S1: Hello friends. It's time for the second hour of Open
S1: Line with Doctor Michael Moody Radio's Bible Study Across America.
S1: We're talking about your questions about the Bible, God and
S1: the spiritual life. My name is Michael Riedel. I'm the
S1: academic dean and a professor of Jewish studies and Bible
S1: at Moody Bible Institute. We're live today sitting around the
S1: radio kitchen table taking your questions. Now is the time
S1: to give me a call. The phone number is (877) 548-3675.
S1: That's (877) 548-3675. Remember, if you can't call or if you
S1: can't get through, just go to our website, Online radio.org
S1: and you'll click on the link that says Ask Michael
S1: a question and you can then go to a page
S1: where you can post your question and it'll come to us.
S1: Trish will put it in the mailbag. Uh, do you
S1: have a second cup of coffee? I hope so. I've
S1: got my second cup of coffee right here, and I
S1: hope you have your Bible open, because we're going to
S1: continue talking about the scriptures. We're going to start by
S1: talking to Angela in Plantation, Florida, listening on WRAL. Welcome
S1: to Open Line, Angela. How can I help you today?
S2: Thank you very much. Thank you very much, doctor Ray.
S2: I love your show. Oh. Thank you. I listen to
S2: Moody Radio over here at 89.3, and I. I love
S2: listening to your show as much as I can. I
S2: have a special love for Jewish people. And now that I.
S3: Well, you live in the right place.
S1: Angela, if you love Jewish people, don't you think you're surrounded?
S2: I do, yes, I do. And I had always loved
S2: Jewish people for some reason, I would probably find out
S2: one of these days I. I actually grew up in Colombia.
S2: I came to the United States when I was 18
S2: and I grew up Catholic. But when I came to
S2: this country, I married, um, a Christian person. Um, and I,
S2: I already had confusion with Catholics and Christians, but, um,
S2: I really didn't follow. I didn't go to church or
S2: anything like that. Um, I divorced that gentleman. He died
S2: a few months ago. And, um, I'm also an alcoholic.
S2: I was I'm going to Alcoholics Anonymous. I'm working my program,
S2: and I realize I am I'm confused as to what
S2: church to go and how to go about finding a
S2: good church that teaches in the line of the teachings
S2: that I hear in Moody Radio and I give, um,
S2: I let people know about your program, especially, uh, and
S2: looking at my church, shopping for a church last week, um,
S2: I met a pastor that he is a messianic Jewish Jewish,
S2: but his mother is not believing in Jesus. So I
S2: even told him about your radio station. So maybe they
S2: are listening to you today.
S1: Maybe. Maybe. Well, let me see if I can help
S1: you a little bit. Angela. Uh, you know, the there's
S1: a lot of teaching out there. Uh, and so, first
S1: of all, what you need to do is find a
S1: church that agrees on the basics of the faith. Uh,
S1: which would be that, for example, that, uh, God is
S1: the creator, that the Lord Jesus is fully God, that
S1: God is 3 in 1 triune, that Jesus died for
S1: our sins, that Jesus rose again. Some of these are
S1: some of the essentials of the faith that Jesus is returning. Uh,
S1: those are key ideas. Now, there are secondary ideas. Like,
S1: for example, some people believe in infant baptism. I happen
S1: not to believe that. I don't think that should separate believers,
S1: but I would prefer to go to a church which
S1: has believer baptism rather than, uh, baby baptism. But the
S1: the difference here is a decision that's made between brothers
S1: and sisters who can all love the Lord and disagree
S1: about something, but that this is an area of it's
S1: a secondary teaching, but it's an area of my preference.
S1: And then there are other areas of preference. For example, uh,
S1: I would say that I believe that God has a
S1: plan for Israel, that he's faithful to his promises. There
S1: are many churches that believe, and they're good Bible teaching churches,
S1: but they believe that the promises that God made to
S1: Israel have been now taken over by the church. I
S1: don't feel comfortable with that. I think we have great
S1: promises as the body of Christ, but I think that
S1: God's going to be faithful to Israel and keep all
S1: his promises. So I guess what I would say is
S1: find those issues that are important to you, where a
S1: church that agrees on the essentials and then on the preferences,
S1: find a church that agrees with you. And the best
S1: way I could say that I could find a church
S1: is I look online, I look at their doctrinal position
S1: that's usually published. I look at their values. I might
S1: visit them. Sometimes churches will have sermons posted. I would
S1: listen to some of those and see about that. Then visit.
S1: Ask questions. If there's a person in leadership from that
S1: congregation to answer some of your questions. That's how I
S1: would go about finding a church. I always tell people,
S1: just find a church. Probably the simplest way is when
S1: you go. Make sure that during the sermon, the pastor
S1: opens the Bible and teaches from the Bible and not
S1: about politics, not about TV, not about culture, but teaches
S1: the Word of God and how it relates to our
S1: our life today. That's probably the best thing to look for. Okay, Angela.
S2: Perfect. Thank you. Doctor. Right there. I wish I could
S2: go with you to Israel. That is my.
S1: Oh, I wish you could, too.
S2: Before I die.
S1: Okay. I wish you could come, too. That's great. You know,
S1: my friend Charlie Dyer always says it's God's will for
S1: everyone to go to Israel. I don't know if that's true,
S1: but I think it's. It's a great opportunity when God
S1: gives it to us. I hope you get to come
S1: with us sometime. Angela, thanks for calling. Uh, we're going
S1: to speak with Yee Ping, uh, in Chicago, listening on WNBA.
S1: Welcome to Open Line. How can I help you?
S4: Hi. Good morning. Hi. Good morning. Uh, I, I have
S4: a question about the book of James. Uh, the New
S4: Testament book. Uh, our church currently study this book. I
S4: know in the history this book has some, uh, some
S4: different understanding. But I really treasure this book. So especially,
S4: you know, chapter two. Talk about, uh, faith after it
S4: is dead. So I want to, uh, to know what's
S4: your take on this book.
S1: Mhm. Well, I think it's a great book. It has
S1: more structure than a lot of people think. It's not
S1: just like a book of proverbs for the New Testament. Uh,
S1: I think it's a really important book because, uh, I
S1: don't know if you know this, but James in Greek
S1: is Jacobus. His real name is Jacob, and it was
S1: a book written to the 12 tribes in the dispersion.
S1: It's a messianic Jewish epistle, so it has a lot
S1: of relevance to Jewish people, uh, Jewish believers. Uh, it's
S1: interesting too, in chapter two where it says, if a
S1: man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and
S1: dressed in clothes, uh, that you've I'm sure you've seen that, uh,
S1: dressed in the fine clothes and a poor man dressed
S1: in dirty clothes comes in the word that's translated in
S1: my Bible as meeting in Greek is synagogue. It's if
S1: anyone comes into your synagogue. So remember, these are Messianic Jews.
S1: They were still they were calling their congregation a gathering place,
S1: a synagogue. I think that's interesting. Uh, so, yeah, I
S1: love the book. But of course, the great issue is,
S1: does James or Jacob disagree with Paul when it comes
S1: to justification by faith, uh, it says in uh, uh,
S1: James 214, what good is it, my brothers, if someone
S1: says he has faith but does not have works? Can
S1: his faith save him? Uh, and now it sounds like
S1: he's saying that you can't. You have to have faith.
S1: Plus works. That's not what he's saying. Uh, he is saying, uh,
S1: can that kind of faith save him? Can a faith
S1: that doesn't produce works in his life that doesn't result
S1: in fruit? Can that kind of faith save him? He
S1: goes on to say in verse 19, this is the
S1: kind of faith he's talking about that can't save a person.
S1: You believe that God is one. You do well. The
S1: demons also believe and they shudder. It's not enough to
S1: acknowledge who God is, we have to commit. That's what
S1: our faith is. It needs. It needs not just mental assent,
S1: but heart conviction and a volitional commitment. Uh, so mental assent.
S1: We have to know the truth. The demons know it.
S1: That's not enough. But not only that. Uh, not only that,
S1: we have to have a conviction of the truth of it.
S1: That's the heart, mind, heart. And then will volition. We
S1: have to commit to it. We have to follow it.
S1: And so that's the kind of faith that produces works.
S1: And that's the kind of faith that saves us. So
S1: it's not saying faith plus works save us. It's faith
S1: that produces works that will save us. Does that help?
S4: Oh, one more request. Uh, doctor, when you read an
S4: Old Testament commentary, right?
S1: I wrote I wrote commentaries on the Old Testament, but
S1: I edited the Moody Bible Commentary with Mike Van Laningham.
S1: We were co-editors.
S4: Oh, I can get that book.
S1: Good. You've got that book.
S4: Know how I can get that book?
S1: How about I send you one? Ye, uh, will I
S1: send you one? Uh, you hang on. The moody Bible
S1: commentary done by the faculty of Moody Bible Institute. Uh,
S1: we did it to try and help people understand the scriptures.
S1: Anyone can get a copy. Just go to your favorite
S1: bookseller and, uh, online or in person, and you can
S1: get a copy. I saw one, uh, under Favorite books
S1: by the staff at a at a major bookstore. I
S1: think it was at Barnes and Noble. Uh, I saw
S1: it listed there. You can get it just about anywhere,
S1: but we'll send you one. It will really help you
S1: understand the scriptures. When you have a question, you hang on.
S1: Trish will get your name and address and we'll send
S1: you one. Thanks for your call. Yee ping. I do
S1: want to mention that another book that people can get
S1: our current resource. When you give a gift of any size.
S1: And we so appreciate every gift. You're so kind in
S1: helping support this program, but when you give a gift,
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S1: Ultimate Bible Dictionary. Everyone should build a library of key
S1: books that will help them understand it. This is a
S1: handy size, easy to use Bible dictionary, so if you
S1: see a name, a place, an event, something in the
S1: in the scriptures and you say, I wonder what that is.
S1: This little handy Bible dictionary, the ultimate Bible dictionary published
S1: by B and H. They are the ones that do
S1: the Holman CSB. The translation that I think is so helpful, uh,
S1: that is a great tool, and the way to get
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S1: Or you can go to Openline radio.com. We're going to
S1: take a break here. And uh, when, uh, when we
S1: come back, we'll take more of your questions. Uh, you're
S1: listening to Open Line, our phone number here. (877) 548-3675. Uh,
S1: our Bible study across America will continue, so stay with us.
S1: More questions. Straight ahead. And we're back. You're listening to
S1: Open Line with Michael Ray. Dolnick. I'm so glad to
S1: be with you. If you have a question about the Bible,
S1: God or the spiritual life, call (877) 548-3675. We'll do our
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S1: grateful for the team. I look at this team here,
S1: and I'm so grateful for everyone that participates in the
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S1: we're going to go right back to the phones now.
S1: Sharon in Holland, Michigan listening on WGN. Welcome to Open
S1: Line Sharon. How can I help you. Sharon.
S5: Faithful to answer all of our questions.
S1: Oh.
S5: I'm here.
S1: Okay, good. I hear you now.
S5: Okay, good. Um, I have a question about the Levitic tribe,
S5: and I'm wondering. Moses and Aaron were both born into
S5: the tribe of Levi. But why do you think the
S5: tribe was chosen to be priests? When Levi and Simeon
S5: were both cursed by Jacob for their violence, and neither
S5: tribe was given land because of that in the Promised Land.
S1: Mhm. Well, it's really true. When you look at Genesis 49, uh,
S1: their anger is cursed because of how extensive their, uh,
S1: attack on, uh, Of those who raped their sister was.
S1: They went too far in their vengeance. So in Genesis
S1: 49 five through seven, Simeon and Levi are brothers. Their
S1: knives are vicious weapons. And then it says, for in
S1: their anger they kill men, and on a whim they
S1: hamstring oxen. Their anger is cursed, for it is strong,
S1: and their fury for his cruel. Then he tells them
S1: what the curse is. I will disperse them throughout Jacob
S1: and scatter them throughout Israel that they won't receive. A
S1: geographical inheritance. Because of that, they'll be dispersed throughout the
S1: the nation. Now, what is true for Levi? You know,
S1: why did God choose, even though that is a curse,
S1: to then give them a special blessing? Uh, I keep
S1: thinking it's the grace of God. Um, when I think about,
S1: you know, the Bible says that all of us are
S1: under condemnation because of our disobedience to him. And then
S1: God in his kindness blesses you. Sharon or me, by
S1: allowing us to understand who Jesus is and putting our
S1: trust in him. And all of a sudden we have forgiveness.
S1: I think in some respects it's the grace of God
S1: with Levi as well, because what he says is that
S1: you won't have a portion in the land that's part
S1: of the curse. But because of that, God says, I'll
S1: be your portion. Uh, I'll have I'll be your inheritance
S1: and you can serve me. You'll be scattered throughout the
S1: land in the in the among the nation. Uh, you'll
S1: live all sorts of places. You won't have a geographical inheritance,
S1: but I'll be your inheritance. I'll be your portion. And
S1: that's why, in his mercy, he chooses Levi to be
S1: those who serve in the tabernacle and in the temple,
S1: and even those who will be the priests. The sons
S1: of Aaron will be the priests. Uh, it's just an example.
S1: People often will say there is no grace in the
S1: Old Testament that there's only grace in the New Testament.
S1: And I think here's a classic example of the grace
S1: of God right in the Old Testament. Okay, Sharon.
S5: It's wonderful. Thank you so much.
S1: Yeah. Good. I'm so glad you called. Thank you. Uh,
S1: we're going to talk to Karen in Pennsylvania, listening to Wpvm.
S1: Welcome to Open Line. Karen, how can I help you today?
S6: I just have a question. Our souls go to God
S6: immediately when we die. Then who? Then who are the
S6: dead in Christ that God is going to raise up
S6: when he returns?
S1: Well, first of all, it's really clear. It says absent
S1: from the body is present with the Lord. That's second
S1: Corinthians five. It says in Philippians one that to live
S1: is Christ, to die is gain. Uh, to live as
S1: the we live for the Messiah Jesus. And he said
S1: to the Philippians that it'd be he would prefer to
S1: go to be with the Lord immediately. But he had
S1: to stay behind and minister to them at that time.
S1: So obviously, Paul thought that when he died he would
S1: go to be with the Lord instantly. Uh, the passage
S1: where it talks about the dead in Christ rise first.
S1: The dead in the Messiah rise first is first Thessalonians
S1: chapter four. And, uh, I want there's something that a
S1: lot of people miss, uh, when they read it. I
S1: missed it for years and years and years. Then I
S1: heard Mike Fabares talking about this, and he pointed something out,
S1: and I said, bingo. That's really important to note. Uh,
S1: here's what it says. We don't want you to be uninformed, brothers,
S1: concerning those who are asleep. Now, that's a euphemism for dead.
S1: So there in first Thessalonians 413, he says, I don't
S1: want you to be uninformed concerning those who are dead,
S1: those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve
S1: like the rest, who have no hope. Since we believe
S1: that Jesus died and rose again. Look at this verse
S1: here in verse 14. In the same way, God will
S1: bring with him those who have fallen asleep through Jesus.
S1: So when it's saying, when the Lord descends, and who
S1: is he going to bring with him? Those people whose
S1: immaterial parts, their their souls, their spirits have gone to
S1: be with him. When the Lord Jesus descends, he's going
S1: to bring those people who have died or are with
S1: him now. And then he says, for we say this
S1: to you by a revelation from the Lord, we who
S1: are still alive at the Lord's coming will certainly have
S1: no advantage over those who have fallen asleep, those who
S1: have died. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven
S1: with a shout. Now it says, the Lord will descend
S1: from heaven with a shout. But in verse 14 it says,
S1: when he descends, he will bring with him those who
S1: have fallen asleep. So when he descends from heaven with
S1: a shout, with the archangel's voice, and with the trumpet
S1: of God. He's coming with the people whose spirits are
S1: with him. And then it says, and the dead in Messiah,
S1: the dead in Christ will rise first. So what this
S1: is saying is, when the Lord Jesus descends, he's bringing
S1: the immaterial parts the spirit, the soul, whatever you want
S1: to call it, of people who have gone to be
S1: with him, with him, and then their bodies will be
S1: resurrected at that moment and be reconnected, so to speak,
S1: and become one with their spirits. And that's when their
S1: bodies will be resurrected. So you say, who are the ones?
S1: It's the same ones. First there are spirits. Go to
S1: be our spirits. Go to be with the Lord. But
S1: at the resurrection our bodies will be restored to our material.
S1: Our material part will be restored to the immaterial part.
S1: We'll be together in immortal fashion. Okay.
S6: Awesome. Yeah. Thank you so much.
S1: Yeah. I'm so glad that you called. That's. That's a
S1: question that troubles people. Shouldn't trouble us. We're going to
S1: go to be with the Lord the moment we die.
S1: If we've trusted in Jesus. Uh, and then when when
S1: he resurrects us, uh, then we'll be, uh, have an immortal,
S1: glorified body forever. Um, we're going to. Thanks for your call, Karen.
S1: We're going to talk to Terry in Downers Grove, Illinois,
S1: listening on Wmbi. Welcome to Open Line. Terry. How can
S1: I help you?
S7: Thank you for taking my call. Um, so I've always believed, uh,
S7: I trusted the Lord when I was 13 years old. Um,
S7: and I've always had that assurance in my my heart
S7: and my my life. Um, so if. Okay. So when
S7: I believed, um, I was led to believe, uh, from
S7: my pastor that the, um, that my name was written
S7: in the book of life. Do you agree with that?
S1: Yeah, sure.
S7: Okay. Can. So can will God ever unwrite your name
S7: or take your name out of the book of life? Well.
S1: The Bible says that in John 637 through 40, Jesus said,
S1: I have come not to do my will, but the
S1: will of him who sent me. Okay, so Jesus always
S1: does the father's will, or he's not who he claimed
S1: to be, right? Right. And then it's then he goes
S1: on to say, and this is the will of him
S1: who sent me that of all that he has given me,
S1: I lose not one of them. So if Jesus could
S1: use lose me or lose you, wow. Then he's not
S1: who he claimed to be. So you're right in believing
S1: that we're secure and safe because his grip is a
S1: lot stronger than ours. He'll hold on to us. The
S1: verses in revelation that talk about being written out of
S1: the Book of Life. I think people misunderstand them because
S1: what he says is us. The victor will be dressed
S1: in white clothes, and I will never erase his name
S1: from the book of life. That doesn't mean that he would,
S1: but he you know, what he is saying is this
S1: is a message of assurance. You are safe and secure.
S1: If you have trusted in Jesus, your name will never
S1: be written out of the book of life. It will
S1: never be erased. And so that's a great promise to
S1: hang to. Now that we've trusted in Jesus, we're safe.
S1: We're secure. His grip is a lot firmer than ours.
S1: We can't hold on to him as well as he
S1: can hold on to us, and he will never erase
S1: us from the book of Life. Is that helpful, Terry?
S8: It is, but I have a little bit of a
S8: follow up here, so wait.
S1: Wait, we don't have time for a follow up. Terry.
S1: We got music playing. We're going to be going out
S1: on this break. We're coming back with the mailbag. Call
S1: back with your follow up. Okay. Thanks for your call.
S1: We're going to be right back with more questions right
S1: here on Open Line. Welcome back to Open Line. It's
S1: time for the Febc mailbag. We're so grateful for Far
S1: Eastern Broadcasting Company for partnering with us in bringing you
S1: the mailbag every week. And I especially appreciate this ministry
S1: with which reaches people through media, but also through personal touch. Right.
S1: All around the world, it's a marvelous ministry. And if
S1: you can hear all about what they're doing by listening
S1: to their podcasts, it's called Until All I've Heard. It
S1: features Ed Cannon and Wayne Shepherd. I think you'll really
S1: enjoy it. You can go to their website to check
S1: it out. And joining me right now with the Febc
S1: mailbag that she puts together every week is Tricia McMillan. Hello. Hey, Tricia. Uh,
S1: so people I actually I'm amazing. My, my phone is
S1: blowing up with messages on Facebook because I mentioned that
S1: I'm going to Israel in September, September 7th through the 18th.
S1: And there there's a few spaces left and only a
S1: few more weeks. I think it's going to be two
S1: weeks and we're closing that down. So if you want
S1: to go, now's the time to go. Someone wanted to
S1: know about how many people are going on this trip.
S1: I'd say about 60 if we fill up the spaces.
S9: Okay, so it's a small trip. Is that two buses?
S9: One bus?
S1: Yeah, it's two small buses.
S9: Small buses. Okay.
S1: Yeah. And I'm on the bus with people. I don't
S1: just show up and teach at the sites. Uh, I'm
S1: on the buses with people. Alternate days. And if we
S1: have two buses and, uh, it's it's a lot of fun. Uh,
S1: we're together all the time. We're in the same hotel. Uh,
S1: it's it's it's it's a really, uh, very close knit
S1: group of people that that go.
S9: Yeah, that's very cool. And I did add a link, um,
S9: to the website for people who do want to know
S9: more about that. It's currently under our one. I will
S9: also add it under our two, in case you're only
S9: hearing this hour or you happen to get the podcast
S9: and you just download this one hour. So I will
S9: add it there as well. But it's currently under our one.
S9: If you go to the website, there's a link to
S9: the Israel trip.
S1: Oh that's great. Yeah, I'm really excited about it. I
S1: haven't been in a couple of years, and I actually
S1: may go to this summer just to see some family
S1: and not to lead a trip. I'm trying to I'm
S1: trying to carve out a week or two so I
S1: can go to Israel, but I have.
S9: To wait personal things and not just to to teach.
S1: Yeah, I haven't seen my family and I really need
S1: to see. Uh, these are, you know, people say, well,
S1: they're second cousins. What? They're kind of distant. Why do
S1: you care so much? Well, we've lost most of our
S1: family in the Holocaust. Both sides. There's their family. My family. Uh, and, uh,
S1: as a result, we're much closer than than you would think. Uh,
S1: for second cousins, it's. I feel like those are my
S1: extended brothers and sisters there in Israel. You know, family. Yeah,
S1: very little family. And they I love them so much. So.
S1: Got to go see them. Yeah. Anyway, uh, let's, uh,
S1: by the way, wasn't that fun? One of the things
S1: that I love about bringing people to Israel is I
S1: always bring my family one night to meet, and I
S1: think it's really cool for people to meet real Israelis,
S1: you know, not not just, uh, you know, people from
S1: the tourist industry like guides or hotel personnel, but to
S1: meet Israelis who are just regular Israelis. And I bring
S1: my cousins and their kids and they they speak to
S1: our group. And I think it's always so much fun.
S9: It is. It was really neat to hear them and
S9: hear what life is like. And just to, I guess,
S9: form that relationship, even just a surface relationship with, with, um,
S9: people who live in the land and aren't, aren't being
S9: paid to they're.
S1: Not being paid to talk to tourists.
S9: Now, I will say the guides are amazing, but, um,
S9: and so were all of the staff and everyone that
S9: we worked with. But there was nothing that nothing that
S9: your family was gaining, you know, to to.
S1: Come and visit with us.
S9: Their time to do that. Yeah. It was a lot
S9: of fun.
S1: Yeah. Yeah. I think it's so funny. Uh, that once
S1: I was up in the north, near where my cousin
S1: Dena lives, and I had about, I don't know, about
S1: 60 people with me, and she said, how come you
S1: didn't bring them to my house? I would have given
S1: them a coffee. And I said, 60 people. She said,
S1: I said, that's why would you do that? She said,
S1: why not? So she went to give coffee to everyone.
S1: I think that was so funny. Um, so anyway, uh,
S1: we're going to get to the mailbag. Why don't we
S1: do some of those?
S9: All right. First question is from Kenneth in Illinois, listens
S9: to WNBA. Is there anything in Scripture that would indicate
S9: what God was doing before creation? One of his sons
S9: wondered if the Lord created other universes before this one.
S1: Mhm. You know, uh, Paul wrote to the Corinthians, don't
S1: go beyond that which is written. And so I'm not
S1: going to speculate. Uh, but I suppose he, you could
S1: read the C.S. Lewis trilogy. You know where he does
S1: fantasy novel Perelandra.
S9: That one? Yeah. Okay.
S1: Yeah. There's the out of the Silent Planet, perelandra. That
S1: Hideous Strength, uh, kind of gives ideas of other, uh,
S1: other other planets, I don't know. You know, but.
S9: The Bible that we have doesn't indicate anything. No. Okay.
S9: All right. That's easy, I guess. Yeah. I'm sorry. That's
S9: all right. Vicky in Minnesota listens to KFC and says
S9: she is reading 50 most important Bible questions and good book.
S9: It is. It is book by you. Written by you. Um,
S9: by Michael Redlick. Um, question 34, she says, was about
S9: the Lord Jesus descending into hell between Good Friday and
S9: Resurrection Sunday. And you state that you don't believe Jesus
S9: went to hell then. So she wants to know, did
S9: God then include an opportunity for those before Christ came
S9: and those who have never heard of Jesus to have
S9: eternal life.
S1: Well, you know the question about did the Lord Jesus
S1: descend to hell? That's from the the the Apostle's Creed, right? Uh,
S1: where it says he died, he descended to hell and
S1: then was raised. Isn't that where it is, Tricia? Am
S1: I getting it wrong? I'm judging from your.
S9: Face, sir. No, don't judge by my face, okay? You're fine.
S9: So don't judge by my face.
S1: So, uh, it's in the Apostles Creed. And, uh. And
S1: so the thing is, in the earliest editions of the
S1: Apostles Creed, it didn't say that. It only said that
S1: he died. It didn't say that he descended to hell.
S1: I think that it was a later edition. The evidence
S1: is there. The Bible doesn't teach anywhere. I. I believe
S1: you can see that in the book that Jesus descended
S1: to hell. But it's not really related to the question
S1: of people getting an opportunity before Christ came, because people
S1: were always saved by grace through faith. Even before the
S1: Lord Jesus was incarnate on this earth in his ministry. People, uh,
S1: how were people saved in the Old Testament? By grace
S1: through faith in the revealed will of God? Uh, the
S1: Bible revealed that there was a coming Messiah. That's what
S1: they had to believe. Uh, but they they didn't have
S1: to believe in Jesus death and resurrection for them because
S1: it hadn't happened yet. They had to believe in the
S1: revealed will of God, which was to trust him, uh,
S1: and and trust the sacrificial system and look forward to
S1: the coming of the Messiah. So, uh, God, include an
S1: opportunity for those before Christ came? Yeah. Of course, it
S1: was revealed that they had to trust in what God
S1: had revealed. Uh, and what about those who never heard? Well,
S1: again this the Lord Jesus didn't come to give people
S1: a second chance. If even if you believed he descended
S1: to hell. It's not to give people a second chance.
S1: That's that's not what it was. It was to proclaim
S1: victory over demons is what people who believe in the
S1: descent to hell. That's they're not there for a second chance.
S1: People were given all sorts of opportunities to believe before death,
S1: and that's what God wants them to have. Those who
S1: never heard, they had the witness of creation. The Bible
S1: says in Romans one that the creation reveals that there's
S1: a God. And if they had responded to that, he
S1: would have given them more information. So this really the
S1: question of Did Jesus to send to hell doesn't really
S1: relate to the question of opportunity for those before Christ
S1: or those who never heard of Jesus. Uh, it just
S1: doesn't have anything to do with that at all.
S9: So but they did have that opportunity.
S1: Well, yeah. You know, I think it's so important for
S1: people who have never heard of Jesus even today. Uh,
S1: people say, well, that wouldn't be fair of God, but
S1: God gave them general revelation. And it's mentioned here in
S1: Romans one. I'm going to read it to you. It
S1: says in Romans 120 for his invisible attributes, that is,
S1: his eternal power and divine nature have been clearly seen
S1: since the creation of the world, being understood through what
S1: he has made through the creation. As a result, people
S1: are without excuse. You say, well, they didn't know about Jesus.
S1: They have to believe in Jesus. Well, if people would
S1: respond to the creation, to the general revelation that God gave,
S1: he would send more special revelation about the Messiah. Uh,
S1: there is a book by Don Richardson that I read
S1: many years ago in college called eternity in their hearts,
S1: and that book detailed how when they people in tribes
S1: that had never heard of Jesus, when they responded to
S1: the creation, when they responded to God's revelation in creation,
S1: that's when the missionaries came and told them about Jesus.
S9: Mm. That's really cool. So, yeah. Okay. And that was
S9: Romans 120. In case someone wanted to know what that
S9: verse was. So thank you for that. You want to
S9: try and do one more? This one's pretty.
S1: Short.
S9: One more. Okay. Rosemary in Florida listens to and wants
S9: to know why we don't keep the Sabbath.
S1: How does she know I don't keep the Sabbath? Uh huh. So.
S9: Giving you an opportunity here? Yeah.
S1: Well, uh, just simply put, the Sabbath was the sign
S1: of the Law of Moses. Uh, today we're still under
S1: a law, but now it's the law of Messiah. But
S1: the principles of the law of Moses. The wisdom of
S1: the law of Moses applies. And so what we can
S1: do is I think we all need to have a Sabbath.
S1: I think we need a day of rest and spiritual renewal.
S1: That's what the Sabbath taught. And Romans 14 verse five says,
S1: one man honors one day above another. Another views them
S1: all alike. Uh, let each man be convinced in his
S1: own mind. And so basically what it's saying is that
S1: you can keep Saturday, you can keep Friday, you can
S1: keep Thursday or Sunday. Um, but but the key is
S1: that we take a day. We keep the Sabbath. Not
S1: on Saturday necessarily. You can on Saturday if you want.
S1: But what we need to keep is a day for
S1: spiritual renewal and physical rest. I think that's something that
S1: we need to keep.
S9: So okay, what was that verse again in Romans 14.
S1: Romans 14, verse five.
S9: Five. Okay. All right. So those of us who.
S1: I'm quoting from memory there. I got I got to
S1: look it up to make sure I got it right.
S9: Yes, that's correct, that's correct. I had Romans 14, but
S9: I couldn't find the verse quickly. Romans 14 five. So
S9: those of us who, let's say, for example, are working Saturdays,
S9: we can still take a Sabbath, right? Yeah.
S1: So if you work Saturdays like us. Yeah. I take
S1: the rest of the day off when we're done. Okay. And, uh,
S1: but some people take Sunday or Monday or whatever.
S9: Yeah.
S1: So. Yeah. Uh, well, we're going to break here. Thanks
S1: for bringing the questions in. And when we come back,
S1: we'll take more of your questions. That was Tricia McMillan.
S1: I'm Michael Wright. Stay with us. We'll be right back.
S1: Welcome back to Open Line. I'm Michael Wright. I want
S1: to thank Tricia McMillan, Merle. Saint James. Lisa. Uh, everyone, uh,
S1: that participated in the program today. You guys did great.
S1: And I so appreciate all your help. Uh, and also, uh,
S1: I want to thank every caller for, uh, being bold
S1: enough to give us a call and ask your question.
S1: Really appreciate that. Those of you who wrote in. Those
S1: of you who listened, appreciate it. Uh, I just wanted
S1: to say that now, before I forget, at the end, uh, now, uh,
S1: a lot of people ask questions about Israel. They have
S1: questions about the Jewish people. And one of our partners,
S1: Chosen People Ministries, is offering Why Israel? It's a booklet
S1: that explores the topic of Israel through the lens of Scripture.
S1: It answers questions like, has the church replaced Israel? Does
S1: ethnic Israel still have a future? What should we think
S1: about Israel today? These will be answered and many more.
S1: Anymore with this really wonderful book, Why Israel? If you'd
S1: like a copy, go to our website online Radio.com, and
S1: scroll down. You'll see a link that says A free
S1: gift from Chosen People Ministries. Click on that and you'll
S1: be taken to a page where you can sign up
S1: for your own copy of Why Israel? We're going to
S1: talk to Terry in Springfield, Illinois, listening on you. Welcome
S1: to Open Line, Terry. How can I help you?
S10: Hello, sir. Um, I don't know how important this is,
S10: but I'm in the process of going through a one
S10: year Bible put out through voices of the martyrs. And, uh,
S10: at the end of First Samuel, they talk about the
S10: death of King Saul and how eventually, after being wounded, um,
S10: he basically commits suicide by falling on his sword. But
S10: then at the beginning of second Samuel, um, they talk
S10: about an amalekite who claims to have killed him, and
S10: then in turn, King David has him killed. And so
S10: I'm confused if there's a discrepancy there or how that
S10: how that can be reconciled, I guess.
S1: Terry, I think you got it right. Right at the
S1: beginning you said the Amalekite claimed it. He didn't do it.
S1: This is just recording what he claimed. Uh, he thought
S1: he would, uh, curry favor with King David by telling
S1: David I killed your foil. You can be king now. Now,
S1: that's not what happened. And he didn't. It just showed
S1: what David thought of Saul, how he would never put
S1: forth his hand against the Lord's anointed, and how he
S1: would punish a murderer of the king. But the guy
S1: was stupid. He was foolish because he claimed a murder
S1: that he didn't commit. And and that's. There's no discrepancy.
S1: It just shows David's heart, uh, about protecting the honor
S1: of the king. So. Okay. Did you follow that?
S11: I suppose it was okay. That's very helpful.
S1: Okay, good. Well, thanks for your call, Terry. Appreciate it.
S1: We're going to talk to Geneva in Aurora, Illinois, listening
S1: on Wmbi. Welcome to Open Line Geneva. How can I
S1: help you?
S12: Um, yes. In in the Old Testament, reading about the
S12: different kings at the end, it talks about the, um,
S12: events of King David reign from the beginning to the end.
S12: Note that they are written in the events of the
S12: Seer Samuel, the events of the prophet Nathan, and the
S12: events of the seer Gad. And sometimes they say they're
S12: written in the historical books of the kings of Israel
S12: and Judah. Are they talking about first and second kings
S12: in the Bible, or are there different books?
S1: I think the fact that they're quoting all these other
S1: books that are not in the Bible is just saying
S1: our source with some of these other books and, and
S1: the Bible often will use the inspired text, often used
S1: non inspired outside books, uh, to as sources that the
S1: Holy Spirit superintended the human author of the books of
S1: the Bible to cite from. And I don't believe when
S1: it talks about the Chronicles of the Kings, that it's
S1: talking about the books of First and second Kings. It's
S1: just talking about books that were historical records of the kings, uh,
S1: from Israel. Okay.
S12: All right. My second question. Would those historical books be
S12: in the, um, Jewish book or, um, in the Torah or.
S1: No, they were just ancient records. Uh, they're not they're
S1: not the the Hebrew Bible. They have a different order
S1: in the Hebrew Bible that Jewish people have, but they're
S1: the same Bible that we have. It's the same.
S13: Books. Okay.
S1: Okay.
S13: All right.
S12: Thank you very much for taking my question.
S1: Sure. Geneva. Uh, and, uh, let's see. We're going to
S1: talk to Larry, uh, in Ohio. Uh, Larry, welcome to
S1: Open Line. How can I help you?
S14: Good morning. Michael. It's a pleasure to speak with you.
S1: Thank you. Good talking with you, too. How can I.
S14: Help? Regarding my question is regarding the Reformed Church and
S14: their theology. What did the proponents of it feel necessary
S14: to have? Reformed theology?
S1: Really, the root of reformed theology is the Reformation that, uh,
S1: in the 16th century tree began with began with Lutheranism,
S1: which responded to. What was perceived as difficulties with Roman Catholicism,
S1: particularly in the area of justification by faith, and then
S1: in Geneva, Calvin developed reformed theology, and as a result
S1: of that, even today there's a lot of people who
S1: adhere to reformed theology. Anyone that's Protestant, in a sense
S1: has a reformed theology. But today there's a movement more towards, uh,
S1: a renewed Calvinism. Uh, and there are all kinds of Calvinists.
S1: There's very strict Calvinists. There's, there's mild Calvinists. Uh, Moody
S1: Bible Institute is a reflection of sort of a mild
S1: a mild Calvinism. It's important because of the issue of
S1: justification by faith. Uh, a lot of issues that they,
S1: they're reformed theologians take. But for most it's Justification by faith, uh, and, uh,
S1: believing that there's nothing we can do to earn our salvation.
S1: No sacrament, nothing we earn, uh, nothing. But what? Rather
S1: it is the grace of God through faith. That's what
S1: justification by faith is. Hope that helps. Larry. Uh, thanks
S1: for your call. Well, that's the program for week. For
S1: the week. Thanks for listening, everyone. I can't believe the
S1: two hours are up. So grateful for all of you. Remember,
S1: keep in touch with Open Line by going to our website,
S1: Online radio.org. That page has all the links you're looking for,
S1: how to get our current resource, how to become a
S1: kitchen table partner, how to get the gift from Chosen
S1: People Ministries. It's also got a link about going to
S1: Israel with me in September. Keep reading the Bible. We'll
S1: talk about it next week. Open line with Doctor Michael
S1: Melnick is a production of Moody Radio, a ministry of
S1: Moody Bible Institute. See you next week.