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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 at 602 -973 -4602 or toll-free across the United States. It's 1 -877 -753 -3341. And now with today's topic here is James wife.
And welcome to the dividing line. According to someone in channel the last opening before the end the last program before the end. And lest I forget I did promise a certain British fellow whose infamous brother has been banished to the British penal colony of Australia.
Mention his. Yeah, I guess it's his website. I it doesn't say but I'm assuming that this is Peter's website called rapture fail www .rapturefail .org and It's a pretty cute idea, I wonder where they got the graphic of the rapture thing.
It looks like a jack chick thing or something. I don't know but it's it's pretty wild. What's that. Yeah, well, well, no, no, no, no, no, well, it looks like something out of the 70s though. Someone in channel said they recognized it from some I don't know some comic strip or something in the past.
I don't know but it's it has the rapture fail map and what you can do as When you when you sign up for it is you can register a rapture fail. So as six o 'clock passes in your area and Cars aren't driving off the road and there's been no for 14 on the Richter scale earthquake.
That throws all the bodies out of the graves. Which by the way is what's supposed to be happening in case you're not aware of how this all works. That's the the humiliation of the dead is that their bodies are cast out upon the earth and there's no one to bury them.
And that's that's eternal punishment. By the way, that's all you get because that's that's it. So as that doesn't happen. You can register a rapture fail and it'll show up on this map as this as the Sun moves across the earth as a testimony.
Yeah, and and you know, I I like what it said here. It says rapture fail has been set up to allow people around the world to catalog and of course catalog is is misspelled because he's British. Catalog the failure of Harold Camping's rapture prophecies 21st of May 2011.
Notice he's also British because he put 21 before the month and that's again. It's it's just a British thing. It's just they can't help it as Christians to take the Bible seriously. We believe that prophecies like these demean the church's witness in the world.
The purpose this site is to demonstrate very clearly and to mock gently again He's British that this is a false prophecy and that Harold camping is a false prophet. It's as 6 p .m. On the 21st of May passes around the world.
Rapture fail will show the rapture is not occurring by utilizing the power of the Internet and global user input. Everybody who participates in this project will be part of the undermining of this embarrassment to the body of Christ so you sign in and you can register a rapture fail and it'll show up on the rapture fail map as it develops during the day and you'll just get to see this, you know thing and Now I have been thinking a little bit about this because I was trying to go all right.
How do you figure out What the first occurrence of 6 p .m. Is in the world and Obviously what you do is you go to your national dateline and then find out what major cities or anything are immediately on the other side of that and Find out when it'll be 6 p .m There and that find out what time it is where you are when it's 6 p .m There but but and this is very important and there are very few people Who actually know this you have to be a herald camping expert.
And I have my herald camping expert card in my wallet. You have to take it out very slowly. And read it very slowly too, but It's not Daylight savings time. It's not 6 p .m. Daylight savings time. It has to be standard time.
Which is good for us because we're on mountain standard time anyways. But everybody else is on daylight savings time so you have to add that in there so it's actually like 7 o 'clock is The real time because it has to be the standard time and not the daylight savings time.
So you have to keep that in mind, but of course we. We acknowledge God's sovereignty over time and don't play with our clock.
I know that so but but looking at everybody else's time though. They are and so we've we're the ones have to do all the playing around. So now let me get this straight.
Are we saying that there's gonna be like a rolling rapture? Yes, it's a rolling rap.
It's a rolling rapture based on man's time zones which of course remember.
Everything Harold says comes straight from the Bible. You know what the first thing he's gonna say on Monday when his show opens. I Don't expect him to be on Monday. It would seem that I may have overestimated the number of people who are actually say.
Including myself. So anyway, I was trying to figure that out and Turretin fan was right. He he pretty much said well I think Guam is sort of what we need to look at. Guam sort of starts things off a bit and Maybe and so I'm just gonna be looking at Guam and I figure Using the time zone thing by 3 a .m.. Saturday morning.
That whole hour the 6 to 7 p .m.. Time period for Guam will have passed. Now do you have on your droid? Do you have the earthquake app. Everybody's got the earthquake app because it's so fun to look at.
You don't have the earthquake at my brother. There's actually a couple earthquake apps, but get the earthquake app. Because it will actually report for you all the earthquakes in the world, and it's amazing to get this thing.
There are earthquakes everywhere. The earth be be moving all the time. Does your droid vibrate when one occur. If I said it that way yes. If it's within a certain distance or something of me I can set it to the vibrate and so I can feel how much the earth is moving all the time if I want to.
Yes. It's very cool. It's available for in the Apple.
You know iPod. So it's kind of an erwin. I do the thing it's got that no.
It's not no it really wouldn't help with muscle strain and like that. But the point is it works really well. Like when the Japanese earthquake hit you know there you can see it. I think it first came up as 8 .9, and they eventually change it to 9 and stuff like that.
But it it'll zoom in on Google. Tell you exactly where it is. So basically by 3 o 'clock Saturday morning I Can fire up my droid here 3 a .m.. Saturday morning. I can fire up my droid and if there are no 14 level earthquakes in Guam.
By that time then you will have the first rapture fail.
For for herald camping that'll be the for. Maybe we should do a special edition 3 a .m.. Dividing line. You could could we set that up.
Well.
You know technically we probably could you know we probably could but I'm not really certain we'd have any listeners. Do you perfect honest with you? Yeah?
Cuz I think we're all gonna be snoozing away in bed.
I I might actually go ahead and wake up at 3 just just to just to check and what I'll do is I'll line up a blog article to to go at like 310 and You know if I get up, and there's a 14 Richter earthquake then I can stop the post.
Article.
Give yourself a 10-minute window.
10-minute window. Get out there and get the computer going. Yeah, that's that's what we can do.
Yeah, well it would be a very exciting show with the two of us sitting there going anything.
Anything you got anything on yours? Yeah? I could have the Apple one you could have the droid one. How about you? Yeah, no nothing nothing nothing. Hey. What was that on the monitor? Oh, no the cat walking by okay?
They can do the rest of the day.
Much.
That would be fun. Let's sleep for a while. Yeah, well we could be we could all should be watching the rapture fail map, too. There you I would suggest having the rapture fail map up that would be sort of fun to watch it as it goes across so make sure to get ready to register on www .rapturefail .org and.
Now of course you know one of the things about all this. I was on wretched radio today as soon as I'm done here by the way I mean The the theme music. We will not be going long today. That's just a we've gone long recently cannot go long today.
877 -753 -2341 by the way. Dividing that line on Skype, and we will not be going along today because I will be on kfax in San Francisco. As soon as the theme music of this program ends basically. So I will have done two today.
I did one was it yesterday or day for yesterday. I don't know. All well yesterday was on King James only ism so really though. We did talk about Harold a little bit. But doing a lot of radio stuff, and I'll be on kfax for I don't know how long do they say?
Two segments how long you know. I really should not be able to hear you unless you I mean I can. Because we haven't done anything with that door yet. How long do you think that door is gonna stand there without being insulated and sealed and insulated well?
You know what I mean. We didn't finish. No I can. Okay, so I need to paint it. No.
The thing around the outside. It's wide open you can see through it. That's why I can hear you so well I.
Should not be able to hear you. There's casing on my side. That's.
Look what I can see through it that ain't done yet, and how long how long we've been in these offices.
We moved in 2006 so five years.
Okay. Who's in charge of that little bit of change? Well, I get a around to it. Okay. I need to get a box of those those things. I don't know how long I'm gonna be on kfax. Oh.
24 minutes. Okay two segments. It's you know Salem standard times. I yeah that's in 12 minutes.
Yeah, I know it'll be fast. We well wretched was fast. Yes. That was actually I even had something queued up. I wanted to play on wretched but anyway, so We'll be on kfax after this and if you want to listen to that they do have a live stream.
Please do not ask me for the URL. Because there's no reason for me to do that because it's you can you can Google just as well as I can Google. It's it's funny when people do that and you're like what you can't bring up google .com.
It's you know It's it's not overly difficult. Eight seven seven seven five three three three four one is the phone number you can join with us today. I did want to play something from Brother Cantor here.
Oh brother Cantor. Yeah, I guess I should mention. I was sort of looking around. I've gotten a lot of a lot of people have contacted me and I I You know we announced on Tuesday that Eric and Cantor Is going to Arlington Baptist College a very small Bible College very small Bible College.
I mean going from Liberty to Arlington. I mean I think Cantor had some classes that had more kids in them than good than attend Arlington Baptist College and We announced that on Tuesday at the beginning of the program and Since then I've had a few people contact me and I just don't see how this fits.
I'm gonna be perfectly honest with you. This is sort of your independent fundamentalist Baptist King James only type school. Okay, we're talking straight lace, and I'm sitting here Remembering back to how Eric and Cantor comes out on stage and his his you know how he dresses and getting tazed during chapel.
And I've never heard him preaching the King James Version of the Bible and something tells me he's probably being asked to preach from the King James Version of the Bible and I just go. This is a stopgap measure.
This is this is not gonna work for a long. No this ain't gonna happen.
Well, no, I I think you've you've. One thing we know about Eric and Cantor. He's a chameleon.
Adapt maybe. I think he will. Okay we will do we will have to disagree about that. I just a guy who is a professional wrestling addict. Flourishing at Arlington Baptist College. I don't know man. I just don't know.
You know all the scuttlebutt was that he was going to Veritas. But I don't think geyser was able to get the funds because he's damaged damaged goods, and he's gonna stay that way. The longer he refused the longer the geyser keeps hosting the fully refuted silliness on his website.
That is just so transparently ridiculous. I just don't don't see that happening.
Well the other thing you have to wonder is with two personalities there who's running the show?
What do you mean two personalities. Well, I'll verify. Slur on and can't. Not not a canner. Canner is absolutely subservient to guys. Almost anybody who meets him is it's a very interesting dynamic to observe.
Anyways, that's that it'll be very very interesting. And Arlington Baptist College are the ABC Patriots. What's interesting is their Patriot logo looks almost identical to that of the Independence Patriots my high school from?
1978 when we became the Independence Patriots 1977 actually was when that that school opened. And we tried to burn it down 12 days later actually anyway. Well. We didn't a oh we didn't know that yeah.
Had a sophomore a really troubled. They're only freshmen and sophomore in that first year. And 12 days into that first year. He snuck out of class or did something and lit up a bunch of as yet unpacked desks.
And unused portion of the school. And we didn't get to use the bottom portion of the school for the rest of that school year while they rebuilt it because it burned.
Yeah, well we're on the subject. You're you're. Depraved classmates weren't as depraved as mine. Oh, they blew up the shop teacher with acetylene gas. They were filled balloons with him and packed him hit him around the property.
Did they. They killed the shop teacher. After he got out of the hospital he decided was good time to retire. Oh well.
That's nice, so. Okay well anyway. Eight seven seven seven five three three four one. I do I play this because I think this is one of the most important elements. It's unfortunately gotten lost. Have you noticed that the doctrinal element of?
Camping's heresies has just pretty much disappeared everything's focused on May 21st and all the rest of this stuff, and I and I there is one thing I am very concerned, and I've have expresses more than once I'm gonna express it again.
Jesus could return today tomorrow 21st 22nd 23rd 24th. I just one of the things I just don't think is even avoidable in this is That when we point out the errors of Harold camping the there's collateral damage and the collateral damage is is anyone who really is as Titus 213 describes us looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.
That was one of the first concerns. I expressed was that when we we mock Camping's silliness, and it's not difficult to do when I mean I got a wretched today I just ran through his argumentation, and when you do it fast.
It really sounds silly of course Harold camping's ever done it fast, but So it sounds a little bit better when you do it slowly. But when you do it fast, it sounds really silly and the problem is it sounds like you're mocking the whole idea of Christ return.
And you're not. Because the whole issue is the Bible has clearly said no man knows the day or the hour. Not even the Sun and when Harold camping has to twist that into well the Sun could be the devil then you know that there's a real problem with the guys with the guy's system, but his other Heresies like his Jesus died twice heresy.
I almost never hear anybody talking about that. That Jesus died in eternity past and then he died in time on Calvary, but the one on Calvary was not perpetuatory. It was the one in eternity past. Hello.
How absurd can that be I? Mean that that's just that I've never heard of anybody who came up with that one before. But this man he you know I was looking at the last one the last video that was posted on Ezekiel 33 threes channel he's really high quality videos that someone in family radios from putting up.
And here's this little old man. And his little wife. You know what they've been married for 68 years. I Mean, that's that's that's amazing. And you look at this little old man, he's got his Bible, and he's dressed.
You know. He's got his tie and his jacket on and you know and it's real easy for us to just let our emotions Override the reality of the situation and the lives this man is ruined and the arrogance the deep-seated Arrogance that one must possess.
To be able to behave as this man has behaved for decades not for a few months. This isn't just some guy that was on the beam and then You know has swerved off suddenly no, no this is a settled Detestation of authority and truce no question about it and I was refreshing this to see if we could bring up You know the new video I'll try to remember to do that later in the program because sometimes get posted sometimes around around this time.
But I want you to hear this section. Because this was this was what I responded to initially from camping and it needs to be kept in mind and Listen listen to what he says. This is the beginning of the 11 days left until Judgment Day.
I go ahead and let it go a little bit longer and I want you to hear these are the very same arguments Mormons use to promote their concept of an absolute apostasy on the part of the Christian Church. Listen to what we have here.
The fact is whether Whether you're a male or a female Pastor or you've been a pastor a long time or a short time if you are still preaching in a church you are a servant.
That is one of the more shocking things to hear that.
Satan is ruling in the churches. Yes, it is. And you know, we would never Believe that but we read in second Thessalonians Let no man deceive you by any means. For that day shall not come except there come a falling away first.
And that man of sin be revealed. The Satan has an angel of light and his ministers of righteousness. When you see the abomination of desolation that is Satan Satan sitting in the holy place. Then let those who are in Judea Flee to the hills and there are other passages that tell us get out of the churches.
Because if you remain there you are going to be Worshipping Satan. Can you think of anything more horrible than that?
So there's What can you say? From his perspective if you are a minister in a church as I am I'm worshiping Satan and If you go to a church You're making sure that your children can never be saved. You are worshiping Satan yourself.
I mean this man is an enemy of the cause of Christ and has been for quite some time but because he carries his Bible and I Don't know about the rest of you, but just seems freaky to me every time I turn on 88 9.
It's 88 9 the repeater here in Phoenix is 88 9. I Mean you would think they would at least Be playing wall-to-wall open forum programs from the past. I mean according to these folks in 36 hours. Am I right there?
Yeah, 30 35 hours. According to our clock the Rapture is gonna start somewhere in the world 35 hours from now and You can turn turn on and get a barbershop quartet singing some kind of old hymn. He just you just.
Where's the disconnection here? Hello anybody home it is truly truly amazing to. I Don't know. Let's let's listen to some of the rest of what this had to say here. I Don't remember what the rest of it was.
But thank you for calling and sharing and shall we take our next call, please?
Thursday night a gentleman called and he said that he belonged to a church that teaches the proper way of salvation.
Well, here's the problem. We don't look at the churches to find truth. We look at the Bible to find truth. For that day talking about Judgment Day Shall not come except there come a falling away first and a man of sin be revealed.
Until 1988 was the end of the church age representing the kingdom of God and at that time God installed Satan to rule in the churches as well as over all the world. And of course.
You likewise Have an issue With the fact that it was also 1988 when Harold himself was removed from teaching in the CRC. What an amazing thing and he may as well has nothing to do with it really. Honestly Harold it just happens to coincide when you Got kicked out of your teaching position because you would not teach in an Orthodox fashion.
Mm-hmm.
The churches are shambles many of the pastors are divorced women in the pulpit elders and deacons that are not. Nearly matching what the Bible calls for where the music is going down the tubes. Totally contrary.
God so there you have. Because there are bad churches and there are. Because there are literally synagogues of Satan. Well I guess there always have been huh. That means the true church has disappeared as well.
Oh, no. No, the true church still exists. It's the invisible church and It follows. Harold camping. You know Todd Friel asked me a question. Is this a cult. Yes, I. Mean, I don't know how else you could define one.
The the heresies the denial of the gospel the addition of authorities outside of Scripture. No matter how many times he says he doesn't makes just as much sense as Jehovah's Witness saying we just go by the Bible.
Yeah, right. The governing body of Jehovah's Witnesses isn't your ultimate authority. Of course it is. What's the ultimate authority for a camping night. Harold camping is the ultimate authority? He's the one who claims that he's gotten the book of Daniel 12 in the sense of coming to these understandings and blah blah blah blah blah.
Same thing same thing over and over again. This one's almost over God. It's easy to defend my church. I love my church. They love the pastor and they are convinced. They have the truth. We have a salvation plan that we are convinced is saving us and yet It's not saving us at all because only God's salvation plan can save us.
Is that bothers us. Because of course there's only one gospel. There is only one way of salvation. It has nothing to do with believing in May 21st 2011, but You know he says these things. He's he still uses the language of orthodoxy.
He's just filled it with completely different meanings. It's it's.
It's difficult. Listen experiences that earthquake. Satan's rule over mankind is gone. So don't worry about evil men don't worry about Satan and just beg the Lord just beseech the Lord implore him. My we only have 11 days left.
Are you praying for your loved ones? Are you praying for yourself? It's still time by God's mercy. But it's going to happen. So it's serious business.
So that was the May that was the 11 day one here. I'm gonna go ahead and do a refresh on the screen here and see if by any possibility The new one is up. Because that would be that'd be interesting to see we could listen to it together.
Let's see what comes up here. I've got it muted for the moment. So even if it does come up Nope still says three days left. It's this is the three-day left one. So we'll see what happens when the. When the two-day left one I'll still hit it a couple times.
Eight seven seven seven five three two three four one. We had some really really good phone calls on Last program fact the last two programs with Michael Brown and then that one. I think go into the top ten category of the dividing lines and.
No, I do not feel any particular pressure to try to repeat. You know you come in here and you talk about what's on your heart and what's going on and That means it changes from week to week. And sometimes that means You're going to be addressing Roman Catholicism sometimes atheism sometimes.
Well all sorts of things, you know, I I didn't even fire up. Should have could have fired up a one of the many debates that I want to try to get to. I've been listening to Michael Brown sent me I sent him a number of my debates.
He sent me a number of his debates and.
I.
Listened to two of his debates with shmooly Botiak rabbi shmooly Botiak and We having a phone problem out there. Okay Eight seven seven seven five three three four one and dividing that line on Skype.
One was on to Jesus die for our sins, and I think the other one was What was the other one on? Well, is that sort of Isaiah 50? Which is the Messiah, okay. What was on Isaiah 53 that was on was Jesus Messiah and then he had a debate with a rabbi gold that I listened to that was Very interesting.
Shmooly Botiak. I played some segments of his comments on the dividing line in the past and Was just taken aback with the kind of argumentation That that he utilizes it's as I said to Michael I said, it's 99 Emotion and 1 substance and it really is it talk about rhetoric oftentimes resulting in an amazing Set of arguments being set set forth and I I know Michael like shmooly and they get along but as far as debates goes I'm just sort of left going what on earth?
It anyways I didn't get a chance this morning. I plan to tomorrow Get a chance to listen to Bart Ehrman's appearance on issues, etc Because I remember the first time I ever heard of Bart Ehrman's claim that if the Bible had been inspired there would be no Textual variance was on issues, etc.
So issues, etc. Does tend to get to the heart of the matter and ask direct questions and So I'm I will catch that tomorrow actually Lord willing I'll get that one and Be able to you know, who knows maybe we'll maybe we'll You know do something along those lines.
Try.
I'm doing the the hand signal thing. I look like one of the guys on the edge of a carrier trying to bring the. Trying to bring the plane in right now trying to get riches attention while also talking at the same time.
It's a it's an interesting thing to do, but I think we're gonna try to go ahead and take a break. I'm not sure if we're lining up some phone calls right now or not. But we'll try to take a break and during that time.
Appreciate your participation. Maybe you have some thoughts on the phone calls last time on the Michael Brown program. Whatever it might be. Hey for some of you. This might be your last shot. It's because today is the 19th of May 2011.
So we'll write back right after this.
Answering those who claim that only the King James Version is the Word of God. James White in his book the King James only controversy examines allegations that modern translators conspired to corrupt Scripture and lead believers away from true Christian faith in a readable and responsible style.
Author James White traces the development of Bible translations old and new and investigates the differences between new versions and the authorized version of 1611. You can order your copy of James White's book. The King James only controversy by going to our website at www .aomen .org.
Public crimes the criminal mishandling of God's Word may be James White's most provocative book yet White sets out to examine numerous crimes being committed in pulpits throughout our land every week as he seeks to leave no stone unturned.
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The charges are as follows. Prostitution using the gospel for financial gain. Pandering to pluralism. Cowardice under fire. Felonious eisegesis. Entertainment without a license and cross-dressing ignoring God's ordinance regarding the roles of men and women.
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And welcome back to the dividing line on a Thursday afternoon. I said to Mute that thing and it unmuted itself. That's fine. I'm still trying to see if they get the new video up there. We do have some phone calls coming in and we appreciate that.
Let's go ahead and get started with them and let's talk with Vincent in Dallas. Hi Vincent. Hi, dr. White. How are you? Oh pretty good for being right at the end of the world.
Actually, I had a question on I've heard you say. And I could be mistaken. I could just miss understand you. What is the nature of. I thought I heard you say at one point that.
That.
People in the Old Testament could lose their salvation. And I've heard reformed pastors say or at least it. From how I gather that, you know from what I'm hearing from I'm it. Some of them would wouldn't think so and I would.
You know, I'm just kind of confused about it. Well, no, I I.
Was raised as a and I sound really odd here rich. I'm not really sure why but it sounds like I'm getting feedback or something on My mic when they've phones on. I'm not sure what it is. But anyway, we may have still have a way way up because we were trying to get that feed to Todd Friel.
But anyhow, no in fact I have emphasized that the arguments that that Paul makes in Romans 3 and 4 is That Abraham was justified in the same way that we are justified that men have always been justified by faith.
I was raised as a dispensationalist and there are all sorts of forms of dispensationalism Today and I can't even keep track of all of them anymore. But those forms the older forms that posited different Gospels and different ways of salvation for different peoples.
Think goes directly against what the Apostle himself says specifically he argues that Abraham was justified by faith and uses him as the as the example of our own justification by faith and He talks about the fact that those before Christ Had their their sins forgiven God in essence passed over those things in light of the certainty of the cross itself.
Now there are some differences as far as the the role the Holy Spirit in The New Covenant and things like that. There's there's certainly greater benefits I would say. But there's not a different way of salvation.
There are instances where the Holy Spirit came upon men for particular purposes in the Old Covenant. Which would be different than the role of the Holy Spirit? Who is the the the Ara bone the down payment of of our salvation and comes with clarity in in our confession of faith in Christ regeneration, so on so forth, but You know, for example the building of the tabernacle and things like that.
The Holy Spirit would come upon men give them special skills things like that but that's that's that's different than what we're really talking about. We talked about how people are saved and It's always been by faith in in what's called the covenant of grace.
So no, I would I would be in in the the covenant community at that at that point rather clearly.
Okay. Okay. That explains a whole lot.
I mean, maybe you found an old old old old tape when I was still a recovering dispensationalist or something. Made some statement. I don't know. I don't know but You know from 1980 something, but my voice probably would have been higher back then I would imagine.
I'm trying to study it now. Would you. Would you know of any resources to kind of read up on?
Yeah, there's lots of stuff. I'll be honest with I stay out of it pretty much because the the sparks fly and And the emotions get very very high. And in two areas eschatology, which I avoid pretty much like the plague even though we're sort of touching on it a little bit these days can't sort of avoid it with Harold camping running around and then that area and the eschatology is.
Especially on the dispensational side is deeply tied into That subject as well. You trying to separate eschatology from dispensationalism just doesn't work. I remember I was a Dwight Pentecost. Was a Dwight Pentecost book things to come.
I remember that that was what I was a book that from my childhood. As far as that goes and the the intimate connection between them is very tight. So There there are books specifically on the subject of dispensationalism.
Unfortunately, a lot of them are not overly gracious. But but some might be but I I've not read them and so I wouldn't be able to give you really good really good recommendations. Cuz I'm I'm busy with other stuff.
So we would have the spirit come upon somebody and then depart from them well for certain purposes.
Yeah, I think that we have to differentiate between the Holy Spirit coming upon someone specifically for the purpose of bringing about their regeneration their union with Christ and someone the Holy Spirit coming upon someone to give them certain gifts to Do something for example in the building of the tabernacle.
I don't think there's any reason for us to think that some of those men That had certain gifts given to them in the Old Covenant Their their bodies died in the wilderness. They There were there were a lot of people like that in in that generation and We can learn from that.
But it's I think we need to be careful to allow the new tech new covenant scriptures to define The things for us with clarity rather than going back and try to sort of figure out. Well, you know, does this mean this does that mean that that often leads to some some problems, but anyway, all right, Vincent.
Okay. Okay. Thanks your call. All right. 8 7 7 7 5 3 3 3 4 1 is the phone number. Let's talk with Sam. Hi, Sam Doing good Well, you know that I Totally plan however on doing the dividing line on the 24th Who knows maybe if something really wild takes place over the weekend In the sense of you know, they're I'm let's be honest I'm a little concerned about some of campings followers.
I really am I mean rich has raised the question. Hey, if you're one of those guys that gave your entire life savings To this thing and nothing happens. Would it be really all that far-fetched for somebody to go postal?
I don't I don't think it would be and so who knows maybe we'll have to have a program in the 23rd just because something's happened, but I certain plan to be here on the 24th and we'll Just be continuing to serve the Lord because if the if the Sun didn't know during his human sojourn the date I near does anybody else including including Harold camping.
But anyways, that's not why you called. What's up?
Well, yeah, and it's gonna relate to that and I appreciate your ministry highly. Um, basically here it is. I was listening to a Pentecostal radio show Last Saturday and they were emphasizing that we need to go by the Bible.
We need to believe the Word of God, right? And of course, they were using that with the implication that most of the church isn't believing rightly we don't believe in a second filling with tongues or a baptism of the Spirit as they would say and You know, I called as a reformed Baptist.
Actually, I sent an email I'm sorry, and I basically asked you are absolutely right that we need to go by the Bible I said, but how do we know that we are interpreting it likely and basically 80 of the answer was 85
I mean, what are the best translations and I was thinking yeah that that real that's important. But that wasn't my question. What I wanted to know was Assuming you have a good translation How do you know is the best way to interpret and you spent a little time on that mentioning Greek and grammar?
Very very brief. But anyway, the point I was trying to make is that not interpreting correctly is very very dangerous and I think their teaching has some dangerous implications, but Harold can't be the ultimate proof of Not having a proper interpretive method.
Well, he is and you know when when someone asks the question Well, how do you know when you're you're handling the Word of God or right? I think there are guidelines for that and the main word to use there is the word consistency.
When you when you are Utilize different forms of interpretation for different passages of Scripture when you when you switch your methodology that is the the clear indication of a tradition getting in the way and You know that's what I would say to the brothers on the on the On the program would be well, you know the things you're saying about what you believe the Bible teaches if we apply the same methods Of interpretation that we would agree on say for example in regards the resurrection or something like that.
It's fine. They don't lead us to the conclusions. You've come to on these issues the Holy Spirit that might be an indication of Running into one of your traditions and that's one of the things to keep in mind at that point.
Is the concept of consistency and and really fundamentally? The the entire witness of Scripture and that's very easily abused. Well that there's a there's dozens of verses there's hundreds of verses blah blah blah.
But what you do is is when you apply that same standard all across the canon of Scripture. That is where you really find the the harmony of truth over time. That's been my experience as I have sought to respond to the Challenges that people make against Christian faith is that the deeper I dig the more that that consistency over over the entire canon of Scripture comes to the fore and It's a beautiful thing, but it's not something that just lies on the surface.
So in some ways, it's not something you can necessarily prove to a person of who lacks faith. Unless they really want to invest the time into seeing how this works, which rarely they want to do that. But certainly for the Christian who's willing to listen to Scripture.
Deeply delve into Scripture look at its backgrounds identify its themes. There's a there's a beautiful consistency in the Scripture at that point that to me is the fundamental answer to the question How do you know that you're handling it?
Consistency you use and only then can you call it the Word of God because when you don't use a consistent hermeneutic when you when you Do what Harold Camping does? This is the great tragedy is that all of this is just Harold Camping's fertile mind and yet he over and over again is saying Just a Bible just a Bible.
No, it's not when he talks about well, I've these are the rules of Bible no, they're your rules and. Well five is the word for for atonement and ten is a word for completion and and 17 is the word for heaven.
Where do you get this stuff? It's coming from your mind. It's not coming from the Bible. Yeah, you know, it's it's just it's it's a sad thing to listen to and he just he's beyond he's beyond correction.
He does not hear His mind just automatically turns off when you say anything about it. So.
It's.
Maybe we can use his example of his errors to maybe gently exhort some other brothers who don't have the best hermeneutic. Or interpretive method. Yeah, let's hope so.
Let's hope so. I certainly what I did in dangerous airwaves. I really tried to make that book a book that pointed to the necessity of Using sound methods of exegesis because without that you cannot say this is what the Word of God says.
The best you can say is this is what I'm saying, and I'm trying to base it on the Word of God. There's a difference between those two things. So. Alright. Okay, all right, all right, so where are we gonna go next do you want to.
You sure you want we got to go there. Okay, let's talk to Marcus. Hi Marcus. Hi, dr. White. How you doing? I'm doing well. I.
Had a question about Islam because I heard you're writing a book about the Quran. Yes. Well, I'm using the Quran as the It's really on the entirety of Islam it's on the heart of the issues that separate Christianity and Islam.
But I'm using particular key Quranic texts to identify what those issues are. In the process a person will learn Hopefully a lot about the Quran but the the primary purpose is to focus upon What really are the issues?
Why are they important and How do we determine the truth about those things? Yeah, okay.
So I think my question would be really relevant then we have quite quite a Muslim population here in Minneapolis and My question is how how do you See the Quran fitting in with evangelism. Especially with Muslims that that really don't don't want to read the Bible.
They don't want to hear from the Bible. And and there's a number of texts I've heard you sign them in some of your debates just about the Word of God having or the Quran Confirms what went before it and that sort of stuff.
How do you see I mean should we just stick with the Bible and evangelism or should are there natural bridges in the Quran?
Well, the Word of God is the power and the salvation and. But you can't ignore the overriding commitment to the Supremacy of the Quran the fact that the vast majority of Muslims including the Muslim will have on next right after you He's called in Would would believe that The Quran is the final standard.
It's the final authority. That the scriptures have been corrupted and and of course that it depends on which Muslim you're talking to as to how much they believe. The scriptures have been corrupted, but the vast majority of modern Muslims Really have been taught that what is found in the in the Torah in the Injil Has been so fundamentally altered that it's it's it's does not really carry much in the way of authority any longer.
Even though ironically their apologists will frequently cite it when they think they can do so to their advantage.
So.
It does we have to be aware of those issues and some people will use the Quran more than others. To try to build some bridges what I'm concerned about is The the movements that seek to build the bridges without the same time being very clear that the The Quran itself is not the Word of God in other words.
It just I find it dishonest. To try to use the Quran in a way that is that is fundamentally fundamentally deceptive in Saying oh, but look what the Quran says here accepting some kind of spiritual authority for it, but recognizing that as a book as a revelation taken as a whole.
There is a fundamental Denial on its part of what it is. You're trying to get the person to believe. Yeah, I mean, you know. Unless you're going to chop the Quran up into pieces. Its view of who Jesus is is is fundamentally anti-christian in.
Its denial of the fact that he's the Son of God and we can argue that well. The Quran doesn't understand the nature of sonship in a Christian way. And I agree it does not that tells us something about the author of the Quran.
But the point is there are people who are really trying to argue that in essence. We can use it in such a way that we don't have to challenge its alleged spiritual authority. And use it sort of as a as an innocuous bridge and but where are you trying to get somebody at that point?
You know once you get them across the bridge, what are you gonna have to do with the bridge? You can't leave a stand in there. You know, so what do you do? It's it's a it's a challenge at that point. So I Think that you you know when I was out in London and talking with some some Muslims there.
Yeah, we Almost every conversation I have had not everyone but but most of them have ended up having some connection to the Quran we've been discussing something about what the Quran says, but it was never in the context of.
Well, you know, I'm not gonna challenge the authority this have you ever thought that maybe what it means is this and trying to sort? Of just gently move them over toward a Christian perspective. I just don't see that as as being consistent with the apostolic testimony apostolic witness.
The Apostles says God has done this in Jesus Christ. He's gonna judge you on the basis of his resurrection and that's it and it wasn't a well, you know, you have your pagan gods. Let's see if we can learn something nice from your pagan gods and move you a little bit closer to Christianity.
I just don't see that as a as a valid Christian approach. Great so I mean it is it is a barrier. There's no question about it. And if you're talking about, you know, you're up there in the Minneapolis area.
You know the the problem is the barrier frequently is a barrier of ignorance because many of the people you talk to. While they have an implicit faith in Quran, they don't know it themselves. Yeah, it's true.
And so it's it's it is it is a difficulty that requires sometimes Long periods of time and and work and patience to overcome and obviously I would suggest anyone who's going to be working with indigenous peoples that with people have come over here from other from Muslim lands.
You need to know what the Quran says and be familiar with what the Quran says not to use it in an inappropriate way. But to be able to interpret what's being said to you by others. So you can hear what they're saying and and it's always up to us to bridge the communication gap.
It always is. Yeah, great. Well, thank you. Those are helpful thoughts. Those are helpful. Okay, great. Thanks Marcus. All right, God bless bye-bye eight seven seven seven five three three three four one and Giving rich a second here to get his his Skype stuff together and we are joined from Australia.
Now this is going to be interesting because we're joined by a gentleman. I have debated on a BN and in person at In Sydney, Australia Abdullah Kunda. Hi Abdullah. How are you?
Very well, thank you. Good afternoon. Dr. White and thanks for having me on today.
Well, it's good to have you on now. This is a little bit weird because according to what I see on my screen here. You want to comment on Harold camping?
Yeah, well probably enough. Well, look first of all, I just wanted to say thank you for sending me copies of The God Who Justifies and the Forgotten Trinity. I really appreciate that and I'll Go on the record as saying that you're a man of your word and certainly committed to Getting your message out there and and may I also say without Implying that I'm trying to boost your ego that the God Who Justifies is extremely well-written.
And it's actually frustrated my wife a little bit because it's taking an extra an hour or two away from The time that I'd spend with her every day. So well.
Let me let me return the compliment Abdullah. You're you're one of those. You're one of those Muslim apologists. I enjoy encountering I. You will have to testify. I Apologized to you when we were on a BN because I was just I was aghast at the treatment that you received From the callers at that time.
I just I just wanted to beat my head on a desk. It does seem that the folks in the audience there do not understand the concept of the question mark. It's frustrating to me it really is but I appreciate the fact that the books got there and I'm looking forward to hopefully I don't know what's gonna happen.
We can't announce anything, but I do look forward in the future to some some further encounters as we as we debate issues. But I would be very interested. What does a Muslim think of Harold camping?
Well, well funnily enough actually it was my wife and I were driving down a major freeway just near our house Just about a week ago and we noticed this huge billboard on the side of the road which said the judgment day coming 21st of May and it was only when I Was reading the other blog updates on your website that I realized that the the signs are from from Harold camping's ministry, right?
So he's made it all the way out out here. Unbelievably, I mean in what would be premium advertising real estate, I guess and and You know without getting into the The specific stuff about the rapture and and calculating the day specifically and and all that because I mean I I Find that utterly ridiculous and I dare say that without coming across as offensive you would find it the same.
Yeah, I'm actually interested to know What is the? What is your perspective on the on the figures that he gives for certain historical events that we that we know from Scripture? You know saying that the flood was 7 ,000 years ago.
Would you say that that's a general Christian understanding or would that be your well?
No, in fact that there have been a lot of calculations people have attempted to calculate. I don't think that the scriptures give us enough information to calculate that to any meaningful date. And I don't think they were meant to do so.
And so there and there's a lot of problems the calculations that he used. Did you get a chance to hear the debate that I did with him?
Not not all of it. No, I just said a couple of bits and pieces.
Yeah, that that actually would would give you a lot of that information including the follow-up programs that we did on it, but No, I would not subscribe to the to the numbers that he assigns there because a lot of them are based upon some very Questionable reading on his part and you you never know unless you really dig into it how much of this allegorical interpretation He's used where he just he just assigns meanings to numbers.
The scriptures don't do it, but he does it and then Uses that to say well, then that means this and we can interpret this in that way. It's a it's a very fevered way of interpretation. We're running short on time.
But I did want to ask a quick question. Is it not true though that there is a lot of Islamic eschatological writing as well. Especially in Middle Eastern countries, isn't that a really popular genre of literature?
I'm not aware of its popularity in the modern day. I must admit. I know that from certainly from the traditional scholars that I've read so. People like Jalal ad-Din and those types there was a tendency to suggest periods of.
Guess of time where it's likely That the end might be coming but certainly no Desire to sit at you know a day or a year. I mean, you know, we very much sort of follow a Foundational belief which I guess is found in the Gospels as well that that nobody actually knows the hour except for except for God Almighty.
So, you know for someone to sit down and actually start calculating it down to a day or or even a week or a year. They'd actually be you know, denying a fundamental right belief. So so so yes, so. There's certainly not that and I guess the probably one of the chief differences with them.
You know the Islamic belief about in times is that? You know, we're not waiting on a I guess a rapture right happen. We're waiting more on the return of the Messiah. So well, but Christ will return in some form from the Islamic perspective, right?
Absolutely. Yeah. Hey, I'd love to go along with you, but I've got a kayfax interview to do in 90-seconds, so Thank you very very much for your comments today and we'll be in touch about what we'll be doing.
We get down there to Sydney in October. I look forward to seeing you then. Thank you very much. Thank you, sir. Thanks for listening to the violin folks. We're gonna be here on Tuesday. We'll talk to you then.
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