Galileo Galilei (1564-1642), Italian philosopher, mathematician, physicist, mechanic and astronomer, said: “The Holy Scriptures cannot in any way speak a lie or be mistaken; his sayings are absolute and inviolably true.” We have collected the opinions of ministers about whether they agree that the Bible does not err or is free from contradictions.
Don Landis, pastor (USA)
Don Landis, founder and president of Jackson Holly Bible College, co-founder and chairman of the board of directors of the Answers in Genesis ministry, pastor of Community Bible Church in Jackson, Wyoming, USA.
“The Bible contains the truth” is a flawed opinion. Of course, the Bible contains truth, but this statement is not exhaustive. The Bible is the truth!
Jesus Christ clearly said: “Your word is truth” (John 17:17). His words are repeated in Psalm 119:160: “The foundation of Your word is true.” God, not us, determines what truth is. And God declared what is true - the Bible. Every word and every thought is written under the inspiration of God. In theology we call this verbal or complete inspiration. Every word is “inspired” (breathed in by God), not just the thoughts behind those words (“verbal” inspiration). And all words are inspired, not just those that we like (“full” inspiration). As a result of inspiration, the Bible is inerrant (without mistakes) and inerrant (incapable of containing errors). It is absolutely true about everything it teaches.
Let's think about the consequences for a Christian who opens the Bible and reads its text.
If the Bible "contains" the truth, and if the truth is determined by some criteria based on personal human experience, then that person must seek the truth for himself. He must seek out and choose what is true. During this process he must rely on his own ability to recognize the truth, despite the fact that man's heart, mind and emotions are corrupt and flawed.
On the other hand, if a person opens the Bible with the belief that everything in it is true, then he does not need to think about “what is truth?” He believes the whole Bible to be true and on this solid basis he is ready to hear everything that the Lord has for him, as the Spirit of God leads him to the truth (John 16:13).
Do you understand what I am talking about? If we do not open the Bible with a correct understanding of its verbal and complete inspiration, then the authority of Scripture is destroyed. We are then forced to be the ones who recognize, decide, or choose what is true. The rest of the Word is sent to the cutting room and simply rejected or ignored.
If we do not accept or believe that the entire Bible is given by God, what is the basis of its authority? If we decide for ourselves what the truth is, then God's Word has no authority at all. We are our own authority. Unobvious mistake? Yes. But such an opinion occupies a dominant position in the Church today. I think this widespread idea is simply pandemic in nature.
Christians must believe in the authority of Scripture—all Scripture: “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16).
This approach to understanding Scripture allowed our Lord and Savior to speak as “one who has authority” (Matt. 7:29). We must have the same approach as we go through life sharing and helping others with the good news. Our words will only have power if we affirm that “God’s Word is the truth!”
Sergei Sannikov, pastor, doctor of theology, historian of Christianity from Ukraine, cites as an example the testimony of Jesus Christ himself about the inerrancy of Scripture: “The Lord said: “Everything must be fulfilled that was written about Me in the law of Moses and in the prophets and in the psalms” (Lk. 24:44) and “...the Scripture cannot be broken” (John 10:35). With what sadness He looked at the disciples who did not trust the Holy Scriptures enough: “O foolish ones and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken!” (Luke 24:25).
Christ insisted on the inerrancy of Scripture: “Truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass, not one jot or one tittle will pass from the law, until all is fulfilled” (Matt. 5:18). Jesus never pointed out the errors in the scriptures. Of course, if they were, if in the Old Testament the truth was hidden in the shell of myths and legends, as modern Christian rationalists believe, then Christ would undoubtedly have warned His followers about this.
Much of what Christ and His disciples said has already been fulfilled. The part is being performed before our eyes. Christ pointed to the descent of the Holy Spirit and His function: to guide into all truth and reveal what is to come. In this way, Jesus provided the inspiration of the New Testament. Thus Christ guaranteed the truth of the Holy Scriptures.
Can you trust Jesus Christ? It's certainly possible. We believe Him not only because we know Him as the Son of God and God Himself, but also because no one to this day has been able to convict Him of lying.”
He attacks the truth of the Bible in 4 key phrases:
- “The Bible is only a brilliant human creation” (erasing the Word of God from the Bible);
- “The Truth Is Not Only in the Bible” (adding to the Word);
- “Not all the Bible is true” (diminution of the Word);
- “As I understand it!” (distortion of the Word).
Vladimir Kartaev, teacher, missionary in Egypt
The entire Bible, of course, is God's true revelation. But this does not mean that every statement in the Bible is true. The Bible contains the words of lying people, the words of the devil, etc. For example, Job's friends spoke incorrectly about God. Much of what they said is not the truth, although their words are recorded in the Bible. As for Christ and Paul, I personally do not see any contradictions in their words. Christ agrees with Paul, and Paul agrees with Christ.
The same people who pit Christ and Paul against each other usually choose one of two tactics:
1. Not everything that Jesus said is relevant, since He taught before the cross, and, therefore, under the Old Testament. Therefore, we must consider the words of Christ in the light of the New Testament revelation, most fully revealed in the letters of Paul.
2. The controlling revelation is Christ himself, so Paul's words must be seen in the light of Christ. Some are even willing to subject Paul's words to revision based on their often limited understanding of Christ. The problem with the first view is that Christ himself, in the Great Commission, commanded the disciples to teach all nations EVERYTHING that He taught them (Matt. 28:19-20).
It is obvious that the teachings of Jesus are relevant to the Church. The problem with the second view is that Paul's letters are doctrinal in nature. It seems that Paul himself considered his letters to be normative for the Church (2 Thess. 3:14). If Paul's letters contain errors in matters of faith and practice, what guarantee do we have that the apostle correctly interpreted Jesus, His cross, justification, salvation, etc. for us? Overall, I think this is a very slippery slope. In fact, such a contrast between Christ and Paul is an attempt to reduce biblical revelation to the dimensions of a theology convenient for us: when Jesus is not convenient, we look at Paul, and when Paul is not convenient, we look at Jesus.
Jesus prays to God the Father with these words: “Your word is truth.” So the Word of God is the truth.
We need to be very clear about what Jesus meant by the Word of God. And again we must turn to His own words. The New Testament records Jesus quoting the words from the Book of Psalms: “I said, “You are gods...”.” This is how He commented on these words in John 10:35: “If He called them gods to whom the word of God came, the Scripture cannot be broken.”
We will not consider all sides of these words, but will pay attention to the fact that, as is clearly evident from these words of Jesus, for Him the word of God and Scripture are coinciding concepts. “He called those to whom the word of God came…” and “the Scripture cannot be broken...” This tells us two very important things: firstly, God’s word is Scripture, and secondly, Scripture (or the Word of God ) cannot be violated - it is completely authoritative and absolutely reliable.
So, putting the two statements together, we see that Jesus is the truth, and at the same time, God's Word (Scripture) is the truth. And there is no contradiction in this. We need to understand, and this is of vital importance to us, that they always go in harmony. Jesus and Scripture are always in perfect harmony with each other. In fact, Jesus in the Bible is called "the Word" and "the Word of God" - and this is one of His greatest titles.
For example, this is what it says about Jesus in John 1:1-2: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. It was with God in the beginning.”
In the first verse of John's Gospel, Jesus is called the Word three times. Then, in the same chapter, the following is said about Jesus, John 1:14: “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth; and we have seen His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father.”
So Jesus is the Word. Then, at the very end of the New Testament, in its last book, we have a prophetic description of the return of Jesus in glory and power at the end of this age. Here's how the apostle John describes it in Revelation 19:11-13:
“And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse, and he who sat on it was called Faithful and True, Who judges righteously and makes war. His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on His head are many crowns; He had a name written, which no one knew except Himself; He was dressed in clothes stained with blood. His name is: the Word of God.”
Here He is - the Word of God! So Scripture is the Word of God, Jesus is the Word of God. Interestingly, it says that no one knows His name except Himself. In other words, another truth is shown here, that only Jesus fully understands the Word of God. It is in perfect harmony and agreement with Scripture. He is the interpretation of the Word. He is the fulfillment of the Word. He is the answer. He is in complete agreement with Scripture.
Let me point out one interesting detail. Almost all of these scriptures that we used to answer the question of what truth is, including the scripture where this question actually came from - all these passages were taken from the records of one person - the Apostle John. Once you begin your own study of the topic of truth, you will be surprised that you will almost constantly have to turn to the writings of the Apostle John. This is one of John's great themes.
In this regard, I again feel close to him, because for many years the question is - what is truth? - was my question. And what a joy it is to find in the Apostle John that man who has the same thirst for the truth and finds the same answer.
Anatoly Denisenko, theologian, teacher (Ukraine)
Anatoly Denisenko, Master of Philosophy, Master of Theology, candidate for a candidate's degree at the National Pedagogical University named after M.P. Dragomanova, Kyiv:
Indeed, the entire Bible is true, where by truth I mean truthfulness, inspiration, authority and inerrancy. But it should be noted that by truthfulness I mean literalness, by inspiration - dictation, by authority - detailed instructions, and by infallibility - the absence of errors in matters of history, geography or science.
The best example that helps show the truth of the Bible is a parable. Almost each of us remembers the parables used by the Old Testament prophets and Jesus. What was the parable? A parable is a story in which the central existential (not changing over time) thought is dressed in the details of changing everyday life. What I mean? Take, for example, the parable of the ten virgins (five of whom were foolish) described in Matthew 25:1-13. The central idea here is that in the “last days” there will be “foolish virgins” - carefree people who, knowing that they need to appear at the Judgment of God, will do nothing to prepare for the coming of our Savior and Lord Jesus Christ.
I call the details of changing everyday life the clothes in which the main idea is dressed: virgins, olive tree, feast, lamps, and the like. Details are things inherent in the world in which the person telling the parable lives. They have a changeable (transitional) nature, since eras change, time passes, and, consequently, details change.
For example, in the parable of the prodigal son (Luke 15), we remember how the younger son herds pigs, how the father gives orders to his slaves and gives a ring to the hand of his “newly converted son”, another son (the eldest) works in the field, a calf is slaughtered during a banquet , And so on. We see that even though these small details are no longer relevant in the 21st century, where in the era of urbanization, most people live in cities rather than villages, do not own slaves and have no idea what it means when the father gives the ring to his son, the parable, nevertheless, has an unchanged existential meaning - God, as a loving Father, accepts a sinner who repents, admitting his guilt.
Therefore, my conclusion is this: the Bible is true, but it is true in the same sense in which a parable is true. For us, the main thing is, first of all, an unchanging idea, while details that become outdated over time or even contain an error are not so important from the point of view of a person who already perceives history, science, geography differently than an ancient person. The Bible is not an encyclopedia, the purpose of which is to answer in detail all the questions of mankind. This is a guide that guides and helps you not go astray.
The books of Holy Scripture were written in different eras by different people. Their author is an imperfect man who had inspiration from God. Therefore, we are dealing with double authorship: the cooperation of God and man. God did not dictate, he gave ideas, and the author framed these ideas in the terms and plots of his time. Thus Moses and other men who worked on the Torah clothed the idea of monotheism in the garb of Mesopotamian legends and myths. Because they were the ones that were at hand, they were known, they were quoted, they were retold, they were lived by. But that is another topic.
George Ladd
The biblical view in terms of salvation history or redemptive history creates two difficulties for the modern thinker. First, is it possible for history to contain the revelation of God? Plato spoke of the kingdom of time and space as something changeable and impermanent. History, by definition, contains an element of relativity, partiality, caprice, arbitrariness, while revelation must be universal, absolute, final. History has sometimes been called "the abyss that swallowed Christianity against its will."
How can one cognize Infinity through the finite, the Eternal through the temporary, the Absolute through the relativity of history? From a human point of view this seems impossible; but perhaps this is where the greatest miracle of biblical faith lies. The Living God, Eternal and Unchangeable, gave people knowledge of Himself in the changing and impermanent stream of historical experience. Such is the most difficult aspect of the Christian faith to understand.
To liberals past and present (for example, in the person of Rudolf Bultmann) it seems incredible that God could act in history in the way described in the New Testament. According to Bultmann, “mythology” includes not only ideas about God and His deeds, but also the deeds of God revealed in world history. He believes that we should speak of God as acting only in the sense that He acts through me here and now. For Bultmann, the history of salvation, in the sense we have indicated, does not exist by definition, so he tried to reinterpret the meaning of the redemptive activity of God in the light of personal human experience. However, in doing so he sacrificed the very Good News that proclaims redemptive history, the ultimate goal of which is Christ. The problem here is not the nature of history, but the nature of God.
There is another difficulty. In the Bible we can clearly see how in one particular historical stream the redemptive work of God is manifested in a way that has never been manifested anywhere in the history of the world. Moreover, Scripture also indicates that sometimes God's acts in history go beyond the scope of ordinary historical experience.
This is easier to understand if we briefly analyze the nature of “history.” The laity regards it as the totality of past events; but even without much thought it is clear that vast areas of past human experience remain hidden from us. There is no history if there are no documents - records of past events. But at the same time, ancient records in themselves do not constitute “history.” The works of Herodotus are a kind of history, but they contain a lot of absurdities, fiction and errors. “History,” therefore, must be understood as the reconstruction of past events by a modern historian who takes a critical approach to the interpretation of ancient documents. In such a reconstruction, a critical approach is the main commandment. If you read from ancient Greek writers about how the gods acted among people, you treat it not as history, but as mythology.
Many historians believe that the same critical approach should be taken to biblical history. However, this only makes the task more difficult. In the Bible, God is often represented as acting through “ordinary” historical events. Israel's enslavement by Babylon and its subsequent return to Palestine were "ordinary" historical events. God used the Chaldeans to defeat His chosen people and drive them out of the Promised Land; but this was not a divine judgment. He also used Cyrus, His “anointed one” (Isa. 45:1), to bring His people back to their homeland. On such occasions, God was active in history to fulfill the purpose of redeeming the people of Israel. This particular stream of history has a special meaning that distinguishes it from all other streams of history. The eyes of faith are able to discern the work of God in historical events.
But often the activity of God appears as something unusual. Sometimes revelation takes on such a character that modern secular historians call it ahistorical. God, who reveals Himself in redemptive history, is the Lord of creation and the Lord of history, therefore, He can not only influence the course of ordinary historical events, but also perform acts of intrinsic value, going beyond the boundaries of ordinary historical experience.
The most striking example of this is the resurrection of Christ. From the point of view of scientific historical criticism, the resurrection cannot be "historical" because it could not have been caused by any other historical event and has no analogues. God, and only God, is the cause of the resurrection. Therefore, this event has no cause-and-effect relationships with other historical events. Moreover, nothing like this has ever happened anywhere else. The resurrection of Christ is not the resurrection of the dead, but the emergence of a new order of life - the life of resurrection. If the biblical record is accurate, the resurrection of Christ cannot be explained “historically” or compared to anything. Indeed, the very challenge that this event poses to scientific historical criticism may serve as something of a proof by contradiction in favor of its supernatural character.
The essence of the problem is theological. Is such a supposedly supernatural event consistent with the character and design of God Himself as He revealed Himself in sacred history? Is history as such the measure of all things, or is the Living God truly the Lord of history? The Bible's answers to these questions leave no room for doubt. The Lord of history is superior to history, but He is not alien to it. Therefore, He can carry out authentic acts in time and space, which are nevertheless “supra-historical” in nature. This only means that such events of revelation are caused not by history, but by the Lord of history, who is above it, but acts in it for the redemption of historical creatures. The redemption of history can come from outside - from God Himself. This does not mean that we should not use the historical method to study the Bible. This means that sometimes God performs acts that in their nature go beyond the scope of the historical method, and the historian cannot say anything about them.
Ladd D.
Theology of the New Testament: Trans. from English - St. Petersburg: Christian Society “Bible for Everyone”, 2003. - 800 p.
Biblical evidence regarding
God, Trinity, Jesus Christ,
human soul, hell and the path of salvation
Bible Truth
Christ said: "YE KNOW THE TRUTH, AND THE TRUTH SHALL MAKE YOU FREE... I AM THE WAY, AND THE TRUTH, AND THE LIFE" (John 8:32 and 14:6).
Therefore, Christ is the Truth, and His word is the true message to man.
There is only one book of God in the world - the Bible. It has been translated into Russian from two ancient languages. The Old Testament is from Hebrew, and the New Testament is from Greek. Therefore, it is important for us to learn some of their expressions in order to know the truth about God, Christ and man.
1. Name of God
First of all, we will define the names of God. The Bible does not teach at all that God is a single threefold person. But it teaches that there is one God in three persons. The name God comes from the Hebrew word Elohim, meaning the plural, or Trinity. It is used about 2,500 times in the Bible.
Let us look at several Bible texts regarding this truth.
“AND GOD (ELOHIM) SAID, LET US CREATE MAN IN OUR IMAGE, IN OUR LIKENESS” (Gen.1:26).
“AND THE LORD GOD (JEHOVAH-ELOHIM) SAID: BEHOLD ADAM HAS BEEN LIKE ONE OF US” (Gen. 3:22).
“Let us go down and confuse their language there” (Gen. 11:7).
"...WHO SHOULD I SEND AND WHO WILL GO FOR US?" (Isaiah 6:8).
Currently, a very popular name for God is taken from the Hebrew language - “Jehovah”. Translated into our language - Lord or Jehovah.
In the book of Exodus 3:14 we read: “I am seven.” And in Hebrew - Jehovah, and means: I always am, without beginning or end.
It is also important to know that God did not immediately reveal himself to man with different names, but gradually, as he needed.
In the beginning God declared to Adam his first name Elohim, or God in three persons, as Creator and Maker. But already in the second chapter, in the fourth verse, a combination of two names Jehovah-Elohim appears. Translated into our language - Lord God.
The name Jehovah appears here as a divinely redeeming name. When sin entered the world and atonement was needed, then God came to man as Jehovah Elohim, or the Lord God. And in connection with the redemption of man, the name Jehovah has seven corresponding names, which supply all the needs of man from the time of his fall until his redemption.
All these names are also names of Jesus Christ.
1) JEHOVAH-JIREH. “On the mountain of Jehovah it will be provided,” or the Lord will provide a sacrifice for Himself. Gen. 22:13-14. Compare in relation to Christ - Rom.8:32.
2) JEHOVAH-RAPHE. “I am the Lord your healer” Exodus 15:26. Christ was also a healer. Luke 4:18.
3) JEHOVAH-NESSIE. "The Lord is my banner" Exodus 17:8-15. It means “The Lord is my victory.” Christ the Redeemer - victory over the devil. 1 Peter 1:18.
4) JEHOVAH-SHELOM. "Lord peace." Judges 6:24. Compare about Christ: “He is our peace.” Eph.2:14.
5) JEHOVAH-RAA. "The Lord is my Shepherd." Ps.23:1. Christ said that He is the good Shepherd. John 10:11.
6) JEHOVAH-TSIDKENU. “The Lord is my justification” Jer. 23:6. And Christ is our justification. Rom.5:1,18.
7) JEHOVAH-SHEMAI. "The Lord is there." Ezek.48:35. Compare about Christ - Mat.18:20; 28:20.
2. Is Christ God?
Let Scripture itself speak for Him.
1) He is the same Jehovah. John 8:58. - "I am". He does not say “I was,” but “I am,” that is, “I exist.” "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever." Hebrews 13:8.
2) He is one of the Trinity, in Hebrew Elohim or Creator. Col. 1:16.
3) He is "Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end." Rev.1:8.
4) He is Almighty - “Almighty”, “Mighty God”. Rev.1:8; Isa.9:6.
5) The Apostle John presents Him as “true God.” 1 John 5:20; John 1:1.
6) Thomas calls Him God. John 20:28.
7) The Apostle Paul calls Him God. 1 Timothy 3:16. Phil.2:6.
8) Mary calls Him God. Luke 1:47.
9) God the Father calls Him God. Hebrews 1:8 compare with Ps.44:7.
10) King David, by inspiration, calls Christ Lord. Ps.109:1. (Hebrew: “Jehovah said to Jehovah”).
11) The prophet Isaiah calls Christ God. "God is mighty." 9:6.
12) The Evangelist Matthew calls Him God. 1:23 - "Immanuel - God is with us."
13) The Lord Jesus presents Himself to Satan as God. Mat.4:7. (The Pharisees condemned Him because He considered Himself God.)
Other proofs that He is God:
1) He accepts the worship that belongs to God alone. Mat.14:33. Compare with Rev. 22:8-9 and Acts 10:25-26.
2) He forgives sins. Map.2:5-11. Only God can forgive sins.
3) He holds everything. Hebrews 1:3. Only God can do this.
4) He has all authority in heaven and on earth. Mat.28:18. This also belongs only to God.
5) He walked on the waves. Mat.14:26.
6) He calmed storms and waves. Luke 8:22-25.
7) He healed the sick and raised the dead in His name. Luke 5:18-25.
8) Had the power to cast out demons. Mark.1:23-27 and Luke 8:27-39.
9) He performed many miracles that only God can perform.
3. The Holy Spirit is a person and the third person of the Trinity
1) He hovered over the water as a person. Gen.1:2.
2) The Holy Spirit took part in the creation of the world and man. Job. 33:4. “LET CREATE man” (Gen. 1:27).
3) The Holy Spirit carried the prophet by the hair. Ezek.8:3.
4) He descended as a person onto Christ. Mat.3:16.
5) Christ said that sin against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. Mat.13:31.
6) The Holy Spirit speaks. Only the individual can speak. Map.13:11.
7) The Holy Spirit teaches believers. Only the individual can teach. Luke 12:12.
8) The Holy Spirit was sent. Only a person can be sent. John 14:17, 26.
9) The Holy Spirit instructs, speaks, glorifies, proclaims, takes - and does all this as a person.
10) The Holy Spirit bears witness. Acts 5:32.
11) He speaks to Philip. Acts 8:39.
12) The Holy Spirit speaks to Peter. Acts 10:19.
13) He participates in the resurrection of Christ. Rom.8:11.
14) He strengthens the believers and makes intercession for them. Rom.8:26.
15) The Holy Spirit dwells in a person’s heart. 1 Corinthians 3:16.
16) Everyone is baptized in the name of the Holy Spirit. Mat.28:29. There is much more evidence in Scripture regarding the person of the Holy Spirit, but this is enough to believe the truth.
4. Definition of the soul according to Scripture
The Bible has four definitions regarding the soul. This stems from the lack of necessary words in each language. Therefore, the same word often defines several things. The same is true with the word soul.
1) Soul as a personality. “All the souls that came with Jacob... were sixty and six” (Gen. 46:26). "According to the number of souls..." Exodus 16:16. "In seventy souls..." Deut.10:22.
2) The soul is like life. “For all who sought your life (life) are dead” Exodus 4:19. “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life (life) for his friends.” John 15:13.
3) The soul is in the blood. Lev.17:11. But here God says about animals that their soul is in the blood - in the blood, and not the blood itself. It says here: “every body,” and man is not only a body, but he is also an inner spiritual personality. 2 Corinthians 4:16. Flesh and blood will not inherit the Kingdom of God. 1 Corinthians 15:50.
4) Soul - the inner spiritual man. “But if our outer man decays (the body), then the inner man is renewed day by day,” that is, the soul or spirit. 2 Corinthians 4:16.
Man is an inner spiritual personality living in the body. 2 Corinthians 5:6.
Nobody can kill the inner spiritual man when they kill the body, because he is eternal, immortal.
5. Man consists of three parts: spirit, soul and body (1 Thess. 5:23)
The body is an earthly house (2 Cor. 5:1-9); the spirit is our inner man (2 Cor. 4:6), and the soul is life abiding in the spirit, from which it is never separated. Therefore, the Scriptures often say the same thing. And when the spirit of a person, or this inner man, leaves the body, then the soul (life) goes with him, and the body dies or falls asleep until the day of his resurrection, as the Scripture says.
When we (spirit and soul) leave the body (2 Cor. 5:8), then being without a body, we still live. In Rev. 6:9 we read about those who were killed, their blood was shed, but they themselves were in heaven with the Lord.
We read the same thing about unsaved people - Is. 14:9-10 - that they, having been killed in body, found themselves in hell in spirit; there they had knowledge, understanding and talked.
We also read about Moses that he died and was buried. Deut.34:5-6. But he himself, as a spiritual person, was alive and walked with Christ on the Mount of Transfiguration. Matthew 17:1-3.
Christ said that God is not the God of the dead, but of the living, for with Him all are alive. Mat.22:32; Luke 20:38.
6. Creation of man
Man is created and born by God's Spirit. His body was masterfully created from the dust of the ground (Gen. 2:7), and his spirit and soul, this inner man came from the Spirit of God. 2 Corinthians 5:5. It is said that God breathed into the face the breath of life. Gen.2:7. He breathed in that breath of life that He Himself possesses. Job 32:8; 33:4; Zechariah 12:1. Therefore, He is our Father, the Father of our spirit. Hebrews 12:9. He is the Father only of humans, not of animals. For the animal world, He is the Creator.
It should be noted that only one who gave birth to or identified a person similar to him can be a father. So God the Father gave us His spirit. 2 Corinthians 5:5. And we have become His image and likeness in spirit, since He has no body. God is Spirit, or Spiritual Person. John 4:24.
And this spirit is our spiritual personality. 2 Corinthians 4:16. And therefore we have the same spiritual manifestations that God’s Spirit has, that is, the ability to think, speak, manifest will, conscience and love. The animal world does not have such qualities, since they do not have a spirit, they are only bodily beings.
God also has a soul, like us, or eternal life in His Spirit, or in a spiritual Person, although He does not have a body. Lev.26:11.
7. Our spirit and soul leave the body during physical death.
Evidence: Gen. 35:18. When Jacob's wife died, her soul left her body.
When Stephen was stoned, his spirit left his body. Acts 7:59.
When Jesus Christ died on the cross, His spirit left the body. Luke 23:46. And with this Spirit he descended into the underworld and there he testified to the spirits, who once died in the body but lived in the spirit. 1 Peter 3:18-20.
Moses died in body (Deut. 34:5-6), but lived in spirit (Matt. 17:3).
Peter knew that he must soon leave the bodily temple and leave the body. 2 Peter 1:13-15.
Paul chose to leave his body and be with the Lord. Phil.1:23; 2 Corinthians 5:8.
James also wrote that the spirit leaves the body at the time of bodily death. James 2:26.
Solomon says that when a person dies, his body returns to the dust from which it was taken, and his spirit returns to God, for it came from Him. Ecc.12:7.
When Christ resurrected the girl, her soul returned back to her body. Luke 8:55.
And when Elijah resurrected the boy, his soul returned to his body. 1 Kings 17:21-22.
When the rich man died and was buried with his body, his spirit, or inner man, which is the SOUL, found himself in HELL. Luke 16:19.
Please note that this is not a parable, as some teach, but an actual incident. Christ says: “There was a rich man.” Therefore, this was so. When Christ spoke a parable, there was this note everywhere:
“He spoke another parable,” or: “The kingdom of heaven is likewise...”
8. The existence of hell
The Word of God warns saying: “There were false prophets, and you will have false teachers, who will introduce destructive heresies and, denying the Lord who bought them, will bring upon themselves swift destruction. And many will follow their depravity, and through them the way of truth will be reproached” (2 Pet. .2:1-2). “...which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, even as they do the rest of the Scriptures” (2 Pet. 3:16b).
At present, there are many such teachers who, not knowing completely the Hebrew and Greek languages, use some of their expressions in order to gain more followers for themselves. They say that the word HELL comes from the Hebrew expression "SHEOL" and from the Greek word "HADES", which means grave. And therefore, there is no HELL, there is only a grave where a person goes with body and soul and that’s the end. And therefore we want to check, although on the basis of the Greek original, this is a false teaching.
1. GRAVE. In Greek the grave is called "MENEMA" and not "HADES". In the following verses we see this truth:
1) Mat.8:28 - ...He was met by two demoniacs who came out of the TOFFENS (in Greek "TON MNEMEION"). I use the New Testament by Ebergart Nestle.
2) Mat.23:27 - “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for you are like whitewashed TOMBERS...” (in Greek “TAFOIS”). In Russian, a grave carved into a rock is often called a coffin. And the Greek language has two expressions: "MNEMA" and "TAFOIS".
3) Mat.27:52 - “And the TOMBERS were opened; and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised,” in Greek - “TA MNEMEIA.”
4) Mat.27:60 - And he laid Him in a new TOMB, which he had hewn out of the rock..." (in Greek - "MNEMEIO").
5) Mat.27:61 - “And Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were there, sitting opposite the TOFFIN” (in Greek - “TOU TAFOU”).
6) Mat.27:64 - “Therefore command that the TOMB be guarded until the third day...” (In Greek “TATHON”).
7) Mat.27:66 - “They went and set a guard at the TOMB…” (Greek “TATHON”).
8) Mat.28:1 - “...Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the TOMB.” (Greek "TATHON"). So it is exactly in the next three Gospels, wherever it is said about the grave or the coffin, these two expressions “MENEMA and TAPHOS” are used everywhere, but nowhere and never - “HADES”.
WHEN THE WORD "HADES" IS USED IN THE WORD OF GOD
Always where we are talking about punishment and suffering after bodily death.
2) Mat.16:18 - "...and on this rock I will build My Church, and the gates of HELL (HADES) will not prevail against it."
3) Luke 16:23 - "And in HELL (HADES), being in torment, he lifted up his eyes..."
4) Acts. 2:31 - “He first said about the resurrection of Christ, that His soul was not left in HELL (HADES), and His flesh did not see corruption.” We read that when our Lord Jesus died on the cross, His body was buried in a TOMB (MNEMEIO), Mat.27:60, and He Himself, BY THE SPIRIT (soul), went “into the prison of the spirits” (HADES) and there “preached” ( 1 Peter 3:18-20), but did not stay there, but came out victoriously from there, defeating death and hell, and took away from Satan “the keys of HELL” (HADES) “and DEATH” (PHANATOU).
5) Rev.20:13 - “Then the sea gave up the dead (the bodies of the people) who were in it, and DEATH (PHANATOS) and HELL (HADES) gave up the dead who were in them...” During the resurrection of the dead, death ( FANATOS) will give up the body of a person, no matter where it is buried, in the sea or land, and HELL (HADES) will give up the spirit (soul), and the person united again with his body will stand before the judgment seat of Christ!
THE EXISTENCE OF HELL
All Scripture teaches that HELL (HADES) is a real place. The Lord himself clearly spoke and taught about this. Here is some evidence from the Word of God.
A) Mat.25:41 - “Then He will also say to those on the left hand: Depart from Me, you cursed, into ETERNAL FIRE, prepared for the devil and his angels” (his servants) .
B) Mat.25:46 - “And they will go into ETERNAL TORMENT (in Greek for eternal punishment - “KOLASIN AYONION”), but the righteous into eternal life.” If we admit, as some refuting teach, that these torments will not be eternal, then there is no eternal life. “Do not be deceived: God is not mocked. Whatever a man sows, that will he also reap” (Gal.6:7), “...it is not possible for God to lie...” says Scripture.
B) Mat.13:42,50 - “And they will be cast into a fiery furnace; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (in Greek TEN KAMInon TOU PUROS), as in the Russian translation. If we assume the opinion that everything only ends in the grave, then how about “there is weeping and gnashing of teeth?” After all, in the grave “... there is no work, no reflection, no knowledge, no wisdom” (Eccl. 9:10). Thinking, suffering and gnashing of teeth exist only in HELL. Luke 16:23.
D) The Apostle Paul himself believed and taught about the terrible consequences of the unsaved and those who do not obey the Gospel of salvation: “In flaming fire he takes vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ” (literally in Greek - “EN PURI PHLOGOS.” 2 Thess. 1: 8).
E) Jesus Christ, speaking about the rich man (Luke 16:19-31), said the following: “And in HELL, (HADES) being in torment...” (in Greek, “TO hades Uparchon en basanois”).
E) In Rev. 20:15 we read that after the resurrection of all the unsaved and the Last Judgment, people will be thrown into the lake of fire (in Greek “TEN LIMNEN TOU PUROS” - literally - into the lake of fire). Isa.14.
G) We read from the prophet Isaiah that unsaved people go to the grave with their bodies (MENA), and they themselves, as a spiritual person, go to HELL (HADES SHEOL).
In the second resurrection of all the unsaved and the Last Judgment, all those who did not believe in the Gospel and did not accept Christ as their Savior await the “lake of fire” (Rev. 20:15). And they will have no rest day or night - Rev.14:9-11. This is not a parable or an allegory.
The opinion that God cannot send his children into the lake of fire is absolutely correct. But we must remember that not all people are children of God, the majority are “children of the devil” (John 8:44). The Word of God says: “Whoever commits sin is of the devil...” (1 John 3:8).
According to the Scripture, those children of God “who received Him” into their lives and hearts - John 1:12, and who were “born of water and the Spirit” - John 3:5, who repented and believed in the Gospel - Mark.1 :15; Acts 2:38. God will never throw such people into hell, but only the servants of sin and the devil. If HELL did not exist at all, then the Lord Jesus Christ would not have had to come to earth and die on the cross.
9. The bodily resurrection of Christ
Christ rose bodily and gave the disciples the opportunity to test their legs, arms and ribs. Luke 24:39-44.
Thomas even allowed him to put his fingers into the wounds from the nails. John 20:27.
Christ reproached His disciples for not believing in His bodily resurrection. Map.16:14.
All have sinned and are lost. Rom.3:23-24. All are conceived and born in sin. Ps.50:7. And only Christ can save. 1 Timothy 1:15; Acts 4:12.
11. Who can be saved?
Everyone, without exception, can be saved, and this requires a person to:
Believe the Gospel and be baptized. Mark.16:15-16.
Accept by faith Christ as your Savior. John 1:12.
Go through the process of rebirth "of water and the Spirit." By “water” we must understand the Word of God. John 4:10,14; James 1:18; 1 Peter 1:23.
So that they do good, become rich in good deeds, be generous and sociable, laying up treasure for themselves, a good foundation for the future, in order to achieve eternal life(1 Timothy 6:18-19).
What is generosity? Give beyond your due. At first, you leave change in boxes at gas stations, for example. This is where it begins. And then you catch yourself thinking that you can truly bless someone financially.
laying up for yourself a treasure, a good foundation for the future, to achieve eternal life
Please note: people will lay up good treasure for themselves not in eternal life, when they go to heaven, but here on earth. But what treasure? Don't look for money, but for a job. Because work is righteous wealth, and money is unrighteous. Work that is useful to society, professional, skillful, brings profit. This is right. A person’s faith, his benefit, his efficiency is what will go to heaven as a good treasure for eternal life.
Money itself should not be an end in itself. Because this is self-interest, greed, mammon. The devil will always bring temptation to such a person, a temptation to give him a reason to fall for this money.
The Lord remembers us, blesses us, blesses the house of Israel, blesses the house of Aaron; He blesses those who fear the Lord, small and great. May the Lord give you more and more, you and your children. Blessed are you by the Lord who created heaven and earth. Heaven is heaven to the Lord, and He gave the earth to the sons of men.(Psalm 113:20-24).
God, as a loving Father, gave the earth to His sons, and not to sinners. It is clear that sinners captured the earth through deception and treachery. But God said to his sons: I give you the land, be fruitful and multiply, and populate the earth and have dominion over everything. We stocked ourselves with a guarantee from God, His desire for the land to come into our possession. So that we extend dominion wherever He directs.
It is not the dead who praise the Lord, nor all who go down to the grave; But we will bless the Lord from now on and forever. Hallelujah.(Psalm 113:25-26).
The Bible doesn't just call the physically dead dead. Those who are not born of the Spirit, but born of the flesh, Jesus calls dead. We praise the Lord because He gave us, the sons of men, the earth to possess. If you have secured the desire of God and know for sure that His will is such.
Once a couple came to me who could not have children. They had a certificate from doctors with a medical diagnosis about their childlessness. But they had a desire, like Abraham and Sarah. We began to work, speak the Word and not only speak, but also do. They began to believe, to write the names of the children. Now this couple has three children. Because this is God's desire.
Instruct a young man at the beginning of his path: he will not deviate from it when he is old.(Proverbs 22:6).
This means, in childhood, to set the child on the right path. Because in our country a young man is not considered a child. At the age of 16 it is too late to give instructions. Taught from childhood, a person will continue to follow this path in life. It is almost impossible to change it. But what, what should I instruct him on? In two things:
The rich dominates the poor, and the debtor becomes the slave of the lender.(Proverbs 22:7).
1. The poor will always be the slave of the rich. I have seen in America how 7-8 year old children from the Christian community study on their own: write something, study, no one forces them to study. They have a goal, aspiration. They are already thinking about their future profession. They care who they are and where they work. Because they have been taught the correct principles since childhood.
2. The debtor becomes a slave, a servant of the lender, creditor. Therefore, son, never take on debt.
But remember the Lord your God, for He gives you power to acquire wealth, so that you may fulfill His covenant, as now, which He swore to your fathers.(Deuteronomy 8:18).
A covenant is a promise. God promised something to the church, to His people. Certain concrete things on earth. In order to fulfill this covenant, God gives the power to acquire wealth. If you are not a co-worker on the Lord’s team, then He will not give you this power. Because it is written that He gives power to acquire wealth in order to fulfill His covenant.
It’s interesting what God says about profit:
Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: The Lord your God, who teaches you what is useful, who leads you in the way that you should go.(Isaiah 48:17).
What's useful? How to catch fish? How to wash a cup? Translated from Hebrew it sounds: “teaching you to make a profit.” Often in life you come across the fact that people decide to start a business without first calculating all the costs associated with it: purchases, taxes. No wonder they end up with no profit, if not a loss.
Therefore, God teaches you the basics of economics, methods of making a profit. From an economic point of view, any business is designed to solve and meet the needs of society, but to start and develop it, you need profit. Lack of profit is the main reason for the rapid collapse of all charitable activities.
So if you, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask Him.(Matthew 7:11).
So, Jesus confirmed that the Heavenly Father wants us to prosper, enjoy and be happy. He wants us not to be slaves to anyone: not to the rich, not to the creditor, not to the aggressor. He wants us to be leaders and founders of enterprises, companies, structures. Because this is God's will for you. He will give you the idea to do something for Him and financial support as a tool to implement this idea. Tim
Priscilla Sitieni, a resident of the village of Ndalat in western Kenya, is a contender for the title oldest primary school student in the world. 90 year old Kenyan woman attends school with six great-great-grandchildren. The main motive for getting an education at such an old age, according to her, was the desire to read the Bible on her own, as well as to write down the knowledge in medicine accumulated over 65 years of working as a midwife. Before this, Priscilla, who grew up in a poor large family, did not have the opportunity to study - free primary education was introduced in the country only in 2003. According to official data, 7.8 million Kenyans are illiterate.
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Speech at the UN
China Photo: REX / Fotodom.ru, AFP / East News
