Archives For Interpretation

What Being a Blessed Person Really Means

September 9, 2016

The longest book in the Bible, the book of Psalms, begins with the word blessed without giving any definition of what that term means (Psalm 1:1). In the second occurrence of the term, Psalm 2 ends with a statement about those who are blessed (Psalm 2:12) but it still does not tell us what the term means. The third occurrence of the term in the Psalms shows us what the core idea of the term is:

Psa 5:12 For thou, LORD, wilt bless the righteous;
with favour wilt thou compass him as with a shield.

The parallelism seen in these two statements about the righteous shows that to be blessed means to be in and enjoy a position of special favor with God.

Further analysis of Scriptural use of the term (e.g. Psalm 94:12; Matt. 5:4; Rev. 14:13) confirms this understanding and teaches us that  being blessed does not mean having no troubles and having everything go the way you would like it to go. It does not necessarily mean being happy. Being a blessed person means to be someone whom God has favored in a special way!

Copyright © 2011-2024 by Rajesh Gandhi. All rights reserved.

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An Instructive Comparison of Two Key Lukan Statements

August 22, 2016

Luke wrote his Gospel to Theophilus for a very specific purpose:

Luk 1:3 It seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write unto thee in order, most excellent Theophilus,

 4 That thou mightest know the certainty of those things, wherein thou hast been instructed.

In Acts 1, Luke informs Theophilus what his Gospel comprised:

Act 1:1 The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach,

By correlating these two statements, we learn that the Gospel of Luke was written to give Theophilus certainty about what he had been instructed about all that Jesus began both to do and to teach.

Applying this understanding to what we find in the Gospel of Luke reveals a striking truth when we examine it for information about what Jesus began to do and teach—Luke 2:41-52 is the first information about what Jesus did and taught! Based on this fact, we understand that the narrative of what Jesus did and said when He was a twelve-year old boy in the temple is foundational for our having the certainty that God wants us to have about all of Jesus’ acts and sayings about which we have been taught!

 

 

 

 

Copyright © 2011-2024 by Rajesh Gandhi. All rights reserved.

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What Biblical Priesthood Teaches Us about Biblical Marriage

August 13, 2016

The nation of Israel is the only nation in the history of the world that God Himself took out from another nation and consecrated to Himself (2 Sam. 7:23; 1 Chron. 17:21). To the Israelites, God gave detailed directives in His Law about every important facet of their lives (Deut. 4:7-8).

At the heart of Israel’s calling as a nation set apart to God was their calling to be distinctively excellent for His sake:

Exodus 19:5 Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine: 6 And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.

Among the nation that was called to be such a distinctive nation, God set apart the priesthood that He Himself ordained for ministering to Him (Exod. 28:1; 30:30; Jer. 33:22) in a special way even among all His people. Of all the people of Israel, the priests were called to have the closest access to God that He permitted to any of His people (Heb. 9:6).

By divine ordinance, all the priests in Israel were males. For these chief servants of His, God gave explicit directives concerning their marriages:

Lev 21:7 They shall not take a wife that is a whore, or profane; neither shall they take a woman put away from her husband: for he is holy unto his God.

Among the priests, the high priest was the sole person in the entire nation who was ever allowed to enter the Holy of Holies, and he could do so only once a year (Heb. 9:7). The high priest was called of God to be the person in Israel who enjoyed unique access to the presence of God.

Concerning whom the high priest was to marry, God gave even more definitive instruction than He did for the other priests:

Lev 21:13 And he shall take a wife in her virginity.

 14 A widow, or a divorced woman, or profane, or an harlot, these shall he not take: but he shall take a virgin of his own people to wife.

 15 Neither shall he profane his seed among his people: for I the LORD do sanctify him.

This revelation shows that God explicitly defined what marriage would be for all His priests in His chosen nation that was to be a testimony for Him to the entire world. In connection with Genesis 1-2 and Genesis 6-9, Leviticus 21:7 and Leviticus 21:13-15 make clear that God’s mind concerning marriage for His people throughout their history was that marriage would be exactly the same as it was when He originated marriage beginning with Adam and Eve.

As Israel was called to be of old, believers today are called to be distinctive for the sake of His name:

1 Pet. 2:9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:

Concerning His ministers among His people today, God has plainly stated that their marriages are to be the same (1 Tim. 3:2, 12) as they were for His priests of old. Moreover, these ministers are the examples for all the rest of His saints (1 Tim. 4:12).

The plain revelation concerning what God has ordained concerning biblical marriage for His priests and ministers confirms for His servants today that His will for their marriages is the same today as it always has been.

Copyright © 2011-2024 by Rajesh Gandhi. All rights reserved.

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Should Christians Seek to Influence Secular Governmental Officials to Do Right and to Make Righteous Policies?

July 16, 2016

Three biblical accounts point to the correct answer to the important question of whether Christians should seek to influence secular governmental official to do right and to make righteous policies.

First, Haman, a wicked high official in a secular government, plotted to kill all the Jews in the empire by influencing king Ahasuerus to write into law provisions that would authorize exterminating the Jews. Under the evil influence of Haman, the king enacted a law authorizing the killing of all Jews and the plundering of their possessions (Esther 4:13-14).

Mordecai and Esther, righteous Jews, sought to influence the king to change the law that he had put into place because it was an unrighteous edict (Esther 8:3). They did not merely submit themselves to that law and allow themselves and all the other Jews to be martyred because Haman and Ahasuerus were high-level governmental leaders over them in the providence of God.

Through their actions, Esther and Mordecai were able to influence the king to authorize additional laws that turned the tables on those who sought to kill the Jews and the Jews experienced a great deliverance (Esther 8-10).

Second, King Nebuchadnezzar was the supreme authority over the greatest empire in human history. In God’s providence, Daniel was a top official in that secular government. Daniel sought to have the king change his evil actions and policies that were oppressing the poor (Daniel 4:27). Daniel advised the king that his doing so would put him in a position to receive mercy from God, should God see fit to grant it. Just because Nebuchadnezzar was a secular ruler over a secular empire did not mean that it was right for him to go against God’s laws concerning oppressing the poor.

Third, Herod was an evil king who was put into his position by the Roman government. Even though Herod was in authority by the actions of a secular government, John the Baptist confronted him about his flouting the laws of God concerning marriage. John rebuked Herod by charging him that it was not lawful for him to have his brother’s wife (Matt. 14:4). Just because Herod was in power in a secular government did not mean that he was free to violate God’s laws concerning marriage.

These biblical accounts show that it is right for God’s people to challenge secular authorities about the laws that they enact and about their practices when those laws and practices are unrighteous according to God’s standards.

Copyright © 2011-2024 by Rajesh Gandhi. All rights reserved.

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Luke 1 and the Abortion Debate

June 27, 2016

Many supporters of abortion say that unborn babies are not persons; some even say that they are not human beings. The Holy Spirit’s use of a specific Greek word in Luke 1 provides believers with revelation to address these views.

John the Baptist in the Womb

The Holy Spirit speaks of John the Baptist in the womb by twice using the Greek word βρέφος , which  is not used at all in the Septuagint:

Luk 1:41 And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost:

Luk 1:41 καὶ ἐγένετο ὡς ἤκουσεν ἡ Ἐλισάβετ τὸν ἀσπασμὸν τῆς Μαρίας, ἐσκίρτησε τὸ βρέφος ἐν τῇ κοιλίᾳ αὐτῆς· καὶ ἐπλήσθη Πνεύματος Ἁγίου ἡ Ἐλισάβετ,

Luk 1:44 For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.

Luk 1:44 ἰδοὺ γάρ, ὡς ἐγένετο ἡ φωνὴ τοῦ ἀσπασμοῦ σου εἰς τὰ ὦτά μου, ἐσκίρτησεν ἐν ἀγαλλιάσει τὸ βρέφος ἐν τῇ κοιλίᾳ μου.

These verses show that the Spirit uses this word to communicate that John was a person in the womb who expressed emotion upon the sound of Mary’s voice being heard by John’s mother Elizabeth.

Jesus as a Very Young Child

In the next chapter, the Spirit uses the same Greek word to speak of Jesus as a very young child after He had been born:

Luk 2:12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

Luk 2:12 καὶ τοῦτο ὑμῖν τὸ σημεῖον· εὑρήσετε βρέφος ἐσπαργανωμένον, κείμενον ἐν τῇ φάτνῃ.

Luk 2:16 And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.

Luk 2:16 καὶ ἦλθον σπεύσαντες, καὶ ἀνεῦρον τήν τε Μαριὰμ καὶ τὸν Ἰωσήφ, καὶ τὸ βρέφος κείμενον ἐν τῇ φάτνῃ.

Based on the Spirit’s use of the same word to designate John in the womb and Jesus as a very young child, Christians have revelation that supports their holding that God views unborn babies as persons who are human beings in the womb in the same way that He views them as persons after they have been born!

Additional New Testament Corroboration

All four of the other occurrences of βρέφος in the NT show that the Spirit teaches the same truth by using this word to refer to newborn babies, infants, and children, all of whom are persons and human beings, even as John was in the womb:

Act 7:19 The same dealt subtilly with our kindred, and evil entreated our fathers, so that they cast out their young children, to the end they might not live.

Act 7:19 οὗτος κατασοφισάμενος τὸ γένος ἡμῶν, ἐκάκωσε τοὺς πατέρας ἡμῶν, τοῦ ποιεῖν ἔκθετα τὰ βρέφη αὐτῶν, εἰς τὸ μὴ ζωογονεῖσθαι.

1Pe 2:2 As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:

1Pe 2:2 ὡς ἀρτιγέννητα βρέφη, τὸ λογικὸν ἄδολον γάλα ἐπιποθήσατε, ἵνα ἐν αὐτῷ αὐξηθῆτε,

Luk 18:15  And they brought unto him also infants, that he would touch them: but when his disciples saw it, they rebuked them.

Luk 18:15  Προσέφερον δὲ αὐτῷ καὶ τὰ βρέφη, ἵνα αὐτῶν ἅπτηται· ἰδόντες δὲ οἱ μαθηταὶ ἐπετίμησαν αὐτοῖς.

2Ti 3:15 And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.

2Ti 3:15 καὶ ὅτι ἀπὸ βρέφους τὰ ἱερὰ γράμματα οἶδας, τὰ δυνάμενά σε σοφίσαι εἰς σωτηρίαν διὰ πίστεως τῆς ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ.

Conclusion

The New Testament teaches Christians that unborn babies are persons who are human beings. Asserting that unborn babies are not persons and are not human beings is a false basis for supporting abortion.

Copyright © 2011-2024 by Rajesh Gandhi. All rights reserved.

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What the Bible Does Not Say about Abortion

June 20, 2016

Some skeptics assert that the Bible says many things about abortion that support the practice of abortion. Through the responses that I provide below to their assertions, this post presents what the Bible does not say about abortion.

The quotes below are from http://skepticsannotatedbible.com/says_about/abortion.html

I have added numbers to the points to make them easier to follow. My responses (in italics) follow each point quoted from the article.

“What the Bible says about Abortion”

[1.] “Abortion is not murder. A fetus is not considered a human life.

If men strive, and hurt a woman with child, so that her fruit depart from her, and yet no mischief follow: he shall be surely punished, according as the woman’s husband will lay upon him; and he shall pay as the judges determine. And if any mischief follow, then thou shalt give life for life. –Exodus 21:22-23”

How this verse supports this point is a mystery to me. This point needs no rebuttal because it is patently false. The text is plain that if any harm follows, the guilty party must be punished. The passage does not specify that the harm was only to the mother; if she is harmed or the prematurely born baby is harmed or both of them are harmed, the person(s) causing the harm must be punished.

[2.] “The Bible places no value on fetuses or infants less than one month old.

And if it be from a month old even unto five years old, then thy estimation shall be of the male five shekels of silver, and for the female thy estimation shall be three shekels of silver. — Leviticus 27:6”

This verse is part of a passage about the valuation that is to be made when persons of certain ages were consecrated by a vow to the Lord (Lev. 27:1). Lack of mention of vowing infants less than one month old does not prove that the Bible places no value on them; this omission of infants being vowed can be explained as God’s not allowing children younger than a month to be vowed.

[3.] “Fetuses and infants less than one month old are not considered persons.

Number the children of Levi after the house of their fathers, by their families: every male from a month old and upward shalt thou number them. And Moses numbered them according to the word of the LORD. — Numbers 3:15-16”

This numbering was specifically only of males. If the reasoning used here were valid, all women would also not be considered persons because they were not numbered.

Furthermore, points 2 and 3 are also rebutted by passages that state that all Israelite males were to be circumcised when they were eight days old as a sign of God’s entering into a covenant with them (Gen.17:10-12; Lev. 12:3; Acts 7:8), which proves that God viewed them as persons in the same way that he did all the rest of the males who were older with whom He also entered into a covenant through their being circumcised.

Moreover, Genesis 25:21 relates that Isaac prayed for Rebekah and the Lord answered him and she conceived. Genesis 25:22 then says,

And the children struggled together within her; and she said, If it be so, why am I thus? And she went to enquire of the LORD.

The unborn babies in Rebekah’s womb are not called fetuses; the Hebrew text uses the standard word for “children,” which shows that these unborn twins were persons in the womb.

In addition, John the Baptist was filled with the Spirit in the womb; the Bible never speaks of anything other than people being filled with the Spirit. His leaping for joy in the womb when Mary came while bearing Jesus in her womb shows that John was a person in the womb who expressed joy when he encountered the yet-unborn Jesus!

[4.] “God sometimes approves of killing fetuses.

And Moses said unto them, Have ye saved all the women alive? … Now therefore kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman that hath known man by lying with him. — Numbers 31:15-17

(Some of the non-virgin women must have been pregnant. They would have been killed along with their unborn fetuses.)

Give them, O LORD: what wilt thou give? give them a miscarrying womb and dry breasts. — Hosea 9:14

Yea, though they bring forth, yet will I slay even the beloved fruit of their womb. — Hosea 9:16

Samaria shall become desolate; for she hath rebelled against her God: they shall fall by the sword: their infants shall be dashed in pieces, and their women with child shall be ripped up. — Hosea 13:16”

God’s punishing sinful people, including women who may have been or were pregnant does not provide any justification for abortion. God’s judgment resulted in the deaths of both the women and their babies, which is not what abortions do.

[5.] “God sometimes kills newborn babies to punish their parents.

Because by this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme, the child also that is born unto thee shall surely die. — 2 Samuel 12:14”

God is the sovereign Judge over the lives of all human beings. His judging these sinful parents through the death of their baby does not justify sinful humans aborting babies at their own discretion.

[6.] “God sometimes causes abortions by cursing unfaithful wives.

The priest shall say unto the woman, The LORD make thee a curse and an oath among thy people, when the LORD doth make thy thigh to rot, and thy belly to swell. And this water that causeth the curse shall go into thy bowels, to make thy belly to swell, and thy thigh to rot: And the woman shall say, Amen, amen. …

And when he hath made her to drink the water, then it shall come to pass, that, if she be defiled, and have done trespass against her husband, that the water that causeth the curse shall enter into her, and become bitter, and her belly shall swell, and her thigh shall rot: and the woman shall be a curse among her people. And if the woman be not defiled, but be clean; then she shall be free, and shall conceive seed. — Numbers 5:21-21, 27-28”

This is a false representation of what the passage is about. The passage gives no evidence that the woman was pregnant.

[7.] “God’s law sometimes requires the execution (by burning to death) of pregnant women.

Tamar thy daughter in law hath played the harlot; and also, behold, she is with child by whoredom. And Judah said, Bring her forth, and let her be burnt. — Genesis 38:24”

This passage reports what Judah said should be done. It does not say that God authorized him to do so. God’s laws through Moses were not given to the Israelites until many years after this incident took place. There is no evidence that Judah was following God’s law when he said that she should be burned.

 

Copyright © 2011-2024 by Rajesh Gandhi. All rights reserved.

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What Abortion is In the Eyes of Jesus

June 13, 2016

I believe that abortion is an act of horrific cruelty that puts to death an innocent unborn human being. More importantly, key passages point to a proper understanding of what abortion is in the eyes of Jesus.

Abortion is a Breaking of the Greatest Commandment

Jesus taught that the greatest commandment is to love God with all one’s being (Matt. 22:37-38). Putting to death an innocent unborn child is an egregious failure to love God with all one’s being because to do so is to attack unjustly a helpless human being made in the image of God (cf. James 3:9).

Abortion is a Breaking of the Second Greatest Commandment

Jesus taught that loving one’s neighbor as oneself is the second greatest commandment (Matt. 22:39). No one is a closer neighbor to another human being than an unborn baby is to his mother.

A mother who arranges to put to death her innocent unborn baby through abortion profoundly fails to obey God’s commandment that she love her neighbor as herself.

Abortion is a Breaking of the Sixth Commandment

Jesus confirmed the sixth commandment that God gave to man when He said, “Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment (Matt. 5:21). Those who put to death an innocent unborn child who has done no wrong to anyone are guilty of breaking God’s commandment not to murder.

Abortion is a Breaking of the Golden Rule

Jesus taught that we are to do to others whatever we would want done to us (Matt. 7:12). Those who abort unborn children break the Golden Rule that Jesus gave because none of us would want to be put to death in the merciless manner that helpless children are killed when they are aborted.

Abortion is a Sin for Which Jesus Died to Provide Forgiveness to All Who Repent and Believe

The Father sent His Son Jesus into the world to be the Savior of the world (1 John 4:15). Jesus laid down His life to save sinners from their sins (Matt. 1:21; 1 John 3:16).

Jesus offers forgiveness to all those who repent of their breaking the two greatest commandments, the sixth commandment, and the Golden Rule through the sin of abortion. Anyone who repents toward God and believes in Jesus Christ will receive forgiveness of this sin (and all his other sins).

Abortion is a Sin for Which Jesus Will Judge All Who Refuse to Repent and Believe

God raised Jesus from the dead and gave Him glory that the faith and hope of people might be in God (1 Pet. 1:21). God has appointed Jesus to be the Judge of the living and the dead (Acts 10:42).

As the God-appointed Judge, Jesus will forgive all who repent of the sin of abortion and believe in Him (Acts 10:43). He is the Judge who will condemn eternally all who refuse to repent of their sins and believe (2 Thess. 1:7-9).

Conclusion

God does not want anyone to perish—He wants all to come to repentance (2 Pet. 3:9). Believe in God and believe in Jesus and you will be saved and find rest for your soul (Matt. 11:28-30), no matter what sins you have committed!

Jesus does not want anyone to go on being heavy laden with the burden of the sin of abortion. If you are guilty before God in this way, acknowledge what abortion is in the eyes of Jesus.

Confess your sinfulness before God and forsake it and you will receive mercy from God (Prov. 28:13). Believe that Jesus died for that sin and all your other sins (1 Cor. 15:3), believe that God raised Him from the dead (Rom. 10:9-10), and call on His name as Lord (Rom. 10:13), and He will give you rest for your soul that no one else can or ever will (Matt. 11:28-30).

Copyright © 2011-2024 by Rajesh Gandhi. All rights reserved.

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Why Christian Women Should Have Long Hair

June 11, 2016

It seems that it has again become fashionable for women in the US to have long hair. Scripture presents Christian women with clear revelation for why they should have long hair regardless of what the current fashion trends may be.

Divine Commendation

In figurative language, God commends a woman’s having long hair when He includes a statement about Jerusalem’s hair having grown as part of her natural beauty that He had bestowed upon her as a grown woman:

Eze 16:7 I have caused thee to multiply as the bud of the field, and thou hast increased and waxen great, and thou art come to excellent ornaments: thy breasts are fashioned, and thine hair is grown, whereas thou wast naked and bare.

Feminine Excellence

The Apostle Paul challenges the Corinthian believers about proper practice in public worship partly by reasoning with them from the instruction that they innately receive concerning what is excellent for a woman:

1Co 11:13 Judge in yourselves: is it comely that a woman pray unto God uncovered?

14 Doth not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him?

15 But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her: for her hair is given her for a covering.

From divine viewpoint, long hair is a uniquely excellent1 attribute that God has given to women. It is not incidental that God here extols one of the same things to which He directed attention to about Jerusalem when she had grown up.

Conclusion

Although fashions frequently change in human cultures, God’s truth remains unchanged. Christian women should have long hair because their having long hair is a unique excellence that God has bestowed upon them and commended to them in His perfect Word.

1 This terminology is based on the excellent explanation provided in preaching and teaching by Pastor Mark Minnick that the glory of something may best be understood as its unique excellence.

Copyright © 2011-2024 by Rajesh Gandhi. All rights reserved.

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Does God Care about the Length of Hair a Christian Man Has?

June 6, 2016

Two key passages reveal what God wants men whom He has redeemed to believe about whether He cares how long their hair is.

First Corinthians 11:13-15

Paul’s teaching in First Corinthians 11 is likely the most well known passage about divine perspective concerning the length of a man’s hair. In the midst of extensive teaching about head coverings in public worship settings, Paul states,

1Co 11:13 Judge in yourselves: is it comely that a woman pray unto God uncovered?

 14 Doth not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him?

 15 But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her: for her hair is given her for a covering.

This divine revelation makes clear that God does care about the length of a man’s hair. According to Paul, even nature instructs believers that it is a shame for a man to have long hair.

What Paul teaches here is corroborated by revelation in a second passage given by God through the prophet Ezekiel, which although it was given prior to Paul’s statement, pertains to divine perspective about the hair length of his ministers in the future Millennial reign of Christ on the earth.

Ezekiel 44:15-27

In a lengthy passage concerning regulations for the Zadokian priests who will serve God in the Millennial temple (Ezek. 44:15-27), God makes known His viewpoint about the length of hair that his priests will have to have:

Eze 44:20 Neither shall they shave their heads, nor suffer their locks to grow long; they shall only poll their heads.

Through this revelation, God teaches us that His priests in the Millennium will not be allowed either to shave their heads or to grow their long; instead, they will need to maintain their hair at an intermediate length (cf., “they shall keep their hair well trimmed” [NKJV]).

Conclusion

A comparison of these two passages shows believers that God does care about the length of hair that a Christian man has. Christian men who are devoted to walking in God’s ways in all areas of their lives should heed what He teaches about what length of hair He wants men whom He has redeemed to have.

 

 

 

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Beware These Wrong Theological Views about Human Sinfulness and Politics

May 19, 2016

In discussions about politics, I have encountered three wrong theological views about human sinfulness and politics. These views have contributed to many believers making wrong choices about which political candidates they have supported.

All Sins are Equally Sinful in the Sight of God

—Contrary to what some believers have said, all sins are not equally sinful; Jesus testified that some sins are greater than other sins are.

Joh 19:11 Jesus answered, Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above: therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin.

All People are Equally Unrighteous before God

Several lines of biblical reasoning show that the view that all people are equally unrighteous before God is false.

—Chorazin and Bethsaida will experience greater judgment than will Tyre and Sidon because they were more unrighteous than Tyre and Sidon were.

Mat 11:21 Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works, which were done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.

 22 But I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment, than for you.

—People who have had greater knowledge of the will of God will receive greater punishment than those that did not because those who knew more but failed to do God’s will were more unrighteous.

Luk 12:47 And that servant, which knew his lord’s will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes.

 48 But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.

—All lost people will not receive the same punishment as every other lost person; they will be judged according to their works, with those who have sinned more being punished more.

Rev 20:12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.

 13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.

Voting for a Civil Leader and Not a Pastor

I have heard several believers support the candidate for whom they have voted in spite of the candidate’s moral failures by arguing that they are voting for a civil leader and not a pastor. The Scriptural records of the actions of two leading men of God show that this view is not biblical.

—Jesus said John the Baptist was the greatest prophet of the OT saints (Luke 7:28). John confronted the sexual immorality of an unsaved king:

Mat 14:3 For Herod had laid hold on John, and bound him, and put him in prison for Herodias’ sake, his brother Philip’s wife.

 4 For John said unto him, It is not lawful for thee to have her.

In various ways, Paul the Apostle was the leading apostle of Jesus Christ (for example, 1 Cor. 15:10). He confronted the sexual immorality of an unsaved governor in a non-Christian government:

Act 24:24 And after certain days, when Felix came with his wife Drusilla, which was a Jewess, he sent for Paul, and heard him concerning the faith in Christ.

 25 And as he reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come, Felix trembled, and answered, Go thy way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee.

These two leading men of God, the former of the OT prophets and the latter of the NT apostles, showed by their dealings with unsaved civil authorities that the sexual immorality of a civil official is a vitally important matter, just as it also is for pastors.

Conclusion

Christians must base their political views and choices on a proper theology of human sinfulness. Such a theology requires the rejection of the three incorrect views treated in this post.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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