What must I do to be saved?

King Solomon knew he was in for a fight. He knew it would be a challenge to keep his children from giving in to the pagan culture that surrounded them. He would plead with his son to listen, knowing it was a very good possibility he wouldn’t.

“Hear, my son, your father’s instruction, and forsake not your mother’s teaching, for they are a graceful garland for your head and pendants for your neck. My son, if sinners entice you, do not consent…my son, do not walk in the way with them; hold back your foot from their paths…” (Proverbs 1:8-10, 15).

Solomon lamented that rebellion against godly parenting led to heartache and grief:

“A foolish son is a grief to his father and bitterness to her who bore him” (Proverbs 17:25).

“The one who keeps the law is a son with understanding, but a companion of gluttons shames his father” (Proverbs 28:7).

Apparently, it has always been difficult to get the next generation to see the urgency and value of godliness. The peer pressure to go along with the waves of the current culture is powerful. We are made to feel ignorant and unloving if we hold to the ways of God rather than to the worldly philosophies of the moment.

With this in mind, we must believe and emphasize the following ideas to the next generation (from the book Faithfully Different). (Note: I am not familiar with the book referenced, perhaps a book Bart himself has authored, hf).

The “nicest sounding” beliefs are not necessarily the right beliefs. Saying “love is all that matters” sounds nice, but it isn’t true (cf. I Corinthians 13:6; John 15:18-19).

The truth is narrow—and that’s ok! 2 + 2 = 4 and Jesus is the only way to heaven (John 8:24; John 14:6; Matthew 7:13-14, 21-23)!

Godly humility does not require indecision about out beliefs. We can’t know everything, but we are not so naive as to think we can’t know some things (John 8:32).

Experience does not supersede the Bible as a source of knowledge. We must test our experiences against Scripture, not change our beliefs to fit our experiences.

The cure for cultural disagreement will never be to compromise biblical beliefs (I Corinthians 16:13; Ephesians 6:13; II Thessalonians 2:15).

Bart Warren

A couple of days ago, I wrote about the statistics on congregations closing, along with some of my observations and our (TJI’s) anecdotal experiences. I tried to convey an optimistic spirit. There were many responses to the article. One particular response caught my attention: “Brother Jenkins, I appreciate your optimism, but it is not happening here. Our church seems to be dying.” I want the church to grow, but more importantly, I want it to be healthy so that it is positioned for real growth.

What can I do?

First, not every congregation is going to grow. For many years, I said: “If it is healthy and of God, it is growing.” That was from a good heart and seems true, there are reasons churches don’t grow numerically.

It is possible that growth becomes harder because the area you are in is simply declining. A town that once flourished and has now dried up will obviously struggle to have a growing congregation. One town we lived in went from over 5,000 people to about 3,500 in a 15-year period. While that is not an excuse to stop evangelizing, it may explain why, as people move away, even a good church isn’t growing.

I do not like the 85% rule (when you auditorium is 85% full people will stop coming because they have a hard time finding a spot for them and their family to sit together) that I’ve heard my whole life, but it is valid. People will “scrunch in” for a while and even enjoy the fullness of a place, but at some point they will get tired of it. If as a leadership you have a plan and communicate that plan it will help everything!

The Past: It is possible, though not probable, that the past attitudes and actions of a congregation have made it difficult for that church to be attractive.

The Present: A toxic present may keep a church from growing. An elder who is often offensive, a song leader who can’t lead well, or a general negative, pessimistic spirit that casts a pall over the whole church can stifle any energy you try to bring to positive growth.

There are those who do not believe the church can grow. On one side, some believe if the congregation is growing, you should be investigated because you must have left the faith. On the other extreme, there are those who believe we must jettison all distinctiveness to grow. We reject both of these extremes. We believe the future of God’s Family is bright! And we believe that God is more interested in the growth of your church than you are!

What can I do?

    Talk about it: Put the desire to grow before the church and get them thinking about growth. If you are a preacher, preach about souls and their value (now’s a great time to do that). Preach about the power of the Gospel. If you are an elder, talk about growth from the pulpit. Tell members where the congregation is and that you are working to grow and need their help. Think about growth all the time! One church I talked with said: “If we keep going in the direction we are, in 10 years we will not have enough members under age 80 to conduct a service without using some of them more than once. We have to do something about this.” They said that from the pulpit and asked the members to help. They hired with that in mind and planned programs with that in mind. The result is that that church today still has some wonderfully committed older members, but they also have many young families, and the future is bright.

    Be Optimistic: In my book on church growth that I am still working on, I am concluding that this is, in some ways, the single most important emotion and outlook for growing a church. Faith is optimistic, Bible studies are optimistic. Members are motivated by optimism over neutrality or pessimism. Guests get excited when they find an optimistic church. God is an optimist! This is perhaps most clear in Romans 5:8, “God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

    Start teaching lost people: Start with the low-hanging fruit, guests who are not yet Christians. Then move out to the lives of people you know. For some of us, it means getting outside the cocoon/convent mentality where the only people we interact with, have connections with, and engage with are already Christians. In a culture that is increasingly running after an excess of evil, it is tempting to build our own little islands, BUT we must love the lost and engage the lost. Find places you can engage without sin.

    Develop ministries that reach young children: I know this gets very specific, but as you minister to the youngest in your community, care for them, program with them in mind, and protect them, the reputation and outreach of the church will increase (Acts 2:47). The community will recognize this care and be drawn toward you. And, as we all know, there is no better way to increase your stock in an individual’s mind than by caring for their children. It certainly appears we are seeing the direction of our country changing a little in the direction of young children being cared for among the latest generation. Let’s make the most of it. Put the church in a good light in the neighborhood and community.

    Be who you are: Good news! What seemed for a long time a disadvantage has slowly become one of our greatest opportunities. It seems for over a generation we have been told by some to be more like the denominational world. By far, the bulk of our congregations rejected that notion. Today, as people are returning to religious moorings, THEY want churches that are independent of a hierarchy, churches where there is no “high clergy,” churches whose worship is not a production, and churches where the preacher preaches the Bible. Check, check, check, and check. We have what people are searching for. Let us be who we are! Do not be ashamed of the church if and as we follow the revealed Word of God.

    Check out your facility: Are you set up in the most basic of ways to be a place where people want to be? Is your facility clean and free from clutter? Is your signage clear and readable? What about smells? Is it fresh? Is it confusing or welcoming? I’m not suggesting spending a lot of money, just making what you have as welcoming as possible.

    Plan every step of how you welcome someone: Is it obvious where the main entrance is? Have you set aside the best parking for guests? Will someone greet them before they walk into the building? When inside, will they see people only focused on their friends (being friendly to each other), or will there be someone with a friendly welcome for them? Do you use men and women to welcome? What about children? Have you challenged everyone to watch for guests? I do not believe a church can be too friendly if it is authentic in that welcome.

    Be prepared to explain: Try your best to listen to your services as a guest. I do not believe we should gear our worship to guests; our worship focus must be on God, as He is the audience. Yet, if you were a guest, would it be confusing what is happening? Is the verbiage clear? Do you explain “why this is happening?”

There’s much more we could discuss here, but the article has gotten long. I pray your congregation will be healthy and grow. If we can help in any way, let us know. TJI’s Consulting arm offers many services that can aid you, just let us know.

Dale Jenkins

The word “apocalyptic” comes from the Greek word which gives us the name of the book “Revelation.” It means an “unveiling.” “Apocalyptic” language has commonly come to refer to language the reflects the imagery in the book of Revelation and eventually to refer to the language of catastrophe. I wrote the thesis for my MDiv at FHU on the fulfillment of  Joel 2:28-32 in Acts 2.

It is my studied conviction that this paragraph in Matthew 24 is apocalyptic language (not to be understood literally) for the destruction of Jerusalem: “But immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. “And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory. “And He will send forth His angels with a great trumpet and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other” (Matt. 24:29–31).

In the same way, I am convinced that Peter’s use of Joel 2 in Acts 2 portrays, in apocalyptic language, the destruction of the nation of Israel: “And I will grant wonders in the sky above and signs on the earth below, blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke. ‘The sun will be turned into darkness and the moon into blood, before the great and glorious day of the Lord shall come” (Acts 2:19–20), quoting Joel 2:30-31). The same point is made in Revelation 6:12-14, which I believe strongly refers in apocalyptic language to the destruction of the Roman Empire. In fact, Revelation 6:16-17 quotes Hosea 10:8 which is apocalyptic language applied by the prophet to the destruction of Samaria and Israel. It was not to be understood literally.

To support this position, please consider these texts and their contexts from the prophets…

In referring to the destruction of Babylon, Isaiah wrote: “For the stars of heaven and their constellations will not flash forth their light; the sun will be dark when it rises and the moon will not shed its light. Thus I will punish the world for its evil and the wicked for their iniquity; I will also put an end to the arrogance of the proud and abase the haughtiness of the ruthless” (Isa. 13:10–11). That’s apocalyptic language which is not intended to be understood literally.

Speaking of the enemies of Israel – the “world” – in Isaiah 24:23, the prophet wrote: “Then the moon will be abashed and the sun ashamed, for the Lord of hosts will reign on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, and His glory will be before His elders.” Isaiah is using apocalyptic language which is not referring to literal events.

The nations that were persecuting Israel are the subject of apocalyptic language in Isaiah 34:4: “And all the host of heaven will wear away, and the sky will be rolled up like a scroll; all their hosts will also wither away as a leaf withers from the vine, or as one withers from the fig tree.” This is not literal events.

Jeremiah uses the same language to refer to the destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonians in 4:23-25: “I looked on the earth, and behold, it was  formless and void; and to the heavens, and they had no light. I looked on the mountains, and behold, they were quaking,  and all the hills moved to and fro. I looked, and behold, there was no man, and all the birds of the heavens had fled.”

Ezekiel (32:7-8) uses the same language to refer to the destruction of Egypt – which obviously was not fulfilled literally: “And when I extinguish you, I will cover the heavens and darken their stars; I will cover the sun with a cloud and the moon will not give its light. All the shining lights in the heavens I will darken over you and will set darkness on your land,” Declares the Lord God.”

To paraphrase the late Wayne Jackson, you might want to make notes in the margin of your Bibles, especially the relevant texts in Matthew 24, Acts 2, and Revelation 6, and refer to these passages from the prophets.

Paul Holland

First, the Bible: “So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you” (Col. 3:12-13).

Brother Wendell Winkler, in a class on Preacher and His Work, told us Bible-majors at Faulkner that as a father, we should say “yes” whenever we can because there will be plenty of times when we have to say “no.” I took that to heart and I think it added more fun times to our family life.

When I was in college, I was visiting home for the holidays and Dad insisted I change the oil in my truck. I put it off until the day before I left and, not knowing “lefty-loosy, righty-tighty,” spent three hours turning the oil filer the wrong way! I could not get it off. I told Dad when he got home from work and then the next morning, he spent an hour working to get the filter off. I do not recall him fussing at me very much.

Sometimes as a parent, it is difficult to know how strict you should be and how free you should be. Our goal as parents, of course, is to train up our children to love and serve God and be productive adults. But that doesn’t mean that we have to be harsh and excessively strict in our discipline.

Our parenting is not all about training skills. It is also about developing relationships, both between us and our children as well as between our children and their Savior. We need to remember that our children will develop their initial impressions of their Spiritual Father based on how their Earthly father treats them.

Let’s be careful that we do not come across to our children as cold and distant. Sometimes when Rachel and I needed the girls to do something, I would warn them in advance: “In ten minutes, we need you to…” That gave them a heads up that they needed to wind down whatever it was they were doing.

If we lean too much into the “relationship” side of parenting, we can become too lax and lenient. However, if we lean too much into the “disciplinarian” side of parenting, we can weaken our relationship and strain communication channels.

But take Colossians 3:12-13 to heart as a parent. In your training, be compassionate. Be kind. Be humble. Be gentle. Be patient. Tolerate your children’s imperfections. Forgive.

Paul Holland

The book of Acts is an inspired history regarding the growth of the early church. More awareness of numerical growth is found here than in the rest of the New Testament combined. We can glean great insight into the nature of growth in the Lord’s church by especially noticing what led to the numerical growth of the church. Perhaps one warning is in view. There is no doubt that the Lord’s wisdom and plan dictated the timing of the establishment of the church. Perhaps we could say that the church was established in “the fullness of times” (compare Gal. 4:4). This is brought to attention to warn against undue focus on numbers. Remember that numbers themselves are neither good nor bad. The church’s focus must be on faithfulness to Christ, leaving the growth to God.

Let’s briefly consider many of the passages that point out numerical growth in Acts and especially give attention to the activities of the apostles and early Christians (the faithfulness) that led to that growth.

1. Acts 2:41 – “So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.”

The preaching of Peter on the day the church was established led to around 3000 Jews turning from sin to the Savior, and being added to the body of Christ (see also v. 47). The reason they turned to the Savior is because the inspired message of Peter demanded repentance, without which no man can be saved (Lk. 13:3). The way to grow the church is not by making sure not to step on anybody’s toes, but to preach the Word as it is (see 2 Tim. 4:1-4) and do so with love (Eph. 4:15). God’s word, the Gospel, “is the power of God for salvation” (Rom. 1:16). We would also be amiss not to mention how the  “togetherness” of the church from the beginning (in worship, fellowship and the work of the Lord), led to greater spiritual strength, and on to numerical growth as well (see Acts 2:42-47).

2.  Acts 4:4 – “But many of those who had heard the word believed, and the number of the men came to about five thousand.”

In the context we see that the same preaching of the Gospel that caused many of the religious leaders to become furious with the apostles, caused many common folks to embrace the message concerning the resurrection of Christ. This reminds us of the Parable of the Sower. The message is the pure seed of the kingdom (see Lk. 8:11). The heart of man responds to or rejects the message. The seed is the word. The heart is the variable. Note also verse 13 about the boldness of Peter and John that came from being with Jesus. We will naturally be bold with the Gospel when we spend time with our Lord! A symptom of not spending time with the Lord is shallow, or, hollow teaching which is too careful of offending no one… accept the Lord.

3.  Acts 5:14 – “And more than ever believers were added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women.”

Let’s note a few important matters in the context earlier in chapter 5: (1) Ananias and Sapphira have just incurred divine discipline for lying about the price of the land theysold. This struck a wholesome fear into the church and beyond (see v. 11). (2) The apostles performed many miraculous works which were observed by the people (see v. 12). (3) Of course, we can safely assume they also continued to preach the Word of God. This is the context of more believers than ever being added to the Lord’s church!

Discipline, according to God’s prescribed method (see Mt. 18:15-20; 2 Thes. 3:6-15; 1 Cor. 5), creates a healthy respect for God and His Word. Weakness in this area waters down the Word and the will of God. The miracles performed created faith in the Word (compare Jn. 20:31; Mk. 16:20). Since the Lord’s Word has been revealed and confirmed, miracles are no longer performed or needed, but yet we point people to the truth of the confirmed Word.

4.  Acts 6:1 – “Now in these days when the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint by the Hellenists arose against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution.”

We note here that sometimes numerical growth brings challenges. In this case there was tension caused by the neglect of Greek speaking Jewish widows. The apostles effectively dealt with the problem by appointing seven men to “serve tables,” which also enabled them to continue their ministry of prayer and the word. Surely it is no accident that verse seven then says, “And the word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith.” Effectively dealing with tensions in the church and the maintaining of proper roles is vital for sustained growth.

5.  Acts 9:31 – “So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace and was being built up. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it multiplied.”

The context here is interesting. Barnabas has just served as a peacemaker regarding the church being fearful of Saul (knowing his history). This allowed the church to be at peace and Saul, or Paul, to preach unhindered. Note that he “preached boldly in the name of the Lord” (v. 29). In other words, he boldly spoke His word, and the text mentions that he even “disputed against the Hellenists” (v. 30). What did he do? He opposed teaching that was against the doctrine of Christ (see 1 Jn. 4:1; 2 Jn. 9). Not only did these things lead to numerical growth, but verse 31 says that the church was “being built up.” Growth is not just about numbers. It is about spiritual fortitude and being rooted in the truth (see Col. 2:7; 1 Cor. 16:13).

CONCLUSION

The church today would do well to give serious attention to the growth of the early church that was guided by the inspired apostles. We have the apostles and the inspired Word to learn from and engage as we seek to glorify God and bring souls to Him!

Daren Schroeder

He has all authority.

“All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth,” (Matthew 28:18).

He offers rest if you are weary.

“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light,” (Matthew 11:28-30).

He offers spiritual bread to sustain your soul.

“I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger…I am the living bread that came down out of heaven; if anyone eats of this bread he will live forever,” (John 6:35, 51).

He offers spiritual water to satisfy your soul.

“If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have  asked Him, and He would have given you living water…Whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him, a well of water springing up to eternal life,” (John 4:10, 14).

He offers you a home with Him.

“Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also,” (John 14:1-3).

He warns.

“Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for unless you believe that I am He, you will die in your sins,” (John 8:24).

Let me help you come to Jesus. Wayne Burger

The activity of the Holy Spirit is recorded both in the Old and New Testaments. His primary work was revealing the Word of God and guiding the apostles and prophets as they wrote the books of the Bible. The power He had was given in three different measures. Each came from the same source, the Holy Spirit, but there were degrees of His power given to men and women. In last week’s publication there was information about the baptismal measure. It only occurred twice. The first time was on the apostles to empower them (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:8; 2:1-4) and on the household of Cornelius to let the Jews know that the Gentiles could be baptized and become part of the church (Acts 10:1-11:18).

The second measure of the Spirit’s power that was given is that which came to individuals when an apostle laid hands on people. There are five accounts recorded where the apostles used their power in this way.

Luke recorded an important bit of information about the apostles’ power to impart miraculous gifts in the account of the conversion of Simon.  He wrote, “Simon saw that the Spirit was bestowed through the laying on of the apostles’ hands,” (Acts 8:18). The first of these accounts is recorded in Acts 6. In this chapter, seven men were selected to be in charge of serving the widows in Jerusalem. When those men were selected, the apostles laid hands on them (Acts 6:6). Two of the men appointed for this work were, Stephen and Philip (Acts 6:5). After these men had hands laid on them the text says, Stephen was “performing great wonders and signs among the people,” (v. 8). This is the first account of anyone preforming a miracle except the apostles after the church began in Acts 2. Where did Stephen get his power? Evidently, through the laying on of hands by the apostles since that was the way that power was imparted (Acts 8:18). This is the first recorded account of the apostles’ laying hands on people to impart miraculous power.

Philip, who was also one of the seven appointed and had hands laid on him by the apostles recorded in Acts 6, went to Samaria and began preforming miracles (Acts 8:6-7). Again, where did he get that power? Through the laying on of the apostles’ hands. “Now when the apostles in Jerusalem head that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent them Peter and John who came down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit,” (Acts 8:14-15). Note, Philip was able to perform miracles, but was not able to impart that power to others. Therefore, the apostles, Peter and John, came to give individuals miraculous powers. This is the second recorded case of the apostles laying hands on individuals to give them miraculous power.

The third recorded event of laying on of hands is recorded in Acts 19. Paul came to Ephesus and found what he thought were some Christians, but as it turned out they had not been baptized with the great commission baptism, but only John’s baptism and had to be baptized again (Acts 19:5). This time they were baptized for the correct reason. After they were baptized “Paul laid his hands upon them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began speaking with tongues and prophesying,” (v. 6).

The fourth account, that may be a case where miraculous gifts were imparted, is Paul’s statement in Romans 1:11. He was writing the Roman letter from Corinth and making plans to go to Rome. He said, “For I long to see you so that I may impart some spiritual gift to you, that you may be established.”

The fifth recorded account of the laying on of hands is Paul laying hands on Timothy. Timothy was struggling and Paul said, “For this reason I remind you to kindle afresh the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands,” (2 Timothy 1:6). It seems from this passage and the rest of the book that Timothy was not using the gift he had been given.

There are nine manifestations of the Spirit (miraculous powers) listed in I Corinthians 12. These were special gifts that were used to prove that the one speaking was a messenger from God. Jesus had promised and explained the purpose of signs before He ascended. Mark explained, “They went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the word by the signs that followed,” (Mark 16:20). It seems that the Spirit decided which of the nine gifts each person would receive and that a person on whom the apostles laid hands, received only one gift (I Corinthian 12:4-11).

The New Testament speaks of others who had miraculous gifts such as Philip’s four virgin daughters (Acts 21:9). They had to have an apostle lay hands on them, but the Scriptures do not record an apostle doing that. The same thing can be said of people in Corinth. They could speak in tongues and prophesy (I Corinthian 14), but the Bible does not record the event of hands being laid on them.

Different Laying on of Hands

Not every time the phrase “laying on of hands” is used, does it refer to the impartation of a miraculous gift. For example, this phrase is found in Acts 4:3 and refers to government officials laying hands on Peter and John, but it was to take them to jail, not give them power. In Acts 13:3 the church in Antioch laid hands on Saul and Barnabas. It was to send them on their missionary journey with the church’s blessing. Saul was an apostle. The church could not give him any sort of power.

A Study of I Timothy 4:14

Second Timothy 1:6 states that Timothy received the gift of power from the Spirit through the laying on of Paul’s hands. But, note what I Timothy 4:14 says, “Do not neglect the spiritual gift within you, which was bestowed on you through prophetic utterance with the laying on of hands by the presbytery.” This may sound like the elders (presbytery) gave Timothy his gift, but that is not the case. It seems that this is a case where the laying on of hands was done as a sign that the church was supporting and behind the young man Timothy. When Paul went to the area where Timothy lived, he found that Timothy had a good reputation, not only in his local congregation, but even in other congregations in the area. Acts 16:2 says of Timothy, “He (Timothy) was well spoken of by the brethren who were in Lystra and Iconium.” When he left to go with Paul, the elders laid hands on him to send their blessings with him.

Second Timothy 1:6 says that the gift came “through” the laying on of Paul’s hands. First Timothy 4:14 said that it was “with” the laying on of the elders’ hands. It seems that both events may have occurred at the same time, thus the word “with” or “along with.” It is not a case where someone other than the apostles could impart a miraculous gift.

Conclusion

    The laying on of the apostles’ hands gave miraculous powers to the individual, but it was not the same power as the apostles received when they were baptized in the Holy Spirit. The individuals who had hands laid on them could use that power to spread the gospel. Their gift could confirm that the one speaking was speaking with authority from God. That power that was available at that time is not available to us today because it could only be given through the laying on of the apostles’ hands. Since we don’t have apostles today, no one can have any of those miraculous gifts today.

Wayne Burger

The resurrection of Christ is the foundation stone of Christianity; if that event did not occur, then both our preaching and faith is vain (I Cor. 15:14). If any fact of antiquity is provable, surely the resurrection of Jesus is. The great classical scholar, Thomas Arnold, who served as Professor of Modern History at Oxford in the 1800s (GWB), once called the Lord’s resurrection the “best-attested fact in human history.” There is a good possibility that archaeology has further strengthened the already unassailable case for the resurrection event.

In 1930 historian Michel Rostovtzeff discovered the “Nazareth Decree.” This stone slab, containing some twenty lines of Greek, was set up in the city of Nazareth by Claudius Caesar, in all probability sometime shortly before 50 A.D. The inscription states anyone apprehended transferring corpses to other places or displacing “the sealing or other stones” is to be put on trial; if found guilty the person is to be executed. How does this relate to the Lord’s resurrection?

Archaeologist E. M. Blaiklock pieces it together this way. The early Christians must have been preaching in Rome by the early forties of the 1^st century. Naturally, the resurrection would be central to their message. Jewish enemies of Christianity would counter with the story that Christ’s disciples stole the body (Mt. 28:13). Possibly irritated by this controversy, Claudius “commanded all the Jews to depart from Rome” (Acts 18:2). After further investigation of the matter, during which he learned that Christ (called “Chrestos” by the Roman historian Suetonius) was a native of Nazareth (Mt. 2:23), it is likely that the emperor authorized a decree to be erected (for emphasis in Jesus’ hometown) making body-stealing a capital crime and thus hoping to prevent other religions from arising upon the basis of such stories. If this line of reasoning is correct, and it is highly probable, we have here the first secular testimony to the resurrection of Christ.

Wayne Jackson, Christian Courier vol. 12 No. 4 August 1976

Three Crosses

There were three men who died on the hill of Calvery (place of the skull), the day Jesus died. Jesus died for sin so that all people can be saved. The two thieves were insulting Jesus (Matthew 27:44), but one repented (Luke 23:39-43), thus, he died to sin, meaning he wasn’t going to live a life of sin any longer. The third man did not repent and thus died in sin, and thus was going to be lost eternally.

Everyone today falls into one of the two categories of the thieves – each person has either died to sin, giving his life to Jesus and no longer living a life of sin or one is still living in sin which will ultimately cause Christ to say in the day of judgment, “depart from me…these will go away into eternal punishment” (Matthew 25:41, 46).

Christ died for sin for all, but He lets each decide his relationship to sin. Have you died to sin or are you still living in sin?

Wayne Burger

The resurrection of Jesus Christ was the final step in God’s payment for the sins of mankind. Speaking of our salvation Romans 4:25 summed it up with these words, “Who (Christ) was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification” (KJV). With His resurrection Christ “was declared the Son of God with power” (Romans 1:4). He now had the power over death which was foretold when God placed the curse on the serpent. “I (God, the Father) will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed (Christ); He (Christ) shall bruise your (Satan) on the head, and you shall bruise him on the heel” (Genesis 3:15). Satan was going to bruise Christ’s heel by causing Him to die, but Christ bruised Satan’s head when Christ came forth from the grave. Until Christ arose from the dead, Satan had the power of death (Hebrews 2:14), but when Christ came forth from the grave, He struck a death blow to Satan’s power.

Other Old Testament Prophecies

of Christ’s Resurrection

    “I (God the Father) will surely tell of the decree of the LORD; He said to Me, ‘You are My Son; today I have begotten You” (Psalm 2:7). Paul quotes this passage and said it was fulfilled when Christ was resurrected (Acts 13:32-33). Another psalm of David foretold Christ’s resurrection in these words, “For You will not abandon my soul to Sheol; nor will You allow Your Holy One to undergo decay” (16:10). Peter quoted this passage proving that David was not speaking of himself, but of Christ and that Christ had been raised to sit at the right hand of God, the Father (Acts 2:25-35). Probably the greatest, most complete prophecy about Christ is Isaiah 53. In this passage, like the psalms quoted above, Christ’s resurrection was foretold. “But the LORD was pleased to crush Him, putting Him to grief; If He would render Himself as a quilt offering, He will see His offspring, He will prolong His days, and the good pleasure of the LORD will prosper in His hand” (v. 10). Even though Christ was to be crushed, Christ would come back to life and see His offspring – faithful Christians.

The Importance of Christ’s Resurrection

    First, Christ’s resurrection was necessary so that people could be saved. As was noted above, “Who (Christ) was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification” (Romans 4:25 KJV). This is why Peter connected our salvation with Christ’s resurrection when he wrote, “baptism now saves you – not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience – through the resurrection of Jesus Christ” (I Peter 3:21). This is what make baptism so beautiful. We re-enact what happened to Christ. He died, was buried, and arose to walk a new life. When one is baptized according to the Bible, one dies to his or her sins, is buried in water to reach the blood of Christ, and then arises to walk a new life (Romans 6:3-4).

    Second, Christ’s resurrection is the foundation of the church. When Jesus asked His disciples who He was, Peter responded, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16). Jesus’ response was, “I will build My church, and the gates of Hades will not overpower it” (Matthew 16:18). When Jesus died His soul went into the hadean realm (Acts 2:27, 31) but He came forth from that realm and because of that, was able to establish His church.

    Third, Christ’s resurrection is proof that wrongs will be punished. Paul proclaimed that truth to those in Athens in these words, “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 17:31). Sometimes, life seems so unfair. It seems that the wicked prosper and the righteous suffer. It seems that the wicked get away with everything. Paul promises that the wicked will suffer the wrath of God (2 Thessalonians 1:6-10) but we are “to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, that is Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath to come” (I Thessalonians 1:10).

    Fourth, Christ’s resurrection is proof that we will have immortal bodies in the next life. As Paul described the hope the resurrection of Christ gives us, he said that “Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep…Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ’s at His coming” (I Corinthians 15:20, 23). Our bodies are so weak and frail. They are not meant to live eternally. But God has prepared a special body for our next life. Paul described it this way. “So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown a perishable body, it is raised an imperishable body; It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body” (I Corinthians 15:42-44).

Our bodies will be like Christ’s resurrected body. It looked like His physical body (John 20:27-28), but was not limited by time, space, or what is material. He could go instantly from one place to another (Luke 24:31). He could appear in a room when the doors were shut (John 20:19).

By looking at these and many other facts, it’s no wonder that the resurrection of Christ was the greatest miracle! It’s no wonder that since we are given the promise of our resurrection that Christ’s resurrection gives us the greatest hope.

Today Christ is our Savior. On the last day He will be our judge. Is your spiritual life ready to stand before Christ? “For we must all appear before the judgement 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).

Wayne Burger

We have written a few times recently about the subject of a good “reputation” or a “good name” as the Bible sometimes words it.

While it would be challenging to highlight one virtue of Christ over another relative to our reputation, I wish to focus on the idea of “faithfulness.” The Pharisees had neglected faithfulness according to Jesus in Matthew 23:23. It is one of the fruit enhanced by the Spirit dwelling in the Christian, according to Paul in Galatians 5:22.

Faithfulness is dedication to God’s nature and His word. It is commitment to Who He is, what He does, and what He says. It also portrays the idea of dependability. In spiritual terms, it means that God can trust us to fulfill His expectations to the best of our ability.

Jesus stated a number of times, especially in the Gospel of John, that He did nothing on His own initiative. He would judge just as He heard from the Father (John 5:30). If I can’t give biblical reference for what I preach or practice, I should ask myself if I am being faithful.

Jesus said that He speaks the things as the Father has taught Him so that He does nothing on His own initiative (John 8:28). The one thing that Jesus did on His own initiative was to offer His life (John 10:18). The Father did not force Jesus to sacrifice Himself; Jesus willingly submitted. But He knew it was consistent with God’s plans for saving man.

Again, in John 12:49, Jesus says that He did not speak on His own initiative, but the Father gave Him a commandment as to what to say and what to speak. So, Jesus did that. Again, Jesus emphasizes this in John 14:10 and John 16:13.

So what is our reputation? Do the people around us know that we are faithful to the teachings of Jesus Christ? Can they depend on us to give them a biblical response (yes, book, chapter, and verse) for a biblical question? If so, then we have a reputation for faithfulness.

That reputation will be challenged from time to time. Jesus said, “whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when He comes in His glory, and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels” (Luke 9:26). That individual, who will not teach the “whole counsel of God” for fear he will lose popularity, is not being faithful to the Gospel.

Paul Holland