What Do I Expect From A Biblical Commentary?

     Commentaries on sacred scripture are important resources for the study of
God's word. They often contain useful  geographical, historical, lexical, and
practical information that it would take years to learn through the detailed study
of original and secondary literature.  But a biblical commentary should never be
the first court of appeal. The student should first become well  acquainted with
the Bible itself. Read, read, read. Study, study, study. Investigate the words of
the text. Study the immediate and remote context of the passage under scrutiny.
Examine all the books and/or letters penned the biblical writer. Try to determine
the overall picture of  the text you are studying. After you have attempted to
determine what you believe the text teaches, reading a commentary can be a
useful exercise. What do I expect from a biblical commentary?

     First, I will  state  what  I do not expect  from  a commentary. I do not
expect it to be perfect. If I demand a commentary  to be perfect, I will be
disappointed because  commentaries are written by human authors, and the
result is  an imperfect resource. Some of the worst commentaries are  written 
by men  with  high  academic credentials,  and some of the best are written
by men who are not graduates of Princeton, Harvard, and Yale.

     Next, I do not expect a commentary to necessarily agree with me. If I am
wrong in the conclusions I have reached, and if the writer of the commentary
agrees   with   me, then  both of    us  are  wrong. Neither  do  I  expect  a
commentary to make everything easy. The road  leading to knowledge has
encumbrances along the way.  I must be willing to climb the mountains, swim
the oceans, and crawl across the valleys in order to ascertain the information
I seek. I do not expect a commentary to answer all the questions. I should
be willing to mine the rich ore of divine truth. Not only will doing so give me
self satisfaction, it will also make the journey memorable.   

     Second, I do expect a commentary to respect the text, deal with it honestly,
and make me think through the text! If at the end of the day, a commentary
has made me think my way  through  the  text, my  journey  will  have  been
pleasantly successful. The commentaries I find most useful are the ones that
exegete the text, and tell why and how they arrived at their conclusions. That
friends, is what I expect from a biblical commentary.
                                                                                                        R. Daly
Copyright 2013

Accurate Speech

     Those of us who have reverence for God and respect for the sacred writings, should
diligently try to speak accurately regarding the book of God. When we read from the
pens of denominational writers, we must be careful not to be influenced by the errors they
promote. We must not swallow everything everybody says in religion. "If the blind guide
the blind, both will fall into a pit." (Matthew 15:14) We should think through the text.
Luke tells us the Bereans "examined the scriptures to see whether the things were so."
(Acts 17:11) Their example is worthy of imitation.

     It is quite common to hear denominational theologians speak of the books of Matthew,
Mark, Luke, and John as "gospels." Unfortunately some of the Lord's own people use the
same terminology in their preaching and writing. The fact is, there is only one body of
literature known as the gospel. (Galatians 1:6-9)  Accurately  speaking, Matthew, Mark,
Luke, and John are "books" that constitute biographies of the life of Jesus the Messiah.
They  detail  his  life, teaching,  miracles,  claims,  death,  burial,  resurrection, and his
uniqueness as the Son of the living God. In the minds of those writers Jesus was the one
about whom the law and the prophets spoke, he was God in  the  flesh,  the  world's
redeemer, and  the  hope  of  the human race. Their writings, along with the other writings
of the new covenant, form the composite picture of what is known as the gospel. 

     Another example of inaccurate speech is referring to the letters of Paul to Timothy and
Titus as "pastorals" or "pastoral epistles." It is widely believed that Timothy and Titus were
"pastors" and that Paul wrote to  instruct  them  about  how  they  were to superintend or
"feed" the congregations under their oversight and care.  First, the word "pastor" is a term
that describes the work of shepherds within local congregations. They were also known
as elders-presbyters (Acts 20:17), overseers-bishops (Acts 20:28), and shepherds-pastors
(1 Peter 5:1-2). No  one  was  a  pastor  just  because  he  was  a  preacher.  God  gave
qualifications    that    had    to    be    possessed    before   one   could   be   a   "pastor."
(1 Timothy 3; Titus 1) They  had  to  be  married,  have  children,  and  be  older  men of
experience. A   man   may   preach   even  if  he  possesses  none  of  those qualifications.
(2 Timothy 4:1-5)    Second,  the   letters   of    Paul   to  Timothy   and   Titus   are   not
"pastoral epistles," that  is, letters  to  young  "pastors."  They  are  letters  to  preachers,
explaining how to live, what to teach, how to deal with those who teach  error within the
congregations of Christ, and how to  organize  the  local  congregations for efficient service
and work. (1 Timothy 1:3; 4:16; 2 Timothy 3:1-10; Titus 1:10-13; 2:11-12; 3:9-11)

     The  way  to  ensure  that we use accurate speech in teaching God's word is to think
through the text, and  to  refuse  to  accept  any  doctrine  or  practice on the basis that
someone alleges the things are true. "If  anyone  speaks,  they  should  do so as one who
speaks the very words of God." (1 Peter 4:11)

                                                                                                                        R. Daly
Copyright 2013                                                       


  

Thinking Thru The Text

     It is often difficult to get people to "think thru the text." Why? There are several reasons.
Many people do not want to exert the mental industry necessary to study the scriptures.
They like to be told what to believe. This is why some people ask, "What is the 'church of
Christ' position on this subject?" Others ask, "What is the 'brotherhood' position' on this
subject?" We should care less about a 'church of Christ' or 'brotherhood' position on any
subject. The proper question to ask is, "What do the scriptures teach?" In order to
determine what the scriptures teach, we must think thru the text. Thinking thru the text
may lead to the same conclusions that were derived by people of former generations, but
we must be careful not to believe and practice anything just because they did so. We want
to be certain that we believe and practice only what sacred scripture authorizes, even if it
brings us into conflict with those around us. Fidelity to God and his word trumps loyalty to
the opinions and traditions of human beings. This is not always the easy position to occupy,
but it is always the right stance to take.

     It is not sufficient to merely quote human "authorities" whether they are preachers,
editors, professors, elders, or other learned men in order to determine the correctness of
a point of doctrine or practice. The issue is not what men have said, but our desire is to
ascertain what God says in the holy scriptures. "If anyone speaks, they should speak as
one who speaks the very words of God." (1 Peter 4:11, NIV-2011) We should put our
Bible in hand, open its pages, read what it says, and think thru the text.

     This attitude is exemplified in what Luke writes about the Jews in Berea. Paul and
Silas were sent away from Thessalonica by the brothers who lived there. They arrived in
Berea, and they "went into the Jewish synagogue. Now these Jews were more noble
than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the
scriptures daily to see if these things were so. Many of them therefore believed, with not
a few Greek women of high standing as well as men." (Acts 17:10-11, ESV-2011) Paul
was the Lord's apostle, and Silas was Paul's companion and a good man, but the Jews
appealed to the scriptures to see if what they were teaching the people was true to the
word of God. They found the things to be true, and Luke said, "many of them therefore
believed." This included both women and men! They became followers of God's way,
not the way of men. This is the way it should be. Luke commended them for "examining
the scriptures," or thinking thru the text.

     Thinking thru the text is a good safeguard against leading others astray or being led
astray. Too many people accept the words of teachers and preachers without question.
Too many people hesitate to challenge the inaccurate conclusions drawn by those who
guide them. Those who instruct in religious circles are sometimes blindsided by their own
prejudices or theological presuppositions. Jesus said, "If the blind guide the blind, both
shall fall into a pit." (Matthew 15:14, ASV-1901) When we approach God's word with
the intent of proving what we have already decided to believe, we will inevitably fall into
the trap of either distorting or misreading the text. This is not good biblical exegesis! As
Job  asked,   "Will   you   speak   falsely   for  God   and  speak  deceitfully  for  him?"
(Job 13:7, ESV-2011)

     I have heard, and  at  one  time  believed,  that  the  word  fellowship  in  the  New
Testament always refers to spiritual things, and never to anything material or physical.
When we think thru the text we discover that the statement is not accurate. It is not
only  false,  but  it  misrepresents  God's  word.  Fellowship  (koinonia)  is  sharing,
communion, or joint-participation. It not only refers to our communion with the deity
(1 Corinthians 1:9; 1 John 1:5-7), but  it  is  also  used  with  reference  to  things that
are material  or  physical. In  the  early  portion  of  the book of Acts, we read about
believers, under the guidance  of   the  apostles, enjoying  or  experiencing  fellowship
in  physical  things. (Acts 2:44) In 2 Corinthians 9:13 koinonia is used to denote the
practical expression of fellowship through sharing "the generosity of a contribution." In
Romans 15:25-27 Paul uses the word to refer to sharing in material blessings. We
learn this by thinking thru the text.

     I understand why it is often said that fellowship is always used to describe spiritual
things. We have heard the statement from others and we want to be sure that we do
not give people a reason to believe congregations are worldly social clubs, political
organizations, or entertainment societies. The goal is worthy, but we will not promote
God's cause by perverting scripture or speaking falsely for God. It is wrong to do so.
We  do  not  allow  denominations  to  succeed  in  distorting  the  scriptures; neither
should we twist the holy word of the eternal God.

                                                                                                                 R. Daly

Copyright, 2013
   
 

"In Christ" "Of Christ" "Through Christ"

     The phrases that comprise the title of this essay are commonly found in the
New Testament. The most predominant phrase is "in Christ." It is found most
frequently in the writings of Paul, but each of the phrases is important, and they
always have profound theological implications. Let us briefly examine them in the
light of New Testament teaching in order to discover what each entails.

     The phrase "in Christ" (en Christo) is found in all the New Testament writings
of Paul except his letter to Titus. "In Christ" or its equivalent phrases ("in him," "in
the Lord," "in the Beloved," "in Jesus," etc.) is used more than 30 times in Paul's
letter to the Ephesians! Paul uses the expression to indicate the unique spiritual
communion that believers experience with their Lord. The Lord's holy people have
access to "every spiritual blessing in the heavenly regions in Christ." (Ephesians 1:3)
The phrase does not imply a literal "in" relationship as if we are personally and bodily
in the physical body of the Lord Jesus. It conveys the idea of fellowship or sharing;
close or intimate union. It implies that those who are "in" him share in all the benefits
that result from this relationship. According to the New Testament both individuals
and congregations are "in Christ." (Romans 16:7; Galatians 1:22; 1 Thessalonians
2:14)

     The phrase "of Christ" also frequently occurs in the New Testament. It is never
used as a proper name, but it is always used to indicate a relationship. Peter writes
about the "blood of Christ." (1 Peter 1:2) He is not giving the blood a name, but he
tells us whose blood it is about which he writes. It is Jesus Christ's blood that is
sprinkled. Peter also writes about "the revelation of Jesus Christ." (1 Peter 1:7) He
is not giving the revelation a name, but he tells  us  whose  revelation  we  look 
forward  to  on  the  last  day. John writes about the teaching/doctrine of Christ."
(2 John 9) He is not telling us the name of the doctrine, but he tells us whose doctrine
it is. A person is to remain in Christ's teaching. Paul writes about "congregations of
Christ." (Romans 16:16) Traditionally, preachers, elders, editors of religious journals,
and others have believed and taught that Paul is recording the name of the Lord's
spiritual body. Such is not the case. As the previous examples illustrate, Paul is not
giving the congregations a name; but he is telling the readers whose congregations they
are. He is indicating  the  relationship  they  sustain to Christ; they are "of Christ." The
congregations that send greetings through Paul, to the brothers and sisters in Rome
belong to Christ. So, the New Testament speaks of the blood of Christ, the revelation
of Christ, the teaching/doctrine of Christ, and the congregations of Christ, and in neither
instance does "of Christ" indicate the name of the things that belong to him.

     The phrase "through Christ" also commonly occurs in the New Testament, and like
the other phrases it is theologically significant. For instance, the scriptures inform us that
God created all things "through" Christ. (John 1:3) The "world was made through him."
(John 1:10; Hebrews 1:2) According to 1 Peter 4:11, "In all things God is to be glorified
through Jesus Christ." Jesus said, "No one can come to the Father except through me."
(John 14:6) "Through Christ" indicates the agent by means of whom something is
accomplished. Jesus was the operative agent of both the physical and spiritual creation.
(Colossians 1:16-20) Paul states, "Yet to us there is one God, the Father, from whom are
all things...and one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and we through him."
(1 Corinthians 8:6)

     When the phrases "in Christ," "of Christ," and "through Christ" are interpreted in their
New Testament contexts, we conclude with the following analysis: "in Christ" informs us
of the unique fellowship; "of Christ" tells us about the sublime relationship; and "through
Christ" indicates the means by which the fellowship is attained and the relationship is
sustained. It's all "through Christ!" 

                                                                                                                 R. Daly
Copyright 2013
 

God's Colorful Word

     The word of God is not the dry, dull, and dead book that many allege! The
opposite is true. God, by the Holy Spirit, through the penmen who wrote the
precious words of life, often uses colorful language  in order to make his word
memorable and eternally relevant. Sometimes this is done by means of explicit
language, and at other times euphemisms and idioms are used to accomplish the
same goal. Let us take note of the following examples.

     We learn from Exodus 4:24-26, that after Moses had received instructions
from Yahweh to return to Egypt, and to tell Pharaoh to "Let my people go," that
Moses failed to circumcise his own son on the eighth day, in keeping with God's
instructions. (Genesis 17:10-14) The covenant of circumcision was to be taken
seriously, but Moses was negligent. Consequently, "at a lodging place on the way
Yahweh met him and sought to kill him. Then Zipporah took a flint and cut off
her son's foreskin, and touched Moses' feet with it and said, 'Surely you are a
bridegroom of blood to me!' So he let him alone. Then it was said, 'You are a
bridegroom of blood to me,' because of the circumcision." (RSV/ESV, also see
the NIV-2011) The word "feet" (Hebrew regalim) is not to be understood
literally. It is a euphemism for "genitals."

     In 1 Kings 18 we read about the "contest" between the colorful prophet
Elijah and the 450 fifty prophets of Baal and the 400 prophets of Asherah, who
ate at Jezebel's table. (v. 19) Among the things that Elijah did in order to show
Israel that the "god" Baal was really no god was to attribute purely human
characteristics to Baal. He told the prophets to "Cry aloud, for he is a god;
either he is musing, or he is gone aside, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he is
asleep and must be awakened." (RSV) The words "gone aside" translate the
Hebrew word sig, which is used euphemistically for excreting bodily waste!
The Hebrew lexicons indicate the word was often used to refer to excrement,
anal waste, or in modern lingo, "using the toilet." Ha! a touch of humor in the
middle of a serious debate with false prophets! Oh to the bane of modern
sensitive ears! The ESV correctly drops the euphemism and directly translates
sig with the phrase "relieving himself." The Complete Jewish Bible says "on
the potty." Taylor's translation says, "sitting on the toilet."

     Our Lord spoke of the necessity of renouncing all that one has in order to
be his disciple (Luke 14:33) Then he said, salt that has lost its saltiness "is fit
neither for the land nor for the dunghill..." The Lord using the word "dunghill"
in his teaching? Yes. The Greek word translated "dunghill" is kopria and it
means manure pile. The people to whom he was speaking could relate to his
simple illustration and the underlying point could be easily remembered; the
loss of usefulness or influence leaves one inactive or unfit for the Master's use.
It can only be "thrown away." (Luke 14:34-35) 

     The Lord warned about "false prophets who come to you in sheep's
clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves." (Matthew 7:15) The wolves in
sheep's clothing analogy is brilliant! A simple and humorous illustration that
drives the point home. False prophets are no more God's prophets than they
are real sheep. They are pretentious. They appear to be one thing when in
reality they are something else. They often appear to be sheep, but in reality
they are sheep killers! They appear to be docile, humble, and caring, but
they will rip your spiritual guts out.

     Paul, the Lord's apostle, said the Judaizers (those who were binding
such  things as  circumcision as a tenet of  Christ's law), should  "mutilate
themselves" (RSV) or "emasculate themselves" (ESV) in Galatians 5:12.
The word translated "mutilate/emasculate themselves" is apokopto and
it means "to castrate oneself, or to have oneself castrated!" Their heresy
was so detestable to the apostle, that he would have them make eunuchs
of themselves. Paul did not believe the Judaizers were friends of Christ
and  the  gospel! They  were  dogs,  enemies  of  the  cross  of  Christ!
(Philippians 3:2,18-19) His  words  are  memorable, even though many
delicate modern readers consider them repugnant!  

     Finally, let  us  not  forget  the  words of Peter, that people who have
escaped the defilements of the world through the knowledge of our Lord
and Savior Jesus Christ, and are again entangled in them and overpowered,
are like "the dog that turns back to his own vomit, and the sow that was
washed  to  wallowing  in  the  mire." (2 Peter 2:20-22) In other words,
people who abandon the truth that saved them and return to the corruption
that held them captive, are like puking dogs and wallowing hogs! They
have returned to the very things that defiled them before they were cleansed
by the blood of God's Son. They have reverted from a state of cleansing
back to a condition of filth and moral defilement!

     What is the point of all I have written in this blog post? The scriptures
are a living document and God speaks to humanity in a language people can
understand. If we  who  preach  and  teach want to be understood and to
make a lasting impression on people with the word of truth, we too, should
speak to those who hear in a way that they can get the point. Simplicity is one
of the keys to all successful teaching. The scriptures themselves indicate this
very fact.

                                                                                           R. Daly

Copyright 2013

    

The Songs We Sing

     The vast majority of the songs congregations of Christ sing when worshiping
God conform to the New Testament standard, but there are some songs that
do not. I would like to cite some of the songs that need to undergo lyrical
changes or be discarded because they express sentiments that promote false
doctrine or contradict God's word.

     Paul wrote the  following  words  to the  brothers and sisters in Colossae,
"Let the word of Christ  dwell in you richly, teaching  and  admonishing  one
another  in  all  wisdom, singing  psalms,  hymns,  and  spiritual  songs, with
thankfulness in your hearts to God." (Col. 3:16, ESV-2011) According to
Paul, we teach when we sing. So  it  is  appropriate  to  ask, "May we sing
songs that do not harmonize with sound teaching? May we sing words that
contradict sacred scripture?" The fact is, since we teach when we sing, we
should be as certain that we sing the truth, as we should be that we preach
the truth.

     There is a song in the older books titled "When we All Get To Heaven."
Someone understood that biblically speaking "We All" will not get to heaven.
(Mat. 7:13-14; 25:41,46) The song has been updated in many of the newer
books, and it now says, "When the Saved Get To Heaven." Why the change?
Because we are to teach the truth when we sing. The song was not abandoned,
but some of the words were changed to bring the song into conformity with
New Testament teaching.

     There is another song titled "What If It Were Today?" The opening line
says, "Jesus is coming to earth again, What if it were today?" The main
problem is this: by no stretch of the imagination is it true that our Lord is
ever coming to the earth again! Paul said we "will be caught up in the clouds,
to meet the Lord in the air." (1 Thess. 4:17) The words of the song contradict
the word of the Holy Spirit.

     There is also a song titled "Jesus Is Coming Soon." Many congregations
have sung this song. The melody is a toe tapper and very delightful to the
ears. But, that is not the standard by which we determine if a song is
appropriate in the worship of God. It may be the case that Jesus will come
soon, but what scriptural testimony do we have to that effect? Some people
appeal to the words "I am coming soon" in Rev. 22:7,20; NIV, ESV) as
evidence that his second coming will be soon. The ASV-1901 says, "I come
quickly." Why the difference? The Greek word tachu is always used in
adverbial phrases in the New Testament and expresses the manner by which
something is done. It indicates speedily, quickly, without delay, and can
connote soon, in a short time. Even if tachu can be translated "soon" the
question is this: Is Rev. 22:7,20 speaking about the second coming of Christ?
The answer is a resounding no! Whatever the "coming" of this passage refers
to, it was a message of consolation to the seven congregations of Christ in
Asia at that time. (Rev. 22:16) The Lord would come in judgment against the
enemies of his people near the end of the first century. The song "Jesus is
Coming Soon" reflects a mistaken view of Mat. 24 where the Lord is talking
about the destruction of Jerusalem, not his second coming. One thing that
may help is to sing "Jesus May be Coming soon," rather than singing "Jesus
is Coming Soon."

     Another beloved song among members of the body of Christ is, "Lift Him
Up." It is a take on the words of Jesus in John 12:32, where the Master said,
"And if I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all people unto me." Friends,
Jesus is referring to his crucifixion. The very next verse says, "But he said this,
signifying what manner of death he would die." The chorus of the song says,
"Lift him up (lift the precious Savior up...) still he speaks from eternity..." When
we sing the chorus that says "Lift him up," based on the context of Jno. 12:32-33,
are we not saying crucify him?  

     There is a song titled "Jesus Paid It All." The third verse says, "Sinner, not
for me alone did the Son of God atone; Your debt too, he made his own, On
the cruel tree. Come to him with all your sin; Be as white as snow within; Full
salvation you may win And rejoice with me." The New Testament does not 
teach that Jesus made our "debt" or sin his own. Our sin is our sin. Jesus was
the sacrifice for sin but he did not make our sin his own, (2 Cor. 5:21). If he
made our sin his own, how could he not be a sinner by transfer? (Heb. 4:15;
1 Pet. 2:22) The concept of Jesus making "our" sin "his" own is purely
Calvinistic denominationalism!

     Another song frequently sung by Christians is "It Won't Be Very Long."
The song says "It won't be very long till Jesus shall descend." The question is:
how do we know this to be true? How can we know what Jesus doesn't even
know? He said, "But about that day and hour no one knows, not even the
angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father." (Mat. 24:36; NIV-2011)
How do we know "It won't be very long?" Therefore, how can we sing what
we don't know as if we know it?

     Another song that has gained great notoriety among believers is "Guide
Me O Great Jehovah." The name of the deity is Jehovah? One thing that
nearly all, if not all, Hebrew scholars acknowledge is the fact that God's
name is not Jehovah. As expressed by the Hebrew tetragrammaton, deity's
name is  YHWH  and   God   himself  says  so. (Ex. 3:14-15; Isa. 42:8;
Jer. 10:16; 16:21; Amos 9:6, etc.)YHWH is used in the Hebrew scriptures
about 6800 times and is never correctly represented by the name "Jehovah."
Jehovah is of late medieval origin. It does not accurately represent any form
of the Name ever used in Hebrew. God's name has never been, is not now,
and never will be Jehovah.

     Friends, let us pay more attention to the songs we sing when we worship
God. This is especially important when we become aware that many of the
most loved hymns were written  by  people  from  Calvinistic,  Pentecostal, 
and  denominational backgrounds. Their theology influenced the lyrics of their
songs. We teach when we sing and it is mandatory that we always teach the
truth. (Colossians 3:16)
                                                                                                    R. Daly

Copyright 2012


 

Must A Person "DO" Anything To Be Saved?

     To be consistent, those who advocate the erroneous doctrine of salvation by grace alone,
must deny that there is anything for a person to "do" in order to be saved. Those who teach
the doctrine of salvation by "grace alone," contend that a person is passive, not active, and
that anything that is "done" constitutes a "work" and they say, "We are not saved by works."

     One thing they fail to understand is this: there are different kinds of works, and one must
understand the difference in order to have a biblical concept of grace, faith, law, and works.
There are works of the law of Moses such as offering sacrifices, sabbath day observance,
and circumcision. No person can be saved by keeping the law of Moses. The law of Moses
has been removed. It is not binding on anyone. (Acts 15; Romans 3:21,27; 7:4; Galatians
3:23-25; 5:1-4). There are works of "merit" by which one seeks to "earn" or "deserve" the
right to salvation. No one can, by his own planning, earn or deserve salvation. It is a gift from
God and no one can boast. (Romans 4:2-8; Ephesians 2:5,8-9) There are also works of
obedience. These are the "works" that God himself has mandated or made necessary in
order for people to be saved. (Matthew 7:21-23; Hebrews 5:8-9) When a person complies
with God's conditions of pardon he is not attempting to save himself apart from God's grace,
nor is he trying to earn his salvation. He is by the grace of God, yielding to the commands of
the heavenly Master! A good question for the Calvinist is this: Can a person be saved without
submitting to the conditions that God has made necessary for salvation?

     On the day of Pentecost, the Jews who were cut in the heart by the apostles' words
asked, "Men, brothers, what shall we do?" (Acts 2:36-37)  The  Holy  Spirit  who  was
revealing God's will through Peter and the rest of the apostles, did not respond to their
question by asking,"Do, what do you mean 'do?' There is nothing to 'do.' God has already
done it all. " Luke tells us, "And Peter said to them, 'Repent and be immersed every one of
you in the name of Jesus Christ in order to receive the forgiveness of your sins, and you will
receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." (Acts 2:38) The Holy Spirit, through Peter, told them
what to do. Therefore, a person must "DO" something in order to be saved!

     In Acts 16:30 Luke says the jailer asked Paul and Silas, "Sirs, what must I do to be
saved?" Paul did not say, "Do, what do you mean do? There is nothing to 'do.' God has
already done it all. " Paul told him, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you
and your household." (v. 31) Paul  did  not  tell him to "only believe," or "believe only."
Salvation by faith alone is  not  taught  in  the  New  Testament. It is found in the mental
corridors of denominational theologians who have discarded God's plan of salvation. Paul
told him to "believe in the Lord Jesus." To "believe in the Lord Jesus" involves accepting
all conditions God has made necessary for salvation from past sins, and this includes
immersion into Christ Jesus! After Paul and Silas  spoke  the  word  of  the  Lord  to him
and those in his house (v. 32), he was immersed at once, he  and  all  his  family! (v. 33) 
It  is  after  he  and his household heard the word and were immersed that Luke tells us,
"And he rejoiced that he had believed in the God." (v. 34) Yes, a person must "do"
something in order to be saved, and when he does it, he has not earned his salvation,
neither has he vitiated or nullified the grace of God. The Bible says "he has believed in the
God."

                                                                                                                        R. Daly

Copyright 2012