The Foundation of Spirituality -- Honesty

by Larry Rouse
www.cvillechurch.com

Why does the preaching of the gospel seem not to be effective in our society today? We know that God’s word has not changed, nor has its power (Rom 1:16). We are assured by God that His word will never return to Him void, but it will always accomplish the purpose for which He sent it (Isa 55:11). Today, with this present generation, as it has in past generations, the word of God is able to expose hearts and allow men to choose light or darkness (Jn 3:19-21). This choice depends upon the kind of heart a man possesses.

When Jesus described the kind of heart in which the word of God would be received and would prosper, He described it as “good and honest” (Lk 8:15 KJV). Will a man choose light or darkness, honesty or dishonesty? If a man decides that he “hates the light” then God will let him “believe a lie” and will not do anything further other than the presentation of His word (2 Thess 2:10-11).

We must fight the temptation to be dishonest

The battle for honesty lasts a lifetime. God emphatically warns the Christian to guard his heart and to keep it pure. “Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds” (Col 3:9). God has plainly told us: “He who works deceit shall not dwell within my house; He who tells lies shall not continue in my presence” (Psa 101:7).

The nature of man has not changed. Without continual exposure to the word of God, men’s hearts will be pulled back to self-justification and blindness (Prov 16:2; Jer 17:10-11). Why do men prefer dishonesty? Psychologists suggest that men tend to make up the reasons for their behaviors after they do them, and that their “reasons” and behavior usually have nothing to do with each other.

King Saul was a prime example of a good man who gave in to dishonesty to his own destruction. Do you remember the various explanations that he made to Samuel when he was confronted about his direct disobedience to God’s command (1 Sam 15:3, 15, 20-21)? “I was going to sacrifice them! No, wait, it was the people that did it!” Finally, after a spiritual wrestling match, Saul admits his sin, but without true repentance! Saul thought that his outward confession without a changed heart would put him right with God. In this he had deceived himself! This pattern would remain throughout Saul’s life.

We must recognize dishonesty

God’s love will lead us to look to the good in others. Indeed, we want to believe the best about others and not be quick to judge another’s actions without sufficient evidence. Nonetheless, the Bible is filled with warnings concerning those who would deliberately mislead us and the kind of tactics they will use to accomplish this task. “That we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting” (Eph 4:14). “These are grumblers, complainers, walking according to their own lusts; and they mouth great swelling words, flattering people to gain advantage” (Jude 16).

It is a difficult thing for good and honest Christians to see the deceit and manipulation from those who have a hidden agenda to pull others into their circle. Flattery is first used to gain a closer association and trust. Then lies are told in secret to inflame emotions and close minds (Prov 18:19). Finally, these men succeed in having their new disciples cut off association with their former brethren without so much as talking about these newly discovered “differences” over an open Bible (Gal 4:16-17).

A commitment to honesty will keep us from these “closed door decisions” that result in one “cutting and running.” Instead we will openly discuss and test those who have beliefs that they say are of God (1 Jn 4:1). Also, we will not accept testimony about the personal actions of another without first giving that person a chance to defend himself (Prov 18:17; Mt 18:15-17)!

Pride always leads to dishonesty

Those who do not know God cannot stand to look at themselves honestly. The driving force behind pride is the desire to be recognized and have praise because we wish to appear to be something that we are not. “For if anyone thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself” (Gal 6:3). Those that follow this path must wear a mask. They must fight to “keep up appearances” and work to tear others down so that they can receive this vain and temporary recognition of men. There is a better way to live your life!

God’s forgiveness allows us to be honest

God sees me as I am, and, in spite of that, He loves me and seeks my best. “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom 5:8). God sees the darkness of my sin and has provided a sacrifice that will wash away my sins and restore my relationship with Him (Rom 3:23; 6:23). What do I need to do? I need to be honest! I must see my own sin and make no excuses. The love of God must move me to change my heart in repentance that will result in a changed life. I then will take the final step in water baptism, yielding my body to a burial and resurrection like the Lord’s (Rom 6:3-5). I now am the Lord’s, not because I am perfect, but because I am forgiven and have yielded my heart to Him (Acts 2:38-39).

The Christian life is characterized by the forgiveness of God. Rather than run from my shortcomings, I can now run to God for a greater sight and to seek His help in growing to be something more in His service. I come to love the truth, to love bold and honest preaching because it allows me to see what God already sees and what I need to know. Most of all, I am thankful that God’s word is able to penetrate my heart when it drifts into dishonesty and point me back to Him. “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account” (Heb 4:12-13).

Be honest. Are you genuinely serving the Lord with all of your heart (2 Cor 13:5)?
“He who covers his sins will not prosper, But whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy” (Prov 28:13).

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Why So Many Translations?

by Jon W. Quinn
www.cvillechurch.com

"Why are there all those translations?" How do we know that mistakes have not crept in over the last 1900 years? Which translation is best? Why? And what makes a bad translation bad?

First, we can have confidence that accurate and reliable translations are available for us today. The Lord would not go to so much trouble to send us His word only to have it become so muddled that we could not know it. In fact He has made us that very promise; that we would always have His word (Matthew 24:35; 1 Peter 1:23-25; Isaiah 55:10, 11).

But Jesus meant His gospel to go into the whole world (Matthew 28:18-20). This meant that it must be translated into the different languages of the nations of the world, those that were and those who were yet to be. Jesus even read from a translation! Luke records that in Nazareth, Jesus did not read from the original Hebrew but from the Septuagint, which was a Greek translation of the Scriptures (Luke 4:17-19).

The Original Manuscripts of the New Testament

"When you come bring the cloak which I left at Troas with Carpus, and the books, especially the parchments." (2 Timothy 4:13).

The original manuscripts were those that the original authors, Peter, James, Paul, Luke and others, wrote down by inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Paul, in the above verse, asks Timothy to bring the "parchments" with him. Parchments were treated animal skins used as we would use paper. Sometimes, papyrus was used instead, but was less durable. The Scriptures that became our New Testament were originally written in Greek and sent out into the world, first to the intended recipient (individuals such as Titus, Timothy, Gaius or Theophilus; or churches such as Corinth or Rome; or groups such as the Hebrews). These would be read, copied and passed on to others, who would do likewise.

Copying the Originals

"And when this letter is read among you, have it also read in the church of the Laodeceans; and you, for your part read my letter that is coming from the Laodeceans." (Colossians 4:16; cf. Galatians 1:2).

Copies had to be made if there were to be multiple recipients. First century Christians became very busy reading and copying Scriptures. Sometimes they would do so individually, but sometimes they would have a reader and a roomful of writers. Because they were so prolific, even today there exists over 5500 Greek manuscripts, 2,000 early translations, 8,000 Latin translations, and numerous quotes from the early Scriptures in other writings. These date back to the end of the first century, and it is possible that we have some dating to about 60-70 AD. When translations are made today into English, it is these early manuscripts that are used.

English Translations

"Now these were more noble minded than those at Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily, to see whether these things were so." (Acts 17:11).

It was very unusual for the common people to possess the Scriptures in their native tongue during the middle ages. This is because church authorities had decided that they had a monopoly on the right to read the Bible. It was not for the common folk. Of course, this violates the very spirit of the principle set forth in the above quoted Bible verse.

John Wycliffe translated the Bible into Old English about 1300 A.D. At this time, the Catholic Church had made reading the Bible punishable by death. But there was a hunger and thirst for reading the word of God, and many would not be thwarted even in the face of such persecution.
In all of these source texts (the original Greek manuscripts from which translators work), about 7/8th of the material is in agreement. Of the remaining 1/8th, most differences are insignificant. For example, some read "church of God" while others read "church of the Lord" which is not significant because the Lord is God. Of the remaining 1/460th differences that are "significant" it is easy to compare all the manuscripts and see where the mistake was made. If you have 4,000 manuscripts reading one way, and 2 reading another way, you translate using the 4,000, not the 2.

What Makes a Good translation?

"And by referring to this, when you read you can understand my insight into the mystery of Christ." (Ephesians 3:4).

Of course, as suggested above, a good translation had s to be understandable to its intended audience. But just being easy to understand does not necessarily make it a good translation.
To be a good translation, there must be the following three things:

1. Good Sources: This would mean having access to early Greek manuscripts, the more the better, as well as early Latin translations and early quotes. But the manuscripts are the most important.

2. Good Method: Will the translators be highly literal, or will they take liberties with the text adding words that "help" folks understand the text? The more liberties they take, the more likely their own doctrinal prejudices will sneak in.

3. Good Translators: This would mean those who are knowledgeable, who have access to good source documents and are honest. Many translators from multiple backgrounds help insure against doctrinal bias.

A translation that is easy to understand and meets the above three qualifications is a good translation. You can trust its message for what it really is - the word of God.

Tune-in to Bible Talk

Every Sunday 12:35-1:00 PM

WINA 1070 AM, Charlottesville, VA

For Past Program Archives go to:

www.BibleTalkNow.com

To be a part of the Program call our Bible Talk line at:

(434) 975-7373 and leave a question or a comment.

Call Anytime!

E-Mail: larryrouse@cvillechurch.com

The Lord's Supper or a Marathon?

by Larry Rouse
www.cvillechurch.com

On the night of His betrayal and in the very shadow of the cross itself, Jesus called his disciples together and expressed a strong desire of His heart. “Then He said to them, With fervent desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; for I say to you, I will no longer eat of it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” (Luke 22:15-16) What made this particular Passover so important was that Jesus Himself would become the fulfillment of the Passover lamb the very next day as He would shed his blood for our salvation. Also, all disciples in every generation, would remember this event with Jesus as they partake of the Lord’s Supper in the kingdom of God. When Jesus instituted this supper after partaking of the Passover, He was giving instructions that all who would ever love the Lord would also observe it with a strong fervor.

The early Christians were taught by the Apostle Paul, “For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread; and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”” (1 Corinthians 11:23-25)

The occasion was a very serious one. Those who partake of this supper without a heart attuned to the meaning of Jesus’ death and the great commitment that it demands, are in fact committing a great act of ingratitude and irreverence towards God, as well as hardening their own hearts during a time when it should have been made tender. “Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be `guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body” (1 Corinthians 11:27-29). You can also show this irreverence in choosing not to be present to partake!

The early church, through the instructions of the Apostles, made the Lord’s Supper a centerpiece of their worship. On the Day of Pentecost, after Peter had preached the gospel and 3,000 were baptized, we read about the careful instruction these new disciples were given. “They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.” (Acts 2:42)

When the apostle Paul came to Troas, he met with the church there on the first day of the week and partook of the Lord’s Supper with them. “Now on the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul, ready to depart the next day, spoke to them and continued his message until midnight.” (Acts 20:7) Sunday, the first day of the week, is the day that Jesus was raised from the dead, the day that the Lord’s Church was established (Acts 2), and is the day that early Christians assembled to remember our Lord in this supper. As a Christian, when the first day of the week comes around, one should make plans and will give diligence to be with fellow Christians to remember our Lord.

How should we as Christians treat other events that would cause us to miss an assembly with Christians? Let me share with you a story. In the summer of 2001 I attended a very public news conference in downtown Birmingham where it was announced that a new Marathon was to be held, the Mercedes Marathon. Running is my favorite sport and I had always wanted to be able to run a marathon in Birmingham but was unable to, since in the past, previous marathons were run on Sunday. I approached the man who would be in charge of the event and asked him on what day would the marathon be held. He replied that it would always be on a Sunday in February. My heart dropped and I knew that any future marathons for me would have to be in another town and on a Saturday.

Did I make the right decision?

I have always believed that in serving the Lord, the priorities in my life are shown in decisions like these. In the Sunday morning assembly I am not only meeting with the saints for my edification, but the Lord Himself is there as well. He is the unseen presence when I sing, pray and partake of that sacred supper. Could I miss this occasion to participate in any sporting event? I cannot imagine any faithful Christian allowing worldly things like these to take a greater priority.

In the early 1980’s there was a movie called “Chariots of Fire” that depicted a true story of a man who qualified to run in the Olympics, but discovered on the boat to the event that he would have to run a race on a Sunday. Under enormous pressure and public scrutiny, He refused to participate. While his reasoning that “Sunday is the Sabbath” was wrong, I did agree with the stand that he took. The world did not understand his position and subjected him to ridicule and scorn, but those today who understand the nature of faith can identify with his stand.

Are those who wear the name of Christ today becoming ashamed of such a stand?

It is becoming more common to hear of Christians missing “just one service” to participate in local races, soccer games and other voluntary events. Sometimes they are raising money for a worthy cause and sometimes they are there to be with friends. Often family members and friends are invited to watch the game or assist in some other way. Those who are raising money often have websites, e-mails and handouts proclaiming what they are doing in advance and asking others to contribute money and to be in partnership with them.

Couldn't these things be done on another day? Going to another city to run a race on another day, or simply asking friends to donate to the cause without running in the event are easy solutions among others. Our children need to be taught the importance of priorities and miss games that conflict with the “Lord’s team.”

One thing is for sure, your decision makes a statement. The more public that decision means the more public your statement is. Let this be what you proclaim: “For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes.” (1 Corinthians 11:26)

Tune-in to Bible Talk
Every Sunday 12:35-1:00 PM
WINA 1070 AM, Charlottesville, VA
For Past Program Archives go to:
www.BibleTalkNow.com
To be a part of the Program call our Bible Talk line at:
(434) 975-7373 and leave a question or a comment.
Call Anytime!
E-Mail: larryrouse@cvillechurch.com