Word of Knowledge
By D.M.M. 6/19/07
This treatise is a summarization of a topical study which I did by studying popular New Testament Bible verses from the topic of knowledge and word of knowledge, and then later, the word aspect of a word of knowledge. The words from Strong’s Concordance which were used are “knowledge”, “know”, “knowest”, “knoweth”, and “knowing”, and then later, “spake”, “speak”, “speakest”, “speaketh”, “speech”, “spoken”, “word”, “words”, and “said”. Item numbers 1 through 43 refer to the knowledge and word of knowledge items which were found. Then, it was later decided that the word aspect must also be studied. So, generally, items 44 through 398 refer to the word aspect of the “word of knowledge”.
The following are points of note derived from my original longhand notes:
1.) Basic definition and concepts, I Corinthians 12:1-12 “Now about spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be ignorant. You know that when you were pagans, somehow or other you were influenced and led astray to mute idols. … Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another themessage (word) of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another interpretation of tongues. All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and He gives them to each one, just as he determines.” To understand the word of knowledge one should look at some of the teachings brought out in Chapter 12. Please see such a review of I Corinthians Chapter 12 in the Word of Wisdom Section, Item#1.
As was the case of a word of wisdom, we cannot side-step the obvious. A word of knowledge is an utterance from God imparting knowledge. That means when we didn’t know some fact, God brought this fact out to us because we needed to know it. The utterance can be audible to the hearer or merely implanted into the hearer’s mind. Knowledge is merely the possession of information, which is normally considered to be critical information. (See Item#95 in the Teaching Section.) So, a word of knowledge requires getting a special communication from God that will aid us in our Christian walk, and will aid the furtherance of his kingdom. It is one of several manifestations of the Spirit of God, which are mentioned in Scripture (I Corinthians 12:7). This “logos” from God can be merely understanding the Scripture which was long ago written, as was the case with Paul and others in Ephesians 3:6 (see Item#14 below); or such word can be from a dream or vision, as in the case of the Magi of Matthew 2:12 (see Item#14 below). Or, really, there is no bound upon the manner that God can speak to us. The most frequent manner, however, is the Scripture. Please note that a word of knowledge is a special communication from God, as opposed to normal skills and knowledge which I believe God also supplies (Exodus 31:3). (Also see Item#16 below.) II Corinthians 12:9 is a good example of a word of knowledge.
9.) Why we need an occasional word of wisdom and word of knowledge, Romans 11:33-36 Please see Item#6 of the Word of Wisdom Section.
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10.) Knowledge is a result of the gospel, I Corinthians 1:5-7 “For in Him you have been enriched in every way- in all your speaking and in all your knowledge- because our testimony about Christ has been confirmed in you. Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed.” We should ask the question. Did the Corinthians not lack any spiritual gift because they were manifesting Spirit filled speaking and knowledge, or, because Paul’s testimony about Christ had been confirmed in them? Well, since we see from various lists of gifts from Scripture that not all gifts are based solely upon speaking and knowledge, we conclude that Paul was referring to Christ’s testimony being confirmed in them. You see, Paul could not say that they had been “enriched in every way” if they were only practicing speaking and knowledge gifts. However, as a sign that Christ’s testimony was in them, they were manifesting the presence of the Holy Spirit. So, I must say that it’s not my conclusion from Scripture that salvation, and therefore the presence of the Holy Spirit, is confirmed by the practice of any particular gift. Paul was confident that, since Christ was obviously in them, they lacked no spiritual gift. This explanation is necessary since some might be tempted to categorize all spiritual gifts as either speaking or knowledge gifts. And, some others might claim that you must manifest special speaking or knowledge gifts in order to have Christ’s presence confirmed in you.
Having said all this, though, we must recognize that some gifts require special Spirit manifested speaking abilities, while others require Spirit manifested knowledge. And, I note that if the only Spirit manifested speaking and knowledge was confessing with his mouth that “Jesus is Lord” and believing with the heart that God raised Him from the dead, then Christ is more than adequately confirmed in such a believer. But, since Paul is obviously leading into the corrections to the Corinthians’ practices, as explained in Chapters 12 through 14, we cannot say that the context is mainly referring to speaking and knowing the gospel. Neither can we say that Paul is writing only concerning general Christian articulation or public speaking skills when he referred to speaking gifts in verse 5. We also cannot say that Paul is writing only concerning general Christian knowledge when he referred to gifts of knowledge in verse 5.
From merely reviewing and assimilating all the New Testament Scripture passages referring to knowledge I’ve had to conclude that the Scripture does refer to two sub-categories of knowledge, which I call heavenly knowledge and general Christian knowledge. (Please be advised that I’m not teaching anything close to Gnosticism[1] herein. I’m merely analyzing the Scripture. Further, it’s interesting that verse 7, above, refers to the antithesis of Gnosticism- the coming of the Lord Jesus in the flesh. (Please see Items# 1a1, 1a4, & 1f of the Prophecy Section.)) In fact, studying Scripture from different perspectives usually brings its own reward, and, coming to recognize these sub-categories of knowledge cited within Scripture is indeed a blessing that came from this word study of “knowledge”. Another, similar (but not the same) explanation that I’ve heard of these sub-categories, is heart knowledge versus head knowledge. Please see Items# 15 & 16, below, regarding heavenly knowledge and general Christian knowledge, respectively.
12.) Knowledge will vanish away, I Corinthians 13:2, & 8-12 “If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I have nothing… Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophecy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love.” As I believe many people stumble over this passage, it may help to begin explaining this passage by starting at the conclusion and working backwards.
I hope that a serious Bible student would easily see that I Corinthians 13 is not just the “love chapter” of the Bible, but an explanation of why and how love is integral to practicing our Spirit manifested abilities. Having accepted that point, though, it is also useful to recognize this chapter of the Bible as an excellent teaching on love in practice.
13.) A hypothetical word of knowledge, I Corinthians 14:6 “If I come to you and speak in tongues, what good will I be to you, unless I bring you some revelation or knowledge or prophecy or word of instruction?” If we go beyond Paul’s reasoning against improper use of tongues, we can see four uses for a word from God- “revelation or knowledge or prophecy or word of instruction”. Since what was hypothesized was knowledge brought by tongues, then this would also be a form of a word of knowledge (just as tongues is also a form of prophecy- Acts 2:17). I think that Paul’s main issue herein is that God is practical. He manifests His Holy Spirit so that His will is accomplished, not so that we can claim how powerful we are or act in a disorderly manner. I also think that no grace manifestation of God is impossible or obsolete, because such a perception would totally go against the definition of what grace is and what God’s throne of “charis” is all about. “With God all things are possible” (Mark 10:27).
14.) Historical examples of a word of knowledge, Ephesians 3:2-7 and Galatians 1:12 “Surely you have heard about the administration of God’s grace that was given to me for you, that is, the mystery made known to me by revelation, as I have already written briefly. In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not been made known to men in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God’s holy apostles and prophets. This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus. I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace given me through the working of his power.” (Ephesians 3:2-7). This revelation of the gospel and its mystery, that it was also being given to the Gentiles, was also commented on by Paul in Galatians 1:12. “I want you to know, brothers, that the gospel I preached is not something that man made up. I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ…. But when God, who set me apart from birth and called me by his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son in me so that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not consult any man….” Acts 26:17 & 18 clearly describe how Paul heard the Lord’s voice which not only introduced Himself as the Lord Jesus, but also gave him instructions including his calling as an apostle to the gentiles. I’m compelled to categorize this voice as a word of knowledge. This word of knowledge is peculiar in that the Lord’s presence was so prevalent that it struck Paul blind. All such words of wisdom and knowledge require the Lord’s presence, though. Else, how could we claim that such a word was from God? This example brings up the task of categorization. Consider the Magi of Matthew 2:12, “And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their own country by another route”. They definitely received a message from God containing critical knowledge. So, this falls within the definition of a word of knowledge, but this word was during a dream.
The categories that I’ve noticed in the Scripture are visions, dreams, trances, revelations, and words of wisdom and knowledge. Well, all of these categories fit into a broader category called revelations. And, the difference between visions and dreams was explained in Item#97d in the Prophecy Section. A trance merely means that you’ve fallen into a sub-conscious state, while still awake, and you may or may not see visions at that point. While, any of these categories might contain a word of wisdom or of knowledge, since a word of wisdom or knowledge only requires a word from the Lord imparting wisdom or knowledge. I am not in any way saying that a word of wisdom or knowledge must be through a dream, a vision, or a trance. Indeed I believe that merely reading the Bible and seeing that the Lord has a particular verse popping out at you is a word of wisdom or knowledge. Each person did not have a personal Bible available until well after Guttenberg’s invention of the printing press. So, the meaning of a word of wisdom or knowledge (from most believers’ perspective) has shifted since Guttenberg’s press, similar to how the meaning of the word “apostle” has shifted its historical meaning (per Item Nos 1, 46, 80, & 82 in the Apostleship Section). So, if I said I read something in the Bible and I knew that the Lord was speaking to me through the Scripture, few serious Christians would doubt my experience. But if I said the Lord has definitely led me do a certain action, then many people would doubt that the Lord could lead someone apart from Scripture. They doubt because they’ve been taught that there’s no revelation apart from Scripture, which is a notion not taught in the Bible (please see Item#1 in the Prophecy Section). Importantly, we should take these considerations carefully. “Do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world” (I John 4:1). But we must consider that the New Testament Scripture verifies that “Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams” (Acts 2:17). Proverbs 4:13 states, “Hold on to instruction, do not let it go; guard it well, for it is your life”. We should hold on to these revelations from God because, after confirming that they are from God, we know that they are important to us personally. A friend of mine prayed and was given God’s leading regarding a career move. I referred him to this Scripture, advising him to remember the Lord’s instruction- it was given for a reason. I believe my friend will be tested by God to see if he will abandon that leading from God. If he obeys the instruction, or even if he doesn’t and later recalls his error, he will “grow in the grace and the knowledge of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (II Peter 3:18). You see, God gave him that grace for a reason, so that He could use him for His kingdom work- God’s personal grace for his life, and my friend needs to grow in that grace (as we all also need to grow).
Let’s look at Ananias in Acts 9:10-16. Not many people consider Ananias very closely. But the Pauls of this world wouldn’t be very effective without the Ananiases of this world. “In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called to him in a vision, ‘Ananias!’ ‘Yes Lord,’ he answered. And the Lord told him, ‘Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man of Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying. In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him to restore his sight.’ ‘Lord,’ Ananias answered, ‘I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your saints in Jerusalem. And he has come here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name.’ But the Lord said to Ananias, ‘Go! This man is my chosen instrument to carry my name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel. I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.’”
As we can see from these examples these words of wisdom and of knowledge aren’t simple one line instructions, but deal with a specific area of information, and can impart wisdom or knowledge or both. I believe that we as a generation of Christians need to be receptive to the Lord’s instructions in our lives, and do the instructions quickly- which isn't easy, and requires focused effort. It could have taken the Lord years to get through to Paul if Ananias hadn’t done what the Lord had instructed him to do. So, the ministry that Paul accomplished was in part due to Ananias.
15.) Scripture passages referring to heavenly knowledge, See Items# a-o below. From merely reviewing and assimilating all the New Testament Scripture passages referring to knowledge I’ve had to conclude that the Scripture does refer to two sub-categories of knowledge, which I call heavenly knowledge and general Christian knowledge. (Please don’t think that I’m saying that a word of knowledge only comprises heavenly knowledge. A word of knowledge is merely knowledge imparted to us by God directly, and can be a completely mundane item or nudge that perhaps we’ve forgotten, but need the reminder or nudge to get through a situation.) The following are passages referring to heavenly knowledge, while Item#16 contains passages referring to general Christian knowledge: (The items are generally arranged according to their occurrence in Scripture.)
a.) Knowing God’s Love, Ephesians 3:16-19; “I pray that out of His glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge- that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.” Here is a mystery that we must wade through or swim through, or perhaps to be caught up in its depths for awhile, in order to “be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God”. “God demonstrates His love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). But a demonstration doesn’t bring full knowledge. Calvary, while being an unfathomable transaction, still doesn’t define the limits of God’s love for us. (If Christ loved us enough to die for us, then He loves us still more to bring us to Calvary and shepherd us through life.) Paul has stated that we need to know the height and width and depth of God’s love in order to complete God’s work in us- the fullness of God according to God’s measure. For one thing, we need to know God’s plan for us, not just to be saved, but also, eventually, to be like His Son. (I John 3:2). And, Paul also states that we need power in order to know such love and the extent of His love. This power comes through God’s Spirit in our inner beings. This power to know God’s love is obviously not an automatic blessing, because Paul was intensely praying that the Ephesians would yet obtain such knowledge. How much do you know about God’s love? Please pray that we all may know more of the extent of His love, and that we may obtain all the items mentioned in Paul’s prayer of Ephesians 3:16-19.
b.) The Son’s return, Matthew 24:36; “No on knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.” (Also see Mark 13:32 for a parallel passage.) This passage is referring to the end times and the Lord’s coming. Regarding Christ’s second coming, the Lord has given us many prophecies but the day and hour is known only by the Father, not even known by the Son, “Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped” (Philippians 2:6). It’s difficult to understand why the Father would know things unknown to the Son. But, this knowledge of the Son’s return is definitely a form of heavenly knowledge which we don’t currently have, and neither does the Son. And, since it is not general Christian knowledge it should be categorized as heavenly knowledge for the purpose of this study.
c.) God’s grace being manifested around us, Mark 5:30; “At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from Him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who touched my clothes?” The Lord Jesus realized power going out from Him. Since, as God, he is the source of all power (Romans 13:1), it would be fruitless to discuss power going in to Him. However, I and many others have experienced being filled with the Holy Spirit. Again though, we would never feel power going out from us because God is the source of all power. This realization of power going out from Him is a type of heavenly knowledge, albeit knowledge that only God has. The ability to realize that spiritual things are going on around us, such as being filled with the Holy Spirit, is a form of heavenly knowledge. Some have told me that they’ve learned to recognize the heavy pall of Satan’s attack, a dreadful weight upon their countenance and others around them. I’ve learned to recognize such attacks, too. This is a form of knowledge proceeding from my spirit, and as such is a form of heavenly knowledge since we “have the mind of Christ” (I Corinthians 2:16).
d.) Demonic knowledge, Luke 4:41; “Moreover demons came out of many people, shouting, ‘You are the Son of God!’ But He rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew he was the Christ.” Luke 8:28-31 describes such an exorcism, “When he saw Jesus he cried out and fell at his feet, shouting at the top of his voice, ‘What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, don’t torture me!’ For Jesus had commanded the evil spirit to come out of the man. Many times it had seized him, and though he was chained hand and foot and kept under guard, he had broken his chains and had been driven by the demon into solitary places. Jesus asked him, ‘What is your name?’ ‘Legion,’ he replied, because many demons had gone into him. And they begged him repeatedly not to go into the Abyss.” When I consider such pleadings and recognition by demons of the Lord Jesus’ high position, I tend to relegate this phenomenon to some characteristic of His being that would be easily recognized from the spiritual perspective- perhaps his sinless nature, or perhaps the Shekinah glory which was hidden to mortals. However, we should also recognize the longevity of the life of demons. These demons were cast down from heaven with Lucifer, and had experienced the prophets, and also probably had plenty of time to consider all the prophecies concerning their future home in the Abyss. Also, such demons would have had previous contact with the pre-incarnate Christ, when He was only known as the second person of God. The key here is that these spiritual beings knew Him as the Son of God while even His close disciples struggled with this fact.
e.) “Jesus knew their thoughts”, Luke 11:14-17; “But some of them said, ‘By Beelzebub, the prince of demons, he is driving out demons.’ Others tested him by asking for a sign from heaven. Jesusknew their thoughts and said to them: ‘Any kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and a house divided against itself will fall. …” How can God know our thoughts? Well I can fathom two answers, but I can’t tell which one is true. One answer is that God not only created all things, but is intimately and minutely involved with all aspects of his creation down to the sub-atomic level (Colossians 1:17). As such, God can sort out and follow the micro-impulses put out by the brain and thus read our thoughts. Secondly, God is a sinless spirit and our mind is a part of the soul. Thus God can sense what our soul is feeling and communicating, and has been monitoring our thoughts and actions for a long time. Either way, the Scripture notes that Jesus “knew their thoughts” which is a type of heavenly knowledge- a type which we will never have, at least in this present state. This subject is akin to item#41 below where we see that God knows our hearts.
f.) Knowledge of God’s work, John 4:32-38; “But He said to them, ‘I have food to eat that you know nothing about’.“ This is, of course, immediately after the Lord Jesus witnessed to the woman at the well. What was this knowledge that the disciples knew nothing about? The Lord Jesus explains in verse 34, “ ‘My food’, said Jesus, ‘is to is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work. … Even now the reaper draws his wages, even now he harvests the crop for eternal life, so that the sower and the reaper may be glad together. Thus the saying ‘One sows and another reaps’ is true. I sent you to reap what you have not worked for. Others have done the hard work, and you have reaped the benefits of their labor”. There is a practical knowledge of God’s grace in action around us that is best taught by hands-on service to the King. The disciples did not yet have it, and I assume that they received it after further Christian service and after Pentecost. This conclusion is akin to the Lord Jesus’ teaching in John 15:15, “I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his masters business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I have learned from my Father I have made known to you.” So this type of heavenly knowledge is very attainable to serious Christians and is comprised of God’s grace working in and around us. What is our specific ministry; and how is the Lord manifesting his work in our lives? Some would term such knowledge as “life purpose”. (Bill Gothard, in his Christian seminar known as the Institute in Basic Life Principles out of Oak Brook, Illinois, challenges people to seek out and determine their life purpose in order to keep in step with the Holy Spirit in our lives on a long term basis- Galatians 5:16.) (Also see Item#16k.)
g.) God is all-knowing, John 4:17&18; “’I have no husband’, she replied. Jesus said to her, ‘You are right when you say you have no husband. The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just said is quite true.” Hebrews 4:13 says, “Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.” This is an example of what Christians have historically called the “all-knowing” attribute of God. John 16:30 says, “Now we can see that you know all things and that you do not even need to have anyone ask you questions. This makes us believe that you came from God.” The Lord had just prophesied to His disciples, instructing them that persecution will come, but also the Holy Spirit, that He was going back to the Father, and that they would be able to pray to the Father directly. The disciples’ response was that they realized that He knew all things. This attribute of an all-knowing God is brought out in various scriptures, such as: John 18:4, John 21:17, I Corinthians 12:3, Psalm 139:1-6, and Jeremiah 1:5.
h.) Christ’s knowledge vs. the Father’s, John 13:1,3&11; “It was just before the Passover Feast. Jesus knew that the time had come for Him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved His own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love.” “Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under His power, and that He had come from God and was returning to God; ….” “For He knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not everyone was clean.” Regarding His return, in Item#b above, the Father knows the time of the future return of the Son, but the Son doesn’t know that day or hour although the Lord Jesus knows many of the other specifics. In John 13 we see the Son able to know the future in regard to these events relating to Himself. (Also see Item#k below.) I note that there is a difference between the Son’s power and the Father’s power, as there should be since they’re two different persons of God. This difference is akin to the difference between a line manager and an executive in a corporation. The line manager has authority proceeding from the executive and has hands on knowledge of operations. While the executive has complete authority but has to rely on the line manager to make judgment calls. (I think further study into the difference as to how power and knowledge is played out by the Father versus the Son (John 10:29 & 30; 5:17-30; etc.) would help us to understand the personhood of both the Father and the Son.) “Though it cost you all you have, get understanding”- Proverbs 4:7. I understand more already just from these few verses. Topical studies of Scripture, such as the cross and all its prophecies, or general Messianic prophecy, or the various covenants, provide different perspectives leading to a better understanding of God’s Word. This Grace Study adds another broad-view perspective to our general understanding of the Lord and the Scripture-as also noted in Item#14 of the Apostleship Section, Item#145 of the Evangelism Section, Item#37a of the Shepherding Section, and Item#54 of the Teaching Section.
i.) The Lord knows His own, John 13:18; “I am not referring to all of you; I know those I have chosen.” This verse, and others like it, teaches the Lord’s ability to recognize His own. John 10:27 says, “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them and they follow me.” A person listens to the Lord’s voice through the power of the Holy Spirit (I Corinthians 12:3), and we are able to follow Him by the power of the Holy Spirit, as well. However, I feel that the Lord recognizes us, not just by our actions, but by actually feeling the presence of His Spirit in us. We may wonder how the Lord is able to recognize a believer in this manner. But, if we ourselves can get to the point where we can recognize the Holy Spirit’s presence and anointing, then certainly the Lord can recognize His own Holy Spirit present within us. This type of knowledge is certainly heavenly knowledge.
j.) His anointing teaches us, John 14:17 and I John 2:20, 26 & 27; “… the Spirit of Truth. The world cannot accept Him, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him. But you know Him, because He lives with you and will be in you.” “But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth. … I am writing these things to you about those who are trying to lead you astray. As for you, the anointing you received from Him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit- just as it has taught you, remain in Him.” We received this anointing when we were immersed in the Holy Spirit upon first believing the gospel. (“Acts 11:15-17). The first disciples received the anointing at Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4, and 38&39). Upon believing the gospel, at which point we were immersed in the Holy Spirit, we were sealed with a permanent anointing, since we permanently have God’s Holy Spirit in us (Ephesians 1:13, and II Corinthians 1:21&22). The anointing, which goes hand in hand with the sealing, we can never lose; because “God’s gifts and His calling are irrevocable” (Romans 11:29, John 10:28&29). Being filled with the Holy Spirit is not the same as being sealed by the Holy Spirit. Being filled with the Holy Spirit depends upon us choosing to be filled. “Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit” (Ephesians 5:18). Regarding this anointing by the Holy Spirit, physical anointing is usually with oil which is a picture of the Holy Spirit. He lives and remains in us, and this anointing “teaches us about all things”. This anointing goes deep. I’ve seen people profess salvation, then soon go back into a life of sin, and ten or fifteen years later finally get serious about the Lord. Many claim to be saved at that point- ten or fifteen years later. But I view such occurrences from the Scripture- “If you will confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord’, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9). So, to me, such salvation is only verification of God’s Word and the power of His anointing which occurred ten plus years previously, when they first confessed and believed.
k.) We can know the Father, John 15:15, & 15:21-16:3. “I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I have learned from my Father I have made known to you. … They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the One who sent me. If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin.“ Knowing the Father seems too immense for me. I feel like I’m swimming in the Atlantic ocean in several hundred feet of water, and that ocean is the knowledge of the Father. I can see one shore which is Christ, but the other shore I cannot see nor fathom. The other shore is on another continent called Africa which I’ve never even seen, let alone experienced. As well, I know the depth of the ocean where I’m at. But, my body cannot experience such depths without imploding. So, I feel stuck, with a limited ability to know and understand the Father. Am I experiencing the Father? Yes, through the Son and Through His Holy Spirit- “Who goes out from the Father”. Yet, we’re promised, “Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent” (John 17:3). Item#16j refers to knowing and experiencing Christ, but we can only swim on the surface of knowing the Father; that is, until we come to that other continent- the new Jerusalem. In the New Jerusalem we’re promised that “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and He will live with them” ( Revelation 21:3). We’re also promised, “… then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known” (I Corinthians 13:12). And, Isaiah 11:9 promises, “For the earth will be full of the knowledge of the lord as the waters cover the sea”. I’m not saying that we cannot know the Father in this life. I’m saying that we’re just experiencing the surface of such knowledge. And, what knowledge we do have certainly does greatly bless us in many ways (II Peter 1:2).
l.) The Lord knows our hearts, Acts 1:24; “Lord, you know everyone’s heart. Show us which of these two you have chosen.” (Please see Item #41 below regarding this topic.)
m.) Heavenly knowledge by God, Romans 8:26-30; “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And He who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will. And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those He predestined, He also called; those He called, He also justified; those He justified, He also glorified.” So here we see the Father searching our hearts (II Chronicles 16:9), and since we sometimes don’t know how to pray for the unraveling of certain problems, the Spirit intercedes for us before God’s throne. And, God already knows the mind of the Spirit because the Spirit is His Holy Spirit. So we can see from this Scripture that God obviously is in full cognizance of all heavenly knowledge of all kinds.
n.) Paul caught up to the third heaven, II Corinthians 12:1-7; “I must go on boasting. Although there is nothing to be gained, I will go on to visions and revelations from the Lord. I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not know- God knows. And I know that this man- whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, but God knows- was caught up to paradise. He heard inexpressible things, things that a man is not permitted to tell. I will boast about a man like that, but I will not boast about myself, except about my weaknesses. Even if I should choose to boast, I would not be a fool, because I would be speaking the truth. But I refrain, so no one will think more of me than what is warranted by what I do or say. To keep me from being conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me.” We see in this last sentence of the verse that Paul clearly, yet humbly, identifies himself as that man caught up to the third heaven. We can note some facts from his brief description of his experience. Third heaven means not just the sky, not just the galaxies of stars, but God’s presence. He described the place as paradise, using the same Greek word as used in Luke 23:43, wherein Christ said to the thief “Today you will be with me in paradise”. Further, Paul said he heard “inexpressible things, things that a man is not permitted to tell”. It is not clear whether he was not permitted because people would think him weird, or because he had been urged by the Lord, or his better judgment caused him not to relate his experience. The important fact is that Paul experienced heaven and retained knowledge of heaven while still alive for the rest of his life. I definitely would categorize this as heavenly knowledge, and note that it is possible that a serious servant can experience heaven without dying if the Lord deems such an experience as necessary. Along this line I merely note the King James rendering of the Lord Jesus quote to Nicodemus, “If I have told you of earthly thing and ye believe not, how shall ye believe if I tell you of heavenly things? And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but He that came down from heaven, even the Son of Man which is in heaven” (John 3:12&13). So, how can the Lord Jesus be in heaven and on earth at the same time while quoting this? Well, Ephesians 2:6 relates that “God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus”. So, in our new nature we’re already seated with Christ in the “heaven realms”. Some would argue that that’s in the future for us. But the verse says we’re already seated. When an elected official takes his seat in the governing body, all election and inaugural items are done and he immediately proceeds in his duties. And, we are seated with Christ in the heavenly realms. To me the question is not whether we can walk in the heavenlies while on Earth. Such can occur, and we can, as our walk permits, experience this. Galatians 5:16 says, “Live by the Spirit and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature”. Also, consider that Christ will bring the heaven to Earth for a 1000 year heavenly experience here on Earth, not an experience in which heaven blinks on and off. This is what it means when we pray, “Thy kingdom come, on earth, as it is in heaven”? So, to me the question becomes, “What is this knowledge of heaven?” I Corinthians 1:12 says “We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from god, that we may understand what God has freely given us”. And, through the Scripture and through the Anointing that teaches us all things, we can understand much about heaven; but still we “see in a glass darkly” (I Corinthians 13:12) until Christ comes and we see him face to face. (For glimpses of heaven, please see Item# g.i in the Contents Section.)
o.) Shepherding during the Millennial Reign, See Item#3 in the Shepherding Section.
p.) Knowing Christ in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, Colossians 2:3; “My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the full mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” An elder Christian once told me, when I was a new believer, “Get to know the man behind the book”. If we study the Bible, or even the grace of God specifically, and only come to fathom the on goings of Christianity, then we’ve not gotten very far in our study. God’s will is still that we would have a personal relationship with Him through His Son. By walking closer with the Son we can come to “grow in grace and knowledge of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” II Peter 3:18). And then, as we see Christ’s pre-eminence in all of creation and in our lives through grace, we grow in our understanding of spiritual things. A close walk with Our Lord Jesus Christ, coupled with diligent Bible study and prayer, cannot help but bring Godly wisdom and knowledge on a plain higher than we could ever expect. Even further, this verse promises that, in Christ, “are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge”. And, even further, as we’re encouraged in heart and united in love, we can “have the full riches of complete understanding” in order that we “may know the full mystery of God”. I note that as in other promises of God, there are some if’s. We’ll need to have courage in heart and be united in love (Again the love factor in Spiritual growth!). This concept of growth in and through the knowledge of the Son of God is very similar to the precepts of Ephesians 4. Ephesians 4:13 says, “until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ”. In both Bible chapters, Ephesians 4 and Colossians 2, there is a circular arrangement; I can liken it to a rotary engine. In this engine faith and love and knowledge and wisdom bring us to Christ. And, as we get closer to Christ the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts (Romans 5:5) and we get more faith and knowledge and wisdom and love and we move even closer to Christ. Then we go through the cycle again, and are even closer to Him. But unlike earthy engines this one does have perpetual motion. In fact this engine has eternal motion with the end being our completeness in Christ (Colossians 1:22 and Jude 24). And, we can note that love is a big ingredient in the fuel for such an engine (See Item#10d in the Summary, in the Prophecy Section.).
q.) Lack of full heavenly knowledge, I John 3:2; “Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when He appears, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is”. This verse is a beautiful verse and it promises that we shall see and recognize the Lord Jesus, someday. And, it also gives us other insights into our current and future existences. First the verse states that we are already children of God. Then, the verse states that we don’t know what we will be in heaven because such knowledge has never been made known. Then the writer, John, makes a logical conclusion. Proceeding from the fact that John knew that he would see the Lord Jesus again face to face as He is, John concluded that since he couldn’t see Christ then, He must wait until he would be like Christ, with a resurrected body, in order to see Christ as He currently exists. So, we can glean some things out of this beautiful passage about heaven- that we shall be like the Lord, and we shall see Him; however, in terms of our study, the passage reminds us that “Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then shall we see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.” (I Corinthians 13:12). (Also see Item#1f in the Prophecy Section.)
r.) Heavenly knowledge in heaven, Rev 7:13&14; “Then one of the elders asked me, ‘These in white robes- who are they, and where did they come from?’ I answered, ‘Sir, you know.’ And he said, ‘These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the lamb’.” So, here in heaven, is an elder who knows the past, present, and future circumstances of those martyrs from the great tribulation. I can’t discern whether he obtained this information because of common knowledge among those around God’s throne, or because of some special knowledge given to those saints in heaven, or whether there is even a difference between such knowledge in heaven. But I do know that the heavenly elder had knowledge which those of Earth did not have. So, I’ve included such knowledge as a type of heavenly knowledge. Such knowledge would include what we’ve just discussed- knowledge of heaven itself, knowledge of “who’s who” in heaven and on Earth, knowledge of the past and future events of those “who’s who” people.
Summarizing this Item#15, then, here are some items of heavenly knowledge which were brought out.
a.) Knowing the Scriptures, Matthew 22:29-33; “Jesus replied, ‘You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God (See Item#h below regarding God’s power.) At the resurrection people will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven. But about the resurrection of the dead- have you not read what God said to you, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? He is not the God of the dead but of the living.’ When the crowds heard this, they were astonished at His teaching.” So we see that, to the 1stcentury Jews, teaching regarding the resurrection was just then being fully expounded (and fulfilled in Him). But Christ points back to the earlier Scriptures of Moses time, and relates that they could have concluded the truth from Moses’ teaching. There is much general Christian knowledge which can be obtained only by serious study of the Scripture. The Lord doesn’t want us to only understand the cross and the resurrection (Hebrews 6:1-3). He wants us to produce the fruit that accompanies salvation. Serious Christians have always carefully studied the Scripture, and just as importantly, have obeyed God’s Word. “Do not merely listen to the Word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.” (James 1:22).
b.) Knowledge of the truth as a perspective of general Christian knowledge, I Timothy 2:3&4, “This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth.”; and II Timothy 3:1-7; “But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasures rather than lovers of God- having a form of Godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them. They are the kind that worm their way into homes and gain control over weak-willed women, who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires, always learning but never able to acknowledge the truth. Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so also these men opposed the truth- men of depraved minds, who, as far as the faith is concerned are rejected.” Also see Hebrews 10:26 for the results of rejecting “the knowledge of the truth”. And, also consider Item#56 in theEvangelism Section wherein the gospel itself is considered as the “Word of truth”. So, the “Word of Truth” and the Lord Jesus Christ as “the Truth” (John 14:6), are two perspectives of general Christian knowledge that the Lord would have us to learn “…until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ” (Ephesians 4:13). I was tempted to refer to these two great topics as subsets of general Christian teaching. However, the “Word of Truth” and Christ as “the Truth” are so all-encompassing, that general Christian knowledge is more properly a subset of each of these topics. The topics are considered perspectives since we can study Scripture and circumstances in life from these perspectives (just as this “Grace Study” is also a perspective of study. Please see Item#15g in this section).
c.) The Authority of Christ, as God, and to Forgive Sin, Mark 2:5-12, “When Jesus saw their faith He said to the paralytic, ‘Son, your sins are forgiven.’ Now some of the teachers of the law were sitting there, thinking to themselves, ‘Why does this fellow talk like that? He’s blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?’ Immediately Jesus knew in His spirit that this was what they were thinking in their hearts, and He said to them, ‘Why are you thinking these things? Which is easier: to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, take your mat and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on Earth to forgive sins…’ He said to the paralytic, ‘I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.’ He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all.” These words are very deep. The concept that God the Son is on the scene, calling Himself the Son of Man, is present. The concept of the Lord Jesus’ ability to forgive sin is present. The concept of the Lord Jesus Christ as the healer, Jehovah Rophe (Exodus 15:26), is present. The concept of the Lord Jesus knowing one’s heart through His spirit is present. (Is the symantics of Christ’s knowing through His spirit the same as a word of knowledge? Please see Item#41b.) So, some general Christian concepts that we want to recognize herein are as follows: Christ is the second person of our Triune God; He was begotten as God’s Son, yet was also a man; He has the ability to forgive sin and to heal; and He also can look into our hearts. These concepts appear to us, who live in this century, as a foregone conclusion, but to the 1st century Jews and Gentiles this was very explosive teaching. Watchman Nee once said, “The flow of the Spirit in the Church is ever going forward.”[2] And herein we can note that the Lord’s teaching to man is expanding to include Himself as the Christ and God’s eventual solution to the sin problem in men. Just as the Lord is ever seeking to move us forward “until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ” (Ephesians 4:13), may we also continue to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (II Peter 3:18).
d.) Knowing the certainty of Christian teaching, Luke 1:3&4; “Therefore, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, it seemed good also to me to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.” We Christians are certainly grateful to Luke for his painstaking investigations and orderly accounts in the books of Luke and Acts. Now, certainty and knowledge of certainty are two different concepts. Our Teacher, the Holy Ghost, wants us to “know the certainty of the things you have been taught”. Knowing the things you’ve been taught is excellent. If you have a trial you can discern the mind and heart of God. But, knowing the certainty of the things you’ve been taught is better. As an example, hoping in the return of the Lord Jesus gives us strength and even keeps us pure (I John 3:3). However, knowing the certainty of His return will lead us to drop worldly pursuits and focus our eyes on eternal goals and rewards. And, in other instances of Christian knowledge, knowing the certainty of Christ’s teaching will lead us to make better decisions for eternity- better than just knowing the teaching. “You sympathized with those in prison and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property, because you knew that you yourselves had better and lasting possessions” (Hebrews 10:34).
e.) The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of God, Luke 8:10; “He said, ‘The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of God have been given to you, but to others I speak in parables, so that, ‘though seeing, they may not see; though hearing they may not understand.‘“ The secrets of the kingdom aren’t meant to be so difficult that we have to intensely study them for long periods of time in order to grasp them. Having said that, though, “Without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.” (Hebrews 11:6). So the gospel, while simple, is truly amazing to those who are diligently seeking God. We Christians of this day treat this knowledge of the kingdom of God so casually. Yet Paul said in Ephesians 3:4-6, “In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to men in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God’s holy apostles and prophets. This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.” We believers surely do have, in the gospel, some interesting and powerful facts to share with others. The use of such words as “secrets” and “mystery” and “revealed” almost makes me want to categorize these passages as speaking of heavenly knowledge as in Item#15 above. However, these passages are merely referring to the plain simple gospel, and the fact that the gospel is truly astounding to the unsaved who are seeking God, and also the Old Testament believers. The mystery lies in the fact that the gospel was not fully revealed to the Old Testament saints.
f.) Knowing prophecy and its fulfillment, especially the 2nd coming of Christ, Luke 21:29-34; “He told them this parable: ‘Look at the fig tree and all the trees. When they sprout leaves, you can see for yourselves and know that summer is near. Even so, when you see these things happening, you know that the kingdom of God is near. I tell you the truth, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away. Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with dissipation, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you unexpectedly like a trap.’ “ From this we can see that Christians are expected to know and understand certain prophecies, especially regarding the chief reward of our salvation- the 2nd coming of our Lord Jesus.
g.) Knowing the truth that sets us free, John 8:31-36; “To the Jews who had believed Him Jesus said, ‘If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.’ They answered Him, ‘We are Abraham’s descendants and have never been slaves to anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?’ Jesus replied, ‘I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So, if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.’ “ Of course, the point here is that through the knowledge of the truth a Christian is made free from the bondage to sin. We can know the truth and we can know Christian freedom. There are degrees to this freedom. At salvation we’re free from the bondage due to guilt, death, and fear. It’s the purpose of this grace study, however, to free people up to "keep in step with the Spirit" (Galatians 5:25), thus storing great rewards in heaven and accomplishing the Lord’s work here on Earth.
h.) Knowing the obvious- God’s eternal power and divine nature, Romans 1:19-23; “…since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities- his eternal power and divine nature- have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. For although they knew God, they neither glorified Him as God nor gave thanks to Him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.” We sometimes use this passage to respond to “the plea of the heathen”, wherein we have to explain to non-believers that all heathen are without excuse, because they’ve been warned from the very things that God created- that there is a God. However, from our perspective, God’s eternal power and divine nature, as illustrated by His creation is also a part of general Christian knowledge. You might say, “This is not Christian knowledge. This is knowledge that anyone can have!” I recently read an internet post by a man who visited the Creation Museum, in Petersburg, Kentucky. He remarked how it was all good for a big laugh, as if the concept of God actually existing is humorous, and fear of the Lord sounded like the farthest thing from his mind. The point I’m making is that creation and God’s obvious power and divine nature are not a part of the world’s knowledge, since they by-and-large reject such knowledge. So such knowledge is a part of general Christian knowledge. Item#16a describes the error of the Sadducees because they did not know the Scriptures or the power of God- resurrection power in the Sadducees’ case. We can thank God that we know God’s power through faith and teaching, and also by experiences in our lives which fortify such faith and teaching.
i.) More love manifests itself in more knowledge and depth of insight, Phillipians 1:9&10; “And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ- to the glory and praise of God.” I like that last phrase- “…to the glory and praise of God”! My nephew and I like to sometimes jokingly say, “It’s not about the donkey!”, which is from a preacher’s message about Christ’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem and how the donkey may have gotten all puffed up with pride on that day. But it’s not about the donkey, is it?! It’s all about the King, and His coming kingdom. This topic of the necessity and empowerment of love has been discussed before herein. (Please Item#gk of the Table of Contents regarding “Love as the basis of Spiritual abilities.) “What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not?” (I Corinthians 4:7). “Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up” (I Corinthians 8:1). We might ask, “How does love build us up”? Well, our verses in Philippians answer that quandary. Love and the Holy Spirit go together, because “God is love” (I John 4:8). And, not only that, but “God has poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us” (Romans 5:5). Further, since the Holy Spirit is always our Teacher (John 14:26), more knowledge and depth of insight can and is made available through our attitude and practice of love. Even further, as verse 10 above states, through this process we are able to discern correct choices and live in purity, manifesting the fruit of righteousness as a testimony and to the furtherance of Christ’s kingdom. So, love is very powerful, and must be the basis of all Christian ministry.
j.) Knowing Christ, general knowledge versus heavenly knowledge; Phillipians 3:8 “What is more, I consider everything a loss compared with the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish that I may gain Christ and be found in Him. Not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ- the righteousness that comes from God is by faith. I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in His sufferings, becoming like Him in His death, and so, somehow, to attain the resurrection from the dead.” I’ve noted in Item#15o that knowledge of Christ is a form of heavenly knowledge- “that they may know the full mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Colossians 2:3). There is no error here. It’s obvious that the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden in Christ. In other words, we need to probe beyond basic salvation through his blood, and other basic teachings of the Way, in order to obtain the hidden treasures. Paul wants to obtain three items of knowledge; “I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in His suffering”. I believe that we can know and recognize Christ’s presence in our daily lives. We first recognize Christ during our salvation. When I first got saved , I’ve related many times that I heard a knocking at my heart’s door which I didn’t answer right away (Revelation 3:20). But after a while I did answer that knocking and trusted Christ in 1979. The Lord Jesus is a person, and if we’re wise and focused and blessed, we can recognize Him through His attributes in our lives. Of course we can know and recognize Him as Savior. As a believer we realize that Christ, as Savior became the atoning sacrifice for our sin; but the person knocking at my heart’s door several times was also Christ the Savior, leading me to salvation. Did you ever really experience Him as your friend? You can have the Lord Jesus as your close friend and feel and recognize His presence. I’ve experienced this numerous times where I was brought to recognize that I was not alone in my efforts, and that the Lord Jesus was working along side me as my friend. This should not surprise a serious Bible scholar since this is exactly what John 15:15 says and means. In my case, since I’ve went through the experience of being conscious of Christ’s friendship numerous times, His friendship has become a warm feeling in the back of my heart and mind, a relationship that I have which no longer surprises me. I suppose I can say that he’s not a new friend any longer, but, rather, an old friend. Also see Item Nos. 130, 313b, & 322 of the Prophecy Section for a further discussion of the friendship of the Lord Jesus. Have you ever experienced and recognized Christ as the Light of the World. Once, a few years after I believed, I went into a bar to use the phone when my car broke down. Talk about darkness! When I first walked in, the place was dimly lit, but it was spiritually dark as well. When I walked into that bar everyone in the entire bar turned around and looked at me, their expressions seemed to be saying, “What’s someone like that doing in here?” The point is that Jesus, as the Light of the World, is shining through us. Did you ever explain to someone that you’re a Christian, and their immediate response was, “Yea, I knew there was something different about you!”? Christians shine, whether they realize it or not. My daughter recently had a cyst removed from her leg and the biopsy was benign. I gave thanks to Christ the Healer- Jehovah Rophe. Have you ever had the Lord intercede into a complex situation and just straighten it out? To me, that’s Christ the King. I know He hasn’t been crowned on Earth yet. But I give thanks and praise to my King- who is seated “at His right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come” (Ephesians 1:20&21). We are in close contact with the Lord Jesus when we recognize what He’s done for us and give Him thanks. During that prayer of thanksgiving, aren’t we very near to Him and knowing Him? And, it’s not just His salvation, friendship, light, healing, and kingship attributes that we can recognize and experience. We can recognize and experience any of the attributes or works of the Lord Jesus around us. Also, prayer is not the only time when we recognize that he’s close to us. The Scripture advises “Come near to God and He will come near to you” (James 4:8). If you had a friend near to you and you didn’t recognize his presence or contributions in your life, it wouldn’t be long before you’d get an earful. The Lord Jesus also wants such recognition. He wants us to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (II Peter 3:18). After all, this is the promise of the New Covenant- “No longer will a man teach his neighbor, or a man his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ because they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest” (Hebrews 8:11). (Also see Item#18, below.)
k.) Knowing God’s will, Colossians 1:9&10; “For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of His will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please Him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to His glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light.” As soon as I wake up every day, before I do normal prayers or Bible study, many times while still in bed, I say a simple prayer. Mentioning my immediate family, I pray, “Lord help me to do Thy will today, not the will of Satan, the world, or the flesh.” I wouldn’t dare to start my day without that prayer. How important is it to know God’s will? Except for knowing Christ, Himself, it’s the most important group of facts to know out of all knowledge. Sometimes I try to encourage new believers by asking this simple question, “If you want to go to Canada, why start your day heading for Mexico?” And, so I would advise that person to start their day in prayer and Bible study. The same concept applies to this passage of Scripture. We need to know God’s will in order to be going in the right direction. We can know His general will from Scripture. He wants us to be saved. He wants us to pray to Him through His Son. He wants us to study Scripture, and grow in our knowledge of Him. He wants us to live holy lives. But He also wants to bless us with great eternal rewards for what we did for and through Him. He wants us to “share in the inheritance of the saints” (vs. 10). There is a life purpose that God wants us to achieve. If we look at the “Hall of Faith” in Hebrews 11, or if we consider great believers in the New Testament or even this present age, they are all known for doing some great task. And, if we look closely at all the factors that came together to allow such achievements, along with faith we will see that they knew the will of God in such circumstances. So, through spiritual wisdom, we can know the will of God. And, with faith we can take up that will and accomplish His work in our lives. In terms of knowledge, we can go beyond that and realize the Lord’s calling and grace in our lives- our life purpose; and, this passage says that such activities will find us “growing in the knowledge of God”. Item#15f, above, tells of a heavenly knowledge of God’s work around us and our calling to be a part of God’s work.
l.) Knowing God’s rest, Hebrews 4:8-10; “For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken later about another day. There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from His.” This is a passage that many stumble over. And, from Chapter 4 of Hebrews, we also see that many Old Testament believers were not able to grasp God’s rest. This passage speaks of three types of rest- God’s rest at the completion of creation- on the seventh day, the weekly Sabbath of rest commanded of Moses at Sinai, and resting our souls in God’s finished work. Let me say that all these rests are fulfilled in Christ. The Lord Jesus said, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light” (Matthew 10:28-30). (Also see I John 3:19.) We can know and experience this rest, by merely accepting that the burden of our sin was lifted at Calvary. From my experience I perceive that many who are Christians, and many who think that they are Christians and are not, and many who would never claim to be Christians, all still stumble over God’s rest.
m.) Knowing the inerrancy and protection of the Scriptures, II Peter 3:15-18; “Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him. He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction. Therefore, dear friends, since you already know this, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of lawless men and fall from your secure position. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be glory both now and forever! Amen.” We already know that Paul’s writings are Scripture, as verified by Peter, and are therefore inerrant. II Timothy 3:16 says, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God might be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” Also, the Lord Jesus verifies that “The Scripture cannot be broken” (John 10:35). We can be protected by Scripture, because we know that it must be true. And, people who ignore and distort the Scripture have no protection through the truth and end up wallowing in their own errors. Not only that, but the errors of the parents are carried on in their descendants “to the third and fourth generation” (Exodus 20:5).
n.) Knowledge of salvation through brotherly love, I John 3:14-19; “We know that we have passed from death to life because we love our brothers. Anyone who does not love remains in death. Any one who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life in him. This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down His life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in His presence whenever our hearts condemn us.” I believe that this passage agrees with Romans 5:5- “..God has poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us.” Since love manifests itself in more knowledge and understanding, according to Item#i above, we can ask, “Which came first, the Holy Spirit or the love”? Well, from Romans 5:5 we see that the Holy Spirit came first- when we first believed. Nevertheless, we can know we are saved because we practice love for our brothers and sisters in Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit. There’s a nugget of Scripture herein. “Let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.” We must ask ourselves, “Are we merely involved in ‘agape blab’? Are we all talk and no action”? This passage doesn’t merely suggest that we become more serious. This passage says, “Let us not love with words or tongue”. This passage is commanding that we don’t speak a bunch of “agape blab”, but rather practice love in action. I mention the term “agape blab” for shock effect. I searched the Greek text for that little word “only” whereby the passage would say, “Let us not love with words or tongue only but with actions and in truth.” However, that word “only” was not found. So I must conclude that the passage is teaching us to refrain from words of love, and confine our love to action. Of course, practicing our spiritual gifts usually does require many words. And, usually such words, since they are from the Holy Ghost and through us, will bring light to darkness and therefore force a reaction. (Such Spirit filled words are in themselves action, since we know from Newtonian physics that you cannot have a reaction without an action.) Such Spirit filled words are not that to which the commandment is referring. Words from our flesh, though, which sound nice but usually obscure the real solution, should be avoided. God is omni-present (Psalm 139:7-12), let us truly be vessels through which the action of His love flows.
Summarizing this Item#16, then, here are some items of general Christian knowledge which were brought out.
18.) There’s much value in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ, II Peter 1:2-11 “Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. His divine power has given us everything we need for life and Godliness through our knowledge of Him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, Godliness; and to Godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But if anyone does not have them he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins. Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never fall, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” Once I had situated myself at a concrete crossroads in the middle of the prestigious University of Chicago. I was killing time by handing out Bible tracts and quickly greeting people. An older man and a woman walked by, both with large dogs on a leash. I held out two tracts to them, saying, “This is the love of God in Jesus Christ”. In declining the tracts, this older man, who I concluded was some man of authority or a professor, said, “No thanks! I know all about Him!” Then he smiled and nodded at the woman, perhaps communicating to her that he’d avoided my intended confrontation between them and God’s Word. In that small instant as he passed by, I was searching, as I usually do when I pass out tracts, for some concise additional prompt through which I could communicate the gospel more fully- a “one liner”. My brief response to his excuse which popped out of my mouth was this, “Yes, but I know Him!” The man paused momentarily in his exiting stride, acknowledging that I made a good point, but never did take a tract or even turn around. That man probably didn’t realize how close he was to that Christ that he claimed to know! For you see, I’ve come to realize that these quick, succinct responses, which I sometimes come up with while talking with people about the Lord, don’t come from my slow whit, but rather from the Lord. “For I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict” (Luke 21:15). There is much value in Christ. The first value noted in the above Scripture is that “grace and peace be yours in abundance” through our knowledge of Christ. We don’t worry or strive to dissipate a multitude of insecurities. We have peace and continual intercession from God’s throne- “grace to help us in our time of need” (Hebrews 4:16) The second value noted was that through such knowledge we are given “everything we need for life and Godliness”. “God will meet all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19). He is Jehovah Jireh- the Lord our Provider (Genesis 22:14). This knowledge and the blessings that come through this knowledge allow us to do something that even the Caesars yearned for but couldn’t attain- “through them you may participate in the divine nature”. The Lord is seeking to make us like His Son. That’s important to me, because at 29 years old, in 1979, I quit being a worldly sot and turned to follow Christ. Lastly, this knowledge, coupled with faith, goodness, self-control, perseverance, Godliness, brotherly kindness and love, will make us effective and productive in Christ, will keep us from falling, and will bring us a “rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ”. (Item 16j also discusses the value of knowing the Lord Jesus.) And, in discussing the value of such knowledge, we really need to consider the value of having the Lord Jesus, Himself, as our Friend (John 15:15). We value other friends, but “there is a Friend that sticks closer than a brother” (Proverbs 18:24). (Also see Table of Contents Item#Gj “The friendship of the Lord Jesus Christ”, and Item#16j, above.)
19.) Knowledge, without faith, won’t bring salvation, II Peter 2:1, 20&21 “But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them- bringing swift destruction on themselves. … If they have escaped the corruption in the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and are again entangled in it and overcome, they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning. It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than to have known it and then to turn their backs on the sacred command that was passed on to them.” We see herein false teachers and their students, who have known the Savior and his way of righteousness, and yet were not saved. Ephesians 2:8 says, “It is by grace you have been saved through faith”. Salvation is given as a free gift, by covenantal grace, to all who believe. So the only contingency in the covenant is faith in Christ- that is faith in the one true gospel of Christ. So, you can know the gospel and you can know Christ, and you can know and quote great volumes of Scripture; but unless you’ve trusted Christ’s death as full and final payment for your sins, you’ve still not believed His message and are not saved. There are millions of people in this world claiming to be Christians, who have much knowledge of the Bible, but they are still trying to work their way to heaven or trying to obey God’s laws in order to get to heaven. But the Scripture says salvation is “by grace through faith” (Ephesians 2:8) and “if righteousness could be gained through the Law, Christ died for nothing” (Galatians 2:21). Again, we’re saved by grace through faith, not by knowledge or by works.
20.) Grace and general knowledge differentiated, II Peter 3:18 “But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be glory, both now and forever! Amen.” This is, of course, a great nugget of Scripture. The verse tells us what’s expected of us after we’ve been saved. I also noticed, though, from the perspective of types of knowledge, that this verse cites a difference between grace and general knowledge of the Lord. The logic behind this statement is that, since a word of knowledge is listed among the grace gifts in I Corinthians 12:7-10, a word of knowledge must be a form of grace and not a form of knowledge that we can grow in according to II Peter 3:18. This seems right since a word of knowledge is a succinct message and not something that you can grow in.
21.) God’s knowledge versus our knowledge, Genesis 3:5 “The serpent said to the woman, ‘For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.’ “ Well, I don’t like to quote uninspired persons of Scripture as if their statements are true (such as Job’s counselors or the twelve apostles prior to Pentecost). The Bible is God’s Word, but some Scripture is meant to illustrate bad teaching. This is the case here, God never told Adam or Eve that eating of the tree would make them like Him. That was Satan’s word, not God’s. However, the concept, that God knows much more about good and evil than we do, is a sound concept. “Does He who implanted the ear not hear? Does He who formed the eye not see? Does He who disciplines nations not punish? Does He who teaches man lack knowledge?” (Psalms 94:9&10). A good dose of the difference between God’s knowledge and our knowledge is discussed in Job, Chapters 38 and 39- “Then the Lord answered Job out of the storm. He said: ‘Who is this that darkens my counsel with words without knowledge? Brace yourself like a man; I will question you and you will answer me. Where were you when I laid the Earth’s foundation? Tell me if you understand. Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know! Who stretched a measuring line across it? On what were its footings set, or who laid its cornerstone- while the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy? Who shut up the sea behind doors when it burst forth from its womb …? … Have you ever given orders to the morning or shown the dawn its place …? … Have you journeyed to the springs of the sea or walked in the recesses of the deep? Have the gates of death been shown to you? Have you seen the gates of the shadow of death? Have you comprehended the vast expanses of the Earth? Tell me if you know all this. What is the way to the abode of light? And where does darkness reside? … Do you know when the mountain goats give birth? Do you watch when the doe bears her fawn?” So, we can easily see from the works that God performs that His knowledge is exhaustively immense, and much greater than ours. As well, using God’s own logic, we can measure and draw a perspective of knowledge according to the works to be performed. This can be applied to a person’s grace gifts, as an example, and we could see that the knowledge set for shepherding would be different than the knowledge set for evangelism, as an example. And, isn’t the purpose of a word of knowledge to provide the knowledge necessary for an individual to perform a specific task or set of tasks for the Lord. The main point brought out by this passage, however, is that God’s knowledge is hugely different than our knowledge, both in magnitude and in end use. (Also see Item#6 in the Word of Wisdom Section.)
22.) Knowing, even as we are known, John 5:41”I do not accept praise from men, but I know you. I know that you do not have the love of God in your hearts. I have come in my father’s name, and you do not accept me; but if someone else comes in his own name, you will accept him. How can you believe if you accept praise from one another, yet make no effort to obtain the praise that comes from the only God?” There are many issues confronted by this passage. The primary issue was our Lord’s statement that the Jews criticizing Him didn’t really believe Moses, else they would believe that He was sent by the Father. However, for our study, I keyed in on the above statement by our Lord, “I know you. I know that you do not have the love of God in your hearts.” This passage helps us to understand the promise of I Corinthians 13:12- “Now we know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known”. So, these men were fully known by the Lord. And, the Lord points out why they were rejecting Him. He cites that they were not really believing Moses, and their lack of loving God was manifested in their action of loving the praise of men instead of the praise from God. Well, if you’re a serious servant of the Lord, you should take that to heart. (Love of God and love of neighbor must be our motivation- not merely obedience to Scripture.) However, from this Grace Study perspective, we can perceive that the Lord Jesus knew these men and what was in their hearts. He saw through them all the way to their failure to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind“ (Matthew 22:38). We are going to be able to know and recognize the operational aspects of God’s kingdom, which must include how God’s Word plays out in peoples’ lives and various situations, just as the Lord Jesus reasoned above- “then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known”. (See also Isaiah 11:8&9.) We will be able to discern, not as a judge, but as a participant, God’s Word at work in God’s kingdom. I say this because I know that God’s Word, and His Holy Spirit, are the principal accomplishers of God’s will (Psalms 33:4-11, Ephesians 6:17). However, knowing God’s Word and recognizing His Holy Spirit at work, still, will never take the place of our face-to-face relationship with Him. (Also see Item#12b, above, and Item#1f in the Prophecy Section.)
24.) Heavenly knowledge and persecution, John 7:29&30 “But I know Him because I am from Him and He sent me. At this they tried to seize Him, but no one laid a hand on Him, because His time had not yet come.” I’d like to point out three facts regarding this matter which I’ve been shown from the Word, and from experience. First, the flesh always wars against the Spirit of God (Galatians 5:17), because the flesh is a fallen nature and the Spirit of God is a “consuming fire” (Hebrews 12:29). Secondly, When we are persecuted for the Lord, “Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you” (Matthew 5:12). Thirdly, no persecution or harm can come to you except that which the Lord allows. Consider the Lord Jesus in this situation; he wasn’t alarmed because He knew his time had not yet come. “What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs. Do not be afraid of those that kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matthew 10:27&28). We should not be afraid of persecution. Rather, we should be afraid of walking by our flesh when we should be walking by the Spirit, in any given situation- and thereby fail our Lord’s plans for us in that situation. (Also see Table of Contents Section, Item#g.c. “Flesh Wars Against the Spirit- Sometimes Persecution”.)
27.) Knowing God’s voice, John 10:3-6, 14-16, &27 “ ‘The watchman opens the gate for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes out ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.’ Jesus used this figure of speech, but they did not understand what he was telling them. … I am the Good Shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me- just as the Father knows me and I know the Father- and I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. … My sheep listen to my voice; I know them and they follow me.’ “ Of course, this passage describes the Lord Jesus as the Good Shepherd, which is a fulfillment of the prophecy of Ezekiel 34:23. (Also see Items# 20, 25, & 37 of the Shepherding Section.) But we are looking, herein, at the concept of knowing God’s voice. Getting away from the semantics of hearing the Lord’s voice, The Lord is pointing out that recognizing His voice is important to our Godly walk (See Item#15j.). Just as a sheep knows its shepherd’s voice, we learn to recognize the Lord’s voice. We begin to recognize the Lord’s voice through the gospel. One of the verses that led me to Christ was Revelation 3:20, “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me”. I heard that voice and that knocking several times before I finally confessed Christ as Lord and Savior, according to Romans 10:9. I recall “sweating bullets” as my feet were dangled over hell’s flames by several preachers. Finally, though, I realized that it was the Lord Jesus, Himself, who was knocking at the door of my heart, and I could no longer put Him off. It’s that voice that I came to recognize in my life and His voice and the recognition of it stays with me in my walk with Him. I suppose I cannot tell you how to recognize the Lord’s voice in your own life, only to say that He does still speak to you. He is not a mute idol (I Corinthians 12:3). I believe that recognizing the Lord’s voice in your life is an integral part of having a personal relationship with the Lord and living the abundant life. (References to hearing and recognizing God’s voice can also be found in Item#200 of the Shepherding Section, Item#12 & 54 of the Apostleship Section, Item#221 of the Prophecy Section, and Item#1a of the Word of Wisdom Section.)
28.) Prophetic knowledge in a carnal man, John 11:47-53 “Then the chief priests and the Pharisees called a meeting of the Sanhedrin. ‘What are we accomplishing?” they asked. ‘Here is this man performing many miraculous signs. If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and then the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.’ Then one of them, named Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, spoke up, ‘You know nothing at all! You do not realize that it is better for you that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish. He did not say this on his own, but as high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the Jewish nation, and not only for that nation but also for the scattered children of God, to bring them together and make them one. So, from that day on they plotted to take his life.” This is a passage that we must look into more deeply, since it contains prophecy by a carnal man, and also such knowledge that would allow him to prophesy. We’ve already noted that carnal men, and even Balaam’s donkey (Numbers 22:28) spoke for God. (See Item#1, 3rd paragraph, in the Prophecy Section.) The above passage notes that Caiaphas prophesied through his position as high priest. I conclude that this high priestly ability came through the continual priesthood and anointing of Aaron’s descendants as contained in Exodus 7:1 & 40:15. It’s interesting, though, that we can almost understand how God worked through the caldron of Caiaphas’ life to extract that prophecy from him. So, if we look at some carnal characters who prophesied or who obtained heavenly knowledge, we can understand more about how the Lord implants and extracts heavenly knowledge and prophecy into and from an individual. And, given the gap between what we know and what God knows, I don’t see that it’s much easier for the Lord to work with believers versus non-believers, unless a person really trains himself to focus on God’s Word in their life. Some noted instances of unexpected people who had such heavenly enlightenment are as follows:
b. Verse 27- “…my body also will live in hope, because you will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay.” David evidently believed in physical resurrection of the believer’s body, perhaps through the teachings of the Patriarchs or the promise in Job 19:25-27. The fact that the Lord’s Messiah must have an imperishable body is plain in Nathan’s prophecy (II Samuel 7:13). So David must have mused upon these prophecies and Scriptures (Psalm 119:11-16) until he arrived at the truth of God which he shared from his Godly heart in his Psalms.
c. Verse 34- “The Lord said to my Lord: ‘Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet’ “(See also Psalms 110:1). Perceiving that the eternal throne, prophesied through Nathan, must be the Messiah’s throne, David has concluded that God is raising up Israel over its enemies through his own reign. He also is prophesying of the future absolute victory over all God’s enemies through David’s Lord the Messiah- his own offspring. The Lord Jesus brought out this logic (Matthew 22:41-46) when showing the Pharisees that Messiah must also be God, according to David’s prophecy.
d. Vs 36- Peter repeats the Lord Jesus teaching of Matthew 22:41-46, and sums up David’s teaching by saying, “Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified both Lord and Christ.”
e.) We also read of Elisha’s young servant who had his eyes opened that he might see “the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha”- 2Kings 6:17. We can glean from this circumstance a few things. First we realize that Elisha and his servant were in a dangerous situation. Second, we realize that it was necessary for Elisha to have his servant see the true situation, that “Those who are with us are more than those who are with them” (verse 16). Third, we see “the Lord opened the servant’s eyes”. Of course, this story of Elisha is for our edification (II Timothy 3:16). And we no longer need to look around us to see the angels protecting us, because we have the teaching from this story. But I believe that if we are in a dire situation, the Lord will somehow get us to look upon his power and be calmed, even as he did to Elisha’s servant.
f.) John the Baptist’s father, Zechariah- Luke 1:67-79. Zechariah’s prophecy is similar to David’s, in that it seems to be a meld between what God’s messenger (Gabriel in Zechariah’s case, and Nathan in David’s case) had said to Him and what Scripture had already declared. Gabriel told him, “Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son and you are to give him the name John. He will be a joy and a delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from birth. Many of the people of Israel will he bring back to the Lord their God. And he will go on before the Lord in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous- to make ready a people prepared for the Lord” (Luke 1:13-17). Now, Zechariah had nine silent months to mull over what the angel told him, as well as full access to Moses and Elijah’s scriptures regarding these events. So then Zechariah, being filled with the Holy Ghost, reiterated as best he could what the angel had told him regarding his son John. His prophecy also contained facts from Scripture regarding the coming of the Messiah. Such facts from Luke 1:67-79, that I recognized, were:
It seems as though Zechariah’s prophecy was merely putting together the pieces of the puzzle which Gabriel and the Scripture had already given him. It’s also important, from the perspective of Tabernacle teaching, to notice that Zechariah’s duty that day was burning of incense on the golden altar. “And when the time for the burning of incense came, all the assembled worshipers were praying outside” (Luke 1:10). So we have what’s been called the 400 years of silence from Malachi to Gabriel’s message to Zechariah. And this silence is broken by the prayers of the saints, who were praying outside the temple. This breaking of heavenly silence through prayer is akin to the silence at the opening of the seventh seal in Revelation 8:1-5, wherein the workings of God’s plan were at a halt until the prayers of the saints put things in motion again.
So after considering the prophecies manifested by these people not normally noted as prophets, we can at least list some ways that God brought them to knowledge in order that they might prophesy or otherwise realize his will. We should be careful, though, not to disregard the manner in which God spoke to those prophets of old that were reputed mainly as prophets, especially such clear revelation that would allow them to boldly proclaim “Thus saith the Lord God” (Ezekiel 6:3). Such notes, then, are as follows:
We’ve seen how the Lord has worked through people not really known as prophets. But really, shouldn’t we have expected that? God has a plan to achieve His purposes. Now, if God had merely waited for those in the Church, or Israel, to be obedient to Him and accomplish His plan, His progress would too easily be gridlocked by Satan. (Daniel 10:13b). So the Lord is extremely active in working His plans. And, this discussion actually has to do with what the definition of grace is. Grace has been defined as intercession from God’s throne. (See Grace, An Exhaustive Word Study.) Now if God is committed to accomplishing his purposes (and He is), isn’t it necessary for Him to intercede continually in the lives of people in order to accomplish those purposes. This intercession is called grace and is sometimes necessary, whether it be knowledge, or prophecy, or healing, or sending, or evangelism, or correction (or just holding things together). This is all from God’s throne of grace. And, I don’t see that we can put a limit on the number of methods that God can use in interceding from His throne. This is why I don’t believe that we’re constrained to only those grace gifts demonstrated in Scripture, or that certain of those demonstrated in Scripture have become abolished. It’s God’s throne; it’s His plan; it’s His purposes; it’s His interceding grace! Shall we try to limit God? Why not be like Moses. Though the road through the Philistines was shorter (Exodus 13:17), the Lord led Israel through the Red Sea on dry land while Moses taught, “Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today” (Exodus 14:13).
29.) Seeking for knowledge, John 14:4-11, and 20, “…’You know the way to the place where I am going.’ Thomas said to Him, ‘Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?’ Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know Him and have seen him.’ Phillip said, ‘Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.’ Jesus answered: ‘Don’t you know me, Phillip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Any one who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing His work. Believe me when I say I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves.’… ‘And I will ask the Father and He will give you another Counselor to be with you forever- the Spirit of Truth. The world cannot accept Him because it neither sees Him nor knows Him. But you know Him for He lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. On that day you will realize that I am in the Father, and you are in me, and I am in you’.” Here we see the disciples seeking for knowledge. Thomas says, “We know where you are going, how can we know the way?” Phillip says, “Show us the Father and that will be enough for us.” And the Lord Jesus rewards their stick-to-it-ive-ness by carefully answering their questions. You’ve probably studied this great passage in John 14 as a salvation passage and an end times passage, with its Israelite marriage feast typology. However, the Lord Jesus is also speaking about knowing the Father by knowing the Son. Some points regarding such knowledge which popped out to me are as follows:
a.) We used to sing a children’s song, “’I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life’, that’s what Jesus said. Without the Way there is no going. Without the Truth, there is no knowing. Without the Life there is no living. ’I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life’, that’s what Jesus said.” How can we know anything without truth. I’ve seen and experienced certain circumstances where people have gotten themselves caught up in a web of lies, and couldn’t unravel the truth anymore. Some people don’t know how to tell the truth; and I’m not exaggerating. One of the big motivations for myself to repent and trust Christ, back in 1979, was that I was starting to conveniently lie to people in various areas of my life. Just recently the United States was made aware of the polygamous practices of the FLDS sect in Texas (and, my wife and I have thanked the Lord for intervention by the State of Texas). What a mess! And, what a web of lies! People don’t even know who their fathers and mothers are. And the people, in order to get child support checks, were lying to the government about not being married. And, from what I see, the parents have hired lawyers to help them lie in court. Last night the court ruled that, at least temporarily, all the children would be held by the authorities until things are sorted out. And, I heard the authorities were having to do DNA testing to try to sort out who’s who. The point is that “without the truth there is no knowing”.
b.) The concept of knowing the Father through the Son brings me to John 1:14&18, “The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. … No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the father’s side, has made Him known.” I note that the writer, John, was amongst the disciples who received the Lord’s discourse of John 14. I also note that, by the time that He wrote his gospel book, John was thoroughly convinced that Christ was in the Father and that the father was in Christ.
c.) At that point of the Lord’s “upper room discourse” in John 14, the disciples were not yet accepting or understanding the full brunt of who Christ is and what He was going to do. The Lord had purposefully brought them to this point of faith in Him. Yet, without Calvary, the resurrection, and the indwelling Holy Spirit, how much more could the disciples grasp concerning God’s plan for them? Yet, John 13:10&11 states that “’A person who has had a bath needs only to wash his feet; his whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you.’ For he knew who was going to betray Him, and that was why He said not everyone was clean”. The disciples were already bathed in the faith of that 1st Counselor, Jesus Christ, and had not yet been immersed in that other Counselor- the promised Holy Spirit. That would happen at Pentecost (Acts 11:16).
d.) The Lord doesn’t just want us to be saved, and He doesn’t just want us to live clean lives. The Lord Jesus wants us to know the truth, and a huge part of that truth is his statement “But you know Him (the Holy Spirit) for He lives with you and will be in you.” The Lord expected the disciples, even before Pentecost, to recognize the Holy Spirit’s presence along side them- “you know Him for He lives with you”. The Greek word for Counselor here is “parakletos”, meaning an advocate[3] who walks along side you. I believe the Lord wants us to understand and recognize His presence in us through the Holy Spirit. It’s amazing that we, as believers, are already at a position where the disciples, during the upper room discourse, only hoped to be; that is, we understand that Christ is in the Father and the Father is in Him and the Holy Spirit is in us. (Also see Item#15j, above.)
e.) Truth is important in relationships. In John 14, without much explanation needed, I saw the following relationships: knowing, trusting, obeying, loving, sonship (being in), and in Chapter 15- serving and friendship. I recently spoke with a woman who was trying to serve God, and, while she didn’t really need to, she was considering soliciting funds from non-believers. She asked me what I thought about that. So, I said essentially to watch out, because she doesn’t just have God on her side; she also has Satan to lay snares for her. I mentioned that she could spend years of energy and, because of Satan’s snare, have practically no reward in heaven, since she received accolades here on earth and laid up no treasures in heaven (Matthew 6:1). The Lord wants our relationship with Him to be based upon truth, else all kinds of snags and problems can occur.
The Lord wants us to actively seek knowledge and truth, especially through the power of His gifted servants “until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ“ (Ephesians 4:13). And He obviously wants us to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (II Peter 3:18).
31.) Peter struggles with the reality of a situation, Acts 12:6-12 “The night before Herod was to bring him to trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers bound with two chains, and sentries stood guard at the entrance. Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shown in his cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him up. ‘Quick, get up!’ he said, and the chains fell off Peter’s wrists. Then the angel said to him, ‘Put on your clothes and sandals.’ And Peter did so. ‘Wrap your cloak around you and follow me,’ the angel told him. Peter followed him out of the prison, but he had no idea that what the angel was doing was really happening; he thought he was seeing a vision. They passed the first and second guards and came to the iron gate leading to the city. It opened for them by itself, and they went through it. When they had walked the length of one street, suddenly the angel left him. Then Peter came to himself and said, ‘Now I know without a doubt that the Lord sent His angel and rescued me from Herod’s clutches and from everything the Jewish people were anticipating.’ When this had dawned on him, he went to the house of Mary the mother of John, also called Mark, where many people had gathered and were praying.” Now, many people claim that you cannot have a revelation from God, or any such heavenly knowledge given by revelation, only that which can be obtained directly from Scripture. I suppose their buzz word description of that view is “no direct revelation from God”. Well, what would such a person do with this account of Peter’s. He was in prison, in chains between two guards, then all of a sudden he finds himself outside the locked city gate, and recalling what he thought was a vision. I suppose such doubters would say such things could not occur, and that such workings of God were from another dispensation of grace. To such I would say, “Horse feathers!” God’s throne of grace has not changed its operation one iota from the time of the Lord Jesus’ ascension, and such stories of angels and miraculous intervention are continuously coming to us from the Lord’s servants.
If we really look into this story, though, we see Peter struggling. He was struggling in that he didn’t recognize reality while it was happening. Now if I was imprisoned and I had a dream of walking out the gate, I would consider that a pleasant dream. However pleasant was the situation, Peter was still struggling with the reality of the situation. The reality of Peter’s situation would be difficult for most to absorb. First he’s imprisoned for preaching the gospel, and then he’s rescued by an angel. The imprisonment would be hard to take, while the angelic rescue would be hard to accept as real. While studying this passage I was reminded of Psalm 34:7, “The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him, and He delivers them.” We should not be surprised when the Lord delivers us from situations that would hamper our work for the Lord, whether sickness, or finances, or legal problems, or even moral bondage. I suppose Peter’s difficulty was that he actually recognized the angel. “Keep on loving each other as brothers. Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it” (Hebrews 13:1&2).
33.) God’s work in revelation & teaching, I Corinthians 2:9-16; “However, as it is written: ‘No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him’- but God has revealed it to us by His Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man’s spirit within him? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us. This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words. The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. The spiritual man makes judgments about all things, but he himself is not subject to any man’s judgment. ‘For who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct him?’ But we have the mind of Christ.” (Also see Item#15c, above.) Some thoughts I’ve gleaned from this are as follows:
a.) It’s really helpful and mature to realize that God is a real person, and while His Spirit indwells us, he is still a separate entity from us. That is, although we have the promised Holy Spirit, God’s Holy Spirit is still His Spirit. And while we can study and learn about him, and even be led by His Spirit, “No one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God”. Even so, the Scripture states “Come near to God and He will come near to you” (James 4:8).
b.) “No mind has conceived…. But God has revealed it to us by His Spirit.” Whether general Christian knowledge or heavenly knowledge, our Teacher is still the Holy Spirit. (See Point#4 of the “Summary of Important Points” in the Teaching Section) The natural mind cannot extrude Godly knowledge from facts and circumstances without the Holy Spirit’s help. An unbeliever would have a better chance of stumbling upon a gold nugget in some uninhabited mountain region. But, at the proper time, God reveals to believers what we should know regarding His plan and His work. Even simple Christian concepts, such as sin and heaven and hell, are taught much differently by Christians than by non-Christians. Consider how various mythologies treat these concepts. For one thing, there’s no seriousness of mind to the treatment of these concepts by non-Christians. And also, such teachings from non-believers are way off, particularly regarding sin and people’s need for salvation. Some have said that direct revelation from God, apart from the Scripture or someone teaching from the Scripture, is impossible in this age. But this passage says that God reveals His plans of heaven to us by His Spirit. Now, I believe this revelation by the Spirit involves not only that which is directly stated in Scripture, but also His anointing (I John 2:27) and the baptism of the Holy Spirit (Acst 11:16) and the knowledge of His infilling (Ephesians 5:18)- experiential things. I believe this because in heaven we only have the new nature, while the corrupted nature (I Corinthians 15:53) will be left here when the Lord comes for us. We can remember the presence of God’s Spirit during our immersion at salvation, and we can look for His anointing to teach us when we’re in the dark, and we can feel His infilling when we’re drunk with the Spirit. So when we experience these things, we are tasting heaven, even on Earth. Do you doubt this? Then consider that in our new nature God has already “raised us up with Christ and seated us in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:6).
c.) “Comparing spiritual things with spiritual” (KJV). From this I understand and accept that these basic teachings concerning Calvary and The Way are spiritually discerned and consist of words taught by the Holy Spirit. In the Holy Spirit we have someone who is pure Spirit, even though He is linked to creation through His oneness with the Son, and linked through His all encompassing work in maintaining creation and indwelling the Church. The Word, Jesus- Who declares the Father, said, concerning the promised Holy Ghost, “All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will take from what is mine and make it known to you” (John 16:15). Much of God’s plan, which is the battle for souls, is done behind the scenes. There is where the Spirit and the Son are at war with Satan, the World, and the Flesh. Consider this these two Scriptures: “The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God” (II Corinthians 4:4); and “On arriving, he was a great help to those who by grace had believed” (Acts 18:27, we need intercession, grace from God’s throne, even to believe in the first place). From this we can taste some of the spiritual battle going on just to bring a person to that point where he can believe the gospel. Also consider that the gifts that empower individuals within the Church are also gifts of the Holy Spirit. So, there are spiritual battles going on that we can only pray about and hope to understand. And, God never sleeps and is in the battle, fully committed.
d.) “That we may understand what God has freely given us”. We gave our 2 year old granddaughter a gift, and she immediately came up to me and said, “How do I play with this?” We have salvation, and gifts, and work to do. Between those three, much of the work of the Holy Spirit among the Church lies. And God doesn’t just want us to know these things, but to understand these things. I have a teenage friend who drives with me on his permit. I don’t just teach him to drive between the marker lines, but I try to teach him the why’s and wherefore’s of lanes and chuck holes and car mechanics. These are the things which he needs to understand to be a good driver, who isn’t tearing up his car when he gets it. God wants us to be rebuked, corrected, and trained in righteousness, so that we “may be thoroughly equipped for every good work” (II Timothy 3:16). And while the Scripture is “useful” for this, it’s clearly the work of the Spirit through Godly teachers and shepherds. And I challenge anyone who is seriously trying to understand revelation to consider whether there is a difference between revelation that comes through the Scripture and revelation that comes through experiential teaching by the Holy Spirit. You’ll find, as I have, that the line is not easily drawn. Satan can trick you just as easily through Scripture as he can through experiential knowledge. I warrant that the Holy Ghost can and does teach us using both means. The Scripture, though, is a more direct means of teaching regarding many things of God. When considering the value of experiential teaching, wrestle with these verses, “In bringing many sons to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the Author of their salvation perfect through suffering. …Although he was a son, He learned obedience from what He suffered and, once made perfect, He became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey Him” (Hebrews 2:2, and 5:8&9).
34.) Fleshly knowledge vs. Godly knowledge, II Corinthians 5:13-18 “If we are out of our mind, it is for the sake of God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. …So from now on we regard no man from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation…” (II Corinthians 5:16). Some points follow:
a.) The KJV version gives a better rendering. It says, “Wherefore, henceforth we know no man after the flesh: yea though we have known Christ after the flesh…” When Paul refers to that fleshly viewpoint he uses that Greek word “sarka”[4], which literally means the substance of the human body, and usually the fallen nature due to Adam’s sin. (This fallen nature was passed on to us at birth, which is why Christ had to be born of a virgin. That virgin birth aspect is much of what is missing when someone translates “flesh” as “old nature”.) At first reading I took this passage the same as the NIV interpreters, who contrasted Godly knowledge with worldly knowledge. But now, after looking carefully, I conclude Paul is contrasting what he defines as being out of his mind for Christ with a fleshly viewpoint that focuses on his carnal needs (Acts 26:24). There is a difference between worldly and fleshly. Once I worked as a high profile building appraiser in a large city, and the Lord would lead me to give out the gospel in my work. Now, these people were normally very concerned about my appraisals which usually meant big money to them, but God wasn’t going to waste such opportunities to reach people with the gospel. I too was “out of my mind for Christ”. I did not receive much criticism for sharing the gospel, but it eventually meant my removal from that “cushy” job to doing something more mundane- tax incentives (which I’m still doing today in my retirement, and it pays more than appraisals- talk about the Lord’s leading, and His ways above our ways!). If two men are talking, and one is focusing on making a business purchase at the lowest price, while the other man, a Christian, is following the transaction, but looking for a lead in to share the gospel; then there are definitely two different viewpoints and two types of knowledge involved. The Christian’s viewpoint/ focus is on our “ministry of reconciliation”- the gospel. The Christian’s Godly knowledge gives him Godly fear knowing that he is to walk by the Spirit, sharing the gospel, and the Lord will supply all his needs. The non-believer, however, is motivated by who-knows-what, anything from fear of his boss to the god of this age- money. But fleshly knowledge causes us to focus on our and our family’s basic carnal needs- food, clothing, shelter; and we’ll also think in a manner that uses natural logic, rather than looking for and obeying the Spirit’s leading. Worldly knowledge gets more involved with worldly motivators- the lusts of the flesh, the lusts of the eyes, and the pride of life according to I John 2:16.
b.) If we are “out of our mind” for the sake of God, we can expect that such a position is brought on by heavenly knowledge As well as by general Christian knowledge, because from “from now on we regard no man from a worldly point of view”. We’re perceiving “a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” Since we now have the “ministry of reconciliation”, we’re looking for the leading and help from the Lord to do His work in every situation. And our spiritual gifts become a huge part of our Christian maturity, including our reasoning and logic. Truly, we ought to be out of our unregenerate minds for the sake of Christ.
c.) We’re not just saved but servants of the Lord. In Genesis 6:3 the Lord said to Moses, “I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob as God Almighty (El-Shaddai), but by my name the Lord (Jehovah) I did not make myself known to them.” At Sinai God took a closer relationship with Israel, that of a more personal Lord, leading them day by day as His servants. Now, this servant hood aspect of our relationship with God is by no means diminished if we belong to God by being in Christ Jesus, rather than through the Mosaic Covenant. Indeed, the Lord Jesus’ very name is essentially Jehovah Shua, or Yeshua as he’s fondly known among Jewish believers. So our “ministry of reconciliation” really defines the Church’s relationship with God. Salvation of souls through the gospel of Jesus Christ is still the Lord’s primary work in this world. And all true ministry to the Lord must be centered on the gospel. And as we get serious at serving the Lord, our relationship with Him gets even better. He says, “I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead I have called you friends, for everything that I have learned from my Father I have made known to you.” (John 15:15).
37.) We know Him if we obey His commands, I John 2:3-5 ”We know that we have come to know Him if we obey His commands. The man who says, “I know Him, but does not do what He commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But if anyone obeys His Word, God’s love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in Him: Whoever claims to live in Him must walk as Jesus did.” This is beautiful phraseology and there is a lot in this passage, so we must look more closely. Note the following truths which all bring us to knowing Christ:
a.) “If we obey His commands” we have come to know Him. I heard a man on the radio just this week relate these commands to the Ten Commandments. I’ve never felt that the commands that the Lord is giving us are the Ten Commandments, neither the other hundreds of commandments given us in the Law of Moses. Neither do I feel such commands are the rules of Christian life as contained in Scripture, else we are merely going back under the Law. (And if under Law, we’d be under the Old Testament Law plus the New Testament Law, which would be harder to keep than the original Law- which no one could keep (Romans 3:10-12). John 15:9-17 gives us insight into the commands the Lord is referring to. The Lord Jesus primary command to us is to love each other, that is, to love the brothers and sisters in Christ. Now the Lord had given His disciples specific directions, especially the twelve, that is how he could say in John 15:15, “Instead I have called you friends for everything that I have learned from my Father I have made known to you”. So, which commands are we to obey? I’d like to say all, but we’ve already concluded that righteousness under Law is impossible. So, I can only say that we are to obey those commands which God has clearly laid out in front of us, in order that we can accomplish His specific will in our lives. I’m not saying that there are any commands given in the Scripture which we should disobey. However, super-obedience to the Law is not God’s will either, but rather walking by His Spirit (Galatians 5:25). I met a group of junior high girls just yesterday, and gave them some Bible tracts. They were trick-or-treating this Halloween. One of the girls assured me, “I go to church every week on Sunday”. I’d certainly be much more assured of her salvation if she told me she knew Christ as her Savior. The point is that salvation, and all of our relationship with God, depends on grace through faith, not upon super-obedience to the Law. God has a plan for each of us, and He shepherds each of us closely. And He seeks to show Himself strong in each of us and reward each of us greatly (II Chronicles 16:9). So, the Lord shows us what we must do each day, and He opens and closes doors for us as He guides us along. These are the commands which we must obey, else how can we claim to have a personal Lord and Savior, and to walk with and by His Spirit.
b.) A liar claims to know God, but doesn’t do what He commands. The Lord Jesus said, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life” (John 14:6). Serious Christians know that the Lord’s work on earth is centered on salvation of souls through the gospel. So, when a person is not acting in accordance with the furtherance of the gospel, either by his teaching or by ungodly conduct, it is apparent to mature Christians that such a person doesn’t know God or is straying from Him.
c.) “If anyone obeys His Word, God’s love is truly made complete in Him”. This small statement is very deep. We know that God is love (I John 4:8). So, we’ve concluded previously that love must be the motivating factor in the practice of the Spirit’s gifts (See “Love as the basis for Spiritual abilities” in the Contents). The Lord Jesus’ command to us in John 15:12 is “Love each other as I have loved you”. Obedience implies a humble acceptance to the authority of the one issuing the order. Such obedience usually costs us something in terms of time and effort, or status. That is where the love comes in- giving time and effort to others or to the Lord.
d.) “Whoever claims to live in Him must walk as Jesus did.” That seems to be a “tall order”. But it’s there in the Scripture, commanding us to walk as Jesus did. Now Christ is God and He’s also God’s one and only unique Son (John 1:14). So, in those ways, we cannot walk as Christ. But believers have God the Spirit in us and are certainly urged to be full of grace and truth (II Peter 3:18). This command is parallel to Christ’s teaching that “If anyone would come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me” (Matthew 16:24). And I certainly don’t think there is any dispensational connotation in this passage, as if this command was only for the 1st Century Church. Tony Evans, of The Urban Alternative, mentioned in a May 2008 message, that the healing procedure in James 5 requires the touch of the elders’ hands, much as the Lord Jesus healed by laying His hands on people. Evans pointed out that the Church is to be the visible body of Christ, and that whole line of thinking enhances our understanding of the benefits of walking as Jesus did. But this passage doesn’t just say, “It’s beneficial to walk as Jesus did.” It says we “must walk as Jesus did.” So, why must we walk as Jesus did? This passage says by implication that if we live in Him, Christ in us will cause us to walk as He did. As an example, I never dreamed that I or another could lay a hand on someone and they’d be healed. But that is exactly what James 5 says to do. And, I’ve done this and seen healing, and heard many testimonies of the same from others. So, truly, in all facets, we must give up our old nature (II Corinthians 5:17), and walk as Jesus did, not just in practicing our gifts, but also in practicing the Christian virtues emphasized in Scripture. And, eventually “we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as he is” (I John 3:2).
38.) Knowing through His anointing, I John 2:19-21, &27 “They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us. But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth. I do not write to you because you do not know the truth, but because you know it and because no lie comes from the truth. … As for you, the anointing you received from Him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as His anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit- just as it has taught you, remain in Him.” This passage speaks of believers enduring the temptation to stray from the truth, some having separated from the body because of that struggle. Many have speculated what this heretical temptation was all about. Some conclude John was writing against early forms of Gnosticism (See footnote #1.) However, the point we would glean from this is that, when situations get confusing we can count on the Holy Spirit’s anointing to guide us into the truth and help us wade through the falsehood unscathed. And, we should end up even stronger having gone through that experience and even learning to recognize the touch and feel of God’s Holy Spirit. If this world is indeed a spiritual battlefield (and it is), then we will be wading through temptations and decisions every day. John’s advice concerning such situations is to “Test the spirits to see whether they are from God”; and further, we can “recognize the Spirit of God” (I John 4:1&2). (See also Items# 15j and 33b, above.)
39.) Heavenly knowledge and general Christian knowledge in the same passage, I John 3:2, & other passages “Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when He appears, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.” Items# 15 and 16 above list some examples of what I’ve called heavenly knowledge and general Christian knowledge. There are some passages of Scripture, though, that contain items of heavenly knowledge and general Christian knowledge together. The following are some such passages with a brief description:
a.) I John 3:2. The heavenly knowledge is the knowledge of “what we will be”- our new nature and our heavenly body. The rest of the passage is replete with general Christian knowledge- “we are children of God”, “we shall be like Him”, “we shall see Him as He is”.
b.) I John 2:13&14. “I write to you fathers, because you have known Him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one. I write to you dear children, because you have known the Father. I write to you fathers, because you have known Him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the Word of God lives in you, and you have overcome the evil one.” Herein, John is verifying that there is general Christian knowledge and a more mature heavenly knowledge. He is saying that the fathers “have known Him who is from the beginning”, which is a form of heavenly knowledge according to Item#15k & p, above. The young men, however, are practicing their general Christian principles- displaying strength, living the Word, and overcoming temptations. Even “the children”, which I take as those young in the faith, “have known the Father” (John 14:7). (Also see Item#40b, below.)
c.) Matthew 11:27-30. “’All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal Him. Come to me all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light’” The Lord Jesus is explaining the value of hearing and believing the gospel through His preaching, but he’s also implying that there is a higher plain of knowing the Father and even of knowing Him. Else, how can He be announcing that He is the Son, while stating that no one knows the Son. It’s like my old friends on the commuter train. I knew them because I saw and spoke with them daily, but had to conclude I didn’t really know them much at all. But knowing the Father and the Son are two relationships that we can really work at and develop, “for the Father seeketh such to worship Him” (John 4:23, KJV). And how tempting is that promise of a light burden and an easy yoke through knowledge of Him!
d.) I John 5:19&20. “We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one. We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know Him who is true. And we are in Him who is true- even in His Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.” Some general Christian principles are given- “that we are children of God”, “that the whole world is under the control of the evil one”, and “that the Son of God has come and given us understanding”. The instance of heavenly knowledge, though, comes out when John relates that such understanding is given so “that we may know Him who is true”- the Father. (Also see Item#15k above.)
e.) John 7:16&17. “My teaching is not my own. It comes from Him who sent me. If anyone chooses to do God’s will, he will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own.” When the Scripture teaches that we learn something about God by obedience, then we are obtaining heavenly knowledge from that experience, because that knowledge is not coming from general Christian teaching. In John 7:17 we see that we can gain a recognition of Christ’s authority through obedience to God’s will. Well, what about “the School of hard knocks”? I just received a letter from a friend in prison reflecting on how much he learned about the Lord from his prison experience. I recall that I had a life changing experience back in 1984, or so. It stemmed from my decision to humble myself and pray for my enemies. Through that experience I gained a knowledge of God which I’ll probably never get again until I see Him face to face. So, obedience to God’s will brings either general Christian growth or growth in our knowledge of heavenly things, even the Father.
f.) John 8:19. “Then they asked Him, ‘where is your Father?’ ‘You do not know Me or my Father,’ Jesus replied. ‘If you knew Me, you would know my Father also.’” When I was a new believer, a brother once told me, “Get to know the man behind the book.” This verse adds that, once we get to know that man, we’ll know the Father also. “Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent” (John 17:3). From this I glean that general Christian knowledge and heavenly knowledge intersect at the Lord Jesus Christ. (Again, I perceive that the perspective of this Grace Study makes clear some very difficult passages- such as John 8:19 and John 17:3.)
40.) General Christian knowledge progresses into heavenly knowledge, I John 4:2,6,13,&16 “This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God (vs.2&3)…. We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we recognize the Spirit of truth and the spirit of falsehood (vs.6)…. We know that we live in Him and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent His Son to be the Savior of the world (vs.13&14)…. And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in Him (vs.16).” I’ve isolated these four verses out of the total passage which deals with some other topics, one main topic being that “God is love”. This isolating doesn’t mean that I’m taking the verses out of context, but rather focusing on knowledge as it’s described and used in the context of this passage. Some items of note follow:
a.) First we see that the 4th chapter of I John starts out with the urging to “test the spirits to see whether they are from God” (vs.1). And, John spends much of his letter trying to teach us to recognize the Spirit of Truth versus the spirit of Antichrist. (See Prophecy Section Items# 1a1, 1a4, & 1f; also Shepherding Section Item#314.)
b.) Verses 2,3, &6 are very similar in content in that they present acceptance of general Christian teaching as a means of discerning false spirits. Verses 2&3 use the general Christian teaching of Christ’s coming in the flesh as the discerning point. Verse six uses all general Christian teaching as the discerning point- “whoever is not from God does not listen to us”. But we should not merely dwell on the negative. These verses also show that we can recognize the Spirit of God by discerning the same points- “every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God” (vs.2), “Whoever knows God listens to us…This is how we recognize the Spirit of truth” (vs.6). This is why I conclude from this Grace Study item, #40, that general Christian knowledge progresses into heavenly knowledge. This continual need for discernment sharpens our skills at recognizing God’s Spirit working around us (grace). This issue of general knowledge progressing into heavenly knowledge also comes out in Item#39b, above, where we see the children, the young men, and the fathers each have a different perspective in their knowledge of the Lord..
c.) Vs 13&14 are not two separate statements. John is forming an argument for how we can discern and know that God remains in us. (Notice that I’ve not said that his argument is how we can recognize the Spirit of truth- that would be another discussion.). The argument comes to a conclusion in verses 15&16. The following are the items building up John’s case as well as John’s conclusion in verses 15&16: “… and receive from Him anything we ask, because we obey His commands and do what pleases Him. And this is His command: to believe in the name of His Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as He commanded us. Those who obey His commands live in Him, and He in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit He gave us (v.3:23&24). … We know that we live in Him and He in us, because He has given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent His Son to be the Savior of the world (vs.4:13&14). … If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God. And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in Him (vs. 4:15&16).” So John gives the following proof of God’s indwelling: obedience to the Lord’s commands (which must include loving one another), the presence of the Holy Spirit, our acknowledgement of the gospel, and the presence of love in us. However, while this argument is targeted toward recognizing God’s indwelling, I still note that acknowledgement of the gospel and recognizing the presence of the God’s Holy Spirit constitute general Christian knowledge and heavenly knowledge respectively. Further, the recognition of the Holy Spirit spoken of in verse 3:24 was brought about by the answered prayer which was spoken of in verse 3:22&23. And since prayer is a general Christian practice, not requiring heavenly knowledge, verses 3:22-24 also lead to the conclusion of Item#40- that general Christian knowledge progresses into heavenly knowledge.
41.) How does God know us and our hearts? John 1:49 “‘How do you know me’? Nathaniel asked.” The following are some passages that deal with God knowing us; and hopefully we can glean some understanding of God’s Way through these verses:
a.) “Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part, and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child. I thought like a child. I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” (I Corinthians 13:8-13). This verse, of course, points out that we are fully known by God. And, there’s also a promise that when Christ comes we shall have such knowledge, not just seeing in a glass darkly. Items#12b &22 above also discuss this concept.
b.) “Now some teachers of the law were sitting there thinking to themselves, ‘Why does this fellow talk like that? He’s blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?’ Immediately Jesus knew in His spirit that this was what they were thinking in their hearts, and He said to them, ‘Why are you thinking these things?’” (Mark 2:6-8). The Matthew 9:4 account gives, “Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said, ‘Why do you entertain evil thoughts in your hearts?’ …” Are the semantics of Christ’s knowing us through His spirit the same as a word of knowledge? No, because we’ve seen in Item#41a, above, that we’re fully known by God; and I Corinthians 13:9 is referring to a word of knowledge as a partial knowing. (Also see Item#16c.) Rather, Christ can know our thoughts because he is the creator of our bodies, including our brains. God knows how our brains function, since he knows where each atom is in all creation, including its velocity and angle of movement, and many other things which scientists haven’t even conceived yet (Colossians 1:16&17). The Lord Jesus consciously holds all atoms together. So, it only follows that while he consciously holds all matter of the brain together he also knows what is occurring in that created organ- even complicated functions such as a thought. (I believe this is why the Lord Jesus is the only true healer, not doctors. This is also how the Lord was able to answer Daniel’s prayer even before he asked it- Daniel 9:23, “As soon as you began to pray an answer was given”.)
c.) “Then they brought Him a demon possessed man who was blind and mute, and Jesus healed Him, so that he could both walk and see. All the people were astonished and said, ‘Could this be the Son of David?’ But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, ‘It is only by Beelzebub, the prince of demons, that this fellow drives out demons.’ Jesus knew their thoughts, and said to them, Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand. …‘” (Mt 12:22-25). It’s amazing to see the difference in reaction between the normal people and those claiming a clearer understanding (the Pharisees). Truly “knowledge puffs up but love builds up” (I Corinthians 8:1). People claiming religious titles and clerical preferences today fall under the auspices of I Corinthians 8:1. They’re unduly puffed up- by pride and warped teaching. (See Item#42 below.) May it never be so for me or any of my loved ones! Item#b, above, shows that the Lord can follow thoughts through a brain since He is the Creator and sustainer of that organism. But this instance also reminds me that common social skills, as well as God’s Spirit, can also bring us to understand people’s thoughts. I mean that there’s such a difference in the thought patterns of these two groups that it had to be obvious to all. Here is the Lord Jesus fulfilling God’s plan for Him by revealing Himself to an awaiting and open-hearted Israel as their Messiah, while at the same time, the pretending clerics are claiming He’s in league with Satan. However obvious a situation seems, we cannot know others’ thoughts for sure, until they speak to confirm; but the Lord Jesus can. And we should also consider that words and actions don’t always match people’s motives. However, God has given us His Spirit, and His Spirit will try to alert us when something is wrong, whether it is dangerous teaching, or physical danger, or even demonic presence. So we can feel and discern a dangerous situation or wrong teaching through God’s Spirit in us (I John 2:20), or many times just by common sense.
d.) “Moreover demons came out of many people, shouting, ‘You are the Son of God!’ But He rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew he was the Christ.” Luke 4:41. Item#15d, above, discusses the demons’ knowledge of Christ as a form of heavenly knowledge. However, this verse and others like it also connote that Christ immediately recognized the demons in such people. Well, the obvious explanation of how Christ recognized such demons inside of people is that He recognized them through His Spirit. Remember that He has been the second person of the Triune God since eternity past. His presence at the event allowed Him to say, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven” (Luke 10:18). So, the Lord Jesus can see our thoughts and even demons.
e.) “On another Sabbath He went into the synagogue and was teaching, and a man was there whose right hand was shriveled. The Pharisees and the teachers of the Law were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched Him closely to see if He would heal on the Sabbath. But Jesus knew what they were thinking and said to the man with the shriveled hand, ‘Get up and stand in front of everyone’. So he got up and stood there. Then Jesus said to them, ‘I ask you, which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or destroy it?’ He looked around at them all, and then said to the man, ‘Stretch out your hand’. He did so and his hand was completely restored. But they were furious and began to discuss with each other what they might do to Jesus.” Luke 6:6-11. Well it pops out at me that in this passage we see the Lord Jesus controlling the molecules of this man’s hand, and bringing his hand to full restoration. At the same time, since He, unbeknownst to them, also controls the very substance of the brains of the Pharisees and Teachers, He is able to read the thoughts of those Pharisees and Teachers.
f.) “No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money. The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all this and were sneering at Jesus. He said to them, ‘You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of men, but God knows your hearts. What is highly valued among men is detestable in God’s sight.’” (Luke 16:15). In Items#b through e above, the focus has been on how our Creator can know our thoughts, but now we see that the father can know our hearts. Watchman Nee has written convincingly regarding our heart and its relationship with the spirit, soul, and body. He wrote[5], “What we usually call the heart, according to the Bible, is the conscience in man’s spirit plus the mind in his soul. This is the heart. The spirit is the organ for communicating with God, for being intimate with God, for understanding the will of God, and for knowing God. The heart is the administrator of the spirit; it expresses everything that is in the spirit. Everything the spirit has is expressed by the heart. The heart is composed of man’s conscience plus his mind. The whole Bible speaks about the heart in this way. Therefore, the heart is the point of mutual interaction for the spirit and the soul, the contiguous place and the place of intersection. It is like the central exchange of the telephone company where all the lines intersect and all the calls pass through. Any thing that wants to enter the spirit must pass through the heart before it can enter. (I would comment, though, that revelation or other action from God upon our spirit and soul needn’t originate from our heart, but originates from God’s Spirit upon our spirit, and then enters our heart and mind- Romans 5:5. And, this agrees with what Brother Nee is saying later in his treatise[6].) Anything that is expressed from the spirit must also come out through the heart, because the heart is the place of mutual interaction, the point of contact, and the place of mutual reception. The spirit reaches the soul through the heart. The soul, including what it feels from the outside, reaches the heart, and from the heart passes through to the spirit. This is where our personality lies; it is the true self and the real “I”.” Using Brother Nee’s definition of our hearts, then, we should also realize that “God knows your hearts”. He doesn’t just know our thoughts which pass through our brains. He also knows the spiritual transactions passing between our spirits and our minds- both renewed and unregenerate. This is because the Father is a Spirit (John 4:24). We sense a person’s heart by his actions and speech, “For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks” (Matthew 12:34). However, the Father doesn’t need to sense our hearts; He knows our hearts and our thoughts. Some other instances citing God’s ability to know our hearts follow. “Then they prayed, ‘Lord, you know everyone’s heart. Show us which of these two you have chosen to take over this apostolic ministry, which Judas left to go where he belongs.’” (Acts 1:24 & 25). “God, who knows the heart, showed that He accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as He did to us. He made no distinction between us and them, for He purified their hearts by faith. (Acts 15:8).
g.) “Now while He was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many people saw the miraculous signs He was doing and believed in His name. But Jesus would not entrust Himself to them for He knew all men. He did not need man’s testimony about man, for He knew what was in a man,” (John 2:23-25). The statements that, “He knew all men”, and “He knew what was in a man” are not far distant from what’s been said in Items#b & f, above. The Lord Jesus knows our thoughts because He consciously maintains the molecules of our bodies through His own will; indeed, “in Him all things hold together” (Colossians 1:17). And, not only does He know our thoughts, but He knows our hearts as well.
h.) “The third time He said to him, ‘Simon, son of John, Do you love me?’ Peter was hurt because Jesus asked Him the third time, ‘Do you love me?’ He said, ‘Lord you know all things; you know that I love you.’ “(John 21:17). So, it’s very evident herein that the disciples understood that the Lord Jesus knew their thoughts and hearts, even whether they loved Him.
i.) “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And He who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will.” (Romans 8:27) So, a man can be stymied in tongue and even in his mind. But if his heart is right, then the Spirit will intercede for him before God’s throne. This reminds me of that verse in II Chronicles 16:9, “For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the Earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him.” So, the Lord searches men’s hearts, and His Spirit indwells the heart of the believer. And so our Creator doesn’t miss a thing regarding our life and our soul. “For His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me” (famous hymn by Civilla Martin).
j.) “We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers. Anyone who does not love remains in death. … Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue, but with actions and in truth. This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence whenever our hearts condemn us. For God is greater than our hearts, and He knows everything.” I John 3:14&18-20. Peter failed in obedience, faith, and I suppose you could say in love; he denied Christ three times. But the Lord could look beyond the surface of Peter’s heart and see his true faith and His future faithfulness. “If we disown Him, he will also disown us; if we are faithless, he will remain faithful, for he cannot disown Himself.” (II Timothy 2:12&13). We are in the same boat as Peter, even though we are permanently sealed by the Holy Spirit; however, Peter had not yet experienced Pentecost at the time of His denial. Bill Gothard, a well known Bible teacher out of Oak Brook, Illinois, in his seminars entitled “Institute in Basic Life Principles”, identified surface problems and surface causes as well as root problems and root causes. So, from our passage, we see that God sees beyond the surface of our hearts to the root of our hearts. From this passage we also see that love, obedience, and the Spirit go together for believers. If we love, we obey. And when we obey we are practicing love-in-action. And how can we claim to be a believer if we’re not doing these things. (Also see Items#12a&16i, above.)
As was stated, we only know in part, and until Christ comes we cannot fully know. But we can certainly gain more general Christian knowledge and heavenly knowledge, and we can also grow in the knowledge and grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. I believe the brief review herein regarding God and Christ knowing our hearts tells us a lot about how God works around us and in us. This stirs me up to say, “Create in me a pure heart, Oh God!” (Psalms 51:10).
42.) “Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up”. I Corinthians 8:1-3 “Now about food sacrificed to idols: We know that we all possess knowledge. Knowledge puffs up but love builds up. The man who thinks he knows something does not yet know as he ought to know. But the man who loves God is known by God.” Oh, that we might grasp this concept and hold on to it! This is how we can be used by God- through love. Your own personal motives or the motives of your church are not enough to make for successful service in the Lord. Love for the Lord and love for your neighbor, especially the lost, have to be the primary motivators in the Lord’s work. I’m not saying that other things aren’t considered, but such other things ought to be way on the back burner. This need for love can be considered logically. Since “God is love” (I John 4:8), and true ministry consists of God’s Holy Spirit working through you (gifts, Ephesians 4:7&8), then love must be the primary motivating factor in our Lord’s ministry through us; else we end up as a puffed up believer who is merely clanging his gong. This is not to say, however, that if you act in love your acts will be received in love. The fleshly nature of mankind will still cause you to be criticized as an unloving, clanging gong by some, because the flesh wars against the Spirit (Galatians 5:17). Paul’s apostleship was a manifestation of his love for Israel, as well as a gift of the Holy Spirit; yet Paul was brutally resisted and beaten for his display of love.
The reality to a mature Christian is that “the man who loves God is known by God”. It is God who we ultimately serve and He is the one who sees and appreciates that “your labor in the Lord is not in vain” (I Corinthians 15:58). (Also see the Contents Section, Item#G.k- “Love as the basis for Spiritual abilities”.)
43.) Knowing by Scripture or by heavenly knowledge, John 19:28 “Later, knowing that all was now completed, and so that the Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, ‘I am thirsty’. A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on the stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus’ lips. When He had received the drink, Jesus said, ‘It is finished’. With that, He bowed His head and gave up His spirit.” This verse demonstrates the difference between heavenly knowledge and Scripture knowledge, their similarities and their differences. Psalm 69:20&21 says, “I looked for sympathy, but there was none, for comforters, but there was none. They put gall in my food and gave me vinegar for my thirst.” So, the fulfillment of Scripture is Jesus saying “I thirst” along with the Romans’ act of giving Him vinegar wine in fulfillment of the Messianic prophecy of Psalms 69:21. However, there are two phrases listed which predicate the Lord’s “I thirst” statement. The first phrase is “knowing that all was now completed”, while the second phrase is “so that the Scripture would be fulfilled”. The tiny word “and” which joins these two phrases in the NIV translation does not occur in my Greek interlinear, neither in the King James. Personally, I agree that its inclusion in the NIV makes the passage more clear, and here’s why.
The Lord is speaking of a completion. “Knowing that all was now completed”, He said, “It is finished”. In order for the Lord to say “It is finished”, first the Lord had to know all the things that had to be accomplished at Calvary and during His life. This took heavenly knowledge because no normal man could even fathom the sum of what was accomplished at the cross. (However, for me to even touch the surface of His work at the cross would take more effort than this “Grace Study” allows.) So the Lord, by heavenly knowledge, knew that all was completed, except one small item and one big item. The small item was the vinegar wine, while the big item was His giving up the ghost. In considering why the Lord should say, “I thirst”, it’s obvious why He’d say that in order to fulfill Scripture. However, why should He say, “I thirst” in response to knowing “that all was now completed”? When certain large fish realize that they are caught and can’t escape they go into what’s called a “death roll”, and amazingly sometimes escaping with that last effort. In this passage the Lord is not in a death roll, neither trying to escape, but he’s realized that He’s accomplished all that the Father would have Him to do, and that His earthly life is over (for now). The transaction that paid for sin is finished. His perfect life is finished. All the Messianic atonement prophecies were about to be finished. And all that’s left is His statement that “I thirst”, and His giving up the ghost. My point is that the Lord didn’t go to Calvary merely that the Scripture should be fulfilled. Neither did He do what He did merely by following Scripture. He had heavenly knowledge and used it in His life’s work as well as knowledge of the Scripture. Now we can choose to obey Scripture, and that’s excellent, but we are also given heavenly knowledge, and that’s also part of our arsenal of weapons. (Many also teach that the Lord said, “I thirst” because He was thirsting for souls to be drawn to Himself at the completion of His atoning sacrifice- John 12:32; and I wouldn’t dare disagree, nor does this conflict with the above statements.)
II Timothy 3:16 says, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” Now some have said that this passage means that, since the Scripture thoroughly equips us for every good work, then we don’t need anything else, particularly revelation apart from Scripture or apart from the preaching of Scripture. Such people also contend that with the completion of the Bible many of the Spirit abilities have become “abolished”. (See Item#1 of the Prophecy Section.) II Timothy 3:16, then, becomes one of their strongest arguments regarding replacement of Spirit abilities by the Scripture. One of their own preachers, though, long ago said, “I don’t think the Lord would take something away from us like that. It would give the devil too much of an advantage.” (I agree because I know that “God’s gifts and His call are irrevocable”- Romans 11:29.) Any logical consideration of II Timothy 3:16 will show these anti-revelation teachings to be false, because of the following two main flaws:
a.) All such revelation was in practice in the Church at the time of writing of I Corinthians. This is evidenced by the accounts of Agabus and the seven daughters of Phillip the Evangelist, who prophesied (Acts 21:9&10). This is also evidenced by other New Testament accounts such as I Corinthians Chapters 12-14. So, when Paul was writing to Timothy, he couldn’t possibly be meaning that Timothy had no need of other instructions and leadings of the Holy Spirit other than Scripture; because this was not the situation in the Church at the writing of II Timothy. People have now claimed, though, that the giving of Spirit abilities by God (grace gifts and personal revelations) has changed since the completion of the Bible. But the Bible hadn’t been completed by the time of writing II Timothy. Indeed, John’s Revelation at Patmos came thirty years later. So, are people claiming that the contextual message of II Timothy 3:16 is different for us than it was for Timothy, and to those to whom Timothy was instructed to pass the letter- II Timothy 2:2? No!! So, such an argument makes no logical sense, and “doesn’t hold water” when properly thought through.However, let me be clear and emphatic! I’ve personally encountered and witnessed many who are actively teaching and trying to enforce the teaching that many passages of Scripture have actually changed their meaning since the completion of Scripture. It sounds like utter nonsense, but I, and others who believe as I have, had to bear the brunt of these illogical interpretations. (Although, truthfully, those who adhere to, or merely don’t seriously consider, what such are wrongfully teaching, are the ones suffering under such teaching. Seriously, I’ve noted inordinate amounts of sicknesses and other failures among such gatherings. Really, I was glad when the Lord provided for my removal from their midst. I am glad because of my family’s health, and their spiritual progress as well.) And, if you say anything to such people, they’ll immediately try to accuse you of doctrinal error. Such people will zealously sing that the “Bible stands like a rock undaunted midst the raging storms of time”, while at the same time teaching that large passages have changed their meaning since the Bible’s completion. One poor fellow actually told me that the “sermon on the mount” became obsolete with the completion of Scripture. I kid you not!
b.) The second flaw with this anti-revelation interpretation of II Timothy builds on the first. This second flaw asserts that Paul wrote II Timothy 3:16 as a prophecy of future events or situations. Paul clearly wrote it as an encouragement to Timothy, which was passed down to us by the Lord as Scripture. To hold to the anti-revelation interpretation of this passage, you must accept that personal/ direct revelation was in place at the point of II Timothy’s writing and that Paul, then, must have written II Timothy 3:16 as a prophecy of future events- mainly the completion of the Scripture. Such wrongful analysis would require that the full equipping of Timothy by Scripture would be different than the full equipping of us. That is, that Timothy would be fully equipped even though Scripture was not completed yet, and Timothy received revelation from God apart from Scripture. Such an assertion, that II Timothy 3:16 is a prophetic verse, has never been taught and isn’t true.
Like many other false teachings, an anti-revelation interpretation can be, and is, proven false by considering the whole of Scripture, that is, that all of Scripture is God-breathed and must be true. And, if your analysis causes another part of Scripture to be impossible, then your analysis must be rethought and considered false, because “the Scripture cannot be broken” (John 10:35). I learned this, total scripture type of analysis, from a well meaning teacher who was preaching that you could lose your salvation. He said he wrote down all the eternal security verses on one side of a paper, and all the verses seeming to connote that you could lose your salvation on the other side. He then concluded that salvation is too important, and it must be protected by acts of obedience. (I think his faith in the Cross failed at that point of decision.) His analysis was flawed because he didn’t properly apply the concept of the inerrancy of Scripture. It is not that some of the Scripture is true, but rather that all of the Scripture is true (John 10:35). A person believing in eternal security can explain away verses that seem to imply that you can lose your salvation. But no one can explain away those great passages of Scripture that insure salvation, verses like Romans 4:5, Romans 3:21&22, and Ephesians 2:6-10. However, this concept, that the entire Bible must be true, can be applied to any consideration about God. That is why I’m studying God’s grace, and publishing this study on the internet. God has led me to “proclaim the power of God” to His people- the Church. And, since many of the teachings which seem to stop believers from practicing their gifts is due to errors of Biblical interpretation, this Grace Study seems paramount in bringing the truth out and also proclaiming that truth. Please help me to proclaim these truths by referring others to this Grace Study, and using these truths in your teaching opportunities.
Concluding this knowledge portion of this Word of Knowledge Section, we see that in-depth perspectives allow us to glean more knowledge and a better way of considering what we already had known. This increased knowledge of the Master allows us to refine our walk with the Lord, and to keep in step with the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:16). If we love the Lord, we must obey the Lord (John 15:10). But how can we obey the Lord if we turn a deaf ear to His voice. “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them and they follow me.” (John 10:27). My old acquaintance, Bill Maksimuk, heard a word of knowledge while working as a pipe fitter, in a 20 foot deep manhole. The voice said, “Turn sideways!” So, Bill turned sideways. Immediately, the entire manhole blew up from entrapped gas. Bill was blown straight up- 20 feet through the maze of pipe above him, and 20 more feet into the air above the manhole. He landed unharmed. But Bill said if it wasn’t for that voice he heard and his turning sideways, he would have gotten entangled in the piping above him, and he would have died in that manhole. Now, we have a great God, who is not a mute idol. However, we must listen for His voice in order to be protected, follow Him, and to keep in step with His Holy Spirit.
Items numbered 44 through 399 study the “word” aspect of a “word of knowledge”, and the following items were pointed out as noteworthy:
“SPAKE”
46.) The Lord Jesus speaking by parables. Matthew 13:33&34 “He told them still another parable: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into a large amount of flour until it worked all through the dough.’ Jesus spoke all these things to the crowd in parables; He did not say anything to them without using a parable.” The Lord Jesus explained (in Matthew 13:10-15) why He spoke in parables: “The disciples came to Him and asked, ‘Why do you speak to the people in parables?’ He replied, ‘The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. This is why I speak to them in parables: ‘Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand.’ In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah: ‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving. For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.’ “ Of course, space doesn’t allow us to dig into the many parables which the Lord spoke. And we surely love to read and study those beautiful and wondrous parables of the kingdom of heaven. Some of the parables which were noted and reviewed in this Grace Study are located in: Luke 5:36, 6:39, 8:4,12:6, 13:6, 15:3, 18:1&9, 19:11, & 21:29; Matthew 22:1; Mark 3:23, 4:33, & 12:1; John 10:6, & 16:25.
54.) The Lord Jesus speaks, but there’s no understanding. Luke 2:50 “’Why were you searching for me’ He asked. ‘Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?’ But they (Mary and Joseph) did not understand what He was saying to them.” Unfortunately, this is many times the case with all of us. The Lord is speaking to us, but we are not recognizing God’s voice, neither His urges and nudges in our lives. We should pray about that! Once I was driving in Chicago, and I saw some flashing lights. I realized that the Lord wanted me to stop and share the gospel. I walked up to a scene where a car had lost control and crashed into a hot dog stand. There was a group of a dozen men trying to sell the owner the board up service. (They evidently had been following the police radios.) The men were confronting the female owner like dogs yelping over a bone. Well, I stood off toward the curb and boldly gave a brief gospel message warning that such a car crash could have happened to any of them, and asked “were they ready to meet their maker?”. The general reaction was fairly negative, but there was one young man who sincerely thanked me for sharing, and took one of my gospel tracts agreeing to read it. So the Lord’s Word did go out and surely accomplished what He had sent it to do (Isaiah 55:11). The point is that at that time I heard the Lord’s nudge, but there have been many other times that I felt the nudge but couldn’t shake my carnal slumber enough to figure out what the Lord wanted me to do. And, I believe this is and has been so for many Christians.
63.) Scripture in relation to words of wisdom and knowledge, Luke 24:44-49 “He said to them, ‘This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.’ Then He opened up their minds so that they could understand the Scriptures. He told them, ‘This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in His name to all nations, beginning in Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.’ “ I had a young believer tell me, “I don’t think that the Sermon on the Mount is for us today, because it was meant to explain the Law to the Jews in Jesus time”. I hope that he was then corrected by my explanation. Basically, I asserted II Timothy 3:16, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God might be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” Another preacher told me that when he gave someone (such as Rick) a Bible he would write on the front of the Book of John, “The Word of God to Rick, according to John”. I actually studied the concept of whether the Scripture definitely describes itself as the Word of God. And, to really nail it down, you have to go to David in the psalms, such as in Psalms 119:13-16, “With my lips I recall all the laws that come from your mouth. I rejoice in following your statutes as one rejoices in great riches. I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways. I delight in your decrees; I will not neglect your Word.” So we see that believers have always considered Scripture to be the Word of God, as if it had come straight from God’s mouth. Peter agrees with this definition that God-breathed writings constitute the Word, and succinctly adds Paul to the list of Scripture writers, “…Just as our dear brother Paul wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him. He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction.” (II Peter 3:16). So, this is why the written Word, which are the Scriptures (“graphe” in the Greek) is considered the same as the spoken Word (“logos” in the Greek). Item#391f, below, states that prophecy is also directly from the Spirit’s mouth.
But, the Scripture also teaches concerning a Word (“logos”) which is not contained in the Scripture (“graphe”), that being a word of wisdom, word of knowledge, New Testament prophecy, and also God’s revelation to individuals as they read individual passages of Scripture, and also the individual “commands” which the Lord Jesus gives to His “friends”. (Please see Items 37 & 15j in this Word of Knowledge Section regarding His “commands”.) So, God is not a mute idol and is still speaking to us, whether through the Scripture or by individual revelations as needed in our lives. Item #43, above, does a good job of discussing this. Some of the same perspectives can be found in the following items: Items #1& #14, above, and Item#396 below; Items #99, 143b, 157, & 285c,of the Prophecy Section; Vs. 1:9 of the Prophecy per Jeremiah Section; Items #11, 70, 77, 146, 263, &306 of the Teaching Section; Items #2, 7, &43 of the Word of Wisdom Section.
And, we must understand that God does not give His Word randomly; there is a purpose for His Word. In all cases it never comes back void (Isaiah 55:11).
66.) Plain speech by the Lord Jesus Christ is still special, John 7:46 “ ‘No one ever spoke the way this man does,’ the guards declared.” I take joy when I recognize the Holy Spirit speaking to me at various times. But, what must it have been like to hear the Lord Jesus speak while he was on this earth. These guards recognized immediately that He was special. And. how those words of Jesus must have penetrated their hearts! In Mathew 8:8, “The centurion replied, ‘Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed.’ “ There will certainly come a time when we will hear the words of the Lord Jesus in our ears, we’ll stand before Him (II Corinthians 5:10), we’ll see Him face to face (I Corinthians 13:12), and “we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is” (I John 3:2).
67.) The “I am” statements of the Lord Jesus Christ, Various Scripture Passages. The following are the “I am” statements that I encountered during this study, including some at the end of the list which I just now recognized:
a.) John 8:12, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
b.) John 6:35, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.”
c.) John 10:9, “I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved.”
d.) John 10:11, “I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.”
e.) John 11:25, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die.”
f.) John 14:6, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
g.) John 4:26, “‘I know that Messiah’ (called Christ) ‘is coming. When He comes He will explain everything to us.’ Then Jesus declared, ‘I who speak to you am He’.”
h.) John 8:58, “‘I tell you the truth,’ Jesus answered, ‘Before Abraham was born, I am!’“
i.) John 13:13, “’You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so for that is what I am.’
j.) John 13:19, “’But this is to fulfill the Scripture: ‘He who shares my bread has lifted up his heel against me’. I am telling you now before it happens, so that when it does happen, you will believe that I am He.’” Here the Lord is referring to the One about whom the Scripture is written, that suffering servant who is also the Messiah..
k.) John 18:5, “’I am He,’ Jesus said. (And Judas the traitor was standing there with them.) When Jesus said, ‘I am He,’ they drew back and fell to the ground.” I always loved this passage because it shows the awesome power of the Lord Jesus’ being. And so, I conclude that this passage should always be included as one of the “I am” statements of the Lord Jesus Christ, and I’m not alone in that perspective.
l.) Exodus 3:14, “Moses said to God, ‘Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what shall I tell them? God said to Moses, ‘I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are going to say to the Israelites: ‘I am (Jehovah) has sent me to you’” This passage gives the reason why the “I am” statements of the Lord Jesus are so special. (See also Exodus 6:2-6.) Exodus 3:6 also gives great insight into these “I am” statements: “Then He said, ‘I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. At this, Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God.” Moses was not afraid to speak to the burning bush, or even approach with his sandals on his feet. Yet when Moses heard the Lord’s “I am” declaration he was moved in his mind to cover his face. So, it wasn’t the glory which caused him to hide his face, but the power of that “I am” declaration coupled with the realization that he was communicating with the One True God. This is similar to Item k, above, when those soldiers and officials fell to the ground from the Lord Jesus’ declaration that “I am He”. So, these “I am” statements are not just insights into Christ’s character and function, but they are powerful declarations that the Lord Jesus is indeed Jehovah incarnate, the second person of God who has always existed in the past, is now, and forever will be God.
68.) The man from heaven- The Lord Jesus Christ, John 8:23-30 “But He continued, ‘You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am the one I claim to be, you will indeed die in your sins.’ ‘Who are you?’ they asked. ‘Just what I have been claiming all along,’ Jesus replied. ‘I have much to say in judgment of you. But He who sent me is reliable, and what I have heard from Him I tell the world.’ They did not understand that He was telling them about His Father. So Jesus said, ‘When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am the one I claim to be, and that I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me. The one who sent me is with me; He has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases Him.’ Even as He spoke many put their faith in Him.” That verse, “You are from below; I am from above”, had a huge impact on me when I read and analyzed it. The passage is essentially relegating one’s understanding of the cross to the times after Pentecost. But it is also verifying why we are studying God’s grace, since grace is intercession from God’s throne above. My attention and interest to this verse is actually Scriptural, although I didn’t recall the Scripture passage when the verse first impacted me. The Scripture says, “Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on earthly things. For you died and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you will appear with Him in glory.” (Colossians 3:1-4). Ephesians 2:6 says that we are already seated with God “in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus”. In John 3: 31-36 John the Baptist also accentuates Christ as the man from heaven, “The one who comes from above is above all; the one who is from the earth belongs to the earth, and speaks as one from the earth. The one who comes from heaven is above all. He testifies to what He has seen and heard, but no one accepts his testimony. The man who has accepted it has certified that God is truthful. For the one whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God gives the Spirit without limit. The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in his hands. Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him.”
76.) The Word drives the events in God’s kingdom agenda, John 18:8&9 “’I told you that I am He,’ Jesus answered. ‘If you are looking for me, then let these men go.’ This happened so that the words He had spoken would be fulfilled: ‘I have not lost one of those you gave me.’” When I conclude that the Word drives the events in God’s kingdom, I’m fully realizing that God is using his resources to bring about the fulfillment of his Word. God’s word is like a written schedule that project managers and contractors consult to see what must be done. Of course, such project schedules can be riddled with massive errors- not so God’s Word. Here are some other passages that bring home this point:
a.) Genesis 1:1-3 “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. And God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light”.
b.) Psalms 33:4-9 “For the Word of the Lord is right and true; He is faithful in all He does. The Lord loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of his unfailing love. By the Word of the Lord were the heavens made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth. He gathers the waters of the seas into jars; He puts the deep into storehouses. Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the people of the world revere Him. For He spoke, and it came to be, He commanded, and it stood firm.”
c.) Is 55:10&11 “As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: it will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and will achieve the purpose for which I sent it.”
d.) John 19:24-37 “’Let’s not tear it,’ they said one to another. ‘Let’s decide by lot who will get it.’ This happened that the Scripture might be fulfilled which said, ‘They divided my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing.’ … These things happened so that the Scripture would be fulfilled: ‘Not one of his bones will be broken,’ and, as another Scripture says, ‘They will look on the one they have pierced.’” Of course, there are whole charts and lists of all the Scripture that was fulfilled at Calvary. And, Item #43, above, gives another explanation and discussion of how the Word drives the events.
So, God has purpose for his Word, and the Word is a road map, but we should always realize that God’s Word does not stand alone. God stands behind his Word, and the Holy Spirit is still “hovering over the waters” of the various situations, and there are myriads of angels involved in various ongoing situations. However, God’s Word is absolute, and we are blessed by having his Word that we can cling to, and also to plumb its depths to attain knowledge, understanding, insight, and wisdom.
89.) The Lord in a vision, Acts 18:9, “One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision: ‘Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent. For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city (Corinth).’ So Paul stayed for a year and a half, teaching them the Word of God.” There are people who say that they’ve seen the Lord in a vision. The following are some of them mentioned in the Scripture:
a.) Paul at Corinth- Here we see that the Lord spoke and there was some type of visual communication as well. Else, how could the event be called a vision. The purpose of the vision was to instruct Paul to continue to speak in Corinth, which he did.
b.) Paul & the Macedonian vision, Acts 16:6-10, “Paul and his companions traveled throughout the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the Word in the province of Asia. When they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to. So they passed by Mysia and went down to Troas. During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, ‘Come over to Macedonia and help us.’ After Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at once to leave forMacedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.” Some important notes are that Paul and his group could recognize and feel the Holy Spirit and the Spirit of Jesus, as well as interpret the vision to conclude their calling to Macedonia. I’m convinced that such a vision, since it is received as a message from God, also should be included as a Word of knowledgeor Word of wisdom, depending whether knowledge or wisdom was imparted.
c.) Isaiah 6:1-10, “In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on the throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above Him were seraphs, each with six wings: with two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. And they were calling one to another: ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.’ At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke. ‘Woe to me!’ I cried, ‘I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.’ Then one of the seraphs flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. With it he touched my mouth and said, ‘See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.’ Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?’ And I said, ‘Here I am, send me!’ He said, ‘Go and tell this people: ‘Be ever hearing, but never understanding; be ever seeing, but never perceiving.’
d.) Revelation 1;9-19, “I, John, your brother and companion in the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance that are ours in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos because of the Word of God and the testimony of Jesus. On the Lord’s day I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet, which said: ‘Write on a scroll what you see and send it to the seven churches: toEphesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea.’ I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, and among the lampstands was someone like ‘a Son of man,’ dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet, and with a golden sash around his chest. His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. In his right hand he held seven stars, and out of his mouth came a sharp double edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance. When I saw Him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then He placed his right hand on me and said: ‘Do not be afraid. I am the first and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades. Write, therefore, what you have seen, what is now and what will take place later.’” One thing that I’ve noted in this passage is that it doesn’t really describe the event as a vision. However, we can assume that this event is what we would accept as being a vision. For further definition as to what constitutes a vision, please see Prophecy Section Items# 54, 97d, and 218a&b, and Word of Knowledge Section Item#14 & 15n, also above Item#b.
e.) Ananias, Acts 9:10, “In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called to him in a vision, ‘Ananias!’ ‘Yes Lord,’ he answered. The Lord told him, ‘Go to the house of Judas onStrait Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying. In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him to restore his sight.’ ‘Lord,’ Ananias answered, ‘I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your saints in Jerusalem. And he has come with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who come on your name.’ But the Lord said to Ananias, ‘Go! This man is my chosen instrument to carry my name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel. I will show him how much he must suffer in my name.’ Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, Brother Saul, the Lord- Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here- has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.’” So, in Ananias’ vision he was given specific instructions on how to deal with Paul for the furtherance of the Kingdom, as well as convincing Ananias to obey the vision. It’s also mentioned that Paul had a vision that Ananias would come to him. (Also see Item#14 above.)
The Lord foretold in Acts 2:17&18, “In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy.” I see no reason in Scripture why such visions, dreams, and prophecy would not also be for today. (Please see Item#97, 293, &1 in the Prophecy Section.) And as I’ve stated before, since believers are still reporting such dreams and visions, how can anyone deny that they still exist in the Church?
92.) The Lord Jesus summarily speaking, Hebrews 12:25&26 “See to it that you do not refuse Him who speaks. If they did not escape when they refused Him who warned them on earth, how much less will we, if we turn away from Him who warns us from heaven? At that time his voice shook the earth, but now He has promised, ‘Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.’” So this passage references the fact that the Lord Jesus’s words, taken summarily, include a warning. Of course this passage also reinforces the Scripture’s summary statement in Hebrews 1: 1&2, “In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, and through whom He made the universe.” I suppose there are many verses which refer to summary speech by the Lord, such as Psalm 33:6: “By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, their starry host by the breath of His mouth.”
97.) Undeniable promise to the Church of New Testament prophecy, Matthew 10:19&20 “But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.” You might say, “Well, these are instructions for the twelve apostles and not for our age.” But wait, Mark 13:3-11, which describes the signs during the “end times”, says this, “As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John and Andrew asked Him privately, ‘Tell us when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are all about to be fulfilled?’ Jesus said to them: ‘Watch out that no one deceives you. … And the gospel must first be preached to all nations. Whenever you are arrested and brought to trial, do not worry beforehand about what to say. Just say whatever is given you at the time, for it is not you speaking, but the Holy Spirit.” So, we must conclude that such prophecy, with words directly given us by the Holy Spirit, will last until the end of the Church age. These two passages in Matthew and Mark are nuggets of Scripture because they undeniably prove that believers will be speaking for God (prophecy), throughout the Church age, with words given them directly by the Holy Spirit- Words of wisdom and knowledge.
“SPEAK”
101.) Tongues as a sign, Mark 16:17&18 “And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.” There will always be signs that accompany Christians, intercession from God’s throne that show others that we are specially loved by God. (Regarding signs that accompany Christians, see Items#34c&e of the Apostleship Section and Item#77k of the Teaching Section.) We should take the same position as Paul regarding such gifts (see Other Grace Gift Issues- Item Gg in the Table of Contents Section.) Other passages discussing tongues are as follows:
a.) Paul’s position, per Prophecy Item#1: “So Paul’s position is summarized containing three elements mentioned in his conclusion, I Corinthians 14:39 & 40: ‘Be eager to prophesy (or practice any of the greater gifts per I Corinthians 12:30), …do not forbid to speak in tongues (Don’t speak against the Holy Spirit,)…everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way’. A fourth element, love, is found in I Corinthians 13:1-7. This is not just Paul’s position, this is the Lord’s position (II Timothy 3:16), and it should be our position.”
b.) Acts 2:4-11, &17-18, Pentecost: “All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard them speaking in his own language. Utterly amazed, they asked: ‘Are not all these men who are speaking Galileans? Then how is it that each of us hears them in his own native language? Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Egypt near Cyrene; visitors from Rome (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs- we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!’ … ‘In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and your daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy.’” So we see that in this instance of tongues at Pentecost, there was an interpretation in that each heard the speeches in his own language, and the speakers were declaring the wonders of God, and tongues is defined as a form of prophecy (thus Paul’s insistence on interpretation, later). (See Items#97c & 340a in the Prophecy Section for more discussion of tongues as a form of prophecy.)
c.) Acts 10:46, Cornelius’ house “While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came upon all who heard the message. The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles. For they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God. Then Peter said, ‘Can anyone keep these people from being baptized with water? They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have.’” (When I first believed I didn’t speak in tongues but I was certainly praising God, by singing some hymns which I suddenly remembered.) Later, Peter returned to Jerusalem where he explained how the gentiles had gotten saved, and related, “As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit came on them as He had come on us at the beginning. Then I remembered what the Lord had said: ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’”(Acts 11:15&16). This instance is a clear discernment between water baptism and the baptism in the Holy Spirit, and it also gives another perspective on tongues and the pouring out of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.
d.) Speaking from God According to I Corinthians 14 This section of the Grace Study contains a good discussion of Paul’s directives regarding tongues in relation to prophecy.
e.) Mark 16:20, Confirming the Word by signs “Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed His Word by the signs that accompanied it.” This verse proves up the contention that was spelled out in Items#34c&e of the Apostleship Section, Item#9d of the Healings Section, and Item#77k of the Teaching Section, which was mentioned above. The contention was that Christian work was accompanied by signs, and that the Lord Jesus was still the principal worker of these miracles, not the Christian worker. Note that the signs confirmed the Word as it was given out, as opposed to confirming the actions and practices of the believers.
103.) The Lord Jesus speaks to the dead, Luke 7:11-15 “Soon afterward Jesus went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a large crowd went along with Him. As he approached the town gate a dead person was being carried out- the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the town was with her. When the Lord saw her, his heart went out to her and He said, ‘Don’t cry.’ Then He went up and touched the coffin, and those carrying it stood still. He said, ‘Young man, I say to you, get up!’ The dead man sat up and began to talk, and Jesus gave him back to his mother.” We could say much about the Lord’s compassion, but the point that comes to my mind is that the Lord’s Word is able to reach across that great gap of death and command the young man back to life again. These semantics are akin to His promise in II Thessalonians 4:16 & 17, “For the Lord Himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.” Some other instances of the Lord speaking to the dead follow:
a.) Lazarus, John 11:38-44 “Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. ‘Take away the stone’, he said. ‘But Lord’, said Martha, the sister of the dead man, ‘by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days.’ Then Jesus said, ‘Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?’ So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, ‘Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.” When He said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, ‘Lazarus, come out!’ The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, ‘Take off the grave clothes and let him go.’” In Lazarus case he had been in the grave for four days, and still the Lord’s Word was able to reach across that great gap of death. As in the case of the Nain widow’s son, the Lord Jesus was filled with compassion for the mourning family, even though Lazarus’ death was “so that God’s Son may be glorified through it” (John 11:4).
b.) Jairus’ daughter, Mark 5:35-43 “While Jesus was still speaking, some men came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue ruler. ‘Your daughter is dead’, they said. ‘Why bother the teacher anymore?’ Ignoring what they said, Jesus told the synagogue ruler, ‘Don’t be afraid; just believe.’ He did not let anyone follow Him except Peter, James and John the brother of James. When they came to the home of the synagogue ruler, Jesus saw a commotion, with people crying and wailing loudly. He went in and said to them, ‘Why all this commotion and wailing? The child is not dead but asleep.’ But they laughed at Him. After he put them all out, He took the child’s father and mother and the disciples who were with Him, and went in where the child was. He took her by the hand and said to her, ‘Talitha koum!’ (which means, ‘Little girl I say to you, get up!’). Immediately the girl stood up and walked around (she was twelve years old). At this they were completely astonished. He gave strict orders not to let anyone know about this, and told them to give her something to eat.” In all three cases above the dead person immediately got up upon receiving the Lord’s command to arise. So, it’s easy to compare these instances to that time when all the believers, even the dead, will be given “the shout” when the Lord comes in the air and then “we will be with the Lord forever”.
107.) Jesus’ words are Spirit and life, John 6:63 “The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words that I have spoken to you are Spirit and they are life.” This, of course, agrees with Hebrews 4:10 which says, “For the Word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double edged sword, it penetrates even to the dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” So, God’s Word goes to work on an individual and will not come back to God void, “but will accomplish what I desire and will achieve the purpose for which I sent it” (Isaiah 55:11). As I get older I see how truly weak my flesh is, and I truly cherish the times when I see God’s Spirit working in and around me. “’Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord Almighty.” “Zechariah 4:6).Here’s some other Passages which show how God’s Word is alive and is the “sword of the Spirit” (Ephesians 6:17).
a.) The woman at the well, John 4:25-42 “The woman said, ‘I know that Messiah (called Christ) is coming. When He comes, He will explain everything to us.’ Then Jesus declared, ‘I who speak to you am He.’ … Then, leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said to the people, ‘Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Christ?’ They came out of the town and made their way toward them. … Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in Him because of the woman’s testimony, ‘He told me everything I ever did’. So when the Samaritans came to Him, they urged Him to stay with them, and He stayed two days. And because of his words many more became believers. They said to the woman, ‘We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world.’” So, in this encounter it was Christ’s piercing words, not his miracles, which won these people’s hearts.
b.) The temple guards, John 7:46 “’No one ever spoke the way this man does,’ the guards declared. These guards weren’t stupid. They experienced the power in Jesus’ words. I wonder if any of these guards were in the detachment sent to arrest the Lord Jesus at Gethsemane, of whom it was said, “When Jesus said, ‘I am He,’ they drew back and fell to the ground” (John 18:6).
c.) The Father speaks eternal life through the Lord Jesus, John 12:49&50 “For I did not speak of my own accord, but the Father who sent me commanded me what to say and how to say it. I know that his command leads to eternal life. So whatever I say is just what the Father has told me to say.” There is life through Christ’s words, to those who believe in Him, because his words are the very words of God. “I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes in Him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.” (John 5:24). “Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the father is in me? The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work.” (John 14:10).
d.) The Holy Spirit makes known the words of the Father and the Son, John 16:12-15 “I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. But when He, the Spirit of Truth comes, He will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; He will speak only what He hears, and He will tell you what is to come. He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will take from what is mine and make it known to you.” So the Spirit, although a person of God, only speaks as from the Father or the Son- making known what is from the father and the Son because all three are in perfect unity.
108.) Understanding depends upon your attitude, John 7:17 “Not until halfway through the feast did Jesus go up to the temple courts and begin to teach. The Jews were amazed and asked, ‘How did this man get such learning without having studied?’ Jesus answered, ‘My teaching is not my own. It comes from Him who sent me. If anyone chooses to do God’s will, he will find out if my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own. He who speaks on his own, does so to gain honor for himself, but he who works for the honor of the one who sent him is a man of truth; there is nothing false about him.” This passage is an intense and extremely valuable nugget of Scripture. The Lord Jesus is explaining that the total of his teaching, which encompasses his knowledge and understanding, comes from the Father. Well, if we are “being transformed into his likeness with ever increasing glory” (II Corinthians 3:18), do we have this same knowledge and understanding? Not yet we don’t! But we do have his teaching available and can progress in it (including his knowledge and understanding), particularly through the Scripture, with the Holy Spirit as our teacher (II Peter 3:18)). The Lord Jesus also makes it clear that those who don’t believe cannot understand the ways of God- Mark 11:33. This brings up the semantics of how the Lord Jesus operated under, and handled, the teaching of his Father. Was he like us, in that we have some knowledge and understanding, and then have to pray for wisdom (James 1:5) when we’re over our head? My current understanding of Him is that he is the second person of the Godhead from eternity past. And so, He knows all that the Father knows. However, there is at least one thing that the Father knows but not the Son, that is, the day and hour of the Son’s return. (See Item#15b, above.) Also, what of the Lord’s need to pray long hours into the night? The following are some instances, and hopefully we can glean a perception as to why the Lord Jesus was praying:
a) Matthew 14:22-25. “Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of Him to the other side, while He dismissed the crowd. After He had dismissed them, He went up by Himself to a mountainside to pray. When evening came, He was there alone, but the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by waves because the wind was against it. During the fourth watch of the night, Jesus went out to them walking on the lake.” So, the Lord prayed through the night until just before dawn (the fourth was the last watch of the night), alone, and on a mountainside.
b) Gethsemane, Matthew 26:36-46. “Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and He said to them, ‘Sit here while I go over there and pray’. He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with Him, and He began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then He said to them, ‘My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me’ Going a little farther, He fell with his face to the ground and prayed, ‘My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.’ Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. ‘Could you men not keep watch with me for one hour?’ he asked Peter. Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing but the body is week.’ He went away a second time and prayed, ‘My Father, if it is not possible that this cup be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done.’ When He came back, He again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. So He left them and went away once more and prayed the third time, saying the same thing. Then He returned to his disciples and said to them, ‘Are you still sleeping and resting? Look, the hour is near, and the son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise, let us go! Here comes my betrayer.’” Well, if we concentrate our focus on how, what, and why the Lord prayed we can glean some things. First, I note that the Lord put a distance between Himself and the main group of disciples, and then a smaller distance between Himself and Peter, James and John. I conclude that He knew that they wouldn’t understand his prayers, or what was about to unfold. Secondly, I perceive that the Lord was praying intensely to be resolved that Golgotha was truly the Father’s will. First He prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me.” Then He prayed, “My Father, if it is not possible … may your will be done.” By the third time He was fully resolved as to what the Father’s will was. He was “overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death”. But I believe that the reason He fell face down to the ground was because that was sometimes his manner of approaching the Father, and I believe He craved these times of direct fellowship with the father through prayer, as most Christians do also. He also gave some insight to us through his request to “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation”. The Lord Jesus knew the power of prayer and that Satan flees from such power displays, even in that all important battlefield of Gethsemane. We know that there was a battle going on because Luke 22:44&45 says, “An angel from heaven appeared to Him and strengthened Him. And being in anguish, He prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.” So earnest prayer was a weapon the Lord used to combat anguish; and He was seeking to be resolved that this was the Father’s will, even though He had “set his face as a flint to go to Calvary”; and He was craving fellowship with the Father through prayer.
c) Mark 1:35-37. “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where He prayed. Simon and his companions went to look for Him, and when they found Him they exclaimed: ‘Everyone is looking for you!’” So, here we see the Lord Jesus getting up at the third or fourth watch in the morning, and praying in a solitary place until people got up and starting their normal morning routines.
d) Luke 5:15&16. “Yet the news about Him spread all the more, so that crowds of people came to hear Him and to be healed of their sicknesses. But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.” The statement here is that the Lord Jesus sought out solitary places to be absolutely alone when He prayed. “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to the father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you” (Matthew 6:5&6).
e) Luke 6:12. “One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God”. I have to ask the question, “How did Jesus operate without sleep?” I’ve spent a day without sleep, and the next day I was practically incoherent. I conclude that the Lord’s ability to go without sleep was intrinsic to His incorruptible body (Acts 2:27), similar to his ability to fast for forty days (Matthew 4:2).
f) Transfiguration, Luke 9:26-36. “’If anyone is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of man will be ashamed of him when He comes in his glory and in the glory of the father and of the holy angels. I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God.’ About eight days after Jesus had said this, He took Peter, John and James with Him and went up onto a mountain to pray. As he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning. Two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared in glorious splendor, talking with Jesus. They spoke about his departure, which He was about to bring to fulfillment at Jerusalem. Peter and his companions were very sleepy, but when they came fully awake, they saw his glory and the two men standing with Him. … While he was speaking, a cloud appeared and enveloped them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. A voice came from the cloud, saying, ‘This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to Him.’ When the voice had spoken, they found that Jesus was alone.” I suppose I could speculate as to why the Transfiguration occurred. I could assume that He was praying to the Father regarding his departure and it became expedient for Moses and Elijah to appear and consult with Him. And undoubtedly the miraculous transfiguration occurred to fulfill the prophecy in verse 27. Perhaps the Lord felt such a display of his glory was necessary since a fuller explanation of the end wouldn’t be available until the Revelation to John at Patmos. However we analyze the event, though, the fact that the transfiguration occurred “as he was praying” adds a lot to our understanding of the event.
g) Resurrection of Lazarus, John 11:4-43. “When he heard this, Jesus said, ‘;This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for the Lord’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it. … So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, ‘Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.’ When He had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, ‘Lazarus, come out!’” So, herein we pick up two main points, as follows: That the Lord always hears our prayers, and that great miracles can be accomplished through simple prayer requests to the Father. We can also conclude that the whole situation was in the hands of the Father, in conjunction with his Son, from the start. And this experience was for our benefit that we should learn the Son’s power over death- that He is the Resurrection and the Life.
h) The Lord prays for his own, John 17:1-26. “Father, the time has come, glorify your Son that your Son may glorify you. For you granted Him authority over all people that He may give eternal life to all those you have given Him. Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work that you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory which I had with you before the world began. I have revealed you to those whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word. Now they know that everything you have given me comes from you. For I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them. They knew with certainty that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me. I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours. All I have is yours and all you have is mine. And glory has come to me through them. I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name- the name you gave me- so that they may be one as we are one. While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by that name you gave me. None has been lost except the one doomed to destruction so that Scripture would be fulfilled. I am coming to you now, but I am saying these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them. I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world anymore than I am of the world. My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified. My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world. Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.”
1) Did you notice that the Lord Jesus is speaking about Himself in the third person in the beginning of his prayer, “For you granted Him authority over all people that He may give eternal life to all those you have given Him”? This is an instance of a public prayer. The Lord Jesus was speaking with his disciples about the Holy Spirit and his relationship with his Father. And, “After Jesus had said this, He looked toward heaven and prayed: ‘Father the time has come. Glorify your Son that your Son may glorify you. For you granted Him authority over … ‘” (John 17:1&2). The Lord is using this instance to demonstrate and exemplify, to his disciples and also to all who are before God’s throne, exactly who He is and his position before God’s throne; and he’s also showing us why we should be praying only in his name and through Him- as he asks. (John 14:13&14). (Also, see Item#50c in the Teaching Section regarding the altar of incense.)
2) In this public prayer before the Throne, the Lord Jesus is making it plain that he has constructively completed all that the father has asked Him to do, except His pending death, burial, and resurrection. So, He is displaying the New Covenant before the throne, and making it clear. And since the Father always answers His Son’s request, these requests become “a done deal”. Chiefly the requests allow the restoration of His shekinah glory in God’s presence (which is an entirely separate, deep and complicated issue); unity, protection, joy, sanctification by the truth, and eternal life in Christ for those the Father gave to Him; and He prays the same for all who believe through his disciples’ message. Of course, all of these items can be contemplated and studied separately, and are very intense in their richness.
3) In verse 8 we see something that is akin to a word of knowledge or word of wisdom: “For I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them.” So, in Christ’s prayer life he was communicating back and forth with the Father, similar to how the Lord communicated with Moses. However, I note that the Lord Jesus, being full of the Holy Spirit continually, needn’t have received an audible voice from the Father as Moses did.
4) Verse 10 exemplifies our quandary. Since the Lord Jesus says, “All I have is yours, and all you have is mine” and “I and the Father are one” (John 10:30), why does He need to communicate to the Father in prayer? I conclude the answer eventually addresses the triune nature of the Godhead. Since our body, soul, and spirit can be compared to God’s triune nature- the Son, the Father, and the Holy Spirit, we can more easily answer this quandary from that perspective. So, just as our body needs the soul to direct our actions, even so, the Son needs direction from the Father to direct his work. Indeed, the separation of the soul from our body is how the Scripture and many medical doctors define physical death. And, from my study of Scripture, The Spirit is the workhorse- “’Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit’, says the Lord Almighty.” (Zachariah 4:6), also, “A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a branch will bear fruit. The Spirit of the Lord will rest on Him- the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of power, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the lord- and he will delight in the fear of the Lord.” (Isaiah 11:1-3). See also II Corinthians 3:18, I Corinthians 12:11, and Genesis 1:2.
5) Much of the prayer, especially verse 20, constitutes a display of the New Covenant before the throne. Here’s verse 20: “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me.”
6) So, we can summarize these points by saying that Christ prayed to the Father because it was his position as our great high priest, and because of his human character; and both these reasons would require Him to be in constant fellowship with the Father through prayer.
i) (See also Item#39e, above.)
Well, the nugget of Scripture herein is that we can gain understanding, insight, and knowledge “if anyone chooses to do God’s will”. And we can grow as a Christian disciple as we pick up our cross and follow Him.
118.) Bold speaking enabled by the Holy Spirit- Peter and John before the Sanhedrin, Acts 4:5-12 “The next day the rulers, the elders and the teachers of the Law met in Jerusalem. Annas the high priest was there, and so were Caiphas, John, Alexander and the other men of the high priest’s family. They had Peter and John brought before them and began to question them: ‘By what power or by what name did you do this?’ Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: ‘Rulers and elders of the people! If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a cripple and are asked how he was healed, then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. He is ‘the stone you builders rejected, which has become the capstone.’ Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.’’” As a follow up to this incident Peter and John returned to the believers, and they all prayed and were again filled with great power and boldness in their speaking, as was related in Acts 4:29-31, “’Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your Word with great boldness. Stretch out your hand to heal and perform miraculous signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.’ After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the Word of God boldly.” If you’ve been a believer, even for a few days, you’ll probably understand, and even have knowingly experienced, the bold speaking which accompanies the Holy Spirit.
125.) Orderly prophecy, I Corinthians 14:29-33 “Two or three prophets should speak and the others should weigh carefully what is said. And if a revelation comes to someone who is sitting down, the first speaker should stop. For you can all prophesy in turn so that everyone may be instructed and encouraged. The spirits of the prophets are subject to the control of the prophets. For God is not a God of disorder but of peace.” Prophecy is the Spirit ability to speak for God. God’s Spirit is not disorderly, but He is always orderly and appropriate. In this age prophecy is used for the edification and encouragement of the Church. And if you think about it, all the Spirit gifts work toward this end, even healings and evangelism. So, we should expect meetings of believers, if Spirit led, to be orderly gatherings. And if there is disorder, I would conclude that the Spirit is being resisted by individuals’ own carnal urges (Galatians 5:19-21), or even Satanic snares (II Timothy 2:26) of falsehood. (Also, see Prophecy Section Item#320f, and Speaking from God According to I Corinthians 14, vs 26-35.) Let’s use common sense. Why do you think God’s Word should be given out in an orderly fashion- that same Word which commanded the world into being and ushered light out of chaotic darkness?
126.) The Living Water of Godly speech, II Corinthians 2:17 “Unlike so many, we do not peddle the Word of God for profit. On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity, like men sent from God.” There’s a lot packed into this one brief verse. Please note the following points from this small verse:
a.) “Unlike so many, we do not peddle the Word of God for profit…” I’ve never made or took a nickel for any work of the Lord which I’ve done in my life; and I hope that I don’t; unless I become a traveling evangelist or am sent by the Lord to a mission field. Having said that, I also know that the Lord is supporting me financially- 100%, and in abundance for which I’m thankful. This point of working for “filthy lucre” is amply discussed in Item#G.f. in the Contents Section. It’s startling to hear the implication that “so many” were peddling the Word for profit in Paul’s time, only 30 years after the Lord Jesus’ ascension.
b.) “… In Christ we speak before God with sincerity, like men sent from God” This sounds just like I Peter 4:11, which says, “If anyone speaks he should do it as one speaking the very words (oracles) of God”. Consider, if God has sent us to speak, it must be important, and shall we not obey? Other comments regarding speaking “the very oracles of God” can be found in the Prophecy Section, Item nos. 28, 62, & 285c; Shepherding Section, Item#162; and Teaching Section, Item#46b & 53.
c.) This verse also reminds me that we are speaking before a “great cloud of witnesses” (Hebrews 12:1). Mark 8:38 says, “If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of man will be ashamed of him when He comes in his father’s glory with the holy angels”. Also, II Corinthians 12:19 adds to this perspective: “Have you been thinking all along that we have been defending ourselves to you? We have been speaking in the sight of God as those in Christ; and everything we do, dear friends, is for your strengthening.”
The point brought out here is that, if we’re lead by God’s Holy Spirit, then our words minister God’s grace to the hearers; and we should expect results and act accordingly.
“SPEAKEST”
130.) Speaking as a Watchman, Ezekiel 3:17- “Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me.” So, the Word from God’s watchman, Ezekiel, was the same as God’s Word. There are also New Testament watchmen. Hebrews 13:17 says, “Obey your (church) leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you.” Since the church leaders get their authority from God, submitting to them is part of our submission to Christ as Lord. And, Christian elders do have a direct calling from God to watch over those whom God has put under each elders care, “Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, serving as overseers- …” (I Peter 5:1). (Regarding I Peter 5 as teaching for shepherding and oversight, see the following: Item#55a of the Apostleship Section; Item#106 of the Evangelism Section; and in the Shepherding Section, see Item Nos 1, 8e, 10a, 20c&f, 25c, 27c, 37h, 40b, 75, 152, 237, and 314c&d.) And, regarding such watchmen, Acts 20:28 says, of the Ephesian elders, “Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which He bought with his own blood.”
“SPEAKETH”
133.) Speech reveals our heart, Matthew 12:33-37 “Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit. You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him. But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted and by your words you will be condemned.” I took a class in college called “Interpersonal Communication”. The class actually recognized most of what’s being discussed in this passage- in not so many words. The class basically analyzed the flow of communication between people which progressively included the mind, the brain, speech- including all facial and vocal expressions, the ears of the hearer including his facial expressions and body language, the hearer’s brain, and the hearer’s mind. I said “most of what’s being discussed” because the class didn’t differentiate the heart from the mind, which meant that the class’s analysis fell short of what this Scripture teaches. Watchman Nee, in Item#41f, above defines the heart as “the conscience in man’s spirit plus the mind in his soul … heart is the point of mutual interaction for the spirit and the soul, the contiguous place and the place of intersection”. I usually recognize the heart as “the innermost fiber of one’s being”. However, I defer to Brother Nee’s definition in that his description seems more finely attuned to Scripture’s recognition of man’s tripartite character- body, soul, and spirit. So the mind is not the only thing which drives our speech. (James 3:7). There’s a spiritual element to speech, and the Lord requires that there be a Holy Spirit element to it (I Peter 4:11). My experience has shown me that my carnal nature urges me to “stick my foot in my mouth”, and even to wag my tongue like a dog wags its tail- speaking just to be speaking. The Lord wants me to limit my wrongful speech and to expand upon my Spirit driven words- “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen (Ephesiams 4:29). Just as the lord Jesus did, so should our speech always be carefully spoken and received as blessings from God. (Also see Item#68, above.)
137.) Typology speaks, Hebrews 11:4 -12:24 “By faith Abel offered a better sacrifice than Cain did. By faith he was commended as a righteous man, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith he still speaks even though he is dead. … You have come to God, the judge of all men, to the spirits of righteous men made perfect, to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.” The question that would immediately pop to mind when I read this would always be, “What kind of word is being spoken by Christ’s sprinkled blood and by the blood of Abel?” Well II Tim 3:16 says, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” Typology is the study of those parts of God’s Word that contain pictures of God’s plan for us or pictures of his Son. As an example Hebrews 4 explains that the Sabbath was always a picture of resting in Christ. (Also see Evangelism Item#67 and Teaching Item#92 for descriptions of typology.) The point is that Abel’s sacrifice is a picture of Christ’s blood being shed, and so those portion of Scripture relating to Abel’s sacrifice are showing why Abel’s sacrifice from his herd were better than Cain’s sacrifice from the field. And his story, since it is Scripture, still speaks and is still read widely throughout the world. Christ’s sprinkled blood, however, is not a copy of the true, but it is the original upon which many other types base their copies. So, the story and description of Christ’s blood speaks a better word than any picture or type of his blood. So, typology, being Scripture, and also a prophetic part of Scripture, does speak through the comparisons and pictures that it communicates to our minds regarding the things of God. This is verified by Isaiah 55:10, “As the rain and snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.”
142.) The Holy Spirit speaks through the message of the Lord Jesus Christ, even in part; I Corinthians 12:3 “No one can say ‘Jesus is Lord’, except by the Holy Spirit.” This verse encompasses two types of people who are stating that “Jesus is Lord”- those who are believers and those who don’t believe. Either way, it is by the Holy Spirit’s power that such a truth is spoken. It’s easy to see why a believer stating such a fact is speaking by the Spirit’s power. But, how about when a non-believer states that “Jesus is Lord”? Take an alcoholic as an example. The person states that Jesus is Lord, but would rather, for example, not pursue that truth in their life. So, the question would be asked, “How did that alcoholic obtain the truth that Christ is Lord? He could only obtain it through the Spirit’s work in this world. Someone had to have previously known that Jesus is Lord for the truth to have gotten out.. But that fact, that Jesus is Lord, is only part of the gospel. The other part of the gospel is that He dealt with our sins and rose again (Romans 10:9). Sometimes I just walk about giving out Bible tracts. And, when a person says, “No thanks”, I merely say, very nicely and calmly, “Christ died for our sins!” And, actually, while I’ve only given out part of the gospel, I conclude that I have given out the most important part, and that the person was probably better served with a verbal encouragement than by the pamphlet. So, the Holy Spirit does speak through the message of Jesus Christ, even in only part of the message. (Please also see II Corinthians 13:3, Items #68&86 of the Evangelism Section, and Item #27 above.)
152.) “Spoken of the Lord by the prophets”, Matthew 1:22 “All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: ‘The virgin will be with child…’” This verse is typical of many passages in which the Lord is clearly shown to have spoken directly through a prophet. The following are other passages worth noting:
a.) Matthew 2:15, “And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: ‘Out of Egypt I called my Son’.”
b.) Matthew 8:17, “This was spoken to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: ‘He took up our infirmities and carried our diseases.’”
c.) Matthew 13:35, “So was fulfilled what was spoken through the prophet: ‘I will open my mouth in parables, I will utter things hidden… ‘”
d.) Matthew 21:4, “This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet: ‘Say to the daughter of Zion, ‘See, your King comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’ ‘”
e.) Matthew 24:15, “So when you see standing in the holy place the ‘abomination that causes desolation’, spoken of through the prophet Daniel- let the reader understand-… “
f.) Matthew 27:9, “Then what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled: ‘They took the thirty silver coins, the price set on him by the people of Israel, and they used them to buy the potter’s field, as the Lord commanded me.’”
g.) Luke 3:2-4, “… the Word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the desert. He went into all the country around Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. As is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet: ‘A voice of one calling in the desert, prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for Him.’”
h.) Acts 28:25, “The Holy Spirit spoke the truth to your forefathers when he said through Isaiah the prophet:” The Holy Spirit leads the prophets to speak, and actually carries the prophets along in their life and in their speaking (II Peter 1:21, I Samuel 3:19).
i.) Also, Matthew 2:17 & 23, 3:3, 4:14, 12:17, John 12:38, and Hebrews 1:1.
So, the point is that the prophecy from these prophets was indeed the Word of the Lord to the hearers (and to the readers, such as ourselves- II Timothy 3:16). “Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation. For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.”(II Peter 1:20-21). And these are not just the Lord’s prophets, but our prophets as well, since their work in the Lord has been for our own edification- and their words were spoken to us.
154.) The efficacy of the Lord Jesus’ words, Mark 1:41 “’Be clean!’ Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cured.” There are many instances in Scripture where the power of the Lord Jesus’ words jump out at us. Here’s a few more.
a.) “The centurion replied, ‘Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word and my servant will be healed.’… Then Jesus said to the centurion, ‘Go! It will be done just as you believed it would.’ And his servant was healed at that very hour.” (Matthew 8:8-13).
b.) “When evening came, many who were demon possessed were brought to Him, and He drove out the spirits with a word and healed all the sick.” (Matthew 8:16).
c.) “’Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven’, or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? But so that you may know that the son of man has authority on earth to forgive sins…’ Then He said to the paralytic, ‘Get up, take your mat and go home.’ And the man got up and went home.” (Matthew 9:7).
d.) “They were amazed at his teaching, because his message had authority.” (Mark 4:32). See also Matthew 7:28 & 29.
e.) “When he inquired as to the time when his son got better, they said to him, ‘The fever left him yesterday at the seventh hour.’ Then the father realized that this was the exact time at which Jesus had said to him, ‘Your son will live’” (John 4:52&53).
f.) “When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, ‘Lazarus, come out!’ The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face.” (John 11:43&44).
g.) “When Jesus said, ‘I am He,’ they drew back and fell to the ground”. (John 18:6). Also see Item#76, above.
h.) See also: Matthew 9:22, 14:29.
Well, I think these passages speak for themselves regarding the power of the Lord Jesus’ words. By his word the dead were raised. By his word people were healed. And just hearing his word caused some to be knocked to the ground. His words contain authority, power, light, life, and healing.
158a.) Accountable to the Word, John 12:48 “There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; that very word which I spoke will condemn him at the last day.” While the Lord Jesus Christ will be the judge (Acts 10:42), the measuring rod by which He will come to judgment will be his word. So, each person will be judged based upon acceptance or rejection of his word.
158b.) The Lord Jesus speaks the Father’s Word, John 12:49 “For I did not speak of my own accord, but the father who sent me commanded me what to say and how to say it. I know that his command leads to eternal life. So whatever I say is just what the Father has told me to say.”
159.) The Lord Jesus’ words compared to the Holy Spirit, John 14:25 “All this I have spoken while still with you. But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” The Holy Spirit works alongside the Lord Jesus in practically all regards, especially the Word. Even though we read, and others have heard, the words of the Lord Jesus, these words are still the “sword of the Spirit” (Ephesians 6:17). The Lord Jesus also taught, “I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. But when he, the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; He will speak only what He hears, and He will tell you what is yet to come. He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine.” (John 16:12-15). So, we conclude that there is complete harmony between the words of Christ and the work of the Holy Spirit. And, since the Lord Jesus said, “All that belongs to the Father is mine”, the work and words of the Lord Jesus are the same as the Word and teaching and works of the Holy Spirit, and the Father. I note that there are two places, above, in these passages in which a word of wisdom or knowledge are guaranteed to the Church. These passages are, “and will remind you of everything I have said to you”, and also, “he will speak only what He hears, and He will tell you what is yet to come”. Now, how can the Spirit communicate any of these items without speaking to us? Well, some would say, “only through the other gifts- teaching, shepherding, or just Bible reading. But I say that when the Spirit strikes a Word home to our heart and mind, by any means, that communication, where we know it’s from God to us, constitutes a word from God- whether the word contains wisdom or knowledge.
169.) God’s Direct Word to Abraham, Roman’s 4:18 “Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, ‘So shall your offspring be’” (as numerous as the stars in the sky). I suppose a formidable argument could be made regarding direct revelation in the days of the patriarchs such as Abraham, as opposed to God’s Word to us today. And some have taken this argument to the point of error. But, really, if we follow this passage along through verse 24 we see that such revelation is indeed given to us. “Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead- since he was about a hundred tears old- and that Sarah’s womb was also dead. Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what He had promised. This is why “it was credited to him as righteousness”. The words “it was credited to him” were written not for him alone, but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness- for us who believe in Him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead.” The misunderstanding is in the meaning of the term “revelation”. Some have spoken against a term they call “direct revelation”. To this I would ask, “Is there such a thing as indirect revelation?” I mean who is doing the revealing- God, and why or how would he reveal a fact indirectly. I suppose when Balaam’s donkey spoke, that would be indirect revelation, since God used a donkey in His revelation. Such people actually claim that when God speaks to you through a Bible verse, then that is their example of indirect revelation. But, no, I say that when God speaks to you through a Bible verse, then that is direct a revelation just as Abraham received. It takes the same faith in God’s written Word as when you believed first believed the gospel. And the above verse says that this is exactly the same type of faith which Abraham had to practice when he believed God’s Word to him. Now God’s Word to Abraham was to leave his homeland, while His Word to us is to believe in Christ and be saved. Yet, the faith and the result of imputed righteousness is the same. So, when a person says they don’t believe in direct revelation, understand then, that such a person hasn’t thought through what they are so confidently claiming, and that such a person is “murdering the king’s English”. (See Prophecy Item #1.)
180.) The Word’s power in and over creation, Psalms 33:6 “By the Word of the Lord were the heavens made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth. He gathers the waters of the sea into jars; He puts the deep into storehouses. Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the people of the world revere Him. For He spoke, and it came to be; He commanded and it stood firm.” It’s amazing to consider how the Lord is able to affect creation just by his Word, and we can’t really understand it. I suppose it has to do with the way that what we call substance is held together by the conscious will of God (Colossians 1:17, Hebrews 11:3). Here are some other verses which help explain this perspective:
a.) Genesis 1:3, “And God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light.”
b.) Hebrews 11:3, “By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made by what is visible.”
c.) Hebrews 1:3, “The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful Word.”
d.) 2 Peter 3:5&7, “But they deliberately forget that long ago by God’s Word the heavens existed and the earth was formed out of water and by water. By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed. By the same Word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the Day of Judgment and destruction of ungodly men.” Note that the Word’s power is not just in creation, but also over creation in that “the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire” by the Word.
So God’s Word is absolute, especially in creation, since there is nothing in creation that was not consciously formed by his Word and currently held together by his will.
184.) The gospel Word, Matthew 13:19-23 “When anyone hears the message about the kingdom of God and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the seed sown along the path. The one who received the seed that fell on rocky places is the one who hears the Word and at once receives it with joy. But since he has no root, he lasts only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the Word, he quickly falls away. The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the Word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful. But the one who received the seed that fell on good soil is the man who hears the Word and understands it. He produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.” “The message about the kingdom of God” is of course the gospel, the good news of the kingdom. And, located in this passage, there are instructions for sowing that seed. So, while it’s been said that all of God’s Word are arrows pointing to the cross, some passages in Scripture contain or explain the gospel- which tells of how the cross can save you. “Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the Word of Christ” (Romans 10:17). Here are some other verses which help explain the gospel:
a.) John 4:39-42, “Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in Him because of that woman’s testimony, ‘He told me everything I ever did’. So when the Samaritans came to Him, they urged Him to stay with them, and He stayed two days. And because of his words many more became believers. They said to the woman, ‘We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world.’” It’s curious to see in this passage that it was Jesus’ knowledge of people’s personal facts and his words which proved his claim as Messiah, rather than miracles. (See also Item#107a, above.)
b.) Acts 12:24&25, “But the Word of God continued to increase and spread. When Barnabus and Saul had finished their mission, they returned from Jerusalem, taking with them John, also called Mark.” So the Word continued seemingly on its own. But we know that it was not on its own, but rather, the Word is the “sword” of the Spirit (Hebrews 4:12).
c.) James 1:21, “Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the Word planted in you, which can save you.” So, when we’re discussing the Word working in salvation, we’re automatically discussing the gospel. And, I know for a fact that many people were reached and saved using various passages of Scripture which weren’t really speaking of the cross- myself included. However, salvation is received by believing the gospel, “it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes” (Romans 1:16). So, each person must also hear of the saving power of the cross in order to be saved, even though the Lord can assist that salvation through other scriptures not directly speaking of the cross- as was the case with me.
d.) I Peter 1:23, “For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring Word of God.” So, for my religious acquaintances, this verse becomes a killer verse- salvation through the Word, not by baptism or any other act or religious practice. Salvation is by grace through faith in the gospel (Ephesians 2:8&9).
e.) II Corinthians 5:19, “… God was reconciling the world to Himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them. And He has committed to us the message of reconciliation.” And, this message of reconciliation, which has been commissioned to us, is the gospel (Mark 16:15, also see the Great Commission- Item#86 in the Evangelism Section). And, I note that this ministry of reconciliation is the most excellemt work on earth available to man.
f.) I Thessalonians 1:5-8, “… our gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction. You know how we lived among you for your sake. You became imitators of us and of the Lord; in spite of severe suffering, you welcomed the message with the joy given by the Holy Spirit. And so you became a model to all the believers inMacedonia and Achaia. The Lord’s message rang out from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia- your faith in God has become known everywhere.” As the songwriter said, “There is power, power, wonder working power, in the precious blood of the Lamb!”
185.) The Word strikes a man, Matthew 26:74&75 “Then he began to call down curses on himself and he swore to them, ‘I don’t know the man!’ Immediately a rooster crowed. Then Peter remembered the Word Jesus had spoken: ‘Before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.’ And he went outside and wept bitterly.” I suppose most Bible reading believers can recall a time that God’s Word has jumped up from the page and struck them in their hearts. Well God’s specific Word to us ought to affect us intensely. Consider this account, “’Jesus of Nazareth,’ they replied. ‘I am He,’ Jesus said. (And Judas the traitor was standing there with them.) When Jesus said, ‘I am He,’ they drew back and fell to the ground.” (John 18:5&6). I hope the readers can get to the point where they can recognize the Lord’s voice in their life, either the Scripture or Words of knowledge or wisdom. “My sheep listen to my voice. I know them and they follow me.” (John 10:27).
188.) Traditions resist the Word, Matthew 15:1-9 “Then some of the Pharisees and teachers of the Law came from Jerusalem and asked, ‘Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They don’t wash their hands before they eat!’ Jesus replied, ‘And why do you break the commands of God for the sake of your tradition? For God said, ‘Honor your father and mother’ and ‘Any one who curses his father or mother must be put to death.’ But you say that if a man says to his father or mother, ‘Whatever help you might otherwise have received from me is a gift devoted to God,’ he is not to ‘honor his father’ with it. Thus you nullify the Word of God for the sake of your tradition. You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you: ‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.’” I just went through all this when I confronted my family, both saved and unsaved, concerning Easter. Christmas and Easter traditions are ingrained into the American Christian culture. And many people have various thoughts on this subject. Yet practically every Christian I know celebrates these feasts in some way. But listen to what the Scripture clearly teaches concerning such feasts. And, I believe that God’s Word in this Scripture is and has been pretty much nullified by the practice of these feasts. Galatians 4:8-11 warns, “Formerly, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those who by nature are not gods. But now That you know God- or are rather known by God- how is it that you are turning back to those weak and miserable principles? Do you wish to be enslaved by them all over again? You are observing special days and months and seasons and years! I fear for you, and that somehow I have wasted my efforts on you.” A serious Christian already knows that these feasts are weak in their ability to communicate the teachings necessary, and have grossly twisted teachings inherent to them. But we should also consider the misery which these feasts cost- the screaming about blown budgets, the misuse of funds in order to achieve “that perfect holiday”, the funds and supplies not given to the foreign missions. Truly these are weak and miserable principles, and many Christian households are seriously harmed by these traditions- the financial and emotional bondage hangs over some households like a pall. Do people hear the gospel at Christmas and Easter programs? Certainly! Are these feasts worth the additional effort? I think not! I believe we could communicate the gospel more efficiently, and with greater impact, using Scripture based evangelical methods- a simple well placed talk or visit, bathed in much prayer. Do you think that you and yours are not enslaved by these feasts and traditions? Okay, tell your family that you’re cancelling all decorations and special dinners next Christmas; then sit back and watch the flack being shot at you! These are weak and miserable enslavements that are nullifying the Word of God- which teaches us to “keep in step with the Spirit” (Galatians 5:25). As just one example, consider the term “merry Christmas” (and I really object to associating Christ’s name with all this sin). “Merry” is a word which originally meant powerful, as in Robin Hood and his merry men. However, since many people drink excessively and have parties, the meaning of the term “merry Christmas” has gone from bad teaching to debauchery. I believe this is the way God teaches us many things. He pushes the bad teachings into our faces until we gag on it, and finally see its raunchiness and turn from it. The practice of Christmas was supposedly to turn the pagans from their pagan winter solstice feasts, and get them to accept Christian teachings. I say this was bad teaching from day one, and wreaks of the Roman pagan pontificate which evolved into the Papal pontificate of today. A person is won to Christ by the gospel and his knowledge that he is a sinner in need of the Savior. We can have acquaintances with non-believers, but never should act as if they are believers. When we say “merry Christmas”, we are joining with them in a religious feast, similar with what brought about God’s wrath at Baal Peor- per Item# 51a in the Healings Section.
190.) Miracles confirm the Word, Mark 16:20, “Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed His Word by the signs that accompanied it.” (Also see Item#101e, above.) The Lord is still confirming his Word by signs throughout the world wherever the gospel is preached. And the Lord Jesus Christ is still the principal worker of these miracles not the Christian worker. Some other obvious examples are as follows:
a.) Luke 5:3&4, “He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then He sat down and taught the people from the boat. When he had finished speaking, He said to Simon, ‘Put out into the deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.’”
b.) Luke 5:24, “’But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins…’ He said to the paralyzed man, ‘I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.’”
c.) John 4:53&54, “Then the father realized that this was the exact time at which Jesus had said to him, ‘Your son will live.’ So he and all his household believed. This was the second miraculous sign that Jesus performed, having come from Judea to Galilea.”
d.) Acts 14:3,”At Iconium… So Paul and Barnabus spent considerable time there, speaking boldly for the Lord, who confirmed the message of his grace by enabling them to do miraculous signs and wonders.”
191.) Ministers of the Word, Luke 1:2, “Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us, just as they were handed down to us by those who were from the first eyewitnesses and servants of the Word. Therefore, since I myself have investigated everything from the beginning, it seemed good also to me to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.” So, from the first, there were eyewitnesses and servants of the Word. This type of ministry was, and has been throughout the historical Church, a ministry of translating and preserving the Scriptures. There is a similar work being done now through Wycliffe Bible translators- www.wycliffeassociates.org . The work of the this Grace Study, is partially rooted in preserving the Word, since the Grace Study does address the twisting of the Word over the past centuries regarding the grace of God. This preserving of the Word by teaching, and by translating is still very much needed now. Just yesterday, I heard a discussion over a popular Bible College’s radio where a guest speaker was pushing a book which would point the listeners and readers back into the sacramental system of the dark ages of Christendom. And, the moderator acted as if that book and speaker were just fine and even told the listeners how and where to buy the book. There is far too much smoozing of the Word nowadays, and the end result will be a gospel which cannot save the hearer (Galatians 3:7). Jude urged us to contend for the faith in such a manner, “Although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt I had to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints. For certain men whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are godless men, who change the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord. … They are wild waves of the sea, foaming up their shame; wandering stars, for whom blackest darkness has been reserved forever.” This contending for the faith is not entrusted to the saints who occupy stain glassed windows, but rather to us- we simple believers who witness continually for the Lord throughout the world. This contending for the faith is not entrusted to famous speakers and clergymen. On the contrary, such men are the “wandering stars” whom we were warned about by Jude. In Luke’s day, “many have undertaken to draw up an account… servants of the Word”. If the many contend for the faith, then those few “wandering stars” cannot do much damage to our faith. And, let’s not forget the Lord’s rewards for his servants: “Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your Master’s happiness!” (Matthew 25:21). There is also the “ministry of the Word” (Acts 6:2&4), which consists of primarily just getting the Word out. I Timothy 5:17 discusses “those whose work is preaching and teaching”.
201.) Jesus Christ as the very Word of God, John 1:1-5 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through Him all things were made; without Him nothing was made that has been made. In Him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.” “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14). “No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, He hath declared Him” (John 1:18). These statements of the Lord Jesus as being the declaration to us of who God is, and who the father is, seem to be unique to John’s writings. Perhaps it is because he is said to have written somewhat as a defense to the heretical teachings of Gnosticism in his day (See Item#38 above.). I love the words of I John 1:1-3, :”That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched- this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And, our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.” Finally, and most conclusively, “He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God” (Revelation 19:13).
202.) Graphe as opposed to logos, John 2:22 “After He was raised from the dead, his disciples recalled what He had said. Then they believed the Scripture and the words that Jesus had spoken.” II Thessalonians 2:15 is essentially stating that the spoken teachings of Paul and his group and the letters and written teachings of Paul are all trustworthy and Spirit filled- “So then, brothers, stand firm and hold on to the teachings we passed on to you. Whether by word of mouth or by letter.” Peter described Paul’s letters as Scripture (II Peter 3:16). This concept of the spoken versus written teachings of Paul were also addressed by Paul, himself, in II Corinthians 10:10&11: “For some say, ‘His letters are weighty and forceful, but in person he is unimpressive and his speaking amounts to nothing.’ Such people should realize that what we are in our letters when we are absent, we will be in our actions when we are present.” Now why is that? It’s because the Holy Spirit is the same whether experiencing the Spirit through the presence of a believer, or the actions of a believer, or the spoken words of a believer, or the writings of a believer. In the case of known and accepted speakers and apostles, such as the twelve apostles of the Lord Jesus Christ, or Paul and his group of preachers and apostles, the preaching and teaching of such can be readily accepted as the Word of God, because that was their main work (Acts 6:2, 13:46-48, and 14:3). So, when Paul encouraged Timothy in II Timothy 4:2 to “Preach the Word”, Timothy knew exactly what Paul meant. And, it didn’t mean strictly the Scripture since the Scripture wasn’t readily available, nor yet completed. Paul and Timothy and their group knew what the Word of God for the Gentiles and the Church consisted of. It was primarily the gospel, and all other edifying doctrine which we would later find in the New Testament. What about nowadays? Nowadays, we have the written Word, the “graphe”. The doctrines of the Church and of the Old Covenants (Moses, Abraham, David, Noah, and others) are readily available, practically free of charge. But the problems intrinsic to the Church and Christ’s kingdom work haven’t changed much. Idolatry, drunkenness, sexual immorality, violence, unfriendly governments, these are all still items that the Church must contend with daily. So, the teachings of the New Testament are very relevant for today, and are considered to be the “living and active” Word of God just as the spoken Word is living and active (Hebrews 4:12). I once researched the point at which the written Word (“graphe”) started being accepted as the spoken Word (“logos”). The farthest back in history that I could find was by David in Psalms 11914&15, “I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways. I delight in your decrees; I will not neglect your Word.” When Moses wrote down the first five books of the Bible, those scrolls were immediately accepted as God’s spoken Word, which was written down. (Exodus 24:3&4). The Lord Jesus put much value in knowledge of the Scriptures as well. Consider what he did for them, even before Pentecost, “He said to them, ‘This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.’ Then He opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. He told them, ‘This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.’” (Luke 24:44-49). So, both the written Word and the spoken Word are both the Word of God. And we are to listen and remember what the Lord is placing on our hearts and in our minds, “Whether by word of mouth or by letter”. For, after all, let us not forget, that the Word is from God. (Also see Prophecy According to Jeremiah, verse 1:9, and Item#63 above.)
218.) Speak the Word, Acts 4:23-31 “On their release, Peter and John went back to their own people and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said to them. When they heard this, they raised their voices together in prayer to God. … ‘Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your Word with great boldness. Stretch out your hand to heal and perform miraculous sign and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.’ After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the Word of God boldly.” Sometimes we forget to pray that we will be empowered to speak the Word boldly, as if such utterances are not from the Spirit, but rather totally under our control. But the Scripture says differently. Even Paul coveted such prayers: “Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.” Why should we want to speak the Word boldly? Consider the Philippian jailer. “He then brought them out and asked, ‘Sirs, what must I do to be saved?’ They replied, ‘Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved- you and your household.’ Then they spoke the Word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house. At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his family were baptized. The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God- he and his whole family.” (Acts 16:30-34).
222.) The Word increased, Acts 6:7 “The Word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly… “ Also, Acts 12:24 says, “But the Word of God continued to increase and spread.” These are two of several verses that show that the Word was spreading almost on its own. Also see Acts 13:48&49, 19:20, and II Timothy 2:9. I like all these verses, and I really like II Timothy 2:9 which says, “This is my gospel for which I am suffering even to the point of being chained like a criminal. But God’s Word is not chained.” The gospel, still, is not chained, even in countries such as North Korea and Saudi Arabia. And, God’s Word regarding his grace and power to his people the Church is not chained- as evidenced by this Grace Study.
225.) Heard the Word, Acts 10:44 “While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message.” Later, in Acts 11:13-16, Peter explains that this action by the Holy Spirit was the same baptism of the Holy Spirit which the Lord Jesus had promised, and the same baptism which the disciples received at Pentecost. However, the trigger for God’s immersion in the Holy Spirit is hearing the gospel message. But what does it mean to hear the message? Well, obviously it means that a person also believes the message and takes it to heart- “For it is by grace you have been saved through faith” (Ephesians 2:8). Hearing the Word of God is not just at the point of salvation, though. Here are some other related verses which help to explain the concept of “hearing the Word”:
a.) Luke 11:28, “As Jesus was saying these things, a woman in the crowd called out, ‘Blessed is the mother who gave you birth and nursed you.’ He replied, ‘Blessed rather are those who hear the Words of God and obey it’.” Oh, that those who are ensnared by the subtle lies entailed in Mary worship could understand this passage! Many are those who hear the Scripture read aloud continually, but “The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” (II Corinthians 4:4).
b.) John 8:47, “He who belongs to God hears what God says. The reason that you do not hear is that you do not belong to God.” This is not just hearing for salvation, but hearing his Word generally, but especially for the salvation of those non-believers to whom our Lord Jesus was speaking..
c.) John 10:27, “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” In this instance the Lord Jesus is obviously referring to hearing his Word as our shepherd. For a discussion of this famous verse, see Word of Knowledge Items 15i, 27, 42 & 185; also see Items #25e, #37e, & #200 in the Shepherding Section.
d.) John 12:47&48, “As for the person who hears my words but does not keep them, I do not judge him. For I did not come to judge the world but to save it. There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; that very Word which I spoke will condemn him at the last day. For I did not speak of my own accord, but the Father who sent me commanded me what to say and how to say it.” Since this salvation is not just for those in 1st Century Jerusalem (John 17:14-21), but for all those who believe the gospel, this judgment by His Word is extended to all generations.
e.) Acts 4:3&4, “They seized Peter and John, and because it was evening, they put him in jail until the next day. But many who heard the message believed, and the number of men grew to about five thousand.” This, obviously is referring to hearing the gospel message for salvation, as are the following passages: Acts 13:7, 44-48, 15:7, Romans 10:17, Ephesians 1:13, I Thessalonians 2:13,
f.) Acts 5:4&5, “ ’What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied to men but to God.’ When Ananias heard this, he fell down and died.” So, Ananias heard God’s conclusion through Peter and died immediately by the work of the Holy Spirit, as did his wife three hours later. So hearing God’s Word can be very upsetting, imagine hearing God’s Word at the Great White Throne Judgment, where each lost person there will be waiting to be judged.
g.) Acts 22:22, “The crowd listened to Paul until he said this. Then they raised their voices and shouted, ‘Rid the earth of him! He is not fit to live!’” So, sometimes men violently reject and oppose the Word- because the flesh wars against the Spirit of God (Galatians 5:17).
h.) James 1:22-25, “Do not merely listen to the Word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the Word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it- he will be blessed in what he does.” In this passage a man receives knowledge, even understanding and wisdom from the Word but doesn’t have the prudence to actually do what God’s Word tells him to do. So, this passage is very akin to Item#95 of the Teaching Section.
i.) Revelation 1:3, “Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near.” So, if a person reads the Word of God and never takes it to heart, will such be blessed? Yes, because light came into their world, even though they still loved the darkness. Their enemy, Satan- the prince of this world, will have to offer them much more worldly temptations in order to enslave a person in a Christian country as opposed to a non-Christian country. Look at North Korea as opposed to nominally Christian countries. In North Korea there is extreme poverty and famine because the truth has almost been stopped (but praise the Lord there are still many underground preachers and teachers in North Korea). So, how is a person who hears the Word and takes it to heart then blessed? Such a person is blessed by the eternal rewards to be obtained- either salvation or rewards for service.
226.) Receive the Word, Acts 11:1 “The apostles and the brothers throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the Word of God.” Oh, what a glory, as I sit here writing, to consider that people in darkness have received and are receiving that great light! The following are some other texts which can help explain what is meant to “receive the Word”:
a.) Luke 20:20&26, “Keeping a close watch on Him, they sent spies, who pretended to be honest. They hoped to catch Jesus in something he said so that they might hand him over to the power and authority of the governor. … They were unable to trap Him in what He had said there in public. And astonished by his answer, they became silent.” This is, of course, an example of those who refused to receive what the Lord said- at least at that hearing. There are many, many people like this, people whose culture precludes one from accepting the plain simple truth of the gospel. Item#225d, above, tells of those who reject the Word of God- essentially that they will be judged by that very Word.
b.) Acts 2:40&41, “With many other words he warned them; and pleaded with them, ‘Save yourselves from this corrupt generation’. Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.”
c.) Acts 8:14, “When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the Word of God, they sent Peter and John to them.”
d.) Acts 17:11, “Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures everyday to see if what Paul said was true.”
e.) I Thessalonians 1:6, “You became imitators of us and of the Lord; in spite of severe suffering, you welcomed the message with joy given by the Holy Spirit.” The manifestation of the Lord’s Spirit in a person is a convincing sign that the person has truly received the Word.
f.) I Thessalonians 2:13, “And we also thank God continually because, when you received the Word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it actually is, the Word of God, which is at work in you who believe.”
So, to receive the Word of God entails eagerly accepting it as the Word of God, not men, and appropriating it to one’s one self for salvation, and then for Christian growth. “
234.) The word of his grace, Acts 20:32 “Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.” So, God’s grace and the word of his grace can both save you and build you up for rewards in heaven among the saints. In verse 24 Paul said, “However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me- the task of testifying to the gospel of God’s grace.” The gospel of God’s grace and the word of God’s grace are practically the same thing- with “gospel” accentuating the good news aspect of the grace of God. But the message of God’s grace doesn’t just stop with salvation, it includes the abundant life principles (See Abundant life promises- Item#g.a in theTable of Contents Section.), and the grace of God working around and through us enabling us to do great things for God. Consider Acts 14:3, “So Paul and Barnabus spent considerable time there, speaking boldly for the Lord, who confirmed the message of his grace by enabling them to do miraculous signs and wonders.” This concept of “the word of God’s grace” is important to this study because, in the great compendium of things, this Grace Study fits into that category of being another word of God’s grace- another message regarding the grace of God.
235.) The eternal and unfailing Word, Romans 9:6 “It is not as though God’s Word had failed. For not all who are descended from Israel are Israel.” God’s Word cannot fail. We just have to look at it more closely to see what the Lord’s Word means. And, this Word is not just the Scripture, but a Word of wisdom and a Word of knowledge as well. This fact is why we are studying the Word aspect of the Word of knowledge. Here are some more points which help understand God’s Word as eternal and unfailing:
a.) I Peter 1:23-25, “For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring Word of God. For ‘All men are like grass, and their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the Word of the Lord stands forever.’ And this is the Word that was preached to you.”
b.) John 10:35, “If He called them ‘gods,’ to whom the Word of God came- and the Scripture cannot be broken-…”
c.) Matthew 24:35, “Heaven and earth will pass away but my words will never pass away.”
d.) Psalms 119:89, “Forever, O Lord, thy Word is settled in heaven!”
e.) Isaiah 55:10, “As the rain and snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my Word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.”.
241.) The Word of truth, John 17:14-17, “I have given them your Word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world anymore than I am of the world. My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. Sanctify them by the truth; your Word is truth.” God’s Word, being truth, has a burning reality to it which works in stark contrast to the falsehood of this world system and the lies of Satan, who is also known as the “father of lies” (John 8:44) and the “prince of this world” (John 12:31). Other passages which bring out this concept of God’s Word being the burning truth are as follows:
a.) John 8:31&31, “To the Jews who had believed Him, Jesus said, ‘If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.’” This is almost as if the truth works by itself, but we know that the truth is also the sword of God’s Holy Spirit.
b.) Acts 26:25, “’I am not insane, most excellent Festus,’ Paul replied. What I am saying is true and reasonable.” Paul’s message was so fiery and in contrast to worldly wisdom, that it seemed insane. And, really, the truth, any truth, should stand people up and stop them in their tracks. Mackenzie Phillips, an actress and former drug addict, recently publicly shouted out her thanks to the local police for arresting her for two counts of possession years ago. She said that that arrest saved her life and forced her to consider the reality of her drug use. Reality itself, not just the gospel of Christ, will confront a person who is living a delusional lifestyle. Delusional lifestyles are actually the norm rather than the exception, since Satan is the “father of lies”. So, a Christian servant can see into other’s lifestyles and notice the delusions that others are under. Unfortunately Satan, being the “father of lies” has also sown delusions and snares into the lives of believers, as well. I suppose that is why many of us make sure that we start our day out with Bible study and prayer. My day doesn’t just start with a cup of coffee. It also starts with a large dose of Bible truth. Praise the Lord for that!
c.) II Corinthians 6:3-10 “Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses; in beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger; in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love; in truthful speech and in the power of God; with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left; through glory and dishonor, bad report and good report; genuine, yet regarded as imposters; known, yet regarded as unknown; dying, and yet we live on; beaten, and yet not killed; sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything.”
d.) Ephesians 1:13&14, “And you also were included in Christ when you heard the Word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in Him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit.” (See also Item#143 of the Evangelism Section, regarding the Sequence of Salvation.)
e.) Colossians 1:3-8, “We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all the saints- the faith and love that spring from the hope that is stored up for you in heaven and that you have already heard about in the Word of truth, the gospel that has come to you. All over the world this gospel is growing fruit and growing, just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and understood God’s grace in all its truth. You learned it from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on our behalf, and who also told us of your love in the Spirit.”
f.) I Thessalonians 2:13, “And we thank God continually because, when you received the Word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it actually is, the Word of God, which is at work in you who believe.” This passage defines the Word of truth as from God, not men, and as the powerful lively agent of the Holy Spirit at work in believers’ lives (Hebrews 4:12).
g.) II Timothy 2:15, “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the Word of truth”. Here, as in Item#a above, the Word of truth is seen as the “sword of the Spirit”, albeit in the mouth of the Christian workman.
h.) James 1:18, “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. He chose to give us birth through the Word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all He created.” So, one of the Father’s perfect gifts is the free gift of salvation and new birth through the Word of truth- the gospel being an early portion of the Word of truth with which one normally becomes confronted (See Item#d above.).
i.) Revelation 21:5, “He who is seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!’ Then He said, ‘Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.’ He said to me: ‘It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the End. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life. He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son. But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars- their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.’” The Word of God, since it is trustworthy and true, is worthy of note and trust, and sometimes gets written down as Scripture (Also, see Item#1, 8th paragraph, #d.).
There is an expectancy that comes from “the Word of Truth” in the above passages, as if it is expected that such truth will not come back void, but will accomplish the purpose for which the Lord sent it (Isaiah 55:11). “The question is not ‘What is truth?’, but rather ‘Who is truth?’”[7]. It’s important to remember that all Scripture leads to the Lord Jesus Christ, and especially his work on the cross. For it is He that said, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life” (John 14:6).
243.) Direct teaching from God, Galatians 6:6, “Any one who receives instruction in the Word must share all good things with his instructor.” We already know that ultimately the Holy Spirit is our teacher (See Item#11 in the Teaching Section.). But, in this passage we see instruction regarding the Word that God feels should be noted to a person’s, Spirit-filled, earthly teacher. I conclude that this would be for the greater benefit of the Body. This is a type of Word of Knowledge, since the instruction obviously is coming directly from God, albeit through his Word. Intrinsic to this conclusion would be the fashion in which the Lord brings such instruction to an individual. The fact that a disciple would then bring such a Word of Knowledge back to his instructor is an example of iron sharpening iron (Proverbs 27:17).
244.) Washing of water by the Word, Ephesians 5:25-28 “Husbands love your wives, just as Christ loved the Church and gave Himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing of water through the Word, and to present her to Himself as a radiant Church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. In this same way husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies.” It’s important to note that Christ is using the Word to cleanse his Church. (A husband is to love his wife by giving up his body as a servant to the family, not loving her by washing his wife in the Word- which is okay, too, but is not what’s to be inferred in the passage as loving his wife.) There are basic teachings in the Scripture which start us out correctly in our Christian walk, and then we receive specific calls to do certain things, also from God’s Word. Then we study the Scripture to grow in the grace and knowledge of the lord Jesus Christ. All tis is a part of that cleansing process. As we get older we wonder how much of the Word has stayed with us in our hearts and minds? One old brother once said, “Studying Scripture is like passing water over a sieve. Not much water is retained in the sieve, but it sure keeps the sieve clean.” I Timothy 4:5 says, “For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if is received with thanksgiving, because it is consecrated by the Word of God and prayer. So if the Scripture mentions something as being worthy of acceptation with thanksgiving, then that act or substance is set aside/ consecrated as being acceptable merely by being mentioned in God’s undeniable Word. When the Israelites were about to enter into the promised land, after they had wandered in the desert for forty years, Moses gave this counsel to Israel, “Today you are to pass by the region of Moab at Ar. When you come to the Ammonites, do not harass them or provoke them to war, for I will not give you possession of any land belonging to the Ammonites. I have given it as a possession to the descendants of Lot.”(Deuteronomy 2:18&19, Genesis 19:36-38). By the Lord’s Word in Abraham’s day the descendants of Lot were to be protected. So, in Moses’ day the Lord’s Word would still stand. The disciples, prior to Pentecost, were already made clean, not by immersion in the Holy Spirit as a normal Christian is, but by God’s Word through Christ: “You are already clean because of the Word I have spoken to you” (John 15:3, also 13:10.). So, God’s Word does have the power to cleanse us and keep us clean. And his Word is eternally true- “All men are like grass, and their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the Word of the Lord stands forever.”(I Peter 1:24&25).
245.) The sword of the Spirit, Ephesians 6:17 “Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.” Also, Hebrews 4:12 says, “For the Word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” So the Word is an offensive weapon used by the Spirit, which we are to take up in service to the King. John 14:26 &16:15 are passages which show how the Spirit is continually working with us to remember and use this Sword.
246.) The Word of life, Philippians 2:14-16 “Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the Word of life- in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor for nothing.” This is similar to Item#184, above, which discusses the gospel Word, with the Word of life focusing on the life aspect of the gospel. The Lord Jesus explained, “The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are Spirit and they are life.” (John 6:63). And when Peter was asked if he would leave the Lord, he said, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.” (John 6:68). And also I John 1:1&2 says, “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched- this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. The Life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal Life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us.” I believe that the word “Life”, above, and the term “Word of Life”, above, is actually referring to the Lord Jesus, himself- as in John 14:6, and John 1:1. In that usage, the Lord Jesus is viewed as the manifest declaration of who God is, and the eternal life which God offers.
248.) The Word dwell in you richly, Colossians 3:16 “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.” So, having God’s Word dwelling in us richly is a blessing and perceived as a part of our Christian walk and our witness. But what does it mean to have Christ’s Word dwell in us richly? John 15:7&8 bring more light, “If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.” So, the bearing of fruit is a result of the rich indwelling of Christ’s Word in us, and a witness that we are His. Along with the theme of not having the Word dwell only on the surface, James 1:22 says, “Do not merely listen to the Word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.” Also, I John 1:10 says, “If we claim we have not sinned, we make Him out to be a liar and his Word has no place in our lives.” Well, this is saying that his Word should have a penetrating place in our lives, especially when it comes to being separated unto Him. Finally I John 2:14 says, “I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the Word of God lives in you, and you have overcome the evil one.” These encouragements are not saying let the Word live in you, if you’re saved the Word is already living in you. We are encouraged to let the Word dwell in us richly- that we can have an abundant life, do great things of God, and receive rich rewards in eternity. (See The Abundant Life Promise- Item g.a. in the Table of Contents Section.) An acquaintance, a missionary to the Mexican border, said, “After many years of knowing that God wanted us here full time, we surrendered our will for his and got out of the boat, left our ‘comfy’ Christian life and have been walking on water ever since. Jesus said that if we left all for his sake, that we would not regret it, and we have not!”[8] Let the Word of Christ dwell in us richly, as well!
266.) The Word from Sinai, Hebrews 12:18-29 “You have not come to a mountain that can be touched and that is burning with fire; to darkness, gloom and storm; to a trumpet blast or to such a voice that those who heard it begged that no further word be spoken to them, because hey could not bear what was commanded: ‘Even if an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned.’ The sight was so terrifying that Moses said, ‘I am trembling with fear.’ But you have come to Mount Zion, to the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the Living God. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, to the Church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the judge of all men, to the spirits of righteous men made perfect, to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better Word than the blood of Abel. See to it that you do not refuse Him who speaks. If they did not escape who refused Him who warned them on earth, how much less will we, if we turn away from Him who warns us from heaven? At that time his voice shook the earth, but now He has promised, ‘Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.’ The words ‘once more’ indicate the removing of things that can be shaken- that is, created things- so that what cannot be shaken will remain. Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our ‘God is a consuming fire’.” My initial reaction to this passage is always to consider how awesome the Father’s voice must have been at Mt. Sinai. Then I realize that the passage is actually instructing us that the glory and magnitude of the Church, and the Lord Jesus as God, and the Word of the sprinkled blood, is more awesome still. A few months ago, I had a dream that really shook me up. In the vision of the dream, which I still can vividly remember, I was at the inner workings of God’s throne of 40 years ago, and there was much glory like bright fog, and there were many lightning like flashes quickly streaming and their colors were black and red. And the red flashes (which was the blood applied to a particular situation) were reacting to the black flashes (which were sins). And the flashes were occurring fast, faster than the firing of car engine spark plugs. Then I immediately realized, while still dreaming, that at God’s throne God is required to think and react that quickly, and his throne is a place of tremendously fast and powerful action. And then a person at the throne spoke to me, angel or devil, I still can’t discern, and raising his hand pointed to a particular situation in my life at that time and showed me my failure and how much I lost through my failure. And I was aghast and overloaded in my mind, so much that I immediately woke up. I was fully rattled, and am just now settling down in my mind. But I can easily say that I’ll never be the same since that vision of God’s throne. Later, independent of my conclusions regarding my failure, I also realized that the vision of God’s throne was completely in agreement with Scripture, and that my perception of God’s throne as a peaceful and slow moving place is not what Scripture or common logic dictates. Revelation 4:5 says, “From the throne come flashes of lightning, rumblings and peals of thunder. Before the throne seven lamps were blazing. These are the seven spirits of God.” Now look at common logic. There are currently approximately 6.8 billion people alive on earth, according to the US Census Bureau. If one decision or one transaction requiring grace and mercy crosses the throne for each person once a day that would require that 78,703 such transactions are dealt with per second. And, we each require much more than one dealing per day. In fact we need continual monitoring and intercession. Now consider the question of the judgment seat of Christ, before which all saints and sinners must stand. A quick and very rough estimate by me using the US Census Bureau’s historical estimates show that 19.9 billion people have ever lived on earth from Adam until now. So, for each person to stand before the throne in judgment for one hour, it would take 2.3 million years for all people to be judged. Since the Scripture doesn’t directly answer such questions, I can’t fully conclude that the judgment seat will involve some sort of spiritual multiplexing. However, I suspect that must be the case. This is why I conclude that God’s throne is not just powerful but also a place whose activity level is unfathomable. And God’s throne has not changed- not in the last few months, or in 40 years, or since creation, except that there is a man in the glory continually interceding for us- his bride. The Father spoke to the Son in John 12:28, “’Father glorify your name!’ Then a voice came from heaven, ‘I have glorified it, and will glorify it again.’ The crowd that was there and heard it said it had thundered; others said an angel had spoken to Him.” Isaiah had a vision of God’s throne and concluded, “Woe is me. … I am ruined!” (Isaiah 6:5). May we not forget that God’s Word, as it strikes us from God, is indeed the Word of God from his almighty throne of grace!
274.) Obey the Word, I Peter 3;1 “… if any obey not the Word, they also may be without the Word be won by the conversation of the wives”(KJV). This passage relates to non-believing husbands who, of course, aren’t obeying the Word because they don’t believe it. (Also see I Peter 2:8 regarding the recompense to those who disobey/ reject the Word.) The Lord Jesus said, “If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make our home with him. He who does not love me will not obey my teaching.” (John 14:23&24). When we obey the Word in putting our trust in Christ’s finished work of salvation, the Word becomes more intense in its work in us. Consider what’s happening due to the Word according to I Peter 1:22-25, “Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart. For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring Word of God. For, ‘All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the Word of the Lord stands forever.’ And this is the Word that was preached to you.” So, we are commanded to love one another. But, there are other commands which also set us apart as witnesses for Christ. I John 2:3-6 says, “We know that we have come to know Him if we obey his commands. The man who says, ‘I know Him’, but does not do what He commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But if anyone obeys his Word, God’s love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know if we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.” And, Revelation 3:8&10 say, “I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my Word and have not denied my name. … Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole earth to test those who live on the earth.” So we see that obedience to God’s Word in this day and age brings salvation, a deep loving lifestyle, it allows us to walk like Jesus did, and we cannot forget the protection value of obedience to his Word. We, in this Christian community where I live, are still in the midst of a trial due to a grave illness in a believer. And, after writing the above notes, I must say that if the elders of his Church had anointed the believer with oil, as the Word says (James 5:14&15), then much anguish and confusion could have been avoided. So, obeying God’s Word is not just for the non-believer and the neophyte believer, but for us all- myself especially.
276.) The testimony of Jesus, Revelation 1:9 “I, John, your brother and companion in the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance that are ours in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos because of the Word of God and the testimony of Jesus.” When I think of the testimony of Jesus I immediately think of people under persecution so that they might fill the world with the light of the gospel. (See Item#277 regarding such persecution.) Revelation 1:9 certainly agrees with that impression. In fact the testimony of Jesus must contain, not just his death, burial, and resurrection, but also all of who he is and his future reign. Revelation 1:1&2 point that out: “The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, who testifies to everything he saw- that is, the Word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ.” This is the testimony “which God gave him”- John, and so, to us, this revelation of the future reign of Christ and his Bride is very much a part of the testimony of Jesus. And, of course, all prophecy in this age contains the testimony of Jesus, “For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy” (Revelation 19:10).
277.) Persecution because of the Word, Revelation 6:9 “When He opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the Word of God and the testimony they had maintained. They called out in a loud voice, ‘How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?’” We shouldn’t think that persecution of believers is a strange thing. Since the flesh wars against the Spirit of God (Ephesians 5:17), persecution is the world’s way of dealing with our fiery faith. “In fact, everyone who wants to live a Godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (II Timothy 2:3). But as we know, the reward is well worth the persecution. Consider the reward spoken of in Revelation 20:4, “And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony for Jesus and because of the Word of God. They had not worshipped the beast or his image and had not received his mark on their forehead or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years.” I’m so happy to receive the Voice of the Martyrs newsletter, which chronicles the persecution of Christians throughout the world, and sends aid to the persecuted and their families. They can be reached at: www.persecution.com . as I just now looked through my VOM newsletter, I found this statement of their commitment, “We want to serve our persecuted brothers and sisters faithfully until, as Revelation 6:11 says, ‘both the number of their fellow servants and their brethren, who would be killed as they were, is completed’”.
287.) Remembering the actual words of the Lord Jesus Christ, Luke 24:5-8 “In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, ‘Why do you look for the living among the dead! He is not here He is not here; He has risen! Remember how He told you, while He was still with you in Galilea: ‘The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’‘Then they remembered his words.” Peter also had the Lord Jesus’ words brought up to the forefront of his memory. Matthew 26:75 relates, “Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken: ‘Before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.’ Then he went outside and wept bitterly.” Also, Acts 11:15-17 describes Peter at Cornelius’ house, ‘As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit came on them as He had come on us at the beginning. Then I remembered what the Lord had said, ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ We are not in Galilee in the 1st century, however, the Lord is not a mute idol, and He does speak to us. He gives us a word of wisdom or a word of knowledge, whether through Scripture or through some other means, to impress upon us what we need to know or how to act in a critical situation. And I note that once the people involved in the above instances recalled the Lord’s words, all doubt was immediately removed and they could go on to resolve whatever situation they were in. I believe this practicing of the Lord’s specific instructions is what is meant by Matthew 7:24-26, “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house upon the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the Rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.”
288.) Believe the Word, John 5:46&47 “If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote about Me.” This is still the course of salvation today. The Law brings us to the cross, where we trust in Christ’s finished work. Before I was saved, I took a religion class in high school. And, at towards the end of the term I remember I asked, “Sir, what if we go through all this religious instruction but don’t really believe in any of it?” He didn’t take my question seriously, but I think most of that class weren’t believing in that religious system. And possibly, none of them were believing, or even heard, the gospel of salvation. John 8:27 relates: “They did not understand what He was telling them about his Father. So Jesus said, ‘When you have lifted up the Son of man, then you will know that I am the one I claim to be, and that I do nothing on my own but speak just what the father has taught me. The One who sent me is with me; He has not left me on my own, for I always do what pleases Him. Even as He spoke many put their faith in Him.” Faith in God’s gospel Word is definitely the trigger of salvation, “By grace you have been saved, through faith” (Ephesians 2:8). And faith in the Word is also the trigger to Christian action and works as well, per James 1:22, “Do not merely listen to the Word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.”
303.) God’s Word in creation, Genesis 1:3-28 “And God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light. … And God said, ‘Let there be an expanse between the waters to separate water from water.’ So God made the expanse and separated the waters under the expanse from the waters above it. And it was so. … And God said, Let the water under the sky be gathered into one place, and let dry ground appear.’ And it was so. … Then God said, ‘Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land which bear fruit with seed in it, according t their various kinds.’ And it was so. … And God said, ‘Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark seasons and days and years, and let them be lights in the expanse of the sky and to give light on the earth.’ And it was so. … And God said, ‘Let the waters team with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the sky.’ So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living and moving thing with which the water teems, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. … And God said, ‘Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: livestock, creatures that move along the ground, and wild animals, each according to its kind.’ And it was so. … Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground. So God created man in his own image in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. … Then God said, ‘I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. And to all the beasts of the earth and to all the birds of the air and all the creatures that move on the ground- every thing that has the breath of life in it- I give every plant for food.’ And it was so.” Now I like to think that God’s Word was enough to accomplish his creation. Psalm 33:6-9 says, “By the Word of the Lord were the heavens made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth. … For He spoke and it came to be; He commanded, and it stood firm.” It is very assuring to the believer to consider the power of God’s Word in creation, and really, in all aspects including prophecy- which doesn’t show an immediate response to his Word as does his Word in creation. However, it is also beneficial to consider that, while the response to the Lord’s Word in creation was immediate, and given with ultimate authority, God did more than just speak. Creation also required work by the Lord. “By the seventh day God had finished the work He had been doing; so on the seventh day He rested from all his work” (Genesis 2:2). So, how much time did it take for each part of creation? Well, the Scripture says there was evening and morning for each of the days, even though, until the fourth day, there was no sun to mark the days. There’s a lengthy explanation for that, but I’m pointing to a simple conclusion. That is, that once God says something, his Word is so powerful that it’s as good as done whether immediately or over 6000 years. And that is the lesson that we must learn from God’s Word displayed in creation.
304.) The Father’s Word to creation, Genesis 2:18 “The Lord God said, ‘It is not good for man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.’” Here the Lord is making a general declaration to his creation, including the angels, and us in future generations? He speaks the same way in Genesis 6:3, 7&8, “Then the Lord said, ‘My Spirit will not contend with man forever, for he is mortal; his days will be a hundred and twenty years’. … So the Lord said, ‘I will wipe mankind, whom I have created, from the face of the earth- men and animals and creatures that move along the ground, and birds of the air- for I am grieved that I have made them.’ But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.” These declarations are different from other accounts of the Lord speaking. This is even different from Genesis 1:26 where He said, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, …”; in verse 26 he appears to be speaking to the others persons of the Trinity (John 1:3). So God made these major declarations to his creation, to the angels, and to us of future ages.
305.) Twisting the Word, Genesis 3:1-4 “Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, ‘Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden?’ ‘ The woman said to the serpent, ‘We may eat from the trees in the garden, but God did say, ‘You must not eat from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die’.’ ‘You will not surely die’, the serpent said to the woman. ‘For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God knowing good and evil.’” So, we can look at some obvious points in this twisting of God’s Word. First we see that the serpent was not really speaking what was on his mind. He knew what God said, and he was just trying to feel out the woman’s position. Beware of people who aren’t coming out and saying what’s on their mind; such obviously have another motive for speaking to you. And such a person doesn’t have enough respect for you to state their purpose up front. There’s a lot to be said for plain speech. Then we see the woman adding to God’s Word by saying, “and you must not touch it”. This doesn’t seem like much of an addition, but it let the serpent know that she wasn’t precise or diligent in her understanding of God’s Word, and possibly in rebellion to it. If I was learning a new job, and I told the trainer that I wasn’t going to touch one aspect of the job, since it seemed difficult to comprehend. The trainer and others would know that I knew little about that aspect of my work. Well, this is what is being communicated to the serpent when Eve added, “and you must not touch it”. This left the door wide open for her nemesis to merely lie to her- making disobedience to God seem very pleasant, and taking away the barrier by saying, “You will not surely die”. The woman, then, believed these lies of Satan and disobeyed God- who only gave one simple command. Some would say, “How stupid of her!” But, you know, I see people do the exact opposite of what God clearly says in Scripture all the time- from the bowing to statues, to sex outside of marriage, to hatred of prophecies, to refusing to anoint the sick, to mocking authorities, to gossip and slander. And, if you ask such people why they do this, they will have some convoluted excuse as to why they are practicing the exact opposite of what God’s Word says. Here is what the Scripture says concerning those who twist the Word: “If anyone teaches false doctrines and does not agree to the sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ and to Godly teaching, he is conceited and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words that result in envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions and constant friction between men of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the truth and who think that Godliness is a means to financial gain. But Godliness with contentment is great gain.” (I Timothy 6:3-6).
311.) “Verily”, Matthew 8:5-13 “When Jesus had entered Capernaum a centurion came to Him, asking for help. ‘Lord’, he said, ‘my servant lies at home paralyzed and in terrible suffering.’ Jesus said to him, ‘I will go and heal him.’ The centurion replied, ‘Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the Word and my servant will be healed. For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes: and that one, ‘come’, and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.’ When Jesus heard this, He was astonished and said to those following Him, ‘I tell you the truth, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith. I say to you that many will come from the east and the west, and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. But the subjects of the kingdom will be thrown outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ Then Jesus said to the centurion, ‘Go, it will be done just as you believed it would.’ And his servant was healed at that very hour.” This passage is not just about healing, but says much concerning the authority and power of God’s Word through Jesus Christ, and also great faith to be found amongst the Gentiles. But in this study we should look at that English word “verily” in the King James version, which is also “amen” in the Greek, or “I tell you the truth” as cited in the NIV. There are many instances in the New Testament where “verily” is used. And, the word is actually used as a flag to tell us to pay particular attention to what’s being said. In this case the fact that Gentiles can have great faith is particularly worth noting. The following are other “verily” passages which were noted in this Grace Study:
a.) Matthew 18:1-5, “At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?’ He called a little child and had him stand among them. And he said, ‘I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me.” So this is a revelation worthy of the use of the term “verily”- the fact that child like simple faith is needed to believe in the Lord Jesus.
b.) Matthew 19:28-30, “Jesus said to them, ‘I tell you the truth, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first.” So, the Lord Jesus states that his eternal reward system is worthy of an “amen” statement. “Many who are first will be last.” What does that say about the present day clergy system used by many denominations?
c.) Matthew 25:10-13, “’But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut. Later the others also came. ‘Sir! Sir!’ they said. ‘Open the door for us!’ But he replied, ‘I tell you the truth, I don’t know you.’’ Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.” That’s a surprising answer to those five virgins who waited without the Holy Spirit’s oil. (Also see Item#109 in the Evangelism Section.)
d.) Matthew 26:21, “And while they were eating, He said, ‘I tell you truth, one of you will betray me.’” The twelve were content be doing what they knew was right, celebrating the Passover according to the Law. But it was the Lord’s will that that system of Law would be turned upside down and become obsolete through the cross.
e.) Matthew 26:34, “’I tell you the truth,’ Jesus answered, ‘this very night, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.’” Such a startling dismissal of Peter’s pledge of faithfulness was also worthy of a “verily” statement by the Lord.
f.) Mark 9:1, “And He said to them, ‘I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God come with power.’” The prophecy that some of his disciples will see the kingdom come with power is worthy of a “verily” statement. He was not merely talking about his transfiguration; the Lord was bringing out the magnitude of the concept that men could understand the power and glory of his kingdom and personhood.
g.) Luke 4:24, “’I tell you the truth’ He continued, ‘no prophet is accepted in his hometown. I assure you that there were many widows in Israel in Elijah’s time, when the sky was shut for three and a half years and there was a severe famine throughout the land. Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them, but to a widow in Zarephath in the region of Sidon. And there were many in Israel with leprosy in the time of Elisha the prophet, yet not one of them was cleansed- only Naaman the Syrian.’ All the people in the synagogue were furious when they heard this. They got up, drove Him out of town, and took Him to the brow of the hill on which the town was built, in order to throw Him down the cliff. But He walked right through the crowd and went along his way.” The crowd’s reaction verifies the need for the Lord’s use of the term “verily”. And verily this statement is just as true today, that “No prophet is accepted in his hometown.” The flesh still wars against the Spirit of God- Galatians 5:17.
h.) John 6:25-35, “When they found Him on the other side of the lake, they asked Him, ‘Rabbi, when did you get here?’ Jesus answered, ‘I tell you the truth, (“verily, verily” in the KJV) you are looking for me, not because you saw miraculous signs but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. On Him God the Father has placed his seal of approval. Then they asked Him, ‘What must we do to do the work God requires?’ Jesus answered, ‘The work of God is this: to believe in the One he has sent.’ So they asked Him, ‘What miraculous sign then will you give that we may see it and believe you? What will you do? Our forefathers ate the manna in the desert; as it is written: ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’ Jesus said to them, ‘I tell you the truth (“verily, verily” in the KJV), it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my father who gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.’ ‘Sir’, they said, ‘from now on give us this bread.’ Then Jesus declared, ‘I am the Bread of Life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.’” So, Christ’s statement that He is “the Bread of Life” is so noteworthy that it requires two “verily” statements at the beginning, and two “verily” statements at the end.
i.) John 8:53-59, “’Are you greater than our father Abraham? He died, and so did the prophets. Who do you think you are?’ Jesus replied, ‘If I glorify myself, my glory means nothing. My Father, whom you claim as your God, is the one who glorifies me. Though you do not know Him, I know Him. If I said I did not, I would be a liar like you, but I do know Him and keep his Word. Your Father Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day; he saw it and was glad.’ You are not yet fifty years old,’ the Jews said to Him, ‘and you have seen Abraham!’ ‘I tell you the truth(“verily, verily” in the KJV), Jesus answered, ‘before Abraham was born, I am!’ At this, they picked up stones to stone Him, but Jesus hid Himself, slipping away from the temple grounds.” This “I am” statement of the Lord’s was certainly worthy of a “verily, verily” description, and was also enough to knock over the guards in the Garden of Gethsemane (John 18:6). (Also see the “I am” statements of the Lord Jesus in Item# 67, above.)
j.) John 10:1-8, “I tell you the truth (“verily, verily” in the KJV), the man who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. The man who enters by the gate is the shepherd of his sheep. … Jesus used this figure of speech, but they did not understand what He was telling them. Therefore Jesus said again, ‘I tell you the truth (“verily, verily” in the KJV), I am the gate for the sheep. All who ever came before me were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. … I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand is not the shepherd who owns the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.” In this passage the Lord is teaching about the Good Shepherd, who also empowers under-shepherds (I Peter 5:1-4, and Ephesians 4:7-11), as opposed to hirelings. The Lord Jesus saw fit to warn us twice and each warning contained a double emphasis of “verily, verily” or “amen, amen”. So there are four “verily” flags attached to the Lord’s warning against employing hirelings to do the shepherding work that the elders are supposed to do. Regarding these teachings against hirelings, please see Items # 1, 25, 36, 40d, 108, 312, and Summary points 1-7 of the Shepherding Section; also Item#143 of the Teaching Section.
k.) John 21:18&19, “Jesus said, ‘Feed my sheep. I tell you the truth (“verily, verily” in the KJV), when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.’ Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then He said to him, ‘Follow me!’” The reason why the Lord used a double “verily” is obvious- because of the severity and indubitable truthfulness of his statement concerning Peter’s death.
355.) Voice out of the cloud, Matthew 17 :5 “While he was still speaking, a bright cloud enveloped them, and a voice from the cloud said, ‘This is my Son, whom I love; with Him I am well pleased. Listen to Him!’ When the disciples heard this, they fell facedown to the ground, terrified. But Jesus came and touched them. ‘Get up,’ He said. ‘Don’t be afraid.’ When they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus.” As I read this, I’m trying to grasp the experience that the disciples had, which would cause them to fall to the ground terrified. The following are similar instances of the Lord speaking from a cloud:
a.) John 12:27-30, “Now my heart is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour?’ No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. ‘Father, glorify your name!’ Then a voice came from heaven, ‘I have glorified it and will glorify it again.’ The crowd that was there and heard it said that it had thundered; others said an angel had spoken to Him. Jesus said, ‘This voice was for your benefit, not mine. …’ When I read this I’m driven to consider the meaning of that voice’s statement, “I have glorified it and will glorify it again.” The Father is speaking of having glorified his own name in times past. And, the Father is answering the Son’s direct request, “Father, glorify your name.” Since that point in Christian history, when the Father spoke from that cloud, we can see the great accomplishments that our Lord Jesus has done- his atoning death, burial, and resurrection just for starters, and millions of other works that we could not even fathom nor understand. All these works by the Son, who now sits at the Father’s right hand, bring glory to the Father’s name. The Lord was speaking to a crowd during this exchange, but the crowd couldn’t distinguish the Father’s words. And, John’s chronicling of this event proves that someone took in the Father’s words, seemingly John himself, who was known to stay physically close to the Lord Jesus. This was all for our benefit. From this passage we are shown the cross for the glorious victory that it was and is, rather than a brutal mob action. The transaction has been accomplished! Sin has been paid for! “It is finished!” And, all this came through a voice that seemingly wasn’t properly understood. This reminds me of this grace study- that when we are obedient to God and speak the truth, that truth will have an impact because we are then speaking for God (prophecy). And, God’s Word will not return to Him void (Isaiah 55:11).
b.) Hebrews 12:25, “If they did not escape when they refused Him who warned them on earth, how much less will we, if we refuse Him who warns us from heaven?” This passage cites Sinai’s Word, even though delivered from a “dense cloud” on Mt. Sinai (Exodus 19:9), as being from Earth, since a dense cloud at the top of Sinai is earthly in comparison to God’s throne in heaven. Please see Item#266, above, for a discussion of “the Word from Sinai”.
c.) Revelation 10:4-11, “And when the seven thunders spoke, I was about to write; but I heard a voice from heaven say, ‘Seal up what the seven thunders have said and do not write it down.’ Then the angel I had seen standing on the sea and on the land raised his right hand to heaven. And he swore by Him who lives for ever and ever, who created the heavens and all that is in them, the earth and all that is in it, and the sea and all that is in it, and said, ‘There will be no more delay! But in the days when the seventh angel is about to sound his trumpet, the mystery of God will be accomplished, just as He announced to his servants the prophets.’ Then the voice that I heard from heaven spoke to me once more: ‘Go, take the scroll that lies open in the hand of the angel who is standing on the sea and on the land.’ So I went to the angel and asked him to give me the little scroll. He said to me, ‘Take it and eat it. It will turn your stomach sour, but in your mouth it will be as sweet as honey.’ I took the scroll from the angel’s hand and ate it. It tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it, my stomach turned sour. Then I was told, ‘You must prophecy again about many peoples, nations, languages and kings.’” In this passage we see how a voice directly from the Father was needed to clarify even the instructions from angels, as was the case in all the instances above. I conclude that this is also the reason why a Word of knowledge and a Word of wisdom is given occasionally to us, even in the midst of our Bible studies, and sometimes using the very Scripture that we’re studying.
364.) To whom it has been given, Matthew 19:11, “Jesus replied, ‘Not everyone can accept this Word, but only those to whom it has been given. … The one who can accept this should accept it.’” This passage is discussing the merits of celibacy as a way of life. However, it also clearly discloses that sometimes God’s Word is given specifically to some but not specifically for others. This should be obvious because we all don’t have the same callings or gifts (Ephesians 4:7).
365.) Jesus said, Matthew 19:14, et al, “Jesus said, ‘Let the …’” The Lord Jesus’ many sayings were not all captured in the new Testament, for “If everyone of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written” (John 21:25). But of His many New Testament sayings, many were introduced by the small phrase “Jesus said” or merely, “He said”. These two small phrases were used 332 times to introduce the Master’s various sayings. So, I tried to summarize the Lord’s sayings according to what he was saying and why He was saying it. A summary is provided at the “Jesus said” Summary, with categories across the top as to why He spoke, and categories down the side as to what was said. Of course this study doesn’t even skim the surface of the tremendous volume of teaching freely given by the Master.
375.) The Father said, Matthew 22:44, “The Lord said to my Lord: ‘Sit at my right hand until I put your enemies under my feet.’” The fulfillment of this prophecy is wonderfully explained in I Corinthians 15:24-28, which is the furthest forward prophecy which I’ve found in Scripture- “that God may be all in all”. Herein are passages where the Father is speaking, not just as Lord, but as the Father of the Son:
a.) John 1:32-34, “Then John gave this testimony: ‘I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on Him. I would not have known Him, except that the One who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is He who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ I have seen and I testify that this is the Son of God.’” For our purposes this is a nugget of Scripture. It shows us that the Father, not just the Spirit, can whisper in the ear of a prophet to trigger his prophecy. (Also see Item# in the Prophecy Section.) This also shows us how a word of knowledge can be given. You can tell whether such a word is a word of knowledge or a word of wisdom by whether wisdom or knowledge is imparted. Such discernment is easy in this case, since John says, “I would not have known Him,” clearly stating that it is knowledge which was imparted through the Father’s special word to him.
b.) John 12:28, “’Father, glorify your name!’ Then a voice came from heaven, ‘I have glorified it, and will glorify it again.’” Sometimes, we make exclamatory statements in which we seek to bring out the deep emotions that are pent up within us. This seems to be the case here with the Lord Jesus. However, we and others would have a tendency to dismiss our exclamatory statements as being merely the venting of our emotions. Such is not the case with the Lord Jesus. His words had deep meaning and life, hence the immediate response from the Father, who was always in fellowship with the Son- except when the Son became sin for us at the cross (II Corinthians 5:21). The immediate response from the father shows me that Christ’s work was serious and under careful scrutiny and involvement from the Father and his heavenly hosts.
c.) Hebrews 5:4-10, “No one takes this honor upon himself; he must be called by God, just as Aaron was. So Christ did not take upon Himself the glory of becoming a high priest. But God said to Him, ‘You are my Son; today I have become your Father.’ And he says in another place, ‘You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.’ During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, He offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the One who could save Him from death, and He was heard because of his reverent submission. Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from what he suffered and, once made perfect, He became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey Him and was designated by God to be high priest after the order of Mechizedek.” It’s hard to pin down the time when the Father said to the second person of the Trinity, “You are my Son, today I have become your Father.” Many conclude the Father must have said this before creation since Ephesians 1:4 says, “For he chose us in Him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight”. So, God’s plan of salvation was in place before creation.
d.) Matthew 17:5, “While he was still speaking, a bright cloud enveloped them, and a voice from the cloud said, ‘This is my Son, whom I love; with Him I am well pleased. Listen to Him!’ When the disciples heard this, they fell face down to the ground, terrified. But Jesus came and touched them. ‘Get up,’ He said. ‘Don’t be afraid.’ When they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus.” (Also see Item#355 above.) This is the first glimpse that we have of the Lord Jesus in his glory: “there He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as the light. Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah talking with Jesus.” Symbolically, and functionally for our Lord, much is going on at this transfiguration. The Lord Jesus is seen more glorious than Moses and Elijah, and yet in fellowship with them in the glory and talking things over. This is what we would nowadays call Christian fellowship; the glory, of course, speaks of future fellowship and our current high standing in Christ.
I hope that it is evident that, each time the Father spoke, it was a special event in which critical words were spoken. Of course the whole Bible is worthy of intense study, but more so these direct words from the Father.
380.) Angel Sayings, Matthew 28:1-8, “After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men. The angel said to the women, ‘Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus Christ, who was crucified. He is not here; He has risen, just as He said. Come and see the place where He lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilea. There you will see Him.’ Now I have told you’. So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples.” It’s been said that there were angels everywhere when Christ was born, and at his death, burial and resurrection. This does not mean that there are any less angels at work now, only that there was an intense focus of God’s attention at the Lord’s birth, and death, burial and resurrection. A good book to see what the Bible has to say about angels is Billy Graham’s Angels, Revised, published by Thomas Nelson 1996. From the above passage we can see that angels have the following traits: they are fearsome to behold and powerful, they are God’s messengers, they are God’s and our ministers- doing exactly what the Lord instructs them. The following are some additional statements by angels which came up in this Grace Study:
a.) Luke 1:11-20, “Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear. But the angel said to him: ‘Do not be afraid Zechariah: your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to give him the name John. He will be a joy and a delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from birth. Many of the people of Israel will he bring back to the Lord their God. And he will go on before the Lord, in the Spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous- to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.’ Zechariah asked the angel, ‘How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years.’ The angel answered, ‘I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news. And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their proper time.’” So herein we see the ministry of John the Baptist laid out in prophecy by God’s messenger, Gabriel. John would prepare Israel to receive their Messiah- many would repent. And John preached of Him, the latches of whose shoes he was not worthy to unloose. The angel also helps us to understand prophecy- that it will come true at its proper time. And, the messages from angels also connotes an assurance that God and the heavenly hosts are carefully working unseen in the background. This assurance allows us to be bold in our faith. Also see Item#28g, above.
b.) Luke 1:26-38, “In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, ‘Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.’ Mary was highly troubled at his words and wondered what type of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give Him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give Him the throne of his father David, and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end.’ ‘How will this be,’ Mary asked the angel, ‘since I am a virgin?’ The angel answered, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the most high will overshadow you. So the Holy One to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. For nothing is impossible with God’ ‘I am the Lord’s servant,’ Mary answered. ‘May it be to me as you have said.’ Then the angel left her.” Again, we see critical information, which would be hard to otherwise communicate, being given through an angel. I also note that the presence of the angel immediately brought shock and fear.
c.) Luke 2:7-14, “…and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped Him in cloths and placed Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone round them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a savior has been born to you; He is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.’ Suddenly a great company of heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.’” Herein fear was again displayed by the recipients of the message, and critical information (of great joy) was again timely dispensed.
d.) Acts 1:9-11, “After he said this, He was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid Him from their sight. They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when two men dressed in white stood beside them. ‘Men of Galilee,’ they said, ‘why do you stand here looking up into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen Him go into heaven.’” Again, a critical point in the development of Christ’s Church is being attended to by angels with succinct, necessary and wise advice.
e.) Acts 5:17-42, “Then the high priest and all his associates, who were members of the party of the Sadducees, were filled with jealousy. They arrested the apostles and put them in the public jail. But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the doors of the jail and brought them out. ‘Go, stand in the temple courts,’ he said, ‘and tell the people the full message of this new life’. At daybreak they entered the temple courts, as they had been told, and began to teach the people. … Then someone came and said, ‘Look! The men you put in jail are standing in the temple courts teaching the people.’ At that the captain went with his officers and brought the apostles. They did not use force because they feared that the people would stone them. Having brought the apostles, they made them appear before the Sanhedrin to be questioned by the high priest. ‘We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name’ he said. ‘Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make us guilty of this man’s blood.’ Peter and the other apostles replied, ‘We must obey God rather than men! The God of our fathers raised Jesus from the dead- whom you had killed by hanging Him on a tree. God exalted Him to his own right hand as Prince and Savior that He might give repentance and forgiveness of sins to Israel. We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey Him.’ When they heard this, they were furious and wanted to put them to death. But a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law, who was honored by all the people, stood up in the Sanhedrin and ordered that the men be put outside for a little while. … His speech persuaded them. They called the apostles in and had them flogged. Then they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the name. Day after day, in the temple courts, and from house to house, they never stopped proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ.” So the apostles were emboldened by the Word of God through an angel, who was really only reminding them what the Lord Jesus had already told them- “You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8).
f.) Acts 8:26-40, “Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, ‘Go south to the road- the desert road- that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.’ So he started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian eunuch, an important official in charge of all the treasury of Candace, queen of Ethiopians. This man had gone to Jerusalem to worship, and on his way home was sitting in his chariot reading the book of Isaiah the prophet. The Spirit told Philip, ‘Go to that chariot and stay near it.’ Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. Do you understand what you are reading?’ Philip asked. ‘How can I,’ he said, ‘unless someone explains it to me?’ So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. … Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him. When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way rejoicing. Philip. However, appeared at Azotus and traveled about, preaching the gospel in all the towns until he reached Ceasarea.” So here we see the Spirit and an angel working in conjunction with an evangelist in order to further the gospel and reach this Ethiopea eunuch, the Spirit and an angel also having worked together in the evangelism of Cornelius’ house per Item#g below. And, this work of evangelism to the Gentiles, and its chronicling, is extremely important for its use in teaching the relationship of baptism in evangelism. (See items#32, 143, & 145 in the Evangelism Section.) Philip had a trained ear for the Lord’s instruction and Word. I believe we can have just as good an ear for the Lord’s instruction as Philip, and also be involved in kingdom work that is just as vital.(I Corinthians 15:58). Also see Item#18 in the Evangelism Section.
g.) Acts 10:3-6, “One day at about three in the afternoon he had a vision. He distinctly saw an angel of God, who came to him and said, ‘Cornelius!’ Cornelius stared at him in fear. ‘What is it, Lord?’ he asked. The angel answered, ‘Your prayers and gifts to the poor have come up as a memorial offering before God. Now send men to Joppa to bring back a man named Simon who is called Peter. He is staying with Simon the tanner, whose house is by the sea.” I note that this is a distinct appearance of an angel, as opposed to unawares per Hebrews 13:2. I note that this is again a critical point, that is, the preaching of the gospel to the Gentiles. In this regard I see that Peter did not get his vision until the men from Cornelius’ house were actually sent to Joppa to find Peter. Many times when we’re trying to actuate a proposal we will tell the participants, “Call us when you’re underway”. And, many times this is because we don’t trust their ability to make good on their statements of commitment. So we see that this bringing of the gospel to the Gentiles was carefully orchestrated, step-by-step, by God- including the use of visions and angels.
h.) Acts 12:6-10, “The night before Herod was to bring him to trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries stood guard at the entrance. Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shown in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him up. ‘Quick, get up!’ he said, and the chains fell off Peter’s wrists. Then the angel said to him, ‘Put on your clothes and sandals.’ And Peter did so. ‘Wrap your cloak around you and follow me,’ the angel told him. Peter followed him out of the prison, but he had no idea that what the angel was doing was really happening; he thought he was seeing a vision. They passed the first and second guards and came to the iron gate leading to the city. It opened for them by itself, and they went through it. When they had walked the length of one street, suddenly the angel left him. The angel didn’t speak much in this account, but what he said was extremely critical to the Lord’s work, especially since Peter didn’t even realize what was happening. This account helps me realize that “with God all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26); and not only that, but when we are doing God’s will, we should expect his hand to be continually upon us.
i.) Acts 27:23-26, “Last night an angel of the God whose I am and whom I serve stood beside me and said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul, You must stand trial before Caesar, and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you.’ So keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in God that it will happen just as He told me. Nevertheless, we must run aground on some island.” It’s very noteworthy to consider that Paul took the message of the angel, just as if the message had come directly from the Lord- “for I have faith in God that it will happen just as He told me”. Then we should ask ourselves, “Should we take a Word of knowledge or Word of wisdom as being less than an angel’s message, or more than an angel’s message, seeing that such a Word is through God’s Holy Spirit (I Corinthians 12:8)?” Well, after reviewing Acts 27 and I Corinthians 12, we must put equal confidence in either, since these passages show that either type of communication is coming directly from the Lord.
j.) Hebrews 2:2, “For if the message spoken by angels was binding, and every violation and disobedience received its just punishment, how shall we escape if we ignore such a great salvation?” Item# i, above, discusses the weight to be placed on angelic messages, as does this verse. And we should also consider what happened to Zechariah when he balked at Gabriel’s instruction in Luke 1:20 (Item# a, above). However, the intent of Hebrews 2:2 is not to speak solely toward the veracity of the angels’ messages, but rather to condone the heavier weight to be put upon Christ’s Word especially regarding so great a salvation. “So He (the Son) became as much superior to the angels as the name He has inherited is superior to theirs. … We must pay more careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard so that we do not drift away.” (Hebrews 1:4 & 2:1). I suppose this is why there are red letter editions of the Bible- wherein the words of Christ are printed in red ink.
k.) Jude 9, “In the very same way, these dreamers pollute their own bodies, reject authority and slander celestial beings. But even the archangel Michael, when he was disputing with the devil about the body of Moses, did not dare to bring a slanderous accusation against him, but said, ‘The Lord rebuke you!’” So, what can be seen herein is that the angels speak in total subjection to the Lord- Michael understood that even the devil gets his power and authority from God, albeit the devil is under rebellion to God. We also see that angels have their own mind- Michael said, “The Lord rebuke you!” Why didn’t he merely rebuke the devil, since he was sent by God? Michael knew that he had not been sent to rebuke the devil in that manner, else he could have rebuked him directly, then and there, with all God’s power at his disposal. So, in regard to their mind, the angels are similar to men. We believers can say we “have the mind of Christ” (I Corinthians 2:16), but that doesn’t mean we are Christ, or that our thoughts are Christ’s thoughts, or even that our will is Christ’s will. But certainly we can shoot for that and pray for such.
l.) Revelation 5:8-14, “And when He had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song: ‘You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth.’ Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. In a loud voice they sang: ‘Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!’ Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, singing: ‘To Him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, forever and ever!’ The four living creatures said, ‘Amen,’ and the elders fell down and worshiped.” I used to work for many years in downtown Chicago; and every so often the city would become swamped with people such as when their football team, “da Bears”, won the super bowl, or when the White Sox won the world series, or when a U.S. president comes to town. The net effect is that most city functions slow down to a subsistence level, and practically all attention is given to the event on the city square. Such events would typically draw as many as 150,000 people. The noise and clamor would be stifling, and it is practically impossible to ignore what’s being said and communicated. However, in heaven the throng of angels encircling the throne is counted as more than 101 million. And, they are all singing the same song- in unison. If there were any persons in disagreement with the song, there voice couldn’t even be heard, and the song would be too compelling. And, there are actually two songs being sung. The first song is sung by the angels, the elders, and the four living creatures. Then, in the second song they are joined by every creature in the universe. This is an entirely compelling scene, and it’s no wonder that the scene in heaven is punctuated by the four living creatures saying, “Amen!”, and the elders prostrating themselves in worship.
m.) Revelation 17:1-7, “One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and said to me, ‘Come, I will show you the punishment of the great prostitute, who sits on many waters. With her the kings of the earth committed adultery and the inhabitants of the earth were intoxicated with the wine of her adulteries.’ Then the angel carried me away in the Spirit into desert. There I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was covered with blasphemous names and had seven heads and ten horns. The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, and was glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls. She held a golden cup in her hand, filled with abominable things and the filth of her adulteries. This title was written on her forehead: ‘Mystery, Babylon the Great, the Mother of Prostitutes and of the Abominations of the Earth’. I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of the saints, the blood of those who bore testimony to Jesus. When I saw her, I was greatly astonished. Then the angel said to me: ‘Why are you astonished? I will explain to you the mystery of the woman and of the beast she rides, which has the seven heads and ten horns. …’” Herein an angel is necessary to explain to John the mystery of the woman, and the scene which John was beholding.
n.) Revelation 19:9&10, “Then the angel said to me, ‘Write: ‘Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!’’ And he added, ‘These are the true words of God.’ At this I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me. ‘Do not do it! I am a fellow servant with you and with your brothers who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.’” The following are some plainly stated principles regarding our relationship with angels: They speak the true words of God. We should not worship or bow down to them. They are our fellow servants of Jesus Christ. (These basic teachings, about our relationship to angels, are again laid out in Revelation 22:6-9.)
385.) The Lord Jesus Christ speaks to creation, Mark 4:39-41 “He got up, rebuked the wind, and said to the waves, ‘Quiet! Be still!’ Then the wind died down and was completely calm. He said to his disciples, ‘Why are you so afraid/ Do you still have no faith?’ They were terrified and asked each other, ‘Who is this? Even the wind and waves obey Him1’” Last week I heard the story of a young man who dove off of a boat only to quickly realize that the water was only 18 inches deep. He bent his neck all the way backwards and his feet actually kicked the back of his head. Coming out of the incident with minor injuries, His doctor said he was the luckiest man alive since most people suffer serious injury, even death, due to those incidents. I was in the right spot at the right time to be able to tell him that God knew exactly what was going on the whole time, and was watching over him and controlling the situation. Psalm 33 also reminds us of the controlling power of the Lord’s Word over creation, “By the Word of the Lord were the heavens made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth. … For He spoke, and it came to be; He commanded, and it stood firm.” The Lord Jesus has control over all creation, even demons- “For Jesus had said to him, ‘Come out of this man you evil spirit!’” (Mark 5:8).
388.) The Lord Jesus Christ speaks of the cross, Mark 9:30&31 “They left that place and passed through Galilea. Jesus did not want anyone to know where they were, because He was teaching his disciples. He said to them, ‘The Son of man is going to be betrayed into the hands of men. They will kill Him and after three days He will rise.’ But they did not understand what He meant and were afraid to ask Him about it.” The implications of the cross are inherent in all Scripture. It’s been said that all of the verses of Scripture are like arrows which all point to the cross, in their own way. However, there were times when the Lord Jesus spoke of the cross and we want to glean all the insight of the cross that we can from such sayings. In Mark 9:31, He very plainly refers to Himself as the Son of Man (not the Son of God), who will be betrayed into the hands of men, and will rise from the dead in three days. Is it possible for God to die? Jesus’ body was certainly dead, but He has an eternal soul just as we have an eternal soul. What Christ’s soul experienced on the cross and in the grave are brought out in Jonah’s and Psalm 22’s account, below. Here are some instances when the Lord Jesus spoke of his cross:
a.) Matthew 12:38-41, “Then some of the Pharisees and teachers of the Law said to Him, ‘Teacher, we want to see a miraculous sign from you’. He answered, ‘A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a miraculous sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. The men of Ninevah will stand up at this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and now one greater than Jonah is here.’” This passage, of course, tells us that if we want to understand the cross, we can go back and study the Book of Jonah. (See II Peter 1:21, and also Item#239 of the Prophecy Section.) Jonah 2:1-10 narrates the account of Jonah, but also gives us a 1st person account of Christ in the grave: “From inside the fish Jonah prayed to the Lord his God. He said: ‘In my distress I called to the Lord, and He answered me, from the depths of the grave I called for help, and you listened to my cry. You hurled me into the deep into the very heart of the seas, and the currents swirled about me; all your waves and breakers swept over me. … To the roots of the mountains I sank down; the earth beneath me barred me forever. But you brought my life up from the pit, O Lord my God. … But I, with a song will sacrifice to you. What I have vowed I will make good. Salvation comes from the Lord.’ And the Lord commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land.”
b.) Matthew 16:21-24, “From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that He must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests and teachers of the Law, and that He must be killed and on the third day be raised to life. Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him. ‘Never, Lord!’ he said. ‘This shall never happen to you!’ Jesus turned and said to Peter, ’Get behind me Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.’ Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‘If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.’” First the Lord brought his disciples to the point of verbally accepting Him as the Messiah, then He began to teach what they, and we, would recognize as the true value of the cross, and why He must have gone to Calvary.
c.) John 3:14-18, “Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in Him may have eternal life. For God so loved the world that He gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him” (See also Item#23c of the Evangelism Section regarding the “gospel of the kingdom”.) We like to use this passage to share the good news. However, it also gives a vivid and poignant explanation of the meaning of Christ’s cross in the Lord’s own words.
d.) John 8:21-30, “Once more Jesus said to them, ‘I am going away, and you will look for me, and you will die in your sin. Where I go, you cannot come.’ This made the Jews ask, ‘Will He kill Himself? Is that why He says, ‘Where I go, you cannot come’?’ But He continued, ‘You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am the One I claim to be, you will indeed die in your sins.’ ‘Who are you?’ they asked. ‘Just what I have been claiming all along,’ Jesus replied. ‘I have much to say in judgment of you. But he who sent me is reliable, and what I have heard from Him I tell the world.’ They did not understand what He was telling them about his Father. So Jesus said, ‘When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am the One I claim to be, and that I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me. The One who sent me is with me; He has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases Him.’ Even as He spoke, many put their faith in Him.” Since the Lord Jesus was from above, God Himself- but incarnate, the men of that day- being carnal, could not accept Him because of their purely carnal logic. It required faith. However, Christ is communicating the hope that through the cross (and his resurrection) mankind could see the Father’s will and the evidence that Christ was ever doing the Father’s will. Oh what an excellent plan- to have victory over our carnality through faith in the cross! (See also Item#68 above, regarding “the man from heaven”.)
e.) Psalms 22 & Other Messianic Passages, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from the words of my groaning? … Many bulls surround me; strong bulls of Bashan encircle me. Roaring lions tearing their prey open their mouths wide against me. I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint. … Dogs have surrounded me, a band of evil men have encircled me, they have pierced my hands and my feet. I can count all my bones; people stare and gloat over me. They divide my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing.” (Psalms 22:1-18). There are Messianic passages in the Old Testament which present the Lord speaking in the 1st person, such as Psalms 22 and 69, Isaiah 50 and 53, and the Jonah account in Item#a, above. Since the writers of Scripture spoke as they were led by the Holy Spirit (II Peter 1:21), and since the Lord Jesus said “I and the Father are one” ( John 10:30), then these 1st person Messianic passages are included in this consideration of the Lord Jesus speaking of the cross. Through Psalms 69:1-4 the Lord has this to say, “Save me, O God, for the waters have come up to my neck. I sink in the miry depths where there is no foothold. I have come into the deep waters; the floods engulf me. … Those who hate me without reason outnumber the hairs of my head; many are my enemies without cause, those who seek to destroy me. I am forced to restore what I did not steal.” Here in these 1st person Messianic passages we hear the Lord speaking, not just about the cross, but also from the cross- not in audible words, but through the Scripture.
391.) The Holy Spirit Speaks, Mark 12:36, “While Jesus was teaching in the temple courts, He asked, ‘How is it that the teachers of the law say that the Christ is the son of David? David, himself, speaking by the Holy Spirit declared: ‘The Lord said to my Lord; ‘Sit at my right hand, until I put your enemies under your feet.’ David himself calls Him ‘Lord’. How then can He be his own son?’ The large crowd listened to Him with delight.” There are instances in Scripture when the Holy Spirit is directly speaking as a person of God. Of course, since all Scripture is God-breathed (II Timothy 3:16), and since those speaking for God speak as they are led by the Holy Spirit (II Peter 1:21), it is reasonable to say that these are all occasions of the Holy Spirit speaking. However, here are some other instances of the Holy Spirit speaking, where that person of God is mentioned specifically as the person speaking:
a.) Acts 13:2&3, “While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, ‘Set apart for me Barnabus and Saul for the work to which I have called them’. So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off.” I put this example first since it is nugget of Scripture in its ability to show the Holy Spirit as a real person who really speaks (albeit that the Spirit only speaks on behalf of the Father or the Son- John 16:7-15).
b.) Acts 6:8-10, “Now Stephen, a man full of God’s grace and power, did great wonders and miraculous signs among the people. Opposition arose, however, from members of the Synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called)- Jews of Cyrene and Alexandria as well as the provinces of Cilicia and Asia. These men began to argue with Stephen, but they could not stand up against his wisdom or the Spirit by whom he spoke.” So here is an example of wisdom and speaking abilities given immediately by the Spirit. In fact, the Lord Jesus explained this entire issue of the Holy Spirit speaking through men in Mark 13:11, “Whenever you are arrested and brought to trial, do not worry beforehand what to say. Just say whatever is given you at the time, for it is not you speaking, but the Holy Spirit.” So we must conclude that, whether we perceive the Holy Spirit to be speaking directly, or a person is speaking what we recognize as Christian truth all such activities are from the Holy Spirit and probably carefully orchestrated by Him. Isn’t that what the Lord Jesus meant when He said, “It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you.” John 16:7. And, “No one can say ‘Jesus is Lord,’ except by the Holy Spirit.”- ICorinthians 12:3. (See Items#5&5a in the Word of Wisdom Section, and Item#97 above.)
c.) Acts 8:29&39, “The Spirit told Phillip, ‘Go to that chariot and stay near it.’ … When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Phillip away, and the eunuch did not see him again.” From the passage we see that the Holy Spirit is recognized as the person speaking to Phillip and telling him what he was to do, as was the case with Paul and Barnabus in Item#a, above. Can we walk in such a way that the Lord will show us exactly what we should do, day by day, and from instance to instance. I believe we can. And, I believe that is exactly what is meant in Galatians 5:25, which says, “Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit”. So there is a progression from living by the Spirit to keeping in step with Him. (See other research into Phillip’s ministry in Evangelism Section, Items# 1&18, and Prophecy Section, Item#108.) Regarding, walking by the Spirit by keeping “in step with the Spirit”, see the following items above: #15f, 16g, 43, & 188, also Item#77j of the Teaching Section.
d.) Acts 10:17-20, “While Peter was wondering about the meaning of the vision, the men sent by Cornelius found out where Simon’s house was and stopped by the gate. They called out, asking if Simon who was known as Peter was staying there. While Peter was still thinking about the vision, the Spirit said to him, ‘Simon, three men are looking for you. So get up and go downstairs. Do not hesitate to go with them, for I have sent them.’” So, a question could be raised as to who spoke to Peter during his vision. But, his direction to go downstairs and go with the men, is definitely presented as a direct statement from the Holy Spirit.
e.) Acts 21:4, “Finding the disciples there we stayed with them seven days. Through the Spirit they urged Paul not to go on to Jerusalem.” Well, here is a passage which seems similar to other passages of Scripture which doesn’t succinctly cite an audible voice by the Spirit, yet the believers know and accept the message as being from the Spirit. Since the believers were imparting wisdom to Paul, I would categorize such a Word from the Spirit as a word of wisdom. (See a similar Word in Item#2 of the Word of Wisdom Section.)
f.) Hebrews 10:15, “The Holy Spirit also testifies to us about this. First He says: ‘This is the covenant I will make with them after that time, says the Lord. I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds.’ Then he adds: ‘Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more.’ And where these have been forgiven, there is no longer any sacrifice for sin.” Hebrews is quoting Jeremiah 32:33&34. So, herein, Scripture is stating directly that the prophet’s word, as captured in Scripture, is expressly the same as the Word of God.
I glean from these passages that the Holy Spirit is an actual person who speaks, and also that He has always spoken to and through men. God is not a mute idol (I Corinthians 12:2).
392.) Elizabeth got the Holy Spirit’s nudge, Luke 1:5-17 & 39-45 “In the time of Herod king of Judea there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah; his wifeElizabeth was also a descendant of Aaron. Both of them were upright in the sight of God, observing all the Lord’s commandments and regulations blamelessly. But they had no children, because Elizabethwas barren; and they were both well along in years. Once when Zechariah’s division was on duty and he was serving as priest before God, he was chosen by lot according to the custom of the priesthood, to go into the temple of the Lord and burn incense. And when the time for the burning of incense came, all the assembled worshipers were praying outside. Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear. But the angel said to him: ‘Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to give him the name John. He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from birth. Many of the people of Israel will he bring back to the Lord their God. And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous- to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.’ … At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, where she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. In a loud voice she exclaimed: ‘Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!’” Herein we seeElizabeth spontaneously prophesying regarding the birth of the Messiah. And, we also see that it was the baby leaping in her womb and the presence of the Holy Spirit, and her knowledge of the angel’s prophecy concerning her son, which nudged her to make that loud Spirit led statement concerning Mary.
394.) Seven sayings from the cross, Luke 23:33&34 “When they came to the place called the skull, there they crucified Him, along with the criminals- one on his right, and the other on his left. Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.’ And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.” Beyond the actual words that were said by Our Lord on the cross, there is an important lesson here for us as students of Scripture. Please notice that all seven saying are not found in any one account of the cross; yet, no Christian will refute that these are the seven sayings from the cross. The important lesson is that we must look at all of Scripture to learn the ways of God as presented in Scripture. This comes up many, many times, where some passages seem to contradict each other. But we know that “the Scripture cannot be broken” (John 10:35). Therefore, the error is not in Scripture, but usually in our narrow perception of the ways of God- so in such a situation we would need to study the Word in more detail. But, as students of Scripture, there are some basic Christian teachings which are readily gleaned from these seven sayings of Our Lord from the cross. The following are some of those teachings:
a.) Luke 23:34, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” Of course, the Jews proved in verse 35 that they did not know what they were doing when they said, “Let Him save Himself, of He is the Christ, the Chosen One.” But the Lord’s plea, “Father, forgive them,” fairly well sums up what his attitude and heart’s desire was. He was filled with love and He wanted to complete that transaction which paid for our sin. Isaiah 50:5 says, “Therefore have I set my face like flint, and I know I will not be put to shame.”
b.) John 19:26&27, “When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom He loved standing nearby, He said to his mother, ‘Dear woman, here is your son,’ and to the disciple, ‘Here is your mother.’ From that time on the disciple took her into his home.” This statement is an important statement which we don’t fully consider. When Christ was approached regarding his mother and brothers, “He replied to him, ‘Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?’ Pointing to his disciples He said, ‘Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.“- Matthew 12:48-50. Even further, the Lord taught, “I did not come to bring peace but a sword. For I have come to turn ‘a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law – a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.’ Anyone who loves his father or mother more than Me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me; and anyone who does not take his cross and follow Me is not worthy of Me.”- Matthew 10:35-38. So, Our Lord, even from the cross is working to define relationships within the Church. And, this is important on the eternal scale because believers have wasted lifetimes of effort on their blood relatives, when, in fact, the Lord doesn’t want us to allow them that station in our lives. This sounds callous, but what does the Word say!
c.) John 19:28, “Later, knowing that all was now completed, and so that the Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, ‘I am thirsty.’ A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus’ lips.” This is a fulfillment of the prophecy in Psalms 69:20&21, also see Item#43, above. There is an irony and a typology brought out at the cross which deserves discussion, but can only be touched upon herein due to lack of space. This starts out with Pilate’s inscription over the cross. Now the Jews had rejected the kingship and messianic claim of Jesus Christ. Yet Pilate, the one truly under the authority of God (Romans 13:1), said “What I have written, I have written.” (John 19:22). Now if we look at Psalms 69:20&21, we hear, “I looked for sympathy, but there was none, for comforters, but there was none. They put gall in my food and gave me vinegar for my thirst.” Now is this any way to treat your King?! God, through his authority in Pilate, and through the angels at his birth (Luke 2:11), and even through the Magi’s star (Matthew 2:2), is heralding Jesus as the Christ who was born King of the Jews. So when Christ said, “I thirst”, the Jews and mankind continue in their rejection of the Messiah by offering Him vinegar wine to drink. Some say that the Lord was then speaking typologically, and that He was actually thirsty for souls. I don’t doubt that after all these happenings the Lord was thirsty for souls at that point. So, the picture is that of Christ, thirsty for souls, or even someone to show “sympathy”, and mankind gives the Holy One of Israel sour wine. We should be giving Him our best, but in our carnal state what are we actually giving Him. Is what we are giving Christ so look warm that He must spew us out of his mouth (Revelation 3:18). The solution for that unpalatable luke warmness is to hear his fiery voice and open up to Him: “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.” (Revelation 3:20). Revelation 3:20 is one of the verses that the Lord used to reach and save me in 1979. Taken strictly in context, though, the verse is a teaching and a remedy against luke warmness. You see, only the Lord’s fire can rescue us from the luke warmness of our old nature. The verse says that we should expect to hear the Lord’s voice, and when we open up to Him, then we’ll be in fellowship with Our Fiery Lord (I John 1:3).
d.) John 19:30, “When He had received the drink, Jesus said, ‘It is finished.’ With that He bowed his head and gave up his spirit.” Well this is a verse that you can use in any store to share Christ with the clerk at the register. I love to light up people’s days through this verse. After getting my receipt, I’ll ask, “Well, how much do I owe you?” And the clerk will say, “Nothing, you already paid”. Then I’ll say, “That’s exactly what Jesus meant when on the cross He said, ‘It is finished.’ The transaction to pay for sin is over, and the debt has been completely paid for.” Normally, that’s as far as I’ll get with the gospel, unless time allows and I’m led to go on. But other bylines could be that the receipt is a picture of God’s Holy Spirit- received upon salvation. Or, I could mention that many people are still trying to pay for sin even though it’s been fully paid for at the cross. So, the fact that “It is finished” is truly a wonderful and beautiful concept worth sharing.
e.) Luke 23:39-43, “One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at Him: ‘Aren’t you the Christ? Save yourself and us!’ But the other criminal rebuked him. ‘Don’t you fear God,’ he said, ‘since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.’ Then he said, ‘Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.’ Jesus answered him, ‘I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.’” This is sometimes called the story of “the man who stole heaven”. But, he didn’t really steal heaven, he merely took it by faith, believing all that was revealed to him concerning the Christ- even the Lord’s innocent death and his coming kingdom. So, he didn’t steal heaven. He took it by force- the force of the gospel. “The kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it.” (Matthew 11:12). Was this man really with the Lord Jesus in paradise on that day? Of course he was! To understand this truth, though, you must understand the concept of paradise. The specifics of the concept of “paradise” start at Luke 16:22, where the beggar Lazarus dies and is taken to “Abraham’s side”, which is not heaven where God sits- because Christ had not yet died and rose again. However, once Christ died, the way into God’s presence was opened to mankind, including the thief on the cross (Hebrews 10:19-22 and Ephesians 2:6).
f.) Luke 23:46, “It was now about the sixth hour, and darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour, for the sun stopped shining. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. Jesus called out with a loud voice, ‘Father, into your hands I commit my spirit. When He had said this, He breathed his last.” I suppose this was the Lord’s last saying from the cross, since he was giving up the control of his spirit to the Father. This is, of course, a valley we all must cross unless the Lord comes before we die.
395.) Direct solution from obedience to the Word, John 9:11 “He replied, ‘The man they call Jesus made some mud and put it on my eyes. He told me to go to Siloam and wash. So I went and washed and then I could see.’” We used to sing a Sunday school song, “Trust and obey! For there’s no other way! All of God’s children must trust and obey.” This man had no other choice but to wash, since his eyes were filled with mud. But, this is the same position that many are found in when they realize that they are filled with sin and cannot see. Naaman, that leprous and prideful general, was told to wash 7 times in the Jordan, and his pride almost cost him his healing. Many times I’ve been able to see through my various problems and ask for wisdom according to the Lord’s promise in James 1:5. At that point it’s up to me to obey God, and the problem usually disappears as quickly as it appeared, unless I disobey.
396.) Scripture speaks, John 7:38, “Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.” To the Christian, the Scripture is the same as the spoken Word of God, except that it was spoken to others who wrote it down for us. Matthew 22:29-32 explains this perspective very well: “Jesus replied, ‘You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God. At the resurrection people will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven. But about the resurrection of the dead- have you not read what God said to you, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? He is not the God of the dead but of the living.” So, the Lord likens Scripture to God, Himself, speaking to us. The following are more examples of the Scripture speaking to us:
a.) Romans 7:7&8, “What shall we say then? Is the Law sin? Certainly not! Indeed I would not have known what sin was except through the Law. For I would not have known what coveting was if the Law had not said, ‘Do not covet.’ But sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, produced in me every kind of covetous desire. For apart from Law, sin is dead.” So, herein, the Law, as a part of Scripture, is speaking. In this passage Paul uses a literary device known as personification, wherein inanimate items take on human characteristics such as speech. Note how sin is “seizing the opportunity”. Well, this is all personification, in a literary sense. But, as Christians, we recognize that the Word is the “sword of the Spirit”. And, we also recognize that the Spirit has the job of convicting us of sin (John 16:8).
b.) Hebrews 4:7, “Therefore God again set a certain day, calling it Today, when a long time later He spoke through David, as was said before, ‘Today if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.’ For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken later about another day.” The point here is that the psalms of David are defined as God speaking to us through the scripture, and that concept is brought out twice. The difficulty here is that the context of Hebrews 4:7 is that a person can hear God’s voice calling him to salvation, and should do that; but such a Word from the Lord needn’t be only Scripture, and could be the gospel in any form.
c.) Hebrews 10:30, “For we know Him who said, ‘It is mine to avenge; I will repay,’ and again, ‘The Lord will judge his people.’” Talk about splitting hairs! This verse is very peculiar. The writer of Hebrews is directly quoting a psalm of Moses, Deuteronomy 32: 35&36. Moses’ psalm switches from a 1st person quoting of the Lord (“I will repay”) to a third person quotation (“The Lord will judge”). Now, when we consider the phrase “we know Him who said” we could claim this speaking is not necessarily Scripture speaking, but God Himself speaking to Moses. But, when we consider that Hebrews also contains that third person quotation, “The Lord will judge his people”, as being a saying from God, then we have to conclude that this is an example of God speaking through Scripture speaking rather than God verbally speaking, because of the presence of that third person quotation.
Also see Item#63 above.
397.) The Lord Jesus Christ speaks after his ascension, Acts 9:5-17, “As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, ‘Saul. Saul, why do you persecute me?’ ’Who are you, Lord?’ Saul asked. ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,’ He replied. ‘Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.’ … In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called him in a vision, ‘Ananias!’. ‘Yes, Lord’, he answered. The Lord told him, ‘Go to the house of Judas on Straight Streetand ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying. In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him to restore his sight.’ … But the Lord said to Ananias, ‘Go! This man is my chosen instrument to carry my name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel. I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.’ Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, ‘Brother Saul, the Lord- Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here- has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.’” It’s interesting to see how the Lord Jesus speaks to people in his post ascension body and glory. (As a point of definition the Lord communicates to us in the following ways, other than Christ’s appearing in the 1st century and through the Scripture: visions, dreams, trances, revelations, and words of wisdom and knowledge, angels, and the spoken Word through other Christians, or even non-believers who speak out the Word in their fallen state. Also see Item#14, above. Surely the Lord is not a mute idol!)
He seemingly appeared to Paul on the road to Damascus in his glory and struck him blind in the process. However, to Ananias, He appeared in a vision. The following are other instances:
a.) Acts 22:17-21, “When I returned to Jerusalem and was praying at the temple, I fell into a trance, and saw the Lord speaking. ‘Quick!’, He said to me, ‘Leave Jerusalem immediately, because they will not accept your testimony about me.’ ‘Lord,’ I replied, ‘these men know that I went from one synagogue to another to imprison and beat those who believe in you. And when the blood of your martyr Stephen was shed, I stood there giving my approval and guarding the clothes of those who were killing him. Then the Lord said to me, ’Go; I will send you far away to the gentiles.’” Since there is not a physical effect being mentioned, I conclude that the Lord appeared in a vision in this instance, as opposed to being struck blind on the road to Damascus, and the “night the Lord stood near Paul” in Item#b- below.
b.) Acts 23:11, “He ordered the troops to go down and take him away from them by force and bring him into the barracks. The following night the Lord stood near Paul and said, ‘Take courage! As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome.’” There are those who conclude that since Christ arose and ascended, that He can no longer come back to earth until He comes to reign in Jerusalem. I, myself, 100% believe that the Lord Jesus is coming to reign for 1000 years in Jerusalem. However, given the Christophanies which occurred in the Old testament, I see no reason to limit the Lord’s appearance upon earth, based upon his previous ascension, especially considering Acts 9:5-17 and Acts 23:11 shown herein. However, I don’t intend to expand upon this discussion.
398.) Light discerns the Word, Acts 22:6-10, “About noon as I came near Damascus, suddenly a bright light from heaven flashed around me. I fell to the ground and heard a voice say to me, ‘Saul! Saul! Why do you persecute me?’ ‘Who are you, Lord?’ I asked. ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.’ He replied. My companions saw the light, but they did not understand the voice of Him who was speaking to me. ‘What shall I do, Lord?’ I asked. ‘Get up,’ the Lord said, ‘and go into Damascus. There you will be told all that you have been assigned to do.’” So Paul and his companions saw the light and heard the voice, but only Paul was struck blind and discerned the Word given by the Lord’s voice. Well the light is obviously the glory of God, but God said to Moses, “You cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live” (Exodus 33:20). And the Lord Jesus said, “I am the Light of the World. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12). (This “light of life” is also promised in Isaiah 53:11, “After the suffering of his soul, He will see the light of life and be satisfied”.) But Satan blinds people from the light of life- “And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” (II Corinthians 4:3&4). The subject of light versus darkness is probably as huge a subject as this Grace Study. However, it’s my intention herein to focus on the light’s ability to help to discern the Word. So, the following passages have been gleaned, in that regard:
a.) John 1:1-5, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through Him all things were made; without Him nothing was made that has been made. In Him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.” “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14). John, above all writers, writes about this light, who is Christ, but is also the glory that surrounds Christ.
b.) John 3:18-21, “Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. This is the verdict: light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God.” So, we see that God’s light exposes evil, while proving up the truth of God.
c.) John 12:35&46, “Then Jesus told them, ‘You are going to have the light just a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, before darkness overtakes you. The man who walks in the dark does not know where he is going. Put your trust in the light while you have it, so that you may become sons of light.’” I Thessalonians 5:4&5 says, “But you, brothers, are not in darkness so that this day (the day of the Lord) should surprise you like a thief. You are all sons of the light and sons of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness.” We are to put our trust in the light and become sons of the light. In fact, God’s kingdom is referred to as the “kingdom of light” (Colossians 1:10). And, we are to live as “children of light”- Item#e below.
d.) I John 2:8-11, “Yet I am writing you a new command; its truth is seen in Him and you, because the darkness is passing and the true light is already shining. Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother is still in the darkness. Whoever loves his brother lives in the light, and there is nothing in him to make him stumble. But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness; he does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded him.” Obedience, especially in loving the brethren, is a sign that we have God’s light in us. (See Item#16i above.) Disobedience shows that we’re stumbling in the darkness. So this verse defines a relationship between truth, obedience, darkness, and light. The relationship is that where you’re at in Christ proceeds from obedience/ light.
e.) Ephesians 5:8-14, “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness, and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord. Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. For it is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. But everything exposed by the light becomes visible, for it is light that makes everything visible. This is why it is said: ‘Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.’” Since it is the light that makes everything visible, our actions in relationship to God’s Word are distinctly and easily visible to that light.
f.) I John 1:5-7, “This is the message we have heard from Him and declare to you: God is light; in Him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with Him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from all sin.” So, whether it’s the light of God’s presence (and glory) or the light of His Word, it is still God’s light which cuts through the darkness. And, darkness and truth are opposites.
From these verses I can conclude that God working through the Word always brings the light; however, the light of God is not limited to the Word. Or, we could say that the Word is always a part of God’s light, but God’s light is not limited to his Word. Consider what was said above in Isaiah 53:11: “After the suffering of his soul, He will see the light of life and be satisfied”. This light of life which the Lord Jesus now sees is not just the Word, but the light of God working in this dark world.
Concluding this study of the “word of knowledge”, it’s no surprise that the first item and the last item (Item#1 and Item#398) stick out to me as the most important topics. Item#1 is important because it defines a word of knowledge is an utterance from God imparting knowledge, and challenges us to realize that we are not following a “mute idol”. Item#398 is important because it brings out the point that we are to walk in God’s light and power. Shall we deny that light and pretend that certain nudges, words, and his anointing to us do not exist? “If we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin” I John 1:7.
SUMMARY OF IMPORTANT POINTS
Lest someone misconstrue, or even deliberately twist, the results of what’s being concluded from this study, the following summary points are noted:
1.) The Scripture, which cannot be broken, according to the Lord Jesus in John 10:35, defines word of knowledge as a Spirit manifested ability ranked with prophecy and other gifts. (The above items reference this: Nos. 1, 27, & 63.)
2.) We need a word of wisdom as a Spirit manifested solution to many dilemmas, since we are sometimes lacking in the knowledge needed to do various tasks (The above items reference this: Nos.1, 21, 76, & 101e.)
3.) Godly knowledge begins with fear of the Lord, then should progress to acceptance of the gospel (Proverbs 1:7, Romans 3:21&22). The Lord wants us to grow in our knowledge of Him and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and a word of knowledge is actually a subset of the Godly knowledge of the believers. (The above items reference this: Nos. 10, 15f, 15p, 16d, 17, 18, 29, 39, 108, 158b, &234.)
4.) A word of knowledge is still given today, and has not been abolished with the completion of Scripture. (The above items reference this: Nos. 1, 9, 13, 15, 33, 63, 89, 97, 169, 185, 202, 235, 287, &392; and Items 1, 11, & 99 of the Prophecy Section,; also Item#75 of the Apostleship Section.)
5.) A word of knowledge can be defined and there are examples in Scripture, and in the everyday lives of Christians. (The above items reference this: Nos. 1, 13, 14, 16j, 18, 27, 28, 31, 41b, 43, 54, 89, 97, 108h3, 159, 169, 185, 218, 225, 243, 355, 364, 380i, 391, & 397.)
6.) There is a purified form of knowledge which is promised to believers when Christ comes, and which is experienced in part now. (The above items reference this: 12, 15, 22, 31, 34, 38, 39, 40, 66, &68; also Item#1f of the Prophecy Section.)
7.) There is a general Christian knowledge, which begins at Calvary, and which we can accumulate through careful study of the Scripture, and careful consideration of the Way of Christ. (The above items reference this: 16, 20, 39, 40, 46, 107, 191, 201, 234, 304, 396c.)
8.) Knowledge, even by word of knowledge, without wisdom and prudence, still won’t bring obedience to God. (The above items reference this: 19, 22, 28a, 37, 42, 130, 188, 225h, &395.)
9.) A word of knowledge, along with a word of wisdom, prophecy, and Scripture, are all subsets of God’s Word (logos); and should be obeyed and treasured as his Word, recognizing the power intrinsic to his Word. (The above items reference this: 63, 67, 76, 103, 125, 126, 130, 137, 142, 154, 158a, 180, 190, 222, 226f, 235, 245, 266, 288, &380j.)
END HOME
[1] www.Wikipedia.org/wiki/Gnosticism, “Gnosticism”
[2] Watchman Nee, The Flow of the Spirit (Anaheim, Ca: Living Stream Ministry, 1993) p. 1-2.
[3] W.E Vine, Vine’s Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words (Old Tappan, New Jersey: Fleming H. Revell Company, 1981) p. 208.
[4] Ibid, p. 107.
[5] Watchman Nee, The Renewing of the Mind (Anaheim, Ca: Living Stream Ministry, 1993) p. 2-3.
[6] Ibid, p. 9,13,&30.
[7] Randy Robison, Words of Life- Weekly Devotional (www.lifetoday.org) June 6, 2010.
[8] Bruce Hepburn, Isaiah 58 Ministries Newsletter, 2009 .
By D.M.M. 6/19/07
This treatise is a summarization of a topical study which I did by studying popular New Testament Bible verses from the topic of knowledge and word of knowledge, and then later, the word aspect of a word of knowledge. The words from Strong’s Concordance which were used are “knowledge”, “know”, “knowest”, “knoweth”, and “knowing”, and then later, “spake”, “speak”, “speakest”, “speaketh”, “speech”, “spoken”, “word”, “words”, and “said”. Item numbers 1 through 43 refer to the knowledge and word of knowledge items which were found. Then, it was later decided that the word aspect must also be studied. So, generally, items 44 through 398 refer to the word aspect of the “word of knowledge”.
The following are points of note derived from my original longhand notes:
1.) Basic definition and concepts, I Corinthians 12:1-12 “Now about spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be ignorant. You know that when you were pagans, somehow or other you were influenced and led astray to mute idols. … Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another themessage (word) of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another interpretation of tongues. All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and He gives them to each one, just as he determines.” To understand the word of knowledge one should look at some of the teachings brought out in Chapter 12. Please see such a review of I Corinthians Chapter 12 in the Word of Wisdom Section, Item#1.
As was the case of a word of wisdom, we cannot side-step the obvious. A word of knowledge is an utterance from God imparting knowledge. That means when we didn’t know some fact, God brought this fact out to us because we needed to know it. The utterance can be audible to the hearer or merely implanted into the hearer’s mind. Knowledge is merely the possession of information, which is normally considered to be critical information. (See Item#95 in the Teaching Section.) So, a word of knowledge requires getting a special communication from God that will aid us in our Christian walk, and will aid the furtherance of his kingdom. It is one of several manifestations of the Spirit of God, which are mentioned in Scripture (I Corinthians 12:7). This “logos” from God can be merely understanding the Scripture which was long ago written, as was the case with Paul and others in Ephesians 3:6 (see Item#14 below); or such word can be from a dream or vision, as in the case of the Magi of Matthew 2:12 (see Item#14 below). Or, really, there is no bound upon the manner that God can speak to us. The most frequent manner, however, is the Scripture. Please note that a word of knowledge is a special communication from God, as opposed to normal skills and knowledge which I believe God also supplies (Exodus 31:3). (Also see Item#16 below.) II Corinthians 12:9 is a good example of a word of knowledge.
9.) Why we need an occasional word of wisdom and word of knowledge, Romans 11:33-36 Please see Item#6 of the Word of Wisdom Section.
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10.) Knowledge is a result of the gospel, I Corinthians 1:5-7 “For in Him you have been enriched in every way- in all your speaking and in all your knowledge- because our testimony about Christ has been confirmed in you. Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed.” We should ask the question. Did the Corinthians not lack any spiritual gift because they were manifesting Spirit filled speaking and knowledge, or, because Paul’s testimony about Christ had been confirmed in them? Well, since we see from various lists of gifts from Scripture that not all gifts are based solely upon speaking and knowledge, we conclude that Paul was referring to Christ’s testimony being confirmed in them. You see, Paul could not say that they had been “enriched in every way” if they were only practicing speaking and knowledge gifts. However, as a sign that Christ’s testimony was in them, they were manifesting the presence of the Holy Spirit. So, I must say that it’s not my conclusion from Scripture that salvation, and therefore the presence of the Holy Spirit, is confirmed by the practice of any particular gift. Paul was confident that, since Christ was obviously in them, they lacked no spiritual gift. This explanation is necessary since some might be tempted to categorize all spiritual gifts as either speaking or knowledge gifts. And, some others might claim that you must manifest special speaking or knowledge gifts in order to have Christ’s presence confirmed in you.
Having said all this, though, we must recognize that some gifts require special Spirit manifested speaking abilities, while others require Spirit manifested knowledge. And, I note that if the only Spirit manifested speaking and knowledge was confessing with his mouth that “Jesus is Lord” and believing with the heart that God raised Him from the dead, then Christ is more than adequately confirmed in such a believer. But, since Paul is obviously leading into the corrections to the Corinthians’ practices, as explained in Chapters 12 through 14, we cannot say that the context is mainly referring to speaking and knowing the gospel. Neither can we say that Paul is writing only concerning general Christian articulation or public speaking skills when he referred to speaking gifts in verse 5. We also cannot say that Paul is writing only concerning general Christian knowledge when he referred to gifts of knowledge in verse 5.
From merely reviewing and assimilating all the New Testament Scripture passages referring to knowledge I’ve had to conclude that the Scripture does refer to two sub-categories of knowledge, which I call heavenly knowledge and general Christian knowledge. (Please be advised that I’m not teaching anything close to Gnosticism[1] herein. I’m merely analyzing the Scripture. Further, it’s interesting that verse 7, above, refers to the antithesis of Gnosticism- the coming of the Lord Jesus in the flesh. (Please see Items# 1a1, 1a4, & 1f of the Prophecy Section.)) In fact, studying Scripture from different perspectives usually brings its own reward, and, coming to recognize these sub-categories of knowledge cited within Scripture is indeed a blessing that came from this word study of “knowledge”. Another, similar (but not the same) explanation that I’ve heard of these sub-categories, is heart knowledge versus head knowledge. Please see Items# 15 & 16, below, regarding heavenly knowledge and general Christian knowledge, respectively.
12.) Knowledge will vanish away, I Corinthians 13:2, & 8-12 “If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I have nothing… Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophecy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love.” As I believe many people stumble over this passage, it may help to begin explaining this passage by starting at the conclusion and working backwards.
- “These three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love.” When we’re in the glory, how can we hope for what we’ve already received? Or, how can we have faith in Christ’s coming, when He already came? And, how can we believe in His promises, after He’s already made good on them? But, will we be able to love one another in the glory? And will we be able to love God first of all in the glory? Praise the Lord, we will! We will be able to love with our hearts unconstrained by the confusion and sin of this world, and unfettered by our old nature.It’s been said that “Earth is training time for reigning time”. If that’s true, then we should start practicing our acts of love now; because love is enduring, and love is real, and love is here and now, and love will be a big part of our eternal lifestyle. For right now, though, love requires obedience and action, not wishing and dreaming. The Lord Jesus said, “If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching.” (John 14:23). And, one of the main teachings which I’ve emphasized herein is to “eagerly desire the greater gifts” (I Corinthians 12:31). When practicing love, we become a part of the solution, rather than a part of the problem. The Church will be added to and edified by obedience and action, not by wishing and dreaming. That’s love in action. I perceive that many of the things we try to do in love hurt others, rather than encouraging them in Christ. Nevertheless, “love covers over a multitude of sins” (I Peter 4:8). Complacency can never be construed as love, no matter how seemingly righteous such a position is. Love will open up opportunities for us, opportunities which allow us to walk with the Lord while sharing in his work. “See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut” (Revelation 3:8). (The “open door” caused by brotherly love is explained in Item# 109 of the Evangelism Section.)
- “Now we see as but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known”. (Also see Item#1f of the Prophecy Section, and Item#22 below.) Mirrors in Paul’s day were very crude, usually just highly polished metal. So, the reflected image was very poor and always left one wondering what the true face looked like. Paul, of course, is using the mirror as an alliteration device in his description of knowledge and the speaking that proceeds from that knowledge. I recently proposed a business venture with an acquaintance. He liked the idea but wanted to meet over lunch. Well, we had to cancel our first lunch appointment, and I suggested that we could handle these discussions over the telephone. He said, no, certain discussions required a face to face meeting. So we met for lunch later on. The point is well taken. As impassioned, or as close to the Lord Jesus, as our daily walk can get here on Earth, it will still not compare with seeing Him and being with Him face-to-face in the glory. This promise of seeing Christ face to face is a great encouragement to me and others. But, the second part of this passage speaks of a more purified form of knowledge- “Then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known”. On June 30th of this year, a lady called in to WMBI (Moody Bible Radio inChicago) and requested that a certain Sandi Patti song be played. She explained that her then deceased mother, during her time in hospice, could clearly sing Sandi Patti songs and other hymns though she couldn’t otherwise talk. So she related that she could worship the Lord with her mom, even though her mom wasn’t mentally able to talk to her. The WMBI host then shared a similar story of a dying aids patient who, although suffering from extreme dementia, could clearly sing Sandi Patti and other praise songs. The host concluded that “there was something going on there that we couldn’t understand”. A few days later on WMBI another host told the story of a Mr. Jacobson, the head of a Lebanese medical facility who was kidnapped by terrorists, and held with others for about 18 months while being chained to a wall with others and sitting on a cold dirt floor. While in captivity they all prayed and recited Bible verses together forming the “Church of Those Behind Locked Doors”. They had a clear sense of God’s presence there with them. Jacobson spent his last few weeks before release in a 6 foot by 6 foot cell in solitary confinement where he said he experienced the Lord’s presence even closer than before. These and other stories combined with Scripture’s promise of a more purified form of knowledge show me that there is a different type of knowledge, that is different even from general Christian knowledge. (Please see Items#15 & 16 below.)“Then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known”. I am fully known by God and Christ, but then I too shall fully know. Hopefully, Item#15 below will give us a taste of what we will know; and understand. I say a taste because our passage tells us that we shall not fully know until face to face comes. Actually, there is a nugget of Scripture that tells us a little bit about this purified form of knowledge which is to come. The Scripture is Isaiah 11:8&9, “The infant will play near the hole of the cobra, and the young child put his hand into the viper’s nest. They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, for the Earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.” (So, my perception of this knowledge is that it will permeate all creation, even the beasts, causing peace on Earth. We shall know even as we are fully known- I Corinthians 12:12. And, we shall all know the Lord (Hebrews 8:11), which is true for all believers now, and will be true for everyone in the Millennium.
- “When I was a child I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man I put childish ways behind me.” This word picture is comparing the change from childhood into adulthood to our totally changed state when Christ comes in the rapture. We are not seeing the whole picture in this life, we only see glimpses of God’s glory, God’s plan, and the way God thinks. In the glory we will no longer talk, think, or reckon in a manner affected by this world or our old nature- “for the old order of things has passed away” (Revelation 21:5). And, I’ll certainly be glad of that- having just gone through a very tempting trial.
- “For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears.” You might ask, “What perfection is being spoken of?” Well, for sure this perfection will entail a time and place where prophecies will cease, tongues will be stilled, and knowledge will pass away. (Prophecy Section, Item#51, touches on the partial knowledge aspect of prophecy.) We will see face to face, and we shall know even as we are known. In Item#1 of the Prophecy Section it was shown that this state of perfection cannot have been the completion of the Bible, as some would teach. It seems clear to me that this state of perfection only occurs in the glory, and is due primarily to Christ’s presence. “We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord” (II Corinthians 5:8). Consider the perfection of heaven- “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away… I did not see a temple in the City, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. The City does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp” (Revelation 21:3-4, &22-23). And this concept of seeing God face to face is no simple task, for, God said to Moses, “You cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live” (Exodus 33:20). So, how can we see God face to face? Well, we’ll be seeing him totally encompassed by our new nature in our changed bodies. John wrote of this when he said, “dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when He appears, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is” (I John 3:2). I note that John’s conclusion that we shall be like Christ is derived from his knowledge that we shall see Him face to face. This is concluded from a Jew who was taught not to even speak the name Jehovah, let alone think that he could see his face. But, John was also on the Mount of Transfiguration, and knew the Lord’s teachings and promises (John 14:3). So, what we will be has not yet been made known, but we know that we will be like Him and we will see Him face to face. “Your eyes will see the King in His beauty” (Isaiah 33:17). Think about that, because “Everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as he is pure” (I John 3:3).
- “Prophecies, they will cease… tongues, they will be stilled… knowledge, it will pass away”. Chapters 12 through 14 of I Corinthians deal with Spiritual abilities necessary for building up the Church. However, Chapter 13 tells us that love must be the motivating factor for Christian service. And, once the Church is built up and raptured, there is no further need for prophecy, tongues, and knowledge. 10,000 years from now will you remember the rules of Algebra? You probably forgot them already! Will you remember the phone numbers of your closest friends and family? I barely remember the names of my old friends and acquaintances, and I’m only 57 years old at the point of this writing. The point is that we are practical beings, and we’re forced to only keep essential knowledge. I sometimes remember my old acquaintance John, who was an elderly consultant at a large steel mill. At my first job out of college, as a construction engineer, John came to me with a question concerning a mechanism. I tried to explain to him the geometry of his problem. John’s response to me made a lot of sense. He said, “Look, just give me a simple answer. I’m 65 years old and I’ve forgotten more than I now know. I don’t want to try to keep anything in my head that I don’t have to, because I won’t remember it anyway.” Even trivia experts feel that such trivia is essential to their persona. However, when we’re in the glory- 10,000 years from now, how essential will the information regarding this fallen world be? “The words ‘once more’ indicate the removing of what can be shaken- that is, created things- so that what cannot be shaken may remain” (Hebrews 12:27).
- “If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I have nothing… Love never fails.” There are two attributes of God that we must understand and wrestle with in order to be proper ministers of His grace. “God is a consuming fire” (Hebrews) and “God is love” (I John 4:8). I believe the subject passage is saying that we should not separate the two attributes in our understanding of God’s ways. I was at a marriage conference, and when I mentioned God as a consuming fire most assumed I was speaking of the wrath of God. Actually I was trying to communicate His glory particularly in the exercise of our gifts. I know that the Hebrews passage compares God’s presence in the Church to the awesome power and fire at Sinai, along with God’s judgment on those who refused his plan. However, the passage still doesn’t lead me to dread the Lord’s presence or His judgment. We are certainly to treat the Lord with reverence and Godly fear, but not with dread or quaking fear. God’s presence, to which the Church and the angels are a part of, is described as a “joyful assembly” in Hebrews 12, even though we are exhorted to “be thankful and so worship God with reverence and awe”. Why does God chasten us and why did God send his Son to die for us? It’s because God is love. Why did God’s fiery Holy Spirit speak through the prophets to Israel and the nations? It’s because God is love. When the tongues of fire fell upon the disciples at Pentecost, and thousands were saved that day, wasn’t it because God is love and also because He is a consuming fire? So, in manifesting God’s fiery Holy Spirit that is in us, we are to be motivated by and manifest love. And, Paul gives us some glimpses as to how such love would conduct itself- “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres” (I Corinthians 13:4-7). When God raised up His servants I don’t recall any that were bent upon hatred for God’s enemies; most were extremely hesitant to go. Jeremiah said,”I do not know how to speak; I am only a child” (Jeremiah 1:6). Amos said, “I was neither a prophet nor a prophet’s son, but I was a shepherd, and I also took care of sycamore trees. But the Lord took me from tending the flock and said to me, ‘Go, prophesy to my people Israel’ “ (Amos 7:14&15). Moses said, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” (Exodus 3:11). Paul gave up his high position amongst the temple teachers to truly follow God. When he went from town to town, there was no fanfare, but rather, persecution waiting him. He didn’t even accept much financial support, even working as a tentmaker to pay for his apostolic tasks. Paul practiced love through his service and from his heart. (Please see Paul’s position on Table of Contents #G-f. I very much empathize with the fire versus love issue. (Also see Item#100 in the Prophecy Section.)Was it for lack of love or patience or civility that Christ told the religious people of his day, “They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men” Mark 7:7).
I hope that a serious Bible student would easily see that I Corinthians 13 is not just the “love chapter” of the Bible, but an explanation of why and how love is integral to practicing our Spirit manifested abilities. Having accepted that point, though, it is also useful to recognize this chapter of the Bible as an excellent teaching on love in practice.
13.) A hypothetical word of knowledge, I Corinthians 14:6 “If I come to you and speak in tongues, what good will I be to you, unless I bring you some revelation or knowledge or prophecy or word of instruction?” If we go beyond Paul’s reasoning against improper use of tongues, we can see four uses for a word from God- “revelation or knowledge or prophecy or word of instruction”. Since what was hypothesized was knowledge brought by tongues, then this would also be a form of a word of knowledge (just as tongues is also a form of prophecy- Acts 2:17). I think that Paul’s main issue herein is that God is practical. He manifests His Holy Spirit so that His will is accomplished, not so that we can claim how powerful we are or act in a disorderly manner. I also think that no grace manifestation of God is impossible or obsolete, because such a perception would totally go against the definition of what grace is and what God’s throne of “charis” is all about. “With God all things are possible” (Mark 10:27).
14.) Historical examples of a word of knowledge, Ephesians 3:2-7 and Galatians 1:12 “Surely you have heard about the administration of God’s grace that was given to me for you, that is, the mystery made known to me by revelation, as I have already written briefly. In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not been made known to men in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God’s holy apostles and prophets. This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus. I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace given me through the working of his power.” (Ephesians 3:2-7). This revelation of the gospel and its mystery, that it was also being given to the Gentiles, was also commented on by Paul in Galatians 1:12. “I want you to know, brothers, that the gospel I preached is not something that man made up. I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ…. But when God, who set me apart from birth and called me by his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son in me so that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not consult any man….” Acts 26:17 & 18 clearly describe how Paul heard the Lord’s voice which not only introduced Himself as the Lord Jesus, but also gave him instructions including his calling as an apostle to the gentiles. I’m compelled to categorize this voice as a word of knowledge. This word of knowledge is peculiar in that the Lord’s presence was so prevalent that it struck Paul blind. All such words of wisdom and knowledge require the Lord’s presence, though. Else, how could we claim that such a word was from God? This example brings up the task of categorization. Consider the Magi of Matthew 2:12, “And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their own country by another route”. They definitely received a message from God containing critical knowledge. So, this falls within the definition of a word of knowledge, but this word was during a dream.
The categories that I’ve noticed in the Scripture are visions, dreams, trances, revelations, and words of wisdom and knowledge. Well, all of these categories fit into a broader category called revelations. And, the difference between visions and dreams was explained in Item#97d in the Prophecy Section. A trance merely means that you’ve fallen into a sub-conscious state, while still awake, and you may or may not see visions at that point. While, any of these categories might contain a word of wisdom or of knowledge, since a word of wisdom or knowledge only requires a word from the Lord imparting wisdom or knowledge. I am not in any way saying that a word of wisdom or knowledge must be through a dream, a vision, or a trance. Indeed I believe that merely reading the Bible and seeing that the Lord has a particular verse popping out at you is a word of wisdom or knowledge. Each person did not have a personal Bible available until well after Guttenberg’s invention of the printing press. So, the meaning of a word of wisdom or knowledge (from most believers’ perspective) has shifted since Guttenberg’s press, similar to how the meaning of the word “apostle” has shifted its historical meaning (per Item Nos 1, 46, 80, & 82 in the Apostleship Section). So, if I said I read something in the Bible and I knew that the Lord was speaking to me through the Scripture, few serious Christians would doubt my experience. But if I said the Lord has definitely led me do a certain action, then many people would doubt that the Lord could lead someone apart from Scripture. They doubt because they’ve been taught that there’s no revelation apart from Scripture, which is a notion not taught in the Bible (please see Item#1 in the Prophecy Section). Importantly, we should take these considerations carefully. “Do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world” (I John 4:1). But we must consider that the New Testament Scripture verifies that “Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams” (Acts 2:17). Proverbs 4:13 states, “Hold on to instruction, do not let it go; guard it well, for it is your life”. We should hold on to these revelations from God because, after confirming that they are from God, we know that they are important to us personally. A friend of mine prayed and was given God’s leading regarding a career move. I referred him to this Scripture, advising him to remember the Lord’s instruction- it was given for a reason. I believe my friend will be tested by God to see if he will abandon that leading from God. If he obeys the instruction, or even if he doesn’t and later recalls his error, he will “grow in the grace and the knowledge of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (II Peter 3:18). You see, God gave him that grace for a reason, so that He could use him for His kingdom work- God’s personal grace for his life, and my friend needs to grow in that grace (as we all also need to grow).
Let’s look at Ananias in Acts 9:10-16. Not many people consider Ananias very closely. But the Pauls of this world wouldn’t be very effective without the Ananiases of this world. “In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called to him in a vision, ‘Ananias!’ ‘Yes Lord,’ he answered. And the Lord told him, ‘Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man of Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying. In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him to restore his sight.’ ‘Lord,’ Ananias answered, ‘I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your saints in Jerusalem. And he has come here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name.’ But the Lord said to Ananias, ‘Go! This man is my chosen instrument to carry my name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel. I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.’”
As we can see from these examples these words of wisdom and of knowledge aren’t simple one line instructions, but deal with a specific area of information, and can impart wisdom or knowledge or both. I believe that we as a generation of Christians need to be receptive to the Lord’s instructions in our lives, and do the instructions quickly- which isn't easy, and requires focused effort. It could have taken the Lord years to get through to Paul if Ananias hadn’t done what the Lord had instructed him to do. So, the ministry that Paul accomplished was in part due to Ananias.
15.) Scripture passages referring to heavenly knowledge, See Items# a-o below. From merely reviewing and assimilating all the New Testament Scripture passages referring to knowledge I’ve had to conclude that the Scripture does refer to two sub-categories of knowledge, which I call heavenly knowledge and general Christian knowledge. (Please don’t think that I’m saying that a word of knowledge only comprises heavenly knowledge. A word of knowledge is merely knowledge imparted to us by God directly, and can be a completely mundane item or nudge that perhaps we’ve forgotten, but need the reminder or nudge to get through a situation.) The following are passages referring to heavenly knowledge, while Item#16 contains passages referring to general Christian knowledge: (The items are generally arranged according to their occurrence in Scripture.)
a.) Knowing God’s Love, Ephesians 3:16-19; “I pray that out of His glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge- that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.” Here is a mystery that we must wade through or swim through, or perhaps to be caught up in its depths for awhile, in order to “be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God”. “God demonstrates His love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). But a demonstration doesn’t bring full knowledge. Calvary, while being an unfathomable transaction, still doesn’t define the limits of God’s love for us. (If Christ loved us enough to die for us, then He loves us still more to bring us to Calvary and shepherd us through life.) Paul has stated that we need to know the height and width and depth of God’s love in order to complete God’s work in us- the fullness of God according to God’s measure. For one thing, we need to know God’s plan for us, not just to be saved, but also, eventually, to be like His Son. (I John 3:2). And, Paul also states that we need power in order to know such love and the extent of His love. This power comes through God’s Spirit in our inner beings. This power to know God’s love is obviously not an automatic blessing, because Paul was intensely praying that the Ephesians would yet obtain such knowledge. How much do you know about God’s love? Please pray that we all may know more of the extent of His love, and that we may obtain all the items mentioned in Paul’s prayer of Ephesians 3:16-19.
b.) The Son’s return, Matthew 24:36; “No on knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.” (Also see Mark 13:32 for a parallel passage.) This passage is referring to the end times and the Lord’s coming. Regarding Christ’s second coming, the Lord has given us many prophecies but the day and hour is known only by the Father, not even known by the Son, “Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped” (Philippians 2:6). It’s difficult to understand why the Father would know things unknown to the Son. But, this knowledge of the Son’s return is definitely a form of heavenly knowledge which we don’t currently have, and neither does the Son. And, since it is not general Christian knowledge it should be categorized as heavenly knowledge for the purpose of this study.
c.) God’s grace being manifested around us, Mark 5:30; “At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from Him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who touched my clothes?” The Lord Jesus realized power going out from Him. Since, as God, he is the source of all power (Romans 13:1), it would be fruitless to discuss power going in to Him. However, I and many others have experienced being filled with the Holy Spirit. Again though, we would never feel power going out from us because God is the source of all power. This realization of power going out from Him is a type of heavenly knowledge, albeit knowledge that only God has. The ability to realize that spiritual things are going on around us, such as being filled with the Holy Spirit, is a form of heavenly knowledge. Some have told me that they’ve learned to recognize the heavy pall of Satan’s attack, a dreadful weight upon their countenance and others around them. I’ve learned to recognize such attacks, too. This is a form of knowledge proceeding from my spirit, and as such is a form of heavenly knowledge since we “have the mind of Christ” (I Corinthians 2:16).
d.) Demonic knowledge, Luke 4:41; “Moreover demons came out of many people, shouting, ‘You are the Son of God!’ But He rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew he was the Christ.” Luke 8:28-31 describes such an exorcism, “When he saw Jesus he cried out and fell at his feet, shouting at the top of his voice, ‘What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, don’t torture me!’ For Jesus had commanded the evil spirit to come out of the man. Many times it had seized him, and though he was chained hand and foot and kept under guard, he had broken his chains and had been driven by the demon into solitary places. Jesus asked him, ‘What is your name?’ ‘Legion,’ he replied, because many demons had gone into him. And they begged him repeatedly not to go into the Abyss.” When I consider such pleadings and recognition by demons of the Lord Jesus’ high position, I tend to relegate this phenomenon to some characteristic of His being that would be easily recognized from the spiritual perspective- perhaps his sinless nature, or perhaps the Shekinah glory which was hidden to mortals. However, we should also recognize the longevity of the life of demons. These demons were cast down from heaven with Lucifer, and had experienced the prophets, and also probably had plenty of time to consider all the prophecies concerning their future home in the Abyss. Also, such demons would have had previous contact with the pre-incarnate Christ, when He was only known as the second person of God. The key here is that these spiritual beings knew Him as the Son of God while even His close disciples struggled with this fact.
e.) “Jesus knew their thoughts”, Luke 11:14-17; “But some of them said, ‘By Beelzebub, the prince of demons, he is driving out demons.’ Others tested him by asking for a sign from heaven. Jesusknew their thoughts and said to them: ‘Any kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and a house divided against itself will fall. …” How can God know our thoughts? Well I can fathom two answers, but I can’t tell which one is true. One answer is that God not only created all things, but is intimately and minutely involved with all aspects of his creation down to the sub-atomic level (Colossians 1:17). As such, God can sort out and follow the micro-impulses put out by the brain and thus read our thoughts. Secondly, God is a sinless spirit and our mind is a part of the soul. Thus God can sense what our soul is feeling and communicating, and has been monitoring our thoughts and actions for a long time. Either way, the Scripture notes that Jesus “knew their thoughts” which is a type of heavenly knowledge- a type which we will never have, at least in this present state. This subject is akin to item#41 below where we see that God knows our hearts.
f.) Knowledge of God’s work, John 4:32-38; “But He said to them, ‘I have food to eat that you know nothing about’.“ This is, of course, immediately after the Lord Jesus witnessed to the woman at the well. What was this knowledge that the disciples knew nothing about? The Lord Jesus explains in verse 34, “ ‘My food’, said Jesus, ‘is to is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work. … Even now the reaper draws his wages, even now he harvests the crop for eternal life, so that the sower and the reaper may be glad together. Thus the saying ‘One sows and another reaps’ is true. I sent you to reap what you have not worked for. Others have done the hard work, and you have reaped the benefits of their labor”. There is a practical knowledge of God’s grace in action around us that is best taught by hands-on service to the King. The disciples did not yet have it, and I assume that they received it after further Christian service and after Pentecost. This conclusion is akin to the Lord Jesus’ teaching in John 15:15, “I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his masters business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I have learned from my Father I have made known to you.” So this type of heavenly knowledge is very attainable to serious Christians and is comprised of God’s grace working in and around us. What is our specific ministry; and how is the Lord manifesting his work in our lives? Some would term such knowledge as “life purpose”. (Bill Gothard, in his Christian seminar known as the Institute in Basic Life Principles out of Oak Brook, Illinois, challenges people to seek out and determine their life purpose in order to keep in step with the Holy Spirit in our lives on a long term basis- Galatians 5:16.) (Also see Item#16k.)
g.) God is all-knowing, John 4:17&18; “’I have no husband’, she replied. Jesus said to her, ‘You are right when you say you have no husband. The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just said is quite true.” Hebrews 4:13 says, “Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.” This is an example of what Christians have historically called the “all-knowing” attribute of God. John 16:30 says, “Now we can see that you know all things and that you do not even need to have anyone ask you questions. This makes us believe that you came from God.” The Lord had just prophesied to His disciples, instructing them that persecution will come, but also the Holy Spirit, that He was going back to the Father, and that they would be able to pray to the Father directly. The disciples’ response was that they realized that He knew all things. This attribute of an all-knowing God is brought out in various scriptures, such as: John 18:4, John 21:17, I Corinthians 12:3, Psalm 139:1-6, and Jeremiah 1:5.
h.) Christ’s knowledge vs. the Father’s, John 13:1,3&11; “It was just before the Passover Feast. Jesus knew that the time had come for Him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved His own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love.” “Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under His power, and that He had come from God and was returning to God; ….” “For He knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not everyone was clean.” Regarding His return, in Item#b above, the Father knows the time of the future return of the Son, but the Son doesn’t know that day or hour although the Lord Jesus knows many of the other specifics. In John 13 we see the Son able to know the future in regard to these events relating to Himself. (Also see Item#k below.) I note that there is a difference between the Son’s power and the Father’s power, as there should be since they’re two different persons of God. This difference is akin to the difference between a line manager and an executive in a corporation. The line manager has authority proceeding from the executive and has hands on knowledge of operations. While the executive has complete authority but has to rely on the line manager to make judgment calls. (I think further study into the difference as to how power and knowledge is played out by the Father versus the Son (John 10:29 & 30; 5:17-30; etc.) would help us to understand the personhood of both the Father and the Son.) “Though it cost you all you have, get understanding”- Proverbs 4:7. I understand more already just from these few verses. Topical studies of Scripture, such as the cross and all its prophecies, or general Messianic prophecy, or the various covenants, provide different perspectives leading to a better understanding of God’s Word. This Grace Study adds another broad-view perspective to our general understanding of the Lord and the Scripture-as also noted in Item#14 of the Apostleship Section, Item#145 of the Evangelism Section, Item#37a of the Shepherding Section, and Item#54 of the Teaching Section.
i.) The Lord knows His own, John 13:18; “I am not referring to all of you; I know those I have chosen.” This verse, and others like it, teaches the Lord’s ability to recognize His own. John 10:27 says, “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them and they follow me.” A person listens to the Lord’s voice through the power of the Holy Spirit (I Corinthians 12:3), and we are able to follow Him by the power of the Holy Spirit, as well. However, I feel that the Lord recognizes us, not just by our actions, but by actually feeling the presence of His Spirit in us. We may wonder how the Lord is able to recognize a believer in this manner. But, if we ourselves can get to the point where we can recognize the Holy Spirit’s presence and anointing, then certainly the Lord can recognize His own Holy Spirit present within us. This type of knowledge is certainly heavenly knowledge.
j.) His anointing teaches us, John 14:17 and I John 2:20, 26 & 27; “… the Spirit of Truth. The world cannot accept Him, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him. But you know Him, because He lives with you and will be in you.” “But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth. … I am writing these things to you about those who are trying to lead you astray. As for you, the anointing you received from Him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit- just as it has taught you, remain in Him.” We received this anointing when we were immersed in the Holy Spirit upon first believing the gospel. (“Acts 11:15-17). The first disciples received the anointing at Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4, and 38&39). Upon believing the gospel, at which point we were immersed in the Holy Spirit, we were sealed with a permanent anointing, since we permanently have God’s Holy Spirit in us (Ephesians 1:13, and II Corinthians 1:21&22). The anointing, which goes hand in hand with the sealing, we can never lose; because “God’s gifts and His calling are irrevocable” (Romans 11:29, John 10:28&29). Being filled with the Holy Spirit is not the same as being sealed by the Holy Spirit. Being filled with the Holy Spirit depends upon us choosing to be filled. “Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit” (Ephesians 5:18). Regarding this anointing by the Holy Spirit, physical anointing is usually with oil which is a picture of the Holy Spirit. He lives and remains in us, and this anointing “teaches us about all things”. This anointing goes deep. I’ve seen people profess salvation, then soon go back into a life of sin, and ten or fifteen years later finally get serious about the Lord. Many claim to be saved at that point- ten or fifteen years later. But I view such occurrences from the Scripture- “If you will confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord’, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9). So, to me, such salvation is only verification of God’s Word and the power of His anointing which occurred ten plus years previously, when they first confessed and believed.
k.) We can know the Father, John 15:15, & 15:21-16:3. “I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I have learned from my Father I have made known to you. … They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the One who sent me. If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin.“ Knowing the Father seems too immense for me. I feel like I’m swimming in the Atlantic ocean in several hundred feet of water, and that ocean is the knowledge of the Father. I can see one shore which is Christ, but the other shore I cannot see nor fathom. The other shore is on another continent called Africa which I’ve never even seen, let alone experienced. As well, I know the depth of the ocean where I’m at. But, my body cannot experience such depths without imploding. So, I feel stuck, with a limited ability to know and understand the Father. Am I experiencing the Father? Yes, through the Son and Through His Holy Spirit- “Who goes out from the Father”. Yet, we’re promised, “Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent” (John 17:3). Item#16j refers to knowing and experiencing Christ, but we can only swim on the surface of knowing the Father; that is, until we come to that other continent- the new Jerusalem. In the New Jerusalem we’re promised that “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and He will live with them” ( Revelation 21:3). We’re also promised, “… then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known” (I Corinthians 13:12). And, Isaiah 11:9 promises, “For the earth will be full of the knowledge of the lord as the waters cover the sea”. I’m not saying that we cannot know the Father in this life. I’m saying that we’re just experiencing the surface of such knowledge. And, what knowledge we do have certainly does greatly bless us in many ways (II Peter 1:2).
l.) The Lord knows our hearts, Acts 1:24; “Lord, you know everyone’s heart. Show us which of these two you have chosen.” (Please see Item #41 below regarding this topic.)
m.) Heavenly knowledge by God, Romans 8:26-30; “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And He who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will. And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those He predestined, He also called; those He called, He also justified; those He justified, He also glorified.” So here we see the Father searching our hearts (II Chronicles 16:9), and since we sometimes don’t know how to pray for the unraveling of certain problems, the Spirit intercedes for us before God’s throne. And, God already knows the mind of the Spirit because the Spirit is His Holy Spirit. So we can see from this Scripture that God obviously is in full cognizance of all heavenly knowledge of all kinds.
n.) Paul caught up to the third heaven, II Corinthians 12:1-7; “I must go on boasting. Although there is nothing to be gained, I will go on to visions and revelations from the Lord. I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not know- God knows. And I know that this man- whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, but God knows- was caught up to paradise. He heard inexpressible things, things that a man is not permitted to tell. I will boast about a man like that, but I will not boast about myself, except about my weaknesses. Even if I should choose to boast, I would not be a fool, because I would be speaking the truth. But I refrain, so no one will think more of me than what is warranted by what I do or say. To keep me from being conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me.” We see in this last sentence of the verse that Paul clearly, yet humbly, identifies himself as that man caught up to the third heaven. We can note some facts from his brief description of his experience. Third heaven means not just the sky, not just the galaxies of stars, but God’s presence. He described the place as paradise, using the same Greek word as used in Luke 23:43, wherein Christ said to the thief “Today you will be with me in paradise”. Further, Paul said he heard “inexpressible things, things that a man is not permitted to tell”. It is not clear whether he was not permitted because people would think him weird, or because he had been urged by the Lord, or his better judgment caused him not to relate his experience. The important fact is that Paul experienced heaven and retained knowledge of heaven while still alive for the rest of his life. I definitely would categorize this as heavenly knowledge, and note that it is possible that a serious servant can experience heaven without dying if the Lord deems such an experience as necessary. Along this line I merely note the King James rendering of the Lord Jesus quote to Nicodemus, “If I have told you of earthly thing and ye believe not, how shall ye believe if I tell you of heavenly things? And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but He that came down from heaven, even the Son of Man which is in heaven” (John 3:12&13). So, how can the Lord Jesus be in heaven and on earth at the same time while quoting this? Well, Ephesians 2:6 relates that “God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus”. So, in our new nature we’re already seated with Christ in the “heaven realms”. Some would argue that that’s in the future for us. But the verse says we’re already seated. When an elected official takes his seat in the governing body, all election and inaugural items are done and he immediately proceeds in his duties. And, we are seated with Christ in the heavenly realms. To me the question is not whether we can walk in the heavenlies while on Earth. Such can occur, and we can, as our walk permits, experience this. Galatians 5:16 says, “Live by the Spirit and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature”. Also, consider that Christ will bring the heaven to Earth for a 1000 year heavenly experience here on Earth, not an experience in which heaven blinks on and off. This is what it means when we pray, “Thy kingdom come, on earth, as it is in heaven”? So, to me the question becomes, “What is this knowledge of heaven?” I Corinthians 1:12 says “We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from god, that we may understand what God has freely given us”. And, through the Scripture and through the Anointing that teaches us all things, we can understand much about heaven; but still we “see in a glass darkly” (I Corinthians 13:12) until Christ comes and we see him face to face. (For glimpses of heaven, please see Item# g.i in the Contents Section.)
o.) Shepherding during the Millennial Reign, See Item#3 in the Shepherding Section.
p.) Knowing Christ in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, Colossians 2:3; “My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the full mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” An elder Christian once told me, when I was a new believer, “Get to know the man behind the book”. If we study the Bible, or even the grace of God specifically, and only come to fathom the on goings of Christianity, then we’ve not gotten very far in our study. God’s will is still that we would have a personal relationship with Him through His Son. By walking closer with the Son we can come to “grow in grace and knowledge of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” II Peter 3:18). And then, as we see Christ’s pre-eminence in all of creation and in our lives through grace, we grow in our understanding of spiritual things. A close walk with Our Lord Jesus Christ, coupled with diligent Bible study and prayer, cannot help but bring Godly wisdom and knowledge on a plain higher than we could ever expect. Even further, this verse promises that, in Christ, “are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge”. And, even further, as we’re encouraged in heart and united in love, we can “have the full riches of complete understanding” in order that we “may know the full mystery of God”. I note that as in other promises of God, there are some if’s. We’ll need to have courage in heart and be united in love (Again the love factor in Spiritual growth!). This concept of growth in and through the knowledge of the Son of God is very similar to the precepts of Ephesians 4. Ephesians 4:13 says, “until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ”. In both Bible chapters, Ephesians 4 and Colossians 2, there is a circular arrangement; I can liken it to a rotary engine. In this engine faith and love and knowledge and wisdom bring us to Christ. And, as we get closer to Christ the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts (Romans 5:5) and we get more faith and knowledge and wisdom and love and we move even closer to Christ. Then we go through the cycle again, and are even closer to Him. But unlike earthy engines this one does have perpetual motion. In fact this engine has eternal motion with the end being our completeness in Christ (Colossians 1:22 and Jude 24). And, we can note that love is a big ingredient in the fuel for such an engine (See Item#10d in the Summary, in the Prophecy Section.).
q.) Lack of full heavenly knowledge, I John 3:2; “Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when He appears, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is”. This verse is a beautiful verse and it promises that we shall see and recognize the Lord Jesus, someday. And, it also gives us other insights into our current and future existences. First the verse states that we are already children of God. Then, the verse states that we don’t know what we will be in heaven because such knowledge has never been made known. Then the writer, John, makes a logical conclusion. Proceeding from the fact that John knew that he would see the Lord Jesus again face to face as He is, John concluded that since he couldn’t see Christ then, He must wait until he would be like Christ, with a resurrected body, in order to see Christ as He currently exists. So, we can glean some things out of this beautiful passage about heaven- that we shall be like the Lord, and we shall see Him; however, in terms of our study, the passage reminds us that “Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then shall we see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.” (I Corinthians 13:12). (Also see Item#1f in the Prophecy Section.)
r.) Heavenly knowledge in heaven, Rev 7:13&14; “Then one of the elders asked me, ‘These in white robes- who are they, and where did they come from?’ I answered, ‘Sir, you know.’ And he said, ‘These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the lamb’.” So, here in heaven, is an elder who knows the past, present, and future circumstances of those martyrs from the great tribulation. I can’t discern whether he obtained this information because of common knowledge among those around God’s throne, or because of some special knowledge given to those saints in heaven, or whether there is even a difference between such knowledge in heaven. But I do know that the heavenly elder had knowledge which those of Earth did not have. So, I’ve included such knowledge as a type of heavenly knowledge. Such knowledge would include what we’ve just discussed- knowledge of heaven itself, knowledge of “who’s who” in heaven and on Earth, knowledge of the past and future events of those “who’s who” people.
Summarizing this Item#15, then, here are some items of heavenly knowledge which were brought out.
- Item#a- Paul has stated that we need to know the height and width and depth of God’s love in order to be complete God’s work in us- the fullness of God according to God’s measure. And, Paul also states that we need power in order to know such love and the extent of His love. This power comes through God’s Spirit in our inner beings.
- Item#b&h- There’s a difference between the Son’s knowledge and the Father’s knowledge. They are two persons of God.
- Item#c- There’s a knowledge of spiritual things going on around us, since we “have the mind of Christ”
- Item#d- Demons have knowledge of spiritual and heavenly things, and can many times perceive them quicker than we can.
- Item#e- The Lord Jesus can know our thoughts (which is a type of heavenly knowledge which we don’t have).
- Item#f- There’s a knowledge of God’s work, which God would want us to have, especially regarding His specific ministry through us.
- Item#g- God is all knowing, and this attribute is brought out in various Scriptures.
- Item#i- The Lord knows His own.
- Item#j- We can know and recognize the Holy Spirit and His anointing working in, through, and around us. This anointing will teach us and lead us.
- Item#k While it seems unfathomable, we can know the Father, especially through His Son, in whom dwells “the fullness of the Godhead bodily” (Colossians 2:9- KJV).
- Item#l- The Lord knows everyone’s heart.
- Item#m- God obviously has full cognizance of all heavenly knowledge.
- Item#n- Through our new nature we can experience glimpses of heaven while still here on Earth.
- Item#o- There will be pastors, a need for pastors, and those needing shepherding in Zion. (See Item#3 of the Shepherding Section.)
- Item#p- We can know Christ in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
- Item#q- We cannot have full heavenly knowledge yet, because we do not have our changed, resurrected bodies. “Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then shall we see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.” (I Corinthians 13:12).
- Item#r- There are souls present with the Lord, right now, who have knowledge of heaven itself which we won’t know until we get there.
a.) Knowing the Scriptures, Matthew 22:29-33; “Jesus replied, ‘You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God (See Item#h below regarding God’s power.) At the resurrection people will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven. But about the resurrection of the dead- have you not read what God said to you, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? He is not the God of the dead but of the living.’ When the crowds heard this, they were astonished at His teaching.” So we see that, to the 1stcentury Jews, teaching regarding the resurrection was just then being fully expounded (and fulfilled in Him). But Christ points back to the earlier Scriptures of Moses time, and relates that they could have concluded the truth from Moses’ teaching. There is much general Christian knowledge which can be obtained only by serious study of the Scripture. The Lord doesn’t want us to only understand the cross and the resurrection (Hebrews 6:1-3). He wants us to produce the fruit that accompanies salvation. Serious Christians have always carefully studied the Scripture, and just as importantly, have obeyed God’s Word. “Do not merely listen to the Word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.” (James 1:22).
b.) Knowledge of the truth as a perspective of general Christian knowledge, I Timothy 2:3&4, “This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth.”; and II Timothy 3:1-7; “But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasures rather than lovers of God- having a form of Godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them. They are the kind that worm their way into homes and gain control over weak-willed women, who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires, always learning but never able to acknowledge the truth. Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so also these men opposed the truth- men of depraved minds, who, as far as the faith is concerned are rejected.” Also see Hebrews 10:26 for the results of rejecting “the knowledge of the truth”. And, also consider Item#56 in theEvangelism Section wherein the gospel itself is considered as the “Word of truth”. So, the “Word of Truth” and the Lord Jesus Christ as “the Truth” (John 14:6), are two perspectives of general Christian knowledge that the Lord would have us to learn “…until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ” (Ephesians 4:13). I was tempted to refer to these two great topics as subsets of general Christian teaching. However, the “Word of Truth” and Christ as “the Truth” are so all-encompassing, that general Christian knowledge is more properly a subset of each of these topics. The topics are considered perspectives since we can study Scripture and circumstances in life from these perspectives (just as this “Grace Study” is also a perspective of study. Please see Item#15g in this section).
c.) The Authority of Christ, as God, and to Forgive Sin, Mark 2:5-12, “When Jesus saw their faith He said to the paralytic, ‘Son, your sins are forgiven.’ Now some of the teachers of the law were sitting there, thinking to themselves, ‘Why does this fellow talk like that? He’s blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?’ Immediately Jesus knew in His spirit that this was what they were thinking in their hearts, and He said to them, ‘Why are you thinking these things? Which is easier: to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, take your mat and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on Earth to forgive sins…’ He said to the paralytic, ‘I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.’ He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all.” These words are very deep. The concept that God the Son is on the scene, calling Himself the Son of Man, is present. The concept of the Lord Jesus’ ability to forgive sin is present. The concept of the Lord Jesus Christ as the healer, Jehovah Rophe (Exodus 15:26), is present. The concept of the Lord Jesus knowing one’s heart through His spirit is present. (Is the symantics of Christ’s knowing through His spirit the same as a word of knowledge? Please see Item#41b.) So, some general Christian concepts that we want to recognize herein are as follows: Christ is the second person of our Triune God; He was begotten as God’s Son, yet was also a man; He has the ability to forgive sin and to heal; and He also can look into our hearts. These concepts appear to us, who live in this century, as a foregone conclusion, but to the 1st century Jews and Gentiles this was very explosive teaching. Watchman Nee once said, “The flow of the Spirit in the Church is ever going forward.”[2] And herein we can note that the Lord’s teaching to man is expanding to include Himself as the Christ and God’s eventual solution to the sin problem in men. Just as the Lord is ever seeking to move us forward “until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ” (Ephesians 4:13), may we also continue to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (II Peter 3:18).
d.) Knowing the certainty of Christian teaching, Luke 1:3&4; “Therefore, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, it seemed good also to me to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.” We Christians are certainly grateful to Luke for his painstaking investigations and orderly accounts in the books of Luke and Acts. Now, certainty and knowledge of certainty are two different concepts. Our Teacher, the Holy Ghost, wants us to “know the certainty of the things you have been taught”. Knowing the things you’ve been taught is excellent. If you have a trial you can discern the mind and heart of God. But, knowing the certainty of the things you’ve been taught is better. As an example, hoping in the return of the Lord Jesus gives us strength and even keeps us pure (I John 3:3). However, knowing the certainty of His return will lead us to drop worldly pursuits and focus our eyes on eternal goals and rewards. And, in other instances of Christian knowledge, knowing the certainty of Christ’s teaching will lead us to make better decisions for eternity- better than just knowing the teaching. “You sympathized with those in prison and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property, because you knew that you yourselves had better and lasting possessions” (Hebrews 10:34).
e.) The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of God, Luke 8:10; “He said, ‘The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of God have been given to you, but to others I speak in parables, so that, ‘though seeing, they may not see; though hearing they may not understand.‘“ The secrets of the kingdom aren’t meant to be so difficult that we have to intensely study them for long periods of time in order to grasp them. Having said that, though, “Without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.” (Hebrews 11:6). So the gospel, while simple, is truly amazing to those who are diligently seeking God. We Christians of this day treat this knowledge of the kingdom of God so casually. Yet Paul said in Ephesians 3:4-6, “In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to men in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God’s holy apostles and prophets. This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.” We believers surely do have, in the gospel, some interesting and powerful facts to share with others. The use of such words as “secrets” and “mystery” and “revealed” almost makes me want to categorize these passages as speaking of heavenly knowledge as in Item#15 above. However, these passages are merely referring to the plain simple gospel, and the fact that the gospel is truly astounding to the unsaved who are seeking God, and also the Old Testament believers. The mystery lies in the fact that the gospel was not fully revealed to the Old Testament saints.
f.) Knowing prophecy and its fulfillment, especially the 2nd coming of Christ, Luke 21:29-34; “He told them this parable: ‘Look at the fig tree and all the trees. When they sprout leaves, you can see for yourselves and know that summer is near. Even so, when you see these things happening, you know that the kingdom of God is near. I tell you the truth, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away. Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with dissipation, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you unexpectedly like a trap.’ “ From this we can see that Christians are expected to know and understand certain prophecies, especially regarding the chief reward of our salvation- the 2nd coming of our Lord Jesus.
g.) Knowing the truth that sets us free, John 8:31-36; “To the Jews who had believed Him Jesus said, ‘If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.’ They answered Him, ‘We are Abraham’s descendants and have never been slaves to anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?’ Jesus replied, ‘I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So, if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.’ “ Of course, the point here is that through the knowledge of the truth a Christian is made free from the bondage to sin. We can know the truth and we can know Christian freedom. There are degrees to this freedom. At salvation we’re free from the bondage due to guilt, death, and fear. It’s the purpose of this grace study, however, to free people up to "keep in step with the Spirit" (Galatians 5:25), thus storing great rewards in heaven and accomplishing the Lord’s work here on Earth.
h.) Knowing the obvious- God’s eternal power and divine nature, Romans 1:19-23; “…since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities- his eternal power and divine nature- have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. For although they knew God, they neither glorified Him as God nor gave thanks to Him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.” We sometimes use this passage to respond to “the plea of the heathen”, wherein we have to explain to non-believers that all heathen are without excuse, because they’ve been warned from the very things that God created- that there is a God. However, from our perspective, God’s eternal power and divine nature, as illustrated by His creation is also a part of general Christian knowledge. You might say, “This is not Christian knowledge. This is knowledge that anyone can have!” I recently read an internet post by a man who visited the Creation Museum, in Petersburg, Kentucky. He remarked how it was all good for a big laugh, as if the concept of God actually existing is humorous, and fear of the Lord sounded like the farthest thing from his mind. The point I’m making is that creation and God’s obvious power and divine nature are not a part of the world’s knowledge, since they by-and-large reject such knowledge. So such knowledge is a part of general Christian knowledge. Item#16a describes the error of the Sadducees because they did not know the Scriptures or the power of God- resurrection power in the Sadducees’ case. We can thank God that we know God’s power through faith and teaching, and also by experiences in our lives which fortify such faith and teaching.
i.) More love manifests itself in more knowledge and depth of insight, Phillipians 1:9&10; “And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ- to the glory and praise of God.” I like that last phrase- “…to the glory and praise of God”! My nephew and I like to sometimes jokingly say, “It’s not about the donkey!”, which is from a preacher’s message about Christ’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem and how the donkey may have gotten all puffed up with pride on that day. But it’s not about the donkey, is it?! It’s all about the King, and His coming kingdom. This topic of the necessity and empowerment of love has been discussed before herein. (Please Item#gk of the Table of Contents regarding “Love as the basis of Spiritual abilities.) “What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not?” (I Corinthians 4:7). “Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up” (I Corinthians 8:1). We might ask, “How does love build us up”? Well, our verses in Philippians answer that quandary. Love and the Holy Spirit go together, because “God is love” (I John 4:8). And, not only that, but “God has poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us” (Romans 5:5). Further, since the Holy Spirit is always our Teacher (John 14:26), more knowledge and depth of insight can and is made available through our attitude and practice of love. Even further, as verse 10 above states, through this process we are able to discern correct choices and live in purity, manifesting the fruit of righteousness as a testimony and to the furtherance of Christ’s kingdom. So, love is very powerful, and must be the basis of all Christian ministry.
j.) Knowing Christ, general knowledge versus heavenly knowledge; Phillipians 3:8 “What is more, I consider everything a loss compared with the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish that I may gain Christ and be found in Him. Not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ- the righteousness that comes from God is by faith. I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in His sufferings, becoming like Him in His death, and so, somehow, to attain the resurrection from the dead.” I’ve noted in Item#15o that knowledge of Christ is a form of heavenly knowledge- “that they may know the full mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Colossians 2:3). There is no error here. It’s obvious that the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden in Christ. In other words, we need to probe beyond basic salvation through his blood, and other basic teachings of the Way, in order to obtain the hidden treasures. Paul wants to obtain three items of knowledge; “I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in His suffering”. I believe that we can know and recognize Christ’s presence in our daily lives. We first recognize Christ during our salvation. When I first got saved , I’ve related many times that I heard a knocking at my heart’s door which I didn’t answer right away (Revelation 3:20). But after a while I did answer that knocking and trusted Christ in 1979. The Lord Jesus is a person, and if we’re wise and focused and blessed, we can recognize Him through His attributes in our lives. Of course we can know and recognize Him as Savior. As a believer we realize that Christ, as Savior became the atoning sacrifice for our sin; but the person knocking at my heart’s door several times was also Christ the Savior, leading me to salvation. Did you ever really experience Him as your friend? You can have the Lord Jesus as your close friend and feel and recognize His presence. I’ve experienced this numerous times where I was brought to recognize that I was not alone in my efforts, and that the Lord Jesus was working along side me as my friend. This should not surprise a serious Bible scholar since this is exactly what John 15:15 says and means. In my case, since I’ve went through the experience of being conscious of Christ’s friendship numerous times, His friendship has become a warm feeling in the back of my heart and mind, a relationship that I have which no longer surprises me. I suppose I can say that he’s not a new friend any longer, but, rather, an old friend. Also see Item Nos. 130, 313b, & 322 of the Prophecy Section for a further discussion of the friendship of the Lord Jesus. Have you ever experienced and recognized Christ as the Light of the World. Once, a few years after I believed, I went into a bar to use the phone when my car broke down. Talk about darkness! When I first walked in, the place was dimly lit, but it was spiritually dark as well. When I walked into that bar everyone in the entire bar turned around and looked at me, their expressions seemed to be saying, “What’s someone like that doing in here?” The point is that Jesus, as the Light of the World, is shining through us. Did you ever explain to someone that you’re a Christian, and their immediate response was, “Yea, I knew there was something different about you!”? Christians shine, whether they realize it or not. My daughter recently had a cyst removed from her leg and the biopsy was benign. I gave thanks to Christ the Healer- Jehovah Rophe. Have you ever had the Lord intercede into a complex situation and just straighten it out? To me, that’s Christ the King. I know He hasn’t been crowned on Earth yet. But I give thanks and praise to my King- who is seated “at His right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come” (Ephesians 1:20&21). We are in close contact with the Lord Jesus when we recognize what He’s done for us and give Him thanks. During that prayer of thanksgiving, aren’t we very near to Him and knowing Him? And, it’s not just His salvation, friendship, light, healing, and kingship attributes that we can recognize and experience. We can recognize and experience any of the attributes or works of the Lord Jesus around us. Also, prayer is not the only time when we recognize that he’s close to us. The Scripture advises “Come near to God and He will come near to you” (James 4:8). If you had a friend near to you and you didn’t recognize his presence or contributions in your life, it wouldn’t be long before you’d get an earful. The Lord Jesus also wants such recognition. He wants us to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (II Peter 3:18). After all, this is the promise of the New Covenant- “No longer will a man teach his neighbor, or a man his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ because they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest” (Hebrews 8:11). (Also see Item#18, below.)
k.) Knowing God’s will, Colossians 1:9&10; “For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of His will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please Him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to His glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light.” As soon as I wake up every day, before I do normal prayers or Bible study, many times while still in bed, I say a simple prayer. Mentioning my immediate family, I pray, “Lord help me to do Thy will today, not the will of Satan, the world, or the flesh.” I wouldn’t dare to start my day without that prayer. How important is it to know God’s will? Except for knowing Christ, Himself, it’s the most important group of facts to know out of all knowledge. Sometimes I try to encourage new believers by asking this simple question, “If you want to go to Canada, why start your day heading for Mexico?” And, so I would advise that person to start their day in prayer and Bible study. The same concept applies to this passage of Scripture. We need to know God’s will in order to be going in the right direction. We can know His general will from Scripture. He wants us to be saved. He wants us to pray to Him through His Son. He wants us to study Scripture, and grow in our knowledge of Him. He wants us to live holy lives. But He also wants to bless us with great eternal rewards for what we did for and through Him. He wants us to “share in the inheritance of the saints” (vs. 10). There is a life purpose that God wants us to achieve. If we look at the “Hall of Faith” in Hebrews 11, or if we consider great believers in the New Testament or even this present age, they are all known for doing some great task. And, if we look closely at all the factors that came together to allow such achievements, along with faith we will see that they knew the will of God in such circumstances. So, through spiritual wisdom, we can know the will of God. And, with faith we can take up that will and accomplish His work in our lives. In terms of knowledge, we can go beyond that and realize the Lord’s calling and grace in our lives- our life purpose; and, this passage says that such activities will find us “growing in the knowledge of God”. Item#15f, above, tells of a heavenly knowledge of God’s work around us and our calling to be a part of God’s work.
l.) Knowing God’s rest, Hebrews 4:8-10; “For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken later about another day. There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from His.” This is a passage that many stumble over. And, from Chapter 4 of Hebrews, we also see that many Old Testament believers were not able to grasp God’s rest. This passage speaks of three types of rest- God’s rest at the completion of creation- on the seventh day, the weekly Sabbath of rest commanded of Moses at Sinai, and resting our souls in God’s finished work. Let me say that all these rests are fulfilled in Christ. The Lord Jesus said, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light” (Matthew 10:28-30). (Also see I John 3:19.) We can know and experience this rest, by merely accepting that the burden of our sin was lifted at Calvary. From my experience I perceive that many who are Christians, and many who think that they are Christians and are not, and many who would never claim to be Christians, all still stumble over God’s rest.
m.) Knowing the inerrancy and protection of the Scriptures, II Peter 3:15-18; “Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him. He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction. Therefore, dear friends, since you already know this, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of lawless men and fall from your secure position. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be glory both now and forever! Amen.” We already know that Paul’s writings are Scripture, as verified by Peter, and are therefore inerrant. II Timothy 3:16 says, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God might be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” Also, the Lord Jesus verifies that “The Scripture cannot be broken” (John 10:35). We can be protected by Scripture, because we know that it must be true. And, people who ignore and distort the Scripture have no protection through the truth and end up wallowing in their own errors. Not only that, but the errors of the parents are carried on in their descendants “to the third and fourth generation” (Exodus 20:5).
n.) Knowledge of salvation through brotherly love, I John 3:14-19; “We know that we have passed from death to life because we love our brothers. Anyone who does not love remains in death. Any one who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life in him. This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down His life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in His presence whenever our hearts condemn us.” I believe that this passage agrees with Romans 5:5- “..God has poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us.” Since love manifests itself in more knowledge and understanding, according to Item#i above, we can ask, “Which came first, the Holy Spirit or the love”? Well, from Romans 5:5 we see that the Holy Spirit came first- when we first believed. Nevertheless, we can know we are saved because we practice love for our brothers and sisters in Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit. There’s a nugget of Scripture herein. “Let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.” We must ask ourselves, “Are we merely involved in ‘agape blab’? Are we all talk and no action”? This passage doesn’t merely suggest that we become more serious. This passage says, “Let us not love with words or tongue”. This passage is commanding that we don’t speak a bunch of “agape blab”, but rather practice love in action. I mention the term “agape blab” for shock effect. I searched the Greek text for that little word “only” whereby the passage would say, “Let us not love with words or tongue only but with actions and in truth.” However, that word “only” was not found. So I must conclude that the passage is teaching us to refrain from words of love, and confine our love to action. Of course, practicing our spiritual gifts usually does require many words. And, usually such words, since they are from the Holy Ghost and through us, will bring light to darkness and therefore force a reaction. (Such Spirit filled words are in themselves action, since we know from Newtonian physics that you cannot have a reaction without an action.) Such Spirit filled words are not that to which the commandment is referring. Words from our flesh, though, which sound nice but usually obscure the real solution, should be avoided. God is omni-present (Psalm 139:7-12), let us truly be vessels through which the action of His love flows.
Summarizing this Item#16, then, here are some items of general Christian knowledge which were brought out.
- Item#a - There is much general Christian knowledge which can be obtained only by serious study of the Scripture. The Lord wants us to produce the fruit that accompanies salvation. Serious Christians have always carefully studied the Scripture, and just as importantly, have obeyed God’s Word. “Do not merely listen to the Word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.” (James 1:22).
- Item#b- Knowledge of the truth, and the “Word of Truth”, and the Lord Jesus Christ as “the Truth” (John 14:6), are three huge items of general Christian knowledge that the Lord would have us to learn “…until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ” (Ephesians 4:13).
- Item#c- Some general Christian concepts that were brought out in Jesus healing of the paralytic (Mark 2:5-12) are as follows: Christ is the second person of our Triune God; He was begotten as God’s Son, yet was also a man; He has the ability to forgive sin and to heal; and He also can look into our hearts. These concepts appear to us, who live in this century, as a foregone conclusion, but to the 1st century Jews and Gentiles this was very explosive teaching.
- Item#d- The certainty of Christian teaching and the knowledge of that certainty are two different concepts. Our Teacher, the Holy Ghost, wants us to “know the certainty of the things you have been taught” (Luke 1:4). Knowing the certainty of Christ’s teaching will lead us to make better decisions for eternity- better than just knowing the teaching.
- Item#e- Luke 8:10 says, “The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of God have been given to you, but to others I speak in parables…”. The secrets of the kingdom aren’t meant to be so difficult that we have to intensely study them for long periods of time in order to grasp them. These passages are merely referring to the plain simple gospel, and the fact that the gospel is truly astounding to the unsaved who are seeking God, and also to the Old Testament believers. The mystery, in 30 A.D., was that the gospel was not fully revealed to the Old Testament saints.
- Item#f- Christians are expected to know and understand certain prophecies, especially regarding the chief reward of our salvation- the 2nd coming of our Lord Jesus.
- Item#g- The point here is that through the knowledge of the truth a Christian is made free from the bondage to sin. We can know the truth and we can know Christian freedom.
- Item#h- Creation and God’s obvious power and divine nature are not a part of the world’s knowledge, since they, by-and-large, reject such knowledge. So, such knowledge is categorized as general Christian knowledge. We can know God’s power through faith and teaching, and also by experiences in our lives which fortify such faith and teaching.
- Item#i- More love manifests itself in more knowledge and depth of insight. This topic of the necessity and empowerment of love has been discussed before herein. (Please Item#gk of the Table of Contents regarding “Love as the basis of Spiritual abilities.) “Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up” (I Corinthians 8:1). The Philippians 1:9&10 passage explains how love builds up. Love and the Holy Spirit go together, because “God is love” (I John 4:8). Since the Holy Spirit is always our Teacher (John 14:26), more knowledge and depth of insight can and is made available through our attitude and practice of love. This process enables purity and the fruits of righteousness.as a testimony and to the furtherance of Christ’s kingdom. So, love is very powerful, and must be the basis of all Christian ministry.
- Item#j- I had noted in Item#15o that knowledge of Christ is a form of heavenly knowledge- “that they may know the full mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Colossians 2:3).There is no error here. It’s obvious that the treasures of wisdom of knowledge are hidden in Christ. In other words, we need to probe beyond basic salvation through his blood, and other basic teachings of the Way, in order to obtain the hidden treasures. Paul wants to obtain three items of knowledge; “I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in His suffering”. I believe that we can know and recognize Christ’s presence in our daily lives, and really, this should be our primary goal after we’re saved.
- Item#k- How important is it to know God’s will? Except for knowing Christ, Himself, it’s the most important group of facts to know out of all knowledge. Through spiritual wisdom, we can know the will of God. And, with faith we can take up that will and accomplish His work in our lives. In terms of knowledge, we can go beyond that and realize the Lord’s calling and grace in our lives- our life purpose; and, this passage says that such activities will find us “growing in the knowledge of God”.
- Item#l- The Lord Jesus said, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light” (Matthew 10:28-30). (Also see I John 3:19.) We can know and experience this rest, by merely accepting that the burden of our sin was lifted at Calvary.
- Item#m- Lord Jesus verifies that “The Scripture cannot be broken” (John 10:35). We can be protected by Scripture, because we know that it must be true. And, people who ignore and distort the Scripture have no protection through the truth and end up wallowing in their own errors. So we, as Christians, can know the inerrancy and protection of the Scriptures.
- Item#n- “We know that we have passed from death to life because we love our brothers.” Love of the brothers and sisters in Christ proves our salvation. I searched the Greek text for that little word “only” whereby the passage would say, “Let us not love with words or tongue only, but with actions and in truth.” However, that word “only” was not found. So I must conclude that the passage is teaching us to refrain from words of love, and confine our love to action. Of course, practicing our spiritual gifts usually does require many words. Such Spirit filled words are not that to which the commandment is referring. Words from our flesh, though, which sound nice but usually obscure the real solution, should be avoided.
18.) There’s much value in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ, II Peter 1:2-11 “Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. His divine power has given us everything we need for life and Godliness through our knowledge of Him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, Godliness; and to Godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But if anyone does not have them he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins. Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never fall, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” Once I had situated myself at a concrete crossroads in the middle of the prestigious University of Chicago. I was killing time by handing out Bible tracts and quickly greeting people. An older man and a woman walked by, both with large dogs on a leash. I held out two tracts to them, saying, “This is the love of God in Jesus Christ”. In declining the tracts, this older man, who I concluded was some man of authority or a professor, said, “No thanks! I know all about Him!” Then he smiled and nodded at the woman, perhaps communicating to her that he’d avoided my intended confrontation between them and God’s Word. In that small instant as he passed by, I was searching, as I usually do when I pass out tracts, for some concise additional prompt through which I could communicate the gospel more fully- a “one liner”. My brief response to his excuse which popped out of my mouth was this, “Yes, but I know Him!” The man paused momentarily in his exiting stride, acknowledging that I made a good point, but never did take a tract or even turn around. That man probably didn’t realize how close he was to that Christ that he claimed to know! For you see, I’ve come to realize that these quick, succinct responses, which I sometimes come up with while talking with people about the Lord, don’t come from my slow whit, but rather from the Lord. “For I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict” (Luke 21:15). There is much value in Christ. The first value noted in the above Scripture is that “grace and peace be yours in abundance” through our knowledge of Christ. We don’t worry or strive to dissipate a multitude of insecurities. We have peace and continual intercession from God’s throne- “grace to help us in our time of need” (Hebrews 4:16) The second value noted was that through such knowledge we are given “everything we need for life and Godliness”. “God will meet all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19). He is Jehovah Jireh- the Lord our Provider (Genesis 22:14). This knowledge and the blessings that come through this knowledge allow us to do something that even the Caesars yearned for but couldn’t attain- “through them you may participate in the divine nature”. The Lord is seeking to make us like His Son. That’s important to me, because at 29 years old, in 1979, I quit being a worldly sot and turned to follow Christ. Lastly, this knowledge, coupled with faith, goodness, self-control, perseverance, Godliness, brotherly kindness and love, will make us effective and productive in Christ, will keep us from falling, and will bring us a “rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ”. (Item 16j also discusses the value of knowing the Lord Jesus.) And, in discussing the value of such knowledge, we really need to consider the value of having the Lord Jesus, Himself, as our Friend (John 15:15). We value other friends, but “there is a Friend that sticks closer than a brother” (Proverbs 18:24). (Also see Table of Contents Item#Gj “The friendship of the Lord Jesus Christ”, and Item#16j, above.)
19.) Knowledge, without faith, won’t bring salvation, II Peter 2:1, 20&21 “But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them- bringing swift destruction on themselves. … If they have escaped the corruption in the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and are again entangled in it and overcome, they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning. It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than to have known it and then to turn their backs on the sacred command that was passed on to them.” We see herein false teachers and their students, who have known the Savior and his way of righteousness, and yet were not saved. Ephesians 2:8 says, “It is by grace you have been saved through faith”. Salvation is given as a free gift, by covenantal grace, to all who believe. So the only contingency in the covenant is faith in Christ- that is faith in the one true gospel of Christ. So, you can know the gospel and you can know Christ, and you can know and quote great volumes of Scripture; but unless you’ve trusted Christ’s death as full and final payment for your sins, you’ve still not believed His message and are not saved. There are millions of people in this world claiming to be Christians, who have much knowledge of the Bible, but they are still trying to work their way to heaven or trying to obey God’s laws in order to get to heaven. But the Scripture says salvation is “by grace through faith” (Ephesians 2:8) and “if righteousness could be gained through the Law, Christ died for nothing” (Galatians 2:21). Again, we’re saved by grace through faith, not by knowledge or by works.
20.) Grace and general knowledge differentiated, II Peter 3:18 “But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be glory, both now and forever! Amen.” This is, of course, a great nugget of Scripture. The verse tells us what’s expected of us after we’ve been saved. I also noticed, though, from the perspective of types of knowledge, that this verse cites a difference between grace and general knowledge of the Lord. The logic behind this statement is that, since a word of knowledge is listed among the grace gifts in I Corinthians 12:7-10, a word of knowledge must be a form of grace and not a form of knowledge that we can grow in according to II Peter 3:18. This seems right since a word of knowledge is a succinct message and not something that you can grow in.
21.) God’s knowledge versus our knowledge, Genesis 3:5 “The serpent said to the woman, ‘For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.’ “ Well, I don’t like to quote uninspired persons of Scripture as if their statements are true (such as Job’s counselors or the twelve apostles prior to Pentecost). The Bible is God’s Word, but some Scripture is meant to illustrate bad teaching. This is the case here, God never told Adam or Eve that eating of the tree would make them like Him. That was Satan’s word, not God’s. However, the concept, that God knows much more about good and evil than we do, is a sound concept. “Does He who implanted the ear not hear? Does He who formed the eye not see? Does He who disciplines nations not punish? Does He who teaches man lack knowledge?” (Psalms 94:9&10). A good dose of the difference between God’s knowledge and our knowledge is discussed in Job, Chapters 38 and 39- “Then the Lord answered Job out of the storm. He said: ‘Who is this that darkens my counsel with words without knowledge? Brace yourself like a man; I will question you and you will answer me. Where were you when I laid the Earth’s foundation? Tell me if you understand. Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know! Who stretched a measuring line across it? On what were its footings set, or who laid its cornerstone- while the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy? Who shut up the sea behind doors when it burst forth from its womb …? … Have you ever given orders to the morning or shown the dawn its place …? … Have you journeyed to the springs of the sea or walked in the recesses of the deep? Have the gates of death been shown to you? Have you seen the gates of the shadow of death? Have you comprehended the vast expanses of the Earth? Tell me if you know all this. What is the way to the abode of light? And where does darkness reside? … Do you know when the mountain goats give birth? Do you watch when the doe bears her fawn?” So, we can easily see from the works that God performs that His knowledge is exhaustively immense, and much greater than ours. As well, using God’s own logic, we can measure and draw a perspective of knowledge according to the works to be performed. This can be applied to a person’s grace gifts, as an example, and we could see that the knowledge set for shepherding would be different than the knowledge set for evangelism, as an example. And, isn’t the purpose of a word of knowledge to provide the knowledge necessary for an individual to perform a specific task or set of tasks for the Lord. The main point brought out by this passage, however, is that God’s knowledge is hugely different than our knowledge, both in magnitude and in end use. (Also see Item#6 in the Word of Wisdom Section.)
22.) Knowing, even as we are known, John 5:41”I do not accept praise from men, but I know you. I know that you do not have the love of God in your hearts. I have come in my father’s name, and you do not accept me; but if someone else comes in his own name, you will accept him. How can you believe if you accept praise from one another, yet make no effort to obtain the praise that comes from the only God?” There are many issues confronted by this passage. The primary issue was our Lord’s statement that the Jews criticizing Him didn’t really believe Moses, else they would believe that He was sent by the Father. However, for our study, I keyed in on the above statement by our Lord, “I know you. I know that you do not have the love of God in your hearts.” This passage helps us to understand the promise of I Corinthians 13:12- “Now we know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known”. So, these men were fully known by the Lord. And, the Lord points out why they were rejecting Him. He cites that they were not really believing Moses, and their lack of loving God was manifested in their action of loving the praise of men instead of the praise from God. Well, if you’re a serious servant of the Lord, you should take that to heart. (Love of God and love of neighbor must be our motivation- not merely obedience to Scripture.) However, from this Grace Study perspective, we can perceive that the Lord Jesus knew these men and what was in their hearts. He saw through them all the way to their failure to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind“ (Matthew 22:38). We are going to be able to know and recognize the operational aspects of God’s kingdom, which must include how God’s Word plays out in peoples’ lives and various situations, just as the Lord Jesus reasoned above- “then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known”. (See also Isaiah 11:8&9.) We will be able to discern, not as a judge, but as a participant, God’s Word at work in God’s kingdom. I say this because I know that God’s Word, and His Holy Spirit, are the principal accomplishers of God’s will (Psalms 33:4-11, Ephesians 6:17). However, knowing God’s Word and recognizing His Holy Spirit at work, still, will never take the place of our face-to-face relationship with Him. (Also see Item#12b, above, and Item#1f in the Prophecy Section.)
24.) Heavenly knowledge and persecution, John 7:29&30 “But I know Him because I am from Him and He sent me. At this they tried to seize Him, but no one laid a hand on Him, because His time had not yet come.” I’d like to point out three facts regarding this matter which I’ve been shown from the Word, and from experience. First, the flesh always wars against the Spirit of God (Galatians 5:17), because the flesh is a fallen nature and the Spirit of God is a “consuming fire” (Hebrews 12:29). Secondly, When we are persecuted for the Lord, “Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you” (Matthew 5:12). Thirdly, no persecution or harm can come to you except that which the Lord allows. Consider the Lord Jesus in this situation; he wasn’t alarmed because He knew his time had not yet come. “What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs. Do not be afraid of those that kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matthew 10:27&28). We should not be afraid of persecution. Rather, we should be afraid of walking by our flesh when we should be walking by the Spirit, in any given situation- and thereby fail our Lord’s plans for us in that situation. (Also see Table of Contents Section, Item#g.c. “Flesh Wars Against the Spirit- Sometimes Persecution”.)
27.) Knowing God’s voice, John 10:3-6, 14-16, &27 “ ‘The watchman opens the gate for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes out ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.’ Jesus used this figure of speech, but they did not understand what he was telling them. … I am the Good Shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me- just as the Father knows me and I know the Father- and I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. … My sheep listen to my voice; I know them and they follow me.’ “ Of course, this passage describes the Lord Jesus as the Good Shepherd, which is a fulfillment of the prophecy of Ezekiel 34:23. (Also see Items# 20, 25, & 37 of the Shepherding Section.) But we are looking, herein, at the concept of knowing God’s voice. Getting away from the semantics of hearing the Lord’s voice, The Lord is pointing out that recognizing His voice is important to our Godly walk (See Item#15j.). Just as a sheep knows its shepherd’s voice, we learn to recognize the Lord’s voice. We begin to recognize the Lord’s voice through the gospel. One of the verses that led me to Christ was Revelation 3:20, “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me”. I heard that voice and that knocking several times before I finally confessed Christ as Lord and Savior, according to Romans 10:9. I recall “sweating bullets” as my feet were dangled over hell’s flames by several preachers. Finally, though, I realized that it was the Lord Jesus, Himself, who was knocking at the door of my heart, and I could no longer put Him off. It’s that voice that I came to recognize in my life and His voice and the recognition of it stays with me in my walk with Him. I suppose I cannot tell you how to recognize the Lord’s voice in your own life, only to say that He does still speak to you. He is not a mute idol (I Corinthians 12:3). I believe that recognizing the Lord’s voice in your life is an integral part of having a personal relationship with the Lord and living the abundant life. (References to hearing and recognizing God’s voice can also be found in Item#200 of the Shepherding Section, Item#12 & 54 of the Apostleship Section, Item#221 of the Prophecy Section, and Item#1a of the Word of Wisdom Section.)
28.) Prophetic knowledge in a carnal man, John 11:47-53 “Then the chief priests and the Pharisees called a meeting of the Sanhedrin. ‘What are we accomplishing?” they asked. ‘Here is this man performing many miraculous signs. If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and then the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.’ Then one of them, named Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, spoke up, ‘You know nothing at all! You do not realize that it is better for you that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish. He did not say this on his own, but as high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the Jewish nation, and not only for that nation but also for the scattered children of God, to bring them together and make them one. So, from that day on they plotted to take his life.” This is a passage that we must look into more deeply, since it contains prophecy by a carnal man, and also such knowledge that would allow him to prophesy. We’ve already noted that carnal men, and even Balaam’s donkey (Numbers 22:28) spoke for God. (See Item#1, 3rd paragraph, in the Prophecy Section.) The above passage notes that Caiaphas prophesied through his position as high priest. I conclude that this high priestly ability came through the continual priesthood and anointing of Aaron’s descendants as contained in Exodus 7:1 & 40:15. It’s interesting, though, that we can almost understand how God worked through the caldron of Caiaphas’ life to extract that prophecy from him. So, if we look at some carnal characters who prophesied or who obtained heavenly knowledge, we can understand more about how the Lord implants and extracts heavenly knowledge and prophecy into and from an individual. And, given the gap between what we know and what God knows, I don’t see that it’s much easier for the Lord to work with believers versus non-believers, unless a person really trains himself to focus on God’s Word in their life. Some noted instances of unexpected people who had such heavenly enlightenment are as follows:
- Caiphas in John 11:47-53. In the underlined portion of the above passage, I conclude that Caiaphas knew, or thought he knew, something that the rest of the Sanhedrin didn’t know. I also conclude that God put this knowledge into his head, specifically that he might prophesy for him, even though Caiaphas was not indwelt by the Holy Spirit or even had a heart for the Lord. I also conclude that Caiaphas had a twisted perception of the prophetic truth of Christ’s death. This twisting of the truth might have come from Caiaphas’ Adamic nature or from Satan, but not from the Holy Spirit of Truth. Caiaphas must have known the Scripture like the back of his hand, after all, it was his life’s work. But knowing the Messianic prophecies and understanding them, then having the wisdom and prudence to act on them is an entirely different spectrum of conduct. (See Item#95 of the Teaching Section.) Caiaphas wrestled with the truth, but didn’t give up his position in the Sanhedrin like Paul did (Acts 22:3); neither did he sneak around in the dark until he understood, like Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimethea did( John 19:38&39). Caiaphas confronted Christ’s claims head-on, then rejected the true Messiah: “But Jesus remained silent. The high priest said to Him, ‘I charge you under oath by the Living God: Tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God.’ ‘Yes, it is as you say,’ Jesus replied. ‘But I say to all of you: In the future you will see the Son of Man sitting on the right hand of the Mighty One and coming in the clouds of heaven.’ Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, ‘He has spoken blasphemy! Why do we need any more witnesses? Look now you have heard blasphemy. What do you think?’ ‘He is worthy of death,” they answered“(Matthew 26:63-66). As twisted as Caiphas’ perception was, the Lord was still able to manifest a prophecy from within Caiaphas. I see Caiaphas’ prophecy as a test to those who heard it. It is said that, “Satan tempts, but the Lord tests”. The Lord was putting the truth out into the ears of the Sanhedrin and those associated with them. Did any react to that gospel prophecy, albeit so carnally given? Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimethea were won over, but obviously not just from that prophecy. I’ve experienced times when the Lord showed me that the temptation before me was merely to see whether I’d be strong or not. So it was with Caiaphas prophecy. What a mockery from Satan to have the glorious gospel presented to the Jewish leaders in such a twisted manner! Such prophecy is as ironic as Pilate’s plaque over the cross, which also correctly described the kingship of the Lord Jesus but with a demeaning intent. Surely the flesh wars against the Spirit of God (Galatians 5:17)! I believe that Caiphas’ prophecy is a good example of how God can work through us to prophesy. I think that the Lord would have us to understand what we mean when we are speaking for Him, and not prophesy blindly, not really understanding what we’re stating, like Caiaphas and Isaiah 53. However, I perceive from history that the Lord has people prophesy for a reason and will accomplish his will one way or another, even if it means raising up a donkey to speak for Him. How mush better if we “be eager to prophesy” (I Corinthians 14:39), and thus receive a prophet’s reward (Matthew 5:12).
- Asaph in Matthew 13:35 and Psalms 73-83. “I will open my mouth in parables, I will utter things hidden since the creation of the world” (Psalms 78:2 as quoted in Matthew 13:35). Asaph can hardly be viewed as a carnal man; he was an obedient, Godly man (Psalms 73:23-28). He was recognized as a prophet and seer, because such Godly leading of praise and singing is to be considered a form of prophecy (speaking for God)- “the sons of Asaph under the hands of Asaph, which prophesied according to the order of the king” (I Chronicles 25:2, also see II Chronicles 29:30). Also see Item#64 in the Prophecy Section. His prophecy is such that he didn’t seem to recognize any new revelation that was manifested by Him. Asaph was instructed by David, in I Chronicles 16:7-36, how to praise, give thanks, petition, and otherwise minister before the ark of the Lord. In writing this brief passage on Asaph I took the time to read and study Psalms 50 and 73-83. I noted that Asaph’s Psalms adhere to the instructions of David in I Chronicles 16. David gave these instructions, “Give thanks to the Lord, call on His name; make known among the nations what He has done. … sing praise to Him; tell of all His wonderful acts. Glory in His holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice. Look to the Lord and His strength; seek His face always. Remember the wonders He has done, His miracles, and the judgments He pronounced.” These would also be excellent instructions to any worship leader in a local church, nowadays. I also noted that David’s instructions seemed to point Asaph to what was accomplished and written before Him. Nevertheless, prophecy of future events oozed out of Asaph (Psalms 74:12, 78:2, 80:17-19, 81:16, & 82:6), while worship and praise flowed out of him. I note that since God’s Word is alive and active, and is the sword of the Holy Spirit (Hebrews 4:12 & Ephesians 6:17), Asaph and other praise leaders, even though attempting and instructed to limit their ministry to telling forth the praises of God, will eventually be involved with other forms of prophecy- knowingly or unknowingly (Ephesians 3:4). Are there edification, correction, foretelling, and even evangelism coming out of the choir loft today? Sure there is! When I got saved in 1979, alone in the cab of a truck, after I somewhat realized what had happened and as I continued driving along, I sang some hymns. Two that I remember I sang were “Draw me nearer” and “I am Thine, O Lord”. How did those songs get into my memory, when I wasn’t attending church on a regular basis, neither were they used by the religion in which I was brought up? “‘Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord”. (Zechariah 4:6). (I received an additional blessing from my quick study of Asaph. Asaph said in Psalm 80:1, “You who sit enthroned between the Cherubim”. This shows that Asaph, and others like him, understood that the tabernacle was a symbol of God’s presence, not just a grouping of religious artifacts. This fact, along with Hebrews Chapters 8-10, continues to show me that we are to study the tabernacle typology as a picture of God’s presence.)
- Miriam is referred to as “Miriam the prophetess, Aaron’s sister” (Exodus 15:20). Miriam, as Caiphas and Asaph, was put in the position of speaking for God. Consider. How was the truth of what was happening between Moses and the Lord and the nation of Israel being disseminated? The leaders had to explain things as they were unfolding. They essentially were speaking for God to the people in the capacity of explaining the events that were occurring, and also repeating what the Lord asked them to say to the nation. Miriam was one of the three leaders of the nation during the Exodus (Micah 6:4). And, her prophecy seemed to be much involved in passing on information from the Lord through Moses and through the events which were transpiring. Her brief psalm in Exodus 15:21 merely repeats the events of the day. Also see Items#108 & 293 in the Prophecy Section.
- King Saul was a complicated man who was used by the Lord in many ways. While having the Lord’s anointing as king, he was seen prophesying on at least two occasions. The manner in which the Lord’s Spirit came upon Saul and moved him is actually consistent with the stated intentions of many preachers today. That is that preachers search for a leading by the Holy Spirit, so that they are speaking for God rather than themselves. George Muller was such a preacher (see Item#53 in the Teaching Section). Jim Cymbala, at Moody Founder’s Week- 2005, cried out for preachers to look for such a Holy Ghost unction in their preaching. So, Saul’s study is a worthwhile study. However, Saul realized that the Lord’s favor had departed from him after Gilgal (I Samuel 13:14). Saul, originally being a naturally timid person, received his power directly from the Holy Spirit. His relationship with God reminds me of myself as if I were at the controls of a helicopter. I would be jumping and swooping all over the place and inevitably crash. Such was the case with Saul. I’m very grateful that we Christians not only have the promised Spirit, but also the instruction manual- the Bible. Beginning at Saul’s reluctant, yet powerful, anointing, we see the Lord changing this timid man into a powerful man of war (I Samuel 11:6), and also causing him to be familiar enough with the Holy Spirit to prophesy (I Samuel 10:1-27; also see Item#22 in the Prophecy Section). I noted that in Saul’s case he prophesied immediately after his kingship anointing. I noted, in Saul, two qualities of both the Lord Jesus and King David- the Holy Spirit’s power to rule, and the ability to prophesy. However, Saul’s downfall was ultimately in his lack of heart for God, which lack manifested itself in fleshly conduct, notably- witchcraft, hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions, and envy (per the list in Galatians 5:19-21). So, the Lord raised up another king, one after the Lord’s own heart- David (I Samuel 13:14). We can see, in a comparison between Saul’s prophecy and David’s prophecy, the same difference as between the two men. Saul’s prophesy came as a blast from the Holy Spirit on the outside of him, while David’s prophecy came from his heart for God. Indeed, so strong was the Spirit’s blast at Naioth that Saul, and also his men, prophesied (I Samuel 19:20-24).
- David is considered a prophet according to the definition of prophecy given in this grace study. That is, he spoke for God (See Item#28 in the Prophecy Section). The Lord Jesus points out this aspect of David’s prophetic ministry in Matthew 22:43, “How is it then that David, speaking by the Spirit, calls him ‘Lord’?” I perceive three types of prophecy coming from David. First there’s the classic utterance purely from his heart such as Psalm 23. From his Godly heart, sometimes unbeknownst to David, came much Messianic prophecy such as Psalms 22 and 69. Second, there’s general teaching, similar to Asaph’s prophecy through song, such as Psalms 33, 18:1-36, 103:6-10 . (It’s been said that everything in the Bible can be found in the Psalms, at least in part. And, much of this general teaching is what had already been made known by Moses’ writings.) Third there’s what was revealed to David by God (sometimes through Nathan), which he passed on to Israel and to us-Acts 2:30; Psalms 2:6-12; 89:3, 28 &34-37, and 103:11-22, etc. It’s worth scrutinizing the semantics of David’s prophecy as discussed in Acts 2:25-36. Acts 2:25-36 says, “David said about Him: ‘I saw the Lord always before me. Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will live in hope, because He will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay. You have made known to me the paths of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence.’ Brothers, I can tell you confidently that the patriarch David died and was buried, and his tomb is here to this day. But he was a prophet and knew that God had promised him on oath that he would place one of his descendants on the throne. Seeing what was ahead, he spoke of the resurrection of Christ, that He was not abandoned to the grave, nor did His body see decay. God has raised this Jesus to life and we are all witnesses to the fact. Exalted to the right hand of God, He has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear. For David did not ascend to heaven, and yet he said, ‘The Lord said to my Lord: ‘Sit at My right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for Your feet.’ ‘ Therefore, let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.” I perceive, through the semantics of David’s prophecy, the hope of those who’ve said, “The Lord has put this on my heart”, and then obediently shared what they knew the Lord had raised them up to say. A person, put in such a position by the Lord, is likely to be giving a word of correction or edification whereby the flesh of some would be offended. Therefore, sometimes such prophecy costs the speaker dearly, but the Lord is served. Although, I’ve seen such sharing of the heart in worship services whereby all are in agreement. In David’s case, he was a powerful king, who undoubtedly feared God more than he did other people. So, he was willing and obedient to share what the Lord had put on his heart and also what had been revealed to him through Nathan’s prophecy ( II Samuel 7:3-17). (And, other than Satan, there was no one powerful enough to persecute David for his prophetic statements.) It’s amazing to me how much David understood from Nathan’s prophecy and what the Lord had otherwise revealed to him. In that regard, notes on David’s prophecy, as gleaned from Acts 2:25-36, are as follows:
b. Verse 27- “…my body also will live in hope, because you will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay.” David evidently believed in physical resurrection of the believer’s body, perhaps through the teachings of the Patriarchs or the promise in Job 19:25-27. The fact that the Lord’s Messiah must have an imperishable body is plain in Nathan’s prophecy (II Samuel 7:13). So David must have mused upon these prophecies and Scriptures (Psalm 119:11-16) until he arrived at the truth of God which he shared from his Godly heart in his Psalms.
c. Verse 34- “The Lord said to my Lord: ‘Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet’ “(See also Psalms 110:1). Perceiving that the eternal throne, prophesied through Nathan, must be the Messiah’s throne, David has concluded that God is raising up Israel over its enemies through his own reign. He also is prophesying of the future absolute victory over all God’s enemies through David’s Lord the Messiah- his own offspring. The Lord Jesus brought out this logic (Matthew 22:41-46) when showing the Pharisees that Messiah must also be God, according to David’s prophecy.
d. Vs 36- Peter repeats the Lord Jesus teaching of Matthew 22:41-46, and sums up David’s teaching by saying, “Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified both Lord and Christ.”
e.) We also read of Elisha’s young servant who had his eyes opened that he might see “the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha”- 2Kings 6:17. We can glean from this circumstance a few things. First we realize that Elisha and his servant were in a dangerous situation. Second, we realize that it was necessary for Elisha to have his servant see the true situation, that “Those who are with us are more than those who are with them” (verse 16). Third, we see “the Lord opened the servant’s eyes”. Of course, this story of Elisha is for our edification (II Timothy 3:16). And we no longer need to look around us to see the angels protecting us, because we have the teaching from this story. But I believe that if we are in a dire situation, the Lord will somehow get us to look upon his power and be calmed, even as he did to Elisha’s servant.
f.) John the Baptist’s father, Zechariah- Luke 1:67-79. Zechariah’s prophecy is similar to David’s, in that it seems to be a meld between what God’s messenger (Gabriel in Zechariah’s case, and Nathan in David’s case) had said to Him and what Scripture had already declared. Gabriel told him, “Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son and you are to give him the name John. He will be a joy and a delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from birth. Many of the people of Israel will he bring back to the Lord their God. And he will go on before the Lord in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous- to make ready a people prepared for the Lord” (Luke 1:13-17). Now, Zechariah had nine silent months to mull over what the angel told him, as well as full access to Moses and Elijah’s scriptures regarding these events. So then Zechariah, being filled with the Holy Ghost, reiterated as best he could what the angel had told him regarding his son John. His prophecy also contained facts from Scripture regarding the coming of the Messiah. Such facts from Luke 1:67-79, that I recognized, were:
- “a horn of salvation”- Psalms 18:2.
- “in the house of his servant David”- II Samuel 7:16.
- “to remember His holy covenant, the oath he swore to our father Abraham”- Genesis 22:16-18.
- “You, my child, will be called a prophet of the most high; for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him”- Malachi 4:5&6.
- “the rising sun will come to us from heaven” Malachi 4:2.
It seems as though Zechariah’s prophecy was merely putting together the pieces of the puzzle which Gabriel and the Scripture had already given him. It’s also important, from the perspective of Tabernacle teaching, to notice that Zechariah’s duty that day was burning of incense on the golden altar. “And when the time for the burning of incense came, all the assembled worshipers were praying outside” (Luke 1:10). So we have what’s been called the 400 years of silence from Malachi to Gabriel’s message to Zechariah. And this silence is broken by the prayers of the saints, who were praying outside the temple. This breaking of heavenly silence through prayer is akin to the silence at the opening of the seventh seal in Revelation 8:1-5, wherein the workings of God’s plan were at a halt until the prayers of the saints put things in motion again.
So after considering the prophecies manifested by these people not normally noted as prophets, we can at least list some ways that God brought them to knowledge in order that they might prophesy or otherwise realize his will. We should be careful, though, not to disregard the manner in which God spoke to those prophets of old that were reputed mainly as prophets, especially such clear revelation that would allow them to boldly proclaim “Thus saith the Lord God” (Ezekiel 6:3). Such notes, then, are as follows:
- From Caiphas and others we can see that the Lord will work through the caldron of a person’s life to bring prophetic knowledge into that person and, then, to extract that prophecy out from them. Also we see that the prophet needn’t agree with or even understand the prophecy; although some of the prophets did understand, though it seemed as if they couldn’t possibly understand (David and Zechariah). Baalam’s donkey (numbers 22:28) confirms the fact that the Lord is able to use anyone to speak for him. (I believe, though, that it’s a willing prophet that will receive the prophets reward described in Matthew 5:12).
- From Asaph we see that where praise, worship, and Scripture teaching flow, prophecy in its various forms will inevitably be present.
- From Miriam we see that prophecy can occur just from being close to the center of action. The information needs to be communicated. We don’t serve a mute idol. “You know that when you were pagans, somehow or other you were led astray by mute idols. Therefore I tell you that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, ‘Jesus be cursed’, and no one can say, ‘Jesus is Lord’, except by the Holy Spirit.” (I Corinthians 12:2&3).
- From King Saul we see that the very presence of the Holy Spirit can cause people to prophesy. At Naioth Saul and his men prophesied for no apparent reason except that they were in the presence of the Holy Spirit, who was causing Samuel and his fellow prophets to prophesy. Also, Saul prophesied immediately following his own anointing as King, when he came among other prophets prophesying (I Samuel 10:10), which is a similar situation to Naioth.
- From David 3 origins of prophecy were mentioned above. First, there was the prophecy that came purely from David’s heart for God. Second, there was general teaching through songs- much of which had already been passed on to Israel through Moses’ writings. Third there was what was revealed to David by God (sometimes through Nathan); particularly such knowledge was made available because of David’s close walk with God. “I saw the Lord always before me. Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. …You fill me with joy in your presence,…” (Psalms 16:8-11).
- From Elisha’s servant we see that in a dire situation the Lord will show us things to allow us to serve Him. “I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I have learned from my Father I have made known to you.” John 15:15.
- From Zechariah, John the Baptist’s father, we see that prayer can affect situations (and prophecy is definitely a means of affecting a situation). So, prayer and prophecy are related. And, as with King David’s case, Scriptural understanding along with a revelation and or urging from the Lord can bring a person to the point of speaking for God. I’ve just received a message from a friend visiting his sick grandmother in Israel. He requested, and we gave, prayer that he might speak the gospel to her. His most recent attempt to share the gospel was stymied by circumstances. We’re still praying that the Lord will give the grace for another quality opportunity.
We’ve seen how the Lord has worked through people not really known as prophets. But really, shouldn’t we have expected that? God has a plan to achieve His purposes. Now, if God had merely waited for those in the Church, or Israel, to be obedient to Him and accomplish His plan, His progress would too easily be gridlocked by Satan. (Daniel 10:13b). So the Lord is extremely active in working His plans. And, this discussion actually has to do with what the definition of grace is. Grace has been defined as intercession from God’s throne. (See Grace, An Exhaustive Word Study.) Now if God is committed to accomplishing his purposes (and He is), isn’t it necessary for Him to intercede continually in the lives of people in order to accomplish those purposes. This intercession is called grace and is sometimes necessary, whether it be knowledge, or prophecy, or healing, or sending, or evangelism, or correction (or just holding things together). This is all from God’s throne of grace. And, I don’t see that we can put a limit on the number of methods that God can use in interceding from His throne. This is why I don’t believe that we’re constrained to only those grace gifts demonstrated in Scripture, or that certain of those demonstrated in Scripture have become abolished. It’s God’s throne; it’s His plan; it’s His purposes; it’s His interceding grace! Shall we try to limit God? Why not be like Moses. Though the road through the Philistines was shorter (Exodus 13:17), the Lord led Israel through the Red Sea on dry land while Moses taught, “Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today” (Exodus 14:13).
29.) Seeking for knowledge, John 14:4-11, and 20, “…’You know the way to the place where I am going.’ Thomas said to Him, ‘Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?’ Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know Him and have seen him.’ Phillip said, ‘Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.’ Jesus answered: ‘Don’t you know me, Phillip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Any one who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing His work. Believe me when I say I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves.’… ‘And I will ask the Father and He will give you another Counselor to be with you forever- the Spirit of Truth. The world cannot accept Him because it neither sees Him nor knows Him. But you know Him for He lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. On that day you will realize that I am in the Father, and you are in me, and I am in you’.” Here we see the disciples seeking for knowledge. Thomas says, “We know where you are going, how can we know the way?” Phillip says, “Show us the Father and that will be enough for us.” And the Lord Jesus rewards their stick-to-it-ive-ness by carefully answering their questions. You’ve probably studied this great passage in John 14 as a salvation passage and an end times passage, with its Israelite marriage feast typology. However, the Lord Jesus is also speaking about knowing the Father by knowing the Son. Some points regarding such knowledge which popped out to me are as follows:
a.) We used to sing a children’s song, “’I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life’, that’s what Jesus said. Without the Way there is no going. Without the Truth, there is no knowing. Without the Life there is no living. ’I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life’, that’s what Jesus said.” How can we know anything without truth. I’ve seen and experienced certain circumstances where people have gotten themselves caught up in a web of lies, and couldn’t unravel the truth anymore. Some people don’t know how to tell the truth; and I’m not exaggerating. One of the big motivations for myself to repent and trust Christ, back in 1979, was that I was starting to conveniently lie to people in various areas of my life. Just recently the United States was made aware of the polygamous practices of the FLDS sect in Texas (and, my wife and I have thanked the Lord for intervention by the State of Texas). What a mess! And, what a web of lies! People don’t even know who their fathers and mothers are. And the people, in order to get child support checks, were lying to the government about not being married. And, from what I see, the parents have hired lawyers to help them lie in court. Last night the court ruled that, at least temporarily, all the children would be held by the authorities until things are sorted out. And, I heard the authorities were having to do DNA testing to try to sort out who’s who. The point is that “without the truth there is no knowing”.
b.) The concept of knowing the Father through the Son brings me to John 1:14&18, “The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. … No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the father’s side, has made Him known.” I note that the writer, John, was amongst the disciples who received the Lord’s discourse of John 14. I also note that, by the time that He wrote his gospel book, John was thoroughly convinced that Christ was in the Father and that the father was in Christ.
c.) At that point of the Lord’s “upper room discourse” in John 14, the disciples were not yet accepting or understanding the full brunt of who Christ is and what He was going to do. The Lord had purposefully brought them to this point of faith in Him. Yet, without Calvary, the resurrection, and the indwelling Holy Spirit, how much more could the disciples grasp concerning God’s plan for them? Yet, John 13:10&11 states that “’A person who has had a bath needs only to wash his feet; his whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you.’ For he knew who was going to betray Him, and that was why He said not everyone was clean”. The disciples were already bathed in the faith of that 1st Counselor, Jesus Christ, and had not yet been immersed in that other Counselor- the promised Holy Spirit. That would happen at Pentecost (Acts 11:16).
d.) The Lord doesn’t just want us to be saved, and He doesn’t just want us to live clean lives. The Lord Jesus wants us to know the truth, and a huge part of that truth is his statement “But you know Him (the Holy Spirit) for He lives with you and will be in you.” The Lord expected the disciples, even before Pentecost, to recognize the Holy Spirit’s presence along side them- “you know Him for He lives with you”. The Greek word for Counselor here is “parakletos”, meaning an advocate[3] who walks along side you. I believe the Lord wants us to understand and recognize His presence in us through the Holy Spirit. It’s amazing that we, as believers, are already at a position where the disciples, during the upper room discourse, only hoped to be; that is, we understand that Christ is in the Father and the Father is in Him and the Holy Spirit is in us. (Also see Item#15j, above.)
e.) Truth is important in relationships. In John 14, without much explanation needed, I saw the following relationships: knowing, trusting, obeying, loving, sonship (being in), and in Chapter 15- serving and friendship. I recently spoke with a woman who was trying to serve God, and, while she didn’t really need to, she was considering soliciting funds from non-believers. She asked me what I thought about that. So, I said essentially to watch out, because she doesn’t just have God on her side; she also has Satan to lay snares for her. I mentioned that she could spend years of energy and, because of Satan’s snare, have practically no reward in heaven, since she received accolades here on earth and laid up no treasures in heaven (Matthew 6:1). The Lord wants our relationship with Him to be based upon truth, else all kinds of snags and problems can occur.
The Lord wants us to actively seek knowledge and truth, especially through the power of His gifted servants “until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ“ (Ephesians 4:13). And He obviously wants us to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (II Peter 3:18).
31.) Peter struggles with the reality of a situation, Acts 12:6-12 “The night before Herod was to bring him to trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers bound with two chains, and sentries stood guard at the entrance. Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shown in his cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him up. ‘Quick, get up!’ he said, and the chains fell off Peter’s wrists. Then the angel said to him, ‘Put on your clothes and sandals.’ And Peter did so. ‘Wrap your cloak around you and follow me,’ the angel told him. Peter followed him out of the prison, but he had no idea that what the angel was doing was really happening; he thought he was seeing a vision. They passed the first and second guards and came to the iron gate leading to the city. It opened for them by itself, and they went through it. When they had walked the length of one street, suddenly the angel left him. Then Peter came to himself and said, ‘Now I know without a doubt that the Lord sent His angel and rescued me from Herod’s clutches and from everything the Jewish people were anticipating.’ When this had dawned on him, he went to the house of Mary the mother of John, also called Mark, where many people had gathered and were praying.” Now, many people claim that you cannot have a revelation from God, or any such heavenly knowledge given by revelation, only that which can be obtained directly from Scripture. I suppose their buzz word description of that view is “no direct revelation from God”. Well, what would such a person do with this account of Peter’s. He was in prison, in chains between two guards, then all of a sudden he finds himself outside the locked city gate, and recalling what he thought was a vision. I suppose such doubters would say such things could not occur, and that such workings of God were from another dispensation of grace. To such I would say, “Horse feathers!” God’s throne of grace has not changed its operation one iota from the time of the Lord Jesus’ ascension, and such stories of angels and miraculous intervention are continuously coming to us from the Lord’s servants.
If we really look into this story, though, we see Peter struggling. He was struggling in that he didn’t recognize reality while it was happening. Now if I was imprisoned and I had a dream of walking out the gate, I would consider that a pleasant dream. However pleasant was the situation, Peter was still struggling with the reality of the situation. The reality of Peter’s situation would be difficult for most to absorb. First he’s imprisoned for preaching the gospel, and then he’s rescued by an angel. The imprisonment would be hard to take, while the angelic rescue would be hard to accept as real. While studying this passage I was reminded of Psalm 34:7, “The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him, and He delivers them.” We should not be surprised when the Lord delivers us from situations that would hamper our work for the Lord, whether sickness, or finances, or legal problems, or even moral bondage. I suppose Peter’s difficulty was that he actually recognized the angel. “Keep on loving each other as brothers. Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it” (Hebrews 13:1&2).
33.) God’s work in revelation & teaching, I Corinthians 2:9-16; “However, as it is written: ‘No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him’- but God has revealed it to us by His Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man’s spirit within him? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us. This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words. The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. The spiritual man makes judgments about all things, but he himself is not subject to any man’s judgment. ‘For who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct him?’ But we have the mind of Christ.” (Also see Item#15c, above.) Some thoughts I’ve gleaned from this are as follows:
a.) It’s really helpful and mature to realize that God is a real person, and while His Spirit indwells us, he is still a separate entity from us. That is, although we have the promised Holy Spirit, God’s Holy Spirit is still His Spirit. And while we can study and learn about him, and even be led by His Spirit, “No one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God”. Even so, the Scripture states “Come near to God and He will come near to you” (James 4:8).
b.) “No mind has conceived…. But God has revealed it to us by His Spirit.” Whether general Christian knowledge or heavenly knowledge, our Teacher is still the Holy Spirit. (See Point#4 of the “Summary of Important Points” in the Teaching Section) The natural mind cannot extrude Godly knowledge from facts and circumstances without the Holy Spirit’s help. An unbeliever would have a better chance of stumbling upon a gold nugget in some uninhabited mountain region. But, at the proper time, God reveals to believers what we should know regarding His plan and His work. Even simple Christian concepts, such as sin and heaven and hell, are taught much differently by Christians than by non-Christians. Consider how various mythologies treat these concepts. For one thing, there’s no seriousness of mind to the treatment of these concepts by non-Christians. And also, such teachings from non-believers are way off, particularly regarding sin and people’s need for salvation. Some have said that direct revelation from God, apart from the Scripture or someone teaching from the Scripture, is impossible in this age. But this passage says that God reveals His plans of heaven to us by His Spirit. Now, I believe this revelation by the Spirit involves not only that which is directly stated in Scripture, but also His anointing (I John 2:27) and the baptism of the Holy Spirit (Acst 11:16) and the knowledge of His infilling (Ephesians 5:18)- experiential things. I believe this because in heaven we only have the new nature, while the corrupted nature (I Corinthians 15:53) will be left here when the Lord comes for us. We can remember the presence of God’s Spirit during our immersion at salvation, and we can look for His anointing to teach us when we’re in the dark, and we can feel His infilling when we’re drunk with the Spirit. So when we experience these things, we are tasting heaven, even on Earth. Do you doubt this? Then consider that in our new nature God has already “raised us up with Christ and seated us in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:6).
c.) “Comparing spiritual things with spiritual” (KJV). From this I understand and accept that these basic teachings concerning Calvary and The Way are spiritually discerned and consist of words taught by the Holy Spirit. In the Holy Spirit we have someone who is pure Spirit, even though He is linked to creation through His oneness with the Son, and linked through His all encompassing work in maintaining creation and indwelling the Church. The Word, Jesus- Who declares the Father, said, concerning the promised Holy Ghost, “All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will take from what is mine and make it known to you” (John 16:15). Much of God’s plan, which is the battle for souls, is done behind the scenes. There is where the Spirit and the Son are at war with Satan, the World, and the Flesh. Consider this these two Scriptures: “The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God” (II Corinthians 4:4); and “On arriving, he was a great help to those who by grace had believed” (Acts 18:27, we need intercession, grace from God’s throne, even to believe in the first place). From this we can taste some of the spiritual battle going on just to bring a person to that point where he can believe the gospel. Also consider that the gifts that empower individuals within the Church are also gifts of the Holy Spirit. So, there are spiritual battles going on that we can only pray about and hope to understand. And, God never sleeps and is in the battle, fully committed.
d.) “That we may understand what God has freely given us”. We gave our 2 year old granddaughter a gift, and she immediately came up to me and said, “How do I play with this?” We have salvation, and gifts, and work to do. Between those three, much of the work of the Holy Spirit among the Church lies. And God doesn’t just want us to know these things, but to understand these things. I have a teenage friend who drives with me on his permit. I don’t just teach him to drive between the marker lines, but I try to teach him the why’s and wherefore’s of lanes and chuck holes and car mechanics. These are the things which he needs to understand to be a good driver, who isn’t tearing up his car when he gets it. God wants us to be rebuked, corrected, and trained in righteousness, so that we “may be thoroughly equipped for every good work” (II Timothy 3:16). And while the Scripture is “useful” for this, it’s clearly the work of the Spirit through Godly teachers and shepherds. And I challenge anyone who is seriously trying to understand revelation to consider whether there is a difference between revelation that comes through the Scripture and revelation that comes through experiential teaching by the Holy Spirit. You’ll find, as I have, that the line is not easily drawn. Satan can trick you just as easily through Scripture as he can through experiential knowledge. I warrant that the Holy Ghost can and does teach us using both means. The Scripture, though, is a more direct means of teaching regarding many things of God. When considering the value of experiential teaching, wrestle with these verses, “In bringing many sons to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the Author of their salvation perfect through suffering. …Although he was a son, He learned obedience from what He suffered and, once made perfect, He became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey Him” (Hebrews 2:2, and 5:8&9).
34.) Fleshly knowledge vs. Godly knowledge, II Corinthians 5:13-18 “If we are out of our mind, it is for the sake of God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. …So from now on we regard no man from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation…” (II Corinthians 5:16). Some points follow:
a.) The KJV version gives a better rendering. It says, “Wherefore, henceforth we know no man after the flesh: yea though we have known Christ after the flesh…” When Paul refers to that fleshly viewpoint he uses that Greek word “sarka”[4], which literally means the substance of the human body, and usually the fallen nature due to Adam’s sin. (This fallen nature was passed on to us at birth, which is why Christ had to be born of a virgin. That virgin birth aspect is much of what is missing when someone translates “flesh” as “old nature”.) At first reading I took this passage the same as the NIV interpreters, who contrasted Godly knowledge with worldly knowledge. But now, after looking carefully, I conclude Paul is contrasting what he defines as being out of his mind for Christ with a fleshly viewpoint that focuses on his carnal needs (Acts 26:24). There is a difference between worldly and fleshly. Once I worked as a high profile building appraiser in a large city, and the Lord would lead me to give out the gospel in my work. Now, these people were normally very concerned about my appraisals which usually meant big money to them, but God wasn’t going to waste such opportunities to reach people with the gospel. I too was “out of my mind for Christ”. I did not receive much criticism for sharing the gospel, but it eventually meant my removal from that “cushy” job to doing something more mundane- tax incentives (which I’m still doing today in my retirement, and it pays more than appraisals- talk about the Lord’s leading, and His ways above our ways!). If two men are talking, and one is focusing on making a business purchase at the lowest price, while the other man, a Christian, is following the transaction, but looking for a lead in to share the gospel; then there are definitely two different viewpoints and two types of knowledge involved. The Christian’s viewpoint/ focus is on our “ministry of reconciliation”- the gospel. The Christian’s Godly knowledge gives him Godly fear knowing that he is to walk by the Spirit, sharing the gospel, and the Lord will supply all his needs. The non-believer, however, is motivated by who-knows-what, anything from fear of his boss to the god of this age- money. But fleshly knowledge causes us to focus on our and our family’s basic carnal needs- food, clothing, shelter; and we’ll also think in a manner that uses natural logic, rather than looking for and obeying the Spirit’s leading. Worldly knowledge gets more involved with worldly motivators- the lusts of the flesh, the lusts of the eyes, and the pride of life according to I John 2:16.
b.) If we are “out of our mind” for the sake of God, we can expect that such a position is brought on by heavenly knowledge As well as by general Christian knowledge, because from “from now on we regard no man from a worldly point of view”. We’re perceiving “a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” Since we now have the “ministry of reconciliation”, we’re looking for the leading and help from the Lord to do His work in every situation. And our spiritual gifts become a huge part of our Christian maturity, including our reasoning and logic. Truly, we ought to be out of our unregenerate minds for the sake of Christ.
c.) We’re not just saved but servants of the Lord. In Genesis 6:3 the Lord said to Moses, “I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob as God Almighty (El-Shaddai), but by my name the Lord (Jehovah) I did not make myself known to them.” At Sinai God took a closer relationship with Israel, that of a more personal Lord, leading them day by day as His servants. Now, this servant hood aspect of our relationship with God is by no means diminished if we belong to God by being in Christ Jesus, rather than through the Mosaic Covenant. Indeed, the Lord Jesus’ very name is essentially Jehovah Shua, or Yeshua as he’s fondly known among Jewish believers. So our “ministry of reconciliation” really defines the Church’s relationship with God. Salvation of souls through the gospel of Jesus Christ is still the Lord’s primary work in this world. And all true ministry to the Lord must be centered on the gospel. And as we get serious at serving the Lord, our relationship with Him gets even better. He says, “I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead I have called you friends, for everything that I have learned from my Father I have made known to you.” (John 15:15).
37.) We know Him if we obey His commands, I John 2:3-5 ”We know that we have come to know Him if we obey His commands. The man who says, “I know Him, but does not do what He commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But if anyone obeys His Word, God’s love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in Him: Whoever claims to live in Him must walk as Jesus did.” This is beautiful phraseology and there is a lot in this passage, so we must look more closely. Note the following truths which all bring us to knowing Christ:
a.) “If we obey His commands” we have come to know Him. I heard a man on the radio just this week relate these commands to the Ten Commandments. I’ve never felt that the commands that the Lord is giving us are the Ten Commandments, neither the other hundreds of commandments given us in the Law of Moses. Neither do I feel such commands are the rules of Christian life as contained in Scripture, else we are merely going back under the Law. (And if under Law, we’d be under the Old Testament Law plus the New Testament Law, which would be harder to keep than the original Law- which no one could keep (Romans 3:10-12). John 15:9-17 gives us insight into the commands the Lord is referring to. The Lord Jesus primary command to us is to love each other, that is, to love the brothers and sisters in Christ. Now the Lord had given His disciples specific directions, especially the twelve, that is how he could say in John 15:15, “Instead I have called you friends for everything that I have learned from my Father I have made known to you”. So, which commands are we to obey? I’d like to say all, but we’ve already concluded that righteousness under Law is impossible. So, I can only say that we are to obey those commands which God has clearly laid out in front of us, in order that we can accomplish His specific will in our lives. I’m not saying that there are any commands given in the Scripture which we should disobey. However, super-obedience to the Law is not God’s will either, but rather walking by His Spirit (Galatians 5:25). I met a group of junior high girls just yesterday, and gave them some Bible tracts. They were trick-or-treating this Halloween. One of the girls assured me, “I go to church every week on Sunday”. I’d certainly be much more assured of her salvation if she told me she knew Christ as her Savior. The point is that salvation, and all of our relationship with God, depends on grace through faith, not upon super-obedience to the Law. God has a plan for each of us, and He shepherds each of us closely. And He seeks to show Himself strong in each of us and reward each of us greatly (II Chronicles 16:9). So, the Lord shows us what we must do each day, and He opens and closes doors for us as He guides us along. These are the commands which we must obey, else how can we claim to have a personal Lord and Savior, and to walk with and by His Spirit.
b.) A liar claims to know God, but doesn’t do what He commands. The Lord Jesus said, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life” (John 14:6). Serious Christians know that the Lord’s work on earth is centered on salvation of souls through the gospel. So, when a person is not acting in accordance with the furtherance of the gospel, either by his teaching or by ungodly conduct, it is apparent to mature Christians that such a person doesn’t know God or is straying from Him.
c.) “If anyone obeys His Word, God’s love is truly made complete in Him”. This small statement is very deep. We know that God is love (I John 4:8). So, we’ve concluded previously that love must be the motivating factor in the practice of the Spirit’s gifts (See “Love as the basis for Spiritual abilities” in the Contents). The Lord Jesus’ command to us in John 15:12 is “Love each other as I have loved you”. Obedience implies a humble acceptance to the authority of the one issuing the order. Such obedience usually costs us something in terms of time and effort, or status. That is where the love comes in- giving time and effort to others or to the Lord.
d.) “Whoever claims to live in Him must walk as Jesus did.” That seems to be a “tall order”. But it’s there in the Scripture, commanding us to walk as Jesus did. Now Christ is God and He’s also God’s one and only unique Son (John 1:14). So, in those ways, we cannot walk as Christ. But believers have God the Spirit in us and are certainly urged to be full of grace and truth (II Peter 3:18). This command is parallel to Christ’s teaching that “If anyone would come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me” (Matthew 16:24). And I certainly don’t think there is any dispensational connotation in this passage, as if this command was only for the 1st Century Church. Tony Evans, of The Urban Alternative, mentioned in a May 2008 message, that the healing procedure in James 5 requires the touch of the elders’ hands, much as the Lord Jesus healed by laying His hands on people. Evans pointed out that the Church is to be the visible body of Christ, and that whole line of thinking enhances our understanding of the benefits of walking as Jesus did. But this passage doesn’t just say, “It’s beneficial to walk as Jesus did.” It says we “must walk as Jesus did.” So, why must we walk as Jesus did? This passage says by implication that if we live in Him, Christ in us will cause us to walk as He did. As an example, I never dreamed that I or another could lay a hand on someone and they’d be healed. But that is exactly what James 5 says to do. And, I’ve done this and seen healing, and heard many testimonies of the same from others. So, truly, in all facets, we must give up our old nature (II Corinthians 5:17), and walk as Jesus did, not just in practicing our gifts, but also in practicing the Christian virtues emphasized in Scripture. And, eventually “we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as he is” (I John 3:2).
38.) Knowing through His anointing, I John 2:19-21, &27 “They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us. But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth. I do not write to you because you do not know the truth, but because you know it and because no lie comes from the truth. … As for you, the anointing you received from Him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as His anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit- just as it has taught you, remain in Him.” This passage speaks of believers enduring the temptation to stray from the truth, some having separated from the body because of that struggle. Many have speculated what this heretical temptation was all about. Some conclude John was writing against early forms of Gnosticism (See footnote #1.) However, the point we would glean from this is that, when situations get confusing we can count on the Holy Spirit’s anointing to guide us into the truth and help us wade through the falsehood unscathed. And, we should end up even stronger having gone through that experience and even learning to recognize the touch and feel of God’s Holy Spirit. If this world is indeed a spiritual battlefield (and it is), then we will be wading through temptations and decisions every day. John’s advice concerning such situations is to “Test the spirits to see whether they are from God”; and further, we can “recognize the Spirit of God” (I John 4:1&2). (See also Items# 15j and 33b, above.)
39.) Heavenly knowledge and general Christian knowledge in the same passage, I John 3:2, & other passages “Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when He appears, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.” Items# 15 and 16 above list some examples of what I’ve called heavenly knowledge and general Christian knowledge. There are some passages of Scripture, though, that contain items of heavenly knowledge and general Christian knowledge together. The following are some such passages with a brief description:
a.) I John 3:2. The heavenly knowledge is the knowledge of “what we will be”- our new nature and our heavenly body. The rest of the passage is replete with general Christian knowledge- “we are children of God”, “we shall be like Him”, “we shall see Him as He is”.
b.) I John 2:13&14. “I write to you fathers, because you have known Him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one. I write to you dear children, because you have known the Father. I write to you fathers, because you have known Him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the Word of God lives in you, and you have overcome the evil one.” Herein, John is verifying that there is general Christian knowledge and a more mature heavenly knowledge. He is saying that the fathers “have known Him who is from the beginning”, which is a form of heavenly knowledge according to Item#15k & p, above. The young men, however, are practicing their general Christian principles- displaying strength, living the Word, and overcoming temptations. Even “the children”, which I take as those young in the faith, “have known the Father” (John 14:7). (Also see Item#40b, below.)
c.) Matthew 11:27-30. “’All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal Him. Come to me all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light’” The Lord Jesus is explaining the value of hearing and believing the gospel through His preaching, but he’s also implying that there is a higher plain of knowing the Father and even of knowing Him. Else, how can He be announcing that He is the Son, while stating that no one knows the Son. It’s like my old friends on the commuter train. I knew them because I saw and spoke with them daily, but had to conclude I didn’t really know them much at all. But knowing the Father and the Son are two relationships that we can really work at and develop, “for the Father seeketh such to worship Him” (John 4:23, KJV). And how tempting is that promise of a light burden and an easy yoke through knowledge of Him!
d.) I John 5:19&20. “We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one. We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know Him who is true. And we are in Him who is true- even in His Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.” Some general Christian principles are given- “that we are children of God”, “that the whole world is under the control of the evil one”, and “that the Son of God has come and given us understanding”. The instance of heavenly knowledge, though, comes out when John relates that such understanding is given so “that we may know Him who is true”- the Father. (Also see Item#15k above.)
e.) John 7:16&17. “My teaching is not my own. It comes from Him who sent me. If anyone chooses to do God’s will, he will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own.” When the Scripture teaches that we learn something about God by obedience, then we are obtaining heavenly knowledge from that experience, because that knowledge is not coming from general Christian teaching. In John 7:17 we see that we can gain a recognition of Christ’s authority through obedience to God’s will. Well, what about “the School of hard knocks”? I just received a letter from a friend in prison reflecting on how much he learned about the Lord from his prison experience. I recall that I had a life changing experience back in 1984, or so. It stemmed from my decision to humble myself and pray for my enemies. Through that experience I gained a knowledge of God which I’ll probably never get again until I see Him face to face. So, obedience to God’s will brings either general Christian growth or growth in our knowledge of heavenly things, even the Father.
f.) John 8:19. “Then they asked Him, ‘where is your Father?’ ‘You do not know Me or my Father,’ Jesus replied. ‘If you knew Me, you would know my Father also.’” When I was a new believer, a brother once told me, “Get to know the man behind the book.” This verse adds that, once we get to know that man, we’ll know the Father also. “Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent” (John 17:3). From this I glean that general Christian knowledge and heavenly knowledge intersect at the Lord Jesus Christ. (Again, I perceive that the perspective of this Grace Study makes clear some very difficult passages- such as John 8:19 and John 17:3.)
40.) General Christian knowledge progresses into heavenly knowledge, I John 4:2,6,13,&16 “This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God (vs.2&3)…. We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we recognize the Spirit of truth and the spirit of falsehood (vs.6)…. We know that we live in Him and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent His Son to be the Savior of the world (vs.13&14)…. And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in Him (vs.16).” I’ve isolated these four verses out of the total passage which deals with some other topics, one main topic being that “God is love”. This isolating doesn’t mean that I’m taking the verses out of context, but rather focusing on knowledge as it’s described and used in the context of this passage. Some items of note follow:
a.) First we see that the 4th chapter of I John starts out with the urging to “test the spirits to see whether they are from God” (vs.1). And, John spends much of his letter trying to teach us to recognize the Spirit of Truth versus the spirit of Antichrist. (See Prophecy Section Items# 1a1, 1a4, & 1f; also Shepherding Section Item#314.)
b.) Verses 2,3, &6 are very similar in content in that they present acceptance of general Christian teaching as a means of discerning false spirits. Verses 2&3 use the general Christian teaching of Christ’s coming in the flesh as the discerning point. Verse six uses all general Christian teaching as the discerning point- “whoever is not from God does not listen to us”. But we should not merely dwell on the negative. These verses also show that we can recognize the Spirit of God by discerning the same points- “every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God” (vs.2), “Whoever knows God listens to us…This is how we recognize the Spirit of truth” (vs.6). This is why I conclude from this Grace Study item, #40, that general Christian knowledge progresses into heavenly knowledge. This continual need for discernment sharpens our skills at recognizing God’s Spirit working around us (grace). This issue of general knowledge progressing into heavenly knowledge also comes out in Item#39b, above, where we see the children, the young men, and the fathers each have a different perspective in their knowledge of the Lord..
c.) Vs 13&14 are not two separate statements. John is forming an argument for how we can discern and know that God remains in us. (Notice that I’ve not said that his argument is how we can recognize the Spirit of truth- that would be another discussion.). The argument comes to a conclusion in verses 15&16. The following are the items building up John’s case as well as John’s conclusion in verses 15&16: “… and receive from Him anything we ask, because we obey His commands and do what pleases Him. And this is His command: to believe in the name of His Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as He commanded us. Those who obey His commands live in Him, and He in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit He gave us (v.3:23&24). … We know that we live in Him and He in us, because He has given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent His Son to be the Savior of the world (vs.4:13&14). … If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God. And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in Him (vs. 4:15&16).” So John gives the following proof of God’s indwelling: obedience to the Lord’s commands (which must include loving one another), the presence of the Holy Spirit, our acknowledgement of the gospel, and the presence of love in us. However, while this argument is targeted toward recognizing God’s indwelling, I still note that acknowledgement of the gospel and recognizing the presence of the God’s Holy Spirit constitute general Christian knowledge and heavenly knowledge respectively. Further, the recognition of the Holy Spirit spoken of in verse 3:24 was brought about by the answered prayer which was spoken of in verse 3:22&23. And since prayer is a general Christian practice, not requiring heavenly knowledge, verses 3:22-24 also lead to the conclusion of Item#40- that general Christian knowledge progresses into heavenly knowledge.
41.) How does God know us and our hearts? John 1:49 “‘How do you know me’? Nathaniel asked.” The following are some passages that deal with God knowing us; and hopefully we can glean some understanding of God’s Way through these verses:
a.) “Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part, and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child. I thought like a child. I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” (I Corinthians 13:8-13). This verse, of course, points out that we are fully known by God. And, there’s also a promise that when Christ comes we shall have such knowledge, not just seeing in a glass darkly. Items#12b &22 above also discuss this concept.
b.) “Now some teachers of the law were sitting there thinking to themselves, ‘Why does this fellow talk like that? He’s blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?’ Immediately Jesus knew in His spirit that this was what they were thinking in their hearts, and He said to them, ‘Why are you thinking these things?’” (Mark 2:6-8). The Matthew 9:4 account gives, “Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said, ‘Why do you entertain evil thoughts in your hearts?’ …” Are the semantics of Christ’s knowing us through His spirit the same as a word of knowledge? No, because we’ve seen in Item#41a, above, that we’re fully known by God; and I Corinthians 13:9 is referring to a word of knowledge as a partial knowing. (Also see Item#16c.) Rather, Christ can know our thoughts because he is the creator of our bodies, including our brains. God knows how our brains function, since he knows where each atom is in all creation, including its velocity and angle of movement, and many other things which scientists haven’t even conceived yet (Colossians 1:16&17). The Lord Jesus consciously holds all atoms together. So, it only follows that while he consciously holds all matter of the brain together he also knows what is occurring in that created organ- even complicated functions such as a thought. (I believe this is why the Lord Jesus is the only true healer, not doctors. This is also how the Lord was able to answer Daniel’s prayer even before he asked it- Daniel 9:23, “As soon as you began to pray an answer was given”.)
c.) “Then they brought Him a demon possessed man who was blind and mute, and Jesus healed Him, so that he could both walk and see. All the people were astonished and said, ‘Could this be the Son of David?’ But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, ‘It is only by Beelzebub, the prince of demons, that this fellow drives out demons.’ Jesus knew their thoughts, and said to them, Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand. …‘” (Mt 12:22-25). It’s amazing to see the difference in reaction between the normal people and those claiming a clearer understanding (the Pharisees). Truly “knowledge puffs up but love builds up” (I Corinthians 8:1). People claiming religious titles and clerical preferences today fall under the auspices of I Corinthians 8:1. They’re unduly puffed up- by pride and warped teaching. (See Item#42 below.) May it never be so for me or any of my loved ones! Item#b, above, shows that the Lord can follow thoughts through a brain since He is the Creator and sustainer of that organism. But this instance also reminds me that common social skills, as well as God’s Spirit, can also bring us to understand people’s thoughts. I mean that there’s such a difference in the thought patterns of these two groups that it had to be obvious to all. Here is the Lord Jesus fulfilling God’s plan for Him by revealing Himself to an awaiting and open-hearted Israel as their Messiah, while at the same time, the pretending clerics are claiming He’s in league with Satan. However obvious a situation seems, we cannot know others’ thoughts for sure, until they speak to confirm; but the Lord Jesus can. And we should also consider that words and actions don’t always match people’s motives. However, God has given us His Spirit, and His Spirit will try to alert us when something is wrong, whether it is dangerous teaching, or physical danger, or even demonic presence. So we can feel and discern a dangerous situation or wrong teaching through God’s Spirit in us (I John 2:20), or many times just by common sense.
d.) “Moreover demons came out of many people, shouting, ‘You are the Son of God!’ But He rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew he was the Christ.” Luke 4:41. Item#15d, above, discusses the demons’ knowledge of Christ as a form of heavenly knowledge. However, this verse and others like it also connote that Christ immediately recognized the demons in such people. Well, the obvious explanation of how Christ recognized such demons inside of people is that He recognized them through His Spirit. Remember that He has been the second person of the Triune God since eternity past. His presence at the event allowed Him to say, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven” (Luke 10:18). So, the Lord Jesus can see our thoughts and even demons.
e.) “On another Sabbath He went into the synagogue and was teaching, and a man was there whose right hand was shriveled. The Pharisees and the teachers of the Law were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched Him closely to see if He would heal on the Sabbath. But Jesus knew what they were thinking and said to the man with the shriveled hand, ‘Get up and stand in front of everyone’. So he got up and stood there. Then Jesus said to them, ‘I ask you, which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or destroy it?’ He looked around at them all, and then said to the man, ‘Stretch out your hand’. He did so and his hand was completely restored. But they were furious and began to discuss with each other what they might do to Jesus.” Luke 6:6-11. Well it pops out at me that in this passage we see the Lord Jesus controlling the molecules of this man’s hand, and bringing his hand to full restoration. At the same time, since He, unbeknownst to them, also controls the very substance of the brains of the Pharisees and Teachers, He is able to read the thoughts of those Pharisees and Teachers.
f.) “No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money. The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all this and were sneering at Jesus. He said to them, ‘You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of men, but God knows your hearts. What is highly valued among men is detestable in God’s sight.’” (Luke 16:15). In Items#b through e above, the focus has been on how our Creator can know our thoughts, but now we see that the father can know our hearts. Watchman Nee has written convincingly regarding our heart and its relationship with the spirit, soul, and body. He wrote[5], “What we usually call the heart, according to the Bible, is the conscience in man’s spirit plus the mind in his soul. This is the heart. The spirit is the organ for communicating with God, for being intimate with God, for understanding the will of God, and for knowing God. The heart is the administrator of the spirit; it expresses everything that is in the spirit. Everything the spirit has is expressed by the heart. The heart is composed of man’s conscience plus his mind. The whole Bible speaks about the heart in this way. Therefore, the heart is the point of mutual interaction for the spirit and the soul, the contiguous place and the place of intersection. It is like the central exchange of the telephone company where all the lines intersect and all the calls pass through. Any thing that wants to enter the spirit must pass through the heart before it can enter. (I would comment, though, that revelation or other action from God upon our spirit and soul needn’t originate from our heart, but originates from God’s Spirit upon our spirit, and then enters our heart and mind- Romans 5:5. And, this agrees with what Brother Nee is saying later in his treatise[6].) Anything that is expressed from the spirit must also come out through the heart, because the heart is the place of mutual interaction, the point of contact, and the place of mutual reception. The spirit reaches the soul through the heart. The soul, including what it feels from the outside, reaches the heart, and from the heart passes through to the spirit. This is where our personality lies; it is the true self and the real “I”.” Using Brother Nee’s definition of our hearts, then, we should also realize that “God knows your hearts”. He doesn’t just know our thoughts which pass through our brains. He also knows the spiritual transactions passing between our spirits and our minds- both renewed and unregenerate. This is because the Father is a Spirit (John 4:24). We sense a person’s heart by his actions and speech, “For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks” (Matthew 12:34). However, the Father doesn’t need to sense our hearts; He knows our hearts and our thoughts. Some other instances citing God’s ability to know our hearts follow. “Then they prayed, ‘Lord, you know everyone’s heart. Show us which of these two you have chosen to take over this apostolic ministry, which Judas left to go where he belongs.’” (Acts 1:24 & 25). “God, who knows the heart, showed that He accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as He did to us. He made no distinction between us and them, for He purified their hearts by faith. (Acts 15:8).
g.) “Now while He was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many people saw the miraculous signs He was doing and believed in His name. But Jesus would not entrust Himself to them for He knew all men. He did not need man’s testimony about man, for He knew what was in a man,” (John 2:23-25). The statements that, “He knew all men”, and “He knew what was in a man” are not far distant from what’s been said in Items#b & f, above. The Lord Jesus knows our thoughts because He consciously maintains the molecules of our bodies through His own will; indeed, “in Him all things hold together” (Colossians 1:17). And, not only does He know our thoughts, but He knows our hearts as well.
h.) “The third time He said to him, ‘Simon, son of John, Do you love me?’ Peter was hurt because Jesus asked Him the third time, ‘Do you love me?’ He said, ‘Lord you know all things; you know that I love you.’ “(John 21:17). So, it’s very evident herein that the disciples understood that the Lord Jesus knew their thoughts and hearts, even whether they loved Him.
i.) “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And He who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will.” (Romans 8:27) So, a man can be stymied in tongue and even in his mind. But if his heart is right, then the Spirit will intercede for him before God’s throne. This reminds me of that verse in II Chronicles 16:9, “For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the Earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him.” So, the Lord searches men’s hearts, and His Spirit indwells the heart of the believer. And so our Creator doesn’t miss a thing regarding our life and our soul. “For His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me” (famous hymn by Civilla Martin).
j.) “We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers. Anyone who does not love remains in death. … Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue, but with actions and in truth. This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence whenever our hearts condemn us. For God is greater than our hearts, and He knows everything.” I John 3:14&18-20. Peter failed in obedience, faith, and I suppose you could say in love; he denied Christ three times. But the Lord could look beyond the surface of Peter’s heart and see his true faith and His future faithfulness. “If we disown Him, he will also disown us; if we are faithless, he will remain faithful, for he cannot disown Himself.” (II Timothy 2:12&13). We are in the same boat as Peter, even though we are permanently sealed by the Holy Spirit; however, Peter had not yet experienced Pentecost at the time of His denial. Bill Gothard, a well known Bible teacher out of Oak Brook, Illinois, in his seminars entitled “Institute in Basic Life Principles”, identified surface problems and surface causes as well as root problems and root causes. So, from our passage, we see that God sees beyond the surface of our hearts to the root of our hearts. From this passage we also see that love, obedience, and the Spirit go together for believers. If we love, we obey. And when we obey we are practicing love-in-action. And how can we claim to be a believer if we’re not doing these things. (Also see Items#12a&16i, above.)
As was stated, we only know in part, and until Christ comes we cannot fully know. But we can certainly gain more general Christian knowledge and heavenly knowledge, and we can also grow in the knowledge and grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. I believe the brief review herein regarding God and Christ knowing our hearts tells us a lot about how God works around us and in us. This stirs me up to say, “Create in me a pure heart, Oh God!” (Psalms 51:10).
42.) “Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up”. I Corinthians 8:1-3 “Now about food sacrificed to idols: We know that we all possess knowledge. Knowledge puffs up but love builds up. The man who thinks he knows something does not yet know as he ought to know. But the man who loves God is known by God.” Oh, that we might grasp this concept and hold on to it! This is how we can be used by God- through love. Your own personal motives or the motives of your church are not enough to make for successful service in the Lord. Love for the Lord and love for your neighbor, especially the lost, have to be the primary motivators in the Lord’s work. I’m not saying that other things aren’t considered, but such other things ought to be way on the back burner. This need for love can be considered logically. Since “God is love” (I John 4:8), and true ministry consists of God’s Holy Spirit working through you (gifts, Ephesians 4:7&8), then love must be the primary motivating factor in our Lord’s ministry through us; else we end up as a puffed up believer who is merely clanging his gong. This is not to say, however, that if you act in love your acts will be received in love. The fleshly nature of mankind will still cause you to be criticized as an unloving, clanging gong by some, because the flesh wars against the Spirit (Galatians 5:17). Paul’s apostleship was a manifestation of his love for Israel, as well as a gift of the Holy Spirit; yet Paul was brutally resisted and beaten for his display of love.
The reality to a mature Christian is that “the man who loves God is known by God”. It is God who we ultimately serve and He is the one who sees and appreciates that “your labor in the Lord is not in vain” (I Corinthians 15:58). (Also see the Contents Section, Item#G.k- “Love as the basis for Spiritual abilities”.)
43.) Knowing by Scripture or by heavenly knowledge, John 19:28 “Later, knowing that all was now completed, and so that the Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, ‘I am thirsty’. A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on the stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus’ lips. When He had received the drink, Jesus said, ‘It is finished’. With that, He bowed His head and gave up His spirit.” This verse demonstrates the difference between heavenly knowledge and Scripture knowledge, their similarities and their differences. Psalm 69:20&21 says, “I looked for sympathy, but there was none, for comforters, but there was none. They put gall in my food and gave me vinegar for my thirst.” So, the fulfillment of Scripture is Jesus saying “I thirst” along with the Romans’ act of giving Him vinegar wine in fulfillment of the Messianic prophecy of Psalms 69:21. However, there are two phrases listed which predicate the Lord’s “I thirst” statement. The first phrase is “knowing that all was now completed”, while the second phrase is “so that the Scripture would be fulfilled”. The tiny word “and” which joins these two phrases in the NIV translation does not occur in my Greek interlinear, neither in the King James. Personally, I agree that its inclusion in the NIV makes the passage more clear, and here’s why.
The Lord is speaking of a completion. “Knowing that all was now completed”, He said, “It is finished”. In order for the Lord to say “It is finished”, first the Lord had to know all the things that had to be accomplished at Calvary and during His life. This took heavenly knowledge because no normal man could even fathom the sum of what was accomplished at the cross. (However, for me to even touch the surface of His work at the cross would take more effort than this “Grace Study” allows.) So the Lord, by heavenly knowledge, knew that all was completed, except one small item and one big item. The small item was the vinegar wine, while the big item was His giving up the ghost. In considering why the Lord should say, “I thirst”, it’s obvious why He’d say that in order to fulfill Scripture. However, why should He say, “I thirst” in response to knowing “that all was now completed”? When certain large fish realize that they are caught and can’t escape they go into what’s called a “death roll”, and amazingly sometimes escaping with that last effort. In this passage the Lord is not in a death roll, neither trying to escape, but he’s realized that He’s accomplished all that the Father would have Him to do, and that His earthly life is over (for now). The transaction that paid for sin is finished. His perfect life is finished. All the Messianic atonement prophecies were about to be finished. And all that’s left is His statement that “I thirst”, and His giving up the ghost. My point is that the Lord didn’t go to Calvary merely that the Scripture should be fulfilled. Neither did He do what He did merely by following Scripture. He had heavenly knowledge and used it in His life’s work as well as knowledge of the Scripture. Now we can choose to obey Scripture, and that’s excellent, but we are also given heavenly knowledge, and that’s also part of our arsenal of weapons. (Many also teach that the Lord said, “I thirst” because He was thirsting for souls to be drawn to Himself at the completion of His atoning sacrifice- John 12:32; and I wouldn’t dare disagree, nor does this conflict with the above statements.)
II Timothy 3:16 says, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” Now some have said that this passage means that, since the Scripture thoroughly equips us for every good work, then we don’t need anything else, particularly revelation apart from Scripture or apart from the preaching of Scripture. Such people also contend that with the completion of the Bible many of the Spirit abilities have become “abolished”. (See Item#1 of the Prophecy Section.) II Timothy 3:16, then, becomes one of their strongest arguments regarding replacement of Spirit abilities by the Scripture. One of their own preachers, though, long ago said, “I don’t think the Lord would take something away from us like that. It would give the devil too much of an advantage.” (I agree because I know that “God’s gifts and His call are irrevocable”- Romans 11:29.) Any logical consideration of II Timothy 3:16 will show these anti-revelation teachings to be false, because of the following two main flaws:
a.) All such revelation was in practice in the Church at the time of writing of I Corinthians. This is evidenced by the accounts of Agabus and the seven daughters of Phillip the Evangelist, who prophesied (Acts 21:9&10). This is also evidenced by other New Testament accounts such as I Corinthians Chapters 12-14. So, when Paul was writing to Timothy, he couldn’t possibly be meaning that Timothy had no need of other instructions and leadings of the Holy Spirit other than Scripture; because this was not the situation in the Church at the writing of II Timothy. People have now claimed, though, that the giving of Spirit abilities by God (grace gifts and personal revelations) has changed since the completion of the Bible. But the Bible hadn’t been completed by the time of writing II Timothy. Indeed, John’s Revelation at Patmos came thirty years later. So, are people claiming that the contextual message of II Timothy 3:16 is different for us than it was for Timothy, and to those to whom Timothy was instructed to pass the letter- II Timothy 2:2? No!! So, such an argument makes no logical sense, and “doesn’t hold water” when properly thought through.However, let me be clear and emphatic! I’ve personally encountered and witnessed many who are actively teaching and trying to enforce the teaching that many passages of Scripture have actually changed their meaning since the completion of Scripture. It sounds like utter nonsense, but I, and others who believe as I have, had to bear the brunt of these illogical interpretations. (Although, truthfully, those who adhere to, or merely don’t seriously consider, what such are wrongfully teaching, are the ones suffering under such teaching. Seriously, I’ve noted inordinate amounts of sicknesses and other failures among such gatherings. Really, I was glad when the Lord provided for my removal from their midst. I am glad because of my family’s health, and their spiritual progress as well.) And, if you say anything to such people, they’ll immediately try to accuse you of doctrinal error. Such people will zealously sing that the “Bible stands like a rock undaunted midst the raging storms of time”, while at the same time teaching that large passages have changed their meaning since the Bible’s completion. One poor fellow actually told me that the “sermon on the mount” became obsolete with the completion of Scripture. I kid you not!
b.) The second flaw with this anti-revelation interpretation of II Timothy builds on the first. This second flaw asserts that Paul wrote II Timothy 3:16 as a prophecy of future events or situations. Paul clearly wrote it as an encouragement to Timothy, which was passed down to us by the Lord as Scripture. To hold to the anti-revelation interpretation of this passage, you must accept that personal/ direct revelation was in place at the point of II Timothy’s writing and that Paul, then, must have written II Timothy 3:16 as a prophecy of future events- mainly the completion of the Scripture. Such wrongful analysis would require that the full equipping of Timothy by Scripture would be different than the full equipping of us. That is, that Timothy would be fully equipped even though Scripture was not completed yet, and Timothy received revelation from God apart from Scripture. Such an assertion, that II Timothy 3:16 is a prophetic verse, has never been taught and isn’t true.
Like many other false teachings, an anti-revelation interpretation can be, and is, proven false by considering the whole of Scripture, that is, that all of Scripture is God-breathed and must be true. And, if your analysis causes another part of Scripture to be impossible, then your analysis must be rethought and considered false, because “the Scripture cannot be broken” (John 10:35). I learned this, total scripture type of analysis, from a well meaning teacher who was preaching that you could lose your salvation. He said he wrote down all the eternal security verses on one side of a paper, and all the verses seeming to connote that you could lose your salvation on the other side. He then concluded that salvation is too important, and it must be protected by acts of obedience. (I think his faith in the Cross failed at that point of decision.) His analysis was flawed because he didn’t properly apply the concept of the inerrancy of Scripture. It is not that some of the Scripture is true, but rather that all of the Scripture is true (John 10:35). A person believing in eternal security can explain away verses that seem to imply that you can lose your salvation. But no one can explain away those great passages of Scripture that insure salvation, verses like Romans 4:5, Romans 3:21&22, and Ephesians 2:6-10. However, this concept, that the entire Bible must be true, can be applied to any consideration about God. That is why I’m studying God’s grace, and publishing this study on the internet. God has led me to “proclaim the power of God” to His people- the Church. And, since many of the teachings which seem to stop believers from practicing their gifts is due to errors of Biblical interpretation, this Grace Study seems paramount in bringing the truth out and also proclaiming that truth. Please help me to proclaim these truths by referring others to this Grace Study, and using these truths in your teaching opportunities.
Concluding this knowledge portion of this Word of Knowledge Section, we see that in-depth perspectives allow us to glean more knowledge and a better way of considering what we already had known. This increased knowledge of the Master allows us to refine our walk with the Lord, and to keep in step with the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:16). If we love the Lord, we must obey the Lord (John 15:10). But how can we obey the Lord if we turn a deaf ear to His voice. “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them and they follow me.” (John 10:27). My old acquaintance, Bill Maksimuk, heard a word of knowledge while working as a pipe fitter, in a 20 foot deep manhole. The voice said, “Turn sideways!” So, Bill turned sideways. Immediately, the entire manhole blew up from entrapped gas. Bill was blown straight up- 20 feet through the maze of pipe above him, and 20 more feet into the air above the manhole. He landed unharmed. But Bill said if it wasn’t for that voice he heard and his turning sideways, he would have gotten entangled in the piping above him, and he would have died in that manhole. Now, we have a great God, who is not a mute idol. However, we must listen for His voice in order to be protected, follow Him, and to keep in step with His Holy Spirit.
Items numbered 44 through 399 study the “word” aspect of a “word of knowledge”, and the following items were pointed out as noteworthy:
“SPAKE”
46.) The Lord Jesus speaking by parables. Matthew 13:33&34 “He told them still another parable: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into a large amount of flour until it worked all through the dough.’ Jesus spoke all these things to the crowd in parables; He did not say anything to them without using a parable.” The Lord Jesus explained (in Matthew 13:10-15) why He spoke in parables: “The disciples came to Him and asked, ‘Why do you speak to the people in parables?’ He replied, ‘The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. This is why I speak to them in parables: ‘Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand.’ In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah: ‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving. For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.’ “ Of course, space doesn’t allow us to dig into the many parables which the Lord spoke. And we surely love to read and study those beautiful and wondrous parables of the kingdom of heaven. Some of the parables which were noted and reviewed in this Grace Study are located in: Luke 5:36, 6:39, 8:4,12:6, 13:6, 15:3, 18:1&9, 19:11, & 21:29; Matthew 22:1; Mark 3:23, 4:33, & 12:1; John 10:6, & 16:25.
54.) The Lord Jesus speaks, but there’s no understanding. Luke 2:50 “’Why were you searching for me’ He asked. ‘Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?’ But they (Mary and Joseph) did not understand what He was saying to them.” Unfortunately, this is many times the case with all of us. The Lord is speaking to us, but we are not recognizing God’s voice, neither His urges and nudges in our lives. We should pray about that! Once I was driving in Chicago, and I saw some flashing lights. I realized that the Lord wanted me to stop and share the gospel. I walked up to a scene where a car had lost control and crashed into a hot dog stand. There was a group of a dozen men trying to sell the owner the board up service. (They evidently had been following the police radios.) The men were confronting the female owner like dogs yelping over a bone. Well, I stood off toward the curb and boldly gave a brief gospel message warning that such a car crash could have happened to any of them, and asked “were they ready to meet their maker?”. The general reaction was fairly negative, but there was one young man who sincerely thanked me for sharing, and took one of my gospel tracts agreeing to read it. So the Lord’s Word did go out and surely accomplished what He had sent it to do (Isaiah 55:11). The point is that at that time I heard the Lord’s nudge, but there have been many other times that I felt the nudge but couldn’t shake my carnal slumber enough to figure out what the Lord wanted me to do. And, I believe this is and has been so for many Christians.
63.) Scripture in relation to words of wisdom and knowledge, Luke 24:44-49 “He said to them, ‘This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.’ Then He opened up their minds so that they could understand the Scriptures. He told them, ‘This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in His name to all nations, beginning in Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.’ “ I had a young believer tell me, “I don’t think that the Sermon on the Mount is for us today, because it was meant to explain the Law to the Jews in Jesus time”. I hope that he was then corrected by my explanation. Basically, I asserted II Timothy 3:16, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God might be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” Another preacher told me that when he gave someone (such as Rick) a Bible he would write on the front of the Book of John, “The Word of God to Rick, according to John”. I actually studied the concept of whether the Scripture definitely describes itself as the Word of God. And, to really nail it down, you have to go to David in the psalms, such as in Psalms 119:13-16, “With my lips I recall all the laws that come from your mouth. I rejoice in following your statutes as one rejoices in great riches. I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways. I delight in your decrees; I will not neglect your Word.” So we see that believers have always considered Scripture to be the Word of God, as if it had come straight from God’s mouth. Peter agrees with this definition that God-breathed writings constitute the Word, and succinctly adds Paul to the list of Scripture writers, “…Just as our dear brother Paul wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him. He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction.” (II Peter 3:16). So, this is why the written Word, which are the Scriptures (“graphe” in the Greek) is considered the same as the spoken Word (“logos” in the Greek). Item#391f, below, states that prophecy is also directly from the Spirit’s mouth.
But, the Scripture also teaches concerning a Word (“logos”) which is not contained in the Scripture (“graphe”), that being a word of wisdom, word of knowledge, New Testament prophecy, and also God’s revelation to individuals as they read individual passages of Scripture, and also the individual “commands” which the Lord Jesus gives to His “friends”. (Please see Items 37 & 15j in this Word of Knowledge Section regarding His “commands”.) So, God is not a mute idol and is still speaking to us, whether through the Scripture or by individual revelations as needed in our lives. Item #43, above, does a good job of discussing this. Some of the same perspectives can be found in the following items: Items #1& #14, above, and Item#396 below; Items #99, 143b, 157, & 285c,of the Prophecy Section; Vs. 1:9 of the Prophecy per Jeremiah Section; Items #11, 70, 77, 146, 263, &306 of the Teaching Section; Items #2, 7, &43 of the Word of Wisdom Section.
And, we must understand that God does not give His Word randomly; there is a purpose for His Word. In all cases it never comes back void (Isaiah 55:11).
66.) Plain speech by the Lord Jesus Christ is still special, John 7:46 “ ‘No one ever spoke the way this man does,’ the guards declared.” I take joy when I recognize the Holy Spirit speaking to me at various times. But, what must it have been like to hear the Lord Jesus speak while he was on this earth. These guards recognized immediately that He was special. And. how those words of Jesus must have penetrated their hearts! In Mathew 8:8, “The centurion replied, ‘Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed.’ “ There will certainly come a time when we will hear the words of the Lord Jesus in our ears, we’ll stand before Him (II Corinthians 5:10), we’ll see Him face to face (I Corinthians 13:12), and “we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is” (I John 3:2).
67.) The “I am” statements of the Lord Jesus Christ, Various Scripture Passages. The following are the “I am” statements that I encountered during this study, including some at the end of the list which I just now recognized:
a.) John 8:12, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
b.) John 6:35, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.”
c.) John 10:9, “I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved.”
d.) John 10:11, “I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.”
e.) John 11:25, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die.”
f.) John 14:6, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
g.) John 4:26, “‘I know that Messiah’ (called Christ) ‘is coming. When He comes He will explain everything to us.’ Then Jesus declared, ‘I who speak to you am He’.”
h.) John 8:58, “‘I tell you the truth,’ Jesus answered, ‘Before Abraham was born, I am!’“
i.) John 13:13, “’You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so for that is what I am.’
j.) John 13:19, “’But this is to fulfill the Scripture: ‘He who shares my bread has lifted up his heel against me’. I am telling you now before it happens, so that when it does happen, you will believe that I am He.’” Here the Lord is referring to the One about whom the Scripture is written, that suffering servant who is also the Messiah..
k.) John 18:5, “’I am He,’ Jesus said. (And Judas the traitor was standing there with them.) When Jesus said, ‘I am He,’ they drew back and fell to the ground.” I always loved this passage because it shows the awesome power of the Lord Jesus’ being. And so, I conclude that this passage should always be included as one of the “I am” statements of the Lord Jesus Christ, and I’m not alone in that perspective.
l.) Exodus 3:14, “Moses said to God, ‘Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what shall I tell them? God said to Moses, ‘I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are going to say to the Israelites: ‘I am (Jehovah) has sent me to you’” This passage gives the reason why the “I am” statements of the Lord Jesus are so special. (See also Exodus 6:2-6.) Exodus 3:6 also gives great insight into these “I am” statements: “Then He said, ‘I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. At this, Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God.” Moses was not afraid to speak to the burning bush, or even approach with his sandals on his feet. Yet when Moses heard the Lord’s “I am” declaration he was moved in his mind to cover his face. So, it wasn’t the glory which caused him to hide his face, but the power of that “I am” declaration coupled with the realization that he was communicating with the One True God. This is similar to Item k, above, when those soldiers and officials fell to the ground from the Lord Jesus’ declaration that “I am He”. So, these “I am” statements are not just insights into Christ’s character and function, but they are powerful declarations that the Lord Jesus is indeed Jehovah incarnate, the second person of God who has always existed in the past, is now, and forever will be God.
68.) The man from heaven- The Lord Jesus Christ, John 8:23-30 “But He continued, ‘You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am the one I claim to be, you will indeed die in your sins.’ ‘Who are you?’ they asked. ‘Just what I have been claiming all along,’ Jesus replied. ‘I have much to say in judgment of you. But He who sent me is reliable, and what I have heard from Him I tell the world.’ They did not understand that He was telling them about His Father. So Jesus said, ‘When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am the one I claim to be, and that I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me. The one who sent me is with me; He has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases Him.’ Even as He spoke many put their faith in Him.” That verse, “You are from below; I am from above”, had a huge impact on me when I read and analyzed it. The passage is essentially relegating one’s understanding of the cross to the times after Pentecost. But it is also verifying why we are studying God’s grace, since grace is intercession from God’s throne above. My attention and interest to this verse is actually Scriptural, although I didn’t recall the Scripture passage when the verse first impacted me. The Scripture says, “Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on earthly things. For you died and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you will appear with Him in glory.” (Colossians 3:1-4). Ephesians 2:6 says that we are already seated with God “in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus”. In John 3: 31-36 John the Baptist also accentuates Christ as the man from heaven, “The one who comes from above is above all; the one who is from the earth belongs to the earth, and speaks as one from the earth. The one who comes from heaven is above all. He testifies to what He has seen and heard, but no one accepts his testimony. The man who has accepted it has certified that God is truthful. For the one whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God gives the Spirit without limit. The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in his hands. Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him.”
76.) The Word drives the events in God’s kingdom agenda, John 18:8&9 “’I told you that I am He,’ Jesus answered. ‘If you are looking for me, then let these men go.’ This happened so that the words He had spoken would be fulfilled: ‘I have not lost one of those you gave me.’” When I conclude that the Word drives the events in God’s kingdom, I’m fully realizing that God is using his resources to bring about the fulfillment of his Word. God’s word is like a written schedule that project managers and contractors consult to see what must be done. Of course, such project schedules can be riddled with massive errors- not so God’s Word. Here are some other passages that bring home this point:
a.) Genesis 1:1-3 “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. And God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light”.
b.) Psalms 33:4-9 “For the Word of the Lord is right and true; He is faithful in all He does. The Lord loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of his unfailing love. By the Word of the Lord were the heavens made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth. He gathers the waters of the seas into jars; He puts the deep into storehouses. Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the people of the world revere Him. For He spoke, and it came to be, He commanded, and it stood firm.”
c.) Is 55:10&11 “As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: it will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and will achieve the purpose for which I sent it.”
d.) John 19:24-37 “’Let’s not tear it,’ they said one to another. ‘Let’s decide by lot who will get it.’ This happened that the Scripture might be fulfilled which said, ‘They divided my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing.’ … These things happened so that the Scripture would be fulfilled: ‘Not one of his bones will be broken,’ and, as another Scripture says, ‘They will look on the one they have pierced.’” Of course, there are whole charts and lists of all the Scripture that was fulfilled at Calvary. And, Item #43, above, gives another explanation and discussion of how the Word drives the events.
So, God has purpose for his Word, and the Word is a road map, but we should always realize that God’s Word does not stand alone. God stands behind his Word, and the Holy Spirit is still “hovering over the waters” of the various situations, and there are myriads of angels involved in various ongoing situations. However, God’s Word is absolute, and we are blessed by having his Word that we can cling to, and also to plumb its depths to attain knowledge, understanding, insight, and wisdom.
89.) The Lord in a vision, Acts 18:9, “One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision: ‘Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent. For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city (Corinth).’ So Paul stayed for a year and a half, teaching them the Word of God.” There are people who say that they’ve seen the Lord in a vision. The following are some of them mentioned in the Scripture:
a.) Paul at Corinth- Here we see that the Lord spoke and there was some type of visual communication as well. Else, how could the event be called a vision. The purpose of the vision was to instruct Paul to continue to speak in Corinth, which he did.
b.) Paul & the Macedonian vision, Acts 16:6-10, “Paul and his companions traveled throughout the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the Word in the province of Asia. When they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to. So they passed by Mysia and went down to Troas. During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, ‘Come over to Macedonia and help us.’ After Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at once to leave forMacedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.” Some important notes are that Paul and his group could recognize and feel the Holy Spirit and the Spirit of Jesus, as well as interpret the vision to conclude their calling to Macedonia. I’m convinced that such a vision, since it is received as a message from God, also should be included as a Word of knowledgeor Word of wisdom, depending whether knowledge or wisdom was imparted.
c.) Isaiah 6:1-10, “In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on the throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above Him were seraphs, each with six wings: with two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. And they were calling one to another: ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.’ At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke. ‘Woe to me!’ I cried, ‘I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.’ Then one of the seraphs flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. With it he touched my mouth and said, ‘See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.’ Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?’ And I said, ‘Here I am, send me!’ He said, ‘Go and tell this people: ‘Be ever hearing, but never understanding; be ever seeing, but never perceiving.’
d.) Revelation 1;9-19, “I, John, your brother and companion in the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance that are ours in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos because of the Word of God and the testimony of Jesus. On the Lord’s day I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet, which said: ‘Write on a scroll what you see and send it to the seven churches: toEphesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea.’ I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, and among the lampstands was someone like ‘a Son of man,’ dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet, and with a golden sash around his chest. His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. In his right hand he held seven stars, and out of his mouth came a sharp double edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance. When I saw Him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then He placed his right hand on me and said: ‘Do not be afraid. I am the first and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades. Write, therefore, what you have seen, what is now and what will take place later.’” One thing that I’ve noted in this passage is that it doesn’t really describe the event as a vision. However, we can assume that this event is what we would accept as being a vision. For further definition as to what constitutes a vision, please see Prophecy Section Items# 54, 97d, and 218a&b, and Word of Knowledge Section Item#14 & 15n, also above Item#b.
e.) Ananias, Acts 9:10, “In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called to him in a vision, ‘Ananias!’ ‘Yes Lord,’ he answered. The Lord told him, ‘Go to the house of Judas onStrait Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying. In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him to restore his sight.’ ‘Lord,’ Ananias answered, ‘I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your saints in Jerusalem. And he has come with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who come on your name.’ But the Lord said to Ananias, ‘Go! This man is my chosen instrument to carry my name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel. I will show him how much he must suffer in my name.’ Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, Brother Saul, the Lord- Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here- has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.’” So, in Ananias’ vision he was given specific instructions on how to deal with Paul for the furtherance of the Kingdom, as well as convincing Ananias to obey the vision. It’s also mentioned that Paul had a vision that Ananias would come to him. (Also see Item#14 above.)
The Lord foretold in Acts 2:17&18, “In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy.” I see no reason in Scripture why such visions, dreams, and prophecy would not also be for today. (Please see Item#97, 293, &1 in the Prophecy Section.) And as I’ve stated before, since believers are still reporting such dreams and visions, how can anyone deny that they still exist in the Church?
92.) The Lord Jesus summarily speaking, Hebrews 12:25&26 “See to it that you do not refuse Him who speaks. If they did not escape when they refused Him who warned them on earth, how much less will we, if we turn away from Him who warns us from heaven? At that time his voice shook the earth, but now He has promised, ‘Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.’” So this passage references the fact that the Lord Jesus’s words, taken summarily, include a warning. Of course this passage also reinforces the Scripture’s summary statement in Hebrews 1: 1&2, “In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, and through whom He made the universe.” I suppose there are many verses which refer to summary speech by the Lord, such as Psalm 33:6: “By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, their starry host by the breath of His mouth.”
97.) Undeniable promise to the Church of New Testament prophecy, Matthew 10:19&20 “But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.” You might say, “Well, these are instructions for the twelve apostles and not for our age.” But wait, Mark 13:3-11, which describes the signs during the “end times”, says this, “As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John and Andrew asked Him privately, ‘Tell us when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are all about to be fulfilled?’ Jesus said to them: ‘Watch out that no one deceives you. … And the gospel must first be preached to all nations. Whenever you are arrested and brought to trial, do not worry beforehand about what to say. Just say whatever is given you at the time, for it is not you speaking, but the Holy Spirit.” So, we must conclude that such prophecy, with words directly given us by the Holy Spirit, will last until the end of the Church age. These two passages in Matthew and Mark are nuggets of Scripture because they undeniably prove that believers will be speaking for God (prophecy), throughout the Church age, with words given them directly by the Holy Spirit- Words of wisdom and knowledge.
“SPEAK”
101.) Tongues as a sign, Mark 16:17&18 “And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.” There will always be signs that accompany Christians, intercession from God’s throne that show others that we are specially loved by God. (Regarding signs that accompany Christians, see Items#34c&e of the Apostleship Section and Item#77k of the Teaching Section.) We should take the same position as Paul regarding such gifts (see Other Grace Gift Issues- Item Gg in the Table of Contents Section.) Other passages discussing tongues are as follows:
a.) Paul’s position, per Prophecy Item#1: “So Paul’s position is summarized containing three elements mentioned in his conclusion, I Corinthians 14:39 & 40: ‘Be eager to prophesy (or practice any of the greater gifts per I Corinthians 12:30), …do not forbid to speak in tongues (Don’t speak against the Holy Spirit,)…everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way’. A fourth element, love, is found in I Corinthians 13:1-7. This is not just Paul’s position, this is the Lord’s position (II Timothy 3:16), and it should be our position.”
b.) Acts 2:4-11, &17-18, Pentecost: “All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard them speaking in his own language. Utterly amazed, they asked: ‘Are not all these men who are speaking Galileans? Then how is it that each of us hears them in his own native language? Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Egypt near Cyrene; visitors from Rome (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs- we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!’ … ‘In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and your daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy.’” So we see that in this instance of tongues at Pentecost, there was an interpretation in that each heard the speeches in his own language, and the speakers were declaring the wonders of God, and tongues is defined as a form of prophecy (thus Paul’s insistence on interpretation, later). (See Items#97c & 340a in the Prophecy Section for more discussion of tongues as a form of prophecy.)
c.) Acts 10:46, Cornelius’ house “While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came upon all who heard the message. The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles. For they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God. Then Peter said, ‘Can anyone keep these people from being baptized with water? They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have.’” (When I first believed I didn’t speak in tongues but I was certainly praising God, by singing some hymns which I suddenly remembered.) Later, Peter returned to Jerusalem where he explained how the gentiles had gotten saved, and related, “As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit came on them as He had come on us at the beginning. Then I remembered what the Lord had said: ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’”(Acts 11:15&16). This instance is a clear discernment between water baptism and the baptism in the Holy Spirit, and it also gives another perspective on tongues and the pouring out of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.
d.) Speaking from God According to I Corinthians 14 This section of the Grace Study contains a good discussion of Paul’s directives regarding tongues in relation to prophecy.
e.) Mark 16:20, Confirming the Word by signs “Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed His Word by the signs that accompanied it.” This verse proves up the contention that was spelled out in Items#34c&e of the Apostleship Section, Item#9d of the Healings Section, and Item#77k of the Teaching Section, which was mentioned above. The contention was that Christian work was accompanied by signs, and that the Lord Jesus was still the principal worker of these miracles, not the Christian worker. Note that the signs confirmed the Word as it was given out, as opposed to confirming the actions and practices of the believers.
103.) The Lord Jesus speaks to the dead, Luke 7:11-15 “Soon afterward Jesus went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a large crowd went along with Him. As he approached the town gate a dead person was being carried out- the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the town was with her. When the Lord saw her, his heart went out to her and He said, ‘Don’t cry.’ Then He went up and touched the coffin, and those carrying it stood still. He said, ‘Young man, I say to you, get up!’ The dead man sat up and began to talk, and Jesus gave him back to his mother.” We could say much about the Lord’s compassion, but the point that comes to my mind is that the Lord’s Word is able to reach across that great gap of death and command the young man back to life again. These semantics are akin to His promise in II Thessalonians 4:16 & 17, “For the Lord Himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.” Some other instances of the Lord speaking to the dead follow:
a.) Lazarus, John 11:38-44 “Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. ‘Take away the stone’, he said. ‘But Lord’, said Martha, the sister of the dead man, ‘by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days.’ Then Jesus said, ‘Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?’ So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, ‘Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.” When He said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, ‘Lazarus, come out!’ The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, ‘Take off the grave clothes and let him go.’” In Lazarus case he had been in the grave for four days, and still the Lord’s Word was able to reach across that great gap of death. As in the case of the Nain widow’s son, the Lord Jesus was filled with compassion for the mourning family, even though Lazarus’ death was “so that God’s Son may be glorified through it” (John 11:4).
b.) Jairus’ daughter, Mark 5:35-43 “While Jesus was still speaking, some men came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue ruler. ‘Your daughter is dead’, they said. ‘Why bother the teacher anymore?’ Ignoring what they said, Jesus told the synagogue ruler, ‘Don’t be afraid; just believe.’ He did not let anyone follow Him except Peter, James and John the brother of James. When they came to the home of the synagogue ruler, Jesus saw a commotion, with people crying and wailing loudly. He went in and said to them, ‘Why all this commotion and wailing? The child is not dead but asleep.’ But they laughed at Him. After he put them all out, He took the child’s father and mother and the disciples who were with Him, and went in where the child was. He took her by the hand and said to her, ‘Talitha koum!’ (which means, ‘Little girl I say to you, get up!’). Immediately the girl stood up and walked around (she was twelve years old). At this they were completely astonished. He gave strict orders not to let anyone know about this, and told them to give her something to eat.” In all three cases above the dead person immediately got up upon receiving the Lord’s command to arise. So, it’s easy to compare these instances to that time when all the believers, even the dead, will be given “the shout” when the Lord comes in the air and then “we will be with the Lord forever”.
107.) Jesus’ words are Spirit and life, John 6:63 “The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words that I have spoken to you are Spirit and they are life.” This, of course, agrees with Hebrews 4:10 which says, “For the Word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double edged sword, it penetrates even to the dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” So, God’s Word goes to work on an individual and will not come back to God void, “but will accomplish what I desire and will achieve the purpose for which I sent it” (Isaiah 55:11). As I get older I see how truly weak my flesh is, and I truly cherish the times when I see God’s Spirit working in and around me. “’Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord Almighty.” “Zechariah 4:6).Here’s some other Passages which show how God’s Word is alive and is the “sword of the Spirit” (Ephesians 6:17).
a.) The woman at the well, John 4:25-42 “The woman said, ‘I know that Messiah (called Christ) is coming. When He comes, He will explain everything to us.’ Then Jesus declared, ‘I who speak to you am He.’ … Then, leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said to the people, ‘Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Christ?’ They came out of the town and made their way toward them. … Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in Him because of the woman’s testimony, ‘He told me everything I ever did’. So when the Samaritans came to Him, they urged Him to stay with them, and He stayed two days. And because of his words many more became believers. They said to the woman, ‘We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world.’” So, in this encounter it was Christ’s piercing words, not his miracles, which won these people’s hearts.
b.) The temple guards, John 7:46 “’No one ever spoke the way this man does,’ the guards declared. These guards weren’t stupid. They experienced the power in Jesus’ words. I wonder if any of these guards were in the detachment sent to arrest the Lord Jesus at Gethsemane, of whom it was said, “When Jesus said, ‘I am He,’ they drew back and fell to the ground” (John 18:6).
c.) The Father speaks eternal life through the Lord Jesus, John 12:49&50 “For I did not speak of my own accord, but the Father who sent me commanded me what to say and how to say it. I know that his command leads to eternal life. So whatever I say is just what the Father has told me to say.” There is life through Christ’s words, to those who believe in Him, because his words are the very words of God. “I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes in Him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.” (John 5:24). “Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the father is in me? The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work.” (John 14:10).
d.) The Holy Spirit makes known the words of the Father and the Son, John 16:12-15 “I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. But when He, the Spirit of Truth comes, He will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; He will speak only what He hears, and He will tell you what is to come. He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will take from what is mine and make it known to you.” So the Spirit, although a person of God, only speaks as from the Father or the Son- making known what is from the father and the Son because all three are in perfect unity.
108.) Understanding depends upon your attitude, John 7:17 “Not until halfway through the feast did Jesus go up to the temple courts and begin to teach. The Jews were amazed and asked, ‘How did this man get such learning without having studied?’ Jesus answered, ‘My teaching is not my own. It comes from Him who sent me. If anyone chooses to do God’s will, he will find out if my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own. He who speaks on his own, does so to gain honor for himself, but he who works for the honor of the one who sent him is a man of truth; there is nothing false about him.” This passage is an intense and extremely valuable nugget of Scripture. The Lord Jesus is explaining that the total of his teaching, which encompasses his knowledge and understanding, comes from the Father. Well, if we are “being transformed into his likeness with ever increasing glory” (II Corinthians 3:18), do we have this same knowledge and understanding? Not yet we don’t! But we do have his teaching available and can progress in it (including his knowledge and understanding), particularly through the Scripture, with the Holy Spirit as our teacher (II Peter 3:18)). The Lord Jesus also makes it clear that those who don’t believe cannot understand the ways of God- Mark 11:33. This brings up the semantics of how the Lord Jesus operated under, and handled, the teaching of his Father. Was he like us, in that we have some knowledge and understanding, and then have to pray for wisdom (James 1:5) when we’re over our head? My current understanding of Him is that he is the second person of the Godhead from eternity past. And so, He knows all that the Father knows. However, there is at least one thing that the Father knows but not the Son, that is, the day and hour of the Son’s return. (See Item#15b, above.) Also, what of the Lord’s need to pray long hours into the night? The following are some instances, and hopefully we can glean a perception as to why the Lord Jesus was praying:
a) Matthew 14:22-25. “Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of Him to the other side, while He dismissed the crowd. After He had dismissed them, He went up by Himself to a mountainside to pray. When evening came, He was there alone, but the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by waves because the wind was against it. During the fourth watch of the night, Jesus went out to them walking on the lake.” So, the Lord prayed through the night until just before dawn (the fourth was the last watch of the night), alone, and on a mountainside.
b) Gethsemane, Matthew 26:36-46. “Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and He said to them, ‘Sit here while I go over there and pray’. He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with Him, and He began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then He said to them, ‘My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me’ Going a little farther, He fell with his face to the ground and prayed, ‘My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.’ Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. ‘Could you men not keep watch with me for one hour?’ he asked Peter. Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing but the body is week.’ He went away a second time and prayed, ‘My Father, if it is not possible that this cup be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done.’ When He came back, He again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. So He left them and went away once more and prayed the third time, saying the same thing. Then He returned to his disciples and said to them, ‘Are you still sleeping and resting? Look, the hour is near, and the son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise, let us go! Here comes my betrayer.’” Well, if we concentrate our focus on how, what, and why the Lord prayed we can glean some things. First, I note that the Lord put a distance between Himself and the main group of disciples, and then a smaller distance between Himself and Peter, James and John. I conclude that He knew that they wouldn’t understand his prayers, or what was about to unfold. Secondly, I perceive that the Lord was praying intensely to be resolved that Golgotha was truly the Father’s will. First He prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me.” Then He prayed, “My Father, if it is not possible … may your will be done.” By the third time He was fully resolved as to what the Father’s will was. He was “overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death”. But I believe that the reason He fell face down to the ground was because that was sometimes his manner of approaching the Father, and I believe He craved these times of direct fellowship with the father through prayer, as most Christians do also. He also gave some insight to us through his request to “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation”. The Lord Jesus knew the power of prayer and that Satan flees from such power displays, even in that all important battlefield of Gethsemane. We know that there was a battle going on because Luke 22:44&45 says, “An angel from heaven appeared to Him and strengthened Him. And being in anguish, He prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.” So earnest prayer was a weapon the Lord used to combat anguish; and He was seeking to be resolved that this was the Father’s will, even though He had “set his face as a flint to go to Calvary”; and He was craving fellowship with the Father through prayer.
c) Mark 1:35-37. “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where He prayed. Simon and his companions went to look for Him, and when they found Him they exclaimed: ‘Everyone is looking for you!’” So, here we see the Lord Jesus getting up at the third or fourth watch in the morning, and praying in a solitary place until people got up and starting their normal morning routines.
d) Luke 5:15&16. “Yet the news about Him spread all the more, so that crowds of people came to hear Him and to be healed of their sicknesses. But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.” The statement here is that the Lord Jesus sought out solitary places to be absolutely alone when He prayed. “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to the father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you” (Matthew 6:5&6).
e) Luke 6:12. “One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God”. I have to ask the question, “How did Jesus operate without sleep?” I’ve spent a day without sleep, and the next day I was practically incoherent. I conclude that the Lord’s ability to go without sleep was intrinsic to His incorruptible body (Acts 2:27), similar to his ability to fast for forty days (Matthew 4:2).
f) Transfiguration, Luke 9:26-36. “’If anyone is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of man will be ashamed of him when He comes in his glory and in the glory of the father and of the holy angels. I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God.’ About eight days after Jesus had said this, He took Peter, John and James with Him and went up onto a mountain to pray. As he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning. Two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared in glorious splendor, talking with Jesus. They spoke about his departure, which He was about to bring to fulfillment at Jerusalem. Peter and his companions were very sleepy, but when they came fully awake, they saw his glory and the two men standing with Him. … While he was speaking, a cloud appeared and enveloped them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. A voice came from the cloud, saying, ‘This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to Him.’ When the voice had spoken, they found that Jesus was alone.” I suppose I could speculate as to why the Transfiguration occurred. I could assume that He was praying to the Father regarding his departure and it became expedient for Moses and Elijah to appear and consult with Him. And undoubtedly the miraculous transfiguration occurred to fulfill the prophecy in verse 27. Perhaps the Lord felt such a display of his glory was necessary since a fuller explanation of the end wouldn’t be available until the Revelation to John at Patmos. However we analyze the event, though, the fact that the transfiguration occurred “as he was praying” adds a lot to our understanding of the event.
g) Resurrection of Lazarus, John 11:4-43. “When he heard this, Jesus said, ‘;This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for the Lord’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it. … So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, ‘Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.’ When He had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, ‘Lazarus, come out!’” So, herein we pick up two main points, as follows: That the Lord always hears our prayers, and that great miracles can be accomplished through simple prayer requests to the Father. We can also conclude that the whole situation was in the hands of the Father, in conjunction with his Son, from the start. And this experience was for our benefit that we should learn the Son’s power over death- that He is the Resurrection and the Life.
h) The Lord prays for his own, John 17:1-26. “Father, the time has come, glorify your Son that your Son may glorify you. For you granted Him authority over all people that He may give eternal life to all those you have given Him. Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work that you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory which I had with you before the world began. I have revealed you to those whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word. Now they know that everything you have given me comes from you. For I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them. They knew with certainty that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me. I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours. All I have is yours and all you have is mine. And glory has come to me through them. I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name- the name you gave me- so that they may be one as we are one. While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by that name you gave me. None has been lost except the one doomed to destruction so that Scripture would be fulfilled. I am coming to you now, but I am saying these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them. I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world anymore than I am of the world. My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified. My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world. Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.”
1) Did you notice that the Lord Jesus is speaking about Himself in the third person in the beginning of his prayer, “For you granted Him authority over all people that He may give eternal life to all those you have given Him”? This is an instance of a public prayer. The Lord Jesus was speaking with his disciples about the Holy Spirit and his relationship with his Father. And, “After Jesus had said this, He looked toward heaven and prayed: ‘Father the time has come. Glorify your Son that your Son may glorify you. For you granted Him authority over … ‘” (John 17:1&2). The Lord is using this instance to demonstrate and exemplify, to his disciples and also to all who are before God’s throne, exactly who He is and his position before God’s throne; and he’s also showing us why we should be praying only in his name and through Him- as he asks. (John 14:13&14). (Also, see Item#50c in the Teaching Section regarding the altar of incense.)
2) In this public prayer before the Throne, the Lord Jesus is making it plain that he has constructively completed all that the father has asked Him to do, except His pending death, burial, and resurrection. So, He is displaying the New Covenant before the throne, and making it clear. And since the Father always answers His Son’s request, these requests become “a done deal”. Chiefly the requests allow the restoration of His shekinah glory in God’s presence (which is an entirely separate, deep and complicated issue); unity, protection, joy, sanctification by the truth, and eternal life in Christ for those the Father gave to Him; and He prays the same for all who believe through his disciples’ message. Of course, all of these items can be contemplated and studied separately, and are very intense in their richness.
3) In verse 8 we see something that is akin to a word of knowledge or word of wisdom: “For I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them.” So, in Christ’s prayer life he was communicating back and forth with the Father, similar to how the Lord communicated with Moses. However, I note that the Lord Jesus, being full of the Holy Spirit continually, needn’t have received an audible voice from the Father as Moses did.
4) Verse 10 exemplifies our quandary. Since the Lord Jesus says, “All I have is yours, and all you have is mine” and “I and the Father are one” (John 10:30), why does He need to communicate to the Father in prayer? I conclude the answer eventually addresses the triune nature of the Godhead. Since our body, soul, and spirit can be compared to God’s triune nature- the Son, the Father, and the Holy Spirit, we can more easily answer this quandary from that perspective. So, just as our body needs the soul to direct our actions, even so, the Son needs direction from the Father to direct his work. Indeed, the separation of the soul from our body is how the Scripture and many medical doctors define physical death. And, from my study of Scripture, The Spirit is the workhorse- “’Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit’, says the Lord Almighty.” (Zachariah 4:6), also, “A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a branch will bear fruit. The Spirit of the Lord will rest on Him- the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of power, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the lord- and he will delight in the fear of the Lord.” (Isaiah 11:1-3). See also II Corinthians 3:18, I Corinthians 12:11, and Genesis 1:2.
5) Much of the prayer, especially verse 20, constitutes a display of the New Covenant before the throne. Here’s verse 20: “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me.”
6) So, we can summarize these points by saying that Christ prayed to the Father because it was his position as our great high priest, and because of his human character; and both these reasons would require Him to be in constant fellowship with the Father through prayer.
i) (See also Item#39e, above.)
Well, the nugget of Scripture herein is that we can gain understanding, insight, and knowledge “if anyone chooses to do God’s will”. And we can grow as a Christian disciple as we pick up our cross and follow Him.
118.) Bold speaking enabled by the Holy Spirit- Peter and John before the Sanhedrin, Acts 4:5-12 “The next day the rulers, the elders and the teachers of the Law met in Jerusalem. Annas the high priest was there, and so were Caiphas, John, Alexander and the other men of the high priest’s family. They had Peter and John brought before them and began to question them: ‘By what power or by what name did you do this?’ Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: ‘Rulers and elders of the people! If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a cripple and are asked how he was healed, then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. He is ‘the stone you builders rejected, which has become the capstone.’ Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.’’” As a follow up to this incident Peter and John returned to the believers, and they all prayed and were again filled with great power and boldness in their speaking, as was related in Acts 4:29-31, “’Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your Word with great boldness. Stretch out your hand to heal and perform miraculous signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.’ After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the Word of God boldly.” If you’ve been a believer, even for a few days, you’ll probably understand, and even have knowingly experienced, the bold speaking which accompanies the Holy Spirit.
125.) Orderly prophecy, I Corinthians 14:29-33 “Two or three prophets should speak and the others should weigh carefully what is said. And if a revelation comes to someone who is sitting down, the first speaker should stop. For you can all prophesy in turn so that everyone may be instructed and encouraged. The spirits of the prophets are subject to the control of the prophets. For God is not a God of disorder but of peace.” Prophecy is the Spirit ability to speak for God. God’s Spirit is not disorderly, but He is always orderly and appropriate. In this age prophecy is used for the edification and encouragement of the Church. And if you think about it, all the Spirit gifts work toward this end, even healings and evangelism. So, we should expect meetings of believers, if Spirit led, to be orderly gatherings. And if there is disorder, I would conclude that the Spirit is being resisted by individuals’ own carnal urges (Galatians 5:19-21), or even Satanic snares (II Timothy 2:26) of falsehood. (Also, see Prophecy Section Item#320f, and Speaking from God According to I Corinthians 14, vs 26-35.) Let’s use common sense. Why do you think God’s Word should be given out in an orderly fashion- that same Word which commanded the world into being and ushered light out of chaotic darkness?
126.) The Living Water of Godly speech, II Corinthians 2:17 “Unlike so many, we do not peddle the Word of God for profit. On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity, like men sent from God.” There’s a lot packed into this one brief verse. Please note the following points from this small verse:
a.) “Unlike so many, we do not peddle the Word of God for profit…” I’ve never made or took a nickel for any work of the Lord which I’ve done in my life; and I hope that I don’t; unless I become a traveling evangelist or am sent by the Lord to a mission field. Having said that, I also know that the Lord is supporting me financially- 100%, and in abundance for which I’m thankful. This point of working for “filthy lucre” is amply discussed in Item#G.f. in the Contents Section. It’s startling to hear the implication that “so many” were peddling the Word for profit in Paul’s time, only 30 years after the Lord Jesus’ ascension.
b.) “… In Christ we speak before God with sincerity, like men sent from God” This sounds just like I Peter 4:11, which says, “If anyone speaks he should do it as one speaking the very words (oracles) of God”. Consider, if God has sent us to speak, it must be important, and shall we not obey? Other comments regarding speaking “the very oracles of God” can be found in the Prophecy Section, Item nos. 28, 62, & 285c; Shepherding Section, Item#162; and Teaching Section, Item#46b & 53.
c.) This verse also reminds me that we are speaking before a “great cloud of witnesses” (Hebrews 12:1). Mark 8:38 says, “If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of man will be ashamed of him when He comes in his father’s glory with the holy angels”. Also, II Corinthians 12:19 adds to this perspective: “Have you been thinking all along that we have been defending ourselves to you? We have been speaking in the sight of God as those in Christ; and everything we do, dear friends, is for your strengthening.”
The point brought out here is that, if we’re lead by God’s Holy Spirit, then our words minister God’s grace to the hearers; and we should expect results and act accordingly.
“SPEAKEST”
130.) Speaking as a Watchman, Ezekiel 3:17- “Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me.” So, the Word from God’s watchman, Ezekiel, was the same as God’s Word. There are also New Testament watchmen. Hebrews 13:17 says, “Obey your (church) leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you.” Since the church leaders get their authority from God, submitting to them is part of our submission to Christ as Lord. And, Christian elders do have a direct calling from God to watch over those whom God has put under each elders care, “Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, serving as overseers- …” (I Peter 5:1). (Regarding I Peter 5 as teaching for shepherding and oversight, see the following: Item#55a of the Apostleship Section; Item#106 of the Evangelism Section; and in the Shepherding Section, see Item Nos 1, 8e, 10a, 20c&f, 25c, 27c, 37h, 40b, 75, 152, 237, and 314c&d.) And, regarding such watchmen, Acts 20:28 says, of the Ephesian elders, “Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which He bought with his own blood.”
“SPEAKETH”
133.) Speech reveals our heart, Matthew 12:33-37 “Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit. You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him. But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted and by your words you will be condemned.” I took a class in college called “Interpersonal Communication”. The class actually recognized most of what’s being discussed in this passage- in not so many words. The class basically analyzed the flow of communication between people which progressively included the mind, the brain, speech- including all facial and vocal expressions, the ears of the hearer including his facial expressions and body language, the hearer’s brain, and the hearer’s mind. I said “most of what’s being discussed” because the class didn’t differentiate the heart from the mind, which meant that the class’s analysis fell short of what this Scripture teaches. Watchman Nee, in Item#41f, above defines the heart as “the conscience in man’s spirit plus the mind in his soul … heart is the point of mutual interaction for the spirit and the soul, the contiguous place and the place of intersection”. I usually recognize the heart as “the innermost fiber of one’s being”. However, I defer to Brother Nee’s definition in that his description seems more finely attuned to Scripture’s recognition of man’s tripartite character- body, soul, and spirit. So the mind is not the only thing which drives our speech. (James 3:7). There’s a spiritual element to speech, and the Lord requires that there be a Holy Spirit element to it (I Peter 4:11). My experience has shown me that my carnal nature urges me to “stick my foot in my mouth”, and even to wag my tongue like a dog wags its tail- speaking just to be speaking. The Lord wants me to limit my wrongful speech and to expand upon my Spirit driven words- “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen (Ephesiams 4:29). Just as the lord Jesus did, so should our speech always be carefully spoken and received as blessings from God. (Also see Item#68, above.)
137.) Typology speaks, Hebrews 11:4 -12:24 “By faith Abel offered a better sacrifice than Cain did. By faith he was commended as a righteous man, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith he still speaks even though he is dead. … You have come to God, the judge of all men, to the spirits of righteous men made perfect, to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.” The question that would immediately pop to mind when I read this would always be, “What kind of word is being spoken by Christ’s sprinkled blood and by the blood of Abel?” Well II Tim 3:16 says, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” Typology is the study of those parts of God’s Word that contain pictures of God’s plan for us or pictures of his Son. As an example Hebrews 4 explains that the Sabbath was always a picture of resting in Christ. (Also see Evangelism Item#67 and Teaching Item#92 for descriptions of typology.) The point is that Abel’s sacrifice is a picture of Christ’s blood being shed, and so those portion of Scripture relating to Abel’s sacrifice are showing why Abel’s sacrifice from his herd were better than Cain’s sacrifice from the field. And his story, since it is Scripture, still speaks and is still read widely throughout the world. Christ’s sprinkled blood, however, is not a copy of the true, but it is the original upon which many other types base their copies. So, the story and description of Christ’s blood speaks a better word than any picture or type of his blood. So, typology, being Scripture, and also a prophetic part of Scripture, does speak through the comparisons and pictures that it communicates to our minds regarding the things of God. This is verified by Isaiah 55:10, “As the rain and snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.”
142.) The Holy Spirit speaks through the message of the Lord Jesus Christ, even in part; I Corinthians 12:3 “No one can say ‘Jesus is Lord’, except by the Holy Spirit.” This verse encompasses two types of people who are stating that “Jesus is Lord”- those who are believers and those who don’t believe. Either way, it is by the Holy Spirit’s power that such a truth is spoken. It’s easy to see why a believer stating such a fact is speaking by the Spirit’s power. But, how about when a non-believer states that “Jesus is Lord”? Take an alcoholic as an example. The person states that Jesus is Lord, but would rather, for example, not pursue that truth in their life. So, the question would be asked, “How did that alcoholic obtain the truth that Christ is Lord? He could only obtain it through the Spirit’s work in this world. Someone had to have previously known that Jesus is Lord for the truth to have gotten out.. But that fact, that Jesus is Lord, is only part of the gospel. The other part of the gospel is that He dealt with our sins and rose again (Romans 10:9). Sometimes I just walk about giving out Bible tracts. And, when a person says, “No thanks”, I merely say, very nicely and calmly, “Christ died for our sins!” And, actually, while I’ve only given out part of the gospel, I conclude that I have given out the most important part, and that the person was probably better served with a verbal encouragement than by the pamphlet. So, the Holy Spirit does speak through the message of Jesus Christ, even in only part of the message. (Please also see II Corinthians 13:3, Items #68&86 of the Evangelism Section, and Item #27 above.)
152.) “Spoken of the Lord by the prophets”, Matthew 1:22 “All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: ‘The virgin will be with child…’” This verse is typical of many passages in which the Lord is clearly shown to have spoken directly through a prophet. The following are other passages worth noting:
a.) Matthew 2:15, “And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: ‘Out of Egypt I called my Son’.”
b.) Matthew 8:17, “This was spoken to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: ‘He took up our infirmities and carried our diseases.’”
c.) Matthew 13:35, “So was fulfilled what was spoken through the prophet: ‘I will open my mouth in parables, I will utter things hidden… ‘”
d.) Matthew 21:4, “This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet: ‘Say to the daughter of Zion, ‘See, your King comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’ ‘”
e.) Matthew 24:15, “So when you see standing in the holy place the ‘abomination that causes desolation’, spoken of through the prophet Daniel- let the reader understand-… “
f.) Matthew 27:9, “Then what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled: ‘They took the thirty silver coins, the price set on him by the people of Israel, and they used them to buy the potter’s field, as the Lord commanded me.’”
g.) Luke 3:2-4, “… the Word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the desert. He went into all the country around Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. As is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet: ‘A voice of one calling in the desert, prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for Him.’”
h.) Acts 28:25, “The Holy Spirit spoke the truth to your forefathers when he said through Isaiah the prophet:” The Holy Spirit leads the prophets to speak, and actually carries the prophets along in their life and in their speaking (II Peter 1:21, I Samuel 3:19).
i.) Also, Matthew 2:17 & 23, 3:3, 4:14, 12:17, John 12:38, and Hebrews 1:1.
So, the point is that the prophecy from these prophets was indeed the Word of the Lord to the hearers (and to the readers, such as ourselves- II Timothy 3:16). “Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation. For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.”(II Peter 1:20-21). And these are not just the Lord’s prophets, but our prophets as well, since their work in the Lord has been for our own edification- and their words were spoken to us.
154.) The efficacy of the Lord Jesus’ words, Mark 1:41 “’Be clean!’ Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cured.” There are many instances in Scripture where the power of the Lord Jesus’ words jump out at us. Here’s a few more.
a.) “The centurion replied, ‘Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word and my servant will be healed.’… Then Jesus said to the centurion, ‘Go! It will be done just as you believed it would.’ And his servant was healed at that very hour.” (Matthew 8:8-13).
b.) “When evening came, many who were demon possessed were brought to Him, and He drove out the spirits with a word and healed all the sick.” (Matthew 8:16).
c.) “’Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven’, or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? But so that you may know that the son of man has authority on earth to forgive sins…’ Then He said to the paralytic, ‘Get up, take your mat and go home.’ And the man got up and went home.” (Matthew 9:7).
d.) “They were amazed at his teaching, because his message had authority.” (Mark 4:32). See also Matthew 7:28 & 29.
e.) “When he inquired as to the time when his son got better, they said to him, ‘The fever left him yesterday at the seventh hour.’ Then the father realized that this was the exact time at which Jesus had said to him, ‘Your son will live’” (John 4:52&53).
f.) “When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, ‘Lazarus, come out!’ The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face.” (John 11:43&44).
g.) “When Jesus said, ‘I am He,’ they drew back and fell to the ground”. (John 18:6). Also see Item#76, above.
h.) See also: Matthew 9:22, 14:29.
Well, I think these passages speak for themselves regarding the power of the Lord Jesus’ words. By his word the dead were raised. By his word people were healed. And just hearing his word caused some to be knocked to the ground. His words contain authority, power, light, life, and healing.
158a.) Accountable to the Word, John 12:48 “There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; that very word which I spoke will condemn him at the last day.” While the Lord Jesus Christ will be the judge (Acts 10:42), the measuring rod by which He will come to judgment will be his word. So, each person will be judged based upon acceptance or rejection of his word.
158b.) The Lord Jesus speaks the Father’s Word, John 12:49 “For I did not speak of my own accord, but the father who sent me commanded me what to say and how to say it. I know that his command leads to eternal life. So whatever I say is just what the Father has told me to say.”
159.) The Lord Jesus’ words compared to the Holy Spirit, John 14:25 “All this I have spoken while still with you. But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” The Holy Spirit works alongside the Lord Jesus in practically all regards, especially the Word. Even though we read, and others have heard, the words of the Lord Jesus, these words are still the “sword of the Spirit” (Ephesians 6:17). The Lord Jesus also taught, “I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. But when he, the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; He will speak only what He hears, and He will tell you what is yet to come. He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine.” (John 16:12-15). So, we conclude that there is complete harmony between the words of Christ and the work of the Holy Spirit. And, since the Lord Jesus said, “All that belongs to the Father is mine”, the work and words of the Lord Jesus are the same as the Word and teaching and works of the Holy Spirit, and the Father. I note that there are two places, above, in these passages in which a word of wisdom or knowledge are guaranteed to the Church. These passages are, “and will remind you of everything I have said to you”, and also, “he will speak only what He hears, and He will tell you what is yet to come”. Now, how can the Spirit communicate any of these items without speaking to us? Well, some would say, “only through the other gifts- teaching, shepherding, or just Bible reading. But I say that when the Spirit strikes a Word home to our heart and mind, by any means, that communication, where we know it’s from God to us, constitutes a word from God- whether the word contains wisdom or knowledge.
169.) God’s Direct Word to Abraham, Roman’s 4:18 “Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, ‘So shall your offspring be’” (as numerous as the stars in the sky). I suppose a formidable argument could be made regarding direct revelation in the days of the patriarchs such as Abraham, as opposed to God’s Word to us today. And some have taken this argument to the point of error. But, really, if we follow this passage along through verse 24 we see that such revelation is indeed given to us. “Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead- since he was about a hundred tears old- and that Sarah’s womb was also dead. Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what He had promised. This is why “it was credited to him as righteousness”. The words “it was credited to him” were written not for him alone, but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness- for us who believe in Him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead.” The misunderstanding is in the meaning of the term “revelation”. Some have spoken against a term they call “direct revelation”. To this I would ask, “Is there such a thing as indirect revelation?” I mean who is doing the revealing- God, and why or how would he reveal a fact indirectly. I suppose when Balaam’s donkey spoke, that would be indirect revelation, since God used a donkey in His revelation. Such people actually claim that when God speaks to you through a Bible verse, then that is their example of indirect revelation. But, no, I say that when God speaks to you through a Bible verse, then that is direct a revelation just as Abraham received. It takes the same faith in God’s written Word as when you believed first believed the gospel. And the above verse says that this is exactly the same type of faith which Abraham had to practice when he believed God’s Word to him. Now God’s Word to Abraham was to leave his homeland, while His Word to us is to believe in Christ and be saved. Yet, the faith and the result of imputed righteousness is the same. So, when a person says they don’t believe in direct revelation, understand then, that such a person hasn’t thought through what they are so confidently claiming, and that such a person is “murdering the king’s English”. (See Prophecy Item #1.)
180.) The Word’s power in and over creation, Psalms 33:6 “By the Word of the Lord were the heavens made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth. He gathers the waters of the sea into jars; He puts the deep into storehouses. Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the people of the world revere Him. For He spoke, and it came to be; He commanded and it stood firm.” It’s amazing to consider how the Lord is able to affect creation just by his Word, and we can’t really understand it. I suppose it has to do with the way that what we call substance is held together by the conscious will of God (Colossians 1:17, Hebrews 11:3). Here are some other verses which help explain this perspective:
a.) Genesis 1:3, “And God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light.”
b.) Hebrews 11:3, “By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made by what is visible.”
c.) Hebrews 1:3, “The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful Word.”
d.) 2 Peter 3:5&7, “But they deliberately forget that long ago by God’s Word the heavens existed and the earth was formed out of water and by water. By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed. By the same Word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the Day of Judgment and destruction of ungodly men.” Note that the Word’s power is not just in creation, but also over creation in that “the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire” by the Word.
So God’s Word is absolute, especially in creation, since there is nothing in creation that was not consciously formed by his Word and currently held together by his will.
184.) The gospel Word, Matthew 13:19-23 “When anyone hears the message about the kingdom of God and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the seed sown along the path. The one who received the seed that fell on rocky places is the one who hears the Word and at once receives it with joy. But since he has no root, he lasts only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the Word, he quickly falls away. The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the Word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful. But the one who received the seed that fell on good soil is the man who hears the Word and understands it. He produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.” “The message about the kingdom of God” is of course the gospel, the good news of the kingdom. And, located in this passage, there are instructions for sowing that seed. So, while it’s been said that all of God’s Word are arrows pointing to the cross, some passages in Scripture contain or explain the gospel- which tells of how the cross can save you. “Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the Word of Christ” (Romans 10:17). Here are some other verses which help explain the gospel:
a.) John 4:39-42, “Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in Him because of that woman’s testimony, ‘He told me everything I ever did’. So when the Samaritans came to Him, they urged Him to stay with them, and He stayed two days. And because of his words many more became believers. They said to the woman, ‘We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world.’” It’s curious to see in this passage that it was Jesus’ knowledge of people’s personal facts and his words which proved his claim as Messiah, rather than miracles. (See also Item#107a, above.)
b.) Acts 12:24&25, “But the Word of God continued to increase and spread. When Barnabus and Saul had finished their mission, they returned from Jerusalem, taking with them John, also called Mark.” So the Word continued seemingly on its own. But we know that it was not on its own, but rather, the Word is the “sword” of the Spirit (Hebrews 4:12).
c.) James 1:21, “Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the Word planted in you, which can save you.” So, when we’re discussing the Word working in salvation, we’re automatically discussing the gospel. And, I know for a fact that many people were reached and saved using various passages of Scripture which weren’t really speaking of the cross- myself included. However, salvation is received by believing the gospel, “it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes” (Romans 1:16). So, each person must also hear of the saving power of the cross in order to be saved, even though the Lord can assist that salvation through other scriptures not directly speaking of the cross- as was the case with me.
d.) I Peter 1:23, “For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring Word of God.” So, for my religious acquaintances, this verse becomes a killer verse- salvation through the Word, not by baptism or any other act or religious practice. Salvation is by grace through faith in the gospel (Ephesians 2:8&9).
e.) II Corinthians 5:19, “… God was reconciling the world to Himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them. And He has committed to us the message of reconciliation.” And, this message of reconciliation, which has been commissioned to us, is the gospel (Mark 16:15, also see the Great Commission- Item#86 in the Evangelism Section). And, I note that this ministry of reconciliation is the most excellemt work on earth available to man.
f.) I Thessalonians 1:5-8, “… our gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction. You know how we lived among you for your sake. You became imitators of us and of the Lord; in spite of severe suffering, you welcomed the message with the joy given by the Holy Spirit. And so you became a model to all the believers inMacedonia and Achaia. The Lord’s message rang out from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia- your faith in God has become known everywhere.” As the songwriter said, “There is power, power, wonder working power, in the precious blood of the Lamb!”
185.) The Word strikes a man, Matthew 26:74&75 “Then he began to call down curses on himself and he swore to them, ‘I don’t know the man!’ Immediately a rooster crowed. Then Peter remembered the Word Jesus had spoken: ‘Before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.’ And he went outside and wept bitterly.” I suppose most Bible reading believers can recall a time that God’s Word has jumped up from the page and struck them in their hearts. Well God’s specific Word to us ought to affect us intensely. Consider this account, “’Jesus of Nazareth,’ they replied. ‘I am He,’ Jesus said. (And Judas the traitor was standing there with them.) When Jesus said, ‘I am He,’ they drew back and fell to the ground.” (John 18:5&6). I hope the readers can get to the point where they can recognize the Lord’s voice in their life, either the Scripture or Words of knowledge or wisdom. “My sheep listen to my voice. I know them and they follow me.” (John 10:27).
188.) Traditions resist the Word, Matthew 15:1-9 “Then some of the Pharisees and teachers of the Law came from Jerusalem and asked, ‘Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They don’t wash their hands before they eat!’ Jesus replied, ‘And why do you break the commands of God for the sake of your tradition? For God said, ‘Honor your father and mother’ and ‘Any one who curses his father or mother must be put to death.’ But you say that if a man says to his father or mother, ‘Whatever help you might otherwise have received from me is a gift devoted to God,’ he is not to ‘honor his father’ with it. Thus you nullify the Word of God for the sake of your tradition. You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you: ‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.’” I just went through all this when I confronted my family, both saved and unsaved, concerning Easter. Christmas and Easter traditions are ingrained into the American Christian culture. And many people have various thoughts on this subject. Yet practically every Christian I know celebrates these feasts in some way. But listen to what the Scripture clearly teaches concerning such feasts. And, I believe that God’s Word in this Scripture is and has been pretty much nullified by the practice of these feasts. Galatians 4:8-11 warns, “Formerly, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those who by nature are not gods. But now That you know God- or are rather known by God- how is it that you are turning back to those weak and miserable principles? Do you wish to be enslaved by them all over again? You are observing special days and months and seasons and years! I fear for you, and that somehow I have wasted my efforts on you.” A serious Christian already knows that these feasts are weak in their ability to communicate the teachings necessary, and have grossly twisted teachings inherent to them. But we should also consider the misery which these feasts cost- the screaming about blown budgets, the misuse of funds in order to achieve “that perfect holiday”, the funds and supplies not given to the foreign missions. Truly these are weak and miserable principles, and many Christian households are seriously harmed by these traditions- the financial and emotional bondage hangs over some households like a pall. Do people hear the gospel at Christmas and Easter programs? Certainly! Are these feasts worth the additional effort? I think not! I believe we could communicate the gospel more efficiently, and with greater impact, using Scripture based evangelical methods- a simple well placed talk or visit, bathed in much prayer. Do you think that you and yours are not enslaved by these feasts and traditions? Okay, tell your family that you’re cancelling all decorations and special dinners next Christmas; then sit back and watch the flack being shot at you! These are weak and miserable enslavements that are nullifying the Word of God- which teaches us to “keep in step with the Spirit” (Galatians 5:25). As just one example, consider the term “merry Christmas” (and I really object to associating Christ’s name with all this sin). “Merry” is a word which originally meant powerful, as in Robin Hood and his merry men. However, since many people drink excessively and have parties, the meaning of the term “merry Christmas” has gone from bad teaching to debauchery. I believe this is the way God teaches us many things. He pushes the bad teachings into our faces until we gag on it, and finally see its raunchiness and turn from it. The practice of Christmas was supposedly to turn the pagans from their pagan winter solstice feasts, and get them to accept Christian teachings. I say this was bad teaching from day one, and wreaks of the Roman pagan pontificate which evolved into the Papal pontificate of today. A person is won to Christ by the gospel and his knowledge that he is a sinner in need of the Savior. We can have acquaintances with non-believers, but never should act as if they are believers. When we say “merry Christmas”, we are joining with them in a religious feast, similar with what brought about God’s wrath at Baal Peor- per Item# 51a in the Healings Section.
190.) Miracles confirm the Word, Mark 16:20, “Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed His Word by the signs that accompanied it.” (Also see Item#101e, above.) The Lord is still confirming his Word by signs throughout the world wherever the gospel is preached. And the Lord Jesus Christ is still the principal worker of these miracles not the Christian worker. Some other obvious examples are as follows:
a.) Luke 5:3&4, “He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then He sat down and taught the people from the boat. When he had finished speaking, He said to Simon, ‘Put out into the deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.’”
b.) Luke 5:24, “’But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins…’ He said to the paralyzed man, ‘I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.’”
c.) John 4:53&54, “Then the father realized that this was the exact time at which Jesus had said to him, ‘Your son will live.’ So he and all his household believed. This was the second miraculous sign that Jesus performed, having come from Judea to Galilea.”
d.) Acts 14:3,”At Iconium… So Paul and Barnabus spent considerable time there, speaking boldly for the Lord, who confirmed the message of his grace by enabling them to do miraculous signs and wonders.”
191.) Ministers of the Word, Luke 1:2, “Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us, just as they were handed down to us by those who were from the first eyewitnesses and servants of the Word. Therefore, since I myself have investigated everything from the beginning, it seemed good also to me to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.” So, from the first, there were eyewitnesses and servants of the Word. This type of ministry was, and has been throughout the historical Church, a ministry of translating and preserving the Scriptures. There is a similar work being done now through Wycliffe Bible translators- www.wycliffeassociates.org . The work of the this Grace Study, is partially rooted in preserving the Word, since the Grace Study does address the twisting of the Word over the past centuries regarding the grace of God. This preserving of the Word by teaching, and by translating is still very much needed now. Just yesterday, I heard a discussion over a popular Bible College’s radio where a guest speaker was pushing a book which would point the listeners and readers back into the sacramental system of the dark ages of Christendom. And, the moderator acted as if that book and speaker were just fine and even told the listeners how and where to buy the book. There is far too much smoozing of the Word nowadays, and the end result will be a gospel which cannot save the hearer (Galatians 3:7). Jude urged us to contend for the faith in such a manner, “Although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt I had to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints. For certain men whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are godless men, who change the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord. … They are wild waves of the sea, foaming up their shame; wandering stars, for whom blackest darkness has been reserved forever.” This contending for the faith is not entrusted to the saints who occupy stain glassed windows, but rather to us- we simple believers who witness continually for the Lord throughout the world. This contending for the faith is not entrusted to famous speakers and clergymen. On the contrary, such men are the “wandering stars” whom we were warned about by Jude. In Luke’s day, “many have undertaken to draw up an account… servants of the Word”. If the many contend for the faith, then those few “wandering stars” cannot do much damage to our faith. And, let’s not forget the Lord’s rewards for his servants: “Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your Master’s happiness!” (Matthew 25:21). There is also the “ministry of the Word” (Acts 6:2&4), which consists of primarily just getting the Word out. I Timothy 5:17 discusses “those whose work is preaching and teaching”.
201.) Jesus Christ as the very Word of God, John 1:1-5 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through Him all things were made; without Him nothing was made that has been made. In Him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.” “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14). “No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, He hath declared Him” (John 1:18). These statements of the Lord Jesus as being the declaration to us of who God is, and who the father is, seem to be unique to John’s writings. Perhaps it is because he is said to have written somewhat as a defense to the heretical teachings of Gnosticism in his day (See Item#38 above.). I love the words of I John 1:1-3, :”That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched- this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And, our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.” Finally, and most conclusively, “He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God” (Revelation 19:13).
202.) Graphe as opposed to logos, John 2:22 “After He was raised from the dead, his disciples recalled what He had said. Then they believed the Scripture and the words that Jesus had spoken.” II Thessalonians 2:15 is essentially stating that the spoken teachings of Paul and his group and the letters and written teachings of Paul are all trustworthy and Spirit filled- “So then, brothers, stand firm and hold on to the teachings we passed on to you. Whether by word of mouth or by letter.” Peter described Paul’s letters as Scripture (II Peter 3:16). This concept of the spoken versus written teachings of Paul were also addressed by Paul, himself, in II Corinthians 10:10&11: “For some say, ‘His letters are weighty and forceful, but in person he is unimpressive and his speaking amounts to nothing.’ Such people should realize that what we are in our letters when we are absent, we will be in our actions when we are present.” Now why is that? It’s because the Holy Spirit is the same whether experiencing the Spirit through the presence of a believer, or the actions of a believer, or the spoken words of a believer, or the writings of a believer. In the case of known and accepted speakers and apostles, such as the twelve apostles of the Lord Jesus Christ, or Paul and his group of preachers and apostles, the preaching and teaching of such can be readily accepted as the Word of God, because that was their main work (Acts 6:2, 13:46-48, and 14:3). So, when Paul encouraged Timothy in II Timothy 4:2 to “Preach the Word”, Timothy knew exactly what Paul meant. And, it didn’t mean strictly the Scripture since the Scripture wasn’t readily available, nor yet completed. Paul and Timothy and their group knew what the Word of God for the Gentiles and the Church consisted of. It was primarily the gospel, and all other edifying doctrine which we would later find in the New Testament. What about nowadays? Nowadays, we have the written Word, the “graphe”. The doctrines of the Church and of the Old Covenants (Moses, Abraham, David, Noah, and others) are readily available, practically free of charge. But the problems intrinsic to the Church and Christ’s kingdom work haven’t changed much. Idolatry, drunkenness, sexual immorality, violence, unfriendly governments, these are all still items that the Church must contend with daily. So, the teachings of the New Testament are very relevant for today, and are considered to be the “living and active” Word of God just as the spoken Word is living and active (Hebrews 4:12). I once researched the point at which the written Word (“graphe”) started being accepted as the spoken Word (“logos”). The farthest back in history that I could find was by David in Psalms 11914&15, “I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways. I delight in your decrees; I will not neglect your Word.” When Moses wrote down the first five books of the Bible, those scrolls were immediately accepted as God’s spoken Word, which was written down. (Exodus 24:3&4). The Lord Jesus put much value in knowledge of the Scriptures as well. Consider what he did for them, even before Pentecost, “He said to them, ‘This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.’ Then He opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. He told them, ‘This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.’” (Luke 24:44-49). So, both the written Word and the spoken Word are both the Word of God. And we are to listen and remember what the Lord is placing on our hearts and in our minds, “Whether by word of mouth or by letter”. For, after all, let us not forget, that the Word is from God. (Also see Prophecy According to Jeremiah, verse 1:9, and Item#63 above.)
218.) Speak the Word, Acts 4:23-31 “On their release, Peter and John went back to their own people and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said to them. When they heard this, they raised their voices together in prayer to God. … ‘Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your Word with great boldness. Stretch out your hand to heal and perform miraculous sign and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.’ After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the Word of God boldly.” Sometimes we forget to pray that we will be empowered to speak the Word boldly, as if such utterances are not from the Spirit, but rather totally under our control. But the Scripture says differently. Even Paul coveted such prayers: “Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.” Why should we want to speak the Word boldly? Consider the Philippian jailer. “He then brought them out and asked, ‘Sirs, what must I do to be saved?’ They replied, ‘Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved- you and your household.’ Then they spoke the Word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house. At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his family were baptized. The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God- he and his whole family.” (Acts 16:30-34).
222.) The Word increased, Acts 6:7 “The Word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly… “ Also, Acts 12:24 says, “But the Word of God continued to increase and spread.” These are two of several verses that show that the Word was spreading almost on its own. Also see Acts 13:48&49, 19:20, and II Timothy 2:9. I like all these verses, and I really like II Timothy 2:9 which says, “This is my gospel for which I am suffering even to the point of being chained like a criminal. But God’s Word is not chained.” The gospel, still, is not chained, even in countries such as North Korea and Saudi Arabia. And, God’s Word regarding his grace and power to his people the Church is not chained- as evidenced by this Grace Study.
225.) Heard the Word, Acts 10:44 “While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message.” Later, in Acts 11:13-16, Peter explains that this action by the Holy Spirit was the same baptism of the Holy Spirit which the Lord Jesus had promised, and the same baptism which the disciples received at Pentecost. However, the trigger for God’s immersion in the Holy Spirit is hearing the gospel message. But what does it mean to hear the message? Well, obviously it means that a person also believes the message and takes it to heart- “For it is by grace you have been saved through faith” (Ephesians 2:8). Hearing the Word of God is not just at the point of salvation, though. Here are some other related verses which help to explain the concept of “hearing the Word”:
a.) Luke 11:28, “As Jesus was saying these things, a woman in the crowd called out, ‘Blessed is the mother who gave you birth and nursed you.’ He replied, ‘Blessed rather are those who hear the Words of God and obey it’.” Oh, that those who are ensnared by the subtle lies entailed in Mary worship could understand this passage! Many are those who hear the Scripture read aloud continually, but “The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” (II Corinthians 4:4).
b.) John 8:47, “He who belongs to God hears what God says. The reason that you do not hear is that you do not belong to God.” This is not just hearing for salvation, but hearing his Word generally, but especially for the salvation of those non-believers to whom our Lord Jesus was speaking..
c.) John 10:27, “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” In this instance the Lord Jesus is obviously referring to hearing his Word as our shepherd. For a discussion of this famous verse, see Word of Knowledge Items 15i, 27, 42 & 185; also see Items #25e, #37e, & #200 in the Shepherding Section.
d.) John 12:47&48, “As for the person who hears my words but does not keep them, I do not judge him. For I did not come to judge the world but to save it. There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; that very Word which I spoke will condemn him at the last day. For I did not speak of my own accord, but the Father who sent me commanded me what to say and how to say it.” Since this salvation is not just for those in 1st Century Jerusalem (John 17:14-21), but for all those who believe the gospel, this judgment by His Word is extended to all generations.
e.) Acts 4:3&4, “They seized Peter and John, and because it was evening, they put him in jail until the next day. But many who heard the message believed, and the number of men grew to about five thousand.” This, obviously is referring to hearing the gospel message for salvation, as are the following passages: Acts 13:7, 44-48, 15:7, Romans 10:17, Ephesians 1:13, I Thessalonians 2:13,
f.) Acts 5:4&5, “ ’What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied to men but to God.’ When Ananias heard this, he fell down and died.” So, Ananias heard God’s conclusion through Peter and died immediately by the work of the Holy Spirit, as did his wife three hours later. So hearing God’s Word can be very upsetting, imagine hearing God’s Word at the Great White Throne Judgment, where each lost person there will be waiting to be judged.
g.) Acts 22:22, “The crowd listened to Paul until he said this. Then they raised their voices and shouted, ‘Rid the earth of him! He is not fit to live!’” So, sometimes men violently reject and oppose the Word- because the flesh wars against the Spirit of God (Galatians 5:17).
h.) James 1:22-25, “Do not merely listen to the Word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the Word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it- he will be blessed in what he does.” In this passage a man receives knowledge, even understanding and wisdom from the Word but doesn’t have the prudence to actually do what God’s Word tells him to do. So, this passage is very akin to Item#95 of the Teaching Section.
i.) Revelation 1:3, “Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near.” So, if a person reads the Word of God and never takes it to heart, will such be blessed? Yes, because light came into their world, even though they still loved the darkness. Their enemy, Satan- the prince of this world, will have to offer them much more worldly temptations in order to enslave a person in a Christian country as opposed to a non-Christian country. Look at North Korea as opposed to nominally Christian countries. In North Korea there is extreme poverty and famine because the truth has almost been stopped (but praise the Lord there are still many underground preachers and teachers in North Korea). So, how is a person who hears the Word and takes it to heart then blessed? Such a person is blessed by the eternal rewards to be obtained- either salvation or rewards for service.
226.) Receive the Word, Acts 11:1 “The apostles and the brothers throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the Word of God.” Oh, what a glory, as I sit here writing, to consider that people in darkness have received and are receiving that great light! The following are some other texts which can help explain what is meant to “receive the Word”:
a.) Luke 20:20&26, “Keeping a close watch on Him, they sent spies, who pretended to be honest. They hoped to catch Jesus in something he said so that they might hand him over to the power and authority of the governor. … They were unable to trap Him in what He had said there in public. And astonished by his answer, they became silent.” This is, of course, an example of those who refused to receive what the Lord said- at least at that hearing. There are many, many people like this, people whose culture precludes one from accepting the plain simple truth of the gospel. Item#225d, above, tells of those who reject the Word of God- essentially that they will be judged by that very Word.
b.) Acts 2:40&41, “With many other words he warned them; and pleaded with them, ‘Save yourselves from this corrupt generation’. Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.”
c.) Acts 8:14, “When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the Word of God, they sent Peter and John to them.”
d.) Acts 17:11, “Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures everyday to see if what Paul said was true.”
e.) I Thessalonians 1:6, “You became imitators of us and of the Lord; in spite of severe suffering, you welcomed the message with joy given by the Holy Spirit.” The manifestation of the Lord’s Spirit in a person is a convincing sign that the person has truly received the Word.
f.) I Thessalonians 2:13, “And we also thank God continually because, when you received the Word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it actually is, the Word of God, which is at work in you who believe.”
So, to receive the Word of God entails eagerly accepting it as the Word of God, not men, and appropriating it to one’s one self for salvation, and then for Christian growth. “
234.) The word of his grace, Acts 20:32 “Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.” So, God’s grace and the word of his grace can both save you and build you up for rewards in heaven among the saints. In verse 24 Paul said, “However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me- the task of testifying to the gospel of God’s grace.” The gospel of God’s grace and the word of God’s grace are practically the same thing- with “gospel” accentuating the good news aspect of the grace of God. But the message of God’s grace doesn’t just stop with salvation, it includes the abundant life principles (See Abundant life promises- Item#g.a in theTable of Contents Section.), and the grace of God working around and through us enabling us to do great things for God. Consider Acts 14:3, “So Paul and Barnabus spent considerable time there, speaking boldly for the Lord, who confirmed the message of his grace by enabling them to do miraculous signs and wonders.” This concept of “the word of God’s grace” is important to this study because, in the great compendium of things, this Grace Study fits into that category of being another word of God’s grace- another message regarding the grace of God.
235.) The eternal and unfailing Word, Romans 9:6 “It is not as though God’s Word had failed. For not all who are descended from Israel are Israel.” God’s Word cannot fail. We just have to look at it more closely to see what the Lord’s Word means. And, this Word is not just the Scripture, but a Word of wisdom and a Word of knowledge as well. This fact is why we are studying the Word aspect of the Word of knowledge. Here are some more points which help understand God’s Word as eternal and unfailing:
a.) I Peter 1:23-25, “For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring Word of God. For ‘All men are like grass, and their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the Word of the Lord stands forever.’ And this is the Word that was preached to you.”
b.) John 10:35, “If He called them ‘gods,’ to whom the Word of God came- and the Scripture cannot be broken-…”
c.) Matthew 24:35, “Heaven and earth will pass away but my words will never pass away.”
d.) Psalms 119:89, “Forever, O Lord, thy Word is settled in heaven!”
e.) Isaiah 55:10, “As the rain and snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my Word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.”.
241.) The Word of truth, John 17:14-17, “I have given them your Word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world anymore than I am of the world. My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. Sanctify them by the truth; your Word is truth.” God’s Word, being truth, has a burning reality to it which works in stark contrast to the falsehood of this world system and the lies of Satan, who is also known as the “father of lies” (John 8:44) and the “prince of this world” (John 12:31). Other passages which bring out this concept of God’s Word being the burning truth are as follows:
a.) John 8:31&31, “To the Jews who had believed Him, Jesus said, ‘If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.’” This is almost as if the truth works by itself, but we know that the truth is also the sword of God’s Holy Spirit.
b.) Acts 26:25, “’I am not insane, most excellent Festus,’ Paul replied. What I am saying is true and reasonable.” Paul’s message was so fiery and in contrast to worldly wisdom, that it seemed insane. And, really, the truth, any truth, should stand people up and stop them in their tracks. Mackenzie Phillips, an actress and former drug addict, recently publicly shouted out her thanks to the local police for arresting her for two counts of possession years ago. She said that that arrest saved her life and forced her to consider the reality of her drug use. Reality itself, not just the gospel of Christ, will confront a person who is living a delusional lifestyle. Delusional lifestyles are actually the norm rather than the exception, since Satan is the “father of lies”. So, a Christian servant can see into other’s lifestyles and notice the delusions that others are under. Unfortunately Satan, being the “father of lies” has also sown delusions and snares into the lives of believers, as well. I suppose that is why many of us make sure that we start our day out with Bible study and prayer. My day doesn’t just start with a cup of coffee. It also starts with a large dose of Bible truth. Praise the Lord for that!
c.) II Corinthians 6:3-10 “Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses; in beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger; in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love; in truthful speech and in the power of God; with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left; through glory and dishonor, bad report and good report; genuine, yet regarded as imposters; known, yet regarded as unknown; dying, and yet we live on; beaten, and yet not killed; sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything.”
d.) Ephesians 1:13&14, “And you also were included in Christ when you heard the Word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in Him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit.” (See also Item#143 of the Evangelism Section, regarding the Sequence of Salvation.)
e.) Colossians 1:3-8, “We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all the saints- the faith and love that spring from the hope that is stored up for you in heaven and that you have already heard about in the Word of truth, the gospel that has come to you. All over the world this gospel is growing fruit and growing, just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and understood God’s grace in all its truth. You learned it from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on our behalf, and who also told us of your love in the Spirit.”
f.) I Thessalonians 2:13, “And we thank God continually because, when you received the Word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it actually is, the Word of God, which is at work in you who believe.” This passage defines the Word of truth as from God, not men, and as the powerful lively agent of the Holy Spirit at work in believers’ lives (Hebrews 4:12).
g.) II Timothy 2:15, “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the Word of truth”. Here, as in Item#a above, the Word of truth is seen as the “sword of the Spirit”, albeit in the mouth of the Christian workman.
h.) James 1:18, “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. He chose to give us birth through the Word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all He created.” So, one of the Father’s perfect gifts is the free gift of salvation and new birth through the Word of truth- the gospel being an early portion of the Word of truth with which one normally becomes confronted (See Item#d above.).
i.) Revelation 21:5, “He who is seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!’ Then He said, ‘Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.’ He said to me: ‘It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the End. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life. He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son. But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars- their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.’” The Word of God, since it is trustworthy and true, is worthy of note and trust, and sometimes gets written down as Scripture (Also, see Item#1, 8th paragraph, #d.).
There is an expectancy that comes from “the Word of Truth” in the above passages, as if it is expected that such truth will not come back void, but will accomplish the purpose for which the Lord sent it (Isaiah 55:11). “The question is not ‘What is truth?’, but rather ‘Who is truth?’”[7]. It’s important to remember that all Scripture leads to the Lord Jesus Christ, and especially his work on the cross. For it is He that said, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life” (John 14:6).
243.) Direct teaching from God, Galatians 6:6, “Any one who receives instruction in the Word must share all good things with his instructor.” We already know that ultimately the Holy Spirit is our teacher (See Item#11 in the Teaching Section.). But, in this passage we see instruction regarding the Word that God feels should be noted to a person’s, Spirit-filled, earthly teacher. I conclude that this would be for the greater benefit of the Body. This is a type of Word of Knowledge, since the instruction obviously is coming directly from God, albeit through his Word. Intrinsic to this conclusion would be the fashion in which the Lord brings such instruction to an individual. The fact that a disciple would then bring such a Word of Knowledge back to his instructor is an example of iron sharpening iron (Proverbs 27:17).
244.) Washing of water by the Word, Ephesians 5:25-28 “Husbands love your wives, just as Christ loved the Church and gave Himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing of water through the Word, and to present her to Himself as a radiant Church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. In this same way husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies.” It’s important to note that Christ is using the Word to cleanse his Church. (A husband is to love his wife by giving up his body as a servant to the family, not loving her by washing his wife in the Word- which is okay, too, but is not what’s to be inferred in the passage as loving his wife.) There are basic teachings in the Scripture which start us out correctly in our Christian walk, and then we receive specific calls to do certain things, also from God’s Word. Then we study the Scripture to grow in the grace and knowledge of the lord Jesus Christ. All tis is a part of that cleansing process. As we get older we wonder how much of the Word has stayed with us in our hearts and minds? One old brother once said, “Studying Scripture is like passing water over a sieve. Not much water is retained in the sieve, but it sure keeps the sieve clean.” I Timothy 4:5 says, “For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if is received with thanksgiving, because it is consecrated by the Word of God and prayer. So if the Scripture mentions something as being worthy of acceptation with thanksgiving, then that act or substance is set aside/ consecrated as being acceptable merely by being mentioned in God’s undeniable Word. When the Israelites were about to enter into the promised land, after they had wandered in the desert for forty years, Moses gave this counsel to Israel, “Today you are to pass by the region of Moab at Ar. When you come to the Ammonites, do not harass them or provoke them to war, for I will not give you possession of any land belonging to the Ammonites. I have given it as a possession to the descendants of Lot.”(Deuteronomy 2:18&19, Genesis 19:36-38). By the Lord’s Word in Abraham’s day the descendants of Lot were to be protected. So, in Moses’ day the Lord’s Word would still stand. The disciples, prior to Pentecost, were already made clean, not by immersion in the Holy Spirit as a normal Christian is, but by God’s Word through Christ: “You are already clean because of the Word I have spoken to you” (John 15:3, also 13:10.). So, God’s Word does have the power to cleanse us and keep us clean. And his Word is eternally true- “All men are like grass, and their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the Word of the Lord stands forever.”(I Peter 1:24&25).
245.) The sword of the Spirit, Ephesians 6:17 “Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.” Also, Hebrews 4:12 says, “For the Word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” So the Word is an offensive weapon used by the Spirit, which we are to take up in service to the King. John 14:26 &16:15 are passages which show how the Spirit is continually working with us to remember and use this Sword.
246.) The Word of life, Philippians 2:14-16 “Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the Word of life- in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor for nothing.” This is similar to Item#184, above, which discusses the gospel Word, with the Word of life focusing on the life aspect of the gospel. The Lord Jesus explained, “The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are Spirit and they are life.” (John 6:63). And when Peter was asked if he would leave the Lord, he said, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.” (John 6:68). And also I John 1:1&2 says, “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched- this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. The Life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal Life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us.” I believe that the word “Life”, above, and the term “Word of Life”, above, is actually referring to the Lord Jesus, himself- as in John 14:6, and John 1:1. In that usage, the Lord Jesus is viewed as the manifest declaration of who God is, and the eternal life which God offers.
248.) The Word dwell in you richly, Colossians 3:16 “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.” So, having God’s Word dwelling in us richly is a blessing and perceived as a part of our Christian walk and our witness. But what does it mean to have Christ’s Word dwell in us richly? John 15:7&8 bring more light, “If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.” So, the bearing of fruit is a result of the rich indwelling of Christ’s Word in us, and a witness that we are His. Along with the theme of not having the Word dwell only on the surface, James 1:22 says, “Do not merely listen to the Word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.” Also, I John 1:10 says, “If we claim we have not sinned, we make Him out to be a liar and his Word has no place in our lives.” Well, this is saying that his Word should have a penetrating place in our lives, especially when it comes to being separated unto Him. Finally I John 2:14 says, “I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the Word of God lives in you, and you have overcome the evil one.” These encouragements are not saying let the Word live in you, if you’re saved the Word is already living in you. We are encouraged to let the Word dwell in us richly- that we can have an abundant life, do great things of God, and receive rich rewards in eternity. (See The Abundant Life Promise- Item g.a. in the Table of Contents Section.) An acquaintance, a missionary to the Mexican border, said, “After many years of knowing that God wanted us here full time, we surrendered our will for his and got out of the boat, left our ‘comfy’ Christian life and have been walking on water ever since. Jesus said that if we left all for his sake, that we would not regret it, and we have not!”[8] Let the Word of Christ dwell in us richly, as well!
266.) The Word from Sinai, Hebrews 12:18-29 “You have not come to a mountain that can be touched and that is burning with fire; to darkness, gloom and storm; to a trumpet blast or to such a voice that those who heard it begged that no further word be spoken to them, because hey could not bear what was commanded: ‘Even if an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned.’ The sight was so terrifying that Moses said, ‘I am trembling with fear.’ But you have come to Mount Zion, to the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the Living God. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, to the Church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the judge of all men, to the spirits of righteous men made perfect, to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better Word than the blood of Abel. See to it that you do not refuse Him who speaks. If they did not escape who refused Him who warned them on earth, how much less will we, if we turn away from Him who warns us from heaven? At that time his voice shook the earth, but now He has promised, ‘Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.’ The words ‘once more’ indicate the removing of things that can be shaken- that is, created things- so that what cannot be shaken will remain. Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our ‘God is a consuming fire’.” My initial reaction to this passage is always to consider how awesome the Father’s voice must have been at Mt. Sinai. Then I realize that the passage is actually instructing us that the glory and magnitude of the Church, and the Lord Jesus as God, and the Word of the sprinkled blood, is more awesome still. A few months ago, I had a dream that really shook me up. In the vision of the dream, which I still can vividly remember, I was at the inner workings of God’s throne of 40 years ago, and there was much glory like bright fog, and there were many lightning like flashes quickly streaming and their colors were black and red. And the red flashes (which was the blood applied to a particular situation) were reacting to the black flashes (which were sins). And the flashes were occurring fast, faster than the firing of car engine spark plugs. Then I immediately realized, while still dreaming, that at God’s throne God is required to think and react that quickly, and his throne is a place of tremendously fast and powerful action. And then a person at the throne spoke to me, angel or devil, I still can’t discern, and raising his hand pointed to a particular situation in my life at that time and showed me my failure and how much I lost through my failure. And I was aghast and overloaded in my mind, so much that I immediately woke up. I was fully rattled, and am just now settling down in my mind. But I can easily say that I’ll never be the same since that vision of God’s throne. Later, independent of my conclusions regarding my failure, I also realized that the vision of God’s throne was completely in agreement with Scripture, and that my perception of God’s throne as a peaceful and slow moving place is not what Scripture or common logic dictates. Revelation 4:5 says, “From the throne come flashes of lightning, rumblings and peals of thunder. Before the throne seven lamps were blazing. These are the seven spirits of God.” Now look at common logic. There are currently approximately 6.8 billion people alive on earth, according to the US Census Bureau. If one decision or one transaction requiring grace and mercy crosses the throne for each person once a day that would require that 78,703 such transactions are dealt with per second. And, we each require much more than one dealing per day. In fact we need continual monitoring and intercession. Now consider the question of the judgment seat of Christ, before which all saints and sinners must stand. A quick and very rough estimate by me using the US Census Bureau’s historical estimates show that 19.9 billion people have ever lived on earth from Adam until now. So, for each person to stand before the throne in judgment for one hour, it would take 2.3 million years for all people to be judged. Since the Scripture doesn’t directly answer such questions, I can’t fully conclude that the judgment seat will involve some sort of spiritual multiplexing. However, I suspect that must be the case. This is why I conclude that God’s throne is not just powerful but also a place whose activity level is unfathomable. And God’s throne has not changed- not in the last few months, or in 40 years, or since creation, except that there is a man in the glory continually interceding for us- his bride. The Father spoke to the Son in John 12:28, “’Father glorify your name!’ Then a voice came from heaven, ‘I have glorified it, and will glorify it again.’ The crowd that was there and heard it said it had thundered; others said an angel had spoken to Him.” Isaiah had a vision of God’s throne and concluded, “Woe is me. … I am ruined!” (Isaiah 6:5). May we not forget that God’s Word, as it strikes us from God, is indeed the Word of God from his almighty throne of grace!
274.) Obey the Word, I Peter 3;1 “… if any obey not the Word, they also may be without the Word be won by the conversation of the wives”(KJV). This passage relates to non-believing husbands who, of course, aren’t obeying the Word because they don’t believe it. (Also see I Peter 2:8 regarding the recompense to those who disobey/ reject the Word.) The Lord Jesus said, “If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make our home with him. He who does not love me will not obey my teaching.” (John 14:23&24). When we obey the Word in putting our trust in Christ’s finished work of salvation, the Word becomes more intense in its work in us. Consider what’s happening due to the Word according to I Peter 1:22-25, “Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart. For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring Word of God. For, ‘All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the Word of the Lord stands forever.’ And this is the Word that was preached to you.” So, we are commanded to love one another. But, there are other commands which also set us apart as witnesses for Christ. I John 2:3-6 says, “We know that we have come to know Him if we obey his commands. The man who says, ‘I know Him’, but does not do what He commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But if anyone obeys his Word, God’s love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know if we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.” And, Revelation 3:8&10 say, “I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my Word and have not denied my name. … Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole earth to test those who live on the earth.” So we see that obedience to God’s Word in this day and age brings salvation, a deep loving lifestyle, it allows us to walk like Jesus did, and we cannot forget the protection value of obedience to his Word. We, in this Christian community where I live, are still in the midst of a trial due to a grave illness in a believer. And, after writing the above notes, I must say that if the elders of his Church had anointed the believer with oil, as the Word says (James 5:14&15), then much anguish and confusion could have been avoided. So, obeying God’s Word is not just for the non-believer and the neophyte believer, but for us all- myself especially.
276.) The testimony of Jesus, Revelation 1:9 “I, John, your brother and companion in the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance that are ours in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos because of the Word of God and the testimony of Jesus.” When I think of the testimony of Jesus I immediately think of people under persecution so that they might fill the world with the light of the gospel. (See Item#277 regarding such persecution.) Revelation 1:9 certainly agrees with that impression. In fact the testimony of Jesus must contain, not just his death, burial, and resurrection, but also all of who he is and his future reign. Revelation 1:1&2 point that out: “The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, who testifies to everything he saw- that is, the Word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ.” This is the testimony “which God gave him”- John, and so, to us, this revelation of the future reign of Christ and his Bride is very much a part of the testimony of Jesus. And, of course, all prophecy in this age contains the testimony of Jesus, “For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy” (Revelation 19:10).
277.) Persecution because of the Word, Revelation 6:9 “When He opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the Word of God and the testimony they had maintained. They called out in a loud voice, ‘How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?’” We shouldn’t think that persecution of believers is a strange thing. Since the flesh wars against the Spirit of God (Ephesians 5:17), persecution is the world’s way of dealing with our fiery faith. “In fact, everyone who wants to live a Godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (II Timothy 2:3). But as we know, the reward is well worth the persecution. Consider the reward spoken of in Revelation 20:4, “And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony for Jesus and because of the Word of God. They had not worshipped the beast or his image and had not received his mark on their forehead or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years.” I’m so happy to receive the Voice of the Martyrs newsletter, which chronicles the persecution of Christians throughout the world, and sends aid to the persecuted and their families. They can be reached at: www.persecution.com . as I just now looked through my VOM newsletter, I found this statement of their commitment, “We want to serve our persecuted brothers and sisters faithfully until, as Revelation 6:11 says, ‘both the number of their fellow servants and their brethren, who would be killed as they were, is completed’”.
287.) Remembering the actual words of the Lord Jesus Christ, Luke 24:5-8 “In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, ‘Why do you look for the living among the dead! He is not here He is not here; He has risen! Remember how He told you, while He was still with you in Galilea: ‘The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’‘Then they remembered his words.” Peter also had the Lord Jesus’ words brought up to the forefront of his memory. Matthew 26:75 relates, “Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken: ‘Before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.’ Then he went outside and wept bitterly.” Also, Acts 11:15-17 describes Peter at Cornelius’ house, ‘As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit came on them as He had come on us at the beginning. Then I remembered what the Lord had said, ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ We are not in Galilee in the 1st century, however, the Lord is not a mute idol, and He does speak to us. He gives us a word of wisdom or a word of knowledge, whether through Scripture or through some other means, to impress upon us what we need to know or how to act in a critical situation. And I note that once the people involved in the above instances recalled the Lord’s words, all doubt was immediately removed and they could go on to resolve whatever situation they were in. I believe this practicing of the Lord’s specific instructions is what is meant by Matthew 7:24-26, “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house upon the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the Rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.”
288.) Believe the Word, John 5:46&47 “If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote about Me.” This is still the course of salvation today. The Law brings us to the cross, where we trust in Christ’s finished work. Before I was saved, I took a religion class in high school. And, at towards the end of the term I remember I asked, “Sir, what if we go through all this religious instruction but don’t really believe in any of it?” He didn’t take my question seriously, but I think most of that class weren’t believing in that religious system. And possibly, none of them were believing, or even heard, the gospel of salvation. John 8:27 relates: “They did not understand what He was telling them about his Father. So Jesus said, ‘When you have lifted up the Son of man, then you will know that I am the one I claim to be, and that I do nothing on my own but speak just what the father has taught me. The One who sent me is with me; He has not left me on my own, for I always do what pleases Him. Even as He spoke many put their faith in Him.” Faith in God’s gospel Word is definitely the trigger of salvation, “By grace you have been saved, through faith” (Ephesians 2:8). And faith in the Word is also the trigger to Christian action and works as well, per James 1:22, “Do not merely listen to the Word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.”
303.) God’s Word in creation, Genesis 1:3-28 “And God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light. … And God said, ‘Let there be an expanse between the waters to separate water from water.’ So God made the expanse and separated the waters under the expanse from the waters above it. And it was so. … And God said, Let the water under the sky be gathered into one place, and let dry ground appear.’ And it was so. … Then God said, ‘Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land which bear fruit with seed in it, according t their various kinds.’ And it was so. … And God said, ‘Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark seasons and days and years, and let them be lights in the expanse of the sky and to give light on the earth.’ And it was so. … And God said, ‘Let the waters team with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the sky.’ So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living and moving thing with which the water teems, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. … And God said, ‘Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: livestock, creatures that move along the ground, and wild animals, each according to its kind.’ And it was so. … Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground. So God created man in his own image in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. … Then God said, ‘I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. And to all the beasts of the earth and to all the birds of the air and all the creatures that move on the ground- every thing that has the breath of life in it- I give every plant for food.’ And it was so.” Now I like to think that God’s Word was enough to accomplish his creation. Psalm 33:6-9 says, “By the Word of the Lord were the heavens made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth. … For He spoke and it came to be; He commanded, and it stood firm.” It is very assuring to the believer to consider the power of God’s Word in creation, and really, in all aspects including prophecy- which doesn’t show an immediate response to his Word as does his Word in creation. However, it is also beneficial to consider that, while the response to the Lord’s Word in creation was immediate, and given with ultimate authority, God did more than just speak. Creation also required work by the Lord. “By the seventh day God had finished the work He had been doing; so on the seventh day He rested from all his work” (Genesis 2:2). So, how much time did it take for each part of creation? Well, the Scripture says there was evening and morning for each of the days, even though, until the fourth day, there was no sun to mark the days. There’s a lengthy explanation for that, but I’m pointing to a simple conclusion. That is, that once God says something, his Word is so powerful that it’s as good as done whether immediately or over 6000 years. And that is the lesson that we must learn from God’s Word displayed in creation.
304.) The Father’s Word to creation, Genesis 2:18 “The Lord God said, ‘It is not good for man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.’” Here the Lord is making a general declaration to his creation, including the angels, and us in future generations? He speaks the same way in Genesis 6:3, 7&8, “Then the Lord said, ‘My Spirit will not contend with man forever, for he is mortal; his days will be a hundred and twenty years’. … So the Lord said, ‘I will wipe mankind, whom I have created, from the face of the earth- men and animals and creatures that move along the ground, and birds of the air- for I am grieved that I have made them.’ But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.” These declarations are different from other accounts of the Lord speaking. This is even different from Genesis 1:26 where He said, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, …”; in verse 26 he appears to be speaking to the others persons of the Trinity (John 1:3). So God made these major declarations to his creation, to the angels, and to us of future ages.
305.) Twisting the Word, Genesis 3:1-4 “Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, ‘Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden?’ ‘ The woman said to the serpent, ‘We may eat from the trees in the garden, but God did say, ‘You must not eat from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die’.’ ‘You will not surely die’, the serpent said to the woman. ‘For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God knowing good and evil.’” So, we can look at some obvious points in this twisting of God’s Word. First we see that the serpent was not really speaking what was on his mind. He knew what God said, and he was just trying to feel out the woman’s position. Beware of people who aren’t coming out and saying what’s on their mind; such obviously have another motive for speaking to you. And such a person doesn’t have enough respect for you to state their purpose up front. There’s a lot to be said for plain speech. Then we see the woman adding to God’s Word by saying, “and you must not touch it”. This doesn’t seem like much of an addition, but it let the serpent know that she wasn’t precise or diligent in her understanding of God’s Word, and possibly in rebellion to it. If I was learning a new job, and I told the trainer that I wasn’t going to touch one aspect of the job, since it seemed difficult to comprehend. The trainer and others would know that I knew little about that aspect of my work. Well, this is what is being communicated to the serpent when Eve added, “and you must not touch it”. This left the door wide open for her nemesis to merely lie to her- making disobedience to God seem very pleasant, and taking away the barrier by saying, “You will not surely die”. The woman, then, believed these lies of Satan and disobeyed God- who only gave one simple command. Some would say, “How stupid of her!” But, you know, I see people do the exact opposite of what God clearly says in Scripture all the time- from the bowing to statues, to sex outside of marriage, to hatred of prophecies, to refusing to anoint the sick, to mocking authorities, to gossip and slander. And, if you ask such people why they do this, they will have some convoluted excuse as to why they are practicing the exact opposite of what God’s Word says. Here is what the Scripture says concerning those who twist the Word: “If anyone teaches false doctrines and does not agree to the sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ and to Godly teaching, he is conceited and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words that result in envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions and constant friction between men of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the truth and who think that Godliness is a means to financial gain. But Godliness with contentment is great gain.” (I Timothy 6:3-6).
311.) “Verily”, Matthew 8:5-13 “When Jesus had entered Capernaum a centurion came to Him, asking for help. ‘Lord’, he said, ‘my servant lies at home paralyzed and in terrible suffering.’ Jesus said to him, ‘I will go and heal him.’ The centurion replied, ‘Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the Word and my servant will be healed. For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes: and that one, ‘come’, and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.’ When Jesus heard this, He was astonished and said to those following Him, ‘I tell you the truth, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith. I say to you that many will come from the east and the west, and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. But the subjects of the kingdom will be thrown outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ Then Jesus said to the centurion, ‘Go, it will be done just as you believed it would.’ And his servant was healed at that very hour.” This passage is not just about healing, but says much concerning the authority and power of God’s Word through Jesus Christ, and also great faith to be found amongst the Gentiles. But in this study we should look at that English word “verily” in the King James version, which is also “amen” in the Greek, or “I tell you the truth” as cited in the NIV. There are many instances in the New Testament where “verily” is used. And, the word is actually used as a flag to tell us to pay particular attention to what’s being said. In this case the fact that Gentiles can have great faith is particularly worth noting. The following are other “verily” passages which were noted in this Grace Study:
a.) Matthew 18:1-5, “At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?’ He called a little child and had him stand among them. And he said, ‘I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me.” So this is a revelation worthy of the use of the term “verily”- the fact that child like simple faith is needed to believe in the Lord Jesus.
b.) Matthew 19:28-30, “Jesus said to them, ‘I tell you the truth, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first.” So, the Lord Jesus states that his eternal reward system is worthy of an “amen” statement. “Many who are first will be last.” What does that say about the present day clergy system used by many denominations?
c.) Matthew 25:10-13, “’But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut. Later the others also came. ‘Sir! Sir!’ they said. ‘Open the door for us!’ But he replied, ‘I tell you the truth, I don’t know you.’’ Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.” That’s a surprising answer to those five virgins who waited without the Holy Spirit’s oil. (Also see Item#109 in the Evangelism Section.)
d.) Matthew 26:21, “And while they were eating, He said, ‘I tell you truth, one of you will betray me.’” The twelve were content be doing what they knew was right, celebrating the Passover according to the Law. But it was the Lord’s will that that system of Law would be turned upside down and become obsolete through the cross.
e.) Matthew 26:34, “’I tell you the truth,’ Jesus answered, ‘this very night, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.’” Such a startling dismissal of Peter’s pledge of faithfulness was also worthy of a “verily” statement by the Lord.
f.) Mark 9:1, “And He said to them, ‘I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God come with power.’” The prophecy that some of his disciples will see the kingdom come with power is worthy of a “verily” statement. He was not merely talking about his transfiguration; the Lord was bringing out the magnitude of the concept that men could understand the power and glory of his kingdom and personhood.
g.) Luke 4:24, “’I tell you the truth’ He continued, ‘no prophet is accepted in his hometown. I assure you that there were many widows in Israel in Elijah’s time, when the sky was shut for three and a half years and there was a severe famine throughout the land. Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them, but to a widow in Zarephath in the region of Sidon. And there were many in Israel with leprosy in the time of Elisha the prophet, yet not one of them was cleansed- only Naaman the Syrian.’ All the people in the synagogue were furious when they heard this. They got up, drove Him out of town, and took Him to the brow of the hill on which the town was built, in order to throw Him down the cliff. But He walked right through the crowd and went along his way.” The crowd’s reaction verifies the need for the Lord’s use of the term “verily”. And verily this statement is just as true today, that “No prophet is accepted in his hometown.” The flesh still wars against the Spirit of God- Galatians 5:17.
h.) John 6:25-35, “When they found Him on the other side of the lake, they asked Him, ‘Rabbi, when did you get here?’ Jesus answered, ‘I tell you the truth, (“verily, verily” in the KJV) you are looking for me, not because you saw miraculous signs but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. On Him God the Father has placed his seal of approval. Then they asked Him, ‘What must we do to do the work God requires?’ Jesus answered, ‘The work of God is this: to believe in the One he has sent.’ So they asked Him, ‘What miraculous sign then will you give that we may see it and believe you? What will you do? Our forefathers ate the manna in the desert; as it is written: ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’ Jesus said to them, ‘I tell you the truth (“verily, verily” in the KJV), it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my father who gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.’ ‘Sir’, they said, ‘from now on give us this bread.’ Then Jesus declared, ‘I am the Bread of Life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.’” So, Christ’s statement that He is “the Bread of Life” is so noteworthy that it requires two “verily” statements at the beginning, and two “verily” statements at the end.
i.) John 8:53-59, “’Are you greater than our father Abraham? He died, and so did the prophets. Who do you think you are?’ Jesus replied, ‘If I glorify myself, my glory means nothing. My Father, whom you claim as your God, is the one who glorifies me. Though you do not know Him, I know Him. If I said I did not, I would be a liar like you, but I do know Him and keep his Word. Your Father Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day; he saw it and was glad.’ You are not yet fifty years old,’ the Jews said to Him, ‘and you have seen Abraham!’ ‘I tell you the truth(“verily, verily” in the KJV), Jesus answered, ‘before Abraham was born, I am!’ At this, they picked up stones to stone Him, but Jesus hid Himself, slipping away from the temple grounds.” This “I am” statement of the Lord’s was certainly worthy of a “verily, verily” description, and was also enough to knock over the guards in the Garden of Gethsemane (John 18:6). (Also see the “I am” statements of the Lord Jesus in Item# 67, above.)
j.) John 10:1-8, “I tell you the truth (“verily, verily” in the KJV), the man who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. The man who enters by the gate is the shepherd of his sheep. … Jesus used this figure of speech, but they did not understand what He was telling them. Therefore Jesus said again, ‘I tell you the truth (“verily, verily” in the KJV), I am the gate for the sheep. All who ever came before me were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. … I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand is not the shepherd who owns the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.” In this passage the Lord is teaching about the Good Shepherd, who also empowers under-shepherds (I Peter 5:1-4, and Ephesians 4:7-11), as opposed to hirelings. The Lord Jesus saw fit to warn us twice and each warning contained a double emphasis of “verily, verily” or “amen, amen”. So there are four “verily” flags attached to the Lord’s warning against employing hirelings to do the shepherding work that the elders are supposed to do. Regarding these teachings against hirelings, please see Items # 1, 25, 36, 40d, 108, 312, and Summary points 1-7 of the Shepherding Section; also Item#143 of the Teaching Section.
k.) John 21:18&19, “Jesus said, ‘Feed my sheep. I tell you the truth (“verily, verily” in the KJV), when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.’ Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then He said to him, ‘Follow me!’” The reason why the Lord used a double “verily” is obvious- because of the severity and indubitable truthfulness of his statement concerning Peter’s death.
355.) Voice out of the cloud, Matthew 17 :5 “While he was still speaking, a bright cloud enveloped them, and a voice from the cloud said, ‘This is my Son, whom I love; with Him I am well pleased. Listen to Him!’ When the disciples heard this, they fell facedown to the ground, terrified. But Jesus came and touched them. ‘Get up,’ He said. ‘Don’t be afraid.’ When they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus.” As I read this, I’m trying to grasp the experience that the disciples had, which would cause them to fall to the ground terrified. The following are similar instances of the Lord speaking from a cloud:
a.) John 12:27-30, “Now my heart is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour?’ No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. ‘Father, glorify your name!’ Then a voice came from heaven, ‘I have glorified it and will glorify it again.’ The crowd that was there and heard it said that it had thundered; others said an angel had spoken to Him. Jesus said, ‘This voice was for your benefit, not mine. …’ When I read this I’m driven to consider the meaning of that voice’s statement, “I have glorified it and will glorify it again.” The Father is speaking of having glorified his own name in times past. And, the Father is answering the Son’s direct request, “Father, glorify your name.” Since that point in Christian history, when the Father spoke from that cloud, we can see the great accomplishments that our Lord Jesus has done- his atoning death, burial, and resurrection just for starters, and millions of other works that we could not even fathom nor understand. All these works by the Son, who now sits at the Father’s right hand, bring glory to the Father’s name. The Lord was speaking to a crowd during this exchange, but the crowd couldn’t distinguish the Father’s words. And, John’s chronicling of this event proves that someone took in the Father’s words, seemingly John himself, who was known to stay physically close to the Lord Jesus. This was all for our benefit. From this passage we are shown the cross for the glorious victory that it was and is, rather than a brutal mob action. The transaction has been accomplished! Sin has been paid for! “It is finished!” And, all this came through a voice that seemingly wasn’t properly understood. This reminds me of this grace study- that when we are obedient to God and speak the truth, that truth will have an impact because we are then speaking for God (prophecy). And, God’s Word will not return to Him void (Isaiah 55:11).
b.) Hebrews 12:25, “If they did not escape when they refused Him who warned them on earth, how much less will we, if we refuse Him who warns us from heaven?” This passage cites Sinai’s Word, even though delivered from a “dense cloud” on Mt. Sinai (Exodus 19:9), as being from Earth, since a dense cloud at the top of Sinai is earthly in comparison to God’s throne in heaven. Please see Item#266, above, for a discussion of “the Word from Sinai”.
c.) Revelation 10:4-11, “And when the seven thunders spoke, I was about to write; but I heard a voice from heaven say, ‘Seal up what the seven thunders have said and do not write it down.’ Then the angel I had seen standing on the sea and on the land raised his right hand to heaven. And he swore by Him who lives for ever and ever, who created the heavens and all that is in them, the earth and all that is in it, and the sea and all that is in it, and said, ‘There will be no more delay! But in the days when the seventh angel is about to sound his trumpet, the mystery of God will be accomplished, just as He announced to his servants the prophets.’ Then the voice that I heard from heaven spoke to me once more: ‘Go, take the scroll that lies open in the hand of the angel who is standing on the sea and on the land.’ So I went to the angel and asked him to give me the little scroll. He said to me, ‘Take it and eat it. It will turn your stomach sour, but in your mouth it will be as sweet as honey.’ I took the scroll from the angel’s hand and ate it. It tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it, my stomach turned sour. Then I was told, ‘You must prophecy again about many peoples, nations, languages and kings.’” In this passage we see how a voice directly from the Father was needed to clarify even the instructions from angels, as was the case in all the instances above. I conclude that this is also the reason why a Word of knowledge and a Word of wisdom is given occasionally to us, even in the midst of our Bible studies, and sometimes using the very Scripture that we’re studying.
364.) To whom it has been given, Matthew 19:11, “Jesus replied, ‘Not everyone can accept this Word, but only those to whom it has been given. … The one who can accept this should accept it.’” This passage is discussing the merits of celibacy as a way of life. However, it also clearly discloses that sometimes God’s Word is given specifically to some but not specifically for others. This should be obvious because we all don’t have the same callings or gifts (Ephesians 4:7).
365.) Jesus said, Matthew 19:14, et al, “Jesus said, ‘Let the …’” The Lord Jesus’ many sayings were not all captured in the new Testament, for “If everyone of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written” (John 21:25). But of His many New Testament sayings, many were introduced by the small phrase “Jesus said” or merely, “He said”. These two small phrases were used 332 times to introduce the Master’s various sayings. So, I tried to summarize the Lord’s sayings according to what he was saying and why He was saying it. A summary is provided at the “Jesus said” Summary, with categories across the top as to why He spoke, and categories down the side as to what was said. Of course this study doesn’t even skim the surface of the tremendous volume of teaching freely given by the Master.
375.) The Father said, Matthew 22:44, “The Lord said to my Lord: ‘Sit at my right hand until I put your enemies under my feet.’” The fulfillment of this prophecy is wonderfully explained in I Corinthians 15:24-28, which is the furthest forward prophecy which I’ve found in Scripture- “that God may be all in all”. Herein are passages where the Father is speaking, not just as Lord, but as the Father of the Son:
a.) John 1:32-34, “Then John gave this testimony: ‘I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on Him. I would not have known Him, except that the One who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is He who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ I have seen and I testify that this is the Son of God.’” For our purposes this is a nugget of Scripture. It shows us that the Father, not just the Spirit, can whisper in the ear of a prophet to trigger his prophecy. (Also see Item# in the Prophecy Section.) This also shows us how a word of knowledge can be given. You can tell whether such a word is a word of knowledge or a word of wisdom by whether wisdom or knowledge is imparted. Such discernment is easy in this case, since John says, “I would not have known Him,” clearly stating that it is knowledge which was imparted through the Father’s special word to him.
b.) John 12:28, “’Father, glorify your name!’ Then a voice came from heaven, ‘I have glorified it, and will glorify it again.’” Sometimes, we make exclamatory statements in which we seek to bring out the deep emotions that are pent up within us. This seems to be the case here with the Lord Jesus. However, we and others would have a tendency to dismiss our exclamatory statements as being merely the venting of our emotions. Such is not the case with the Lord Jesus. His words had deep meaning and life, hence the immediate response from the Father, who was always in fellowship with the Son- except when the Son became sin for us at the cross (II Corinthians 5:21). The immediate response from the father shows me that Christ’s work was serious and under careful scrutiny and involvement from the Father and his heavenly hosts.
c.) Hebrews 5:4-10, “No one takes this honor upon himself; he must be called by God, just as Aaron was. So Christ did not take upon Himself the glory of becoming a high priest. But God said to Him, ‘You are my Son; today I have become your Father.’ And he says in another place, ‘You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.’ During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, He offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the One who could save Him from death, and He was heard because of his reverent submission. Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from what he suffered and, once made perfect, He became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey Him and was designated by God to be high priest after the order of Mechizedek.” It’s hard to pin down the time when the Father said to the second person of the Trinity, “You are my Son, today I have become your Father.” Many conclude the Father must have said this before creation since Ephesians 1:4 says, “For he chose us in Him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight”. So, God’s plan of salvation was in place before creation.
d.) Matthew 17:5, “While he was still speaking, a bright cloud enveloped them, and a voice from the cloud said, ‘This is my Son, whom I love; with Him I am well pleased. Listen to Him!’ When the disciples heard this, they fell face down to the ground, terrified. But Jesus came and touched them. ‘Get up,’ He said. ‘Don’t be afraid.’ When they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus.” (Also see Item#355 above.) This is the first glimpse that we have of the Lord Jesus in his glory: “there He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as the light. Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah talking with Jesus.” Symbolically, and functionally for our Lord, much is going on at this transfiguration. The Lord Jesus is seen more glorious than Moses and Elijah, and yet in fellowship with them in the glory and talking things over. This is what we would nowadays call Christian fellowship; the glory, of course, speaks of future fellowship and our current high standing in Christ.
I hope that it is evident that, each time the Father spoke, it was a special event in which critical words were spoken. Of course the whole Bible is worthy of intense study, but more so these direct words from the Father.
380.) Angel Sayings, Matthew 28:1-8, “After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men. The angel said to the women, ‘Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus Christ, who was crucified. He is not here; He has risen, just as He said. Come and see the place where He lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilea. There you will see Him.’ Now I have told you’. So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples.” It’s been said that there were angels everywhere when Christ was born, and at his death, burial and resurrection. This does not mean that there are any less angels at work now, only that there was an intense focus of God’s attention at the Lord’s birth, and death, burial and resurrection. A good book to see what the Bible has to say about angels is Billy Graham’s Angels, Revised, published by Thomas Nelson 1996. From the above passage we can see that angels have the following traits: they are fearsome to behold and powerful, they are God’s messengers, they are God’s and our ministers- doing exactly what the Lord instructs them. The following are some additional statements by angels which came up in this Grace Study:
a.) Luke 1:11-20, “Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear. But the angel said to him: ‘Do not be afraid Zechariah: your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to give him the name John. He will be a joy and a delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from birth. Many of the people of Israel will he bring back to the Lord their God. And he will go on before the Lord, in the Spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous- to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.’ Zechariah asked the angel, ‘How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years.’ The angel answered, ‘I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news. And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their proper time.’” So herein we see the ministry of John the Baptist laid out in prophecy by God’s messenger, Gabriel. John would prepare Israel to receive their Messiah- many would repent. And John preached of Him, the latches of whose shoes he was not worthy to unloose. The angel also helps us to understand prophecy- that it will come true at its proper time. And, the messages from angels also connotes an assurance that God and the heavenly hosts are carefully working unseen in the background. This assurance allows us to be bold in our faith. Also see Item#28g, above.
b.) Luke 1:26-38, “In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, ‘Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.’ Mary was highly troubled at his words and wondered what type of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give Him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give Him the throne of his father David, and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end.’ ‘How will this be,’ Mary asked the angel, ‘since I am a virgin?’ The angel answered, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the most high will overshadow you. So the Holy One to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. For nothing is impossible with God’ ‘I am the Lord’s servant,’ Mary answered. ‘May it be to me as you have said.’ Then the angel left her.” Again, we see critical information, which would be hard to otherwise communicate, being given through an angel. I also note that the presence of the angel immediately brought shock and fear.
c.) Luke 2:7-14, “…and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped Him in cloths and placed Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone round them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a savior has been born to you; He is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.’ Suddenly a great company of heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.’” Herein fear was again displayed by the recipients of the message, and critical information (of great joy) was again timely dispensed.
d.) Acts 1:9-11, “After he said this, He was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid Him from their sight. They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when two men dressed in white stood beside them. ‘Men of Galilee,’ they said, ‘why do you stand here looking up into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen Him go into heaven.’” Again, a critical point in the development of Christ’s Church is being attended to by angels with succinct, necessary and wise advice.
e.) Acts 5:17-42, “Then the high priest and all his associates, who were members of the party of the Sadducees, were filled with jealousy. They arrested the apostles and put them in the public jail. But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the doors of the jail and brought them out. ‘Go, stand in the temple courts,’ he said, ‘and tell the people the full message of this new life’. At daybreak they entered the temple courts, as they had been told, and began to teach the people. … Then someone came and said, ‘Look! The men you put in jail are standing in the temple courts teaching the people.’ At that the captain went with his officers and brought the apostles. They did not use force because they feared that the people would stone them. Having brought the apostles, they made them appear before the Sanhedrin to be questioned by the high priest. ‘We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name’ he said. ‘Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make us guilty of this man’s blood.’ Peter and the other apostles replied, ‘We must obey God rather than men! The God of our fathers raised Jesus from the dead- whom you had killed by hanging Him on a tree. God exalted Him to his own right hand as Prince and Savior that He might give repentance and forgiveness of sins to Israel. We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey Him.’ When they heard this, they were furious and wanted to put them to death. But a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law, who was honored by all the people, stood up in the Sanhedrin and ordered that the men be put outside for a little while. … His speech persuaded them. They called the apostles in and had them flogged. Then they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the name. Day after day, in the temple courts, and from house to house, they never stopped proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ.” So the apostles were emboldened by the Word of God through an angel, who was really only reminding them what the Lord Jesus had already told them- “You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8).
f.) Acts 8:26-40, “Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, ‘Go south to the road- the desert road- that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.’ So he started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian eunuch, an important official in charge of all the treasury of Candace, queen of Ethiopians. This man had gone to Jerusalem to worship, and on his way home was sitting in his chariot reading the book of Isaiah the prophet. The Spirit told Philip, ‘Go to that chariot and stay near it.’ Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. Do you understand what you are reading?’ Philip asked. ‘How can I,’ he said, ‘unless someone explains it to me?’ So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. … Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him. When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way rejoicing. Philip. However, appeared at Azotus and traveled about, preaching the gospel in all the towns until he reached Ceasarea.” So here we see the Spirit and an angel working in conjunction with an evangelist in order to further the gospel and reach this Ethiopea eunuch, the Spirit and an angel also having worked together in the evangelism of Cornelius’ house per Item#g below. And, this work of evangelism to the Gentiles, and its chronicling, is extremely important for its use in teaching the relationship of baptism in evangelism. (See items#32, 143, & 145 in the Evangelism Section.) Philip had a trained ear for the Lord’s instruction and Word. I believe we can have just as good an ear for the Lord’s instruction as Philip, and also be involved in kingdom work that is just as vital.(I Corinthians 15:58). Also see Item#18 in the Evangelism Section.
g.) Acts 10:3-6, “One day at about three in the afternoon he had a vision. He distinctly saw an angel of God, who came to him and said, ‘Cornelius!’ Cornelius stared at him in fear. ‘What is it, Lord?’ he asked. The angel answered, ‘Your prayers and gifts to the poor have come up as a memorial offering before God. Now send men to Joppa to bring back a man named Simon who is called Peter. He is staying with Simon the tanner, whose house is by the sea.” I note that this is a distinct appearance of an angel, as opposed to unawares per Hebrews 13:2. I note that this is again a critical point, that is, the preaching of the gospel to the Gentiles. In this regard I see that Peter did not get his vision until the men from Cornelius’ house were actually sent to Joppa to find Peter. Many times when we’re trying to actuate a proposal we will tell the participants, “Call us when you’re underway”. And, many times this is because we don’t trust their ability to make good on their statements of commitment. So we see that this bringing of the gospel to the Gentiles was carefully orchestrated, step-by-step, by God- including the use of visions and angels.
h.) Acts 12:6-10, “The night before Herod was to bring him to trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries stood guard at the entrance. Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shown in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him up. ‘Quick, get up!’ he said, and the chains fell off Peter’s wrists. Then the angel said to him, ‘Put on your clothes and sandals.’ And Peter did so. ‘Wrap your cloak around you and follow me,’ the angel told him. Peter followed him out of the prison, but he had no idea that what the angel was doing was really happening; he thought he was seeing a vision. They passed the first and second guards and came to the iron gate leading to the city. It opened for them by itself, and they went through it. When they had walked the length of one street, suddenly the angel left him. The angel didn’t speak much in this account, but what he said was extremely critical to the Lord’s work, especially since Peter didn’t even realize what was happening. This account helps me realize that “with God all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26); and not only that, but when we are doing God’s will, we should expect his hand to be continually upon us.
i.) Acts 27:23-26, “Last night an angel of the God whose I am and whom I serve stood beside me and said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul, You must stand trial before Caesar, and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you.’ So keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in God that it will happen just as He told me. Nevertheless, we must run aground on some island.” It’s very noteworthy to consider that Paul took the message of the angel, just as if the message had come directly from the Lord- “for I have faith in God that it will happen just as He told me”. Then we should ask ourselves, “Should we take a Word of knowledge or Word of wisdom as being less than an angel’s message, or more than an angel’s message, seeing that such a Word is through God’s Holy Spirit (I Corinthians 12:8)?” Well, after reviewing Acts 27 and I Corinthians 12, we must put equal confidence in either, since these passages show that either type of communication is coming directly from the Lord.
j.) Hebrews 2:2, “For if the message spoken by angels was binding, and every violation and disobedience received its just punishment, how shall we escape if we ignore such a great salvation?” Item# i, above, discusses the weight to be placed on angelic messages, as does this verse. And we should also consider what happened to Zechariah when he balked at Gabriel’s instruction in Luke 1:20 (Item# a, above). However, the intent of Hebrews 2:2 is not to speak solely toward the veracity of the angels’ messages, but rather to condone the heavier weight to be put upon Christ’s Word especially regarding so great a salvation. “So He (the Son) became as much superior to the angels as the name He has inherited is superior to theirs. … We must pay more careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard so that we do not drift away.” (Hebrews 1:4 & 2:1). I suppose this is why there are red letter editions of the Bible- wherein the words of Christ are printed in red ink.
k.) Jude 9, “In the very same way, these dreamers pollute their own bodies, reject authority and slander celestial beings. But even the archangel Michael, when he was disputing with the devil about the body of Moses, did not dare to bring a slanderous accusation against him, but said, ‘The Lord rebuke you!’” So, what can be seen herein is that the angels speak in total subjection to the Lord- Michael understood that even the devil gets his power and authority from God, albeit the devil is under rebellion to God. We also see that angels have their own mind- Michael said, “The Lord rebuke you!” Why didn’t he merely rebuke the devil, since he was sent by God? Michael knew that he had not been sent to rebuke the devil in that manner, else he could have rebuked him directly, then and there, with all God’s power at his disposal. So, in regard to their mind, the angels are similar to men. We believers can say we “have the mind of Christ” (I Corinthians 2:16), but that doesn’t mean we are Christ, or that our thoughts are Christ’s thoughts, or even that our will is Christ’s will. But certainly we can shoot for that and pray for such.
l.) Revelation 5:8-14, “And when He had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song: ‘You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth.’ Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. In a loud voice they sang: ‘Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!’ Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, singing: ‘To Him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, forever and ever!’ The four living creatures said, ‘Amen,’ and the elders fell down and worshiped.” I used to work for many years in downtown Chicago; and every so often the city would become swamped with people such as when their football team, “da Bears”, won the super bowl, or when the White Sox won the world series, or when a U.S. president comes to town. The net effect is that most city functions slow down to a subsistence level, and practically all attention is given to the event on the city square. Such events would typically draw as many as 150,000 people. The noise and clamor would be stifling, and it is practically impossible to ignore what’s being said and communicated. However, in heaven the throng of angels encircling the throne is counted as more than 101 million. And, they are all singing the same song- in unison. If there were any persons in disagreement with the song, there voice couldn’t even be heard, and the song would be too compelling. And, there are actually two songs being sung. The first song is sung by the angels, the elders, and the four living creatures. Then, in the second song they are joined by every creature in the universe. This is an entirely compelling scene, and it’s no wonder that the scene in heaven is punctuated by the four living creatures saying, “Amen!”, and the elders prostrating themselves in worship.
m.) Revelation 17:1-7, “One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and said to me, ‘Come, I will show you the punishment of the great prostitute, who sits on many waters. With her the kings of the earth committed adultery and the inhabitants of the earth were intoxicated with the wine of her adulteries.’ Then the angel carried me away in the Spirit into desert. There I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was covered with blasphemous names and had seven heads and ten horns. The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, and was glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls. She held a golden cup in her hand, filled with abominable things and the filth of her adulteries. This title was written on her forehead: ‘Mystery, Babylon the Great, the Mother of Prostitutes and of the Abominations of the Earth’. I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of the saints, the blood of those who bore testimony to Jesus. When I saw her, I was greatly astonished. Then the angel said to me: ‘Why are you astonished? I will explain to you the mystery of the woman and of the beast she rides, which has the seven heads and ten horns. …’” Herein an angel is necessary to explain to John the mystery of the woman, and the scene which John was beholding.
n.) Revelation 19:9&10, “Then the angel said to me, ‘Write: ‘Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!’’ And he added, ‘These are the true words of God.’ At this I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me. ‘Do not do it! I am a fellow servant with you and with your brothers who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.’” The following are some plainly stated principles regarding our relationship with angels: They speak the true words of God. We should not worship or bow down to them. They are our fellow servants of Jesus Christ. (These basic teachings, about our relationship to angels, are again laid out in Revelation 22:6-9.)
385.) The Lord Jesus Christ speaks to creation, Mark 4:39-41 “He got up, rebuked the wind, and said to the waves, ‘Quiet! Be still!’ Then the wind died down and was completely calm. He said to his disciples, ‘Why are you so afraid/ Do you still have no faith?’ They were terrified and asked each other, ‘Who is this? Even the wind and waves obey Him1’” Last week I heard the story of a young man who dove off of a boat only to quickly realize that the water was only 18 inches deep. He bent his neck all the way backwards and his feet actually kicked the back of his head. Coming out of the incident with minor injuries, His doctor said he was the luckiest man alive since most people suffer serious injury, even death, due to those incidents. I was in the right spot at the right time to be able to tell him that God knew exactly what was going on the whole time, and was watching over him and controlling the situation. Psalm 33 also reminds us of the controlling power of the Lord’s Word over creation, “By the Word of the Lord were the heavens made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth. … For He spoke, and it came to be; He commanded, and it stood firm.” The Lord Jesus has control over all creation, even demons- “For Jesus had said to him, ‘Come out of this man you evil spirit!’” (Mark 5:8).
388.) The Lord Jesus Christ speaks of the cross, Mark 9:30&31 “They left that place and passed through Galilea. Jesus did not want anyone to know where they were, because He was teaching his disciples. He said to them, ‘The Son of man is going to be betrayed into the hands of men. They will kill Him and after three days He will rise.’ But they did not understand what He meant and were afraid to ask Him about it.” The implications of the cross are inherent in all Scripture. It’s been said that all of the verses of Scripture are like arrows which all point to the cross, in their own way. However, there were times when the Lord Jesus spoke of the cross and we want to glean all the insight of the cross that we can from such sayings. In Mark 9:31, He very plainly refers to Himself as the Son of Man (not the Son of God), who will be betrayed into the hands of men, and will rise from the dead in three days. Is it possible for God to die? Jesus’ body was certainly dead, but He has an eternal soul just as we have an eternal soul. What Christ’s soul experienced on the cross and in the grave are brought out in Jonah’s and Psalm 22’s account, below. Here are some instances when the Lord Jesus spoke of his cross:
a.) Matthew 12:38-41, “Then some of the Pharisees and teachers of the Law said to Him, ‘Teacher, we want to see a miraculous sign from you’. He answered, ‘A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a miraculous sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. The men of Ninevah will stand up at this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and now one greater than Jonah is here.’” This passage, of course, tells us that if we want to understand the cross, we can go back and study the Book of Jonah. (See II Peter 1:21, and also Item#239 of the Prophecy Section.) Jonah 2:1-10 narrates the account of Jonah, but also gives us a 1st person account of Christ in the grave: “From inside the fish Jonah prayed to the Lord his God. He said: ‘In my distress I called to the Lord, and He answered me, from the depths of the grave I called for help, and you listened to my cry. You hurled me into the deep into the very heart of the seas, and the currents swirled about me; all your waves and breakers swept over me. … To the roots of the mountains I sank down; the earth beneath me barred me forever. But you brought my life up from the pit, O Lord my God. … But I, with a song will sacrifice to you. What I have vowed I will make good. Salvation comes from the Lord.’ And the Lord commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land.”
b.) Matthew 16:21-24, “From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that He must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests and teachers of the Law, and that He must be killed and on the third day be raised to life. Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him. ‘Never, Lord!’ he said. ‘This shall never happen to you!’ Jesus turned and said to Peter, ’Get behind me Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.’ Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‘If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.’” First the Lord brought his disciples to the point of verbally accepting Him as the Messiah, then He began to teach what they, and we, would recognize as the true value of the cross, and why He must have gone to Calvary.
c.) John 3:14-18, “Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in Him may have eternal life. For God so loved the world that He gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him” (See also Item#23c of the Evangelism Section regarding the “gospel of the kingdom”.) We like to use this passage to share the good news. However, it also gives a vivid and poignant explanation of the meaning of Christ’s cross in the Lord’s own words.
d.) John 8:21-30, “Once more Jesus said to them, ‘I am going away, and you will look for me, and you will die in your sin. Where I go, you cannot come.’ This made the Jews ask, ‘Will He kill Himself? Is that why He says, ‘Where I go, you cannot come’?’ But He continued, ‘You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am the One I claim to be, you will indeed die in your sins.’ ‘Who are you?’ they asked. ‘Just what I have been claiming all along,’ Jesus replied. ‘I have much to say in judgment of you. But he who sent me is reliable, and what I have heard from Him I tell the world.’ They did not understand what He was telling them about his Father. So Jesus said, ‘When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am the One I claim to be, and that I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me. The One who sent me is with me; He has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases Him.’ Even as He spoke, many put their faith in Him.” Since the Lord Jesus was from above, God Himself- but incarnate, the men of that day- being carnal, could not accept Him because of their purely carnal logic. It required faith. However, Christ is communicating the hope that through the cross (and his resurrection) mankind could see the Father’s will and the evidence that Christ was ever doing the Father’s will. Oh what an excellent plan- to have victory over our carnality through faith in the cross! (See also Item#68 above, regarding “the man from heaven”.)
e.) Psalms 22 & Other Messianic Passages, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from the words of my groaning? … Many bulls surround me; strong bulls of Bashan encircle me. Roaring lions tearing their prey open their mouths wide against me. I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint. … Dogs have surrounded me, a band of evil men have encircled me, they have pierced my hands and my feet. I can count all my bones; people stare and gloat over me. They divide my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing.” (Psalms 22:1-18). There are Messianic passages in the Old Testament which present the Lord speaking in the 1st person, such as Psalms 22 and 69, Isaiah 50 and 53, and the Jonah account in Item#a, above. Since the writers of Scripture spoke as they were led by the Holy Spirit (II Peter 1:21), and since the Lord Jesus said “I and the Father are one” ( John 10:30), then these 1st person Messianic passages are included in this consideration of the Lord Jesus speaking of the cross. Through Psalms 69:1-4 the Lord has this to say, “Save me, O God, for the waters have come up to my neck. I sink in the miry depths where there is no foothold. I have come into the deep waters; the floods engulf me. … Those who hate me without reason outnumber the hairs of my head; many are my enemies without cause, those who seek to destroy me. I am forced to restore what I did not steal.” Here in these 1st person Messianic passages we hear the Lord speaking, not just about the cross, but also from the cross- not in audible words, but through the Scripture.
391.) The Holy Spirit Speaks, Mark 12:36, “While Jesus was teaching in the temple courts, He asked, ‘How is it that the teachers of the law say that the Christ is the son of David? David, himself, speaking by the Holy Spirit declared: ‘The Lord said to my Lord; ‘Sit at my right hand, until I put your enemies under your feet.’ David himself calls Him ‘Lord’. How then can He be his own son?’ The large crowd listened to Him with delight.” There are instances in Scripture when the Holy Spirit is directly speaking as a person of God. Of course, since all Scripture is God-breathed (II Timothy 3:16), and since those speaking for God speak as they are led by the Holy Spirit (II Peter 1:21), it is reasonable to say that these are all occasions of the Holy Spirit speaking. However, here are some other instances of the Holy Spirit speaking, where that person of God is mentioned specifically as the person speaking:
a.) Acts 13:2&3, “While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, ‘Set apart for me Barnabus and Saul for the work to which I have called them’. So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off.” I put this example first since it is nugget of Scripture in its ability to show the Holy Spirit as a real person who really speaks (albeit that the Spirit only speaks on behalf of the Father or the Son- John 16:7-15).
b.) Acts 6:8-10, “Now Stephen, a man full of God’s grace and power, did great wonders and miraculous signs among the people. Opposition arose, however, from members of the Synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called)- Jews of Cyrene and Alexandria as well as the provinces of Cilicia and Asia. These men began to argue with Stephen, but they could not stand up against his wisdom or the Spirit by whom he spoke.” So here is an example of wisdom and speaking abilities given immediately by the Spirit. In fact, the Lord Jesus explained this entire issue of the Holy Spirit speaking through men in Mark 13:11, “Whenever you are arrested and brought to trial, do not worry beforehand what to say. Just say whatever is given you at the time, for it is not you speaking, but the Holy Spirit.” So we must conclude that, whether we perceive the Holy Spirit to be speaking directly, or a person is speaking what we recognize as Christian truth all such activities are from the Holy Spirit and probably carefully orchestrated by Him. Isn’t that what the Lord Jesus meant when He said, “It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you.” John 16:7. And, “No one can say ‘Jesus is Lord,’ except by the Holy Spirit.”- ICorinthians 12:3. (See Items#5&5a in the Word of Wisdom Section, and Item#97 above.)
c.) Acts 8:29&39, “The Spirit told Phillip, ‘Go to that chariot and stay near it.’ … When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Phillip away, and the eunuch did not see him again.” From the passage we see that the Holy Spirit is recognized as the person speaking to Phillip and telling him what he was to do, as was the case with Paul and Barnabus in Item#a, above. Can we walk in such a way that the Lord will show us exactly what we should do, day by day, and from instance to instance. I believe we can. And, I believe that is exactly what is meant in Galatians 5:25, which says, “Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit”. So there is a progression from living by the Spirit to keeping in step with Him. (See other research into Phillip’s ministry in Evangelism Section, Items# 1&18, and Prophecy Section, Item#108.) Regarding, walking by the Spirit by keeping “in step with the Spirit”, see the following items above: #15f, 16g, 43, & 188, also Item#77j of the Teaching Section.
d.) Acts 10:17-20, “While Peter was wondering about the meaning of the vision, the men sent by Cornelius found out where Simon’s house was and stopped by the gate. They called out, asking if Simon who was known as Peter was staying there. While Peter was still thinking about the vision, the Spirit said to him, ‘Simon, three men are looking for you. So get up and go downstairs. Do not hesitate to go with them, for I have sent them.’” So, a question could be raised as to who spoke to Peter during his vision. But, his direction to go downstairs and go with the men, is definitely presented as a direct statement from the Holy Spirit.
e.) Acts 21:4, “Finding the disciples there we stayed with them seven days. Through the Spirit they urged Paul not to go on to Jerusalem.” Well, here is a passage which seems similar to other passages of Scripture which doesn’t succinctly cite an audible voice by the Spirit, yet the believers know and accept the message as being from the Spirit. Since the believers were imparting wisdom to Paul, I would categorize such a Word from the Spirit as a word of wisdom. (See a similar Word in Item#2 of the Word of Wisdom Section.)
f.) Hebrews 10:15, “The Holy Spirit also testifies to us about this. First He says: ‘This is the covenant I will make with them after that time, says the Lord. I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds.’ Then he adds: ‘Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more.’ And where these have been forgiven, there is no longer any sacrifice for sin.” Hebrews is quoting Jeremiah 32:33&34. So, herein, Scripture is stating directly that the prophet’s word, as captured in Scripture, is expressly the same as the Word of God.
I glean from these passages that the Holy Spirit is an actual person who speaks, and also that He has always spoken to and through men. God is not a mute idol (I Corinthians 12:2).
392.) Elizabeth got the Holy Spirit’s nudge, Luke 1:5-17 & 39-45 “In the time of Herod king of Judea there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah; his wifeElizabeth was also a descendant of Aaron. Both of them were upright in the sight of God, observing all the Lord’s commandments and regulations blamelessly. But they had no children, because Elizabethwas barren; and they were both well along in years. Once when Zechariah’s division was on duty and he was serving as priest before God, he was chosen by lot according to the custom of the priesthood, to go into the temple of the Lord and burn incense. And when the time for the burning of incense came, all the assembled worshipers were praying outside. Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear. But the angel said to him: ‘Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to give him the name John. He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from birth. Many of the people of Israel will he bring back to the Lord their God. And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous- to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.’ … At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, where she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. In a loud voice she exclaimed: ‘Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!’” Herein we seeElizabeth spontaneously prophesying regarding the birth of the Messiah. And, we also see that it was the baby leaping in her womb and the presence of the Holy Spirit, and her knowledge of the angel’s prophecy concerning her son, which nudged her to make that loud Spirit led statement concerning Mary.
394.) Seven sayings from the cross, Luke 23:33&34 “When they came to the place called the skull, there they crucified Him, along with the criminals- one on his right, and the other on his left. Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.’ And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.” Beyond the actual words that were said by Our Lord on the cross, there is an important lesson here for us as students of Scripture. Please notice that all seven saying are not found in any one account of the cross; yet, no Christian will refute that these are the seven sayings from the cross. The important lesson is that we must look at all of Scripture to learn the ways of God as presented in Scripture. This comes up many, many times, where some passages seem to contradict each other. But we know that “the Scripture cannot be broken” (John 10:35). Therefore, the error is not in Scripture, but usually in our narrow perception of the ways of God- so in such a situation we would need to study the Word in more detail. But, as students of Scripture, there are some basic Christian teachings which are readily gleaned from these seven sayings of Our Lord from the cross. The following are some of those teachings:
a.) Luke 23:34, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” Of course, the Jews proved in verse 35 that they did not know what they were doing when they said, “Let Him save Himself, of He is the Christ, the Chosen One.” But the Lord’s plea, “Father, forgive them,” fairly well sums up what his attitude and heart’s desire was. He was filled with love and He wanted to complete that transaction which paid for our sin. Isaiah 50:5 says, “Therefore have I set my face like flint, and I know I will not be put to shame.”
b.) John 19:26&27, “When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom He loved standing nearby, He said to his mother, ‘Dear woman, here is your son,’ and to the disciple, ‘Here is your mother.’ From that time on the disciple took her into his home.” This statement is an important statement which we don’t fully consider. When Christ was approached regarding his mother and brothers, “He replied to him, ‘Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?’ Pointing to his disciples He said, ‘Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.“- Matthew 12:48-50. Even further, the Lord taught, “I did not come to bring peace but a sword. For I have come to turn ‘a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law – a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.’ Anyone who loves his father or mother more than Me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me; and anyone who does not take his cross and follow Me is not worthy of Me.”- Matthew 10:35-38. So, Our Lord, even from the cross is working to define relationships within the Church. And, this is important on the eternal scale because believers have wasted lifetimes of effort on their blood relatives, when, in fact, the Lord doesn’t want us to allow them that station in our lives. This sounds callous, but what does the Word say!
c.) John 19:28, “Later, knowing that all was now completed, and so that the Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, ‘I am thirsty.’ A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus’ lips.” This is a fulfillment of the prophecy in Psalms 69:20&21, also see Item#43, above. There is an irony and a typology brought out at the cross which deserves discussion, but can only be touched upon herein due to lack of space. This starts out with Pilate’s inscription over the cross. Now the Jews had rejected the kingship and messianic claim of Jesus Christ. Yet Pilate, the one truly under the authority of God (Romans 13:1), said “What I have written, I have written.” (John 19:22). Now if we look at Psalms 69:20&21, we hear, “I looked for sympathy, but there was none, for comforters, but there was none. They put gall in my food and gave me vinegar for my thirst.” Now is this any way to treat your King?! God, through his authority in Pilate, and through the angels at his birth (Luke 2:11), and even through the Magi’s star (Matthew 2:2), is heralding Jesus as the Christ who was born King of the Jews. So when Christ said, “I thirst”, the Jews and mankind continue in their rejection of the Messiah by offering Him vinegar wine to drink. Some say that the Lord was then speaking typologically, and that He was actually thirsty for souls. I don’t doubt that after all these happenings the Lord was thirsty for souls at that point. So, the picture is that of Christ, thirsty for souls, or even someone to show “sympathy”, and mankind gives the Holy One of Israel sour wine. We should be giving Him our best, but in our carnal state what are we actually giving Him. Is what we are giving Christ so look warm that He must spew us out of his mouth (Revelation 3:18). The solution for that unpalatable luke warmness is to hear his fiery voice and open up to Him: “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.” (Revelation 3:20). Revelation 3:20 is one of the verses that the Lord used to reach and save me in 1979. Taken strictly in context, though, the verse is a teaching and a remedy against luke warmness. You see, only the Lord’s fire can rescue us from the luke warmness of our old nature. The verse says that we should expect to hear the Lord’s voice, and when we open up to Him, then we’ll be in fellowship with Our Fiery Lord (I John 1:3).
d.) John 19:30, “When He had received the drink, Jesus said, ‘It is finished.’ With that He bowed his head and gave up his spirit.” Well this is a verse that you can use in any store to share Christ with the clerk at the register. I love to light up people’s days through this verse. After getting my receipt, I’ll ask, “Well, how much do I owe you?” And the clerk will say, “Nothing, you already paid”. Then I’ll say, “That’s exactly what Jesus meant when on the cross He said, ‘It is finished.’ The transaction to pay for sin is over, and the debt has been completely paid for.” Normally, that’s as far as I’ll get with the gospel, unless time allows and I’m led to go on. But other bylines could be that the receipt is a picture of God’s Holy Spirit- received upon salvation. Or, I could mention that many people are still trying to pay for sin even though it’s been fully paid for at the cross. So, the fact that “It is finished” is truly a wonderful and beautiful concept worth sharing.
e.) Luke 23:39-43, “One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at Him: ‘Aren’t you the Christ? Save yourself and us!’ But the other criminal rebuked him. ‘Don’t you fear God,’ he said, ‘since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.’ Then he said, ‘Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.’ Jesus answered him, ‘I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.’” This is sometimes called the story of “the man who stole heaven”. But, he didn’t really steal heaven, he merely took it by faith, believing all that was revealed to him concerning the Christ- even the Lord’s innocent death and his coming kingdom. So, he didn’t steal heaven. He took it by force- the force of the gospel. “The kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it.” (Matthew 11:12). Was this man really with the Lord Jesus in paradise on that day? Of course he was! To understand this truth, though, you must understand the concept of paradise. The specifics of the concept of “paradise” start at Luke 16:22, where the beggar Lazarus dies and is taken to “Abraham’s side”, which is not heaven where God sits- because Christ had not yet died and rose again. However, once Christ died, the way into God’s presence was opened to mankind, including the thief on the cross (Hebrews 10:19-22 and Ephesians 2:6).
f.) Luke 23:46, “It was now about the sixth hour, and darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour, for the sun stopped shining. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. Jesus called out with a loud voice, ‘Father, into your hands I commit my spirit. When He had said this, He breathed his last.” I suppose this was the Lord’s last saying from the cross, since he was giving up the control of his spirit to the Father. This is, of course, a valley we all must cross unless the Lord comes before we die.
395.) Direct solution from obedience to the Word, John 9:11 “He replied, ‘The man they call Jesus made some mud and put it on my eyes. He told me to go to Siloam and wash. So I went and washed and then I could see.’” We used to sing a Sunday school song, “Trust and obey! For there’s no other way! All of God’s children must trust and obey.” This man had no other choice but to wash, since his eyes were filled with mud. But, this is the same position that many are found in when they realize that they are filled with sin and cannot see. Naaman, that leprous and prideful general, was told to wash 7 times in the Jordan, and his pride almost cost him his healing. Many times I’ve been able to see through my various problems and ask for wisdom according to the Lord’s promise in James 1:5. At that point it’s up to me to obey God, and the problem usually disappears as quickly as it appeared, unless I disobey.
396.) Scripture speaks, John 7:38, “Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.” To the Christian, the Scripture is the same as the spoken Word of God, except that it was spoken to others who wrote it down for us. Matthew 22:29-32 explains this perspective very well: “Jesus replied, ‘You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God. At the resurrection people will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven. But about the resurrection of the dead- have you not read what God said to you, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? He is not the God of the dead but of the living.” So, the Lord likens Scripture to God, Himself, speaking to us. The following are more examples of the Scripture speaking to us:
a.) Romans 7:7&8, “What shall we say then? Is the Law sin? Certainly not! Indeed I would not have known what sin was except through the Law. For I would not have known what coveting was if the Law had not said, ‘Do not covet.’ But sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, produced in me every kind of covetous desire. For apart from Law, sin is dead.” So, herein, the Law, as a part of Scripture, is speaking. In this passage Paul uses a literary device known as personification, wherein inanimate items take on human characteristics such as speech. Note how sin is “seizing the opportunity”. Well, this is all personification, in a literary sense. But, as Christians, we recognize that the Word is the “sword of the Spirit”. And, we also recognize that the Spirit has the job of convicting us of sin (John 16:8).
b.) Hebrews 4:7, “Therefore God again set a certain day, calling it Today, when a long time later He spoke through David, as was said before, ‘Today if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.’ For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken later about another day.” The point here is that the psalms of David are defined as God speaking to us through the scripture, and that concept is brought out twice. The difficulty here is that the context of Hebrews 4:7 is that a person can hear God’s voice calling him to salvation, and should do that; but such a Word from the Lord needn’t be only Scripture, and could be the gospel in any form.
c.) Hebrews 10:30, “For we know Him who said, ‘It is mine to avenge; I will repay,’ and again, ‘The Lord will judge his people.’” Talk about splitting hairs! This verse is very peculiar. The writer of Hebrews is directly quoting a psalm of Moses, Deuteronomy 32: 35&36. Moses’ psalm switches from a 1st person quoting of the Lord (“I will repay”) to a third person quotation (“The Lord will judge”). Now, when we consider the phrase “we know Him who said” we could claim this speaking is not necessarily Scripture speaking, but God Himself speaking to Moses. But, when we consider that Hebrews also contains that third person quotation, “The Lord will judge his people”, as being a saying from God, then we have to conclude that this is an example of God speaking through Scripture speaking rather than God verbally speaking, because of the presence of that third person quotation.
Also see Item#63 above.
397.) The Lord Jesus Christ speaks after his ascension, Acts 9:5-17, “As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, ‘Saul. Saul, why do you persecute me?’ ’Who are you, Lord?’ Saul asked. ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,’ He replied. ‘Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.’ … In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called him in a vision, ‘Ananias!’. ‘Yes, Lord’, he answered. The Lord told him, ‘Go to the house of Judas on Straight Streetand ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying. In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him to restore his sight.’ … But the Lord said to Ananias, ‘Go! This man is my chosen instrument to carry my name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel. I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.’ Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, ‘Brother Saul, the Lord- Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here- has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.’” It’s interesting to see how the Lord Jesus speaks to people in his post ascension body and glory. (As a point of definition the Lord communicates to us in the following ways, other than Christ’s appearing in the 1st century and through the Scripture: visions, dreams, trances, revelations, and words of wisdom and knowledge, angels, and the spoken Word through other Christians, or even non-believers who speak out the Word in their fallen state. Also see Item#14, above. Surely the Lord is not a mute idol!)
He seemingly appeared to Paul on the road to Damascus in his glory and struck him blind in the process. However, to Ananias, He appeared in a vision. The following are other instances:
a.) Acts 22:17-21, “When I returned to Jerusalem and was praying at the temple, I fell into a trance, and saw the Lord speaking. ‘Quick!’, He said to me, ‘Leave Jerusalem immediately, because they will not accept your testimony about me.’ ‘Lord,’ I replied, ‘these men know that I went from one synagogue to another to imprison and beat those who believe in you. And when the blood of your martyr Stephen was shed, I stood there giving my approval and guarding the clothes of those who were killing him. Then the Lord said to me, ’Go; I will send you far away to the gentiles.’” Since there is not a physical effect being mentioned, I conclude that the Lord appeared in a vision in this instance, as opposed to being struck blind on the road to Damascus, and the “night the Lord stood near Paul” in Item#b- below.
b.) Acts 23:11, “He ordered the troops to go down and take him away from them by force and bring him into the barracks. The following night the Lord stood near Paul and said, ‘Take courage! As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome.’” There are those who conclude that since Christ arose and ascended, that He can no longer come back to earth until He comes to reign in Jerusalem. I, myself, 100% believe that the Lord Jesus is coming to reign for 1000 years in Jerusalem. However, given the Christophanies which occurred in the Old testament, I see no reason to limit the Lord’s appearance upon earth, based upon his previous ascension, especially considering Acts 9:5-17 and Acts 23:11 shown herein. However, I don’t intend to expand upon this discussion.
398.) Light discerns the Word, Acts 22:6-10, “About noon as I came near Damascus, suddenly a bright light from heaven flashed around me. I fell to the ground and heard a voice say to me, ‘Saul! Saul! Why do you persecute me?’ ‘Who are you, Lord?’ I asked. ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.’ He replied. My companions saw the light, but they did not understand the voice of Him who was speaking to me. ‘What shall I do, Lord?’ I asked. ‘Get up,’ the Lord said, ‘and go into Damascus. There you will be told all that you have been assigned to do.’” So Paul and his companions saw the light and heard the voice, but only Paul was struck blind and discerned the Word given by the Lord’s voice. Well the light is obviously the glory of God, but God said to Moses, “You cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live” (Exodus 33:20). And the Lord Jesus said, “I am the Light of the World. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12). (This “light of life” is also promised in Isaiah 53:11, “After the suffering of his soul, He will see the light of life and be satisfied”.) But Satan blinds people from the light of life- “And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” (II Corinthians 4:3&4). The subject of light versus darkness is probably as huge a subject as this Grace Study. However, it’s my intention herein to focus on the light’s ability to help to discern the Word. So, the following passages have been gleaned, in that regard:
a.) John 1:1-5, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through Him all things were made; without Him nothing was made that has been made. In Him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.” “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14). John, above all writers, writes about this light, who is Christ, but is also the glory that surrounds Christ.
b.) John 3:18-21, “Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. This is the verdict: light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God.” So, we see that God’s light exposes evil, while proving up the truth of God.
c.) John 12:35&46, “Then Jesus told them, ‘You are going to have the light just a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, before darkness overtakes you. The man who walks in the dark does not know where he is going. Put your trust in the light while you have it, so that you may become sons of light.’” I Thessalonians 5:4&5 says, “But you, brothers, are not in darkness so that this day (the day of the Lord) should surprise you like a thief. You are all sons of the light and sons of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness.” We are to put our trust in the light and become sons of the light. In fact, God’s kingdom is referred to as the “kingdom of light” (Colossians 1:10). And, we are to live as “children of light”- Item#e below.
d.) I John 2:8-11, “Yet I am writing you a new command; its truth is seen in Him and you, because the darkness is passing and the true light is already shining. Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother is still in the darkness. Whoever loves his brother lives in the light, and there is nothing in him to make him stumble. But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness; he does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded him.” Obedience, especially in loving the brethren, is a sign that we have God’s light in us. (See Item#16i above.) Disobedience shows that we’re stumbling in the darkness. So this verse defines a relationship between truth, obedience, darkness, and light. The relationship is that where you’re at in Christ proceeds from obedience/ light.
e.) Ephesians 5:8-14, “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness, and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord. Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. For it is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. But everything exposed by the light becomes visible, for it is light that makes everything visible. This is why it is said: ‘Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.’” Since it is the light that makes everything visible, our actions in relationship to God’s Word are distinctly and easily visible to that light.
f.) I John 1:5-7, “This is the message we have heard from Him and declare to you: God is light; in Him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with Him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from all sin.” So, whether it’s the light of God’s presence (and glory) or the light of His Word, it is still God’s light which cuts through the darkness. And, darkness and truth are opposites.
From these verses I can conclude that God working through the Word always brings the light; however, the light of God is not limited to the Word. Or, we could say that the Word is always a part of God’s light, but God’s light is not limited to his Word. Consider what was said above in Isaiah 53:11: “After the suffering of his soul, He will see the light of life and be satisfied”. This light of life which the Lord Jesus now sees is not just the Word, but the light of God working in this dark world.
Concluding this study of the “word of knowledge”, it’s no surprise that the first item and the last item (Item#1 and Item#398) stick out to me as the most important topics. Item#1 is important because it defines a word of knowledge is an utterance from God imparting knowledge, and challenges us to realize that we are not following a “mute idol”. Item#398 is important because it brings out the point that we are to walk in God’s light and power. Shall we deny that light and pretend that certain nudges, words, and his anointing to us do not exist? “If we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin” I John 1:7.
SUMMARY OF IMPORTANT POINTS
Lest someone misconstrue, or even deliberately twist, the results of what’s being concluded from this study, the following summary points are noted:
1.) The Scripture, which cannot be broken, according to the Lord Jesus in John 10:35, defines word of knowledge as a Spirit manifested ability ranked with prophecy and other gifts. (The above items reference this: Nos. 1, 27, & 63.)
2.) We need a word of wisdom as a Spirit manifested solution to many dilemmas, since we are sometimes lacking in the knowledge needed to do various tasks (The above items reference this: Nos.1, 21, 76, & 101e.)
3.) Godly knowledge begins with fear of the Lord, then should progress to acceptance of the gospel (Proverbs 1:7, Romans 3:21&22). The Lord wants us to grow in our knowledge of Him and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and a word of knowledge is actually a subset of the Godly knowledge of the believers. (The above items reference this: Nos. 10, 15f, 15p, 16d, 17, 18, 29, 39, 108, 158b, &234.)
4.) A word of knowledge is still given today, and has not been abolished with the completion of Scripture. (The above items reference this: Nos. 1, 9, 13, 15, 33, 63, 89, 97, 169, 185, 202, 235, 287, &392; and Items 1, 11, & 99 of the Prophecy Section,; also Item#75 of the Apostleship Section.)
5.) A word of knowledge can be defined and there are examples in Scripture, and in the everyday lives of Christians. (The above items reference this: Nos. 1, 13, 14, 16j, 18, 27, 28, 31, 41b, 43, 54, 89, 97, 108h3, 159, 169, 185, 218, 225, 243, 355, 364, 380i, 391, & 397.)
6.) There is a purified form of knowledge which is promised to believers when Christ comes, and which is experienced in part now. (The above items reference this: 12, 15, 22, 31, 34, 38, 39, 40, 66, &68; also Item#1f of the Prophecy Section.)
7.) There is a general Christian knowledge, which begins at Calvary, and which we can accumulate through careful study of the Scripture, and careful consideration of the Way of Christ. (The above items reference this: 16, 20, 39, 40, 46, 107, 191, 201, 234, 304, 396c.)
8.) Knowledge, even by word of knowledge, without wisdom and prudence, still won’t bring obedience to God. (The above items reference this: 19, 22, 28a, 37, 42, 130, 188, 225h, &395.)
9.) A word of knowledge, along with a word of wisdom, prophecy, and Scripture, are all subsets of God’s Word (logos); and should be obeyed and treasured as his Word, recognizing the power intrinsic to his Word. (The above items reference this: 63, 67, 76, 103, 125, 126, 130, 137, 142, 154, 158a, 180, 190, 222, 226f, 235, 245, 266, 288, &380j.)
END HOME
[1] www.Wikipedia.org/wiki/Gnosticism, “Gnosticism”
[2] Watchman Nee, The Flow of the Spirit (Anaheim, Ca: Living Stream Ministry, 1993) p. 1-2.
[3] W.E Vine, Vine’s Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words (Old Tappan, New Jersey: Fleming H. Revell Company, 1981) p. 208.
[4] Ibid, p. 107.
[5] Watchman Nee, The Renewing of the Mind (Anaheim, Ca: Living Stream Ministry, 1993) p. 2-3.
[6] Ibid, p. 9,13,&30.
[7] Randy Robison, Words of Life- Weekly Devotional (www.lifetoday.org) June 6, 2010.
[8] Bruce Hepburn, Isaiah 58 Ministries Newsletter, 2009 .