Evangelism | A People for His Name

"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

Will You Enter Paradise One Day?

November 22, 2011

Many human beings have spoken of and thought about going to places that they would consider a paradise. Some believe that everyone will enter into such a place one day.

Scripture reveals, however, that only certain humans one day will enter into the real place that is called Paradise: “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God” (Rev. 2:7). This statement teaches us key truths that anyone who would enter Paradise must heed.

First, a man must hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches. Entering Paradise, therefore, requires that a man must hear and attend to what the Spirit has to say; heeding human speculations about Paradise and how to get there will never get anyone there.

Second, the way to Paradise is a message that the Spirit has directed and entrusted to the churches of Jesus Christ. Those who would enter there one day should do all that they possibly can to affiliate themselves vitally with at least one of His faithful churches.

Third, the Spirit’s message about entering Paradise declares that a man must overcome. Because the Spirit has entrusted multiple messages to the churches of Jesus Christ (2:1-3:22) that explain various aspects of what it means to overcome, a man who would enter Paradise must heed the full content of those messages.

Fourth, those who overcome will receive as a gift (“To him that overcometh will I give . . .”) authorization (cf. “right to the tree of life” [22:12-14]) “to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.” Paradise belongs to God, and only those whom He graciously authorizes to be there will be there. To enter there, therefore, you must receive that gracious authorization to do so.

Fifth, the glorified Jesus is the One who authorizes overcomers to be in Paradise (cf. 22:12-14). He is the Speaker of each of these messages to His churches. Only those who are willing to come to Him believing that He has that authority will enter there one day (cf. Luke 23:43).

Sixth, in this message, Jesus and the Spirit highlight the eating of the tree of life that is in the middle of God’s Paradise. To receive the blessedness of that privilege, a man must believe what the Scripture teaches about the tree of life, Adam and Eve, and how they forfeited eating from the tree of life through their sin.

Overcomers who believe and heed all these things will enjoy the very thing that Adam and Eve forfeited in the Garden of Eden–eating from the tree of life! They will do so in the only place that is truly a paradise.

Will you be one of those who enter Paradise one day?

To learn more about how you can enter Paradise one day, please see my post, The Salvation of a Crucified Thief.

In Evangelism, Interpretation

Saying That Jesus is Lord by the Holy Spirit

November 15, 2011

Paul teaches that “no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is Lord, but by the Holy Ghost” (1 Cor. 12:3). Plainly, Paul does not mean merely uttering the words, “Jesus is Lord,” because multitudes of people, such as little children who have had no exposure to Bible teaching at all, can say those words without having any idea of what they mean and therefore say them without attaching the proper significance to those words.

What then does Paul mean by this statement? By looking closely at related teaching from Jesus, we allow Scripture to interpret itself:

“While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, Saying,’ What think ye of Christ? Whose son is He?’ They say unto Him, ‘The son of David.’ He saith unto them, ‘How then doth David in spirit call Him Lord, saying, “THE LORD SAID UNTO MY LORD, ‘SIT THOU ON MY RIGHT HAND, TILL I MAKE THINE ENEMIES THY FOOTSTOOL?”‘ If David then call him Lord; how is He his son?” (Matt. 22:41-45).

Here Jesus declares that David in the Spirit called Christ Lord. He then explained that David did so when he penned one of the most important statements in the OT, Psalm 110:1. This premier OT statement highlights the Father’s exaltation to His right hand of the One who was David’s Lord.

Interpreting 1 Corinthians 12:3 by Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 22:41-45, we understand that saying that Jesus is Lord by the Holy Spirit does not mean only acknowledging that Jesus Himself is God; rather, saying that Jesus is Lord by the Holy Spirit also entails acknowledging how God the Father has exalted Him to His right hand. This interpretation, therefore, underscores the importance of our testifying in evangelism not just the deity of Jesus, but also how the Father exalted Him after He raised Him from the dead (cf. “God hath made that same Jesus . . . both Lord and Christ,” [Acts 2:36]; “who by Him do believe in God, that raised Him up from the dead, and gave Him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God” [1 Peter. 1:21]).

In Evangelism, Interpretation

Jesus' Followers Must Continue Preaching the Kingdom Gospel to the Entire World Until the End!

November 13, 2011

The Gospels record two important statements by Jesus about worldwide preaching of the gospel:

“And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come” (Matt. 24:14).

“And He said unto them, ‘Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mk. 16:15).

Unlike the former statement, the latter statement does not specify the preaching of the gospel of the kingdom; it only speaks of the apostles preaching the gospel. Several facts, however, make it clear that it was a command to the apostles to preach the kingdom gospel.

First, Jesus gave the Olivet Discourse (Matt. 24-25) late during His time on the earth, and He commissioned His apostles (Mk. 16:14-18) during the forty days between His resurrection and His ascension. Because the Scripture does not indicate that He gave any intervening teaching about the content of the gospel, we are justified in concluding that both references pertain to the gospel of the kingdom.

Second, Acts 1:3 highlights Jesus’ “speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom” during the forty days between His resurrection and His ascension. Because Mark 16:15 records a key statement in seminal teaching that Jesus gave His disciples during that period, we are justified in identifying it as part of the key teaching that Jesus gave about the kingdom.

Third, Luke’s recording that Philip preached as the gospel “the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ” (Acts 8:12) makes it certain that the gospel that he received from the apostles was the kingdom gospel. The gospel that they themselves, therefore, were commanded to preach by Jesus must have been the kingdom gospel.

We thus conclude that Jesus commanded the apostles to preach the kingdom gospel to the entire world (Mk. 16:15). Furthermore, because He also taught that the end will only come after the gospel of the kingdom will have been preached in the entire world for a witness to all nations (Matt. 24:14), His followers must continue preaching that same kingdom gospel to the entire world until the end!

In Evangelism, Gospel, Interpretation, Ministry, Preaching

The Same Crucial Truth in Four Gospels and Three Languages!

November 4, 2011

In the biblical record concerning the crucifixion of Jesus, one truth about Him is singularly highlighted in all four gospels:

“And set up over his head His accusation written, THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS” (Matt. 27:37).

“And the superscription of His accusation was written over, THE KING OF THE JEWS” (Mk. 15:26).

“And a superscription also was written over Him in letters of Greek, and Latin, and Hebrew, THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS” (Lk. 23:38).

“And Pilate wrote a title, and put it on the cross, And the writing was, JESUS OF NAZARETH THE KING OF THE JEWS” (John 19:19).

John, who was the last one to write his Gospel, gives additional information concerning the title on the Cross of Jesus that the Synoptics do not:

“This title then read many of the Jews: for the place where Jesus was crucified was nigh to the city: and it was written in Hebrew, and Greek, and Latin. Then said the chief priests of the Jews to Pilate, Write not, the King of the Jews; but that He said, I am King of the Jews. Pilate answered, What I have written I have written” (19:20-22).

John thus informs us that the top Jewish leadership objected to this title because it spoke of Him as being the King of the Jews instead of saying that He claimed to be the King of the Jews.

Based on the inspired record from all four gospels concerning the superscription of His cross, we should note carefully that the specific wording of the official charge against Jesus was not concerning His claiming to be God! Rather, all the gospel writers inform us that the wording of the charge specifically spoke of Him as the King of the Jews.

Moreover, we learn that this truth was testified to in three different languages. Because the Gospels do not explicitly record that any other truth concerning His crucifixion was testified to in multiple languages, we can be all the more certain of the unique importance of this truth.

Is it legitimate, therefore, in evangelistic preaching of and testimony to the crucifixion of Jesus, that very often great stress is placed on the proclamation of His deity, but very little or not even anything specifically is said about Him as the King of the Jews? In view of the divinely directed testimony about the latter truth that was given both before His conception (Luke 1:32-33) and at His crucifixion, ought we not rather to hold that testimony to Jesus as the King of the Jews is as essential to gospel preaching as testimony to His deity?

Let us be diligent to evangelize “the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ” (Acts 8:12) by bearing testimony to Jesus as the God-appointed King of the Jews (Luke 1:32-33)! Our gospel preaching will then be in line with the same crucial truth that is highlighted in all four Gospels, a truth which was testified in three languages at the crucifixion of Christ.

In Evangelism, Gospel, Interpretation, Ministry, Preaching

From Jesus to Paul: Verbal Ministry about the Kingdom of God and about Jesus

November 2, 2011

Observing how a book begins and ends is an important part of discovering what a writer desires to communicate. When both the beginning and the ending of a book stress the same ideas, we can have confidence that those are key ideas to which the author is seeking to direct attention.

The book of Acts begins with Luke’s teaching about Jesus’ post-resurrection ministry:

“The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began to do and teach, 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: 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” (1:1-3).

Following this introduction, Luke records how Jesus commissioned His apostles with teaching concerning their future testifying to Him throughout the world (1:4-8). By beginning the book this way, Luke emphasized that Jesus’ ministry to the apostles focused on instruction about the kingdom of God and about Himself.

Luke concludes Acts with two noteworthy accounts of Pauline ministry in Rome:

“And when they had appointed him a day, there came many to him into his lodging; to whom he expounded and testified concerning the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus, both out of the law of Moses, and out of the prophets, from morning till evening. . . . And Paul dwelt two whole years in his own hired house, and received all that came unto him, preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ, with all confidence, no man forbidding him” (28:23; 30-31).

He thus could hardly have stressed more emphatically than he did that Paul’s ministry for two entire years was to minister the same things in the same way to everybody that he interacted with: preaching the kingdom of God and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ.

Based on how Luke begins and ends the book of Acts, it is certain that he intends to stress that from Jesus to Paul, the emphasis was on verbal ministry about the kingdom of God and about Jesus. We, therefore, should have the same dual emphases in our evangelistic and discipleship ministries.

In Discipleship, Evangelism, Interpretation

Let Us Proclaim Forgiveness in the Name of the God-Exalted Supreme Authority!

November 1, 2011

Scripture provides us with three inspired records of Peter’s proclamation of forgiveness through Jesus Christ (Acts 2, 5, 10). In each case, he declared that forgiveness was through Jesus as the One exalted by God as the supreme Authority:

Acts 2

“Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ. . . .Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins” (2:36, 38).

Acts 5

“The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree. Him hath God exalted with His right hand to be a Prince and a Savior, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins” (5:30-31).

Acts 10

“And He commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testify that it is He which was ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead. To Him give all the prophets witness, that through His name whosever believeth in Him shall receive remission of sins” (10:42-43).

Peter thus proclaimed to both Jews and Gentiles forgiveness in the name of Jesus as the God-exalted supreme Authority! Lest anyone think that these three inspired records are not really authoritative for us because they are in the book of Acts, Peter also taught essentially the same truth many years later: “Who by Him do believe in God, that raised Him up from the dead, and gave Him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God” (1 Pet. 1:21).

Let us learn from these key statements to proclaim forgiveness of sins in the name of Jesus Christ as the One whom God has exalted to be the supreme Authority!

In Evangelism, Gospel

Learning a Minimal Spanish Witness

October 29, 2011

In the past several years, I have encountered a fair number of Spanish-speaking people on door-to-door visitation. Not knowing much Spanish at all, I have not been able to witness to them much at all beyond trying to give them a tract.

This afternoon, I decided to use Google Translate to come up with a minimal Spanish witness that I could use with Spanish people when I have opportunities to witness to them. This minimal witness is based on an approach to visitation that I first learned years ago when I began to go on door-to-door visitation at my church.

Hi, my name is Rajesh.	Hola, mi nombre es Rajesh.
I am from Mount Calvary Baptist Church.	Yo soy de la Iglesia Bautista Monte Calvario.
This is _______________ (name of visitation partner).	Este es ____________________.
We are going through the neighborhoods around our church and visiting with people.	Estamos pasando por los barrios alrededor de la iglesia y visitando a la gente.
We want to help people to know for sure that their sins are forgiven.	Queremos ayudar a que la gente sepa a ciencia cierta que sus pecados son perdonados.
Can I give you something to read that explains how you can know for sure that your sins are forgiven?	¿Puedo darle algo para leer que explica cómo se puede estar seguro de que tus pecados han sido perdonados?
Thanks for your time!	Gracias por tu tiempo!
Have a nice day.	Que tenga un buen día.

By learning how to pronounce these words properly and carrying this card in my Bible, I hope to evangelize Spanish-speaking people more effectively in the future when I give them a gospel tract.

In Evangelism, Spanish

Paul’s Commission to Proclaim the Gospel of the Kingdom of God!

October 26, 2011

In his testimony to King Agrippa, Paul made known the commission that he had received from Jesus (Acts 26:16-23). He declared that Christ said that He was sending Paul to the Gentiles “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” (26:18).

The purpose clause in this statement shows that Christ had ordained that through Paul’s ministry the Gentiles who believed in Him would receive two things: forgiveness and an inheritance. Because Luke’s record provides no further information from Paul about what this inheritance was to be, we have to look at other passages to determine its identity.

Colossians 1 is the only Pauline passage that uses the same word for inheritance (κλῆρον) that occurs in Acts 26:18. In his prayer for the Colossians, Paul was “giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of His dear Son: in whom we have redemption through His blood, even the forgiveness of sins” (Col. 1:12-14).

A close comparison of Acts 26:18 and Colossians 1:12-14 reveals striking similarities:

(1) “darkness to light” (Acts 26:18) cf. “darkness” (Col. 1:13) and “light” (Col. 1:12);
(2) “Satan unto God” (Acts 26:18) cf. “power of darkness” (Col. 1:13) and “kingdom of His dear Son” (Col. 1:13);
(3) “forgiveness of sins” (Acts 26:18) cf. “forgiveness of sins” (Col. 1:14)
(4) “inheritance among them which are sanctified” [κλῆρον ἐν τοῖς ἡγιασμένοις] (Acts 26:18) cf. “inheritance of the saints” [τοῦ κλήρου τῶν ἁγίων] (Col. 1:12)
(5) “faith that is in Me” (Acts 26:18) cf. “of His dear Son: in whom ” (Col. 1:13-14)

These striking similarities show that Jesus commissioned Paul with a ministry that had as its purpose that people would receive an inheritance in His kingdom!*

Moreover, Paul had spoken to the Colossians of “the hope which [was] laid up for [them] in heaven, whereof [they had] heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel” (Col. 1:5) and then proceeded to pray his prayer of thanksgiving to the Father for making them “partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light” (1:12). He followed that by stating that He had translated them “into the kingdom of His dear Son” (1:13). From the flow of thought here, we learn that the gospel that the Colossians heard from Paul declared to them the hope of their inheritance in the kingdom of God!

Paul thus preached the gospel of the kingdom to them, and the close correlation of Colossians 1 with Acts 26:18 supports holding that Paul’s commission from Jesus was to proclaim the gospel of the kingdom of God that involved receiving an inheritance in the kingdom of God!

————

* Many passages with similar teaching to Acts 26:18 and Colossians 1:12-14 confirm this interpretation by using words related to the word for inheritance (κλῆρον) in both passages to speak of those who will or will not inherit the kingdom (Matt. 25: 34; 1 Cor. 6:9-10; 15:50; Gal. 5:21; Eph. 5:5; James 2:5).

In Biblical Greek, Biblical Languages, Gospel, Interpretation

We Must Preach the Same Gospel as Philip and Peter Did

October 25, 2011

The book of Acts records at length the gospel ministries of key leaders in the early church (Peter [Acts 2, 10]; Philip [Acts 8]; Paul [Acts 13, 17]). A close examination of Acts 8 and 10 reveals a vital truth that is sometimes overlooked concerning the gospel message that both Philip and Peter preached.[1]

Luke informs us that Philip’s gospel ministry of preaching Christ (8:5) in Samaria resulted in both men and women who “believed [his] preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ” and were baptized (8:12). This key statement reveals that he did not just preach the name of Jesus Christ; he also preached about the things concerning the kingdom of God. Philip thus preached a gospel message that comprised two key aspects and not just one.

In contrast with this statement about Philip, Luke’s record of Peter’s ministry in Caesarea does not provide us with such a single statement that concisely sums up the gospel message that Peter preached. We, therefore, must carefully examine the contents of Peter’s entire message (10:34-43) to determine whether he preached the same two key aspects of the gospel message that Philip did.

Explicit mention of Jesus Christ (10:36) and His name (10:43) shows that Peter did preach “the name of Jesus Christ” just as Philip did (8:12). But, did Peter also preach “the things concerning the kingdom of God” (8:12)?

Before testifying about the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ (10:39-41), Peter declared, “How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with Him” (10:38). He thus preached that Jesus was the God-empowered Anointed One who by the Spirit of God was delivering all who were in bondage to the devil. The very close correlation of this statement with similar teaching by Jesus Himself (“But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you”; Matt. 12:28) shows that Peter in effect declared to his hearers in Caesarea that the kingdom of God had come upon all the Satanically oppressed people whom Jesus had healed.

Moreover, after testifying to the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ (10:39-41), Peter declared, “And He commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testify that it is He which was ordained of God to be the Judge of the living and the dead” (10:42). This declaration announcing the One whom God has appointed to be the supreme judicial authority over all people, living and dead, made known the One whom God has exalted to be His King over all–the King (cf. Matt. 25:34, 40) who will one day decide both who will “inherit the kingdom” (cf. Matt. 7:21; 25:34) and who will “go away into everlasting punishment” (cf. Matt. 7:22-23; 25:46).

Peter therefore preached the very same gospel as Philip did! Because the inspired record of the Jerusalem Council teaches us that we should give special attention to Peter’s gospel ministry in Caesarea (see the previous post), this comparison of Acts 8 and 10 teaches us that we must preach the same gospel about both the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ that both Philip and Peter preached!

[1] For an outlined argument concerning the evidence that shows that the gospel did not change from Samaria to Corinth, and, therefore, shows that Paul also preached the same gospel message that Philip and Peter did, see my post, Did the Gospel Change from Samaria to Corinth?

In Evangelism, Gospel, Interpretation, Ministry, Preaching

Archives For Evangelism

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this: