The Gospel of Jesus Christ

Recently, I have been teaching a catechism class for the youth in my church.  This past week we went over what the gospel is.  We spent about 45 minutes discussing what the gospel was, using the following 4 steps: God, Man, Christ, Response.  The basic gist of it is:
"First, God is a just, wise, Holy, omnipotent, loving, wrathful, glorious God who hates sin and wickedness.  This same God created the world, and mankind in His image.  Second, those humans who were created in His image sinned, and caused the whole human race to be born in sin from that point on, totally inadequate and without hope.  The human race has no chance of salvation because of their wretched sinful hearts, and the fact that Scripture teaches that everything done apart from faith is sin. Third, God sent Jesus Christ as the saviour of those wretched sinners.  He is fully God and fully man, He lived a perfect life, and died a sacrificial death to take upon Himself the entirety of God's wrath for His people.  Fourth, in light of this, we are commanded to repent of our sins and turn and walk towards Jesus.  If we love Him we will do as He commands, and we will confess with our mouths that Jesus is Lord and believe in our hearts that God raised Him from the dead."
In light of this, I wanted to create an easy to follow guide when talking to others about this wonderful truth.  I have taken each point and boiled it down to questions with the answers being entirely scripture.  This is hopefully a useful tool for anyone that is looking for a simple and concise way to tell others about this wonderful good news of our Saviour's sacrifice on our behalf.  I want to add a small caveat here before you go on.  This is simply a guide for your reference.  You may want to add more scripture to each point or add something that you think the Bible teaches as an essential to a gospel presentation.  If you do see anything that could be improved or changed, please comment and let me know.



1. God
(1) Who is God?  - "To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen." - 1 Timothy 1:17
(2) What has God done? - "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth." - Genesis 1:1

2. Man
(1) How was man created? - "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. And God blessed them. And God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth." - Genesis 1:27-28
(2) What went wrong? - "Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned" - Romans 5:12
(3) What is the state of our hearts? - "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?"  - Jeremiah 17:9
(4) Are human beings righteous? - "as it is written: "None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one."  - Romans 3:10-12

3. Christ
(1) Who is Christ? - "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it." - John 1:1-5  "For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." - 2 Corinthians 5:21
(2) What has Christ done? - "Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know- this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it." - Acts 2:22-24
(3) Why did Christ do this? - "Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins." - Hebrews 9:22  "For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins." - Hebrews 10:4  "And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. - Hebrews 10:10

4. Response
(1) What do we do? - "because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved." - Romans 10:9-10   "And Peter said to them, "Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." - Acts 2:38
(2) How should we live? - "Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome. For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world-our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?" - 1 John 5:1-5   ""For no good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit," - Luke 6:43

May a woman preach?

    Should women be preaching in church, or in para-church ministries?  This is the question I would like to attempt to answer today, using simply the Biblical texts that deal with this particular issue.  I will do my best to answer to the texts that people use to support their position and I will use the five rules of Hermeneutics: 1. Context 2. Context 3. Context 4. Narrative is not normative 5. A text cannot say what it never said.  In this post, I will attempt to show you that in no circumstance should a woman be preaching to men in any church or church related event such as a conference or para-church ministry.  One last thing I would like to mention is that I will not be looking at this from a worldly perspective.  I recently have talked to people who said that ‘If a woman has a gift for preaching, then she should be using it’.  This statement is pragmatism, and is a worldly perspective that is not found in the Bible.  The argument is flawed, and does not square with what the Bible says, therefore I will not be addressing it in this particular post.

   
        For this question I will look at two passages in depth, and refer to a few more in passing.  I will do my best to give the proper context for each of these texts, however you can always find a link to an online bible on the right of this page if you do not have one of your own.

    The first text I would like to look at with you is 1 Corinthians xiv. 26-40:

[26] What then, brothers? When you come together, each one has a hymn, a lesson, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. Let all things be done for building up. [27] If any speak in a tongue, let there be only two or at most three, and each in turn, and let someone interpret. [28] But if there is no one to interpret, let each of them keep silent in church and speak to himself and to God. [29] Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others weigh what is said. [30] If a revelation is made to another sitting there, let the first be silent. [31] For you can all prophesy one by one, so that all may learn and all be encouraged, [32] and the spirits of prophets are subject to prophets. [33] For God is not a God of confusion but of peace.
    As in all the churches of the saints, [34] the women should keep silent in the churches. For they are not permitted to speak, but should be in submission, as the Law also says. [35] If there is anything they desire to learn, let them ask their husbands at home. For it is shameful for a woman to speak in church.
    [36] Or was it from you that the word of God came? Or are you the only ones it has reached? [37] If anyone thinks that he is a prophet, or spiritual, he should acknowledge that the things I am writing to you are a command of the Lord. [38] If anyone does not recognize this, he is not recognized. [39] So, my brothers, earnestly desire to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues. [40] But all things should be done decently and in order.
   
(1 Corinthians 14:26-40)

What we are seeing here is Paul addressing the disorder that he had seen in the Corinthian church.  If you have time, read the entire book of 1 Corinthians, and you will see that Paul is responding to questions from the Corinthian believers as well as rebuking them for the things that they were doing incorrectly.  In this passage in particular we see in verses 34-35 that Paul is speaking to submission by the women to their husbands.  He qualifies this at the beginning in verse 33 by saying that this is in all the churches of the saints, not just this one church but all churches.  Now, it is very important that we don’t look at this passage in isolation, we must look at the context of the entire letter and even of the entire Bible.  In light of that lets look a few chapters back in 1 Corinthians xi:

Now I commend you because you remember me in everything and maintain the traditions even as I delivered them to you. But I want you to understand that the head of every man is Christ, the head of a wife is her husband, and the head of Christ is God. Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonours his head, but every wife who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonours her head, since it is the same as if her head were shaven. For if a wife will not cover her head, then she should cut her hair short. But since it is disgraceful for a wife to cut off her hair or shave her head, let her cover her head. For a man ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God, but woman is the glory of man. For man was not made from woman, but woman from man. Neither was man created for woman, but woman for man. That is why a wife ought to have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels. Nevertheless, in the Lord woman is not independent of man nor man of woman; for as woman was made from man, so man is now born of woman. And all things are from God. Judge for yourselves: is it proper for a wife to pray to God with her head uncovered? Does not nature itself teach you that if a man wears long hair it is a disgrace for him, but if a woman has long hair, it is her glory? For her hair is given to her for a covering. If anyone is inclined to be contentious, we have no such practice, nor do the churches of God.
   
(1 Corinthians 11:2-16)


I wanted to show you this passage, not because I want to discuss head coverings, but because I want you to see that Paul is allowing women to pray and prophesy in the church.  Now, you may think that this passage clashes with the previous one, and that we have two different and contradictory commands.  However, this is not the case, because the passage in chapter xiv is speaking specifically to disorder in the church, and it is likely that there were problems in this particular area when it came to women in this church.  Paul tells us in xiv. 33 that our God is not a God of confusion, immediately before talking about women, this shows us that it is better for a woman not to speak at all than to speak confusion, something that would not be for the building up of the brethren.  At this point I’m sure you are all very confused because I just allowed for women to speak in church, to edify and build up the body.  I believe that this is necessary before I go to the next passage here, to show that there is a place for everyone in the church, both men and women. 

   
       Continuing on now, I will show you from 1 Timothy ii. that the specific gift of preaching and having the authority over the church is not for women.  

[2:1] First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, [2] for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. [3] This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, [4] who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. [5] For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, [6] who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time. [7] For this I was appointed a preacher and an apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying), a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.
    [8] I desire then that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling; [9] likewise also that women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire, [10] but with what is proper for women who profess godliness—with good works. [11] Let a woman learn quietly with all submissiveness. [12] I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet. [13] For Adam was formed first, then Eve; [14] and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor. [15] Yet she will be saved through childbearing—if they continue in faith and love and holiness, with self-control.
   
(1 Timothy 2)

As you can see from this passage, Paul is giving responsibility to both the men and the women in verses 8-11, and then in verse 12 he tells us explicitly that a woman is not to teach or exercise authority over a man.  He then goes on to give the reason why this is the case by going back to creation, and the order in which mankind was created, with Adam first, then Eve.  The context of this passage, you can see here, is very clear.  This command is reinforced as you read the rest of 1 Timothy, with the qualifications of the elders in the next chapter, explicitly stating that an Elder is to be a man, and not a woman.

   
       As we can see, from both the passages in 1 Corinthians, as well as in 1 Timothy.  Women are not to be lesser in the church, they are not second class by any means, but they are not permitted to preach and exercise authority over a man.  In fact, there are many other passages that tell of the responsibilities of women in the church, for example Titus ii. 1-8:

But as for you, teach what accords with sound doctrine. Older men are to be sober-minded, dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith, in love, and in steadfastness. Older women likewise are to be reverent in behaviour, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled. Likewise, urge the younger men to be self-controlled. Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity, and sound speech that cannot be condemned, so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say about us.
   
(Titus 2:1-8)

Here we have the command to teach what accords with sound doctrine, and the women are given specific instructions, as well as the men.  The idea is, that women are to be teaching other women with sound doctrine.  This is a wonderful responsibility on both sides.  It does not change the fact, however, that Paul is clear in forbidding women to have authority over a man, in the church context.  Now, there is one thing that I didn’t deal with today, that I hope to soon, that is, I will talk about what the qualifications are for preachers.  This is because, just as women are not to preach, there are many (if not most) men who are not qualified to be preachers either.  God is very concerned that the ones who are delivering His Holy Word are qualified and obeying His Word.  That, however, is a topic for a different day. 

  
     I hope that I have shown you that Scripture is clear on this subject, and that it is not a matter of men being better then women.  That this is simply a matter of the order that God has created in His Kingdom, the order that will benefit us most.  I pray that you are edified by this, and that it will incite you to do your own study of the Sacred Scripture to see and hear what God has spoken to us through the prophets and apostles. May the grace and mercy of Jesus Christ our Lord be with you.

Is T.D. Jakes Still A Modalist Heretic?

This is part of the Doctrine Statement from T.D. Jakes' church The Potters House:

"God

There is one God, Creator of all things, infinitely perfect, and eternally existing in three manifestations: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. 

Jesus Christ

Jesus Christ is true God and true man, having been conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He died on the cross, the complete and final sacrifice for our sins according to the Scriptures. Further, He arose bodily from the dead, ascended into heaven, where, at the right hand of the Majesty on High, He is now our High Priest and Advocate. 

The Holy Spirit

The ministry of the Holy Spirit is to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ and during this age, to convict men of sin, regenerate the believing sinner, indwell, guide, instruct, and empower the believer for godly living and service. Man - Man was created in the image of God but fell into sin and is therefore lost, and only through regeneration by the Holy Spirit can salvation and spiritual life be obtained."

(source: http://www.thepottershouse.org/Local/About-Us/Belief-Statement.aspx - 2015)

This is the definition of the heresy called Modalism:

"Modalism, also called Sabellianism, is the unorthodox belief that God is one person who has revealed himself in three forms or modes in contrast to the Trinitarian doctrine where God is one being eternally existing in three persons. According to Modalism, during the incarnation, Jesus was simply God acting in one mode or role, and the Holy Spirit at Pentecost was God acting in a different mode. Thus, God does not exist as the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit at the same time. Rather, He is one person and has merely manifested himself in these three modes at various times. Modalism thus denies the basic distinctiveness and coexistence of the three persons of the Trinity."

(source: http://www.theopedia.com/modalism - 2015)

This will be a short post about the ministry and heresy of modalism that T.D. Jakes teaches and believes.  I have recently come across people who think that in 2012, Jakes changed his opinion and belief on the doctrine of the Trinity and now accepts a traditional Trinitarian view.  However, if you look at the doctrine statement from Jakes’ church, you can see a few things that should set off alarm bells that there is a problem with his theology.  

First, in the description of God, he says that God exists in three manifestations.  This is a huge problem, as the word manifestations immediately tells us that God isn’t actually existing as three individual persons simultaneously, but as three different manifestations that are not all necessarily at the same time.  It is very important that we see that God does not exist merely as three different manifestations, but as three persons.  Three individuals who make up one God.

Second, in the description of Jesus, you see that at the end it says “He is now our High Priest and Advocate.” The problem with this statement, is that Jesus is eternally our ultimate High Priest, there has never been a time where Jesus was not High Priest, he is a High Priest forever.  I will demonstrate this through three passages from scripture:

First, Hebrews 7:15-28

[15] This becomes even more evident when another priest arises in the likeness of Melchizedek, [16] who has become a priest, not on the basis of a legal requirement concerning bodily descent, but by the power of an indestructible life. [17] For it is witnessed of him,

“You are a priest forever,

after the order of Melchizedek.”

[18] For on the one hand, a former commandment is set aside because of its weakness and uselessness [19] (for the law made nothing perfect); but on the other hand, a better hope is introduced, through which we draw near to God.

[20] And it was not without an oath. For those who formerly became priests were made such without an oath, [21] but this one was made a priest with an oath by the one who said to him:

“The Lord has sworn

and will not change his mind,

‘You are a priest forever.’”

[22] This makes Jesus the guarantor of a better covenant.

[23] The former priests were many in number, because they were prevented by death from continuing in office, [24] but he holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues forever. [25] Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.

[26] For it was indeed fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens. [27] He has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, first for his own sins and then for those of the people, since he did this once for all when he offered up himself. [28] For the law appoints men in their weakness as high priests, but the word of the oath, which came later than the law, appoints a Son who has been made perfect forever.

(Hebrews 7:15-28 ESV)

As you can see in verse 17, and also in verse 21, that Jesus is a priest forever.  Now you probably also notice that Jesus was made a priest, I want to point out that there are many points of evidence in scripture that He was “made” a High Priest before the foundations of the world.  We look at Revelation 13:5-10:

[5] And the beast was given a mouth uttering haughty and blasphemous words, and it was allowed to exercise authority for forty-two months. [6] It opened its mouth to utter blasphemies against God, blaspheming his name and his dwelling, that is, those who dwell in heaven. [7] Also it was allowed to make war on the saints and to conquer them. And authority was given it over every tribe and people and language and nation, [8] and all who dwell on earth will worship it, everyone whose name has not been written before the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who was slain. [9] If anyone has an ear, let him hear:

[10] If anyone is to be taken captive,

to captivity he goes;

if anyone is to be slain with the sword,

with the sword must he be slain.

Here is a call for the endurance and faith of the saints.

(Revelation 13:5-10 ESV)

In verse 8 we see that the book of life of the Lamb who was slain was written before the foundation of the world.  I point this out because the High Priestly work of Jesus was that He offered the superior sacrifice of Himself, the Lamb who was slain.  This is seen most clearly in Hebrews chapter 10:

[8] When he said above, “You have neither desired nor taken pleasure in sacrifices and offerings and burnt offerings and sin offerings” (these are offered according to the law), [9] then he added, “Behold, I have come to do your will.” He does away with the first in order to establish the second. [10] And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

[11] And every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. [12] But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, [13] waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet. [14] For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.

(Hebrews 10:8-14 ESV)

Verse 12 shows us that Christ offered the single sacrifice for sins.  That sacrifice that we saw in Revelation 13.  I believe that this shows that the human language of ‘made’ is simply anthropomorphic, because we can’t fathom a time where time didn’t exist.  So Jesus was ‘made’ High Priest at the same time as He offered the superior sacrifice for sins, the Lamb who was slain, Himself.  Therefore, Jesus has always been the High Priest and to say, as Jakes has said here that He is now High Priest is another sign of the heresy of Modalism, that somehow things have changed now, and that God is now manifested as High Priest. 

T.D. Jakes is not an idiot.  He knows that we who hold to an orthodox Trinitarian view of God, are going to fight against this heresy of Modalism.  He knows the issues, and he knows how to be subtle in placing it in his doctrine statement.  However, when you look at what he is saying and compare it to scripture you see that there are inconsistencies.  This man is a modalist, you don’t use the word manifestations when speaking of the three Persons of God, unless that’s what you believe.  If he really had changed his position on this doctrine then he wouldn’t use words that show that he believes just the same as before.  This man is dangerous and is not someone that an orthodox Christian should be listening to or associating with.