Category Archives: Apologetics

I WANT TO KNOW CHRIST – PAUL

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Philippians 3:10-11 NLT
[10] “I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death, [11] so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead!”

Once again, two English words inserted into the Greek text without reference to the context, changes the meaning of what Paul intended his readers to understand.

Paul was explaining what had happened to transform his life from a fanatical, law-keeping Pharisee into a humble and faithful disciple of the Jesus, whose followers he had so viciously persecuted.

Philippians 3:6 NLT
[6]”I was so zealous that I harshly persecuted the church. And as for righteousness, I obeyed the law without fault.”

How did this transformation happen?

Paul believed that he had it made! He was faultlessly righteous according to the “Law” until he had a personal encounter with Jesus.
From that moment, everything he clung to as evidence of his own righteousness fell away from him. He dumped them in the garbage by embracing an entirely new way of being righteous before God.

Philippians 3:7-9 NLT
[7] “I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. [8] Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ [9] and become one with him. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through FAITH IN CHRIST. For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith.”

This is what follows, according the translators…

“I want to know Christ… “

… but the Greek text says

“… To know Christ…” excluding the words “I want”.

The meaning is different without the words “I want”, in keeping with Paul’s explanation of the change in his life, and following on smoothly from verse nine.

Faith in Jesus made all the difference!!

So, now, it was by faith that Paul became righteous before God, came to know Christ, and became a particplant in His death and resurrection.

Philippians 3:10-11 NLT
[10] “… to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead, to suffer with him, sharing in his death, [11] so that, by this means, I will experience the resurrection from the dead!”

What Paul was expressing was not a desire to know Jesus and the effects of His death and resurrection on him. Rather, he was declaring that, by faith, he was already a part of what Jesus had accomplished on the cross.

Why would he write, in an earlier letter to the Galatians…

Galatians 2:20 NLT
[20] “My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”

… and then contradict himself by expressing a desire for what he was already experiencing?

So, if we exclude the words, “I want…” and simply follow on from verse 9, the translation reads like this excluding the words in brackets.

Philippians 3:9-10 NLT
[9] “….I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith. [10](I want) in order to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead, (I want) to suffer with him, sharing in his death, so that (one way or another), by this means, I will experience the resurrection from the dead!”

Can you see how a few words injected into the text can change the writer’s meaning?

Let us be faithful to the whole of God’s Word by careful study and application of the breadth and depth of Scripture. Let us not be afraid to differ from the scholars who have interpreted to Word rather than translated it faithfully.

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

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Although the Bible provides instruction and guidance for our lives as God’s children, it is not a textbook for every situation and subject of modern life. However, it does provide principles to follow if we are sincere in our efforts to walk in the truth.

Sometimes, we must dig deep into the Word to find these principles with the help of the Holy Spirit.

A question that pops up frequently in preaching and discussion is the issue of cremation. We must look for answers, not only in what the Bible does not say but, even more important, what it does say.

In my search for the truth, I have yet to read or hear any Bible scholar present what the Bible does say about the burning of bodies.

This way of dealing with the issues that affect us now, i.e., what the Bible does or does not say, is one of the differences between Roman Catholic and non-Roman Catholic teaching and way of interpreting Scripture. In my understanding, these different ways of interpreting Scripture remove or set boundaries around our behaviour as believers. According to this principle, we are free to do anything that the Bible does not specifically address (in Roman Catholic theology) or we do only those things which God’s Word instructs us to do ( in non-RC teaching). We look for the principles in keeping with God’s nature where there is no specific instruction.

Let’s look, for example, at what the Bible says about the popular practice of cremation. Most Bible expositors inadvertently take the Roman Catholic route. Since the Bible does not explicitly forbid cremation, they condone or approve the practice. Accordingly, it is up to the individual to decide on the method of burial.

Although the Bible does not devote a chapter to teaching on cremation, there are principles from which we can glean God’s intention.

The first principle leads us to look at the symbolism Paul uses for human death and burial. He likens our bodies to seed. Few seeds germinate in the fire. Those that do are not destroyed in the fire but released to grow.

Our bodies are like seeds that are sown in the ground when they die. Like the seed that germinates and grows into a new plant, unlike but of the seed that was sown, our bodies will rise again from mortality to immortality, perfect, unlike but of the body that was sown, like the resurrection body of Jesus.

It seems, then, that there are, according to practice, three possible places to be buried – soil, water, or fire, depending on the circumstances. The Bible’s best place is in the earth because it best fits the picture of the seed.

1 Corinthians 15:35-38 NLT
[35] “But someone may ask, “How will the dead be raised? What kind of bodies will they have?” [36] What a foolish question! When you put a seed into the ground, it doesn’t grow into a plant unless it dies first. [37] And what you put in the ground is not the plant that will grow, but only a bare seed of wheat or whatever you are planting. [38] Then God gives it the new body he wants it to have. A different plant grows from each kind of seed.”

1 Corinthians 15:42-44 NLT
[42] “It is the same way with the resurrection of the dead. Our earthly bodies are planted in the ground when we die, but they will be raised to live forever. [43] Our bodies are buried in brokenness, but they will be raised in glory. They are buried in weakness, but they will be raised in strength. [44] They are buried as natural human bodies, but they will be raised as spiritual bodies. For just as there are natural bodies, there are also spiritual bodies.”

The second principle is equally significant.

In the Bible, cremation was reserved for criminals. The Valley of Hinnom, outside Jerusalem, was the city’s garbage dump, burning constantly, like the fires of hell. Criminals were cremated in the rubbish dump of Hinnom, from which the body of Jesus was saved by the intervention of Joseph of Aramathea.

What does God’s word say about the burning of a body?

In Amos 2:1, God judged Moab for burning the body of the king of Edom. Although some translations imply or add the thought of desecration, dishonouring the body, the Hebrew word simply means ‘to burn’.

It seems, then, that the acceptable way to dispose of a dead body was to commit it to the earth. God said to Adam after he sinned,

Genesis 3:19 NKJV
[19] “In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, ’til you return to the ground, For out of it you were taken; For dust you are, And to dust you shall return.”

Cremation has become the disposal of choice because it is cheaper than burial and occupies less space than a grave. However, is this God’s prescribed way, regardless of our considerations?

True, the Bible does not forbid cremation, nor does it say how God will raise the bodies of those who were buried in fire or water. He does say, in Revelation 20:13, “The sea gave up its dead, and death and the grave gave up their dead.” No mention of fire. However, it does tell us about His intention for the righteous dead, and what He prescribes for those who defy His holy instructions.

God’s instruction to Joshua when Achan stole goods dedicated to God after the fall of Jerico, is a case in point.

Joshua 7:15, 25 NLT
[15] “The one who has stolen what was set apart for destruction will himself be burned with fire, along with everything he has, for he has broken the covenant of the Lord and has done a horrible thing in Israel.”…
[25] Then Joshua said to Achan, “Why have you brought trouble on us? The Lord will now bring trouble on you.” And all the Israelites stoned Achan and his family and burned their bodies.”

Fire is the symbol and solemn reminder of the destiny of those who refuse to submit to God’s authority in all things.

Revelation 20:11-15 NLT
[11]”And I saw a great white throne and the one sitting on it. The earth and sky fled from his presence, but they found no place to hide. [12] I saw the dead, both great and small, standing before God’s throne. And the books were opened, including the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to what they had done, as recorded in the books. [13] The sea gave up its dead, and death and the grave gave up their dead. And all were judged according to their deeds. [14] Then death and the grave were thrown into the lake of fire. This lake of fire is the second death. [15] And anyone whose name was not found recorded in the Book of Life was thrown into the lake of fire.”

We must make the choice and leave our instructions depending on our understanding of Scripture and our commitment to obey the Word.

GOD’S WITNESSES

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Acts of the Apostles 14:16-17 NLT‬
[16] In the past he permitted all the nations to go their own ways, [17] but he never left them without evidence of himself and his goodness. For instance, he sends you rain and good crops and gives you food and joyful hearts.”

No matter how bad the people in the world are, God is always speaking.

  1. David said that God speaks from the sky.

‭Psalms 19:1-4 NLT‬
[1] “The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display his craftsmanship. [2] Day after day they continue to speak; night after night they make him known. [3] They speak without a sound or word; their voice is never heard. [4] Yet their message has gone throughout the earth, and their words to all the world…. “

Science has even discovered, through radio telescopes, that some of the stars are beating out their message with sounds that echo throughout the universe.

  1. Paul said that God also speaks from the world around us.

‭Romans 1:20 NLT‬
[20]”For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.”

God speaks of His power and divine nature through His creation. Despite man’s abuse of creation, we see beauty and order everywhere when we choose to acknowledge God.

Only human foolishness, moral corruption, stands in the way of seeing God’s signature on everything. People do not believe in God because they choose to deny the evidence of His work. They do not want to believe.

‭2 Corinthians 4:4 NLT‬
[4] “Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe….”

  1. God speaks from inside of us.

‭Romans 2:14-15 NLT‬
[14] “Even Gentiles, who do not have God’s written law, show that they know his law when they instinctively obey it, even without having heard it. [15] They demonstrate that God’s law is written in their hearts, for their own conscience and thoughts either accuse them or tell them they are doing right.”

Every child is born with a moral compass in his conscience. Instinctive guilt points to wrongdoing without his having to be taught right and wrong.

  1. Jesus is God’s last and final word.

‭Hebrews 1:1-2 NLT‬
[1]”Long ago God spoke many times and in many ways to our ancestors through the prophets. [2] And now in these final days, he has spoken to us through his Son. God promised everything to the Son as an inheritance, and through the Son he created the universe.”

Despite sometimes wellmeaning (but still) false prophets who claim they speak from God, God has spoken His complete and final message to the world through Jesus. He has nothing more to say to us because Jesus has said it all. Jesus is His personal and living Word to the world. Much of modern prophecy adds to God’s word and is irrelevant at best and dangerous at worst.

‭John 1:1-2, 4-5 NLT‬
[1] “In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. [2] He existed in the beginning with God…
[4] The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone. [5] The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.”

‭John 8:12 NLT‬
[12] Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.”

  1. God speaks through His written Word.

Since God’s Word is light…

‭Psalms 119:105 NLT‬
[105] “Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path.”

…and Jesus is the Word, we find the clearest and most powerful witness to the Father and His plan by ‘reading’ the Son. Everything Jesus said and did is God speaking to us. When we read Jesus, we discover that He is the only way to the Father.

  1. The Holy Spirit speaks through and about Jesus.

‭John 16:7, 12-15 NLT‬
[7] “But in fact, it is best for you that I go away, because if I don’t, the Advocate won’t come. If I do go away, then I will send him to you….”
[12] “There is so much more I want to tell you, but you can’t bear it now. [13] When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future. [14] He will bring me glory by telling you whatever he receives from me. [15] All that belongs to the Father is mine; this is why I said, ‘The Spirit will tell you whatever he receives from me.’ “

The Holy Spirit also testifies to us that God has done His work in us through Jesus.

‭Romans 8:15-16 NLT‬
[15] “So, you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.” [16] For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children.”

  1. God speaks through His children.

We are Jesus’ witnesses.

‭Acts of the Apostles 1:8 NLT‬
[8]” But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

God speaks to the world through the changed lives of His children.

‭2 Corinthians 3:2-3 NLT‬
[2] “The only letter of recommendation we need is you yourselves. Your lives are a letter written in our hearts; everyone can read it and recognize our good work among you. [3] Clearly, you are a letter from Christ showing the result of our ministry among you. This “letter” is written not with pen and ink, but with the Spirit of the living God. It is carved not on tablets of stone, but on human hearts.”

‭Matthew 5:14-16 NLT‬
[14] “You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. [15] No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. [16] In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.”

  1. He has covered the earth with His Word.

‭Habakkuk 2:14 NLT‬
[14]”For as the waters fill the sea, the earth will be filled with an awareness of the glory of the Lord.”

We live in an age of technology so marvellous that it is no longer possible to eradicate the Bible from the earth as people have tried to do in the past. The Internet guarantees that God’s Word is able to cover the earth. Everyone on earth, except those who remain in primitive isolation, has access to the Bible, mostly free of charge, via a smartphone. A tap on Playstore, or its equivalent, puts the Bible in our hands in almost any language in a few minutes.

So, the world is without excuse. Anyone can read, in the sky above, the world around, in the Son who came, in the book God gave, or in the the people who believe, or in the convicting work of the Holy Spirit through His witnesses, the message of God’s mercy in Christ Jesus. His rescue plan is for everyone who believes His message. He delivers from death and guarantees eternal life, if only people will read!

GOD’S “SCRATCH PATCH”

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Ephesians 1:4-6 NIV‬
[4] “For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love [5] he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— [6] to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.”

I love the scratch patch. In case you don’t know what a scratch patch is, let me tell you. A scratch patch is a big room, the floor space covered with semi-precious stones, agates, quartz, tiger eyes etc., all tumbled to silky smoothness, where one can search for and select stones, at very little cost, for whatever purpose you choose.

There are two places in the Western Cape where one can spend hours happily enjoying the beauty of these stones in a scratch patch.

Years ago, when I was holidaying in Cape Town with a friend, we chose to spend a morning at the scratch patch, collecting stones for which we paid R10. We were each given a tin which we could fill with stones of our choice. We spent happy hours sitting on the stones, admiring their beauty and filling our tins with whatever caught our fancy.

Remembering the scratch patch made me think of the Bible’s teaching on election. Many people are puzzled or even offended by the idea that God chooses some people for salvation and sets the rest aside. Some theologians try to justify God’s actions by explaining that God chooses those whom He knows will believe in Him. They understand ‘foreknowledge’ only as God knowing what will happen before it happens.

However, true as that is, there is more to God’s plans than simply rubber-stamping human choices. The Bible also teaches us that God’s choices are subject to His sovereignty, His mercy, and His purposes.

‭Romans 9:16-18 NLT‬
[16] “So it is God who decides to show mercy. We can neither choose it nor work for it. [17] For the Scriptures say that God told Pharaoh, “I have appointed you for the very purpose of displaying my power in you and to spread my fame throughout the earth.” [18] So,, you see, God chooses to show mercy to some, and he chooses to harden the hearts of others so they refuse to listen.”

Peter put his finger on this mystery when he preached his first sermon on the day of Pentecost, without trying to explain it.

‭Acts of the Apostles 2:23-24 NLT‬
[23]” But God knew what would happen, and his prearranged plan was carried out when Jesus was betrayed. With the help of lawless Gentiles, you nailed him to a cross and killed him. [24] But God released him from the horrors of death and raised him back to life, for death could not keep him in its grip.”

So, before creation, God chose those who were suited to His plan. Like the stones I didn’t shoose because they simply did not suit my purpose, God had the right to reject all those who did not fit into His plan, and they have no grounds for complaint.

If I had decided to make a necklace of tiger eyes, all the other stones did not qualify. They could not complain that I was being unfair because my choice depended on the reason for which I chose some, not others.

God’s choices have nothing to do with justice and everything to do with mercy. Had He not chosen some for His ‘necklace’, none would have been saved.

What about people’s choices, then? Are we not responsible for what we choose to do? Yes we are but, in God’s mysterious ways, he blends His sovereignty and our responsibility together. The Bible teaches both God’s sovereignty and human responsibility although we cannot see where they meet.

God does not randomly choose people for salvation. All are doomed to destruction because of sin. Without God’s intervention, all would be condemned to hell. However, God had a plan before He created anything. He wanted a family of humans like His Son who would live in fellowship with Him and who would rule in God’s kingdom together with Jesus forever.

He would select the ‘stones’ that would fit together perfectly to create His living ‘temple’.

‭1 Peter 2:4-5 NIV‬
[4] ‘As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him— [5] you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.’

Behind this plan is an even greater motive.

‭Ephesians 3:10-11 NLT‬
[10] “God’s purpose in all this was to use the church to display his wisdom in its rich variety to all the unseen rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. [11] This was his eternal plan, which he carried out through Christ Jesus our Lord.”

‭Ephesians 1:6 NLT‬
[6]”So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son.”

‭Romans 11:30-32 NLT‬
[30] “Once, you Gentiles were rebels against God, but when the people of Israel rebelled against him, God was merciful to you instead. [31] Now they are the rebels, and God’s mercy has come to you so that they, too, will share in God’s mercy. [32] For God has imprisoned everyone in disobedience so he could have mercy on everyone.”

In this passage, Paul refers ‘everyone’ as Jew and Gentle without distinction rather than everyone without exception.

How can we criticise God and call Him unfair when His glorious purpose in choosing people is to display His mercy? He shows mercy to some, not judgment to all. He put His mercy on display, especially to those spiritual powers that deliberately overthrew His authority and led the nations astray?

The scratch patch may be a simplistic way of trying to explain election without considering God’s inexplicable greatness in all He says, and does. However, perhaps it throws a little light on something too big to explain or understand fully.

We must bow before Him in submission and agree…

‭Deuteronomy 29:29 NLT‬
[29] “The Lord our God has secrets known to no one. We are not accountable for them, but we and our children are accountable forever for all that he has revealed to us, so that we may obey all the terms of these instructions.”

DOES GOD HAVE POWER IN RESERVE?

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DOES GOD HAVE POWER IN RESERVE?


I recently listened to a prophecy based on the political slogan, “Rise Mzanzi”, and on the recent damaging storms around the South African coastline. The speaker, convinced that she was speaking for God, declared that God is about to show His power to South Africa.

Now, does God have more power up His sleeve that He has not yet revealed in His Word? Since the speaker did not specify, what is the power that God will show South Africa and for what purpose?

We must ask ourselves, first…

Wherein lies the power of God? Is His greatest demonstration of power in the natural world, where weather and natural disasters do untold damage and destroy the lives of many people?


Does God take pleasure in being destructive because He can?

The Bible gives us clear indications of the power God uses to bring benefit and blessing to people. The first and greatest, I think, is the power of the gospel.

THE POWER OF THE GOSPEL

Romans 1:16-17 NLT
[16] “For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes—the Jew first and also the Gentile. [17] This Good News tells us how God makes us right in his sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has LIFE.

There is no power greater than the saving message of Jesus. He can rescue doomed sinners, change their hearts, and transfer them from the dominion of darkness into the kingdom of His Son.

Wherein lies the power of the gospel?

THE POWER OF THE CROSS

1 Corinthians 1:18 NLT
[18] “The message of the cross is foolish to those who are headed for destruction! But we who are being saved know it is the very power of God.”

The gospel’s power to save sinners from death and hell and transform them into sons of God lies in the message of the cross.

Colossians 1:13-14 NLT
13] “For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, [14] who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins.”

THE POWER OF THE RESURRECTION

God’s demonstrated the mighty power of the cross by another act of His power,

Romans 1:4 NLT
[4]”… and he was shown to be the Son of God when he was raised from the dead by the power of the Holy Spirit. He is Jesus Christ our Lord.”

the power of the Holy Spirit who raised Jesus Christ from the dead.

God does all His work in us by the power of the Holy Spirit

THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

Ephesians 1:19-20 NLT
[19] “I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power [20] that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honour at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms.”

Did you get that? The same power – the power of the Holy Spirit – that raised Jesus, is at work in us.

Ephesians 3:16 -17 NLT
[16] I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. [17] Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong.”


Does God have to tidy up this salvation with prophecies about more work yet to be revealed?  An emphatic NO because “It is finished! “

How does God make this salvation active in the heart of a sinner?

Romans 10:17 NLT
[17] “So faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ.”

So, secondly, God’s power is in His Word.

Hebrews 4:12 NLT
[12] “For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.”

1 Peter 1:23 NLT
[23] “For you have been born again, but not to a life that will quickly end. Your new life will last forever because it comes from the eternal, living word of God….
[25] … And that word is the Good News that was preached to you.”

Life is full of twists and turns, challenges and hardships, pain and suffering. How do we navigate this journey until we reach our eternal home?

THE POWER OF GOD’S GRACE

Paul knew what it was to struggle and suffer. His cry for help produced this powerful assurance.

2 Corinthians 12:9 NLT
[9] “Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me.”

There is so much more that God’s power does to us and in us that I cannot refer to here. However, we know that God’s power is enough to save, transform, and help us to live lives that reflect His grace in this fallen world and to keep us in His love until we reach our heavenly destination.

This is the power South Africa needs, not some vague, prophetic, wishful thinking, to transform the lives of people who will, by their faith in God and lives of unselfish service to others , rescue our nation.

Our nation can be changed, not by God demonstrating His power, but by the gospel of the Lord Jesus transforming people, one life at a time. For the gospel to be effective, it must be preached to every person and lived by every believer. That’s the power of God that He has given us if we believe.