S1: Hello, friends. It's time for the second hour of Open
S1: Line with Doctor Michael Ray Moody Radio's Bible Study Across America.
S1: And we're talking about your questions about the Bible, God
S1: and the spiritual life. My name is Michael Ray. I'm
S1: the academic dean and professor of Jewish studies and Bible
S1: at Moody Bible Institute. And we're sitting around the radio
S1: kitchen table talking about your questions. So why not give
S1: me a call? The phone number (877) 548-3675. Let me give
S1: you that again. (877) 548-3675. If you can't call, you can
S1: just go to our website, Online radio.org and click on
S1: the link that says Ask Michael a question. You can
S1: post your question there and Trish will put it in
S1: the mailbag. I hope you have your Bibles open still.
S1: Now you have a second cup of coffee, because we're
S1: going to talk about the scriptures and we're going to
S1: talk to Tony in Cleveland, Ohio listening on WC rf
S1: welcome to Open Line. Tony. How can I help you today?
S2: Yes. Thank you Michael, thanks for taking my call. Sure. Um,
S2: I just wanted to, uh, I got Matthew 2530 when
S2: Jesus spoke about out of darkness. I want to know
S2: about out of darkness. It's out of darkness. It's the
S2: same as hell or out of darkness. Another dimension from hell,
S2: you know?
S1: Uh, well, I think it's pretty clear. I mean, technically,
S1: what is hell? I believe when we talk about hell,
S1: it's talking about eternal separation from God. Right. Uh, and
S1: so there may be different aspects to it. So, uh,
S1: for example, there's the, uh, the Lake of Fire, which
S1: is the ultimate experience of separation from God.
S3: Yeah.
S1: But but this is saying that the the worthless slave
S1: was cast into outer darkness. In that place there will
S1: be weeping and gnashing of teeth. So, yeah, I think
S1: that would be a good description of whenever we're separated
S1: from God, that's a place of outer darkness and weeping
S1: and gnashing of teeth. And that would be hell, right? Yeah.
S3: Okay, okay. Okay, okay, okay. Listen, let me.
S1: Just say, you know, sometimes people don't want to believe
S1: that there really is a hell. We all want to
S1: believe in heaven.
S3: Right? Right. Yeah.
S1: Hell, you know.
S3: But a lot of.
S2: People, a lot of people take life for granted because
S2: of his love and kindness. But don't they forget that
S2: God is a God of judgment, too? You know?
S3: Okay. Yeah.
S2: He loves, he loves, he loves us, but he hates
S2: the sin. So he got a judge if he's, you know.
S2: So a lot of people you write about, a lot
S2: of people don't want to accept there's a hell, a
S2: literal hell. God don't want to go to hell because
S2: of his son. You know what his son did?
S1: I was I was talking with someone who said they
S1: didn't think there was such a thing as hell, and
S1: but they did believe in an afterlife. And I said, well,
S1: what about Hitler? Do you think Hitler gets to go
S1: to heaven then? Well, no, Hitler would go to hell.
S1: I said, okay, so now we've got one. And then
S1: I started mentioning some other people from history, uh, Stalin,
S1: Attila the Hun, uh, all these, uh, violent, awful people. Uh, no.
S1: They're going to hell. And so I said, okay, so
S1: now what we have to do is demarcate how much
S1: sin separates us from God. And, uh, and now here's
S1: the most important thing. If you're listening. I know, Tony,
S1: you know this, uh, that God is going to judge sin.
S1: And the way he judged it is the Lord Jesus
S1: took the punishment that we deserve. The Lord Jesus died
S1: for us, and then he rose again to life. And
S1: all we have to do is trust that he paid
S1: our penalty and that he's alive to give us new
S1: life and put our trust in trust in him and
S1: in that sacrifice for us, and our sins are forgiven.
S1: The punishment has been paid for us. We never have
S1: to be fearful of hell. That's the thing we need
S1: to remember that. That nothing we can do to earn heaven,
S1: but we can trust in the Lord Jesus. So if
S1: you're listening, that's what I want to encourage you to do.
S1: Trust the Lord Jesus so you don't have to ever
S1: fear hell. Thanks for the great reminder. Call, Tony. Appreciate it. Uh,
S1: we're going to talk next with Marie in Fort Lauderdale, Florida,
S1: listening to R&B. Welcome to Open Line, Marie. How can
S1: I help you?
S4: Hi. Good morning. How are you today?
S1: I'm doing great. Thanks for asking. How can I help you?
S4: Yes. Um, I'm thinking about when Jesus was in the
S4: Garden of Gethsemane.
S5: Mhm.
S4: And he was praying and, um, he said, not my
S4: will be done, but thy will be done. In my
S4: Christian walk. I remember the verse in Psalm that said,
S4: delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you
S4: the desires of your heart.
S5: Mhm.
S4: So, um, it's hard for me to get to. Thy
S4: will be done because I may suffer. And then I
S4: want to delight myself in him. So he can give
S4: me the desires of my heart. Um, I think, is
S4: there a fine line? Um. Man, maybe I need to do, like,
S4: merge from delighting myself in him, and I can put
S4: the desires of my heart, and then his will be done.
S3: Well, here's here's the thing to that.
S1: Okay. Marie. Marie. Marie, here's the thing. I think you're
S1: overthinking this. Okay. Generally speaking, when we delight in the Lord,
S1: he gives us the desires of our heart. But what
S1: he does is he might. Even if we're delighting in him,
S1: he might even change the desires of our heart. My
S1: desire of my heart right now might be that I
S1: never suffer. That might be the desire of my heart.
S1: But if I delight myself in the Lord, he might
S1: change my heart. That I would say, Lord, the desire
S1: of my heart is to do your will, and that
S1: I would suffer. If your will means suffering, that I
S1: would do it faithfully and bring honor to you. So
S1: when we delight ourselves in the Lord, he changes our
S1: hearts to be whatever it is that we can say,
S1: your will be done. Uh, and so I wouldn't worry
S1: as much as it sounds to me like you're anxious
S1: about this. Just seek the Lord. Delight yourself in him.
S1: Allow him to change your heart as needed. Uh, you know,
S1: the Lord Jesus is not that he didn't want to
S1: do God's will. He said he always does the father's will.
S1: He just knew that this would be hard. Not. Nevertheless,
S1: my will, but your will be done. He wanted to
S1: do the father's will. And, uh, what he did was
S1: he said. No one takes my life, but I lay
S1: it down willingly. Why? Even though it was hard. Because
S1: he was delighting in God, and he wanted to do
S1: the father's will. Okay, Mary.
S3: Yeah.
S4: Thank you so much. Yeah, it really, really helped. And
S4: I'll continue to walk with him and have him change
S4: my heart so that I can do his will.
S1: Yep. That's what it is. Yeah. We make his will,
S1: our will, and it turns our lives around. Thanks a
S1: lot for your call, Marie. Uh, we will, uh, talk
S1: next with Carol in Peoria, Illinois, listening on Wbai online.
S1: Welcome to Open Line. How can I help you? Carol.
S6: Thank you. And thank you for taking my call. So,
S6: you know, in Sunday school last week, a guy just
S6: realized for the first time that it says Rose again
S6: and the Apostle's Creed. And he says he only rose once.
S6: So one more thing I would like to add that
S6: I just thought of is it kind of bothers me
S6: that I like the Apostle's Creed so much because I
S6: had a speaker come to our church, and I'm sure
S6: you know him. His name was Doctor Moskowitz with Jews
S6: for Jesus, and he says the Jewish people don't have creeds.
S6: So it kind of bothers me that I like it.
S1: Well, Jewish people don't are not it's not a creedal, uh, faith. Uh,
S1: Judaism is a religion of deed, not creed. Uh, as, uh,
S1: it's what you do that matters more than what you believe,
S1: that's why. But there there's Maimonides, the great medieval scholar, uh,
S1: had 13 articles of faith. It's basically a creed. They
S1: start with the phrase I believe with perfect faith and
S1: it has all these things. So there is some sort
S1: of creed in Judaism. Uh, and uh, by the way, uh, Jan,
S1: with the Lord now for about ten years, uh, who
S1: you heard say that was one of my dear friends
S1: for many, many, many years since 1972. Uh, but anyway, uh,
S1: the the question you're asking is about why he rose
S1: again when he only rose once. Is that. Do I
S1: understand your question? Right? Okay. Yes. Well, when it says
S1: that he rose again, it doesn't mean that he rose
S1: multiple times. What it means is he died and rose
S1: again to life. They again refers to him living again.
S1: That's what it means. He was alive.
S6: Poor choice of words. Uh, I don't know what I
S6: would substitute with your understanding, but I don't like Rose again.
S6: To me, it's a little confusing.
S1: It's it's. Well, okay, but here's what it is. This
S1: is it's elliptical. Here's what it means. The Lord Jesus
S1: died for us, and he rose to life again.
S3: Yeah.
S1: He was alive. He was dead. And he rose to
S1: life again. That's all it means. And it's idiomatic. It's
S1: what we. Most people understand it. Maybe they're not as
S1: technical as you are in terms of wanting to understand
S1: the words precisely, but it's elliptical, meaning that it presumes
S1: he rose to life and now he's living again. That's
S1: what it means. So anyway, thanks for your call, Carol.
S1: I really appreciate it. Let me let me tell everyone
S1: about our current resource. It's the survey of the New
S1: Testament by Paul Benware, Doctor Paul Benware, a dear friend
S1: of mine and wonderful, wonderful Bible teacher and, uh, Doctor
S1: Benware put together this book, it was based on a
S1: course he taught for many, many moons at various schools,
S1: including Moody Bible Institute called survey of the New Testament.
S1: And it gives you a roadmap. Here's one of the
S1: things that people have. We're good at individual books or
S1: individual passages, but sometimes it's hard to put the whole
S1: New Testament together. And so survey of the New Testament
S1: gives you a roadmap showing how the whole New Testament
S1: points forward to Jesus, or looks backward at the effect
S1: of Jesus in our lives. It puts the whole book together.
S1: I think you're going to really love survey of the
S1: New Testament, and it's yours. If you give a gift
S1: of any size to open line. I just want to
S1: say thanks by sending you a copy of Doctor Ben
S1: book survey of the New Testament. And, uh, whatever size
S1: gift you want to give, that's how we'll say thank you.
S1: If you'd like to give, all you have to do
S1: is call (888) 644-7122 or go to open line radio.org. That's
S1: (888) 644-7122 or open line radio.org. And we're going to take
S1: a break here. When we come back we'll take more
S1: of your calls. The phone number (877) 548-3675. And we'll talk
S1: about the Bible, God and the spiritual life with me. Michael.
S1: Stay with us. We're coming back with more questions straight ahead.
S1: Welcome back to Open Line. I'm Michael Wright. I'm so
S1: glad to be taking your questions today about the Bible,
S1: God and the spiritual life. We're going to talk to
S1: Wendy in Cleveland, Ohio, listening on CRF. WCF. Welcome to
S1: Open Line, Wendy. How can I help you today?
S7: Hi. I really enjoy your show and thank you for
S7: taking my call. I have a question. Um, I currently
S7: have a 95 year old brother in law who is
S7: suffering from dementia. And, um, I'm trying to explain the
S7: plan of salvation to him, but he doesn't seem to
S7: be able to comprehend it or get it. So a
S7: person in that state of mind, um, will they or
S7: could they accept the Lord as their personal savior or.
S7: I mean, and this is part of it is I
S7: feel like I probably should have shared the gospel with
S7: him before.
S1: He.
S3: Got to this.
S7: State.
S1: And Wendy, I agree with you. I think we shouldn't
S1: wait for the right people. Yeah, so but here's the thing.
S1: I don't, uh, I don't think that I could tell
S1: you if this person can understand the gospel or not.
S1: I don't know what they understand. You don't even know
S1: what they understand. So I would keep talking about it. Uh,
S1: the the second thing is, uh, I have found, you know,
S1: I dealt with people, uh, loved ones who were going
S1: through dementia at the end of life. And I found
S1: that they had good days and bad days. Uh, and
S1: some days they, they were very had very clear thoughts.
S1: And some days they just couldn't understand anything. Uh, and
S1: so I have a friend whose dad was suffering with
S1: dementia and was really close to dying. And this friend
S1: began to pray for a window of opportunity, of clarity,
S1: of thought for his dad. And sure enough, one day
S1: he was in there with his dad and his dad.
S1: He felt like his dad was clear as a bell.
S1: Not at all like the dementia that he had been experiencing.
S1: And he shared the gospel with him, and his dad
S1: trusted the Lord. And then he went back to being
S1: almost unintelligible afterwards. But that little window of opportunity came.
S1: So that's what I would do. I would pray for
S1: a moment of clarity, so that you can be encouraged
S1: and assured that he at least understands what you're saying. Uh,
S1: you know, because people dealing with dementia, sometimes they have
S1: greater moments of clarity than other times. I think you've
S1: noticed that, haven't you?
S7: Yes, exactly. And that's exactly what I have been praying for,
S7: that the Lord will give me that opportunity.
S3: Yeah, yeah.
S1: You pray about that and the Lord will open the door.
S1: I'm pretty sure, uh, you know, I don't know. Uh,
S1: and also, when you're talking with him, even in, in
S1: a seemingly confused state that he doesn't understand, you're not
S1: sure what he's grasping and what he isn't. So you
S1: just keep talking and keep loving. Okay.
S7: Okay. Okay. Thank you so much.
S3: Thank you for your.
S1: Call, Wendy. Appreciate it. We're going to talk with, uh, Abigail. Uh,
S1: listening in Cleveland on CRF. Welcome to Open Line. Abigail.
S1: How can I help you?
S8: I wanted to know how you became a Christian.
S1: Wow. Abigail, how old are you? Nine. You're nine years old.
S1: And what grade are you in? Third. Third grade. And
S1: have you become a follower of Jesus? Do you love
S1: the Lord Jesus? Yes. That's good. Well, the way I
S1: became a follower of Jesus was this, uh. I got
S1: into a big argument with my mom who believed in Jesus,
S1: and then I argued about whether or not the Old
S1: Testament foretold the Messiah. And because I was ultimately convinced
S1: that the Old Testament did predict that Jesus was the
S1: Messiah and I needed someone to forgive my sin, I
S1: finally one day surprised myself and trusted in Jesus. But
S1: it was through reading messianic passages in the Old Testament
S1: that I became a follower of Yeshua of Jesus. Okay, Abigail. Thanks.
S1: Thank you. Oh thank you. Thanks for calling. I appreciate
S1: you listening. Okay. You have a good day. Okay. Bye bye. Uh,
S1: we're going to talk with Molly in Spokane, Washington, listening
S1: on Kmbi. Welcome to Open Line. Molly. How can I
S1: help you today?
S3: Thank you.
S9: Um. Thank you. Uh, you are such a blessing.
S3: To help.
S9: Us understand. Um, okay. I, uh, would like to know
S9: in Galatians um, 211 through, um. Oh, where is it?
S1: It's 212 I think you're asking about.
S9: Yes, I am. I am. Uh, when Peter. Um, uh.
S3: Let me let me.
S1: Read it. Okay.
S3: When, when.
S1: When Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his
S1: face because he stood condemned. For he regularly ate with
S1: the Gentiles before certain men came from James. However, when
S1: they came, he withdrew and separated himself because he feared
S1: those from the circumcision party. What's your question about that?
S9: Well, is that the same when when Peter led the people, even, uh, Barnabas.
S9: Is that the same? And I can't find it, um,
S9: in Matthew 24 or in revelation somewhere. Is that the
S9: same when the elect are deceived?
S1: No no no no no. And it says the elect. Uh,
S1: the genuine elect won't be deceived. Uh, but but this
S1: is talking about Peter giving in to, uh, sort of
S1: social pressure. Uh, and and, uh, he's. Paul corrected him
S1: and he received it. And that happens to, you know,
S1: to all of us. Sometimes we we give in to
S1: social pressure about who we want to be more when
S1: we're in junior high. But, uh, about who we're going
S1: to be friends with, who we're going to stand with. Uh,
S1: that's what Peter did. It was foolish of him. Paul
S1: corrected him. Peter received it. They stayed close. So, uh.
S3: Okay. We're okay.
S1: We're okay. Uh, we have to be careful not to
S1: give in give in to social pressure. Molly. That's what
S1: that's a reminder to us of. Okay. Yeah.
S3: Thanks.
S9: Okay.
S3: Thank you. Thanks for.
S1: Your call. Appreciate it. Uh, we're going to speak with
S1: Jim in Peoria, Illinois. Welcome to Open Line. Jim. How
S1: can I help you?
S10: Yes. And, uh, Hebrews chapter six and Hebrews chapter ten,
S10: about the middle of the chapter. It, uh, the way
S10: I read it, it basically says that you can lose
S10: your salvation. Uh, Hebrews ten basically states that if we
S10: continue sinning, like if we have this one sin that
S10: we can't seem to stop, uh, that we, uh, the
S10: only thing we have to look forward to is this hell.
S10: Am I correct?
S1: So you think you think someone can lose their salvation?
S10: Yeah.
S1: Yeah. Okay. Well, let me just say, uh, here's what
S1: the Lord Jesus said. Okay. Uh, in John chapter six,
S1: verse 37 through 40, here's what he said. He said,
S1: I have I'm going to pick it up right here. Uh,
S1: John six and verse 37, everyone the father gives me
S1: will come to me, and the one who comes to me,
S1: I will never cast out. For I have come down
S1: from heaven not to do my will, but the will
S1: of him who sent me. So does the Lord Jesus
S1: always do the father's will? I think that verse would
S1: say yes. Don't you agree.
S10: Jim? I agree, but, uh.
S3: Wait wait wait wait wait wait wait wait wait wait.
S1: Verse 39. This is the will of him who sent
S1: me that I should lose none of those he's given me,
S1: but should raise them up on the last day. So what?
S1: The Lord Jesus always does the father's will. And what
S1: is the father's will. Never to lose anyone who has
S1: really come to know the Lord Jesus. Uh, so, uh,
S1: I have to make that very clear word of the
S1: Lord Jesus. And then when I come to Hebrews ten,
S1: which is what you're talking about, I have to remember
S1: that a person who knows the Lord can't be lost
S1: by him. He guarantees that. So what does Hebrews 1026 mean?
S1: If we deliberately sin after receiving the knowledge of the truth,
S1: there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins. What is
S1: the sin that we may commit that he's talking about,
S1: that he's talking deliberately about the sin of deliberate apostasy,
S1: of saying, I don't believe. I don't believe in Jesus.
S1: What that proves is a person never really came to
S1: know the Lord. If they commit apostasy. They never knew
S1: the Lord. If we deliberately sin after receiving the knowledge
S1: of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for
S1: sins but a terrifying expectation of judgment. He is warning
S1: them this mixed multitude among the Hebrews. Some were thinking,
S1: you know, when the persecution passes, I'll, I'll, I'll. We're
S1: being persecuted now. I'm going to abandon the faith. But
S1: when the persecution passes, then I'll come back. He says, no,
S1: we do that. Uh, no. We're demonstrating that we never
S1: knew the Lord and that we're lost. That's what I think.
S3: Hebrews 1026.
S10: Who is Hebrews six talking about, then?
S1: I think he's talking about the same mixed multitude. And, uh,
S1: I don't I really I encourage you go back and
S1: listen to the first hour because someone called up about
S1: Hebrews six four in the first hour. Uh, and we
S1: talked about that earlier, but it's talking about that mixed multitude,
S1: people who are being challenged to go on from an
S1: Old Testament faith to a full New Testament faith in Jesus.
S1: That's what that's talking about. Okay, Jim.
S10: Okay.
S1: Okay. I we talked about it last hour, so that's
S1: why I'm not going to go into it again this hour.
S1: But thanks for your call. I appreciate it, Jim. Uh,
S1: we're going to talk to Carol in, uh, Pine Grove, Illinois,
S1: listening on WNBA. Welcome to Open Line, Carol. How can
S1: I help you?
S11: Hi, doctor. Thanks for taking my call. We were talking
S11: about this in Bible study the other day. Talking about, um,
S11: the the Romans Road, and, um, we're saved. If we
S11: call on the name of the Lord and believe in
S11: what Jesus has done. And then someone asked the question, well,
S11: what if someone hasn't heard about Jesus, but they've lived
S11: a fairly good life, then what happens to them?
S5: Mhm.
S1: Would they be, do you think, judged based on works.
S11: Um I mean I don't know. I said, you know,
S11: we don't know how the Lord's going to judge them, but, um,
S11: I wanted to get your input.
S3: Okay.
S1: Well, here's what Romans one says. Okay. This is very important. Uh,
S1: it says in Romans 120 for his God's invisible attributes,
S1: that is, his eternal power and divine nature have been
S1: clearly seen since the creation of the world, being understood
S1: through what he has made. As a result, people are
S1: without excuse. For though they knew God, they did not
S1: glorify Him as God and show gratitude. So basically what
S1: it's saying is that the general revelation, the the creation, uh,
S1: the general revelation of the creation of the world, just
S1: looking at the world reveals that there is a God
S1: of power and might, and that is sufficient to condemn.
S1: Not sufficient to save, but sufficient to sufficient to condemn
S1: what it is, though if people will respond to that
S1: general revelation, then God will send the more direct message
S1: of the good news to them. But they it starts
S1: with the general revelation out there that God has provided.
S1: That's sort of a quick answer, but, uh, I hope
S1: that helps. Carol, we'll be right back with more of
S1: your questions right here on Open Line. Stay with us.
S1: Welcome back to Open Line. I'm so glad to be
S1: with you this morning talking about your questions about the Bible,
S1: God and the spiritual life we're about to start the
S1: Febc mailbag. Trish McMillan is bringing it in. So grateful
S1: for Far Eastern Broadcasting Company because they partner with us
S1: in bringing you Open Line bringing they partner with Moody Radio.
S1: And it's a really marvelous organization that uses media to
S1: bring the good news to people around the world. The
S1: radio is significant and they have live people. If you
S1: want to know more about Febc, I think it'd be
S1: a great organization to get to know, just go to febc.
S1: Org and when you're there you can see their podcast.
S1: You can click on that and listen to Until All
S1: have Heard. That's a really marvelous thing. Well joining me now,
S1: Tricia McMillan, who is the queen of the questions. She's
S1: the one that put the mailbag together. And here you are. Tricia. Hey, Tricia.
S3: Yes.
S1: Uh, I thought it was interesting that someone called earlier
S1: and wanted and mentioned that they were kitchen table partners. And, uh, now,
S1: kitchen table partners are really important to us. I mean,
S1: I like working with everyone in the studio there. There's
S1: a bunch of people, and we're all. Kitchen table partners
S1: in that sense. But kitchen table partners are special. What
S1: they are are people who have, uh, committed to giving
S1: monthly to open line. And, uh, as a result, they're saying,
S1: you know, we want to give monthly so you guys
S1: can be on weekly. Now, what does it take to
S1: become a kitchen table partner, Tricia.
S12: Well, um, it just takes, um, supporting us financially for.
S12: It's a commitment. That's it. Any gift?
S1: Yeah. That's. It doesn't. There's no minimum. Uh, it's it's
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S1: line radio.org. Well Trisha let's see what we've got here
S1: in the mailbag.
S12: All right let's see. Um, Deidre emailed us from Indiana
S12: and we have had this question before, but New Year,
S12: new time to ask it. Um, when we see verses
S12: that sometimes will be in brackets, that will say sometimes
S12: these verses are not in, um, certain manuscripts or they're
S12: missing like they're bracketed. And so they will be in
S12: some Bibles, won't be in some Bibles. Sometimes there's larger
S12: passages in a footnote when what's happening there? Why? Why
S12: is that indicator there?
S3: So I just.
S1: Turned in my Bible to Mark 16 nine, and there's
S1: a bracket at the beginning, and it goes all the
S1: way to the end of the book. Uh, Mark 1620
S1: and it has a little note there that you can
S1: pick up. Uh, there's always a footnote with it. And
S1: what it says with the bracket, uh, is, uh, that, uh,
S1: it says, uh, other manuscripts omit bracketed text. In other words,
S1: there are many manuscripts that don't have those verses. That's
S1: the ancient manuscripts. And you know what the question I
S1: usually get is why do new translations either bracket or
S1: leave out verses from the Bible like they're bad, they're
S1: getting rid of stuff. Well, in truth, what earlier versions
S1: of the Bible did is it included verses of the
S1: Bible that really weren't in there, that were like added
S1: by scribes or monks who were copying the Bible to
S1: clarify things or something like that. And so what what
S1: most modern versions are trying to do is use the
S1: earliest and the best manuscripts and making decisions based on that,
S1: and that's what those brackets are there for. So to
S1: let us know that they weren't part of the original Bible,
S1: as best we can tell. Okay, so.
S12: So is it still okay to glean stuff from those,
S12: or would you just avoid those for a personal devotional
S12: type of thing?
S1: Uh, you know. I don't know. Uh, you know, it depends, uh,
S1: on the person, I think. I don't know what the
S1: what the best answer is. I tend to be. I
S1: studied it a little bit more about this, and I'm
S1: aware of passages that are questionable, and I don't think
S1: they're necessarily part of the scriptures, but other people might
S1: think they are, so it doesn't hurt to read them.
S1: It's not going to be bad. There's nothing terrible in
S1: those verses that would hurt you. So.
S12: Okay. All right. Thank you for that question. Our next
S12: question is from Margaret in Illinois. She listens to WNBA.
S12: Thank you to your crew and you for taking the
S12: time to answer our questions regarding God's promises. How do
S12: I know which promises are directed to Israel and those
S12: that can be, um, extrapolated to followers of Jesus?
S1: Well, that's that's not an easy I mean, it's there
S1: are verses that you just have to read them in context.
S1: That's the most famous being Jeremiah 2911. Right. That's that's
S1: a good one to let's to talk about a particular verse. Uh,
S1: Jeremiah 2911 I know the plans I have for you.
S1: This is the Lord's declaration, plans for your welfare, not
S1: for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. Now, obviously,
S1: that's a wonderful verse, but if you read the verse
S1: before it, reading it in context, it says, this is
S1: what the Lord says. When 70 years for Babylon are complete,
S1: I will attend to you and will confirm my promise
S1: concerning you to restore you to this place. Clearly, he
S1: is saying that Israel is going to go into captivity
S1: for 70 years, and then they're going to come back. And, uh,
S1: and so he's obviously the I know the plans I
S1: have for you are the plans for Israel. So, I mean,
S1: clearly that's what the verse is about. That's what its
S1: meaning is. But then, isn't everything applicable? And I think
S1: it is. Why does Israel go into captivity? Because God
S1: is going to discipline them. And the principle is that
S1: God is disciplining them, but he's going to restore them.
S1: And when he restores them, it's with a good plan.
S1: And I think that similarly, when we experience spiritual discipline
S1: from God, we can be assured that God still has
S1: a good plan for us in in our lives, that
S1: he has a good plan to give us a future
S1: and a hope. So if we put it in context
S1: and take a principle from that and apply the principle
S1: to our lives, then it's for us as well. But
S1: the meaning is about Israel. But the principle can be
S1: applied to us as well. Does that make sense?
S12: Yeah, yeah it does.
S1: Yeah. So I think one of the things that we
S1: need to learn is to Is to read if we're
S1: going to be good Bible readers. First of all, we
S1: need to read things in context and understand what they mean.
S1: But then secondly, not only understand what they mean, but
S1: see how they can be applied by finding the the
S1: governing principle, the the the the true principle of the passage.
S1: And then we can apply it. So that's what I
S1: think we need to do. Okay.
S12: All right. Thank you. Uh, next question is from Kristen
S12: wants to know concerning the book of Job, how is
S12: Satan able to speak to God? I thought that God
S12: couldn't be in the presence of evil.
S1: Well, then I could never set foot in his presence, right?
S1: It seems like to me, uh, you know, the idea
S1: that God is immanent. He's everywhere. There's evil everywhere. He's
S1: he's transcendent and immanent at the same time, which is
S1: hard for us to grasp. Uh, immanent, not meaning about
S1: to come, but imminent with an A I'm m a
S1: that means present everywhere. Uh, so, uh, I just don't think.
S1: I think this is this is the the easy answer.
S1: How did he say it? I thought God couldn't be
S1: in the presence of evil, right? Well, apparently wrong. Uh,
S1: that's not what the Bible says. Uh, God is not
S1: stained by our evil. Uh, and he's everywhere. So he
S1: he's in my. I'm in his presence. And I certainly
S1: don't deserve to be there. So, so so how was.
S12: I mean, did Satan just have free access to God?
S12: Does he still. Do we know? Well, he.
S1: Was cast out. There's various times where he's cast out
S1: of heaven. And, uh, but this was a gathering in
S1: in Jobe where the where the angels were gathered before him.
S1: I don't know for what reason, what time, but, uh,
S1: he was a fallen angel, and he was there in
S1: the presence of God. Part of that and he taunted
S1: God as well. So but the presumption we have always
S1: is that God can't be in the presence of Satan.
S1: Satan can't be in the presence of God. And I'm
S1: not sure why we presume that it's God is completely sinless.
S1: He's not affected by our evil. So he's pure and righteous. So, yeah. Anyway, uh, anyway,
S1: we're going to we're going to break here. All right. Uh,
S1: when we, uh, when we come back, we'll take more
S1: of your calls. (877) 548-3675. You're listening to Open Line. And
S1: thank you for the Febc mailbag for writing in. And Tricia,
S1: thanks for putting that together. That was Tricia McMillan. I'm Michael,
S1: and I'll be right back with more of your questions
S1: straight ahead. Welcome back to Open Line. I'm so glad
S1: to be with you today. Having a great time. Thank
S1: you so much for listening. Monday is a serious day.
S1: It's the International Holocaust Remembrance Day. It's significant because it's
S1: the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz. And my family,
S1: both my parents were Holocaust survivors. I'm glad that we
S1: are reminded because there are people who actually don't believe
S1: that the Holocaust happened. But it did. And it's important
S1: that we remember one of the things that Chosen People
S1: Ministries has done is they've put together a book called
S1: Never Again The Holocaust Remembered. It's a collection of stories
S1: from the Chosen People archives, about the people who found
S1: grace and faith in the midst of this terrible, terrible
S1: time of suffering. Uh, it's a it's a really helpful book.
S1: In the difficult days that we're facing today with the
S1: return of anti-Semitism being so bold. I really want to
S1: encourage you to get this book called Never Again. All
S1: you have to do is go to our web page
S1: Open Line radio.org. Scroll down. You'll see a link that
S1: says a free gift from Chosen People Ministries, and you'll
S1: be able to sign up for your very own copy
S1: of Never Again. Also, I wanted to let you know
S1: that when you go to our web page, Open Line radio.org,
S1: if you scroll down all the way, you'll see that
S1: there's a link to my personal web page. And if
S1: you got to go there, you'll see that I'll be
S1: doing some, uh, events that people might be interested in
S1: some traveling. And if you'd like to join me for
S1: a Bible study on a boat and different things like that, uh, check.
S1: Click on that link at the bottom of the open
S1: line page. We're going to talk to Ron in Moline, Illinois,
S1: listening on Wwdm. Welcome to Open Line, Ron.
S3: How can I help you?
S13: Good morning. Good morning sir. Thank you for taking my call. Um,
S13: I enjoy reading literature outside of the Bible when it
S13: relates to, you know, Christianity. ET cetera, et cetera. And
S13: I've been watching this series called So Be It. It's
S13: a YouTube series about a young Jewish man that turned, uh,
S13: to Christianity. Uh, he goes to Israel in the Middle
S13: East and talks to Jews who do not believe. Yeah.
S3: I'm sorry. Just just go ahead with.
S1: Your question, because we're at the end of the program.
S3: So.
S13: Oh, sorry. Okay. So is there any reason why I
S13: should not read the Jewish Bible? I think they referred
S13: to it as the Tanach because it talks about. Go ahead.
S13: I'm sorry.
S1: The Tanakh is just, uh, it's an acronym, uh, for
S1: its three words Torah Nevi'im Ketuvim. Torah is the law
S1: of Moses, the first five books of the Bible. Nevi'im
S1: are the prophets that goes from Joshua to the end
S1: of the prophets. Uh, the 12 prophets. And then, uh,
S1: then it's got the ketuvim, it's the writings, and it's
S1: just a word that takes the three sections of the
S1: Hebrew Bible and makes them into one. And that's what
S1: the Tanakh is. It's just the Old Testament, basically.
S13: Oh, okay. So it's okay to read it.
S3: Correct. Yeah.
S1: It's it's great to read. Yeah, that's what it is.
S1: It's just a just a word that's been put together
S1: from the three sections of the Old Testament. The Torah, Nevi'im,
S1: Ketuvim law, prophets, writings. Thanks for your call, Ron. Keep reading.
S3: That's great. Okay, thanks.
S1: Uh, we're going to talk to Al in Lakeland, Florida,
S1: listening on Wcas. How can I help you, al?
S14: Hey. Thank you doctor. I've been trying to get in
S14: for years.
S3: Oh, great.
S14: I have a question. Uh, Jesus died, and he rose again.
S14: So did Lazarus. He rose again. So did, uh, the prophet.
S14: I can't in the New Testament. Other people rose again. Why?
S14: It's such a great significance. Some people don't get saved
S14: because I believe Jesus rose again. I mean, I'm glad
S14: he died for our sins. I'm not speaking in a
S14: negative term. Why? Why they don't put emphasis on other
S14: people that rose again. I mean, Jesus, I know you.
S3: There's there's something.
S1: Different about the resurrection of Jesus. Uh, number one, uh,
S1: the Lord Jesus died as a substitution. All the other
S1: people that you're talking about did not die as as
S1: a substitutionary death. He didn't. There was no vicarious substitutionary death.
S1: And then secondly, uh, he he said that he would
S1: be raised from the dead. No one else ever predicted
S1: that after three days, he would be raised from the dead.
S1: Only the Lord Jesus kept saying that he was God
S1: in the flesh, that he would die and would be
S1: raised from the dead after three days. And so he
S1: predicted it. That's something that's different as well. And then thirdly,
S1: his resurrection was different. Everyone else that was raised was raised, uh,
S1: and would have to die again because they were not
S1: raised to glory. But the Lord Jesus was raised into
S1: his immortal immortal state. He was given his glorified body. Uh,
S1: and that's why he is the first fruit of the
S1: resurrection for us. That's that's what makes his resurrection so
S1: distinctively different. Okay. Uh, thanks for your call. Al. Appreciate it.
S1: We're going to talk to Christine in Fort Myers, Florida. Uh, listening, uh,
S1: on maybe the on the web. How can I help you? Christine?
S15: Um, thank you for your program. I really like it,
S15: and I enjoy it. If someone divorced and remarried, would
S15: you go to hell?
S1: What? Say again. Please.
S15: Okay. Um. Matthew 18. Talk about divorce. If someone divorced
S15: and remarried, should they go to hell for that?
S1: If someone divorces and remarries, should they go to hell?
S1: The reason we go to hell is we're separated from
S1: God because of our sin. If a person trusts in Jesus,
S1: whatever their sins, if they believe that Jesus died for
S1: those sins and rose again, if they put their trust
S1: in him, we're forgiven of our sins and we won't
S1: go to hell. There is no one particular sin that
S1: will cause us to go to hell.
S3: Okay.
S15: Okay.
S3: Thank you. Okay.
S1: Okay. Thanks for your call. Uh, we're going to talk
S1: to Jean in Lamont, Illinois. Hello, Jean. Jean, are you there?
S3: Hi.
S16: Hi. Are you there?
S1: Yeah. How can I help you?
S16: Um, what do you say to scholar biblical scholars who
S16: maintain that the New Testament was not necessarily written by
S16: the people who the books are attributed to.
S3: That would include the Gospels.
S1: You know, maybe that's one of the reasons why I
S1: don't like being called a scholar by some people because, uh,
S1: you know, there's there's always critical people who will say that,
S1: you know, scholars say, and, and, uh, so, you know,
S1: I think the best evidence, there are also scholars who
S1: disagree with those scholars. So there you go. Uh, the.
S3: Uh.
S1: The New Testament introduction. There are evangelical authors who have
S1: given great defenses for the accuracy and truthfulness of those, uh,
S1: authorship and things like that. And so, uh, you know,
S1: it's just some people say yay! And some people say, no.
S1: I know I see in your question that you mentioned
S1: Bart Ehrman, who's a famous scholar from North Carolina who
S1: has denied those things. Uh, well, he debated Dan Wallace.
S1: And you can find those debates on YouTube and you'll
S1: see how another scholar would respond to that. I mean,
S1: there are good answers in response. Dan Wallace was a
S1: great New Testament professor at Dallas, just retired. Great New
S1: Testament scholar, has a good enough answer for that.
S16: So I presume that you disagree with Bart Ehrman's positions, then?
S1: Yeah, we went to Moody at the same time, believe
S1: it or not. But he kind of wandered away from
S1: what we were teaching at at Moody. Uh, we were
S1: students at the same time. Uh, but, uh, Donald Guthrie,
S1: there's a great big fat book called New Testament Introduction
S1: by Donald Guthrie that gives the evidence. And it's it's
S1: an academic book. It's really it'd be a challenge for
S1: someone to read, uh, you know, stuff we read when
S1: I was. Yeah, when I was in graduate school. It's
S1: a book I read for a course in New Testament introduction,
S1: but it gives the case for the, uh, the scholarly
S1: Basis for believing the traditional views of the books. So anyway,
S1: I you know, I appreciate it. I wouldn't worry too
S1: much about what the critics say. Just keep reading the Bible.
S1: You're going to really benefit from it.
S3: Okay, Gene, your.
S16: Opinion on if you thought that the authors were those
S16: of the Bible.
S1: Yeah, I do think they're the right authors. Yep, I do,
S1: I'm very traditional. Thanks for your call. That's the program
S1: for the week. We'll be back next week with more
S1: of your calls and questions about the Bible, God and
S1: the spiritual, uh, spiritual life. Uh, we're going to check
S1: out our web page, Open Line radio.org. You'll see what's
S1: going on. See all the things that are there. Keep
S1: reading the Bible and we'll talk about it next week.
S1: Open line with Doctor Michael Melnick is a production of
S1: Moody Radio, a ministry of Moody Bible Institute. And we'll
S1: see you next week.