The Sound of Doctrine

Author: Charlie Frederico

  • Christian Nationalism and the Gospel: An Impossible Union

    2 Timothy 2:4 (LSB)
No soldier in active service entangles himself in the affairs of everyday life, so that he may please the one who enlisted him as a soldier.

    This essay is a response to Joey DeRuntz’ post: https://www.mastersbiblechurch.com/blog/a-rejoinder-to-don-green-a-biblical-and-theological-defense-of-co-belligerency
    Site accessed 10/6/2025

    




    It is in vogue to have political opinions. It is sad that the world has to choose to silence those who are making a good point about certain segments of politics, government, business, and/or education. Generally speaking, there are some very good points being made by many people in our world today.
    




    There is an “however” to all of this, though. For the pastor, who is to be the example to all Christians of how to conduct themselves in faith in Jesus Christ (Hebrews 13:7), the reality of the kingdom of Christ is a more critical matter than all the issues limited to this life combined.
    




    One illustration would help. 
    




    

    Luke 13:1–5 (LSB)
    




    1 Now at that same time there were some present who were reporting to Him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. 
    




    2 And Jesus answered and said to them, “Do you think that these Galileans were greater sinners than all other Galileans because they suffered these things? 
    




    3 “I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. 
    




    4 “Or do you think that those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them were worse offenders than all the men who live in Jerusalem? 
    




    5 “I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.”
    

    




    The response of Jesus Christ to the news that some people from his home region of Israel is shocking, even “triggering,” if you read it with contemporary glasses. Those who are so-inclined to equity and justice in the “social sphere” would expect Jesus to crossover to that same sphere and make a comment about the atrocity. It would be expected that He would decry such travesty.
    




    Instead, He forced His audience to consider that the proper “sphere” to consider, the only one that matters, is the so-called “holy sphere.” That is, Jesus’ response was a response that gave the priority of importance to the realities of the impending judgment of God. In doing so, He confronted the common misconception that terrible things happen to terrible people. That rationale gives way to a moral superiority that existed in every “sphere” of Jesus’ day. In fact, it is alive and well in the Christian Nationalism movement also. There seems to exist a moral superiority that elevates a Nationalist above the simple-devoted Christian who just lives in light of the Rapture, a commendable hope by the Apostle Paul.2
    




    Spheres
    




    There are some who want to justify the Christian entanglement in the political/civil “sphere(s).” They will say, for example, that it is possible (even mandatory) to crossover from the holy sphere into the political sphere. They assert that this can be done without marring one’s witness to Christ. The ideology then continues to cite examples from the Old Testament (OT) predominantly, as well as a few from the New Testament (NT). Examples of Daniel, Joseph, and Isaiah abound, as do Paul and Peter. “Involvement in the politics of their day are catalysts and patterns for our own involvement in the politics of our day,” they say.
    




    But, did you notice what I wrote? I made a statement, a conclusion, based upon a wrong interpretation of Scripture, yet a right enforcement of an ideology, and made it sound appealing. I said, “Their (Daniel’s, Joseph’s, et al) involvement in the politics of their day are catalysts for our own involvement in the politics of our day.” To the average reader, this sounds motivating, even noble. But, the problem is that the above-mentioned men were not “involved in the politics of their day.” The condition of their involvement was forced subjugation, as in the case of Daniel and Joseph. The involvement of Peter and Paul, however, was a different kind of subjugation. It was the conscription in service to the Commander-In-Chief, Jesus Christ, the Lord of Hosts.
    




    In the case of the OT prophets, they were mandated by God to confront the error of the kings and rulers of their day (primarily in Israel) concerning their personal and national sins (e.g. Isaiah). In the case of Peter and Paul, they were commanded to testify against the rulers and people of Rome and Israel because of their rejection of the Messiah. The pivot point of their confrontation was not societal good, cultural improvement, or anything of that sort. The motivation for the confrontation was the impending judgment of YHWH upon the nations for their sin agains the One who created the nations for the Son (Psalm 2:1-3, 8, 9-12). 
    




    To separate the existence of men into “spheres” of responsibility and utilization, is to confound an otherwise simple fact-the world is coming to a horrible end3. It is, in fact, currently in ruins by Satan, and is subject to the imminent final death penalty of God. How’s that for a “sphere”? In a sinking ship, the issues of party affiliation, culture, good and bad don’t matter. It is all going down. The urgency, and warning, of the doomed ship is the vital issue. 
    




    Those advocating for Christians, particularly pastors, to separate the world around them into spheres of authority and responsibility (i.e. Christian Nationalism) make for a nice and tidy world. However, like the proverbial chairs on the deck of the Titanic, in the end, those ideological distinctions are simply not the pressing issue. 
    




    Entanglement
    




    

    2 Timothy 2:4 (LSB)
    




    No soldier in active service entangles himself in the affairs of everyday life, so that he may please the one who enlisted him as a soldier.
    

    




    My call to Christians, especially pastors, is the same as Paul’s admonition to Timothy. As quoted above, the faithful servant of God must not get wrapped up into sphere-splitting. 
    




    The command to Timothy is a simple one. No soldier commissioned in the military entwines himself between the military and “everyday life.”4 The illustration is a man who is conscripted into military service, which has clear and supra-normal objectives in view. The everyday life of civilians simply does not have those objectives. Therefore, to attempt to merge, weave, or otherwise obfuscate the two is not a faithful soldier. It is against the rules of the military for a man to be involved with civilian life while he is at war.
    




    More specifically, Paul urges Timothy to play the “good soldier” just as Paul did (v.3). Timothy is to find, and conscript into service, those men who are faithful to the gospel of Jesus Christ, and teach them the things that Paul had taught him. And, by illustration, Paul uses axiomatic truths from the realms of military, athletic competition, and farming. Each scenario has rules, guidelines, and general truths that go without saying. The military has singular dedication. The athletic competition has rules of competition. The farmer works hard and is compensated first. 
    




    Paul’s wording is clear. To “entangle” means to be “intertwined with,” “to weave together with,” or even “to braid.” It is the idea that by making one thing involved into another thing is to effectively undo one, or both, of the things. Or, to put it another way, to attempt to separate the world into spheres is to attempt to organize the gospel into just one of multiple loyalties. Like the soldier who cannot involve himself in civilian life while he is at war, the pastor must not attempt to weave the gospel into the structures of this dead, satanic,5 world. Like the Lord said, “…you will all likewise perish…” That is the issue.6 
    




    Such loyalty by Paul landed him in jail for the crime of preaching the Word.7 In fact, Timothy also learned the lesson and landed himself in jail as well. Timothy, though, was released back into the war.8 Paul was released into heaven. Both fought the good fight. They were dedicated, committed, and at the appearance of being unnecessarily radical, they were uniformly allied to the cause of the gospel. There was no room in their behavior for nice and tidy spheres of authority. They were simply called to stand before all men, rulers, kings, Jews, Gentiles, with the same message of the Messiah and announce said message of His coming again to judge and to rule. The call to all men is to prepare the way, and make His paths straight. 
    




    Conclusion
    




    In the end, the desire to separate the world into spheres and to construct a perspective that makes a pastor able to conduct himself in each sphere, is to desire to avoid the stigma, or even the persecution, that inevitably comes with the preaching of the gospel. This avoidance of man’s displeasure, I believe, is at the heart of this movement, this so-called Christian Nationalism. And, if that is true, men who imbibe this ideal are unfaithful to the gospel in the end because you cannot share the authority of the One who called them into service with the authority given to men in this dark world. 
    




    For the man of God, and indeed every Christian, there is only one Authority-Christ.9 That One has forced us into service. He has given us the command and the message. All men, all men, are commanded by our Superior to bow to our message.10 To give our authoritative stance to other ideologies and movements, however noble, good, and socially beneficial they may be, is to go AWOL in the war. A Christian Nationalist, who has become used to civilian life, cannot understand this assertion, and will not believe what I say. But, it is true. According to what Paul instructed Timothy and what Timothy was to instruct other faithful men, singular commitment to the gospel of Jesus Christ in every walk of life is the definition of faithful.  
    




    This is why we cannot platform false religion. 
    




    




      

    1. 1 Thessalonians 1:10 ↩
      2. 




    2. 1 Corinthians 7:31 ↩
      3. 




    3. This word refers to the means of earning a living. It is a reference to the activities that are fundamental to an occupation.  ↩
      4. 




    4. Luke 4:5-6 ↩
      5. 




    5. It is important that we don’t talk ourselves into the excuse that the world is not the church. No kidding. Whoever said it was? I am sure Paul knew that (he did write the books of Ephesians and Colossians, after all). Paul, knowing the different between the world and the church, still said, “Do not get entangled in the affairs of everyday life.”  ↩
      6. 




    6. 2 Timothy 2:9 ↩
      7. 




    7. Hebrews 13:23 ↩
      8. 




    8. 1 Corinthians 11:3 ↩
      9. 




    9. Acts 17:30-31 ↩
      10. 

    

    
			
    
		
    
		
	
  • 
		
		
    
			
    The Anatomy of Temptation
    
			
    The Anatomy of Temptation
    
			
    

    As a Christian gets older, the intensity and depth of temptation to sin grows. When younger, there was a lot to distract from temptation-career, building a family, education. The day-to-day was busy and, compared to older seasons of life, relatively easy. 
    




    However, as I am getting older (mid-fifties), I am beginning to see a whole new level of the same old sin in myself. You would think that the sin that has for decades been denied would give up, stop trying. But, I have found just the opposite. I think sin is going for the jugular and it was just biding its time. I could only imagine what the next 20-30 years will be like in the war against the flesh (Galatians 5:17). 
    




    What can we do? As our physical strength wanes, and the war intensifies, how can we be expected to be successful in the pursuit of holiness? 
    




    What Does Temptation Look Like?
    




    First of all, we need to define terms. Most battles are won, or lost, on the definition of terms. If we don’t clarify these things, we will surely lose, even if we believe we are winning. 
    




    Sin
    




    There are two aspects to “sin” that we need to understand. First of all, sin is any disobedience to the Word of God. When Adam disobeyed Yahweh’s singular command, “Eat of any tree in the garden, but don’t eat of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil,” he expressly disobeyed words spoken by God. Adam’s gross disobedience is what generated God’s anger and subsequent promised execution of punishment of the man and woman (Genesis 3:8-24). 
    




    Secondly, that disobedience defiled the image and likeness to God that the man and woman were to reflect. That is the heart of the matter. Disobedience to God’s Word is sin because obedience is the reflection of the nature of God. If I can put it another way, the Son would never disobey the Father, and neither should we. The Son’s love for Yahweh always produces obedience, even to the point of death on a cross (Philippians 2:8). It is this double-sided understanding of sin that we need to comprehend.
    




    Temptation
    




    Therefore, by the above definition of sin, we can see what temptation to sin really is: it is a solicitation to love something, or someone, more than God, leading to disregard for His Word. When we disobey the Word of God, it is because we love something (or someone) else more. When we love something else instead of securing our love for God, we will always disobey the Word of God. 
    




    Temptation comes in at the head of sin and lures us into that double-edged sword. It wants us to fall on that sword and die. Temptation woos us and chides us, or does anything it wants to do in order to steal our love away from God. 
    




    Whether it is a temptation to steal, or to commit sexual unrighteousness, or to hate, or to slander, or get drunk, or any number of other sins, the tempter draws us away from our allegiance to God, His Word, and draws us into love for him. 
    




    This is what is happening when we are tempted. The world, the flesh, or the Devil coordinate assaults on us, sometimes in Napalm fashion, or sometimes in water torture fashion, one slow drip at a time, attempting to magnetize us to that iniquity so that we might interrupt our love for God. 
    




    The Way of Escape
    




    

    No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man, but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.  (1 Corinthians 10:13, LSB) 
    

    




    When we are being tempted to sin, the Lord sees. Just as in the garden, He knows when we are being tempted away from our love for Christ. Psalm 139 states:
    




    

    139:1 O Yahweh, You have searched me and known me.
    




    2 You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
    




    You understand my thought from afar.
    




    3 You scrutinize my path and my lying down,
    




    And are intimately acquainted with all my ways.
    




    4 Even before there is a word on my tongue,
    




    Behold, O Yahweh, You know it all.  (Psalm 139:1–4, LSB)
    

    




    The intimacy with which God is involved with us is astounding. In Israel, He was present in the Tabernacle and the Temple as well as the camp (Exodus 33:9; Deuteronomy 23:14; cf. 2 Chronicles 5:13-14). In the church, He walks among us (Revelation 2:1), and even indwells us (1 Corinthians 5:15-20). He sees, and knows, every detail of us, even our own thoughts and motives. He sees when sin arises inside of us, and it attempts to remove us from our love for God. 
    




    That is why He “makes a way of escape.” He actively counters the temptation to sin by providing for us a way that we can walk away from, or even run away from, sin. 
    




    Or, to put it another way within the confines of our definitions above, God makes a way to ensure our love and obedience to Him. Every time, in every circumstance, and in every season of life, God personally interacts with us to strengthen our love for Him! What an astounding reality! 
    




    Temptations will always come (Matthew 18:7). They are all around us, and deep inside of us. They come in a myriad forms and perversions, and they appear to have enough intensity to cripple us. 
    




    However, even though there are temptations that are more than we successfully deny (1 Corinthians 10:13a), there is no power sufficient to resist God, and He is for us. To put it another way, “Greater is He who is in you, than he that is in the world” (1 John 4:4).1
    




    What Are These Ways?
    




    The ways of escape that God provides are as varied and unique as the temptation to sin is. For Joseph, the way out was to run away (Genesis 39:6-12). For Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, the way out was to be willing to die (Daniel 3:16-18). For Christ Jesus, the way out was prayer (Luke 22:39-43). 
    




    Paul wrote that “God will make a way of escape.” That means that when you are tempted to sin, God is present there and sees that temptation. Therefore, instead of peering into the temptation to sin, look around for the way that God has provided an escape. 
    




    In the context of the Corinthians, verse 14 tells us what the way of escape was in light of their temptations to idolatry-flee! “Run away from idolatry, you Corinthians.” They were being tempted to continue in their temple rituals so that they might be able to participate in the meals which often accompanied the ritual.
    




    Paul’s command to them, for their good and God’s glory (1 Corinthians 10:31), is to turn away from the nuanced forms of idolatry, and run towards Christ. That is, don’t eat a meal that is sacrificed to idols if that is presented to you, especially in light of the (appropriate) scruples of the weaker brother. 
    




    Conclusion
    




    The temptation to sin is a real thing. And, as I said, the temptations intensify over time, as you resist them. Since sin cannot have you one way, it will try another way. 
    




    But, as Paul would say, run! Go the opposite direction from the temptation, even if you look like a fool, and are ostracized for your acts of resistance. The glory of God, and the security of your love for Him, are worth it. 
    




      

    1. I realize that this verse is speaking directly to the power of the Spirit of God vs the power of the false teacher. However, the power of the Spirit over the false teacher is such because of the fact that He is superior to him in every way, and is our strength just as much in times of temptations to sin.  ↩
      2. 

    

    
			
    
		
    
		
	
  • 
		
		
    
			
    Eve: The Mother of All Living
    
			
    Eve: The Mother of All Living
    
			
    

    It might be a good time to review what the Bible says about what is usually called, “The Role of Women.” Although I will use that phrase, I don’t like it. It is cold, and mechanical. It does not convey what really needs to be said. Women don’t have a role. Women are in God’s creation in order to glorify God in some way. That is not a “role,” that is a glory, an honor, a beauty. 
    





    In addition, when we speak of the woman, we isolate her from the man. It is as if the world’s ideas of feminine freedoms, independence, and a hint of Evolution thrown in for good measure all come into this discussion. She is not independent of a man, and a man is not independent of the women (1 Corinthians 11:10-12). Yet, we treat these discussions as if the man and woman are simple independent entities and the role of the man or woman have no bearing on each other. 
    





    This is the fatal flaw of this whole discussion. Progressive, worldly, fleshly-minded women want to see themselves as an autonomous, independent person. These women have to overcome a deeply-created sense that she exists “for a man.” 
    





    Men, too, who are progressive, worldly, and fleshly-minded want to see themselves as independent, self-existing and autonomous. They also have to overcome the deeply-seated sense that they exist “for a woman.”
    





    It is this point that makes the arguments around the roles of men and women heated. So many who argue for the independence, and egalitarian stance for women do so as if a woman is simply another created entity, without ties to anyone or anything. But, that denies the facts of nature, and most especially, Scripture. 
    





    The Lone Adam
    




    In Genesis 1 and 2, we have the only accurately recorded account of the creation of the man and woman. Situated in a six, 24-hour day creation week, with the seventh day being deemed a day of rest patterned after God’s rest, cessation, from further creating. God creates a man and a woman, from whom all people would originate by means of the normal processes of conception and birth. 
    





    In this record, we learn an immense amount concerning the purpose of God for said man and woman. In this record, we learn that God had specific responsibilities for each before Him, and these responsibilities were never rescinded. Even in Christ, the Messiah, the responsibilities of man and woman are not ended. They are the bases of so much of the New Testament (NT) in regard to teaching on the subject. 
    





    In fact, in a few key passages, our record of Genesis 1-3 is referred to in order to uphold this original design. In each case, the record is treated as factual, and durable (lasts into the Church Age).1
    





    So, it seems to me, that probably the simplest thing I can do to address the roles of men and women is to do a cursory overview of the original creation account. 
    





    Eve was named Eve by Adam (Genesis 3:20). She did not assume a name, or give herself a name. Adam told her that is what she would be called. 
    





    The last time we see Adam naming anything, is one chapter earlier in Genesis. There, Adam gave names to the animals of the earth. Adam, in exercising his authority and responsibility to YHWH, named the animals and whatever he named them, that name stuck; God did not override with His own names for the animals (Genesis 2:19). Imagine, all the animals of creation being dependent upon the man for their names. This final authority is inherent in the man, Adam. 
    





    However, we also read in Genesis 2:20, that upon naming the animals which paraded past him, he realized that there was no created being similar to himself. There was no corresponding partner, if you will. 
    





    

    And the man gave names to all the cattle and to the birds of the sky and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found a helper suitable for him.  (Genesis 2:20, LSB)
    

    




    This realization from Adam is recorded for us. But, if you can imagine the actual point at which Adam, maybe after seeing the last of the animals walk (or waddle, or slither) past him, he sees he is alone. 
    





    It is this fact of Adam’s solitude that God records for the reader to see this crisis and how God will correct it. Adam “realized” that he was alone, something God already knew and predetermined (Genesis 2:18). It is obvious from what is written, that “it is not good for the man to be alone.” 
    





    Meet Mrs. Adam
    




    By God’s creative power, Adam is put to rest. While asleep, God takes out of Adam, as the Creator God has the right and power to do, and around that flesh and bone material, “builds” a woman.2 From the man’s material, God created the woman. This is why Paul wrote that the “woman has her origin from the man.” 
    





    Upon waking, Adam sees the solution to the problem. Remember, the problem was that the man was alone. That is, after naming all the animals on the earth, he sees there is no one who resembles himself. Now, upon opening his eyes, he sees a person who resembles himself, although not identical. The differences go without saying, however. 
    





    His joy and exuberance is recorded for us in his song, a song of praise to God for His handiwork. 
    





    

    Then the man said,
    “This one finally is bone of my bones,
    And flesh of my flesh;
    This one shall be called Woman,
    Because this one was taken out of Man.”  (Genesis 2:23, LSB)
    

    




    God revealed to Adam where this (if I may say) creature came from. He made her from his material. She is him, but not him. The beauty and creativity, and glory to God for His work is on display in her. She is now called, by Adam, not God, “woman,” because of this work of creation. 
    





    The word “woman” in the original language of the Old Testament (OT) is the feminine form of the same word for man. That is not to say that Eve was a feminine man. Rather, it is to say that Adam understood that she resembles him, and yet is complementary to himself. She is not male. She is female. Yet, she has arms, head, legs, like he does. But, there are other features that are different. 
    





    This original design tells us that she is not simply another him. She is her. He is him. There is no other way to say it. This original design cannot be changed. The souls of the man and woman are unique to the man and woman (assuming YHWH created her soul at the moment of the building of her body as He did Adam-Genesis 2:7). 
    





    She is presented to Adam by YHWH as his wife; YHWH brought her to the man (Genesis 2:22). She is “for” him (Genesis 2:20). She complements him. She resembles him. She is not him. 
    





    He, now, is complete. He is “one.” He is now free to laser-focus his love, the love of God, upon her. He could not do that to the beasts, hence his realization-“I have no one to love.” But, as God is love (1 John 4:7), and Adam is made in the direct image of God, he is now given the high honor to love her. 
    





    I believe that the fundamental quality of Adam towards Eve is love (Ephesians 5:25), a love which, after the fall especially, requires the giving of himself for her sanctification, her likeness to Christ, her good. 
    





    Holy Matrimony
    




    What, now, should the man and woman do. They are standing there looking at one another. Now what? 
    





    In that pre-fall condition, there was no shame in their nakedness (Genesis 2:25). There was only glory to God. The statement of Genesis  2:24, “…they shall become one flesh,” is understood as the permission of YHWH for the man and woman in that state of consecrated relationship (which we call “marriage”), for sexual relationship. 
    





    It is interesting that God created two from one. And in the marriage relationship, the two become one. Jesus says that God joins the two together in this union (Matthew 19:6). The relationship, now, is ongoing union, a “one-ness.” But, and this is important, they are not the same.
    





    Look at the differences:
    





      
	
    • Adam named the creatures, and Eve.
      • 
	
    • Adam is made in the direct image3of God, Eve was made in the image of the man (cf. 1 Corinthians 11:7).
      • 
	
    • Adam was made first, then the woman (see 1 Timothy 2:13).
      • 
	
    • Adam is male, the woman female (see Genesis 5:2).
      • 
	
    • God commanded Adam; Adam commanded the woman (Genesis 2:16; 3:2-3; cp 1 Timothy .
      • 

    




    In short, Adam and Eve were not the same. They were each designed with a specific role in the mind of God. And, I as opened this essay, these differences have not been rescinded. They have been reiterated, and the man and woman are held accountable to them. 
    





    Conclusion
    




    Does this explicitly mean that a woman cannot work outside the home? Well, let’s ask it a different way. Does this mean that a man should not work? In all fairness, we should look at it that way. Is it right for a man to simply not work, but stay home and be unproductive. I would echo Paul’s statement, “Does not even nature itself” tell you that is ridiculous? He was to work (Genesis 2:5; 15). He was to guard the place where Adam and YHWH met,4 i.e. the garden (Genesis 2:15). He was commanded to eat (Genesis 2:16). He was commanded to not eat of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil (Genesis 2:16). 
    





    I wrote this essay avoiding the usual arguments for men and women’s roles. Instead, we need to go back to the drawing board and look at the foundation. 
    





    I hope this is helpful. 
    





      
	
    1. See Matthew 19:5; Mark 10:7-8; 1 Corinthians 6:16; 1 Corinthians 11:12; Ephesians 5:31; see also 1 Timothy 2:15.  ↩
      2. 
	
    2. The Hebrew term for the creation of the man is “formed” (Heb. yāșar), as in a potter forming a clay pot. However, the term for the creation of the woman is “builds/make” (Heb. bānâ). The man was formed from the dust of the earth, and the woman was built from the material of the man. ↩
      3. 
	
    3. The best ways to understand the idea of “image” is by a corresponding word, “pattern.” This is a much larger discussion than I can give it in this essay. However, the summary meaning of “image and likeness” is that the man was made with corresponding body parts that would be able to carry out the purpose of God in the world. He would work, he would love, he would have a family, he would recreate. All of these things are the purpose of God for the man and correspond to God, represented by the man’s physical body. The woman is made in the image of God through her being patterned after the man’s physical body, but with obvious, and beautiful, differences. These differences correspond to the functions of each, the man as procreator, and woman as one who would carry and bear a child. ↩
      4. 
	
    4. The Hebrew word for “keep” is the word for “guard/treat as/attend to” (šāmar). This does not mean to guard it from danger. It means to treat it as holy, in the same way the Mt. Horeb, a mountain Moses visited many times with his flocks, was to be treated as holy by Moses because God was there (Exodus 3:1; 19:1-2).  ↩
      5. 

    

    
			
    
		
    
		
	
  • 
		
		
    
			
    The Replacement of Israel
    
			
    The Replacement of Israel
    
			
    

    Yesterday, I watched a video of Kirk Cameron attempting to explain his take on Genesis 12:1-3, especially as it regards the contemporary allegiance to the nation of Israel (see here). Cameron played a clip from a discussion between Ted Cruz and Tucker Carlson in which Senator Cruz quoted (loosely) Genesis 12:1-3, mostly v.3. Kirk Cameron went on to attempt to clarify the passage that Senator Cruz quoted, stating that the meaning Cruz assigned to that passage was not accurate. The net result of Cameron’s thinking is that the modern state of Israel is not the Israel of Genesis 12:1-3 because Genesis 12:1-3 does not refer to Israel, but only to Abraham.
    




    Although his take is a unique one, the underlying premise is not. As Jesus might say, “You err not knowing the Scriptures, nor the power of God.” The Scriptures explain clearly what is meant in Genesis 12:1-3, the Kingdom of Israel, and the postponement of the Kingdom. Although the confusion shrouds the clarity of the Scripture, the clarity is there nonetheless. 
    




    Genesis 12:1-3
    




    

    12:1 And Yahweh said to Abram,
    




    “Go forth from your land,
    




    And from your kin
    




    And from your father’s house,
    




    To the land which I will show you;
    




    2 And I will make you a great nation,
    




    And I will bless you,
    




    And make your name great;
    




    And so you shall be a blessing;
    




    3 And I will bless those who bless you,
    




    And the one who curses you I will curse.
    




    And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.”  (Genesis 12:1–3, LSB)
    

    




    Due to the scope of this article, it is not possible to fully develop what this passage means in every detail. However, we can summarize it and refer to other passages that help develop its clear meaning. 
    




    In context, this text is on the heels of Genesis 1-11. That section of Scripture contains the creation, the fall, the flood, the Tower of Babel, and various other details leading up to the  days of Abraham. But, it is to Abraham that God speaks in Genesis 12:1-3. 
    




    It is around 2000 B.C. Abraham has been called out of Ur, a bustling town in the Southern regions of modern day Iraq. He is currently en route to a land that he was told would be shown to him by YHWH. But, while in Haran, a few hundred miles north of the promised land, Abraham receives this promise. And, it is a promise, a promise from YHWH to Abraham.
    




    The summary of the promise contains the following:
    




    

      
	
    1. I will make you a great nation (v.2)
      2. 
	
    2. I will bless you (as a nation) (v.2)
      3. 
	
    3. I will bless and curse those who bless and curse you (as a nation) (v.3). 
      4. 

    

    




    There are supporting elements to this passage. The supporting elements are as follows:
    




    

      
	
    1. Abraham will go to a designated land (v.1).
      2. 
	
    2. Abraham’s name will be significant (v.2).
      3. 
	
    3. In Abraham, the other nations of the earth will be blessed (v.3). 
      4. 

    

    




    The overall effect of what YHWH told Abraham is that Abraham, through his own biological progeny will become a great nation. And, through the work of YHWH, that nation will be supreme on the earth, and will bless other nations. Those who resist Abraham, and this promise from God, will be cursed. Those who bless Abraham, and this promise from God, will be blessed. 
    




    It is in the national constitution of the descendants of Abraham that YHWH will live in the land, give Abraham a great name, and will bless other nations. 
    




    Replacement, Fulfillment, Or??
    




    Kirk Cameron’s take on the passage was that the name “Israel” does not appear in the above passage, the same passage Senator Cruz roughly quoted. It is Abraham’s name that is mentioned. And, since those in the church are called Abraham’s sons (Galatians 3:6-7), whether Jews or Greeks, and since not all biological Israel believes in Christ, then Genesis 12:1-3 cannot refer to Israel, but to believing Jews (individually), and the church. 
    




    The assumption, and outright statement, of Cameron is that the church was always in view, and the nation of Israel, to which he refers as a political entity, is not. In effect, Israel is done for, and will not be the source of blessing, or cursing, for other nations depending upon how they treat Israel. 
    




    The Problem
    




    The problem with Cameron’s view is that he has already made some assumptions that he uses as tools of interpretation. 
    




    The first assumption is that Israel only refers to those who believe in YHWH. Although it is true that only those biological Jews who believe in YHWH are truly Israel, the other side to that reality is that even those who were unbelieving were called “Israel” in Scripture (Romans 11:2,7 et al).  
    




    The second is that the reference to Abraham is limited to Abraham. It is true that God is speaking to Abraham. But what God said is that He will make Abraham a great nation. Abraham’s descendants are biological Jews, the Hebrews from Judea. It is this national fact to which YHWH refers when He told Abraham that He was going to bless the other nations. In other words, Abraham is the source of the nation in which the world will be blessed. 
    




    Third, equating the church with national Israel in that passage tips his hand as buying into a conclusion before the facts are determined. This is typical from the Reformed camp of Evangelicalism. The desire to be devotionally credible leads to sloppy exegesis. 
    




    Besides, Paul quotes and refers to this passage many times in his writings, and never does he equate this passage with the church. Rather, Paul says that the church is a group of many nations who are blessed through this promise through Abraham and his descendents. This promise to Abraham is the same promise that YHWH made to Christ as well (Galatians 3:16). But, as the context shows, the existence of the nation of Israel, which was formed by a common covenant and Law, does not negate the promise. 
    




    Conclusion
    




    No. Israel is not the church, and the church is not Israel. It is true that those who are Jews biologically, and who believe in the Messiah, are sons of Abraham through and through since they reflect the faith of Abraham. But, a Gentile reflecting the faith of Abraham is not made a Jew, but is simply reflecting the faith of Abraham and that is as far Scripture allows us to take things. 
    

    
			
    
		
    
		
	
  • 
		
		
    
			
    Why Study Protology?
    
			
    Why Study Protology?
    
			
    

    Protology is the study of “first things.” First things refers to whatever information we have in Scripture about things before creation, at creation, and immediately following creation.1 Just as eschatology is the study of “last things,” things related to the end of time, protology is the study of things before, and at, the beginning of time. 
    




    As I mentioned in my last essay, there is an imbalance between the two. Much weight is put on eschatology, and rightly so, but almost none is put on protology. The result is a shot-in-the-dark approach to understanding why God created the world, and how that informs His purpose throughout time, and into eternity. That guess-work has produced some very shoddy theologies that cannot hold up under biblical scrutiny. The result of that is an unsanctified church that does not know her Father’s will. 
    




    My goal in this essay is to begin to explain in greater detail exactly what happened before creation which motivated the forming of creation itself. In doing that, we will also deal with God’s purpose, motives, and plan for all things. The Bible does give us that information. And the church is the steward of that information, a stewardship that is not being handled properly. 
    




    The Problems With Modern Theology
    




    Dispensationalism has no real answer for the question, “What was God’s purpose for creating the world?” The most oft response is, “It was created for His glory.” This is a true statement, but the answer appears more of a catch-all phrase used when you really don’t know the answer. It is akin to the term “pan-millennialism” when asked about eschatology; “It will all pan out in the end.” Well, in reality, that is no answer. 
    




    Covenantalists believe there was a council, or series of councils, in which the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit worked out the plan and roles of creation and redemption by pact, or “covenant.” They claim that God covenanted the various aspects of which One of God would be the Redeemer, Regenerator, and the Initiator of redemption of sinners. It was decided by “pact,” or covenant in the eternal councils before time. 
    




    That is no answer either since the information for such a council, or councils, is scant. It is obvious that there was some kind of conversation within God that produced the existence of the world, and permitted the fall in order to manufacture redemption. These monumental things simply don’t happen by accident. However, their answer is no answer either since the ideals of a pact and the details imagined by Covenantalists simply don’t comport with the revelation of Scripture. 
    




    Some Dispensationalists even affirm such covenants as above simply by concession, and not by evidence. It is unfortunate that some Dispensationalists concede such ideals when they know very well that the fruit of such a system is not consistent with Scripture (i.e. infant baptism, replacement/fulfillment of Israel with the church, Amillennialism/Postmillennialism, etc). But, since they haven’t been able to discover the information necessary to understand what actually happened in God to motivate the creation of the world, and the activities of redemption, they simply set aside convictions against the covenants of Covenant Theology and move on to the debates of more sure footing.
    




    However, this is not necessary. It is not necessary for Dispensationalists to hand over what is arguably the most critical and fundamental aspect of theology, the study of first things, simply for concession. As one who has for at least 30 years grappled with the doctrines, problems, successes, and failures of Dispensationalism and Covenant Theology, I can tell you that we have a definitive piece of revelation in Scripture, a theological “smoking gun” if you will, that fills in the ethereal “all things are for the glory of God” statement with data. These data, which I will produce in this series, is enough to rewrite, and revise, a proper and true theology that is consistent with Scripture throughout. For that I am excited! I am excited because this means that more questions can be answered, greater clarity can be had, Truth can be more definitively understood, and God’s plan, being understood in greater detail, can give Him the due glory in greater measure. 
    




    Before “In the Beginning”
    




    

    Ge 1:1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.  (Genesis 1:1, LSB)
    

    




    At the beginning of the first day of the six days of the creation week, the seventh day being the creation of a day of rest since God rested from His creation work, God created the heavens and the earth. I believe that this is a statement of the creation of the dark matter in the cosmos and our planet before the land appeared out of water. The creation of the heavens and the earth started the creation clock ticking. Since that time, God has been working (John 5:17), working His purpose in history and time. 
    




    But, what is that purpose? What was the motivation for creating the heavens and the earth, and filling them with the stellar bodies, creatures, and ultimately the man and woman? Is there a motive that can be read and understood in the proper reading of Scripture? 
    




    Yes. 
    




    Foundation
    




    Jesus gives us His Word concerning the creation of the man, Adam, and the subsequent fall of Adam by work of Satan. This is found in the parable section of Matthew 13. There, along with other parables meant to describe and explain the Kingdom of Heaven in light of its impending mystery form, Jesus tells us what happened in Genesis 1-3. 
    




    I am referring to the parable of the Tares and the Wheat (Matthew 13:24-30). That parable contains a detail that is unique to Tare and Wheat parable alone. The tense of the verb that Matthew records there is unique, and significant. Although the verb is repeated in all seven parables of Matthew 13, only in v.24 is the verb aorist passive indicative. Those three terms indicate for us a lot of information. 
    




    Aorist
    




    A.T. Robertson wrote the definitive work on Koine Greek, the language of the New Testament (NT). When addressing the issues surrounding the aorist “tense,” he wrote:
    




    

    “It is true that in the expression of past time in the indicative and with all the other moods, the aorist is the tense used as a matter of course, unless there was special reason for using some other tense.”2
    

    




    However, the sense of past time action is not in the aorist tense. Aorist indicates “punctiliar” action, and can be further divided into tense, as it were, from a combination of the stem of the verb, the context, and the aorist vs. other tenses used. To get to the point, when the aorist tense is used, and it wants to describe an action in the past, which is the default mood to show that as per the above quote, we call it the “ingressive aorist.” That is, the aorist is describing the action, or state, of the verb as having begun in the past at some point in time. 
    




    Passive
    




    When a verb is wanting to describe an action that happens to a subject, it is in the passive. If I hit a ball, that is active. I hit the ball. However, it is a different matter if the ball hit me; I was hit by the ball. The second example is passive. The ball hit me, and it hurt. 
    




    The verb Jesus used in Matthew 13:24 is passive. The subject of the verb is the Kingdom of Heaven. The subject is acted upon by the verb, which, in this case, is a description of the subject, the Kingdom. 
    




    Indicative
    




    In Greek grammar, this is called the “mood” of the verb. It tells us the kind of statement something is. It is the “mood” of the verb that is on display. Indicative mood tells us that the verb is a statement, a factual idea indicating a fact of something. There are other moods that describe other kinds of things and descriptions of the subject. 
    




    Summary
    




    I took the time to look at some of the skeleton of the verse. I also took some liberties to explain things that most don’t readily see in the text, unless they know Greek. But, I did this in order to try and give some justification for what I am about to say, and to have opportunity for scrutiny from those who know Greek better than I do. 
    




    The summary of Jesus’ words in Matthew 13:24-30 is this:
    




    “The Kingdom of Heaven was/began to be like…” The parable goes on to describe various aspects of the Kingdom of Heaven. Its  original intention was for the sons of God to grow and thrive, like wheat plants in a field. 
    




    But, an enemy of the farmer planted weeds in the field of the wheat, forcing the farmer to wait until the harvest to separate them lest the wheat gets accidentally damaged, and the crop is ruined. 
    




    The metaphor is explained to the disciples, and us, that each component in the parable corresponds to an actual historical person, or object. 
    




    The sum of Jesus’ teaching is that the Son of Man created man to live on the earth with Him. The Devil came and introduced sons of his own. These two populate the earth from that point forward. 
    




    The Kingdom of Heaven, then, was the original creation as recorded in Genesis 1:1-2. The fall of Adam was the introduction of evil into the Kingdom, as recorded in Genesis 3. Currently, in the Kingdom, which refers to the creation of man and the earth (Psalm 2:8), there are sons of God (i.e. elect), and the sons of the devil (i.e. non-elect). The sons of God were determined by Father, and created for the Son, to exist forever in the Kingdom.3
    




    Conclusion
    




    To end this essay, we just need to see a few things. First, the Kingdom of God was the original design of God, recorded for us in Genesis 1-2. Next, God created the earth for the sons of God to live with Him forever.4 Finally, that design was corrupted by the enemy of God, Satan. His work caused God to take the life of Adam and Eve. Satan effectively ruled the world, the kingdom, from that point.5 
    




      

    1. On the basis of the inerrancy of Scripture, and the dubious character of extra-biblical accounts of creation (i.e. Enuma Elish), I reject all supposed creation accounts extant in the cultures of the Ancient Near East.  ↩
      2. 




    2. A. T. Robertson, A Grammar of the Greek New Testament in the Light of Historical Research (Logos Bible Software, 2006), 831. ↩
      3. 




    3. See Revelation 22:5 for some evidence that ruling, reigning, with God (v.3) was the original design of God since the eternal end result was just that.  ↩
      4. 




    4. See Luke 3:38 ↩
      5. 




    5. Luke 4:6; cp. 1 John 5:19 ↩
      6. 

    

    
			
    
		
    
		
	
  • 
		
		
    
			
    These Are Tough Times
    
			
    These Are Tough Times
    
			
    

    Charlie Kirk, a 31-year-old father of two young children, husband to a beautiful young wife, Erika, and unabashed proclaimer of the Gospel around the world, was shot in cold blood in front of thousands of adoring fans, and some enemies. The details are still pending, but at this time, the alleged killer has been caught, and the weapon has been secured.
    




    However, there is more going on here than the details of one man’s assassination, and the throws of a nation’s sadness at this time.
    




    Times and Seasons
    




    Jesus spoke of our age often in His teaching recorded in the New Testament. Here are a few examples of what Jesus said about our days:
    




    

    10 “And at that time many will fall away and will betray one another and hate one another.
    




    11 “Many false prophets will arise and will deceive many.
    




    12 “And because lawlessness is multiplied, most people’s love will grow cold.
    




    13 “But the one who endures to the end, he will be saved.  (Matthew 24:10–13, LSB)
    

    




    

    9“But see to yourselves; for they will deliver you to the courts, and you will be beaten in the synagogues, and you will stand before governors and kings for My sake, as a witness to them.
    




    10 “And the gospel must first be proclaimed to all the nations.
    




    11 “And when they lead you away, delivering you up, do not worry beforehand about what you are to say, but say whatever is given to you in that hour; for it is not you who speak, but it is the Holy Spirit.
    




    12 “And brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and have them put to death.
    




    13 “And you will be hated by all because of My name, but the one who endures to the end, he will be saved.  (Mark 13:9–13, LSB)
    

    




    

    12“But before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and will persecute you, delivering you to the synagogues and prisons, bringing you before kings and governors for My name’s sake.
    




    13 “It will result in an opportunity for your testimony.
    




    14 “So set in your hearts not to prepare beforehand to defend yourselves;
    




    15 for I will give you a mouth and wisdom which none of your opponents will be able to resist or refute.
    




    16 “But you will be betrayed even by parents and brothers and relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death,
    




    17 and you will be hated by all because of My name.
    




    18 “Yet not a hair of your head will perish.
    




    19 “By your perseverance you will gain your lives.  (Luke 21:12–19, LSB)
    

    




    I chose these passages in order to summarize Jesus’ teaching to the disciples concerning the time period from His own death, resurrection, and ascension, to His next coming. I have no intention of debating how I came to the eschatological conclusions I did in these passages. It is enough for now to see these selected passages as addressing the time between the ascension of Christ to His Second, Premillennial, coming. 
    




    Let’s cover this period a bit from these passages, and then look at some things Paul wrote as well. When we pull these teachings together, we get a complete picture of our age. In fact, we have the authority to tell people what is happening in the world even as it is happening. In other words, these passages give us discernment. And, when we have discernment, we have clarity, and with clarity comes courage. 
    




    Betrayal: The Tone of the Age
    




    

    9 “Then they will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name.
    




    10 “And at that time many will fall away and will betray one another and hate one another.  (Matthew 24:9–10, LSB)
    




    9 “But see to yourselves; for they will deliver you to the courts, and you will be beaten in the synagogues, and you will stand before governors and kings for My sake, as a witness to them.
    




    10 “And the gospel must first be proclaimed to all the nations.  (Mark 13:9–10, LSB)
    

    




    And, perhaps the most precise record of this age is found in the book of Luke. He wrote:
    




    

    “But before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and will persecute you, delivering you to the synagogues and prisons, bringing you before kings and governors for My name’s sake.  (Luke 21:12, LSB)
    

    




    The deliverance of which Matthew, Mark, and Luke record Jesus as speaking of is not the deliverance from something, but deliverance to something. It is a deliverance that is, in each record, going on to speak of being “betrayed” by those who were perceived as friends. 
    




    In each record, being “delivered” is the idea of “betrayal,” a handing over by a trusted friend. The condition of the age will be that of being betrayed by confidants, and ending up in the synagogues, courts, and even some kind of capital punishment. This betrayal will come in a variety of forms. Luke wrote,
    




    

    “But you will be betrayed even by parents and brothers and relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death,  (Luke 21:16, LSB)
    

    




    It is the reality that we, as the saints of God, have to come to grips with. Those who might be dearest to us, even within our families, are the same who would become the very ones who would willingly hand us over to legal punishment, even illegal execution. 
    




    The world is not done hating Jesus Christ. Whether the nation of Israel, or the Gentiles of every nation, the disdain for the Son of God is not completed. However, because they cannot reach into heaven and pull Him down, they must do what it takes to destroy those who follow Him. 
    




    False Christs: The Savior of the Age
    




    But there is more to the age. During this time, the whole world will endure the self-professed messiahs who appear to rescue the world. Matthew, Mark, and Luke record:
    




    

    “For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many.  (Matthew 24:5, LSB)
    

    




    

    “Many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am He!’ and will mislead many.  (Mark 13:6, LSB)
    

    




    

    And He said, “See to it that you are not deceived; for many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am He,’ and, ‘The time is at hand.’ Do not go after them.  (Luke 21:8, LSB)
    

    




    According to Jesus Christ, the plan of God will progress with false Christ’s, betrayal, violence, and deception. This is a sad testament. However, it is a testament to the condition of the world under the influence and leadership of the Serpent, Satan, the Devil. 
    




    In the midst of this condition, however, Jesus gives us wonderful consolation. Again, in each case, He tells us that we will be preserved, even if handed over to death. We will not perish (Luke 21:18). That is, we will not suffer ultimate fate at the hands of God’s enemies. even in our death by betrayal, we will truly live! Endurance is the key. Endurance to preach the gospel, in spite of threats, deception, and pervasive error. 
    




    Paul’s Warning: Violent Times Are Coming
    




    

    3:1 But know this, that in the last days difficult times will come.  (2 Timothy 3:1, LSB)
    

    




    Paul would know. Being left for dead, persecuted regularly, imprisoned numbers of times, and ultimately beheaded by Rome. This man knew persecution and violence. He wanted Timothy to understand the days ahead of him, days that would be characterized by trouble and hardship in the name of Christ. 
    




    The above mentioned verse is interesting because Paul told Timothy that “difficult” times will come. However, the Greek word that Paul used for “difficult” is best translated, “violent, dangerous.” It is the idea of imminent danger being the character of the people around Timothy. He gives a list of these people in the following verses, a list I won’t take the time to review.
    




    However, notice the list begins with “self-love.” It is the quality of self-absorption, or self-infatuation. It is an aggressive defense of the priority of one’s self over, and against, the love of others. In a word, it is selfish, arrogant, entitlement. 
    




    What is even more amazing is that these qualities are likely what will characterize the church, the body of Christ since v. 5 indicates that these people will hold to a form of godliness, but will have denied its power. This is Christendom. This is the kingdom of God which is populated with tares that look like wheat, wolves that look like sheep, and the unrighteous who act righteous. 
    




    Coupling these things together, along with numerous other passages from letters in the NT like 2 Thessalonians and of course, the book of Revelation, we get a grim picture of the future. 
    




    Conclusion
    




    In short, the plan of God, which culminates with the shattering of rulers, kings, nations, and peoples in the wrath of God (Psalm 2:9; cf. Revelation 19:15), has as its necessary component a mood of the age wherein the wrath of God is increasing (Romans 1:18), and will culminate in the seals, bowls, and trumpets of the Tribulation. 
    




    If we endure, and preach the gospel to every nation, we will enter into our rest with victory, reward, and peace. 
    

    
			
    
		
    
		
	
  • 
		
		
    
			
			
    An Overview of Time
    
			
    

    There is a progress of time in God’s plan. The idea that time is like a child’s top and simply is set spinning and let go while it spins on its own, is not accurate regarding the movement of history.
    





    Instead, history is a display of the purposes of God being accomplished among the affairs of men. They are all decided and determined beforehand by the only One who can do such a thing: the God of the Bible. 
    





    Like Peter wrote, it might be easy for people to assume that everything will continue as it has before (2 Peter 3:3-4). The promised coming is long distant, or not at all. However, like Peter wrote, what escapes our notice when we are tempted to think this way is that God has invaded time and the history of men before. He did it first with creation itself, when God initiated time. Then He did it with the flood. Then He did it with the Tower of Babel. And, He has invaded time and history hundreds of times since then in the existence of the nation of Israel. 
    





    It is also disregarded that the Son of God came as a Man, and was performing miracles every day of His ministry. And, in addition to all of this, the continued consistency with modern times and the predictions of the Bible are uncanny.1
    





    But, what is the beginning of it all? Do we know God’s purpose for all of His activity in the history of men and the world? Can we know what God is after? What is His ultimate purpose? 
    





    The answer to these questions is “Yes! Yes, we can know and we must know.” Not only is the information we need to determine God’s ultimate purpose in time and history available, but we are required, as the church, to know, and announce these things to the world. For the church to act like there is some kind of metaphysical barrier between God’s purpose and our history, is tantamount to being a protoloigcal agnostic. That is, it would be like assuming that God’s original design and purpose, even dealing with information about these things before time began, is simply unknowable. 
    





    However, the intentions of God, and as God Who is conducting which part of the plan, are available for our learning, our instruction, and our benefit, to the glory and praise of God alone.
    





    

    33Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways!
    34 For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who became His counselor?
    35 Or who has first given to Him that it might be repaid to him?
    36 For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen.  (Romans 11:33–36, LSB)
    

    




    In The Beginning Before The Beginning
    




    As I asserted above, there is a tendency to be a protological agnostic in reference to the things regarding God first actions in time and history, as well as any information regarding His purpose as determined before time. “Protology” is the study of first things. It is the study of the origins, purpose(s), and first events before and in the history of the world. Of course, all of this is predicated upon what is recorded in the Bible. That is to say, our information of man’s history spanning as far back as around 3,500 BC in the written records, can only give us some data to correlate events and movements and key people in history. However, the interpretation and explanation for it all can only come from one infallible, and inerrant, source-the Bible. In order to rightly accumulate the data, and organize it in its right sequence, we need to research the Bible and have it tell us what our finds mean. 
    





    My intention in this short essay is to begin to explain what the Bible tells us, not of human history and its origins (although I will delve into that as necessary), but of whatever we can glean from the Bible about God’s intentions and purposes determined before time began as revealed to us in Scripture. In other words, I want to examine what we know about the eternity before, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1). 
    





    At the outset, it is important that the informed reader know that I do not believe in a hermeneutic that does injustice to the inerrant Word. I only employ an historical and grammatical approach to the Bible in its original languages. I do not have loyalties to an institution, a movement, or a creed. In fact, as every pastor should, my only loyalties are to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ Who is the Catalyst and Initiator of all things. He is also the Consummator of what He has determined to accomplish. I write with my eternal reward in view. That is, I write with a very real and strong sense of what I will have to say for myself that split-second I appear before God after I breathe my last breath. That very moment is the only time for which I live, and for which I write. Nothing else matters, least of all loyalty to a theological brand, or movement. Yet, there are some points in the history of doctrinal emphases that are important and helpful, and many that are not. I will intersect with them as necessary. 
    





    The Eternal Council Was Not A Council
    




    

    7 “I will surely tell of the decree of Yahweh:
    He said to Me, ‘You are My Son,
    Today I have begotten You.
    8 ‘Ask of Me, and I will surely give the nations as Your inheritance,
    And the ends of the earth as Your possession.
    9 ‘You shall break them with a rod of iron,
    You shall shatter them like a potter’s vessel.’”  (Psalm 2:7–9, LSB)
    

    




    Psalm 2 is the key foundation to understanding Protology. Without a thoroughgoing understanding of this Psalm, as church history has shown, man is left to wander in a dark cave without light. The light source for me came on in 2010 when I was reading my Bible and “stumbled” across this Psalm. Its words opened to me like a flower and I began to notice that what David wrote here cannot be overlooked in regard to Protology. 
    





    The Psalm is a gateway into all of Scripture. It is a prophetic Psalm of David that is, obviously, inspired by the Holy Spirit (Acts 4:25-26). What is written there, as prophetic Scripture, is meant to tell us something beyond David, and that it does. The Psalm is a record of the wording and purpose of God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as it regards what Paul calls God’s “eternal purpose” (Ephesians 3:11). Peter, in Acts 4, agrees with Paul that Psalm 2 is the ground of all the revealed information needed to understand God’s “predetermined will.” Notice what he said, as recorded by Luke:
    





    

    24 And when they heard this, they lifted their voices to God with one accord and said, “O Master, it is You who made the heaven and the earth and the sea, and all that is in them,
    25 who by the Holy Spirit, through the mouth of our father David Your servant, said,
    ‘Why did the Gentiles rage,
    And the peoples devise vain things?
    26 ‘The kings of the earth took their stand,
    And the rulers were gathered together
    Against the lord and against His Christ.’
    27 “For truly in this city there were gathered together against Your holy Servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel,
    28 to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose predestined to occur.  (Acts 4:24–28, LSB)
    

    




    Peter and John understood that Psalm 2, as quoted here in portion, is a Psalm which refers to “whatever (God’s) hand and (God’s) purpose predestined to occur.” They understand the nature and extent of the Psalm as a record of what is predestined for them, and for all time. To Peter and John, Psalm 2 recorded what was fulfilled in their persecution for preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ. But, even more than that, they understood that David wrote by the Holy Spirit and of such a character that it was not about David. His writing was substantially about God’s predestined will. 
    





    Paul also helps us to understand something of this predestined will. He wrote to the church in Ephesus:2
    





    

    11 In Him, we also have been made an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will,  (Ephesians 1:11, LSB)
    

    




    Paul tells us that the church has been “made an inheritance,” and that established purpose of God was the result of the “predestined…purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will.” Paul instructs us that God did not have a “divine council” as some aver. Rather, the Father unilaterally predetermined what His purpose is and initiated it of His “good pleasure” (see Ephesians 1:5,9) and with the end result of “the praise of His glory” (Ephesians 1:6,12,14). It is, then, the unilateral will of the Father to have planned and commenced His purpose by His Son Jesus Christ. In the process of doing all of this, He has made us adopted sons, an inheritance, and is moving towards a summing up of everything in Christ (vv. 5, 10, 11). 
    





    Conclusion
    




    As this will be an ongoing series, I will have to stop here and let this soak in for those who might read it. 
    





    Over the coming weeks, as the Lord wills, I plan to write down what the Bible has to say about the eternal purpose of the Father, a purpose revealed thoroughly in Psalm 2, and echoed throughout Scripture from Genesis 1 to Revelation 22. 
    





      
	
    1. I am referring to the words of Jesus primarily, that there would be wars, rumors of wars, increased lawlessness, and increased persecution of the church (Matthew 24:4-14).  ↩
      2. 
	
    2. The earliest manuscripts do not include the word “Ephesus” in the prologue of our Ephesians. Therefore, many believe that Ephesians is the “epistle to the Laodiceans” of Colossians 4:12. ↩
      3. 

    

    
			
    
		
    
		
	
  • 
		
		
    
			
			
    The Span of Time
    
			
    

    “You sound like what I heard growing up!” 
    




    That was a comment after church service Sunday. That sister in Christ, who is in her mid-fifties, her statement was in reference to my sermon in which I introduced what Scripture says concerning “ages.” She was referring to the things her dad taught her, what she heard in churches as a young girl, and the general mood of that day. 
    




    That statement really got me thinking. It occurred to me as well that the things I taught were something like what I used to hear in the early years of my walk with Christ. The distinctions of times, and ages, and Israel, and the church, all seemed to be regular fair. 
    




    But now, the mood has changed. The atmosphere of the teaching in mainstream Christianity seems to have shifted 1) to oppose the distinction of ages in history, or 2) to completely ignore and neglect those things altogether. 
    




    I believe that now, more than at any time, we need to explain that there are distinct ages, or dispensations, of time in the plan of God. These are distinctions that are designed by God based upon clear statements in the Scripture and not manufactured by man’s imagination. Once these things are cleared up, I believe the history of God’s eternal purpose in Christ becomes clearer than ever. 
    




    The Ends of the Ages
    




    

    1 Corinthians 10:11 (LSB)
    




    “11Now these things happened to them as an example, and they were written for our instruction, upon whom the ends of the ages have arrived.”
    

    




    This is Paul’s warning to the Corinthian church about their penchant for craving “evil things” (v.6). Israel’s tendency was to pursue a course of misbehavior as it regards idolatry, sexual unrighteousness, and grumbling. The history of Israel is replete with examples of these sins. Paul’s indication is that the Corinthians were in the same boat, as it were, and they also craved evil things. 
    




    But, what is curious is the subtle, and then not-so-subtle, statements regarding the progress of time, and the condition of Israel, being inconclusive without the church. What I mean is, it seems that Paul is indicating that over the eons what happened to Israel was not simply factual history. It was all, indeed, events that were meant to benefit the church, a dispensation of time wherein men and women, slave and freemen, Jew and Gentile, would benefit from the New Covenant seemingly designed only for Israel (Jeremiah 31:31-33). 
    




    They Could Not Be Perfected Without Us
    




    

    “because God had provided something better for us, so that apart from us they would not be made perfect.” (Hebrews 11:40, LSB)
    

    




    This statement from Hebrews is very similar in emphasis in 1 Corinthians 10. The indication of the writer of Hebrews is that the fathers, Israel, the prophets, and the godly men and women of Hebrews 11 were not the end-all of God’s plan. The writer is identifying the reality that, in God’s wise intention, there would exist a future people, future to the people listed in Hebrews 11, who also would “be perfected.” The complete sanctification, which is idea of “perfection,” of a people including, but not limited to, Israel and the progenitors of Israel, was God’s intention (Hebrews 2:10). 
    




    This is wonderful news! It is incredible to think that in the plan and purpose of God, He would conceive of the concentration of His covenants and Temple, and His Law, upon one nation, with the intention all along to bring that nation to the point that they would abandon those things, and her God, for evil things such that God would then turn His (predetermined) eye beyond Israel and to the nations (Gentiles). The genius, the brilliance, and wonder, of it all demonstrates a level of purpose and plan and power far beyond the imagination. The purpose and plan of Yahweh to preconceive of this extensive ambition is magnificent. But, now consider, that the power that is required to move in the hearts and events of Israel in order to accomplish His purpose and plan is nothing short of absolutely divine and must cause us to bow in worship. 
    




    Having His purpose to determine that He would bring a people into an assembly completely apart from national identity, biology, and even apart from an external script of worship (i.e. a Temple and sacrifices), shows a quality of perfection that, apparently, could never have been possible in the worship economy of Israel. 
    




    Why? Why was it impossible to perfect a people before us? Because, we are the church. The church is a body gathered together from tribes, languages, nations, from around the globe and based solely on a single thread of commonality-we believe the Messiah has come in the flesh (1 John 4:2). This faith in Jesus of Nazareth is the only common thread of our existence that we have. Without it, there is no church. Without it, there is no salvation. And, without it, there is no “ends of the ages.” 
    




    Jesus Had To Come; Jesus Had To Die
    




    When Paul wrote, “…upon whom the ends of the ages have arrived,” he was referencing the above fact, that the ages of time in human history have come to their climax. In other words, the whole point of God’s plan is now complete. The Messiah is the Son of God, and He arrived in the flesh of men (John 1:14), and He accomplished all the Father had given Him to accomplish while in the flesh (John 17:4). Now, the Father is able to fulfill His unfathomable plan in Christ. Nothing else is needed in order to do that. 
    




    Why did Jesus have to come in the flesh, though? Was there a specific reason in order to motivate such a plan? Was there some kind of purpose beyond time, and “eternal purpose”? Absolutely, there was! The coming of Messiah, the Son of God, was the hinge pin of His plan, the event that would accomplish the predetermined purpose of the Father. Once again, the writer of Hebrews teaches us what that purpose was. 
    




    

    

    ”5 Therefore, when He comes into the world, He says,”
    




    “Sacrifice and offering You have not desired,
    




    But a body You have prepared for Me;
    




    6  In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin You have taken no pleasure.
    




    7  “Then I Said, ‘Behold, I have come,
    




    In the scroll of the book it is written of Me,
    




    To do Your will, O God.’”  (Hebrews 10:5–7, LSB)
    

    

    




    The entire sacrificial and offering ritual system, the dominant component of their Law (v.8), was given to Israel in order to cover their sins. However, it was clear that the system was not able to perfect the worshippers because 1) they kept sinning, 2) the atonement was temporary.  And, remember, it is perfection that God is after for both Israel and those to come beyond Israel.  The rituals of the Law, which were dependent upon the behavior of already-fallen man, simply did not accomplish perfection. It couldn’t. And yet, it was a system of worship that God Himself gave to Israel to perform, under penalty of death (Hebrews 2:2).
    




    However, there needed to be something beyond the earthy and the temporary to accomplish the needed completion of the eternal atonement. After all, God did promise to the Son an inheritance. The Spirit told David about that conversation in eternity in Psalm 2:8
    




    

    “‘Ask of Me, and I will surely give the nations as Your inheritance,
    




    And the ends of the earth as Your possession.”  (Psalm 2:8, LSB)
    

    




    The record states that the Son was commanded to ask the Father for an inheritance to possess forever. The inheritance consisted of nations (“people”), and the entire earth. These things were the components of creation, destroyed by the fall of Adam. The people of the earth were subject to death (Hebrews 2:14-15; cf. Romans 5:12ff), and the earth was subject to a curse of “futility” (Romans 8:20). Both components of the Son’s inheritance were effectively destroyed. 
    




    How could they be recovered? What needed to happen in order to restore the plan for the Son? In a word, an atonement was needed. The recovery is called “redemption,” but the need was an atonement. Something had to cancel the death judgment in order to bring back the life that was lost. And THAT is why Christ died. His death satisfied the Father’s will. His obedience was not the obedience of the Mosaic Law, but the obedience of death of crucifixion. 
    




    It was His death on a Roman cross, condemned by the Jews apart from the Romans, that introduced the death of the Messiah into history. That action pleased the Father because through death Jesus Christ was able to absorb the death God pronounced upon Adam, and his progeny, such that death would be destroyed and life would then constitute the nature of the elect. 
    




    In so doing, Jesus Christ is now able to receive the kingdom promised to Him, and to us, from the foundation of the world (Matthew 25:34). In order for the Son to have many brethren, they would need to rule with Him since they would need to be like Him. This redemption gives to us the new nature, a new heart necessary to enter into that kingdom forever. Those whose heart has not been re-created by the Holy Spirit, based upon the death of Jesus Christ, will not, cannot, inherit the Kingdom of God. As Paul wrote, “flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God”(1 Corinthians 15:50). The corruption of the body is permanent. It cannot be improved upon. I can only be created all over again. Only God can do that, and He does in Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:4-5). 
    




    Jesus Had To Be Raised
    




    The death of Christ, really the entire suffering of Christ from the Garden of Gethsemane to the wooden stake between two thieves, completed the atonement that the Father witnessed and thereby “justified the many” (Isaiah 53:10-11). 
    




    The evidence that the atonement was satisfactory, propitiatory, is the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. That resurrection establishes, once and for all time, the absolute completion of the Father’s plan to redeem the kingdom of the Son. His resurrection from the dead ended the “work” of Christ such that Jesus could say that He has accomplished the work the Father gave Him to do (John 17:4). It was by this work, the manifesting of the name of the Father upon the earth, and having drawn the men and women who were given to Him by the Father to Himself. 
    




    Once all of that which could be done in the flesh and only accomplished during the earthly ministry of the incarnate Son of God was essentially accomplished, then the Son could be raised from the dead and given life again, bodily, and return to heaven seated next to the Father. Death could not keep the eternal purpose of the Father from happening. 
    




    The resurrection of Jesus Christ is what the Old Testament calls being “begotten.” The term refers to being brought into life, usually by childbirth. However, in the case of the Messiah, it is a reference to His being brought into life by bodily resurrection from the dead. Again, Psalm 2 gives us the meaning:
    




    

    “I will surely tell of the decree of Yahweh:
    




    He said to Me, ‘You are My Son,
    




    Today I have begotten You.  (Psalm 2:7, LSB)
    

    




    “Today I have begotten You” is a component of the Father’s plan to raise Jesus Christ from the dead in bodily form on a particular day (see Acts 13:33; Hebrews 1:5; 5:5). The third day, the very morning of that day, Jesus Christ was restored to His body, a newly created body that was not free of scars, but was free of death. 
    




    Thereby, being raised from the dead, He was then able to be received back into heaven once again. The magnanimous and rich and unfathomable work of the Father was completed! The Son is declared to be such with power (Romans 1:2-4), and will return again in power in order to receive His inheritance, and inheritance of love (John 3:35). 
    




    Conclusion
    




    Now, post-resurrection, we are in the ends of the ages. The dispensations of time leading up to the cross of Christ, then emanating from that cross to our day, and on into the coming again of the Sun to physically take over His kingdom, a kingdom filled with lawlessness and lawless ones. The church of Jesus Christ awaits her Rapture. She anticipates that rescue out of the world in order to be saved from the wrath to come (Romans 5:9). But, for now, we live in the special time of post-Messiah, post-resurrection, which identifies this age as the end. 
    

    
			
    
		
    
		
	
  • 
		
		
    
			
			
    The Son of God
    
			
    

    The Serpent
    




    

    John 8:18 (LSB)
    




    18“I am He who bears witness about Myself, and the Father who sent Me bears witness about Me.”
    

    




     
    




    The Lord Jesus Christ needs the testimony of no man. His testimony, as demonstrated by His Words, His miracles, and His compassion, are all the testimonies of the Holy Spirit in Him.1 His qualification as the Son of God is that He, in fact, is the Son of God. His exclusive claim to being the Messiah2 coupled with the above-mentioned proofs demonstrate that His nature and Person is the eternal Son, the Messiah prophesied of in the Old Testament. 
    




    And, yet, few ever believed Him. He spent about three and a half years in the region of the land of Israel, walking up and down the land in order to proclaim the arrival of the Kingdom of God.3 The Kingdom had been invaded by sin and death 4 due to the deception of the Serpent in the Garden of Eden. That serpent, also known as Satan, planted weeds into the field of the world, a world which was created for the Son and His brethren.5 Having done that, leading the man into sin, death ensued, as Yahweh had promised, and death spread, being passed on to all men making them sinners.6 The effect of this condition, a new condition of the soul of the man and woman, is that all men are born dead to God 7, alienated from God, and enemies of God. The net result is that man and God are at war with each other. God is avenging His righteousness upon the world. This is known as “wrath”8. And, man, for his part, is assuming the posture of trying to kill God, or at least cut off His presence in the world 9.
    




    The World
    




    The result of this horrible situation is that, unless there might be a reconciliation, all men, even the elect, would be punished in the eternal Lake of Fire. That is the extent of God’s holiness and glory. And, if that should happen, God would not have accomplished His eternal purpose in Christ. But, this hypothetical is never a good way to express what God is doing since God cannot fail to accomplish His purpose. 
    




    The world, then, is the location of all that God is doing for the Son. The heavens initiate the purpose of God. But, the earth is the panorama of God’s perfect purpose. It is the glorious stage of God’s redemption, the wonderful and powerful expression of God’s love and honor for the Son, and the Son for the Father. 
    




    But, the world is also a stage for the work of the Devil, too. He is at work. His work is far from redemption. Jesus said, “He (The devil) was a murderer from the beginning…”10 The reference Jesus had in mind is clear from the phrase “the beginning.” It is a reference to the Garden of Eden and the work of the devil in that Garden. His intent, and his effect, was to murder the Son and Daughter of God, Adam and Eve. He did that, and by the hand of God, no less. What I mean to say is that Yahweh had warned Adam that if he should eat of the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, then God would take his life. 
    




    

    “Genesis 2:16–17 (LSB)
    




    16 And Yahweh God commanded the man, saying, “From any tree of the garden you may surely eat; 
    




    17 but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you shall not eat from it; for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die.”
    

    




    In that moment, that fateful event, the devil wanted Adam dead. Diabolically, he used God’s own glorious nature, holy, singular, and righteous, to accomplish Adam’s death. This death, says the Apostle Paul, spread to all men through Adam’s sin, and so all men die. 11 This death is the returning of the man back to dust, the dust from which he came. This would be the future of all the sons and daughters of God, if it were not for the redemption of Jesus Christ. 
    




    Redemption
    




    The eternal plan of God, according to the record we have available to us in Psalm 2:6-8, runs as follows:
    




    

    Psalm 2:6–8 (LSB)
    




    6“But as for Me, I have installed My King Upon Zion, My holy mountain.” 
    




    7“I will surely tell of the decree of Yahweh: He said to Me, ‘You are My Son, Today I have begotten You. 
    




    8‘Ask of Me, and I will surely give the nations as Your inheritance, And the ends of the earth as Your possession.
    

    




    There are auxiliary data to enhance, and support, the core of God’s eternal purpose, which our passage above records for us. But, this is the heart of it all. It is on the back of this transcription of that eternal conversation from the Father to the Son that all of God’s plan rests. It tells us everything and it is the spinal cord of the neural network of all of God’s revelation in Scripture. Without a proper understanding of this passage, we are left in the dark as to our understanding. 
    




    Redemption is the act of returning something back to its original owner upon payment of a ransom.12 It is in essence the bondage of a person or a thing that is removed when a price is relinquished on that person’s behalf for their release. Although there are many examples of God redeeming nations and people in the Bible, a couple to represent the spectrum will suffice. He “redeemed” Israel from forced labor in Egypt in 1446 B.C.13 And, He also “redeemed” the church after the death of Christ.14 These events represent the power of God, to justly, and authoritatively rescue what rightly belongs to Himself from the death that Satan established upon them.15
    




    The result of this rescue, then, is the salvation of the elect from death penalty, which we rightly deserve,16 back to the life that we are promised from the promise of Psalm 2:8a. The Son was promised to receive the nations, or “peoples,” and the earth. Those two categories are the summary parts of His “inheritance.” The Son, the Anointed,17 will be King from Mt. Zion, the same location as His death. He will rule and reign over the earth forever. When that earth comes, a new one,18 the curse will be removed, Satan will be judged in the Lake of Fire, and the lawless ministers of the devil will also be condemned forever.19 
    




    The accomplishment of all God’s eternal plan will be perfectly executed and experienced by Him, and ourselves, forever! What an unspeakable future we have! 
    




      

    1. See Isaiah 61:1-2; cp. Luke 4:18ff ↩
      2. 




    2. John 18:37 ↩
      3. 




    3. Matthew 4:17, 23 et al ↩
      4. 




    4. Genesis 3:1-5 ↩
      5. 




    5. Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43.  ↩
      6. 




    6. Romans 5:12-19 ↩
      7. 




    7. Ephesians 4:18 ↩
      8. 




    8. Romans 1:18ff ↩
      9. 




    9. Psalm 2:1-3 ↩
      10. 




    10. John 8:44 ↩
      11. 




    11. Romans 5:12-18 ↩
      12. 




    12. λυτρόω, -ῶ (<λύτρον, q.v.), in LXX chiefly for פּדה, גּאל; to release on receipt of ransom; mid., to release by paying ransom, to redeem:
      G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament (New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1922), 273. ↩
      	
      13. 




    13. Exodus 6:6 ↩
      14. 




    14. Titus 2:14 ↩
      15. 




    15. Hebrews 2:9-14 ↩
      16. 




    16. Ephesians 2:1-3 ↩
      17. 




    17. Psalm 2:2 ↩
      18. 




    18. Revelation 21:1 ↩
      19. 




    19. Revelation 20:15 ↩
      20. 

    

    
			
    
		
    
		
	
  • 
		
		
    
			
    What Comes First: Hermeneutics or Exegesis?
    
			
    What Comes First: Hermeneutics or Exegesis?
    
			
    

    The Ridge or the Base
    




    For those who are aware of the issues, the above question is a significant one. For those who are not aware of the issues, let me summarize for you so that this essay makes some contribution to the next time you open the Bible and read. 
    




    The issue raised by this question is the quandary of whether a man A) should read Scripture with interpretation in mind first, or B) whether he should disband the attempt to interpret until after he has done the work of exegesis. Or, in other words, should the Bible be read with a intent to interpret, or should he deal with the words on the page as words before he can interpret? 
    




    The position of this essay is B. It will become evident that before any interpretation can be done, a man must work through the meaning of the words on the page of Scripture first. That work is called “exegesis.” It is similar to scaling a mountain by establishing a base in order to begin the ascent to the ridge.
    




    Definitions
    




    In order to make sure we are all playing the same game, we need to understand the definitions of the terms germane to our discussion.
    




      

    • Inerrancy

        

      • The quality and nature of the Bible, the 66 books of the Protestant canon, being from God through the pens of men, make the Bible a singular revelation, self-disclosure.
        • 




      • This collection of writings, in the original forms, were without error in form, content, and syntax.
        • 

      

      • 

    




      

    • Exegesis

        

      • “Exegesis” is the critical or technical application of hermeneutical principles to a biblical text in the regional language with a view to the exposition or declaration of its meaning.”1
        • 




      • I will take some liberties with this definition pertinent to our discussion. 
        • 

      

      • 

    




      

    • Hermeneutics 2

        

      • “Hermeneutics is the science of interpretation.“
        • 




      • It is a science, and not an art. 
        • 

      

      • 

    




      

    • Exposition

        

      • “’Exposition’ is defined as a discourse setting forth the meaning of a passage in a popular form.” 3
        • 




      • In other words, “exposition” is the proclamation a man does after he has worked hard at Exegesis and Hermeneutics. 
        • 

      

      • 

    




    These definitions are not my own, necessarily. However, I believe these definitions as my own. I will make a distinction in the term Exegesis that needs to be clarified, but otherwise they are what I believe. 
    




    First Step
    




    The basis of exegetical, hermeneutical, and expositional work is Inerrancy. Once Inerrancy is removed, redefined, or altered in any way, the other three components come crashing down. Inerrancy is the quality of the original manuscripts and are the only manuscripts of that nature in history. 4 Therefore, with that as the basis, how we work through the text of Scripture will reveal how well we understand and respect Inerrancy.
    




    The process of the determination of whether Exegesis comes before Hermeneutics, or the other way around, is based upon Inerrancy. Inerrancy affirms that every word, word form, word arrangement, and every detail of those arrangements, in the original languages, is inspired and cannot be altered without doing harm to the Spirit-inspired meaning of the text.
    




    For example, Paul wrote:
    




    

    Galatians 3:16 (LSB)
    




    16 Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. He does not say, “And to seeds,” as referring to many, but rather to one, “And to your seed,” that is, Christ. 5
    

    




    The Greek text is as follows:
    




    

    Galatians 3:16 (UBS5)
    




    16 τῷ δὲ Ἀβραὰμ ἐρρέθησαν αἱ ἐπαγγελίαι καὶ τῷ σπέρματι αὐτοῦ. οὐ λέγει, Καὶ τοῖς σπέρμασιν, ὡς ἐπὶ πολλῶν ἀλλʼ ὡς ἐφʼ ἑνός, Καὶ τῷ σπέρματί σου, ὅς ἐστιν Χριστός. 6
    

    




    In this example, one of many that I could use, Paul demonstrates his argument of the Messianic Kingdom, as promised to Abraham and his “seed,” with the noun “seed” as singular. Paul tells that the original text of Genesis 17:7, as found in the Hebrew language there, is not plural as in “seeds.” But, if we look into that passage, we do see that the covenant was made with Abraham as well as the Seed, the Christ. However, that is for another discussion. 
    




    The point is, the fact that the original language has a singular noun there, and that Paul based his argument upon that singularity, gives us indication of the nature of Inerrancy. The Spirit of God put that direct object as a singular, masculine, noun-a male seed from the man Abraham. 
    




    In this particular case, it is not possible to come to a conclusion of the meaning apart from this kind of work. We must be committed to, and understand the extent of, Inerrancy so that we can organize our studies correctly. 
    




    Next Step
    




    Once we commit ourselves to Inerrancy, we must determine the meaning of the words of the text. This is not Hermeneutics. Hermeneutics is the science of Bible interpretation, but unless we know the meanings of the words, the arrangements of the words, and the syntax of those words, we simply cannot take the next step of determining the meaning of the passages that contain those words.
    




    In other words, unless I know the definitions of the words of an Inerrant passage of Scripture, I cannot interpret them. Those words are not native to me, or anyone alive today, because spoken Hebrew and spoken Greek of today are foreign to the written Hebrew and Greek of the Bible. Therefore, we must investigate, through the tools available to us of lexicography, and work through the definitions of the individual words of a particular passage. 
    




    Please note, we are not interested in the meaning of the passage at this point, only the words that are in that passage.
    




    For example, looking at that same illustration as above, we have individual words in Koine Greek that, to Paul, mean so much because he spoke and wrote them. However, to me, it is literally Greek, pun intended.
    




    The best way to come to the definitions of each, and every, word in the passage is to build a table in this way:
    




    WordParseMeaningNotes
    δὲConjunction, adversativeBut, yet
    τῷ ἈβραὰμMasculine, singular, Dative, Proper nameAbraham
    ἐρρέθησαν3rd person, plural Aorist middle/passive IndicativeThey were spokenHow were they spoken?
    Lexical Table
    




    I am not worried about the meaning of the passage. I am only trying to learn the meaning of each word of the passage. The meaning of the text as determined by the author, will come together well enough downstream of this foundational work. 
    




    There are other aspects to this that I won’t go into now (i.e. Syntactical Exegesis, Problem Solving, Sentence Diagram). However, I hope this can illustrate the fact that Hermeneutics cannot come before Exegesis. Exegesis is the technical work of words, syntax, and grammar. That work does not concern itself with the overall meaning of the passage, only the trees of the forest. They are the building blocks of meaning for the use of Hermeneutics in the next step.
    




    Hermeneutics
    




    Once we have done the exegetical work, we can then sit back and examine everything and interpret what we have found. This work would fill a volume or more to explain. However, the basic and simple rule to follow for accurate hermeneutic is this:
    




    

    INTERPRET THE BIBLE THE WAY IT WAS WRITTEN.
    

    




    Every passage of Scripture is given in human, known, language. Each passage is given in historical context and with some kind of historical impetus for the author to write. Researching and organizing that information is vital to the hermeneutic. There are subjects of the verb, verbs, direct objects of the verb, etc… These are the things that must be known and comprehended before there is an attempt to understand the meaning of the passage. 
    




    To reverse this process is to put the interpretation before the words of the verse. This is “pretext” and a theological Hermeneutic, not an exegetical one. It is assuming a meaning before the real examination of the passage is made, which dominates the landscape of the church historically and in modernity. It is relying upon another’s work. Since a pastor is to rightly divide the word, reliance upon the work of others is dishonest for the man of God. It is one thing to refer to the work of others and see what they came up with. It is another thing to sidestep the work and go straight to the conclusions of others to see which ones I agree with. 
    




    The science of Bible interpretation is built upon the actual text, a work that is the technical work of exegesis. However, once that exegesis is done, and a good grasp of the language is had, putting it altogether to determine the meaning is next. The “interpretation” is very soon exposed to the exegete. The meaning is discovered, the significance is evident. The historical/grammatical hermeneutic, the only proper way to interpret Scripture since the Scripture was written in actual language and in an historical context, preserves the exegetical work that is done. 
    




    Exposition
    




    A short statement about exposition is in order. Exposition, as noted above, is the proclamation, explanation, on a popular level, to the audience to whom we speak. Exposition, as with Hermeneutics, does not offend the Exegesis that was done. It is consistent with Exegesis. The rules of the right Hermeneutic that are followed, rules that uphold the Exegesis, will feed the Exposition. 
    




    The effect of this Exposition is that the Holy Spirit, Who inspired the Words in the first place, takes the truths discovered in the text and implants them in the hearts and minds of the saints. The power of the Truth drives deeply into the person via the Spirit of Truth. 
    




    My point in saying all of this is to emphasize that the entire process of the exposition of the Word of God begins with Exegesis, the technical work in the words. This is the beginning of “cutting it straight.” 
    




    Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.  (2 Timothy 2:15, LSB)
    




    




    




    



    1. Thomas, Robert L. ‘Bible Translations: The Link between Exegesis and Expository Preaching,’ The Master’s Seminary Journal 1/1 (Spring 1990): p. 54,  
       ↩︎
    2. Terry, Milton S. ‘Biblical Hermeneutics: A Treatise on the Interpretation of the Old and New Testaments.’ Edited by George R. Crooks and John F. Hurst. New Edition, Thoroughly Revised. Vol. II. Library of Biblical and Theological Literature. New York; Cincinnati: Eaton & Mains; Curts & Jennings, 1890), p. 17
      . ↩︎
    3. Thomas, p.54 ↩︎
    4. I understand that we do not have those manuscripts in possession. Rather, we have copies of those manuscripts and, through the work of Textual Criticism, we can duplicate the biblical text with tremendous certainty.  ↩︎
    5. All quotations will be from The Legacy Standard Bible. Three Sixteen Publishing, 2022, unless otherwise noted. ↩︎
    6. Aland, Barbara, Kurt Aland, Johannes Karavidopoulos, Carlo M. Martini, and Bruce M. Metzger, eds. The Greek New Testament. Fifth Revised Edition. Stuttgart, Germany: Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, 2014. ↩︎