Table of ContentsGlobal Church News - July - August 1995 |
| Open Letter |
| Editorial by Roderick C. Meredith |
| Why Does the Church Exist? |
| What Was Balaam's Error? |
| Be Reconciled to Your Brother |
| Must Christians Keep the "Law of Moses"? |
Dear Brethren and Friends:
Greetings from San Diego! God continues to bless the Work in many different ways. Hundreds of new brethren continue to come with us—and God is also providing more ministers and leaders for the Work.
Dr. Douglas Winnail and his wife, Sherry, have just come with the Global Church. Dr. Winnail will be pastoring our churches in Phoenix and Tucson. Previously, he taught science at Big Sandy and pastored churches in New England and in Atlanta, Georgia. We are very pleased to have this fine family in our field ministry—and he will also be contributing articles on science and health for our publications.
Additionally, Mr. and Mrs. Bobby League have also decided to "go Global"— and he will be pastoring field churches as well. Mr. League has been in the ministry for over 25 years, and we are glad to have him aboard.
Brethren, our responses from the TV program have been encouraging. A couple of reports have come to me about brand new people already attending Church after hearing the TV program and somehow finding out about us!
So, again, your fervent prayers for the success of our television program are vital. Please pray that God will open more doors for our program throughout the United States and around the world. Dear brethren, I ask you to especially pray that God will open up a good time slot on WGN! Please pray about this. That particular TV network covers the entire Untied Slates and should be affordable to us. Also, remember to ask God to grant us a good time slot on this outlet at a reasonable price.
My wife and I returned a few weeks ago from a wonderful trip to Chicago for Pentecost! About 190 brethren were in attendance and all were very enthusiastic about the opportunity to restore the full Truth in God's Church. While we were there, quite a number of brethren asked about the other "branches" of God's Church—as we might call them. I referred a number of them to my letter in last month's Global Church News. In that issue, you may recall, I showed that we in the Global Church of God are distinct in that:
1) We are teaching the full Truth—the "whole counsel of God" (Acts 20:27)—and intend to hang on to and teach all the basic spiritual truths we learned from God's servant, Herbert W. Armstrong.
2) We practice the Government of God in the Church and do NOT take part in voting and politics—which ALWAYS end in compromise.
3) We are obeying Jesus' command: "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature" (Mark 16:15). We feel that it is of paramount importance to be busy actually DOING the Work—not just socializing among ourselves.
In my visit to Chicago, it seemed as if I were constantly being asked about the Laodicean Church. Who is Laodicean and who are we—and how does it all fit together? These questions were asked again and again over the period of my three-day visit to Chicago.
First of all, let me state that we in the Global Church DO emphatically believe in the "seven eras" of the true Church—as Herbert W. Armstrong did and as we all (if we were loyal!) used to teach. BUT, remember brethren, these are NOT eras of Satan's church—but of the Church of GOD! Some of these eras have more strengths or problems than others, but ALL of them contain God's people.
That being the case, it is easy to identify the "Sardis Era" as that era immediately preceding the Work that God used Herbert Armstrong to raise up. For that era was so "dead" that most of you would never have even HEARD of its existence if you had remained in a worldly denomination. The basic "spirit" or approach of that church was NOT one of earnestly studying God's Word, growing in the new truths and going through the "open doors" to reach all nations with the Truth (Rev. 3:8).
But, the Church God used Mr. Armstrong to found was ZEALOUS in all of this and more. So God could truly say to it, "You have kept My Word"! God tells all who have the "Philadelphian spirit," "Behold, I am coming quickly! Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown" (v. 11). As I explained to the brethren in Chicago, we in the Global Church are "holding fast" to the precious truths we were taught. We are holding fast to the inspired biblical form of church government. And we are doing the Work of God with all of our hearts!
It is obvious from the doctrinal apostasy and the ongoing disintegration of our former association that the predominance of the Philadelphia spirit among God's people is now OVER. But we who understand must individually "hold fast" to that spirit!
And it should be equally obvious that the lukewarm, watered down, compromising Laodicean spirit is now the dominant spirit among God's people as a whole. God says to Laodiceans, "I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot" (Rev. 3:15).
It should also be obvious from Revelation 3 that a wishy-washy, accommodating, COMPROMISING spirit is something that does not "appear" to be all that bad. But it is something that God HATES!
Yet, this spirit—this compromising approach—is predicted to be the DOMINANT spirit among God's people at the end of this age. Nowhere, however, do the Scriptures reveal that ALL Laodiceans—or ALL Philadelphians for that matter—will be in any one corporate church organization! When the brethren in Chicago asked me if any specific church organization was "the" Laodicean Church, I told them, "No." For there will be Laodiceans among us, I stated, as there will be among other groups.
But it is also absolutely vital to realize that if one joins with an organization that is: NOT dedicated to preach the "whole counsel of God"; DOES NOT dedicate itself and its major resources to preach the Gospel to the world; PRACTICES politics and people-pleasing instead of following God's form of church government—then one is FAR MORE LIKELY to be drinking in a Laodicean spirit than a Philadelphian spirit. We will ALL be judged by our "fruits" in this matter!
However, we are to LOVE all of our Sabbath-keeping brethren. We should encourage, help and pray for them and have certain limited fellowship with them as long as that does not lead to COMPROMISING God's scripturally defined standards. So let us take this approach brethren, and let GOD be the final Judge as to which individuals among God's peoples are Philadelphian, Laodicean or whatever. Our time and energies should be devoted to DOING the Work, serving God's people and preparing to be kings and priests in the soon-coming World Ahead.
Now I want to address a topic which is something we always need to be thinking about —nourishing the type of personal growth that ultimately transforms our spiritual character. One of the major responsibilities of Global's ministry is to assist God's people collectively and you individually to GROW to become like Jesus Christ. That is part of our commission! Notice Ephesians 4:11-13:
"And these were the gifts bestowed by him, that some should be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip God's consecrated ones for the work of serving him, to equip them for the building up of the body of Christ, until we all attain to oneness in faith, to oneness in the knowledge we have of the Son of God, to mature manhood, measured by nothing less than the stature of Christ himself in all its fullness" (Cassirer Trans.).
I often think back to the early 1950s when a number of us, then young AC graduates, went out on the early baptizing tours. More often than not, the people we met back then were—as James describes them—"the poor of this world" though RICH in faith. They had poor speech habits, limited vocabulary, dowdy clothing, sick children with runny noses and, in general, the impoverished lifestyle of the uneducated and disadvantaged.
The people's lack of material riches was not the problem. What was wrong was their lack of understanding and inability to take charge of their lives. As Christians, we are commanded to live by every word of God. General ignorance is a stumbling block or limiting factor to anyone who desires to "grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ" (2 Pet. 3:18).
However, after we started a local church in their area, with trained ministers to teach them—and often Spokesman's Clubs to inspire them—everything began to change. As I have often phrased it, they began to "look sharp, feel sharp and be sharp. " This was true physically and spiritually. Many of these brethren noticeably improved their financial Status, speech habits, appearance, grooming, health and indeed the quality of their entire lives. As sharpened tools, they became much more effective in doing their work as ambassadors for Christ.
Brethren, we must do this again in God's Church today! For those of us who really knew him, Herbert W. Armstrong lifted our sights, enlarged our vision and dynamically challenged us to achieve our full human potential as begotten sons of God. I hope and pray that all of us can carry on and build on that spiritual legacy.
Jesus said, "Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect" (Matt. 5:48). In our character, appearance, speech habits, marriages, families, careers and our service to others, each of us should try to become topnotch ambassadors for the Living Jesus Christ—our Head and our example. We should truly strive to let Him live His life in us to the fullest extent we can. We should try to live quality lives and be quality, godly individuals who will shine as lights in a darkened world (Phil. 2:15).
We should study not only the Bible, but world conditions which are fulfilling prophecy. We should also read and study trade or professional journals that relate to our careers. We should do everything we can to develop ourselves to be able to inspire and lead others more effectively and have the resources to be hospitable and serve others.
The Apostle Paul was inspired to write, "For you see your calling; brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence" (1 Cor. 1:26-29).
God does not want us to "glory" in ourselves or our human accomplishments. Yet, as we have seen, He has called us to be "perfect" or spiritually mature just as He is! We are to GROW to "the stature of Christ himself in all its fullness.”
To do this we must actively surrender our lives as "living sacrifices" (Rom. 12:1) and cry out to God to fashion us and—through His Holy Spirit—empower us to achieve more of the stature of Christ each year of our Christian lives. We must, through His help and His Spirit, build our bodies, minds and personalities so that we may truly be "fit instruments" to do the Work of God.
As ambassadors for Christ, we must strive in every way we can to follow this approach of the Apostle Paul: "I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some" (1 Cor. 9:22).
In all these ways, brethren, we will become more of an inspiration to the unconverted world and our fellow Christians. By becoming wise children we will honor our heavenly Father who has called us. And we will be developing the character, self-discipline, wisdom and LOVE that will be needed to be godly KINGS and PRIESTS under Jesus Christ in the magnificent World Ahead (Rev. 5:10)!
The vast majority of brethren who have come with the Global Church of God have done so because of one thing and one thing only—the Truth. You knew that the leaders in this Work not only teach the Truth but sincerely try to live by it as well.
With God's help, we will NEVER let you down. But will that alone keep you from falling away? From giving in to sin or to vanity? From getting your "feelings" hurt?
Absolutely not! Even Jesus lost "many" of His disciples when He spoke powerfully the Word of God (John 6:66). But, Peter and other faithful disciples did not leave because, as Peter confessed to Jesus, "You have the words of eternal life" (v. 68).
Jesus said, "He who endures to the end shall be saved" (Matt. 24:13). One major key to help each one of you endure faithfully to the end is to really STUDY the Word of God—regularly, thoughtfully and continuously. IF each of you will do this with a humble and submissive mind, it will be more and more obvious where God is doing His Work today.
Make the Bible a familiar friend. Try to study it at least once a day. And often, you may be able to "sneak in" a second or third brief study period, perhaps just reading a Psalm or a chapter of Proverbs—later in the day or before you go to bed at night.
God inspired the Apostle Paul to write, "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth" (2 Timothy 2:15 KJV).
Learn to read carefully, thoughtfully and in a progressive order through the New Testament's books. Perhaps you might mark the highlights of a chapter and then review these highlights at the end of the study period. Then, occasionally, do a "topic study"—looking up all the Scriptures on the Sabbath or on heaven or the soul and carefully comparing them.
Always remember to let the Bible "interpret" the Bible. Let the natural story flow of the Bible tell you what it is saying. Study ALL the Bible to get the whole picture.
DON'T let vague or unclear Scriptures override or wrongly interpret the plain, clear Scriptures. For instance, most Protestant theologians use scattered "proof texts"—out of order—from the writings of the Apostle Paul to override and misinterpret the clear instructions of Jesus, Peter, James and John. They ignore or reason around the clear examples of those men and of the entire Apostolic Church.
By clever sophisms, they deceive themselves and their followers into thinking that Jesus' clear instruction, "If you want to enter into life, keep the commandments" (Matt. 19:17), is not valid for Christians today. Remember, Jesus told the same apostles who heard that teaching, "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations...teaching them to observe ALL things that I have commanded you" (Matt. 28:19-20).
Nevertheless, misguided theologians use their own FALSE interpretations of Paul's writings to contradict his teachings and the clear teachings of the rest of the New Testament. Dear brethren of God's Church, you will NOT be deceived IF your mind is filled with the inspired epistles of Peter, James and John and the four Gospels.
Even though you may not take time to study out every detail, you will quickly sense that the FALSE definitions and perverted applications of such terms as "grace," "justification," "reconciliation" and "imputed" are NOT consistent with the plain Scriptures you have been studying. You will, by genuinely knowing God's Word, be able to spot the "word games" which clever theologians so often play on the unsuspecting.
Jesus said, "He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me" (John 6:56-57).
You and I must literally "feed" on Jesus Christ by truly studying His inspired Word. Then we will think like He thinks and gradually learn to "feel" like He feels—about EVERYTHING. As we grow in grace and in knowledge, we will gradually have more and more of the genuine mind of Christ. And we will never be fooled by anyone on basic spiritual Truths!
by Douglas S. Winnail
Motivated by a powerful vision, Jesus Christ was a man with a mission. He came to this earth for a purpose. Part of that purpose was to call a group of disciples and start the Church. Jesus told His disciples that His Church would not die (Matt. 16:18), that it would continue to exist down through the ages and be ready to marry Christ at His return (Rev. 19:7).
But WHY did Jesus need to start a Church? What was the mission, the purpose, the focus of that Church to be? What was it supposed to do? What should that Church be doing today?
These are important questions to ask at this critical period. Without a mission, without a clear sense of direction, a church can lose its focus, stray from God's intended purpose and become preoccupied with ideas and issues of the moment.
Ask a dozen people about the purpose of the Church and you may get a dozen different answers! Those answers might include:, bringing people to Christ, telling about God's love, being a warm haven for lonely people, serving the needs of the local community, being a spiritual hospital, sponsoring youth activities, being a Christian social center, witnessing for Jesus, becoming a conscience for society or aiding the poor.
Not surprisingly, these answers are all logical, common, reasonable—but they express humanly devised missions for the Church. Again, WHY did Jesus Christ start His Church?"
What does the Bible reveal about the mission Jesus Christ outlined for His Church? The Scriptures plainly reveal at least eight major aspects of that purpose. Christ's instructions provide the essential answers we need to know.
The primary mission of God's Church is clearly revealed in Mark 1:1, 14: "The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.... Now after John [the Baptist] was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God…” Matthew records in his gospel, "Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom..." (Matt. 4:23). This same focus on the coming Kingdom of God had been a main thrust of the ministry of John the Baptist (Matt. 3:2), and was a major theme running through the writings of the Old Testament prophets (Is. 2:2-4; Dan. 2, 7).
When Jesus sent His disciples out on their initial training mission He said, "And as you go; preach, saying, `The kingdom of heaven is at hand'” (Matt. 10:7). After Christ's death, Philip visited Samaria and "preached the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ" (Acts 8:12). At Ephesus, the Apostle Paul "spoke boldly for three months, reasoning and persuading concerning the things of the kingdom of God" (Acts 19:8).
Toward the end of his ministry, Paul was still preaching this same message. While under house arrest in Rome, sometime after 60 A.D., Paul preached about Jesus Christ and the Kingdom of God (Acts 28:23). Paul used, as the basis for his preaching, the writings of Moses and the Old Testament prophets (Acts 28:23).
Jesus prophesied that one of the signs that would mark the approaching end of this present age would be that "this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all nations, and then the end will come" (Matt. 24:14).
While human ideas vary greatly as to the mission of the Church and what the focus of its preaching should be, historian Will Durant, author of The Story of Civilization, stated unequivocally, "The central theme of Christ's preaching [was] the coming judgment and Kingdom" (vol. 3, Caesar and Christ, p. 567). The Gospel message, however, did not originate in the first century A.D.
When we reflect on the writings of the prophets, on what Jesus Christ taught His disciples ("Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations...teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you"—Matt. 28:19-20), on the preaching of the apostles in the early Church, and on the end-time prophecy of Christ about the Church's role in preaching to the world just prior to His return, it should be obvious what the major mission and focus of the Church of God should be.
The Church is to preach the Gospel of the Kingdom of God and explain the role of Jesus Christ as it relates to that message!
Jesus expects to find His Church carrying out that exact mission when He returns (Matt. 24:46). To stray from that God-given mission and lead God's people in another direction—after another gospel—is to invite correction from the Living Head of the Church (Matt. 24:45-51; Gal. 1:6-9).
Jesus' example and instructions clearly show that He taught His disciples how to live—how to apply the laws and principles of God to their daily lives (Matt. 5-7). Jesus commissioned His disciples to do likewise, "even to the end of the age" (Matt. 28:20).
The Apostle Paul urged members of the Church of God to, "Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ" (1 Cor. 11:1). Paul repeatedly exhorted his audiences to follow God's way of life (Acts 18:26). Early Christians were individuals who chose to follow God's way of life (Acts 11:26).
This emphasis on learning, teaching and living God's way of life runs throughout the Old Testament (Gen. 28:20; Deut. 31:29; Ps. 119:32-37). It permeates the teachings of Christ and the apostles of the early Church. And it will be taught to all nations and peoples in the coming Kingdom of God by Jesus Christ and the saints (Is. 2:2-3; Dan. 7:18).
Why the continuous emphasis on God's way of life? In addition to the personal benefits of peace, long life and favor (Prov. 3:1-4), the ideal morality outlined by Jesus was designed to make men worthy of entering the Kingdom of God (cf. Durant, p. 567).
The reason for teaching God's way of life—including the proper worship of the true God—is so that those God calls (John 6:44} will be able to function effectively in His Kingdom teaching others (Is. 2:2-3). This has been part of the mission of the Church from its inception and will continue on into the future.
Another aspect of the Church's commission involves the delivery of prophetic warnings—identifying sins and warning of the consequences (in terms of human suffering) which result from actions that violate the laws of God (Rom. 1:18-32). This warning points out the significance of world events that prophetically fulfill God's plan (Matt. 24:42). Jesus and the apostles in the early Church continued the example of the Old Testament prophets in performing these functions (Is. 58:1; 41:21-24). Plainly, the apostles delivered prophetic warnings to God's people (2 Thess. 2; 2 Tim. 3).
The command to be watchful indicates a need for someone to function as a watchman-to draw attention to significant trends and events. The Old Testament prophets functioned in this capacity (Ezek. 3:4-5; 33:1-7). Jesus Christ and the apostles fulfilled this same mission in the early Church.
As human civilization faces an increasingly ominous future, the Church of God has a vital role to play, explaining the prophecies of the Bible. God has given His Church a clear understanding of the future for a reason (cf. 2 Pet. 1:19). God states in the Scriptures that He will do nothing without providing an adequate warning through His chosen servants (Amos 3:7). God wants humans to learn lessons from their experiences rather than to just let people ignorantly suffer. Consequently, an important role of God's Church is to warn. Scripture clearly indicates that God's servants will be held accountable to deliver such divine warnings (Ezek. 33:6).
Jesus reveals an additional purpose for His Church in the mission of John the Baptist. Like John and Elijah, the Church is "to make ready a people prepared for the Lord" (Luke 1:17).
This preparation necessitates a recapturing of true values (cf. Matt. 17: 11 ). In all areas of human endeavor—religion, science, agriculture, health, economics, government, family relations, entertainment, international relations—we must teach people to seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit (John 15:26). Before any product or service is brought to market by a major corporation, it is always tested—repeatedly! Christians are tested to help them discern truth from error, right from wrong, the practical from the impractical. A future king and priest of God Almighty must know, believe, practice and value the benefits of living by the principles and instructions of his Creator.
A people prepared in this manner will be ready to "marry" Christ at His return (Rev. 19:7) and to assist Him in teaching God's way of life to all mankind in the Kingdom of God (Is. 2:2-4; Acts 3:19-21). The Church has a major role to play in preparing a people to reign with Christ by preaching salvation to mankind in the World Ahead (Rev. 5:10).
While Jesus promised His immediate disciples (Matt. 19:28) and even future members of His Church (Rev. 2:26; 3:11-12, 21) positions of leadership in the coming Kingdom of God, He also made it clear that certain qualities of character were absolutely essential for people in those positions. Jesus plainly advocated the concept of "servant leadership" (Matt. 20:25-28).
Jesus Christ knew the human tendency to dominate and exploit others, and He instructed His disciples "not to be ministered unto, but to minister [not to be served, but to serve]" (Matt. 20:28 KJV). This theme echoes throughout the Bible (1 Sam. 25:40-42; Rom. 1:1; 1 Cor. 9:19; 2 Pet. 1:1). Numerous books on leadership also emphasize this theme (e.g. Covey, Principle-Centered Leadership, p. 34).
Jesus Christ set an example for His disciples and His Church to teach, practice and promote the concept of servant leadership. This is a vital and timeless mission of the Church of God that is urgently needed in today's self-centered pleasure-seeking world.
Jesus repeatedly emphasized to His disciples that one of the distinguishing characteristics of true Christians would be their love for their neighbors—and even their enemies (Matt. 5:44-46). This is yet another theme that runs through the Bible (Lev. 19:18; John 15:12-14). Brotherly love involves an unselfish, outgoing concern for fellow human beings.
This kind of love flows from a right relationship with God and an understanding of His way of thinking and way of life. It's orientation is outward, not inward. We should esteem others' needs to be more important than our own (Phil. 2:3-4). This kind of love is a fruit of God's Spirit (Gal. 5:22).
Explaining and cultivating this true Christian characteristic is integral to the Church's mission. This "living Christianity" must be practiced by the corporate body as well as the individual members of the Church.
One of the great social tragedies of our time is the dissolution of the basic building block of society—the family. This has spawned a myriad of problems: divorce, juvenile delinquency, abuse, depression, permissiveness and illegitimacy.
Because of the importance of the family to society and to God's overall plan for mankind, the Bible records a most remarkable prophecy involving the mission of God's Church just before the end of the age. "Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD. And he will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to the fathers, lest I come and strike the earth with a curse" (Mal. 4:5-6).
Never before in the history of civilization has this mandate to strengthen the family been more important on a global scale. The Church of God has a job to do—for which it will also be held accountable.
Jesus challenged His disciples to be lights shining in a world filled with darkness (Matt. 5:14-16). They were to be examples to everyone with whom they came in contact. This, too, is a recurring theme in Scripture (Heb. 11).
The nation of ancient Israel was called by God and given His laws in order to become a model nation to show the world a better way. The New Testament Church functions in the same capacity—pointing the way out of the religious confusion that prevails in the world. In the Kingdom of God, both the saints and a repentant, regathered physical nation of Israel will be used to show humanity the true way to peace, joy and happiness that can only come from living God's way (Is. 2:2-4; 19:23-25; Zech. 14; Rom. 11).
To shine as a light, God's Church must be composed of brethren who are humble because they are forgiven. The Church gives answers for society's problems and hope of the coming Kingdom of God and encourages the brethren to have faith and develop a loving, outgoing concern for their fellow human beings. Such a Church will be a powerful witness for God and His Truth. It is a timeless role for the body of Christ.
The mission, purpose and focus of the Church of God emerges plainly from the Scriptures. So are His expectations for that Church.
From the beginning, Jesus took His own mission seriously, reminding His physical parents, "I must be about My Father's business" (Luke 2:49). He approached that mission with zeal and dedication, telling His disciples, "My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work" (John 4:34). And He completed the work He was given to do (John 17:4; 19:30).
We can learn lessons today from the early Church at Ephesus. They were commended for their initial zeal, but admonished for losing their first love—drifting away from their mission and losing their real focus (Rev. 2:2-5). The Church at Sardis was cited for having no works at all (Rev. 3:1)! The Church at Laodicea was chided for being lukewarm towards its mission (Rev. 3:15-19). Only the Church at Philadelphia was acknowledged as remaining true to its commission. Even though Philadelphia had only a little strength, by maintaining its focus, God enabled it to do an effective work (Rev. 3:7-11).
The challenge facing God's Church today is to maintain its focus and accomplish its God-given mission. The Scriptures indicate that this mission will continue right up to the end of this age (Matt. 10:23).
The Prophet Isaiah, looking into the future, boldly stated, "Behold, the LORD God will come with a strong hand, and His arm shall rule for Him; behold, His reward is with Him, and His work before Him. He will feed His flock like a shepherd; He will gather the lambs with His arm, and carry them in His bosom, and gently lead those who are with young" (Is. 40:10-11).
The Church of God is being prepared now to rule with Christ at His return and to assist the Messiah in bringing salvation to all humanity in the World Ahead (Rev. 5:10; Dan. 7:18, 27). Let's stay focused on that great mission.
by Colin Adair
Toward the end of the first century, the faith Jesus Christ had given to the Church was being eroded by those who were perverting the true Gospel. In his epistle, Jude warned the Church to earnestly contend for the faith once delivered to the saints (Jude 3). In so doing, he identified the main sin that characterized those being led away from the Truth into dangerous error. Jude wrote, "For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into licentiousness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ.... Woe to them! For they have gone in the way of Cain, have run greedily in the error of Balaam for profit" (Jude 4, 11).
Just what was Balaam's error? Why did Jude cite his great sin as a warning for Christians?
First of all, who was Balaam? Was he, as some theologians believe, a genuine prophet of God who went wrong? Let's examine his origins. Balaam was a native of Pethor, an ancient Middle Eastern town (cf. Num. 22:5; Deut. 23:4). Pethor was located near the Euphrates River, 300 miles north of Jericho, near the present-day border of Turkey and Syria. Balaam was a Gentile who was well known for his divination and sorcery. Consequently, in no way could he have been a true prophet of God.
In Numbers 22:7-22, we read how Balak, king of Moab, sent the elders of Moab and Midian to meet with Balaam. They were to pay him to curse the Israelites passing through Balak's territory on their way to the Promised Land. When these elders arrived at Balaam's home, he had them stay overnight while he sought to contact God to see how He might answer their request.
Balaam was well aware of the Israelites and their God. The story of the Exodus, which had occurred nearly 40 years previously, was, by then, well known to the peoples of the Middle East. Balaam wanted to consult with Israel's God to see what he could do to earn his fee from the Moabites.
Let's pick up the story in verse 9: "Then God came to Balaam and said, `Who are these men with you?' And Balaam said to God; `Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, has sent to me, saying.... "Come now, curse them [the Israelites] for me; perhaps I shall be able to overpower them and drive them out.'” And God said to Balaam, `You shall not go with them; you shall not curse the people, for they are blessed.' So Balaam rose in the morning and said to the princes of Balak, `Go back to your land, for the LORD has refused to give me permission to go with you'.... Then Balak again sent princes, more numerous and more honorable than they. And they came to Balaam and said to him, `Thus says Balak the son of Zippor: "Please let nothing hinder you from coming to me; for I will certainly honor you greatly, and I will do whatever you say to me. Therefore please come, curse this people for me.'” Then Balaam answered and said to the servants of Balak, `Though Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not go beyond the word of the LORD my God, to do less or more'” (vv. 9-18). 'Then again Balaam asked the messengers to stay overnight with him while he inquired again to see what God would permit him to do.
During the night, God came to Balaam and told him that if the men came to call him, then he could rise up and go with them, but he was permitted to speak only what God told him to say (v. 20).
In verse 21 we read that Balaam did get up in the morning and go with the princes—but it was only on his own initiative! God did not send him. There is no indication that the messengers called him. So God was angry with Balaam for not heeding His instructions.
The Jewish historian Josephus adds to the story: "But when God opposed his going, he came to the ambassadors, and told them that he was himself very willing and desirous to comply with their request, but informed them that God was opposite to his intentions" (Complete Works of Flavius Josephus, Kregel Publications; 1960, p. 90).
Balaam desperately wanted to earn his commission from Balak and tried every way he could to curse Israel. But God was opposed to him. After the angel spoke through the donkey, Balaam realized he had sinned. "And Balaam said to the Angel of the LORD, `I have sinned, for I did not know You stood in the way against me. Now therefore, if it displeases You, I will turn back'” (Num. 22:34). Notice that Balaam still hoped he could continue his mission. Far from being repentant, he was still focused on money! His attitude was covetous; he was a prophet for hire. But this wasn't his greatest sin, nor was it the sin mentioned in the New Testament.
Rather than being able to curse the Israelites, Balaam was forced to bless them. God told him to do so, as recorded in Numbers 23:7-10 and 18-24. To show Balak that he, Balaam, could only do what God said, Balaam replied to Balak in verse 26: "Did I not tell you, saying, `All that the LORD speaks, that I must do'?" We can clearly see here that Balaam was very reluctant to obey God, unlike one of God's true servants.
Balaam was forced to bless Israel again. We read about it in Numbers 24:17-19. After blessing Israel, Balaam returned home as did Balak (v. 25). That would appear to have been the end of the matter, but it wasn’t.
Soon afterwards the Israelites sinned against God and brought a curse upon themselves. Numbers 25:1-9 tells us what happened: "Then Israel remained in Acacia Grove, and the people began to commit harlotry with the women of Moab" (v. 1). God told Moses to execute these leaders and others guilty of this sin. After Phinehas had taken zealous action against two blatant offenders, God's punishment abated. But 24,000 Israelites had died in the plague He had sent. What had happened? Had Balaam somehow cursed them secretly? The New Testament gives us the answer.
"But I have a few things against you, because you have there those who hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit sexual immorality" (Rev. 2:14). Since Balaam was not allowed to curse Israel, he did the "next best thing"—he got them to curse themselves! He told Balak to send in Moabite women to seduce the Israelite men into committing fornication and adultery. He knew God would punish them for their disobedience and Israel as a whole would be cursed.
Balaam was clever and scheming. Because he couldn't directly curse the Israelites, he instructed Balak how to lure them into sin so that the consequences of disobedience would fall upon them. This is how Satan still operates today through many false prophets and teachers! Are YOU being seduced by those who teach and practice lawlessness?
Peter tells us that false prophets would follow Balaam. Speaking of teachers in the New Testament Church, Peter says, "They have forsaken the right way and gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Beor, who loved t6e wages of unrighteousness" (2 Pet. 2:1S).
False teachers forsake the right way (Balaam knew what he was doing) and convince others to follow them. "By covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words; for a long time their judgment has not been idle, and their destruction does not slumber" (v. 3). Today such men gain a following by making "Christianity" a matter only of belief or faith. Obedience is not a concern. According to such false teachers, Christ's grace releases us from any and all responsibilities to obey God.
Josephus describes in detail the corrupting tactics which Balaam taught Balak to lure Israel into sin and thus cause God to curse them:
Do you therefore set out the handsomest of such of your daughters as are most eminent for beauty, and proper to force and conquer the modesty of those that behold them, and these decked and trimmed to the highest degree you are able. Then do you send them to be near the Israelites' camp, and give them charge, that when the young men of the Hebrews desire their company, they allow it them; and when they see that they are enamored of them, let them take their leaves; and if they entreat them to stay, let them not give their consent till they have persuaded them to leave off their obedience to their own laws and the worship of that God who established them, and to worship the gods of the Midianites and Moabites; for by this means God will be angry at them [Josephus, p. 91].
Once the Israelite men had been lured by the beauty of the Moabite women; they put pressure on the men to abandon their worship of the true God by saying:
If then...this be your resolution to want to marry the women; since you make use of such customs and conduct of life as are entirely different from all other men, insomuch that your kinds of food are peculiar to yourselves, and your kinds of drink not common to others, it will be absolutely necessary, if you would have us for your wives, that you do withal worship our gods; nor can there be any other demonstration of the kindness which you say you already have, and promise to have hereafter to us, than this, that you promise to worship the same gods that we do. For has anyone reason to complain, that now you are come into this country, you should worship the proper gods of the same country? especially while our gods are common to all men, and yours such as belong to nobody else but yourselves [Josephus, p. 92].
In common terms, Balaam's counsel to Balak was this: get your women to seduce the Israelite men, and make them follow your religious customs. Get them to compromise their beliefs—to abandon the Truth!
Balaam's main problems were these: 1) He listened to suggestions he knew were wrong; 2) He asked God to let him support the Moabites because of his covetousness; 3) He tried to circumvent God's will; 4) He partially obeyed God in the letter by speaking what God commanded him; though he rebelled in his heart.
There are modern Balaams among the people of God today! The apostles certainly believed they were already extant in their day. And Christ Himself said there were such in the Church at Pergamos (Rev. 2:14): We know that the dominant characteristics of each Church era exist to some extent in every era of the Church. It follows then that these New Testament Balaams have been, and will be, in the Church through all ages. We must be alert and on our guard so we won't fall into the same trap as the ancient Israelites!
People holding the doctrine of Balaam operate by enticing others to commit sin! But how? Sin is the transgression of the law. One way to corrupt God's people is to teach that the law of God is abolished, or that we only have to keep it in the spirit and not the letter also: Or that it is all right to observe pagan festivals such as Christmas or Easter—disguised as Christian celebrations (spiritual fornication).
Peter speaks harshly of such teachers in 2 Peter 2:18-19: "For when they speak great swelling words of emptiness, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through licentiousness [license to sin], the ones who have actually escaped from those who live in error. While they promise them liberty [to be freed from the supposed burden of the law!], they themselves are slaves of corruption; for by whom a person is overcome, by him also he is brought into bondage."
These teachers reject God's Truth and try to entice others to do likewise. They attempt to convince others that grace is all that's needed. There is no requirement to observe the Sabbath, Holy Days, God's statutes such as the dietary laws, or to tithe because all has been fulfilled, supposedly, in Christ. Like Balaam, these people can't curse those who serve and obey God. But they can, by trickery and deceit, as Balaam did, lead God's people astray. Some may do it knowingly. While others may be deceived themselves and sincerely believe they are acting faithfully. Yet, unwittingly, they are the disciples of Balaam whose master was Satan, the god of this world (cf. 2 Cor. 4:4)!.
We need to heed Christ's warning given through His apostles in the New Testament and avoid those who follow the error of Balaam. We need to steer clear of anyone who embraces his doctrine of causing God's people to turn from Him and fall into the snare of sin—the transgression of God's holy, righteous and spiritual law.
by Bill Swanson
From Genesis to Revelation, the theme of the Bible is love—love for God and love for our fellowman. The Bible also reveals the plan of God to all of us who understand! That plan is for us to become literally born sons of God. We will be genuine brothers of Jesus Christ who gave His life for us so that we could be in the Father's family. Throughout the New Testament, Christ shows us how to behave as His brothers and how we are to deal with one another. We are to follow His example and treat one another as He, our Elder Brother, treats us!
When you offend your brother, is it enough to just say, "I'm sorry"? Or is anything else required of you? Shouldn't you make the effort to go to your brother and have a heart-to-heart talk with him? Or do you think, "I guess we just have a personality conflict"?
Have you ever wondered why, after you apologized for something you may have done to offend someone, you still felt that things were never really the same between the two of you?
What's missing is a genuine , heart-to-heart, soul-to-soul reconciliation. When you repented before God for breaking His laws and offending Him, you had to quit doing those things that caused the offense. Doesn't it make sense to do the same with your brother? Notice that John the Baptist told the Pharisees to "bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance" (Matt. 3:8 KJV). This is the key We must do likewise.
Just as God has to see the fruits of your repentance, so also your brother has to see the fruits of your apology! In other words, reconciliation is needed, not shunning or casting out of the Church! Jesus went on to show His Church how important it is for estranged brethren to be reconciled before coming to the Father in prayer. "Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift" (Matt. 5:23-24).
Reconciliation is more than just saying, "I'm sorry." The word "reconciled" in the Greek is diallosso and it means to settle a variance with someone, an adjustment of a difference, a restoration to favor and a renewal of friendship with someone! In order to reconcile with someone, we must do something. There must be effort. God reconciled us to Himself by sending His Son to be beaten and crucified and to die for our sins! This showed the effort God made for us. "For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son..." (Rom. 5:10). The word "reconciled" in this verse is from the Greek word katallasso. It means to reconcile those who are at variance, return to favor with, be reconciled to someone, to receive someone into favor! We need to make this effort, just as God did when He sent His Son to die for us! We must show this same love toward our brother. We have a responsibility—a ministry of reconciliation. "Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given to us the ministry of reconciliation" (2 Cor. 5:18). We should be showing more love for the brethren. Our Elder Brother, Jesus Christ, set the example. He laid down His life for us. Likewise we should be willing to lay down our lives for each other. When we reconcile with our brother, it shows we have compassion and that God’s love dwells in us (1 john 3:16-17).
Many of our brethren have been separated from one another by false doctrine and false accusations. Some are hurting because of what other members or ministers have previously said about them. But with the help of God's Word we can again have unity; if we are reconciled with love.
Let's put aside pride, vanity and lack of humility. Let's be reconciled. Paul wrote, "And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled" (Col. 1:21)! The word "reconciled" here is from the Greek apokatallasso. It means to reconcile completely, to reconcile back again, to bring back to a former state of harmony! When we apologize to our brother, we have to make an effort to reconcile ourselves to him by showing love and by not continuing to cause offense!
We have to strive to renew a friendship with the estranged brother so that he really knows we are truly sorry for hurting or offending him. We do this by acts of kindness and love toward him—in other words, fruits of repentance. Sometimes, depending on the offense, a card or a phone call may be all that's necessary for reconciliation. But we may need to show with deep humility that we have truly repented in order to be reconciled with our brother!
Remember that many of our brothers and sisters need to be healed of recent spiritual wounds. We, who have already fled apostasy, have also had to undergo a healing process. Many now in our fellowship, and many who may eventually join it, have hurt other brethren in various ways. Some injuries are long-standing, while others have arisen from the more recent crisis of doctrinal heresy. Offenses have come from members as well as the ministry. Yet, no matter the source, repentance and forgiveness are needed to restore relationships that reflect brotherly love and to regain the respect and trust that were destroyed.
But beware! If reconciliation isn't sought in a sincere and heartfelt way, then it's nothing more than lip service! Reconciliation may require a public apology from a minister if he has offended his congregation in some way. Conversely, the offending minister may need to go to his brother privately and sincerely repent of what he's said or done. Each situation must be evaluated individually. Members may have to ask forgiveness from each other—even as Christ forgives them!
Brethren, each and every one of us has been offended by a brother or sister at some time whether intentionally or not! But, by the same token, we have also been guilty of causing offense to others, intentionally or not! We all have a duty before God and our brethren to forgive one another! Remember, one who is begotten of God's Holy Spirit is our spiritual brother or sister! No matter how hard we cling to the Truth, if we don't obey God's command to reconcile ourselves to our brothers and sisters, how can we expect Him to allow us into His Spiritual family for all eternity? How can we say we love God, whom we cannot see, and hate our brother, whom we can see (1 John 4:20)?
We not only have to stand up for the Truth, but we also have to live the Truth! We cannot do a great and mighty Work if we are lame or injured. We must accept our brethren, help to bind up their wounds and swallow a little pride. Some of us will have to eat "humble pie," admit past mistakes and seek forgiveness from those we have wronged.
Sadly, many are still carrying around the baggage of hurt feelings and deep wounds from the past because they have never been healed. The only way that most of these wounds can be healed is through reconciliation!
Considering this present, evil age, let us determine that, until Christ comes, we will build bridges between one another—minister to minister, minister to member, and member to member and member to minister. We have all operated in "judgment mode" toward our brothers and sisters and toward those who were our shepherds. As many more brethren wake up to the current apostasy and stand up for the Truth, we will have to encourage them and help them to heal spiritually. We should remember that we also encountered those same feelings of hurt and betrayal caused by those who were leading us! Ecclesiastes says that there is a time for all things. In the Church of God, now is the time for healing and for reconciliation.
by Raymond F. McNair
Many Christians who profess to believe in keeping the Ten Commandments somehow fail to realize the simple fact that much of the Old Testament "law of Moses" is still binding upon every true child of God! Does this shock you? Then you need to read every word of this article!
Let us first examine several Scriptures pertaining to God's spiritual law as summarized by the Ten Commandments, before looking at the question of whether or not the "law of Moses" is now binding on Christians.
The most perfect code of law ever given to man was God's perfect spiritual law (Rom. 7:14)—the Ten Commandments (James 2:11-12). All of humanity's woes and sufferings are the direct result of man having broken God's "perfect law of liberty" (James 1:25).
When God Almighty gave His "royal law" (James 2:8) at Mount Sinai, He did not give TEN SUGGESTIONS! Rather, He promulgated Ten Commandments (Ex. 20), fully intending, eventually, that His spiritual law [sometimes referred to as a moral or ethical law] would become a universal law for all mankind (Num. 15:15-16; Is. 2:3). Those Ten Commandments are sometimes called the Decalogue.
Today mainstream Christianity seeks to minimize, or in some way nullify, that perfect code of law which God gave to man nearly 3,500 years ago. Why do so many hate God's law?
Adolf Hitler, whom Churchill called a "ferocious maniac," once said, "The curse of Mt. Sinai.... This is what we [the Nazis] are fighting against.... Against the so-called Ten Commandments, against them we are fighting" (Quoted by Dr. Herman Rauschning, preface, The Ten Commandments).
The father of the Protestant Reformation, Martin Luther, revealed an attitude which still reflects the way many Christians view God's law. "I did not love, indeed I hated this just God...for I was indignant against Him, saying, `as if it were really not enough for God that miserable sinners should be...oppressed with all kind of calamities through the law of the Ten Commandments...' Thus I raged with a fierce and most agitated conscience..." (Encyc. Brit., 1970 ed., vol. 14). Many religious people look upon God's commandments as "the terrible ten"!
A careful reading of the New Testament clearly reveals that both Christ and His twelve apostles believed in, upheld and, in every way, honored the spiritual law of God, the Ten Commandments (Matt. 19:16-19).
What did Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles, teach concerning the law of God and the "law of Moses"? Did he say it was not necessary for Christians to keep the spiritual law of God, the Ten Commandments?
Many theologians are puzzled by Paul's attitude toward the law. In recent centuries the common approach to Paul's writings is to assume that Paul was antinomian—against law. The antinomians say, "Christians are by grace released from the obligation of observing the moral law. It was attributed to St. Paul by his opponents [Rom. 3:8], and was held by many of the Gnostic sects, who held that as matter was so sharply opposed to spirit, bodily actions were indifferent. The teaching was revived at the Reformation as following from the Lutheran doctrine of justification by faith" (The Oxford Encyclopedic English Dictionary, "Antinomian," p. 57).
The Apostle Peter, writing in the 60s A.D., revealed that Gnostic heretics were then perverting Paul's writings. "Our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you, as also in all his epistles...some things hard to understand, which those who are untaught and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures" (2 Pet. 3:15-16).
Paul's attitude toward the law is not that hard to ascertain if you have an open mind. The apostle to the Gentiles wrote, "Do we then make void [abolish] the law through faith? Certainly not! On the contrary, we ESTABLISH it" (Rom. 3:31)! He also told his Roman converts, "Therefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy and just and good" (Rom. 7:12). Would God do away with something which was holy, just and good? Paul went even further. He said, "For we know that the law [of God] is SPIRITUAL, but I am carnal, sold under sin" (v. 14). Verse seven clearly shows that Paul is referring to the Ten Commandments.
In many other Scriptures, the Apostle Paul clearly taught obedience to the law of God. However, he also taught that Christians did not need to keep the entire "law of Moses," or the "whole law" in Galatians 5:3, referring to everything in the first five books of the Old Testament. Paul's statement in Galatians 5:3 is in complete agreement with the apostles' decision, mentioned in Acts 15.
After convening the first Church council, oftentimes called the Jerusalem Conference of Acts 15, to discuss the question of whether circumcision was essential for a Gentile man to have access to God and thus have access to salvation, the apostles wrote their conclusions in the following letter:
The apostles, the elders and the brethren, To the brethren who are of the Gentiles in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia: Greetings. Since we have heard that some who went out from us have troubled you with words, unsettling your souls, saying, "You must be circumcised and keep THE LAW" ["law of Moses"—v. 5]—to whom we gave no such commandment...it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things: that you abstain from things offered to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and. from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. Farewell [Acts 15:23-24, 28-29].
The Jerusalem Council didn't discuss the issue of whether or not God's spiritual law (the Ten Commands) was to be kept! Obedience to the Ten Commandments was understood and accepted by all—whether Jews, proselytes or Gentile converts! The early Christians clearly understood that obedience and NOT rebellion was to be practiced by the faithful. The Jewish Christians knew what they were to obey. The question was about what sections of the law applied to the Gentiles. There was no need to waste precious time discussing obedience to the "moral law," the Decalogue, because belief in and adherence to God's spiritual law was taken for granted as a given by all present!
"The law" mentioned in Acts 15:24 is explained earlier in verse 5. "But some of the sect of the Pharisees who believed rose up, saying, `It is necessary to circumcise them [the Gentile converts—v. 3], and to command them to keep the law of Moses.'”
Paul also wrote to the saints in Galatia, saying, "And I testify again to every man who becomes circumcised that he is a debtor to keep the whole law [of Moses]. You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified [forgiven] by law; you have fallen from grace" (Gal. 5:3-4). [Read John Ogwyn's article "Galatians—Epistle of Christian Liberty" in this issue of the GCN for a full explanation of Paul's teaching about circumcision]. Paul then went on to say, "For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but faith working through love" (v. 6). He also told the saints at Corinth, "Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing, but keeping the commandments of God is what matters" ( 1 Cor. 7:19) !
What did Paul mean when he spoke of the "whole law" (Gal. 5:3)? Clearly, in context, he was referring to the whole law of Moses, which did include the Ten Commandments, God's statutes and judgments—and also the animal sacrifices, meat and drink offerings, carnal washings, rituals and numerous ordinances pertaining to the `flesh which were added by God, later, to the covenant He had already ratified with Israel (Ex. 24) after the Israelites had sinned by making an idolatrous golden calf (Ex. 32).
If one carefully studies all the Scriptures mentioning the law of Moses (Acts 15:5; Heb. 10:28), he will readily see that it was the entire legal system of ancient Israel, having laws, statutes, and ordinances, some of which pertained to animal sacrifices, food and drink offerings, the carnal washings and other fleshly ordinances such as circumcision.
What, then, was Paul teaching? He taught that Christians need not keep the whole law (meaning the whole law of Moses). But that did not annul every other portion of God's law. Even today, if a court annuls or abrogates or supersedes some specific part of a state's legal code, does that court's action throw out the entire penal code? Certainly not! Our primary Christian focus should still be on the SPIRITUAL LAW of God as summarized by the Ten Commandments. But even they are not the only part of the Mosaic law Christians are still required to observe.
As we saw, the apostles' letter to the Gentile converts listed four prohibitions: 1) things offered to idols... 2) blood... 3) things strangled..: 4) sexual immorality—all of which are specifically prohibited in the five books written by Moses—Genesis through Deuteronomy! Note that eating things strangled (Lev. 22:8), eating blood or fat (Gen. 9:4; Lev. 3:17), and immorality such as prostitution (Lev. 19:29; Deut. 23:17-18) were all strictly forbidden in the law of Moses.
Those prohibitions were specifically mentioned because devotees of the Gentile religions often utilized temple prostitutes, offered unclean animals to their idols, ate or drank blood, especially by eating the flesh of strangled animals from which blood was not drained. Notice that these prohibitions were part of the divine statutes which clearly defined how you were to live by the Ten Commandments. God's statutes and ordinances clarify, define or reveal how to apply God's spiritual law to practical living situations. Clearly, these four specific prohibitions and even numerous other laws besides the Ten Commands are still binding on all Christians today!
When Paul wrote his epistle to the Hebrews, just a few years before 70 A.D., the Temple was still standing. The priests were still offering daily animal sacrifices and performing all of the rites, rituals and ceremonies pertaining to the law of Moses. Paul makes it clear that the keeping of some of the OT statutes and ordinances were no longer required of Christians. He explains that those things in the law of Moses which were no longer binding on Christians were "symbolic for the present time in which both GIFTS and SACRIFICES are offered [present tense] which cannot make him who performed the service perfect in regard to the conscience—concerned only with FOODS and DRINKS, various WASHINGS, and FLESHLY ORDINANCES imposed until the TIME OF REFORMATION" (Heb. 9:9-10).
Did Paul consider these gifts, sacrifices, washings, etc., to be sinful? Not at all! Paul himself participated in this Temple service when he visited Jerusalem (Acts 21:15-26).
The sacrifices and washings were imposed on God's people "until the TIME OF REFORMATION." What did Paul mean by the expression "until the time of REFORMATION"? Most Christians today speak of the religious upheaval of the 1500s (sparked by Martin Luther) as "the Reformation"—sometimes called the "Protestant Reformation." But the true Reformation occurred nearly 2,000 years ago when Jesus Christ offered Himself as the Lamb of God and then ascended to heaven to serve as High Priest for the people of God, who are now partakers of the "New Covenant" (Matt. 26:28; Heb. 12:24)! Jesus Christ's blood washes away our sin and His indwelling life perfects our consciences. The OT sacrificial system never promised to do this.
We have seen that the Jerusalem Church Council (c. 50 A.D.) enjoined on Gentile Christians four prohibitions found in the law of Moses. But how can one know which other laws, statutes and judgments of the law of Moses are to be kept, today? Should individual Christians or churches each pick and choose which laws, statutes, ordinances or testimonies of God they will keep? Or, should they let the New Testament Scriptures show them which laws, statutes and judgments in the law of Moses are still binding on true Christians today?
There are literally scores of laws, statutes or judgments in the law of Moses which any honest Christian would have to freely admit are still obligatory for the followers of Jesus Christ to keep in the modern world.
God used His statutes and ordinances as practical applications of the spiritual principles of the Ten Commandments. Can you figure out which of the spiritual principles of the Ten Commandments apply to the following examples? 1) Would any Christian say that "witchcraft" or sorcery is now permitted, while it was strictly forbidden (Lev. 19:31; 20:6; Deut. 18) in the law of Moses? 2) How about God's statute forbidding kidnapping (Ex. 21:16)? Is it still binding on Christians? 3) Should Christians keep the law of Moses that requires one to honor the elderly (Lev. 19:32)? 4) Are the Mosaic laws prohibiting bestiality (Ex. 22:19; Lev. 18:23) still binding on Christians? 5) Is homosexual conduct forbidden to Christians (Lev. 18:22; 1 Cor. 6:9)? 6) Are those laws which prohibit oppressing or afflicting widows and orphans (Ex. 22:22-24) still to be kept by Christians? 7) Are Christians allowed to "revile God...[or) curse a ruler" of their people (v. 28)? 8) Is the law against being a talebearer or gossip (Lev. 19:16) still to be observed by all true Christians? 9) Can Christians ignore God's statute which says an employer must never defraud his employee (Lev. 19:13)? 10) Would Christians deny that one must be diligent to maintain just and equal weights and measures (Lev. 19:35-36)?
These are just a few of the examples of ethical standards which God expects His people to keep. There are many other laws, statutes and judgments in the law of Moses which true Christians must still obey!
Again, how can one really know what is still binding on Christ's followers and what is not? One must diligently study the entire NT to see what Christ and His apostles believed and practiced! As an example, Jesus and His apostles kept God's Sabbaths (Luke 4:16; Acts 13:14-15; 17:1-4; 18:4). They also observed the annual Holy Days of God (Lev. 23; John 7; Acts 2; 12:1-4). Even Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles, kept God's Holy Days (Acts 20:6, 16; 1 Cor. 5:6-8; 16:8).
And, nearly ten years after (c. 41 A.D.) the first Pentecost, Peter said, "I have never eaten anything common or unclean" (Acts 10:14). Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14 strictly prohibited eating what God's Word calls "unclean" foods—meats which God forbade His people to consume. Clearly, Peter did not believe those laws forbidding "unclean" meats had been abolished when he received his vision to take the Gospel to the house of Cornelius (Acts 10:1-35). There is absolutely nothing in the NT which abolishes those so-called dietary laws! Rather, those dietary laws will still be valid in God's eyes when He sends Jesus Christ to rule the whole earth (Is. 66:15-17, 23-24)!
One cannot properly understand the New Testament without the Old Testament and vice versa. The Christians of the first century A.D. did not have the NT Scriptures to go by. The apostles preached Christ and the Gospel right out of the OT. In addition, they also believed in and used the words and examples of Christ as their infallible guide in all matters of doctrine and practice.
The NT explains, amplifies and interprets the OT Scriptures. We can only know which OT laws, statutes, ordinances and testimonies are still binding on Christians by carefully studying the words and practices of Christ and His apostles as mentioned in the NT Scriptures. The New Testament is the real key revealing which laws, statutes, judgments and testimonies (as mentioned in the books of Moses—Genesis to Deuteronomy) are still binding upon Christians in today's modern world.
Not one verse in the entire NT gives the slightest hint that any of the Ten Commandments were abolished, either by Christ or His apostles! Christ said obedience to the Ten Commandments was necessary for salvation (Matt. 19:16-17). The Ten Commands make up the basic, SPIRITUAL LAW of God (Rom. 7:14)! Without them man would grope around helplessly trying to find his way in a darkened world. "For the COMMANDMENT is a lamp, and the LAW is light..." (Prov. 6:23).
The Bible reveals that God not only spoke the Ten Commands with His own voice (Ex. 20), but also wrote them on two tablets of stone with his own finger (Ex. 31:18; Deut. 9:10). Notice that this spiritual law is eternal. "The works of his hands [such as the law written with God's finger] are verity and judgment; all his commandments are sure. They stand fast for ever and ever, and are done in truth and uprightness" (Ps. 111:7-8 KJV).
The LORD had Moses put the two tablets inside the gold-plated Ark of the Covenant (Deut. 10:1-5). The fact that the two tablets were made of durable stone was intended to symbolize the permanence of God's spiritual law summarized by the Ten Commandments. But God's additional instructions to Moses (recorded in the law of Moses—Ex. 21-23) were written, at that time, on a very perishable animal-skin or parchment scroll which was then put beside the ark of the covenant: "Take this book [scroll] of the law, and put it by the side of the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God" (Deut. 31:26 JPS). Hebrews 9:4 reveals that the "the [two] tablets of the covenant" were put inside the ARK, under the mercy seat, the very throne of God on earth. The "book of the covenant" was not in such a holy place. Rather, it was placed as ready reference for the priests to copy, teach and transmit its practical judgments to God's people, including their rulers.
Also it shall be, when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write for himself a copy of this law in a book, from the one before the priests, the Levites. And it shall be with him, and he shall read it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the LORD his God and be careful to observe all the words of this law and these statutes, that his heart may not be lifted above his brethren, that he may not turn aside from the commandment to the right hand or to the left; and that he may prolong his days in his kingdom, he and his children in the midst of Israel [Deut. 17:18-20].
After Jesus Christ's resurrection, He revealed to His apostles that though they were to keep God's spiritual law, it was not now necessary for them to keep the whole law, which in NT times was known as the law of Moses.
True Christians are still under the JURISDICTION of the ‘LAW OF GOD. We are still under THE AUTHORITY of the Ten Commandments—as the eternal SPIRITUAL LAW OF GOD (Rom. 7:1 ). However, we are no longer under the death penalty which we all incurred when we transgressed God's spiritual law (Rom. 3:23 6:14, 23).
Paul became "to those who are without law [Gk. anomos] as without law (not being without law toward God, but UNDER LAW [Gk. ennomos, "within the law"] toward Christ)...that I might by all means save some" (1 Cor. 9:21-22). Yes, Paul realized he was still "within [the authority of] the law."
God's true Church has always been a commandment-keeping Church-and always will be! The book of Revelation gives the history of God's true Church, from the time of Jesus' birth to His Second Coming (Rev. 12). Immediately before Christ's glorious return to this earth to establish His Kingdom, Satan will make a final, all-out attack on God's Church—seeking to destroy it once and for all. However, God promises that He will protect His true Church, which will "flee into the wilderness" to be shielded by God (Rev. 12:13-14). Then what? "And the dragon [Satan] was enraged with the woman [God's Church], and went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who KEEP THE COMMANDMENTS of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ" (v. 17).
True Christians always believe in obeying God's law. Even so, many have falsely accused them of trying to earn their salvation by their good works! Nothing could be further from the truth. No amount of lawkeeping, no amount of obeying God's laws and commandments, can ever earn us salvation!
A loving, merciful God freely grants salvation to every human who willingly receives His free gift! It is only by God's GRACE and His free Spirit that we are saved (Acts 13:38-39). Through the freely-given sacrifice of Christ, our past sins are forgiven (Rom. 3:25). And it is only through the freely-given Spirit of God that we can receive the love, joy, faith and the strength to keep God's perfect spiritual law in the present. This is all accomplished through the grace of God!
Even so, we humans definitely have our part to play. God demands that we repent of our sins, but He will not repent for us. God also says we must accept Jesus Christ as our Savior if we wish to be saved, but He will not accept Christ on our behalf. Further, He commands us to be baptized, but He won't be baptized for us. And this same loving God also commands us to keep His Ten Commandments, but He will not keep the commandments for us. If we are willing, however, He will keep His law in and through us.
But how will Christ live His life in us? If we do truly repent of our sins, then God will give us His Holy Spirit which will empower us to keep His commandments. The Apostle Paul explained it this way, "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ [through His Spirit] liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me" (Gal. 2:20 KJV).
Consequently, no mortal human can ever boast! Salvation is not by merit, not of debt, not something which we deserve or can ever earn by our own efforts (good works). Salvation is God's free gift—by His grace. Nevertheless, we must never forget that "faith without WORKS is dead" (James 2:14-26). We must not forget that we will all be rewarded according to our works! "And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one ACCORDING TO HIS WORK" (Rev. 22:12)! "And their works follow them" (Rev. 14:13)!
God promises, "Blessed are those who DO HIS COMMANDMENTS, that they may have the right to the tree of [eternal] life" (Rev. 22:14). Yes, the founder of Christianity said, "If you want to enter into [eternal] life, KEEP THE COMMANDMENTS" (Matt. 19:17)!
There is absolutely nothing wrong with God's "royal law" (James 2:8)—His "perfect law of liberty." Nothing! God's good and just law is a perfect "spiritual" law (Rom. 7:12, 14). The Ten Commands are, in fact, a reflection of God's perfect character, personality and mind! And God wants us to "be[come] perfect, just as ...[our] Father in heaven is perfect" (Matt. 5:48) !
Under the New Covenant, true Christians are obligated to observe God's Ten Commandments—His eternal, spiritual law; but they are not under obligation to keep the whole law of Moses. However, as we have seen, true Christians are obligated to keep many of the laws, statutes and judgments found in the law of Moses—in Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy.
Only by carefully studying the NT Scriptures can we know which laws, statutes, judgments and testimonies from the Mosaic system Christians should be observing today! Many so-called "Christians" think we only need to keep those OT laws reiterated in the NT. They have it completely BACKWARDS! In reality, we must keep ALL laws revealed in the Old Testament unless they are specifically, or in spiritual principle, abrogated in the NT. That certainly applies to each of God's holy Ten Commandments!
God's Word reveals that , when the law of the LORD goes forth into all the world (Is. 2:3), then, at last, all nations will learn to live in obedience to God's perfect spiritual law, and the statutes that amplify it, summarized by the Ten Commandments. When men learn to obey God's spiritual law , they will cheerfully "beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore" (v. 4)! Then, and only then, will the nations on this whole earth experience good health, overflowing happiness, superabundant prosperity and universal peace!
Edward Gibbon, author of The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, makes the following insightful comments regarding the attitude of Christ's apostles and disciples toward the "law of Moses": "The scanty and suspicious materials of ecclesiastical history seldom enable us to dispel the dark cloud that hangs over the first age [the Apostolic Age] of the church" (vol. l, ch. 15, p. 382). "Under these circumstances, Christianity offered itself to the world; armed with the strength of the Mosaic law, and delivered from the weight of its-fetters [i.e. its animal sacrifices, rituals, and carnal ordinances—such as washings].... The divine authority of Moses and the prophets was admitted, and even established, as the firmest basis of Christianity" (p. 387).
Furthermore, Gibbons says, "The first fifteen bishops of Jerusalem were all circumcised Jews; and the congregation over which they presided united the law of Moses with the doctrine of Christ" (p. 389). "While the orthodox church [the early Apostolic Church] preserved a just medium between excessive veneration and improper contempt for the law of Moses, the various heretics deviated into equal but opposite extremes of error and extravagance" (p. 392).
The above comments make it plain that Christ's apostles and disciples all had high regard for the law of Moses, but, as the Apostle Paul revealed, they believed and taught that, though much of the law of Moses was still binding upon Christians, they were not required to keep "the whole law" of Moses (Gal. 5:3). The apostles' and disciples' NT writings make it clear that Christians are not required to keep the ceremonial, ritualistic and sacrificial portions of the law of Moses!