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Webcasting around the world from the desert metropolis of Phoenix, Arizona. This is the dividing line. The Apostle Peter commanded Christians to be ready to give a defense for the hope that is within us.
Yet to give that answer with gentleness and reverence. Our host is dr. James White director of Alpha Omega ministries and an elder at the Phoenix Reformed Baptist Church. This is a live program and we invite your participation.
If you'd like to talk with dr. White call now. It's 602 9 7 3 4 6 0 2 or toll-free across the United States. It's 1 8 7 7 7 5 3 3 3 4 1. And now with today's topic here is James White.
And good afternoon. Welcome to the dividing line on a Thursday afternoon working on a article for credo magazine on The subject of purgatory almost done. I've only got actually I've only got about 700 words.
Space left and I'm not sure it may go a little bit long. But anyway need to get that finished. It's taken longer than I expected it to I've noticed that I'm I'm a little fuzzy brain still from the trip it's only been a week and I think it was the working on the book working working working working working and then jump on a plane and go over there and debate debate debate and Maybe when I was 30 That doesn't work.
So well when you're pushing 50, it takes a little while to Feel like you're human again to be perfectly honest with you. And then and then I've got distractions during the program look at squirrel DL tries to distract doc by juggling chainsaws and channel I mean That is that is truly distracting when someone up there in the where it's snowing It's snowing or it was snowing anyways up there in Montana and places like that where I'm gonna be going in.
What is that that may is it may have next year? I think I'm going may have next year. Someone was suggesting I should debate Chris Rose Bob. And I said, wouldn't it be better if Chris and I like debated somebody else?
I just think that would be better and they're gonna try to work something like that out, but I'll be perfectly honest with you Yes, it's in May I'll be perfectly honest with you the chances that the folks up there are going to Reformation Montana are gonna be able to actually find Anybody who Would actually debate me and debate us on that subject very very small very very small it is not easy to find meaningful debate opponents really isn't and So I Good good Providence to you good Providence to you I the chances are in my experience, especially liberal clergymen who are very brave behind a keyboard posting stuff for You know newspapers and the like Generally don't want to actually defend themselves in in meaningful public debate.
So I really sort of doubt that that's going to happen. And yes pirate Christian radio man is mysterious. That's why we couldn't someone suggest we should debate baptism and I've debated infant baptism against Presbyterians because I Understand what Presbyterians believe about baptism, but we do good.
I'm next year, but Lutheran's mean I don't know what they what they believe about infant baptism in the Lutheran's. And you know whenever you debate a Lutheran eventually there's gonna look at you and go but it's a mystery and you just That's Probably better for the two of us to debate somebody else.
So that'll be May of next year You can start making your travel plans now To visit the sunny beautiful I'm sure where it is in Montana. Montana is a big place and it could be. It doesn't really matter where it is because you're gonna have to get there.
It's just so few people Up there. Anyway, it's the wide open the wide open spaces big-time. So we will Squirrel says that Obama will be looking for a gig by May. So maybe we can have a debate with With him.
That's a possibility. I guess. Anyways, eight seven seven seven five three three three four one is the phone number. Like I said, I was I'm working on an article on purgatory. It is Interesting. It's it's a sad commentary.
I guess every generation has this Helena, Montana the capital. Yes the capital. Which probably has fewer people than one of the suburbs around here has in it, but it's oh Yeah, yeah, no tweets, but anyway, I think every generation has this type of thing happen, but one of the books that I chose to use is sort of a I don't know a launching off point for this article that I'm writing on purgatory is Jerry Walls new book on purgatory and It's interesting that Jerry Walls is one of the co-authors of why I'm not a Calvinist and I do see a direct relationship between the kind of Arminian Wesleyan evangelicalism that Walls would represent who is an anti-calvinist and this idea of a non satisfactory Satisfactory Purgatory when I say non satisfactory he rejects the idea that that purgatory that the sufferings of purgatory would need to be Satisfactory in the sense of forgiveness of sins.
They'd have to be only in reference to sanctification. Which of course is means you have to reject what Rome is actually dogmatically defined in purgatory. But you know there are people who are always looking for this type of thing and it makes sense from a from a Wesleyan Arminian perspective, it doesn't make any sense if you have a Particular atonement at the atonement is that is the is the purpose of God in Jesus Christ, etc, etc.
There's a there's a purpose of God in the election of a particular people. There's just no place for purgatory at that point. You don't find any sound reform men going. You know I think we need a doctrine of purgatory.
You know what? Maybe not have had in the past, but it's a good thing to think about and it doesn't doesn't work that way and It comes from from other sources, and I think that is something that is useful to us.
I'm not gonna make any comments on what took place last night other than to say again As Al Mohler has put it that's not Debate that's political theater it is I don't know I I'm I Recognize the benefit.
For example of what took place last night. And if you're listening on the podcast at a later point last night was the first of the 2012 presidential debates this was between Governor Mitt Romney and President Barack Hussein Obama and There there's there was benefit because you know one thing I've said many many times I Have often said debates are one of the few places where you can finally hear both sides face to face Addressing the same issue well at least you're supposed to.
I mean if you want to just totally derail a debate then you just go off and do your own thing and no one can really control you and That has happened in some debates that I've had it just sort of demonstrates.
What's really going on with people, but anyway. So it was useful on that level it was useful on that level, but it wasn't a formal debate I mean You know you don't have the even time you don't have. In fact I I think I saw something that said that the president got like five or six minutes more Than Mitt Romney did and and you've got you know the moderators are Almost card-carrying communists, but anyway, and then you've got the spin and all the rest of stuff that goes with it, so It's not like it's a formal debate on that level, but it certainly was political theater.
No no two ways about that and on on that level it's certainly For people who care and there are many people look there are many people on both sides don't care. What the outcome of these things are they?
There are certain people that will not vote for Barack Obama for for nothing and there are certain people who will not vote for Mitt Romney for nothing and The idea that they're gonna be rationally compelled by the arguments of the other side is just just silly it's just as silly as thinking that there are people you know that I can walk into a debate and Get those young guys at Twin Holm Baptist Church in London sitting down front yelling a lot of Akbar.
To listen to what I'm saying about the transmission of the New Testament text. I can't. I Can show them respect by knowing what they believe. I can challenge them. I can say you need to think about what you're doing and how you're reacting and so I can do all that stuff but They're not gonna listen.
I have to say and I know it so I'm there for a very different group and in the same way I think these political theater debates. Likewise will you know have a certain audience and the better you know that audience the more effective you're gonna be and so What's that?
Can I move that to the political line? I don't know anyways what I want to do in the program today is Having already gone through 10 minutes is Well, I'll start taking phone calls in in a little while I see that there are already some calling in and we'll take others if you if you wish but Gregory down there and saying kids might want might want to call back because I'm not gonna go to To calls immediately and I imagine he's probably paying through the nose for that call.
So he might want to give us a call back because I won't be taking calls right away, but we will and But first I wanted to get back actually to something I had been doing before I headed to London. I wanted to finish before I got to London and I did not and that was reviewing Paul Williams comments on the debate that he had with if I recall the gentleman's name was Chris Green and We're getting toward the end of his opening presentation, and I've been Going through his comments.
Not pretending that Paul Williams could care less what I have to say. But it is interesting. I will I will say one thing I never thought of Paul Williams the whole time I was in England. I just it in fact even even in at the debates.
I didn't even think to look. But I have no absolutely zero evidence whatsoever that he I didn't expect him. I would have been very surprised had I seen him there obviously, he's had somewhat of a change of heart as to the benefits of public debate on these issues and clearly Does not have any interest in accurately representing Christianity or at least the Christianity He allegedly was a part of but we all know was not a part of.
In in any true sense, but anyways, so I never really thought of Paul Williams while I was while I was there and Did not have the pleasure of encountering him in any of the debates that that we did. But I did want to continue to respond.
We have provided I think a rather full response. We've been looking at the texts as he has been raising them. We've been looking at his mishandling of the text the shallow nature of it and just the bad arguments I mean when you when you again at least on this trip, of course, there weren't any debates.
It would have brought this up at least on this trip. I didn't have to hear a Muslim saying Yeah, well just can't be guy cuz he didn't know who touched him when he was going to heal Jairus his daughter.
He had to turn around say who touched me. I was ignorant and that means he wasn't God at least I'm thankful to say we didn't have to hear that one. And I'm my hope remains that That maybe will finally communicate it to our Muslim friends with with MDI and an era and any of the other Islamic apologetics dawah organizations That that's not a good argument you're not reading the text real well You need to you need to do a little more in-depth study because that's a really bad argument and it It's just one of the most simplistic errors.
I think I've ever heard and every time you use it. You just you're just shooting your Your credibility in the in the in the foot or the leg. Well, actually the head actually I'm thinking so. Anyways, I want to get back to Paul Williams for a while and then we'll start taking phone calls.
You might want to get on on board about Half past something like that. We'll we'll see how it goes. But let's Let's get back to Paul Williams and should be getting close to the end of his opening statement here.
He's worth noting that even he clearly stated that God alone Possesses immortality and quote him God who is a blessed and only sovereign the King of Kings the Lord of Lords. It is here alone who has immortality and dwells in unapproachable lights.
If no one has ever seen or can see well, and of course, we we do believe that If that is meant to mean well and that excludes Jesus and again ignores the reality of the Incarnation and and of course the possible antecedents to the discussion, but again Muslims just are so stuck on Unitarianism that they can't really interact with Trinitarians.
Very well, because if you will but think about what we're saying, it's it's like saying when G is said There's a there's only one true God. Well, of course, that's what we believe. We are monotheists and So when God becomes man, does he become an atheist does he start talking about other gods again that just the assumption of Unitarianism really vitiates the Argumentation that so many of these gentlemen present but I can understand that with an odd non Rashid.
He's never been a Christian he doesn't understand Christian theology and. But Paul Williams You know I think this is what bothers some people to hear someone who claims to have once been a Christian now We know the man was never regenerate.
We know that it was a it was not a it was not a true faith, but Still here is a man who attended Christian Church. You should at least have the knowledge To recognize that the argumentation you're presenting is is is not actually directed at the best that Christianity has to offer and Who would ever want to?
Specifically direct your argumentation to the worst that the other side has to offer. I mean sometimes you have to deal with that, but that's not the situation here. This is a debate against Chris Green.
This is against someone who is Well Interestingly enough no more of a scholar than I am from his perspective remember of course Paul Williams You know took some shots along those were but Why why shoot for the lowest common denominator don't I'll never understand that to him the honor and eternal dominion.
Amen. 1 Timothy 6 15 Immortal means God does not die Therefore anyone who believes that Jesus died cannot believe that Jesus is God now.
This is just I think I think pretty much everybody in the audience Can fully understand how that is? Absolutely fallacious argumentation. We do not believe that the first of all you have to define what death means and Then you have to define who we're talking about.
Are we saying that Jesus as God ceased to exist. No We are saying that Jesus as the God man if he's going to be man Then he must be able to die. You see so it ignores the reality of the incarnation clearly either Paul Williams never understood the incarnation.
Which is most probable? Which is most probable doesn't mean? Let's let's at least give him the benefit of the doubt here that the man's ignorant and not just dishonest I mean it dishonesty is a possibility but let's let's try to go for the the less aggressive thing and and he like sadly many evangelicals Do not and did not understand the incarnation.
That's why hey, you know, it's that season of the year coming up again it is my favorite season the year because I am absolutely convinced of the intimate connection that exists between the incarnation and The offering of atonement The incarnation and it no, I'm not becoming an Eastern Orthodox person, but they do have a an appropriate Emphasis, they're very strongly Trinitarian.
I have appropriate emphasis upon the glory of the incarnation and And Every year I am once again, you have the opportunity to reflect upon the incarnation of Jesus Christ and To think I Hope and pray that I I just don't think it's possible that I could ever Spend so much time considering this and so much study and preach so many Sermons on the subject because I try to come up with something new each each year and in reflecting upon this I I just don't believe that I could ever Cease to be just amazed as a child at the idea of the creator of this vast universe Entering into his own creation.
It is just Amazing and to recognize that he does so out of love That he does so out of seeking glory of the triune God and yet That allows him to express his love for his creation it's just It's just absolutely amazing.
But sadly it is something that for a lot of People who call themselves Christians the incarnation is a little more than You know a Christmas play. It's uh, oh, wow Jesus was sort of special the I the idea of incarnation and the real meaning of The concept is lost on many clearly clearly was lost on on Paul Williams because that kind of argumentation he just gave is just it's just not even again.
It's not even close It's it's either based upon ignorance or he's just simply doing what he knows will convince the base Get the base to like his argumentation, but Not actually have any meaningful impact upon anyone else Outside of that that narrow base of his supporters such a belief would contradict what Paul says here.
Furthermore to say that God died is a blasphemy against God who would run the world if God died. I Guess he wasn't a Trinitarian either.
Again false assumption of what death means means non-existence, which is not even the Muslim view let alone the Christian view and he knows that. Secondly, he knows the father didn't die. He knows the spirit didn't die.
And so why even raise these kinds of things? Why why in bear this is embarrassing? I mean I'm I know that our Muslim friends listen. We I know that some of you who listen some of you Muslims who listen like it does Ahmed.
You don't you're not listening for truth's sake. You're a dishonest, man. You're you you're only listening to try to find something to put into a video. That you can twist and turn because you know, you cannot actually engage in what I'm saying.
So you're a dishonest there. They're dishonest people. But then there are honest people and I know you're listening and I just have to ask you the question Why why this kind of embarrassing Dawa? This is embarrassing Dawa here's here's a guy who many of you look to as you know, just Right up there at the top.
This is embarrassing. I Mean, you know where else I heard this very same question. I didn't cue this up because it's been a while so I listened to it, but that's the exact same question that a child asked about a Did he say how old he was somewhere between 10 and 12 that a child asked at the debate with Adnan Rashid and Jay Smith at Trinity College in Dublin and you could tell his child's voice, you know, and and Basically asked well, you know who was Ryan universe when Jesus died now, I can understand why a child would ask that question.
They don't understand. This is Paul Williams. This is a man who claims to have been studying theology as a Christian and The young people at my church could answer this if they've been listening during catechism class.
Well, it's not the father who died. It's not this it's not the spirit who died and it wasn't the son in his deity who died and death doesn't mean non-existence anyways, so what's the argument and yet.
Here's another here's very practical thing here folks. Very practical thing. Just because it's really bad Dawa Doesn't mean that you're not gonna hear it very often and when you hear it You still have to be prepared to give a patient response because you may not know the person you're talking to you Don't know what their background is.
They may have been in dialogue with really ignorant Christians that have confused them with their answers. You don't know. That's not the case of Paul Williams. I mean we can hold him to the highest standards.
This is the guy who is Part of the very founding of MDI. This is a guy who's standing out there saying I represent Islam and respond to I was a former Christian. I know these things. Well when he doesn't then you you hold him accountable for it.
So Paul believed that God does not die.
Paul. So Paul also said in the passage that God dwells in unapproachable light that no one has seen God or can see him. Paul knew that many people had seen Jesus. Yet Paul can say that no one has seen God because Paul was sure that Jesus is not God.
Now this is absolutely amazing. Paul was sure that Jesus is not God now if you're gonna make that kind of a statement first of all notice where he's quoting from. He's going for one of the pastoral epistles.
Now if I were to quote from any of the pastoral epistles What would the? Likely response be from someone like Paul Williams. Well, yeah, in fact, I was noticing something. On MDI is posting of the Sammy Zatati debate From we could go two weeks ago last night.
I've been two weeks. Wow, it's amazing two weeks ago last night We debated Surah 4157 and again, I thank Sammy for doing that. I think it'll be a very useful debate and I'm glad it's out there and looking forward to doing more but The comments on the Now I you know, we don't do comments because you end up with atheists Spewing out their profanities and all the rest is garbage and I I just don't want that stuff on stuff I just don't want to provide a platform for that kind of foolishness but they have comments open and active and I noticed that Sammy was Commenting as well and I don't have it in front of me.
So I'm going off top my head but One of the things he said was that all scholars all Scholars recognize that John the disciple did not write John. Oh Now I'd like to recommend to my Muslim friends that you stop using Terms like that because there it's too easy to refute I Mean, there are just too many commentaries by excellent scholars that defend Yohannin authorship.
It's even start to name them and so the idea of saying all means you're just dismissing everybody who disagrees with you is not being a scholar and then you Mean then you just simply ask him and how is your Greek Sammy?
You know, it just doesn't doesn't really do you any good to make that kind? That'd be like saying all scholars recognize that the Quran was not written by Muhammad. Well, this is dumb that's just that's just a ridiculous statement to make and so It's it is fascinating though that here you've got Paul Williams who loves that same kind of liberal Scholarship, they love Bart Ehrman does Bart Ehrman think does Bart Ehrman think that Paul wrote first or second Timothy?
No, he does not. But now he's quoting from the pastoral epistles to prove that Paul did not believe in the deity of Christ. This is the same Paul Who in the pastoral epistles uses a gravel sharpest structure to identify Jesus as God in Titus 2 13.
This is the same Paul Who wrote first Corinthians chapter 8 and he takes the words of the Shema and applies them to the father and to the son? This is the same Paul who wrote the Carmen Christi that speaks of the pre-existence of Christ and his equality with the Father and.
And so I don't I can't even begin to conceive of how you can take a text and Say well, this is very very clear that that Paul did not believe that Jesus was God and You just go no, wait a minute. So I I charge in the presence of God who gives life to all things and of Christ Jesus.
So you're making the charge In the presence of God and a mere prophet who was sent only to one people. Even though this is being written to Timothy who is ministering amongst the non-jews. Remember from the Islamic perspective Jesus is only the Jewish Messiah.
He's not sent to the whole world. Paul shouldn't even be writing to these folks see. But anyways Who gives life to all things and of Christ Jesus who testified the good confession before Pontius Pilate?
That you keep the commandment without stain or reproach until the appearing of Our Lord Jesus Christ the appearing of our courteous The to court of you. Hey moon. Yes, who could astute our Lord? Not our Mere Messiah not our mere prophet.
This is the immediate context. That's what you've always got to do with these guys is read the immediate context immediate context will almost always demonstrate that they are not handling the text properly, but Keep the commandment without stain or reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ Which he will bring about at the proper time which he will bring about who?
Now there are differences of opinion here however, however. If you look at the text in the Greek I'm looking at the UBS for here at least in accordance and I'm gonna look at I'm gonna look at a paper text here real quick.
Oh, man, that print small. Hey, it's pretty biggers than this wasn't it. Let's see did they put this. They did. Okay, the nasty Alan they do the same thing beginning at verse 15 of 1st in the chapter 6 they go into Poetic form and that's the same thing in my accordance here Which he will bring about the the verbs most natural A Antecedent is Jesus Which he will bring about at the proper time he who is the blessed and only sovereign the king of kings and the Lord of Lords now he's just called Jesus Lord.
So he's talking about a different Lord Who alone possesses immortality and dwells in an unapproachable light whom no man has seen or can see to him be the honor and internal dominion. There is a very strong contextual case that can be made that this is about Jesus and Yet you just heard an apostate Christian who was never a Christian, of course Quote this as evidence that Paul did not believe in the deity of Christ.
That's what you that's what you just heard. It's uh It is amazing, but it is an illustration of just how surface level so surface level the kind of argumentation these guys present really is it's just Very very surface level very shallow in its presentation.
It's only meant again to impress the Already believing it's not meant to reach Those who don't believe and that's I think one of the biggest differences that I see between the vast majority of Islamic Dawah and the Christian apologetics I seek to To model and to engage in is Yes, I do want to encourage believers I I do want to do that there's no question about that but I want to reach Muslims with the gospel and I want to be used of the Holy Spirit.
I want my message my words to be used the Holy Spirit to cause them to hear the truth and So I will not engage in this kind of I mean there are texts that if you want to just rip them out of their Context and just quote them half-heartedly out of the Quran you could.
But we have a let's be honest with you a different standard. We have a different standard and We need to we need to stick with that standard. I know I didn't get very far there, but we Have at least two folks online, and I know Gregory's probably give us a call back.
So we've got three callers there, and how far did I get there? Let's see 4503 I got so one minute and three seconds. That's no woman in five seconds. Wow that was that was good I'll have to work harder to get a little bit farther down the road.
But anyway, we will we will start taking our phone calls after we take a brief break, and we'll be right back.
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Let me just make one further comment on that text before we go to our phone calls I need to I Hadn't finished really the commentary that I need to need to make their Scholars take different views on this.
There are some who see The the appearance of the term God in verse 13 as the antecedent for Dykes I in Verse 15 and hence it is God who brings about at the proper time the coming Lord Jesus Christ. And hence it is God who is the blessed only sovereign King of Kings Lord loans who Lord's who alone possesses immortality and dwells in Unapproachable light.
You'll find that in commentaries as well. However That still would not be an argument in any way shape or form. Again because of the assumption that you have here the very same type of thing you have in John 17 3 or we saw in the preceding text we were looking at and that is this idea that well, you know if there's a if the father is ever spoken of in distinction from the son and if he's ever spoken of in a as Being the only God or anything like that Then that means the Sun cannot possibly God it is a Category error.
It isn't a simple error of thought on the part of those who are seeking to deny the biblical testimony and certainly to Quote the Apostle Paul who so plainly presents the most exalted view of Jesus and So plainly presents him in in language that could never fit in the Islamic context on On the basis of this text a lady didn't even believe Without even addressing Titus 2 13 or a text like that is again It's just simply it's it's either based upon abject ignorance or it's dishonest.
It is simply dishonest. You know, it almost feels like I've responded that tweet before someone just tweeted something and I am Almost certain I respond to this. But I'll do it real quick and then we'll take our phone calls.
How would you respond to those who said homosexuals can reproduce through adoption should have the same rights? That's absurd is how I'd respond to it. That's not reproduction. That is taking other people's children, that's not reproduction that's absurd.
That's what I would say that all right I'm not sure we're gonna get into tongues today to be perfectly honest with you. Well, all right, let's talk with Roy hi Roy.
Hi James. How are you doing? Good? Hi, this is my second call and you know, I failed to I'm sorry.
We don't have any prizes for second callers. In fact, you have to do much better on the second time than you did the first time. I was hoping for a Bible with a picture of you praying on it. I know that.
Okay that that'll actually get you cut off is what we get.
Okay. Okay. No, I want to thank you very much for your work fighting universal redemption and Unlimited atonement and I'm really grateful that I've gotten pulled out of that it to me. It's nothing less than another gospel.
Well, I'll be careful. I be careful. Be careful. I mean, I I Understand what you're saying, I appreciate zeal for the truth, but don't make the leap that someone who doesn't understand the ramifications of their confession is Therefore believing in a false gospel that is the road to hyper Calvinism and you don't want to go down that road.
Right. There's plenty of verses that definitely give the impression of it. If you don't see the context it takes Patience and and reading the context carefully, so I do agree with you on that, but I do want to thank you for that.
My question today is still there. Yes, okay. This is amazing thing Chuck Smith Denies the doctrine of the future resurrection of the dead the physical Resurrection of the believer and I'm I'm astonished at that.
He believes I don't know if you're aware of it that the first resurrection is the process that began at the resurrection of Christ and That every believer when he dies That is his point of resurrection.
And so he gets a new body So he's redefined resurrection he says he believes in in resurrection and Even more scary is he says that Jesus got a new body With see this is what he said with similar similarities and dissimilarities to the present body.
So my question today is do you can you tell me I think I want to focus on the his denial of his doctrine of the resurrection and denying that Is there historical in history? Is there some historical root to the denial of the resurrection?
Well physicality of the resurrection.
Well, I I have absolutely no knowledge of Chuck Smith's view on the subject. You're you're telling me that I've never heard that I would think that if Chuck Smith denied the future resurrection of believers that that would be on the front page of Almost every website I've ever heard of and I've never heard anyone say that.
So I I will. Well, I'd rather have something in print because soundbites especially from someone who's getting older and Takes lots of phone calls and things like that. I right. I don't necessarily think that's the best way I would I would need something in print.
So sure that was my reaction, you know.
People can search it for themselves that they do Chuck Smith resurrection in Google. They'll find out but I this is what astonishes me that it's not that nobody's saying anything about it. And but it but getting back to my question.
Is there some historical like is it a not the kerosene the denial of the resurrection or is there some root in this? Denial of the.
Resurrection. Well, well even even what even what you said it sound like you're saying that he thinks that the resurrection is individually accomplished at the death of each believer and they're reunited with a glorified body, so That would not be a quote denial the resurrection.
It would be a denial the biblical order of Resurrection Christ the firstfruits and those that is coming etc, etc but that that's not a denial of physical resurrection a denial physical resurrection and be there is no physical body in The eternal state that were just some type of spiritual entity that does not have a physical body.
And yeah, all the all the Gnostics were dualists they that's why the the Greeks mocked Paul when he was on Mars Hill in the Areopagus because he used the term anastasis and That means that which died coming to life again.
He used a gyro and and and resurrection and used all the terms that would specifically Refer to that which died coming to life again. So the the Greeks certainly would reject that and the Gnostics being dualists likewise would reject that and there have been various cult groups and and sects down through the ages that that likewise have In essence Seen this the physical body is something that is dispensable.
But I'm not familiar with a particular group that is taught that the individuals Resurrection takes place at the point of death. I'd be sort of tough to do since the body would still like be putting me put into the ground or something but anyway, um.
So I'm not familiar with any groups that have done that. But again, I don't I don't know Anything about what Chuck Smith's teaching on that subject is.
Yeah, you know that in the scripture. There's what you there's very little verse that says, you know to wit the redemption of the body I believe. Just as the scriptures went to great pains to reinforce the physicality of the resurrection of Christ.
I'm sure that you would say that agree that somebody that would say that that kind of resurrection of Christ would be a denial. He's got a new body, you know his. His physical body stayed in the ground and then he got a new body.
That's a denial of well. Yeah.
Sure, that's that's not resurrection. That's a little bit closer to drive his witnesses and stuff. But yeah.
Yeah, I would I. Yeah, I mean I heard in one sermon he said that it was a Hindu belief that the soul goes on and Then that you get the body is replaced and then in the same sermon He talked about that very doctrine that I told that I told you about that.
Well, well right. I'd have to again.
Send me send me the the links to that or not. Not actually I had you know page.
Audio sermon. Audio sermon in context, so it's not something out of the whole the whole sermon. I'll give it to you.
All right. All right. Hey Roy. Thanks a lot. I appreciate it. We need to keep moving here and oh we lost Gregory probably too long to get to him. I'm sorry. But Let's talk to Alan. Hi Alan.
Hey James, find a mind in your favorite stalker. I'll go says hi. I.
Don't know it I'll go isn't a stalker. He's more of a search engine. So. And any any has to sort of stalk me to maintain his usefulness as a search engine.
So that was that's sort of how that works. I was there when he first got started on you. Oh my. You know, I've known him a long time and he got me hooked. Hooked on you too, uh-huh. Okay, I listen to your one of your debates and please, you know twice a week.
I'm sorry because I don't do that. So.
That's that's not a good thing. But anyways, what can we do for you? Okay?
Um, I have a question and this can and I just don't know the answer to it. Um, I'm reading a book Chronicles of the Popes, uh-huh, and it's not written from a Catholic source or a Protestant source. It's actually kind of and one of the things I'm noticing is I mean going way way back I mean to like the 7th century Is the and I'm just noising anti-pope after anti-pope and it's getting like, you know, it's almost like two dozen, you know.
And I mean, I'm just like in a great schism alone. I'm looking at the page right now, which was you know 1378 to 1417. I mean there's I'm trying to think well, I don't know where that Catholic source is.
I you know, well.
Yeah, and the real question is who knew at the time is for me is the most important question. Was there any way? In fact there was a fellow who became Roman Catholic recently and he came to my office and talked to me and He was a Presbyterian minister and his whole argument was a few years after John died.
If you came to the churches that he founded, how would you know? Which one was the true church? That was that was the big thing that caused him to become a Roman Catholic now Rome can't answer that question either but that was a big thing that caused him to become a Roman Catholic and the problem is That system has no way of answering the question during for example, the Babylonian captivity of the church the Avignon papacy before the the papal schism was healed by the Council of Pisa and then well, actually the Council Pisa made it worse, but anyways before conciliar authority stepped in and got rid of two of the three popes and Reconsolidated the papacy which one was the true Pope and when you look at lists of Popes and antipopes and this also happens.
There's schisms in the early church in the earlier centuries as well, but especially during that period During the pornocracy and in the 10th century and stuff like that. You'll find these Popes and antipopes well, who gets to decide that well later history does but no one at the time knew and That's the whole problem with the with the system.
Is that you know when when John Paul the second died? During that process about every Roman Catholic apologist in the planet got to go on Fox News and get his you know three three minutes and 14 seconds worth of fame and they all said the same thing the 2 ,000 year old church the unbroken chain of tradition and la la la la and it's just from a historical viewpoint.
It's Laughable it it does doesn't work. And when you look at these lists of all this was this man was an antipope. How do you know that? How do you know later generations look back and go well We'll trace the line through these guys.
And so when there's two people claiming the throne We'll take what looks to us to be the more orthodox of the two or something. And and so that makes this other guy an antipope. Well at the time, how would you have known that you wouldn't have known that?
That's the whole point and so that's where it comes from is this insatiable desire to To have this single line of Apostolic succession through the Bishop of Rome or for a while Avignon. But but it's it's a it's a historical anachronism it is it is looking at history Through the lens of the dogma that developed over time that was based primarily upon Historical sources that were fraudulent and We now know those historical sources were fraudulent and yet this entire structure still stands floating in midair with no foundation left and it's called the Roman Catholic papacy and Once you've got once you've made your commitment to the supremacy of that organization and that concept then you do whatever you have to do with history and That's what we're seeing in modern Roman Catholic apologetics, so when you talk about popes and antipopes, that's where it comes from is Rome's insatiable insistence in saying there's only been one line and so when we find out that there were two or three well We've got to identify some as antipopes and some as popes.
That's where it comes from.
One more question if I could just ask you because you kind of brought it up I was thinking of it over the phone because it's directly related to this.
I would rather you think about it in your mind and then say it over the phone.
How does Vatican one then? Square with like the conciliar movement of say like the Council of Constance with opposed three popes.
Yeah, well, you know if you had wanted to ask that this is funny Vatican one could never have happened in the age of Twitter. I just realized that Vatican one could never have happened in the age of Twitter, and why do I say that because the papacy controlled what could and could not be printed in Rome at that time and people who want to ask that exact question I Mean John Henry Cardinal Newman prior to Vatican one raised the very same issue.
Excuse me historically. Wasn't the papacy Rescued by conciliar authority and and then it didn't take very long for the papacy to then sort of you know. Put that under the rug. But you know historians know this and it sort of raises a problem for this idea of this just one Infallible line and all the rest of that stuff, but that wasn't allowed to be discussed.
That's why I say it couldn't happen the age of Twitter. Ere that or all the Cardinals would have to have their cell phones taken away. I guess that might be one way of making it work. I suppose but That's the very question that interestingly Newman had to reverse himself on Once the infallible Church had spoken and there's a book in my library, it's it's a Purpleish pinkish book.
I'm in it weird how you remember things like that a called What will what will Cardinal Newman do now? I think is what the question was and it was just a contemporary documenting What he had said prior to Vatican one and now the Vatican one spoken.
What's he gonna do now? And well what he did he fell in line either he stopped talking and Toto about it or he just fell in line with the you know, the infallible Church has spoken. I guess I was just one fallible historian and now I've been been told otherwise the problem was there wasn't any meaningful debate over those very issues and so they remain valid issues, but only if you're a person of You know that actually thinks that that the claims of the Roman papacy since they're historical in nature.
Should actually square, you know with history a little bit. Yeah, well, it's just mind-blowing, you know on today when I deal with. You know some diehard Roman Catholics, you know, that's just I mean just look at you know.
It's just a plain fact of history that the Council of Constance, you know covered at three popes right and all of a sudden.
I mean now that's the same council then burned you on host. But anyways, that's just a little side note history.
Alright, well, thank you James. Hey, thanks question. You're a big hero of mine. All right. Thanks Alan. God bless you.
That's good question and we got to keep asking it and. But you know, look I've seen too many people is just so completely sold themselves the papacy That it's like I will not even entertain that and I saw the exact same attitude about the Quran Amongst my Muslim friends in London won't even entertain it.
There you go. Let's talk with Jared in San Diego. Jared. How's the weight loss going? How's the weight loss. Sorry, I don't. I don't understand the question sir, you know subway, you know Jared, you know, oh.
First one to have asked you that. Oh, yeah.
Probably all a big hoax, but you know, you just expected better way and I'm not losing any weight I.
Expected more of me and I. If you're a professional why you calling this program.
I'm an underground professional. Anyway, thanks for taking my call. I Have a question about. I'm hearing a lot about Muslims having dreams about Jesus. They're having these dreams and I read this go talk to the local missionaries if there are any missionaries there.
And my my I know you debate Muslims and you've been debating them and you just got back from London and you're interacting with them. Have you come across any of that? Yourself and what is your opinion of that?
A lot of times the axe 217 is thrown out there in the last days. You're gonna see dream. I'm gonna pour my spirit. There's gonna be dreams and visions. That's kind of thrown out there to justify that.
So I'm just kind of trying to wrap my mind around that biblically and Figure out what's going on right and what do I think of that?
Yeah, of course the x2 passage Peter's actually applying that to that day. So I'm not gonna ask you. Well, he certainly makes the application well we are in okay, we've been in the last days since Pentecost.
That's a description of that. But anyways, um There's a friend of mine that you would want to talk to or at least listen to if you want to hear the testimony of a Christian Who experienced that and his name is dr. Nabeel Qureshi and Nabeel is has done a number of debates with Muslims as well.
And it is his testimony that he had an encounter Via a dream in regards to Jesus and I've talked with him about that and What I said to him he agreed with and so I don't have any problem pointing that out.
I do not have any problem. What did you say to him? Well here? Yeah, this is I'll summarize it. I don't have any problem with the idea of of Jesus Personally revealing himself to someone in their salvation experience because Paul didn't that's how Paul was converted for crying out loud.
I wasn't a dream, but it was. It was a personal Intervention on on Jesus's part now, that's not the normative way even in the day of the Apostles. But it was a way that it could happen. Especially when there wasn't someone right there that could be used to to bring the message to him.
But what I said to Nabeel was look I don't I don't doubt for a second that if God wishes to bring about a revival amongst the Muslim people by Revealing himself to them in this way that he can do that.
My concern is that What they are drawn to will be biblical in its Content and orientation in other words what I'd like to do is give it enough time To be able to test the fruit and to see if it results in Orthodox Confessions of faith in Christ or whether results in cults and everything else and he fully agreed with that.
He fully agreed that the that any dream or anything like that has to be Tested by the unchanging standard of Scripture. And so as long as it is merely a means the same, you know, I mean You know Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch.
It's not normative for God to do the Star Trek thing and beam people around. But it can happen if God wants to do it and certainly we are looking at an extreme situation in the Muslim world. But the fact of the matter is as far as I know and I couldn't give you names but I'm pretty certain that some of these people who have said that they have that they were were brought out of their complacency of Islam and And Searched out someone to tell them about Jesus.
I've become martyrs For the name of Christ, right? And so I'm really hesitant to go back. Can't be I can't be a good there. I think the key is That dreams do not replace scripture dreams do not Override scripture, but if those dreams are bringing them to believe in scripture and to search the scriptures.
That's a different thing and if that's what God's doing amongst the Muslims well, then Again, I I say give it time see What what happens over time?
What if the dream leads them to an Armenian?
Well, you know what the Lord as as my fellow elder often says the Lord can draw a straight line with a crooked stick.
So that's always something to keep in mind. So well, there you go. Are you speaking in San Diego anytime soon?
Not received any invitations to. So no, I I might have a dream tonight. Well, if you can arrange the invitation San Diego's a nice place to go. I'm not sure that the California state government would like to have me around all that much anyways, but anyways, Jared.
Thanks Thanks. Thank you. We are out of time on the program today and thanks for everybody who called in. Sorry, Gregory down in St. Kitts. We didn't get to you and the text there. But I'm not a hundred percent certain what first Corinthians 14 to is about.
Anyways, it would take me a long long time to go through all the possibilities. So What what can I say. Lord will and we'll be back next Tuesday here on the dividing line pray for us. We'll see you then.
God bless.
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