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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 602 nine seven three four six zero two or toll-free across the United States. It's one eight seven seven seven five three Three three four one and now with today's topic.
Here is James white.
Hello. Hello. Hello. Well, that sounds a whole lot better than it did before the Jesuits did manage to infiltrate the Many layers of security that we have here at our massive complex out in the woods of Montana.
Actually the phantom power died, you know. Those boards I ain't impressed I'm sorry. But I've been a sound man before and I I've never had entire chat channels. Just die with the regularity that we've had on those sound boards.
So I I'm afraid I'm not going to be advertising for those folks anytime soon. Well, welcome to the dividing line if you're tuning in expecting Marty Minto to join us check the blog. I Marty called me earlier, but Unfortunately missed out the number.
The guy is running around like a chicken with his head cut off today. Since the AP picked up his story and now he's everywhere. He may even be getting a chance to do handy and combs, which would be great.
It really would be. But I you know, he was saying can we do it maybe a little bit later? We almost end up having to do it later simply for computer problems. But I said, let's just do it on Tuesday and that way, you know, well, let's a little bit of this die down.
And some of you may recall Marty Minto. I was filling in for Marty. When I did the program with Dave Hunt on Calvinism that was about 90 days before the first manuscript of what love is this started floating around and Beyond that that's also the program we are on with Marty Minto as the moderator of a debate Jeff Neil and I passed Jeff Neil and I debated a Homosexual pastor quote-unquote and one of his parishioners from a local Homosexual church and that ended up leading directly to the two things the writing and publishing of the same-sex controversy and the debate with Barry Lynn on the subject of homosexuality, so I Don't know how many times I was on with Marty Minto.
We talked about the Potter's freedom there. He's the one that was involved with the trying to get Norman Geisler on. Norman Geisler wouldn't come on his program without all these conditions and all the rest of stuff and.
So I've I've known Marty for quite some time. And I can guarantee you a Phoenix radio has not been the same since he left. As far as having, you know, really exciting stuff to to listen to listen to and so anyway.
First thing as soon as I get into the office this morning all the discussions about Marty Minto being let go. I'm going to read you the story from the Tribune Review. Pittsburgh Tribune Review dated today.
Pittsburgh talk radio host Marty Minto says he spent most of his time on the air last week doing what he always does discussing current events in the perspective of an evangelical Christian. Following a week's worth of conversation as word 101 .5 FM show they questioned whether Pope John Paul II's Roman Catholic beliefs could be an impediment to entering heaven.
Station management pulled the plug. Minto was fired Friday ending a three-year stint as host the radio stations only locally produced show which aired from 3 to 6 p .m on weekdays. I was called to the office after my show Friday and told that I was being let go because I was alienating the listeners said Minto 39 of Newcastle Lawrence County who previously did talk radio shows in Albany, New York Phoenix.
That was KPXQ by the way and Denver. Minto also is senior pastor the 100 member Turning Point Community Church in Newcastle. As far as I'm concerned I was doing what I've always done on the radio look at events around the world from a biblical perspective said Minto.
I've always been willing to talk about controversial subjects. Chuck Gratner General manager of word FM for the past 14 years said the station does not dispute Minto's account of events. We ended our relationship with him because of differences in how he conducted his show.
Gratner said Word FM needs to function in this city in support of the entire Church that means everybody and not focus on denominational issues. He said Minto's time slot is being filled on an interim basis by Chris Buddha who did the show before Minto was hired.
We are currently examining What would be the best use that time slot. Gratner said no decisions have been made during the week in which the news was dominated. By the death and funeral the Pope Minto discussed with callers John Paul II deep devotion to Mary the mother of Jesus and Catholic beliefs such as purgatory.
I made it clear that the discussion was not an attack on the character of the Pope. But rather a look at the teachings not only of John Paul But the Catholic Church in general Minto said. Minto said he responded to a question about whether the Pope would go to heaven with the belief held by many Evangelical Christians that a person must be a born-again believer.
I.
Said the question of whether a person is born again is something personal something between an individual and the Creator Minto said I believe It was a legitimate topic to discuss. Now this is interesting.
Listen to this the Reverend wrong. Ron Langwin spokesman for the Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh Said the diocese did not complain to word FM regarding Minto show. He said station management Contacted the diocese to say that Minto had been fired Word FM and its sister station WP IT 730 a .m. Are owned by Camarillo, California based Salem communications which owns 95 Christian oriented stations in the United States.
And so there you have the story I've We just we discussed the Roman Catholic controversy when I was on with Marty on his program more than once I think I was trying to think this afternoon if we ever did any debates With a Roman Catholic apologist.
I think we did. I Think we had some Genes on at one point now that I think about it. So we actually did some some Roman Catholic debates. We had both sides on. I filled in for Marty at least four times.
That I can think of where I actually did his program maybe more than that, I think there was a time when he was gone for a while and so. That's you know, what can I yeah, in fact, I forgot about that.
He went out to the Mesa Easter pageant and we did the his he did his program from right across the street. At the Arby's boy the folks at Arby's take some heat for that but at the Arby's across the street from the LDS temple in Mesa during the the Mesa Easter pageant and boy if you get The hackles up on a few folks there, but if he hadn't done that we never would have met Warren.
So that was that was a good thing. So anyway Obviously Marty continued being Marty when he went to Pittsburgh and one thing it's very very obvious.
Um.
Well, let me tie this together with something happened to me this afternoon. I am working on desperately working on an article of the Reform Baptist Theological Review on the subject of textual criticism and preaching and I'm sure it sounds totally, you know, absolutely exciting to everybody, but it's a slow Job because you it's very difficult to address textual critical issues quickly.
Even just typing textual critical material takes a long time. You're superscripting stuff and you're changing language fonts and your special characters and all the rest of stuff. And anyway, one of the translations that I was discussing I Didn't own.
I had it electronically, but the problem is electronic versions of various translations will frequently look different Than the published or the printed version and so last night mutato in a channel and The dr. Keith and a few other folks were helping me because they had this translation and But still I needed to check it out for myself.
I need to do a little first-hand research here. So I had to run up to a Christian bookstore and buy this particular translation. I needed to have one anyway.
And.
So I went to Berean Christian bookstore, which used to be down near Grand Canyon College. Now it's way up farther north and they're gonna be moving again because it looks like that entire strip mall is being torn down and replaced with who knows what and anyway, I Found what I was looking for.
I'm standing in line and I look down and At the table that they've put to you know, sort of last chance to get somebody to buy something. Okay, here's the table in the line. You're waiting to get to the register.
Guess who's smiling back at me from the table? Yes, you're right Pope John Paul the second. There are three books and the sad thing is I can tell there had been a whole stack of them and they were all gone.
But there were three books picture books sort of like tabletop tabletop books coffee table type books picture books of John Paul's life and John Paul's prayers. On the back of one of them was this sweet little picture of a little kid in his arms and you can't see his face but the little kids smiling at you and it's just all meant to make you feel really warm and and Fuzzy and you know all the rest that stuff.
I'm just staring at this and I put the two together folks. The very same reason that there were John Paul books sitting there that had sold at Brian Christian bookstore Is why Marty Minto was fired from a Salem station.
It's called money M-o-n-e-y and Roman Catholics have it and so you want to Make sure that you don't alienate. That's why that's why the management called the diocese to let them know. Hey, I want you to know we canned that guy.
That's why they did it is To make sure that there's no bad blood there. There's no offense there. You know the management's not offended by what Rome teaches. Because that's theology and that's irrelevant in the radio biz.
Okay.
So.
That's.
That's what's going on here today folks. The Reformation. The Reformation that allows Word FM to choose its programs because remember what things were like before the Reformation. Remember I've mentioned the gambit that Erasmus took.
Remember I've told this this story. That's not how you spell compromise by the way. I've told the story remember Erasmus wanted to be the first person to print and publish the Greek New Testament and He already knew that Cardinal Jimenez Had published not published printed a beautiful edition Multifolio edition of the Greek New Testament and It hadn't been published yet, so wouldn't you think.
Well, why would you even bother someone's already printed it? Why hadn't they published it. Because before the Reformation folks? Rome controlled everything that was published. If you want to publish a book That had to do with anything religious at all you had to get the permission of the Vatican.
You had to run it through Rome all right and so Cardinal Jimenez is beautiful edition.
Was.
Waiting for papal approval. So what Erasmus did is once he got his ready to go, and it was moving. He was moving at high speed, and that's why there's all the errors in the book of Revelation in what's called the TR today because the fact that.
You know he was he was trying to get it done way too quickly. And he he only had one manuscript of the book of Revelation. He borrowed from his friend Johannes Roikland and the last page had fallen off.
And so he translated from Latin into Greek for a number of the verses create all sorts of wacky readings. They were still in the King James today anyway. He rushes through all that stuff. They print it and they publish it without Vatican approval.
Now what kept him from being? Tied to a stake and turned into a into a fireball. He dedicated his edition to Pope Leo the 10th in Rome. That's how he tried to get around and it worked. He beat. He beat Cardinal Jimenez the punch, but you see that's what people had to worry about if there had been no Reformation Word FM would only be able to Put into existence or put on the air shall we say put on the air.
What the Vatican said he put could put on the air and you say come on? Yeah, it's not something would have changed eventually. I all I'm telling you is the reason. That people start having the freedom to do otherwise is called the Reformation.
Okay, the Protestant Reformation and All Marty Minto was doing was doing what I've done and that is saying excuse me folks. There's something wrong here. There's something really really really wrong here we're watching television and Everybody and their second cousin is showing up on Fox News and CNN and.
They have just simply ushered the Pope into heaven. And what that means is they believe that the Roman Catholic gospel saves whatever that is the Roman Catholic gospel saves. They don't seem to care that Rome has anathematized the gospel.
They supposedly believe in. They don't seem to care that Rome has added so many things to the Gospels to make the Judaizers in Galatia look like look like amateurs and. And so they've demonstrated either they have no idea what was going on the Reformation at all.
Or they don't care they know but they don't care. They don't believe it anymore. Now there's all sorts of folks who don't believe it anymore. There's there's no question about that. There's you know, there's all sorts of denominations that have gone gone liberal and they don't believe this stuff is relevant anymore.
And the Reformation is all a big mistake. No question about that and then you've got the the post-modernists and the emergent church and all the rest of stuff and the quote-unquote reformed Catholics and they're all going there whichever direction none of them can tell you what truth is they can't tell what the gospel is anymore.
All that stuff. We knew all of that. But here you get the clear. I think the clearest picture we have gotten in our generation of the fact that evangelicalism isn't. We need to take the term evangelical back.
It has been it has been prostituted it's it's been stolen from us even the evangel is the gospel. But if the gospel is no longer knowable. If you can't tell me what the gospel is if you can't tell me what the gospel isn't then please stop calling yourself an evangelical if you think the Evangel is just Have warm feelings about Jesus.
You are not an evangelical. Okay, I'm gonna start calling you neo evangelicals. Pseudo-evangelicals, whatever you want to say but the fact the matter is you are not an evangelical if you don't if you can't proclaim the gospel and Say this is the truth.
This is the power of God in the salvation. This is what you must bow the knee to if you don't think you can know it if you think it's been lost. If you think it's just the name Jesus without any explanation of who he is or what he's done or anything else.
You are not an evangelical. Stop calling yourself that okay, you know, the sad fact the matter is I bet you anything more than half the people who would actually Identify themselves as evangelical don't even know what the word means.
They don't know what the evangelist. They have no concept. No idea at all and That's what happens folks. When you stop preaching the word exegetically. From the pulpit when you stop Teaching the Word of God when you stop teaching it in the Sunday school or the Bible study class when you stop teaching it from the pulpit when you start entertaining people and dragging them in with your musical program.
Afraid to offend them. This is what is going to happen. When you stop trusting the Holy Spirit of God to build his church, you're gonna end up with a church. That is nothing but a facade. What has happened since the death of Pope John Paul the second has demonstrated to us that what the church is in our day and age the external church what we see around us in so many situations is just like when you take that bus ride through Universal Studios and When you're going down the middle of street.
It looks like you're in an old Western town or it looks like you're in Manhattan or it looks like you're in Italy. But then you go around the corner.
You find out it's all Fake it's just a facade. There's no substance. There's nothing there. Well what the death of Pope John Paul the second has done is it's taken us around the corner and We can see these huge buildings With lots and lots of people.
But no gospel. No substance no foundation there's nothing there. And if people can so easily abandon the gospel and throw it out in A situation like this just so that you know, I don't want I don't want people think badly.
I mean, I I don't want everybody to like me if they'll do that. Now. What happens when real persecution comes? What happens when to walk through the door of your church on Sunday morning means that your taxes double.
How many people are gonna show up? That's when you find out where the real church is and that means well You you figure out what that means for this nation and for Western culture as a whole. Absolutely amazing.
I'm writing an open letter to word FM and.
Just wish I had more time cuz I still got to write this paper. That's just just still gotta do it. 8 7 7 7 5 3 3 3 4 1 my goodness. Is it 24 after? Well, we got four minute. That's only 20 after really sort of in the sense of as far as programs concern.
8 7 7 7 5 3 3 3 4 1 Is the phone number if you would like to comment? Oh, I Need to finish the story. Make sure you mark it down. Marty is going to do his best to be with us.
Tuesday morning.
At 11 o 'clock our time that's 2 p .m. Eastern Daylight Time 11 a .m. Pacific Daylight Time and We will get a chance to talk to him and it's gonna be fun because Most the time I was on the other side of the microphone from Marty. I was the one being interviewed.
This time I will be doing the interviewing though. Something tells me I might Possibly sort of you know start doing a little preaching and things like that in the process. 8 7 7 7 5 3 3 3 4 1. Only have one caller at the moment.
We filled up the lines last time and that I I know when I start off Preaching that doesn't help get people to call. I know that but that's just the way we do things around here. 8 7 7 7 5 3 3 3 4 1. I need to go ahead and Get to our first caller because he's calling all the way from Hawaii.
Hello, Mike. How are you? How are you, sir? Fine. I'll bet you it's somewhere between 72 and 86 degrees where you are. You're right. Yeah, I bet it's probably is it stay pretty much, you know right around upper 70s lower 80s, right.
Well in the summer it will get up close to 90 but rarely.
Anyway, well, you know you you also have to worry about hurricanes. So I guess that's that's the one the one one change there. What can we do for you Mike?
Well, as you know Catholics teach that there are three possibilities upon a person's death, right? And I think we would agree that purgatory is not true. I.
You and I hopefully would agree with that. Yes, okay.
And the other two possibilities. One that the Pope's immortal soul would be in hell right now, right. Or that his immortal soul is in heaven. Right, and I would like to read if I may seven verses sure from the King James.
Well, if you would let them speak for themselves.
First would be Ecclesiastes chapter 9 verses 5 and 6. All right. For the living know that they shall die. But the dead know not anything. Neither have they any more a reward for the memory of them is forgotten.
Also their love and their hatred and their envy is now perished. Neither have they any more a portion forever in anything that is done under the Sun. Next would be Psalm 146 3 and 4. Put not your trust in princes or in the Son of Man in whom there is no help.
His breath goes forth. He returns to his earth in That day. In that very day his thoughts. Next would be Psalm 115. 17 The dead praise not the Lord neither any that go down into silence. And in the New Testament then James 4 14 Whereas you know not what shall be on the morrow for what is your life.
It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. And then the last verse would be Genesis 3 verse 4. And the serpent said to the woman you shall not surely die. Did the serpent tell the truth or not?
Okay, and.
I propose to you that the Pope is neither in heaven that the Pope is unconscious asleep in his grave. I see.
Well, there's a little problem with that. And I noticed as soon as you went to Ecclesiastes 9 I was gonna say now need to be careful Ecclesiastes is talking about from the earthly viewpoint. But then when he went to the others I could tell where you were going eventually.
Yeah, I figured you would. Yeah, yeah the the problem there is the fact that Paul teaches that to be absent the bodies to be at home with the Lord. He also teach Peter taught us that the Lord knows how to keep under punishment.
Those who are awaiting the day of judgment that punishment is an ongoing thing. It's not just simply a promise of a future situation and the idea of mere unconsciousness. Would also have some problems with those martyrs in in the book of Revelation.
I can at least see how some people might argue for the the wicked even though Peter has a problem with that. But certainly for the righteous. There is immediately the the presence of Christ. And so I am aware of the arguments that should be putting forth.
The problem is would you be would you be coming from like a Seventh-day Adventist perspective? Absolutely. I see. Wow, well, you know. This particular issue would be one that we would certainly disagree on but far more importantly to me.
Would you be one of those Seventh-day Adventists that would hold to the investigative judgment? Oh, absolutely. Yeah, see I I would put that as being as false a gospel as Rome's. Personally, I don't see any difference between The investigative judgment and the grounds that that places one's relationship to God on and what Rome.
Really didn't call for the to discuss the investigative judgment. Although I would be happy to if you wanted to. Well There's a way my point was and I didn't comment on the verses. I let them spoke for the speaks himself, and I think they're very clear that when a person dies his thoughts perish.
Probably from the urges. There's no conscious immortal soul that goes to heaven.
I see you just you just. You just read something in there that your first comment was was correct. Your second comment demonstrated a A tradition that then tries to tie these things together. That's where the difference is.
For example in Ecclesiastes chapter 9. There's many things said in Ecclesiastes concerning all is vanity. Well, okay in a particular Context on earth we understand what's being said there. But you certainly are not going to take that to mean that there is nothing that has meaning in this life.
So you're doing the same thing and trying to say well. Their their memory is gone from this earth. They no longer have any interaction on this earth.
I would agree completely. That doesn't mean however perfect their love their hatred their envy is now perished. And that's yes, and in verse 5 it's saying that their memory is forgotten. In other words their memory has known.
In other words, their consciousness is gone. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no that that's no you see. You're reading that into it that this is this is on the earth. This is on the very day. This is this is on the earth, this is not yeah on the earth.
Yes, but you have to allow the rest of Scripture to speak. What are what are the what are the shades in in and as they have 12 and 14? What are these what are they doing when the spirits of these wicked Kings comes to them?
What are these these individuals who are these things? How do they know this is a king? There's clearly conscious existence at that point and the fact that matter is there are a number of passages in New Testament say otherwise but the reason that I went to the issue and asking you where you're coming from is because I tend to think that unfortunately a lot of these discussions, especially with a believing conservative seventh-day Adventist Misses the point because to me I could sit around talk with the Roman Catholic about Oh, let's say The papal infallibility which we've done and that's important it speaks to issues of authority.
That's sort of be like talking to you about the claims that that Ellen G white made concerning Her prophecies and her writings in relation to scripture and things like that, but if that's all I ever discussed I'm I'm not doing you any favor because the real issue and the issue I always get to with Roman Catholics is the issue of what the gospel is.
What is most important and that's why I Raised the issue because to me you can be a non seventh-day Adventist and Believe what you believe about the afterlife but to be a seventh-day Adventist what's Definitional and what is uniquely definitional and what's more important what addresses the specific issue of the gospel?
Is the issue of the investigative judgment? That's why I raised the issue. That's why I mentioned it and in fact since I'm seeing looking in the chat channel here that almost no one has Any idea what that is?
I'll Leave probably I'll even give you the opportunity if you can do it briefly To explain what what is the investigative judgment? How would you define it? If you could do so briefly?
Well at the second coming there's the division of the sheep and the goat Resurrection of the living. And for that determination to have been made there must have been a judgment that these people were in fact Righteous that they they had faith in Jesus Christ.
So there has to be I think in Revelation. I don't have it in front of me. Revelation 22 It says that when he comes his reward is with him in the last few verses of Revelation. Uh-huh, and he can only present that reward which is eternal life to those who have been judged righteous.
So there has to have been a pre Advent judgment of the righteous. Which Adventist believe began in 1844 and is underway even now, okay?
Let me make sure people heard that so in 1844 and this was involved with the the the Miller movement. Yes Christ entered into the sanctuary and since that period of time The lives of those individuals who have trusted in him for salvation Have been brought before him in the inner sanctuary and He has examined them.
And what did LMG white say was the basis upon which? Christ would decide to apply his atoning sacrifice to them or not.
Well the biblical answer is by faith. Is that all. I don't know which. So that that's all so.
Why would why would there be an Examination of their lives if you if the only ones being examined were those who had believed in him anyways. Well.
God doesn't need to. God doesn't need to do this examination for his benefit. Okay, words. He already knows he's.
Omniscient right.
But the heavenly hosts are not. Okay, so the books were opened not only for The Lord to examine, but the books really open for the heavenly host to examine the books to see that God's judgment has been righteous,.
And what books are these. The books of the book of the book of life. Okay, lamb's book of life is really the one that's being examined and the only way to that's my lamb's book of life. And then you you at the second coming assuming that you had died, and you weren't alive at the second coming right?
All those that are resurrected.
Okay, but how do you get in there? How do you get into the lambs book of life? What's the what's the basis. Faith alone? It's not it's not examination of your life.
Right well by faith you appear in the lambs book of life.
Okay, hold on hold on just one second. I'm gonna put you on hold. We need to take our break, okay? We'll pick you up on the other side of the break. We'll finish this up, and then we're the rest of our phone lines are filling up.
So we need to move on from there, but we'll be right back right after this.
Today.
Strong and true quickly fall away under the guise of tolerance. Modern culture grants alternative lifestyle status to homosexuality. Even more disturbing some within the church attempt to revise and distort Christian teaching on this behavior.
In Their book the same-sex controversy James White and Jeff Neal write for all who want to better understand the Bible's teaching on the subject. Explaining and defending the foundational Bible passages that deal with homosexuality including Genesis Leviticus and Romans.
Expanding on these scriptures they refute the revisionist arguments including the claim that Christians today need not adhere to the law. In a straightforward and loving manner they appeal to those caught up in a homosexual lifestyle to repent.
And to return to God's plan for his people. The same-sex controversy defending and clarifying the Bible's message about homosexuality. Get your copy in the bookstore at a omen or Alaska the unspoiled land of nature and immensity.
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For our guests the journey north is an odyssey of glorious landscapes and majestic wildlife As we sail on the luxury five-star Sun princess by towering glaciers into some of the most remarkable points on earth.
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Millions of petitioners from around the world are employing Pope John Paul the second to recognize the Virgin Mary as co-redeemer with Christ. Elevating the topic of Roman Catholic views of Mary to national headlines and widespread discussion.
In his book Mary another Redeemer James White sidesteps hostile rhetoric and cites directly from Roman Catholic sources to explore this volatile topic. He traces how Mary of the Bible esteemed mother of the Lord Obedient servant and chosen vessel of God has become the immaculately conceived bodily assumed Queen of Heaven.
Viewed as co-mediator with Christ and now recognized as co-redeemer by many in the Roman Catholic Church Mary another Redeemer is fresh insight into the woman The Bible calls a blessed among women and an invitation to single-minded devotion to God's truth.
You can order your copy of James White's book. Mary another Redeemer at a omen org.
This portion of the dividing line has been made possible by the Phoenix Reformed Baptist Church. The Apostle Paul spoke of the importance of solemnly testifying of the gospel of the grace of God. The proclamation of God's truth is the most important element of his worship in his church.
The elders and people of the Phoenix Reformed Baptist Church invite you to worship with them this coming Lord's Day. The morning Bible study begins at 9 30 a .m. And the worship service is at 10 45. Evening services are at 6 30 p .m.
On Sunday and the Wednesday night prayer meeting is at 7. The Phoenix Reformed Baptist Church is located at 3805 North 12th Street in Phoenix. You can call for further information at 602 -26 grace. If you're unable to attend you can still participate with your computer and real audio at prbc .org.
Where the ministry extends around the world through the archives of sermons and Bible study lessons available 24 hours a day. Now the pilgrims progress is not an easy way. It's a journey.
And welcome back to the dividing line. We have lots of folks are calling in right now. We're we're talking of talking with Mike all the way out in.
Hawaii.
Who is the seventh day best Mike? Are you familiar with fellow by name WH Branson?
No, I'm not.
Book called in defense of the faith. Branson is a seventh-day Adventist. This is his reply to to can write. It's an older book, but. Under the subject of the cleansing of the sanctuary. Let me just read you a couple things here.
So, you know where I'm coming from. Someone may say I thought that when Christ forgave my sins he took them clear away. Yes, he did so far as you were concerned. He promises to make us as white as snow.
But this does not mean the sins are finally disposed of. He takes them from us. But the record is still there. We are free because we've accepted him as our substitute and sin-bearer. But the record of sin is held in the sanctuary.
This then becomes the basis for the discussion. Which says another may ask why could not Christ have immediately blotted out the sins of the people. Why wait until after? 1844 we replied there must come first an investigation of the records.
That is essential. Here is a man who has accepted Christ. His sins have gone on before him into the sanctuary. But Christ cannot blot those sins out of the record until the man's life is finished or until probation closes for him.
Why not?
Because he may not continue in faith and we are told in Ezekiel 33 12 and 13 that the righteous man turns away from his Righteousness all the righteousness that he has done shall not be remembered. If he does not continue in faith all his past sins will come Back upon him again.
Jesus does not plead before the throne of God in the final judgment. For one who has died in sin. He cannot plead his blood in behalf of one who though once a Christian refuses to continue in grace. Thus before the Lord can blot out the sins from the record books a very careful examination has to be made to see whether those who Accepted Christ have remained true.
It is not the beginning of the race that gives assurance the crown of life. It is the successful finishing. That then is what leads him into the discussion of the investigative judgment. And he says of the investigative judgment during the judgment the names of those who were once Christians But who have given up their faith in Christ are blotted out of the book of life.
That's in regards to Revelation the chapter 3. And then finally just one one last two little quotes here under the law of judgment it says. Without this without this trial would be a farce and decisions rendered a travesty and justice.
God must have necessity therefore have a law by which he will test men's lives a standard by which they will be measured. And if So surely in this solemn hour when court week has actually begun and cases are already being tried it behooves every man to inquire Seriously what that standard is or code is and to take the necessary steps to bring his life into harmony With it before his name is called and then the application then becomes.
Do not allow yourself to be deceived. Therefore into believing that nine points of the law will suffice and the Sabbath point can be dropped out as Non-essential that being a part of The code by which a person is going to be judged.
So does it not follow then that a person can believe in Christ, but if they do not for example follow Ellen G White's understanding of the Sabbath law.
Then.
Christ will refuse to apply his blood that individual in the investigative judgment.
Seventh-day Adventist do not believe. Well, they believe that the the Sabbath is the mark of the beast. I'm sure you know. Yes, and but well that's Sunday. Sunday worship is the mark of the beast as yet in other words the last 2 ,000 years, but Sunday keepers who did so Fully believing that they were in God's will That will not be counted against them.
Is that what Ellen G White believed? Yes. Okay. It's only when the mark of the beast is Comes before the world and is enforced by that people are faced with a choice The seal of God which we believe to be the Sabbath the seventh-day Sabbath Saturday or the mark of the beast.
Which would be Sunday keeping? So it's an issue that it will be before the world shortly. But it is not something for which people will be condemned and ignorant. Not now.
You do know that there have been seventh-day Adventists who took a different view in that. Oh, there's no doubt about it.
Like any other denomination there's there's a spectrum but in as far as official what I'm glad told you is official Roman, excuse me is official Adventist teaching with respect to the words. No one has the mark of the beast as yet.
Okay, but I mean obviously those who would disagree with you would would. Question the official point. I mean you don't speak for you're not the head of the denomination.
Oh, no, not at all. Okay. All right. I just wanted to make sure people understood that. I'm confirming to you that if you investigate it, that's what you will find.
Okay. So but to boil this all down and we've we've been on a long time now and there's a bunch of other folks need to Get to but the boy, okay, that's all right, but to boil it all down. Fundamentally, would you agree or disagree with the assertion that whether?
Excuse me, whether Christ applies His atoning sacrifice Depends upon your continuance in faith. Yes, it does. Okay, and you would then obviously Seventh-day Adventist theology does not have a concept of Monergistic election to where God has an elect people and he infallibly saves those elect people not based upon what they do But based solely upon his purpose and grace.
Well, that's a topic unto itself, but I I believe that You would call it probably Armenian ism. And I believe that we have we have the okay.
So you would you would take the Armenian perspective on that if I don't know if you've listened to program before but you probably have. You've probably heard our discussions with Dave hunts and I believe that we're faced with a choice.
Mm-hmm.
And that choice is either to accept Christ's righteous blood or to reject it and to reject it is to be lost and.
To accept Christ's righteous blood though is not enough if you do not continue. And if your life does not measure up to these standards that we're going to be using that works is dead. Yeah, okay. I just want to make sure everybody understood that.
I just want to make sure that we weren't Misrepresenting it or anything along those lines Mike. I hope you'll keep listening. Thanks. Thanks so much for the phone call out there. I appreciate your time.
All right. Thank thank you. Thank you. Have a good day. Thank you. All right, well there you get things start once we get the the microphones working We can get things going. Let's talk with Adam up in Wisconsin.
Hi Adam.
And one of the one of the things that He talked about man dealing with people who are you know, non-christians or who are back and what look for inconsistencies in their position. Bring them up. And I was dialoguing with with like 14 different Roman Catholics at one time and By history and of course if you do that, you know, you end up in infinite regression and so on and then.
Somebody say, you know We can't know what scripture says because we have to interpret it and we're fallible and of course We have to interpret information every time every day. I mean that make the world totally, you know, unintelligible.
But one of the questions is they she said well, how do you know what is contained in the canon? It's a Dan Wallace's like Bruce Metzger's information. Then doesn't that mean that the scriptures are not self-authenticating himself?
And I thought about that for now Moses is right is that it is not the History the historical evidence the textual evidence that authenticates the scriptures. But it's the scriptures that authenticates the history.
And can this be of the scriptures when you then all of a sudden it makes the facts of history unintelligible.
Well, but that's that's that's hard to address in a in a brief period of time Greg Bonson has a tape on the subject of the canon. And he gives his his particular perspective on that. I have done a fair amount of work on that subject and would direct you to the relevant chapters in the scripture alone book on the subject of the canon.
I believe that the clarity and revelation of the canon is directly related to God's purpose in giving to a scripture that is that God has given to the church the scriptures to function as a light as a guide and therefore God is going to exercise the same amount of Power in making sure that those scriptures are properly identified and understood.
That is the canon as is commensurate with his purpose in providing the church with the guidance that she needs. And so I don't believe that our knowledge of the canon is infallible in the sense of making the church infallible.
I don't believe it's infallible in the sense of making individuals infallible, but I believe it is sufficient to the purpose of the church. I have no question concerning the canon, but we need to be careful as to Recognizing the difference between God's knowledge of the canon and man's knowledge of the canon.
So I.
Guess I understand what you were saying. I understand Bonson's point. I practice that kind of apologetic interaction With non-believers all the time, but I've said a number of times that I I struggle with How Greg would have applied and I've listened to his tapes on Mormons and Jehovah's Witnesses and Muslims and others.
But I understand the transcendental argument. I don't understand the application of that to other world religions. I think it's a valid thing in dealing with a person who is not a theist. But once you're dealing with a situation where you're dealing with a theist I I don't see how it is meant to be applied.
I understand the idea of examining their worldview and pointing out the Inconsistencies because if you don't have a truly biblical worldview if you have a an unbiblical theology it's going to result in an unbiblical worldview and there's going to be inconsistencies, but.
Don't see how the transcendental argument specifically is is going to be applied in the in the context of interfaith Discussions with other religions and especially with those that claim to be Christian religions.
As to like I said the issue of the Canon remember that you're in talking with a Roman Catholic you're dealing with a person who really Does believe that the church as an organization has canonical authority has the ability to? create Canon and at that point I would.
In essence, you know If you're talking with someone on a philosophical level you can demonstrate that to have that authority means that the church itself must be Theogonous toss that which defines which is that which is Theodorus toss becomes a higher authority.
Yeah, well, yeah, that's because you're you got to remember for the vast vast vast vast majority of Roman Catholics with whom you're speaking with once you start talking about that kind of thing the honest awesome thing they have no Corollary, they have no ground upon which to even begin to Unfold that kind of an argument you really are in a difficult situation at that point because you have to provide the background.
That they're just not getting in any way shape or form in in their liturgy or anything like that. And so you've got to be you've really got to bend over backwards to provide some real basic foundational issues there In which to try to unpack those things so yeah.
They are going to skirt around that and they are going to continuously we've got someone channel. I've seen him arguing this more than once well actually he may have had to have Left here nope still there coach is still there.
You know he's one of these guys that goes into the Roman Catholic web boards and tries to deal with these issues. But he's run into the same issue over and over and over again once you get to issues of ultimate authorities.
These folks most of them simply aren't willing to examine what they've made their ultimate authority. They they try to use what they call not a circular argument, but a spiral argument.
They may have used that terminology with yeah, they used it. I couldn't find that in any philosophy book.
Oh, you'll find it in Karl Keating's Catholicism and fundamentalism. The seriously that's that's where they get the terminology is this this idea of a spiral argument based upon history that you allegedly can can Examine history come up with certain conclusions from history that lead you to this next conclusion next conclusion and it's actually a spiral thing rather than a circular thing and and that that doesn't work either, but.
Yeah, you got to be real careful to unpack these things and the fact that matter is in the vast majority of written dialogues the Context is not such that you're gonna find a lot of folks who you'll be willing to allow you to do that anyway but the.
The answer you gave I understand it, but I also understand why they didn't understand. And so yeah, the issue is whether you really want to be able to communicate and. And that's you know, really it's it's a very very difficult thing.
It's very time-consuming and you've really got to feel like you're called to that. You know as far as that goes, okay. Okay. All right. Thanks for calling. Okay, god bless. Bye. Bye. I just like to say to the folks in channel.
It wasn't some genus that Bonson debated. It was Jerry Matta ticks along with a Catholic priest who really didn't say anything because he was way out of his element but it was on a radio program in LA and it was Bonson vs. Matta ticks very interesting to listen to and.
So anyways, just I'd mentioned that as we as we rush on here because I'm trying to add four minutes to my thinking here. Because we got a late start. So let's go ahead and talk with Alan in Atlanta again.
Hello Alan in again. Can you hear me? Yeah, I can hear you and I can see well too because my eyes are protected from ultraviolet rays. How about yours?
And the other ones will be resurrected here.
Resurrection from California. Yes, indeed bad theology, but we won't go into that. Now. What's. Yeah, let's get out of this real quick.
Yeah, here's what's going on your introduction. I had to call in and I had to get your opinion on Apologetics next to Jesus in the church today. I was at a Bible study Tuesday night. Actually, we were having dinner and Got on to the topic of Creflo dollar.
He'd eat cakes and I was talking with another Reformed gentleman about Creflo and I said now Creflo doesn't believe that Jesus is God and he said I can't believe that. I said I've got the quote. I've got it on my computer.
I'll send it to you. He claims that the verse that says God never sleeps or slumbers and then he goes to Jesus sleeping in the boat. He Jesus isn't God blah blah blah. And I said he's obvious. I thought he was a modalist I knew he wasn't a Trinitarian and two people down at the end of the table said what's a modalist and I was thinking Okay, not everybody knows this information in the church today.
So I explained what the modalist was and you know The theory of modalism and then then one guy says it's funny, but it's sad he says well What's the other word that that Terry word? What's that word? And I said Trinitarian and he said yeah, what is that word?
I said I said that's the Trinity and he said Well, what's the Trinity? Mmm, and this guy has been going to this particular church for four years now has been through their Membership class and I don't think you can fault the church entirely but but in your opinion does this not speak volumes this small example to the lack of Apologetics hence the lack of ex-jesus, which is a function of apologetics.
Well, I said I'd reverse that.
Our apologetics is a function of ex-jesus apologetics. Apologetics is a function of Sound systematic theology, which I believe is based upon the exegesis the text of scriptures. That's that's the that's the epistemological direction.
I would go you start with the primacy of God's Revelation. You preach that to the people you you come to understand the truth of what that presents which is your theology and Then when you seek to apply that theology and when you seek to defend that theology.
That's where apologetics comes in at that point. And so when you all you have are Sermons that are are intended. And I didn't catch what church you were talking about. Is this the church you go to?
Yeah, Michael. Oh.
I didn't wasn't asking for all that much information. You know, I've heard you know, I've. The the problem is at very large large churches, and I happen to know that someone's listening right now who will find this interesting.
I Can only think of a couple of what I would call mega churches That function properly. What I mean by that is and and hold off on the on the music here. We may go a couple minutes long because I want to.
I want to try to finish this one because we're almost out of time. And I apologize to to Peter.
In.
Super large churches. I was in a super large church. I was in a church had 20 ,000 members now said many times we could only find 7 ,000 in a given moment, but we had 20 ,000 members and every year. What they would do is they would tear up the Bible study Departments and and and jumble everybody around just like shuffling a deck and you know why they you know why they did that.
They did that because those Bible study departments became little churches. See nobody knew the pastor nobody knew The the hardly anybody on staff and so you became naturally attached to the Bible study leadership because those the people that you had fellowships with those the people you saw those people you talked with so they Became little churches, and so they recognized That that was bad.
Because these these Bible study leaders could become little pastors. And so they ripped everything up and made everybody unhappy, but that's how they did it. There are only a couple Super large churches that I see functioning in a biblical way they have in their their Bible study Concept the first of all they have elders that are involved they the church I was at didn't even understand what an elder was but they have elders involved and they they build community there, and there is there is a Consistency between what is ministered from the pulpit and Then what is done in the Bible studies, so what is taught?
Theologically from the pulpit is applied practically and consistently. Within the Bible study structure where the actual elders meet the people and are involved in people's lives. But like I said there are so few that do that and so you can have if you have someone Who's doing a good job in the pulpit who's actually presenting?
Meaningful sermons the pulpit. But there isn't an application in the Bible study that applies that and says look This is what was being talked about you know you heard the pastor today. Or last Sunday talk about the Trinity, and here's what it is if what you've got in the Bible studies is fluff fluff.
Then it really doesn't matter sadly. That's at that church I ran a television camera. And I ran one of the cameras that would go out and would get audience shots during the sermons and let me tell you something.
That wasn't easy. Because you'd zoom in on somebody and you'd think this was a good shot. And they'd go to me and they always use what's called an iso tape because You know halfway through the five or ten seconds.
We're gonna shoot this guy all of a sudden the head nods. They're gone. They're not listening and we all know. How easy it is for people to completely tune out? What's being said and so if there's not a consistency between?
What is in the pulpit and what is being applied? Where you can actually talk with someone to see if they understand that they see what the the ramifications are it's not going to work. It's just it's gonna result in what you just ran into and that is someone who I am sure.
From the sermons from the pulpit you've got X Y Z. But if it's not applied and then you question that you understand what that means do you see what the ramifications are you know? Let's ask you some questions.
That's how you do teaching. It's not gonna. It's not gonna stick and the result is is what you what you described there, so yeah.
I mean, I wasn't questioning his his salvation, but it you know because I explained the Trinity that okay. Yeah, that's what I believe, but I was just astounded. I've I went to Catholic schools as in kindergarten in first grade I've known that the Trinity is before I could remember, but yeah.
Not know this all right. Well. You know unfortunately. I don't think that that is is. Is all that unusual in very very many churches and especially those churches that are the quote-unquote megachurches thing is that.
Hey?
One more thing before I go.
Alaska thanks for calling today Alan and thanks for listening today. Thanks for putting up with our little bit of technical difficulties, but we got through it unbelievable range of questions today. Great stuff.
Don't forget Tuesday morning Marty Minto Lord willing will be with us. We'll talk more about then. Thanks for listening. God bless.
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