Recently, I read a discussion about the tradition of extending the invitation at the end of sermons. Some viewed it as something that has become passé, unnecessary or even unscriptural. Some pointed out there is not an example of the invitation in the New Testament. However, has anyone considered how few complete sermons are recorded? Of the sermons recorded, these were interrupted by an immediate response. Some have become “anti-traditionalists” and seek to trouble churches. Is it really the case that there is no authority for extending an invitation? Can one believe it would be “unscriptural” to give someone the opportunity to respond? The invitation is a call to action. What about when Jesus said, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (Matthew 11:28–29 NKJV)? The invitation to obey the Gospel is always open. The conclusion of a sermon is subjective, but that does not mean that extending the invitation is without authority. Some suggest a change to something else, but what exactly would that be? There are always responses to the invitation (public or private)—positive or negative. What will your response be?

For a person to give up his or her life for another is sometimes referred to as the ultimate sacrifice for good reason. There is no greater sacrifice a person could make for another. Paul wrote about those who would be less than willing to die for someone they knew, but then he pointed out a contrast. Jesus was willing to die for enemies, for sinners (Romans 5:6–8). Consider what one accomplishes by forfeiting one’s life for another person. What would make someone do this for an opponent? Sometimes the sacrifice is balanced with what benefit it provides. Saving a life by one’s life is certainly the ultimate sacrifice made by that individual. However, consider how many lives (souls) that will be eternally saved by the sacrifice of Jesus. So, Jesus’ sacrifice was the ultimate sacrifice in at least two ways. First, He gave up His life. Second, He gave up His life so all may have the opportunity for eternal life. Without taking away from those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice, how would one classify the ultimate sacrifice Jesus made for all who will obey Him?

Have you ever thought about the time between the resurrection and the ascension of Jesus? He ascended near Bethany after forty days from His resurrection (Luke 24:50; Acts 1:3). These days were critical as Jesus made additional preparations for the apostles to take the Gospel forward (Luke 24:44-45). Another interesting thing Jesus provided were “infallible proofs.” The NKJV has “unmistakable” as an alternate term that was considered for “infallible” (Acts 1:3). Luke records several appearances of Jesus to various people under various circumstances between the resurrection and the ascension. Perhaps this was the period during which Jesus’ brothers were convinced and converted (Acts 1:14). Initially, His brothers did not believe Him (John 7:5), but James would go on to be a major leader in the church of Jerusalem. The apostles were shaken to the core by the crucifixion of Jesus. There were certainly feelings of regret that needed to be addressed, such as the denials of Peter (John 21:15f). There are other details that are not provided, but we can read of the apostles’ and disciples’ steadfast determination to proclaim the risen Christ and know of their unflinching resolve in the face of persecution and death. They were no longer afraid. Likewise, we, today, ought to demonstrate in our lives unflinching resolve, even, if necessary, in the face of persecution and death.

Some fail to realize that God is aware of our thoughts and intents (1 Corinthians 4:5). That can be a very sobering reality! How many times have we done something that we wish we had not, but no one noticed? God, however, notices (Luke 12:2)! This should be a paralyzing thought for the one who has little regard for God and His standards (2 Corinthians 5:10). Christians, though, are to be sensitive to what God witnesses from our hands, mouths and minds. A heart that is sensitive toward God will be one that seeks to please Him and seek forgiveness when he or she fails. While one could be paralyzed in fear upon realizing the omniscience of God, he or she should also find great comfort, because God not only takes note of our missteps, but He also knows of the love and devotion in our hearts toward Him (Psalm 145:20). The ultimate  – the only – relationship safe in the eyes of God is in Jesus (1 John 1:3). Remember, God loved you enough to send Jesus for your forgiveness (Romans 5:8). The need for forgiveness is due to our sins (Romans 3:10, 23; Ephesians 1:7). God loves us, and we should reciprocate that love (1 John 4:19). All the good that we attempt to do may not be seen by men, but God will take notice of that, too (Ecclesiastes 12:14). We serve an awesome God (Daniel 9:4).

According to History.com, the 986-foot-tall Eiffel Tower was completed in 1889 and surpassed the Washington Monument as the world’s tallest structure. Though now considered a symbol of romance, it was protested as “useless and monstrous” by several French artisans. Fast forward and now consider those comments. The Eiffel Tower endures, and those critics and criticisms are a distant memory. Pursuing New Testament Christianity is similar. Some scoffed then and now at the restoration plea and process today. Still, worshipping according to the New Testament pattern endures because it is based on eternal truths and an everlasting foundation – the eternal Jesus Christ, His enduring Word and His everlasting Kingdom. God is the one who made all these eternal elements, and even though there may be some who scoff and ridicule our plea to follow the New Testament and its pattern for us, these truths remain. While others may scoff, they are being interrupted by those who seek to worship the Lord in spirit and truth each Lord’s Day. New Testament worship withstands the test of time!

Writing in the modern era has changed in ways that are difficult to assess. We have so many mediums to share ideas that it is hard to imagine the circumstances of writing an epistle in New Testament times. For example, we send a text to someone, and we have conditioned ourselves to receive an immediate response or wonder why we have not received one. Letter writing and delivering then was both time consuming and costly. The materials used were nothing like the quality of materials we have at our fingertips. Writing was not just a task but a profession, and the efforts to preserve that writing were also so formidable that preservation became a form of evidence of validity. The oldest extant copy of Philippians is P46 (A.D. 125-225) and contains all four chapters. Paul’s relationship with this congregation began with the Macedonian Call, circa A.D. 51 (Acts 16:9-10). I always found it interesting that the call was from a man, but when Paul arrived, he met Lydia and a group of women who helped begin the church. How many of our church buildings today remain open due to godly women? The apostle Paul wrote circa A.D. 62 from prison in Rome. His circumstances were dire, but he wrote an epistle of joy that benefited its immediate recipients and all those who have read it through the centuries. One wonders if Paul gave thought to the possibility this would be the last epistle he would write to this congregation and

I am not much of a fan of professional sports, but a news story relating to tennis caught my attention. Novak Djkovic was going for his 18th Grand Slam. Reports are that he became frustrated and hit the tennis ball to the back wall, which was not unusual. However, this time the tennis ball hit a line judge and bruised her throat. He immediately went to the line judge to apologize and wait with her for the medical staff to examine her. He was eliminated from the U.S. Open for 2020 and will face serious fines. From my vantage point, it did not appear to have been done with wrath but was an accident. To the officials’ credit, the penalty was enforced regardless of his status or stakes. One of the commentators, who was John McEnroe, said, “The pressure just got to him. I think a lot’s been going on off the court; it’s obviously affected him. And now, whether he likes it or not, he’s going to be the bad guy the rest of his career. It’ll be interesting how he handles it.” Strong words from a notoriously misbehaving former player who over his career was fined over $69,000. Perhaps McEnroe wishes for Djkovic to take his place in the “bad guy” category, but that is a decision that will be left to Djkovic as he reflects on his conduct and attitude. Whether one thinks Djkovic had an outburst of wrath or not, certainly his personal and professional reputations

I am a fan of the comic strip Calvin & Hobbs. Sometimes you just have to laugh! In one of the comic strips, Calvin, who is not fond of school, told Hobbs that a pronoun “is a noun that has lost its amateur status.” I thought of this definition when I came across the term “Solemnized Pronouns” in a discussion group. I had never heard the term, but it was not difficult to derive the meaning. Some appreciate the beauty of the King James Version, and I would include myself among them. That being said, some misconceptions have arisen over time. One misconception is the belief that certain pronouns should be used to increase solemnity or reverence for what is being read or spoken. I used to feel that way myself. Who would want to read or speak of God’s Word irreverently? Not anyone I would want to fellowship. Yet, must we use certain pronouns such as “thee,” “thou” or “ye” in order to convey reverence? No. The original use of these pronouns was not a function of reverence but of grammar. The notion that pronoun usage denotes reverence is a misperception. It may surprise some to read a comment that Alexander Campbell made in relation to old English and “solemnized pronouns” in the Preface of his translation: The old Gothic buildings in North and South Britain are generally places of worship; hence, although this style of architecture was once as common in England and Scotland as any of the present

The conquests of Alexander the Great (356-323 B.C.) not only spread the Greek culture but also the Greek language throughout the known world. The common Greek language of his day was Koine Greek. Due to the spread of Greek influence, the world had greater access to the Word of God than ever before because God’s Word was in words. Josephus (Antiquities of the Jews 11:317-335) wrote about Alexander’s visit to Judaea on his route to Egypt; however, scholars question the validity of this account. Keep in mind that Josephus wrote about this 400 years later. Josephus’ record certainly contains some embellishments, and some scholars question whether or not Alexander ever came to Jerusalem. Alexander’s campaign eventually brought him to Egypt in 331 B.C. The city Alexandria in Egypt was named in his honor. There was a great library in Alexandria begun by Ptolemy I (305-285 B.C.) and completed by Ptolemy II (285-246 B.C.). Writings from across the world were sought to be included in this famous library, including the Old Testament but translated into Greek. Supposedly, Ptolemy II instructed the librarian, Demetrius, to obtain a Greek translation. Septuagint is the name for the Greek translation of the Old Testament. The name is from the Latin word septuaginta, meaning seventy. Readers will sometimes come across the designation for the Septuagint as LXX, seventy in Roman numerals. One of the sources regarding the creation of the translation is the Letter of Aristeas, which is a supposed correspondence between Aristeas and his brother, Philocrates, about the

Sometimes our expectations are not met, which can be discouraging. When we examine what has happened, it may be that our expectations were off. Take for example what Jesus said of John the Baptist. What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? But what did you go out to see? A man clothed in soft garments? Indeed those who are gorgeously appareled and live in luxury are in kings’ courts. But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet. This is he of whom it is written: “Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, Who will prepare Your way before You.” For I say to you, among those born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he. (Luke 7:24-28 NKJV) John was none of the things that people might have expected. John was a unique individual with a unique role. He was considered the greatest among the prophets, but he was lesser than the least in the kingdom. How could this be? The prophets’ messages included a forward-looking view to the coming of the Messiah, but John was the appointed harbinger of the Messiah’s arrival (Matthew 3:1-4). Since John died before the Messiah’s kingdom was established, he was not in the kingdom. So, the reference to “least” and “greatest” was one of

Whose morals are we following: God’s morals or ones we deem are “good?” Remember this exchange between the “Good Teacher” and an inquiring student: “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God” (Matthew 19:17 NKJV)? It appears Jesus was refocusing this student’s attention on the fact that God is the one who sets the standard for what is truly “good.” Jesus was pointing the student to His Father as the source of good. Of course, Jesus being the Son of God is good as well. Perhaps the student had lost sight of the Creator of goodness and where the standards of goodness were found. Perhaps Jesus was reminding the student without denying His relationship to the Father. Perhaps the question was one to wake the student up to the connection between the Father, the Torah and the Messiah. Perhaps we need to be reminded in our day that certain areas of society may claim to be good, but without God, their standard of goodness becomes their preferences and is subjective, whereas God’s standard of goodness is righteousness and immutable. I was watching video advertising “MasterClass” sessions. One of these “masters” stated, “You are driven by your heart. You are driven by your talent. You are driven by your instinct.” This master is a part of the same publishing house that produces Teen Vogue which features articles that continue to promote sexual deviancy in our youth in such ways I hesitate to even mention. One has

The apostle Paul wrote, “And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ, being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God” (Philippians 1:9-11 NKJV). Notice the word “excellent” (diapherō), which occurs 16 times in 13 verses (KJV), and it means “differ to one’s advantage from someone or something, be worth more than, be superior to” (BDAG 239). Thayer wrote of this term: “to test, prove, the things that differ, i.e. to distinguish between good and evil, lawful and unlawful.” The pursuit of excellence is not just a business slogan or a sports adage, but it is a call that every Christian must take seriously. On occasion, I have heard my dad talk with men about becoming preachers. He would encourage them to pursue excellence by preparing for this responsibility. I recall a conversation with one man he thought would be a good candidate for the ministry. In the course of the conversation, Dad explained that much of the work of a Gospel preacher was significant hours of study and preparation for effective delivery. The man replied he did not like to read or study. Dad demurred, “Well, then you really should not be a Gospel preacher.” Why would Dad have said such? My father (and I) believed that

The idea that “prepositions matter” may seem like a superfluous point, but one may be surprised how careless one can be with the use of prepositions. Generally speaking, prepositions provide detail as to when or where something occurred, and these words may also indicate how something occurred. It is not uncommon for people unfamiliar with our English language to struggle to choose the correct preposition. Since English is our common language, we take many of the rules we were taught for granted. Of course, sometimes we pick up bad habits and commit errors relating to prepositions without thinking about it. Sometimes I feel like I need to take a class on remedial English myself! Koine Greek also has prepositions. One may think that knowing the proper use of prepositions in Greek is a minor matter, but that is a mistake. Consider Acts 2:38 and the expression “for the remission of sins.” The preposition “for” can be used in such a way that does not match what the preposition εἰς means. Translations sometimes prefer to retain “for” so people can argue that baptism is not a salvation issue but a demonstration of salvation that was received prior to baptism. These efforts attempt to argue the term “for” has the meaning “because of,” but this is misleading. Questions I like to ask those that argue baptism is for salvation already obtained is, “Then why is baptism even in the New Testament? Why are baptisms in Acts treated with urgency?” Take for example this common prepositional chart

Dictionaries have been around for a long time, some sources state as far back as 2300 B.C. So, the concept of a dictionary that defines a word has proven itself in the crucible of time! A dictionary is a collection of words that are generally arranged in alphabetical order. The treatment of the word may vary from dictionary to dictionary. However, it is common to find a phonetic spelling, some history of the word’s meaning (called etymology) and a description of how the term is used. What is the difference between a dictionary and a lexicon? First of all, one should keep in mind that a Bible Dictionary does not function in the same way as a Greek or Hebrew Lexicon. Bible Dictionaries tend to define people, places and things in the Bible, but lexicons deal more with linguistics. So, what is a lexicon? Some may answer this question differently. A lexicon is similar to a dictionary but involves two languages with an effort to bridge a gap in the user’s understanding. The words are listed in alphabetical order by the language being defined. Then, the phonetics, definitions, etc. are provided in the other language in order to learn the meaning of the referent term in the other language. For example, a Greek Lexicon will have Greek terms listed in order of the Greek alphabet, then have information relating to the term’s meaning in English. Some lexicons provide more information about the term’s form, meaning and usage in the New

A solar eclipse is when the moon is between the earth and sun. (A lunar eclipse is when the earth is between the moon and sun.) There are distinct types of solar eclipses: partial, annular, total and annular-total. There are 2-5 solar eclipses each year, but not all are viewable to us because of the rotational position of the Earth. What we witnessed on August 21, 2017 was a total solar eclipse. The last time one could observe a total solar eclipse in the United States was 1979, and the next solar eclipse to be viewable in the United States will be April 8, 2024. While I did not observe the eclipse, since my eyes are very sensitive to light, I did enjoy many pictures posted by friends on social media celebrating their view of this natural phenomenon. It sure was an exciting demonstration of God’s design of the universe! The sun, earth and moon all travel an orbit. The moon travels around the Earth at 2,288 mph, and it completes an orbit in about 28 days (a sidereal month). The earth travels around the sun at about 67,000 mph in its orbit, and it completes its orbit in about 365.256 days (a sidereal year). The sun travels 483,000 mph in its orbit in the Milky Way Galaxy, and it is estimated to complete its orbit in about 225 million years (a cosmic year). I was thinking about these rates of speed, time, orbits and the moments when these all

The expression, “It looks Greek to me,” is an idiom that refers to something written (or spoken) that is not understandable to the recipient. It is a common expression. However, one wonders if people recall its origin. This idiom is found in Shakespeare’s famous work, Julius Caesar. I recently recommended that my class read Julius Caesar since it contains some of the great lines we often use but do not realize their origin. One may use the expression, “It looks Greek to me,” but an astute responder might reply, “What kind of Greek?” While the Greek language has been around for centuries, the language has gone through significant changes over time. For example, the Greek poet Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey are believed to have been written in the 8th century B.C., although the oldest copy we have dates to 3rd century B.C. These two works are among the oldest Greek writings in existence. The type of Greek in Homer’s day is sometimes called Classical Greek (1000–330 B.C.), but there were other types of Greek prior to Homer’s day. Another significant Greek language period is sometimes called Hellenistic Greek (or Koine Greek). This form of Greek was spread worldwide by the conquests of Alexander the Great. This was the universal and common Greek (the word koine means common) from 330 B.C. to A.D. 330. There were other forms of Greek to follow the Hellenistic Greek, such as Byzantine Greek (330 B.C.-A.D.1453). The Greek spoken today, or Modern Greek, has been used since A.D. 1453, but it differs from the versions

The statesman and one of the founders of our Republic, Benjamin Franklin, once said, “Give me 26 lead soldiers and I will conquer the world.” He was not referring to the military, but to the 26 letters of the English alphabet and the printed page (printed from lead-based letter type). Each of the letters or characters of the English alphabet is so vital to language that we rarely give such a thought. Without characters, there would be no words. Without words, there would be no sentences. Without sentences, there would be no paragraphs. Without paragraphs there would be no story. What a thought—you have to have words to convey thoughts—and you must have the characters to formulate the words for the thought! Characters matter! Without characters, you cannot look up a word you do not understand in the dictionary. I once had a classmate who said that he made it a practice to study 10 words from Webster’s Dictionary each day. That was 40 years ago. Imagine his command of the English language if he kept that practice! Our English translations also present the challenge of understanding the definition of words being utilized in the context at the time the translation was made. Words may change meanings, sometimes changing greatly. For example, I publish a blog I deliberately entitled “The Bully Pulpit.” Some are quizzical about the name “Bully Pulpit.” I even had one or two insist I should change the name because it might give someone the wrong impression (e.g., a

It may seem strange to have an article on Alexander the Great. However, there were reasons why Alexander was referred to as “the Great,” and these reasons influenced the New Testament world. The fact that both the Old Testament was translated in and the New Testament was written in Koine Greek demonstrates the great influence of Alexander the Great. Alexander was born to King Philip II of Macedon (382-336 B.C.) and Olympias. His teacher was the philosopher Aristotle. In 336 B.C., Philip II was assassinated by Pausanias, who stabbed Philip as he stood between his son Alexander and his new son-in-law Alexander at his daughter’s, Cleopatra, wedding celebration. Philip had decided to invade Persian territory in Asia Minor in retaliation for their alliance with foes of Greece. There was a force of 10,000 on the march when Philip died. Alexander would take this force and begin empire expansion like it had never been seen before. Alexander defeated Darius III and the Persian Empire at the Battle of Issus in 333 B.C. Darius was murdered before Alexander could catch him in pursuit. Alexander treated Darius’ family, whom he had abandoned to flee, with compassion. In fact, Alexander did this with many of the nations he conquered. His conquest of the island portion of Tyre was incredible. Although Alexander is not named in the Bible, there are prophecies relating to his conquest and the rise of Greece as a world power (Ezekiel 26:1-14; Daniel 2:1-45; 8:18-22; 10:20-11:4). According to Josephus, Ant. 11:317-335,

Some may not recognize the difference between translation and transliteration, but it can be a very important matter. To translate a word means to select a word from the other language that has an equivalent meaning. Sometimes translators prefer, for whatever reason, to transliterate a word rather than to translate it. Perhaps there is no equivalent word in English, and so they prefer to bring the word into an English format through transliteration. How does one transliterate a word? One takes the letters of the word in the original language, and then matches, letter-for-letter to the word in the target language. Next, one modifies these transferred letters to fit within the convention of the target language by smoothing the term into a word that appears to be English. For example, if you were transliterating into English, the smoothing process would be called Anglicizing, but if German, the process would be called Germanizing. An important passage to see that baptism is not a translation but rather a transliteration was pointed out to me by Wayne Jackson. Then the anointed priest shall take some of the bull’s blood and bring it to the tabernacle of meeting. The priest shall dip his finger in the blood and sprinkle some of the blood seven times before the Lord, in front of the veil of the sanctuary. And the priest shall put some of the blood on the horns of the altar of sweet incense before the Lord, which is in the tabernacle of meeting; and he shall pour the remaining blood of the bull at

A column appeared in Mad Magazine in 1970. It was a satirical treatment of a politician making a speech against his opponent, thought to be uncomplimentary, but it was actually quite complimentary. Of course, those unfamiliar with the terms used in it would perhaps not recognize the article as complimentary. Let me give you one example: “When I embarked upon this political campaign I hoped that it could be conducted on a high level and that my opponent would be willing to stick to the issues. Unfortunately, he has decided to be tractable instead—to indulge in unequivocal language, to eschew the use of outright lies in his speeches, and even to make repeated veracious statements about me.” Sounds rather vicious? Well, consider the meaning of the terms in bold italics: “tractable” (easy to deal with); “unequivocal” (clear); “eschew” (avoiding); and “veracious” (truthful). Now, go back and read the sentence again with these definitions fresh in your mind and you will see how words may sound one way but actually have an unexpected meaning. What would your reaction be if someone said you were “peculiar”? If you are like me, your first reaction may be, “Who are you calling ‘peculiar’?” The word “peculiar” can be a loaded word these days. If you say someone is acting peculiarly, he or she might take offense. Notice this passage: “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” (1 Peter 2:9 KJV). Some have taken the

July 29, 2017 marks 40 years ago that I was immersed into Christ by my dad at the church of Christ in New Philadelphia, Ohio. My dad was the first to congratulate me, then Ralph Miller and then other brothers and sisters in Christ who assembled that Friday afternoon. The church on Commercial Avenue remains dear to my heart even though we had lived in several places prior, and there would be several places to follow. Hopefully without sounding pretentious, I would like to share some thoughts I have been reflecting upon. The Plan of SalvationIs Easy to Understand Some have made the plan of salvation a confusing matter to some by their misplaced emphasis on grace (alone) or faith (alone), but the plan of salvation is not difficult to understand if one reads the New Testament. Being a preacher’s son, I knew the plan of salvation from a very young age. I could draw the “steps,” give you “book-chapter-verse” for each one and quote each passage from the KJV. Before I became a Christian, I could name all the books of the Bible and more through the fortification of my mother’s instruction, too. It seems that some have trouble knowing what to do because they have had their minds cluttered with various teachings and concepts of men. Yet, an honest reading of the Book of Acts will remove that clutter! Never be ashamed of taking time to explain to others the steps they need to take to have eternal

For some time, I have heard advertisements for online reputation monitoring services. In fact, I was once invited to join a job search or networking service trying to differentiate itself with “online reputation tracking.” I wonder if we have given any thought about monitoring our online reputation as Christians. Social media is like any new mode of communication in that it is what we make it to be. Regardless of whether or not you are online via social media or not, we all have a responsibility to manage our reputations! What we say, do or post online reveals something about our characters and reputations. Human resources literature abounds with warnings to be careful what one reveals about oneself online as it may hurt the reputation of the company for which one works, or it may severely impact the success of one’s new job search. One wonders if Christians have given any thought about their online reputations in regards to their membership in the Lord’s church and loyalty to the Lord. Some time ago, I posted this comment on Facebook: “One wonders since employers monitor employees’ Facebook accounts if elders are monitoring the sheep’s Facebook accounts? Any thoughts?” That generated all types of responses, including some strongly stating such was entirely unethical and even downright immoral. Yet, one wonders about such thoughts since, after all, the person posted the material to be seen in the first place! I find it ironic that some were highly offended at the thought, which makes one

In Bible class, I asked whether or not barbeque sauce on hotdogs was good or bad. One of my children loves barbeque sauce on hotdogs; the other finds it repulsive. You may hear people say, “What is true for you is not true for me,” or “You have your truth, and I have my truth.” Well, no further proof of the validity of such statements was needed than the facial expressions of my two children as to which one accepted this truth. This is the nature of subjective truth. Subjective truth varies from person to person. Subjective truth is variable and can cease to be true under various circumstances. Objective truth is different from subjective truth. Objective truth is true for all individuals, always. Objective truth does not change under varying circumstances. Some may prefer the terms “absolute truth” and “relative truth,” but the concepts remain the same. Objective truth, or absolute truth, is true across individuals, circumstances and other variables. If one can grasp the definitions, differences and implications of objective and subjective truths, then one can easily see that the same applies to the religious world as well. People say, “Join the church of your choice” with the authority of subjective truth that “One church is as good as another.” One fundamental principle needs to be understood that is often dismissed – subjective truth never trumps objective truth. In fact, the only time that subjective truth truly rules is when there is no objective truth to contradict it. In this

If one discusses Jesus with Jewish people, one may hear the comment that Jesus was a good man, just not the Messiah. Even atheists are willing to grant that Jesus was a good man. Have you ever heard anyone make this type of statement? Ironically, the primary source material for knowing the character of Jesus is the New Testament. One can prove His existence outside the New Testament, but Jesus’ character is another matter. If the New Testament is accurate, then it is not possible to believe He was just a good man. Jesus claimed to come from heaven. “I am the living bread which came down from heaven…” (John 6:51 NKJV). Jesus claimed to come from the Father: “For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me” (John 6:38). He claimed to be one with the Father: “I and my Father are one.” (John 10:30). It is estimated that Jesus referred to Himself as the “Son of God” nearly 40 times (e.g., Matthew 16:16-17), a fact even proclaimed by demons: “And he cried out with a loud voice and said, ‘What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?’” (Mark 5:7). Jesus claimed to be the Messiah: “The woman said to Him, ‘I know that Messiah is coming (who is called Christ). When He comes, He will tell us all things.’ Jesus said to her, ‘I who speak to you am He’” (John 4:25-26).

There are those who assert that Jesus was mythological and reject the evidence of the Bible. These skeptics try to persuade others that Jesus and the New Testament are mere propaganda. However, there is evidence outside the Bible that proves that Jesus of Nazareth really lived. Josephus, a Jewish historian during the century Jesus lived, wrote of the High Priest Ananias: “convened the court of the Sanhedrin, and brought before them the brother of Jesus the so-called Messiah, who was called James, and some other men, whom he accused of having broken the law, and handed them over to be stoned.” This is not the only reference Josephus makes about Jesus of Nazareth. There are also references to Jesus’ existence in the Babylonian Talmud as well. So the Jews, while some rejected Jesus as the Messiah, did not reject the fact of His existence. Tacitus, Roman pagan historian who wrote Annals around 115 A.D., made the following statement about Nero burning the city of Rome: “To dispel the rumour, Nero substituted as culprits, and treated with the most extreme punishments, some people, popularly known as Christian, whose disgraceful activities were notorious. The originator of that name, Christus, had been executed when Tiberius was emperor by order of the procurator Pontius Pilate. But the deadly cult, though checked for a time, was now breaking out again not only in Judea, the birthplace of this evil, but even throughout Rome, where all the nasty and disgusting ideas from all over the world pour in and find a ready following.” These

Centuries ago there was a sect of Gnosticism known as Docetism, which taught Jesus was only a spirit, not human. Today, some think Jesus could not experience pain or be tempted since He was also deity. The Bible teaches Jesus had a physical body (John 1:1-14). Those who think that Christ did not have a physical body should remember the disciple Thomas. He would not believe Jesus was resurrected until “…I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side…” When Thomas examined His body, he exclaimed “My Lord and my God!” (John 20:25, 28 NKJV). If Jesus were only spirit, it would invalidate both His death and resurrection, which has serious consequences. The apostle Paul wrote, “For if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen. And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins! Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable” (1 Corinthians 15:16-19). The temptations and suffering of Christ were part of His preparation for being our High Priest. “Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For in that He

Have you read the false claim that the Father created Jesus before the world? That would mean Jesus is not eternal, and thus He is not divine. However, the Bible teaches Jesus is of the same nature as the Father. A misunderstood passage is “He [Jesus] is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation” (Colossians 1:15 NKJV). Some mistakenly think “firstborn” refers to chronology; however, the Greek term prototokos reflects on quality or superiority. Jesus is superior to all creation. The next verse shows this: “For by him [Jesus] were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through him [Jesus] and for him [Jesus]” (Colossians 1:16). Also, both the Father and the Son are said to be eternal. The Father: “Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel, and his Redeemer the LORD of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; Besides Me there is no God” (Isaiah 44:6). The Son: “‘I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End,’ says the Lord, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty” (Revelation 1:8; cf. 1:11; 21:6; 22:13). Paul wrote that Christ is divine, hence not created. “For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily” (Colossians 2:9). Paul also stated Jesus is God, “looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and

In Patrick Morley’s book, Devotions for the Man in the Mirror, he touches on a point that I have often thought about relating to commitment. He writes: “Over the past few decades, many of us started off on the wrong foot with Jesus Christ. It is the proposition that Jesus can be ‘Savior’ without being ‘Lord.’ It is the idea that one can ‘add’ Christ, but not ‘subtract’ sin. Many of us have merely added Christ to our lives as another interest in an already busy and otherwise over-crowded schedule…” (13-14). When my son was learning to walk, we would walk behind him with our arms stretched out like guardrails with hands at the ready to catch him if he stumbled. We would wobble behind him as he wobbled across the floor for the first times. Eventually, we did not need to follow behind him any longer in this fashion. Why? Because he learned to walk on his own. It would be an odd sight for me to walk behind him in that fashion now. In fact, if I did he would probably say, “Cut that out!” When people first become Christians, they need mature Christians to walk beside them as I walked alongside my son ready to steady him if he stumbled. Just as babies learn to walk on their own as their bodies physically develop, so should new Christians be able to walk spiritually on their own. They ought to be able walk with Christ on their spiritual journey