TiL Podcast- The Word of God

Welcome to the truth and love podcast. Thank you for joining us tonight. We're gonna we're gonna be talking about the Word of God and hopefully answering your questions. So join us. Let us know you're watching and stay tuned.

What's up, Dan, how are you doing? I'm doing okay doing good.

What's the temperature in New York right now? I don't know. I woke up this morning. It was eight or six. I don't know. It was really cold. Sure, we're below zero.

Are you serious?

Well, not zero below freezing. Yeah, 27 right now. Wow. So are you.

Continuous snow coverage.

I'll tell you what. We haven't had snow like this year. Really? Yeah, we've got brown grass and it's it's the weirdest thing. Like we nobody knows what to do with it. There was a there's a big push by the the New York Department of Transportation to hire a bunch of plow drivers.

And it just didn't snow this year.

Now to me that's odd.

Now maybe a week and a half from now. They're expecting somewhere between two and six inches. Maybe even this week depending on where this bit of rain and stuff comes through. I don't know. But yeah, we haven't had much which makes me it's actually it's been no mid 30s and For a high and you know, we even hit 40 a couple times.

So it's making me real nervous for what February is gonna bring me what we may not get over zero for like the month of February.

Apart from the temperatures you're almost. You may feel like you're back in North Carolina it.

Well, even the temperatures like during the middle of winter when in North Carolina, you know end of January first part of February. Where you're like 20s in the morning 30 almost 40 in the afternoon like that's where we're at right now.

Wow. Yeah, it felt kind of like a North Carolina winter, you know, no snow on the ground. Everything's just kind of brown and gray. Gotcha. Gotcha.

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So I apologize for that, but I hope you enjoy the music. So the comment line is open. Let me put this banner up so it can be ticking across the screen. There we go. Yeah, hopefully we get some folks in and some questions asked the first thing.

I wanted to throw out there today.

And.

If somebody watches this or listens to this later on during the year or another year. In the future, it may not be the same day. But today that they were doing this podcast is Martin Luther King Junior.

He was a junior, right? Martin Luther King jr. Day, and so the the federal government celebrates Martin Luther King Day and Usually government offices many businesses take off today to celebrate his efforts.

It's my understanding. Go ahead. And it's my 11th anniversary today.

With my wonderful wife. I do not have a machine that plays wonderful Hank claps or happy anniversary songs. I wish I did quick get Claude. Where's Claude? Oh, well, happy anniversary to Dan and Becky.

Absolutely. Also 11 years ago today was Martin Luther King Day. We got married on Martin Luther King Day. It was a Monday. I'll tell you the story about how we picked that date some other time. It's pretty funny.

Love to hear.

We'll start with that and on the next program be in Martin Luther King Day.

It's my understanding that we have some pretty big disagreements with His theology and the things that he preached. Not going to go there tonight, but thinking about him and what he did and Honoring him celebrating the the good things that he did.

I.

Think is is appropriate. You know, we honor anybody who does does anything that Is honorable and and so we want to recognize that. But it makes me think about the acts of humanitarianism versus The gospel and gospel acts or the effects of the gospel.

And so I think we touched on this In the labors podcast on Thursday. We talked about how you know, the Red Cross Is not is not missions you you can't consider Red Cross or or one blood or Salvation Army.

Well, I don't know. Maybe erase that maybe.

Although they do deny the sacraments. So I knew there was something you're on notice. Yeah.

Fishy about the Salvation Army goodwill. You know places like that, you know, we they're not missions. Biblical missions. They're just good deed doers as I'm quoting the Wizard of Oz tonight. They're just good deed doers.

And what we know from Scripture there's a. Seeming seemingly good deed is really not a good deed at all if it's not flowing from the Holy Spirit. So but it does. By the what would we call it common grace or the grace of God?

Unbelievers can do humanitarian acts and save a life. Giving blood saves a life. I Guess giving money to save animals helps save animals from abuse. So There's good deeds good deed doers seemingly inhumanized.

And and Martin Luther King he worked hard To save the lives to to honor all men. And I think that was part of his part of his message, of course it was to to honor those of his Agnes ethnicity. But I believe that he he honored all life and and all skin colors.

But it's not the gospel. It's not it's not a gospel act without Without the Holy Spirit without the the gospel message without the good news of Jesus Christ that it's because of Christ. That these things can happen.

Do you have any thoughts. I have a few more thoughts but but how would you respond to Humanitarianism versus Gospel missions. Evangelism gospel acts.

Humanitarianism, Common Grace, and Gospel Mission

Yeah, I don't necessarily think that. Everything that we do now has to be missions. Sometimes it's just time to stand up and do what's right because What's right, so I think that those are good things that could flow from from a gospel heart or it could flow from someone who Perhaps doesn't know the Lord.

Um, they could still be doing something good. I think we make a distinction that that unless you're doing it for the Lord. It can't really be a good deed and I don't necessarily think that's true. But I know where people are coming from.

Because they're trying to make the distinction trying to let people know that just because you do something that is good. It doesn't mean that that good deed will bring you into a right standing with God, right?

But it doesn't mean that the deed was evil. Could have been done for very noble reason. It could have been done for a terrible reason. In which case it would it would be Simple. Yeah. Yeah.

But I.

Think it's it's important for us to to recognize that that God's God's law, especially the law to Israel focused on doing things That were beneficial to the society That they lived in and so that the people who were in nations and Societies around them would look at them and say look how good Of a law they have.

Their lawgiver must be fantastic and actually come Come to know him. So, I don't know dude do with that what you will. Oh.

Yeah, well I see where you come from and I agree with you, you know that the act itself is good. I think maybe I was referring to the The person that is coming from. You know, the act itself is good. And sure sure.

Well, I mean even even if it's good.

The the person may be doing something that is good, but just like. Just like it says in in the Bible though those good deeds when when looked at for what they do with our standing between us and God is.

It's like filthy racks. Yeah might as well be worthless, right if we're trying to make. Make the good deeds that we do. Bring us to into relationship with God. You know once we have relationship with God one of our major Purposes in this world is to do good deeds, which could be these humanitarian efforts.

Preaching the gospel. Some people have this gift. That gift. All of us as a church should be reaching into all these spheres in doing all of those things rightly. So, I don't know. Do whatever you want to with that information.

I'm not trying to make an argument here or there a big right point. It's just another thing to think about. So we don't get off balance or off track or anything, right?

Well, I think there's also the idea to that the gospel has Has reach and it has effect so that so. The gospel has created this this environment here in America. Sometimes People mistakenly say that that we were we are a Christian nation or we were founded as a Christian nation because the gospel had effect and and reach.

Good things were able to happen and good things continue to happen because of the gospel effects and gospel reach from believers. I think that may be more of the case than that. Actually, we're actually a Christian nation or founded as a Christian nation.

I mean there's Christian influence Bible influence, but you know that we see good acts happening. We the environment is Stable enough to where these good acts can happen because of gospel influence gospel reach.

Does that make sense.

It it could. I don't I don't know if I Don't know. I'm still working through all that with history and whatnot. But there I think that there could be a case made where if you if you looked at American history what you would find is almost more of a trying to Live a Christian life without Christ.

Because of the way we set up our Constitution where we're not going to know actually state That Christ is Lord. We're not going to have a established Religion we're not going to force people to believe or say that we are a people who believe this that or the other thing.

But we're still going to base all of our our rules and laws and our structure on Christian principles. It's almost like the one who will know live out Proverbs the book of Proverbs like to the letter.

You're gonna find great blessing in it because the way that God has set up his world Proverbs works like it's just wise. It's a way God's using God's wisdom in God's world. But there's almost a sense where we as America Show to the rest of the world what happens when?

When God's wisdom is used in God's world without God. Eventually what you find or think to be wisdom Turns to folly because you go further and further away from God, but I'm not I can be proven wrong on that.

It's just formulary thought some stuff going on in my head and whatnot. Well, I'm I don't know how much that has to do with what you asked me. I Rambled for a minute.

Well, I mean, I'm I'm tracking along with that. I mean, I think I agree with that because Doing anything apart from God. Even trying to apply biblical wisdom like you said Proverbs. Or we're trying to found a nation apart from Christ.

Apart from the gospel like you said it, you know, Jesus is not in the Constitution. To me. It's always been like a hat tip. And yeah, I know that We respect in in our circles in our postal circles, there's a lot of guys that Promote the Christian history in America, which there there was but as far as founding founding the nation on Christ It didn't quite happen that way.

I know there was. What strikes me and I was thinking about this today it strikes me that I Think it was George Washington. That was warning against Certain other religion.

And.

And also the the Protestant aspect of The situation that was going on at that time where we were the Protestants were fleeing Persecution from the Catholic Church from the Church of England. Yep, and so and Then somehow these these other religions.

Those that we were fleeing from those that we were warning or George Washington was warning against Make their way and establish a presidency here in America. How did that happen. I mean this that's not what our topic is tonight and I kind of sidetracked there just thoughts I was thinking about concerning our Christian history our in our American history.

But back to what I was saying, you know God has graciously used used the gospel. I think to Preserve an environment where good humanitarian acts can happen even apart from him and so we're we're thankful for those who who stood for for other human beings because every human being is created and made in the image of God and.

On that note, you know, I can't help but think about The the abolitionist fight that we're we're having now. That so many Christians don't even want to get into for for whatever reason but we need to we need to reestablish and and bring back up this this abolition abolitionist movement abolitionist mindset and Abolish abortion we we abolish slavery.

We did away with it and it we We claim rightly that it's that it's evil. We need to do that with a with abortion now claim that it's evil and And abolish it make it illegal completely. And so we we have an environment where that can happen because of God's grace because of the gospel effect still in this nation we we don't wait to where we're too far gone before that can happen, but as as Postmills post mill analyst we We have a hope that it's eventually going to happen.

We just want to work toward it and hopefully see it in our lifetime.

Yeah, but who knows it may not even happen while America looks like America. That's true. That is true. But what one day we do believe that this land will bow the knee to Christ and do so.

That's right. Absolutely. Nations nations will stream and nations will seek the law. What a glorious what a glorious kingdom and glorious plan God has and I'm thankful to be a part of it. So, I guess with that being said let's jump into the topic we decided we decided on tonight.

We want to talk about the phrase the Word of God. Yeah, we we most commonly in our vernacular. When when somebody says the Word of God we think the Bible. Yeah, yeah the Word of God.

But.

It's used in different ways and and we just we want to dig just a little bit deeper tonight on On that phrase how it's used the different ways that it's used in scripture. Maybe some of the wrong ways that it's used by the way.

Thank you guys for watching. Say hello, the chat room is open. Say hello ask your questions if you have any about church about Bible. We'll try to jump on those questions and just join the conversation but tonight.

Go ahead and start us off what you're thinking when it comes to the phrase the Word of God and while we want to dig a little bit deeper beyond just recognize.

The Bible as the Word of God. Yeah. Well, there's been some Some rumblings around the Christian theology. For me, especially recently but for a little bit.

On.

Making sure that our terms are biblical terms. Make sure that when we use a term or phrase That the way that we're using it in the way that the Bible using it is the same way so that way we have not just a systematic theology where we Try to put stuff in little compartments and understand things you know as certain subjects where we gather all the information and data and put it down and Formulated a hypothesis and tested against the scripture.

We want to also have a biblical theology where we see from start to finish where How the Bible speaks on Things how does the Bible use terms of phrase how does the Bible Interpret itself. How has God revealed himself to us through the scriptures?

And so as we look at stuff like that when we look at the phrase the Word of God Um, what do we find that we as Christians do with that phrase? How do we use it? And how does the Bible use it? So if we find ourselves using it in a different way than the Bible's using it Is there a reason for that?

Is it valid? Is it valid sometimes and not other times and What sort of Misinterpretations might we be bringing to the text if we take our you know Christianized Understanding of the phrase as we use it and then import that into the Bible when the Bible uses that phrase But it's using it in a different way.

I.

Don't know where you want to start. But I figured that'd be a good be good overview of what we're trying to accomplish in the next 30 to 36 minutes and 14 seconds.

Good math good quick math.

To.

Well, I Found this article. I thought it was pretty good article. It gives a good outline.

And it.

You were talking about the the exact phrase Word of God. This article is by Don Stewart. You can find it on blue letter Bible comm. He goes about looking at not just the phrase Word of God, but God speaking the Word of Christ.

Different different acts but aspects of the Word of God. And so I thought I think it'd be good to look at all those different variations. And see where it takes us the first one. He says it can be something that God has decreed.

So his example was Genesis 1 1 through 3. In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Earth was formless and void and darkness was over the surface of the deep and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters.

And God said Let there be light and there was light so that there's there's the Word of God. Who spoke and out that was a decree? He's claiming from God and and it happened. God said let there be light and there was light.

Sure, and the Bible all the time will use We use the word especially in the Old Testament we use the word to bar which is the Hebrew word for word. We'll use that word in order to to say Something that's been spoken by someone to someone else.

So what word have you brought us from afar or what word was spoken or God has spoken this word? So there's definitely a usage in the Bible. Where When you say a word from the Lord or just thought about that VeggieTales Jonah thing I don't know if you ever seen it.

It's funny a word for a message from. Anyway, don't go moving on. So when you have that phrase a word from God or a word of God, it's talking about something that has been spoken not just a single word, but a a Teaching or a commandment or something.

Even the the Ten Commandments are really called the ten words. So, yeah something like that. So yeah, it's it's a valid usage of The word word.

Yeah, here's here's example he gives and he He lists two different translations. The first one is the New American Standard Bible Psalm 33 6 by the word of the Lord the heavens were made by the breath of his mouth all their host and here's the the net translation by the Lord's decree the heavens were made and by a mere word from his mouth all the stars in the sky were created.

So Yeah that that word that proceeds out of his mouth is is a decree. That and it's I would say it's an absolute decree. So we got speaks it happens and in this case it was Everything was created formed.

What verse was that? Psalm 33 6.

33 6. Mm-hmm. The ESV says by the word of the Lord the heavens were made and by the breath of his mouth all Their host he gathers the waters of the seas as a heap he puts the deeps in storehouses. It almost sounds like it's personifying the word to be a he With which is the point I'm trying to trying to make.

Is this a situation where it's talking about.

He.

So.

You're gonna take it. You're gonna take us to that verse probably later on that. We were discussing before the show, which is. Which is very good, and I can't wait for you to share that. So basically, this is a.

Would you call this a Christophany?

It it could be. What I'm what I'm saying is that that if we're going to understand what the phrase word of the Lord or as this one says, it's a Debar Yahweh or word of Yahweh those little short Capital letters are always God's name Yahweh.

Is there no does it come across from the Hebrew to the Greek where we have? Lagos or We get into in Hebrew where it says the Word of God. Where you you bring it out in the Greek? Is that the same thing?

It's one of those things that we need to look at. Is all I'm saying at this point because that particular aspect where we go in between the languages and everything. I'm I'm not so sure. I'd feel comfortable shoehorning a definite answer in there, but I definitely think that.

I.

Would need to look at it. You know, what's the subject there? Which actually I'll tell you I'll look that up. Have the ability.

And while you were talking I just looked up another verse that I think goes right along with Your conclusions that you're drawing. So you. Let me how close are you to find another verse? Oh, I found it.

Okay, go ahead.

Let me find you again. I had to click off of it. I don't know where you are. There you are. All right, I'm back. So it's just it's a phrase they're linked together. There's a thing called an absolute and a construct in Hebrew where one is Primary but not necessarily in usage, but they're connected.

So they're connected as a unit in the Hebrew. I still couldn't tell you anything more than that without you know, spending the rest of the no spending some minutes I don't want to you know, speak definitively where I can't but it's one of those one of those things.

No, is it here should the W in word be capitalized? I don't know in this instance. But it's one of those things that we should look at. How does the Bible? Interpret itself. How does the Bible use this language as we move through the text?

It's it's important to know because we can get to somewhere and Be wrong about something. Right, right.

Well number number two on his list Don Stewart from blue an article in blue letter Bible calm number two. He says it may refer to God verbally addressing humans or personal address. And the topic tonight is the Word of God.

He references Genesis 2 16 17 and the Lord God commanded the man. And. Then here is God God speaking. You may freely eat of every tree of the garden. But the tree of knowledge of good and evil. You shall not eat for in that day you should you eat of it you shall die.

So. The specific phrase is not used but it's God speaking and God speaking to two man. So it's it's the word it's God communicating to man.

Excellent, go ahead real quick. Going back to that passage in Psalm 33. Yeah, sure. Verse 4 Starts for the Word of the Lord is upright and all his work is done in faithfulness. If you look at Christ his work is Upright and everything he does is done in faithfulness.

You go to the end of verse 6 by the Word of the Lord The heavens were made, you know who created the earth Jesus did. The book of Hebrews says that God used Jesus to create the earth. So what. Whether whether I'm reading too much into it or not, there you go.

Well, John says that and and Colossians right. Colossians says It was Jesus. Jesus made it through him for him by him.

Yep, everything was made.

He uses Exodus chapter 21 verses 1 through 3 and God spoke all these words saying I am the Lord your God Who brought you out of land of Egypt out of the house of bondage? You shall have no other gods before me.

So. Yeah, we got we got the Ten Commandments here, which is something you referenced earlier. So it's and that's that's kind of two Instances of the Word of God. You've got you've got him speaking communicating to man.

And then you have the command itself is the Word of God.

Right.

Yep.

What's interesting when you get into Into the New Testament, especially in John 1 and then you look at John 1 in Hebrews 1 kind of side-by-side. You you recognize that it is calling Jesus the Word. He's the embodiment the exact imprint the radiance the mouthpiece of God.

Um, so when it says that a word was given from the Lord it means that God has spoken To mankind. Now Hebrews says in the Old Covenant it was through Many ways and divers manners or I remember the King James.

I don't know why But it was it was no he spoke to the prophets. He spoke to In visions and dreams. And Ezekiel's really fun because starting in chapter 12 and Following it says the Word of the Lord came to me.

The Word of the Lord came to me the Word of Lord came to. Now is that just that he was sitting there and he heard God speaking to him that there was a message that came or is it a Pre-incarnate Christ showing up and speaking to him.

Mm-hmm.

Once again, we need to look at these things. We need to see What how is the Bible Using this and how should we understand it? I think you have to go Through everything pull all your data and then go back and especially remember what Christ said on the road to Emmaus that Everything in the law and the prophets spoke of him, right?

So I mean Whatever we come up with it needs to have all of those pieces fitting in the puzzle. That's right.

Well, if that was the case what you're talking about you gee in pre-incarnate Christ coming. Then it would be. That would be the case and then also they would still be receiving a word of God because he would be bringing a message.

Right both things were happening.

Right, and then.

You were speaking of Jesus.

Which is I think the point of Hebrews 1 That in in times past God spoke. And how did God speak. He spoke through a mediary? Through vision prophet however. When he spoke to the us in these last days, he showed up himself.

He spoke to us through his son the log us the word that was handed out bits and pieces to prophets and Priests and everything through the sacrificial system and all of that. What was handed out then has arrived?

The one who gave that word back then is now here. The word that was spoken is here before you. Alright, and not just some messenger or angel, but someone who was much more. But know who has said. Which of the angels did he say you were my son today?

Or sit here at my right hand until I put your enemies as a footstool before your feet all from Hebrews.

Exactly. Yeah, and we may get to and talk later about the dangers of misunderstanding and misapplying misusing what we're talking about, but we're kind of leading ourselves in that direction because what you're talking about right here is.

An.

Association between Christ and the Word of God that that we do not want to Pull apart.

Right, and it's a good association. Yeah. Yeah, we just want to make sure that we don't take that good association and Do something funky with it, right? Because whenever you do something funky with something something that's good you turn into a heretic.

Yeah, yeah, we're not trying to do that right. So yeah.

Well number three on Stewart's list blueletterbible .com. He can refer to God speaking through human prophets, which is something that You you mentioned brought up a few seconds ago from Jonah. Yeah. Here.

If you would hope my wife didn't hear that she'll never let me live it down.

Here he references Deuteronomy 18 18 through 20 I will raise up a prophet like you for them from among their fellow Israelites. Of course, this is Messianic that is speaking about Jesus. Mm-hmm. Yeah, I will put I will put my words in his mouth.

Yep, and he will speak speak to them whatever I want. I myself will hold responsible anyone Who pays no attention to the words that prophet will speak in my name but any prophet who presumes to speak anything in my name that I have not authorized him to speak or Who speaks in the name of the other gods that prophet must die?

Right this this verse right here wraps up pretty much our whole conversation and even takes us to the end. I think where I would have took the dangers of this because we speak of so-called prophets today or anybody who's claiming to hear word from God or even even Baptist ministers who want to stand up before the pulpit and say Scratch scratch all this that I prepared all week I'm feeling a tug in my heart.

I'm feeling a word from God this morning.

That's that's dangerous it it is and I did that one time when I was a pastor up here at the church, but still even then I Went straight from a passage and exegete the passage. Just right fly, right? Because it was late on my heart, but what was late on my heart wasn't a random message.

It was.

No actual scripture. Yeah. Yeah, and we can talk more about that later. But. This association going back to our verse here in Deuteronomy 18 18 through 20. The association that you and I are drawing. I need to get my fingers if I want to use them in the camera frame.

Um. The association that we're drawing here between Christ and and the word. Is so tight this. This verse here draws in a third the word from the Father that he's going to give the word. The word from the Father is going to give the word the words to say.

Right, and so there's a third association here.

Right, and that's brought out in the Hebrews as well where it talks about him being the exact imprint. And the the radiance of the glory of God, so he's showing forth the same the things that come From the Son are the things that have been shining forth from the Father.

The the light that shines from the Father comes out in the Sun the when it says exact imprint. It's got the idea of a stamp of a relief where if you punch it down on the page You're going to get exactly what you had in the in the original which was God.

So when Christ speaks God speaks and Further we know Christ is God, right? Right, right.

Here's another reference in the article Jeremiah 1 7 the Lord said to me Do not say I am too young but go to wherever I send you and say whatever I tell you. So there's the role the prophet is to be speaking the Word of God.

Yep, the Word of the Lord.

Right, and it was a prophet sent by the Lord and not one who spoke spoke presumptuously.

And and then two verses down in verse 9 and Jeremiah 1. Then the Lord reached out his hand and touched my mouth and said to me I will most surely give you the words you are to you are to speak for me.