I learned something in Sunday School today.

Galatians 5:19-23

King James Version (KJV)

19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

Romans 3:18-20

King James Version (KJV)

18 There is no fear of God before their eyes.
19 Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.
20 Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.

1 John 3:4

King James Version (KJV)

4 Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.

I love Sunday School. 

It is a beautiful time of sharing and learning of God together. I generally do not like Sunday School books, but that's a rant for another time. In Sunday School, unlike a preaching service, the congregation is allowed and encouraged to ask questions and give feedback on the subject at hand. In this way, the body of Christ can share with each other, our experiences and lessons learned about a particular subject. We exhort one another and help each other to deeper and higher places in God.  

I got yet another reason to like Sunday School today. I learned something. Yes, I am supposed to learn something every time. In truth, most Sunday School books are little more than milk and I prefer the meat of the word. However, today was special. 

First, I was reminded that sin is simply the transgression (breaking) of God's law. Therefore, when we sin, we place ourselves back under the penalty of the law- death. To become free of that, we must repent. All this I already knew. But, it was a good reminder nonetheless. 

I didn't learn anything that most would consider earth-shattering. For me, however, it was. 

All of my life I have heard of the "nine fruits of the spirit." It's part of what most Christians consider to be basic information. Today, from a young man 22 years my junior, I learned that there's no such thing as the "fruits" of the spirit. Rather, there is only one "fruit of the spirit" that includes those nine things: "love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance."

This truly caused me to stop and take another look. After all, I've been writing on the "fruits" of the spirit for the last four blogposts.

Before I had time to analyze it too closely, the Sunday School teacher- a man around my age- agreed and told us that it is on LOVE that the rest of the pieces hinge. We cannot have joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance operating in our lives without the foundation of God's unconditional love. 

Indeed, love is the furtile soil from which the rest of it grows.

So, thank God for Sunday School. Thank God that he shares his knowledge throughout the body of Christ in order to teach each other. Thank God for the reminder that it's not just us old folks who know some things. 

And, to give honor where honor is due, thank you Aaron Sinsley and Miles Duncan, for letting God use you to share what he's taught you. 

Apostles in scripture in relation to church Government. (Do we have it backwards?)

I have been contemplating some things about local church Government. I made a blog post at an earlier date here. This is an outgrowth of that post. 

It occurred to me that we, as Apostolics, should fulfill the ministries of the church as they did them in the book of Acts church. That having been said, our modern churches glorify bishops, pastors, and evangelists. Most of our churches don't use deacons and prophets are both revered and feared. But, what about the Apostle?

Scripturally speaking, aside from them having personally seen Jesus- something only the originals could do (unless he gives us a vision or dream)- they seemed to act as pastor/elders, evangelists, missionaries, bishops, prophets, and teachers in the scriptures. They would go to an "unchurched area", start preaching and teaching, and (if the Gospel gained traction there) they'd raise up a local body (or church, if you will) until God raised up some elders in that group to take over the leadership of the group. Then, the Apostle would move on to start another work, occasionally keeping an eye on their previous works- offering encouragement and correction to the elders and church body where needed.

Another thing they'd do, however, was that they seemed to be the authorities of the whole movement. Look at the disagreement over circumcision in Acts. Who was it that the dispute was taken to? Who was it that seemed to be the final arbitor of doctrinal truth for the whole body of Christ (under the direction of the Lord)? The Apostles!

So, since in our modern day movements, a missionary is probably the closest thing to an Apostle we have, do we have things backwards in our organizations? Instead of the Bishops and pastor/elders leading our organizations, shouldn't it be the missionaries? Why are they relegated to an almost fringe status in our movements, when they had such a HUGE role in the early church? 

Thoughts anyone?

What about Romans 10:9?

This question was asked on a Facebook page I'm part of. It's also the one of the first questions asked whenever Acts 2:38 is brought up. Br Charles Albert Johnson III gave the following answer. There's nothing I could add to this. It's the best exegesis on this subject I've seen thus far. Thanks, bro Charles, for allowing me to use this!

Before examining the ninth verse of the Chapter, let us get context by examining the first verse of the Chapter.

Romans 10:1 - Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved.

So Paul is addressing the Church (Brethren), folk who are already saved. Paul is addressing the Church concerning "Israel's" salvation, for they were the ones in the context in need of salvation. Therefore, we understand that Romans 10:9 is NOT addressing the Church about how they get saved, nor is it intended to communicate a generic plan of Salvation for sinners in general. Keep the Scripture in context and you won't err.

Now to the meat of the text. Paul is addressing folk who are already saved, therefore it doesn't make sense for him to be telling them how to get saved. He is, however, speaking concerning the salvation of Israel. Paul quotes the law in Deuteronomy 30 to proclaim that the "word" in that place in the law was the "word of faith" which "we preach." He is talking about the Gospel, to the Jew first (Romans 1:16).

In verse nine, Paul addresses the two main hindrances to Israel's salvation, namely confessing with the mouth the Lord Jesus and believing in His Resurrection. These two hindrances to Israel's salvation are clearly seen comparing the Scriptures.

Romans 10:9 - That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

Israel's "CONFESSION" DILEMMA:

John 9:22 - These words spake his parents, because they feared the Jews: for the Jews had agreed already, that if any man did confess that he was Christ, he should be put out of the synagogue.

John 12:42 - Nevertheless among the chief rulers also many believed on him; but because of the Pharisees they did not confess him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue:

Israel's "UNBELIEF IN THE RESURRECTION" DILEMMA:

Matthew 28

11 Now when they were going, behold, some of the watch came into the city, and shewed unto the chief priests all the things that were done.

12 And when they were assembled with the elders, and had taken counsel, they gave large money unto the soldiers,

13 Saying, Say ye, His disciples came by night, and stole him away while we slept.

14 And if this come to the governor's ears, we will persuade him, and secure you.

15 So they took the money, and did as they were taught: and this saying is commonly reported among the Jews until this day.

Notice also it says "thou SHALT be saved," not "thou ART saved." More beyond simple confession and belief is necessary, for example, REPENTANCE is clearly necessary for salvation.

Luke 13:3 - I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.

Luke 13:5 - I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.

If we assume that generic salvation is simple confession and belief, as per Romans 10:9, then we'd be forced to conclude that repentance is unnecessary for salvation, though Jesus said otherwise. So you see salvation in the generic sense is absolutely not what Romans 10:9 is dealing with, rather, Romans 10:9 is dealing with the salvation of unbelieving Israel, who culturally and traditionally had issues with confessing Christ (and getting excommunicated from Jewish life ie. put out of the synagogue) as Lord and believing in the Resurrection (the Jewish leadership paid off the Roman soldiers to lie and that lie was commonly reported). To interpret otherwise is error.

Paul goes on to quote Moses and Isaiah (law and the prophets) in that God would use the unbelief of the Jews to bring about the salvation of all the nations (fulfilling His promise to Abraham...father of MANY NATIONS), and for to provoke Israel in unbelief to jealousy, that some of them may be saved.

Romans 10:19 - But I say, Did not Israel know? First Moses saith, I will provoke you to jealousy by them that are no people, and by a foolish nation I will anger you.

Romans 11:11 - I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy.

Romans 11:14 - If by any means I may provoke to emulation them which are my flesh, and might save some of them.

I pray here that I have given you accurate exegesis of the Romans 10 text, and that you have been edified to be able to provide an answer to every man concerning the faith that is in you. Let all God's people be strengthened and sharpened in Jesus' Name.

Sunday School

Titus 2

²That the aged men be sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in patience.

 ³The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things;

 ⁴That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children,

 ⁵To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.

 ⁶Young men likewise exhort to be sober minded.

 ⁷In all things shewing thyself a pattern of good works: in doctrine shewing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity,

 ⁸Sound speech, that cannot be condemned; that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you.

OK, brother Winskie. How do you get Sunday School out of that? 

I realize that the early church, at least from what we can glean in the scriptures, did not have "Sunday School". I'm not saying they were wrong. All I can say is that (and I hate to say this, as it sounds like a cop out, but it really is the truth in this case) "times have changed". 

In the early church, they, it seems from reading the scriptures had house to house fellowship (not in one massive building) DAILY. They even had services so long, time wise,  that one young man fell asleep. From what we can glean from the scriptures, their services lasted many, many hours- not the short services we have nowadays (by comparison).  The mothers didn't work outside the homes. The children didn't have 40 hours a week of forced indoctrination called "public schools", but were generally taught most things at home, until the males got to a certain age, when they began to learn a trade- either through their Father's, or through an apprenticeship, or- if the family had money and could do it- through a Rabbinical school, or some such. (Sorry for the run on sentence) The Fathers tended to work either at home (farms, etc) or very near home in the markets, etc., and tended to be around their families much more than we are now. There also weren't near as many distractions in the form of entertainment, as there is now. 

The average child and adult, if they attend a church every time the doors are opened, generally has about 3 to 4 hours on Sunday, and about 2 hours during the week of biblical instruction. Some of this is taken up in praise and worship (not a bad thing, at all, but it does take up part of the church time). So, you can probably take about 2 to 3 hours away from the time involved, which leaves 3 to 4 hours a week of instruction at church. 

Compare this to the 40 hours a week at school- 40-60 hours a week at work for most parents. Then, there's computer time- especially with the rise and popularity of "social media" like this site, Facebook, My space, etc. Many homes have TV's where they watch News, Sports, ungodly shows (sorry, couldn't resist the dig at the crazy programming on most channels), etc. There tends to be VERY little personal Bible Study at home, much less Family study and prayer. Of course, we all believe that this needs to change, and rightfully so. But, this is still the reality of our society. 

Therefore, brethren, I truly believe that the biggest lack in the church of God today is plain, old fashioned, biblical teaching! Preaching WILL save the lost, but teaching and instruction WILL KEEP THEM SAVED! Unfortunately, in most of our churches, there are MANY subjects that are never taught at all! Acts 2:38 IS the plan of salvation. There IS only ONE GOD. And Holiness IS still necessary, though opinions vary on how to work this out. But, there is more to living for God and being a Christian than these 3 core beliefs!

Sunday school is NOT only for children. Adults need teaching too. Most "adult Sunday school" now are not a school at all. Rather, it has become another occasion for the preacher to preach his 4 or 5 pet doctrines. Most of the scriptures are ignored. There is almost no class room environment where the "students" can ask questions, make comments, or even (gasp)- respectfully disagree. All of these things are implicit in the way Jesus did things. He didn't cram his teaching down the disciples throat. He taught them and allowed them to have questions. 

Children's Sunday school is NOT for teachers to be "glorified baby sitters". These teachers are to be called by God, have a burden for the pupils, and pray about what to teach and how to teach it. Presently, we have Sunday school that is geared only for kids. These classes are not set up to truly teach, but to keep them occupied while the parents are in the service! Many of these classes are now bringing videos into the class room to entertain their students, rather than to do what they should and teach them. They also now have "children's church". Not really a time to teach, but rather a time to entertain. 

Church of Jesus- it's time for a change! 

It is because of this that I believe and have a burden for Sunday School. What I am about to write is by NO means an all inclusive list of topics that need to be taught, but it is a sample list. Feel free to add to it. I do believe that a Godly church starts in a Godly home. But, given the realities of our world, they need to be taught how to achieve this and see that Christianity is NOT simply a religion, but is, in fact, a lifestyle built on relationship with Jesus! 

Now, THIS would be my suggestion on how to organize the Sunday School. Keeping in mind the biblical passage we read above (the older men teaching the younger ones, and the older women teaching the younger ones), here is a small sample:

Nursery (ages 0-3, unless with parents) staffed on a rotational basis by praying older women.

Classes

Ages 4-6

Ages 7-9

(after this age, I believe they should be segregated by gender, depending on the class because there are many subjects that can only be taught in non-mixed audiences- and because the scriptures above suggest it.)

Ages 10-15

Ages 16-19

Adult classes

1) Young Ministers class (men only)

2) Homemaker/Housewife (women only, but probably needs a more palatable name)

3) Man of the Home class (men only)

4) Young married

5) New Convert class

6) Finances according to scripture (with emphasis on how to follow this in todays world.)

7) End Time Prophecy

8) Bible Study training (for those who feel led to teach the lost)

9) Life Issues (catch all. This would be "the main" class for those not interested in the other classes)

10) Outreach class (teaching different methods of outreach)

11) Vintage group (seniors)

12) Divorce recovery (needed in our world!)

13) A.C.T.S. class (Alcohol and Chemical Treatment System. This class is required in many states for those involved in Jail ministry. Also a great way for the church to act as a sort of "half way house" to help people get their lives straight in a legal sense and could lead many of them to Jesus. Some judges will actually order the parolees to attend the class at your church.) 

14) Sewing (women only)

15) Cooking (women only)

16) A study of false doctrines, with emphasis on WHY they are false

17) Music (If a teacher(s) is(are) available in the church that is(are) willing to help the folks who'd like to learn.)

18) College/career (I'm iffy on this one, but some might want it.)

19) Biblical Courtship (needed to combat the whole "dating" scene!)

20) "Walk thru the Bible". (An excellent course [done by a trinitarian ministry, but we can get the literature and teach it ourselves.] It gives a GREAT general overview of the order of the books in the bible, while hitting a few highlights in the scriptures of events to fill out what's being learned. Even now, 21 years after I took the course, I fall back on some of the things I memorized back then in that ONE DAY COURSE to help me keep the order of the books straight in my head. Would be great for New Converts!)

21) Wilderness living (Some of you may balk at this one, depending on your end time beliefs. I believe that these skills- that include Archery Hunting, Fishing, Plant knowledge, Hiding and evasion, Cover in cold and hot weather, "Coats of skins", Safe fires, Natural dangers, Physical exercise, Rock and tree climbing, to name only a few- will be very useful to us in the coming days before the Lord returns. 

22) Any other classes that you can think of.

I realize that some of these courses are not necessarily biblical, but they do relate. Also, I realize that teachers would have to rotate to keep from burning out and for them to learn other things as well. For some of these classes, we would need larger facilities and more people than most of us have at present. But, I truly believe that this is a good structure! The particulars can be done according to what we have available, as the Lord opens doors. 

Also, I really believe that a structure like this would alleviate "the boredom" that some people feel in churches today and build an excitement into their walk with God. What will they learn today when they go to church? They can be free to take part in the subject of their own interest- teachers and students alike.

In short, brethren, I BELIEVE in Sunday School! In todays world it is a NEED! Given the massive amounts of subjects IN THE BIBLE that are NEVER even touched on in 99% of todays churches, I believe that it is very necessary.

God bless you. I look forward to your thoughts.

A Chronological Christmas

Before I begin this post, let it be known to one and all that:

a) I do realize that Jesus was NOT born on Dec 25th.

b) I understand that Christmas was originally a pagan holiday that was "Christianized" by the Catholic church.

       That having been said, it is not the purpose of this post to argue about any of that. Rather, it is the Chronology of "the Christmas story", that I wish to address.

       It is currently presented via "the nativity scene" and most church plays, etc, that everything about the Christmas story took place during a few day period. Indeed, many believe all on the same night. Yet, scripturally speaking, this is simply not true. In fact, we know- at the risk of getting ahead of myself- that the wise men came to see Jesus some 2 years AFTER his birth. Why else would Herod order the destruction of all the Bethlehem children 2 years old and younger when the wise men left without seeing him (as he had ordered them to)?

       So, with that in mind, let us re-examine this story as the scriptures truly tell it.

       First of all, why does the world celebrate this holiday at all? The world celebrates it as a time of joy and sharing with friends and family. It's a time of giving and showing love to your loved ones. Nothing wrong with that, in principle.

      But, what is the real reason behind the season for the Christian? It is all of the above AND it is a time of celebrating the birth of Jesus. Why celebrate his birth at all? Because of Calvary! He came to die. He came to show us that there is a real and lasting hope of eternal life THROUGH HIM. For me, just because the early church didn't celebrate his birthday (at least as far as we know from scripture) is no reason not to celebrate it. I'm glad he came! If he hadn't we'd have no hope at all. And, if I can celebrate the birth of my wife and children, how much more can I celebrate the birth of my Savior?

      Indeed, let us look at why he came:

Matthew 1:21
And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.


The scriptures scream that God came to save us from our sins. Who is this Jesus? 


1 Timothy 3:16
And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.

Isaiah 9:6

King James Version (KJV)

 ⁶For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

The one and only creator- the God of the whole universe- made himself a man (became a son) and went to Calvary in order that we could truly be free. That's love! That's a loving Father!

That, to me, is the real reason for the season. The fact that God almighty robed himself in human flesh in order to make a way for me- That is reason to celebrate! That's what the whole world needs to know!

So, without further waiting, here is the "Christmas story", in Chronological order, so we all get it right. After all, don't we want to tell the story correctly?

Luke 1:⁵THERE was in the days of Herod, the king of Judaea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia: and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth.

 ⁶And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.

 ⁷And they had no child, because that Elisabeth was barren, and they both were now well stricken in years.

 ⁸And it came to pass, that while he executed the priest's office before God in the order of his course,

 ⁹According to the custom of the priest's office, his lot was to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord.

 ¹⁰And the whole multitude of the people were praying without at the time of incense.

 ¹¹And there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense.

 ¹²And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him.

 ¹³But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John.

 ¹⁴And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth.

 ¹⁵For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother's womb.

 ¹⁶And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God.

 ¹⁷And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.

 ¹⁸And Zacharias said unto the angel, Whereby shall I know this? for I am an old man, and my wife well stricken in years.

 ¹⁹And the angel answering said unto him, I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God; and am sent to speak unto thee, and to shew thee these glad tidings.

 ²⁰And, behold, thou shalt be dumb, and not able to speak, until the day that these things shall be performed, because thou believest not my words, which shall be fulfilled in their season.

 ²¹And the people waited for Zacharias, and marvelled that he tarried so long in the temple.

 ²²And when he came out, he could not speak unto them: and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple: for he beckoned unto them, and remained speechless.

 ²³And it came to pass, that, as soon as the days of his ministration were accomplished, he departed to his own house.

 ²⁴And after those days his wife Elisabeth conceived, and hid herself five months, saying,

 ²⁵Thus hath the Lord dealt with me in the days wherein he looked on me, to take away my reproach among men.

 ²⁶And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth,

 ²⁷To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary.

 ²⁸And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.

 ²⁹And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be.

 ³⁰And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.

 ³¹And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.

 ³²He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:

 ³³And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.

 ³⁴Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?

 ³⁵And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.

 ³⁶And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren.

 ³⁷For with God nothing shall be impossible.

 ³⁸And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.

 ³⁹And Mary arose in those days, and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Juda;

 ⁴⁰And entered into the house of Zacharias, and saluted Elisabeth.

 ⁴¹And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost:

 ⁴²And she spake out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb.

 ⁴³And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?

 ⁴⁴For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.

 ⁴⁵And blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord.

 ⁴⁶And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord,

 ⁴⁷And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.

 ⁴⁸For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.

 ⁴⁹For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name.

 ⁵⁰And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation.

 ⁵¹He hath shewed strength with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.

 ⁵²He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree.

 ⁵³He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away.

 ⁵⁴He hath helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy;

 ⁵⁵As he spake to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed for ever.

 ⁵⁶And Mary abode with her about three months, and returned to her own house.

 ⁵⁷Now Elisabeth's full time came that she should be delivered; and she brought forth a son.

 ⁵⁸And her neighbours and her cousins heard how the Lord had shewed great mercy upon her; and they rejoiced with her.

 ⁵⁹And it came to pass, that on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child; and they called him Zacharias, after the name of his father.

 ⁶⁰And his mother answered and said, Not so; but he shall be called John.

 ⁶¹And they said unto her, There is none of thy kindred that is called by this name.

 ⁶²And they made signs to his father, how he would have him called.

 ⁶³And he asked for a writing table, and wrote, saying, His name is John. And they marvelled all.

 ⁶⁴And his mouth was opened immediately, and his tongue loosed, and he spake, and praised God.

 ⁶⁵And fear came on all that dwelt round about them: and all these sayings were noised abroad throughout all the hill country of Judaea.

 ⁶⁶And all they that heard them laid them up in their hearts, saying, What manner of child shall this be! And the hand of the Lord was with him.

 ⁶⁷And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost, and prophesied, saying,

 ⁶⁸Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people,

 ⁶⁹And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David;

 ⁷⁰As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began:

 ⁷¹That we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us;

 ⁷²To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant;

 ⁷³The oath which he sware to our father Abraham,

 ⁷⁴That he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear,

 ⁷⁵In holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life.

 ⁷⁶And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways;

 ⁷⁷To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins,

 ⁷⁸Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us,

 ⁷⁹To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.

 ⁸⁰And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his shewing unto Israel.

Matthew 1: ¹⁸Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.

 ¹⁹Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily.

 ²⁰But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.

 ²¹And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.

 ²²Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying,

 ²³Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.

 ²⁴Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife:

 ²⁵And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS.

Luke 2

 ¹And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed.
 ²(And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)
 ³And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.
 ⁴And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:)
 ⁵To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.
 ⁶And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.
 ⁷And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.
 ⁸And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
 ⁹And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
 ¹⁰And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
 ¹¹For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
 ¹²And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
 ¹³And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
 ¹⁴Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
 ¹⁵And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.
 ¹⁶And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.
 ¹⁷And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.
 ¹⁸And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.
 ¹⁹But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.
 ²⁰And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.
 ²¹And when eight days were accomplished for the circumcising of the child, his name was called JESUS, which was so named of the angel before he was conceived in the womb.
 ²²And when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were accomplished, they brought him to Jerusalem, to present him to the Lord;
 ²³(As it is written in the law of the LORD, Every male that openeth the womb shall be called holy to the Lord;)
 ²⁴And to offer a sacrifice according to that which is said in the law of the Lord, A pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.
 ²⁵And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon him.
 ²⁶And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord's Christ.
 ²⁷And he came by the Spirit into the temple: and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him after the custom of the law,
 ²⁸Then took he him up in his arms, and blessed God, and said,
 ²⁹Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word:
 ³⁰For mine eyes have seen thy salvation,
 ³¹Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people;
 ³²A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.
 ³³And Joseph and his mother marvelled at those things which were spoken of him.
 ³⁴And Simeon blessed them, and said unto Mary his mother, Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel; and for a sign which shall be spoken against;
 ³⁵(Yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also,) that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.
 ³⁶And there was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Aser: she was of a great age, and had lived with an husband seven years from her virginity;
 ³⁷And she was a widow of about fourscore and four years, which departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day.
 ³⁸And she coming in that instant gave thanks likewise unto the Lord, and spake of him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem.
 ³⁹And when they had performed all things according to the law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own city Nazareth.
 ⁴⁰And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him.

Matthew 2:

¹Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,
 ²Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.
 ³When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.
 ⁴And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born.
 ⁵And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet,
 ⁶And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel.
 ⁷Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, enquired of them diligently what time the star appeared.
 ⁸And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also.
 ⁹When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was.
 ¹⁰When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.
 ¹¹And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense and myrrh.
 ¹²And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way.
 ¹³And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him.
 ¹⁴When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt:
 ¹⁵And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son.
 ¹⁶Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently inquired of the wise men. Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying,
 ¹⁸In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not.
 ¹⁹But when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeareth in a dream to Joseph in Egypt,
 ²⁰Saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and go into the land of Israel: for they are dead which sought the young child's life.
 ²¹And he arose, and took the young child and his mother, and came into the land of Israel.
 ²²But when he heard that Archelaus did reign in Judaea in the room of his father Herod, he was afraid to go thither: notwithstanding, being warned of God in a dream, he turned aside into the parts of Galilee:
 ²³And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, He shall be called a Nazarene.

       Notice that the shepherds saw Jesus in the manger the night he was born. The wise men saw him in a house about 2 years later. The shepherds saw Jesus as a baby. The wise men saw him as a young child.

      The Christmas story was about a 2+ year story, not a one night event. Just as our own walk with God requires a life time relationship, not a one time prayer. God bless you all and Merry Christmas!

What about the Epistles? Are they for everyone?

Romans 1

 "¹Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God,

 ²(Which he had promised afore by his prophets in the holy scriptures,)

 ³Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh;

 ⁴And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:

 ⁵By whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among all nations, for his name:

 ⁶Among whom are ye also the called of Jesus Christ:"

1 Corinthians 1

 ^1"Paul called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother,

 ²Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both their's and our's:"

2 Corinthians 1

 ^1"Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, unto the church of God which is at Corinth, with all the saints which are in all Achaia:"

Galatians 1

 ^1"Paul, an apostle, (not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead;)

 ²And all the brethren which are with me, unto the churches of Galatia:"

Ephesians 1

 ^1"Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus:"

Philippians 1

 ¹Paul and Timotheus, the servants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus which are at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons:

Colossians 1

 ¹Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timotheus our brother,

 ²To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ which are at Colosse: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Thessalonians 1

 ¹Paul, and Silvanus, and Timotheus, unto the church of the Thessalonians which is in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.

2 Thessalonians 1

 ¹Paul, and Silvanus, and Timotheus, unto the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:

1 Timothy 1

 ¹Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the commandment of God our Saviour, and Lord Jesus Christ, which is our hope;

 ²Unto Timothy, my own son in the faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord.

2 Timothy 1

 ¹Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, according to the promise of life which is in Christ Jesus,

 ²To Timothy, my dearly beloved son: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

Titus 1

 ¹Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God's elect, and the acknowledging of the truth which is after godliness;

 ²In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;

 ³But hath in due times manifested his word through preaching, which is committed unto me according to the commandment of God our Saviour;

 ⁴To Titus, mine own son after the common faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Saviour.

Philemon 1:1
Paul, a prisoner of Jesus Christ, and Timothy our brother, unto Philemon our dearly beloved, and fellowlabourer,

Hebrews 2

 ¹Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip.

 ²For if the word spoken by angels was stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward;

 ³How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him;

 ⁴God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to his own will?

James 1

 ¹James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting.

1 Peter 1

 ¹Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia,

 ²Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.

2 Peter 1

 ¹Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ:

1 John 2

 ¹My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:

2 John 1

 ¹The elder unto the elect lady and her children, whom I love in the truth; and not I only, but also all they that have known the truth;

3 John 1

 ¹The elder unto the wellbeloved Gaius, whom I love in the truth.

 ²Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.

 ³For I rejoiced greatly, when the brethren came and testified of the truth that is in thee, even as thou walkest in the truth.

 ⁴I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.

Jude 1:1
Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to them that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called:

2 Timothy 2:15

King James Version (KJV)

 ¹⁵Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth 

 I realize that this is a whole lot of scripture- much more scripture than I usually use in a typical post. To some this will seem like overkill. However, sometimes, in order to understand a truth of the word of God, this is necessary.

There are many groups out there that espouse many different doctrines. They all point to scripture and on the surface, from a certain point of view, they all seem to make some logical sense. Yet, they cannot all be correct. Scripture commands us to study the word of God and to RIGHTLY DIVIDE (correctly understand) it.

There are many different beliefs on how to be "saved", or "born again". Everyone points to a pet scripture to try and prove their belief. One of the more popular ones is to use these verses: 

Romans 10:9-10

King James Version (KJV)

 ⁹That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

 ¹⁰For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

Ephesians 2: ⁸For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

 ⁹Not of works, lest any man should boast.

1 John 1: ⁹If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.                                   

They say, from this- and adding John 3:16 to it- that we are saved by simple belief in the finished work of Jesus on the cross and all we have to do to access this is to believe and repent. 

Sounds good on the surface! Yet, in order to correctly understand a scripture, we must first understand the context of the verse. What is the conversation about? Who is the verse written to? This second question is the sincere point of this blog post. 

Who was Romans 10 written to? Sinners? Or saints? Unregenerate people who have never known the saving Grace of God? Or people who have already become God's children?

Answer:Romans 1: ⁵By whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among all nations, for his name:

 ⁶Among whom are ye also the called of Jesus Christ:"                                 

So Romans 10 was written to people who have already been saved! The same can be said about 1 John 1:9. Who was this Epistle written to? 

1 John 2: "¹My little children..." What does John mean by this? His fleshly children or spiritual children? 

 John 1

 ¹The elder unto the elect lady and her children, whom I love in the truth; and not I only, but also all they that have known the truth;

3 John 1

 ¹The elder unto the wellbeloved Gaius, whom I love in the truth.

 ²Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.

 ³For I rejoiced greatly, when the brethren came and testified of the truth that is in thee, even as thou walkest in the truth.

 ⁴I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.

It is evident from these scriptures that John called his spiritual converts his "children". He's not alone in this. Paul did the same thing in 1 and 2 Timothy 1 and Titus 1, calling Timothy and Titus his sons in the Gospel. 

What about Ephesians? Who was this Epistle written to? 

Ephesians 1

 ^1"Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus:"

So, again, this letter is written to people who are already saved. Indeed, all the letters (Epistles), from Romans through Jude are written to already saved people. 

So does it follow that the doctrine of the majority of today's "Christian churches" is true? No. 

Does the Bible give any examples of teaching salvation to unsaved people? Yes. What does it say there that we must do to be saved?

^{John 3:1}There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews:

 ²The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.

 ³Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

 ⁴Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?

 ⁵Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

 ⁶That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

 ⁷Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.

 ⁸The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.

 ⁹Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be?

 ¹⁰Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things?

 ¹¹Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness.

 ¹²If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things?

 ¹³And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.

 ¹⁴And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:

 ¹⁵That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.

 ¹⁶For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

 ¹⁷For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

 ¹⁸He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

 ¹⁹And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

Here Jesus explains that we must a) believe (verse 16), b) be born of water and of spirit" (verse 5). 

Most groups whole heartedly accept verse 16, but either ignore or try and explain away verses 3-5. Rather than try and argue here, lets look at how this teaching translated into what the Apostles taught to unsaved folks. 

Acts 2: ³⁷Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?

The day of Pentecost comes and the "church" is born (Acts 2:1-4). People gather and Peter preaches the first sermon of the church's history. The power and truth of his words is so convicting that his hearers become convicted of their own sins. They immediately ask, in essence, "How do I rid myself of this sin". 

It's a valid question. It's not very hard, if a soul is honest, to admit that we are sinners in the eyes of God. So what do we do with that knowledge? Peter gives us the answer.

Acts 2: ³⁸Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. 

This answer agrees with everything Jesus taught in John 3. Jesus said we must believe. A person will not repent of their sins unless they first believe God exists and that they are indeed a sinner in need of a savior.

Jesus said we must be "born of water". Peter said we must be "baptized in Jesus name for the remission of sins". Paul says in Romans 6:4 that we are "buried with him (Jesus) in baptism". Peter says in his Epistles that we are saved by water in baptism, just as Noah and his family were saved by the waters in the flood. 

Jesus said we must be "born of the spirit". Peter said we would "receive the gift of the Holy Ghost". Paul said in Romans that if we don't have the spirit then we are "none of his". 

Read Acts 19:1-7 and Acts 8 and 10. The same plan of salvation is taught here as Peter taught on the day of Pentecost in Acts 2.

The Epistles are great scripture, but they are all, as you can see by the scripture references above, written to already saved people- explaining how to stay saved, not how to get saved. 

To get saved, do what Jesus, Peter, and Paul all taught:

Acts 2: ³⁸Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.