Last night Diane and I hosted the Passover meal, a sweet time of fellowship around remembering Jesus’ last Passover with His disciples. Rather than celebrating it when the Jews observe their Passover on the 14th or 15th of the month Nisan, this year I decided to observe it on the correct weekday (Thursday night) in order to keep the focus on the sequence of Jesus’ passion week. As I am typing this, around 8:30am Friday…
Revelation 7:13-17 (LGV) 13 Then one of the elders responded, saying to me: “Who are these dressed in white robes, and where did they come from?” 14 And I said to him: “My master, you have observed.” And he said to me: “These are the ones who emerge out from the great tribulation, and have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 15 Therefore they are before the throne…
Eph. 5:17,24-27 (LGV) 17 Consequently, do not be foolish, but consider what the will of the Master is. … 24 Therefore, just as the assembly is subordinate to the Anointed One, so also wives [must be] to their own husbands in everything. 25 Husbands, love your wives, just as the Anointed One also loved the assembly and gave Himself up for her, 26 that He might set her apart, cleansing [her] through the bath of…
Rev. 19:6-9 (NASB) 6 And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude and as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty peals of thunder, saying, “Hallelujah! For the Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns. 7 Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready.” 8 And it was given…
It has been thirteen years since my book The Time of the End was published. In this book I laid out the case that the earliest Christians were absolutely correct in their claim that Christ’s Kingdom would arrive on earth 6,000 years from creation, that this claim is apostolic. I then presented the case that the Feast calendar in Lev. 23 and Sabbatical-Jubilee calendar in Lev. 25 provide the grid for all biblical chronology, and…
Throughout most of the book of Acts, Christianity was considered a denomination or “sect” within Judaism (called the “Nazarenes”1), the other Jewish sects being the Pharisees,2 the Sadducees,3 and the Essenes.4 Membership of Gentiles was allowed in the synagogues, but always in a secondary status and only by making a commitment to observe the Law of Moses and undergoing circumcision. In the new Nazarene (Jewish-Christian) Faith, many assumed that the same was required of Gentile…
The distinction which divided Apostolic Christianity from all forms of Gnosticism was “preexistence” of Jesus, whether the divine Person of Logos (Word) actually “became flesh,” (a total transformation of ontological nature), that the Son of God literally “emptied Himself” of His equality with God by “becoming in the likeness of men,” “being made like unto His brethren.” All forms of Gnosticism denied that the Man Jesus preexisted and denied the possibility of a divine being…
Philippians 2:5-8 provides a critical proof that Jesus literally preexisted as God’s divine Son before He “became in the likeness of men.” This passage, plus Colossians 1:15-20, and several from John are absolutely decisive as long as the interpreter sticks to the norms of lexical meanings of the Greek terms and the norms of the Greek grammar and syntax. Unfortunately, both modern Trinitarians and Unitarians fudge in this regard in order to prop up their…
Hebrews 1:1-2 is used by ‘Biblical’ Unitarians as proof that the Son of God did not exist before the prophets. Yet they seriously misrepresent what the text actually indicates. They ignore the many similar statements in both the Old and New Testaments which limit this statement to God’s using the prophets to warn rebellious Israel (the “fathers” after the exodus), and they seem oblivious to the parallel with Jesus’ parable of the Vineyard owner who…
Richard from the “Faithful Theology” YouTube channel asked me to participate in a live discussion with himself and a Biblical Unitarian, Aaron. The intent was to answer a few questions from those who deny the pre-human existence of Christ. The conversation got off to a rocky start due to technical difficulties, and Richard could not directly participate. Because of this, the 5 main questions I had agreed to answer were not really presented. However, Aaron…
So-called ‘Biblical’ Unitarians claim that the Son of God only existed, before becoming flesh, only in the MIND of God as a figment of His imagination, in His “plan.” To support this claim, they typically begin with 1 Peter 1:20 which states that He was “foreknown” before the “foundation of the world” but was “manifested” in these times. They then appeal to the Calvinistic interpretation of “foreknown” (pro-ginosko), as having knowledge of someone before they…
Ephesians 6:10-13 (LGV) 10 Finally, my brothers, be strong in the Master and in the power of His strength! 11 Put on the full armor of God so that you may be able to withstand the trickery of the Slanderer, 12 because we do not struggle with flesh and blood, but with authorities, with powers, with the princes of the darkness of this age, against spiritual conspirators in the celestial dominions. 13 Therefore take up…
Every Sunday morning at 10:00am I teach our adult “Bereans Bible Class.” We just began a new series “Old Testament Survey” which I am audio recording. The audios and notes are being posted on the 4Winds main page for those interested in following along or using the material to teach your own class. I will try to upload the audios and notes on Mondays. https://4windsfellowships.net
I just completed preaching a 4-day revival (Oct. 13 through Oct. 16) at Dial’s Church in Gray Court, SC. This church has a very long history, founded in 1808 by Francis Asbury, (the famous Methodist circuit-rider evangelist who was ordained by John Wesley himself). The church was founded in the home of Martin Dial with 13 original members, two of which were black slaves. Martin Dial was a veteran of the Revolutionary War. The graveyard…
Tonight at sunset begins Rosh Hashana, the anniversary of the first day of Creation Week, and the birthday of Jesus Christ. This is the anniversary of the day that the “Word,” who was in the beginning with God and through whom all things were made, “became flesh and dwelled among us,” appeared in the creation through the Virgin birth. The data for calculating Jesus’ birthday is given in Revelation 12. The woman (Virgo) clothed with…
One of the key differences between those who believe in the personal reign of Christ on earth for a thousand years and those who deny it is the question of the resurrection of the dead. Is there only one general resurrection of all of the dead? Or is there a distinct resurrection first of only the righteous? The “pre-millennial” interpretation requires a staged resurrection, the first being separated from the second by a thousand years….
According to the KJV, NKJV, and the Catholic Douay Rheims Bible, Nebuchadnezzar claimed that the fourth Man in the fiery furnace was “like the Son of God.” However, the vast majority of modern versions have “like a son of the gods.” This difference is because the KJV, NKJV do not slavishly follow the Hebrew Masoretic Text, but sometimes revert to readings in the Greek Septuagint especially in Christologically significant passages. On the other hand, most…
Biblical Unitarians validate their unbelief regarding the Son’s pre-human existence primarily on an argument from silence. They claim that the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke) say absolutely nothing about preexistence. They then attempt to filter all of the preexistence language in John’s Gospel through a fabricated “Jewish” philosophical paradigm so that none of it is taken literally. However, they miss one of the most important conversations Jesus had with the Jewish scholars concerning Psalm 110:1…
In the past I have taught that the “Root” of the “Olive Tree” in the parable in Romans 11 is the Abrahamic Covenant. I was wrong. It is the “Seed” promised in the Abrahamic Covenant, who is Christ according to Galatians 3:16. This is God’s Son who was betrothed to Israel first under the Mosaic Covenant, but then again under the New Covenant. Here is my reasoning: Romans 11:16-29 (NKJV) 16 For if the FIRSTFRUIT…
We are beginning section “D” of Bereans Bible Institute Module II on the doctrine of God and His Only-Begotten Son. This section will deal primarily with the “proof-texting” done by Biblical Unitarians (Socinians) and their specific arguments in their attempt to prove that Jesus had no pre-human existence, and that He was not LITERALLY the “Son of God,” not LITERALLY “begotten” out of God, fathered by God Himself. In this first installment, I tackle the…
One of the most important themes which runs through the entire Bible is the Marriage of the Son of God. The Old Testament refers many times to Zion/Jerusalem & Israel as being “betrothed” to the Lord. The prophets declare her harlotry during this betrothal period, and emphasize that the Lord has divorced her for a time (as illustrated by her exile and the desolation of the Temple). Yet He promised to take her again as…
I just completed the 5th video lesson in section “C” of the Bereans Bible Institute Module 2. This lesson deals with a topic I covered in much greater detail in a previous post on this blog at the following link: “To Whom has the ‘Arm of the Lord’ been Revealed?” Scripture uses the metaphors of Yahweh’s “Mighty Hand” and His “Outstretched Arm” in describing both the creation of heaven and earth and especially the exodus…
From time to time throughout my ministry I have been compelled to acknowledge that I have taught incorrectly in the past, and to correct those errors. Well, here is another one. I have taught that “the angels who sinned” mentioned in 2 Pet. 2:4 and Jude 1:6 were fallen heavenly messengers. This is the traditional interpretation found throughout Christianity. However, I have always been uneasy about this view for two reasons: I have also repeatedly…
Isaiah and Micah were contemporary prophets, both prophesying in Judah during the reigns of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah. Both prophets prophesied concerning the deliverance of king Hezekiah’s kingdom from the siege of Jerusalem by Sennacherib, king of Assyria. The deliverance was because of Hezekiah’s prayer to Yahweh and was accomplished by Yahweh’s Messenger killing 185,000 Assyrian soldiers in one night. Isaiah 36-39 tells the story of this siege and miraculous deliverance. But the fascinating detail,…
The same “Messenger of Yahweh” who confirmed the Covenant to Abraham, who was “the Mighty One of Jacob,” who appeared to Moses in the burning bush, was also with Israel in the pillar of cloud and fire and spoke to Moses on Mt. Sinai. He then led Israel through the wilderness, at times punishing them severely for their rebellion, yet leading them to the Promised Land. He was the “ROCK” of Israel who Paul identified…
The “Mighty One of Jacob” was Yahweh’s “Messenger” who appeared to Jacob at the top of a ladder. Jacob anointed with oil the Stone at the base of the ladder, and named it “Bethel,” the House of God. The vision of the ladder, with Yahweh’s “Messenger” at the top and the Anointed Stone at the base, is an allegory of the descent of Yahweh’s Messenger’s from heaven to become the “Christ,” the Anointed “Foundation Stone.”…
The Apostles repeatedly stated that no one has seen God Himself at any time in history, that no one is capable of seeing God with their eyes. This immediately creates a difficulty with the many Old Testament Scriptures which claim that someone called “God” and “Yahweh” spoke face to face with the patriarchs, Moses, etc. and these people then claimed to have seen God. This Person who commonly used the title “God,” used Yahweh’s own…
Biblical Unitarians (Socinians) DENY that God’s Son existed since creation and was God’s Agent through whom He created all things. They offer three contradictory arguments in their attempts to explain away John 1:3,10 and Col. 1:16. But each argument uses either faulty logic or impossible interpretations of the Greek grammar, and each falsifies the others. These are: Go to: BBI II-C #1 Yahweh’s “Messenger,” the “Image of the Invisible God”
In Colossians 1:14-20, Paul revealed the “Hidden Wisdom” (of 1 Cor. 2:6-10) by placing the Son of God Himself within the context of Proverbs 8:22-31, claiming that Jesus was “the first-produced of all creation” and is called “the Beginning” (as stated in Prov. 8:22-25) and was God’s Agent through whom He created all things (as stated in Prov. 8:30). In the same passage Paul went on to claim that the Son, through whom God created…
Not only did Paul refer to Jesus as “the Wisdom of God” and the “hidden Wisdom,” but Luke, Paul’s companion, called Jesus “the Wisdom of God” in his Gospel. Luke’s Christology comes from Paul. In all three synoptic Gospel accounts of Jesus’ baptism, the Father declared from heaven that His Son was “Wisdom” of Proverbs 8:22-31 & Prov. 30:4. Thus all of the Gospel accounts have preexistence language concerning Christ, identifying Him as God’s Agent…
Proverbs begins by telling the reader to decipher a riddle, the “hidden Wisdom” concealed by God behind what at first appears to be just a “personification” of one of God’s attributes. Yahweh has always possessed his own “wisdom,” yet this at the “beginning” of creation week, this “hidden Wisdom” was “acquired,” “founded,” and “begotten” by Yahweh as “the Beginning” of His works. “Wisdom” then claims to have been God’s protege and agent in the creation…
In the Bereans Bible Institute Module 2-A we used the Genesis creation account as the springboard to discuss John’s Gospel because John introduced Jesus as God’s Agent in creation “in the Beginning.” Now in Module 2-B we will use Solomon’s creation account (Proverbs 8:22-31 & Proverbs 30:1-4) as the springboard to discuss Paul’s letters, and how he portrayed “Wisdom” as both God’s agent in creation and the one who was crucified. The first lesson deals…
Isaiah 9:6-7 NRSV 6 For a child has been born for us, a son given to us; authority rests upon his shoulders; and he is named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 His authority shall grow continually, and there shall be endless peace for the throne of David and his kingdom. He will establish and uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time onward and forevermore. The zeal of…
For the last several lessons we have been looking at the language in John’s Gospel about the pre-human existence of God’s Son, which is a major theme running throughout the entire book. Socinian Unitarians, who deny the pre-human existence of the Son of God, use exegetical gymnastics to deny the literal understanding of all of these passages. Yet, in chapters 16 & 17 the writer made it perfectly clear that all of this preexistence language,…
The genuine Christian Faith was founded, expounded, and demonstrated by the Son of God who was and is “the image of the invisible God,”[1] perfectly reflecting the character and purposes of God. The Apostles then mirrored “the mind of Christ,”[2] having been “conformed to the image of [God’s] Son.”[3] They parroted Jesus’ teachings and followed His example of submission to God’s stated purposes and His self-sacrifice. The Apostles were secondary reflections of God’s purposes and…
Since 1947-48, when the modern state of Israel was established by the United Nations, there has been a continuous stream of conflict and violence against Israel by its neighbors. The Six-Day War in 1967 is considered by both Jews and Christians as divine intervention. Against enormous odds, Israel deflected the simultaneous attacks from the surrounding nations, defeated them decisively in six days, and recaptured Jerusalem and especially the Temple Mount which had been denied her…
The eighth chapter of John’s Gospel continues to develop the idea of the pre-human existence of the Son of God. In this chapter Jesus claimed to have come “from above,” the very place where He was about to return. He claimed to be “the Beginning,” the title given to “Wisdom” in Proverbs 8:22, and that He “issued forth out of God,” terminology which refers to the “begetting” of Wisdom in Proverbs 8:24-25. These statements reach…
In John 6, Jesus stated more than once that He came down from heaven. He compared Himself to the manna which God provided for Israel in the wilderness. The difference was that the manna from heaven sustained the Israelites temporal lives, but Jesus provides immortality. Trinitarians have no real difficulties in this chapter. However, Unitarians who deny that the Son of God existed before His birth from Mary have plenty of difficulties in this chapter….
At sundown this evening begins Rosh Hashanah, Hebrew for “Head of the Year,” also known as the “Feast of Trumpets.” This is the anniversary of the first day of creation week. The Son of God was begotten out from God’s own being (the only-begotten from the Father – Jn. 1:14). This “beginning” event began day one of creation week. God’s Son is “the first-produced of all creation” (Col. 1:15), “The Beginning” and “before all things”…
There are several statements in the New Testament which flatly contradict the Trinitarian claim that Jesus was “co-equal” and “co-eternal” with the Father. Scripture indicates that God performed all of Jesus’ miracles through Him. Jesus had no inherent power or “divine nature” as the source of His miracles. He stated plainly that He was powerless to perform even one thing. He also stated that His Apostles would do the same and more miracles once the…
I am 100% convinced that the earth is slightly less than 6,000 years old. Most Evangelical Christians are also “Young-Earth Creationists,” and take the Genesis creation account literally, as well as the chronological data in the Bible, all of which requires this view. However, Young-Earth Creation ministries often use a particular argument from Romans 5 & 8 in order to counter “Old-Earth Creationists” who claim that the earth itself is billions of years old, some…
In chapter 3 of his Gospel, John went on to support his previous statements about Logos (Word) being “in the beginning with God” (Jn. 1:2) by quoting Jesus’ statement to Nicodemus about testifying to “heavenly things” (Jn. 3:9-12). He then added his own commentary, explaining that the same Son of Man who ascended to heaven previously descended from heaven, thus being an eyewitness to “heavenly things” (Jn. 3:13). He followed this with a quote from…
The prologue to John’s Gospel closes with a claim that all personal appearances of “God” in the Old Testament were actually His Son, His personal Agent. John 1:18 (LGV) “Never before has anyone seen God. The Only-Begotten Son, the one being unto the Father’s bosom, that one declared Him.” This summary statement was intended to amplify what was stated in verse 10, that the same one through whom all things originated also interacted with man…
In John 1:1-5 the apostle wrote of Jesus’ preexistence by claiming that He was “in the beginning,” that He was “with God” (external to God), but that He “was God” (using the personal noun “Theos” which always refers to a personal being). In verse 2 He repeated that He was “in the beginning with God.” In verse 3 John stated that everything that exists originated through Him, and nothing originated without Him. In the fourth…
In John 1:14, the clause, “And the Word became flesh” does not work in either a Trinitarian or Biblical Unitarian model. The meaning of the verb “ginomai” (became) in a predicate nominative construction requires that one person or thing that has a concrete and tangible existence is transformed into something or someone different with a concrete and tangible existence — a complete change in ontological nature, a new beginning as something different. Also, the word…
In episode 7 of this series, we take a close look at John 1:12-14. Verse 13 contains a textual variant which most Christians are not familiar with. The common versions translate this verse as if it referred to Christians, “who were begotten (plural) … out of God.” However, three lines of evidence point to the singular reading, “who was begotten (singular) … out of God,” meaning the “Logos” who afterward “became flesh and dwelled among…
In the context of John 1:10-12, the pronouns (“Him” / “His”) refer to Jesus, the one we must “receive” and “believe in His name.” Yet, these pronouns require an antecedent noun as a referent which is the same gender and number (masculine, singular) as the pronouns. The only possible singular, masculine noun which can be the antecedent for these pronouns is the noun “Logos” (Word) in verse 1. This requires that “Logos” was a personal…
Tonight is PASSOVER, the most awesome time of the year! It was on this night 1993 years ago that Jesus shared His last Passover with His disciples, knowing full well that in the morning He would be hanging on a cross, finishing the work that His Father sent Him here to do. Unfortunately, the Roman church sought to distance Christianity from all things Jewish, abandoning both the Feasts and the Sabbath. Most Christians do not…
In lesson 5 we dig into the Greek text of John 1:3-4. This text was quoted quite differently by the early Christian writers from how it is translated in most of our modern Bibles. The punctuation in all of the critical printed editions of the Greek text of this passage is also ignored in most English versions. When we punctuate these verses as in the printed Greek texts and as quoted by the early Chrsitians,…
John’s prologue was intended to reveal what is rather vague in the Genesis creation account. In this lesson we dissect the Greek grammar of the four clauses contained in John 1:1-2 and answer the question: “Who or what is the ‘Word’ (Logos) in John’s prologue?” Is it the name of a Person as in Trinitarianism? Is it the “words” (commands) “Let there be …” in Genesis 1? Is it an abstract “Plan” in God’s mind?…