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Does Ecclesiastes 6:3 Speak of the Importance of a Burial?

November 18, 2023

Does the Bible teach that having a burial is important? Scripture has much to say about that issue, including a key statement by Solomon:

Ecclesiastes 6:3 If a man beget an hundred children, and live many years, so that the days of his years be many, and his soul be not filled with good, and also that he have no burial; I say, that an untimely birth is better than he.

Although Ecclesiastes 6:3 speaks explicitly about not having a burial as a very bad thing, some believers today hold that the verse is not talking about having a burial per se. Rather, they hold that the verse is teaching about the importance of not having a funeral and not necessarily the importance of a person’s not being buried.

Lamenting and Mourning Distinguished from Being Buried

Examining the following passages that speak about burial shows us that this interpretation is wrong because all the passages distinguish lamenting and mourning for the dead loved one, which is typically a very important part of funerals, from burying that loved one:

Gen. 50:7 And Joseph went up to bury his father: and with him went up all the servants of Pharaoh, the elders of his house, and all the elders of the land of Egypt . . . 10 And they came to the threshingfloor of Atad, which is beyond Jordan, and there they mourned with a great and very sore lamentation: and he made a mourning for his father seven days . . . 13 For his sons carried him into the land of Canaan, and buried him in the cave of the field of Machpelah, which Abraham bought with the field for a possession of a buryingplace of Ephron the Hittite, before Mamre.

1 Sam. 25:1 And Samuel died; and all the Israelites were gathered together, and lamented him, and buried him in his house at Ramah. And David arose, and went down to the wilderness of Paran.

1 Sam. 28:3 Now Samuel was dead, and all Israel had lamented him, and buried him in Ramah, even in his own city. And Saul had put away those that had familiar spirits, and the wizards, out of the land.

2 Sam. 3:32 And they buried Abner in Hebron: and the king lifted up his voice, and wept at the grave of Abner; and all the people wept.

2 Sam. 3:33 And the king lamented over Abner, and said, Died Abner as a fool dieth?

2 Chr. 35:24 His servants therefore took him out of that chariot, and put him in the second chariot that he had; and they brought him to Jerusalem, and he died, and was buried in one of the sepulchres of his fathers. And all Judah and Jerusalem mourned for Josiah.

2 Chr. 35:25 And Jeremiah lamented for Josiah: and all the singing men and the singing women spake of Josiah in their lamentations to this day, and made them an ordinance in Israel: and, behold, they are written in the lamentations.

Acts 8:2 And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him.

Moreover, other passages clearly distinguish lamenting and mourning for dead people from burying them by revealing that none of these proper actions that are distinct from one another would be done for them:

Jer. 16:4 They shall die of grievous deaths; they shall not be lamented; neither shall they be buried; but they shall be as dung upon the face of the earth: and they shall be consumed by the sword, and by famine; and their carcases shall be meat for the fowls of heaven, and for the beasts of the earth.

Jer. 16:5 For thus saith the LORD, Enter not into the house of mourning, neither go to lament nor bemoan them: for I have taken away my peace from this people, saith the LORD, even lovingkindness and mercies. 6 Both the great and the small shall die in this land: they shall not be buried, neither shall men lament for them, nor cut themselves, nor make themselves bald for them:

Jer. 25:33 And the slain of the LORD shall be at that day from one end of the earth even unto the other end of the earth: they shall not be lamented, neither gathered, nor buried; they shall be dung upon the ground.

Conclusion

Scripture plainly teaches us that burying someone is distinct from lamenting and mourning his death. Based on what all these passages teach, Ecclesiastes 6:3 does not speak (merely) of how bad it is for a person to not have a funeral—it greatly stresses just how bad it is for a person not in actuality to be buried!

In Discipleship, Exposition, Interpretation, Theology

“Christ is Risen! Hallelujah!”

November 9, 2023

“Christ is Risen! Hallelujah!” by John S.B. Monsell is a hymn about Christ’s resurrection and exaltation that I do not remember ever singing before this year. I have been blessed in singing this hymn in my devotions on several mornings this year!

Christ is risen! Hallelujah! Risen our victorious Head!
Sing His praises! Hallelujah! Christ is risen from the dead.
Gratefully our hearts adore Him as His light once more appears,
Bowing down in joy before Him, Rising up from grief and tears.

Christ is risen! Hallelujah! Risen our victorious Head!
Sing His praises! Hallelujah! Christ is risen from the dead.

Christ is risen! all the sadness of His earthly life is o’er;
Thro’ the open gates of gladness He returns to life once more;
Death and hell before Him bending, He doth rise, the Victor now;
Angels, on His steps attending, glory ’round His wounded brow.

Christ is risen! Hallelujah! Risen our victorious Head!
Sing His praises! Hallelujah! Christ is risen from the dead.

Christ is risen! henceforth never death or hell shall us enthral;
We are Christ’s, in Him for ever we have triumphed over all;
All the doubting and dejection of our trembling hearts have ceased;
‘Tis His day of resurrection, let us rise and keep the feast.

Christ is risen! Hallelujah! Risen our victorious Head!
Sing His praises! Hallelujah! Christ is risen from the dead.

In Music

VBA Code to Sort Data of Varying Length!

October 27, 2023

While working on a work document, I recently figured out how to sort data of varying length (total number of rows) using VBA code. I arrived at the following code that works perfectly for my purposes for sorting data that is in 3 columns on the worksheet!

By first finding out how many rows are in column 1 (lrow), I was able to use lrow instead of a fixed number in the sort statements to get the code to automatically determine how many rows the data has and then sort it according to my specifications.

In Computers

New Song: “Come, Now, O Blessed Spirit”

October 21, 2023

I recently wrote a new song that is sung to the same tune as “O God Beyond All Praising”!

Come, Now, O Blessed Spirit

Come, now, O blessed Spirit,
our hearts fill with grace
that we Your saints may give to
Jehovah our praise.

For none else is worthy
of honor, glory, laud,
For e’er Yours the kingdom,
pow’r, glory, O God.

We bless and magnify You
with blessings we bring.
May Your name be hallowed
for e’er O great King!

You can sing the song to the following MP3 audio of the song in the key of A!

In Music

What Did Paul Testify When He Evangelized Both Jews and Gentiles?

October 16, 2023

What did Paul testify when he evangelized both Jews and Gentiles? A careful examination of two passages instructs us plainly what Paul spoke when he ministered evangelistically to both groups.

Acts 13

Luke reveals to us what Paul testified as “the word of this salvation” in the synagogue at Antioch of Pisidia:

Acts 13:26 Men and brethren, children of the stock of Abraham, and whosoever among you feareth God, to you is the word of this salvation sent. 27 For they that dwell at Jerusalem, and their rulers, because they knew him not, nor yet the voices of the prophets which are read every sabbath day, they have fulfilled them in condemning him. 28 And though they found no cause of death in him, yet desired they Pilate that he should be slain. 29 And when they had fulfilled all that was written of him, they took him down from the tree, and laid him in a sepulchre. 30 But God raised him from the dead: 31 And he was seen many days of them which came up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are his witnesses unto the people.

Paul did not just testify (to the Jews and the Gentiles who were in the synagogue) of the death and resurrection of Christ—he also told them that Christ was buried and was seen many days by His witnesses.

1 Corinthians 15

Paul himself testifies to the gospel that he preached evangelistically to the Corinthians (who were Gentiles [cf. 1 Cor. 12:2]) so that they were saved:

1 Corinthians 15:1 Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; 2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. 3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; 4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: 5 And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: 6 After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep. 7 After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles. 8 And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time.

As he did to the Jews and Gentiles in Antioch of Pisidia, Paul spoke evangelistically to the Gentiles in Corinth of Christ’s death, burial, resurrection, and appearances—he did not just testify to the death and resurrection of Christ.

Conclusion

The Spirit has inspired for our profit that Paul ministered evangelistically to both Jews and Gentiles by testifying to them of Christ’s death, burial, resurrection, and appearances. Whenever it is at all possible, we should follow Paul in evangelism by doing the same.

In Discipleship, Evangelism, Interpretation, Theology

“Lack of Mention is Not Proof of Absence!”

October 12, 2023

For many years, I have tried to teach people from Scripture the key truth that in interpreting evangelistic accounts in Scripture, “lack of mention is not proof of absence!” (I am quoting myself here—this is my own statement that I originated).

By carefully considering the biblical records of Paul’s initial discipleship experience, his initial evangelistic activity, and his later evangelistic testimony about his initial evangelistic activity, we plainly understand the importance of this truth.

Paul’s Initial Discipleship Experience

Right after Paul had been saved, he was discipled by Ananias to understand what had happened to him and what he had been commissioned to do for Christ:

Acts 22:12 And one Ananias, a devout man according to the law, having a good report of all the Jews which dwelt there, 13 Came unto me, and stood, and said unto me, Brother Saul, receive thy sight. And the same hour I looked up upon him. 14 And he said, The God of our fathers hath chosen thee, that thou shouldest know his will, and see that Just One, and shouldest hear the voice of his mouth. 15 For thou shalt be his witness unto all men of what thou hast seen and heard.

Ananias revealed to Paul that he was commissioned to be Christ’s witness to all men to testify to them that he had seen and heard the risen Christ. For Paul, faithfulness in evangelism thus meant witnessing to everybody that he had seen and heard the risen Christ.

Given any opportunity, Paul would have always told people about Christ’s resurrection appearance to him.

Paul’s Initial Evangelistic Activity

After having further contact with disciples in Damascus, Paul engaged in Damascus in his initial evangelistic activity:

Acts 9:19 And when he had received meat, he was strengthened. Then was Saul certain days with the disciples which were at Damascus. 20 And straightway he preached Christ in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God.

According to some, the lack of mention in this account of Paul’s testifying to his seeing and hearing the risen Christ in His resurrection appearance to Paul proves that Paul did not testify to his being an eyewitness of the risen Christ when he preached Christ in these synagogues. If that approach were correct, we would have to believe that Paul began his evangelistic ministry by disobeying and disregarding what he had been plainly and very recently informed he was commissioned to do as Christ’s witness “unto all men” (see the treatment of Acts 22:14-15 above).

This is a seriously faulty claim that no one should accept as true. The very brief record of his initial evangelistic activity provides zero biblical basis to hold that Paul did not witness for Christ in these synagogues in obedience to what he had just been instructed was his commission to do as Christ’s witness “unto all men.”

Rather, we have full biblical warrant from Acts 22:14-15 to hold that Paul certainly testified in his preaching in these synagogues that he himself had seen and heard the risen Christ. We also have full biblical warrant for holding this position by what Scripture reveals to us in a later account of Pauline evangelism.

Paul’s Later Evangelistic Testimony to His Initial Evangelistic Activity

Many years after he had been saved, Paul defended himself before king Agrippa by testifying to him about his evangelistic activities throughout his life as a Christian because of the experience that he had in seeing and hearing the risen Christ:

Acts 26:15 And I said, Who art thou, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest. 16 But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee; 17 Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee, 18 To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me. 19 Whereupon, O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision: 20 But shewed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judaea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance.

In this evangelistic testimony about his lifetime of his evangelistic activities, Paul testified that he showed first to those at Damascus that they had to repent, turn to God, and do works fitting for repentance (Acts 26:20). Acts 9:20, however, does not say anything about Paul’s telling the people in those synagogues to repent, turn to God, and do works fitting for repentance.

When, therefore, we compare this direct testimony from Paul himself about his initial evangelistic activity in Damascus with the earlier record of that initial Pauline evangelistic activity, we learn that Paul preached in those synagogues much more than what is briefly recorded in Acts 9:20 (that Christ was the Son of God). Comparing Acts 26:19-20 with Acts 9:19-20 proves that we are not to take the lack of mention of testimony to a particular truth in the biblical record of an evangelistic encounter as proof of absence to any testimony to that truth in that encounter.

Conclusion

We must not hold that the lack of mention of testimony to a given truth in the biblical record of an apostolic evangelistic encounter proves that there was no testimony given to that truth in that encounter. “Lack of mention is not proof of absence!”

Note: In much of this post, I have adapted and used my own material that I have posted elsewhere in an online discussion concerning the teaching of Scripture about apostolic evangelism.

In Discipleship, Evangelism, Interpretation, Theology

Commissioned to Be Witnesses of His Resurrection*

October 10, 2023

Acts is the premier book for us to learn what the apostles were commissioned to do in evangelism. Luke begins Acts by telling us that they were commissioned to be witnesses unto Christ:

Acts 1:1 The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, 2 Until the day in which he was taken up, after that he through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen: 3 To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God:

4 And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me. 5 For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence. 6 When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?

7 And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. 8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

As witnesses unto Christ, they were commissioned to tell people what they themselves had seen and had heard concerning Christ. Luke plainly tells us that Christ Himself showed Himself alive to them repeatedly over a 40-day period in many appearances to them. Acts 1:1-8, therefore, indisputably teaches us that Christ commissioned the apostles to witness to people that they had seen Him alive in those appearances and heard Him speak to them.

Later in Acts 1, Luke informs us that the apostolic company fully understood that what was central in their evangelism was that they were to be witnesses of His resurrection:

Acts 1:21 Wherefore of these men which have companied with us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, 22 Beginning from the baptism of John, unto that same day that he was taken up from us, must one be ordained to be a witness with us of his resurrection.

No human being was an eyewitness of the actual Resurrection of Christ (the exact moment when Christ rose from the dead).

For the apostles, therefore, to be witnesses (people who tell others what they themselves have seen and heard), they had to tell people not just that Christ rose (something that none of them actually saw or heard in person), but also and especially, that they themselves in person saw and heard Him alive in the Resurrection appearances in which He repeatedly showed Himself to them in the 40-day period between the Resurrection and the Ascension.

The actual Resurrection was not what changed the apostles from their meeting in private to bold, continual witnesses of Christ. What transformed them was that they themselves saw and heard the risen Christ in His appearances to them. Acts 1:1-8 and 1:21-22 thus plainly teach us that testifying to the Resurrection appearances of Christ was central and essential for the apostles to be faithful witnesses to what Christ had commissioned them to do in their evangelism.

Furthermore, Luke provides further confirmation to us about what the apostles held that they had to do in fulfilling the commission that they had been given:

Acts 4:18 And they called them, and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus. 19 But Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye. 20 For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.

This passage shows that the apostles had as their premier goal to speak what they themselves had seen and heard. We can be certain that their testifying to their eyewitness encounters with the risen Christ was the very center of their apostolic evangelism.

Whenever they possibly could, the apostolic company never just stated that Christ rose–they unendingly testified in addition that they had seen and heard Him in His resurrection appearances to them. Doing so was the essence of how they were commissioned to be witnesses of His Resurrection.

*This post uses extensively and is based on a series of comments that I myself posted elsewhere online concerning this subject.

In Discipleship, Evangelism, Exposition, Interpretation, Theology

5 Helpful Resources for Teaching on the Latter Prophets

September 30, 2023

For the past 4 weeks, I have been teaching an adult SS class Written for Our Admonition: A Survey of the Old Testament at my church on the Latter Prophets. So far, we have covered Joel, Obadiah, Jonah, Nahum, and Isaiah.

I have found the following 5 resources helpful in preparing to teach these classes.

Survey of the Old Testament by Paul N. Benware

How to Read the Bible Book by Book by Gordon D. Fee and Douglas Stuart

A Christian Survey of the Old Testament

The Bible Reader’s Companion: Your Guide to Every Chapter of the Bible by Lawrence O. Richards

The Literary Structure of the Old Testament: A Commentary on Genesis-Malachi by David O Dorsey

In Christian Books

12 Passages That Teach Us How to Pray for Illumination

September 14, 2023

For more than 3 decades, I have used many passages to pray fervently to God that He would illumine His Word to me. I praise Him that He has done so over and over again on numerous occasions!

Here are 12 such passages that teach us how to do so.

Exodus 33:18 And he said, I beseech thee, shew me thy glory.

Holy Father, as I partake of Thy Word, please show me Thy glory.

Psalm 43:3 O send out thy light and thy truth: let them lead me; let them bring me unto thy holy hill, and to thy tabernacles. ⁴ Then will I go unto the altar of God, unto God my exceeding joy: yea, upon the harp will I praise thee, O God my God.

Gracious Father, please send out Thy light and Thy truth. Let them lead me and bring me to Thy holy hill and to Thy tabernacles. Then will I go unto the altar of God, unto God my exceeding joy. Yea, upon my stringed instrument will I praise Thee, O God my God.

Psalm 86:11 Teach me thy way, O LORD; I will walk in thy truth: unite my heart to fear thy name.

Abba, Father, please teach me Thy way, O Lord. I will walk in Thy truth. Unite my heart to fear Thy name.

1 Kings 3:9 Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people? . . . ¹² Behold, I have done according to thy words: lo, I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart.

Gracious God, please give to me a wise and understanding heart that I may discern between the good and the bad.

Psalm 119:18 Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law.

Oh God, I know and believe that the answers to every important question about what you want your people to do to glorify You in all things that are acceptable to You in worship are in Thy Word. Open thou mine eyes that I may behold wondrous things out of Thy Law.

Proverbs 26:4 Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest thou also be like unto him. ⁵ Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own conceit.

Father, please grant that I would not answer these people according to their folly, lest I would become like them and please grant that I would answer them according to their folly so that they would not be wise in their own conceits.

Luke 24:45 Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures,

O Lord, please open my understanding that I would understand Thy Word.

2 Corinthians 10:4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) ⁵ Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ

Heavenly Father, please grant me specific and clear insight into Thy Word that I would be mighty through Thee to the pulling down of strongholds, casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God in all my hearers, and please bring their every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.

Ephesians 1:17 That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: ¹⁸ The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, ¹⁹ And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, ²⁰ Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, ²¹ Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come

God of our Lord Jesus Christ, Father of glory, please give unto me and to all the rest of Thy saints the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Thee: The eyes of our understanding being enlightened; that we may know what is the hope of Thy calling, and what the riches of the glory of Thy inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of Thy power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of Thy mighty power, which Thou didst wrought in Christ, when Thou didst raise him from the dead, and seat him at Thy own right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come.

2 Timothy 2:7 Consider what I say; and the Lord give thee understanding in all things.

Lord, as I carefully consider what Thou hast said in this passage, please grant me understanding in all things that Thou hast said in Thy Word.

Titus 1:9 Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.

Holy Spirit, please fill me now and grant me all manner of skillfulness in every skillful aspect of answering these wrong views so that I would be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince these gainsayers.

James 1:5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

Heavenly Father, I lack wisdom to know how to answer this wrong teaching. You have said that if any man lacks wisdom, he must ask of You Who gives liberally to all men and does not upbraid; and it will be given him. Do as You have said and grant me the wisdom that I need to answer this wrong teaching.

In Discipleship, Prayer, Theology

Learning from the Perfect Endings of the 27 Perfect Books of the NT

September 4, 2023

A highly skilled writer knows just how important the ending of his book is. As the perfect Writer, the Holy Spirit inspired perfect endings to each of the 27 perfect books of the NT.

Examining these endings carefully provides us with invaluable instruction that we cannot get from any other source!

Matt. 28:20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

Mk. 16:20 And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.

Lk. 24:53 And were continually in the temple, praising and blessing God. Amen.

Jn. 21:25 And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen.

Acts 28:31 Preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ, with all confidence, no man forbidding him.

Rom. 16:27 To God only wise, be glory through Jesus Christ for ever. Amen.

1 Cor. 16:24 My love be with you all in Christ Jesus. Amen.

2 Cor. 13:14 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen.

Gal. 6:18 Brethren, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.

Eph. 6:24 Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. Amen.

Phil. 4:23 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

Col. 4:18 The salutation by the hand of me Paul. Remember my bonds. Grace be with you. Amen.

1 Thess. 5:28 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.

2 Thess. 3:18 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

1 Tim. 6:21 Which some professing have erred concerning the faith. Grace be with thee. Amen.

2 Tim. 4:22 The Lord Jesus Christ be with thy spirit. Grace be with you. Amen.

Tit. 3:15 All that are with me salute thee. Greet them that love us in the faith. Grace be with you all. Amen.

Heb. 13:25 Grace be with you all. Amen.

Jas. 5:20 Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.

1 Pet. 5:14 Greet ye one another with a kiss of charity. Peace be with you all that are in Christ Jesus. Amen.

2 Pet. 3:18 But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.

1 Jn. 5:21 Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.

2 Jn. 1:13 The children of thy elect sister greet thee. Amen.

3 Jn. 1:14 But I trust I shall shortly see thee, and we shall speak face to face. Peace be to thee. Our friends salute thee. Greet the friends by name.

Jude 1:25 To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.

Rev. 22:21 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

The NT Importance of “Amen”

The Spirit inspired the writers of the NT to end 24 of the 27 books with the word, “Amen.” Interestingly, only Acts, James, and 3 John do not end that way.

I wonder why the Spirit inspired a different ending to these 3 books of the NT.

A Striking Contrast Between the Endings of the OT Books and the NT Books

Remarkably, the Spirit did not inspire any of the writers of the OT books to conclude their books with the word, “Amen.” Undoubtedly, the Spirit intends to instruct us even from this key difference between the endings of the OT books and all but 3 of the NT books.

I wonder what God wants us to learn from this striking contrast.

In Bible reading, Discipleship

Archives For rajesh

Lamenting and Mourning Distinguished from Being Buried

Conclusion

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Come, Now, O Blessed Spirit

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Acts 13

1 Corinthians 15

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Paul’s Initial Discipleship Experience

Paul’s Initial Evangelistic Activity

Paul’s Later Evangelistic Testimony to His Initial Evangelistic Activity

Conclusion

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The NT Importance of “Amen”

A Striking Contrast Between the Endings of the OT Books and the NT Books

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