What is context? The Second College Edition of the American Heritage
Dictionary says on page 316, that context is, "The part of a written or
spoken statement in which a word or passage at issue occurs and that often
specifies its meaning." (emp. mine RD) The part of the definition that says
"and that often specifies its meaning" is true in the field of biblical studies
as it is in political, historical, and linguistical studies.
It is impossible to overstate the importance of observing the context when we
study the sacred writings. Studying the context is one of the key elements that
assists in understanding and applying the word of truth. (2 Tim. 2:15) If a person
does not pay careful attention to the context of a passage of scripture, he will
almost certainly reach an uninformed interpretation. No one has the right to
mishandle the word of God. (2 Cor. 2:17; 4:2)
Sometimes people see things in the biblical text that are not there. Sometimes
people "snatch" a word, phrase, or text from its context and build a system of
doctrine that has no scriptural basis in fact! It has been rightly said that, "A text
taken out of context becomes a pretext."
I have heard Pentecostals quote 1 Cor. 14:1 and say, "The Bible says, 'desire
earnestly spiritual gifts,' so we should desire to speak in tongues, prophesy, and
heal the sick." The relevant issue is not what the verse says. The problem with
the Pentecostals is, they ignore the fact that when the verse was penned by Paul,
the Corinthians could desire spiritual gifts because people could perform miracles.
The exhortation to "earnestly desire spiritual gifts" no longer applies because the
means of receiving and performing such powers has ended. The is what the
context of 1 Cor. chapters 12, 13, and 14 teaches. (cf. 1 Cor. 13:8-10)
I have heard members of denominations and their preachers attempt to prove
that denominations have the right to exist by quoting Jesus' statement, "I am the
vine and you are the branches." (Jno. 15:5) They argue, "The branches are all
the churches, therefore all the various churches have the right to exist." They
ignore the context of Jesus' statement. Jesus was not talking to nor about
churches. The very verse they quote proves this point. It says, "I am the vine,
you are the branches: the one who abides in me, and I in him, the same bears
much fruit: for apart from me you can do nothing." Jesus is talking to the apostles
about their relationship to him.
Sometimes people who seek to find authority for instrumental music in
worship say, "Paul speaks of the pipe, harp, and trumpet in his first letter to
the Corinthians (14:7), so it cannot be wrong to use instrumental music in
our worship." If they would pay close attention to the context, they would
notice that Paul is speaking about the secular use of such instruments, not
the religious use in the assembly. "Again, if the trumpet does not sound a clear
call, who will get ready for battle?" (1 Cor. 14:8) He uses the pipe, harp,
and trumpet as examples of instruments that must play distinct sounds or
notes in order for a person to know what is being played. Just so, what
edification would result if a person in the assembly at Corinth speaks in a
language that is not known to those assembled unless someone interprets?
(1 Cor. 14:9)
If a person has the right to indiscriminately snatch a word, phrase, or text
from its context, and interpret it accordingly, then the Bible can be forced to
mean anything that anyone wants it to mean. Such would be a great injustice
against God's holy word.
RD
Copyright 2011
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Saturday, July 2, 2011
The State of the Nation
This is not political meandering in order to bolster any political party or
agenda. I want us to stop for a moment and ask from a biblical perspective,
"What is the state of this nation?" How does God view this country?" "Is this
really a God-fearing nation?" Yahweh's view of this nation is what matters
most. It is fundamentally and eternally important!
When we look around us we see a nation in which those who are sworn
to protect and preserve life are granted legal license to destroy it. The fact
that abortion is a reality in American society proves this. The Bible teaches
that human life begins in the womb from the earliest stages of conception.
King David gives a beautiful poetic description of his life in his mother's womb.
David speaks to Yahweh and says, "You created my inmost being; you knit
me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and
wonderfully made; your works are wonderful; I know it full well. My frame
was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was
woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body;
all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them
came to be." (Psa. 139:13-16; NIV 2011)
Did you notice how David credits God with "knitting him together,"
"weaving his body together," and seeing David's "unformed body?" All of
the phrases describe the conception and development of human life in the
womb. Even before David's body had all of its members, from the earliest
stages of his body's development, Yahweh's merciful, patient, and loving
hands were providentially preparing the way for the birth of one who would
kill a lion, a bear, and a giant! Then he would be king of God's nation and an
ancestor of the Messiah!
Have you noticed that the pro abortionists must devaluate that which is
in the womb in order to set the stage for the slaughter of the fetus? They often
refer to the fetus as a mass, blob, matter, or some other substance. The reason
is, if those who favor abortion admit that there is human life in the mother's
womb, then the act of destroying that human life by abortion becomes murder.
According to the sacred scriptures, that which is in the mother's womb is a
"baby." (Lk. 1:41,44)
Since, at conception, there is life in the mother's womb, and since it is human
life, and inasmuch as the life is that of innocent little human beings, then abortion
is the murder of little ones who have done nothing worthy of death. No nations
are as guilty before Yahweh as those who slaughter their innocents!
When we look around us we see a nation in which homosexuals have more
"rights" than unborn babies. God's viewpoint of homosexuality is straightforward
and clear. In Rom. 1:26-27 God says homosexuality is impure, degrading,
shameful, and unnatural. "Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts
to uncleanness, so that their bodies should be dishonored among themselves...
for their women changed the natural use into that which is against nature: and
likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust
toward one another, men with men working indecency..." God classifies
homosexuality and lesbianism as sins against oneself, humanity, and God!
Paul says in his letter to the Corinthians that sodomites and homosexuals will
not inherit the kingdom of God. (1 Cor. 6:9-11) God says homosexuals, lesbians,
and other sexual perverts must turn away from their ungodliness in order to be
forgiven and have the hope of heaven.It is not an acceptable alternate lifestyle.
God did not present a male to Adam in the garden of Eden; he presented a
woman to Adam. (Gen. 2:22-23) And the name was Eve not Steve! (Gen. 3:20)
It is not Yahweh's will for men to have sex with men, nor for women to have
sex with women. God's word teaches that such is perversion. Yet, this is the
state of the nation.
When we carefully observe the state of the nation, we also see a place in
which laziness is rewarded. We see a welfare system that virtually rewards
people for being lazy. This is not to say that some of those who receive
food vouchers and special government subsidized housing are not truly in
need, but there are many young, strong, able-bodied blacks, whites, and
hispanics who are deadbeats, triflers, and irresponsible. They steal from
the system. They, by their "beg, beg, beg...take, take, take,...no put back
into the system attitudes" are making it hard for those who really need help
to get it. I am appalled at the alarming numbers of young girls who are having
babies only for the system to "kiss their hands" and welcome them into the
cesspool of social and financial slavery! Often, they are afforded better
medical and financial treatment than people who have worked hard all
their lives.
The most abject kind of slavery that this nation has ever tolerated
is the kind that we see unfolding before our very eyes; generations of so-
called minorities, (particularly blacks and hispanics) are enslaved to a system
that rewards them by making them slaves, and the recipients do not even see
it! As long as a person is given a fish without being taught how to fish he
will be a slave with no self respect. Give a person a fish, he eats once; teach
a person how to fish, he eats often and when he wipes his mouth he does so
with pride.
God's word teaches us that people who can work should work, and
those who cannot work need our help. We should teach our children and
those around us to work with their hands. (Eph. 4:28) God says, "If a
person does not provide for his own family, he has denied the faith and is
worse than an unbeliever." (1 Tim. 5:8) Those who are at the top of the
nation's welfare system would do well to heed God's command, "If any
will not work, neither let him eat." (2 Thess. 3:10) Stop feeding those who
are willfully lazy! The best way to help the lazy is to stop helping the lazy.
Well, beloved, this is the state of the nation. It is a place where the
little unborn human beings are aborted, homosexuals and lesbians have
more rights than babies in the womb, and the lazy are rewarded and
consequently enslaved by the system. Oh how the Spirit of God must be
grieved at such ungodliness. One day human history will come to an end,
and those who have mocked God will realize that they did the wrong
thing, for "the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all
ungodliness and unrighteousness of human beings who suppress the truth
in unrighteousness!" (Rom. 1:18)
RD
Copyright 2011
agenda. I want us to stop for a moment and ask from a biblical perspective,
"What is the state of this nation?" How does God view this country?" "Is this
really a God-fearing nation?" Yahweh's view of this nation is what matters
most. It is fundamentally and eternally important!
When we look around us we see a nation in which those who are sworn
to protect and preserve life are granted legal license to destroy it. The fact
that abortion is a reality in American society proves this. The Bible teaches
that human life begins in the womb from the earliest stages of conception.
King David gives a beautiful poetic description of his life in his mother's womb.
David speaks to Yahweh and says, "You created my inmost being; you knit
me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and
wonderfully made; your works are wonderful; I know it full well. My frame
was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was
woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body;
all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them
came to be." (Psa. 139:13-16; NIV 2011)
Did you notice how David credits God with "knitting him together,"
"weaving his body together," and seeing David's "unformed body?" All of
the phrases describe the conception and development of human life in the
womb. Even before David's body had all of its members, from the earliest
stages of his body's development, Yahweh's merciful, patient, and loving
hands were providentially preparing the way for the birth of one who would
kill a lion, a bear, and a giant! Then he would be king of God's nation and an
ancestor of the Messiah!
Have you noticed that the pro abortionists must devaluate that which is
in the womb in order to set the stage for the slaughter of the fetus? They often
refer to the fetus as a mass, blob, matter, or some other substance. The reason
is, if those who favor abortion admit that there is human life in the mother's
womb, then the act of destroying that human life by abortion becomes murder.
According to the sacred scriptures, that which is in the mother's womb is a
"baby." (Lk. 1:41,44)
Since, at conception, there is life in the mother's womb, and since it is human
life, and inasmuch as the life is that of innocent little human beings, then abortion
is the murder of little ones who have done nothing worthy of death. No nations
are as guilty before Yahweh as those who slaughter their innocents!
When we look around us we see a nation in which homosexuals have more
"rights" than unborn babies. God's viewpoint of homosexuality is straightforward
and clear. In Rom. 1:26-27 God says homosexuality is impure, degrading,
shameful, and unnatural. "Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts
to uncleanness, so that their bodies should be dishonored among themselves...
for their women changed the natural use into that which is against nature: and
likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust
toward one another, men with men working indecency..." God classifies
homosexuality and lesbianism as sins against oneself, humanity, and God!
Paul says in his letter to the Corinthians that sodomites and homosexuals will
not inherit the kingdom of God. (1 Cor. 6:9-11) God says homosexuals, lesbians,
and other sexual perverts must turn away from their ungodliness in order to be
forgiven and have the hope of heaven.It is not an acceptable alternate lifestyle.
God did not present a male to Adam in the garden of Eden; he presented a
woman to Adam. (Gen. 2:22-23) And the name was Eve not Steve! (Gen. 3:20)
It is not Yahweh's will for men to have sex with men, nor for women to have
sex with women. God's word teaches that such is perversion. Yet, this is the
state of the nation.
When we carefully observe the state of the nation, we also see a place in
which laziness is rewarded. We see a welfare system that virtually rewards
people for being lazy. This is not to say that some of those who receive
food vouchers and special government subsidized housing are not truly in
need, but there are many young, strong, able-bodied blacks, whites, and
hispanics who are deadbeats, triflers, and irresponsible. They steal from
the system. They, by their "beg, beg, beg...take, take, take,...no put back
into the system attitudes" are making it hard for those who really need help
to get it. I am appalled at the alarming numbers of young girls who are having
babies only for the system to "kiss their hands" and welcome them into the
cesspool of social and financial slavery! Often, they are afforded better
medical and financial treatment than people who have worked hard all
their lives.
The most abject kind of slavery that this nation has ever tolerated
is the kind that we see unfolding before our very eyes; generations of so-
called minorities, (particularly blacks and hispanics) are enslaved to a system
that rewards them by making them slaves, and the recipients do not even see
it! As long as a person is given a fish without being taught how to fish he
will be a slave with no self respect. Give a person a fish, he eats once; teach
a person how to fish, he eats often and when he wipes his mouth he does so
with pride.
God's word teaches us that people who can work should work, and
those who cannot work need our help. We should teach our children and
those around us to work with their hands. (Eph. 4:28) God says, "If a
person does not provide for his own family, he has denied the faith and is
worse than an unbeliever." (1 Tim. 5:8) Those who are at the top of the
nation's welfare system would do well to heed God's command, "If any
will not work, neither let him eat." (2 Thess. 3:10) Stop feeding those who
are willfully lazy! The best way to help the lazy is to stop helping the lazy.
Well, beloved, this is the state of the nation. It is a place where the
little unborn human beings are aborted, homosexuals and lesbians have
more rights than babies in the womb, and the lazy are rewarded and
consequently enslaved by the system. Oh how the Spirit of God must be
grieved at such ungodliness. One day human history will come to an end,
and those who have mocked God will realize that they did the wrong
thing, for "the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all
ungodliness and unrighteousness of human beings who suppress the truth
in unrighteousness!" (Rom. 1:18)
RD
Copyright 2011
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