see or understand? Do you have a hardened heart? 18 "HAVING EYES, DO YOU NOT SEE? AND HAVING EARS, DO YOU NOT HEAR? And do you not remember, 19 when I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces you picked up?" They said to Him, "Twelve." 20 "When I broke the seven for the four thousand, how many large baskets full of broken pieces did you pick up?" And they said to Him, "Seven." 21 And He was saying to them, "Do you not yet understand?" (Mark 8:17-21)

So, what is the lesson of the loaves? I believe that the “loaves” are the clue God has given to remind the disciples, and us, that we serve the God of the exodus, the God who provided for the needs of the Israelites for forty years. The similarity of the disciples’ experience to that of the ancient Israelites should have been obvious. There was a miraculous crossing of the Red Sea; Jesus miraculously crossed over the Sea of Galilee. From the Red Sea Moses led the Israelites into a desert wilderness, and there God provided bread for what must have been nearly 1 million people,45 for forty years. Jesus effectively “led” thousands into the wilderness, and provided for them there. Is this not a kind of “living parable,” where one event is remarkably similar to another?

And beyond this, the leftovers taken up from our Lord’s feeding were abundant, to show us that His provisions are abundant. Mark’s words indicate to us that the disciples’ amazement was due to their failure to rightly appraise what had just taken place when Jesus provided bread in the wilderness, and to connect this with Jesus’ walking on the water.

Surely this means that we should not be like the disciples, worried about lunch for twelve, when the Master has just fed thousands. Supply shortages, inflation, and other hindrances are but a small matter for our God, who provides abundantly so that His servants can carry out His will for them.

The story of the Canaanite woman, told alongside the interaction of Jesus and the Pharisees, is a beautiful illustration (parable?) of the gospel. The Pharisees are those who think that they have something to “bring to the table” (so to speak). They look on their Jewish heritage, their position, and their scholarship as a kind of “leg up” with God. In fact, they are so smug and self-confident they don’t see themselves as hopelessly lost and in need of salvation. Rather, they see themselves as worthy to judge Jesus and find Him guilty of breaking their rules. No wonder the bread means nothing to them, but the ceremonially clean hands their (unbiblical) traditions required was first and foremost on their minds.

And then comes this marvelous woman, who has absolutely nothing to commend her before our Lord, or to give her some claim on His power and provisions. But that is the point. She must cast herself on Jesus, on His mercy and grace, undeserving though she is. And, in this regard, this woman is not the exception; she is the rule. That is the way every lost sinner must come to Jesus. We have nothing to commend us to Him. We have nothing to contribute to His saving grace. We must cast ourselves on Him, knowing that He is not only able, but willing to save. And what Jesus delights in is our faith in Him, rather than in ourselves. This woman illustrates the gospel, beautifully.

This said, there is also the need for a word of warning, because there are always those who would twist the truth in order to justify something which is contrary to God’s word.46

As I was preparing this message, I asked myself this question: “How will someone take the truths of this passage and turn them into something that is sinful?” I did not have to think about this for very long before one answer became very clear to me: THOSE WHO ADVOCATE A PROSPERITY GOSPEL WILL EMBRACE THIS PASSAGE AS A PROOFTEXT FOR THEIR FALSE MESSAGE.

This text does teach the abundance of our Lord’s provision for His servants, which will enable them to carry out His work. But a further look at our text has much to teach us about why we should ask God to provide for us, and for what purposes we should ask Him to abundantly provide.

My first clues came from our Lord Jesus. I could not understand why Jesus would intend to walk past47 His disciples, as He made His way to the other side of the Sea of Galilee. I believe that Jesus would have preferred to remain in solitude at this critical moment in time,48 but the thought of His disciples being left to themselves to fight the wind and the waves prompted Him to draw near, and to get into the boat with them.49

Then there are the two times when Jesus must have been weary from teaching and healing many, but nevertheless, out of His infinite compassion, He chose to expend His energy to feed the crowds.

And, finally, there is Jesus’ response to the pleas of this Canaanite woman. Mark clearly indicates that Jesus was trying not to be visible and accessible.50 Jesus’ disciples were none too happy to have this woman disturbing their peace in her persistent pleas for help for her daughter. But Jesus, once again, set aside self-interest and ministered to this woman by delivering her daughter from her demon possession. Jesus gave, literally gave Himself, for others.

Another clue came, thanks to this marvelous Canaanite woman. She did not ask the Lord for that which personally benefitted her; she asked Jesus to pour out His abundant mercy on her daughter.51 She didn’t ask for herself, but for her daughter.

And this reminded me of that Gentile centurion described in Matthew chapter eight:

5 And when Jesus entered Capernaum, a centurion came to Him, imploring Him, 6 and saying, "Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, fearfully tormented." 7 Jesus said to him, "I will come and heal him." 8 But the centurion said, "Lord, I am not worthy for You to come under my roof, but just say the word, and my servant will be healed. 9 "For I also am a man under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to this one, 'Go!' and he goes, and to another, 'Come!' and he comes, and to my slave, 'Do this!' and he does it." 10 Now when Jesus heard this, He marveled and said to those who were following, "Truly I say to you, I have not found such great faith with anyone in Israel. 11 "I say to you that many will come from east and west, and recline at the table with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven; 12 but the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth." 13 And Jesus said to the centurion, "Go; it shall be done for you as you have believed." And the servant was healed that very moment (Matthew 8:1-13 NAU)

He, too, is commended by Jesus for his faith, a faith which seems to have surpassed any Jewish faith at the time. But this centurion did not ask Jesus for himself; he asked Jesus for the sake of his servant. I believe that Jesus not only delighted in his faith, but also in the fact that he did not ask for himself.

All of this becomes more evident when contrasted with those who thought only of themselves. The crowds, who (especially in John chapter 6) wanted Jesus to provide meals for them forever. And the disciples, who were weary, and wanted Jesus to send both crowds, and the Canaanite woman, away. The disciples could only agonize about their lunch. Self-interest, pure and simple.

How different this selfless “asking” of the Canaanite woman is from that which the prosperity preachers proclaim. You can be assured they will say that in order to get you must first give. And almost without exception, it will be to them. In order to “tap in” to the abundance of God’s resources, you must give, so that you can get. That was not true of the Canaanite woman, nor of the centurion in Matthew chapter 8. They had nothing they could give in order to gain the blessings that our Lord had to give.

The Bible turns, “You must first give in order to get,” into something vastly different: “You should get in order to give.” How many times we see this in the Scriptures.

I think first of the Abrahamic Covenant, in which God promises to bless Abraham and his “seed” so that they may bless others:

1 Now the LORD said to Abram, "Go forth from your country, And from your relatives And from your father's house, To the land which I will show you; 2 And I will make you a great nation, And I will bless you, And make your name great; And so you shall be a blessing; 3 And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed" (Genesis 12:1-3).

I am also reminded of Solomon’s prayer, and God’s pleasure in what he asked for:

10 It was pleasing in the sight of the Lord that Solomon had asked this thing. 11 God said to him, "Because you have asked this thing and have not asked for yourself long life, nor have asked riches for yourself, nor have you asked for the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself discernment to understand justice, 12 behold, I have done according to your words. Behold, I have given you a wise and discerning heart, so that there has been no one like you before you, nor shall one like you arise after you. 13 "I have also given you what you have not asked, both riches and honor, so that there will not be any among the kings like you all your days” (1 Kings 3:10-13).

Then there is the teaching and example of our Lord:

12 And He also went on to say to the one who had invited Him, "When you give a luncheon or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, otherwise they may also invite you in return and that will be your repayment. 13 "But when you give a reception, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, 14 and you will be blessed, since they do not have the means to repay you; for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous" (Luke 14:12-14).

For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich (2 Corinthians 8:9).

Paul not only preached this; he practiced it:

17 Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy. 18 Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share (1 Timothy 6:17-18).

"You yourselves know that these hands ministered to my own needs and to the men who were with me (Acts 20:34).

James puts it this way:

2 You lust and do not have; so you commit murder. You are envious and cannot obtain; so you fight and quarrel. You do not have because you do not ask. 3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures (James 4:2-3).

So, putting two thoughts together, the feeding of the 5,000, followed by the feeding of the 4,000 reminds us that our Lord is the God of the exodus, and that His power and abundance has not diminished, from Old Testament times to New, or from New Testament times to the present. This should give us great confidence in His adequacy and abundance to meet our needs as we seek to serve Him.

And, we should also see that God gives so that we may give. It is not about giving to get, but about getting, to give. That getting may come about through hard work, as we see in Paul’s life, or it may come in answer to our selfless prayers, as we ask for His resources to share with others.

He who steals must steal no longer; but rather he must labor, performing with his own hands what is good, so that he will have something to share with one who has need (Ephesians 4:28).

17 Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy. 18 Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, 19 storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is life indeed (1 Timothy 6:17-19).

But Wait, There’s More

We dare not leave this passage, assuming that we have learned all that there is from our brief study. This text in Mark (and Matthew) is one which we should think long and hard about. Let me suggest some avenues of thought.

FIRST, ARE YOU IN THE BOAT WITH JESUS? Are you assured that you are in the boat with our Lord Jesus, and that he is in the boat with you? Christmas is soon to be here. May I suggest that the birth of our Lord, the incarnation, is Jesus “getting into the boat” with us.

5 Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. 8 Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (Philippians 2:5-11).

14 Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, 15 and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives. 16 For assuredly He does not give help to angels, but He gives help to the descendant of Abraham (Hebrews 2:14-16).

Obviously, this is a metaphor, but it is a good one, I think. By our sins, our many sins against God, we have, so to speak, jumped ship. Because of our sin, we are destined for destruction. Our Lord Jesus recognized our great need to be rescued, and so He came to this earth, fully God, and fully human (but free from sin). As such, He took the sinner’s place, bearing the punishment we deserve. And then He rose from the dead and ascended into heaven, so that we can be partakers of eternal life. If you do not understand this, please feel free to ask someone who knows Jesus as Savior. You can’t be assured of God’s abundant spiritual blessings52 without being in the boat with Him.

SECOND, OUR TEXT BEAUTIFULLY INFORMS US THAT GOD’S SAVING PLAN INCLUDED GENTILES. Here is something the Jews of Jesus’ day were adamantly opposed to.53 But God had made this purpose clear in Genesis 12:1-3 and at various times (as is evident in the genealogy of our Lord in Luke 3:22-38.54 We should not avoid the obvious fact that in our text, as well as in Matthew 8:5-13, these Gentile believers had greater faith than their Jewish counterparts.

NEXT (AND I SAY THIS WITH CAUTION), THIS TEXT SHOULD CAUSE US TO BE CAREFUL NOT TO ASSUME THAT JUST BECAUSE SOMEONE IS A SCHOLAR THAT HE HAS SOME KIND OF INSIDE TRACK ON TRUTH. I say this based upon something that seems glaringly clear in our text, and which is supported elsewhere in Scripture. THE SCHOLARS OF JESUS’ DAY WERE HIS GREATEST ADVERSARIES, AND THEY WERE THE LEAST LIKELY TO GRASP WHO HE WAS AND WHAT HE HAD COME TO DO.

Within our text, Mark has placed his account of the accusation made by the Pharisees (and scribes) that Jesus’ disciples ate their bread with unwashed hands. These “biblical scholars” were so dull that they could not make any meaningful connection with the bread, or with Jesus’ teaching. They could not see the connection between Jesus’ teaching and His miracles that He performed while He taught. Jesus therefore accused them of not being able to “connect the dots”:

1 The Pharisees and Sadducees came up, and testing Jesus, they asked Him to show them a sign from heaven. 2 But He replied to them, "When it is evening, you say, 'It will be fair weather, for the sky is red.' 3 "And in the morning, 'There will be a storm today, for the sky is red and threatening.' Do you know how to discern the appearance of the sky, but cannot discern the signs of the times? 4 "An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign; and a sign will not be given it, except the sign of Jonah." And He left them and went away (Matthew 16:1-4).

And then, in the preceding chapter (in Matthew), this Canaanite “connected the dots” beautifully, much more than the disciples.

How was it that scholars could not see something that a Canaanite woman did see? I think the answer is found in 1 Corinthians 2:

7 but we speak God's wisdom in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God predestined before the ages to our glory; the wisdom which none of the rulers of this age has understood; for if they had understood it they would not have crucified the Lord of glory; 9 but just as it is written, "THINGS WHICH EYE HAS NOT SEEN AND EAR HAS NOT HEARD, AND which HAVE NOT ENTERED THE HEART OF MAN, ALL THAT GOD HAS PREPARED FOR THOSE WHO LOVE HIM." 10 For to us God revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God. 11 For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so the thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God, 13 which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words (1 Corinthians 2:7-13).

Please don’t misunderstand me. I am not seeking to undermine the benefit we can receive from godly scholars. But please don’t assume that their spiritual insight comes from merely human scholarly effort. Biblical wisdom comes through the Holy Spirit, and not necessarily through those with impressive degrees.

Now as they observed the confidence of Peter and John and understood that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were amazed, and began to recognize them as having been with Jesus. 14 And seeing the man who had been healed standing with them, they had nothing to say in reply (Acts 4:13-14; see also 1 Timothy 1:3-7; Titus 1:10-16).

FINALLY, OUR TEXT HAS MUCH TO TEACH US ABOUT HOW WE SHOULD STUDY OUR BIBLES. Mark 6-8 (and its parallel text in Matthew 14-16) teaches us that God expects those who trust in Him to “connect the dots,” and to see the relationship between what we are experiencing and what God has done in the past. If God can do this (part the Red Sea, so that an entire nation can pass through it on dry ground, and feed multitudes in the wilderness), then He can surely do that (walk on water, and provide a few sandwiches for His disciples). This means that the Old and New Testaments are more relevant to us than we might think.

1 For I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that our fathers were all under the cloud and all passed through the sea; 2 and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea; 3 and all ate the same spiritual food; 4 and all drank the same spiritual drink, for they were drinking from a spiritual rock which followed them; and the rock was Christ. 5 Nevertheless, with most of them God was not well-pleased; for they were laid low in the wilderness. 6 Now these things happened as examples for us, so that we would not crave evil things as they also craved. 7 Do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written, "THE PEOPLE SAT DOWN TO EAT AND DRINK, AND STOOD UP TO PLAY." 8 Nor let us act immorally, as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in one day. 9 Nor let us try the Lord, as some of them did, and were destroyed by the serpents. 10 Nor grumble, as some of them did, and were destroyed by the destroyer. 11 Now these things happened to them as an example, and they were written for our instruction, upon whom the ends of the ages have come (1 Corinthians 10:1-11).

16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much. 17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the earth for three years and six months. 18 Then he prayed again, and the sky poured rain and the earth produced its fruit (James 5:16-18).

HOPEFULLY, YOU MIGHT GIVE SOME THOUGHT TO WHAT I HAVE CALLED “LIVING PARABLES.” Parables teach us by placing two things alongside, and showing us ways in which the two are alike. I fear that when many of us read the Old Testament we do so with the presupposition that what we read will somehow be different than what we read in the New. I would like to challenge this assumption, because our text in Mark 6-8 does so. It shows us that the situation experienced by the disciples on the Sea of Galilee was like that experienced by the ancient Israelites.

We should beware of thinking of the Old Testament, its teaching, and its events as “long ago and far away.” It seems clear to me that Jesus expected His disciples to make the connection to the Israel in the wilderness at the exodus. We also need to be careful not to think that the link between Old Testament and the New is limited to clear and direct prophecy. There are, of course, such instances, like Micah 5:2, but there are also similarities that are instructive, such as Hagar and Sarah in Galatians 4:21-31, Joseph and his brothers in Genesis 37-50, and Abraham and his faith in God’s power to give life to the dead in Romans 4 and Hebrews 11.

At times, there are links from the New Testament to the Old which are unexpected and less than direct prophecy (see Hosea 11:1, cited in Matthew 2:15). We also need to keep in mind that often in the Gospels the disciples and others failed to understand Jesus because they limited His meaning to literal matters, rather than things more spiritual. That was the case in our text with regard to the term bread. It was also true that the multitudes did not get Jesus’ reference to “bread,” “flesh,” and “blood” in John 6 (see John 6:30-66). When Jesus said that Lazarus was “asleep,” He did not mean that literally, which Jesus had to explain to His disciples (John 11:11-14). Let us look to the Holy Spirit to see more than we have, because it is there. And, let us be careful not to see things in Scripture which are not there.

May God grant us greater understanding of this great text of Scripture, of God’s mercy and abundant provision for His saints, and of the magnitude of this Canaanite woman’s faith.

Copyright © 2022 by Robert L. Deffinbaugh. Anyone is at liberty to use this lesson for educational purposes only, with or without credit.


1 Also twenty times in Matthew and John, and fifteen times in Luke.

2 There are times when we may not even realize that Jesus is using a parable. One such instance is found in Mark 7:17 (and its parallel text in Matthew 15:15) where the disciples (Peter) ask Jesus to explain the parable He just used. See also Luke 12:36, 41.

3 See Proverbs 1:6 (NIV, NLT).

4 In this regard, I believe that Paul was using the story of Sarah and Hagar as a “living parable,” which he uses to illustrate what legalism is like (see Galatians 4:21-31). We might also include the story of Joseph’s betrayal by his brothers, and of
Abraham’s faith in God’s power to raise from the dead, as buttressed by the birth of a son to Abraham and Sarah, when they were “as good as dead” with regard to bearing children (see Romans 4:16-21).

5 In Matthew’s account of the feeding of the 5,000 he sets the stage by telling us that Jesus had compassion on the crowd, and healed many (Matthew 14:14), while Mark says that Jesus had compassion on the crowd and taught them (Mark 6:34).

6 See Mark 3:6-8.

7 In Mark chapter 4, Jesus spoke in parables to conceal the truth from the blasphemers, while He privately explained His teaching to His disciples (Mark 4:33-34), but later on in Matthew 21:33-46 Jesus spoke in parables to conceal the truth from His disciples, and convey a message to His adversaries. I believe that this prevented any defensive acts on the part of his disciples (see Luke 22:38, 49; John 18:10).

8 I think this was a part of what Jesus was teaching them in Luke 5:1-11 and again in John 21:1-14.

9 Mark 6:8.

10 I find it interesting that Herod sought to “connect the dots” by concluding that Jesus was actually John the Baptist, raised from the dead. He certainly thought more highly of Jesus than some.

11 We could easily pass by this without seeing how greatly it impacted the disciples. John had announced Jesus as the One who had come to bring judgment. When John was arrested, he began to have doubts. Was Jesus the Messiah he had foretold? And when John was martyred, surely the disciples were taken back. John’s death must surely have raised questions in the minds of our Lord’s disciples.

12 See Mark 3:20.

13 See Mark 6:30-31.

14 John 6:5.

15 Mark 6:41.

16 John 6:9.

17 My paraphrase of Mark 6:42.

18 This is a forceful word, and has the sense of “compel.” The disciples were probably in agreement with the crowd, that wanted to make Jesus their king.

19 You will recall that John informs us that this crowd wanted to make Jesus their king (John 6:15).

20 See John 6:21.

21 I have chosen to momentarily pass by chapter 7, and move directly to the second ‘feeding’ in chapter 8.

22 Note that chapter 8 begins with the words, “In those days. . .”

23 See Mark 8:2.

24 Unfortunately, some translations fail to acknowledge that the word for “baskets” in chapter 8 is not the same as that employed in chapter 6. In chapter 8 the word refers to very large baskets. The same term used in Mark 8:8 is employed in Acts 9:25 to identify the basket in which Paul was lowered to safety from the wall in Damascus.

25 It is so tempting to speculate here. How was it that such large baskets were on hand? Is it possible that some in the crowd grasped more than the disciples? Could some have expected a re-run of the feeding of the 5,000 and come prepared to take home some of the leftovers? It is hard to imagine why folks would have carried these large baskets along as they followed Jesus into the wilderness.

26 In Matthew’s parallel account (16:5-12) the word “bread” (or “loaves”) appears seven times. Also, this event is immediately followed by the “great confession.” Also, in Matthew’s account, Jesus warns of the leaven of “the Pharisees and the Sadducees” (16:6, 11), but here in Mark it is the “leaven of the Pharisees and of Herod.” I think there are two strains of error (leaven), one of the Pharisees, and the other of the Sadducees and Herod. Somehow there seems to be a convergence of the latter error, which mixes religion and politics. History could likely supply many examples of this.

27 See 2 Corinthians 9:10; Philippians 4:19.

28 See Luke 5:1-11 and John 21:1-14.

29 2 Corinthians 9:8; Philippians 4:19.

30 Some translations have not helped us here. The word “bread” occurs once in verse 5, but is omitted in several translations: “Why do your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders. But eat with defiled hands?” (Mark 7:5, ESV, NET, NLY, RSV). The text literally reads, “Why do your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat their bread with defiled hands?

31 The question is, “Why this story here?” The answer, I believe, is to show the contrast between these “scholars” and a theologically “simple” woman – the Canaanite woman described in the following verses. These scholars, have spent years in the Old Testament Scriptures, but they cannot seem to add 2 + 2 and get four when it comes to thinking biblically. And yet this far less sophisticated woman gets it, far better than these scholars, and even better than the disciples. Put differently, this Gentile gets the gospel, while the Jews don’t. When thinking of the feeding of the 5,000, and then the 4,000, those crowds certainly did not have the opportunity to wash their hands as the Pharisees demanded. Biblically speaking, the crowds, led by Jesus, did not break the Law of Moses. But they did break the Jewish add-on rules, which were both foolish and impractical.

32 In my opinion, the translation “withdrew” is a bit too weak. When this same term is used in the Septuagint (the Greek translation of the Old Testament) it implies a great deal more urgency. Often in the Old Testament, it could be rendered “flee” (see Exodus 2:15; Numbers 16:24; Joshua 8:15; Judges 417; 1 Samuel 19:10, 25:10).

33 Mark chapter 7, the glaring contrast between the Jewish scholars and the Gentile woman beautifully illustrates truth of 1 Corinthians 1:18-31.

34 Matthew 15:22.

35 See Deuteronomy 7:1-5; 20:16-18.

36 Matthew 15:21-22.

37 Matthew 15:21; Mark 7:24.

38 This viewed from a merely human perspective. Obviously, it was part of a divine plan, a plan which saved a woman and her daughter, and which was to become a part of Scripture, for us to read.

39 Matthew 15:23.

40 Matthew 15:23.

41 If this is so, then she is making her own “great confession” here, before the one given by Peter (Matthew 16:16; Mark 8:29).

42 Mark 7:6-13.

43 In the biblical texts of Matthew and Mark, her “great confession” precedes that of Peter.

44 See Matthew 16:21-27.

45 See Exodus 12:37.

46 For example, those who would use the grace of God as an excuse for living in sin (Romans 5:20—6:14). And then there were those who claimed, falsely, that since there is only one God, and idols can’t represent any other god, participating in heathen idol worship services was legitimate (1 Corinthians 8:1-10).

47 Mark 6:48.

48 I am reminded of our Lord’s words in Luke 9:41: And Jesus answered and said, "O unbelieving and perverted generation, how long shall I be with you, and put up with you? Bring your son here" (Luke 9:41).

49 As I write this, Christmas is but a few days away. I cannot help but see the parallel (the parable) between Jesus going to His disciples and getting into the boat with them, and His coming to earth at His incarnation. What a sacrifice it was to do both.

50 See Mark 7:24 and Matthew 15:21.

51 Obviously, there was a benefit to her in that her beloved daughter was delivered from demon possession. But essentially her concern is for her daughter, and not herself.

52 See Ephesians chapter 1.

53 See Luke 4:16-30; Acts 22:17-22.

54 See also Acts 10-11; Romans 9-11; Ephesians 2:11—3:13.

Related Topics: Christian Life

Are God’s Justice And Mercy Incompatible?

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In the book, The Impossibility of God,1 the editors present five categories of arguments that they claim disprove God’s existence. One such claim asserts that “a contradiction between two or more of God’s attributes” renders God impossible, as follows:

  1. If God exists, then the attributes of God are consistent with one another.
  2. Some attributes of God are not consistent with one another.
  3. Therefore, God does not and cannot exist.2

For instance, Theodore M. Drange argues that God as both an “all-just” and “all-merciful” judge cannot exist. An all-just judge will always “treat every offender with exactly the severity” deserved, while an all-merciful judge “treats every offender with less severity” than deserved. And as both cannot be true, God cannot exist.3 Interestingly, the Bible presents the same problem and Drange has rightly identified it. In this puzzle we see the fundamental problem facing people under God’s righteous condemnation. How can God, like a corrupt judge that ignores the law and leaves the guilty unpunished, remain righteous if He ignores the demands of His justice to have mercy on sinners?

Essential to a right approach to all difficult theological and philosophical issues, the answer to this vital question requires understanding the relationship of God to mankind from the beginning, including our proper responsibility to Him as our creator. Broadly, God created everything and everyone. From God we have life and every good thing, apart from Him we have nothing. To Him we owe all things, while He owes us nothing. And as God is infinitely excellent, we should treat Him as His dignity deserves. Thus, we read, “Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one! And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might” (Deut. 6:4-5 NASB). Christ repeated the mandate as the “greatest” commandment (Matt. 22:37, Mark 12:30, Luke 10:27). The Shema, then, states the minimum we owe God as our glorious creator, sustainer, and giver of every blessing.

Sin, however, fails to treat God as He deserves, either by ignoring what He has told us to do, or by doing what He has told us not to do. The penalty for sin includes physical and spiritual death. “The soul who sins will die” (Ez. 18:4). “For the wages of sin is death” (Rom. 6:23). “And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, ‘From any tree of the garden you may eat freely; but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you shall surely die’” (Gen. 2:16-17). When Adam and Eve sinned, they immediately died spiritually when their loving communion with God was shattered and He became their judge and adversary. They hid themselves in shame from the One they once loved and enjoyed. Physical death, that mortal enemy and curse, came later and has afflicted humanity ever since. “Through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin” (Rom. 5:12).

Moreover, neither God’s holy dignity and power, nor the nature and requirements of His justice have changed. Scripture presents God as a righteous judge, whose strict justice applies to everyone always, without respect to persons. “Whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all” (Jam. 2:10). “But the LORD abides forever; He has established His throne for judgment, And He will judge the world in righteousness; He will execute judgment for the peoples with equity” (Ps. 9:7-8). The standard for Adam and Eve applies to all people. And while Christ fulfilled the Mosaic Law, He also lived the perfect life of honor and obedience eternally owed to God. The moral duty of all people—as articulated in the Shema and repeated by Christ—never ends. People owe God perfect love and obedience forever.

At the same time, Scripture teems with descriptions of God’s mercy to people of His choosing. For instance, “What shall we say then? There is no injustice with God, is there? May it never be! For He says to Moses, ‘I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion’” (Rom. 9:14-15). Again, “He has not dealt with us according to our sins, Nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, So great is His lovingkindness toward those who fear Him. As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us” (Ps. 103:10-12). Perfect justice and mercy even appear in the same verse: “The LORD, the LORD God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth; who keeps lovingkindness for thousands, who forgives iniquity, transgression and sin; yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished” (Ex. 34:6-7).

But how can this be? Granted, God is free to do as He wills, when He wills, to whom He wills, and no finite and fallen creature can tell Him otherwise. “‘Will the faultfinder contend with the Almighty? Let him who reproves God answer it.’ Then Job answered the LORD and said, ‘Behold, I am insignificant; what can I reply to Thee?’” (Job 40:2-4). Nonetheless, God cannot violate His flawless character, including His perfect justice. Should He pervert justice in a single case, He would cease to be perfect and thus cease to be God. Moreover, if He applied His strict justice without exception, He could be merciful to no one. After all, Adam and Eve were cast from paradise for one sin. Thus, the argument that an all-just and all-merciful God cannot exist would seem to have merit. It would also appear that Scripture has created an unsolvable dilemma, calling into question its own coherence and trustworthiness, and the existence of the God it proclaims. But does it?

In Christ’s encounter with the rich young ruler, He used the gentleman’s refusal to give up his wealth to illustrate how no one who loves anything more than Christ can enter into heaven. When Jesus declared, “it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God" (Matt. 19:24), the disciples understood the indictment and asked, “then who can be saved?” Indeed, “If Thou, LORD, shouldst mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand?” (Ps. 130:3). “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23). “There is none righteous, not even one” (Rom 3:10). “There is not a righteous man on earth who continually does good and who never sins” (Eccl. 7:20). “Who can say, ‘I have cleansed my heart, I am pure from my sin?’” (Prov. 20:9). All stand guilty before God and worthy of condemnation.

From the perspective of the accused, the situation was bleak. God will never relax the demands of His justice to grant mercy—the penalty for sin must be paid. Yet, Christ did not leave His disciples in despair, adding, “With men it is impossible, but not with God; for all things are possible with God” (Mark 10:27; cf. Matt. 19:26, Luke 18:27). God Himself would become one of us. God Himself would take our place and satisfy the perfect obedience required by His justice. And God Himself would pay the just penalty we deserve for our disobedience and contempt. “He had to be made like His brethren in all things, that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people” (Heb. 2:17).

Long before the earthly ministry of Christ as High Priest, the prophet Isaiah predicted this saving work:

For He grew up before Him like a tender shoot, And like a root out of parched ground; He has no stately form or majesty That we should look upon Him, Nor appearance that we should be attracted to Him. He was despised and forsaken of men, A man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; And like one from whom men hide their face, He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. Surely our griefs He Himself bore, And our sorrows He carried; Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, Smitten of God, and afflicted. But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed. All of us like sheep have gone astray, Each of us has turned to his own way; But the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all To fall on Him. (Isa. 53:2-6).

And further:

By oppression and judgment He was taken away; And as for His generation, who considered That He was cut off out of the land of the living, For the transgression of my people to whom the stroke was due? His grave was assigned with wicked men, Yet He was with a rich man in His death, Because He had done no violence, Nor was there any deceit in His mouth. But the LORD was pleased To crush Him, putting Him to grief; If He would render Himself as a guilt offering, He will see His offspring, He will prolong His days, And the good pleasure of the LORD will prosper in His hand. As a result of the anguish of His soul, He will see it and be satisfied; By His knowledge the Righteous One, My Servant, will justify the many, As He will bear their iniquities. (Isa. 53:8-11).

Moreover, the entire sacrificial system of the Jewish Tabernacle and Temple foreshadowed God’s solution to the dilemma of justice and mercy in saving sinners, including the provision of a priestly mediator between God and man (in particular, the high priest who entered the Holy of Holies once a year with the blood of the sacrifice to cover the sins of Israel); the practice of substitution (a lamb for a man); and sacrifice for sin (the death of a substitute in the place of the sinner). Thus, John the Baptist proclaimed at his first sight of Jesus, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29). Christ’s sinless life met the requirements of God’s strict justice in loving God with all His “heart, soul, and might,” giving God the Father His due as the supremely excellent creator and sustainer of all. On the cross He suffered infinite wrath in our place, paying the penalty for our sin by His agony and death.

As a man, Christ was the perfect substitute for mankind. As God and man, He was the perfect mediator between God and man. And as God, His suffering and death paid an infinite penalty for the sin of mankind. This He did once for all time, never to be repeated.

By this will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. And every priest stands daily ministering and offering time after time the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins; but He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, sat down at the right hand of God, waiting from that time onward until His enemies be made a footstool for His feet. For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified (Heb. 10:10-14).

In His cry from the cross, "It is finished!" (John 19:30), Christ proclaimed the successful accomplishment of God’s plan of the ages, the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies concerning His redeeming work, and the reality of the shadows displayed in the Tabernacle and Temple ceremonies—the satisfaction of God’s justice for the salvation of souls. The Lamb of God came not to abolish the standard of God’s perfect justice. He came to satisfy its requirements on behalf of sinners:

Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish, but to fulfill. For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass away from the Law, until all is accomplished (Matt. 5:17-18).

How, then, do the benefits of Christ’s magnificent work become the possession of the sinner? By grace through faith in Christ, alone, we are saved from the condemnation of our sin.

For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world should be saved through Him (John 3:16-17).

But how does faith save sinners? Does the act of believing constitute a good work of such merit that it meets the demands of God’s justice? Does God accept faith in the place of the requirements of His law? If Christ, alone, satisfied the requirements for forgiveness of sin and the obtaining of eternal life, how does faith save?

We know that none are saved by their own good works, for “by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight” (Rom. 3:20), and “knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus…since by the works of the Law shall no flesh be justified” (Gal. 2:16). Our good works cannot earn God’s favor. Salvation is by grace. Moreover, faith, of itself, cannot satisfy the standard of God’s strict justice—Christ, alone, met the requirement of sinless obedience and payment of the penalty for our disobedience. How, then, does faith save us if Christ met the standard of God’s righteous justice and we remain sinful and guilty?

Saving faith constitutes the open, empty, and unworthy hands that accept the free gift of Christ’s satisfaction of God’s justice on our behalf. Faith denies any merit of our own to earn acceptance by God as it receives the merit earned for us by Christ. As in marriage the bride and groom are legally united as one, so saving faith unites the believer and Christ in a bond of love. When the bride says, “I do,” all that belongs to him becomes hers. And when the bridegroom says, “I do,” all that belongs to her becomes his. (Granted, most of his junk gets thrown out in the process, but I digress.) In the same way, faith unites to Christ such that the merits of what He accomplished for salvation become the possession of the believer. In a “great exchange,” our sins were credited to Christ when He suffered and died on the cross, so His righteousness in meeting the demands of God’s justice on our behalf is credited to us when we embrace Him by faith. By faith the believer is “covered in the righteousness of Christ.” “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2Cor. 5:21). “For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ” (Rom. 5:17). “For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes” (Rom. 10:4). In this way, salvation by faith upholds God’s righteous justice. “Do we then nullify the Law through faith? May it never be! On the contrary, we establish the Law” (Rom 3:31). The obligation to love the Lord with all our heart, soul, and might remains unchanged. Christ, in perfect righteousness, performed it in our place. Again, Isaiah predicted this:

I will rejoice greatly in the LORD, My soul will exult in my God; For He has clothed me with garments of salvation, He has wrapped me with a robe of righteousness, As a bridegroom decks himself with a garland, And as a bride adorns herself with her jewels (Isa. 61:10).

Sadly, though the “Light of the World” satisfied God’s justice and offers forgiveness of sin and eternal life to all who would receive Him as Savior, many reject the precious gift:

There was the true light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man. He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God (John 1:9-13).

Indeed, “the gate is small, and the way is narrow that leads to life, and few are those who find it” (Matt. 7:14). Why?

And this is the judgment, that the light is come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the light; for their deeds were evil. For everyone who does evil hates the light, and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed (John 3:19-20).

For the religious deniers of Christ as God and Savior, the principle that our best behavior or merits cannot meet God’s standard of justice or earn His favor, pose an obstacle to faith in Christ. For atheists and the irreligious, the duty to bow to God’s sovereign authority asks too much, or is “contrary to human dignity,” as Kant would have it. In the end, the battle rages between two wills: God’s will in and through Christ, or our own.

In drawing this article to a close, we have in the justice as contrary to mercy objection to the God of the Bible an example of what besets the best of atheistic arguments. From a human perspective, God’s justice and mercy present an unsolvable problem. Yet God, who created and sustains all things, who transcends what He has made, who determines the rules of reality and defines the nature of justice and mercy, has solved the problem according to His wisdom. And even if God clearly meets the demands of our limited grasp of logic, God’s solution remains foolish and unacceptable to many.

For the word of the cross is to those who are perishing foolishness, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written, ‘I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, And the cleverness of the clever I will set aside.’ Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not come to know God, God was well-pleased through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe (1Cor. 1:18-21).

And while God’s ways need not be understood in order to be true, the “unsolvable,” from our narrow perspective, does not constitute a problem for God. He remains just in His mercy on sinners through faith in Christ, who satisfied for us the claims of His justice. And regardless, God is sovereign, answers to no one, and remains under no obligation to have mercy on a single soul, especially those who scorn the person and work of Christ—who suffered infinite wrath to purchase endless and immeasurable happiness for the unworthy. Neither must God have mercy on those who deny the clear display of His genius, power, and goodness in creation and every blessing, or who reject His law written on their heart. In the end, the penalty for sin will be paid, either vicariously in Christ or personally without Christ, while His free offer of mercy remains for all who would seek Him. “For if the word spoken through angels proved unalterable, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense, how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation?” (Heb. 2:2-3).

Adapted from Craig Biehl, Too Small: Why Atheists Can’t Know What They Say They Know. Forthcoming, Tulip Publishing, 2023.

Scriptures are taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, copyright© 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved.


1 Michael Martin and Ricki Monnier, eds., The Impossibility of God (Amherst: Prometheus Books, 2003).

2 Introduction to “Multiple Attributes Disproofs of the Existence of God,” in The Impossibility of God, 181.

3 Theodore M. Drange, “Incompatible-Properties Arguments: A Survey,” The Impossibility of God, 195-6.

Related Topics: Apologetics

Are you familiar with Norman Willis' claim that the NT may have been written in Hebrew instead of Greek? [An email from Norman Willis included in original question.]

The question you have raised is not my area of expertise, but the Norman Willis' theory is on the one hand, speculation, and on the other, a veiled attempt to exalt the Old Testament and the Old (Mosaic) Covenant above the New. The Book of Hebrews was written to dispute folks like this, by constantly showing how Christ and the New Covenant was "better" than the old.

To my knowledge, it is almost universally accepted that Jesus and His disciples spoke in Aramaic. The theory that the New Testament was written in Hebrew is without basis, though I believe that I have heard some suggest that some of the sources may have been in Aramaic. The simple fact is that the Jews lost their facility in Hebrew. That is why the Old Testament had to be translated into the Greek language (this translation is known as the Septuagint). You will remember that when Jesus cried out from the cross, "Eli, Eli, LAMA, SABACHTHANI"(Matthew 27:46-47). Jesus was citing the Hebrew text of Psalm 22:1, and no one there seemed to understood it. They thought Jesus was calling for Elijah. How could this fellow’s theory hold up if no one at the cross could understand the Hebrew words Jesus spoke. (Hebrew and Aramaic are related languages, but not the same.)

Our Lord came, not to abolish the law, but to fulfill it (Matthew 5:17). He lived a perfect life, under the law, so that His sacrificial death would pay the penalty for our sins, and not His own. His death instituted the New Covenant (Luke 22:20) which was foretold in the Old Testament (Jeremiah 31:31).

Notice that this fellow's conclusions are reached without evidence (there are no Hebrew manuscripts of the New Testament books, only Greek manuscripts). He uses phrases like, "I starting thinking about it. . . something didn't add up" and "I began to wonder. . ." and so on, indicating that all of his theories originated in his own mind. I did not have the time to read all of his words carefully, but I did not see him quote any respected scholarship.

The New Testament gives us many warnings about the Judaisers – those who wish to bring us back under law, rather than under grace. Galatians is the strongest indictment against this heresy. But Paul often warns about Jewish speculation and myth (see 1 Timothy 1:3-7; 6:3-5; 2 Timothy 2:14-26; 4:2-4; Titus 1:9-14).

Mr. Willis starts by saying that he was taught certain things, all of which were justified by the fact that the New Testament was inspired and written in Hebrew. I have never heard this argument before. He is seeking to refute Christian doctrine on the basis of some falsehood that he heard. In Romans 9-11 we find the inspired version of the relationship of Jews and Gentiles in the program of God (especially chapter 11). The same subject is addressed in Ephesians chapter 2. Mr. Willis should give special attention to Paul's view of his "Jewish good works" in Philippians 3:1-16, especially verses 7-10.

Mr. Willis' words are so filled with error that one could spend countless hours refuting his every point. I don’t have the time, so let me give you an example, which seems to suggest that Mr. Willis is not really a student of the New Testament. His statements regarding the New Testament seem second-hand:

The "gentiles" and "Greeks" that we have always been told that Sha'ul's was sent to minister to were in actual fact Diaspora Israelites of the Northern Kingdom of Israel (the Lost Ten Tribes), and the Hellenized Jews of the Diaspora and the Babylonian Exile, respectively. They are not the same as what we in Christian culture think of as Greeks and gentiles at all.

 

I looked up every reference to "Gentiles" in all four Gospels and Acts. Not one time was "Gentile" used for a Greek speaking Jew. Look at these instances, where Gentiles are contrasted with Jews:

Luke 2:32; Acts 4:27; 9:15: 13:48-50; 14:2, 5; 17:17; 21:21; 22:21-22; 26:17, 23; 28:17-29.

The arguments he puts forth reveal a gross ignorance of the New Testament, and should not be taken seriously.

Willis spends a great deal of time trying to convince his reader that the New Testament was not written in Greek, but in Hebrew. That's false, but so what? His real heresy is his denial of the gospel:

As long as we get it in to our heads that Yahshua came not to replace Israel and the Torah, but to show people how better to keep the Torah, then we have a chance of getting it right. He came not to replace what He Himself handed down to Moses in the Wilderness, but to clarify it. Otherwise, when Yahshua, Moses and Elijah (Eliyahu) were all standing there together in the transfiguration on the Mount of Olives, talking amongst one another, why did Yahshua not rebuke them for teaching the wrong thing?

 

In other words, Jesus came to show us how to better keep the law. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus showed that keeping the law of Moses was impossible. In Romans 3 Paul concludes that law-keeping can save no one, for we must keep the whole law, without violating one point (see James 2:10 as well). Paul shows us that the law cannot save anyone; it can only condemn us (Romans 3:9-20). Apart from the Law, the righteousness of God was manifested in Christ. It is His sacrificial death for our sins that saves us, and not our efforts to keep the law.

Willis' bottom line is wrong, dead wrong; heresy.

It is that simple.

Editor’s Note: This original QA was asked and written prior to 2002. Since then Norman Willis has continued to write, clarify, and codify his beliefs under the “Nazarene Israel” title and website. It has become clear since then that some updates and clarifications were warranted from the original reply. Since the original author of this post is no longer alive this brief addendum (3/20/2023) will be added rather than reworking what someone else wrote.

  • Despite all of Mr. Willis’ insistence and focus on the need for believers to keep details of the Mosaic law he does make it a point to say [under 2b. Other Issues, point #6 of his doctrine page (about 9/10ths of the way down the page)] that “Salvation is by Favor (Grace) Through Faith, not Works, Yet Good Works Are Evidence of True Salvation.”1
  • Mr. Willis denies orthodox Trinitarianism and advocates baptism in Jesus’ name only. He believes in manifestations of one God and not three persons (Modalism).2
  • Mr. Willis denies the eternal pre-existent nature of Jesus and views Him as a created “manifestation” who is worthy of worship, but not prayer. In his view this creation occurred in Genesis 1:1 within the use of the Hebrew object marker Aleph-Tav since Jesus is the Alpha and Omega (or Aleph-Tav in Hebrew).3
  • Mr. Willis denies the complete and equal inspiration and inerrancy of the Bible. He views the words of the apostles as “never ‘equal’ to the words of Yahweh.” The rest of the Words of Scripture are important in his view, but still “words of men.” Thus he differentiates between sections of God’s Word and their level of inspiration and inerrancy.4

In light of all this Mr. Willis’ views of salvation and Scripture are heretical as they depart from the faith once delivered to the saints by making a novel Jesus who is a manifestation of the Father and not a true person, and by destroying inerrancy and inspiration by prioritizing one part of Scripture over others.

For helpful resources on the Trinity see:

See Also: The Doctrine of God, by Gerald Bray, The Person of Christ, by Donald Macleod, and The Holy Spirit, by Sinclair Ferguson, and Making Sense Of The Trinity, by Millard Erickson.

For helpful resources on Inspiration and Inerrancy see:


1 https://nazareneisrael.org/about/doctrine/ (accessed 3/20/2023).

2 https://nazareneisrael.org/book/nazarene-scripture-studies-vol-1/yeshua-manifestation-of-yahweh/ and https://nazareneisrael.org/book/nazarene-scripture-studies-vol-3/immersion-in-yeshuas-name-only/ (accessed 3/20/2023).

3 https://nazareneisrael.org/book/nazarene-scripture-studies-vol-1/yeshua-manifestation-of-yahweh/ (accessed 3/20/2023).

4 https://nazareneisrael.org/about/doctrine/ (accessed 3/20/2023).

Related Topics: Bibliology (The Written Word)

Q. How do we reconcile the One Baptism as Ephesians 4 talks about with the different kinds mentioned in Scripture?

Hi Dr. Deffinbaugh,

I was wondering if you could help me with a question I have. I sincerely appreciate your Biblical insight.

Ephesians 4 speaks of “One baptism,” yet there are many baptisms mentioned in Scripture. My main hangup is with 1 Cor 12:13 and Matthew 28:19. How can there be just one baptism if Christ commanded water baptism in the Great Commission, yet there is also the fact of being baptized into the Body of Christ. Some say that 1 Cor 12:13 nullifies water baptism as there is to be just one baptism, which is 1 Cor 12:13.

Please share your thoughts as you are able.

Sincerely, *****

Answer

Dear Brother *****,

First of all, I don’t have a doctorate, so it’s just plan Bob.

I think the answer to your question might be found in Acts, chapters 10 and 11. Note the “two” uses of baptism here:

44 While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who were listening to the message. 45 All the circumcised believers who came with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also. 46 For they were hearing them speaking with tongues and exalting God. Then Peter answered, 47 “Surely no one can refuse the water for these to be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we did, can he?” 48 And he ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to stay on for a few days (Acts 10:44-48, NAU).

12 “The Spirit told me to go with them without misgivings. These six brethren also went with me and we entered the man’s house. 13 “And he reported to us how he had seen the angel standing in his house, and saying, ‘Send to Joppa and have Simon, who is also called Peter, brought here; 14 and he will speak words to you by which you will be saved, you and all your household.’ 15 “And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them just as He did upon us at the beginning. 16 “And I remembered the word of the Lord, how He used to say, ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ 17 “Therefore if God gave to them the same gift as He gave to us also after believing in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could stand in God’s way?” 18 When they heard this, they quieted down and glorified God, saying, “Well then, God has granted to the Gentiles also the repentance that leads to life” (Acts 11:12-18).

Peter is divinely instructed to go to the home of Cornelius, a Gentile. While he is still preaching the gospel, the Holy Spirit fell upon this group of new believers, just as it had happed to the Jewish believers at Pentecost. Both groups were “baptized by the Holy Spirit.” And so it was that Peter, seeing the God had baptized these Gentiles in the same way the Spirit baptized the Jews at Pentecost, he baptized them with water.

And when Peter is called on the carpet for going to a Gentile home and preaching the gospel, he repeated the story. His argument was, “When these Gentiles received the Holy Spirit (in the same way we did), I remembered that Jesus said that John the Baptist baptized with water, but He would baptize with the Holy Spirit. And since it was obvious that the Spirit had baptized these Gentiles, how could he refrain from baptizing them with water?

So there are two baptisms: There is the “one baptism” of the Holy Spirit, and the believer’s water baptism. When Ephesians speaks of “one baptism” Paul is talking about the baptism of the Holy Spirit. That happens only once. But when a person comes to faith (and is baptized by the Spirit), water baptism is the symbolic act that believers carry out, professing their identification with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection. One “baptism” is done by the Holy Spirit. The other baptism is done by men. And both symbolize a person’s union with Christ.

To put it concisely, there is only one Spirit baptism, whereby the Spirit baptizes a new believer into one body (the body of Christ), and thus the new believer professes his or her new union with Christ by symbolically acting out their participation in the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ.

I hope this helps,

Bob

Related Topics: Baptism

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