WEBVTT - Hour 2: New Year's Mailbag 0:00:09.200 --> 0:00:13.460 Hello, friends. Welcome to the second hour of Open Line 0:00:13.460 --> 0:00:18.529 with me, Michael Zelnick. This is our special New Year edition. 0:00:18.530 --> 0:00:22.460 So glad that you're joining us today. I'm the academic 0:00:22.460 --> 0:00:25.369 dean and professor of Jewish Studies and Bible at Moody 0:00:25.370 --> 0:00:28.400 Bible Institute. And as we do our Bible study across 0:00:28.400 --> 0:00:31.940 America today, I am so grateful that you're joining me 0:00:31.940 --> 0:00:34.700 around the radio kitchen table. And we're talking about the 0:00:34.700 --> 0:00:39.409 questions you've sent in about the Bible, God, and the 0:00:39.409 --> 0:00:43.130 spiritual life. We thought to start the new year instead 0:00:43.130 --> 0:00:46.430 of taking calls. What we do is empty the the 0:00:46.430 --> 0:00:50.510 the inbox, uh, clear the spindle. What we're doing is 0:00:50.510 --> 0:00:54.170 answering the questions you've mailed in to the mailbag all 0:00:54.170 --> 0:00:55.850 this past year. We're trying to get it clear so 0:00:55.850 --> 0:00:59.090 that next week you can start anew and fill up 0:00:59.090 --> 0:01:03.510 the the mailbag once again. Joining me to answer questions 0:01:03.510 --> 0:01:06.899 today is Eva Radulovic. She's my favorite Bible teacher, my 0:01:06.900 --> 0:01:11.160 wife for many, many years and also a colleague at 0:01:11.190 --> 0:01:15.330 Moody Bible Institute. She teaches as well as writes for 0:01:15.330 --> 0:01:18.480 books like the Moody Bible Commentary and the Moody Handbook 0:01:18.480 --> 0:01:22.980 of Messianic Prophecy. And also joining me is Tricia McMillan. 0:01:22.980 --> 0:01:26.850 She's the producer of Open Line. You hear her every week. 0:01:26.850 --> 0:01:29.940 She's put the mailbag together, and we're going to go 0:01:29.940 --> 0:01:33.360 right to the questions, this this segment right now. We're 0:01:33.360 --> 0:01:36.120 going to talk with Tricia. Hey, Tricia. Hi. What are 0:01:36.120 --> 0:01:38.940 you what have you got for us here? 0:01:39.000 --> 0:01:41.820 All right. Linda wrote us on Facebook and said, how 0:01:41.819 --> 0:01:45.300 would an Old Testament Jewish person understand the Triune God? 0:01:45.300 --> 0:01:49.080 Before Messiah came? The written prophecies made it clear about 0:01:49.080 --> 0:01:52.530 the Messiah. Other than Christ's words and miracles, would they 0:01:52.530 --> 0:01:56.670 have been taught that Christ or the Messiah is God, 0:01:56.700 --> 0:02:00.180 or is there no understanding that caused the unbelief. 0:02:00.300 --> 0:02:04.680 Okay, so here's the problem. People think that everyone understood 0:02:04.680 --> 0:02:09.120 there's something called progressive revelation. And as the Bible unfolds, 0:02:09.120 --> 0:02:14.040 we learn more and more to think that there was calcitonin, 0:02:14.070 --> 0:02:17.220 which was the Council of Chalcedon, where they really clarified 0:02:17.220 --> 0:02:19.650 the triune nature of God. To think that there was 0:02:19.650 --> 0:02:25.290 Chalcedonian trinitarianism in the Old Testament is I think that's 0:02:25.290 --> 0:02:30.570 kind of far fetched. However, there are some hints. It 0:02:30.570 --> 0:02:35.550 opens with let us make man in our image and 0:02:35.550 --> 0:02:38.610 according to our likeness, there seems to be one God. Yeah, 0:02:38.610 --> 0:02:43.049 but there's a plurality to him. Uh, we have passages 0:02:43.050 --> 0:02:47.820 like we studied, uh, at Christmas time, Isaiah nine six, 0:02:47.820 --> 0:02:51.450 where the Messiah is called a wonder of a counselor, 0:02:51.570 --> 0:02:55.139 the mighty God, the father of eternity, the Prince of Peace, 0:02:55.169 --> 0:02:59.380 obviously indicating that the Messiah, when he comes, will be deity. 0:02:59.590 --> 0:03:05.320 Many passages like that and and so even a passage 0:03:05.320 --> 0:03:10.720 I think is interesting is Isaiah 4816. Clearly it's talking 0:03:10.720 --> 0:03:14.619 about God in Isaiah 4816, one of my favorite verses, 0:03:14.620 --> 0:03:17.470 because people try and make the Bible hard to understand. 0:03:17.500 --> 0:03:20.020 He says at the beginning, behold, from the beginning I 0:03:20.050 --> 0:03:24.100 have not spoken in secret, but this is God speaking. 0:03:24.100 --> 0:03:27.940 If you look at Isaiah 48, the paragraph begins by saying, 0:03:27.940 --> 0:03:30.370 this is what the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One 0:03:30.400 --> 0:03:34.750 of Israel, says. Uh, listen, I'm sorry, I'm reading the 0:03:34.750 --> 0:03:39.130 wrong verse. Uh, but, uh, listen to me, Jacob. In Israel, 0:03:39.130 --> 0:03:41.710 the one called by me, I am he, I am 0:03:41.710 --> 0:03:45.520 the first. I am also the last. Clearly God is speaking. 0:03:45.520 --> 0:03:48.880 And then he says, approach me. Listen to this. From 0:03:48.880 --> 0:03:51.640 the beginning. I have not spoken in secret from the 0:03:51.640 --> 0:03:56.290 time anything existed, I was there. So he is saying, 0:03:56.290 --> 0:03:58.960 I am the eternal one. And then he says, and 0:03:58.960 --> 0:04:03.460 now the Lord God has sent me and His Spirit. 0:04:03.460 --> 0:04:08.080 So God is sent by God and His spirit. Obviously, 0:04:08.080 --> 0:04:12.640 there's a hint of the triune nature of God. Uh, 0:04:12.670 --> 0:04:16.990 but it's not clear so that everyone would have understood it. 0:04:17.020 --> 0:04:19.240 And the word Trinity, as we know, is not a 0:04:19.240 --> 0:04:22.210 New Testament word. I mean a biblical word, either in 0:04:22.210 --> 0:04:24.130 the new or the Old Testament. It is just a 0:04:24.130 --> 0:04:27.820 word that has been formed to try and explain theologians, 0:04:27.820 --> 0:04:31.690 to try to explain this mystery. And when we were 0:04:31.720 --> 0:04:35.740 moody students in Jewish Studies, our professor of Jewish studies 0:04:35.740 --> 0:04:38.289 at that time said that the best way to understand 0:04:38.320 --> 0:04:41.890 the Trinity is not calling it the Trinity, but as 0:04:41.890 --> 0:04:47.620 the Old Testament, uh, explanation. It's a mystery form of God. Yeah, 0:04:47.650 --> 0:04:49.870 the mystery is a mystery form of God. And one 0:04:49.870 --> 0:04:53.800 of my favorite verses is Proverbs 30 verse four, where 0:04:53.800 --> 0:04:57.200 it says, who has ascended into the heavens and descended? 0:04:57.200 --> 0:05:00.320 Who has gathered the wind in his fist, who has 0:05:00.320 --> 0:05:04.220 wrapped the waters in his garment, who has established all 0:05:04.220 --> 0:05:08.060 the ends of the earth? What is his name or 0:05:08.060 --> 0:05:11.810 his son's name? Surely you know. So are there these 0:05:11.810 --> 0:05:16.040 hints of this mysterious form of God throughout the Old Testament? 0:05:16.070 --> 0:05:18.260 Now, Lou Goldberg, don't get me wrong, he believed in 0:05:18.260 --> 0:05:20.779 the triunity of God. Yeah, no doubt about it. Absolutely. 0:05:20.810 --> 0:05:22.850 He said when we talk to people, sometimes it's better 0:05:22.850 --> 0:05:26.870 just to say there's this mystery form of God that 0:05:26.870 --> 0:05:30.020 that helps us is to think that. And, you know, 0:05:30.050 --> 0:05:33.200 someone once in the, in the moody, uh, in a book, 0:05:33.290 --> 0:05:36.950 people call here and I answered the question. Uh, people 0:05:36.950 --> 0:05:40.700 want a simple explanation of the Trinity. There is no 0:05:40.700 --> 0:05:42.410 simple explanation of the Trinity. 0:05:42.470 --> 0:05:44.300 Very complex thought, right? 0:05:45.260 --> 0:05:50.000 It's it's beyond my ability. Uh, in the 50 Most 0:05:50.000 --> 0:05:52.609 Important Bible questions, there's a question. Can you give a 0:05:52.620 --> 0:05:54.780 simple explanation of the Trinity? And I answer, I wish 0:05:54.779 --> 0:05:55.890 I could, but I can't. 0:05:55.920 --> 0:05:58.440 So as far as what the Old Testament Jewish person 0:05:58.440 --> 0:06:00.570 would have probably believed, they knew that there was something 0:06:00.600 --> 0:06:03.990 mysterious about God that he was, and that the. 0:06:03.990 --> 0:06:04.589 Messiah, the. 0:06:04.589 --> 0:06:07.799 Father, and that the Messiah would be God. But it 0:06:07.800 --> 0:06:11.820 wasn't a full formed thought, as we have it in 0:06:11.820 --> 0:06:13.589 the New Testament revealed to us. Yep. 0:06:13.620 --> 0:06:17.430 And even in the after the New Testament when theologians said, 0:06:17.430 --> 0:06:21.030 how do we explain this? And they came up with trinitarianism, 0:06:21.029 --> 0:06:22.020 as it was called. 0:06:22.560 --> 0:06:27.119 Okay. All right. Thank you. So loosely related, Judith in 0:06:27.120 --> 0:06:31.320 Illinois listens to WME and says, Psalm 45 seven. This 0:06:31.320 --> 0:06:34.920 is kind of maybe about this mystery. It may not be. Um, 0:06:35.130 --> 0:06:40.080 it reads, you love righteousness and hate wickedness. Therefore God, 0:06:40.080 --> 0:06:42.810 your God, has anointed you with the oil of joy 0:06:42.810 --> 0:06:50.040 more than your companions. Is the the first God mentioned 0:06:50.040 --> 0:06:55.440 referring to Jesus in the Second to Father God. How 0:06:55.440 --> 0:06:57.480 does the Hebrew translate this? 0:06:57.839 --> 0:07:01.589 Well, first of all, verse six, the context. Speaking of 0:07:01.589 --> 0:07:04.830 the Messiah. Eva, you just read an article in the 0:07:04.830 --> 0:07:06.300 Moody Handbook of Messianic Prophecy. 0:07:06.450 --> 0:07:10.080 This is a very important messianic prophecy. Psalm 45. 0:07:10.560 --> 0:07:14.850 It says, your throne, O God, is forever and ever. 0:07:14.880 --> 0:07:17.820 The scepter of your kingdom is a scepter of justice 0:07:17.820 --> 0:07:21.960 that is addressing the Messiah. And it says that his throne, 0:07:21.960 --> 0:07:24.690 O God, so it calls the Messiah deity. This is 0:07:24.690 --> 0:07:27.870 a very important psalm showing the deity of the Messiah, 0:07:27.870 --> 0:07:32.610 but then still addressing the Messiah. You love righteousness and 0:07:32.610 --> 0:07:36.750 hate wickedness, and here comes the mystery. Therefore God, your 0:07:36.750 --> 0:07:39.450 God has anointed you with the oil of joy. I 0:07:39.450 --> 0:07:41.400 think that's talking about the father. 0:07:41.640 --> 0:07:44.730 The father has anointed this person. 0:07:44.760 --> 0:07:46.920 Yeah, the one who is God in verse six. 0:07:46.920 --> 0:07:51.400 So God in verse six is referring to the Messiah Jesus. 0:07:51.430 --> 0:07:52.330 And verse seven. 0:07:52.360 --> 0:07:57.880 Is seven, father, both of them is referring to the father. Okay. 0:07:58.450 --> 0:07:59.710 All right. 0:07:59.740 --> 0:08:00.400 Yeah. 0:08:00.790 --> 0:08:04.930 That's when one of those verses people get really confused about. They, 0:08:04.930 --> 0:08:07.930 they because it's people think, oh, this is just about Solomon. 0:08:07.930 --> 0:08:13.810 But I don't think anyone would call Solomon God as 0:08:13.810 --> 0:08:16.540 they do in verse six. So. 0:08:16.570 --> 0:08:17.230 Okay. 0:08:17.980 --> 0:08:19.540 All right. Thank you. 0:08:19.540 --> 0:08:21.910 And in the book of Hebrews, by the way. Yeah. 0:08:21.910 --> 0:08:26.320 I'll go further. Just one other thing in, in Hebrews, uh, 0:08:26.710 --> 0:08:32.260 when it talks about the Messiah being better than the angels, uh, 0:08:32.260 --> 0:08:37.150 it says, uh, about the angels. Uh, Hebrews one seven, 0:08:37.150 --> 0:08:40.390 about the angels. He says he makes his angels winds 0:08:40.390 --> 0:08:44.559 and his servants a fiery flame. But to the sun. 0:08:44.559 --> 0:08:48.400 And then it quotes Psalm 45, verse six, your throne, 0:08:48.400 --> 0:08:50.920 O God, is forever and ever. And the scepter of 0:08:50.920 --> 0:08:56.650 your kingdom. Is a scepter of justice. So clearly the 0:08:56.650 --> 0:09:00.430 writer of Hebrews thought that Psalm 45 six was referring 0:09:00.460 --> 0:09:02.829 to the Messiah Jesus. Yeah. 0:09:03.160 --> 0:09:08.020 Okay, so sticking with the kind of confusing and using 0:09:08.020 --> 0:09:12.100 using the word God of of who is it talking about? 0:09:12.100 --> 0:09:16.450 Fred in Indiana listens to WME and is looking at 0:09:16.450 --> 0:09:23.170 John ten when, um, Jesus tells the Jews that they 0:09:23.170 --> 0:09:29.560 are gods, uh, quoting from the Old Testament, but, um, 0:09:29.590 --> 0:09:33.160 it says that the Jews picked up rocks to stone him. 0:09:33.160 --> 0:09:35.860 Jesus replied, I have shown you many good works from 0:09:35.860 --> 0:09:38.740 the father. Which of these works are you stoning me for? 0:09:38.740 --> 0:09:41.200 We aren't stoning you for a good work, the Jews answered, 0:09:41.200 --> 0:09:45.580 but for blasphemy, because you, being a man, make yourself God. 0:09:45.610 --> 0:09:49.850 Jesus answered them, Isn't it written in your scripture? I said, 0:09:49.850 --> 0:09:54.110 you are God's. If he called those whom the Word 0:09:54.110 --> 0:09:58.790 of God came to God's. And the scripture cannot be sorry, 0:09:58.790 --> 0:10:01.940 I got a page turn. And the Scripture cannot be broken. 0:10:01.940 --> 0:10:04.700 Do you say you are blaspheming? To the one the 0:10:04.700 --> 0:10:07.220 father set apart and sent into the world, because I said, 0:10:07.220 --> 0:10:09.410 I am the Son of God? Mhm. 0:10:10.520 --> 0:10:13.730 Well, I'll tell you a little funny part of this. 0:10:13.760 --> 0:10:17.059 When I started answering questions on the radio, which was 0:10:17.059 --> 0:10:19.700 even before Open Line, I started on the local station 0:10:19.700 --> 0:10:21.920 here in Chicago. I did an hour a week for 0:10:21.920 --> 0:10:25.819 about six years before Open Line. I thought, people are 0:10:25.820 --> 0:10:27.860 going to ask me questions. I tried to prepare. I 0:10:27.860 --> 0:10:32.839 tried to anticipate, uh, what question I would be asked. 0:10:32.840 --> 0:10:34.700 And this is the first one I ever thought I 0:10:34.700 --> 0:10:38.929 would be asked. And so I spent hours studying. And 0:10:38.929 --> 0:10:41.839 then it took years before anyone ever asked me that question. 0:10:41.870 --> 0:10:42.950 You were prepared. 0:10:42.950 --> 0:10:43.850 Though, to give an answer. 0:10:43.880 --> 0:10:47.040 I was I was prepared, but the funny part about 0:10:47.040 --> 0:10:49.410 it is, I thought, because no one ever asked me 0:10:49.410 --> 0:10:53.250 this one for years, I stopped preparing. I just like, okay, 0:10:53.280 --> 0:10:55.560 I'm going to just I'm just going to count on 0:10:55.559 --> 0:10:57.180 the fact that I've been studying the Bible for a 0:10:57.179 --> 0:11:00.270 while and I'll be able to answer their questions, uh, 0:11:00.630 --> 0:11:02.610 which I think is kind of funny that I spent 0:11:02.610 --> 0:11:04.020 all that. I don't know if you remember me. 0:11:04.050 --> 0:11:05.670 I do, I do. So what did you learn about 0:11:05.670 --> 0:11:06.090 this verse? 0:11:06.120 --> 0:11:10.050 Oh, yeah, I'll do that. Psalm 82 is what it's quoting. Uh, 0:11:10.380 --> 0:11:17.010 and in Psalm 82 it uses the word god referring 0:11:17.040 --> 0:11:24.390 to judges. Uh, it says, uh, there, uh, here we go. 0:11:24.390 --> 0:11:29.429 How long will you judge unjustly and show partiality speaking 0:11:29.460 --> 0:11:32.790 to the judges? Okay. God has taken his place in 0:11:32.790 --> 0:11:38.580 the divine assembly. He judges among the gods. Now, when 0:11:38.580 --> 0:11:41.490 it says he judges among the gods, he's referring to 0:11:41.520 --> 0:11:46.230 earthly rulers or earthly judges. He's not saying he's judging 0:11:46.260 --> 0:11:47.939 the divine assembly like. 0:11:47.940 --> 0:11:48.780 There's a pantheon. 0:11:48.809 --> 0:11:51.959 Of pantheon of gods. He's judging earthly rulers. And he 0:11:51.960 --> 0:11:54.780 says to them, how long will you judge unjustly? He's 0:11:54.780 --> 0:11:57.929 looking at them because judges represent God, therefore they are 0:11:57.929 --> 0:12:02.010 called gods. There in verse six he says, you are gods. 0:12:02.010 --> 0:12:04.860 You are all sons of the Most High because of 0:12:04.890 --> 0:12:09.090 their being sons of the Most High. These earthly judges 0:12:09.300 --> 0:12:13.200 are just there representing God, and they can be called gods. 0:12:13.230 --> 0:12:16.620 Verse seven. However, you will die like men and fall 0:12:16.620 --> 0:12:20.550 like any other ruler. Rise up, O God. Judge the earth. 0:12:20.550 --> 0:12:24.840 So what? It's when it uses the term Elohim like that. 0:12:24.840 --> 0:12:30.480 It's used of, uh, it's using it of human, earthly 0:12:30.480 --> 0:12:34.559 ruler judges. And it happens in other places in Exodus 0:12:34.559 --> 0:12:40.020 21 six. It's used that way. Uh, and so here's 0:12:40.020 --> 0:12:43.870 the point that Jesus is making, if earthly Rulers can 0:12:43.870 --> 0:12:49.090 be called God legitimately. Then how can the Son of 0:12:49.090 --> 0:12:54.070 God not also be called God? That's his point. If 0:12:54.070 --> 0:12:58.930 representing God as a human being, uh, is permissible to 0:12:58.960 --> 0:13:03.370 call someone God, then in the same way calling the 0:13:03.370 --> 0:13:08.410 Messiah the Son of God. God, that's perfectly legitimate. That's 0:13:08.410 --> 0:13:12.760 his argument from quoting Psalm 82. So, uh, once again 0:13:12.760 --> 0:13:16.630 pointing to Jesus being not just the Messiah, being the 0:13:16.660 --> 0:13:18.880 being God himself, the God man. We're going to come 0:13:18.880 --> 0:13:21.610 back with more of your questions in just a moment. 0:13:21.610 --> 0:13:24.340 This is open line with Michael Reidel, Nick Eva Ray 0:13:24.340 --> 0:13:27.339 Dolnick and Tricia McMillan. We'll be right back. So stay 0:13:27.340 --> 0:13:34.480 with us. Sometimes Bible reading can feel like looking at 0:13:34.480 --> 0:13:37.660 a bunch of puzzle pieces, not quite sure how they 0:13:37.660 --> 0:13:41.020 fit together. That's where Paul Benware survey of the New 0:13:41.020 --> 0:13:45.250 Testament comes in. This comprehensive guide helps you understand how 0:13:45.250 --> 0:13:49.240 each book fits into God's perfect plan. Connecting the dots 0:13:49.240 --> 0:13:52.300 from the Gospels to Revelation, it's yours. When you give 0:13:52.300 --> 0:13:58.090 a gift of any size to open line, call (888) 644-7122 0:13:58.120 --> 0:14:05.350 or visit open line radio.org. Everyone has questions about God, 0:14:05.350 --> 0:14:07.989 the Bible and living out our faith. And that's why 0:14:07.990 --> 0:14:10.510 we're here on Open Line. We take your questions and 0:14:10.510 --> 0:14:13.720 provide answers straight from Scripture. But we couldn't do this 0:14:13.720 --> 0:14:16.900 without you. When you become a kitchen table partner, you're 0:14:16.900 --> 0:14:19.570 not only keeping this program on the air. Every weekend, 0:14:19.570 --> 0:14:23.890 you'll also receive exclusive benefits like personal audio messages from 0:14:23.890 --> 0:14:27.490 me that offer biblical encouragement. Become a kitchen table partner 0:14:27.490 --> 0:14:33.670 today by calling (888) 644-7122 or go to Open Line radio.org. 0:14:39.580 --> 0:14:43.160 And we're back here at Open Line with me, Michael Melnick, 0:14:43.160 --> 0:14:47.270 Eva Rydell, and Tricia McMillan. Lots of questions you've mailed in. 0:14:47.270 --> 0:14:49.400 We're making good progress, don't you think, Tricia? 0:14:49.430 --> 0:14:50.600 We are. 0:14:50.660 --> 0:14:51.740 Yeah, we're we're. 0:14:51.740 --> 0:14:53.900 Booking through these, which is great. Yeah. I'd love to 0:14:53.930 --> 0:14:56.180 clear out some of these emails that I know people 0:14:56.210 --> 0:14:58.160 have been waiting to have answered their questions. 0:14:58.190 --> 0:15:01.190 Yeah, I tell them when they when people say, you know, 0:15:01.220 --> 0:15:04.040 you haven't answered my email, my question I sent in, 0:15:04.040 --> 0:15:06.440 I said, that's because Tricia won't let me answer it. 0:15:06.470 --> 0:15:06.830 I tell. 0:15:06.830 --> 0:15:10.610 Everyone, I just blame you that. Yeah, yeah. Thank you. 0:15:10.640 --> 0:15:12.230 Throw you right under the bus. 0:15:13.460 --> 0:15:14.120 Well, our. 0:15:14.120 --> 0:15:17.660 Next question is from Diane, and she wants to know 0:15:17.660 --> 0:15:21.890 how do we reconcile John 734, which says, you will 0:15:21.890 --> 0:15:24.290 seek me and you will not find me where I am. 0:15:24.290 --> 0:15:28.760 You cannot come with John 14 three that says, if 0:15:28.760 --> 0:15:30.350 I go and prepare a place for you, I will 0:15:30.350 --> 0:15:32.660 come again, and I will take you to myself, that 0:15:32.660 --> 0:15:35.840 where I am, you may be also. Is he talking 0:15:35.870 --> 0:15:37.430 to two different sets of people? 0:15:37.460 --> 0:15:39.600 Yeah. I think that the key to understanding these two 0:15:39.600 --> 0:15:42.840 verses is context. You need to read who he's talking to, 0:15:42.870 --> 0:15:46.650 and then that'll let us know what's happening. In John seven, 0:15:46.650 --> 0:15:50.220 he's talking to the group of Jewish people who were 0:15:50.580 --> 0:15:53.220 skeptical of him and opposed to him, and they were 0:15:53.220 --> 0:15:57.480 trying to to seize him, to to take him, to 0:15:57.510 --> 0:16:01.890 arrest him, to arrest him in John 734. And as 0:16:01.890 --> 0:16:04.740 you can see, if you look at the beginning, it, it, 0:16:04.770 --> 0:16:07.950 it talks about and they were and they were seeking 0:16:07.950 --> 0:16:10.890 in verse 30. So they were seeking to seize him. 0:16:11.220 --> 0:16:14.100 And even though some in the crowd were believing, there 0:16:14.100 --> 0:16:16.350 were some who didn't and those who didn't, he was 0:16:16.380 --> 0:16:20.610 those were those he were addressing in 34 and John 14. 0:16:20.640 --> 0:16:21.240 He says. 0:16:21.240 --> 0:16:22.590 He says to them, you can't go where I'm. 0:16:22.590 --> 0:16:23.400 Going. Yeah. 0:16:23.430 --> 0:16:27.300 That's right. John 14. He's talking to his disciples after 0:16:27.300 --> 0:16:30.300 the last Passover meal in what is known as the 0:16:30.300 --> 0:16:33.600 Upper Room discourse. So in John seven, he's talking to 0:16:33.630 --> 0:16:36.840 his people who were opposed to him. In John 14, 0:16:36.870 --> 0:16:40.260 he's talking to the 12 who were following him. 0:16:40.290 --> 0:16:44.430 So once, once again, the rule is context. Context. Context 0:16:44.460 --> 0:16:47.280 tells us what's happening in both of those passages. And 0:16:47.280 --> 0:16:50.100 so there's a great reminder, by the way, I think 0:16:50.100 --> 0:16:53.460 this is really important. Those of us who are opposed, 0:16:53.490 --> 0:16:58.410 who are who are trying to stop everything we can 0:16:58.410 --> 0:17:01.290 and not believe in Jesus. You know what Jesus says? Where? 0:17:01.320 --> 0:17:04.140 Where I'm going. You can't go. You're going to there's 0:17:04.140 --> 0:17:06.000 going to come a point. If you're I'm going to 0:17:06.030 --> 0:17:08.280 you're going to seek me, but you won't submit to me. 0:17:08.280 --> 0:17:11.639 And if you won't submit to me, you can't go. Then, 0:17:11.640 --> 0:17:13.949 on the other hand, he gives comfort to those of 0:17:13.950 --> 0:17:16.530 us who know him. Uh, that he's going to prepare 0:17:16.530 --> 0:17:18.090 a place for us. And we have the comfort of 0:17:18.090 --> 0:17:20.880 knowing that when we die, we're going to go be 0:17:20.880 --> 0:17:25.050 with him. And so if you're listening and you think 0:17:25.260 --> 0:17:27.359 I'm kind of intrigued by the Bible, but, you know, 0:17:27.390 --> 0:17:29.490 I've never really made a decision. I was just talking 0:17:29.490 --> 0:17:32.220 with Eva about a dear friend who we've known for 0:17:32.220 --> 0:17:35.879 so long, who we talk about spiritual and spiritual truth 0:17:35.880 --> 0:17:38.560 with all the time, but has not yet made a 0:17:38.560 --> 0:17:42.820 decision to follow Jesus. We care about her so much, 0:17:42.820 --> 0:17:44.860 and we care about you too, and would love for 0:17:44.859 --> 0:17:47.560 you to make that decision. If you've never put your 0:17:47.560 --> 0:17:49.450 trust in Jesus, now's the time to do it so 0:17:49.450 --> 0:17:53.409 that you can receive the comfort that he has, that 0:17:53.410 --> 0:17:56.200 where he's going we can go, that he's going to 0:17:56.230 --> 0:17:59.020 prepare a place for us and and we'll be with 0:17:59.020 --> 0:18:02.169 him forever. All we have to do is trust that 0:18:02.170 --> 0:18:04.420 Jesus died for our sins and rose again. If you've 0:18:04.420 --> 0:18:07.840 never made that decision to be to trust in his 0:18:08.470 --> 0:18:12.160 eternal forgiveness, his forever forgiveness that he provides because he 0:18:12.160 --> 0:18:15.550 died taking our punishment and rose again proving He's God, 0:18:15.550 --> 0:18:18.130 now's the time to do it. Put your trust in him. 0:18:18.310 --> 0:18:21.670 Don't miss out on that opportunity so we can receive 0:18:21.670 --> 0:18:25.570 that comfort that will go to be with him forever 0:18:25.570 --> 0:18:25.930 and have. 0:18:25.930 --> 0:18:27.790 The abundant life right now. 0:18:28.810 --> 0:18:31.359 And if that's something that you want more information about, 0:18:31.359 --> 0:18:33.640 or you want to let us know that you've done that, 0:18:33.640 --> 0:18:37.340 you can go to our website openline radio.org. And there 0:18:37.340 --> 0:18:40.399 is a in the upper right corner. How to know Christ. 0:18:40.430 --> 0:18:42.020 You can click on that and it will take you 0:18:42.020 --> 0:18:45.200 to a page where um, where president of Moody doctor 0:18:45.200 --> 0:18:47.960 Mark Jobe has a little video that you can watch 0:18:47.960 --> 0:18:49.820 and some scriptures you can look up. And there's a 0:18:49.820 --> 0:18:55.070 place where you can request free information too. So Openline radio.org, 0:18:55.100 --> 0:18:56.480 you can find that link. 0:18:56.780 --> 0:18:57.500 Great. 0:18:57.770 --> 0:19:02.240 Our next question is Robert in Illinois listens to Wmbi. 0:19:02.240 --> 0:19:06.260 In acts 2025, Paul told his audience that they would 0:19:06.260 --> 0:19:09.590 see his face no more. So it says, and now 0:19:09.590 --> 0:19:11.510 I know that none of you will ever see my 0:19:11.510 --> 0:19:15.109 face again. Everyone I went about preaching the kingdom to. 0:19:15.140 --> 0:19:17.359 What did Paul mean by this? And why didn't he 0:19:17.359 --> 0:19:20.330 just say see you in eternity or something like that? 0:19:22.310 --> 0:19:27.290 Because he's not as spiritual as the person asking this question. Apparently, 0:19:27.290 --> 0:19:31.399 Paul was not as spiritual as as Diane. 0:19:31.490 --> 0:19:32.450 Uh, Robert? 0:19:33.200 --> 0:19:33.919 Oh, is it Robert? 0:19:33.950 --> 0:19:34.280 I'm sorry. 0:19:34.460 --> 0:19:39.110 Yeah, yeah. Uh, here's here's why I say this. I'm not. 0:19:39.290 --> 0:19:42.260 I'm just teasing you, Robert. He's just talking about in 0:19:42.260 --> 0:19:45.440 this life they had he had spent more time with 0:19:45.440 --> 0:19:48.649 the Ephesian elders than any other group of people in 0:19:48.650 --> 0:19:51.200 a church he had built into their lives. They had 0:19:51.200 --> 0:19:55.340 grown quite dependent on him. And now there's this sad farewell. 0:19:55.340 --> 0:19:58.040 And he says, I will not see your faces anymore 0:19:58.040 --> 0:20:02.510 in this life. And and I'm sure that was sad, 0:20:02.540 --> 0:20:06.650 you know, for all of them, for Paul and these elders. 0:20:06.650 --> 0:20:08.510 And that's all he meant in this life. 0:20:08.840 --> 0:20:09.290 Okay? 0:20:09.290 --> 0:20:12.770 He did write them a letter. Did that letter come 0:20:12.800 --> 0:20:17.090 after after this farewell. Do you think? 0:20:18.260 --> 0:20:22.490 Uh, yeah, I think so, because Timothy was their pastor 0:20:22.490 --> 0:20:23.930 by then. Yep. 0:20:23.960 --> 0:20:25.459 Okay. I know I put you on the spot with 0:20:25.460 --> 0:20:26.240 that question. 0:20:26.270 --> 0:20:27.830 Um, yeah. Because I'm. 0:20:27.920 --> 0:20:28.550 Zipping over. 0:20:28.550 --> 0:20:29.060 To. 0:20:29.570 --> 0:20:34.080 The letters that Paul wrote are not in a chronological order. 0:20:34.109 --> 0:20:35.910 In the New Testament. Right. In the New. 0:20:35.910 --> 0:20:38.879 Testament. And so lining them up with where they would. 0:20:38.910 --> 0:20:41.369 Have happened in acts. Did any of them get written 0:20:41.369 --> 0:20:42.810 during acts? 0:20:43.500 --> 0:20:44.640 Yeah they. 0:20:44.640 --> 0:20:47.760 Did. Sure. Some of them did. Like for example, one 0:20:47.760 --> 0:20:51.060 of the earliest epistles is Galatians. It was written between 0:20:51.060 --> 0:20:57.899 acts 14 and 15. Okay. And this was written Ephesians 0:20:57.900 --> 0:21:05.610 was written from Rome during Paul's first imprisonment about A.D. 60. Uh, 0:21:05.730 --> 0:21:12.510 and so somewhere in acts 2830 is where where this falls, 0:21:12.510 --> 0:21:15.480 this letter to the Ephesians, obviously, after. 0:21:15.780 --> 0:21:19.230 After this farewell, because he didn't see them again. 0:21:19.260 --> 0:21:22.740 Yeah. I think it's so cute. You put me. 0:21:22.740 --> 0:21:23.580 On the spot. 0:21:23.730 --> 0:21:26.609 Every question I know puts me on the spot. But 0:21:26.609 --> 0:21:26.910 he was. 0:21:27.150 --> 0:21:29.340 He was he was in he was in Ephesus for 0:21:29.340 --> 0:21:31.320 three years. It was the longest time that he stayed 0:21:31.320 --> 0:21:34.679 in any place ministering, right? Was that three years in 0:21:34.680 --> 0:21:37.619 Ephesus was his longest period of ministry in one spot. 0:21:37.619 --> 0:21:40.200 But he says, I'm leaving now and I'm not coming back. Yeah. 0:21:40.230 --> 0:21:41.550 You won't see my face again. 0:21:41.580 --> 0:21:41.790 Yeah. 0:21:41.820 --> 0:21:43.680 He he knew God had a different plan for him 0:21:43.680 --> 0:21:44.939 for now, so. 0:21:44.970 --> 0:21:46.560 Yeah, yeah. 0:21:46.619 --> 0:21:50.010 Well, thank you for answering, even while I put you 0:21:50.010 --> 0:21:50.880 on the spot. 0:21:50.910 --> 0:21:52.260 No, you won't see me. 0:21:52.260 --> 0:21:53.970 I'm going to be writing letters, so goodbye. 0:21:54.000 --> 0:21:55.770 You won't see me. I'll just send you a letter. 0:21:55.770 --> 0:21:56.220 That's it. 0:21:56.250 --> 0:21:59.220 Yeah. Yeah, that's great though, because then we have kind 0:21:59.220 --> 0:22:01.140 of a follow up to the ministry that he had 0:22:01.140 --> 0:22:03.930 in person to follow it up with written words that 0:22:03.930 --> 0:22:09.150 they could follow and reread and share among the other churches. 0:22:09.150 --> 0:22:11.580 Because Ephesians, if I recall, is one of those that 0:22:11.580 --> 0:22:13.230 was called a circular letter. So it was like sent 0:22:13.230 --> 0:22:14.340 to all the churches. 0:22:14.369 --> 0:22:15.030 Exactly right. 0:22:15.060 --> 0:22:19.980 Get encouragement and teaching from him. That's wonderful. Thank you. 0:22:20.010 --> 0:22:25.710 Our next question is from Annie. What is your opinion 0:22:26.070 --> 0:22:29.950 on denominations that do not believe or teach the rapture, 0:22:29.980 --> 0:22:33.400 the tribulation, or the thousand year reign and say that 0:22:33.400 --> 0:22:36.820 the Book of Revelation has already taken place. Is this 0:22:36.820 --> 0:22:39.940 a false doctrine, and is this considered a major or 0:22:39.970 --> 0:22:43.480 a minor issue? We've talked about kind of three levels 0:22:43.480 --> 0:22:47.199 of the, the, the issues that where there's like the 0:22:47.200 --> 0:22:50.530 first level priority levels like this is absolute what you 0:22:50.530 --> 0:22:51.760 must believe. 0:22:51.790 --> 0:22:52.899 Essential and agree. 0:22:52.900 --> 0:22:56.410 With essential. Thank you. Yes. The essential doctrines. And then 0:22:56.410 --> 0:22:59.710 there's secondary doctrines and tertiary doctrines. 0:22:59.740 --> 0:23:00.340 Ooh big words. 0:23:00.369 --> 0:23:03.760 Where would this. Thank you, thank you. Where would this 0:23:03.760 --> 0:23:05.530 fall in that. 0:23:05.680 --> 0:23:12.430 Well, there's here's what I consider the essential. The essential 0:23:12.430 --> 0:23:16.930 doctrine is that we have to believe what genuine believers, 0:23:16.930 --> 0:23:19.510 people who have put their trust in Jesus, they will 0:23:19.540 --> 0:23:24.489 believe in the bodily return, the visible bodily return of 0:23:24.490 --> 0:23:28.590 the Lord Jesus. And they may take different views, you know. 0:23:28.619 --> 0:23:32.730 The pre-trib rapture. The post-trib rapture. They may say there 0:23:32.730 --> 0:23:36.210 is no rapture. It's just the second coming without the 0:23:36.210 --> 0:23:39.869 two phases of a rapture that. But if they they 0:23:39.869 --> 0:23:44.820 have to believe in the personal, bodily, visible return of 0:23:44.820 --> 0:23:49.290 the Lord Jesus, that's an essential. But you know, the 0:23:49.290 --> 0:23:53.760 the other issues I think are important, but they're not essential. 0:23:53.760 --> 0:23:58.619 And so I'm always reluctant. I don't know, I'm going 0:23:58.650 --> 0:24:00.750 to see if Eva agrees with me about this. I'm 0:24:00.750 --> 0:24:03.239 reluctant to call someone whom I disagree with about a 0:24:03.240 --> 0:24:08.700 teaching like that. That's secondary. Uh, to call them a false. 0:24:08.760 --> 0:24:14.070 False teaching? Yeah, I would say I disagree. I think 0:24:14.070 --> 0:24:17.490 they're mistaken, but it's not a false teaching. 0:24:17.520 --> 0:24:22.080 Yeah, I think they they have they they need clarification. Yeah. 0:24:22.350 --> 0:24:24.900 Yeah. I tell them if they study a little bit harder, 0:24:24.900 --> 0:24:26.550 maybe they'll get it right. You know, I always joke 0:24:26.550 --> 0:24:30.770 around with my friends who have differing views about that. But. 0:24:30.770 --> 0:24:35.840 But we can still have fellowship. We can still unite 0:24:35.869 --> 0:24:40.190 together about our faith in Jesus. I think that sometimes 0:24:40.190 --> 0:24:43.820 people get caught up in the minors. And, you know, 0:24:43.850 --> 0:24:47.720 I have. I just finished teaching the Book of Revelation 0:24:47.930 --> 0:24:52.310 this past fall semester, and I remember talking about some 0:24:52.310 --> 0:24:55.100 of these issues with my class, and I said, listen, 0:24:55.369 --> 0:24:58.670 as long as a person believes in the personal, visible, uh, 0:24:58.670 --> 0:25:03.080 bodily return of the Lord Jesus, they're good, that's fine. 0:25:03.500 --> 0:25:07.129 But that doesn't mean I don't have convictions. And I 0:25:07.130 --> 0:25:11.030 don't believe completely what I've been teaching you. I believe 0:25:11.030 --> 0:25:15.500 the book of Revelation is futurist. As Eva once said. 0:25:15.770 --> 0:25:17.240 What did you say to that guy that was trying 0:25:17.240 --> 0:25:21.080 to push an alternate eschatology on you? You said, I'm 0:25:21.080 --> 0:25:22.100 pre-trib pre mil. 0:25:22.130 --> 0:25:24.140 Yeah. And I and I'm dogmatic. Yeah. 0:25:24.830 --> 0:25:25.350 This is back. 0:25:25.350 --> 0:25:26.550 In the moody days when I was a. 0:25:26.550 --> 0:25:28.290 Student. He came. 0:25:28.290 --> 0:25:29.939 Into my office bothering me about. 0:25:29.940 --> 0:25:30.630 This. I thought I. 0:25:30.630 --> 0:25:31.200 Married the right. 0:25:31.200 --> 0:25:34.409 Girl. She's dogmatic about her views. That's it. That's right. 0:25:34.560 --> 0:25:37.320 So. And I feel that way. But I recognize that 0:25:37.320 --> 0:25:39.510 I can have conviction about it. But it doesn't mean 0:25:39.510 --> 0:25:44.070 that someone else I can't have fellowship when they differ. So, anyway, uh, 0:25:44.070 --> 0:25:45.840 we're going to come back with more of your questions 0:25:45.840 --> 0:25:48.960 and hopefully we'll agree on, uh, right, uh, right away. 0:25:48.960 --> 0:25:59.189 So stay with us. More questions straight ahead. We're so 0:25:59.190 --> 0:26:02.520 glad that Febc partners with Open Line with Doctor Michael 0:26:02.520 --> 0:26:06.780 Ray Dolnick bringing the Febc mailbag every week. Learn how 0:26:06.810 --> 0:26:10.020 far East Broadcasting Company is taking Christ to the world 0:26:10.020 --> 0:26:14.160 at febc. Org on their weekly podcast. Until all I've 0:26:14.160 --> 0:26:17.370 heard with Ed Cannon, you'll hear stories of lives changed 0:26:17.369 --> 0:26:20.910 by Messiah all across the globe. Again. You can hear 0:26:20.910 --> 0:26:23.130 the podcast when you visit febc. 0:26:23.130 --> 0:26:24.000 C.org. 0:26:24.000 --> 0:26:40.469 That's fbc.org. Welcome back to Open Line I'm Michael Ray 0:26:40.500 --> 0:26:44.190 Dolnick and this is our first program of the year. 0:26:44.190 --> 0:26:47.520 What we're doing is emptying the mailbag here, trying to 0:26:47.520 --> 0:26:49.980 get it cleared out so that we can start afresh 0:26:49.980 --> 0:26:52.440 and anew with new questions for the new year. So 0:26:52.440 --> 0:26:55.199 don't call in today. We're glad that you're listening. And 0:26:55.200 --> 0:26:58.350 Tricia McMillan is here with me. She's asking the questions. 0:26:58.380 --> 0:27:00.990 Eva is helping me answer them, and. 0:27:01.230 --> 0:27:02.100 We're having a good. 0:27:02.100 --> 0:27:03.119 Time. Boy, are we having a good. 0:27:03.119 --> 0:27:05.760 I love these programs because I don't have to do 0:27:05.760 --> 0:27:06.570 all the talking. 0:27:06.570 --> 0:27:07.230 Really glad. 0:27:07.260 --> 0:27:10.590 So I get to hang out with my friends. 0:27:10.619 --> 0:27:11.100 Yeah. 0:27:11.520 --> 0:27:15.930 That too. Yes. For sure. Kyle wrote us from Illinois, 0:27:15.930 --> 0:27:17.879 listens to the podcast, and said a friend and I 0:27:17.880 --> 0:27:22.500 were having a discussion about women pastors. My view was 0:27:22.540 --> 0:27:25.720 women can serve any role except lead pastor. He said 0:27:25.720 --> 0:27:30.250 that that Kyle was wrong because of what I think 0:27:30.250 --> 0:27:34.510 he called the prominence theory in Greek that Paul mentions 0:27:34.510 --> 0:27:37.449 Priscilla before Aquila in his letters because she was the 0:27:37.450 --> 0:27:40.090 more prominent person in the church, and this would have 0:27:40.090 --> 0:27:42.850 been considered a pastor or an elder. He also cited 0:27:42.850 --> 0:27:45.820 Deborah in The Book of Judges as another example. Is 0:27:45.820 --> 0:27:49.480 this prominence theory an actual thing? And is this evidence 0:27:49.480 --> 0:27:51.609 for why women should be pastors? 0:27:52.750 --> 0:27:55.690 Well, first of all, there is no such thing as 0:27:55.690 --> 0:28:01.270 a prominence. It's just the order of names. You know, 0:28:01.300 --> 0:28:06.040 sometimes even signs are are letters, Michael and Eva, and 0:28:06.040 --> 0:28:10.420 sometimes she'll sign it. Eva and Michael. Uh, it just 0:28:11.710 --> 0:28:15.489 there's there's nothing there about indicating just because Priscilla is 0:28:15.490 --> 0:28:20.740 named first, that somehow she is the more prominent or 0:28:20.740 --> 0:28:22.700 even a pastor. As far as I can tell, they 0:28:22.700 --> 0:28:28.100 were both, uh, uh, tent makers. They weren't. Either of 0:28:28.100 --> 0:28:32.030 them were. Neither of them were pastors. Uh, that's that's 0:28:32.030 --> 0:28:37.250 a mistake, Deborah. I think, Deborah. Uh, as a gijet uh, 0:28:37.820 --> 0:28:44.060 she actually her example is not to be taken because 0:28:44.060 --> 0:28:47.870 what the problem was that the the male leadership in 0:28:47.870 --> 0:28:52.670 Israel were failing, and that's why Barak, he was he 0:28:52.670 --> 0:28:54.320 was told by her to go battle. And she says, oh, 0:28:54.350 --> 0:28:56.300 I don't want to go. I'm afraid, Deborah, you come 0:28:56.300 --> 0:29:00.290 with me. So, um, that actually shows the failure of 0:29:00.290 --> 0:29:06.020 male leadership, not God's intention to have female leaders. And 0:29:06.560 --> 0:29:10.790 here's the thing. Women can do so much in Scripture. Uh, 0:29:10.790 --> 0:29:15.650 they the Bible teaches about women teaching younger women. It 0:29:15.650 --> 0:29:20.450 teaches about Timothy learning from the scriptures, from his. From 0:29:20.450 --> 0:29:25.880 his mother and his grandmother. Uh, it talks about Priscilla 0:29:25.880 --> 0:29:32.330 and Aquila, but Priscilla, uh, helping Apollos, uh, with his 0:29:32.330 --> 0:29:35.090 understanding of scripture. There's so much so when we look 0:29:35.120 --> 0:29:39.140 at the limitation in first Timothy two, uh, verse 12, 0:29:39.140 --> 0:29:41.570 I don't allow a woman to teach or exercise authority 0:29:41.570 --> 0:29:45.590 over a man. It's a it's a limitation not for 0:29:45.590 --> 0:29:48.320 doing ministry, but a particular role, which is to be 0:29:48.320 --> 0:29:50.180 the senior elder or an elder, an. 0:29:50.210 --> 0:29:50.960 Office, an. 0:29:50.960 --> 0:29:54.740 Office in, in the local church. That's it. Uh, I 0:29:54.740 --> 0:29:57.740 think women can pastor in this sense. There's a gift 0:29:57.740 --> 0:30:03.560 of pastor. And women are often better shepherds at caring 0:30:03.560 --> 0:30:06.320 for other women in the congregation than I ever was. 0:30:06.320 --> 0:30:09.740 As a pastor. There was a dear woman who was. 0:30:09.770 --> 0:30:11.990 She was my age now, but she was quite a 0:30:11.990 --> 0:30:14.150 bit older than me when I was a young pastor. 0:30:14.150 --> 0:30:17.000 And she knew the word and she was a really 0:30:17.030 --> 0:30:17.810 caring person. 0:30:17.840 --> 0:30:18.260 So this is the. 0:30:18.270 --> 0:30:20.640 Church that we planted way back on Long Island? 0:30:20.820 --> 0:30:24.450 Yeah. Way, way back. And when, when there were, there 0:30:24.450 --> 0:30:29.459 were women who had needs or wanted advice or discipling, 0:30:29.460 --> 0:30:32.550 I would just say, go see Lita. Right. And, and 0:30:32.550 --> 0:30:36.780 Lita really functioned as a ministering to the women there. 0:30:36.780 --> 0:30:39.900 And she used her gift of pastor teacher in a 0:30:39.900 --> 0:30:40.890 really great way. 0:30:41.160 --> 0:30:43.170 You know, I think that one of the things about Priscilla, 0:30:43.170 --> 0:30:46.979 it was you had a question recently, Michael, about did 0:30:47.280 --> 0:30:50.250 Jewish women in the first century know the scriptures? Could 0:30:50.250 --> 0:30:53.880 they read and write? And she's a good example of yes. 0:30:53.910 --> 0:30:56.460 In the first century, Jewish women did know the scriptures 0:30:56.460 --> 0:30:59.040 and could read and write. And she was. That's why 0:30:59.040 --> 0:31:00.870 she was able to teach it, because she knew it. 0:31:00.870 --> 0:31:04.170 And so it's kind of a myth that women didn't 0:31:04.170 --> 0:31:05.730 know how to read, didn't know how to write, didn't 0:31:05.730 --> 0:31:08.370 know how to study. Priscilla is a great example of that. 0:31:08.400 --> 0:31:11.040 Or a myth that God doesn't want to use women 0:31:11.040 --> 0:31:16.320 in ministry just because there's some limitation there. So anyway, 0:31:16.350 --> 0:31:17.850 you know, I just. 0:31:17.850 --> 0:31:18.630 Think this is this is. 0:31:18.810 --> 0:31:20.610 All. We could do this for an hour, but maybe 0:31:20.640 --> 0:31:21.210 we should move on. 0:31:21.300 --> 0:31:22.770 Probably, yeah. Yeah. 0:31:22.800 --> 0:31:26.850 Thank you. Kevin Rhodes from Illinois listens to Wbai and said, 0:31:26.850 --> 0:31:31.200 I'm trying to understand my responsibility as a Christian husband. 0:31:31.230 --> 0:31:33.780 He came to know our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ 0:31:33.780 --> 0:31:37.800 in December of 2019. So a relatively new. 0:31:38.130 --> 0:31:40.650 Kind of a new believer. Yeah. Mhm. Yeah. 0:31:41.100 --> 0:31:43.770 So what do you think? What does the Bible say 0:31:43.770 --> 0:31:46.650 about the responsibility of a Christian husband. 0:31:47.370 --> 0:31:51.510 Well it's kind of an interesting thing. People often are 0:31:51.510 --> 0:31:57.630 mistaken in when we do pre-marital counseling which you know, 0:31:57.660 --> 0:32:00.450 when I used to do quite a bit of when 0:32:00.450 --> 0:32:03.960 I led a congregation and then also with, with students 0:32:03.960 --> 0:32:05.520 who were planning on getting married, but they were away 0:32:05.520 --> 0:32:10.290 from home and I had a sub for their pastor. Yeah, yeah. So, uh, 0:32:10.290 --> 0:32:12.090 and I always have them do a, I had a 0:32:12.090 --> 0:32:15.660 form which had different jobs, like raking leaves, shoveling snow. 0:32:15.700 --> 0:32:17.050 Washing, taking out the garbage. 0:32:17.050 --> 0:32:22.450 Diapering babies, different things like that. And I and I said, man, 0:32:22.480 --> 0:32:25.930 a husband or wife who does it. And they would 0:32:25.930 --> 0:32:31.480 define roles and it said husband, wife, both. And every 0:32:31.480 --> 0:32:36.010 one of those I think is both okay. You know, uh, 0:32:36.190 --> 0:32:40.930 it there are no defined roles like that. You know, 0:32:40.960 --> 0:32:45.400 shoveling snow is not a man's role. And and watering 0:32:45.400 --> 0:32:48.490 the plants is not a female role. You know, I, 0:32:48.520 --> 0:32:52.540 I just think that that is goofy to think that way. 0:32:52.690 --> 0:32:54.940 I've diapered a lot of babies in my time. 0:32:54.940 --> 0:32:56.410 So load the. 0:32:56.410 --> 0:32:57.760 Dishwasher. Anybody can do that. 0:32:57.790 --> 0:33:00.670 Yeah. So. And, you know, even takes out the garbage. 0:33:00.670 --> 0:33:03.520 I think that that's one of the the I'm so 0:33:03.520 --> 0:33:05.950 blessed as a husband because she doesn't just leave it 0:33:05.950 --> 0:33:07.720 there in the kitchen and say. 0:33:07.750 --> 0:33:08.440 Honey. 0:33:08.440 --> 0:33:09.910 Take out the garbage. 0:33:10.480 --> 0:33:12.070 I know the way to the alley. I can carry 0:33:12.070 --> 0:33:12.640 this out. 0:33:15.410 --> 0:33:19.160 But there are roles that a man should follow. And 0:33:19.160 --> 0:33:22.760 I never tell a woman their role. I always emphasize, 0:33:22.790 --> 0:33:24.800 because it's not my business. I just tell the man 0:33:24.800 --> 0:33:29.060 his role. Here's what it says. Husbands, love your wives. 0:33:29.090 --> 0:33:32.480 This is Ephesians 525 and following. Husbands, love your wives, 0:33:32.480 --> 0:33:36.620 just as the Messiah loved the church and gave himself 0:33:36.620 --> 0:33:42.080 for her. So what is it saying there? Husbands love sacrificially. 0:33:42.680 --> 0:33:48.290 Isn't that right? Uh, then. Then it says, uh. He 0:33:48.290 --> 0:33:51.110 did this to present the church to himself in splendor 0:33:51.110 --> 0:33:56.000 without spot or blemish or anything like that, but holy 0:33:56.000 --> 0:34:00.680 and blameless. It goes on in verse 29 to say, 0:34:00.710 --> 0:34:04.370 for no one ever hates his own flesh, but provides 0:34:04.370 --> 0:34:07.729 and cares for it. I think it's the new American 0:34:07.730 --> 0:34:12.290 standard says, uh, cherishes it, just as the Messiah does 0:34:12.290 --> 0:34:15.890 the church. So as long as we're loving our wives sacrificially, 0:34:15.890 --> 0:34:20.570 which means putting her needs ahead of ours, uh, providing 0:34:20.570 --> 0:34:26.360 for her not just materially, but spiritually, providing for her 0:34:26.360 --> 0:34:32.960 emotional nurture as well, and cherishing her. Uh, then you 0:34:32.960 --> 0:34:37.850 go to first Peter three where it says, uh, that 0:34:37.850 --> 0:34:41.390 a man is supposed to grant his wife honor as 0:34:41.390 --> 0:34:43.669 a fellow heir of the grace of life. If you're 0:34:43.670 --> 0:34:48.290 granting honor to your wife, those are our special responsibilities 0:34:48.290 --> 0:34:50.000 as a husband. I know a lot of people don't 0:34:50.000 --> 0:34:52.670 like it. That I believe that God has appointed man 0:34:52.670 --> 0:34:57.410 to be the the chief leader. I think that that means, uh, 0:34:57.410 --> 0:35:05.060 to be sacrificially leading, serving one's wife. Uh, and, Eva, 0:35:05.090 --> 0:35:08.150 you know, you what do you always say about that? 0:35:08.870 --> 0:35:10.130 The thing about dancing. No. 0:35:10.130 --> 0:35:10.790 It works. 0:35:10.820 --> 0:35:12.900 Oh, it works for me. That's right, that's right. 0:35:12.930 --> 0:35:15.930 It works for me if I do it. 0:35:15.960 --> 0:35:18.180 Yeah. And another verse too, about this too. Not about 0:35:18.180 --> 0:35:21.000 the loving, which I think is the hardest thing. Harder 0:35:21.000 --> 0:35:22.560 to be a husband than a wife, I think, because 0:35:22.560 --> 0:35:26.880 of the loving part. Um. Loving as Christ loved the church. Wow. Uh, 0:35:26.880 --> 0:35:29.520 first Timothy five eight says that. And I think this 0:35:29.520 --> 0:35:31.770 has to do with the husband's role. If anyone does 0:35:31.770 --> 0:35:34.739 not provide for his own, and especially for those of 0:35:34.739 --> 0:35:37.980 his household, he has denied the faith and is worse 0:35:37.980 --> 0:35:42.000 than an unbeliever. So husbands have to provide for their 0:35:42.000 --> 0:35:45.150 families and can't sit around on the couch all day 0:35:45.180 --> 0:35:45.989 and not do nothing. 0:35:46.020 --> 0:35:46.529 Of course you read. 0:35:46.530 --> 0:35:49.319 The Proverbs 30, Proverbs 31. The Proverbs 31 woman. 0:35:49.320 --> 0:35:50.190 She's also providing. 0:35:50.310 --> 0:35:53.130 Providing. Yeah, it's a marriage. Teamwork. 0:35:53.310 --> 0:35:55.620 Marriage. Teamwork. Exactly. We're going to come back with more 0:35:55.620 --> 0:35:58.859 of your questions. Straight ahead. Don't miss them. This is 0:35:58.860 --> 0:36:02.160 Mike Dolnick and Tricia McMillan. You're listening to Open Line 0:36:02.160 --> 0:36:14.219 on Moody Radio. Did you ever feel Christians can't do 0:36:14.219 --> 0:36:19.170 anything about the growing anti-Semitism in the world? Well, that's 0:36:19.170 --> 0:36:21.719 why Chosen People Ministry is one of our partners, is 0:36:21.719 --> 0:36:26.640 offering a free book called Uncommon Allies American Jews and 0:36:26.640 --> 0:36:32.640 Christians Uniting Against Hitler, 1933 through 45, written by Alan Shore. 0:36:32.670 --> 0:36:36.900 This book shows the importance and power of Christians standing 0:36:36.900 --> 0:36:40.470 against anti-Semitism in the past, so we'll be motivated to 0:36:40.469 --> 0:36:43.830 do the same in the present and the future. Just 0:36:43.830 --> 0:36:47.069 go to Open Line radio.org. Scroll down until you see 0:36:47.070 --> 0:36:50.160 the link that says A free gift from Chosen People Ministries. 0:36:50.190 --> 0:36:52.739 Click on that and you'll be taken to a page 0:36:52.739 --> 0:36:54.900 where you can sign up for your very own copy 0:36:54.900 --> 0:37:07.200 of Uncommon Allies. Welcome back to Open Line. Thank you 0:37:07.200 --> 0:37:09.610 for listening today. I really appreciate it. I want to 0:37:09.610 --> 0:37:12.219 thank Omar Mendoza for doing such a great job in 0:37:12.219 --> 0:37:16.870 helping us record this program, this pre-recorded program. Thanks for, uh, 0:37:16.870 --> 0:37:20.830 all that you do, Omar. And also thanks, Tricia, for 0:37:20.830 --> 0:37:23.290 putting the mailbag together. That's a lot of work and 0:37:23.290 --> 0:37:26.050 really appreciate it. And thanks for being with me today 0:37:26.050 --> 0:37:28.570 and Eva, for being here to make sure I stay 0:37:28.570 --> 0:37:31.089 on the straight and narrow in terms of answering questions 0:37:31.120 --> 0:37:33.070 and moving me along. 0:37:33.100 --> 0:37:35.080 Great times, great times. That's good. 0:37:35.140 --> 0:37:36.790 Uh, well, we're going to we're going to go right 0:37:36.790 --> 0:37:39.969 back here to the final questions of, of the day. 0:37:39.969 --> 0:37:43.510 So all right, Matt in Ohio, listen to Wtxf and said, 0:37:43.510 --> 0:37:45.760 I've got a friend who's considering using a Ouija board 0:37:45.760 --> 0:37:49.930 to contact their deceased spouse. I want to know what 0:37:49.930 --> 0:37:52.540 you would tell this person when you don't really know 0:37:52.540 --> 0:37:54.100 where they stand spiritually. 0:37:54.969 --> 0:37:58.029 Well, I would think no matter whether a person stands spiritually, 0:37:58.030 --> 0:38:02.230 I would say, don't do that. The the scriptures is 0:38:02.260 --> 0:38:07.580 are really clear about not being involved in anything of 0:38:07.580 --> 0:38:10.190 the occult and the Ouija board, although some people say, oh, 0:38:10.190 --> 0:38:13.670 it's just a game like monopoly. It is not just 0:38:13.670 --> 0:38:16.460 a game like monopoly, it is connected to the occult. 0:38:16.460 --> 0:38:20.600 And like in Leviticus 1926, it says you should not 0:38:20.600 --> 0:38:26.510 practice divination or soothsaying or trying to make contact with 0:38:26.510 --> 0:38:30.410 the dead. In Leviticus 19 and in Leviticus 20, it 0:38:30.410 --> 0:38:34.310 says that as for any person who turns to mediums 0:38:34.310 --> 0:38:37.310 and spirits to play the harlot with them, I will 0:38:37.310 --> 0:38:40.129 set my face against them that it is an abomination. 0:38:40.130 --> 0:38:44.330 And it's repeated again in in Deuteronomy 1810 through 12, 0:38:44.360 --> 0:38:49.220 it says that you shouldn't be involved with divination or witchcraft, 0:38:49.219 --> 0:38:52.010 or one who interprets omens or a sorcerer. 0:38:52.040 --> 0:38:52.850 No, you did that. 0:38:52.880 --> 0:38:54.469 You talked about this with a friend once. 0:38:54.469 --> 0:38:58.280 I did, I had a friend and it's it stands 0:38:58.280 --> 0:39:00.740 out in my mind. She was didn't know the Lord, 0:39:00.739 --> 0:39:04.880 but she had had an associate who had gone to 0:39:04.910 --> 0:39:07.230 a fortune teller. And she said, I'm just really nervous 0:39:07.230 --> 0:39:09.120 about the future and I don't know, and I'm going 0:39:09.150 --> 0:39:11.010 to go to this fortune teller. What do you think? 0:39:11.040 --> 0:39:15.060 And I said, don't go to a fortune teller and 0:39:15.060 --> 0:39:17.820 talked about some of these verses with her, even though 0:39:17.820 --> 0:39:19.890 she didn't know the Lord. She had some respect for 0:39:19.890 --> 0:39:20.400 the scriptures. 0:39:20.430 --> 0:39:21.060 I remember you said. 0:39:21.060 --> 0:39:24.360 I said, there's only two possibilities. Either the fortune teller 0:39:24.360 --> 0:39:29.640 is right and has supernatural knowledge only from demons, and 0:39:29.640 --> 0:39:32.640 you don't want to be involved with demons, or they're 0:39:32.640 --> 0:39:35.250 wrong and you're just wasting your money on somebody who's 0:39:35.250 --> 0:39:38.700 a crook. So it's the same thing with the Ouija board. 0:39:38.730 --> 0:39:41.250 Stay away from it. Don't try to talk to the dead. 0:39:41.280 --> 0:39:44.520 It is forbidden. It only comes from the occult. You 0:39:44.520 --> 0:39:47.820 won't really be talking to the dead person. It's only 0:39:47.820 --> 0:39:51.390 a demonic activity or a charlatan. So don't do. 0:39:51.390 --> 0:39:52.140 It. If you care. 0:39:52.140 --> 0:39:53.460 For your friend, you warn them. 0:39:53.489 --> 0:39:54.630 Warn them. Right? 0:39:54.660 --> 0:39:55.830 Yep. Okay. 0:39:55.860 --> 0:39:58.890 Tracy in Illinois listens to Wbns and also on the 0:39:58.890 --> 0:40:03.900 podcast and has a related question about do we know 0:40:03.900 --> 0:40:08.070 if Satan or demons know the future and how much 0:40:08.070 --> 0:40:11.969 do they know? Acts 1616 mentions a slave girl who 0:40:11.969 --> 0:40:14.340 was possessed by a spirit of divination and could tell 0:40:14.370 --> 0:40:20.220 fortunes is the assumption that those fortunes were accurate. So 0:40:20.219 --> 0:40:23.010 that's kind of like part one for a question. Well. 0:40:23.280 --> 0:40:28.890 Just remember that demons have a vastly superior brain capability 0:40:28.890 --> 0:40:32.100 than we do. They they are able to look at 0:40:32.100 --> 0:40:36.630 a person's life, see how it's going. And, ah, you know, 0:40:36.660 --> 0:40:38.730 there are people who are able to predict the future, 0:40:38.760 --> 0:40:42.720 not because they're getting supernatural information, but because they're pretty discerning. 0:40:42.719 --> 0:40:44.669 And they if you do go this direction, then this 0:40:44.670 --> 0:40:45.450 is going to happen. 0:40:45.450 --> 0:40:46.380 They understand that they're. 0:40:46.380 --> 0:40:48.180 Great at observation. Yeah. 0:40:48.180 --> 0:40:52.650 And I think demonic forces have that ability. They're not 100% accurate, 0:40:52.650 --> 0:40:54.840 but they can be pretty accurate because they can look 0:40:54.870 --> 0:40:58.290 at our lives and and discern what the future will 0:40:58.290 --> 0:41:00.450 hold for a person. 0:41:00.450 --> 0:41:04.230 So on a practical level, our moms have this same ability. Yeah, 0:41:05.219 --> 0:41:07.170 they look at their kids and they know what they've 0:41:07.170 --> 0:41:10.830 done or what they're planning to do, because we have 0:41:10.830 --> 0:41:13.020 amazing observational powers. Mom. 0:41:13.290 --> 0:41:14.370 Mom. Observations. 0:41:14.640 --> 0:41:16.500 And our kids say, how could you know that? 0:41:16.530 --> 0:41:17.219 Blah blah blah. 0:41:17.760 --> 0:41:20.310 And so that's the kind of it's not because we 0:41:20.310 --> 0:41:22.439 have supernatural power. We're great observers. 0:41:22.440 --> 0:41:28.410 And then obviously there's an infinitely greater amount of observation 0:41:28.410 --> 0:41:31.529 by a demonic power. And that's why they are able 0:41:31.530 --> 0:41:32.730 to tell the future. 0:41:33.870 --> 0:41:37.320 Okay. So if Satan could see the future, why would 0:41:37.320 --> 0:41:42.569 he waste his time tempting Jesus or even like in times? 0:41:42.570 --> 0:41:44.700 Why does he, you know, in revelation with what's going 0:41:44.700 --> 0:41:48.629 to happen if he knows Jesus is going to win? Why? 0:41:48.660 --> 0:41:50.279 Why bother? 0:41:51.780 --> 0:41:59.790 I think the the basic answer is that Satan and 0:41:59.790 --> 0:42:02.840 he's convinced these demons to follow him, But Satan is 0:42:02.840 --> 0:42:07.520 filled with pride. And pride says, I know what the 0:42:07.520 --> 0:42:11.090 Bible says, because the scriptures say that the demons believe 0:42:11.090 --> 0:42:14.509 what the scriptures say, and they tremble, but they so 0:42:14.510 --> 0:42:19.040 they know what the scriptures say. Uh, but Satan is 0:42:19.040 --> 0:42:25.009 so proud, so arrogant, so, uh, megalomaniac that he thinks 0:42:25.010 --> 0:42:27.560 that he can overrule God. I think that's it. That's 0:42:27.560 --> 0:42:30.739 why it says in Isaiah 14 where it talks about 0:42:30.739 --> 0:42:32.810 the fall of Satan, I will ascend to the heavens. 0:42:32.810 --> 0:42:35.750 I will sit on the mount, I will ascend to 0:42:35.780 --> 0:42:38.480 the highest clouds. I will make myself like the Most High. 0:42:38.510 --> 0:42:42.500 Those five I wills that he has. It's his arrogance 0:42:42.500 --> 0:42:45.890 that leads him that direction. He thinks he can somehow 0:42:45.890 --> 0:42:50.390 overpower God, and it's a falsehood that he has believed 0:42:50.390 --> 0:42:55.009 about himself. Uh, when he fell, uh, wickedness. His chief 0:42:55.010 --> 0:42:59.719 sin is pride, in my opinion. So that's that's why 0:42:59.719 --> 0:43:00.770 he thinks that. 0:43:01.700 --> 0:43:08.120 Okay. All right. Um, Julia in Indiana listens to Wagner 0:43:08.120 --> 0:43:11.270 and is reading through Romans and noticed verses that seem 0:43:11.270 --> 0:43:15.469 to be both for and against predestination, or at least 0:43:15.500 --> 0:43:19.850 kind of present two things. Her first verse is Romans 1122, 0:43:19.880 --> 0:43:24.739 which says, therefore, consider God's kindness and severity, severity toward 0:43:24.739 --> 0:43:28.130 those who have fallen, but God's kindness toward you if 0:43:28.130 --> 0:43:30.680 you remain in his kindness. Otherwise, you too will be 0:43:30.680 --> 0:43:36.320 cut off. And then Romans 1129, which says, regarding the gospel, 0:43:36.320 --> 0:43:39.109 they are enemies for your advantage. But regarding election they 0:43:39.110 --> 0:43:42.080 are loved because of the patriarchs. Since God's gracious gifts 0:43:42.080 --> 0:43:47.060 and calling are irrevocable, so can a believer lose their salvation. 0:43:47.060 --> 0:43:50.690 And how would someone not continue in God's kindness? 0:43:51.380 --> 0:43:54.050 Well, let me just say, these verses that you're reading 0:43:54.080 --> 0:43:57.169 have nothing to do with individual personal salvation. 0:43:58.040 --> 0:43:59.300 They Okay. 0:43:59.330 --> 0:44:02.660 There they are in Romans nine through 11, talking about 0:44:02.660 --> 0:44:05.870 the role of the Jewish people and the role of Gentiles. 0:44:05.870 --> 0:44:08.390 And what he has said is in the great olive tree. 0:44:08.420 --> 0:44:12.050 What Gentiles have become have come to right now. They 0:44:12.080 --> 0:44:13.640 are in the place of prominence. When you look at 0:44:13.640 --> 0:44:17.630 who are the followers of Jesus, mostly Gentiles are followers 0:44:17.630 --> 0:44:21.860 of Jesus. Very few Jewish people. And so for the 0:44:21.860 --> 0:44:24.770 most part, Jewish people have not believed. And he says, 0:44:24.770 --> 0:44:28.130 but just because of that, you need to know that 0:44:28.130 --> 0:44:34.459 if Gentiles, uh, move away from from a position of openness, 0:44:34.489 --> 0:44:36.500 what's going to happen is they can be cut off, too, 0:44:36.500 --> 0:44:38.630 and they can lose that position of prominence that they 0:44:38.630 --> 0:44:41.149 have right now in the church. And so it's talking 0:44:41.150 --> 0:44:43.520 about the Gentile role. And then when it talks about that, 0:44:43.520 --> 0:44:46.640 the gifts and calling of God are irrevocable. Uh, it's 0:44:46.640 --> 0:44:50.060 talking about Jewish people still being chosen and beloved by God, 0:44:50.060 --> 0:44:53.600 not talking about individual salvation, but still being a beloved, 0:44:53.600 --> 0:44:56.120 chosen people. God still has a plan for Jewish people, 0:44:56.120 --> 0:44:58.379 and he's going to one day bring them to knowledge 0:44:58.380 --> 0:45:01.890 of him. And and that's what it's talking about. It's 0:45:01.890 --> 0:45:04.890 talking about the place of prominence. And one day, again, 0:45:04.920 --> 0:45:08.850 the Jewish people will be central to God's plan. Don't 0:45:08.850 --> 0:45:09.660 you think that's talking about. 0:45:09.660 --> 0:45:12.270 I think that's absolutely right. And but as far as 0:45:12.270 --> 0:45:15.029 her question seeming to having to do with eternal security, 0:45:15.030 --> 0:45:17.910 I think we can be secure in our relationship with 0:45:17.910 --> 0:45:21.509 the Lord Jesus based on our faith decision to believe 0:45:21.510 --> 0:45:21.900 in him. 0:45:21.900 --> 0:45:23.700 If you've put your trust in Jesus, then you have 0:45:23.700 --> 0:45:26.790 to know that there is nothing that will separate us 0:45:26.790 --> 0:45:28.800 from the love of God. There's. If you look at 0:45:28.800 --> 0:45:32.340 Romans eight, it says there is no condemnation now for 0:45:32.340 --> 0:45:36.029 those who are in the Messiah, Jesus. That's how Romans 0:45:36.030 --> 0:45:41.880 eight starts. At the end of Romans eight, it says, uh, that, uh, 0:45:42.030 --> 0:45:44.489 what are we to say about these things? If God 0:45:44.489 --> 0:45:48.750 is for us, who is against us? I am verse 38, 0:45:48.750 --> 0:45:53.010 I am persuaded Romans 838, that not even death or life, 0:45:53.040 --> 0:45:56.940 angels or rulers, things present, things to come. Hostile powers, 0:45:56.940 --> 0:46:00.989 height or depth, or any other created thing will have 0:46:00.989 --> 0:46:03.870 the power to separate us from the love of God 0:46:03.870 --> 0:46:06.750 that is in the Messiah, Jesus our Lord. The one 0:46:06.750 --> 0:46:09.839 thing that's so crucial about the book of Romans is 0:46:09.840 --> 0:46:12.720 it tells us that there is nothing that will ever 0:46:12.719 --> 0:46:15.000 separate us from the love of God that we have 0:46:15.000 --> 0:46:19.500 found when we trusted in Jesus. So hey, that's my answer. 0:46:19.500 --> 0:46:21.600 You don't have to worry about losing your salvation. And 0:46:21.600 --> 0:46:26.399 thanks all of you for joining me today. Thanks for listening. Thanks, Patricia. Thanks, Eva. 0:46:26.430 --> 0:46:29.280 That's the program for the week. Thanks for listening, everyone. 0:46:29.280 --> 0:46:34.260 We'll be back next week with more of your questions. Uh, remember, 0:46:34.260 --> 0:46:36.210 keep in touch with us by checking out our web page, 0:46:36.210 --> 0:46:38.820 open Line radio.org has all the links you're looking for 0:46:38.850 --> 0:46:41.759 right there. Keep reading the Bible. We'll talk about it 0:46:41.760 --> 0:46:44.820 next week. Open line with Doctor Michael Dolnick is a 0:46:44.820 --> 0:46:48.540 production of Moody Radio, a ministry of Moody Bible Institute. 0:46:48.540 --> 0:46:51.120 Happy New Year, everyone. See you next week.