This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.
I Timothy 1:15
And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.
I John 5:20
Messiah’s Birth foretold – Isaiah 7:14 & 9:6.
Messiah’s Birth fulfilled – Matthew 1:23 & Luke 1:35.
Messiah’s Birthplace foretold – Micah 5:2.
Messiah’s Birthplace fulfilled – Luke 2:4.
Messiah’s Tribe foretold – I Chronicles 5:2.
Messiah’s Tribe fulfilled – Hebrews 7:14.
Messiah’s Family foretold – Isaiah 11:1.
Messiah’s Family fulfilled – Matthew 1:1&6
Messiah’s Forerunner foretold – Malachi 3:1.
Messiah’s Forerunner fulfilled – Matthew 11:10.
Messiah’s Ministry foretold – Isaiah 61:1-3.
Messiah’s Ministry fulfilled – Luke 4:18.
Messiah’s Entry to Jerusalem foretold – Zachariah 9:9&10.
Messiah’s Entry to Jerusalem fulfilled – Matthew 21:5.
Messiah’s Temple purging foretold – Psalm 69:9.
Messiah’s Temple purging fulfilled – John 2:17.
Messiah’s Betrayal foretold – Psalm 41:9.
Messiah’s Betrayal fulfilled – John 13:18
Messiah’s Price foretold – Zachariah 11:12.
Messiah’s Price fulfilled – Matthew 26:15.
Messiah’s Disciples Scattered foretold – Zachariah 13:7.
Messiah’s Disciples Scattered fulfilled – Matthew 26:31.
Messiah’s Unjust Trial foretold – Isaiah 53:8.
Messiah’s Unjust Trial fulfilled – John 19:4-16.
Messiah’s Silence foretold – Isaiah 53:7.
Messiah’s Silence fulfilled – Matthew 27:14.
Messiah’s Scourging foretold – Isaiah 50:6.
Messiah’s Scourging fulfilled – Matthew 26:67.
Messiah’s Crucifixion foretold – Psalm 22:16.
Messiah’s Crucifixion fulfilled – John 19:18.
Messiah’s Mockery foretold – Psalm 22:7.
Messiah’s Mockery fulfilled – Matthew 27:39.
Messiah’s Clothes Divided foretold – Psalm 22:18.
Messiah’s Clothes Divided fulfilled – John 19:23-24.
Messiah’s Cry on the Cross foretold – Psalm 22:1.
Messiah’s Cry on the Cross fulfilled – Matthew 27:46.
Messiah’s Thirst foretold – Psalm 69:21.
Messiah’s Thirst fulfilled – John 19:28.
Messiah’s Pierced Side foretold – Zachariah 12:10.
Messiah’s Pierced Side fulfilled – John 19:34.
Messiah’s Dying Words foretold – Psalm 31:5.
Messiah’s Dying Words fulfilled – Luke 23:46.
Messiah’s Actual Death foretold – Isaiah 53:8.
Messiah’s Actual Death fulfilled – John 19:30.
Messiah’s Sacrifice for Sin foretold – Isaiah 53:10.
Messiah’s Sacrifice for Sin fulfilled – Hebrews 10:12.
Messiah Our Substitute foretold – Isaiah 53:5.
Messiah Our Substitute fulfilled – I Peter 3:18.
Messiah’s Resurrection foretold – Psalm 16:10.
Messiah’s Resurrection fulfilled – Acts 2:25-31.
Messiah’s Ascension foretold – Psalm 110:1.
Messiah’s Ascension fulfilled – Acts 2:34.
Messiah Our Intercessor foretold – Isaiah 53:12.
Messiah Our Intercessor fulfilled – Hebrews 7:25.
Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. And he (the rich man in hell) said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they (my five brothers) will repent. And he (Abraham) said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead. Luke 16:29-31
See https://empower.global/the-mathematical-probability-that-jesus-is-the-christ/
I have a Savior, He’s pleading in glory,
A dear, loving Savior, though earth friends be few;
And now He is watching in tenderness o’er me;
And, oh, that my Savior were your Savior, too.
Refrain:
For you I am praying,
For you I am praying,
For you I am praying,
I’m praying for you.
I have a Father; to me He has given
A hope for eternity, blessed and true;
And soon He will call me to meet Him in heaven,
But, oh, that He’d let me bring you with me, too!
I have a robe; ’tis resplendent in whiteness,
Awaiting in glory my wondering view;
Oh, when I receive it all shining in brightness,
Dear friend, could I see you receiving one, too!
When He has found you, tell others the story,
That my loving Savior is your Savior, too;
Then pray that your Savior may bring them to glory,
And prayer will be answered—’twas answered for you!
Speak of that Savior, that Father in heaven,
That harp, crown, and robe which are waiting for you—
That peace you possess, and that rest to be given,
Still praying that Jesus may save them with you.
I Samuel 12:23; Job 42:8; II Thessalonians 1:11
Samuel O. Cluff – 1860
Music by Ira Sankey – 1874
Public Domain
(A Psalm of David.) Unto thee, O LORD, do I lift up my soul.
O my God, I trust in thee: let me not be ashamed, let not mine enemies triumph over me.
Yea, let none that wait on thee be ashamed: let them be ashamed which transgress without cause.
Shew me thy ways, O LORD; teach me thy paths.
Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day.
Remember, O LORD, thy tender mercies and thy loving kindnesses; for they have been ever of old.
Remember not the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions: according to thy mercy remember thou me for thy goodness’ sake, O LORD.
Good and upright is the LORD: therefore will he teach sinners in the way.
The meek will he guide in judgment: and the meek will he teach his way.
All the paths of the LORD are mercy and truth unto such as keep his covenant and his testimonies.
For thy name’s sake, O LORD, pardon mine iniquity; for it is great.
What man is he that feareth the LORD? him shall he teach in the way that he shall choose.
His soul shall dwell at ease; and his seed shall inherit the earth.
The secret of the LORD is with them that fear him; and he will shew them his covenant.
Mine eyes are ever toward the LORD; for he shall pluck my feet out of the net.
Turn thee unto me, and have mercy upon me; for I am desolate and afflicted.
The troubles of my heart are enlarged: O bring thou me out of my distresses.
Look upon mine affliction and my pain; and forgive all my sins.
Consider mine enemies; for they are many; and they hate me with cruel hatred.
O keep my soul, and deliver me: let me not be ashamed; for I put my trust in thee.
Let integrity and uprightness preserve me; for I wait on thee.
Redeem Israel, O God, out of all his troubles.
Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.
When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. I Corinthians 13:8-12
Charity never faileth:
Charity or biblical love, the fruit of the Spirit, is everlasting. It will never be abolished. Biblical love will never be rendered inactive. The fruit of the Spirit will last throughout eternity.
but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail;
Propheteia is the speaking forth of the mind and counsel of God….prophecy is not necessarily, nor even primarily, fore-telling. It is the declaration of that which cannot be known by natural means….it is the forth telling of the will of God. In contrast to love lasting forever, Paul states that prophecies shall fail (be rendered inactive).*
whether there be tongues, they shall cease;
Glossolalia or tongues is the supernatural gift of speaking in another language without its having been learned. Acts 2:4-13 Pauo or cease means to stop, to make an end and is used chiefly in the middle voice in the NT, signifying to come to an end,…….a willing cessation (in contrast to the passive voice which denotes a forced cessation).*
whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.
Ginosko (knowledge) signifies to be taking in knowledge, to come to know, recognize, understand*….……this is the process of learning. Vanish from katargeo means to abolish, to be done away.* It is the same word for fail in reference to prophecy which means to be rendered inactive.*
For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect (complete/entire) is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.
Prophecies and knowledge we have in part. That which is in part shall be rendered inactive. This will happen when that which is perfect is come. What is “that which is perfect” referring to?
Some say it is Christ, but the word perfect (teleiov) is neuter, so it can’t be Him. Some say it refers to the completion of the canon of Scripture, but we still prophesy (forth telling the will of God) and knowledge (learning) is still necessary for the believer’s spiritual growth. That which is perfect or complete, therefore, must be referring to eternity with Christ.
The forth telling of the will of God will no longer be necessary in eternity because all those in God’s presence will be redeemed and in His will. Learning will no longer be necessary, because we will know even as we are known, The last two verses in this passage lend themselves to this; When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.
But what about tongues? Paul says tongues shall cease in and of themselves. When will this happen? It will happen when the sign gifts are no longer necessary.
Remember that tongues were for a sign. The sign gifts were the gifts of healing, miracles and tongues. Whenever these gifts were exercised, unbelieving Jews were present. The sign gifts were to confirm to the Jew that what he was seeing and hearing was of God. The sign gift of speaking in tongues warned of coming judgment for the rejection of God’s rule per Paul’s instruction in I Corinthians 14:21&22 which quotes Isaiah 28:11&12.
The Jewish religious leaders completed their rejection of the Messiah and His kingdom by turning Christ over to the Roman authorities for the death penalty. The sign gifts would continue to warn of God’s judgment until judgment fell. When Titus destroyed Jerusalem in 70 AD there was no longer a need for the sign gifts to Israel.
God’s revelation of Himself to mankind through a nation of peculiar people (Israel) has been suspended throughout the period of the church age. When the believing church (which includes both regenerate Jews and Gentiles) is complete, the last soul is saved, and the church is raptured (caught up) out of this world, God will once again deal with Israel as a nation. He will deliver Israel from their enemies and restore to the nation His kingdom as they call on Messiah Jesus for deliverance in the last days.
Pray for the peace of Israel.
Note: This is the fourth section in a series of studies on Speaking in Tongues in this blog. I would invite you to review the previous three studies, if you haven’t already, because they build upon each other.
For a more complete study of this topic please read The Corinthian Catastrophe by George E. Gardner; copyright 1974 by Kregel Publications.
To be continued, as the apostle Paul lay down the priorities and rules for speaking in tongues in I Corinthians 14.
*Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words by Unger & White. Copyright 1984, 1996 Thomas Nelson, Inc.
Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins. Matthew 1:18-21
Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.
Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness.
Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.
Behold, I have given him for a witness to the people, a leader and commander to the people.
Behold, thou shalt call a nation that thou knowest not, and nations that knew not thee shall run unto thee because of the LORD thy God, and for the Holy One of Israel; for he hath glorified thee.
Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:
Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. Isaiah 55:1-7
For believers, submitting to one another is not so much about who one is submitting to as it is about submitting to God first.
We need to be reminded that neo-orthodoxy shares with theological liberalism the bias of unbelief which is manifested by their embrace of higher criticism. Higher criticism treats the Bible as a fallible product of man, not as the God-breathed infallible book it claims to be.
For example: Jesus credits Moses with the writing of the first five books of the Old Testament, but higher criticism assigns their authorship to four different authors designated as J, E, D & P. The Lord endorses Genesis chapter three as historical and literal, but it is regarded by higher criticism as mythological.
Higher criticism presupposes that no one can miraculously forecast what is to come (not even God), so they alter well established dates in order to have the fulfillment of prophesies occur after the forecast and not before. Although it takes greater faith to believe this, the universal flood (which covered the mountains), is passed off as a local flood. In these ways higher criticism explains away the supernatural and miraculous.
Charles Ryrie, in his book on neo-orthodoxy, uses the term “destructive criticism” to describe what is referred to here as higher criticism. Destructive criticism does exactly that. It trys to destroy the credibility of Scripture.
Neo-orthodoxy fully embraces the destructive practices of higher criticism while attempting to construct a theology that has no credibility without the Scripture. This is the Barthian’s great bias against the truth of the Bible and yet they fully insist that they are the true advocates of Christianity.
If the accounts of Scripture and the words of Jesus Christ are not credible facts, what is left to build on? The absurdity of neo-orthodoxy is that they have an answer, but by their own admission they have nothing credible to base it on.
The three main voices of neo-orthodoxy are the Protestant theologians Karl Barth, Emil Brunner and Reinhold Niebuhr.
Deitrich Bonhoeffer’s name can hardly be mentioned without including the name of Karl Barth who influenced Bonhoeffer more than any other theologian. Bonhoeffer was imprisoned by the Nazis for his part in an assassination plot against Hitler. He was brutally hanged shortly before the Allies liberated his place of imprisonment.
Many hail Dietrich Bonhoeffer as a Christian martyr. Bonhoeffer was martyred for a cause no doubt, but if he was indeed neo-orthodox, that cause was not Bible believing Christianity.
Jesus said, “Search the Scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and these are they which testify of me. And ye will not come to me that ye might have life.” John 5:39 & 40
Speaking again in John 6:63, Jesus says; “………the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.”
Paul challenged this position by asking, “………how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen: And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain.”
“Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not.”
“And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins. Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished.”
“If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.” I Corinthians 15:12b-19
Note: