Between the Testaments

1) Why is it that there was a “gap” of 400 silent years? 2) Is this prophesied in the OT just like the other prophecies fulfilled in the NT? 3) What is the importance of studying this “400 Silent Years”? 4) Does it has a bearing in our spiritual belief and in our salvation? 5) Were these events during this intertestamental period have influences in the Jewish beliefs and in Christianity? 6) Did it affect the Jewish belief? Favorably or unfavorably? Yours truly, Gabriel M. Policarpio The only biblical explanation of which I am aware for there being a gap of 400 years between the ending of Old Testament prophecy and the commencement of the New Testament era is that both the ending of Old Testament prophecy and the commencement of the New Testament era with resumption of divine revelation corresponded to the divine timetable. “But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons” (Galatians 4:4-5 emphasis added). “Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you” (1 Peter 1:20). See also Ephesians 1:10 and 1 Timothy 2:6. I am not aware of Old Testament prophecy that predicts 400 years of silence between the testaments, but it is a mistaken notion that prophecy or revelation from God was constant anyway, even during …

Catholic Bible?

I was told over 30 years ago by a religious scholar that when the Bible was put together at the 395th congress of constantinople, it was controled by the rich contributors to the catholic church, so they controlled a lot of what went into the Bible. I also heard something to this effect on the radio some 15 years ago and they said the cardinals and bishops that where bought by the rich church supporters did serve the rich, but the pope of the time was the only one who stood up the the rich people controling what went into and what was left out of the Bible. I’ve searched the net many a time and I can’t get any info on this subject. can you help or direct me? Frank Kocanda jr. Perhaps the reason you have been unable to find verification of claims you cite is that they are untrue. The Bible, both testaments, were collected together long before the emergence of the Roman Catholic Church. The subject category in which you have expressed interest is called “Biblical Canonicity” or simply “Canonicity.” Some articles archived on Gospel Gazette Online pertain to biblical canonicity; two of these may be found at these URL’s. https://www.gospelgazette.com/gazette/1999/oct/page20.shtml https://www.gospelgazette.com/gazette/1999/oct/page2.shtml

Repentance for Forsaking Worship

Bro Rushmore: Please provide scriptures regarding member of church who quits & eventually comes back to church, doesn’t confess sin of neglect to congregation & resumes where he left off. My son & are having this conversation & differ on our ideas. I fell the person needs to confess neglect to congregation in some manner. thank you enjoy  your publication.  Wayne Crum 1. Sin is simply defined in Scripture as a violation of what God has stipulated or commanded in the Word of God. “Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law” (1 John 3:4). 2. Even Christians are required to acknowledge their sins and repent of them. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). “Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee” (Acts 8:22). 3. Conceivably, one’s sin may be known only to himself and God, but usually one’s sins are known to or may involve some others, for which acknowledgement of repentance needs to be made to these others. “Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift” (Matthew 5:23-24). “Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, …

The Church Is the Body of Christ

There can be no doubt that the church is the body of Christ according to the Bible. “He [God] put all things in subjection under his [Christ’s] feet, and gave him to be head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him that filleth all in all” (Ephesians 1:22-23). Paul repeats it in Colossians 1:18, “And he [Christ] is the head of the body, the church.” It is understood that Christ therefore makes the body full with his character, being and the direction of both him and God. It can be said that anything less causes a sickness in that body, and that anything more imposes unnecessary weight on that body. The head rules the body. Look at yourself. Your head rules your body. Surely it is so. Thus with the church, the Head rules the body, or Christ as Head of the church, which is his body, is ruler over it. But what of the local leaders of the church? As servants of Christ their leading echoes the directions of the Head of the church, Christ. They shepherd the church into the words and directions of Christ, keeping it in obedience to Christ, the Head of the church unto the glory and praise of God. When those leaders must make a hard decision, a ruling, it will echo and coincide with the words, directions and teachings of Christ. Those leaders are representatives of Christ, and high quality representatives will accurately reflect their leader, …

Isn’t God Lucky That He’s Got Me!

I have missed only a handful of services in my whole life,Isn’t God lucky that he’s got me!I’ve never smoked, never drank, never cheated on my wifeIsn’t God Lucky that he’s got me! I’ve studied my Bible – many verses I knowIsn’t God lucky that he’s got me!Around the world preaching I’ve been willing to goIsn’t God lucky that he’s got me! No cusswords from me have ever been heard,Isn’t God lucky that he’s got me!I am constantly lifting my prayers heavenward,Isn’t God lucky that he’s got me! No, he is not “lucky,” I’m the one blessed so muchBecause of his grace that through Jesus I find,The blood that was shed to heal my soul with its touch,I am not worthy of his love, I must keep that in mind. Oh, yes, he expects me to obey his commands,To serve him, and worship him with all of my heart,To faithfully overcome all that this life demands,And from his ways to never waver, never depart. I have to live a life before him that is pure and good,Aren’t I blessed by having him in my life!So that when life ends, with him I will have stood,Aren’t I blessed by having him in my life! No matter how good I am, how hard I labor here,I will never deserve the blessings he is offering me,I hope one day he will say, when to his throne I draw near,“Enter in faithful servant, for eternity.”

Like the Sun in Full Strength

It wasn’t a great day to be taking a walk. A dense fog permeated the air, and dampness seemed to wrap itself around me like a cold, wet blanket. My mood was as gloomy and gray as the weather as I allowed negative thoughts to take control of my mind. After a while, the sun came out, beaming warm rays on my face. As the fog lifted, I began to notice the trees, garbed in their autumn attire of rusty red, brilliant yellow and bright orange leaves. I laughed at two squirrels merrily chasing each other from tree to tree. My sour mood began to dissipate like the fog. I came home with a greater appreciation for the beauty of nature and the blessings of God. Later, as I was reading the Song of Deborah in the Book of Judges, Deborah’s final words grabbed my attention. She said in Judges 5:31, “But let those who love Him be like the sun when it comes out in full strength.” I stopped to ponder this great advice from the wise woman judge of Israel. How can we be like the sun? The sun brings people out. There is nothing like a lovely, sunny day to bring people out into the open to enjoy some fresh air and exercise. They feel better after a day out in the sunshine. Many people are trapped in a gloomy dungeon of loneliness. All they really need is someone to bring them out of their shell with …

Who Is the Lord That I Should Obey His Voice?

Who was the first person to ask this question? Pharaoh the ruler of Egypt asked Moses this question when he was told to let God’s people go. “And Pharaoh said, ‘Who is the Lord, that I should obey His voice to let Israel go? I do not know the Lord, nor will I let Israel go’” (Exodus 5:2). Pharaoh really was ignorant of who God was when he asked this question and made this defiant statement. God proceeded to give him, in the words of one of our brotherhood preachers, “a 10-lesson correspondence course” in who he was! The 10 plagues sent on Egypt told and showed Pharaoh exactly who God was! Because of the continued hardness of Pharaoh’s disobedient heart, it cost him his life and the lives of many other Egyptians. One may ask, but why did this happen to Pharaoh since the Bible says, “God hardened his heart?” God’s Word must be rightly divided and spiritually discerned before biblical understanding is possible. Every time God would send a plague, Pharaoh said he would let the people go and each time the plague was removed, he refused. All of the Egyptians were not hardened. Pharaoh’s servants saw the “handwriting on the wall.” They said, “How long shall this man be a snare to us? Let the men go, that they may serve the Lord their God. Do you not yet know that Egypt is destroyed?” (Exodus 10:7). When we read and understand the entire account of the children …

Why Baptism Is Immersion

From the 2nd century after Christ there has been a great deal of discussion on the subject of baptism. Various debates took place down through the ages, regarding whether or not the action of baptism could be changed, and finally that body that we today know as the Roman Catholic Church substituted the use of sprinkling and pouring water, which they first referred to as “clinical baptism,” which was administered to dying people who were too ill to be taken to a baptistry or stream to be immersed into Christ. Several months ago this student was called upon to baptize a dying man in the therapy pool of a local Catholic medical center. When the penitent believer came up out of the water, a young man who was Catholic said, “That is the most awesome thing I have ever seen in my life.” A nun, a chaplain in the same medical center replied, “That is the way it was always done in the apostolic church.” The young man replied, “Why was it ever changed?” With a slight shrug of her shoulders the nun replied, “The church believes she has the right to make such changes.” Anecdotal evidence, so say logicians, is not evidence. Yet this anecdote shows clearly that there are those in 21century America who are perfectly aware that what they call the “mode” of baptism has been changed since the days of the apostles of Christ. With the coming of the great Reformation came other long and detailed …

I Am With You Always

As we read the Great Commission in Matthew 28:18-20, it is our conviction that few of us get the impact of what Jesus said as the apostles did. There are at least two things in the construction of the original language that need our attention, in addition to some other lessons we may get. First, in verse 20 when the KJV says, “I am with you,” the original text has “egoo meth humon eimi.” Since “eimi” means “I am” if all Jesus meant was simply “I am with you,” he would not have used the expression he used. But when “egoo eimi” is used, it means something like this, “I, myself, the One who has all authority in heaven and on earth, the Savior who died for you and rose again and who is alive forevermore, even I am with you.” Second, we may note that he will be with them, but he uses the expression, “I am.” This is the same expression he used in John 8:58 where he says, “Before Abraham was I am.” This is the expression God used in Exodus 3:14 when he told Moses to tell Pharaoh who sent him. The Jews understood this expression for what it implied, and therefore accused Jesus of blasphemy. But to the apostles and to us, it should mean that the One who was in the beginning with God, who made us and died for us, plans to be constantly with us provided we meet the conditions he mentioned. …

Selecting Ripe Cantaloupe

During the hot summer months of the year, my family enjoys eating what we call a “cold plate” for dinner. Practically everything on the table comes from the garden and nothing is cooked–it’s all fresh produce. There’s no hot stove to endure, just delicious garden fruit and vegetables. One of our favorite table items is chilled cantaloupe. Unfortunately, until recently we’ve not had much success with selecting them. Inevitably, the melons we’ve bought from the grocery have been green, generally tasteless and too hard for consumption. Too many times, our family has anticipated eating a nice, ripe, juicy cantaloupe–only to be disappointed from the very first bite. And if we’ve brought a good one home, it’s been by shear accident. I called my father in Tennessee one afternoon to see if he had any insight on buying good cantaloupes. Having spent a considerable amount of time in his own garden through the years, he offered me a few suggestions that I have found especially helpful. Dad said there are certain “indicators” to look for when purchasing ripe melons. They include: 1. Color–What color is it? Avoid green-skinned melons; look for orange, brown or tan skin. 2. Firmness–Is the melon hard like a bowling ball, or can you squeeze it to certain degree? Is the consistency of the fruit over hard, or is there a certain “pliability”? Is it soft at the stem end of the melon? 3. Smell–This is one of the best signs. Is there the aroma of fresh …

They Lost Their Way

In the news recently is a brief report about two adults who became lost over the weekend in the rugged mountains of North Carolina. The couple from Miami, FL had planned to hike only a couple of miles from the parking lot to a waterfall where they had planned to have a picnic. As they went on their way, however, they lost the trail and became confused about their direction. They were lost for three nights before they finally came to the Blue Ridge Parkway where they were able to flag down help. How frightening the experience must have been not only for them, but for the friends and family who did not know what their fate would be. The couple may be embarrassed about it all, but they are not alone because we all have experienced the anxiety of having lost our way. It is quite an uneasy feeling that hangs over us as a threatening cloud when we don’t know which way to turn or whether we’ll even be able to survive. Many of us are uncomfortable with death, but there is also the distressing state experienced by the realization that spiritual death has occurred when we have wondered away from God like the prodigal of Luke 15:11ff. The prophet writes, “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all” (Isaiah 53:6). Through the grace of God, we may …

Almost Thou Persuadest Me

“King Agrippa, Believest thou the prophets? I know that thou believest. Then Agrippa said to Paul; ‘Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian’” (Acts 26:27-28). The apostle Paul is an example to all Christians in his dedication to preach the Gospel of Christ to every person. He felt indebted to the human race because he possessed the knowledge of the truth and was ready always to preach the good news of salvation (Romans 1:14-16). He proclaimed that Gospel as a free man, and according to the context of this passage, as a prisoner for the sake of the Lord. Thus, before King Agrippa, he expounded the glad tidings that Jesus was the fulfillment of the Old Testament (Acts 26:22-23). Paul’s sermon was so convincing that Agrippa exclaimed, “Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian.” Let us now observe some of the pertinent messages contained in this statement of the king. “ALMOST” Paul, in asking Agrippa if he believed the prophets (concerning Jesus), mentioned that he knew that he believed. Yet, Agrippa was not a Christian. A believer has the right to become a child of God, but faith alone does not save a person (John 1:11-12; James 2:24, 26). Almost is not all the way. Here you have a believer who was not yet a Christian. “Almost cannot avail; almost is but to fail: Sad, sad, the bitter wail, almost, but lost.” “THOU” Agrippa said, “Almost thou…” that is to say, he was addressing the apostle Paul, the preacher. This …

A Four-Fold Lesson

Dorothy Steury of Calvert City, KY has divided 2 Corinthians 2:14 into four parts for her ladies’ Bible class: “But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of his knowledge everywhere.” 1. “Thanks be to God.” From ancient times people have been taught to “give thanks to the Lord, because his lovingkindness is everlasting” (1 Chronicles 16:41), and “give thanks to his holy name” (Psalm 30:4), and “At midnight I will arise to thank you because of your righteous ordinances” (Psalm 119:62) and “in everything give thanks, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:18). 2. “God leads us.” He does if we want to be led, if we are of those who respond to Jesus’ invitation: “Come unto me, all you that labor and are heavily laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). The principle is: “Whosoever will, let him take the water of life” (Revelation 22:17). On the other hand, the devil wants to leads us! Demas was led by the Lord when Colossians 4:14 and Philemon 24 were written (62 A.D.), but five years later, he had let the devil lead him, as Paul wrote in 67 A.D.: “Demas, having loved this present world, has deserted me” (2 Timothy 4:10). But a woman like Mary Magdalene, how beautiful a life, being led by her Lord; she was among the last ones at the cross (John 19:25), and actually …

The Epistle of Christ

Pick up your Bible and open to the inside cover. Look to the “New Testament” books. Do you see, “The Epistle of Christ?” Neither do we. We see, “The Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Philippians, Ephesians, Colossians, Thessalonians,” etc., but no “Epistle of Christ.” Interesting, considering one of the inspired, New Testament writers (Paul) said it existed! Turn now to Second Corinthians, Chapter Three: “You are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read by all men; clearly you are an epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart” (vv.2-3 NKJV). Christians, did you know you were writing an epistle? Did you know you tell the story of Christ each day? Did you know someone is reading this final declaration of God through your life? Yes, the written revelation of God is complete, but Paul said this was an epistle, “written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God on tablets of the heart.” Jesus said our lives should be read and comprehended as evidence for the truthfulness of Christianity: “By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:35 NKJV). What does your epistle say? Can we read it? Would you be glad to have the Lord read it? Think about it!

Water to Wine Crossword Puzzle

(Crossword Puzzle is Internet Interactive; do the puzzle online.) You need Java enabled to view the crossword applet. Solution

Horses Cannot Run on Rocks

In Amos 6:12, we read, “Shall horses run upon the rocks? will one plow there with oxen? for ye have turned judgment into gall, and the fruit of righteousness into hemlock.” At the time of Amos, most horses were not given metal shoes like they are today. The wealthy person might put gold ones on his horse, and some armies put leather shoes on their horses. These went over the entire hoof like shoes that we wear. But leather and gold are soft. They were more for show than they were for protection. The horse has a very soft spot in the center of his foot. If the horse attempts to run on rocks, he will bruise this soft tissue. This tissue is very sensitive. When it is bruised the horse has a very difficult time walking. Therefore, people at the time of Amos did not run their horses on very rocky ground. God says that the Israelites are like the horse on rocky ground. They have worshipped idols. They have broken many of God’s commandments. They have become very immoral. And yet, they still want to believe that they are God’s people and that nothing bad will happen to them. But all of their sins are like the rocky ground. They cannot live (run) on these rocks without harming themselves. And God will hold them accountable for putting themselves in this situation. I know you want to obey God. Read your Bible. Learn all you can. Do not be …

Beautiful and Glorious Branch

Isaiah Chapter Four is a description of the church. Isaiah was prophesying hundreds of years before the church was established. In verse two, we read, “In that day shall the branch of the Lord be beautiful and glorious and the fruit of the earth shall be excellent and comely for them that are escaped of Israel.” “Them that are escaped” references Christians. Christians are freed from sin by Jesus. They escape the slavery of sin. The word “beautiful” is a word that means glorious or beautiful. The word “glorious” comes from a word that means heavy. So, Christians are to be glorious/beautiful and heavy. But what does heavy mean in this context? Heavy can mean important. Or it can mean full. In Isaiah 5:2, we read that God parallels his people to a vineyard. A vineyard is planted to produce lots of fruit. In Chapter Four, the church is seen as the branch of the Lord. So, for the branch to be heavy would mean that it is full of fruit. God’s people should be beautiful and fruitful. Are you spiritually beautiful and fruitful? Do you speak and act as God wants you to act? Do you teach others about Jesus? Do other people see you as different from the world? Do other people want to be like you because they see Jesus in your life? Study God’s Word. Obey what he wants you to do. Be a beautiful and glorious branch, and if any of this is hard to …

Great Things from Small Things

In the summer of 2001, we moved to a new area, and once we had found a place to live, we began looking for a place to worship. Choices were few. But believe it or not we found a church home in only the second week. So, what does one look for when looking for a new church home? Of course, one must take into consideration that the new congregation will stand for the truth on important doctrinal matters, that goes without saying. But what characteristics other than a solid doctrinal backbone do we look for when searching for a new church home? Where we come from, there seems to be a church of Christ on every corner. Within a twenty mile radius you may find as many as ten congregations. Some of these churches are less than five miles apart. Kinda’ makes you wonder about just how unified the church really is, huh? At any rate, there’s no problem in finding a church to suit your needs, whether it be social, financial, spiritual or for whatever reason folks go to church. But what if you only had two choices? Say choice one was a church of some size, between 200 and 500 folks or maybe even bigger. They support a fulltime minister and a fulltime assistant minister or youth director. They publish a weekly paper that helps spread the Gospel to the surrounding community. Just maybe they produce a weekly radio or television broadcast. This church supports and helps …

Will You Be Left Behind?

(What About the Rapture?) The latest premillennial sensation to hit the religious scene is the Left Behind series of best selling books written by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins. The initial volume Left Behind has spawned other premillennial themes, such as Tribulation Force, Nicolae, Soul Harvest, Apollyon, Assassins, The Indwelling and The Mark. Each new book has avid readers anxiously awaiting the next one in the series. There is also Left Behind: The Kids so that children ages 10-14 might be thoroughly indoctrinated in premillennial sensationalism. The Left Behind movie came out in October 1999. The Left Behind book and movie cover the basic Rapture doctrine. It is the fictional story of Rayford Steele, his daughter Chloe, Buck Williams and Bruce Barnes as they try to make sense of the strange disappearance of thousands of people around the world. The rest of the Rapture story is that while these select souls are taken to be with the Lord during the Rapture period, there will be a seven-year tribulation on earth unlike anything ever seen before. The seven-year tribulation is to be consummated by the horrific battle of Armageddon. Then, Jesus Christ is to set up his kingdom on earth for one thousand years. The entire Rapture scenario is as fictional as anything you will read in novels, but those who believe it claim that it is taught in the Bible. As we shall see, such is far from being the case. The Rapture is a very popular aspect of what is called Dispensational Premillennialism. John Nelson Darby (1800-1882), a former Anglican priest, brought this brand …

Bible Repentance

Introduction Before we can study repentance, we must first understand all repentance entails. Webster uses the three following definitions when defining “repentance:” (1) “to feel sorry or self-reproachful for what one has done or failed to do,” (2) to feel such regret or dissatisfaction over some past action, intent, etc. as to change one’s mind about,” (3) “to feel so contrite over ones sins as to change, or decide to change, one’s ways; be penitent.” While all three of these definitions are somewhat accurate, a combination of the last two gives the most complete definition, as it demands a change of mind and a change of action. Vine’s Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words states the term “signifies ‘to change one’s mind or purpose’” and, in the New Testament, always involves “a change for the better.” Further, “this change of mind involves both a turning from sin and a turning to God” (Vine’s). Bible Examples Turn to Luke 19:1-10. As we recall the account, Zacchaeus was a tax collector. Tax collectors were known for cheating people in order to receive great riches (Nelson’s). As long as the Roman government received its share of the taxes, the collectors could take anything they wanted for themselves, even if it was not part of the tax. For this reason, tax collectors were greatly disliked by the people and considered equal with sinners. Notice also that Zacchaeus was a “chief among the publicans.” Most likely, this meant he had other publicans working for him, from which he …

Ask for the Old Paths

God has always desired to save mankind from his sins, but impenitent mankind has always resisted God’s grace and mercy. Since God continues to offer salvation to humanity, the only reason that souls remain lost is because of human refusal to accept salvation on God’s terms. Jeremiah 6:16 is one of those standout verses of Scripture, and especially worthy of our exposition and special attention. “Saith” can be variously translated, including with the words “charge,” “command,” “demand” and “require.” God through the prophet Jeremiah charged, commanded, demanded and required the nation of Judah to abide in his divine instructions. The phrase “thus saith the Lord” appears 414 times in the Old Testament, and numerous other times among the 1262 times “saith” appears in both testaments of the Bible it refers to communication from God to man. In addition, God obviously addressed mankind with his divine instruction with the use of other words and phrases (e.g., “the word of the LORD came,” Genesis 15:1; 2 Samuel 7:4 [phrase appears 92 times in the Old Testament]). The apostle Peter summarized how mankind became aware of God’s divine instructions (2 Peter 1:20-21). “The LORD” comes from the Hebrew word “Yehovah (yeh-ho-vaw’),” which means “(the) self-Existent or Eternal; Jehovah, Jewish national name of God” (Biblesoft’s). There are 5,000 instances in the Old Testament of the King James Version where the capitalized “LORD” appears indicating it means “Jehovah.” “The divine name YHWH appears only in the Bible. …God chose it as His personal name by which He …