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Today is our biggest email grab bag yet. We'll be responding to false teachers and sound teachers, how we deal with friends from false teaching churches, and know what the Bible has to say about white magic when we understand the text.
Many of the Bible stories and verses we think we know, we don't. When We Understand the Text is an online ministry dedicated to teaching the Word of God in context, promoting sound doctrine while exposing the faulty.
Here's your teacher, Pastor Gabe.
Thank you, Becky. It is Friday and we are reaching into the e-bag. This is the most number of emails that I've ever responded to in one show. Six emails I've got in front of me here. Well, one of them's from Twitter.
So five emails, two of them from Twitter. Four emails and two from Twitter there. So anyway, but the best way to get in touch with me is through email. Sometimes I respond to things on Twitter if I remember that they're there.
But otherwise it's easier for me if I've got all the questions in one spot, I can just go to the email account and pull a question out and respond to on the Friday episode. So once again, that address is when we understand the text at gmail .com.
This first one from the email comes from Sly, and this isn't a question as much as it is just something cool I thought I would share. He says, Dear Pastor Gabe, I hope you're all doing well. And I wanted to let you know that I'm using your website and Dr. White as an unofficial sponsor of my fantasy football league.
And sure enough, he sent me a screenshot. And the name of his fantasy football team is AOMEN .org what .com. I don't know that my name has ever been seen next to Dr. James White's before, but I'll take it even if it's somebody's fantasy football team.
And Sly, I noticed that your starting quarterback has been Roethlisberger. Good pick. He's my favorite, favorite quarterback in the NFL right now. This next one comes from Eric in Texas, and he contacted me via Twitter yesterday and said it would be great to hear your perspective on Crossway's reversal on their ESV decision on your podcast tomorrow.
In case you're unaware of what Eric is referring to with that request, I want to go ahead and read the statement that was released earlier this week from Dr. Lane Dennis, who is the president and CEO of Crossway, the publisher of the English Standard Version of the Bible.
That's the translation that I use on this podcast. Here is what Dr. Dennis said. In August 2016, we posted on our website that the text of the ESV Bible will remain unchanged in all future editions printed and published by Crossway.
The goal behind this decision to make the text permanent was to stabilize the English Standard Version, serving its readership by establishing the ESV as a translation that could be used for generations to come.
We desired for there to be a stable and standard text that would serve the reading, memorizing, preaching and liturgical needs of Christians worldwide from one generation to another. We have become convinced that this decision was a mistake.
We apologize for this and for any concern this has caused for readers of the ESV, and we want to explain what we now believe to be the way forward. Our desire, above all, is to do what is right before the Lord.
I'm not going to read this whole message, but I at least want to read this next paragraph because he gives the explanation as to why they've reversed their decision. Our goal at Crossway remains, as strong as ever, to serve future generations with a stable ESV text.
But the means to that goal we now see is not to establish a permanent text, but rather to allow for ongoing periodic updating of the text to reflect the realities of biblical scholarship such as textual discoveries or changes in English over time.
These kinds of updates will be minimal and infrequent, but fidelity to Scripture requires that we remain open in principle to such changes, as the Crossway Board of Directors and the ESV Translation Oversight Committee see fit in years ahead.
Now then, to respond to Eric's request on my perspective on that whole thing, honestly, I think Crossway made a good decision. I think that they were right to reverse their decision that they had set forth back in August, that they were not going to make any future revisions to the ESV.
The main reason why I think it is good that they do not close any future revisions to the text is because of changes in the English language. And this is what I believe to be one of the biggest drawbacks to the King James Version of the Bible.
And this is why I do not recommend the King James as a translation. I recommend the New King James. As a matter of fact, I'm often torn between preaching from the New King James or the ESV. They're very, very close.
Both of them are very close. And the only reason why I went to the ESV instead of the New King James as a preaching Bible is because all of the teachers, literally just about every single teacher that I was listening to, save for maybe John MacArthur, was using the English Standard Version of the Bible.
So because all of the teachers that I was gleaning truth from were using the ESV, so I started using the ESV as well. But the New King James is also a good translation. The King James, however, I do not recommend.
And the reason is because the main reason I don't recommend the King James is because the language is old, it's dated. And there are things in the King James Bible that mean something different than what we understand those words to mean today.
Like for example, the mention of unicorns. That's probably the biggest example that I tend to use. Now, anytime I use that example, I get a message from somebody who's a King James Bible fan who will say, no, no, no, no, no.
Unicorns in the King James Bible doesn't mean the mythical horse. I know that. I know it's not referring to the mythical creature, but there are many other people that don't. And so when they see unicorn in the ESV or I'm sorry, the King James Bible, they're going, they're going unicorns.
What in the world? Unicorns in the Bible. Unicorn in the 17th century was referring to like perhaps a rhinoceros, a one horned animal. It was not referring to the mythical beast. But we only know that word unicorn today referring to the horse with the horn on its head.
OK, that that apparently you can drink the blood from and live forever. I don't remember how that works in the Harry Potter books. I didn't read them. But anyway, I know something about drinking the blood of a unicorn, which is silver.
I'm going to go way off track here anyway. So once again, the language in the King James Bible is just dated. And you have to you have to translate old English into new English to understand what is being said there.
I'll give you an example of this just to use borrow an example from something recent. We've been studying through the book of James. James 121 in the King James Bible says, wherefore, lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness.
Do you know what that means? Here's what it says in the ESV, James 121. Therefore, put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness. Little easier to understand, right? You don't have to try to translate old English into new English.
Some other examples of words that meant something different in the 17th century than they mean today admire in Revelation 17, six in the King James Bible. It says that John looked at the great prostitute on the head of the beast with great admiration.
What does admire mean today? It means to look at something with fondness, right? You would have a fondness for it. John didn't have a fondness for the prostitute on the head of the beast. In the ESV, it says that he just looked at her.
So admiration or admire in the 17th century meant to look at today. It means to look at something with fondness. So that's two completely different meanings of Revelation 17, six and another example of how the language of the King James Bible is dated and it's more difficult to understand it now.
That would be my concern with closing any future textual revisions to the English Standard Bible. I would think that even a hundred years from now, there are words that we are using today which will mean something different in future generations.
And so I think that we should leave it open for future textual revisions if for any reason because of changes in the language. It's very clear that that is going to happen and I think that we should allow for that to take place.
So anyway, that's my take on the whole thing with Crossway and the ESV Bible. I think it is right for them to reverse their decision. All right, this next question comes from Jacob and it has to do with our latest video.
The one that was just posted yesterday on Name It and Claim It. So I'm going to go ahead and play that video first.
I got fire in my belly tonight because I know, I know that there's power in life. In right words, that words are containers for power and I don't care what kind of a mess you've got. I am begging you tonight to stop talking about it and start talking about what the Word says and what you can have.
Make yourself a list. Do some work. Do some homework. Make sure you've got a scripture to back up every one of your confessions. We're not talking about some magic, goofy, you know, weird new age thing.
I'm talking about doing what the Bible says, calling those things that be not as though they are, prophesying to the dead, dry bones in your life. Oh, you dry bones, hear the Word of the Lord. Maybe you need to get your checkbook out and say, oh, you checkbook, hear the Word of the Lord.
You are not going to stay empty all of your life.
Yeah, except it is some magic, goofy thing and just because Joyce says it isn't doesn't mean it's not. In Ezekiel 37, God told Ezekiel to prophesy over a valley of dry bones and they came to life. This is a vision concerning the gospel.
The Bible says we are dead in our sins and it is the power of the gospel of Jesus Christ that brings us from death to life. The good news that in Christ our sins are forgiven and we have peace with God.
Joyce twists the message that saves into a message of financial prosperity. People cheer because she's telling them what they want to hear. She and other name it and claim it preachers are liars and thieves.
Romans 4 17 says that God gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist. He does that through his son Jesus Christ when we understand the text. So following that video, I got this email from Jacob.
He says, hello, I subscribe to your YouTube channel in your most recent video, name it and claim it. You show a grouping of photos of false teachers. I recognize a few of them, but I was wondering if you could send me a list of all the names.
I'd love to research a bit more and also make sure that I'm not falling for any of them. Thanks, Jacob. That is a smart idea to research those names. Make sure that you're not falling for any of that false teaching or even those who are associated with those false teachers who might give an endorsement of those teachers.
Be wary of them as well. And by the way, I also want to say, test what on all the stuff that we produce. Don't just take our word for it. The apostle Paul said to the Thessalonians, test everything. And the Bereans in Acts 17 were praised for testing everything that the apostle Paul said with the scriptures.
They they tested the apostle Paul and yet were deemed to be faithful to the word of God because they would go back to the scriptures to confirm that everything that was coming from even the apostles was true.
So we should always do that. Here is the list of names as they appear in that video. So there's a obviously you can't see this on the podcast, but there's a portion of the video where it shows Joyce Meyer's picture and then next to her appears all of these other preachers that do the whole name it and claim it thing.
And this is the list of those teachers in the order that they appear. Benny Hinn, Creflo Dollar, Joel Osteen, sorry, Joel Osteen. Did I get it right that time, Michelle? Paula White, Kenneth Copeland, Christine Kane, TD Jakes, Beth Moore, Ed Young Jr., John Gray and Stephen Furtick.
Now, some might look at that list or look at those pictures and say, I don't necessarily think of all of them as prosperity teachers. Now, obviously, some of them are false. They're all false teachers, but they're not all prosperity like isn't is Beth Moore really a prosperity teacher?
Well, she does what I would call prosperity teaching light, like it's not exactly preached to your checkbook sort of teaching, but it's still this whole thing of of call it out in Jesus name and it'll be done for you.
Beth Moore definitely does that. There was a tweet that she shared back in May where she says that I often deal with serious back pain, bind it in Jesus name. So if you declare it in Jesus name, it'll be so, you know.
So anyway, it's that whole prosperity teaching light. And Stephen Furtick does this same thing. John Gray, who's a guy that I played on the podcast a couple of weeks ago, spoke at Elevation Church. In fact, I think he had two sermons during the Code Orange revival.
I saw two different sermons from him. But anyway, I grabbed an audio clip from one of those sermons where he definitely goes the whole name it and claim it route. And just like the the Joyce Meyer clip, we're going to get a whole lot of applause here.
God, who at that university campus needed a breakthrough, but you brought somebody with you. And while you were worshiping, God just changed your whole financial situation. I don't know who that's for, but I'm I'm rejoicing with one of those college students.
You're going to get a letter this week about your financial aid issue. God has shifted that thing. We got an eight second sound.
Yeah, and I'm not going to let that blasphemous sound go the full eight seconds. But you hear what he's saying there. Because you came to Elevation Church tonight. That was all God needed. That was the password to let him into your bank account and blow it up.
And now you're going to have money in your bank account. Are you serious? What a lie. It is blasphemous because he is misrepresenting God. It's taking the Lord's name in vain because John is saying to the congregation that the worship of God will benefit you financially.
And that's not why we worship God. We worship God to glorify him, not to glorify ourselves. Yes, we receive the blessings of God because we are his children. Blessing of salvation, of peace with God, of knowing that even through suffering, God is working our sanctification to his glory.
But it's all about his glory, not ours. Nowhere in the Bible does it say that we are going to be blessed financially because we worship God. On the contrary, it says repeatedly that we are to be content with what we have.
The Apostle Paul to Timothy, 1 Timothy 6, 8. If we have food and clothing with these, we will be content. And Paul is repeating something that Jesus said in Matthew chapter 6, where Jesus said, God knows that you need food and clothing.
He knows that you need these things and he will provide them for you. But it doesn't say that God's going to bless you with boom, a big house, boom, cancel out all your debts and on and on down the line it goes.
That's not what the scriptures say. In fact, as Paul goes on in 1 Timothy 6, he says, those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction.
For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs. So what John Gray is saying there will actually cause people to leave the faith, not believe in God.
Now, it's not wrong to be rich, but we should not desire to be rich or we will fall into temptation. As we've read about going through James chapter one, those who are poor desire to be rich. Those who are rich desire to be more rich.
It's the longing for the stuff of this world that we need to avoid less. We become like the rich young ruler talked about in Mark chapter 10, who walked away from Jesus because he had many great possessions and he didn't want to give them up.
He loved the stuff in this world more than he loved God. We need to learn to be content with what we have. Maybe God will bless you with great wealth, but more than likely, that's not what he has in store for you.
The apostle Paul says to Timothy, I'm going back to the couple of verses before the verse eight, which I had read to you. Godliness with contentment is great gain for we brought nothing into the world and we cannot take anything out of the world.
So anyway, Jacob, I hope that I've given you enough there to continue your research on these false teachers and have nothing to do with the name it and claim it theology. All right, this next question comes from somebody who is anonymous.
I let them know that I would keep this request anonymous. She says, my husband and I occasionally run into the pastor of our old church, which is a false church, and his wife at social events. Unfortunately, we still have friends and family at that church and our paths cross every now and then.
With what second John 1 10 through 11 says, how should we interact with them in a social setting? Obviously, there's an unspoken awkwardness. But if we end up at the same baby shower or wedding is a casual, hey, good to see you.
How you been? Take care. Bye bye. Interaction sinful or even that same type of interaction at the grocery store. I know that we should never appear that we are in agreement with what they teach or welcome them in our home.
But does casual and polite, awkward chit chat cross the line? Well, honestly, I would say a good principle to keep in mind is Romans 12 18, if possible, so far as it depends on you live peaceably with all.
And the apostle Paul is saying this understanding that we can't live peaceably with everybody. There are some people where that we are going to be at odds with even in essential theological matters. We will be at odds with one another.
But do you need to confront that person and is at a party or a social gathering really where you want your problem with that person to be made known to everybody else? Or is there another way to approach that person or let other people know this is the teaching that they hold that is wrong?
And I can't associate with that person. I've got members of my family that believe false teaching and and yet at gatherings around the dinner table, we're still going to laugh and have fun. I consider them lost.
I think that they still need the gospel and they haven't truly repented of their sins and come to know the true Christ of the Bible. But nonetheless, that's not going to keep me from enjoying a good dinner with with those particular individuals.
Now, you had mentioned 2 John 1 10 through 11, which says, if anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house or give him any greeting for whoever greets him takes part in his wicked works.
This is specifically having to do with teachers in the church. The house, the home that John is referring to is the church. So you're thinking back to the first century when people were gathering in house churches.
So if you bring a false teacher into your house and you let him be there, even as a friend or as an acquaintance, there are people who are going to get the wrong impression there. They're going to think that what that guy's teaching is OK, and he's welcome in the church, even though he is teaching something false.
And so that sort of a person is not welcome in a church. They shouldn't be preaching in the pulpit, especially. So that's the context that John is addressing there. That's not necessarily having to do with general casual interactions that we're going to have with people in the everyday world.
Something to keep in mind when it comes to who we should and should not be associating with. If they bear the name of brother, go back to first Corinthians chapter five, beginning in verse nine. The apostle Paul says this, I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people, not at all, meaning the sexually immoral of this world or the greedy and swindlers or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world.
But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard or swindler, not even to eat with such a one.
For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church? Whom you are to judge? God judges those outside, purge the evil person from among you. So I would have to say to you, you're going to have to evaluate the decision on your own and see if these individuals that you're associating with, does this go with what Paul is saying in first Corinthians five?
That's what you need to consider more so than what John says in second John one, 10 through 11, because that has to do specifically with teachers in the church. So associating with those that call themselves brother or sister in the Lord, look at second Corinthians chapter five again, beginning in verse nine, also second Thessalonians chapter three.
The apostle Paul says, as for you, brothers, do not grow weary in doing good. If anyone does not obey what we say in this letter, take note of that person and have nothing to do with him that he may be ashamed.
Do not regard him as an enemy, but warn him as a brother. And even in that instance, though, in second Thessalonians three, I don't think that Paul is talking about, um, associating with in like casual acquainted sort of a situations.
I think it's how the church deals with a person that had to be removed under the process of church discipline. That's more what he's referring to there. We also have in Titus chapter three, warn a divisive person once, then warn him a second time after that have nothing to do with him.
Such a person is warped and sinful. He is self condemned. So you, you have to evaluate the situation that you are in with these individuals, according to what these particular scriptures say and determine if whether or not, uh, the sin that they are in falls under what Paul is saying there in first Corinthians five in Titus chapter three and in, uh, in second Thessalonians chapter three.
And, and these things are dealing with church discipline. So you, you still need to confront those individuals and say what the problem is. Don't just not associate with them. And you have never exchanged with them before you call yourself a brother in Christ, but you believe this, you need to point out to them where they are wrong, doing this with gentleness and respect.
And, and again, evaluate your situation according to what these scriptures have to say with how we deal with those who bear the name of brother or sister, but walk in these kinds of sins. I still think the, the primary principle to follow there is as much as it depends on you live peaceably with all, we're always going to encounter awkward, weird situations with people who believe differently than us, whether they are unbelievers or they bear the name or they, uh, you know, at least claim to be a brother or sister in Christ.
So be discerning as to which situations truly need to be confronted and which for the sake of our witness, do not. And let me just add, also, you are part of a sound church. Now talk to your pastor, talk to your elders, the teachers that you rely upon in your church, get counsel from them on how to deal with this situation.
And I think that the counsel that you receive from them, honestly, you will appreciate more than whatever I've just said. It will not wound me at all that you rely upon their judgment and their counsel more than mine.
Thank you for your question. Okay. This next one comes from Cedric, I believe is writing from Haiti. He says, hi, I know of two people whom are accepting help from a selected group of people. In my opinion, the Bible commands us to abstain from Haiti is a country where much of the population, uh, have dipped their hands in or are involved in magic.
And I know that to be true. I know voodoo is big there in Haiti. These individuals would seek out the help of someone who can call on beings that profess to be good spirits, white magic to help them with a problem.
The same is true for those who seek destruction. A professing Christian should have nothing to do with these things, nor have anything to do with those who practice such things, nor even allow someone who practices this kind of magic to get permission to get your permission to solve your problems, because apparently they need your consent to work on your behalf.
Am I wrong to believe that under no circumstance would God ever open the door for us to seek help or accept the help of someone who is practicing magic? Could you make a video on this sometime in the future?
Well, Cedric, I'll add that to the list. And the list that we have of videos to make is not in any particular order. It's just whenever we get to those particular topics, but related to should Christians participate with those who practice magic?
Or should we have this idea as Christians that God might use a person who practices magic to accomplish his will in our lives as long as we're not the ones practicing magic? And I would say to you, no, the Lord would never use that kind of sin to accomplish in us the righteousness that he wants us to walk in.
Leviticus 1931 says, do not turn to mediums or necromancers. Do not seek them out. And so make yourselves unclean by them. I am the Lord your God. Have no participation with them whatsoever. Leviticus 20, verse six, if a person turns to mediums and necromancers whoring after them, I will set my face against that person will cut him off from among his people.
So here in these two passages in Leviticus and chapters 19 and 20, the person is not the one practicing the magic, it's the necromancer or the medium, but you should not even consult them or participate with that.
Deuteronomy 18, nine through 14. When you come into the land that the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not learn to follow the abominable practices of those nations. There shall not be found among you anyone who burns his son or daughter as an offering.
Anyone who practices divination or tells fortunes or interprets omens or a sorcerer or a charmer or a medium or a necromancer or one who inquires of the dead. For whoever does these things is an abomination to the Lord.
And because of these abominations, the Lord your God is driving them out before you. You shall be blameless before the Lord your God for these nations, which you are about to dispossess, listen to fortune tellers and to diviners.
But as for you, the Lord your God has not allowed you to do this. In Isaiah chapter eight, verses 19 through 20, when they say to you, inquire of the mediums and the necromancers who chirp and mutter, should not a people inquire of their God?
Should they inquire of the dead on behalf of the living to the teaching and to the testimony? In other words, if we want to know the will of God, go to the scriptures, don't go to anybody who is a diviner or a necromancer communicates with the dead.
The apostle Paul says this in Ephesians five, 11 through 17, take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them for it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret.
But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says, awake, O sleeper and arise from the dead and Christ will shine on you. Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise, but as wise.
And then verse 16, making the best use of the time because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And how do we understand what the will of the Lord is?
By reading the Bible. Make the best use of the time because the days are evil. Look carefully how you walk, not as unwise, but as wise. Do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And we know what God's revealed will is when we read the scriptures, not consult the dead or consult those who talk to the dead, believing that God might use them to communicate his will to us.
That is not the way that God operates. We should consult his word, period. Galatians 5, 19 through 21 is where we have listed the works of the flesh and those who do the works of the flesh will not inherit the kingdom of God and listed there is sorcery.
In fact, the way that those, uh, those, uh, works of the flesh are listed, it says now the works of the flesh are evident sexual immorality, impurity, and sensuality. Obviously those have to do with sexually immoral practices, but then the next two that come up at the beginning of verse 20 are idolatry and sorcery.
And those are paired together for a specific reason because sorcery is worshiping a false God. It is bowing down at an altar to a, to a false God, which is why Galatians 5, 21 says, I warn you that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God have nothing to do with any practice that would keep a person from the kingdom of God.
All right. Final question. This one comes from Pamela in Texas, dear pastor Gabe, thank you again for your videos. Your last couple have featured false teachers that my friends have listened to and recommended.
So I recommended your videos. I have a favor to ask you. Often you address false teaching and feature an audio, an audio clip from one of those teachers to provide an example. Could you do a video where you play audio from a sound teacher?
I think it would help those who watch your videos find some better teachers. Thank you again for all that you do. Pamela, that your timing couldn't be better because the next video that we've got coming up, which I believe is going to be uploaded on Saturday, features a great teaching from dr. John MacArthur.
It's about a minute long. The videos, the video is going to end up being a minute and a half long, of course, because that's our stick. That's what we do. Uh, but here is that audio clip. This is John MacArthur teaching on second Corinthians 5, 21, the greatest gospel verse in the Bible.
Second Corinthians 5, 21. He made him who knew no sin, sin for us, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. Let me unpack those 15 Greek words. He, God, made Jesus sin. What do you mean he made Jesus sin?
Only in one sense. He treated him as if he had committed every sin ever committed by every person who would ever believe, though in fact he committed none of them. Hanging on the cross, he was holy, harmless, undefiled.
Hanging on the cross, he was a spotless lamb. He was never for a split second a sinner. He is holy God on the cross. But God is treating him, I'll put it more practically, as if he lived my life. God punished Jesus for my sin, turns right around and treats me as if I lived his life.
That's the great doctrine of substitution, and on that doctrine turned the whole reformation of the church. That is the heart of the gospel. And what you get is complete forgiveness covered by the righteousness of Jesus Christ.
When he looks at the cross, he sees you. When he looks at you, he sees Christ.
And our next video is going to feature that audio clip. Pamela, I think it's a great suggestion. If you have any questions, comments, suggestions for the program or for what videos, send them to whenweunderstandthetext at gmail .com.
Thank you so much for listening today. God bless. We continue with our study of James on Monday.
This is When We Understand the Text with Pastor Gabe Hughes. There are lots of great Bible teaching programs on the web, and we thank you for selecting ours. But this is no replacement for regular fellowship with a church family.
Find a good, gospel-teaching, Christ-centered church to worship with this weekend, and join us again Monday for more Bible study when we understand the text.