S1: Hello, friends. Welcome to the second hour of Open Line
S1: with me, Michael Zelnick. This is our special New Year edition.
S1: So glad that you're joining us today. I'm the academic
S1: dean and professor of Jewish Studies and Bible at Moody
S1: Bible Institute. And as we do our Bible study across
S1: America today, I am so grateful that you're joining me
S1: around the radio kitchen table. And we're talking about the
S1: questions you've sent in about the Bible, God, and the
S1: spiritual life. We thought to start the new year instead
S1: of taking calls. What we do is empty the the
S1: the inbox, uh, clear the spindle. What we're doing is
S1: answering the questions you've mailed in to the mailbag all
S1: this past year. We're trying to get it clear so
S1: that next week you can start anew and fill up
S1: the the mailbag once again. Joining me to answer questions
S1: today is Eva Radulovic. She's my favorite Bible teacher, my
S1: wife for many, many years and also a colleague at
S1: Moody Bible Institute. She teaches as well as writes for
S1: books like the Moody Bible Commentary and the Moody Handbook
S1: of Messianic Prophecy. And also joining me is Tricia McMillan.
S1: She's the producer of Open Line. You hear her every week.
S1: She's put the mailbag together, and we're going to go
S1: right to the questions, this this segment right now. We're
S1: going to talk with Tricia. Hey, Tricia. Hi. What are
S1: you what have you got for us here?
S2: All right. Linda wrote us on Facebook and said, how
S2: would an Old Testament Jewish person understand the Triune God?
S2: Before Messiah came? The written prophecies made it clear about
S2: the Messiah. Other than Christ's words and miracles, would they
S2: have been taught that Christ or the Messiah is God,
S2: or is there no understanding that caused the unbelief.
S1: Okay, so here's the problem. People think that everyone understood
S1: there's something called progressive revelation. And as the Bible unfolds,
S1: we learn more and more to think that there was calcitonin,
S1: which was the Council of Chalcedon, where they really clarified
S1: the triune nature of God. To think that there was
S1: Chalcedonian trinitarianism in the Old Testament is I think that's
S1: kind of far fetched. However, there are some hints. It
S1: opens with let us make man in our image and
S1: according to our likeness, there seems to be one God. Yeah,
S1: but there's a plurality to him. Uh, we have passages
S1: like we studied, uh, at Christmas time, Isaiah nine six,
S1: where the Messiah is called a wonder of a counselor,
S1: the mighty God, the father of eternity, the Prince of Peace,
S1: obviously indicating that the Messiah, when he comes, will be deity.
S1: Many passages like that and and so even a passage
S1: I think is interesting is Isaiah 4816. Clearly it's talking
S1: about God in Isaiah 4816, one of my favorite verses,
S1: because people try and make the Bible hard to understand.
S1: He says at the beginning, behold, from the beginning I
S1: have not spoken in secret, but this is God speaking.
S1: If you look at Isaiah 48, the paragraph begins by saying,
S1: this is what the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One
S1: of Israel, says. Uh, listen, I'm sorry, I'm reading the
S1: wrong verse. Uh, but, uh, listen to me, Jacob. In Israel,
S1: the one called by me, I am he, I am
S1: the first. I am also the last. Clearly God is speaking.
S1: And then he says, approach me. Listen to this. From
S1: the beginning. I have not spoken in secret from the
S1: time anything existed, I was there. So he is saying,
S1: I am the eternal one. And then he says, and
S1: now the Lord God has sent me and His Spirit.
S1: So God is sent by God and His spirit. Obviously,
S1: there's a hint of the triune nature of God. Uh,
S1: but it's not clear so that everyone would have understood it.
S3: And the word Trinity, as we know, is not a
S3: New Testament word. I mean a biblical word, either in
S3: the new or the Old Testament. It is just a
S3: word that has been formed to try and explain theologians,
S3: to try to explain this mystery. And when we were
S3: moody students in Jewish Studies, our professor of Jewish studies
S3: at that time said that the best way to understand
S3: the Trinity is not calling it the Trinity, but as
S3: the Old Testament, uh, explanation. It's a mystery form of God. Yeah,
S3: the mystery is a mystery form of God. And one
S3: of my favorite verses is Proverbs 30 verse four, where
S3: it says, who has ascended into the heavens and descended?
S3: Who has gathered the wind in his fist, who has
S3: wrapped the waters in his garment, who has established all
S3: the ends of the earth? What is his name or
S3: his son's name? Surely you know. So are there these
S3: hints of this mysterious form of God throughout the Old Testament?
S1: Now, Lou Goldberg, don't get me wrong, he believed in
S1: the triunity of God. Yeah, no doubt about it. Absolutely.
S1: He said when we talk to people, sometimes it's better
S1: just to say there's this mystery form of God that
S1: that helps us is to think that. And, you know,
S1: someone once in the, in the moody, uh, in a book,
S1: people call here and I answered the question. Uh, people
S1: want a simple explanation of the Trinity. There is no
S1: simple explanation of the Trinity.
S3: Very complex thought, right?
S1: It's it's beyond my ability. Uh, in the 50 Most
S1: Important Bible questions, there's a question. Can you give a
S1: simple explanation of the Trinity? And I answer, I wish
S1: I could, but I can't.
S3: So as far as what the Old Testament Jewish person
S3: would have probably believed, they knew that there was something
S3: mysterious about God that he was, and that the.
S1: Messiah, the.
S3: Father, and that the Messiah would be God. But it
S3: wasn't a full formed thought, as we have it in
S3: the New Testament revealed to us. Yep.
S1: And even in the after the New Testament when theologians said,
S1: how do we explain this? And they came up with trinitarianism,
S1: as it was called.
S2: Okay. All right. Thank you. So loosely related, Judith in
S2: Illinois listens to WME and says, Psalm 45 seven. This
S2: is kind of maybe about this mystery. It may not be. Um,
S2: it reads, you love righteousness and hate wickedness. Therefore God,
S2: your God, has anointed you with the oil of joy
S2: more than your companions. Is the the first God mentioned
S2: referring to Jesus in the Second to Father God. How
S2: does the Hebrew translate this?
S1: Well, first of all, verse six, the context. Speaking of
S1: the Messiah. Eva, you just read an article in the
S1: Moody Handbook of Messianic Prophecy.
S3: This is a very important messianic prophecy. Psalm 45.
S1: It says, your throne, O God, is forever and ever.
S1: The scepter of your kingdom is a scepter of justice
S1: that is addressing the Messiah. And it says that his throne,
S1: O God, so it calls the Messiah deity. This is
S1: a very important psalm showing the deity of the Messiah,
S1: but then still addressing the Messiah. You love righteousness and
S1: hate wickedness, and here comes the mystery. Therefore God, your
S1: God has anointed you with the oil of joy. I
S1: think that's talking about the father.
S3: The father has anointed this person.
S1: Yeah, the one who is God in verse six.
S2: So God in verse six is referring to the Messiah Jesus.
S1: And verse seven.
S2: Is seven, father, both of them is referring to the father. Okay.
S2: All right.
S4: Yeah.
S1: That's when one of those verses people get really confused about. They,
S1: they because it's people think, oh, this is just about Solomon.
S1: But I don't think anyone would call Solomon God as
S1: they do in verse six. So.
S4: Okay.
S2: All right. Thank you.
S1: And in the book of Hebrews, by the way. Yeah.
S1: I'll go further. Just one other thing in, in Hebrews, uh,
S1: when it talks about the Messiah being better than the angels, uh,
S1: it says, uh, about the angels. Uh, Hebrews one seven,
S1: about the angels. He says he makes his angels winds
S1: and his servants a fiery flame. But to the sun.
S1: And then it quotes Psalm 45, verse six, your throne,
S1: O God, is forever and ever. And the scepter of
S1: your kingdom. Is a scepter of justice. So clearly the
S1: writer of Hebrews thought that Psalm 45 six was referring
S1: to the Messiah Jesus. Yeah.
S2: Okay, so sticking with the kind of confusing and using
S2: using the word God of of who is it talking about?
S2: Fred in Indiana listens to WME and is looking at
S2: John ten when, um, Jesus tells the Jews that they
S2: are gods, uh, quoting from the Old Testament, but, um,
S2: it says that the Jews picked up rocks to stone him.
S2: Jesus replied, I have shown you many good works from
S2: the father. Which of these works are you stoning me for?
S2: We aren't stoning you for a good work, the Jews answered,
S2: but for blasphemy, because you, being a man, make yourself God.
S2: Jesus answered them, Isn't it written in your scripture? I said,
S2: you are God's. If he called those whom the Word
S2: of God came to God's. And the scripture cannot be sorry,
S2: I got a page turn. And the Scripture cannot be broken.
S2: Do you say you are blaspheming? To the one the
S2: father set apart and sent into the world, because I said,
S2: I am the Son of God? Mhm.
S1: Well, I'll tell you a little funny part of this.
S1: When I started answering questions on the radio, which was
S1: even before Open Line, I started on the local station
S1: here in Chicago. I did an hour a week for
S1: about six years before Open Line. I thought, people are
S1: going to ask me questions. I tried to prepare. I
S1: tried to anticipate, uh, what question I would be asked.
S1: And this is the first one I ever thought I
S1: would be asked. And so I spent hours studying. And
S1: then it took years before anyone ever asked me that question.
S4: You were prepared.
S2: Though, to give an answer.
S1: I was I was prepared, but the funny part about
S1: it is, I thought, because no one ever asked me
S1: this one for years, I stopped preparing. I just like, okay,
S1: I'm going to just I'm just going to count on
S1: the fact that I've been studying the Bible for a
S1: while and I'll be able to answer their questions, uh,
S1: which I think is kind of funny that I spent
S1: all that. I don't know if you remember me.
S3: I do, I do. So what did you learn about
S3: this verse?
S1: Oh, yeah, I'll do that. Psalm 82 is what it's quoting. Uh,
S1: and in Psalm 82 it uses the word god referring
S1: to judges. Uh, it says, uh, there, uh, here we go.
S1: How long will you judge unjustly and show partiality speaking
S1: to the judges? Okay. God has taken his place in
S1: the divine assembly. He judges among the gods. Now, when
S1: it says he judges among the gods, he's referring to
S1: earthly rulers or earthly judges. He's not saying he's judging
S1: the divine assembly like.
S3: There's a pantheon.
S1: Of pantheon of gods. He's judging earthly rulers. And he
S1: says to them, how long will you judge unjustly? He's
S1: looking at them because judges represent God, therefore they are
S1: called gods. There in verse six he says, you are gods.
S1: You are all sons of the Most High because of
S1: their being sons of the Most High. These earthly judges
S1: are just there representing God, and they can be called gods.
S1: Verse seven. However, you will die like men and fall
S1: like any other ruler. Rise up, O God. Judge the earth.
S1: So what? It's when it uses the term Elohim like that.
S1: It's used of, uh, it's using it of human, earthly
S1: ruler judges. And it happens in other places in Exodus
S1: 21 six. It's used that way. Uh, and so here's
S1: the point that Jesus is making, if earthly Rulers can
S1: be called God legitimately. Then how can the Son of
S1: God not also be called God? That's his point. If
S1: representing God as a human being, uh, is permissible to
S1: call someone God, then in the same way calling the
S1: Messiah the Son of God. God, that's perfectly legitimate. That's
S1: his argument from quoting Psalm 82. So, uh, once again
S1: pointing to Jesus being not just the Messiah, being the
S1: being God himself, the God man. We're going to come
S1: back with more of your questions in just a moment.
S1: This is open line with Michael Reidel, Nick Eva Ray
S1: Dolnick and Tricia McMillan. We'll be right back. So stay
S1: with us. Sometimes Bible reading can feel like looking at
S1: a bunch of puzzle pieces, not quite sure how they
S1: fit together. That's where Paul Benware survey of the New
S1: Testament comes in. This comprehensive guide helps you understand how
S1: each book fits into God's perfect plan. Connecting the dots
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S1: today by calling (888) 644-7122 or go to Open Line radio.org.
S1: And we're back here at Open Line with me, Michael Melnick,
S1: Eva Rydell, and Tricia McMillan. Lots of questions you've mailed in.
S1: We're making good progress, don't you think, Tricia?
S2: We are.
S4: Yeah, we're we're.
S2: Booking through these, which is great. Yeah. I'd love to
S2: clear out some of these emails that I know people
S2: have been waiting to have answered their questions.
S1: Yeah, I tell them when they when people say, you know,
S1: you haven't answered my email, my question I sent in,
S1: I said, that's because Tricia won't let me answer it.
S1: I tell.
S4: Everyone, I just blame you that. Yeah, yeah. Thank you.
S1: Throw you right under the bus.
S4: Well, our.
S2: Next question is from Diane, and she wants to know
S2: how do we reconcile John 734, which says, you will
S2: seek me and you will not find me where I am.
S2: You cannot come with John 14 three that says, if
S2: I go and prepare a place for you, I will
S2: come again, and I will take you to myself, that
S2: where I am, you may be also. Is he talking
S2: to two different sets of people?
S3: Yeah. I think that the key to understanding these two
S3: verses is context. You need to read who he's talking to,
S3: and then that'll let us know what's happening. In John seven,
S3: he's talking to the group of Jewish people who were
S3: skeptical of him and opposed to him, and they were
S3: trying to to seize him, to to take him, to
S3: arrest him, to arrest him in John 734. And as
S3: you can see, if you look at the beginning, it, it,
S3: it talks about and they were and they were seeking
S3: in verse 30. So they were seeking to seize him.
S3: And even though some in the crowd were believing, there
S3: were some who didn't and those who didn't, he was
S3: those were those he were addressing in 34 and John 14.
S3: He says.
S1: He says to them, you can't go where I'm.
S4: Going. Yeah.
S3: That's right. John 14. He's talking to his disciples after
S3: the last Passover meal in what is known as the
S3: Upper Room discourse. So in John seven, he's talking to
S3: his people who were opposed to him. In John 14,
S3: he's talking to the 12 who were following him.
S1: So once, once again, the rule is context. Context. Context
S1: tells us what's happening in both of those passages. And
S1: so there's a great reminder, by the way, I think
S1: this is really important. Those of us who are opposed,
S1: who are who are trying to stop everything we can
S1: and not believe in Jesus. You know what Jesus says? Where?
S1: Where I'm going. You can't go. You're going to there's
S1: going to come a point. If you're I'm going to
S1: you're going to seek me, but you won't submit to me.
S1: And if you won't submit to me, you can't go. Then,
S1: on the other hand, he gives comfort to those of
S1: us who know him. Uh, that he's going to prepare
S1: a place for us. And we have the comfort of
S1: knowing that when we die, we're going to go be
S1: with him. And so if you're listening and you think
S1: I'm kind of intrigued by the Bible, but, you know,
S1: I've never really made a decision. I was just talking
S1: with Eva about a dear friend who we've known for
S1: so long, who we talk about spiritual and spiritual truth
S1: with all the time, but has not yet made a
S1: decision to follow Jesus. We care about her so much,
S1: and we care about you too, and would love for
S1: you to make that decision. If you've never put your
S1: trust in Jesus, now's the time to do it so
S1: that you can receive the comfort that he has, that
S1: where he's going we can go, that he's going to
S1: prepare a place for us and and we'll be with
S1: him forever. All we have to do is trust that
S1: Jesus died for our sins and rose again. If you've
S1: never made that decision to be to trust in his
S1: eternal forgiveness, his forever forgiveness that he provides because he
S1: died taking our punishment and rose again proving He's God,
S1: now's the time to do it. Put your trust in him.
S1: Don't miss out on that opportunity so we can receive
S1: that comfort that will go to be with him forever
S1: and have.
S3: The abundant life right now.
S2: And if that's something that you want more information about,
S2: or you want to let us know that you've done that,
S2: you can go to our website openline radio.org. And there
S2: is a in the upper right corner. How to know Christ.
S2: You can click on that and it will take you
S2: to a page where um, where president of Moody doctor
S2: Mark Jobe has a little video that you can watch
S2: and some scriptures you can look up. And there's a
S2: place where you can request free information too. So Openline radio.org,
S2: you can find that link.
S4: Great.
S2: Our next question is Robert in Illinois listens to Wmbi.
S2: In acts 2025, Paul told his audience that they would
S2: see his face no more. So it says, and now
S2: I know that none of you will ever see my
S2: face again. Everyone I went about preaching the kingdom to.
S2: What did Paul mean by this? And why didn't he
S2: just say see you in eternity or something like that?
S1: Because he's not as spiritual as the person asking this question. Apparently,
S1: Paul was not as spiritual as as Diane.
S4: Uh, Robert?
S1: Oh, is it Robert?
S4: I'm sorry.
S1: Yeah, yeah. Uh, here's here's why I say this. I'm not.
S1: I'm just teasing you, Robert. He's just talking about in
S1: this life they had he had spent more time with
S1: the Ephesian elders than any other group of people in
S1: a church he had built into their lives. They had
S1: grown quite dependent on him. And now there's this sad farewell.
S1: And he says, I will not see your faces anymore
S1: in this life. And and I'm sure that was sad,
S1: you know, for all of them, for Paul and these elders.
S1: And that's all he meant in this life.
S4: Okay?
S2: He did write them a letter. Did that letter come
S2: after after this farewell. Do you think?
S1: Uh, yeah, I think so, because Timothy was their pastor
S1: by then. Yep.
S2: Okay. I know I put you on the spot with
S2: that question.
S4: Um, yeah. Because I'm.
S1: Zipping over.
S4: To.
S2: The letters that Paul wrote are not in a chronological order.
S4: In the New Testament. Right. In the New.
S2: Testament. And so lining them up with where they would.
S2: Have happened in acts. Did any of them get written
S2: during acts?
S4: Yeah they.
S1: Did. Sure. Some of them did. Like for example, one
S1: of the earliest epistles is Galatians. It was written between
S1: acts 14 and 15. Okay. And this was written Ephesians
S1: was written from Rome during Paul's first imprisonment about A.D. 60. Uh,
S1: and so somewhere in acts 2830 is where where this falls,
S1: this letter to the Ephesians, obviously, after.
S2: After this farewell, because he didn't see them again.
S4: Yeah. I think it's so cute. You put me.
S1: On the spot.
S4: Every question I know puts me on the spot. But
S4: he was.
S3: He was he was in he was in Ephesus for
S3: three years. It was the longest time that he stayed
S3: in any place ministering, right? Was that three years in
S3: Ephesus was his longest period of ministry in one spot.
S3: But he says, I'm leaving now and I'm not coming back. Yeah.
S3: You won't see my face again.
S4: Yeah.
S1: He he knew God had a different plan for him
S1: for now, so.
S4: Yeah, yeah.
S2: Well, thank you for answering, even while I put you
S2: on the spot.
S4: No, you won't see me.
S3: I'm going to be writing letters, so goodbye.
S1: You won't see me. I'll just send you a letter.
S4: That's it.
S2: Yeah. Yeah, that's great though, because then we have kind
S2: of a follow up to the ministry that he had
S2: in person to follow it up with written words that
S2: they could follow and reread and share among the other churches.
S2: Because Ephesians, if I recall, is one of those that
S2: was called a circular letter. So it was like sent
S2: to all the churches.
S4: Exactly right.
S2: Get encouragement and teaching from him. That's wonderful. Thank you.
S2: Our next question is from Annie. What is your opinion
S2: on denominations that do not believe or teach the rapture,
S2: the tribulation, or the thousand year reign and say that
S2: the Book of Revelation has already taken place. Is this
S2: a false doctrine, and is this considered a major or
S2: a minor issue? We've talked about kind of three levels
S2: of the, the, the issues that where there's like the
S2: first level priority levels like this is absolute what you
S2: must believe.
S4: Essential and agree.
S2: With essential. Thank you. Yes. The essential doctrines. And then
S2: there's secondary doctrines and tertiary doctrines.
S4: Ooh big words.
S2: Where would this. Thank you, thank you. Where would this
S2: fall in that.
S1: Well, there's here's what I consider the essential. The essential
S1: doctrine is that we have to believe what genuine believers,
S1: people who have put their trust in Jesus, they will
S1: believe in the bodily return, the visible bodily return of
S1: the Lord Jesus. And they may take different views, you know.
S1: The pre-trib rapture. The post-trib rapture. They may say there
S1: is no rapture. It's just the second coming without the
S1: two phases of a rapture that. But if they they
S1: have to believe in the personal, bodily, visible return of
S1: the Lord Jesus, that's an essential. But you know, the
S1: the other issues I think are important, but they're not essential.
S1: And so I'm always reluctant. I don't know, I'm going
S1: to see if Eva agrees with me about this. I'm
S1: reluctant to call someone whom I disagree with about a
S1: teaching like that. That's secondary. Uh, to call them a false.
S1: False teaching? Yeah, I would say I disagree. I think
S1: they're mistaken, but it's not a false teaching.
S3: Yeah, I think they they have they they need clarification. Yeah.
S1: Yeah. I tell them if they study a little bit harder,
S1: maybe they'll get it right. You know, I always joke
S1: around with my friends who have differing views about that. But.
S1: But we can still have fellowship. We can still unite
S1: together about our faith in Jesus. I think that sometimes
S1: people get caught up in the minors. And, you know,
S1: I have. I just finished teaching the Book of Revelation
S1: this past fall semester, and I remember talking about some
S1: of these issues with my class, and I said, listen,
S1: as long as a person believes in the personal, visible, uh,
S1: bodily return of the Lord Jesus, they're good, that's fine.
S1: But that doesn't mean I don't have convictions. And I
S1: don't believe completely what I've been teaching you. I believe
S1: the book of Revelation is futurist. As Eva once said.
S1: What did you say to that guy that was trying
S1: to push an alternate eschatology on you? You said, I'm
S1: pre-trib pre mil.
S3: Yeah. And I and I'm dogmatic. Yeah.
S4: This is back.
S3: In the moody days when I was a.
S4: Student. He came.
S3: Into my office bothering me about.
S4: This. I thought I.
S1: Married the right.
S4: Girl. She's dogmatic about her views. That's it. That's right.
S1: So. And I feel that way. But I recognize that
S1: I can have conviction about it. But it doesn't mean
S1: that someone else I can't have fellowship when they differ. So, anyway, uh,
S1: we're going to come back with more of your questions
S1: and hopefully we'll agree on, uh, right, uh, right away.
S1: So stay with us. More questions straight ahead. We're so
S1: glad that Febc partners with Open Line with Doctor Michael
S1: Ray Dolnick bringing the Febc mailbag every week. Learn how
S1: far East Broadcasting Company is taking Christ to the world
S1: at febc. Org on their weekly podcast. Until all I've
S1: heard with Ed Cannon, you'll hear stories of lives changed
S1: by Messiah all across the globe. Again. You can hear
S1: the podcast when you visit febc.
S4: C.org.
S1: That's fbc.org. Welcome back to Open Line I'm Michael Ray
S1: Dolnick and this is our first program of the year.
S1: What we're doing is emptying the mailbag here, trying to
S1: get it cleared out so that we can start afresh
S1: and anew with new questions for the new year. So
S1: don't call in today. We're glad that you're listening. And
S1: Tricia McMillan is here with me. She's asking the questions.
S1: Eva is helping me answer them, and.
S3: We're having a good.
S4: Time. Boy, are we having a good.
S1: I love these programs because I don't have to do
S1: all the talking.
S4: Really glad.
S3: So I get to hang out with my friends.
S4: Yeah.
S2: That too. Yes. For sure. Kyle wrote us from Illinois,
S2: listens to the podcast, and said a friend and I
S2: were having a discussion about women pastors. My view was
S2: women can serve any role except lead pastor. He said
S2: that that Kyle was wrong because of what I think
S2: he called the prominence theory in Greek that Paul mentions
S2: Priscilla before Aquila in his letters because she was the
S2: more prominent person in the church, and this would have
S2: been considered a pastor or an elder. He also cited
S2: Deborah in The Book of Judges as another example. Is
S2: this prominence theory an actual thing? And is this evidence
S2: for why women should be pastors?
S1: Well, first of all, there is no such thing as
S1: a prominence. It's just the order of names. You know,
S1: sometimes even signs are are letters, Michael and Eva, and
S1: sometimes she'll sign it. Eva and Michael. Uh, it just
S1: there's there's nothing there about indicating just because Priscilla is
S1: named first, that somehow she is the more prominent or
S1: even a pastor. As far as I can tell, they
S1: were both, uh, uh, tent makers. They weren't. Either of
S1: them were. Neither of them were pastors. Uh, that's that's
S1: a mistake, Deborah. I think, Deborah. Uh, as a gijet uh,
S1: she actually her example is not to be taken because
S1: what the problem was that the the male leadership in
S1: Israel were failing, and that's why Barak, he was he
S1: was told by her to go battle. And she says, oh,
S1: I don't want to go. I'm afraid, Deborah, you come
S1: with me. So, um, that actually shows the failure of
S1: male leadership, not God's intention to have female leaders. And
S1: here's the thing. Women can do so much in Scripture. Uh,
S1: they the Bible teaches about women teaching younger women. It
S1: teaches about Timothy learning from the scriptures, from his. From
S1: his mother and his grandmother. Uh, it talks about Priscilla
S1: and Aquila, but Priscilla, uh, helping Apollos, uh, with his
S1: understanding of scripture. There's so much so when we look
S1: at the limitation in first Timothy two, uh, verse 12,
S1: I don't allow a woman to teach or exercise authority
S1: over a man. It's a it's a limitation not for
S1: doing ministry, but a particular role, which is to be
S1: the senior elder or an elder, an.
S4: Office, an.
S1: Office in, in the local church. That's it. Uh, I
S1: think women can pastor in this sense. There's a gift
S1: of pastor. And women are often better shepherds at caring
S1: for other women in the congregation than I ever was.
S1: As a pastor. There was a dear woman who was.
S1: She was my age now, but she was quite a
S1: bit older than me when I was a young pastor.
S1: And she knew the word and she was a really
S1: caring person.
S4: So this is the.
S3: Church that we planted way back on Long Island?
S1: Yeah. Way, way back. And when, when there were, there
S1: were women who had needs or wanted advice or discipling,
S1: I would just say, go see Lita. Right. And, and
S1: Lita really functioned as a ministering to the women there.
S1: And she used her gift of pastor teacher in a
S1: really great way.
S3: You know, I think that one of the things about Priscilla,
S3: it was you had a question recently, Michael, about did
S3: Jewish women in the first century know the scriptures? Could
S3: they read and write? And she's a good example of yes.
S3: In the first century, Jewish women did know the scriptures
S3: and could read and write. And she was. That's why
S3: she was able to teach it, because she knew it.
S3: And so it's kind of a myth that women didn't
S3: know how to read, didn't know how to write, didn't
S3: know how to study. Priscilla is a great example of that.
S1: Or a myth that God doesn't want to use women
S1: in ministry just because there's some limitation there. So anyway,
S1: you know, I just.
S4: Think this is this is.
S3: All. We could do this for an hour, but maybe
S3: we should move on.
S5: Probably, yeah. Yeah.
S2: Thank you. Kevin Rhodes from Illinois listens to Wbai and said,
S2: I'm trying to understand my responsibility as a Christian husband.
S2: He came to know our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ
S2: in December of 2019. So a relatively new.
S3: Kind of a new believer. Yeah. Mhm. Yeah.
S2: So what do you think? What does the Bible say
S2: about the responsibility of a Christian husband.
S1: Well it's kind of an interesting thing. People often are
S1: mistaken in when we do pre-marital counseling which you know,
S1: when I used to do quite a bit of when
S1: I led a congregation and then also with, with students
S1: who were planning on getting married, but they were away
S1: from home and I had a sub for their pastor. Yeah, yeah. So, uh,
S1: and I always have them do a, I had a
S1: form which had different jobs, like raking leaves, shoveling snow.
S4: Washing, taking out the garbage.
S1: Diapering babies, different things like that. And I and I said, man,
S1: a husband or wife who does it. And they would
S1: define roles and it said husband, wife, both. And every
S1: one of those I think is both okay. You know, uh,
S1: it there are no defined roles like that. You know,
S1: shoveling snow is not a man's role. And and watering
S1: the plants is not a female role. You know, I,
S1: I just think that that is goofy to think that way.
S1: I've diapered a lot of babies in my time.
S4: So load the.
S3: Dishwasher. Anybody can do that.
S1: Yeah. So. And, you know, even takes out the garbage.
S1: I think that that's one of the the I'm so
S1: blessed as a husband because she doesn't just leave it
S1: there in the kitchen and say.
S4: Honey.
S6: Take out the garbage.
S3: I know the way to the alley. I can carry
S3: this out.
S1: But there are roles that a man should follow. And
S1: I never tell a woman their role. I always emphasize,
S1: because it's not my business. I just tell the man
S1: his role. Here's what it says. Husbands, love your wives.
S1: This is Ephesians 525 and following. Husbands, love your wives,
S1: just as the Messiah loved the church and gave himself
S1: for her. So what is it saying there? Husbands love sacrificially.
S1: Isn't that right? Uh, then. Then it says, uh. He
S1: did this to present the church to himself in splendor
S1: without spot or blemish or anything like that, but holy
S1: and blameless. It goes on in verse 29 to say,
S1: for no one ever hates his own flesh, but provides
S1: and cares for it. I think it's the new American
S1: standard says, uh, cherishes it, just as the Messiah does
S1: the church. So as long as we're loving our wives sacrificially,
S1: which means putting her needs ahead of ours, uh, providing
S1: for her not just materially, but spiritually, providing for her
S1: emotional nurture as well, and cherishing her. Uh, then you
S1: go to first Peter three where it says, uh, that
S1: a man is supposed to grant his wife honor as
S1: a fellow heir of the grace of life. If you're
S1: granting honor to your wife, those are our special responsibilities
S1: as a husband. I know a lot of people don't
S1: like it. That I believe that God has appointed man
S1: to be the the chief leader. I think that that means, uh,
S1: to be sacrificially leading, serving one's wife. Uh, and, Eva,
S1: you know, you what do you always say about that?
S3: The thing about dancing. No.
S4: It works.
S3: Oh, it works for me. That's right, that's right.
S4: It works for me if I do it.
S3: Yeah. And another verse too, about this too. Not about
S3: the loving, which I think is the hardest thing. Harder
S3: to be a husband than a wife, I think, because
S3: of the loving part. Um. Loving as Christ loved the church. Wow. Uh,
S3: first Timothy five eight says that. And I think this
S3: has to do with the husband's role. If anyone does
S3: not provide for his own, and especially for those of
S3: his household, he has denied the faith and is worse
S3: than an unbeliever. So husbands have to provide for their
S3: families and can't sit around on the couch all day
S3: and not do nothing.
S4: Of course you read.
S1: The Proverbs 30, Proverbs 31. The Proverbs 31 woman.
S4: She's also providing.
S3: Providing. Yeah, it's a marriage. Teamwork.
S1: Marriage. Teamwork. Exactly. We're going to come back with more
S1: of your questions. Straight ahead. Don't miss them. This is
S1: Mike Dolnick and Tricia McMillan. You're listening to Open Line
S1: on Moody Radio. Did you ever feel Christians can't do
S1: anything about the growing anti-Semitism in the world? Well, that's
S1: why Chosen People Ministry is one of our partners, is
S1: offering a free book called Uncommon Allies American Jews and
S1: Christians Uniting Against Hitler, 1933 through 45, written by Alan Shore.
S1: This book shows the importance and power of Christians standing
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S1: Click on that and you'll be taken to a page
S1: where you can sign up for your very own copy
S1: of Uncommon Allies. Welcome back to Open Line. Thank you
S1: for listening today. I really appreciate it. I want to
S1: thank Omar Mendoza for doing such a great job in
S1: helping us record this program, this pre-recorded program. Thanks for, uh,
S1: all that you do, Omar. And also thanks, Tricia, for
S1: putting the mailbag together. That's a lot of work and
S1: really appreciate it. And thanks for being with me today
S1: and Eva, for being here to make sure I stay
S1: on the straight and narrow in terms of answering questions
S1: and moving me along.
S4: Great times, great times. That's good.
S1: Uh, well, we're going to we're going to go right
S1: back here to the final questions of, of the day.
S2: So all right, Matt in Ohio, listen to Wtxf and said,
S2: I've got a friend who's considering using a Ouija board
S2: to contact their deceased spouse. I want to know what
S2: you would tell this person when you don't really know
S2: where they stand spiritually.
S3: Well, I would think no matter whether a person stands spiritually,
S3: I would say, don't do that. The the scriptures is
S3: are really clear about not being involved in anything of
S3: the occult and the Ouija board, although some people say, oh,
S3: it's just a game like monopoly. It is not just
S3: a game like monopoly, it is connected to the occult.
S3: And like in Leviticus 1926, it says you should not
S3: practice divination or soothsaying or trying to make contact with
S3: the dead. In Leviticus 19 and in Leviticus 20, it
S3: says that as for any person who turns to mediums
S3: and spirits to play the harlot with them, I will
S3: set my face against them that it is an abomination.
S3: And it's repeated again in in Deuteronomy 1810 through 12,
S3: it says that you shouldn't be involved with divination or witchcraft,
S3: or one who interprets omens or a sorcerer.
S4: No, you did that.
S1: You talked about this with a friend once.
S3: I did, I had a friend and it's it stands
S3: out in my mind. She was didn't know the Lord,
S3: but she had had an associate who had gone to
S3: a fortune teller. And she said, I'm just really nervous
S3: about the future and I don't know, and I'm going
S3: to go to this fortune teller. What do you think?
S3: And I said, don't go to a fortune teller and
S3: talked about some of these verses with her, even though
S3: she didn't know the Lord. She had some respect for
S3: the scriptures.
S4: I remember you said.
S3: I said, there's only two possibilities. Either the fortune teller
S3: is right and has supernatural knowledge only from demons, and
S3: you don't want to be involved with demons, or they're
S3: wrong and you're just wasting your money on somebody who's
S3: a crook. So it's the same thing with the Ouija board.
S3: Stay away from it. Don't try to talk to the dead.
S3: It is forbidden. It only comes from the occult. You
S3: won't really be talking to the dead person. It's only
S3: a demonic activity or a charlatan. So don't do.
S4: It. If you care.
S1: For your friend, you warn them.
S3: Warn them. Right?
S4: Yep. Okay.
S2: Tracy in Illinois listens to Wbns and also on the
S2: podcast and has a related question about do we know
S2: if Satan or demons know the future and how much
S2: do they know? Acts 1616 mentions a slave girl who
S2: was possessed by a spirit of divination and could tell
S2: fortunes is the assumption that those fortunes were accurate. So
S2: that's kind of like part one for a question. Well.
S1: Just remember that demons have a vastly superior brain capability
S1: than we do. They they are able to look at
S1: a person's life, see how it's going. And, ah, you know,
S1: there are people who are able to predict the future,
S1: not because they're getting supernatural information, but because they're pretty discerning.
S1: And they if you do go this direction, then this
S1: is going to happen.
S4: They understand that they're.
S3: Great at observation. Yeah.
S1: And I think demonic forces have that ability. They're not 100% accurate,
S1: but they can be pretty accurate because they can look
S1: at our lives and and discern what the future will
S1: hold for a person.
S3: So on a practical level, our moms have this same ability. Yeah,
S3: they look at their kids and they know what they've
S3: done or what they're planning to do, because we have
S3: amazing observational powers. Mom.
S4: Mom. Observations.
S3: And our kids say, how could you know that?
S6: Blah blah blah.
S3: And so that's the kind of it's not because we
S3: have supernatural power. We're great observers.
S1: And then obviously there's an infinitely greater amount of observation
S1: by a demonic power. And that's why they are able
S1: to tell the future.
S2: Okay. So if Satan could see the future, why would
S2: he waste his time tempting Jesus or even like in times?
S2: Why does he, you know, in revelation with what's going
S2: to happen if he knows Jesus is going to win? Why?
S2: Why bother?
S1: I think the the basic answer is that Satan and
S1: he's convinced these demons to follow him, But Satan is
S1: filled with pride. And pride says, I know what the
S1: Bible says, because the scriptures say that the demons believe
S1: what the scriptures say, and they tremble, but they so
S1: they know what the scriptures say. Uh, but Satan is
S1: so proud, so arrogant, so, uh, megalomaniac that he thinks
S1: that he can overrule God. I think that's it. That's
S1: why it says in Isaiah 14 where it talks about
S1: the fall of Satan, I will ascend to the heavens.
S1: I will sit on the mount, I will ascend to
S1: the highest clouds. I will make myself like the Most High.
S1: Those five I wills that he has. It's his arrogance
S1: that leads him that direction. He thinks he can somehow
S1: overpower God, and it's a falsehood that he has believed
S1: about himself. Uh, when he fell, uh, wickedness. His chief
S1: sin is pride, in my opinion. So that's that's why
S1: he thinks that.
S2: Okay. All right. Um, Julia in Indiana listens to Wagner
S2: and is reading through Romans and noticed verses that seem
S2: to be both for and against predestination, or at least
S2: kind of present two things. Her first verse is Romans 1122,
S2: which says, therefore, consider God's kindness and severity, severity toward
S2: those who have fallen, but God's kindness toward you if
S2: you remain in his kindness. Otherwise, you too will be
S2: cut off. And then Romans 1129, which says, regarding the gospel,
S2: they are enemies for your advantage. But regarding election they
S2: are loved because of the patriarchs. Since God's gracious gifts
S2: and calling are irrevocable, so can a believer lose their salvation.
S2: And how would someone not continue in God's kindness?
S1: Well, let me just say, these verses that you're reading
S1: have nothing to do with individual personal salvation.
S4: They Okay.
S1: There they are in Romans nine through 11, talking about
S1: the role of the Jewish people and the role of Gentiles.
S1: And what he has said is in the great olive tree.
S1: What Gentiles have become have come to right now. They
S1: are in the place of prominence. When you look at
S1: who are the followers of Jesus, mostly Gentiles are followers
S1: of Jesus. Very few Jewish people. And so for the
S1: most part, Jewish people have not believed. And he says,
S1: but just because of that, you need to know that
S1: if Gentiles, uh, move away from from a position of openness,
S1: what's going to happen is they can be cut off, too,
S1: and they can lose that position of prominence that they
S1: have right now in the church. And so it's talking
S1: about the Gentile role. And then when it talks about that,
S1: the gifts and calling of God are irrevocable. Uh, it's
S1: talking about Jewish people still being chosen and beloved by God,
S1: not talking about individual salvation, but still being a beloved,
S1: chosen people. God still has a plan for Jewish people,
S1: and he's going to one day bring them to knowledge
S1: of him. And and that's what it's talking about. It's
S1: talking about the place of prominence. And one day, again,
S1: the Jewish people will be central to God's plan. Don't
S1: you think that's talking about.
S3: I think that's absolutely right. And but as far as
S3: her question seeming to having to do with eternal security,
S3: I think we can be secure in our relationship with
S3: the Lord Jesus based on our faith decision to believe
S3: in him.
S1: If you've put your trust in Jesus, then you have
S1: to know that there is nothing that will separate us
S1: from the love of God. There's. If you look at
S1: Romans eight, it says there is no condemnation now for
S1: those who are in the Messiah, Jesus. That's how Romans
S1: eight starts. At the end of Romans eight, it says, uh, that, uh,
S1: what are we to say about these things? If God
S1: is for us, who is against us? I am verse 38,
S1: I am persuaded Romans 838, that not even death or life,
S1: angels or rulers, things present, things to come. Hostile powers,
S1: height or depth, or any other created thing will have
S1: the power to separate us from the love of God
S1: that is in the Messiah, Jesus our Lord. The one
S1: thing that's so crucial about the book of Romans is
S1: it tells us that there is nothing that will ever
S1: separate us from the love of God that we have
S1: found when we trusted in Jesus. So hey, that's my answer.
S1: You don't have to worry about losing your salvation. And
S1: thanks all of you for joining me today. Thanks for listening. Thanks, Patricia. Thanks, Eva.
S1: That's the program for the week. Thanks for listening, everyone.
S1: We'll be back next week with more of your questions. Uh, remember,
S1: keep in touch with us by checking out our web page,
S1: open Line radio.org has all the links you're looking for
S1: right there. Keep reading the Bible. We'll talk about it
S1: next week. Open line with Doctor Michael Dolnick is a
S1: production of Moody Radio, a ministry of Moody Bible Institute.
S1: Happy New Year, everyone. See you next week.