A Better Bible Study Podcast

Growth is a process and a progression. Just as the stages of life, we are conceived, born, grow to be toddlers, children, adolescents and finally become adults. We then grow older until we become old people and die. The process of life continues with our children and grandchildren. In the same way there is a process in our spiritual growth. We are converted or born again, we study the scriptures, pray, fellowship with the brethren and increase always in faith.   Abounding in Faith And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment,  so that you may approve the things that are excellent, in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ; having been filled with the fruit of righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God. Philippians 1:9 – 11 (NASB) Today we will be looking at the progression of spiritual growth as presented in Philippians 1:9 – 11. Paul’s prayer to his audience is that they abound in love and that that love may abound in real knowledge and all discernment. All of this to the end that we may approve the things that are excellent. This in turn brings sincerity and blamelessness even unto the day of Christ Jesus. This love that is mentioned in today’s on-line bible study is more than just a Christian sentiment, but is rooted in knowledge and understanding. This knowledge and understanding springs from personal bible study where the gospel is ‘heard’ and this produces faith. The word faith in the New Testament is Pistis which in its active form means to believe. Unlike our common understanding of faith over the years – faith is not just a matter of trust, but believing beyond present or former knowledge. It is a knowing where there is no present thing to substantiate that knowledge.     Selflessness The place God wishes to take us is where we are more like Christ in our love for each other, even as is depicted by the gospel. It is that place where we think of others as being more worthy than ourselves. Rudy ‘the Bear’ challenges his hearers by using the analogy of parents’ love for their children. Parents are more knowledgeable than their children and do what is best for them, even if it means giving their lives for their health, their safety and their benefit. In the same way, our Heavenly Father gave His Son for us His children. Jesus was willing to die so that all may have a choice of eternal life. The gospel redeems us and we are converted. As we move on from this conversion and we engage in bible study – we ‘hear’ God’s word which produces in us faith which is wrapped up in discernment and understanding. Let us take a look at 1 Corinthians 13 which defines for us the excellence of love: If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.  And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing.  Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered,  does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.    Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away.  For we know in part and we prophesy in part; but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away. When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known.  But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love.   The point of this passage to the church of Christ is that love, as defined by God, is selfless. Love does not seek its own, but cherishes the other as valuable. Each person is encouraged to think soberly about themselves; but at the end of the day, selflessness brings about the Christ-likeness that God wants us to become. The Progression of Growth 1 Peter 2:2 says: As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby However you may wish to examine the scriptures: through on-line bible study, adult bible study, or group bible study – the truth about the matter is, when this is done with sincere willingness to learn, God grows us. We experience spiritual growth when we study the bible and adopt and obey the principles of faith. Gathering as the church of Christ is important to the process of growth. Praying without ceasing is important to the process of growth. Giving thanks and giving are also important to the process of spiritual growth. Again let us look at the progression. Bible study leads to hearing the word of God. Hearing leads to faith. Faith leads to real knowledge in discernment, which in turn leads to love. This love results in us approving the things that are excellent. Here we look after others’ state of being – an expression of love. Let us remind ourselves of the following:   Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. [Philippians 2:2]   Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:  But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:  And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. [Philippians 2:4 – 10]   By being selfless, by thinking of others as worth more than ourselves, we show that we endeavor to be like Christ Jesus. And as Rudy ‘the Bear’ points out, the importance of our growth in order for us to be the best assets to the people that we love       Conclusion In order for us to be the best assets, we turn again to praying one for another. This in turn produces hope, and hope faith – and the cycle goes on. This brings us to an important axiom in our on-line bible study. And it is that, things lead to other things. And these things bring about our spiritual growth.

  The need to study the scriptures is great and necessary. Study of the scriptures is more than just reading – it is examining and mentally ingesting the messages they have for us. Once we have established that daily pattern, it is more difficult to be carried away by unscriptural doctrines.   Arguments Take for example the  doctrine of using only one cup. One may ask, should the one cup be taken literally? Or does “the cup” speak of its content. Many are stunted in their spiritual growth because they glibly accept everything that is presented to them without thinking or even examining the scriptures as we are trying to do in this on-line Bible study. Such persons do not reason out the scriptures as we are encouraged to do in 2 Timothy 2:15 (NASB): Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman  who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.   Studying helps us make connections to the problems that we are facing. As we ‘accurately handle the word of truth’, it is an interaction with God. We are doing something by studying God’s revealed Word and God is doing something in us. This is part of the process that propels us towards maturity in the church of Christ. Arguments from the deviators of true scriptural doctrine may not be fruitful for us, for as Rudy ‘the Bear’ commented in todays on-line bible study, “If we operate within the same limitations that they operate under, [and] then they have a strong argument.” Therefore the importance of small group Bible study, on-line bible study, adult bible study – whatever the type – bible study helps us to avoid stupid arguments that hinder our spiritual growth. By learning the Scriptures ,we are able to better recognize base ,unbiblical silliness for what it is and it will be less likely that our walk with Christ will be diverted by the latest doctrinal deviation.       New Creation Teachers have a very important role to play in ensuring that what is taught by the church of Christ reaches the heart, soul and mind. Even so, in our on-line bible study of the Gospel, we will examine various scriptures that will impress on you what God would have you learn and understand, so that you may experience true spiritual growth and become more like Christ. Consider, Proverbs 23:7, For as he [a man] thinks within himself, so he is. Christ wishes for us to die to sin and the sinful nature, and be re-created in His image. Persons who know you should notice that there is a change in your modus operandi. The new creature will be evident as the Christ-likeness develops more and more and you study more and more. For instance, giving is not just giving, but giving as 2 Corinthians 9:7 states: Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.   We give of ourselves, not grudgingly, but cheerfully. The condition of our heart is given importance. Luke 6:38 says: Give, and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure — pressed down, shaken together, and running over. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return.   God isn’t trying to change the way we give. God, through his Gospel, is trying to change who we are, which will naturally change the way we give for the better. Also, Philippians 1:6: 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.   Your growth is also dependent on Him. He is able to keep you to the end. He began this work in us when we accepted the gospel. We all keep [Hebrews 12:2] fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith… We rely on Him to help us to the very end. Being Like Christ Let us examine Philippians 1:9 – 11: And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment,  so that you may approve the things that are excellent, in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ; having been filled with the fruit of righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.   Therefore a reminder of an important axiom: Being precedes doing. Rudy ‘the Bear’ explains this using the issue of giving. It is more important to be Christ like than to do Christ like things. It is more important to have a cheerful attitude about giving than giving a lot in a grudging way. As we continue our bible studies, we grow in the knowledge of who God wants us to become, leading us to what is excellent. I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve the things that are excellent. If you do this – sincerity and blamelessness follows.   We can sum up everything as it is expressed in Philippians 2:3 – 8: Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.  Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men.  Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore, our state of being like Christ will influence or ‘doing like Christ’- again propelling us to the heights of spiritual growth in Him.       Visit Our Website Do remember to visit our website at www.abetterbiblestudy.org, www.abetterbiblestudy.org and that’s the place for your bible study questions. We look forward your contribution to this interesting and free bible study.  

How do I decide which church to attend? There are two perspectives. non- Christian, who wishes to find truth about of God and His plan of salvation New Testament Christian who knows, what the Bible teaches about recognizing the Lord’s church.

Religious Hypocrisy Being godly precedes doing godly. When we emphasize the doing over the being, we become like the Pharisees. That’s also the problem with so many religions today, they emphasize on the doing instead of understanding the being first. However, Christianity is a religion of “being” because God emphasizes on the renewal of the internal, because it’s what inside that counts. To understand this truth more, let’s look at Matthew 23:23-27, wherein Jesus had a climactic confrontation with the Scribes and Pharisees. We can see in this chapter the seven woes of the Lord Jesus towards these religious leaders of Israel. In verses 23-24, the Lord Jesus said, “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone. Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel.”   Meaning, they are focusing all their attention on the particulars of behavior and have completely omitted to consider the more important issue of motive. In verses 25-27, the Lord continued, “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess. Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchers, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness.”   You see, it is really possible for you and me to appear somehow “somebody,” as if we’re righteous and godly. And yet, in reality, if our hearts are not really honest, what we’re doing is just putting on a good face. Christianity is not like this. Your behavior is not the one that makes you righteous before God; that was actually the Pharisees’ philosophy, rather than the internal conversion of the heart to Christ. In verse 28, Jesus continued, “So you, too, outwardly appear righteous to men, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.” The word “lawlessness” here in the Greek has to do with a condition without the law, or from Thayer’s Greek definition, it means a “frame of mind or a state of being in which one commits or can commit lawlessness or iniquitous deeds.” That’s why the apostle John said in 1 John 3:4, “Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness.” So when it comes to the sin of the Pharisees, their problem is not really that they misbehave. Actually, our Lord recognized that their behavior appears righteous, but of course only to men, not to Jesus. That’s why in Matthew 15:10-11, there’s a record there that says, “Hear and understand.”It is not what enters into the mouth that defiles the man, but what proceeds out of the mouth, this defiles the man.” Again, we see that it is what inside that counts. Yet, it’s interesting that the Pharisees were offended by this statement. Nonetheless, our Lord answered in verse 14, “Every plant which My heavenly Father did not plant shall be uprooted.  “Let them alone; they are blind guides of the blind. And if a blind man guides a blind man, both will fall into a pit.” The Cleansing Effect of the Scriptures Thus, it’s really vital that we have the light of the truth in order not to become blind guides like the Pharisees. And so, even Paul in 1 Timothy 1:5 was reminding Timothy to teach sound doctrine. He said, “But the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.”   Take note, Paul is saying something here that, when it comes to teaching, we have a goal. Interestingly, that goal is not primarily to make a Christian a highly-educated person, or a person whose mind is bursting with facts. Rather, the verse says, the goal of doctrine is love from a pure heart. It’s internal. Colossians 1:22, 28-29 testify also to this fact. Paul said,   “…yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach…We proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete in Christ. For this purpose also I labor, striving according to His power, which mightily works within me.”   That’s why in order to grow in our internal transformation; we need the sound teaching of the Bible. Paul said in Ephesians 4:15, “…but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ.” Aside from this, another Scripture passage that I want you to consider is Ephesians 2:11. It says here, “Therefore remember that formerly you, the Gentiles in the flesh, who are called “Uncircumcision” by the so-called “Circumcision,” which is performed in the flesh by human hands.” Compare this with Romans 2:28-29, Paul said,   “For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh. But he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that which is of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter; and his praise is not from men, but from God.”   Paul is teaching a spiritual circumcision here. The physical circumcision of the Jews is just a shadow of the spiritual reality of circumcision that shoul lead to us in Christ. Therefore, it’s an important pursuit in the life of every Christian to grow in their spiritual life, because in the end that is what will really count. 2 Corinthians 4:16 testifies to this fact. It says, “Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day.”

The Gospel and Spiritual Growth Episode 20: The Bible, the Foundation of our Faith Christianity and the Bible Christianity as a religion is unique in a sense that it doesn’t have any comparison in its inherent truth and grace. Thus, it is important that as 21st century members of the Lord’s church, our faith on the validity and authority of the Bible must be firm. We must have a clear biblical position in every aspect of our lives. What the Bible says must be also what we say and do. It is our source of knowledge concerning who God is, who Christ is, our relationship with God, and other matters of faith. Without the Bible, human knowledge will become hearsay, guesswork, and mysticism. Thus, the Bible is the solid and trustworthy foundation for our faith and life. We should not base our belief on our feelings. We shouldn’t follow the Jews in their so-called faith in God that doesn’t have substance. The apostle Paul said concerning them in Romans 3:1-3, What advantage then hath the Jew? Or what profit is there of circumcision? Much every way: chiefly, because that unto them were committed the oracles of God. For what if some did not believe? Shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect? So you see, even though they have the Scriptures and they teach it, yet they don’t know what they are talking about. Even our Lord Jesus said concerning their approach on the Scriptures, in John 5:39 “Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.” The Problem of Human Religion And yet even though they search the Scriptures, the problem is, according to Jesus in John 8:31-32, “If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed” Here we see a “contingency.” It is expressed by a contingent preposition “if.” It is a logical expression that says, “If A, then B.” And applied to this verse, Christ is saying, “if” you continue in my word” (that’s A) then B will happen to you, which is the fact that you are indeed my disciples. And if a person is truly a disciple of the Lord what will happen is, according to Christ on the following verse, “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” That’s it. We will be set free because Christ is the truth that sets free. It is also related to the saving love of God which our Lord said in John 3:16, saying, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” However, in spite of the liberating truth of Christ, the Pharisees didn’t accept Him. Instead, they throw at Him insults and they engaged the Lord in a fiercely debate. And so, having expressed the true nature of their persons, the Lord Jesus said in John 8:37, “I know that ye are Abraham’s seed; but ye seek to kill me, because my word hath no place in you.” That’s it, even though the Pharisees are considered experts in religion, yet, when it comes to the words of Christ, it had no place in them. Thus, as Christians, we should not follow their examples. Rather, let’s follow the admonition of Paul in 2 Timothy 2:15. It says here, “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” The Command to Timothy: An Example to Follow To understand the impact of this verse to Timothy, we need to know that during that time, this young Timothy was in a very difficult situation. That’s because he needed to challenge the elders of the church to be diligent in the service of the Lord. And to think the difficulty of that task, just imagine the situation where you are assigned to challenge and correct the elders of your church. Would you feel excited about it? I don’t think so. Yet, Paul was commanding young Timothy to do this. And with regards to Pastoral ministry, he said, “study to show thyself.” In other translation, the word “study” is translated “diligence.” As we know, diligence implies doing your best in a systematic, persistent, and consistent way. And the attitude to do it is, “as a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” You see, Paul compares this diligence to a work that is not ashamed to handle the word of God. And of course, the means for a workman not to be ashamed is to approach the Scripture rightly divided. In the Greek language, the term “rightly dividing” refers to a precise handling of God’s word. And I tell you, this is the problem of our age today. Many people talks that they are Christians, and yet you cannot see in their lives the reality of this verse. So, even though this verse is immediately addressed to Timothy, yet, it has a general command to Christians. In other words, we need to follow the example of Timothy who diligently and systematically study the word of God and is not ashamed of what people will say, realizing that what the Bible says is what matters most. We need to put this command and admonition of Paul into our hearts, knowing that in the lasts days, according to Paul in 2 Timothy 3:1-7 “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.” We are in a present evil age, and therefore we should always guard our hearts with the truth of Christ and of His words.

How does one grow in Faith? This is the 19th episode of the Bible study series The Gospel and Spiritual Growth. In this episode, we will look into more details on what the Bible says about growing in Christ. Why the need to learn? Our previous lessons taught us that the Gospel is the only power of God unto salvation. We also learned that by faith we attain spiritual growth. The Bible provides instructions on how one grows in faith. However, knowing the dynamics about how one grows in faith does not help us to achieve spiritual growth. It can however help us on the other areas which are; To avoid being misled by well-meaning yet not well-reasoned “religious” brethren whose doctrine has already been debunked by the New Testament, and To mature our understanding of what God wants of us based on the New Testament. There are prevailing thoughts that have become dominant especially in this age. So much so that if we want to mature in our understanding of what God wants from us, we need to mature in our understanding of what the New Testament really says. How does the one grow in faith? The following are answers of fellow Bible study students on the question. The speaker further elaborates on the points of the answers. We grow from faith to faith. It is a process. Romans 10:17 “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.” Faith is a cycle that begins with faith and ends with even greater faith. In other words, the gospel interacts with us such that we not only listen to it but we hear in such a way that we gain some small amount of understanding. The result for understanding is a natural desire for more understanding. From this hearing or understanding, our faith grows. Romans 10:17 “Faith comes as a result of hearing…,” an activity itself resulting from a decision to be open and receptive to messages delivered. This verse is in a context where Paul was trying to explain why Israel doesn’t accept Christ. He is discussing the phenomenon of hearing a message and the difference between those who audit or hear it with their ears which leads to faith as opposed to those who audit but do not share the same experience. Paul gives these explanations; First, in Romans 10:10 “for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation” The difference is whether the hearer allows or does not allow his heart (psyche) to receive the message as valid. It involves a willful act, a work.; and Second, in Romans 10:16 “… they did not all heed the good news…” Faith results from hearing and being receptive to the message in the New Testament. Growing in faith requires two elements: One, the presentation of a truthful message presumably by a preacher or by the word of God; Two, willingness to consider the message as valid although not easily explained by logic or experience. It requires both to work. The willingness to accept the message as not valid will not result in faith. The same is true with merely reading the Word or listening to it. It will not increase faith if the listener’s attitude is not open to the implications of the message. These passages in Romans do not refer only to the point in one’s life that faith is required to obey the gospel. Paul says that believing results to righteousness. He prays that those he writes to continues to grow in faith. The formula of confronting the word of God with openness to receive, not just the logic, but the personal transforming implications of the message, is one of the keys to spiritual growth. Ephesians 4 :15 “but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head,…” Philippians 1: 9-10 “…that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment, 10 so that you may approve the things that are excellent, in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ;” The New Testament is full of proofs that the true hearer grows. One continues to grow in faith which results in divinely-informed change of vision and action. A New Covenant In Hebrews the author tells us to find a formula or give a prescription, to the Jews first, that will allow him to resist the temptation to go back. It is the theme of Hebrews; don’t go back to what you were at one point. Hebrews 8: 6 “But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, by as much as He is also the mediator of a better covenant, which has been enacted on better promises.” (Continue reading to verse 13) In verse 13 is mentioned the old covenant becoming obsolete and ready to disappear. What in general was the old covenant? It was an agreement between God and people that basically said, “I will be your God and you will be my people if you keep these commandments”. It is a type of relationship with God where you have a God that legislates and people who obey commandments that are written down for them to behave in certain ways. Jesus calls it religion. The spirit talks of true and undefiled religion. This true and undefiled religion would be looking after the widows and orphans in their distress and keeping oneself unspotted from the world. Before God, this would be pure and undefiled religion. However, religion as a general category is legislating behavior and people then responding by obeying these legislations as best they can. In the case of Law of Moses, obeying these laws perfectly was what was required. That is a religion. In the New Testament it can be read and argued that there is no salvation in that type of religion. There was a shift 2000 years ago from that kind of religion. It was a shift to something better – to a new and living way. As stated in Hebrews, the new covenant is better in every respect. What is the new religion that is not religion? Hebrews 8:10 “For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel .After those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws into their minds, And I will write them on their hearts…” James addressing the Jewish elders who assumed leadership roles in Chapter 3 verse 13 Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him show by his good behavior his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom.14But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth. Verse 14 talks of internal qualities- jealousy and selfish ambition. If this resides in the heart and yet we continue to present an external image of wisdom and understanding, we are being arrogant and we are lying against the truth. It is testimony against wisdom and understanding. Wisdom, understanding, jealousy, selfish ambition and arrogance are all internal qualities. 15 This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic.16For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing.17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy.” The external qualities are the things that can be faked. The good fruit is the internal components of the spirit as can be read from Galatians 5. Moving on to James chapter 4; 1What is the source of quarrels and conflicts among you? Is not the source your pleasures that wage war in your members? 2You 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. 4You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. This new covenant is very simple. We don’t have to memorize. What we have to do is grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head ,that is Christ. Our job is to grow in every way into Christ. As we move on in our study, we need to remember that job number one is to grow into Christ. This is what God wants from us. Jesus is beyond religion. The word religion only occurs 5 or 7 times in the New Testament and fewer brought it up in a good light. Here is an example. James 1:27 “Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.” It is clear that our problem is inside us. The goal is to change from the inside out. If our goal is only to behave, this is religion in a general way. What counts is what is inside, the internal.

On A Better Bible Study Podcast, Rudy discusses with church of Christ members, the question as to where to they should worship. How do I decide which church to attend? There are two basic positions from which to ask this question.  The perspective of a non- Christian, a sincere person who wishes to find a true pillar, support, truth about of God, and His plan of salvation New Testament Christian who knows, because he has been taught, what the Bible teaches about recognizing the Lord’s church. However, he finds himself alienated from the local congregation in his community or he is in doubt about which of them is likely to conform to his expectations. Non-Christian Needs Acts 2 The non-Christian seeks an organization of believers that will help him draw nearer to God. When he asks where he should worship, the only right answer is  “What does the Bible teach? That is my answer to 99% of all the questions that are asked of me by Christians and non-Christians. In this case, “What does the Bible teach about the church?” When we ask this underlying question, it demands that the answer rest entirely upon the hermeneutical consistency and in logic. It is not how you feel about it or whether your inner being likes it. What the Bible teaches is our only guide to the  correct answer. This is a summary after we have gone through the doctrinal battle grounds. It must depend on the Scriptures for the definition of its mission. By definition the church must be comprised entirely of honest disciples of Christ. Unless you believe that the church is a place where everybody gathers. I can see the reason for the confusion. It is an assembly point, the Greek word for assembly and for church is identical. We are talking about assembly and we may have non-Christians assembling there seeking answers. However, the assembly of God, the church of Christ, the family of God, the one that was established on the day of Pentecost in Acts 2, that organization is comprised entirely of Christians. Acts 2 (NASB95) – The Day of Pentecost Agape John 13:35 The legitimate true church that God established with the blood through His Son, our Lord Jesus, must be characterized by the agape love that its members have for one another.  Jesus said this in John 13:35. “By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love (agape) for one another.” (John 13:35 NASB95) The Library of Congress can contain an entire wing filled with books about this same question and is drawn upon the Bible predictably consistently and upon logic to provide nearly identical answers, all which are identical to my own. I believe that Roy E. Cogdill an author of 50s and 60s has written a very good book about what the Bible teaches about the Lord’s church. It is a series of outlines. It is not organic chemistry or quantum physics. Read that book and if there are questions after that I would be happy to clarify it. Christian Perspective Permit me to answer this question asked by a New Testament defined Christian who already knows what the New Testament church is and what it should look like in terms of organizations, teaching, mission, and history. He already knows what the church is. This must be the view point from which you are asking this question today. Foundational Prerequisite Hebrews 10:21-26 Acts 9:26 A conclusive foundation that you must have as a Christian in a position of looking for a congregation is You are not the only Christian on the planet; there are others in your community. That is a much preferable answer than answering that you are the only Christian in your community. If you were the only Christian in your community, for argument sake, then you will only have two options: move or   Assembling with the members of the church of Christ is a mandatory Christian imperative if one wants to progress, participate – that word that comes from the same word communion comes from participate in the plan of salvation, God’s plan not man’s plan. grow For one to participate in and  to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the Head,  that is Christ then he must assemble with the church. Typically ,when this case is made in sermons or bible studies, there are two Scriptures that you can count on and other people who go to and since we have a great priest over the house of God,                let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds,                not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near. For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins,  (Hebrews 10:21–26 NASB95) The author of Hebrews 10:21-26 concludes the core basic fundamental systematic differences between the Old Testament and New Testament , the old law, the spirit of love in Christ was the case of what was expected of the Jews and what is now understood to be the path of the New Testament Christians. There isn’t any command  to assemble with one another. If we want an approved example ,we can look at Acts 9:26, where we see Paul seeking to associate with the brethren or the disciples. When he came to Jerusalem, he was trying to associate with the disciples; but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he was a disciple. (Acts 9:26 NASB95) Sometimes what the Christians faces when he is asking this question in an environment in which the church is so impoverished and  possibly corrupt that he doesn’t sense that he is profiting by attending there. In fact, he may feel that he has been stripped slowly of knowledge of correct understanding of the truth. He may feel  it to be harmful to him in some cases and he is probably correct  We have seen some cases where this would certainly be true. 21st Century Perception In the 20th and 21st centuries ,our ignorance has progressed and ballooned to the point at which many Christians perceive the assembly of the Lord’s church must be one that is socially and emotionally fulfilling. This is not entirely true. Criteria to Choose Your Church Hebrews 13:17 The criteria that Christians should use are: You have to have a congregation that draws its conclusion entirely from the Scriptures. It relies so heavily on the authority of the Scriptures, that the bulk of the training of its members is not in firming up doctrinal cases, but rather firming up the individual Christian abilities to read and analyze Scriptures and to draws conclusion from the Scriptures.   The other criteria that Christians should look for, is “do they love one another?” This would be people that are described in the New Testament as being people who confess to one another because people struggle, Christian or not. They struggle, they fail, they sin, they recognize, they want atonement. The Scripture provide large evidence for confession and repentance and for people to forgive them so the fellowship must be a confessing fellowship, a forgiving fellowship. A fellowship that engages itself in the most important aspects of life, not just when somebody loses a family member or gets married or is having emotional problems. It is a fellowship of people who are engaged with each other. There is a desire for emotionally intimacy with everybody. It is a body in which the members are all connected by the same connective tissue, which is Jesus Christ. They all seek the best in one another and the utmost best would be growth in Christ. When we look for assembling with the body of Christ ,we can look at those two arguments from Hebrews 10:21-26 and Hebrews 10:26. Who are the Leaders   Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for this would be unprofitable for you. (Hebrews 13:17 NASB95) In Hebrews 13:17, there is a command. Paul says to obey your leaders. Who are they? Who are the leaders? If leaders are to be obeyed , they need to hold an office that we see in the Scriptures. That would be the office of elder or bishop or presbyter. There are qualifications for holding this office. This is a command to obey your leaders. Our leader is Christ. Congregation Consists of Hebrews 13 Hebrews 3:17 Romans 12 Romans 14:13-19 Good example is to associate with other members of the congregation. Don’t be like those people who forsake the assembling together.  He is also going to tell how you evolve from the actual you, to the potential you. Part of the cycle of growth is association with the brethren in your community. What if they are absolutely annoying brethren, you just have to put up with them as you might put up with relatives who are annoying. You don’t get to impose your demands on the brethren. If we study we see that the Pauline letters to the congregation in Rome, Corinth, Ephesus, in the region of Galatia, Philippines, these congregations were comprised of Christians only.  These Christians were new Christians they already had an influence of Judaism they were under the influence of paganism others just recently taken from there They had misunderstandings, misconceptions , they made every mistake in the book, and they were bickering arguing all of the things they might have seen in the letters. These letters address these problems many of which we have today. Let love of the brethren continue. (Hebrews 13:1 NASB95) Hebrew 13:1, let the love of the brethren continues. Hebrews 13:17 is obey your leaders. Hebrew 3:13 encourage one another. In Romans 12:3 the assumption is clearly that Paul was talking to members of the church in Rome as though they were all members of one congregation. These injunctions have general applications, but in this context they are applied to members of the congregation. Romans 14:13-19, and you would see much the same thing. Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather determine this—not to put an obstacle or a stumbling block in a brother’s way. I know and am convinced in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself; but to him who thinks anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean. For if because of food your brother is hurt, you are no longer walking according to love. Do not destroy with your food him for whom Christ died. Therefore do not let what is for you a good thing be spoken of as evil; for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. For he who in this way serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men. So then we pursue the things which make for peace and the building up of one another. (Romans 14:13-19 NASB95) The three underlying foundational conclusion you must have is that you are not the only Christian in the community, you therefore should assemble with the community of Christians, the body of Christ Association with other Christians is necessary if you want to grow. If you are able to find people who are seeking God, and they are willing to subordinate their impulses or emotions to God and what God tells them to do in the Bible,  then you, in order to save your family, in order to give them the best chance to mature and grow you must evangelize. Build the church where you are. That is logically necessary, it is inescapable.   This is a church of Christ online Bible study. We will see you next week!  

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 NASB95) One thing we can glean from 2 Thessalonians 1:8 is that the Gospel  is to be obeyed. This is a key verse when trying to evangelize denominational people, whether you find them in actual denominations or in the church of Christ. This verse is great because it naturally starts a conversation about, “What is the Gospel?” Gospel of Christ What is the Gospel of Christ? The Gospel is the story about the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus, the implications thereof. Exodus 28:41-43 1 Samuel 9:16-17 1 Kings 9:19 Anointed Which kinds of people are anointed in the Old Testament? Priest Prophets and Kings “You shall put them on Aaron your brother and on his sons with him; and you shall anoint them and ordain them and consecrate them, that they may serve Me as priests. “You shall make for them linen breeches to cover their bare flesh; they shall reach from the loins even to the thighs.     “They shall be on Aaron and on his sons when they enter the tent of meeting, or when they approach the altar to minister in the holy place, so that they do not incur guilt and die. It shall be a statute forever to him and to his descendants after him. (Exodus 28:41-43 NASB95) “About this time tomorrow I will send you a man from the land of Benjamin, and you shall anoint him to be prince over My people Israel; and he will deliver My people from the hand of the Philistines. For I have regarded My people, because their cry has come to Me.” When Samuel saw Saul, the Lord said to him, “Behold, the man of whom I spoke to you! This one shall rule over My people.” (1 Samuel 9:16-17 NASB95) and all the storage cities which Solomon had, even the cities for his chariots and the cities for his horsemen, and all that it pleased Solomon to build in Jerusalem, in Lebanon, and in all the land under his rule. (1 Kings 9:19 NASB95) Obey the Gospel 2 Thessalonians 1:6-8 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 NASB95) Paul was writing to the church of Christ in Thessalonica. A number of things were occurring to the brethren there.  Paul referred to some tribulation that they were having. For after all it is only just for God to repay with affliction those who afflict you, to give relief to you who are afflicted and to us as well when the Lord Jesus will be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire,  (2 Thessalonians 1:6-7 NASB95) You don’t need to make any assumptions here. This verse says that God deals out retributions to those who don’t obey the Gospel.  By reversing the order of things, you conclude that God expects us to obey the Gospel. The Gospel must be obeyed, unless of course you want retribution from God. Three Steps Showing that the Gospel must be Obeyed Acknowledge Obedience to the Gospel When a person has acknowledged and  realized that the Gospel, whatever it is to him, must be obeyed, you go to the next step. You ask him, “What does the Gospel command?” What is the Gospel? What is the Gospel that you are obeying? Ask them to tell you  what they think the Gospel is? They either know or they don’t. If they know the answer to that, that it is a story of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ and the implications of that, you continue with the next question. Do you Obey? Then you can ask them, “Have you obeyed it?” If they don’t know what that is, it is the opportunity for you to tell them what the Gospel is. In the process of studying the Gospel with them, you are doing something that perhaps no one has ever done for them. You are preaching the Gospel to them. What if they do know and you ask them, have you obeyed it? Chances are, if you are talking to a member of the Lord’s church ,they would say that they have because their understanding of obedience to the Gospel means baptism. You now have a point around which you can revolve, discuss, and raise the level of understanding among everyone present, including yourself. All of this is accomplished if you know 2 Thessalonians 1:8. Iit is an important verse for you to know. That is why the Bible indicates using that language that the Gospel must be obeyed. Christ and Faith Where in the New Testament are we told about the relationship, the cause of relationships between Christ, faith and the Gospel? Romans 10:17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ (Romans 10:17 NASB95) Romans 10:17 doesn’t say that faith comes by hearing the word of Christ. It says faith comes by hearing and it also says hearing by the Word of Christ. It is really two things. So, going backwards, we can see that the word of Christ can yield hearing and hearing then can yield faith. There is no point of origin of faith other than the Gospel. This could  be another  platform to go from a doctrinal argument to a study of the Gospel. Christ’s Mortal Being Where in the Old Testament can you find any prophesy describing Christ’s mortal being? Isaiah 53 (NASB95) 1 Who has believed our message? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? 2 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. 3 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. 4 Surely our griefs He Himself bore, and our sorrows He carried; yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. 5 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. 6 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. 7 He was oppressed and He was afflicted, yet He did not open His mouth; like a lamb that is led to slaughter, and like a sheep that is silent before its shearers, so He did not open His mouth. 8 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? 9 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. 10 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. 11 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. 12 Therefore, I will allot Him a portion with the great, and He will divide the booty with the strong; because He poured out Himself to death, and was numbered with the transgressors; yet He Himself bore the sin of many, and interceded for the transgressors. Gospel Outline Where in the New Testament does the apostle Paul outlines if not define the Gospel of Christ? 1 Corinthians 15:1–11 (NASB95) Romans 1:16-17 Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand,  by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. 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.               For I am the least of the apostles, and not fit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.      But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me did not prove vain; but I labored even more than all of them, yet not I, but the grace of God with me. Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed. (1 Corinthians 15:1–11 NASB95)   For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “But the righteous man shall live by faith.” (Romans 1:16-17 NASB95)   Section 2: Analytical Part Romans 1:16-17 We dissected the Gospel into its components, taking it apart and putting it back together. When you look at it again, you start understanding the Gospel as a composite tool that absolutely works. Secondly, it helps you to see the divine genius that is in the construction of the plan of salvation, summarized by the Gospel. You should be impressed with God and that is one reason why His story works so powerfully. God created a plan, that when you tell the story the way that He tells you to tell it, the Gospel, it is forceful. It is powerful. That is what Paul said of God in Romans 1:16-17, that he is not ashamed of the Gospel, the power of God unto salvation. Three Tiers of Implications We dissected the Gospel into components, into three tiers of implications. When you look at those three levels of implications you see that it equips you with a lot. Use the Gospel to prove to skeptics the basic fundamentals of the Gospel.  One of which is that Jesus was a real historical person. We find the historical records most importantly in the New Testament and in secular writings like Josephus, history and other types of history documents correspondence that was communicated between Rome and that particular province about Jesus and the phenomenal power . By virtue of the fact that the Gospel actually happened, the number of Christians grew and Christianity eventually took over as the dominant belief in the Roman Empire. The Gospel argues very powerfully that Jesus was a real character and that he was the Christ. We see proofs in Acts and the other books in which the inspired writers prove that Jesus was and He was the fulfillment of prophesy. For the Jews of that era, this was enough to convince them to convert. As you get to know the Gospel ,you can see that one type of implication is argumentative This type of  implication gives us pieces of evidence showing that Jesus was the Christ, He had died for our sins, Jesus had fulfilled the prophetic Scriptures, Jesus rose from the dead, Jesus appeared alive to many people and these people were witnesses. The New Testament was  written in the 1st century and for most people it wasn’t a distant event like it is to us.   There were many witnesses to the events reported. If they were still alive, you could go and ask them.   About A Better Bible Study Podcast Thanks for watching, thanks for listening to A Better Bible Study Podcast. If you have questions or comments visit our website at www.abetterBiblestudy.org. There you will find study notes and previous episodes. If you want to help out, do visit our website also. We want to make better Bible studies available to as many Christians as possible. Participate on our different social media pages. 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This is the second part of the review before we switch our focus to spiritual growth. Greek Words We are reviewing the exam. The Greek words defined here, in the context in which they occur, are important to the text and the topic that we have been discussing, which is the Gospel. Dyanomos – Question 1 Romans 1:16 What is dynamos? It means power. Dynamos of God is the power of God. When dynamos is used in Romans 1:12, it is the power of God unto salvation. This word is in the singular. We can therefore say that the Gospel is the (singular) power of God unto salvation If God’s power of salvation is Gospel and we want our evangelism to be successful, it is going to center on the Gospel. Given the understanding that  we gain from Romans 1:16, why would we choose to use any other thing or any other method than the Gospel? Evangelion – Question 2 Evangelize comes from the Greek word evangelion. It means Gospel. If you are going to evangelize someone you are going to Gospelize someone. Baptism Acts 2 Acts 10 Over the years, we Americans have changed the word baptized to mean  anything from sprinkling  to pouring water over somebody’s head to full immersion. It really means immerse. In Acts 2 and 10, when Christians are baptized by the Holy Spirit, it means that they were overwhelmed. They were immersed. It does not mean that they are sprinkled, or somebody poured the Holy Spirit over their heads, or anything symbolic like that. It means immersion. Faith, Love, Hate We’ve changed the meaning of the words faith, love and hate.  Today those three words don’t mean what they meant in Biblical times. When  Jesus says, “”If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple.” We have misused the word “hate” and so don’t understand why Jesus wants us to despise our parents in order to follow him. It doesn’t make sense to us. We have to go back and look at what  hate actually means. Today, when we say we hate something, we are talking about some kind of despising or aversion that is highly charged with emotion. That is not what hate was intended to be in the New Testament. We did the same thing for the words love and faith. We have to go back and see what the Bible says in Hebrews 11 about faith. Evangelism Evangelism means all sorts of things to different people in the church. However, in the New Testament  it means to Gospelize. We want someone to be called out of something else. We want them to – leave something else , leave Babylon, leave faithlessness, leave sin, abandon Satan, leave ignorance. If we want to call someone out and call him into Christ ,we do that by means of the Gospel. We use that tool of God, that power of God, to accomplish what we can’t do with elements of our own creation. If we want people to be converted to Christ ,then we use the tool that God gave us ,which is evangelism or Gospelization. There isn’t any other thing that is going to work. That is why it is in the singular. Everyone has people that they care about:  children, siblings, parents, spouse, and fellow congregants. If you want to help them, you will use the tool that God gave you.   Gospel – Question 3 & 4 1 Corinthians 15:1-11 Number three is the word “Gospel”. It literally means good news or good report. If we look at Gospel in the New Testament context, we are talking about something much bigger because it is good report or good news about something that saves us. The Gospel of Christ is the story of the death, the burial, resurrection of Jesus Christ, and the implications thereof. You will find Paul’s outline of this in 1Corinthianes 15:1-11. Pistis- Question 5 Pistis means faith; the ability to understand reality. Messiah – Question 6 Messiah means Anointed One. Anomia and Harmartia – Question 7 Verses cited: 1 John 3:4 Luke 18:16 Psalm 51 Proverbs 23:7 What is the  difference between anomia and harmartia. Hamartia is sin, transgression, as in an act that you do. Anomia is the condition of the heart that initiates you to commit such an act. According to 1 John both the condition of the heart and actually doing of the deed, both are the same. “Everyone that practices sin(Hamartia) practices lawlessness(Anomia) for sin(Hamartia) is lawlessness(Anomia)” (1 John 3:4 NASB) The Greek word for lawlessness is anomia. Anomia means a state of mind, of being, in which lawlessness and inequities can exist. In this verse word sin is harmartia. John said that everyone who practices harmatia also practices anomia. Harmartia is anomia. Harmartia is transgressions, sins, committing of sin, crossing the line, missing the mark, and behavioral misdeeds. Anomia is a frame of mind in which inequities or lawless deeds are committed. Transgression that we do  are committed because of anomia. Anomia has to exist if we are going to do an actual transgression. Whenever you start thinking that the solution to the world’s problems is to simply fix behavior, go back to this verse. It will snap you back into reality like a bucket of ice water over your head. What John is saying is that if you commit misdeeds, you also exist in a state of mind which wants to do those deeds. It is the state of being that comes first and it is that state of mind that must change for there to truly be a cure.  Physiologically and theologically that one makes 100% sense. That is why you don’t spank an infant. It is not able to live in anomia. That is a good way to understand what Jesus said in the Gospel of John But Jesus called for them, saying, “Permit the children to come to Me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. (Luke 18:16 NASB) The principle ,which we’ve been using for the last 100 years or longer, regarding the need for our children to  reach an age of accountability, comes from this verse in the  context  of  1 John 3:4.  By 1960 or so, we had forgotten how to make these connections. John 3:4 allows us to understand that we really need help with the frame of mind that permits us to will to do these sinful things not just our behaviors. We have been working on the wrong thing in the church for a long time. What God wants from us is the same thing  that David asked for in Psalm 51. PSALM 51 – A Contrite Sinner’s Prayer for Pardon. For the choir director. A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet came to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba. 1 Be gracious to me, O God, according to Your loving kindness; according to the greatness of Your compassion blot out my transgressions. 2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. 3 For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. 4 Against You, You only, I have sinned and done what is evil in Your sight, so that You are justified when You speak and blameless when You judge. 5 Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me. 6 Behold, You desire truth in the innermost being, and in the hidden part You will make me know wisdom. 7 Purify me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. 8 Make me to hear joy and gladness, let the bones which You have broken rejoice. 9 Hide Your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquities. 10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. 11 Do not cast me away from Your presence and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. 12 Restore to me the joy of Your salvation and sustain me with a willing spirit. 13 Then I will teach transgressors Your ways, and sinners will be converted to You. 14 Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, the God of my salvation; then my tongue will joyfully sing of Your righteousness. 15 O Lord, open my lips, that my mouth may declare Your praise. 16 For You do not delight in sacrifice, otherwise I would give it; You are not pleased with burnt offering. 17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise. 18 By Your favor do good to Zion; build the walls of Jerusalem. 19 Then You will delight in righteous sacrifices, in burnt offering and whole burnt offering; then young bulls will be offered on Your altar. God  wants us to have a pure heart. He wants our insides to be clean. Didn’t Jesus tell the Pharisees to clean the inside of the cup and the outside of the cup would be clean also? That makes sense relevant to this verse. If we can take care of our state of mind, allowing God to change it for us, then our behaviors will follow. What a man thinks in his heart is he. For as he thinks within himself, so he is. He says to you, “Eat and drink!” But his heart is not with you. (Proverbs 23:7 NASB95) In the New Testament “psyche” is used for both, heart and mind.  Therefore the word heart in the New Testament can easily be substituted with the word mind and vice versa. The word psyche incorporates both and can be used interchangeably. The word psyche is the integral part of the very seat of mind, the basis of your decisions your consciousness, your heart, your mind, your soul. That is what God wants to change. Cephus – Question 8 Cephus is another name for Peter and that name occurs in 1 Corinthians 15 also. Psyche – Question 9 Psyche is your inner core.  Lenski defines it as the seat or core or base of all of your will. Romans 10:17 Akoe– Question 10 Akoe is hearing and in this context hearing the Word of God. What is the most important thing about hearing? So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ. (Romans 10:17 NASB95) I don’t want us to read the Bible carelessly. If somebody asks where faith comes from you are going to hear this, “Faith cometh by hearing the word of Christ”. This is wrong, Why? Faith comes from hearing. Hearing comes from the Word of Christ. What is the difference in the two sentences? Romans 10:17 tells me two things: Faith cometh by hearing and hearing comes by the word of Christ. Step one is faith comes from hearing. Step two is that hearing comes by the Word of Christ. This hearing is something different from just listening.  If an atheist were simply  converted by listening to Word of Christ then there wouldn’t be any  atheists anymore. They have to have a certain kind of  hearing. Hearing means more than listening, it means an engagement, a wrestling, actually letting the word of Christ make a difference, you have to give it a chance. A-priori and A-posteriori – Questions 11& 12 A-priori, is a Greek word that talks about knowledge. A-priori means a form of human knowledge that starts with conclusions before evidence. A-posteriori means a form of human knowledge in which the conclusions come at the end of a gathering of evidence. Why are these two words important? Paul spoke about these when he was talking about the wisdom of the Jews and the wisdom of the Greek. The Jews asked for a sign and the Greek asked for wisdom.  When we talk about wisdom, it is the Greek wisdom that Plato and Aristotle taught.  They form a conclusion and then they start building up a case with many examples, e.g. 100 examples that unicorns don’t live in Greece. When Paul said the Jews always asked for a sign, he was referring to the Jew’s history of always wanting a sign or proof.  Give me enough proof and maybe I will believe. These two types of reasoning, a-posteriori and a-priory, are the only kinds of logic human beings are able to use. We don’t know any other kind. Neither of these two will prove God. Neither of those two will be able to demonstrate or prove realities that are only discernible by means of faith. for we walk by faith, not by sight (NASB95) Therefore, the reasoning employed by human beings is not able to grasp the realities of the Gospel or of eternity or of God,  or of salvation. These two tools of human reasoning are not able to achieve that, BUT faith will. Preaching salvation in Christ is foolishness to secular human beings. This is because they walk by a priory or by a-posteriori knowledge, neither of which can see God. Scientists say the light that we use to look at the stars through visible light is a 1,250th of all the available light. We see the stars more clearly with instruments that use infrared-ray, X-ray, radio waves and all sort of different types of waves.  It is a more visible palate for us. There are sounds are beyond our hearing but animals can hear them. The things of God, the things of faith cannot be seen by instruments that men use. When men attempt to find God by means of human reasoning, it won’t work. When we preach the Gospel or when we preach Christ to people, we have to understand that people who are deeply entrenched in human reasoning are going to find it foolish. That is why we need the Gospel. That is why we need faith. Question – How to Approach Someone A question was brought up at the end of the session. “What  is a good way to approach a person that believes that just confessing that they believe in Christ is enough? That is an excellent question. Assuming you have a good relationship with them, Go back to the Gospel. It must be someone that you really think is worth the trouble, you got to love them. Turn the conversation towards the Gospel. Then let them start thinking about what the Gospel is. Read 1 Corinthians 15:1-11 and show them what the Gospel is. When you study the Gospel ,one of the things that I encourage you to do is to talk about the implications. One of the implications is that the Gospel must be obeyed. Read 2 Thessalonians 1:8. Salvation depends on knowing God and number two obeying the Gospel. Ask him if it makes sense to him? It is almost impossible to escape the conclusion that you have to be baptized to repent your sins.   This is a church of Christ online Bible study. We will see you next week!

On Better Bible Study Podcast, in the 16th episode of the series titled The Gospel and Spiritual Growth Bible Study, Rudy reviews the most important concepts, definitions and topics to Church of Christ members. Wrapping up our concentration on the gospel, we will be focusing on spiritual growth. Salvation Power Salvation that God provides us is in the Gospel. It is the power of God unto salvation. This very big sentence is important to people who want to convert other people and also to any believer.  If this singular power of God unto salvation played no role in the believer’s conversion then there was no conversion. Doctrinally our predecessors taught us that we have to deal with 90% of people, who say if you believe that is enough, if you are a believer then you are saved. Obedience   For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. (Romans 1:16 NSAB95) Roman 1:16 tell us that the Gospel is the power of God unto salvation, the singular power. dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. [2Th 1:8 NASB] Knowing this, you can only conclude that the Gospel must be obeyed. Obedience to the gospel is far more complex, it is far more involved than simply going to a baptistery or to the lake and saying I do. Baptism is the death part of the obedience.  Coming up is part of the obedience; we are raised to walk in newness of life. When a Christian is buried with Christ something happened prior to the burial, allowing that burial to permit resurrection to walk in newness of life. What is that? It is death. Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. (Romans 6:4 NASB95) Power of God A number of complex things take place as part of the obedience to the gospel. To believers and to the people who want to convert, this sentence in Romans 1 is extremely important, it is the power of God. It doesn’t say that it is the legal requirement, the equivalent of signing on a dotted line, the ritualistic thing, it says it is the power of God. When studying the gospel we are studying about the power of God, how did it affect us – did it move us, what is the interactive role that it plays in our conversion? If it played no role, then we are not converted, neither are the people that we talk to. Dynamos Dynamos is just a Greek word.  It is no good to learn Greek and Hebrew verbs, nouns and pronouns without seeing their importance in our doctrines, theology and lives. One of the strengths of the restoration movement of the 19th century was that it made it incumbent on church members to study. As they started doing that, they gained the potential to extract themselves from denominationalism and denominational assumptions. Denominational assumptions The denominational assumptions through history until today, no matter what they claim about saved by Christ, they are all still legalistic.  When they attempt to answer the question, “How do I grow up in Christ?” they default to doing something rather than becoming something different than you were before. Boiled down they claim that if you did all those things correctly then by definition you are acceptable to God. In certain cases, such as Baptist or pre-destination people, even if you weren’t predestined to be saved, but did everything right, or even if you refused to do what was required, somehow you would still be saved. This is because they believe that once you are saved, you are always saved.  Again, they have defaulted to a behavioral system. As the New Testament church emerged out of this mud hole of false doctrines, the members started understanding the power of the Gospel because they were encouraged to deeply study the Bible. Across the board, members did study analytically, making connections and developing hypothesis, which the Bible either confirmed or rejected. Eventually, they were able to see that a word like dynamos is extraordinarily important when used in this context. Dynamos definition Dynamos is used in Roman 1:16. it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. That is the only definition you will get, it is power. Evangelion definition Evangelion is translated into the word gospel which means good report or good news. Outside the Christian vocabulary , there is no indication what the good news is or what is good about the news. New Testament authors use evangelion pointedly as a specific combination of events and consequences. What was the specific combination of events? That would be the death, the burial and the resurrection of Jesus Christ. What would be the consequences? Those would be the implications. In 1 Corinthians 15:1-8 Paul provides the outline of the gospel. That would help you in answering in Section B, Question 5: “Where in the New Testament did the apostle Paul outline, if not define the gospel of Christ?” Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. 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 15:1–8 (NASB95) Evangelize misused Americans are the worst about twisting  a word so that it means something totally different. Among the brethren, when we say evangelize, we removed it from its original meaning. Today, when you say evangelize, that is a verb, at least an infinitive. To say, “That person wants to evangelize the world.” What does that mean to you? That means he wants to persuade, to convince, to do a number of things to world. Taking the Bible seriously, I can joke and say that he wants to gospelize the world. Evangelion, is the word from which we get the word evangelize and it basically means gospelize. Discipline I theorize that people who go to places like Washington DC or to Olympia begin to assimilate into that culture and that environment. Those people and things begin to form the center of their universe. The center of your universe may be your husband, your family, your children, your parents, your church… It maybe something like that. The problem with our society is that Christians and even entire congregations conform to the world around them. What does it say in Roman 12:2? “Be not conformed to this world but rather be transformed by renewing of your mind” When we understand the power of the gospel and we realize that we don’t want to conform to our surroundings, we then understand that our job is to make our surroundings conform to Christ. That is our job. It is our job because it makes sense in how we respect other people and it also helps us to hold a line in our believe system, in our behavior, in our attitude. Be alert when this class is over and we separate and perhaps never see each other again. There won’t be this weekly reinforcement for you to remember the things that we’ve learned. There will always be Satan’s constant tractor beam, exerting pressure on you to forget and regress back to adopting conventions of your surroundings. One of the ways that you see this is in the word evangelism. Evangelism must remain for you, gospelism. Remember in the interest of your own safety and the safety of others that the Gospel is not just a singular message. It is the singular power of God unto salvation which you did not have unless you use the gospel. There isn’t any story. There isn’t any formula. There isn’t anything other than the Gospel that is God’s power for salvation. When you cease to believe that, and you believe that somebody else has a better answer than God, then it is over for you. You will at least have a lot to catch up on in order to get back to where you were. You find  that you have regressed in terms of your discipline. Acquire discipline in the study of the Bible. Self- discipline. Follow through until you get the answers. Do not surrender to laziness. Learn to devour the scriptures. Learn how to read a paragraph. Learn how to read a sentence. Learn how to read a page. Learn how to connect these to other related Scriptures in the Bible. It is not just an academic exercise. You will need this when you are teaching people that you care about. If you grasp this and continue to keep it close to you – that is what ‘psyche’ means: heart and /or of mind literally – you will become stronger.   About A Better Bible Study Podcast Thanks for watching, thanks for listening to A Better Bible Study Podcast. If you have questions or comments visit our website at www.abetterbiblestudy.org. There you will find study notes and previous episodes. If you want to help out, do visit our website also. 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