S1: Hello, friends. It's time for the second hour of Open
S1: Line with Doctor Michael Ray Moody Radio's Bible Study Across America.
S1: We're going to be talking about your questions about the Bible, God,
S1: and the spiritual life. My name is Michael Ray Melnick,
S1: and I'm so glad to be with you today. We're
S1: sitting around the radio kitchen table taking your questions. So
S1: give me a call. The phone number is (877) 548-3675. If
S1: you can't call just go to our website open Line radio.org.
S1: There's a link there that says Ask Michael a question.
S1: When you click on that, you can post your question
S1: and Trish will put it in the mailbag. I hope
S1: you have your second cup of coffee. I hope so, uh,
S1: that you also have your your Bible open because we're
S1: going to talk about the scriptures together. And before I
S1: do that, I do want to tell you about our
S1: our current resource, which is a book called Teaching to
S1: Change Lives. It was written by master teacher Prof. My
S1: my former Prof. Uh, Howard Hendricks. In fact, that's if
S1: you're talking to a Dallas grad, all you have to
S1: do is say, you know, Prof once said, and they
S1: know who you're talking about. There were many professors at
S1: the seminary, but only one that we called Prof. Because
S1: he was the exemplar of a great teacher. He was
S1: the exemplar of a professor. And, uh, we we all
S1: loved him. And he's with the Lord now. But he
S1: wrote this book, Teaching to Change Lives, really? About how
S1: not the, the the details of technique, of teaching, but
S1: how we can affect people's lives by with our lives
S1: as teachers. It is a wonderful book, teaching to change lives,
S1: and we want to send it to you as a
S1: way of saying thank you for your gift. So if
S1: you give a gift of any size, we'll send you
S1: a copy of Teaching to Change Lives. And we so
S1: appreciate your generosity. There are many people who listen to
S1: Open Line and and we appreciate you just listening. But
S1: every now and then we get a resource like this.
S1: And if you've never given a gift, this is a
S1: great time to do it. Uh, to be a first
S1: time giver because this is such a great book. Uh,
S1: my wife Eva used to teach a course called Teaching
S1: the Bible Practicum, and she always used teaching to Change
S1: lives as one of her textbooks. Even though it's really
S1: easy to read. It's not a difficult book, but it
S1: was so life changing that, uh, she would use that
S1: for our students. It's a great book. And so, uh,
S1: it's a great time for a first time gift. The
S1: way to give your gift, uh, is by calling (888) 644-7122
S1: or go to open line Radio. And remember, ask for
S1: teaching to change lives when you give. Thanks so much
S1: for doing that. Well, we're going to talk to Josie
S1: in Saint Petersburg, Florida, listening on welcome to Open Line, Josie.
S1: How can I help you today?
S2: Good afternoon, Doctor Rinaldi. I got a question. I was
S2: giving a Bible study in my church about, uh, the
S2: wedding when Jesus made the wine. The problem that it
S2: happened in the class, that somebody made a question about
S2: the wine, about the percentage. Because we're talking about the
S2: Jewish tradition that the wedding would take seven days of celebration.
S2: So half of the class agrees on drinking alcohol, and
S2: the other half doesn't doesn't agree about drinking alcohol. So
S2: I'm a little bit I need to get information because
S2: I was explaining that the percentage of alcohol of that time,
S2: the wine is not like fermentation at this time. So
S2: that's why I'm calling you. If you could give me
S2: pointers where I could get more information, or if I
S2: could buy a book to correct.
S1: Yeah. If I. If I were you, I'd go to
S1: the library. And your library should have a copy of
S1: Encyclopaedia Judaica. Uh, you can also get a copy online
S1: or access a copy of Encyclopaedia Judaica online. I'd look
S1: up wine. That's what I would do. Now, what we
S1: know about wine in the, for example, Second Maccabees talks
S1: about everyday wine was watered down, diluted, uh, three, 3
S1: to 1, uh uh, three parts water to one part wine. Uh,
S1: it still had alcoholic content, but it was watered down. Uh, also, uh,
S1: the the wine, uh, the Talmud, uh, the rabbinic writings
S1: talks about everyday wine being watered down. However, one of
S1: the things you'll find as you study wine that at festivals,
S1: on Shabbat, Sabbath and at celebrations like a wedding celebration,
S1: the wine was not watered. So, for example, the wedding
S1: at Cana. Think about how the people responded when Jesus
S1: turned the water into wine. They said, oh wow. Usually
S1: you bring out the name brand first, and then later
S1: on when people can't tell the difference, you bring out
S1: the generic cheap brand. However.
S2: Yeah.
S1: Uh, when, uh, when the. Now they've, you know, we've
S1: gone through the cheap stuff and now we've got the
S1: name brand stuff because this is really good. Uh, the
S1: implication there is that the wine affected the people at
S1: the wedding to such an extent that they could no
S1: longer tell the difference. Why? Because they were getting a
S1: little tipsy. So the the point is at weddings, celebrations, at, uh, festivals,
S1: celebrations at Shabbat, the wine was not watered down. Okay.
S2: Okay. But in the Cyclopaedia will show like maybe the percentage.
S2: Because I know when I.
S1: I just told you the percentage, the percentage for everyday
S1: wine was 3 to 1.
S2: 3 to 1. Okay. And for the festival, the percentage
S2: could be, uh.
S1: Was not watered down at all. It was just wine.
S2: Yeah. Okay.
S1: Okay.
S3: Got it. Okay. Okay. Uh, Judea. Encyclopedia.
S1: Encyclopedia Judaica. Read what it says about wine.
S3: Okay. Thank you.
S1: Okay. Sure. Thanks so much for your call. Appreciate it.
S1: We're going to talk to Theresa. And, boy, I don't
S1: know if I can say it. Kahuta Okuda, Georgia, listening
S1: on Wmw. Uh, hey, Teresa, how do you say the
S1: name of the town you're in?
S3: Tahara.
S1: Kajana. Okay. Okay.
S4: Yes. It's an Indian name.
S1: Okay. Well, I am so glad you called. How can
S1: I help you today?
S4: Okay, well, I'll look forward to sitting at Jesus feet
S4: and hearing him when I go to heaven. And I
S4: think I'll get to hear you and Miss Eva, too.
S4: And I look forward to that. But even though I've
S4: forgiven some people, I know there's people there that I
S4: don't want to be around. What's going to be our reaction?
S4: Do we have to deal with them or what do
S4: you think?
S1: There's probably some people there that wouldn't want you around too,
S1: don't you think?
S4: That's right. And I apologize for that. I want to
S4: ask for forgiveness.
S1: I know there's a whole lot of people that are
S1: going to say, am I really going to spend eternity
S1: with that guy? I don't think so. But here's. I.
S1: I actually believe that, uh, first of all, there's two
S1: things I would say. The lesson of Jesus is if
S1: there are people here that we think we wouldn't like
S1: to spend eternity with, is what we should do is
S1: before we go to worship, before we leave our before,
S1: what we need to do is leave our gift at
S1: the altar as Jesus teaches and and go see them
S1: and reconcile. Yes. Don't wait. Uh, do everything in our
S1: power to reconcile. Now, there. You know, I think that's
S1: interesting that Paul says to everything. That everything, as long
S1: as it's within you, be reconciled. Uh, be at peace
S1: with all people. But sometimes people just don't want it.
S1: We can't help it. Uh.
S4: Right.
S1: In that case, I'm going to say that after the
S1: Bema Seat, after the. When we're in eternity with the Lord,
S1: it'll be all over. Uh, you know, what? Maybe we'll
S1: learn to accept each other's that we were fallen and
S1: had made obviously made mistakes. Or maybe our blind side that,
S1: you know, we we may have had some blindness and
S1: thought someone was making a mistake when they weren't. Uh,
S1: we'll learn. We'll be transformed, we'll be glorified, and we
S1: won't have that sin nature that holds grudges any longer.
S1: And I think we'll be okay. Okay.
S4: Okay. Thank you so much.
S1: Yeah. Thank you. Teresa, thanks for the call. Really appreciate it.
S1: We're going to speak with al listening in Seattle, Washington online.
S1: Welcome to Open Line, al. How can I help you today?
S5: I got a question related to dispensationalism. At least the
S5: way I believe. God is not done dealing with the
S5: Jewish people or Israel. Yet the church is not replaced.
S5: That and there are some people who reject the dispensational belief,
S5: and they also reject the rapture of the church. Is
S5: this whole thing?
S1: Yeah, yeah. But what's your question, al?
S5: That's my question about that. Is that what's your understanding
S5: of that particular, um, area? Dispensationalism.
S1: Well, uh, Moody Bible Institute, where I've taught for 32 years,
S1: is a dispensational school. Uh, there are varieties of dispensationalism.
S1: I don't think that there's only one kind. There's, you know,
S1: it's on a spectrum. Uh, I'm kind of eclectic in
S1: my view, of dispensationalism, but I think that, uh, the
S1: main thing about dispensationalism, it is a method, a mode
S1: of biblical interpretation that reads the Bible progressively and is consistently, uh,
S1: takes things, uh, in a literal sense, in a consistent way.
S1: In a normal sense, I would say, uh, in a,
S1: in a consistent way, even when it comes to prophecy.
S1: So when it talks about Israel in the future, I
S1: think it's talking about Israel in the future, not the church.
S1: And I think that that's what's crucial when the Bible
S1: promises the regathering of the Jewish people to the land
S1: of Israel, when the Bible says that that's going to
S1: happen and it has happened before our eyes. We take
S1: that literally. When the Bible says that Jesus is going
S1: to reign in Jerusalem over Israel and the world for
S1: a thousand years, we take that literally. So it's not
S1: just a long time. And it's not just that's that's
S1: what really dispensationalism is. It's I'd like to change the
S1: name of it. I'd like to call it faithfulness theology. Uh,
S1: we trust God that he is going to be faithful
S1: to all his promises, not just the promises that he
S1: made to the church, but which are wonderful promises, but
S1: also his promises that he made to Israel that one
S1: day he would bring them, uh, the nation will believe
S1: in Jesus at the return of Jesus. Uh, and then
S1: all Israel will be saved. And not all Israel from
S1: all time, but all Israel that believe in him. And
S1: he'll fulfill all his promises to them. That's what I
S1: believe about it, al. Does that help?
S5: Yes, I believe the same thing. Is there a good
S5: book that deals with this subject outside of the Bible?
S1: Yeah. There's a. There's a starting book, a book that
S1: I would start everyone with on it by Michael Vlock. Uh,
S1: I think it's something like Essentials of Dispensationalism. Trish is
S1: going to look it up. It's a little booklet about, uh,
S1: 75 or 80 pages. Uh, that's a good one. Michael
S1: Vlock V as in Victor l H.H. uh, we're going
S1: to take a break here. And what, uh, Tricia is
S1: going to do over the break is she's going to
S1: find the name of that book. Uh, and when I
S1: come back, you keep listening, al, because I'll. I'll mention
S1: what the name of the book is. Uh, but and also,
S1: there's a great book. It's not specifically dispensationalism. It's. Has
S1: the church replaced Israel by block. So those are great books.
S1: I'll be back to talk about that in a moment.
S1: This is Michael Ray Dolnick on Open Line. And we're back.
S1: And I am drinking from my coffee mug with the.
S1: Everything about me is Moody Bible Institute. I'm sure you
S1: know that I've taught at Moody forever, but I'm also
S1: an adjunct professor at Dallas Theological Seminary, and I am
S1: drinking coffee this morning from my Dallas Seminary mug, which
S1: is kind of fun, because Dallas Seminary is the place where, uh,
S1: I think the main school that teaches dispensationalism, uh, and seminaries.
S1: And why do I say that? Because our last caller
S1: was asking about a book. About a basic book about dispensationalism.
S1: And of course, I recommended a book, but Trish had
S1: to look up the title. This is the title. It's
S1: called Dispensationalism Essential Beliefs and Common Myths, and it's a
S1: very simple, easy to read, almost a booklet. It's about
S1: 80 pages long. I like it very much. It's written
S1: by Michael Vlock. V as in Victor H.H. and Michael
S1: Vlock did a wonderful job on that book, and also
S1: he wrote a book called Has the Church Replaced Israel?
S1: It's a little bit goes more in depth. It's not
S1: really about dispensationalism so much as it's about this idea
S1: of replacement theology, which dispensationalism obviously disagrees with, and makes
S1: the case for a theology that doesn't replace Israel. And
S1: it's a really great book. Has the church replaced Israel?
S1: And Trish tells me she has linked it on our website.
S1: Am I right about that, Trish? Uh, it's on the web. Well,
S1: she's working on it right now. So those are two
S1: books that you can find, uh, uh, dispensationalism, essential beliefs
S1: and common myths. And then also, uh, the other book
S1: that I think is so helpful is Has the Church
S1: replaced Israel? In fact, when I read that book in 2010,
S1: it was the first time in my life I felt like, man,
S1: I wish I'd written that book, but okay, uh, I,
S1: I liked it so much, I, I found Michael Vlock
S1: and we became friends because of it. I liked it so,
S1: so much. Uh, we're going to talk to Daniel in
S1: Grand Rapids, Michigan, listening on w g b. Welcome to
S1: Open Line. Daniel. How can I help you today?
S6: Well, I was wondering, at 70 AD, the, uh, the
S6: temple was torn down. What happened to the Pharisees? And
S6: are there any Pharisees today we could call Pharisees.
S1: No, there are no Pharisees today, although I think we could.
S1: If we if there were Pharisees, we'd find them probably
S1: in local churches, uh, because of the issue sometimes of becoming, uh,
S1: not all Pharisees were hypocrites. Uh, we shouldn't think that.
S1: But they were sometimes, uh, but, uh, I think that
S1: sometimes when we look at the religious leadership in Israel
S1: in the first century and we see Pharisees, the the
S1: next thing that happens is that we want to blame
S1: all Jews and we don't look at ourselves. I think
S1: those of us who are in religious leadership need to
S1: take a look at ourselves before we start complaining about
S1: Jewish people, but let me tell you about the history
S1: of the Jewish people. Okay? Daniel, uh, before A.D. 70, uh, uh,
S1: Jewish people had a lot of different, uh, I don't
S1: want to say it's its factions, but there were varieties
S1: of Judaism. So, for example, there were Sadducean Judaism. Um,
S1: and there were parties like the Pharisees. So there were
S1: the Sadducees, who were the priests and the Levites mostly.
S1: And then there were the Sadducees, who there were about
S1: 5000 of them. And they were like the religious, the
S1: the experts on the law and kind of the, the
S1: party that led the, the leadership of the people. But
S1: it was only about 5000 who were actually Pharisees. And
S1: then there were other sectarian groups. Uh, like, uh, the Essenes, uh,
S1: or the Qumran community that went to the wilderness. And
S1: they thought that the religious leadership had become corrupt. So
S1: they were hiding out in the wilderness. Uh.
S3: Wow.
S1: Uh, in in 30, somewhere in the 30s you developed
S1: this group called the Nazarenes. These were Jews who believed
S1: in the Nazarene. Uh, the they believed in Jesus, the Messiah.
S1: They were the early Messianic Jews. Uh, and so you
S1: had that sect in Judaism in the first century. All
S1: these different sects. And then there was also a sect
S1: called the zealots. They were the, the party of the
S1: revolt against Rome. So there's all these varieties. Well what happened?
S1: The Sadducees were temple oriented because they were priests and
S1: they were pro Rome. They were supportive of Rome after
S1: the Roman destruction of the temple. They didn't have a temple,
S1: and they lost a lot of credibility because they had
S1: supported Rome. And so they kind of disappeared as a
S1: leader of Jewish people. Uh, then the, uh, What happened
S1: next was the, uh, uh, the Essenes had been hiding out.
S1: And the Qumran community, they had been hiding out in
S1: the wilderness and sectarian groups like that. Uh, they certainly, uh,
S1: didn't have any kind of, uh, credibility because they'd been
S1: hiding out. So they'd kind of disappeared from the scene.
S1: The Nazarenes had fled Jerusalem in AD 70 because of
S1: the prophecy of Jesus that when you see Jerusalem surrounded,
S1: you need to get out of town. And so they
S1: got out of town, uh, they went to a place
S1: up on the other side of the Jordan. Uh, and
S1: now who is left? You've got. And the zealots, they
S1: led Israel into a terrible war, and so they lost
S1: all credibility. The Pharisees had everything going for them because
S1: they had been opposed to the war, but they'd also
S1: have been opposed to Rome, so they had credibility that way.
S1: They were more focused on the Torah, on the law,
S1: than they were on the temple. So as a result,
S1: they still had the Torah, and that became a portable
S1: temple for them, something they could take with them. And
S1: because of that, the leader of the Pharisees, his name
S1: was Yohanan Ben Zakkai. Rabbi Yochanan went to a town
S1: on the coast of the Mediterranean called Yavneh, and there
S1: they reformed Judaism to be a religion without sacrifice, and
S1: out of that came not Pharisaic Judaism, but Rabbinic Judaism.
S1: So Rabbinic Judaism, that formed between the late first century
S1: and up until about the fifth century, that was, uh,
S1: they are the heirs of the Pharisees. Uh, okay. Is
S1: that does that help? Daniel?
S6: Wow. It fills me with a lot. But, um, with
S6: the wars you talk about, the Jews went against the.
S6: Is that the Jewish war is that they talk about
S6: in Antiquities of the Jews.
S1: Yeah. There's the first Jewish revolt in A.D. 70 or
S1: 66 through 73. And then there was a revolt between
S1: 132 through 35 against the Romans, uh, against the Roman
S1: emperor Hadrian, which also was a terrible destruction.
S6: So we learned a lot more than I was expecting.
S6: So I really appreciate that.
S1: Okay. Well, yeah, I kind of taught some Jewish history
S1: in my life so I can give you.
S3: Well, I can.
S6: Imagine, you.
S3: Know. So thank you for.
S6: Your answer there.
S1: Okay. Thanks for your call. Appreciate it. We're going to
S1: talk to, uh, Mary in California. Glad you're listening. All
S1: the way in California. I'm guessing you're listening online. Welcome
S1: to Open Line, Mary. How can I help you? Hey, Mary,
S1: are you there? Hello. Go ahead with your question.
S7: Hi, I'm Mary in Pennsylvania. Are you talking to me?
S1: Oh, yeah, it says California. But go ahead with your
S1: question wherever you are. Okay?
S3: Okay.
S7: So this, um, I'm particularly interested in first Corinthians six
S7: nine through 11 from a general response from you. I've
S7: gone through commentaries trying to understand it more, but specifically
S7: for a family member who was introduced, sadly, to pornography
S7: as a child. Uh, I've seen it affect their life,
S7: their thinking, and you probably know how I can just
S7: destroy you. Uh, they say they're saved. Uh, I do
S7: not see the behavior of, um, non-Christian.
S1: Let's not talk about, uh, your your this person. Let's
S1: just go ahead and ask me a question about this verse, okay?
S7: Mary, I want you to. Well, the reason I'm presenting
S7: the person is because it's my son and it affects me.
S1: I appreciate that, but just go ahead with a question.
S7: In general, in general goes through this verse for me
S7: and the many meanings of whether they go to heaven
S7: or not. And that's where I'm coming from.
S1: Okay. Let me read the verse for people who are listening.
S1: It says, don't be deceived. No sexually immoral people, idolaters,
S1: adulterers or anyone practicing homosexuality. No thieves, greedy, greedy people, drunkards,
S1: verbally abusive people or swindlers will inherit God's kingdom. So
S1: when we read these verses, it's pretty clear that there
S1: are some immoral practices, not just sexually immoral. I mean,
S1: being a swindler, being verbally abusive, being a drunkard, those are, uh,
S1: lifestyle choices that people are making, that are sinful, that
S1: keep them from believing in Jesus. And then he says
S1: in verse 11, and some of you used to be
S1: like this, but you were washed, you were sanctified, you
S1: were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus the Messiah,
S1: and by the spirit of our God. What he is
S1: saying is you used to have these terrible lifestyle choices,
S1: but then you came to faith and you were forgiven. Now,
S1: does this mean that once a person, uh, comes to
S1: know the Lord, they'll never sin again in these ways?
S1: I don't think that's what it's saying. It's saying you're
S1: forgiven of these sins. Romans six tells us that should
S1: we sin, that grace might abound. Of course not. May
S1: it never be. Uh, God's going to work and transform
S1: our lives. But then there are people who are forgiven,
S1: who will lapse, who will fall. And as a result
S1: of that, we need to remember that they are still forgiven. Uh,
S1: and allow God to work in their lives to transform
S1: For them. They need to work in their lives as well, uh,
S1: by practicing spiritual disciplines. Uh, but here's the thing I'm
S1: going to say. If a person has put their trust
S1: in Jesus, even someone who has made these terrible lifestyle choices,
S1: then they are washed, sanctified, and justified, declared righteous not
S1: because of their own righteousness, but because of the righteousness
S1: of Jesus. And they are saved. What if they lapse?
S1: They are going to confess their sin. They're going to
S1: be restored. They're going to practice spiritual disciplines that God
S1: can use to help them to grow. But it doesn't
S1: mean that they won't ever sin in this area again.
S1: It what it means is they are forgiven. Uh, I'm
S1: not here to justify this behavior after someone becomes a believer.
S1: I don't think that's good. Uh, but reality tells me
S1: that people will fall, and God still forgives them. Does
S1: that help Mary?
S7: It does. And one more specific question. I totally agree
S7: with you. If they fall back for 25 or 30
S7: years and don't turn around. How can you?
S1: Well, you don't know if they've fallen back for 25
S1: or 30 years. What you find is that they are
S1: probably struggling for 25 or 30 years. We'll, uh, we'll
S1: be back in a moment with the mailbag, so don't
S1: go away. This is open line with Michael Ray Zelnick.
S1: Welcome back to Open Line. I am so, so happy.
S1: I got a text message of a picture last night,
S1: and it was a picture of the book of Romans,
S1: commentary from the Moody Bible Commentary, and a mug from
S1: Open Line. And it was from a friend of mine
S1: who I had met when she traveled to on the
S1: Journeys of Paul tour with me last year with Eva
S1: and I, and she and her husband had just become
S1: kitchen table partners, and they had received this mug and
S1: the Romans commentary written by Michael van Landingham from the
S1: Moody Bible Commentary. And she said, I'm so excited about
S1: being a kitchen table partner, and I'm excited to. This
S1: is a really, really dear friend and so grateful for
S1: their friendship, having met them just, just last year. But
S1: I'm they made the decision to go from occasional givers
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S1: grateful for everyone that that has given a gift or
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S1: you know, we really we want to take a stand,
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S1: a regular basis every month. And that means so much, uh, people,
S1: there are benefits, I think, that we try to give
S1: not only the resource that we give out, uh, as
S1: a thank you, but also, uh, people can go to
S1: our website if they are committed to $30 a month
S1: or more, they can get a anything from the Moody
S1: Publishers catalog, uh, significant discount. I think it's 40% off.
S1: Am I right about that, Tricia, or is it 50%, 50%? 50% off? Yeah,
S1: that's a great, great, uh, thing. And then also, uh, there's, uh,
S1: the benefit of every other month, every other week, we
S1: send out a Bible study moment, and, uh, that's a
S1: little Bible study, an audio Bible study designed exclusively for
S1: our kitchen table partners. So if you'd like to bring
S1: them a kitchen table partner, we sure would appreciate it.
S1: We're so grateful for all of you, but especially those
S1: of you who make that decision. If you'd like to
S1: become a kitchen table partner, just call (888) 644-7122 or go
S1: to Open Line radio.org. And we thank you so much
S1: for that. And joining me right now with the Febc
S1: mailbag is Tricia McMillan. Uh, so grateful for Febc, uh,
S1: Far Eastern Broadcasting Company for their partnership with us. It's
S1: wonderful Ministry. Check them out by going to Febc and
S1: also check out their podcast until all have heard, you're
S1: going to love that one. Well, Tricia, uh, there's questions there,
S1: and I want we're we have a lot of questions
S1: piling up. We do. And so, uh, in a couple
S1: of weeks, we're going to have a full mailbag program, right? Yes.
S1: But let's see what we can dent it right now.
S8: Okay. All right. Okay. Um, our first question. We've got
S8: a couple questions from First Corinthians. So Lisa lives in Illinois.
S1: I got my Bible and it has First Corinthians in it.
S8: Fantastic. We're we're in good company. Then first Corinthians seven
S8: is where we're going. Lisa in Illinois listens to the
S8: podcast and says, in light of First Corinthians seven verse 14,
S8: which says, for the unbelieving husband is set apart for
S8: God by the wife. And the unbelieving wife is set
S8: apart for God by the husband. Otherwise your children would
S8: be corrupt, but now they are set apart for God.
S8: Lisa says, I'm born again, was baptized as a child,
S8: but lived apart from God in my 20s and married
S8: an unbeliever. After I had children, I started taking them
S8: to church and working with them. They're now teens and
S8: are also born again Christians, although not baptized yet. For
S8: my unbelieving husband, does this verse qualify him to spend
S8: eternity in heaven or would he be left behind?
S1: Well, let's really be clear. Jesus said, I am the way,
S1: the truth and the life, and it's not enough for
S1: someone to be related by marriage or by parenting to believers.
S1: First Corinthians seven is making the case that a believer
S1: who is married to someone who is not a believer,
S1: that they should, as long as the non-believer, the person
S1: who has not yet trusted Jesus is willing to stay married.
S1: Stay married. Don't. Don't try and break up that relationship.
S1: That's what it's about. And I just want to be
S1: really clear. John 824 says this, uh, it says, uh. Um,
S1: let's see if I got the right verse. I've got
S1: the wrong book. John 824 says, unless you believe that
S1: I am he, you're still in your sins. Unless you
S1: believe that I am is literally what it says. Unless
S1: you believe in me. Jesus says, you're still in your sins.
S1: And why is that so crucial? Well, it's. This is
S1: what I'm reading it. Ready? If you do not believe
S1: that I am he, you will die in your sins.
S1: And the. The Greek actually says, unless you believe I am.
S1: You have to believe in all that Jesus says he is,
S1: that he is deity, that he died, died for us,
S1: that he rose again. We have to believe or we're
S1: still in our sins. That's individually for every person. So
S1: know first Corinthians seven is not saying, by virtue of
S1: being married to a believer, that the husband or the
S1: wife will be automatically saved. What it is saying is
S1: that it is more likely for that person to become
S1: a believer, as long as he stay. Remember, it's the
S1: idea stay married as long as that person who isn't
S1: a believer is willing to stay with you, because this
S1: sets up a much better situation, where that spouse would
S1: be much more likely to believe and come to faith
S1: in Jesus, and that's how they're set apart. They're in
S1: a good situation by staying in in that marriage relationship.
S1: And so if you're concerned about your husband coming to
S1: know the Lord, stay married to him, stay married to
S1: him and win him as first Peter three talks about that.
S1: And and when it says you're set apart, they're in
S1: a better a better setting. If if you stay married
S1: than if, if you end up divorcing.
S8: Okay. And even I think about the stories I've heard
S8: of the influence of the believing spouse on the unbelieving spouse.
S8: Like I think of Lee and Leslie Strobel.
S1: That's exactly what I thought.
S8: They've shared their story, um, of just seeing that person
S8: set apart. And we even have talked about it. Um,
S8: you know, with that, Romans 1111 for the the Jewish
S8: person watching the Gentile like Act toward them in such
S8: a way that they ask you, why are you living
S8: this way? Why are you different? That your spouse can
S8: see you living differently and ask those questions and see
S8: that in the the the? I'll say the worst, like
S8: you're not on display outwardly to everyone else, but you
S8: are on display to your spouse all the time. Well.
S1: You know, first Peter three where it talks about the
S1: wife winning her husband without a word. I think what
S1: it is is that saying, don't badger your spouse, uh,
S1: but love your spouse. And in that way you win
S1: him without a word. Now, obviously, it'll take words. You'll
S1: have to be able to talk about it, but you'll
S1: open his heart. He'll want what you have. And and
S1: that's why God says stay married. If the non-believer is
S1: willing to stay with you.
S8: And pray for them, pray for your spouse. Yeah.
S1: I have dear friends. Uh, really? I thought of Lee
S1: immediately because Lee Strobel, his wife's. Yeah, his wife's changed life.
S1: But I have a dear friend and his wife's changed life. Uh,
S1: also won him over. And there was actually, uh, at
S1: their church. They had a a Bible study they started
S1: called Beloved Unbeliever, and they invited the unbelieving spouses to
S1: come and try and figure out what your, your spouse
S1: is believing so that you can understand your spouse better.
S1: And that was a great thing. What a great idea. Yeah.
S1: You know, we're only inviting you if you don't believe
S1: so that you can understand what this thing your spouse
S1: has fallen into. Yeah. And and I have a friend
S1: who came to the Lord through that. Isn't that something?
S8: Wow, that's really cool. Yeah. Well, we got one more question. Uh,
S8: from First Corinthians. This goes to chapter 11. Rachel in
S8: in Illinois listens to WBA and wants to know about
S8: women covering their heads and the cultural context of that
S8: in first Corinthians 11, as far as how it was
S8: practiced in the early church. she said. The church that
S8: she attends now practices this in public worship, and the
S8: chapter is confusing to me, but it's clear God would
S8: be glorified in this. What are your thoughts on if
S8: this chapter is referring to women having their heads covered
S8: in public worship only, or any time they pray?
S1: Here's how I understand first Corinthians 11. The principle that
S1: Paul was teaching is that the attitude of deference that
S1: women were supposed to give to their leadership, to their husbands,
S1: and it was one of the in the the cultural
S1: way that they showed that was by being veiled in public.
S1: So the veiling in public was an outward sign of
S1: a submissive heart. Now, today, if a woman veiled herself
S1: completely in church, no one would say, oh, yeah, she's
S1: she's deferring to the leadership. The veil was a external
S1: cultural expression of an internal heart attitude. As a result,
S1: I don't think women need to veil themselves in church anymore.
S1: But for example, I remember saying how a woman dresses
S1: in church if if she's going to dress in a
S1: modest way, in a way that's reflective of that internal
S1: commitment to God. That submissive, deferential heart. Uh, well, that's
S1: how they should express it. It doesn't have to be
S1: with a veil. It has to be with some sort of.
S1: And I think women can be very stylish, um, but
S1: still dress in a way that reflects modesty. And I
S1: would say that's what that's talking about in first Corinthians 11. Okay.
S8: Okay. All right. Thank you.
S1: Well, we're going to break here. Thanks so much for
S1: those questions. Thanks for sending them in. All you have
S1: to do Is. Go to our website openlibrary.org. You'll see
S1: a link that says Ask Michael a question. And you
S1: can click on that. Post your question. Trish will put
S1: it in the mailbag and she's great at that. She
S1: knows which ones she wants to ask. And so your
S1: question will come up either right away or in the
S1: mailbag program coming up. This is Michael Radnich. That was
S1: Trish McMillan. I'll be right back with more of your questions.
S1: Welcome back to Open Line I'm Michael Ray. And you know,
S1: some of you may have heard that I have stepped
S1: away from education. I'm no longer the dean. I'm now
S1: professor emeritus of Jewish studies and Bible at Moody Bible Institute.
S1: But I still care deeply for Moody Bible Institute. I
S1: think it's a great place to get an education. And
S1: I was just talking to our vice president and dean
S1: of enrollment at Moody Bible Institute, Doctor William Washington. My
S1: good friend and Doc Walsh said that Moody is still
S1: accepting applications for the fall. And I know a lot
S1: of young people are saying, I'm not sure I want
S1: to go where I thought I was going to go.
S1: I'm not sure I want to go to junior college.
S1: I believe the best foundation we can get for living
S1: is an undergraduate education at Moody Bible Institute, and it
S1: doesn't matter what your career is going to be, that
S1: foundation you can get at Moody Bible Institute is outstanding.
S1: And so if if you have a child or a
S1: grandchild or someone you know that would like to consider
S1: going to Moody Bible Institute, I mean, there's lots of
S1: ways you can go to Moody. You can do online education,
S1: you can do graduate education with the seminary, but especially now,
S1: as if there's a young person that, you know, if
S1: you're a young person listening and you would like to
S1: get that great foundation for life. Then check out Moody's
S1: and think about coming and joining that wonderful group of
S1: students that are coming in August at Moody Bible Institute
S1: to get the best education in the scriptures and theology
S1: and practical ministry, uh, that you can possibly get. I
S1: think it is a great idea. So check out Moody's.
S1: And also many of you want to know about sharing
S1: your faith with your Jewish friends. Best way to do
S1: that is by telling them about Isaiah 53, which is
S1: the crucial messianic passage. Chosen People Ministries, our partner ministry
S1: that helps bring open Line to you. They are offering
S1: Open Line listeners a free book called Isaiah 53 explained,
S1: and as you read that book, you'll be better prepared
S1: to tell your Jewish friend about the Messiah from Isaiah 53.
S1: Or you can pass the booklet on to them just
S1: and it's a helpful book that they can read and
S1: learn about the Messiah in Isaiah 53. If you'd like
S1: to get a free copy of Isaiah 53, explain, just
S1: go to our website openline radio.org. Scroll down until you
S1: see the link that says A Free gift from Chosen
S1: People Ministries. Click on that. It'll take you to a
S1: page where you can sign up for your own free
S1: copy of Isaiah 53 explained. Uh, we're going to talk
S1: with Jason in Cleveland, Ohio, listening on CRF. Welcome to
S1: Open Line, Jason. How can I help you?
S2: Thank you.
S9: Doctor. Uh, I appreciate your help on this question. Um,
S9: my question is, is when Jesus was being. No. Thank you. Um,
S9: my question is, is when Jesus was being baptized, was
S9: the significance of the dove descending on him more for John?
S9: And if not, was there any significance for Jesus?
S1: I have no idea.
S9: I don't believe it. I don't believe.
S3: It.
S1: Well, no, I really don't know. What I know is this, uh,
S1: it's written in the text. The significance wasn't for Jesus
S1: or for John, but in the text, it was written
S1: for the reader. And it was to say that the
S1: the Spirit of God descended on Jesus, and it was a, uh,
S1: affirmation of his spirit empowered ministry. So for those of
S1: its it was the original reader. And for you, Jason,
S1: and for me, it's to say the Lord Jesus earthly
S1: ministry was fully empowered by the Holy Spirit of God.
S1: In other words, what this is saying is his ministry
S1: wasn't just his deity taken over, but he was the
S1: God man. And what he was doing was being empowered
S1: by the Spirit of God, not himself. That's what it's
S1: saying to the reader. So, you know, so.
S9: Often.
S1: So often I, I think people we ask, what was
S1: the significance of this for the characters in the story
S1: and the narrative that we're reading before us? And I
S1: think we ought to be asking, what is the significance
S1: for the reader, because that's why it was written down
S1: for us. Okay.
S9: Okay. Yeah.
S1: Does that.
S9: Help? I looked at when Jesus said it does, but
S9: I get I'm a little unclear because Jesus was fully God.
S9: And so, John, I guess I'm looking at John needing
S9: more understanding of this is Jesus's ministry. And now he's
S9: going to proclaim it. Um, but I guess the dove
S9: is not something Jesus needed. He was fully God.
S1: Yeah, he he knew that. But I was saying to
S1: the reader, uh, you and me when we read this,
S1: that Jesus wasn't just doing this because he's God. he
S1: self limits himself and he's operating as a generally speaking,
S1: I mean, he obviously in John he knows he's omniscient,
S1: but he self limits himself so much and does things
S1: by the power of the Holy Spirit. That's what it's saying.
S3: Perfect.
S1: Okay. Okay. Thank you Jason. Appreciate it. We're going to
S1: speak with Victor in Milner, Georgia listening on WMV. Welcome
S1: to Open Line, Victor. How can I help you?
S10: Thank you so much for having me.
S1: Sure. How can I help you?
S10: Um, I'm. I have a question about revelation three nine. Um,
S10: you know how everything's going on, and a lot of
S10: people are being divided, um, about the support of current Israel. And, um,
S10: I want to know if I, as a Christian, am.
S10: Supposed to, um, back the government of Israel.
S1: Oh, this is the whole thing with, uh, Tucker and, oh,
S1: the government of Israel. He he just doesn't understand it.
S1: You're talking about what you're trying to do is call
S1: by saying this. By asking this, you're saying that Israel
S1: is the synagogue of Satan who claim to be Jews
S1: and are not. Is that what you're saying about revelation
S1: three nine?
S10: I haven't heard that. I honestly, um, no, my family
S10: is split in half. So I've been I've been trying
S10: to find, um.
S1: Okay, you know what? I only got a minute. Let
S1: me just tell you this. Revelation three nine is not
S1: talking about the state of Israel. It's not even I'm
S1: going to tell you who it's talking about.
S3: Okay?
S10: I come with this with.
S1: Let me let me tell you who it's talking about. Uh,
S1: it's it's talking about, uh, people, likely Gentiles Miles who
S1: were teaching that they that in order for someone to
S1: be saved, they had to convert to Judaism and be circumcised.
S1: And they were adding a work is what Galatians forbids.
S1: And so he says, take note. I will make those
S1: from the synagogue of Satan who claim to be Jews
S1: and are not they're not even Jewish. But they took
S1: the circumcision as a prerequisite for salvation before faith. Uh,
S1: they are Jews. They claim to be Jews, but are
S1: not and are lying. Note this I will make them
S1: come and bow down at your feet. In other words,
S1: what Jesus is saying. These Gentiles who have converted to
S1: Judaism so they could be believers in Jesus, and they're
S1: adding a work to salvation. They're wrong. That's in a
S1: community or teaching a false teaching which is sourced in
S1: the enemy. It's not talking about Israel. It's not talking
S1: about Jewish people. It's talking about people who claim to
S1: be Jewish but are not, uh, because they've gone through
S1: this ritual circumcision. They just claim to be Jewish. So
S1: it's not talking about Israel at all, so you don't
S1: have to worry about that. Okay, well, that's the program
S1: for the week. I just needed to be clear about that.
S1: Synagogue of Satan thing. Uh, I'm glad that we had
S1: an opportunity to talk about that. Uh, next week, we'll
S1: be back. Talk about more of your questions about the Bible, God,
S1: and the spiritual life. Uh, thanks to, uh, Tricia McMillan
S1: and to Lisa and to Omar and Reena, uh, for
S1: all that they've done today to make this program possible,
S1: keep in touch with us by going to our website,
S1: Openline Radio.com, and you'll find all the links you're looking
S1: for there. Keep reading the Bible. We'll talk about it
S1: next week. Open line with Doctor Michael Melnick is a
S1: production of Moody Radio, a ministry of Moody Bible Institute.