As we begin our study of hermeneutics, we will start with a discussion of authority, because this is why learning how to interpret Scripture is important. The Bible is not like other works of literature. We may study to understand the works of Homer, Shakespeare, and others for academic reasons, or simply for our own personal enjoyment. Yet the Scriptures are different. The Bible is more than just an interesting, informative, or inspiring book; it contains the very words of God (2 Timothy 3:16-17). This makes it different from other books because of the authority Jesus Christ has over every aspect of our lives. So in the first part of our study, we will consider the need for authority.

The Authority of Christ

“Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father” (Colossians 3:17).

The verse above contains a fundamental principle that must govern everything we do. To do something “in the name of” Christ means we do things by His authority. Merely claiming to do something in His name does not give us a rubber stamp of approval for whatever it is we are doing. Jesus said we can be guilty of practicing “lawlessness” while claiming to do things “in [His] name” (Matthew 7:22-23). In his letter to the Colossians, Paul made it clear that we are to act with Christ’s authority in all that we do.

The authority of Christ was the basis for the Great Commission that Jesus gave to His apostles. Before commissioning them to preach, He said, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth” (Matthew 28:18). The gospel was preached (Matthew 28:19) because Jesus had all authority. The disciples were to obey the Lord’s commandments (Matthew 28:20) because of His authority.

However, there are some who claim to believe in Christ while minimizing the concept of authority, even though Jesus indicated that it was the foundation for discipleship. An event early in Jesus’ earthly ministry showed that recognizing the principle of authority is rooted in faith.

“And when Jesus entered Capernaum, a centurion came to Him, imploring Him, and saying, ‘Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, fearfully tormented.’ Jesus said to him, ‘I will come and heal him.’ 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. 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.’ 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’” (Matthew 8:5-10).

This centurion was very familiar with the concept of authority. As a member of the Roman military, he had to obey the commands of the officers over him, and the soldiers under him were required to follow his instructions without questioning or amending them. He recognized that Jesus had this type of authority as well. In Jesus’ response, He explained that those who have faith will follow His words without questioning them or attempting to change them to suit their desires.

If we really believe who Jesus is, we will do His will. As Jesus asked, “Why do you call Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?” (Luke 6:46).

Bible Authority

Many religious people recognize that Jesus Christ has all authority, but they fail to see how that is connected to the Bible. They believe Jesus is Lord, but are slow to accept the concept of Bible authority. However, this is an important connection to make. Jesus is not here in the flesh, so how can we know what His will is so we can do it?

When Jesus told His apostles He was going away, He promised to send the Holy Spirit to them (John 14:16-17). The Spirit would come as a “Helper,” who would perform three essential tasks to assist them in their work of proclaiming the gospel of Christ:

1. The Holy Spirit would remind them of what Jesus taught – “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you” (John 14:26).
2. The Holy Spirit would testify about Christ – “When the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, that is the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify about Me, and you will testify also, because you have been with Me from the beginning” (John 15:26-27).
3. The Holy Spirit would guide them into all truth – “But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come” (John 16:13).

Because of this, the apostles’ writings would carry the same weight as the words of Christ. The apostle Paul wrote, “If anyone thinks he is a prophet or spiritual, let him recognize that the things which I write to you are the Lord’s commandment” (1 Corinthians 14:37). The teachings of the apostles were given “by the authority of the Lord Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 4:2), and they spoke “the commandment of the Lord” (2 Peter 3:2). When we read the writings of the apostles and other inspired men in the New Testament, we are reading the will of Christ that was delivered through the Holy Spirit, just as Jesus promised. In fact, all Scripture is inspired in this way:

“All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

This is important to understand. If the Scriptures thoroughly equip us, then they contain all we need to please God. This means we must go to the Bible to determine what is right or wrong in every situation.

• Any question that arises should be answered by going to the Bible. The Bereans were commended for taking this approach with the teachings of Paul: “Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so” (Acts 17:11). Before accepting what the apostle taught, they checked the Scriptures to see if it was true.
• Any practice we want to do must be commanded or authorized in the Scriptures. Remember, Jesus warned that many would claim to do things “in [His] name,” but would be guilty of practicing “lawlessness” (Matthew 7:22-23). To practice lawlessness means we are doing things for which we have no law, or that are contrary to God’s law. Therefore, instead of assuming that what we want to do is pleasing to God, we need to use the Scriptures to find out whether God’s word defines it as a “good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17).
• Anything we want to condemn as sin, we must show where it is condemned. In his letter to the Romans, Paul explained that the law defined sin: “What shall we say then? Is the Law sin? May it never be! On the contrary, I would not have come to know sin except through the Law; for I would not have known about coveting if the Law had not said, ‘You shall not covet’” (Romans 7:7). Rather than condemning something because of our opinion or personal dislike of it, we need to show where God has condemned it in His word.

We must use the Bible to find answers to spiritual questions, determine what to do to please God, and learn what we should avoid because it is displeasing to God. Doing this requires us to interpret the Scriptures properly.

Why Authority Is Important

There are three reasons why the topic of authority is vital to our handling of the Scriptures.

First, it is rooted in the identity of Christ. Again, when Jesus gave the Great Commission, He prefaced it with this statement: “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth” (Matthew 28:18). If we believe that Jesus is who He said He is, we need to do what He taught.

Second, it helps us understand what we are to do to please the Lord. Remember what Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount: “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness’” (Matthew 7:21-23). There is a difference between the will of God and what we think will please God. The difference between the two comes down to what has been authorized by the Lord. If something has not been authorized, it is classified as “lawlessness.”

Third, we will be judged based upon what we have done in this life. Paul spoke of the judgment we will all face when the Lord returns: “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad” (2 Corinthians 5:10). We will be judged by what we do in this life, and we do not want to be surprised at the judgment like the ones Jesus described in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 7:22-23). If the Scriptures equip us “for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17), we must follow what they teach and do those things that are authorized in His word.

Conclusion

Hermeneutics is important because how we interpret the Bible matters. Jesus has all authority, and His will is expressed to us in His word. If we hope to interpret the Scriptures properly, we must begin with a respect for Bible authority.

The post Hermeneutics (Part 1): The Need for Authority appeared first on Plain Bible Teaching.

John H. Hundley (1796-1881) was a gospel preacher who spent most of his life in Alabama. Though not as familiar to us as men like Alexander Campbell and Barton W. Stone, Hundley, like them,  sought to go back to the Bible for his authority in religious matters. His open mind and study of the Scriptures (as well as the influence of Walter Scott’s journal The Evangelist) led him to leave the Presbyterian church. He was immersed into Christ and helped found the church of Christ in Mooresville, Alabama.

In 1858, Hundley published a book titled The Plan of Salvation in which he explained what the New Testament taught about what one had to do to be saved. In it, he cited Peter’s words on the day of Pentecost:

Again, on the day of Pentecost, when the three thousand believed, and requested what they should do to be saved, Peter replied, “Repent, and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of sins.” (The Plan of Salvation, p. 80)

A common misconception that many religious people have is that someone is baptized because his sins have already been forgiven. But Hundley explained that if this were so, then one would have to repent because his sins have already been forgiven. This, Hundley said, was “too absurd a proposition to be entertained for a moment” because no one sorrows (an indication of true repentance, 2 Corinthians 7:10) because his sins are forgiven. Instead, we repent and are baptized in order to obtain forgiveness.

Hundley then addressed the charge that those who believe that baptism is necessary for salvation are putting their trust in water rather than in God. Yet as he cited the conversion of Paul, he explained: “Paul is told to wash away his sins by baptism—not that the virtue is in the water, but simply because God has chosen to make that His ordinance.” He then cited the Old Testament example of the sins being laid upon the scapegoat, which was then released into the wilderness. Notice Hundley’s explanation:

Does any man think the virtue to bear off sins was in a goat? Of course not. It was God’s command, and there lay all the merit. So in the case of water baptism. God has commanded us to perform the ordinance in order to remission, and it is obedience to God’s Word that ensures salvation and cleanses us from all sin, and not the mere washing of water. (ibid., p. 82)

Hundley capably and clearly explained the connection between baptism and salvation, even citing Peter’s statement in his first epistle: “The like figure whereunto baptism doth now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 3:21).

However, many people heard Hundley’s teaching on this subject and refused to obey the gospel by being baptized into Christ. Today, we may diligently and earnestly appeal to people to believe in Christ and obey His word. Yet many scoff at the idea of baptism being necessary for salvation, no matter how airtight our arguments are.

This can be discouraging. We may rack our brains trying to figure out a “better” way to explain these passages or a more convincing argument that would persuade people to obey the gospel as the three thousand did on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:41). However, we should consider a statement Hundley made as he concluded his argument:

This much will suffice on the subject of immersion, for if a man will not believe the Apostle Peter, he will not even listen to anything which I might feel inclined to write. (ibid., p. 82)

We often want to believe that if we are clear, articulate, passionate, and convincing enough, we can lead anyone to be converted. But that is just not the case. The Scriptures are clear enough for those who want to obey the Lord. Jesus said, “If anyone is willing to do His will, he will know of the teaching, whether it is of God or whether I speak from Myself” (John 7:17). Those who are not willing will reject it.

The word of God has been revealed in a way that we can understand it. So in our efforts to teach, we need to “speak as the oracles of God” (1 Peter 4:11, KJV). Because false teaching is so prevalent, we must work to “destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5, ESV). But in the end, all we can do is point people to the words of Jesus and the apostles that we find in the New Testament. We will not come up with a “better” message than the gospel they taught. If someone is going to be saved, they will have to listen to them.

So let us not get discouraged when we do not see the results we hope to see from our efforts to teach the gospel. Instead, let us continue to faithfully point people to the word of God and pray that it falls on good and honest hearts who are willing to accept the same message that Peter preached on the day of Pentecost: “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38).

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Read the whole excerpt from Hundley’s book in which he discussed baptism here: Immersion in Water.

The post If a Man Will Not Believe the Apostle Peter… appeared first on Plain Bible Teaching.

Hermeneutics

“Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15).

In that verse, the apostle explained that it requires effort to learn how to handle God’s word accurately. Handling it accurately necessarily requires us to interpret it properly.

However, many believe that we can interpret the Bible however we please, and that no one can say that one person’s interpretation is to be preferred over another. Others may recognize the necessity of interpreting the Bible accurately but do not understand the proper approach for doing so. As a result, there are widely different interpretations of the Bible, even on seemingly plain passages.

The Lord expects us to understand His word. Paul wrote, “By referring to this, when you read you can understand my insight into the mystery of Christ” (Ephesians 3:4). By saying they would “understand,” he did not mean that he would understand the will of God one way and they might hold to conflicting opinions about it. Instead, they could have the same “insight” as the apostle.

Paul explained to the Corinthians that they could have unity based on a common understanding of the will of God: “Now I exhort you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all agree and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be made complete in the same mind and in the same judgment” (1 Corinthians 1:10). In fact, this was Jesus’ prayer before He was crucified:

“I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me” (John 17:20-21).

In order to have the type of unity that Jesus prayed for, we need to have a proper understanding of hermeneutics so we can accurately interpret the Scriptures He has given us.

So as we begin this series, let us approach the word of God with an open mind, seek a common understanding, and draw the conclusions that God intended when He revealed His word to us.

The following is a list of the articles that will be included in this series:

1. The Need for Authority
2. How Authority Is Established
3. Generic and Specific Authority
4. The Silence of the Scriptures
5. The New Testament Pattern
6. What Has Been Bound and Loosed

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The post Hermeneutics: Introduction appeared first on Plain Bible Teaching.

In a plot to have Jesus put to death, the chief priests and elders brought Him before the Roman governor Pilate. After examining Him, Pilate found “no guilt in Him” (John 18:38) and knew that it was “because of envy they had handed Him over” (Matthew 27:18). Once he found out that Jesus had claimed to be the Son of God (John 19:7), he “made efforts to release Him” (John 19:12), but the mob demanded His death, such that Pilate was afraid they would turn violent.

“When Pilate saw that he was accomplishing nothing, but rather a riot was starting he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd, saying, ‘I am innocent of this Man’s blood; see to that yourselves’” (Matthew 27:24).

Pilate knew Jesus was innocent, but refused to stand up to the mob that demanded His death. He washed his hands to signify that he was absolving himself of responsibility. If they wanted to kill Jesus, he would not participate, but neither would he intervene to deliver Him from them.

However, somebody cannot pass off responsibility so easily. Pilate still had an obligation to properly dispense justice. Though written later, Paul’s words about the responsibility of civil authorities applied to Pilate as well:

“For rulers are not a cause of fear for good behavior, but for evil. Do you want to have no fear of authority? Do what is good and you will have praise from the same; for it is a minister of God to you for good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid; for it does not bear the sword for nothing; for it is a minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath on the one who practices evil” (Romans 13:3-4).

Of course, God knew that Pilate would make this choice and used it to carry out His “predetermined plan” (Acts 2:23) for Jesus to go to the cross. But Pilate was wrong. He had a responsibility to protect the one who was being delivered to death, and he refused to step in (or step up) and help.

Today, Christians may see the state of the world and be tempted to throw up their hands and say there is nothing we can do. The world is headed for destruction, for years our society has been speeding down the path of godless secularism, and our neighbors are blissfully ignorant of the fact that they are on the broad way that leads to destruction.

We cannot wash our hands like Pilate and refuse to do something when the world is moving in the direction it is. So what should we do? Notice the words of the wise man:

“Deliver those who are being taken away to death, and those who are staggering to slaughter, Oh hold them back” (Proverbs 24:11).

Whether we are talking about individuals we know personally or society in general, how do we hold them back from destruction?

1. Recognize that evil exists – The apostle John wrote that “the whole world lies in the power of the evil one” (1 John 5:19). Satan has deceived the world, and wickedness abounds. However, more than just recognizing the reality of evil, we need to identify it if we hope to turn anyone away from it. Whether that evil manifests itself in the form of alcoholism, gambling, pornography, homosexuality, transgenderism, or Islam, we need to specifically identify it in order to help those who are tempted to follow after those sins. Remember that David could identify the sin of the man in Nathan’s parable, but was completely blind to his own sin until the prophet pointedly said, “You are the man!” (2 Samuel 12:7).
2. Point the way to life – Sin leads to death, but Christ offers eternal life (Romans 6:23). Paul described how “the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God” (2 Corinthians 4:4). Once people recognize their sin [previous point], the only way to get them out of sin is to point them to Christ. So Paul said in the next statement, “For we do not preach ourselves but Christ Jesus as Lord” (2 Corinthians 4:5). Jesus is “the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through [Him]” (John 14:6).
3. Warn about destruction – Jesus offered the way to eternal life, but He also warned of the alternative: “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it” (Matthew 7:13-14). We need to point the way to life [previous point]while also warning of “eternal punishment” (Matthew 25:46). Paul described the judgment of the wicked in which the Lord would “[deal] out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. These will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power” (2 Thessalonians 1:8-9). God has provided the way to avoid this fate, but many will not appreciate the seriousness of our choice to follow the Lord unless they understand the terrible consequences of rejecting God’s offer of salvation.
4. Stand between the innocent and destruction – On one hand, we could apply this to the importance of turning someone from their sin. James wrote about this at the end of his letter: “My brethren, if any among you strays from the truth and one turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins” (James 5:19-20). On the other hand, standing between the innocent and destruction is not limited to turning someone from sin. It can also include standing up for someone being bullied, protecting a child from groomers and transgender cultists, defending an innocent victim from a violent attack, and more.
5. Fight back against wickedness – In his second letter to the Corinthians, Paul described our part in the spiritual battle that is raging around us: “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:3-5). The New Testament repeatedly uses military language to describe our struggle against evil (1 Timothy 6:12; Jude 3; et al.). We cannot passively hope for the best as the forces of evil destroy lives, homes, churches, and society as a whole. We must defend ourselves by putting on the whole armor of God (Ephesians 6:13-17) and defend others against the evil that threatens them (physically and spiritually). However, there are also times to be on the offensive – “taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5) – gaining ground against Satan and his forces.

When Pilate thought that the mob was too much for him to stand against, he tried to wash his hands and absolve himself of responsibility. But that did not clear him of his obligation to do what was right. In the same way, we cannot passively sit back and hope for the best while expecting the worst. No matter how strong the forces of evil might seem, we must take up “the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Ephesians 6:17) and “fight the good fight of faith” (1 Timothy 6:12), not only to protect ourselves but also to help save those around us.

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This article first appeared on Plain Bible Teaching for Today on Substack.

The post Oh Hold Them Back appeared first on Plain Bible Teaching.

“Jesus summoned His twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every kind of disease and every kind of sickness. Now the names of the twelve apostles are these: The first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; and James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot, the one who betrayed Him” (Matthew 10:1-4).

After spending an extensive amount of time with them over a period of three years, Jesus sent His apostles into all the world to preach the gospel. These men were chosen from various backgrounds. We do not know what all of them did before Jesus called them, but we do know this for a few.

For those whose backgrounds are known, there are some lessons we can learn. We can also see that Jesus offered them (and us) something far better than any earthly employment.

Their Professions Before Becoming Apostles

Fishermen – “Now as Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee, He saw two brothers, Simon who was called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. And He said to them, ‘Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.’ Immediately they left their nets and followed Him. Going on from there He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and He called them” (Matthew 4:18-21).

Of the twelve original apostles, a third of them were fishermen. This work was physically demanding and required them to work into the night (cf. Luke 5:1-7). Not everyone was cut out for that type of employment. It was also a dangerous work, as even experienced fishermen could get caught up in a violent storm (cf. Luke 8:22-24). In many cases, it was also a family business (cf. Matthew 4:21-22). This is what they knew, and it was part of their identity.

Tax collector – “After that He went out and noticed a tax collector named Levi sitting in the tax booth, and He said to him, ‘Follow Me.’ And he left everything behind, and got up and began to follow Him” (Luke 5:27-28). Levi, or Matthew (Matthew 10:3), was a tax collector. This work connected him with the Romans, and many looked down on tax collectors for this reason. They were associated with sinners (cf. Luke 5:29-30), and many of them earned a bad reputation by defrauding people (Luke 19:8) and collecting more than they were told to collect (Luke 3:12-13).

Zealot – “…and Matthew and Thomas; James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon who was called the Zealot…” (Luke 6:15). This was not a “profession” in the sense of a job like the others. Instead, it was a profession of allegiance. Unlike the tax collectors who worked for the Romans, the Zealots opposed them. They followed the same ideology as Judas of Galilee who “rose up in the days of the census” (Acts 5:37). However, they were not rebels simply for the sake of being rebellious. They were religiously motivated. As Thayer pointed out, the zealots “endeavored even by a resort of violence to prevent religion from being violated by others.”

Tentmaker – “And because he was of the same trade, [Paul] stayed with them and they were working, for by trade they were tent-makers” (Acts 18:3). Making tents involved skilled labor. It was a step up from the fishermen, but still very much involved in manual labor. It was the type of work that would be useful in every location Paul visited, as he regularly needed to work to provide for himself while he preached the gospel (cf. Acts 20:34; 2 Thessalonians 3:8).

How Jesus Offered Something Better

Fishers of men – Jesus made this connection when He called Peter and Andrew to follow Him: “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men” (Matthew 4:19). It is good to be productive in one’s profession, and these men certainly were, but it is far more important to help lead souls to Christ. The wise man wrote, “The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who is wise wins souls” (Proverbs 11:30). However, if we are going to “win souls” as “fishers of men,” we need to use the right “bait.” To use another analogy, the word of God is the seed we plant in the hearts of men (Luke 8:5, 11) because the gospel “is the power of God for salvation” (Romans 1:16). Therefore, we must remember Paul’s admonition to Timothy as we seek to lead people to Christ: “Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction” (2 Timothy 4:2).

Citizens of a heavenly kingdom – Unlike the Roman Empire, God’s kingdom would “endure forever” (Daniel 2:44). When Jesus stood before Pilate, He told the Roman governor, “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would be fighting so that I would not be handed over to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not of this realm” (John 18:36). As citizens of this kingdom, we must keep our allegiance in the proper place. This is why Peter told the Jewish rulers, “We must obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29). While we live and work in and among the kingdoms of men today, we need to remember that “our citizenship is in heaven” and “eagerly wait” for the Lord’s return (Philippians 3:20-21).

True freedom – The zealots wanted freedom from their Roman oppressors, but Jesus offered a better freedom. As His disciples, we can be made free from sin (John 8:31-36). Yet Paul explained that we have this freedom if we become slaves of righteousness: “Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness? But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed, and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness” (Romans 6:16-18). Because we are servants of Christ, we can “act as free men” (1 Peter 2:16) even under a tyrannical government (1 Peter 2:13-15; cf. Acts 5:29).

A house not made with hands – Earthly tents are temporary, no matter how skilled the tentmaker is, but God offers something eternal. The world in which we live is passing away (1 John 2:17) and will one day be destroyed (2 Peter 3:10). Our bodies were not made to last forever, as Paul wrote, “Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day” (2 Corinthians 4:16). Yet God has prepared for us an eternal home in heaven with Him: “For we know that if the earthly tent which is our house is torn down, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For indeed in this house we groan, longing to be clothed with our dwelling from heaven” (2 Corinthians 5:1-2).

Conclusion

One did not need a certain educational or professional background to be called as an apostle. We also do not need these to become a Christian. Instead, we need to believe in Christ and obey His will, just as the apostles did.

The post The Professions of the Apostles appeared first on Plain Bible Teaching.

“If anyone sees his brother committing a sin not leading to death, he shall ask and God will for him give life to those who commit sin not leading to death. There is a sin leading to death; I do not say that he should make request for this. All unrighteousness is sin, and there is a sin not leading to death” (1 John 5:16-17).

This is a difficult passage, and some portions of Scripture are like that (cf. 2 Peter 3:16). We must take care not to misinterpret it, but we can understand it (cf. Ephesians 3:4). To do this, we must seek to harmonize it with the rest of Scripture.

Key Words

First, we need to understand the key words used in the passage above:

• Sin (Greek: hamartia) – The word John uses for sin is the same word used elsewhere in the New Testament. It is a violation of God’s law, and he identified it as “lawlessness” earlier in this epistle (1 John 3:4). Jesus warned about the danger of being enslaved to sin (John 8:34), and Paul plainly stated that “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23).
• Death (Greek: thanatos) – Paul told the Romans, “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23). This is not physical death. Even infants, who have never committed a sin, sometimes die unexpectedly and tragically. Instead, the “death” we receive as a payment due to us for our sin is in contrast with the “eternal life” offered by Christ. Jesus offers a reward in heaven with Him for eternity. The “death” of this verse is the punishment in hell as one is separated from God for eternity.
• Unrighteousness (Greek: adikia) – This is the standard usage of the word. It refers to iniquity or wickedness. Peter used this word in his rebuke of Simon for attempting to buy the gift of God with money: “For I see that you are in the gall of bitterness and in the bondage of iniquity [Greek: adikia]” (Acts 8:23).
• Ask (Greek: aiteo) – In this context, this refers to prayer to God. Immediately before this, John explained that we must ask according to God’s will when we pray (1 John 5:14-15). We have the assurance that when we ask “according to His will,” God hears us and blesses us according to His will. 

In this passage, John was describing an action one might take that violates the law of God and makes him guilty of practicing unrighteousness. Some who do this will receive the punishment of death, while others will escape that. What is the difference?

Possible Interpretations

What is a sin that is not leading to death? There are a few possibilities that one might suggest:

• Forgiven sin – This fits with the part about sin not leading to death. God promised that, under the new covenant, He would “be merciful…and…remember [our] sins no more” (Hebrews 8:12). But John’s statement about petitioning God on this person’s behalf does not fit with this interpretation. There is no point in asking for our brother to be restored to God if he has already been forgiven.
• Excused sin – This does not fit with what the Bible teaches about God’s judgment of sin. As we have noted, “The wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). Paul wrote earlier, “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness” (Romans 1:18). We must not make excuses for sin when God said He will punish it. He may forgive sin, but He will not excuse it.
• Perceived sin – This means we see someone doing something that we think is a sin, but it is not. But in this case, there is no reason for God to “give life” to this brother as a result of our prayer, because he already stands justified before the Lord (cf. Romans 14:4).

So if none of the above possibilities adequately explain the passage, what was John talking about?

This is not about a particular sin or type of sin. Instead, this is about one’s attitude toward sin. It has to do with whether one is willing to repent of sin or has hardened his heart and given himself over to sin.

The Two Sins Mentioned

The first is “a sin not leading to death.” The New Testament helps explain what type of sin this is. Notice a few points:

• John said we are to petition God on this person’s behalf. This is what Simon asked the apostles to do when he fell into sin following his conversion (Acts 8:22-24). He recognized his error and wanted to be right with God again.
• The reason why someone in this position would respond in this way is because he experiences godly sorrow that leads to repentance. Paul explained that this type of “sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation” (2 Corinthians 7:10).
• We can then help restore this person who has been caught up in a trespass (Galatians 6:1), bringing him back to God and welcoming him back among the people of God.

The second is “a sin leading to death.” Notice how this is different from the first sin:

• We are not to petition God on this person’s behalf – at least for their forgiveness – because it would do no good since he refuses to repent. In Jeremiah’s day, because the people of God had gone so far into sin, the Lord told the prophet, “As for you, do not pray for this people, and do not lift up cry or prayer for them, and do not intercede with Me; for I do not hear you” (Jeremiah 7:16). Some people get themselves into the same condition today, and we cannot pray to God to forgive them unless they repent.
• Rather than experiencing godly sorrow, this person no longer feels guilt for sin. He is like those who have become “seared in their own conscience as with a branding iron” (1 Timothy 4:2), and they have forgotten “how to blush” and feel shame for their sin (Jeremiah 6:15).
• When a person reaches this point, it is impossible for us to restore him. The Hebrew writer described this tragic condition: “For in the case of those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance, since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame” (Hebrews 6:4-6). This does not mean that they might never have a change of heart. Instead, the point is that we cannot restore them until they have a change of heart.*

The person who commits “a sin not leading to death” recognizes his fault and is open to being restored. The one who commits “a sin leading to death” has no interest in giving up his sin and returning to the Lord.

Lessons for All of Us

First, sin is not to be taken lightly. When John said, “All unrighteousness is sin, and there is a sin not leading to death” (1 John 5:17), he was not minimizing the problem of sin. Some of the Christians in Rome did this, which led them to think they could “continue in sin so that grace may increase” (Romans 6:1), yet Paul made it very clear that they were not to continue living in it.

Second, we must continually strive for perfection. Earlier in this epistle, John wrote, “My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin…” (1 John 2:1). That was the goal – to not sin. Our goal should not be to find the “right way” to sin so that we can avoid punishment. We must strive to follow Christ and His sinless example (1 Peter 2:21-22).

Third, when we sin, we must repent. We are to “walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light” (1 John 1:7). However, we may slip back into sin from time to time. When this happens, we must “confess our sins, [because] He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). We should always recognize our need for God’s mercy (cf. Luke 18:13).

Finally, we need to recognize that we can be hardened by sin. The Hebrew writer warned about this: “Take care, brethren, that there not be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God. But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called ‘Today,’ so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin” (Hebrews 3:12-13). This can happen to any of us. Even the more spiritually-minded brethren were told to be on guard “so that you too will not be tempted” (Galatians 6:1).

Conclusion

All sin is contrary to the law of God, and He is just in punishing those who commit sin. At the same time, all sin can be forgiven through the blood of Christ, which He shed on the cross. Whether our sins will be punished or forgiven depends on our response to the gospel. Will we turn from our sin and accept the Lord’s offer of forgiveness on His terms? Or will we stubbornly continue in sin and refuse to turn from it? That choice is ours to make.

———

* For more on Hebrews 6:4-6, see the article, Impossible to Renew the Fallen.

The post What Is a Sin Not Leading to Death? appeared first on Plain Bible Teaching.

In discussions about immodest clothing and how we should define that, brethren have generally fallen into two camps:

1. Those who draw a line between what is modest and immodest.
2. Those who reject the practice of drawing such lines.

Those in the second group are often very critical of those in the first. They may describe the idea of a line between modest and immodest clothing as being “legalistic.” They might say that those who try to define a line are making rules that God never made.

However, the reality is that everybody has a line.

No one goes out in public naked. Even those who are critical of brethren who “draw lines” do not walk around in their underwear. So if someone would not do that, then they have a line, at least subconsciously, between what is appropriate and inappropriate. Even if they have not thought this through, they have a line somewhere.

If we were to attempt to use the Bible to draw these lines, there are a few passages that can be used:

“You shall make for them linen breeches to cover their bare flesh [nakedness, KJV]; they shall reach from the loins even to the thighs” (Exodus 28:42).

“Take the millstones and grind meal. Remove your veil, strip off the skirt, uncover the leg [thigh, KJV], cross the rivers. Your nakedness will be uncovered, your shame also will be exposed; I will take vengeance and will not spare a man” (Isaiah 47:2-3).

These verses talk about covering the thigh (above the knee) in order to cover one’s “nakedness.”

Also, notice what is said about the clothing God provided to Adam and Eve in the Garden after they sinned:

“The Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife, and clothed them” (Genesis 3:21).

The Hebrew term for the garments given to Adam and Eve (kutonet) refers to a “tunic…generally with sleeves, coming down to the knees, rarely to the ankles” (Gesenius’ Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon). At the minimum, this would have covered them from the shoulders to the knees.

Many Christians believe that we should not use these lines to distinguish between modest and immodest clothing. However, as we have already noticed, everybody has a line. If their line is three inches above the knee, rather than covering the thigh to the knee, it is reasonable to ask where they got their line. Are they using culture as their standard? Or is their level of comfort their authority? Is it wise to use either of these and ignore the definitions found in God’s word?

In the New Testament, we have Paul’s words to Timothy about “proper clothing”:

“Likewise, I want women to adorn themselves with proper clothing, modestly and discreetly, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly garments, but rather by means of good works, as is proper for women making a claim to godliness” (1 Timothy 2:9-10).

Some may argue that immodest apparel has more to do with overdressing than underdressing. One can indeed overdress and be immodest, but that does not mean we give no thought to underdressing.

Others may argue that they are not causing anyone to lust. Even if this could be true, in reality, there is no way to know that. Remember the principle stated by Paul in his first letter to Corinth: “For who among men knows the thoughts of man except the spirit of the man which is in him?” (1 Corinthians 2:11). We do not know anyone’s thoughts unless they truthfully tell us what they are thinking.

However, some clothing does invite lust. The wise man warned of the woman who was “dressed as a harlot” (Proverbs 7:10). Even though her outfit was not described any further, we certainly have an idea of what it could have been since her intention was to arouse the men around her and entice them to commit adultery with her. It could be that someone may not have the same intention, but thoughtlessly wears the same type of clothing anyway.

Some may argue that short shorts, tight clothing, and so on are so common today that it does not cause people to lust. Even if that were true, how we dress is not just about preventing lust. After all, someone can lust after someone else even if that person is fully clothed. Similarly, it is possible for our clothing to be inappropriate even if no one lusts after us.

Perhaps some of the confusion on this topic has come because we have equated immodesty with causing lust when it is not limited to that.

The Bible talks about nakedness (not necessarily nudity) as being shameful. We noticed this in the passages above. To have our nakedness exposed should elicit a sense of shame. When Jesus was stripped of His clothing during His crucifixion, it was done to humiliate Him. However, when one chooses to expose oneself (as is done by wearing clothing that exposes what ought to be covered), that should be considered shameful. Sadly, many have forgotten “how to blush” (Jeremiah 6:15).

When Paul wrote to Timothy about how women were to dress, he said they should do so as “women making a claim to godliness” (1 Timothy 2:10). What claim are we making with our clothing?

• Are we “making a claim to godliness” when we wear clothing that flaunts our wealth?
• Are we “making a claim to godliness” when we wear clothing that invites lust?
• Are we “making a claim to godliness” when we choose to dress in a way that exposes what the Bible calls nakedness?

Following Christ is not about the least we can do or the most we can get away with. It is about bringing honor and glory to Him. Rather than trying to get as close as possible to a “line,” we should exercise wisdom as we apply the principles found in God’s word.

———

This article first appeared on Plain Bible Teaching for Today on Substack.

The post Everybody Has a Line appeared first on Plain Bible Teaching.

“But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you. And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment; concerning sin, because they do not believe in Me; and concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father and you no longer see Me; and concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged” (John 16:7-11).

Shortly before His crucifixion, Jesus spoke to His apostles and promised to send the Holy Spirit to them, who would “convict [reprove, KJV] the world” (John 16:8). The New International Version translates this phrase by saying He would “prove the world to be in the wrong.” The Spirit would do this “concerning sin and righteousness and judgment,” and we will notice later why this was necessary.

This work of the Holy Spirit would have a direct impact on the apostles’ teaching, and it should on ours as well. In this article, we are going to consider HOW the Spirit would convict the world, how the apostles carried out their work related to this, and what we should do in this regard today.

The Role of the Holy Spirit

Jesus promised that the Holy Spirit would “guide [the apostles] into all the truth” (John 16:13). This promise was given in order to help them carry out their role of teaching Jesus’ message (John 14:26) and telling of His works (John 15:26-27). They were chosen to be His “ambassadors” (2 Corinthians 5:20), acting as official spokesmen for Jesus as He rules over His kingdom. The Holy Spirit would enable them to do this work effectively and infallibly.

Jesus explained to these men that it was “to [their] advantage” to receive help from the Holy Spirit in this way (John 16:7). Besides delivering revelation from above, the Holy Spirit would also act as their comforter (John 14:16; 16:7), and through Him, they would “receive power,” enabling them to be Christ’s “witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth” (Acts 1:8).

In fulfilling His role, the Spirit would “convict the world” (John 16:8). What does this mean? The Greek word means to convict someone of a fault and cause them to be put to shame. The same word is used in other passages, including Jesus’ instruction to go to your brother and “show him his fault” (Matthew 18:15), and descriptions about evil deeds being “exposed” (John 3:20; cf. Ephesians 5:11).

How the Holy Spirit Will Convict the World

In exposing the world and showing their fault, Jesus said the Holy Spirit would focus on three categories – sin, righteousness, and judgment.

• Concerning SIN – Sin is a transgression of God’s law. In his first epistle, John defined it as “lawlessness” (1 John 3:4). Jesus said they would be convicted “concerning sin, because they do not believe in Me” (John 16:9). Sin results when one does not fear the Lord. Paul explained this in his letter to the Romans, in which he “charged that both Jews and Greeks are all under sin” (Romans 3:9-10). The reason why they allowed themselves to get in this condition was because “there is no fear of God before their eyes” (Romans 3:18). They needed to see their sin for what it was so they would recognize their need for a Savior. For those who were open to it, the message of the Spirit would help them come to this realization.
• Concerning RIGHTEOUSNESS – Righteousness is the state of being right or justified before God. As John explained in the same passage in which he defined sin as “lawlessness” (1 John 3:4), he declared that righteousness is something we practice (1 John 3:7). When Jesus gave the promise of the Spirit to His apostles, He was soon going to be leaving them. They would “no longer see [Him]” (John 16:10) or His perfect example. They needed a perfect standard of right and wrong, and the Holy Spirit would reveal this. Through the Scriptures He inspired, they would be perfectly “equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17).
• Concerning JUDGMENT – This judgment is the final judgment of this world. Satan is the ruler of this world (2 Corinthians 4:4), and he “has been judged” (John 16:11), and his defeat was assured (John 12:31). We now look forward to the time when Jesus will return to judge the world (Acts 17:30-31). Paul warned, “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad” (2 Corinthians 5:10). Because we are accountable to Him, we must prepare for this day, and the message of the Spirit would help the faithful be prepared.

An Example in Paul’s Preaching

When Paul taught Felix while imprisoned, he was trying to convict him just as the Holy Spirit was convicting the world.*

“But some days later Felix arrived with Drusilla, his wife who was a Jewess, and sent for Paul and heard him speak about faith in Christ Jesus. But as he was discussing righteousness, self-control and the judgment to come, Felix became frightened and said, ‘Go away for the present, and when I find time I will summon you’” (Acts 24:24-25).

Notice that the apostle taught on the same things that Jesus said the Holy Spirit was going to reveal.

• Righteousness – This is a call to God’s perfect standard. Jesus commissioned His apostles to teach people “to observe all that I commanded you” (Matthew 28:20), and this is what they did everywhere they went. When Peter went to the household of Cornelius, he said, “I most certainly understand now that God is not one to show partiality, but in every nation the man who fears Him and does what is right is welcome to Him” (Acts 10:34-35). We must do what is right and practice righteousness to be accepted by God. Paul attempted to impress this upon Felix.
• Self-control – This is the instruction to give up sin, a message that Felix needed to hear as he was with a woman he had no right to be married to.** Paul told the saints in Rome that “our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with” (Romans 6:6). He then told them to “consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus” (Romans 6:11). Since the gospel was first preached on the day of Pentecost, it has included a call for people to repent in order to be saved (Acts 2:38).
• Judgment to come – This should provide the motivation for one to obey the gospel. Paul warned that Jesus would return one day “with His mighty angels in flaming fire, dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus” (2 Thessalonians 1:8). This is why “God is now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent, because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead” (Acts 17:30-31).

Our Teaching Today

In our efforts to teach, we must “speak as the oracles of God” (1 Peter 4:11, KJV), just as the apostles did. If we teach something different, we stand to be “accursed” (Galatians 1:8-9). But if we teach what we ought to teach, our message will include the same points as the apostles’ message and the Holy Spirit Himself.

• Sin – We must identify sin as sin. People cannot change if they do not know they are wrong. Paul made this point as he explained why he had to write such a difficult letter to the church in Corinth. He was trying to get them to see their sin and repent. “For though I caused you sorrow by my letter, I do not regret it; though I did regret it—for I see that that letter caused you sorrow, though only for a while—I now rejoice, not that you were made sorrowful, but that you were made sorrowful to the point of repentance; for you were made sorrowful according to the will of God, so that you might not suffer loss in anything through us. For the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation, but the sorrow of the world produces death” (2 Corinthians 7:8-10). If we really want to help people, we need to help them recognize their sin so they can turn away from it.
• Righteousness – We have to point to God’s perfect standard (“speak as the oracles of God”) and cite “book, chapter, and verse”*** so people can know that we are speaking God’s words and not the words of man.
• Judgment – We need to teach others to prepare for judgment. After explaining that we will all appear before the Lord in judgment, Paul wrote, “Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade men…” (2 Corinthians 5:11). Understanding the ability and willingness of God to destroy the wicked should motivate us to persuade people to turn from their sin and serve the Lord.

Conclusion

The message of the gospel is to turn from sin, practice righteousness, and prepare for judgment. The Holy Spirit would bring this teaching to the apostles, and they would take it into all the world. Today, we need to follow these things ourselves and teach others to do the same.

———

* For more on what Paul taught Felix, see the article, Paul’s Message to Felix.

** Drusilla was identified as a “beautiful but infamous woman” (Jamieson, Fausset & Brown Commentary). The historian Josephus noted that she was “given in marriage to Azizus, king of the Emesenes, who had consented to be circumcised for the sake of the alliance. But this marriage was soon dissolved, after this manner: When Festus was procurator of Judea, he saw her, and being captivated with her beauty, persuaded her to desert her husband, transgress the laws of her country, and marry himself” (JOSEPHUS, Antiquities, 20.7.1,2). Yet when Paul encountered this “infamous woman,” she was then the “wife” of Felix.

*** For more on this point, see the article, Why “Book, Chapter, and Verse” Preaching?

The post Convicting the World appeared first on Plain Bible Teaching.

Plain Bible Teaching launched on August 1, 2005, so we have just completed twenty-one years and are now beginning year number twenty-two!

I consider it an incredible blessing to be able to do this work. I genuinely enjoy the work that goes into writing articles and creating other content like podcasts and videos, which is published on this website and on other platforms. However, the website analytics, social media statistics, and emails and messages I receive tell me that this work is helpful to people throughout the country and around the world. I know that all of this is only possible because of the blessings God has given, so I am thankful for this opportunity and will point to Him as the one who is worthy of praise for whatever good might be done through these efforts.

I also want to thank each of you for reading, listening, watching, following, and sharing this material. I appreciate all of the emails, messages, and face-to-face comments offering words of encouragement to me in this work. Some of you have been following Plain Bible Teaching since the beginning. Others have just recently discovered it. Regardless of where you are between those two, I am glad you are here.

The goal from the beginning has been to publish materials that can accurately be described as “plain Bible teaching,” to explain and remind others of what the word of God teaches, in order to encourage them to live in a way that is pleasing to the Lord. I’m thankful I’ve been able to do this for twenty-one years now, and I have no plans to stop.

The Future of Plain Bible Teaching

At the beginning, I was posting a few articles each month on the website. Since then, I have added several other features, including sermon outlines, a podcast, and a YouTube channel. Material from each of these categories is shared every week in the Plain Bible Teaching Weekly Newsletter. I also send out Daily Bible Notes each weekday and the Plain Bible Teaching Sermons Newsletter each Monday. Last year, I added Plain Bible Teaching for Today on Substack, where I write about current events and social issues. That was started based upon feedback from all of you.

However, I am always thinking of ways to improve the site and potential new features to add. I’m also continually looking for possible topics to cover that will be helpful to all of you. So, at this time each year, I conduct a reader survey to gather feedback from those who use the site. If you have a few minutes to complete the survey below, I would greatly appreciate it.

Take the Plain Bible Teaching reader survey

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Following Plain Bible Teaching on these sites is a way to keep up with all the content being shared (besides what is included in the weekly newsletter). It is also an easy way to support Plain Bible Teaching (the more who follow, the more visible these accounts are to others). You can also easily share the materials with others on these social media sites (which is certainly appreciated).

Thank You

Once again, THANK YOU so much for your interest, support, and encouragement over the last twenty-one years. I hope that as we move into the twenty-second year and beyond, this site will continue to benefit all of you.

—Andy Sochor

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The resurrection of Jesus Christ happened almost two thousand years ago, yet it is still remembered, is still talked about, and continues to impact the lives of people throughout the world. The preaching of the apostles was filled with it (Acts 2:22-24, 32; 3:15; 4:10; 5:30; 10:38-43; 13:29-31; 17:31; 26:23). Today, we continue to proclaim the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. But why? And what evidence do we have that this event happened? Let us consider a few points.

Why the Resurrection Is Important

Before investigating the historicity of Jesus’ resurrection, we need to recognize why it matters. After all, being convinced that an inconsequential event happened will not make much difference in one’s life. However, the resurrection of Christ is anything but inconsequential. In fact, there is no event in the history of the world as important as this. What makes it so significant?

• The resurrection proved that Jesus was the Son of God – “Who was declared the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead, according to the Spirit of holiness, Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 1:4). The Father already announced this plainly on two different occasions while Jesus was on the earth (Matthew 3:17; 17:5). Jesus also claimed to be the Son of God (John 5:17-18). If that claim were not true, God would not raise Him from the dead, because “we know that God does not hear sinners” (John 9:31).
• The resurrection proved that we are accountable to God – “Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent, because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead” (Acts 17:30-31). This was the conclusion to Paul’s sermon on Mars Hill in Athens. Jesus was given authority to execute judgment (John 5:27), and will do so when He returns (Hebrews 9:27-28). Paul explained that “we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ” (2 Corinthians 5:10), and Jesus’ resurrection proves that we must take this seriously.
• The resurrection provides hope beyond this life – “But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep. […] For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive” (1 Corinthians 15:20, 22). Jesus’ resurrection was not just so He could defeat death for Himself. The Hebrew writer explained that He defeated death to free us from the fear of death (Hebrews 2:14-15). And this hope is available to all those who obey the gospel (Romans 6:3-5).

What Happened After Jesus’ Death

Jesus was crucified on a Roman cross outside the city of Jerusalem. However, He was not the only one to suffer such a cruel and humiliating death. In fact, at the same time, two thieves were crucified on either side of Him (Mark 15:27). Yet what happened after Jesus’ death proved that He was unique.

• He was buried – “When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who himself had also become a disciple of Jesus. This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate ordered it to be given to him. And Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock; and he rolled a large stone against the entrance of the tomb and went away” (Matthew 27:57-60). Joseph of Arimathea, in addition to being a disciple, was also a member of the Council (Mark 15:43). He did not consent to Jesus’ death (Luke 23:51). He gathered the courage to ask Pilate for the body of Jesus and he buried Him in his own tomb with the help of Nicodemus (John 19:39-40). This was a fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy: “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” (Isaiah 53:9).
• The women visited the tomb – “When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, bought spices, so that they might come and anoint Him. Very early on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb when the sun had risen. They were saying to one another, ‘Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb?’ Looking up, they saw that the stone had been rolled away, although it was extremely large. Entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting at the right, wearing a white robe; and they were amazed. And he said to them, ‘Do not be amazed; you are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who has been crucified. He has risen; He is not here; behold, here is the place where they laid Him’” (Mark 16:1-6). They saw the angels at the tomb (cf. Luke 24:4), who told the women to inform Jesus’ disciples (Mark 16:7). Jesus then appeared to one of them – Mary Magdalene (Mark 16:9-10).
• Peter and John visited the tomb – “So Peter and the other disciple went forth, and they were going to the tomb. The two were running together; and the other disciple ran ahead faster than Peter and came to the tomb first; and stooping and looking in, he saw the linen wrappings lying there; but he did not go in. And so Simon Peter also came, following him, and entered the tomb; and he saw the linen wrappings lying there, and the face-cloth which had been on His head, not lying with the linen wrappings, but rolled up in a place by itself. So the other disciple who had first come to the tomb then also entered, and he saw and believed. For as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead. So the disciples went away again to their own homes” (John 20:3-10). As John honestly pointed out, they did not understand what was transpiring. The disciples initially did not believe the women when they reported that Jesus was alive (Mark 16:11). They thought it sounded like “nonsense” (Luke 24:10-11). This is significant because it makes the change that occurred with the disciples later even more remarkable.
• Jesus appeared to His disciples – “To these He also presented Himself alive after His suffering, by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days and speaking of the things concerning the kingdom of God” (Acts 1:3). After this, He ascended back to heaven while angels promised His disciples that Jesus would return again in the same way (Acts 1:9-11).

Evidences for the Resurrection

Understanding the significance of the resurrection and the uniqueness of Jesus’ death, how can we know that this really happened?

First, we can examine eyewitness testimony. Paul discussed the resurrection extensively in his first letter to the church in Corinth. He began by listing the eyewitnesses who saw Jesus alive after His crucifixion.

“For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. After that He appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep; then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles; and last of all, as to one untimely born, He appeared to me also” (1 Corinthians 15:3-8).

Most of the hundreds of eyewitnesses were still alive when Paul wrote that letter, which meant that they could be questioned. The apostles, especially, were chosen to be witnesses of Jesus and His resurrection (John 15:26-27; Acts 1:8, 21-22; 1 John 1:1-3). The presence of so many witnesses, who were able to confirm and corroborate one another’s testimony, made this a historical fact. All history is based upon verifiable eyewitness accounts, and the number of witnesses to Jesus’ resurrection means we can be assured that it really happened without having to take a “leap of faith.”*

Second, we can evaluate the claims of Jesus’ enemies. The chief priests and Pharisees, after orchestrating the death of Jesus, appealed to Pilate to “give orders for the grave to be made secure until the third day, otherwise His disciples may come and steal Him away and say to the people, ‘He has risen from the dead,’ and the last deception will be worse than the first” (Matthew 27:64). The Roman governor granted their request and guards were assigned to guard the tomb. But when Jesus rose from the dead, the chief priests had to come up with a way to obscure the truth of what occurred.

“Now while they were on their way, some of the guard came into the city and reported to the chief priests all that had happened. And when they had assembled with the elders and consulted together, they gave a large sum of money to the soldiers, and said, ‘You are to say, “His disciples came by night and stole Him away while we were asleep.” And if this should come to the governor’s ears, we will win him over and keep you out of trouble.’ And they took the money and did as they had been instructed; and this story was widely spread among the Jews, and is to this day” (Matthew 28:11-15).

After Jesus was raised from the dead, His enemies had to come up with a story to explain it away. The claim that Jesus’ disciples stole His body while the guards slept became the “official narrative,” but this story had significant holes in it.

• How would the guards know who stole the body if they were asleep?
• Why were none of the guards punished for their failure to keep the tomb secure?

Only those who refused to think critically or those who trusted that their leaders would never hide the truth from them would fall for this. Objectively, there was no way that this claim could have been accurate.

Third, we can see the change in the apostles. Following the crucifixion of Jesus, His disciples were hiding in fear:

“So when it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and when the doors were shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, ‘Peace be with you’” (John 20:19).

Forty days later, they were publicly and boldly preaching Jesus as the Son of God, who had been raised from the dead (Acts 1:3; 2:14-41). All of the apostles suffered for their preaching, and most of them were killed. Jesus even warned them this would happen so they could be prepared for it (John 16:2). Yet in the decades that followed, NONE of them disavowed or altered their testimony. They could not stop speaking about it (Acts 4:19-20; 5:27-33), and they rejoiced when they were persecuted for the sake of Christ (Acts 5:40-42).

Finally, we can consider the continuation of the church. Gamaliel, a prominent and respected teacher among the Jews, advised the council about how to handle the apostles’ continued preaching in Jerusalem.

“But when they heard this, they were cut to the quick and intended to kill them. But a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the Law, respected by all the people, stood up in the Council and gave orders to put the men outside for a short time. And he said to them, ‘Men of Israel, take care what you propose to do with these men. For some time ago Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody, and a group of about four hundred men joined up with him. But he was killed, and all who followed him were dispersed and came to nothing. After this man, Judas of Galilee rose up in the days of the census and drew away some people after him; he too perished, and all those who followed him were scattered. So in the present case, I say to you, stay away from these men and let them alone, for if this plan or action is of men, it will be overthrown; but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them; or else you may even be found fighting against God.’” (Acts 5:33-39).

Gamaliel’s advice was simple. If the apostles’ teaching and the growth of the church were not from God, they would fizzle out, and history had proved this to be the case, as he cited two examples. However, if it were from God, they would not be able to stop it. Two thousand years later, the Lord’s church is still here. Before His death on the cross, Jesus made this promise to Peter and the rest of His disciples:

“I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven” (Matthew 16:18-19).

Establishing a kingdom from heaven that would never be destroyed was a fulfillment of the prophecy found in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream (Daniel 2:44-45). If Jesus were a deceiver, the movement composed of His followers would soon have come to nothing. The continuation of the church is proof that Jesus is the Son of God who was raised from the dead.

Conclusion

Jesus’ resurrection from the dead is a historical fact, and there is sufficient evidence for us to believe it. Because the apostles were sure of the resurrection, they boldly preached the gospel without fearing death. For us today, the resurrection of Christ provides hope for eternal life if we will faithfully follow Him.

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* For more on this point, see the article, A Leap of Faith.

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