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The Ten Most Important Writers of All Time

July 17, 2013

Who are the ten most important writers of all time? Because of my faith in Jesus Christ, I believe that the nine writers of the books of the New Testament are the nine most important writers of all time.

I then rank one writer of the Old Testament as number ten. Finally, I group these ten most important writers into three groups, from the most important writers to those who are of progressively lesser importance.

My criteria for ranking these writers are the following (in the order of their importance):

1. Writing more than one genre of the New Testament books > writing only one genre of the New Testament books

2. Writing more than one New Testament book > writing only one New Testament book

3. Writing a longer New Testament book > writing a shorter New Testament book

4. New Testament writer > Old Testament writer

Group A

The three most important writers of all time are John, Luke, and Paul. Each contributed more to the New Testament writings than any of the other New Testament writers contributed.

(1) John

John is the only man to write three genres of New Testament books: The Gospel of John; First, Second, and Third John; Revelation. He also had the privilege of writing all five of the final books given to man by divine revelation.

(2) Luke

Luke is the only other person besides John who wrote more than one genre of New Testament books: the Gospel of Luke and the book of Acts. Unless Paul wrote the book of Hebrews, Luke also wrote more of the New Testament than any other writer did, including John.

(3) Paul

Paul wrote more New Testament books (13) than any other writer did. If he also wrote the book of Hebrews, as many believe he did, Paul would be the author of more of the New Testament than anyone else would be.

(For more on John and Paul, see Paul or John: A Noteworthy Comparison)

Group B

Four writers comprise the second most important group of writers of all time: Peter, Matthew, Mark, and the writer of Hebrews. Each of these writers wrote more of the New Testament than did any of the writers in Group C.

(4) Peter

Peter is the only writer in this group to have written more than one book. Many scholars believe that he also contributed heavily to the Gospel of Mark.

(5) Matthew

Matthew wrote the earliest of the four Gospels. Because it is also longer than the combined length of the Gospel of Mark and the book of Hebrews, I rank Matthew ahead of Mark and the writer of Hebrews.

(6) Mark

Mark wrote his Gospel based on information that he received from Peter. Many scholars also believe that he was the first to write a Gospel. Mark is more than twice the length of Hebrews.

(7) The Writer of Hebrews

We do not know with certainty who wrote the book of Hebrews. Whoever he was, he wrote one of the most profound books ever written. Hebrews is about three times the length of the book of James.

Group C

Three writers comprise the third most important group of writers of all time: James, Jude, and Moses. Two of these writers were New Testament writers, and the third is an Old Testament writer.

(8) James

Of the two New Testament writers who are not in Group A or B, James wrote a much longer book than Jude did. He also likely wrote the earliest written book of the New Testament.

(9) Jude

Jude was the second-to last writer of the books of the New Testament. His book is the shortest among the writings of those who only wrote one book of the New Testament.

(10) Moses

Moses is the only writer in the top ten who did not write any New Testament books. I rank him as the tenth most important writer because he wrote more of the Old Testament than anyone else did. Moses also wrote all five of the earliest books of the OT, which are foundational for all the rest of Scripture.

Discussion

I expect that many would disagree strongly with my rankings of the top three writers because they believe that Paul is the most important New Testament writer of all, which may be true.

What do you think?

In Theology

“The Just Shall Live by Faith: A Faith that Works” — Lesson V (6/30/13); Part I

July 1, 2013

Learning How People Are and Are Not Saved from the Cornelius Accounts

Through a careful study of Acts 10:1-11:18 and 15:1-33, we learn three major truths about how people are and are not saved.

I. Cornelius was not saved by works.

By being a powerful, wealthy, and “successful” man in the world (Cornelius was a centurion) – Acts 10:1
By being a devoted, godly man – Acts 10:2
By fearing God – Acts 10:2
By being a good family man who directed his whole household to fear God – Acts 10:2
By giving alms to the Jewish people – Acts 10:2
By praying to God always – Acts 10:2
By having an authentic supernatural experience with a true angel of God – Acts 10:3-5
By being a just man who met his obligations to others – Acts 10:22
By being a model citizen who had a good reputation with his entire nation – Acts 10:22
By having a personal meeting with the top Christ-chosen leader of the apostolic company and doing homage to him – Acts 10:25
By making a long pilgrimage to a holy site – Cornelius did not go anywhere; Peter came to him and preached the gospel to him, and he was saved by believing the message.
By having some prior knowledge about Jesus – Acts 10:37-38
By being baptized – he was saved before he was baptized – Acts 10:44-48
By being circumcised – Acts 15:1, 5
By keeping the Law of Moses – Acts 15:5

II. Cornelius was saved through genuine repentance and faith.

By receiving the word of God – Acts 11:1
By hearing the word of the gospel and believing – Acts 15:7
By God’s baptizing him with the Holy Spirit – Acts 11:16
By God’s granting him repentance – Acts 11:18
By God’s purifying his heart by faith – Acts 15:9
Through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ – Acts 15:11
By God’s visiting him to take him out of the Gentiles to be one of the people for His name – Acts 15:14
By turning to God – Acts 15:19
By receiving the Holy Spirit as a gift from God – Acts 10:45; 11:17; 15:8
By being saved the way the Prophets had spoken about – Acts 15:15-18
By God’s rebuilding the Davidic tabernacle that had fallen – Acts 15:16

III. Cornelius was saved by a repentance and faith that produces works.

Even before he was saved, Cornelius had genuine faith in God that was producing works
–Based on what he already knew prior to the angel’s appearing to him, he feared God and did what was right (Acts 10:35). By faith, he thus believed that there was a God and diligently sought him (cf. Heb. 11:6).
–By faith, he believed the angel’s message to him and sent men to summon Peter (Acts 10:7-8).
–By faith, he gathered his family and close friends to hear Peter’s message (Acts 10:24).
–By faith, he believed that they were all gathered before God to hear all that God had commanded Peter to say to him (Acts 10:33).
He was saved by genuine repentance and faith that produced the obedience of faith when he heard the gospel message that climactically informed him that everyone who believes in Jesus receives forgiveness of sins (Acts 10:43; 11:18; 15:7).
He was saved by genuine repentance and faith that produced obedience to the command that he was given to be baptized soon after he was saved (Acts 10:48).

See the other lessons in this Sunday school series here.

In Evangelism, Interpretation, Ministry, Sunday School, Theology

How Numbers 11:17 Helps Us Understand How to Bear One Another’s Burdens

June 21, 2013

Numbers 11:17 provides profound revelation about Moses that we are not given in any of the preceding accounts about Moses in the Pentateuch. It appears also to give us important insight about how we are to bear one another’s burdens.

God’s Provision of Seventy Elders to Assist Moses

Numbers 11 begins with a report of God’s judging His people for their complaining about some unspecified hardships that they were experiencing (Num. 11:1-3). Following that sobering account, Moses tells of how the mixed multitude and the Israelites complained about their no longer having some of the foods that they used to enjoy in Egypt (Num. 11:4-6).

After three verses describing the manna and what the Israelites did with it (Num. 11:7-9), Moses records how he himself complained to God about the difficulties he was having to endure because God had laid the burdens of all these sinning people on him (Num. 11:10-13). He told the Lord that he was unable to bear all these people alone because the burden of doing so was too heavy for him (Num. 11:14).

Moses even asked God to kill him because the strain was so great upon him (Num. 11:15)! The Lord responded by instructing him to gather unto him 70 elders from Israel and bring them into the tabernacle with him (Num. 11:16).

The Lord then made a striking statement about what He was going to do so that Moses would no longer have to bear the burden of the people by himself:

“And I will come down and talk with thee there: and I will take of the spirit which is upon thee, and will put it upon them; and they shall bear the burden of the people with thee, that thou bear it not thyself alone” (Num. 11:17).

Saying this, He revealed key information about Moses that merits close attention for several reasons.

The First Revelation in Scripture That the Holy Spirit Was Upon Moses

Scripture first speaks of Moses in Exodus 2. From Exodus 2 to Numbers 10, Scripture provides far more information about Moses than about any other person—Moses is mentioned by name 394 times in these 76 chapters.

In spite of that wealth of Scriptural revelation about Moses, we are not told that the Holy Spirit was upon Moses until the statement recorded in Numbers 11:17. Undoubtedly, the Spirit was upon Moses and others long before the incidents that are recorded in Numbers 11 took place (cf. Is. 63:9-14), but for reasons about which we have no information, God chose not to reveal that fact in Scripture until this point.

The Holy Spirit Was the One Who Had Been Enabling Moses to Bear the Burdens of the People

Numbers 11:17 does not just teach us that God’s Spirit was upon Moses; it also shows us that the Spirit was upon Him to enable him to bear the burdens of the people. Sound theological reasoning would imply this truth even if we did not have this statement, but these words make that truth clear.

Moreover, because God had decided that He would provide 70 additional people who would help Moses bear those burdens from this point onward, He said that He would take of the Spirit that He had put upon Moses and put Him on them as well. Through their also having the Spirit upon them, they would have the enablement necessary for them to help Moses bear the burden of the people so that he would not have to do so alone.

The Holy Spirit Is the One Who Enables Us to Bear the Burdens of Others

The teaching of Numbers 11:17 reveals that the 70 men who would help Moses bear the burden of the people would do so through the Spirit’s being upon them. Based on that teaching, the closely parallel New Testament teaching in Galatians 5-6 suggests the same is true for us, as follows.

At the end of Galatians 5, Paul commands believers to walk in the Spirit so that they will not fulfill the lust of the flesh (Gal. 5:16). He reiterates that teaching with a mutual exhortation to walk in the Spirit (Gal. 5:25).

He then commands those who are spiritual to restore anyone who is overtaken in a fault (Gal. 6:1). The flow of thought from 5:16-25 and the nature of this ministry to fellow believers requires spiritual in 6:1 to mean more than just a person who is a believer.

Rather, it means someone who is walking in the Spirit (Gal. 5:16, 25), being led by Him (Gal. 5:18), and manifesting His fruit in his life (Gal. 5:22-23). Only such a person is able to restore those who have yielded to temptation (implied in Galatians 6:1 by the words, “lest thou also be tempted”), even as the Israelites spoken of in Numbers 11:1-10 had fallen into complaining against God.

To such spiritual people, Paul further commands, “Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ” (Gal. 6:2). This command appears to parallel conceptually the role that the 70 elders had in aiding Moses.

Through the Holy Spirit, We Must Bear One Another’s Burdens

Numbers 11:17 in its context compared with Galatians 6:1-2 in its context points to the key to our being enabled to bear one another’s burdens—the fullness of Holy Spirit’s work in us. Let us actively care for those who have been overtaken in faults by being the people of the Spirit that God commands us to be (Gal. 5:16-6:5)!

In Discipleship, Exhortation, Exposition, Theology

Is Scripture Silent about Musical Styles That Are Inherently Unacceptable to God?

June 10, 2013

Many believers today hold that Scripture does not have any teaching about musical styles that are inherently unacceptable to God. This post treats several passages to assess the validity of this common viewpoint.

The Singing of Fools

Solomon declares, “It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise, than for a man to hear the song of fools [Heb. kesil]” (Eccl. 7:5). Many will argue that he does not say that it is wrong to hear the song of fools; it is just better to hear the rebuke of the wise. In addition, they will also argue that “the song of fools” refers to the foolishness of the people doing the singing and the content of what they sing, but it does not say anything about the style with which they sing.

We know from other Scripture that these fools [Heb. kesil] reject the truth that God hears and sees (Ps. 94:8-9). Thus, they sing without taking any heed to divine accountability for what and how they sing.

These fools hate knowledge (Prov. 1:22) and reject the reproof of God and His offer to pour out His Spirit upon them (Prov. 1:23). What they sing, therefore, certainly is not the product of the Spirit’s filling.

Doing mischief is like a sport to them (Prov. 10:23) and their hearts proclaim folly (Prov. 12:23). To depart from evil is an abomination to them (Prov. 13:19).

These fools rage and are confident in their evil ways (Prov. 14:16). The hearts of these fools are in “the house of mirth” (Eccl. 7:4), signifying that they are eager seekers of pleasure. We can be certain that such fools would pursue and employ perverse ways of singing and even seek to devise conspicuously evil music.

Based on the teaching of Scripture about fools, we can be certain that “the song of fools” is something that the Spirit would never produce in people whom He fills (Eph. 5:18-19). Any singing, therefore, that mimics or tries to adapt “the song of fools” somehow for Christian worship would clearly be unacceptable to God.

The Singing of Drunkards

David testifies that he was “the song of the drunkards” (Ps. 69:12). As with Ecclesiastes 7:5, some people will argue that this statement only speaks about those who did the singing and the unacceptable content of what they sang and not about the style of their singing.

Because being drunk, however, entails not having proper mental awareness and a lack of proper control of oneself, this statement does not just refer to the unacceptability of the people who sang and what they sang. Their style of singing was also unacceptable because it was produced by people whose minds could not properly control their bodies to sing acceptably.

Amos 6:4-8 records the musical improprieties of people who were in Zion who drank wine abundantly. Correlating Psalm 69:12 with Amos 6:4-8 points to the ungodliness of both what these drunkards (Ps. 69:12) sing and how they sing it. (For more on the teaching of Amos 6 about music, see The Relevance of Amos 6 for the Music Debates of Our Day.)

Obviously, “the song of the drunkards” was not the product of Spirit-filling (Eph. 5:18-19). Mimicking or adapting their style to Christian worship certainly would be unacceptable to God.

The Singing of a Harlot

Isaiah prophesied that Tyre would “sing as an harlot” (Is. 23:15). He provides further information about such singing by saying, “Take an harp, go about the city, thou harlot that hast been forgotten; make sweet melody, sing many songs, that thou mayest be remembered” (Is. 23:16).

A harlot, by biblical definition, engaged in immoral behavior. In keeping with the mercenary goal of her activities, she used every means possible to enhance her sensuality and seductive appeal to maximize her earnings (cf. Luke 15:13, 30).

To “sing as an harlot,” therefore, cannot be limited only to the identity of the woman and the sensuality of the lyrics (cf. Prov. 6:24; 7:21) that she sings. It necessarily entails as well the maximized sensuality of her dress (Prov. 7:10; Jer. 4:30; Ezek. 16:16) and her makeup/ jewelry/hairstyle/ facial expressions (Prov. 6:25; 7:13; Jer. 4:30; Ezek. 16:39; 23:40; cf. Is. 3:16-26).

Moreover, her bodily movements (cf. the unstated but clear sensuality of the dancing of Herodias’ daughter [Matt. 14:6-7]) and vocal techniques were specifically designed to maximize her sexual appeal (for an example of the sensual use of vocal techniques, listen to this audio of a woman who sings Happy Birthday sensually).

It also involved her playing a musical instrument (“take a harp”) and having an extensive repertoire (“sing many songs”). She was one who in fact was skilled “to make sweet melody.”

Thus, her singing was skillful and beautiful to hear, but it was also sensual to the core. Such music patently could never be the product of the Spirit’s filling a believer.

From this analysis of biblical teaching about harlots, we certainly can conclude that to “sing as an harlot” is a style that is unacceptable to God because of its sensuality. Any Christian music, whether traditional or CCM, that has even the slightest similarity to the music produced by those who “sing as an harlot” is unacceptable to God.

Conclusion

Contrary to much popular thinking among believers today, Scripture is not silent about musical styles that are unacceptable to God. The Spirit-filled music that God demands from believers who seek to worship Him corporately does not have any likeness to the songs of fools, drunkards, or harlots.

Those who have created and popularized worldly styles of music such as rock ‘n’ roll display numerous characteristics of the fools whose song Scripture refers to (Eccl. 7:5). Typically, the producers of these worldly styles are also given to drunkenness, and immorality abounds among them.

Christian churches should not imitate the musical styles that any such fools, drunkards, and harlots employ when they sing in ways that manifest the flesh at work in man (Gal. 5:19-21). Filled with the Holy Spirit (Eph. 5:18), those who have allowed the word of Christ to dwell in them richly (Col. 3:16), including the passages about music that were treated above, will sing in a style that is distinct from these reprobates and is acceptable to God (Eph. 5:19; Col. 3:16).

In CCM, Exposition, Music, Theology

Is God’s Blessing of the Rechabites for Abstaining from Alcohol Relevant for the Contemporary Alcohol Debate?

June 7, 2013

Jeremiah 35 records a fascinating account of God’s dealings with the Rechabites and with Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. Because the Rechabites’ abstention from drinking wine was a key reason for God’s blessing them, this post examines the issue of the relevance of this account for the contemporary debate among believers about the propriety of drinking alcohol.

Divine Initiative in Testing the Obedience of the Rechabites

God directed Jeremiah to bring the Rechabites into the house of the Lord and “give them wine to drink” (Jer. 35:1-2). Jeremiah obeyed and brought them all into a chamber of the sons of “a man of God” (Jer. 35:3-4).

He set before them a large quantity of wine and cups and told them, “Drink ye wine” (Jer. 35:5). They refused, saying that they would not drink any wine because “Jonadab the son of Rechab our father commanded us saying, ‘Ye shall drink no wine, neither ye, nor your son for ever’” (Jer. 35:6).

They also spoke of the other things that he had commanded them to do that they might “live many days in the land where [they were] strangers” (Jer. 35:7). They then affirmed, “Thus have we obeyed the voice of Jonadab the son of Rechab our father in all that he hath charged us, to drink no wine all our days, we, our wives, our sons, nor our daughters (Jer. 35:8).

They further related their total obedience to what their father had commanded them (Jer. 35:9-10) and how they now had come to dwell in Jerusalem (Jer. 35:11).

Divine Initiative in Rebuking Judah and the Inhabitants of Jerusalem Based on the Obedience of the Rechabites

Following the testing of the Rechabites, the Lord instructed Jeremiah to go to the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem and rebuke them (Jer. 35:13). Central in that rebuke was the Lord’s highlighting how the obedience of the Rechabites contrasted starkly with the disobedience of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem:

Jer 35:14 The words of Jonadab the son of Rechab, that he commanded his sons not to drink wine, are performed; for unto this day they drink none, but obey their father’s commandment: notwithstanding I have spoken unto you, rising early and speaking; but ye hearkened not unto me.

15 I have sent also unto you all my servants the prophets, rising up early and sending them, saying, Return ye now every man from his evil way, and amend your doings, and go not after other gods to serve them, and ye shall dwell in the land which I have given to you and to your fathers: but ye have not inclined your ear, nor hearkened unto me.

Because of their disobedience and because of the shameful contrast between the Rechabites’ obedience of their father’s commands and Judah’s disobedience of the Lord’s commands, the Lord pronounced fierce judgment upon His people (Jer. 35:16-17).

Divine Pronouncement of Blessing on the Rechabites

After pronouncing the Lord’s upcoming judgment on Judah and all Jerusalem, Jeremiah declared the Lord’s blessing on the Rechabites:

Jer 35:18 Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Because ye have obeyed the commandment of Jonadab your father, and kept all his precepts, and done according unto all that he hath commanded you:

¹⁹ Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Jonadab the son of Rechab shall not want a man to stand before me for ever.

Because they had obeyed their father’s directives, God promised to bless the Rechabites forever! Thus, the Rechabites who had abstained perpetually from drinking wine because their father had commanded them to do so were greatly rewarded for their obedience.

Is This Account Relevant for the Contemporary Debate about Alcohol Consumption?

This account relates how a group of people perpetually obeyed directives given to them by their forefather for their good (Jer. 35:7). The passage provides no clear indication for the specifics of why he had commanded them to do so.

Furthermore, stylistically, although it does mention and reiterate that there were several commands that the Rechabites had obeyed, the account focuses special attention in at least two ways on the command for them to abstain from drinking wine. First, God specifically tests their obedience concerning only this command (Jer. 35:1-11). Second, God refers specifically only to this command when He rebukes His own people (Jer. 35:12-17).

These observations suggest to me that this account that records divine blessing for obeying parental admonition not to drink alcohol provides biblical justification for fathers today to direct their children authoritatively not to drink alcohol. Moreover, the account also provides justification for children to heed that admonition regardless of how much pressure they may get from others who tell them that their parents’ instruction to them is “legalistic,” contrary to “the gospel,” unbiblical, and does not need to be followed.

If your parents have instructed you to abstain from alcohol consumption, you will honor God and bring blessing on yourself by doing so. Doing so for your entire life, you will bring them joy in their old age by having treasured their instruction that will preserve you from ever suffering the great harm that alcohol consumption has brought to multitudes of families in human history.

In Discipleship, Exposition, Theology

How God’s Amazing Protection of a Philistine King Should Affect Our Praying

June 1, 2013

Genesis 20 relates Abraham’s initial (recorded) encounter with Abimelech king of Gerar. Through studying the record of God’s confrontation of Abimelech after this encounter, we should learn how His amazing protection of this Philistine king should affect our praying.

ABRAHAM’S ENCOUNTER WITH ABIMELECH

Although this account involves God, Abraham, Sarah, Abimelech, all his servants, and even sheep and oxen, its main characters are God, Abimelech, and Abraham.

Abraham Lies to Abimelech about Sarah

Because Sarah, Abraham’s wife, was very beautiful (cf. Gen. 12:14), Abraham feared for his life as he traveled through pagan places (Gen. 20:11). He instructed Sarah to say that he was her brother (Gen. 20:13c), which was partially true because she was his half-sister (Gen. 20:12).

While they were staying in Gerar (Gen. 20:1), Abraham said that Sarah was his sister (Gen. 20:2a). As a result, Abimelech sent and took Sarah (Gen. 20:2b).

God Confronts Abimelech in a Dream

In a dream at night, God confronted Abimelech with the surety of his dying (Gen. 20:3; cf. 20:7) because of what he had done: “Behold, thou art but a dead man, for the woman which thou hast taken; for she is a man’s wife” (20:3). Abimelech, however, had not yet come near her and asked the Lord if He would “slay also a righteous nation?” (20:4).

Asking this question, he queried the Lord in a remarkably similar fashion to how Abraham had earlier pled with the Judge of the all the earth about His righteous dealings with the righteous and the wicked (Gen. 18:23-32). Through this inquiry, Abimelech asserted to the Lord that he believed that he was righteous in what he had done regarding Sarah.

Furthermore, he protested to the Lord that Abraham had said that she was his sister and that Sarah herself also said that he was her brother (Gen. 20:5a-b). Remarkably, he further asserted his uprightness in what he had done: “In the integrity of my heart and innocency of my hands have I done this” (20:5c).

God responded to him with an acknowledgement that he indeed had done what he did with integrity: “Yea, I know that thou didst this in the integrity of thy heart” (Gen. 20:6a-b). God did not, however, stop with this acknowledgement, for He added a profound revelation about His protection of him that he otherwise would never have known anything about: “For I also withheld thee from sinning against me: therefore suffered I thee not to touch her” (Gen. 20:6c-d). (Before considering this stunning revelation further, it is helpful to treat the rest of the account briefly.)

God then commanded Abimelech to restore Sarah to Abraham because he was a prophet, and informed him that Abraham would pray for him so that he would live (Gen. 20:7a). He also warned him that he and his entire household would surely die if he would not restore her (20:7b).

Abimelech Confronts Abraham

Following God’s dealing with him in a dream, Abimelech confronted Abraham about what he had done in bringing such a great sin on Abimelech and his kingdom (Gen. 20:8-10). Abraham explained that he thought that no one among them feared God and that they would kill him because of his wife (Gen. 20:11).

He added that Sarah actually was his half-sister and that she had become his wife (Gen. 20:12). He then explained the kindness that he had requested that Sarah would show him by saying that he was her brother wherever they would go (Gen. 20:13).

Abimelech Restores Sarah to Abraham

Abimelech did much more than just return Sarah to Abraham; he also gave Abraham sheep, oxen, and male and female servants (Gen. 20:14). Moreover, he gave him permission to settle in his land wherever he would like (Gen. 20:15) and 1000 pieces of silver on behalf of Sarah (Gen. 20:16).

God Heals Abimelech and His Household through Abraham’s Prayer

The account ends with God’s healing Abimelech and his entire household through Abraham’s praying for them (Gen. 20:17). They now bore children, after God had stopped closing their wombs because of Sarah (Gen. 20:18).

DISCUSSION

Several profound gems of truth are embedded in this otherwise somewhat obscure account. First, contrary to Abraham’s negative expectation, there was at least one person in Gerar (Abimelech) who did fear God and understood that it would have been sin for him to take another man’s wife. Long before the Ten Commandments had been given, therefore, even pagans knew that adultery was sin.

Second, somehow Abimelech knew and believed that the Lord was a righteous judge who would not slay a righteous nation. We are not told how this pagan king knew this information, but it is amazing that he knew it, believed it, and even appealed directly to God based on his belief of this truth!

Third, Abimelech protested to God his innocence in what he had done, and amazingly, God attested to his innocence. Yet, despite that divine attestation of his innocence, Abimelech had sinned by what he had unknowingly done.

Fourth, and perhaps most profoundly of all, this passage teaches us that God protected this pagan king from sinning against Him by keeping him from actually having relations with Sarah! We, therefore, learn that for His own purposes, God sometimes keeps even pagans from sinning against Him!

Furthermore, through God’s saying, “I also withheld thee from sinning” (Gen. 20:6), we learn that Abimelech’s not coming near Sarah was the result of both his integrity and God’s protection of him. Thus, the righteous actions of this lost man stemmed from a mysterious and fascinating interplay between human actions and divine working.

APPLICATION

The teaching of this passage suggests many applications, some of which I may treat in other posts. At this time, I would like to focus on its implications for our praying as believers.

God kept Abimelech, a Philistine, from sinning unknowingly against Him by committing adultery with another man’s wife. Because God does not tell us exactly how He prevented him from doing so, we should conclude that our knowing that information is not as important as our noting what God did on behalf of this pagan man.

On that reading, our learning about God’s keeping this pagan from sinning against Him should motivate us to pray that God would keep us from sinning against Him! I have no doubt God that would be very pleased with His people who allow this passage to shape their prayer lives in this way.

I have begun to make the request that God would keep me from sinning against Him a regular part of my prayer life and encourage you to do the same thing.

In Discipleship, Exposition, Prayer, Theology

On Supernatural Evil Beings and the CCM Debate

May 27, 2013

Based on what Scripture teaches about the deceitfulness of Satan and his blinding the minds of all unbelievers (2 Cor. 4:4; 11:14; Rev. 12:9), it is understandable to me that an unbeliever would mock any suggestion that supernatural evil beings have had important influence in the origins of certain musical styles. For a likely example of such unbelieving mocking, note the response by one of the judges at the end of this brief video excerpt from an episode of American Idol: “and demons, [laugh, laugh, laugh, laugh].”

It is puzzling to me, however, when someone who is presumably a believer appears to hold a similar perspective. For example, in a recent Christianity Today article, Dr. Russell Moore, who is the Dean of the School of Theology at Southern Baptist Seminary, writes, “Myers’ critique of Christian hip-hop wasn’t a fundamentalist scold, wary of the Devil’s music” (Dr. Russell Moore, W.W. Jay-Z?, http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2013/may/ww-jay-z.html?paging=off; accessed 5/27/13; bold added). Because he does not say anything further about the subject in his article, we can only infer that Dr. Moore apparently thinks that fundamentalists are erroneously “wary” of what they mistakenly regard as “the Devil’s music.”

How is it possible for a learned believer (presumably) to hold such a view of the Devil’s influence on human music? Although I have some ideas about why he might hold such a view, I’d be interested to hear what others think about this subject.

For an introductory article that explains my view about this subject, see my post Fallen Spirits and Their Influences on Human Music—Part I

In CCM, Music, Theology

Christian Blogging Principles from Psalm 45:1

May 24, 2013

Obviously, blogging did not exist when Psalm 45 was written. Nevertheless, the Psalm opens with a statement that suggests some key blogging principles for Christians:

^KJVPsa 45:1 <To the chief Musician upon Shoshannim, for the sons of Korah, Maschil, A Song of loves.> My heart is inditing a good matter: I speak of the things which I have made touching the king: my tongue is the pen of a ready writer.

^NKJPsa 45:1 To the Chief Musician. Set to “The Lillies.” A Contemplation of the sons of Korah. A Song of Love. My heart is overflowing with a good theme; I recite my composition concerning the King; My tongue is the pen of a ready writer.

^NAUPsa 45:1 For the choir director; according to the Shoshannim. A Maskil of the sons of Korah. A Song of Love. My heart overflows with a good theme; I address my verses to the King; My tongue is the pen of a ready writer.

1. A Heart Overflowing with a Good Matter – “My heart is inditing a good matter:” (Ps. 45:1a)

A Christian blogger, like all Christians, must serve God with all his might (Eccl. 9:10). With his heart filled and overflowing by the work of God’s Spirit (Eph. 5:18), he writes about whatever good subject God burdens his heart.

2. A Message about the King – “I speak of the things which I have made touching the king:” (Ps. 45:1b)

A Spirit-filled blogger writes everything with his King in view and when his subject legitimately permits, he writes about his King. Such blogging, however, does not artificially insert content about the King where it is not fitting. Just as not all Scripture is explicitly about the King, neither does the Spirit-filled blogger write every blog explicitly about the King. In fact, he need not even mention the King directly, but whatever he writes will seek to make his readers disciples of the King (Matt. 28:19).

3. A Message Skillfully Written by a Prepared Writer – “my tongue is the pen of a ready writer” (Ps. 45:1c)

A Spirit-filled blogger writes with whatever skill God has given him and does so with the eagerness and willingness of one who has been called and discipled by God to write for the sake of the kingdom. Having acquired skill through diligence and experience, he diligently researches his subject and ponders carefully what he says (Eccl. 12:9).

He sets in order his blog post so that it skillfully communicates words of truth and uses words that communicate his delight in his subject (Eccl. 12:9-10). Through such writing, he teaches God’s people knowledge (Eccl. 12:9) and goads them to serve their King (Eccl. 12:11).

Christian Blogging to the Glory of God

Through posts written by Spirit-filled bloggers who manifest these principles in their writing, God desires to advance His kingdom and righteousness (cf. Matt. 6:33). May God grace all of us who blog to honor and glorify Him in these ways with what we write (1 Cor. 10:31).

In Discipleship, Exposition, Theology

The Precious Priceless Potential Value of Every Small Church

May 23, 2013

Applying the teaching of a remarkable passage in Genesis 18 to the world today reveals a profoundly encouraging aspect of the priceless potential value of small churches.

The Judge of All the Earth Reveals the Profound Value of Righteous People

Genesis 18 records a remarkable exchange between Abraham and the Lord, the Judge of all the earth:

22 And the men turned their faces from thence, and went toward Sodom: but Abraham stood yet before the LORD.

²³ And Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked?

²⁴ Peradventure there be fifty righteous within the city: wilt thou also destroy and not spare the place for the fifty righteous that are therein?

²⁵ That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked: and that the righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from thee: Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?

²⁶ And the LORD said, If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes.

²⁷ And Abraham answered and said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord, which am but dust and ashes:

²⁸ Peradventure there shall lack five of the fifty righteous: wilt thou destroy all the city for lack of five? And he said, If I find there forty and five, I will not destroy it.

²⁹ And he spake unto him yet again, and said, Peradventure there shall be forty found there. And he said, I will not do it for forty’s sake.

³⁰ And he said unto him, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak: Peradventure there shall thirty be found there. And he said, I will not do it, if I find thirty there.

³¹ And he said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord: Peradventure there shall be twenty found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for twenty’s sake.

³² And he said, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak yet but this once: Peradventure ten shall be found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for ten’s sake.

This conversation reveals that the Judge would have spared Sodom, despite its exceeding sinfulness, had there been even ten righteous people in it. Thus, the presence of even ten righteous people among a vast number of exceedingly wicked people in a contemporary city, state, or country potentially could have a profound sparing effect on the entire population!

The Incomparable Potential Value of a Small Church

By applying this truth to our world, we learn that a small church of as few as ten righteous people could have a precious priceless value for a community that no other group could have for it. This reality should profoundly encourage all believers in small churches to persevere in walking worthily before God regardless of how small their ministry may be!

Because the revelation of this remarkable exchange in Genesis 18 was in the context of intercessory prayer by a righteous man, we should also learn of the immense potential value of even one righteous person who intercedes faithfully for his city, state, and country. Moreover, we should allow this passage to motivate us to be faithful to attend prayer meetings in our small churches, and we should make intercession for our communities one regular aspect of our praying for them.

May God grace all of us in every church to be true to Him, especially in private and corporate prayer for our communities.

In Exhortation, Prayer, Theology

What the Sufficiency of Scripture Does Not Mean Concerning the CCM Debate

May 20, 2013

Second Timothy 3:15-17 definitively asserts the sufficiency of Scripture. Applying that teaching to the CCM debate, some argue that there must be a direct reference to things such as specific music styles in order for us to speak definitively about the propriety of their use in Christian worship.

Several passages show us that this is a mistaken approach to the CCM debate:

1. Psalm 19 teaches us that God is continuously infallibly communicating moral truth to all people without the use of any words and regardless of whether they ever hear any Scripture or not. Especially in connection with other teaching in the Psalms, God’s doing this has important implications for the CCM debate (see Natural Revelation, Music Related to God’s Providence, . . .).

2. Titus 1 unequivocally supports believers’ using statements by expert secular authorities to confirm their own biblically based assessments of moral issues in the lives of people (see Titus 1 and the CCM Debate). On the authority of Titus 1 (and other Scripture), believers are justified in arguing against the use of CCM by citing secular authorities who confirm their own negative assessments of it.

3. Mark 6 and Matthew 14 show us that Scripture can communicate authoritatively that an activity can be sensual by only mentioning the activity itself in a given context and without having to give any details about the activity. This observation validates the understanding that certain Scriptural statements about music need not be explicit or detailed in order to teach us that music can be sensual (see Will the Sensuality of CCM in Your Church . . .).

4. First Corinthians 11 is another passage that helps us to know what the sufficiency of Scripture does not mean for the CCM debate. Although its teaching and relevance are related to those of Psalm 19, this passage has unique aspects that warrant treating it separately.

Even “Nature” Taught the Corinthians That Something Was Shameful

Paul wrote to believers in Corinth to instruct them concerning the use of head coverings while they were praying or prophesying (1 Cor. 11:1-16). To support his argumentation for his teaching about that practice, he cited the teaching that even “nature” provided them:

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.

Although there are many debates about various aspects of this passage, it is indisputable that Paul held that a source other than Scripture was teaching the Corinthians infallibly that something was shameful. Paul thus believed and taught that Scripture was not the only source of authoritative information that informed believers about the moral nature of certain things.

The Specificity of Nature’s Moral Teaching to the Corinthians is Noteworthy

Paul declared that “nature” was teaching the Corinthians that if a man was having long hair, it was a shame to him (1 Cor. 11:14). A non-biblical source of information, therefore, was teaching them authoritatively about the moral character of a specific aspect of the hair of a man.

Moreover, we must note that because God made humans to have hair on their heads, hair itself is not amoral—it is morally good. Yet, a non-biblical authority was instructing the Corinthians that long hair was a shame to a man.

Does “Nature” Teach Us about the Moral Value of Music?

Before we can answer the question of whether “nature” teaches us anything about the moral value of music, we should consider at least briefly what “nature” means in this passage. Some hold that it means what is observable in the natural world that God created. Some believe that it refers to intrinsic moral perspectives that God has put within humans. Some seem to equate “nature” in this passage with culture.

Views that combine these ideas in various ways probably also exist. Regardless of what the word “nature” means here, it is clear that Paul was teaching that something other than Scripture was teaching the Corinthians that something would be shameful concerning something that in and of itself was actually moral.

For an example of how “nature” teaches us about the moral value of music, listen to the following audio with your eyes closed and try to detect impartially whether what is sung is sensual music or not: Nature’s Teaching About Music. Were you not able to know that this music was sensual in spite of there not being any sensual words sung by the singer?

As this example plainly shows, a believer does not need to have Scriptural teaching about what makes music sensual in order to know that this song was sensual. The sufficiency of Scripture does not mean that Scripture must provide an explanation of what comprises music that is sensual.

In CCM, Interpretation, Music, Theology

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