by Charles H. Welch
Signs of the Times (PDF)
This PDF booklet is an examination of the prophecies of 1 Timothy 4, and 2 Timothy 3 concerning the closing days of the dispensation of the Mystery.
Berean Bible Fellowship of Australia
by Charles H. Welch
Signs of the Times (PDF)
This PDF booklet is an examination of the prophecies of 1 Timothy 4, and 2 Timothy 3 concerning the closing days of the dispensation of the Mystery.
by Charles H. Welch
Parts 8 and 9 of a ten-part work, analysing terms related to Biblical prophecy.
(Click on An Alphabetical Analysis to access all ten parts of this set.)
AA Part 8 (PDF) Prophetic Truth A-L, Subject Index: Abraham, All and in all, Amos, Antichrist, Armageddon, Assyria, Assyrian, Atom, Babylon, Beast, Chronology of 70 Weeks, Coming of the Lord, Covenant, Daniel, David & Solomon, Day of God, Day of the Lord, Egypt, Ezekiel, Ezra-Nehemiah, Feet of Clay, Festival Year, Fig Tree, Forecasts of Prophecy, Foundation of the world, Gathered People, Gog, Grammar of prophecy, Haggai, Holy City, Hosea, Image of Daniel Two, Introduction, Isaiah, Israel’s Return, Jeremiah, Jerusalem, Joel, Jonah, Key to prophetic truth, Last Days in OT, Last Days in NT, Last Days of the Mystery.
AA Part 9 (PDF) Prophetic Truth M-Z, Subject Index: Malachi, Micah, Millennial Studies, Millennium, Multitude of Nations, Nations and the time of the end, Parenthetical dispensation, People, Promised land, Prophecy and the Mystery, What is Prophecy?, Prophets – chronological order, Prophetic Earth, Remnant, Seven times, Seventy Weeks, Short synopsis, Signs preceding the passing of Heaven and Earth, Some aspects of the Kingdom, Song of Jehovah’s name, Then cometh the end, This generation, Times of the Gentiles, Warfare great, Zechariah, Zion, the Overcomer and the Millennium.
This question – “Does It Really Matter When The Church Began?” – was first asked when we sought to show that many Christians are in error by stating that the church which is Christ’s body (Ephesians 1:22-23) began on the day of Pentecost in Acts 2. It matters much more than people realise, because this traditional starting point of Pentecost has been the cause of much confusion.
If we start the church of today at Pentecost, it naturally follows that we should be performing in the churches today all that was enacted among the believers from Pentecost onwards and right throughout the book of Acts.
In their attempts to be consistent, many well-meaning Christians have tried to do just that. They claim that miraculous acts such as healings, recovery of sight to the blind, tongues, etc should be the normal order of things in the church today, though they forget about divine judgement and supernatural transportation.
But many who once followed that teaching have become disillusioned and have been forced to give it up, finding that they do not possess the powers experienced by the Christians of the Acts Period.
The teachings of Scripture are a serious business, and we must learn to keep things in their proper place. There were those who, in Paul’s day, taught that the future resurrection of our bodies “has already taken place” (2 Timothy 2:18). These people did not deny the resurrection, but they were putting it in the wrong place in time. Paul said, “their teaching will spread like gangrene” and would “destroy the faith of some” (2 Timothy 2:17,19).
And there are those today who teach that the things written in the book of Revelation have also “already taken place”. This, too, is putting things in their wrong place. So, let us be careful. The starting place of the church of today at the wrong place can lead to dire consequences.
Pentecost
Pentecost was, in fact, a feast of the Jews, having its origin in the Old Testament in Leviticus 23. It was then called ,The Feast of Weeks”, and was among other feasts such as the Sabbath, Passover, Unleavened Bread, First-fruits, Trumpets and the Day of Atonement.
The “Day of Pentecost” (as mentioned in Acts 2:1) was the 50th day after the Jewish Passover, and Jews out of every nation were gathered at Jerusalem for the feast. The only Gentiles (non-Jews). present were proselytes (Gentiles who had become a part of the nation of Israel by way of circumcision and other rites). Gentiles who had not embraced Judaism were not Present at Pentecost.
Not only is that 2nd chapter of Acts very “Jewish” in character, but the rest of the book of Acts is also Jewish right to the very last chapter, Acts 28.
During the Acts period, God was dealing primarily with the Jews. The following verses come from the book of Romans, written during the period covered by the book of Acts:
“I am not ashamed of the gospel because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes … first for the Jew, then for the Gentile”. (Romans 1:16 – NIV)
“There will be trouble and &stress for every human being who does evil.. first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.” (Romans 2:9 – NIV)
” … but glory, honour and peace for everyone who does good; first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.”, (Romans 2:10 – NIV)
The 28th and final chapter of Acts tells of one last appeal by the Lord through Paul to Israel, calling on them to repent and believe that Jesus was the Christ, their true Messiah. They rejected this, and God then revealed, through Paul, the secret kept hidden all through the ages that: “the Gentiles [should be] heirs together, members together of one body and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus ” (Ephesians 3:6 – NIV).
So it is after Acts 28:28 when the “Church which is His Body” (Ephesians 1:22, 23) began, and not at Pentecost.
The Jewish feasts, the miracles, signs and wonders which were all so prevalent during the Acts period have been temporarily set aside. This is because Israel has ceased to be God’s chosen people and will continue to be so until He takes up with them again some time in the future.
This article was adapted from a leaflet originally written by Cliff Hollard.
by Charles H. Welch
taken from “An Alphabetical Analysis” Part 10, pages 305-308
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What Manner of Persons!
However uncouth, ungrammatical, or offensive a witness may be, if upon oath he declares that what he affirms is true, his witness cannot be set aside because of his lack of good manners. This is true even in the realm of Scriptural witness. Matthias was not chosen because he was a better man than Joseph called Barsabas, neither were these two selected above the heads of the hundred and eighteen gathered in the upper room. The one thing that counted, was that Matthias and Joseph held the first essential qualification as a witness, that each could say “I was there”.
“Wherefore of these men which have companied with us ALL THE TIME that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, BEGINNING from the baptism of John, unto that same day that He was taken up from us, MUST one be ordained to be a witness of His resurrection” (Acts 1:21-23, John 15:27).
No man living today can be such a witness. Our ministry is of a different grade, based upon the testimony of those endued by the Holy Spirit, which serves as a basis for our preaching, teaching, and living in view of “that blessed hope”. Let us consider a few outstanding pre-requisites for Scriptural service and testimony.
His Service is Perfect Freedom (Chrysostom)
We trust that no reader expects us to launch out into a system of legalism, setting out what he is to do, and where he is to go, as though the epistles of the Mystery were addressed to servants instead of sons. The closing verses of Colossians two should preserve us for all time from this reprehensible misunderstanding of our position in Christ. There will be, we trust, no approximation to “touch not, taste not, handle not”, in this study.
The Apostle Peter has asked “what manner of persons ought ye to be”? and the introduction of that word “ought”, so often on the lips of believers when dealing with “another man’s servant”, is rare in the Word of God. Paul used the word “ought” ( opheiIo ) but once in the epistles of the Mystery when he said: “So ought men to love their wives” (Eph. 5:28), and even this passage is no exception to the rule that practice flows from doctrine, for the exhortation beginning with the word “so”, cannot be isolated from the preceding glorious doctrine concerning Christ’s love for His church.
The first item that we feel constrained to bring forward is the fact that all service rendered to God, if it is to be acceptable, must be “reasonable service”. This is stated by the Apostle in Romans 12:1:
“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service”.
We are immediately faced with the necessity of making sure that every term used in this important passage shall be understood and appreciated – but that will be to leave the practical issues for the doctrinal, the very thing we here seek to avoid. We trust, however, that this very persistence on the part of doctrine, meeting us again and again, will help all to realize how impossible it is to contemplate practice apart from a knowledge of truth. Avoiding the purely doctrinal issues which belong to the doctrinal sections, we might notice that the Apostle “beseeches”, but does not “command”. He would have our practice to be the grateful response to “the mercies of God”, for service rendered in any other spirit may not prove “acceptable unto God”.
Not only must true service be rendered “in love” and not “in law”, but it must also be “logical” or “reasonable”. This implies a fair acquaintance with the teaching of the Scriptures, and a perception on the part of the believer of the direction and goal towards which all doctrine points. This logical or reasonable service goes so far as to include the presentation of our bodies as living sacrifices, an aspect of truth not by any means “reasonable” in the eyes of the unsaved. This warns us that “logic” moves on certain planes. What is logically true of man, as such, is not necessarily true of God; for example, man cannot be in two places at once, whereas the Lord cannot be so limited.
Again, Paul not only “beseeches”, but he says “present” or “yield”. Reasonable service of the redeemed cannot be forced, it must be free, and finds its typical expression in those “freewill offerings” which the law allowed, and about which the Psalmist prayed: ” Accept, I beseech Thee, the freewill-offerings of my mouth, O Lord” (Ps. 119:108).
Pre-requisites for Service
Pursuing the theme that the service of the believer must be reasonable and free, we turn to the words of Christ, uttered in the day of His rejection: “Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me” (Matt. 11 :29). We hope, in this study, to indicate some of the necessary conditions for learning the truth. Mere reading, even of the Scriptures, is by no means sufficient. “Learning” does not necessarily lead to “a knowledge of the truth”, as the solemn passage in 2 Timothy 3:7 makes plain. If we were asked to prepare a list of the paraphernalia associated with “learning”, how many of us would include a “yoke”? A yoke suggests service and fellowship. To work yoked with another necessitates keeping step, walking in the same path, pursuing the same goal, serving the same Master. Here we have another of those interrelations of doctrine and practice that it is so necessary to remember.
There is, moreover, a very pointed mention of the state of heart of those who would engage in this yoked service. The Lord said: “I am meek and lowly in heart”. This special attribute of Christ and its intimate connection with “learning” is found in the prophecy of Isaiah:
“The Lord God hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary: He wakeneth morning by morning, He wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned. The Lord God hath opened mine ear, and I was not rebellious, neither turned away back” (lsa. 50:4,5).
Another very essential preparation of heart that must precede all true learning is repentance. Just as we should not naturally include a yoke among the necessary equipment of the learner, so we should most likely enumerate a number of spiritual qualifications before we thought of repentance. The passage that teaches its necessity is 2 Timothy 2:25:
“In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging ofthe truth”.
Without this repentance, one may be “ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth” (2 Tim. 3:7). While we desire to keep in mind that we are not here dealing with the doctrinal issues of Scriptural passages, yet, owing to a very prevalent misconception of the meaning of repentance, we feel it necessary to say that it indicates “a change of mind”. Until this change of mind is granted, all argument and exhortation are in vain. One further item in the learner’s equipment is that of affliction and suffering. The Psalmist said:
“It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn Thy statutes” (Ps. 119:71).
The Apostle Paul learned in this same school, for he said: “I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: everywhere and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me” (Phil. 4: 11-13).
And, lastly, of the Lord Himself it is written: “Though He was a Son, yet learned He obedience by the things which He suffered” (Heb. 5:8).
If true service is “reasonable service”, and if we must learn the will of the Lord before we can hope to do it, it will be seen that while grace is all-sufficient, yet we should not enter upon this path without some preparation of heart, for the path is not always smooth, neither is it without its trials. We may, however, in it all find rest to our souls in fellowship with the Lord Himself.
by Charles H. Welch
As a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, you doubtless have realized that salvation is `by grace, through faith’, to the exclusion of all works as a procuring cause. In this article* we would seek to adjust the balance by showing that while salvation is not, and never can be, of works, it does, and should, lead to works as evidence of life and product of gratitude:
`By grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: NOT OF WORKS, lest any man should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus UNTO GOOD WORKS, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them’ (Eph. 2:8-10).
` … WORK OUT YOUR OWN salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which WORKETH IN YOU both to will and to do of His good pleasure’ (Phil. 2:12,13).
`NOT BY WORKS of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us … I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain GOOD WORKS’ (Titus 3:5-8).
These three passages clearly reveal the twofold truth, that whereas salvation does not arise from good works by reason of the sinfulness of those being saved, salvation does most surely lead to good works as evidence of the new life received by grace. Abraham is used in the New Testament as an example of this twofold truth :
(1) The apostle Paul, in Romans, cites the justification of Abraham as an example of `justification by faith without works’ (Romans 4), the passage referred to in the life of Abraham being Genesis 15:6, where it is written : `And he believed in the LORD; and He counted it to him for righteousness’.
(2) The apostle James, in his epistle, cites the test and trial of Abraham recorded in Genesis 22, where the faith of Abraham was tested and proved by his willingness to offer even Isaac his son, when called upon so to do. James’ argument is as follows: `Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?’ (James 2:19-22).
There is no contradiction between these two passages of Scripture; they deal with one subject from two points of view. The point of James’ argument is in the last words of the quotation, `by works was faith made perfect’. This contains an element of truth that demands a little further elaboration, and as the essence of the teaching resides in the word `perfect’, we must endeavour to arrive at a scriptural understanding of the term. The English word `perfect’, when its true meaning is perceived, will be found to be very near to the meaning of the original word used by James. Per, in Latin, means `through’, and facio means `to do’, which gives us our word `fact’. To perfect, both in the English and in the Greek, means, `to take anything to its logical end’, or, as it were, to turn `theory’ into `fact’, to turn faith without works into trust and confidence, which in their turn produce the fruits of righteousness.
Perhaps an extreme example of the use of this idea will help to fix it in the mind. In 2 Corinthians 6:14 the apostle Paul asks: `What fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?’ He cites from the Old Testament the promise that, if God’s people came out and were separate, touching not the unclean thing, the Lord would receive them. He then applies the teaching to the church, saying: `Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God’ (2 Cor. 7:1).
It is obvious that `perfecting holiness’; cannot mean `improving holiness’; it does, however, make most blessed sense when we perceive that the apostle Paul is urging the believer to take the sanctification which is already his in Christ (1 Corinthians 1:30) to its logical conclusion. These Corinthians had been `cleansed’, for he had already written to them, `but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God’ (1 Corinthians 6:11). In 2 Corinthians 7:1, he was but urging them to make this cleansing a living fact in their experience.
This conception that true Christian practice is the taking of salvation and its blessings to their logical end is further expressed by the apostle Paul in his three great epistles, Ephesians, Philippians and Colossians, by the use of the word `worthy’:
`I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called’ (Eph. 4:1).
As the use of this word `worthy’ (axios) in Romans 8:18 means `not worthy to be compared’, the idea of a balance is uppermost. The apostle says, in effect, put all the blessings of grace on one side of the scale, and put your practical outworking of this grace on the other: in other words, `Walk worthy!’.
In Philippians 1:27 the word axios is translated `as it becometh’, but once again the balance is emphasized: `Only let your conversation (manner of life) be worthy of (be put in the scale with) the gospel of Christ’ (Phil. 1:27). For the third time we meet the word in the prayer of Colossians 1, `That ye might walk worthy of the Lord’ (Colossians 1:10). Here is a threefold worthiness that embraces the whole of Christian living.
These are the things that accompany salvation.
* Originally published in leaflet form; hence we have replaced the word “leaflet” with “article” on this web page.
by Stuart Allen
It is not possible to over emphasize the importance of prayer, if we accept what the Word of God teaches on this subject. We state a true fact when we say that all the great men of God in the Scriptures and since have been men of prayer. A prayerless life is an unfruitful life. Yet all believers at times have felt the poverty of their prayer life. This was true even of the Apostles, for, realising their inadequacy, they asked the Lord Jesus to teach them to pray (Luke 11:1), and we remember that the Son of God frequently withdrew to a quiet place to commune with the Father. If He felt the need of prayer, what about ourselves?
The Apostle Paul stated, “we know not what we should pray for as we ought” (Rom.8:26), yet from the Scriptures it is evident that his life was soaked in prayer. Can it be that our poor prayers ever give God delight? The answer is “Yes”. The Psalmist connects his praying with the symbolism of incense, which in the Old Testament was specially fragrant. “Then the Lord said to Moses, `Take fragrant spices … and make a fragrant blend of incense, the work of the perfumer'” (Exod.30:34,35 N.I.V.), and this fragrance covered the work of Aaron, the high priest, in the Tabernacle. The words of the Psalmist were “Let my prayer be directed (see margin) before Thee as incense” (Psa.141:2). We find the same association in Revelation 8:3,4, “another angel came and stood at the altar … and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar”. The incense was a symbol of the fragrance of Christ, and if our prayers are covered with His fragrance, they are a delight to the Lord. God loves to hear His people pray and He is far more ready to listen than we are to pray to Him.
However, some may say, “I never seem to get any answers to my prayers”. This is wrong, because all prayer is answered when we realise that when God says “no”, it is just as much an answer as when He says “yes”. Too often we only pray when we are experiencing some great problem or danger, or when we badly want something. We can be sure of one thing, that our heavenly Father loves us too much to give us any thing that will be to our lasting hurt. The baby sees the light glistening on a sharp razor blade and wants to handle it, but who would be so unkind as to give it to the infant?
If we want the answer “yes” to our prayers we must take heed to the guidance of Holy Scripture. The Apostle John gives us the key when he writes, “And this is the confidence that we have in Him (Christ), that, if we ask anything according to His will, He heareth us” (1 John 5:14). Prayer is not the means of trying to force God to give us something that we want. Some seem to think that if they worry the Lord by constantly praying for something, they will finally get it. But He is too wise and too kind to give us anything that is contrary to His will. The children of Israel in the Old Testament became tired of the heavenly food (the manna) that God gave them every day. They longed for flesh food, and they kept demanding it from their leader, Moses. The Psalmist tells us what the result was, “In the desert they gave in to their cravings; in the wasteland they put God to the test. So He gave them what they asked for, but sent a wasting disease upon them” (Psa.106:14,15 N.I.V.). This was a terrible answer to their continued prayer and they had to learn the hard way as we sometimes have to do, if we constantly press God to give us things just because we want them very much. If we subject all our praying to His will, we cannot go wrong.
We shall be greatly helped in our prayer life if we continually make thanksgiving for all the Lord’s goodness and love that we experience day by day. Surely we shall not have to think very long before we remember how indebted we are to Him. Prayer is not only asking for certain things, it is praise and thanksgiving, and if we constantly maintain a thankful spirit, we shall not go far wrong. Forgetfulness so often leads to spiritual declension.
Perhaps the highest form of prayer is intercession for others. Here self is left out and we are remembering someone else’s needs. If we carefully study Paul’s prayer life, we shall be impressed by how frequently he was bearing up others in prayer. At the same time he greatly valued prayer for himself and the great responsibility he had with the tremendous truth that Christ had entrusted him with, which he was faithfully passing on to others. He wrote “I know that through your prayers and the help given by the Spirit of Jesus Christ, what has happened to me (he was a prisoner at Rome) will turn out for my deliverance” (Phil.1:19 N.I.V.). And to Philemon he wrote, “Prepare a guest room for me, because I hope to be restored to you in answer to your prayers” (Philemon 22).
Can we say that prayer for others is realised? The answer is “yes” if it is all subject to the Lord’s will. There is much more that we could say on this supremely important subject of prayer, but it is not possible in this leaflet. We cannot finish without stressing the need of prayer for the revelation of the Holy Spirit to give understanding of the Word of God. This does not come through cleverness or special education. The writing of the Word itself was the result of the Holy Spirit inspiring faithful men to write it (2 Pet.1:19-21), and He alone can explain it. The Lord Jesus, referring to the future work of the Holy Spirit declared, “He will guide you into all truth”, and “He shall glorify Me” (John 16:13,14).
The Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 2, declared that the things God had prepared for His redeemed are not known by any human being, but “God hath revealed them unto us by His Spirit” (1 Cor.2:9-11), and further on “the things of the Spirit … are spiritually discerned” (1 Cor.2:13,14). The work of the Holy Spirit is absolutely necessary for the revelation and understanding of truth, and that is why in Ephesians 1, the Apostle states that the Father had given the Ephesian believers “the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him” which led to the “enlightening of the eyes of their understanding”. This certainly refers to the work of the Holy Spirit (see the N.I.V. here). He is the great revealer of truth, and it is to Him that we must look if we want a real knowledge of the Scriptures with all their wealth of revelation concerning God’s great redemptive purpose, which will involve a new heaven and earth in which Christ will be supreme.
One is sometimes asked how often should one pray, and the answer is in 1 Thessalonians 5:17, “Pray without ceasing”. The Apostle Paul declared again and again that he never ceased praying, specially for others (Rom.1:9; 1 Thess.1:3; 5:17; Eph.1:16; Col.1:19; and 2 Tim.1:3). So we should constantly pray and give thanks (Eph.5:20), and “Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving” (Col.4:2).
If we want to discover the spiritual treasures that are found in God’s Word, we must look to the Holy Spirit, the Revealer of truth, to do for us what was expressed by the Psalmist when he asked for his eyes to be opened in order that he might know “the wondrous things in God’s law”, which of course means His Word (Psa.119:18).
“Pray without ceasing” (1 Thess. 5:17).
by David Tavender
One of our readers asks: “When the Bible tells us to fear God (e.g. 1 Peter 2:17), what exactly does it mean, and why?”
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The short answer to the question is that we are to revere God and honour Him, and live our lives accordingly, rather than be frightened of Him.
The original words which have most often been translated “fear” in our English Bibles are the Greek words ‘phobeomai’ and ‘phobos’ (from which we get our word “phobia”, meaning a fear of something), and the Hebrew words yare’ and yirah. All of these Greek and Hebrew words can indicate fear as in “terror” or “fright”, but quite often a different shade is evident – that of reverence and awe. The context of the passage in question will usually determine which is meant. Let’s look at some examples of each usage.
Fright
Firstly, some examples of people who were frightened by God: In Genesis 3: 10, “Adam said ‘I heard Thy voice in the garden and I was afraid, because I was naked and I hid myself'”. In Exodus 23:27, the Lord promised to send a fear (terror) of Himself into the enemies before the Israelites on their journey.
Luke 8:3 5 -3 7 tells us that, after Jesus had healed a demon possessed man, “the whole multitude of the country of the Gadarenes round about besought Him to depart from them; for they were taken with great fear”.
Reverence
Now contrast those examples against the following. The pattern here is more one of reverence and honour of God, than of fright: Psalm 89:7 – “God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, and to be had in reverence of all them that are about him.”
In Luke 7:16, after the Lord Jesus raised the widow’s dead son, “there came a fear on all: and they glorified God, saying, that a great prophet is risen up among us; and, that God hath visited his people”. These are not the words of people who are frightened or terrorised. Rather, they glorified and revered God for the mighty act done amongst them that day.
After an incident involving another demon-possessed man, Acts 19:17,18 says “this was known to all the Jews and Greeks … and fear fell on them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified. And many that believed came and confessed and shewed their deeds.”
All of these references illustrate how the “fear” in these instances was really awe, reverence or respect for God, rather than a terror. See also Matthew 27:54 and Acts 2:43 for similar examples.
The Believer
Far from being frightened, the believer through Christ our mediator, has an access to God not previously afforded to those in Old Testament times. And we have this access, not in terror, but in an atmosphere of boldness and confidence. Consider the following: ” – – . Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him.” (Ephesians 3:11,12); “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace” (Hebrews 4:16); “Having … boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus.” (Hebrews 10: 19).
Christians are often told to fear God in the practical sections of the various epistles, clearly illustrating that the fear, respect and honour of God is not only an instruction for non-believers, but that the Christian’s daily walk is to reflect the reverence he or she should have for God.
“The Eternal God is Thy Refuge”, by Charles H. Welch
Eternal God is thy Refuge (PDF)
These articles were written during the first eighteen months of the Second World War (1939-45). Raids by enemy aircraft on Britain were anticipated and later became intense.
Air raid shelters provided some measure of protection from physical harm, but what refuge was there for the weary heart and mind? It was under those conditions of stress that Charles Welch thought it might be helpful to encourage the believers, by pointing away to the only true Refuge that they had – the Eternal God. Indeed, these articles still provide comfort and assurance for us today, and for the future.
Contents:
1. The particular bearing of the word ‘eternal’.
2. ‘God is our Refuge and Strength’ (Psa. 46:1).
3. ‘A very present help in trouble’ (Psa. 46:1).
4. ‘The God of Jacob is our refuge’ (Psa. 46:7,11).
5. ‘Only’ and ‘at all times’ (Psa. 62).
6. Experimental entry into eternal truth (Ps 90 & 91).
7. ‘When other helpers fail … Lord, abide with me’.
8. The ‘secret place’ and the ‘shadow’.
9. ‘The name of the God of Jacob defend thee’ (Psa. 20:1) .
10. ‘We will make mention of the name of the LORD our God’ (Psa. 20:7).
11. ‘Fear not, I am thy Shield’ (Gen. 15:1).
12. ‘The hidden ones’ (Psa. 83:3).
by David Tavender
One of our readers notes Paul’s words of Ephesians 4:26 “Be angry and sin not”, which seems to contradict the words found just a few verses later, “Let all.. anger.. be put away from you” (Ephesians 4:31), and asks for an explanation.
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As always, it will help us to observe the whole context. Note that the whole verse in question says, “Be ye angry and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath”. This alone should tell us that any anger we might have is not to linger on and on. Ignorance of this advice has led to much heartbreak and bitterness among people, and sadly, Christians are not excluded.
Let us now notice a few other verses which Paul wrote about anger, sometimes called “wrath”, and see if we can build up a bigger picture. He also wrote:
“Let all …wrath and anger…be put away from you”. (Ephesians 4:31).
“Put off all these: anger, wrath”. (Colossians 3:8).
“The works of the flesh are manifest, which are these: ..wrath” (Galatians 5:19,20).
Likewise, James writes:
“Let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: for the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God”. (James 1:19,20).
It seems strange that Paul would write so many times that we should put off anger, and yet seem to tolerate it in one phrase.
Anger vs. Love
All of the verses quoted above urge the Christian to put away anger. In each instance, there is a verse following which talks about putting on, love. Compare these verses with those we just read:
Ephesians 5:2 – “walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us”
Colossians 3:12-14 – “Put on … longsuffering, forbearing one another above all these things, put on charity (love)”
Galatians 5:22 – “But the fruit of the Spirit is love”.
James 2:8 – “Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself”.
Taken in conjunction with the great love chapter of 1 Corinthians 13, and the practical applications found therein (such as love not being easily provoked to anger, v.5), do the Scriptures paint an overall picture that Christians should be angry, or be loving? I think the answer is obvious.
But can’t a Christian exhibit righteous anger? We shall discuss this in a moment, but first we should take into consideration a matter of grammar.
Translation
From a linguistic viewpoint, the Greek grammar of the phrase translated, “Be ye angry and sin not” is somewhat ambiguous for a few reasons. It may be a command, as here in the KJV, … or perhaps it is a question. The original Greek texts had no punctuation, and questions were usually written as sentences, with the reader having to supply the question mark. The context would usually determine whether it was in fact a sentence or a question.
It may well be that a more accurate translation of “Be ye angry and sin not” would be in the form of the question, “You are angry and you sin not?”, with the implied answer – “it is doubtful”. Another possible alternative is, “Are you angry and you sin not?” The Greek grammar allows all three translations, but reading the phrase as a question eliminates any apparent contradiction in the Scriptures on this issue, and I would suggest this is a more accurate rendering of the phrase.
What I am suggesting here is that the phrase we are considering is actually a question implying the difficulty of being angry without sinning. Anger is rarely portrayed in the Scriptures as an appropriate action among God’s people. When we exhibit signs of anger, we almost always are in error to do so, if we are honest with ourselves.
However, even if I am wrong, and “Be ye angry and sin not” is indeed the intended translation, our anger is not to last, for what possible benefit is there to it? It will help us to remember that this verse is in the overall scriptural context of putting OFF anger, and putting ON love which is patient and etc. etc.
Righteous Anger
One may object to this idea by bringing to mind the righteous anger displayed by God in the OT (e.g. Numbers 11:1) and the Lord Jesus Christ in the NT (e.g. Mark 3:5), but how many of us would dare to say we are in the position they were in to exhibit such “holy wrath”. We are in an even less sound position when we carry out our “judgement” in any number of ways – violent or nonviolent – upon those we might be angry with. Shouldn’t we leave these sorts of responses to the righteous Judge?
When we look at the evils of the world around us, there is much that can make us angry, such as wrongs against the human race, as well as those wrongs against God. And yet, shouldn’t our appropriate response be to address those situations in which we find ourselves with love and patience … even those we are not happy about? After all, that phrase about being angry and not sinning, regardless of whether it’s a question or a command, is addressed to US, not to the Lord.
I am certainly not advocating some sort of flowery “smile-at-everything” attitude. Some things will upset us and frustrate us, and we will have wrongs done against us and it will hurt. There is no doubt about that. On this very subject, Oscar Baker (in Truth for Today, Vol 13, p. 9) writes:
“You may think you have to stand up for your rights. But as a Christian under grace, what rights do you have that must be defended in the flesh? The warfare we have is not with flesh and blood in this world, but with spiritual powers of wickedness in the heavenlies. [Ephesians 6:12]. Carnal attitudes and carnal weapons have no place in our warfare. Let us take time to stop and think it through. What have we to gain by being angry? Will it help our testimony? Will it honour the Father and the Son?”
It seems to me as if there are several ways to deal with the wrongs and injustices of this world, and anger doesn’t appear to be one of the better ways.
The question I am forced to ask is: will a reaction steeped in anger bring glory to God? The conclusion I keep coming back to is: a Christian’s anger is often more about a lack of self -control, and rarely about lifting up the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. On this point, it surely can not be any coincidence that, in Galatians 5:19-23, “wrath” is listed as a work of the flesh (v.20) and “self-control” or temperance (KJV) is listed as a fruit of the Spirit (v.23).
So, can we be angry and not sin? I actually think it is rather difficult to do so.
by Charles Welch (with additional contributions from Stuart Allen)
Part 10 of a ten-part work, analysing terms related to the Christian’s practical walk.
(Click on An Alphabetical Analysis to access all ten parts of this set.)
AA Part 10 (PDF) Practical truth – Subject Index (a more detailed index is given below): The Way and the Walk and the Witness, Practical Aspects of the Scriptures (The Effectual Word), Fundamentals of Christian Practice, The Two Natures and the Soul, God’s Faithfulness (He Faileth Not), Sunday School lesson outlines (Our Young People), Paul and His Companions, Phases of Faith, Practical Aspects of Bible Reading (The Pulpit of the Opened Book), Reasonable Service, Symbols of Service, The Language of the KJV and Modern Translations (Tentative Translations Tested), Victory, Waiting on the Lord, Warfare, What is Truth?, Biblically-based service (What Manner of Persons), Skills in Critical Reading of the Bible (With All Thy Getting Get Understanding), Words in Season, Worship.
Detailed Contents Index:
INTRODUCTION ………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 6
THE WAY……………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 7
THE WALK…………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 11
WITNESS ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 21
THE EFFECTUAL WORD (Practical Aspects of the Scriptures)
“The Word of God which effectually worketh ” (I Thess. 2: 13). ………………………………… 32
“Able to make (a child) wise unto salvation” (2 Tim. 3:15). ………………………………………. 32
” Incorruptible seed” (I Pet. 1:23) ……………………………………………………………………………. 35
“The engrafted Word” (Jas. 1:21) ……………………………………………………………………………. 37
“The Word of His grace” (Acts 20:32) …………………………………………………………………….. 41
“Faith, and the hearing of the Word” (Rom. 10:17)……………………………………………………. 43
“The Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God” (Eph. 6:17) ……………………………….. 46
Essential conditions ………………………………………………………………………………………………. 48
FUNDAMENTALS OF CHRISTIAN PRACTICE
Prayer doctrinally and dispensationally considered …………………………………………………… 52
True prayer gives access to the Father ……………………………………………………………………… 54
True prayer gives fellowship and communion with God ……………………………………………. 54
True prayer puts God first, others second, and self last………………………………………………. 55
True prayer rests upon and claims God’ s promises …………………………………………………… 55
True prayer watches and waits for the Lord’s answer ………………………………………………… 56
True prayer has an intensity and earnestness behind it……………………………………………….. 56
True prayer is offered to God the Father in Christ’s Name………………………………………….. 57
True prayer is protective ……………………………………………………………………………………….. 57
True prayer makes doctrine real and experimental…………………………………………………….. 57
True prayer will conform to the will of God …………………………………………………………….. 57
Conditions that govern the answering of prayer ……………………………………………………….. 58
There must be an abandonment of all known sin in our lives ……………………………………… 58
There must be a practical realization of the truth of Sanctification………………………………. 58
There must be no self-motive in prayer …………………………………………………………………… 59
Undispensational praying ………………………………………………………………………………………. 59
There must be perseverance with our praying …………………………………………………………… 59
THE TWO NATURES AND THE SOUL
The Flesh …………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 64
The Carnal Mind…………………………………………………………………………………………………… 64
The Old Man………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 65
The New Nature-spirit …………………………………………………………………………………………… 65
The New Man and the Inward Man …………………………………………………………………………. 66
Soul and Spirit ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… 67
Sanctification and Consecration ……………………………………………………………………………… 69
HE FAILETH NOT (God’s Faithfulness)
“Doth His promise fail for evermore?” (Ps. 77:8). ……………………………………………………… 71
Unquenchable, Uncrushable and Upheld until Victory ………………………………………………. 73
God Who cannot Lie (Titus 1 :2) …………………………………………………………………………….. 81
Christ, the yea and Amen of All Promises (2 Cor. 1:20) ……………………………………………. 84
“For that He is strong in power, not one faileth” (Isa. 40:26)………………………………………. 86
OUR YOUNG PEOPLE (Sunday School lesson outlines)
Subject: The Holy Scriptures…………………………………………………………………………………. 89
Subject: Salvation …………………………………………………………………………………………………. 90
Subject: The Saviour …………………………………………………………………………………………….. 91
Subject: The Sin-Bearer…………………………………………………………………………………………. 91
Subject: Redemption …………………………………………………………………………………………….. 92
Subject: Faith ……………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 93
Subject: “Children of God”…………………………………………………………………………………….. 94
PAUL AND HIS COMPANIONS
Fellowship in service …………………………………………………………………………………………….. 95
Fellow-prisoners …………………………………………………………………………………………………… 96
Ananias, the man who said “brother” ………………………………………………………………………. 98
Barnabas, the encourager ……………………………………………………………………………………… 100
Silas, the succourer ……………………………………………………………………………………………… 103
Timothy, the son …………………………………………………………………………………………………. 105
Luke, the beloved physician ………………………………………………………………………………… 107
Aquila and Priscilla, or “Greater love hath no man than this” …………………………………… 109
PHASES OF FAITH
Faith says Amen to God ………………………………………………………………………………………. 111
Faith is the crediting of a Testimony ……………………………………………………………………… 112
” Historic” and ” Saving Faith” ……………………………………………………………………………… 114
A Few Sidelights …………………………………………………………………………………………………. 115
Head versus Heart ……………………………………………………………………………………………….. 117
Repentance…………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 119
Faith as a Fruit, a Gift, and Inwrought …………………………………………………………………… 120
THE PULPIT OF THE OPENED BOOK (Practical aspects of Bible reading)
The Opened Book must be read …………………………………………………………………………… 123
The Opened Book must be “divided” …………………………………………………………………….. 124
The Opened Book speaks of Christ ………………………………………………………………………. 124
REASONABLE SERVICE
The Association of Sacrifice with Service ………………………………………………………………. 125
The Sacrifice of Open Avowal. (Heb. 13:15,16) ……………………………………………………… 127
Philippian gifts, an odour of a sweet smell …………………………………………………………….. 129
The Walk that is in love ……………………………………………………………………………………….. 131
The Drink Offering (Phil. 2:17; 2 Tim. 4:6) ……………………………………………………………. 133
The Afflictions of Christ (Col. 1:24). ……………………………………………………………………. 136
Suffering, Consolation and Exaltation (2 Cor. 1 and 12) …………………………………………… 139
SYMBOLS OF SERVICE
Ambassador, Apostle, Angel ……………………………………………………………………………….. 142
Bondservant, Builder, and Burden-bearer ………………………………………………………………. 143
Calling, Cleansing, and Committing ……………………………………………………………………… 146
Debtors and Disciples …………………………………………………………………………………………. 148
The Ear and the Eye…………………………………………………………………………………………….. 149
The Pierced Ear ………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 150
The Consecrated Ear ……………………………………………………………………………………….. 150
The Opened Ear ………………………………………………………………………………………………. 151
Fishers, Forsakers and Followers ……………………………………………………………………… 151
Gatherers and Guides………………………………………………………………………………………… 153
The Guide ………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 154
Helpers and Husbandmen ………………………………………………………………………………… 155
Husbandman ……………………………………………………………………………………………….. 157
Interpreters and Intercessors ………………………………………………………………………….. 157
Joints and Bands ………………………………………………………………………………………… 159
The Keeper …………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 160
The Labourer ………………………………………………………………………………………………… 162
Messengers and Ministers ……………………………………………………………………………….. 164
The Nursing-Mother and Nursing-Father …………………………………………………………. 166
Overseers ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… 167
Perfecters and Preachers ………………………………………………………………………………… 168
The Refresher ………………………………………………………………………………………………. 169
Sharpeners and Sweeteners …………………………………………………………………………… 171
Teachers and Teaching…………………………………………………………………………………….. 172
Teaching and Practice ……………………………………………………………………………………. 174
Unmovable ………………………………………………………………………………………………… 174
Vessels ………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 176
Witnesses ………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 177
TENTATIVE TRANSLATIONS TESTED (The Language of the KJV and Modern Translations)
The extreme importance of usage demonstrated ………………………………………………… 180
VICTORY
The Words used in the New Testament……………………………………………………………….. 189
A survey of the field of battle ………………………………………………………………………….. 190
Essentials to Victory (Matt. 12:19,20) …………………………………………………………….. 190
WAITING ON THE LORD
The waiting upon God that is the waiting of a host under command …………………….. 200
mutual and eager expectation ……………………………………………………………………………. 200
The waiting upon God that implies faithful service ……………………………………………. 202
WARFARE
The power of His resurrection ……………………………………………………………………….. 205
The essential basis …………………………………………………………………………………………… 205
Are all the saved, soldiers? …………………………………………………………………………….. 206
Stand and Withstand ……………………………………………………………………………………. 207
The Complete Armour ………………………………………………………………………………… 211
Proved armour ……………………………………………………………………………………………. 212
WHAT IS TRUTH? …………………………………………………………………………………….. 214
The Relating of Relationships ……………………………………………………………………… 216
The Necessary Limitations of the Creature ………………………………………………………. 217
The Need for the Divine Inspiration of Scripture ………………………………………………… 219
Some Examples of the Proposition, Truth is Relationship ………………………………….. 221
WHAT MANNER OF PERSONS! (Biblically-based service)
His Service is Perfect Freedom (Chrysostom) …………………………………………………. 223
Pre-requisites for Service………………………………………………………………………………. 224
WITH ALL THY GETTING, GET UNDERSTANDING (Skills in Critical Reading of the Bible)
What constitutes a valid argument? ……………………………………………………………….. 226
Names: their place and importance …………………………………………………………………. 228
The constitution of an assertion ………………………………………………………………………. 231
The import of propositions ……………………………………………………………………………. 233
Classification ……………………………………………………………………………………………….. 234
Definitions …………………………………………………………………………………………………… 236
Propositions ………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 238
The Syllogism ……………………………………………………………………………………………….. 240
From negative premises nothing can be inferred ……………………………………………… 242
The Fallacy ………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 243
Fallacies classified ………………………………………………………………………………………….. 248
Some elements of crooked thinking ………………………………………………………………… 251
The importance of analogy …………………………………………………………………………… 253
The definition of analogy ……………………………………………………………………………… 255
Analogy, and the Image of God ……………………………………………………………………… 256
WORDS IN SEASON
A word fitly spoken …………………………………………………………………………………… 260
Be filled with the Spirit (Eph. 5:18) ………………………………………………………………….. 260
Faction, Fellowship, Faithfulness ……………………………………………………………………… 261
The Goal of a Ministry ………………………………………………………………………………….. 263
My Yoke is Easy …………………………………………………………………………………………. 264
Prefaces to Prayer ………………………………………………………………………………………. 265
Do You Wear a Vail? …………………………………………………………………………………… 267
WORSHIP
The homely character of the Church in the beginning …………………………………………. 271
Some of the adjuncts of acceptable worship …………………………………………………….. 272