Quotes | A People for His Name

Culver on "The Final Destiny of the Unsaved"

July 5, 2012

The doctrine of the dreadful destiny of the lost is an unpleasant shadow across biblical doctrine. So it is not very remarkable that the surveys of religious opinion, frequently reported in the press, will relate that of the same church people, who by strong majority believe in God, immortality, the divinity of Jesus and heaven, many dissent from a belief in hell. Yet that doctrine stands behind and enforces the need for the incarnation of the Son of God, His sinless life, and especially His substitutionary atonement and present ministry of intercession. It also sustains the common moral life of mankind and is indispensable to any strong apostolic fervor in Christian missions and evangelism.

—Robert Duncan Culver, Systematic Theology: Historical and Theological, 1074

In Quotes

Does "All" Mean "All" in Acts 26:29?

April 19, 2012

In Caesarea, at his final defense before he was taken to be tried before Caesar in Rome, Paul testified before King Agrippa, Bernice, the chief captains, the principal men of the city, and the governor, Festus (Acts 25:23-26:32).He concluded his testimony before them by saying, “I would to God, that not only thou, but also all that hear me this day, were both almost, and altogether such as I am, except these bonds” (26:29). Does all mean all in this statement?

Several commentators believe that Paul desired that his entire audience would become Christians. Bock remarks:

In verse 29 Paul’s reply is that whether it takes a short or a long time . . . , he would pray that all who are listening to him might become a Christian as he is, with one exception, namely, that they not share his chains of imprisonment. The reference to prayer indicates that Paul desires to intercede on behalf of all the audience to become Christians. . . . The reply clearly expresses his heart.

—Darrell L. Bock, Acts in ECNT, 723

Polhill comments:

His real prayer was that not just Agrippa but everyone in the audience room would become a Christian believer. At this point Paul may have made several gestures, turning and directly addressing all in the room.

—John B. Polhill, Acts in NAC, 509

Peterson says:

Paul expresses his desire to Agrippa in very personal terms . . . In so doing, he consciously widens his appeal to everyone present. Previously, he acknowledged that many in his audience might be skeptical about talk of resurrection of the dead (v. 8). However, just as in Athens he preached about ‘Jesus and the resurrection’ to Jews and Gentiles alike (17:18), so now he addresses all together.

—David G. Peterson, Acts in PNTC, 676.

In agreement with the views of these scholars, taking Paul’s use of all to mean the totality of his hearers on this occasion seems clearly to be the only natural reading of the text.

Given the composition of his audience on this occasion, Paul’s statement is thus striking because we do not read of any previous evangelistic encounters that he had had with authority figures and other prominent people that would have given him hope that all his present audience might become Christians (see Acts 17:32-34 for an example of an encounter with authorities that did not result in the salvation of his entire audience). Even so, Paul still desired that they would.

We should learn from Paul’s example here that in spite of our previous negative experiences and regardless of the seemingly unlikely-to-become-Christians composition of an audience whom we are evangelizing, we should desire that they all would become Christians.

In Evangelism, Interpretation, Quotes

Following Paul’s Evangelistic Emphasis in Challenging People about Doing “Works Meet for Repentance”

April 17, 2012

Paul repeatedly teaches that salvation is not earned through works that people do (Rom. 4:4-8; Eph. 2:8-10; Titus 3:5-6). A focus on this teaching, however, has led many to overlook an equally important Pauline evangelistic teaching concerning works: Paul emphasized that in his evangelism of all people everywhere, he challenged them that sinners must “do works meet for repentance” (Acts 26:20).

Peterson explains this emphasis well:

Paul recalls the geographical scope of his mission, ‘first to those in Damascus’ (cf. 9:20-25), ‘then to those in Jerusalem’ (cf. 9:26-30) ‘and in all Judea, and then to the Gentiles’. He indicates that he conveyed the same message to all, declaring (apēngellon, ‘reporting’, ‘announcing’, ‘proclaiming’) ‘that they should repent and turn to God and demonstrate their repentance by their deeds’ (cf. 20:21). Challenged to preach repentance for the forgiveness of sins and a share in the messianic salvation …, Paul was as serious as John the Baptist in calling for deeds to demonstrate the genuineness of repentance (cf. Lk. 3:8; Acts 20:21). He understood conversion ‘not only in terms of forgiveness and faith, but also in terms of a full ethical transformation’

—David. G. Peterson, The Acts of the Apostles in PNTC, 670

Based on Paul’s testimony to this crucial emphasis that he had in his evangelism, we should be diligent to challenge the people to whom we witness “that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance” (Acts 26:20).

In Evangelism, Quotes

Carson on the Gospel: "The Gospel is Theological"

January 24, 2012

The gospel is theological. This is a short-hand way of affirming two things. First, as 1 Corinthians 15 repeatedly affirms, God raised Christ Jesus from the dead (e.g. [1]5:15). More broadly, New Testament documents insist that God sent the Son into the world, and the Son obediently went to the cross because this was his Father’s will. It makes no sense to pit the mission of the Son against the sovereign purpose of the Father. If the gospel is centrally Christological, it is no less centrally theological.

—D. A. Carson, <em>The Gospel of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15:1 — 19)</em>, 3

In Gospel, Quotes, Theology

Seven Times a Day!

January 18, 2012

In Psalm 119:64, the Psalmist communicates his remarkable practice of praising the Lord in a statement that deserves closer attention to what it specifically says:

^KJVSeven times a day do I praise thee because of thy righteous judgments.

^LXESeven times in a day have I praised thee because of the judgments of thy righteousness.

^NAUSeven times a day I praise You, Because of Your righteous ordinances.

^NETSeven times a day I praise you because of your just regulations.

^NKJSeven times a day I praise You, Because of Your righteous judgments.

^ESVSeven times a day I praise you for your righteous rules.

He thus praised God seven times a day for His Word because of His righteous judgments that it reveals.

An article in the New Open Bible: Study Edition helpfully explains the word used by the Psalmist here:

Judgment (mishpāt, v. 7) is derived from the verb shāphat, “judge” or “govern,” and occurs about four hundred times in the Old Testament, sixteen times in Psalm 119 alone. The general idea is one of justice, or specific ordinances to promote justice. There are many distinct usages of the noun in both secular and religious law. Each specific ordinance of the Pentateuch is called a mishpāt (Lev. 9:16; Deut. 33:21, e.g.).

“The LORD is a God judgment” (Is. 30:18) and “loveth judgment” (Ps. 37:28). His “judgments are a great deep” (Ps. 36:6). Because God is just in His judgments, so should we His people be.”

—The Word of the Lord, 690; bold words are in italics in the original

The Psalmist’s statement thus expresses that he would praise the Lord seven times a day for His righteous judgments, which point to His glory as the righteous Lawgiver and Judge. How often, by contrast, do we praise God in a day for His glorious revelation of His righteous judgments?

Let us praise God, the righteous Lawgiver and Judge, daily for His righteous judgments!

In Exhortation, Interpretation, Quotes

Helpful information about "the Angel of Jehovah" in the OT

January 6, 2012

In a section entitled, The Triunity of the Godhead, Fruchtenbaum, a believing Jewish scholar, brings out some helpful points concerning the OT teaching about the Angel of Jehovah:

The Expression Malach YHVH

The second divine personality is the Angel of Jehovah – but who is He? The Angel of Jehovah is not to be taken as a title, but, following Hebrew grammar, it always functions as a proper name. This individual is always considered distinct from all other angels and is unique. It never appears in the plural. Nowhere in Scripture are the phrases “the angels of Jehovah” or “the angels of the God,” but rather there are three, and only three, different expressions which are used:

the Angel of Jehovah – Malach YHVH, always singular.

the Angel of the God – Malach Ha-Elohim, always singular with the definite article.

the angels of God – Malachei Elohim, plural, and is never used with the definite article.

The third of these expressions is used in general terms of ordinary angels. The first two expressions are both used to describe a very special and distinct individual – the Angel of Jehovah. We can see this in Judges 6:20-21, where the same Person is described first, in verse 20, as “the Angel of the God” and then, in verse 21, as “the Angel of Jehovah.” This is also brought out in Judges chapter 13; in verse 3, there is a reference to “the Angel of Jehovah” and later, in verse 9, this same individual is called “the Angel of the God.”

Consistently, throughout the Hebrew text, there is a distinction made between ordinary angels and this unique Person referred to as both “the Angel of YHVH” and “the Angel of the God.” The Angel of Jehovah is clearly revealed as being different in stature, nature, person and essence from ordinary angels.

—Arnold G. Fruchtenbaum, Messianic Christology: A Study of Old Testament Prophecy Concerning the First Coming of the Messiah, 109-110; bold is in italics in the original

In Biblical Languages, Quotes

"Fifty Hours of Eyewitnesses"

January 2, 2012

“Let’s take the more than 500 witnesses who saw Jesus alive after His death and burial and place them in a courtroom. Do you realize that if each of these 500 people were to testify only six minutes each, including cross-examination, you would have an amazing 50 hours of firsthand eyewitness testimony? Add to this the testimony of many other eyewitnesses and you could well have the largest and most lopsided trial in history.”

—Josh McDowell, The Resurrection Factor, 71-72

In Apologetics, Quotes

"Jesus Outside the New Testament"

November 25, 2011

What are the main lines to emerge in this study of Jesus outside the New Testament? The non-Christian evidence uniformly treats Jesus as a historical person. Most non-Christian authors were not interested in the details of his life or teaching, and they saw him through the Christianity they knew. They provide a small but certain corroboration of certain New Testament historical traditions on the family background, time of life, ministry, and death of Jesus. They also provide evidence of the content of Christian preaching that is independent of the New Testament. . . . Our study of Jesus outside the New Testament points at the end of the day to Jesus inside the New Testament.

–Robert E. Van Voorst, Jesus Outside the New Testament: An Introduction to the Ancient Evidence, 217

In Apologetics, Quotes

"More Like His Justice"

October 18, 2011

This truth of the ultimate triumph of God’s justice has some vital applications for the Christian. Since we will someday stand at the judgment seat of Christ, we must live our lives with a daily sense of accountability to our just God. Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 bears more than an incidental similarity to II Corinthians 5:10-11. The passage in Ecclesiastes tells us that the whole duty of man is to fear God and keep His commandments, because the Lord is going to judge every overt and covert act—determining what is good and evil. The passage in II Corinthians informs us that what we have done, whether good or bad, will be made manifest at the judgment seat of Christ. Since we know what it is to fear the Lord, we must be serious about proclaiming the truth that God invites people to accept the reconciliation He has already provided in Christ. It is possible for Christians to live selfishly, unconcerned that many around us are headed for an appointment with the God of justice at the judgment of the great white throne (Rev. 20: 11-15). . . . It is our vital task to be ambassadors for Christ, beseeching people to be reconciled to God (v. 20). The justice of God demands that we put away our preoccupation with our own selfish pursuits and labor as witnesses for Christ.

—Randy Jaeggli, “More Like His Justice” in More Like the Master, 147-48.

In Quotes

The Matchless Greatness of the Bible from an Information Science Perspective

October 16, 2011

In his fascinating book, In the Beginning was Information, Werner Gitt “describes a new way of understanding creation and the Bible.” He powerfully argues for the matchless greatness of the Bible from an information science perspective:

— The Bible contains the most important information conceivable. It is divine in essence, and indicates the way to our Father’s house.

— The relevance value of the information of the Bible for every person is r = 1, the highest possible value. It comprises the best advice for this life, and is the only compass that guides us to heaven.

— The information of the Bible is always up-to-date (t = 1). Whereas most scientific publications become outdated after ten years, the Bible can never become outdated.

— We can readily access the information of the Bible (a = 1). It can be obtained all over the world, and the contents are easy to understand.

— The information of the Bible is comprehensive and complete (e = 1).

— No false information is contained in the Bible; it is the only Book of Truth (John 17:17).

— We find the highest semantic density of information in the Bible, as well as the best pragmatic information (commandments, rules of living, and our relationship with God and other people). It comprises the highest possible apobetics, namely an invitation to enter heaven!

— 161; bold text is in italics in the original; (r = relevance; t = timeliness; a = accessibility; e = existence)

Praise God for His goodness in giving us His Word! Let us all read our Bibles with a continuous awe of its matchless greatness.

In Apologetics, Bible reading, Christian Books, Quotes

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