HOLY SPIRIT.

HOLY SPIRIT.

The Spirit of God is God in action within us, upon us, or around us. God's Spirit is God at work, making things happen in the world. We cannot see the Spirit, but we can see the results of its power. The Spirit of God was present when the world was created. God sent his Spirit to do powerful things among his people, Israel. Later, God sent his Spirit when Jesus lived on earth, and the Spirit has been present with Christians ever since.

THE SPIRIT IN THE OLD TESTAMENT

There are three different ways in which the word "spirit" is used in the Bible. It is a wind from God, the breath of life, and a spirit that fills a person with strong emotion or power.

DESCRIPTIONS

In the book of Genesis, the wind from God was what caused the waters of the Flood to stop rising (Genesis 8:1). This same wind from God blew locusts all over Egypt (Exodus 10:13) and sent quail for the Israelites to eat (Exodus 14:21). God blew wind from his nostrils to part the waters of the Red Sea so that the Israelites could walk across on dry land.

In Genesis 2:7, we read that God created man by breathing his Spirit into him. Human beings only have life because of the breath of life, or the spirit, that is within them. God, through his Spirit, is the source of all life, whether animal or human.

In the Old Testament the Spirit of God would sometimes fill people, causing them to say or do things that they normally could not do, in order to fulfill God's purposes. People who were filled with the Spirit were given a great responsibility to fulfill because of the Spirit that was within them. Leaders were recognized by the Spirit within them. In Judges chapter 3, God's spirit filled a man named Othniel. He became a judge and was able to win a war and keep the peace in Israel for forty years. God's spirit also filled other judges such as Gideon and Jephthah. Because of the Spirit of God, they were able to conquer their enemies. Sometimes, as in the case of Saul, God would send an evil spirit to fill someone in order to carry out his plans (see 1 Samuel 16:14-16; Judges 9:23; 1 Kings 22:19-23).

THE SPIRIT AT WORK AMONG THE PROPHETS

The prophets in the Old Testament had the job of giving messages from the Spirit of God to the people. It was important for the people to know the difference between a false prophet and a true prophet of God. The term "Holy Spirit" is used in the Psalms and in Isaiah to set apart the Spirit of God from any other spirit, whether human or from God (Psalm 51:11; Isaiah 63:10-11). A false prophet would not have the Holy Spirit. A prophet that had a message from the Holy Spirit would have the character of a person who was obedient to God. The people could recognize a false prophet by evaluating the prophet's character as well as the message he was delivering.

The prophets wrote about the Spirit in two significant ways. The Spirit inspired prophecy, and it would be known again in the age to come, when Jesus would be on earth. The later prophets, such as Ezekiel, Haggai, and Zechariah, claimed that the Spirit was the inspirer of prophecy. This means that the Spirit gave them the words that they proclaimed and wrote down. The Spirit of God was responsible for everything that the writers of the Bible wrote down.

The prophets also wrote that God would show his power through the Spirit in the age to come. Isaiah prophesied that the Spirit would come again to anoint a man who would bring salvation to all people (Isaiah 11:2; Isaiah 42:1; Isaiah 61:1). He was talking about Jesus, the Messiah. The Messiah was the king the Jews were waiting for. Through Jesus, the Spirit would be given freely to all of Israel (Ezekiel 39:29; Joel 2:28-29; Zechariah 12:10) as part of a new covenant between God and man (Jeremiah 31:31-34; Ezekiel 36:26-27). The covenant was a promise from God that he would send his Spirit to deliver his people. The Israelites had broken their old covenant with God because they continued to disobey him. Under the new covenant, God promised to forgive them.

Between the time of the Old Testament and the New Testament, it was believed that the Spirit was no longer present in Israel. During that time the Spirit's voice was no longer heard through the voices of the prophets. But the Spirit was known again when the Messiah, Jesus Christ, came to the earth.

THE SPIRIT IN THE NEW TESTAMENT

CONNECTING THE OLD AND NEW TESTAMENTS

We cannot fully comprehend the New Testament's teaching on the Spirit without reading and understanding the use of the Spirit in the Old Testament. John speaks of the Spirit as a "wind" (John 3:8), and Paul writes of it as "breath" (2 Thessalonians 2:8). In Revelation 11:11 the Spirit is described as a "breath of life." These same descriptions of the Spirit are found in the Old Testament. Also, the New Testament writers agreed with the prophets of the Old Testament in that the Spirit inspired Scripture (see Mark 12:36; Acts 28:25; Hebrews 3:7; 2 Peter 1:21). The Spirit that the Old Testament writers looked forward to was realized in the New Testament.

Just as Isaiah had prophesied, the Spirit came again during the time of Jesus. This "new age" was one in which the Spirit was once again present on earth. Jesus was the anointed, or specially chosen one, who came to give salvation. Jesus came and gave his Spirit to those who believed in him. This was the beginning of the Christian faith.

THE SPIRIT IN JESUS' MINISTRY

An important aspect of Jesus' ministry (his work on earth) and the message of his followers was that the Spirit was already with them, that this "new age" was the present. No other Jews of that time, except for a group called the Essenes of Qumran, believed in the presence of the Spirit among them. The prophets and the rabbis of the New Testament were still looking to a future time when a messiah would come. They did not realize that Jesus was the Messiah. Even John the Baptist spoke of one who would come and of the Spirit's work in the future (Mark 1:8). For Jesus and his followers, the Spirit-filled life was a reality. The first Christians believed they were living in the "last days" because the prophecies of the Spirit's return had come true in their time.

Jesus knew that his teachings and healings were fulfilling the prophecies of the Old Testament (Matthew 12:41-42; Matthew 13:16-17). He also knew he was the one that was specially chosen by the Spirit to bring salvation to mankind (Matthew 5:3-6; Luke 4:17-19). Jesus understood that the power to perform miracles came from God. God displayed his power through Jesus, just as he will in the end times (Matthew 12:27-28; Mark 3:22-26).

The Spirit of God was with Jesus as he lived among men. Because so many people were still looking to the coming of the Spirit in the "end times," the writers of the Gospels (the first four books of the Bible) emphasized the role of the Spirit in the birth of Jesus (Matthew 1:18; John 3:34), in his baptism (Mark 1:9-10), and in his ministry (Luke 4:1, 14; Luke 10:21). They wanted to show people that the Spirit was with them, that they were already living in the "end times," and that Jesus' life was proof of that.

THE SPIRIT AT WORK AMONG THE FIRST CHRISTIANS

The Christian church began with Jesus' resurrection. Christians believe that Jesus died to save them from their sin and that he rose again from the dead. Following the Resurrection, Jesus appeared to his disciples and breathed the Holy Spirit on them (John 20:22). After Jesus was taken back up into heaven, the Spirit was given to the disciples on the day of Pentecost. At Pentecost, the believers were overwhelmed with visions, and they spoke in tongues when the Spirit entered them (Acts 2:2-5, 17-18). They believed that they were entering into the "new age" that was prophesied by Joel. This new age was one in which the Spirit was present on earth, living and working in the lives of Christians. The gift of the Spirit was seen as the power of this new age (Hebrews 6:4-5).

The apostle Paul understood the presence of the Spirit in the believer's life to be a certain sign that that person had been saved from his sins. The believer could be assured that God had granted him eternal life in heaven (2 Corinthians 1:22). Paul taught that it was necessary for a believer to have the Spirit in order to enter God's kingdom (Romans 8:15-17). The Spirit changes their believers' lives to become more like Jesus. Becoming more like Jesus is a lifelong process, because every believer is caught in the daily conflict between living in the Spirit or according to sinful desires. The process does not end until the person is brought completely under the Spirit's power (Romans 8:11, 23).

THE SPIRIT GIVES SALVATION AND LIFE

John the Baptist had spoken of Jesus as one who would come and baptize with the Holy Spirit and with fire (Matthew 3:11). Jesus referred to this in Acts 1:5 and 11:16, and it was fulfilled on the day of Pentecost (2:17, 33). When the Spirit was poured out on the disciples at Pentecost, they were given salvation from God because they believed in Jesus.

One of Luke's most important messages in the book of Acts is that a person must have the Spirit in order to be a Christian (Acts 2:38-39). Even though Jesus had followers while he was on earth, they were not saved until they received the Spirit. Peter recognized that when the Spirit entered the person's life, God had accepted that person. An example of this is Apollos. He did not know all about who Jesus was, but because he was filled with the Spirit (18:24-26), he was effective in spreading the Gospel.

Paul emphasizes in his letter that believing in Jesus and receiving the Spirit go hand in hand. When a person receives the Spirit, he or she begins the Christian life (Galatians 3:2-3). When one is baptized in the Spirit, that person becomes a member of the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:13). A person belongs to Christ and is a child of God upon receiving the Spirit (Romans 8:9-11, 14-17).

The Spirit is the life-giver. When a person believes in Christ, he or she becomes a new creation (John 20:22). The Spirit is the power of God that brings about this new birth in believers. Christians experience new life because of the Spirit living in them.

EXPERIENCING THE SPIRIT

There are many ways that the Spirit works among his people. When the first Christians referred to the Spirit, they were thinking of experiences of divine power. They used the word "Spirit" to explain the experiences of new life, freedom from the law, and spiritual renewal. They wrote of experiences of extreme joy and moral transformation brought about by the work of the Spirit. Paul wrote about spiritual gifts such as inspired speech (1 Corinthians 12:8-10), miracles and healings (Galatians 3:5), acts of service, counseling, administrating, helping others, and showing mercy (Romans 12:7-8). These are all gifts from the Spirit.

While there are many experiences and gifts of the Spirit, individual believers cannot expect to encounter every one of them in their own lives. The Spirit gives different spiritual gifts to different people. Yet all believers receive gifts of the Spirit. It is important for individual believers to recognize the gifts and experiences of the Spirit in their own lives. These gifts and experiences serve as a sign of a believer's salvation and new life.

GROWING IN THE SPIRIT

Christians shared their experiences of the Spirit, and through this the early church began to grow. The Spirit brought people into the body of Christ through the ministry of Paul and the other apostles. Paul traveled to many different places such as Samaria and Caesarea, and it was the Spirit that enabled him to preach the truth about salvation and bring people to belief in Jesus. The apostles were given many gifts of the Spirit, including healing and miracles, in order to better proclaim the message of salvation. Because of these gifts of the Spirit, the early church grew and unified.

Even today we can see how the members of the body of Christ are unified through the different gifts of the Spirit. A person who preaches is just as important as the person who helps an elderly person do his laundry. Preaching and helping others are both very important gifts from the Spirit and work together to help build the church.

HOLINESS OF GOD.

HOLINESS OF GOD.

God is holy, and God wants his people to be holy. "Holiness" and the adjective "holy" can be seen more than nine hundred times in the Bible. The primary Old Testament word for holiness means "to cut" or "to separate." Holiness is being separated from what is unclean and dedicated to what is clean and pure.

In the Old Testament, God's holiness is his transcendence over creation and the perfection of his character. God is holy in that he is distinct from his creation and has power over it. His holiness is especially mentioned in the Psalms (Psalm 47:8) and the Prophets (Ezekiel 39:7), where "holiness" is a synonym for Israel's God. Thus, Scripture calls God "Holy" (Isaiah 57:15), "Holy One" (Job 6:10; Isaiah 43:15), and "Holy One of Israel" (Psalm 89:18; Isaiah 60:14; Jeremiah 50:29).

In the Old Testament God's holiness tells us that the Lord is separate from all that is evil and defiled (compare Job 34:10). His holy character defines what "perfect" is (Isaiah 5:16). God's holiness-his majesty and his pure character-are skillfully balanced in Psalm 99. Verses 1 through 3 portray God's distance from the earth, whereas verses 4 and 5 emphasize his separation from sin and evil.

In the Old Testament God demanded holiness in the lives of his people. Through Moses, God said to Israel, "You shall be holy; for I the LORD your God am holy" (Leviticus 19:2, RSV). This holiness had two parts: (1) external, or ceremonial; and (2) internal, or moral and spiritual. Ceremonial holiness is talked about in the first five books of the Bible, and includes rituals that "consecrated," or dedicated, the people to God's service. Priests and Levites were consecrated by a complex ritual (Exodus 29), as were the Hebrew Nazirites, which means "separated ones" (Numbers 6:1-21). Prophets like Elisha (2 Kings 4:9) and Jeremiah (Jeremiah 1:5) were also sanctified for a special ministry in Israel.

But the Old Testament also draws attention to the inner, moral, and spiritual aspects of holiness. Men and women, created in the image of God, are called to imitate God's holiness in their lives (Leviticus 19:2; Numbers 15:40). In the New Testament the holiness ceremonies of the Old Testament become less important. Whereas many Jews in Jesus' time wanted to become holy through ceremony and good works (Mark 7:1-5), the New Testament talks more about inner holiness (7:6-12). With the coming of the Holy Spirit, the early church saw that holiness of life was profoundly important and that it should guide our relationship with other people and with objects in the world.

The New Testament Greek word for holiness means a state of being free from fault and having some harmony with God's perfection. The word "godlikeness" or "godliness" captures the sense of the Greek word for holiness. Another Greek word has the idea of holiness as an external separation from the sinful world and dedication to the service of the Lord.

Because the New Testament writers assumed that the Old Testament idea of God was right, they didn't feel the need to talk much about God's holiness. Jesus indicated that God's nature is to be good when he told his disciples to pray that the Father's name might be given credit for what it is: "Hallowed be thy name" (Matthew 6:9, KJV). In the book of Revelation the Father's moral perfection is expressed with words from Isaiah: "Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come" (Revelation 4:8, RSV; compare Isaiah 6:3). Luke, however, wrote about God's holiness in terms of his transcendence and majesty (Luke 1:49).

Similarly, the New Testament asserts that Christ is holy. Luke (Luke 1:35; 4:34), Peter (Acts 3:14; 4:27-30), the writer of Hebrews (Hebrews 7:26), and John (Revelation 3:7) describe both the Father and the Son as holy.

Since the Spirit comes from God, shows us his holy character, and accomplishes God's holy purposes in the world, he also is absolutely holy (Matthew 1:18; 3:16; 28:19; Luke 1:15; 4:14). The common title "Holy Spirit" underscores the perfection of the third person of the Godhead (John 3:5-8; 14:16-17, 26).

In the New Testament, Christ's church is also discussed as being holy. Paul taught that Christ loved the church and died for it "that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word" (Ephesians 5:26, RSV). Peter addressed the church as a holy people using words borrowed from the Old Testament. Separated from unbelieving nations and dedicated to the Lord, the church is "a holy nation" (1 Peter 2:9; compare Exodus 19:6).

But the New Testament more often discusses holiness in relation to individual Christians. Believers in Christ are frequently called "saints," literally meaning "holy ones," since through faith God justifies sinners, pronouncing them "holy" in his sight even though they are sinful. A justified sinner is not a perfect person, but someone whom God has declared "not guilty" because of Christ's saving work. Thus, although Christians at Corinth, for example, had many problems, Paul described his sinning friends as those who were "sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints" (1 Corinthians 1:2, RSV). Despite their problems, the Corinthian believers were "holy ones" in Christ.

The New Testament, however, places great stress upon the need for practical, everyday holiness in the Christian's daily experience. The God who declares a person righteous through faith in Christ also commands believers to learn and become holier throughout their lives. In God's plan, belief and growth in holiness should happen together. God graciously provides the spiritual resources for Christians to be "partakers of the divine nature" (2 Peter 1:4), to learn to be more like him.

YOU'RE JUSTIFY AND GLORIFY.

GLORIFICATION

Glorification is a word used to describe God's glory, splendor, and beauty. The word for "glory" originally meant "weighty, heavy, or important." From there it moved to the idea of an influential, rich, or prominent person. In ancient cultures the wealthy and the powerful were marked by their fine dress and jewels. And fine clothes and jewels were items of beauty. Therefore, a person's glory meant the showy signs of wealth and power. The concept was then extended to God.

GLORY OF GOD

The book of Exodus is rich with references to God's glory. There was the fiery pillar and the glory that entered into the Holy of Holies in the tabernacle (compare Exodus 40:34-38).

In the making of the tabernacle (Exodus 25:1-27), the concepts of glory and beauty are joined. The "goodness" of the Lord that Moses saw (33:19) could also be translated as "beauty." Hence, God's glory is his beauty.

The New Testament continues the thought of the Old Testament that God is a God of glory. For example, look at the vision of God in his glory in Revelation 4. But the primary message in the New Testament centers on the glory of Christ. The transfiguration of Christ was a breaking out into the open of his glory (Matthew 17:1-8). The apostle Paul called Jesus the Lord of glory (1 Corinthians 2:8). He added that the glory of God radiated from his face (2 Corinthians 3:18). John's Gospel is uniquely the Gospel of glory. In the Incarnation, the Son of God showed the glory that was his as the One and Only who came from the Father (John 1:14). The raising of Lazarus revealed the glory of God in Christ (11:40). Jesus' prayer in 17 is filled with comments on the glory of Christ. He affirmed that the disciples of the Lord would share in that glory.

GLORIFICATION OF THE BELIEVER

In 2 Corinthians 3:18). spiritual transformation is described as a changing from glory to glory. Glorification is implied as the last event in the change from glory to glory. In the process of salvation Paul lists glorification as the last and final event (Romans 8:28-30). The verb used in verse 30 is in the past tense. Some have taken this to mean the certainty and finality of glorification. Glorification, then, is the completion, the perfection, the full realization of salvation.

Glorification is the perfection of sanctification as it relates to one's inner character. No one passage treats this theme extensively, but Ephesians 5:27 is a good example. In that passage Paul wrote about presenting the church to Christ. What he says of the church is true of each Christian. Jesus will present the church to himself in "splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she [the church] might be holy and without blemish." Or, in the language of 2 Timothy 2:10, "Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain salvation in Christ Jesus with its eternal glory" (RSV).

Just as the inner person undergoes glorification, so does the believer's body. Paul calls the resurrection of the body the redemption of the body (Romans 8:23). In Philippians 3:21 Paul speaks of the transformation of lowly bodies (that is, bodies wracked by sin and mortality) into bodies of glory identical to that of Christ. The power that shall do this is the power of God, who is able to subject all things to his reign.

The largest section on the glorification of the body is found in 1 Corinthians 15. More details can be found in 2 Corinthians 5. Paul's theme in 1 Corinthians 15 is that as Christians have borne the image of the mortal clay of Adam, they shall bear the image of the immortal Son of God. Paul contrasts the two bodies. The present body is perishable; the resurrection body will be imperishable. This body is one of dishonor; the resurrection body will be one of glory. This body is one of weakness; the resurrection body is one of power. This body is of the current physical order; the resurrection body will be of the future, spiritual, eternal order.

Salvation involves justification, regeneration, and sanctification in this life. In the life to come it means the glorification of the inner person and the resurrection of the body in glory. But such a glorified person must live in a glorified environment. Therefore, the course of salvation ends with a glorious new heaven, new earth, and a new Jerusalem.

HAVE YOU BEEN ADOPTED INTO GOD'S FAMILY?

ADOPTION.

Adoption is the act of God by which believers become members of "God's family." As with human adoptions, believers receive all the privileges and obligations of family membership. "Sons of God," a common King James Version expression, includes individuals of both sexes numbered among God's children (Isaiah 43:6, 18).

According to the New Testament, all persons are sinners by nature. Thus, they are called "children of wrath" (Ephesians 2:3, KJV). However, those upon whom God lavishes his love become "children of God" by grace (1 John 3:1). This adoption process has its origin in God's love and its foundation in Jesus Christ who is uniquely the Son of God. The term "Son of God" refers primarily to Christ's deity (Matthew 11:25-27; 16:16-17), for he is one in substance and glory with the Father. As the second person of the Trinity, Christ is distinguished from the Father as "the only begotten Son." Believers in Christ, although "adopted," are never seen as on a par with the uncreated, divine Son.

Nevertheless, in the beloved Son, sinners have been loved and chosen by God the Father to become his children by adoption (Ephesians 1:4-6). That adoption is made possible by Christ the Redeemer. Through his death and resurrection he destroyed sin and its death penalty. He also restored the righteousness and life needed for the status of sonship. Christ is the head of the "new covenant" as its mediator. Believers in Christ become God's heirs, and his joint heirs (Romans 8:17). God gives to them the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of his Son, as the Spirit of adoption (8:15; Galatians 4:6). The indwelling Spirit gives believers assurance that they are indeed God's children. The Spirit enables them to cry out to God as Father (Romans 8:15-16). Such intimacy with the Creator and Savior in prayer is one privilege of adoption.

Adoption was a privilege given to God's people under the "old covenant" (Romans 9:4). Both Israel as a whole and individual Israelites knew God as Father (Isaiah 64:8-9; Hosea 11:1). The New Testament regards adoption as ultimately possible only through Jesus Christ. Israel's adoption before the Incarnation was a sonship comparable to the status of servanthood (Galatians 4:1-7). In Jesus the privilege of mature sonship was extended to include both Jews and Gentiles (3:25-29). Adoption is a benefit enjoyed in the present experience of God's people (1 John 3:1). However, its full extent will be realized only at their resurrection from the dead (Romans 8:21-23).

WHO IS A GOVERNOR?

GOVERNOR.

Biblical term translated from at least ten different Hebrew root words and five Greek roots. English versions do not render these words consistently; they use a variety of titles, such as "overseer," "officer," "leader," "judge," and "deputy," to translate the same Hebrew word. The situation is similar in the Septuagint (Greek OT).

A governor was someone of superior rank who exercised authority over persons, territory, or both.
Sometimes rank and power were his by virtue of the office; other times accession to office was based on noble lineage, wealth, and public attainment.
A governor normally received authority from a king; therefore, he was a deputy in the territory he governed.
Such was the case with Joseph (Genesis 42:6), Gedaliah (Jeremiah 40:5), Daniel (Daniel 2:48), and Zerubbabel (Haggai 1:1). One Hebrew term for "governor," however, could mean "absolute ruler" (Joshua 12:2) as well as a person who acted under authority.

The term most frequently used in the OT is evidently from an Akkadian expression meaning "lord of a district." Such governors normally relied on military power to maintain their rule (2 Kings 18:24; Nehemiah 2:7; Jeremiah 51:23, 28). The satrap of the Persian and Greek periods was most probably a civil governor. The leader of a city-state was often known as "governor" in the preexilic period (1 Kings 22:26; 2 Chronicles 34:8). The writer of Psalm 22:28 used that title to describe God as the ruler of his people. A temple official who imprisoned the prophet Jeremiah in the stocks (Jeremiah 20:1) was described as a "governor" (RSV "officer"). One who governed an army probably commanded one or more military units. What appears to be a special title is rendered "governor" in Ezra 2:63 and Nehemiah 7:65.

Translation problems from the Greek are also numerous. Different levels and functions in leadership were obviously intended by the various words used. This is most clearly indicated by the use of such terms as ethnarch (1 Maccabees 14:47, RSV; 2 Corinthians 11:32, NASB), one who governed as a deputy of a king, and by another word referring to Roman provincial officials. Such governors were mentioned in NT writings (cf. Matthew 10:18; Luke 2:2; 3:1; Acts 23:24; 1 Peter 2:14) and were responsible for maintaining law and order in their assigned territory. In NT times Judea was under the control of the governor of Syria. Archaic uses of "governor" occasionally appear in the KJV. The "governor" mentioned in James 3:4 (KJV) is the ship's pilot.

CHECK AND BALANCE YOURSELF.

PREDESTINATION.

The forty and more writers who produced the sixty-six books of Scripture over something like fifteen hundred years saw themselves and their readers as caught up in the outworking of God's sovereign purpose for his world, the purpose that led him to create, that sin then disrupted, and that his work of redemption is currently restoring. That purpose in essence was, and is, the endless expression and enjoyment of love between God and his rational creatures-love shown in their worship, praise, thanks, honor, glory, and service given to him, and in the fellowship, privileges, joys, and gifts that he gives to them.

The writers look back at what has already been done to advance God's redemptive plan for sin-damaged planet earth, and they look ahead to the day of its completion, when planet earth will be re-created in unimaginable glory (Isa. 65:17-25; 2 Pet. 3:10-13; Rev. 21:1-22:5). They proclaim God as the almighty Creator-Redeemer and dwell constantly on the multifaceted works of grace that God performs in history to secure for himself a people, a great company of individuals together, with whom his original purpose of giving and receiving love can be fulfilled. And the writers insist that as God has shown himself absolutely in control in bringing his plan to the point it has reached as they write, so he will continue in total control, working out everything according to his own will and so completing his redemptive project. It is within this frame of reference (Eph. 1:9-14; 2:4-10; 3:8-11; 4:11-16) that questions about predestination belong.

Predestination is a word often used to signify God's foreordaining of all the events of world history, past, present, and future, and this usage is quite appropriate. In Scripture and mainstream theology, however, predestination means specifically God's decision, made in eternity before the world and its inhabitants existed, regarding the final destiny of individual sinners. In fact, the New Testament uses the words predestination and election (the two are one), only of God's choice of particular sinners for salvation and eternal life (Rom. 8:29; Eph. 1:4-5, 11). Many have pointed out, however, that Scripture also ascribes to God an advance decision about those who finally are not saved (Rom. 9:6-29; 1 Pet. 2:8; Jude 4), and so it has become usual in Protestant theology to define God's predestination as including both his decision to save some from sin (election) and his decision to condemn the rest for their sin (reprobation), side by side.

To the question, "On what basis did God choose individuals for salvation?" it is sometimes replied: on the basis of his foreknowledge that when faced with the gospel they would choose Christ as their Savior. In that reply, foreknowledge means passive foresight on God's part of what individuals are going to do, without his predetermining their action. But

(a) Foreknow in Romans 8:29; 11:2 (cf. 1 Pet. 1:2 and 1:20, where the NIV renders the Greek foreknown as "chosen" ) means "fore-love" and "fore-appoint": it does not express the idea of a spectator's anticipation of what will spontaneously happen.

(b) Since all are naturally dead in sin (i.e., cut off from the life of God and unresponsive to him), no one who hears the gospel will ever come to repentance and faith without an inner quickening that only God can impart (Eph. 2:4-10). Jesus said: "No one can come to me unless the Father has enabled him" (John 6:65, cf. 44; 10:25-28). Sinners choose Christ only because God chose them for this choice and moved them to it by renewing their hearts.

Though all human acts are free in the sense of being self-determined, none are free from God's control according to his eternal purpose and foreordination.

Christians should therefore thank God for their conversion, look to him to keep them in the grace into which he has brought them, and confidently await his final triumph, according to his plan.

CONTENT OF BIBLICAL PRAYER.

PRAYER.

God made us and has redeemed us for fellowship with himself, and that is what prayer is. God speaks to us in and through the contents of the Bible, which the Holy Spirit opens up and applies to us and enables us to understand. We then speak to God about himself, and ourselves, and people in his world, shaping what we say as response to what he has said. This unique form of two-way conversation continues as long as life lasts.

The Bible teaches and exemplifies prayer as a fourfold activity, to be performed by God's people individually both in private (Matt. 6:5-8) and in company with each other (Acts 1:14; 4:24). Adoration and praise are to be expressed; contrite confession of sin is to be made and forgiveness sought; thanks for benefits received are to be offered; and petitions and supplications for ourselves and others are to be voiced. The Lord's Prayer (Matt. 6:9-13; Luke 11:2-4) embodies adoration, petition, and confession; the Psalter consists of models of all four elements of prayer.

Petition, in which the persons praying humbly acknowledge their need and express themselves as trustfully depending on God to meet it out of his sovereign resources of wisdom and goodness, is the dimension of prayer that is most constantly highlighted in the Bible (e.g., Gen. 18:16-33; Exod. 32:31-33:17; Ezra 9:5-15; Neh. 1:5-11; 4:4-5, 9; 6:9, 14; Dan. 9:4-19; John 17; James 5:16-18; Matt. 7:7-11; John 16:23-24; Eph. 6:18-20; 1 John 5:14-16). Petition, along with the other modes of prayer, should ordinarily be directed to the Father, as the Lord's Prayer shows, but Christ may be called on for salvation and healing, as in the days of his flesh (Rom. 10:8-13; 2 Cor. 12:7-9), and the Holy Spirit for grace and peace (Rev. 1:4). It cannot be wrong to present petitions to God as triune or to request any spiritual blessing from any one of the three Persons, but there is wisdom in following the New Testament pattern.

Jesus teaches that petition to the Father is to be made in his name (John 14:13-14; 15:16; 16:23-24). This means invoking his mediation, as the one who secures our access to the Father, and looking to him for support, as our intercessor in the Father's presence. We can only, however, look to him for support when what we ask accords with God's revealed will (1 John 5:14) and our own motives in asking are right (James 4:3).

Jesus teaches that we may properly press God hard with fervent persistence when we bring needs to him (Luke 11:5-13; 18:1-8), and that he will answer such prayer in positive terms. But we must remember that God, who knows what is best in a way that we do not, may deny our specific requests as to how the needs should be met. If he does, however, it is because he has something better to give than what we asked for, as was the case when Christ denied Paul healing for the thorn in his flesh (2 Cor. 12:7-9). To say "Your will be done," surrendering one's own expressed preference to the Father's wisdom as Jesus did in Gethsemane (Matt. 26:39-44), is the most explicit way of expressing faith in the goodness of what God has planned.

There is no tension or inconsistency between the teaching of Scripture on God's sovereign foreordination of all things and on the efficacy of prayer. God foreordains the means as well as the end, and our prayer is foreordained as the means whereby he brings his sovereign will to pass.

Christians who pray to God sincerely, with reverence and humility, with a sense of privilege and a pure (i.e., purified, penitent) heart, will find in themselves a Spirit-given filial instinct prompting prayer to and trust in their heavenly Father (Gal. 4:6; Rom. 8:15), and a desire to pray that outruns their uncertainty as to what thoughts they should express (Rom. 8:26-27). The mysterious reality of the Holy Spirit's help in prayer becomes known only to those who actually pray.

RIGHTEOUSNESS IN OBEDIENCE

RIGHTEOUSNESS IN OBEDIENCE.

Text: Deut.6:15-25; Rom.4:3-12; Jas.2:23-26.

Introduction: Obedience is an act or instance of submitting to an authority. It is compliance with the demands or requests of someone over us. The general words for obedience in both Hebrew and Greek refer to hearing a superior authority. One Greek word that is translated "obedience" includes the idea of submission to authority in the sense of arranging or ordering oneself under someone in a place of command. Another Greek word suggests obedience that is a result more of persuasion than of submission.

Obedience to God and human authorities is an obligation stressed in both the Old Testament and New Testament. Abraham was additionally blessed on one occasion because he obeyed God in offering Isaac on the altar (Genesis 22:18; Genesis 26:5). God's continued blessing upon Israel by virtue of the Sinai covenant was contingent upon their obeying his voice and keeping his covenant (Exodus 19:5). On the verge of entering Canaan, Moses placed before Israel a blessing and a curse-the former if they listened to and obeyed the commandments of the Lord, and the latter if they did not (Deuteronomy 11:22-28).

Deuteronomy warns that the penalty for stubborn and rebellious children is, first of all, chastisement, and then death by stoning if they persistently refuse to listen (Deuteronomy 21:18-21).

Body: One evidence that a person is a child of God is continued obedience to the commandments of God (1 John 2:3-5). Jesus said that those who love him would keep his commandments (John 14:15).

And Peter, speaking of Christians, calls them "obedient children" (1 Peter 1:14).

Christians are to render obedience to a variety of people: believers to the Lord (John 14:21-24).

Wives to their husbands (Ephesians 5:22-24).

Children to their parents (Ephesians 6:1).

Citizens to their governmental officials (Romans 13:1-7) and.

Servants to their masters (Ephesians 6:5).

However, in spite of the strong stress on obedience in the Bible, such obedience is never made the grounds for justification before God. Paul declares that salvation is a gift of God that will produce good works (Ephesians 2:8-10). So, too, James speaks of works of obedience as flowing from faith (James 2:14-26).

Jesus himself, on the night of his betrayal, emphasized by repetition that love for him is measured by obedience to his commandments (John 14:15). He underscored this by asserting that his own love for the Father was evidenced by his obeying the Father's commands (John 14:31).

The Bible mentions many people whose obedience to God comes from their faith and love for him (Hebrews 11). For example:

Abel believed God and offered a more excellent sacrifice (Hebrews 11:4).

Noah put his faith in God's word and prepared an ark (Hebrews 11:7).

By faith Abraham left Ur at God's direction, not knowing his destination (Hebrews 11:8).

Moses put his faith in God and refused the privileges of being called Pharaoh's son, choosing rather to identify with Israel, God's people (Hebrews 11:24-25).

The greatest example of obedience based on trust in God is Jesus Christ himself. He emptied himself, taking the form of a bond servant; he humbled himself and became obedient to death, even death on a cross (Philippians 2:7-8).

RIGHTEOUSNESS

Righteousness is the establishment of a right relationship-primarily between God and people, but also between individuals. It is the fulfillment of just expectations in any relationship, whether with God or other people. It is applicable at all levels of society and is relevant in every area of life. Therefore, righteousness denotes fulfilled expectations in relationships between husband and wife, parents and children, fellow citizens, employer and employee, merchant and customers, ruler and citizens, and God and people. Depending on the fulfillment of one's expectations, an individual could be called righteous and his or her acts and speech could be designated as righteous. The opposite of righteous is "evil," "wicked," or "wrong" (Psalm 1:6; Zephaniah 3:5).

In Israel the concept of righteousness transformed all of life, both religious and secular. Israel had been called into existence as a separate nation through which Yahweh (the Hebrew term for God) was to witness to the nations concerning his universal rule, his nature, and his expectations of life on earth. This meant that Israel required a revelation from God so that they might learn his will and be instructed in maintaining a relationship with him. The quality of a person's relationship with God is directly linked to his or her relationship with others.

God is righteous (2 Chronicles 12:6; Psalm 7:9). His righteousness is dynamic, since it describes his acts on behalf of his people and also the nature of his relationship with them. All of God's acts are righteous (Deuteronomy 32:4; Psalm 103:6), and God's people rejoiced in the righteous acts of God (89:16). Because God is righteous, he expects righteousness of others, who are to reflect the nature of their Creator. The expected response to God's rule is in the form of righteousness, that is, conformity to his rule and will. In this basic sense, Noah is called "righteous" because he walked with God and showed integrity in comparison to his contemporaries (Genesis 6:9). After humanity's fall and acts of rebellion, culminating in the Flood and the dispersion at Babel, God renewed his relationship with humanity in Abraham and his descendants. Abraham was righteous because he believed God's promises and ordered his life by the revealed will of God (Genesis 15:6).

The Lord revealed to Israel even more clearly how they were to relate to him and to each other. The law in Israel was for the purpose of helping the people of God to live in conformity to the will of God and thereby be righteous. The person who was devoted to the service of God in worship and life was called righteous (Malachi 3:18). Thus, righteousness is a state of integrity in relation to God and one's neighbor, expressing itself in one's acts and speech.

The hope for an era characterized by righteousness was rooted in the prophetic revelation of the messianic rule and the establishment of God's kingdom on earth (Isaiah 11:1-9), whose rule will extend to the nations (11:10-16) and last forever (9:7). Isaiah developed the revelation of the glorious, victorious entrance of the kingdom of God in a most exquisite way, when his enemies will be subdued and his people will be gathered together and will live in a state of peace in his presence. The acts of restoration, extending from Israel's return from exile until the final coming of the external kingdom are, in his prophetic purview, the demonstration of God's righteous acts. He forgives, restores, remains faithful, loves, elects, and sends his Spirit to renew his people and to bestow on them all the benefits of the renewed covenant relationship. Both Jews and Gentiles will be the recipients of his righteous acts (45:8, 23).

Out of concern for the salvation of his people and the establishment of his everlasting kingdom, God revealed his righteousness in the sending of his beloved Son. The coming of Christ marks an era of renewal of his relationship with people, the renewal of the covenant and renewal of his kingdom on earth. The older covenant was mediated by Moses; the covenant was renewed by the Son of God, who came "to fulfill all righteousness" (Matthew 3:15). The message of Jesus is consistent with the Old Testament in the close identification of God's kingdom with his righteousness (6:33; 13:43). Jesus also taught that God expects all people to live in harmony with his will (7:21). Jesus is God's final revelation of what God requires of individuals so as to enter the kingdom and to live righteously.

Conclusion: But individuals cannot attain this righteousness by their own merits; it is a gift from God (Romans 3:21-5:21). There is no righteousness apart from Jesus Christ. In the proclamation of the gospel of Jesus we discover that "it is through faith that a righteous person has life" (1:17). Therefore, the Father requires acceptance of his Son as his appointed means of justification (3:25-26; 5:9). God declares people to be righteous when they put their trust in his Son (8:33-34; 2 Corinthians 3:18). God pardons sins, is reconciled with sinners, and grants his peace to them (Ephesians 2:14-17). Those who have been declared righteous enjoy a new relationship. They are "sons of God" by adoption. The Father relates to his children righteously and expects them to relate righteously to him.

The fullness of righteousness will be manifest at the coming of the Lord Jesus, when all those who have been justified will also be glorified (Romans 8:30). The goal of salvation history moves toward the final glorious manifestation of God's kingdom, when all creation will be renewed in "righteousness"-that is, all creation will be right with God (2 Peter 3:13).

Lecture paper prepared by: PROPHET SAM ADEBAYO.

SIGNIFICANT OF DREAM.

DREAMS.

Dreams are thoughts, images, or emotions occurring during sleep. Dreams have always fascinated people. The events experienced in dreams are too vivid and real to be ignored.

ANCIENT UNDERSTANDING

From the earliest times people viewed dreams as a mystery. They wondered if there were another actual sphere of existence in which the person lived and acted while the body slept. Dreams, especially those of emperors and kings, were held to be messages from the gods.

Ancient recorded dreams focused on three main areas: religion, politics, and personal destiny. Religious dreams called for loyalty and devotion to the gods. Political dreams supposedly forecast the outcome of battles and the future destiny of nations. Personal dreams guided family decisions and predicted serious crises.

Sometimes the god forewarned the person about something unexpected. Sometimes the ruler or general would go to a pagan temple or holy place and sleep there. He hoped that location would bring on a dream that would help him cope with some serious problem. In some dreams the message was clear. Usually, however, it had to be discovered by individuals who specialized in interpreting dreams. Records were kept concerning specific dreams and the events that followed.

OLD TESTAMENT USE

Dreams played an important part in the lives of God's people. Of the nearly 120 references to dreams in the Old Testament, 52 come in Genesis and 29 in the book of Daniel. In reality, however, only 14 specific dreams are recorded in the Old Testament. Most of them are in Genesis and reflect God's direct revelation. Even Daniel tells about only two of Nebuchadnezzar's dreams-the large, manlike image and the gigantic tree chopped down. However, he does record his own dreams about the four beasts and the Ancient of Days.

The Old Testament understanding of dreams had several significant features. Like the rest of the ancient world, people of God believed that God communicated in dreams. Yet the Old Testament records lack the wicked and obscene scenes often described in pagan dream records. Another distinction is that God takes the initiative. He gives the dreams when, where, and to whom he pleases-a truth painfully learned by Saul (1 Samuel 28:6, 15). More significantly, the secular approach to interpretation was specifically rejected. Understanding of dream symbols did not come from research or by natural human ability. Joseph interpreted the dreams of his two Egyptian fellow prisoners and later of the pharaoh himself. But he insisted on giving full credit to God (Genesis 40:8; 41:7, 25, 28, 39). Similarly, Daniel told Nebuchadnezzar that the God in heaven who reveals secrets would make known the king's dream and its meaning. Professional dream interpreters had failed to accomplish that (Daniel 2:27-28).

Unlike their neighbors, the Old Testament saints knew that a dream was a "vision of the night" (Job 33:15). It revealed the spiritual realm (20:8; Psalms 73:20; 126:1; Isaiah 29:7-8).

God used dreams in Old Testament days to protect his servants (Genesis 20) and to reveal himself to people in a special way (28:12). He also provided guidance in specific events (31:10-13) and warned about personal future events (37:5-20). Dreams were also used to predict the history of nations (40-41) and to foretell the four great successive world empires that would be replaced by God's eternal kingdom (Daniel 4:19-27).

Between Joseph and Daniel's time, only two dreams are recorded. One assured Gideon that God would defeat the Midianites (Judges 7:13-15). The other shows how Solomon became so wise. His humble, unselfish request for "an understanding heart" (1 Kings 3:9, 15) thoroughly pleased God.

In the final Old Testament dreams, God gave Nebuchadnezzar an overview of future world history (Daniel 2:31-45) and a prediction of the king's temporary insanity (4:19-27). Daniel's dream of the four beasts was similar to the king's first dreams, but with added details (7:13-14).

Dreams were one means by which God would speak to prophets (Numbers 12:6). But how could the people of God tell a true prophet from an imposter? God gave two tests: the ability to predict the immediate future (Deuteronomy 18:22) and the consistency of the message with previously revealed truth. False prophets were put to death. False prophecy was a serious problem in the days of Jeremiah (Jeremiah 23:25-32) and Zechariah (Zechariah 10:2). Jeremiah warned the people (Jeremiah 23:32; 27:9-10; 29:8-9). But they preferred to listen to the false prophets with their empty messages of hope. Dreams were also a part of Israel's future hope (Joel 2:28).

NEW TESTAMENT USE

The few specific dreams in the New Testament all come from Matthew. The first emphasize the divine care and protection of the baby Jesus. God provided that Jesus would grow up in a home with a father and mother. He would thus avoid the cruelty and shame of being unjustly called an illegitimate child (Matthew 1:19-23). Then the wise men were instructed in a dream not to tell Herod where Jesus was living (2:12). Jesus was further protected from jealous King Herod by the dream that told Joseph to flee to Egypt with Mary and the child (12:13). On Herod's death, Joseph was divinely advised in a dream to return home from Egypt (12:20). Finally, God warned Joseph to avoid Judea, where Herod's evil son Archelaus reigned, and to settle in Galilee instead (12:22).

The only other specific dream mentioned in the New Testament prompted Pilate's wife to warn her husband, "Leave that innocent man alone" (Matthew 27:19).

ANOINTING

ANOINTING.

To anoint is to pour oil or ointment onto a person or object.

The word first appears in Genesis 31:13. Jacob is seen pouring oil on the stone of Bethel (Genesis 28:18-19). At a later time the ceremony was repeated (Genesis 35:9-15). The religious ceremony meant entrance into sacred use. As a religious act, the anointing was meant to provide the anointed one with the quality of the deity involved. From ancient times the Hebrews dedicated officers of their national community by pouring special oil on the head of the person designated for office. The same practice was used to set objects apart for special divine use.

Scripture supplies few details of the anointings of official things and persons. Jacob simply poured oil on a rock with a pronouncement. When anointing Israel's first king, the prophet-judge Samuel took Saul aside for instruction (1 Samuel 9:25-27). Then he "took a vial of oil and poured it on his head, and kissed him and said, ‘Has not the Lord anointed you to be prince over his people Israel'" (1 Samuel!!! 10:1, RSV). A special oil was blended and used for anointing the tabernacle (meeting place) and its priests. Skilled perfume makers blended the choicest spices (myrrh, cinnamon, sweet cane, cassia) in olive oil (Exodus 30:22-25). The Lord said that everything set apart for God was to be anointed (Exodus 30:26-32). This meant the tabernacle, the ark, the table and its instruments, the lampstand and utensils, the incense altar and main altar, and the washbasin. Aaron, the high priest, and his sons (also priests) were also to be anointed. The result was a holy place with holy furnishings, holy items of worship, and holy ministers.

The offices of prophet, priest, and king were those associated with anointing in the nation of Israel. Prophets were sometimes, but not always, installed by official anointing (1 Kings 19:16). They could be referred to as God's anointed ones (1 Chronicles 16:22; Psalm 105:115). All the priests in the levitical priesthood were anointed to their offices. This included the sons of Aaron as well as Aaron himself (Exodus 40:12-15; Numbers 3:3). Afterward, anointing was not repeated to set apart ordinary priests, but was especially reserved for the high priest (Exodus 29:29; Leviticus 16:32).

Before they had a king of their own, the Israelites were aware of anointing as a mode of dedicating new kings (Judges 9:8,15). Anointing became a divinely ordained rite accompanying all the kings of Judah and Israel (2 Kings 9:1-6; 2 Kings 11:12) from Saul onward (1 Samuel 10:1; 1 Kings 1:39). David's anointing took place in three stages (1 Samuel 16:1, 13; 2 Samuel 2:4; 2 Samuel 5:1-4). "The Lord's anointed" or some similar phrase became a common title for Hebrew kings (1 Samuel 12:3-5; 2 Samuel 1:14-16; Psalm 89:38, 51; Lamentations 4:20).

Anointing, however, had more than religious significance. Both the Egyptians and the Syrians practiced anointing for medical and cosmetic reasons., The Scriptures indicate that such nonreligious practice was also a part of Israelite customs (2 Samuel 12:20; Ruth 3:3; Micah 6:15). In fact, failure to anoint or perfume oneself indicated mourning or distress (2 Samuel 14:2; Daniel 10:3; Matthew 6:17).

In the New Testament, local church elders are recommended to anoint the sick when requested. It was to be accompanied by prayer for healing (James 5:14-16). Anointing with oil was also a part of the apostles' healing ministry (Mark 6:12-13).

JESUS CHRIST ISN'T A SINNER WHY MUST HE NEED TO BE BAPTISED?

BAPTISM OF JESUS.

Jesus Christ is not a sinner. Why did He need to be baptised?

The baptism of Jesus was a major event in Jesus' life because it marked the beginning of his ministry. Very few scholars today dispute the fact that John the Baptist baptized Jesus, but the exact purpose and significance of Jesus' baptism is still a matter of controversy.

The Gospel accounts agree that John's baptism of other people was a sign of their repentance (Matthew 3:6-10, Mark 1:4-5 and Luke 3:3-14). He proclaimed that the kingdom of heaven was at hand and that God's people should prepare for the Lord's coming by a renewal of faith toward God. For John, that meant repentance, confession of sins, and practicing righteous living. If that were the case, why would Jesus need to be baptized? If Jesus was sinless, as the New Testament says (2 Corinthians 5:21, Hebrews 4:15 and 1 Peter 2:22), why did he submit to a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins? The Gospels provide the answers.

THE GOSPEL OF MARK

Mark presents the baptism of Jesus as a necessary preparation for Jesus' period of temptation and ministry. At his baptism, Jesus received the Father's approval and the bestowal of the Holy Spirit (Mark 1:9-11). Mark's focus on Jesus' special relationship with God, "You are my beloved Son, and I am fully pleased with you" (Mark 1:11), brings together two important references from the Old Testament. Jesus' position as the Messiah is presented in a radically new way, in which the ruling Messiah (Psalms 2:7) is also the Suffering Servant of the Lord (Isaiah 42:1). Most Jews thought of the Messiah as a ruler who would establish the kingdom of God. They did not think he would have to suffer for the people. Mark intended to show that Jesus was the only person whom God had appointed to fulfill his purpose for people.

The statement that the heavens opened at the baptism of Jesus (Mark 1:10) may proclaim the arrival of the "end times," which was the time of fulfillment and the establishment of God's kingdom. A Jewish interpretation of Isaiah 64:1 held that in the last days God would open the heavens and come down to his people. In Jewish thought the opening of the heavens was also associated with hearing God's voice and with God sending his Spirit to earth.

THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW

Matthew's account of Jesus' baptism has more detail than Mark's. It begins by noting John's reluctance to baptize Jesus (Matthew 3:14). John was persuaded only after Jesus explained to him that the act was "fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness" (3:15). Although the full meaning of those words is uncertain, they at least suggest that Jesus' baptism was necessary in order to accomplish God's will. In both the Old and New Testaments (Psalm 98:2-3 and Romans 1:17) God's righteousness is seen in the salvation he offers to people. That is why the Messiah can be called "The LORD Is Our Righteousness" (Jeremiah 23:6 and Isaiah 11:1-5). Jesus told John that he had to be baptized so that God could offer salvation to all people. This is why God's declaration at Jesus' baptism was a public announcement. This emphasized that Jesus was God's anointed Servant who was about to begin his ministry as the person who would bring God's salvation to earth.

THE GOSPEL OF LUKE

Luke passes over Jesus' baptism quickly, placing it alongside the baptism of other people who came to John (Luke 3:21-22). The context in Luke also sheds some light on the purpose of Jesus' baptism. Luke, unlike Matthew, places the genealogy of Jesus after his baptism and just before his ministry begins. The parallel to Moses, whose genealogy occurs just before his primary work begins (Exodus 6:14-25), seems more than just a coincidence. It is probably intended to illustrate Jesus' role in bringing deliverance and salvation to God's people in the same way Moses did in the Old Testament. At Jesus' baptism, when the Holy Spirit descended upon him, Jesus was equipped to do the mission God had called him to do. Following his temptation (Luke 4:1-13), Jesus entered the synagogue and declared to the people that he had been anointed by the Spirit to proclaim good news (4:16-21). That anointing happened at his baptism (Acts 10:37-38).

In his Gospel account, Luke tried to identify Jesus with the common people. For example, Luke does this in the birth story with Jesus being born in a stable and being visited by lowly shepherds (Luke 2:8-20) and through placing the genealogy, which stressed Jesus' relation to all of humanity (3:38), right after the baptism. By doing this, Luke saw the baptism as Jesus' first step in identifying himself with the people he had come to save.

In the Old Testament, the Messiah was always inseparable from the people he represented (Jeremiah 30:21 and Ezekiel 45-46). The Messiah is always viewed as the representative of the people to the Lord (Isaiah 49:5-26), as well as the servant of the Lord.

Evidently Luke, along with Mark and Matthew, was trying to show that Jesus, as the divine representative of the people, had identified himself with them when he was baptized.

THE GOSPEL OF JOHN

The fourth Gospel does not say that Jesus was baptized but does say that John the Baptist saw the Holy Spirit descend upon Jesus (John 1:32-34). The story emphasizes that Jesus went to John during John's preaching and baptizing ministry, that John recognized Jesus was the Messiah, that God's Spirit was upon him, and that Jesus was the Son of God. John also recognized that Jesus, unlike himself, could baptize people with the Holy Spirit (1:29-36).

John the Baptist described Jesus as the "Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world" (John 1:29). The closest parallel to that statement in the Old Testament comes from a passage in Isaiah that describes the Messiah as a "servant of the Lord" (Isaiah 53:6-7). It is possible that "Lamb of God" could be an alternate translation of the Aramaic word for "the servant of God."

The idea that Jesus is the one who bears the sins of the people is obvious in John's Gospel. Jesus' position as the promised representative and deliverer of the people was understood by John the Baptist and conveyed by the Gospel writer.

In the four Gospels it is clear that the Holy Spirit came upon Jesus at his baptism to enable him to do the work of God. All four Gospel writers saw that Jesus had been anointed by God to accomplish his mission of bringing salvation to the people. Those ideas provide a key to understanding why Jesus was baptized. When Jesus was baptized, God anointed him with the Holy Spirit in order to do his mediating work between God and the people. At his baptism Jesus was identified as the one who would bear the people's sins and Jesus was baptized to identify himself with sinful people.

PRESENT YOUR BODY A LIVING SACRIFICE

BODY.

GOD IS THE CREATOR OF THE HUMAN BODY:
As an artist gives value to his or her work, so God gives infinite value to us by being our artist. God's character goes into the creation of every person. When you feel worthless or even begin to hate yourself, remember that God's Spirit is ready and willing to work within you. We should have as much respect for ourselves as our Maker has for us. 1 Corinthians 15:35-58.
Our earthly bodies, which die and decay, will be different when they are resurrected, for they will never die. (1 Corinthians 15:42)

WE DO NOT DIE WHEN OUR PHYSICAL BODY DIES:
In this section Paul launches into a discussion about what our resurrected bodies will be like. If you could select your own body, what kind would you choose-strong, athletic, beautiful? Paul explains that we will be recognized in our resurrected bodies, yet they will be better than we can imagine, for they will be made to live forever. Our present bodies are perishable and liable to decay. Our resurrection bodies will be transformed. We will still have our own personalities and individualities, but these will be perfected through Christ's work. These spiritual bodies will not be limited by the laws of nature. This does not necessarily mean we'll be superhuman, but our bodies will be different and more capable than our present earthly bodies. The Bible does not reveal everything that our resurrected bodies will be able to do, but we know they will be perfect, without sickness or disease (see Philippians 3:21).

Dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice-the kind he will accept. When you think of what he has done for you, is this too much to ask? (Romans 12:1)

OUR BODY IS TO BE A LIVING SACRIFICE:
When sacrificing an animal according to God's law, a priest would kill the animal, cut it in pieces, and place it on the altar. Sacrifice was important, but even in the Old Testament God made it clear that obedience from the heart was much more important (see 1 Samuel 15:22; Psalm 40:6; Amos 5:21-24). God wants us to offer ourselves, not animals, as living sacrifices-daily laying aside our own desires to follow him, putting all our energy and resources at his disposal and trusting him to guide us. We do this out of gratitude that our sins have been forgiven.

Don't you know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body. (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)

GOD'S SPIRIT LIVES IN THE BODIES OF CHRISTIANS:
What did Paul mean when he said that our body belongs to God? Many people say they have the right to do whatever they want with their own bodies. Although they think that this is freedom, they are really enslaved to their own desires. When we become Christians, the Holy Spirit fills us and lives within us. Therefore, we no longer own our body. "Bought with a high price" refers to slaves purchased at auction. Christ's death freed us from sin but also obligates us to his service. If you live in a building owned by someone else, you try not to violate the building rules. Because your body belongs to God, you must not violate his standards for living.

HOW FAMILIAR ARE YOU WITH YOUR CONSCIENCE

CONSCIENCE.

HOW DEPENDABLE IS OUR CONSCIENCE?

BIBLE READING: Jonah 1:1-17

KEY BIBLE VERSE: Fearing for their lives, the desperate sailors shouted to their gods for help and threw the cargo overboard to lighten the ship. And all this time Jonah was sound asleep down in the hold. (Jonah 1:5)

WE CANNOT DEPEND ON OUR CONSCIENCE ALONE:
While the storm raged, Jonah was sound asleep below deck. Even as he ran from God, Jonah's actions apparently didn't bother his conscience. But the absence of guilt isn't always a barometer of whether we are doing right. Because we can deny reality, we cannot measure obedience by our feelings. Instead, we must compare what we do with God's standards for living. Proverbs 28:13-18
People who cover over their sins will not prosper. But if they confess and forsake them, they will receive mercy. (Proverbs 28:13)

OUR CONSCIENCE MOVES US TO REPENT OR RESIST:
A sinner's conscience will drive him either into guilt resulting in repentance, or to death itself because of a refusal to repent. It is no act of kindness to try to make him feel better; the more guilt he feels, the more likely he is to turn to God and repent. If we interfere with the natural consequences of his act, we may make it easier for him to continue in sin. Romans 14:1-23
Let us aim for harmony in the church and try to build each other up. (Romans 14:19)

WE MUST BE SENSITIVE TO THE CONSCIENCES OF OTHERS:
What is weak faith? In this passage, Paul is speaking about immature faith that has not yet developed the muscle it needs to stand against external pressures. For example, if a person who once worshiped idols were to become a Christian, he might understand perfectly well that Christ saved him through faith and that idols have no real power. Still, because of his past associations, he might be badly shaken if he knowingly ate meat that had been used in idol worship as part of a pagan ritual. If a person who once worshiped God on the required Jewish holy days were to become a Christian, he might well know that Christ saved him through faith, not through his keeping of the law. Still, when the feast days came, he might feel empty and unfaithful if he didn't dedicate them to God.

Paul responds to both weak brothers in love. Both are acting according to their conscience, but their honest scruples do not need to be made into rules for the church. Certainly some issues are central to the faith and worth fighting for-but many are based on individual differences and should not be legislated. Our principle should be: In essentials, unity; in nonessentials, liberty; in everything, love.

IN NONESSENTIAL MATTERS, CONSCIENCE MUST BE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT:
Eating "everything" refers to meat offered to idols; while the person weaker in the faith eats only vegetables and refuses to eat meat that has been offered to idols. But how would Christians end up eating meat that had been offered to idols? The ancient system of sacrifice was at the center of the religious, social, and domestic life of the Roman world. After a sacrifice was presented to a god in a pagan temple, only part of it was burned. The remainder was often sent to the market to be sold. Thus a Christian might easily-even unknowingly-buy such meat in the marketplace or eat it at the home of a friend. Should a Christian question the source of his meat? Some thought there was nothing wrong with eating meat that had been offered to idols because idols were not real gods. Others carefully checked the source of their meat, or gave up meat altogether, in order to avoid a guilty conscience. The problem was especially acute for Christians who had once been idol worshipers. For them, such a strong reminder of their pagan days might weaken their newfound faith. Paul also deals with this problem in 1 Corinthians 8.

SOMETIMES, OUR CONSCIENCE IS OUR BEST GUIDE:
We try to steer clear of actions forbidden by Scripture, of course; but sometimes Scripture is silent. Then we should follow our conscience. "If you do anything you believe is not right, you are sinning" means that to go against a conviction will leave a person with a guilty or uneasy conscience. When God shows us that something is wrong for us, we should avoid it. But we should not look down on other Christians who exercise their freedom in those areas.

HOW CAN OUR CONSCIENCE BE PROTECTED?
Timothy, my son, here are my instructions for you, based on the prophetic words spoken about you earlier. May they give you the confidence to fight well in the Lord's battles. Cling tightly to your faith in Christ, and always keep your conscience clear. For some people have deliberately violated their consciences; as a result, their faith has been shipwrecked. (1 Timothy 1:18-19)

DEPEND ON GOD TO TRAIN OUR CONSCIENCE:
How can you hold on to a good conscience? Treasure your faith in Christ more than anything else and do what you know is right. Each time you deliberately ignore your conscience, you are hardening your heart. Over time your capacity to tell right from wrong will diminish. As you walk with God, he will speak to you through your conscience, letting you know the difference between right and wrong. Be sure to act on those inner tugs to do what is right-then your conscience will remain clear.

THE DISCIPLE TO THE CORE.

DISCIPLE.

A disciple is someone who follows another person or way of life. A disciple submits himself to the discipline or teaching of that leader or way. In the Bible the term "disciple" is almost always found in the Gospels and the book of Acts. A few times in the Old Testament the word is translated "learned" and "taught." Wherever there is a teacher and those taught, the idea of discipleship is present.

In the Gospels the immediate followers of Jesus are called "disciples." The Twelve were called by Jesus' authority from a wide variety of circumstances. But all those who approved of his teaching and were committed to him are called "disciples." The calling of these disciples took place at a time when other teachers had their disciples. Most notable were the Pharisees (Mark 2:18; Luke 5:33) and John the Baptist (Matthew 9:14). John the Baptist's practice shows that different leaders called for different disciplines from their followers. John's way was one of self-denial. However, that teaching involved not only conduct and manner of life, but also a distinctive pattern of praying (Luke 11:1).

The disciples of Jesus had a unique experience. They benefited from the immediate teaching of Jesus, his looks and tones of voice (Mark 10:21) as well as his words. But they also witnessed the unfolding drama of redemption that had Christ as its center. They followed a teacher who was the substance of that teaching. The first disciples could be taught by Christ only little by little. They had a need to understand (Matthew 16:21). But the full significance of what Jesus said and did could not be most fully appreciated until after the events of his crucifixion and Resurrection (Matthew 28:9). This period of "discipling" covered the time before and after Christ's death and resurrection. But it continued on after Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit taught the disciples about matters that they could not "bear" while Jesus remained on earth (John 16:12).

Groups of Jesus' first disciples included both the Twelve and the Seventy (Matthew 26:20; Luke 10:1). They not only received his teaching and taught others in turn (Luke 10:1-11), they were also given power to heal (Matthew 10:1). They were to proclaim the message of salvation through Christ. Yet the Twelve were given a special place. With the exception of Judas Iscariot (whose place was taken by Matthias, Acts 1:26), they became the foundation teachers of the newly emerging Christian church. Their authority in the church, given by Christ (Matthew 16:19; 28:16-20), was to be marked by a unique style of self-giving service (Luke 22:24-30). This group of disciples came to be known as the apostles. This term was later given a wider meaning. For example, Saul of Tarsus was added. He was converted on the road to Damascus. He saw the risen Lord and was immediately commissioned by Christ (Galatians 1:12, 16) as the apostle to the Gentiles (Acts 9:15).

At the time of his ascension Christ commissioned the first disciples to "make disciples of all nations" (Matthew 28:19). Hence, the term "disciple" is also used in the book of Acts to describe believers, all those who confess Christ. Naturally, they have not been directly called by Christ himself. But such disciples are called by Christ's Spirit through the message delivered by the first disciples. Disciples called later are not in any sense inferior to the first disciples. It was proper for early Christians to be called disciples of Jesus of Nazareth or simply "the disciples" (Acts 6:1-2, 7; 9:36; 11:26). This is because they were carrying on the teaching of Jesus and following his example. They were thus recognized as a "school" or living community that reflected the teaching of their "master" in practice. The book of 1 John shows that only those who keep Christ's commandments show real love for God (1 John 2:3-6; 3:10-11).

KEEP THE FIRE ON THE ALTAR BURNING.

ALTAR.

An altar is the place where offerings are made to God. This could be a sacrifice of animals or a burning of incense (a pleasant odor) before God (Exodus 30:1-10). The sacrificing of animals to God was used as a covering for sin. The practice was known in the ancient Middle East. Israel's neighbors, the Canaanites, had their own altars and ceremonies. The altar was always a raised-up place.

The earliest chapters of the Bible refer to several altars that were built. Noah offered burnt offerings (Genesis 8:20). Abraham built an altar at Shechem (12:7), another at Bethel (12:8), and one on Mount Moriah (22:9). Isaac built an altar at Beersheba (26:25), and Jacob at Shechem (33:20) and Bethel (35:7). Moses built one at Rephidim (Exodus 17:15) and another at Horeb (24:4). In each case the altar was built to remember an event in which God had helped the offerer.

Two altars were used in the tabernacle (the place Israel met with God). One, measuring 5 by 5 by 3 cubits (7.5 by 7.5 by 4.5 feet; 2.3 by 2.3 by 1.4 meters), was made of wood covered with bronze, and used for burnt offerings (Exodus 27:1-8; 38:1-7). The other, smaller one, the golden altar, was about 18 inches (45 centimeters) square and 3 feet (90 centimeters) high. It was used to burn incense before the veil (30:1-10; 40:5).

In Exodus 20:24-26, Israel was instructed to make an altar of earth or of uncut stones. Burnt offerings and peace offerings were to be made in every place where God caused his name to dwell. Various individuals built an altar from time to time. Joshua built an altar on Mount Ebal (Joshua 8:30-31). The Reubenites, Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh built one in Transjordan (22:10-16). Gideon built one in Ophrah (Judges 6:24). The family of David did so in Bethlehem (1 Samuel 20:6, 29). David built one at the threshing floor of Araunah (2 Samuel 24:25). Elijah built an altar on Matthew Carmel (1 Kings 18:30).

There were two altars in Solomon's temple. One was 20 cubits square (about 25 feet; 7.6 meters) and 10 cubits high (about 12.5 feet; 3.8 meters). It was made of bronze and used for burnt offerings. It remained the center of temple worship until the temple was destroyed. The second, the incense altar, stood in front of the veil. It was made of cedar and covered with gold (1 Kings 6:20-22).

When the temple lay in ruins, Ezekiel had a vision of the restored temple in Jerusalem. This was an elaborate altar of burnt offering, rising in three terraces to a height of 10 cubits (17.5 feet; 5.3 meters). It rested on a base about 20 cubits (35 feet; 10.6 meters) square.

Zerubbabel built an altar of burnt offerings (Ezra 3:2), but later it was not treated as sacred. There was probably an image of Zeus, the ancient Greek god, at the altar.

In Christian worship no altar was required. In the death of Jesus Christ the final sacrifice for sin had been made. The New Testament refers to the altar of burnt offering in the temple (Matthew 5:23-24; 23:18-20, 35; Luke 11:51; 1 Corinthians 9:13; 10:18; Hebrews 7:13; Revelation 11:1) It also talks about the altar of incense, both in the earthly temple (Luke 1:11) and in the heavenly temple (Revelation 6:9; 8:5; 9:13).

LAMPSTAND.

LAMPSTAND.

In the Bible “lamps” or “lamp stands” usually refer to Israelite lamps developed from those in general use among the Canaanites in the second millennium B.C. Their shape was similar to a shell or saucer with a lip. Lamps of stone, metal, and shells were used, although the majority were made of pottery. A multitude of clay lamps, fashioned in a variety of designs, have been excavated in Palestine.

The clay bowl was fashioned first, and the rim was folded over to help contain the oil. A spout was pinched in place at one end, into which the wick would be placed. When the clay had dried, the lamp would be fired to a dull brown shade. Gradually a style with an increasingly sharply pinched lip was developed. The wick was generally made of flax (Isaiah 42:3, KJV), although an old piece of linen cloth was sometimes used. Salt could be added to the wick for a brighter flame, and frequently extra wicks were used. This led to the development of multispouted lamps like those found at Tell Dotha from 1200 B.C.

Olive oil provided the most common form of lamp fuel (Exodus 27:20), and the average lamp could hold enough oil to burn through the night. Despite this, the housewife would have to get up several times to tend the wick and keep her precious lamp lit (Proverbs 31:18). Tongs were used for extinguishing the flame of a lamp in the tabernacle or temple (Exodus 25:38; 37:23; 1 Kings 7:49).

The saucer lamp, which would have spilled easily, was not suitable for night travel, so a torch was probably used for that purpose (Judges 7:16-20). In addition, the wick of the open saucer lamp could easily have blown out at night.

Lamps were commonly found in burial sites along with food offerings. Because the lamp’s flame was associated with life, lamps were frequently placed in tombs as a symbol of life being rekindled.

Although a more elaborate cup-and-saucer style of lamp was developed in which the flame came from the central area, the saucer lamp remained the most popular. The earliest Hellenistic lamp found in Palestine dates from 630 BC and already shows indications of the later covered model. During the sixth and fifth centuries BC, a flat-bottomed, saucer-style lamp was developed.

In the third century BC the more elaborate wheel-made, covered Greek style took precedence. These lamps were often simple in design, rounded, with a central hole for the oil and one in the small spout for the wick.

In the second century BC the wheel-made lamp was replaced by a molded ceramic lamp of finer design with a larger spout. Imported Egyptian lamps of this type have been found in southern Palestine. Multispouted lamps were probably used on festive occasions. From the same period comes the Hellenistic-influenced bronze lamp of a seated figure holding out a saucer lamp in his hands. At the end of the Hellenistic age the form of lamps deteriorated as the spouts became thick and squat.

Small, round wheel-made lamps of simple design were prevalent in the time of Christ; this would be the type of lamp used by the woman searching the house for her gold coin (Luke 15:8). With wicks trimmed, the lamps of the foolish virgins would probably have lasted approximately five hours, from dark until about midnight (Matthew 25:1-12).

Jewish lamps were part of the religious symbolism of the home, probably dating back to the prohibition against lighting a fire on the Sabbath (Exodus 35:3). References to light abound in Scripture. We read of the eye as a lamp (Matthew 6:22-23; Luke 11:33-36) and of Christ as the Light of the World (John 8:12). We are warned to pay attention to teaching as to a light shining in the dark (Proverbs 6:23; 2 Peter 1:19). Both God and the spirit of man are symbolized as lamps (2 Samuel 22:29; Proverbs 20:27), while in Proverbs 13:9 “lamp” is synonymous with the essence of life itself. Lamps, with or without stands, were also part of the Jewish ritual of death, mourning, and burial.

The tabernacle housed an ornate golden lampstand, or menorah. On either side three branches came out from the main central stem, and seven lamps could be lighted in the flower-shaped holders. The menorah from the Jerusalem temple is represented in relief on the Arch of Titus in Rome. This particular seven-branched lampstand resembles the ten that were part of the furnishings of Solomon’s temple.

The seven-branched lampstand has been a particular symbol of the Jewish faith from the time of its earliest appearance on a coin in the reign of Antigonus (40-37 BC) up to the present day.