Keep sharing good news without ads.
No description available
Comments are turned off for this media
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 7 5 3 3 3 4 1. And now with today's topic here is James White.
Well, you see there's an advantage to listening to The Dividing Line live. I know some of you can't do that. I know some of you listen by archive because you Slave away behind a firewall and those mean nasty network administrators will not let a real audio Stream through your firewall.
I know that some of you are oppressed and Sort of like that scene in Monty Python. That type of thing but you know, I understand it's okay, but there is an advantage to listening live because you get to hear the pre-show and.
It's it's it's it's sometimes it's it's nothing. At all and then sometimes like today. We featured we featured interesting stuff. It's no. I tell you, you know, I made a major mistake. I must admit, you know, some people will not admit to mistakes.
I I admit to them all the time. And I made a major mistake. I introduced a Canadian to talk a hero and the results have simply been frightening absolutely frightening. I mean almost. Well, like like a new person has been born as a result and it's a very frightening thing.
And.
We got to hear the talk a hero remix the tech tech techno talk a hero techno, whatever it was it was it was very very very frightening actually and so anyways, the people that were listening to the pre-show are awake and alive right now, but By the way, I I don't know if the folks in fact I need to respond to this, you know, there it is.
I need to yeah, I need to respond to this this this email message, but last week our friend from Atlanta was kind to call in and read the Brochure for the upcoming seminar at Southern View Chapel Which is in Springfield, Illinois 4 ,500 South 2nd Street, Springfield, Illinois this is going to be November 7th through the 9th that I'm going to be speaking there and I had seen this and I remembered it was a very very nice brochure.
Very nicely laid out very colorful. It's sort of yellow and blue. Actually, it's only two colors, but it looks very colorful yellow and blue and We found it. Well, I didn't find it. It just appeared on my desk.
I think someone else found it and We read the things last week, but Justification, you know 9 to 10 a .m. Justification including an evaluation a new perspective. For those of you who are in st. Paul, we were at the Chicago Chicago that's hard to say.
I bet you everything says basically Chicago Chisago Lakes Baptist Church Twin Cities Bible Church, they got together and we were at the facilities of the Chisago. It was a Baptist Church up there I can't say Chisago too many times and Anyways, very nice facility nice folks there and we did.
Well four full hours of Lecture and I barely touched on new perspectivism in the process. I mean, it's just a huge subject if you're going to do it do it. Well, we have one hour on Friday November 7th 9 to 10 a .m 10 30 to 11 a defense of the Trinity.
Why is it important? And then that evening The King James only controversy that's an hour and a half. That's just enough time to sneak it all in. The presentation on that and then Saturday during the day nothing going on, but in the evening 7 8 30 Comparison of Calvinism Arminianism and then Sunday's all to be on biblical sufficiency part 1 part 2 part 3 So that'll be I'll be talking about solo scriptura and solo scriptura and the inspiration of scripture and the canon and all the Wonderful fun stuff, so that'll be on November 7th through 9th, and I'm sure if you drop them a line Www .sv chapels, that's for southern view svchapel .org I'm sure they'd send you one of these two.
Because I know some folks are going to be coming from quite some distance to be there with us. So That'll be that'll be cool. So I found I found the information I'm glad that I I'm glad that I did had a great time up there in the Minneapolis st. Paul area and Called it.
I learned to call it the Twin Cities because if you're in st. Paul and call it, Minneapolis. They don't like that and there's sort of a they the two cities sort of don't like each other a whole lot. And so if you're smart just refer the Twin Cities and everybody will be happy and you won't offend anyone Which is I think a good thing.
Hey, I got an email. I Know they don't read emails, of course, but I I thought this one was was sort of ironic.
I.
Announced the week before we left. That well, I announced last week. It's you know when you travel the time just sort of.
Disappears I.
Announced that We had. I had been corresponding back and forth the end of last week with mr. Matic's.
Was that last week the week after?
And I'll tell you, you know when you're gone every single weekend for five or six weeks in a row you just completely Lose track of where in the world you are and what the world's going on. I guess it was last week and I I played some some clips from the debate with mr. Matic's on the subject of perpetual virginity of Mary and I mentioned that I at the end of the program that I've been very very very clear in expressing to mr. Matic's my views on his activities his teachings.
And the fact that the term apostate I think is very applicable to a person who once knew the truth who once for example wrote a paper that his professors described as as As a classic on John Owens doctrine of perseverance and yet he can turn around and Tell audiences that Protestants believe X Y Z and and and not even try to Respond to the the best always respond to the worst etc. Etc.
And so anyway, I didn't hear anything for a while and I just got a got a note yesterday and I fired it off to Eric Stenson to see what his schedule looks like it looks like. Both Eric and Jerry are not available this week, but both are available next week.
So this afternoon, I'm going to write back to both of them to say, okay, can we pencil in next Tuesday morning and Go as long as we need to go. That means that's when we're all going to get to hear the quote from Josephus and if we don't hear the quote from Josephus, then we're going to obviously make the point that I bet Jerry's told many people about this alleged quote from Josephus and it doesn't exist and hopefully hear him retract that and Then we're going to talk about what?
Bowered Dunker aren't in Gingrich says and whether mr. Mattox even has the third edition and has had the third edition all along and what it says it Matt, but the translation that it gives at Matthew 118 and all those neat wonderful wonderful fun things we're gonna get to read the odes of Solomon and I'm not going to do that again because that's probably one of the most infamous dividing lines ever was reading the odes.
And we're gonna see. We're gonna listen as mr Mattox attempts to explain to us that just because a writing like the odes of Solomon contains errors doesn't mean that it can't contain truth and I'm going to go.
Okay, great. So you would if you had found a Reference to monotheism in the Book of Mormon, you would glom on to that as if it has some relevance to the truth. It just it's just it should be very enjoyable and of course Eric's going to be.
I didn't play this. I suppose I should well, maybe I did. Well, I don't remember what I played but at one point. Mr. Mattox mocked Eric Stenson's work on house who said Ron Tichelli's article destroyed Destroyed it and even even seemed intimate to me.
Anyway, is that that other apologists have abandoned the the the use of the phrase. Actually, I'm not sure of a whole lot of apologists who are involved in this field that even deal with the original languages very much.
Eric Stenson and I do obviously but there who well, who is he referring to? He didn't give us any names. I'd be like to. I would like to. You know ask about that. That should be interesting. But hopefully that'll be next Tuesday but Notice.
Let me just read to you what mr Matic says. I'm still very interested in joining you and Eric Stenson in a live radio analysis of our debate. But I have not heard further from you on this actually I had written back to him.
But he was proceeding paragraphs of mentioning how busy is I? Offered to be on your show the day you first had a show discussing our debate last week. But you were unwilling to have me on at that time as your emails clearly prove.
I remember at one point I had written to him and I and I Had used the phraseology, you know, I can't believe you're demanding to be on the program. You don't have any basis for demanding to be on anything.
It's like it'd be like me calling up Karl Keating. I demand you have me on today. I've said many times I'd be glad to be on Catholic answers live and take calls and whole nine yards. But I've never been invited to be on Catholic answers live.
I'd love to be on EWTN. I'd fly down there. I'd appear on the program with as many people as they would like to have on no problem at all. But I can't demand it and then he wrote back. I never said anything about demanding.
Well as you you see if this doesn't if this doesn't use the term. You know does not substantiate the term demand anyways as your emails clearly prove unfortunately I cannot do it this week as I'm already booked to teach classes on Tuesday and Thursday and also have two lectures to prepare and deliver at the Catholic Family News annual conference in Philadelphia this Friday through Sunday, October 24th to the 26th and If he does that the way he normally does that he will be writing them as he walks to the door.
So I'm not sure that would really have a lot to it, but that's fine. But I love this last this last this last line this last is it one line notes, too. But I could do it next week or any other week of your choosing after I suggested it might be Construed as cowardice on your part to have a one-sided show in which you would beat up on me in absentia.
You then agreed to have me on and I hope that you'll follow through on this and won't invite further Suspicions by withdrawing the quote invitation end quote. Look Jerry if you want to if you want to be the subject of a live vivisection on on this program.
That's your business. We'll have you on and we'll be glad to do it but I Just you know, I'm getting emails from folks going is this guy serious Does that I mean he he can't possibly be serious about this.
Yep. He's perfectly serious and.
So.
I'm gonna write back to to I'm gonna write back to Eric and him today and I'm gonna say Let's do it. Let's do it. Next week from this morning Tuesday morning, that would be the 28th.
Of.
October it is October right? It's it's gone been a very fast month. Very very fast month. It was September the last time I really noticed the calendar 28th of October and we will have mr. Maddox and mr. Spenson and we'll just we'll go as long as we need to go and we'll have have some interesting questions For mr. Maddox to answer in regards to the subject of The perpetual virginity of Mary and his claims and the whole the whole anachronistic reading into Into the history of the church all sorts of things that weren't there and I'm gonna I'd like to ask.
A.
Fact. I need to do something here. There we go. I'd like to ask, you know, was this like the Josephus thing was this a Part of what converted you when you say the Bible converted you to Catholicism. Is that is this an element of that kind of material that converted you?
Where did you first hear this who came up with this stuff? You know, I did get an email this week and The email did provide a possible source of Mr. Maddox is a confusion and There is a reference. It's found in early Church Fathers volume 8.
Hegesipas said something about James and he'd mentioned that James was 94 years old. No, no, no, no, no, no. Take that take that back. This is the ironic part. Is the ironic part the only mention the age of James at martyrdom, you know rats found Fox's Book of Martyrs.
I love the idea that the geriatrics has been going around Giving folks information that actually found its original source in Fox's Book of Martyrs. That would just be Absolutely positively classic if that was if that was the case, but something tells me I don't think mr Maddox is gonna want to buy into Fox's Book of Martyrs, but hey, you know, that's That's what we'll find out next week anyways, so y 'all set your Set your clocks mark your calendars take a day off work do whatever you need to do and That'll That'll be funny.
What's up with Fox's Book of Martyrs the Catholics don't like the Fox's Book of Martyrs and it's it's not exactly your source of documentary history either so I Just really sort of doubt that that he's gonna want to buy into that one besides it's too old 94.
I mean that that would that would make James a very very very very old old dude so that wouldn't make any sense. So anyway, that's what we'll do next week and Otherwise, there will be suspicions of cowardice on my part.
Yes. Just keep in mind folks that I I had never even I mean debates. I I knew they existed but had never really thought about them till one day the phone rang. At our little offices at Alpha Omega Ministries is back and we had offices on Camelback Road in Phoenix and The phone rang and I picked it up and the voice on the other end was that of Jerry Matta ticks calling from the much nicer offices much bigger nicer offices of Catholic answers in San Diego, California.
It was he who was inviting me To debate and I said yes, and it was only what that would been 89. No, no that 89. Yeah, but no, I was 90. That was that was an early 90 and only three years later. The article appears in this rock magazine that calls me a debate junkie.
It was called the white man's burden. Of course Jerry wasn't with Catholic answers any longer. In fact, he was with them for only about.
Six.
Well, our first debate was in August of 90 and by January 91 he was histoire.
Wasn't wasn't with Catholic answers much longer than that and By the time he was the darling of Catholic answers. He was the the the anti Catholic convert, of course. I remember asking him in one of those conversations Jerry you call yourself a you said you were an anti-catholic, you know and you liken it to.
You know Paul Paul's great conversion on the roads Damascus type of a conversion you were just great anti-catholic and. So so what books did you write against Catholicism as an anti-catholic since you like to use that term.
Well, I didn't write any books. Did you write any articles published anything? No dry tracks against Catholicism and she distributed folks. Well, no, no, I didn't. Did you do any debates? No, I didn't do it a bit.
Videos audios tapes. No, no didn't do that. So exactly why do you use that term yourself? Well, I was very opposed to Catholicism. That's what makes you a quote-unquote anti-catholic. What you have to go through to to be a convert in the sense of of Making it sound like your conversion was this, you know.
You knew all this stuff about Catholicism and and but you were proved wrong now. The vast majority of the people who convert to Roman Catholicism you know Jerry and Scott Hahn would have known more than most but you read Rome Sweet Home and.
Only one of two possible things is true. Either the representation in Rome Sweet Home is grossly inaccurate. Or Scott Hahn didn't know what he claimed to know now, I've heard the man quote John Owen. Or was it Jonathan Edwards?
I forget who it was. And so it would seem to me that's more likely that the presentation in Rome Sweet Home is inaccurate than it is the other way around but in either case the vast majority of folks you hear on EWTN and and Catholic answers and all the rest of the stuff they had they were anti-catholic in the sense that they were ignorant of the real reasons to be opposed to Roman Catholicism.
Their reasons weren't the best and that's true of a large portion of what's called fundamentalism today. If you've never taken time to hear what the other side has to say. That doesn't mean you're wrong to be opposed to the side.
I'm not saying that that it's a responsibility of everybody to go out and Read the Book of Mormon so that you'll be a knowledgeable opponent of Mormonism. But obviously most people would have to admit that.
Their reasons for not embracing most of the faiths are not because they know Positively where those other faiths are in error how they're contradictory to scripture or what their scriptures are about or anything like that.
You know and so the whole the whole convert. Syndrome is a fascinating thing to observe of course I've commented on it many times in the past and and it is valid in regards to mr. matics as well, though.
Certainly John Gerstner thought he was he was a person who knew what he was talking about at least initially Before his conversion, but that's a whole nother story that goes way way back good grief back to 19.
No into the 1990 right now now. I'm thinking about it 1991 around in there because I debated Mitch Pacwa in January of 91 and It would have been right after that that I spoke with John Gerstner about both matics and Han.
Because they're both running around talking about this famous reformed theologian. They had met with and it was ironic one of them called him dr. G and the other one called him dr. John. No, let me think here for a second dr. John G.
I wonder who that is. They wouldn't use his name but they would make reference to him in this famous meeting at a holiday in as I recall on the Pennsylvania turnpike and How John Gerstner had not been able to give a response to their brilliant arguments for Roman Catholicism?
I have to wonder if one of those brilliant arguments was Josephus's citation of James or something along those lines. I don't know something tells me the odes of Solomon didn't get read during that meeting.
They would have been kicked out of the kicked out of the holiday in if they had read them too loud. Eight seven seven seven five three three three four one eight seven seven seven five three. Three three four one is the phone number.
It is the access number as they say on all of those all those programs. That's how you can access the program today. I guess they're trying to get geeks to call in that way and You can get on board with your questions.
We had one person call last week didn't get on. So feel free to pick up with the I just dropped my John Owen CD. That's not a good thing to do. I don't think mr. I don't think the right Reverend John would appreciate being dropped.
That's a great CD to have by the way. Oh, where's the CD? I bet you it's still in the drive. What do you want to bet if I hit this button down here?
Yeah.
That something's gonna pop out. Let's go. Yep. There's John Owen right there. Put him back where he belongs. Oh Thursday. Oh, okay. Well the person who didn't get on on Thursday is gonna call back on Thursday, I guess so well.
Whatever it does. He doesn't want to call him Tuesday. Not next not next Tuesday. Anyways, that'd be a bad thing. That would be very confusing.
But.
Anyway, eight seven seven seven five three thirteen. You know, I need to get this right eight seven seven seven five three three three four one. It's right here on my monitor. I've got it right in front of me.
So if you're going wow, he's got a computer monitor for the program. Yeah, it's my computer monitor that's that's just my computer monitor my email comes in during the program and and The whole nine yards and that's where I'm working on the chapter on the cannon right now still working on that.
It does not help to travel. But anyway, I did put together a PowerPoint presentation on new perspectivism For this weekend never used it but I put it together and While we are waiting for your phone calls here on the program this morning I thought I would mention something I hold in my hand and he writes what st Paul really said was Paul of Tarsus the real founder of Christianity as I have noted.
This 1997 publication is one of the main Ways through which new perspectivism is coming into The church today. Hey look at that Airport improvement fee, you know, if you walk through any Canadian Airport at least the one up in Vancouver.
You have to shell out eight bucks to help them improve their their their airport. It's not enough they nail you on the tickets and stuff like that. You got to walk this thing and you got to shell out shell out money.
And there's my receipt for having gone to the Vancouver Airport. Isn't that isn't that great in two different languages? Leaning over to throw it out here. Yep, there goes anyway. Obviously I had this with me when I was sitting in the Vancouver Airport waiting to Fly back to the United States.
There is no food in that airport. It's terrible. There's just I don't even have McDonald's there. I mean, it's they had a McDonald's in Sao Paulo in the in the airport, but they didn't have one in Vancouver.
It's You know, where is where is culture? You know, where is civilization here, you know? Anyway. One of the things that I've been mentioning recently in discussing new perspectivism in fact, there's oh by the way, there's a new main page article and Even if you saw it last night There's some updates on it and so there's a Two pictures I mentioned in my Brazil my brief mention of Brazil Myself and Eros my my translator and how much we look alike and that pictures on the main page Aomin .org right now and then just this morning.
I got a picture of the whole group. The whole gather all the gathered pastors and it's a very large group as you can see from the picture that is right on our main page right now and Yeah, we really shouldn't call it a article.
It's more of a blog. In that wonderful how we make up new words blog. There's I've put a blog on the main page I guess you might say a couple rambling thoughts a little bit about Brazil a little bit about solo scriptura versus sola Scriptura and then a little brief thought on new perspectivism.
I've come up with a term I was trying to I was trying to think of a term That would capture what I see going on in new perspectivism and As I've been reading this stuff and has been especially considering all the arguments put forward but for well, the righteousness of God is God's covenant faithfulness and and There's no there's no imputed righteousness of Christ.
It's it's not there's no great exchange. You're just you're just declared to be righteous in the sense of being in the family of God and that leaves open all sorts of issues of of whether you're going to stay in the family of God how you stay in the family of God the method by which you stay in the family of God covenant works of righteousness.
Covenant works of faithfulness and all these other issues are hanging around out there and and all this kind of stuff. But as I've been thinking about especially thinking is 521 Philippians 3 9 trying to read Romans 4 with this this View of the righteousness of God is is not having all of the aspects that reformed theology has historically seen in these passages and.
Kept looking at those things going man. This is and finally came, you know, it's it's a squished down. It is a it's a One-dimensional it's it's less Than the biblical definition of righteousness. It is it is it is taking a smaller narrower definition and forcing it Into all these passages where it just doesn't fit and finally last night.
I came up with the right term That I'm going to be using in the future when I talk about this. I was thinking about it. You know, I'm sitting here looking at this this this Monitor in front of me. It's a 19-inch monitor someday someday.
I'm gonna have a flat screen I'm gonna have one of those beautiful LCD things sitting here someday. But I'm looking at this and it's got who knows how many millions of colors and all that kind of stuff on it.
And I like to have beautiful beautiful pictures right now there's a beautiful snowy picture on my screen a big mountain in the background and Even though it's going to be 101 today I'm just wishing that it was something other than that.
But it's beautiful and I've got lots of colors and the people in channel know I use this thing called a window blinds. That I can change all the colors and the look of windows and all the rest that stuff and So I was looking at that and all of a sudden that the right term came across my mind for the the minimized squished down definition of justification monochrome.
Remember monochrome monitors my first few. I remember my first monitor on us this compact portable. Ha ha ha. Was like this 8-inch green thing and Then when I got a bigger computer with that had a 20 meg hard drive on it thought I'd never fill that up.
It had a that amber color sort of the orange, you know, but they were monochrome. Just just one color and That's that's what that's what this doctrine of justification is. It is a monochrome definition all the color and the vitality and the depth and the fullness of Righteousness has been taken out.
It's been squished down into this flat monochrome Concept of righteousness of justification and If we only get the one call we've got right now I'll come back to that and illustrate that in one of the ways in which NT Wright addresses the subject of justification and specifically the Hebrew.
Law court.
But before we we take our phone calls and before we come back with that it is the bottom of the hour and Therefore we take that wonderful break in which you get to hear all those other voices other than my own.
Advertising wonderful things and and and Steve Camp sings and does things like that. So we're gonna take our break and be right back.
The history of the Christian Church pivots on the doctrine of justification by faith. Once the core of the Reformation the church today often ignores or misunderstands this foundational doctrine. In his book the God who justifies theologian James White calls believers to a fresh appreciation of understanding of and dedication to the great doctrine of Justification and then provides an exegesis of the key scripture texts on this theme.
Justification is the heart of the gospel in today's culture where tolerance is the new absolute. James White proclaims with passion the truth and centrality of the doctrine of justification by faith. Dr. J Adams says I lost sleep over this book. I simply couldn't put it down.
James White writes the way an exegetically and theologically oriented pastor appreciates. This is no book for casual reading. There is solid meat throughout an outstanding contribution in every sense of the words.
The God who justifies by dr. James White. Get your copy today at a omen org. 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 .a Omen org what is dr. Norman Geisler warning the Christian community about in his book chosen, but free a new cult.
Secularism false prophecy scenarios. No, dr. Geisler is sounding the alarm about a system of beliefs commonly called Calvinism. He insists that this belief system is theologically inconsistent Philosophically insufficient and morally repugnant.
In his book the potter's freedom. James White replies to dr. Geisler, but the potter's freedom is much more than just a reply. It is a defense of the very principles upon which the Protestant Reformation was founded.
Indeed it is a defense of the very gospel itself in a style that both scholars and laymen alike can appreciate. James White Masterfully counters the evidence against so-called extreme Calvinism. Defines what the reformed faith actually is and concludes that the gospel preached by the reformers is the very one taught in the pages of Scripture the potter's freedom a defense of the Reformation and a rebuttal to Norman Geisler's chosen.
But free you'll find it in the reformed theology section of our bookstore at a omen org.
We have callers now, and they're not asking about new perspectivism either. But be that as it may we'll get around to that eventually. Eight seven seven seven five three three three four one is the phone number.
Let's go up To Iowa where it was probably warm this weekend as it was in the Twin Cities area and talk with Kendall. Hi Kendall.
Oh James. How are you sir good? Well when I? just got in the office and Got online to the webcast and you were talking about Catholicism, so I want to ask you a question. We could talk about the new perspective.
No, that's that's all right. We cover it all. Well actually actually we don't. We do not cover eschatology, but other than that we cover it up.
In dealing with the new perspectivism. How do they. And I haven't read much on it, but how did they get around all the?
Greek legal terms in the book of Romans well actually that's what I was going to address was Was nt right and for those who have this book it is especially Presented on pages 9 to 6 and following he really emphasizes that the forensic background of the Dikaios Dikaios Sunni Dikaio family of terms Is to be found in the Hebrew law court, and there's even a diagram on page 97 where it says the Hebrew law court.
And then you have judge and then a line goes down and you have it split off to plaintiff and defendant. A plaintiff bringing the accusation defendant the accused and He's just read here. It says one in the biblical Jewish law court there are three parties the judge the plaintiff and the defendant.
There is no director of public prosecutions. All cases take the form of one party versus the other party with the judge deciding the issue. And then he goes on to talk about the fact that. What does it mean to use the language of righteousness and in con in this context?
It means something quite different when applied to the judge. To what it means when applied to either the plaintiff or the defendant apply to the judge. It means as is clear from the Old Testament that the judge must try the case according to the law that he must be impartial.
He must punish sin as it deserves. He must support and uphold those who are defenseless and who have no one but him to plead their cause for the judges for the judge to be righteous and to have Have in practice righteousness in this forensic setting is therefore a complex matter to do with the way he handles the case.
For the plaintiff and the defendant however to be righteous has none of these connotations. They after all are not trying the case nor less obviously to us because the moral overtones. The word righteous now has in our own language does the word mean that they are?
Before the case starts morally upright and so deserving to have the verdict go their way.
No.
For the plaintiff or defendant to be righteous in the biblical sense within the law court setting is the hemp them to have that status as a result of the decision of the court. And So what he then applies that to is look.
There is no transference of righteousness From the judge to whoever wins the lawsuit. And so this is where he has a problem with the idea of imputation. It is merely the idea that there is a declaration made by the judge.
If the judge has declared righteously then he is righteous he has been faithful to the Covenant in essence. And When the plaintiff or the defendant is declared righteous Then he is declared to be in the right.
But there's no transfer of anything from the judge to the individual being judged.
Well.
What I've been pointing out is here is another good example of this monochrome aspect of new perspectivism and what I mean by that is yes the Hebrew law court and the forensic nature of Justification that the declaration by the judge that is a part of it, but it is missing a an element of the forensic nature that the text of Scripture itself presents and that is in Romans chapter 8 you don't just have the judge and the the person bringing the charge which would be the enemy of our souls and Then the the defendant is very clear that the major Element of the gospel and of the law court setting is completely missed and and right Repeats this over and over again in in this book and that is there is a substitute there is the the advocate that Stands between the defendant and the judge and it's the man Christ Jesus and the whole idea of union with Christ substitutionary atonement the the whole Incarnational concept of Christ living a perfect life.
And his the righteousness that is his all of that is just is just blown out the window. It's just not even a part of of the consideration of these passages and the result of that then is this very flattened out very monochrome vanilla flavored result that really does not do justice at all to the richness of Romans 8 or Romans 4 or or Ephesians 1 and 2 and and so on and so forth when you say were declared righteous he would say that were declared righteous in the sense of The the judge has said that because we have had faith we are now in the family of God but the the actual demonstration of that claim of vindication is primarily eschatological.
That is there is a present tense State and in fact, I can pop it open here to the but we would agree.
I mean from the reform perspective that it is also an eschatological.
Declaration except that in this case it is the the the emphasis is reversed. It is it is far more Eschatological than it is present the idea of looking back upon our justification having been justified by faith.
It is not so much that the relationship that we have with God is one in which There is this perfection due to the presence the righteousness of Christ. Instead it is simply stating. Well, you have done what is necessary to be declared to be in in Covenant harmony to be in the family of Abraham now whether that's actually going to remain that way becomes one of the big issues.
Let me just read this under under the conclusions on page 131. He has three main points and therefore Covenant justification is the covenant declaration should be issued on the last day in which the true people of God will be vindicated and those Who is just a worshiping false gods?
We've shown to be in the wrong number two law court justification functions like the verdict in law court by quitting someone it confers in that person the status Righteous, this is the forensic dimension of the future of the future covenantal vindication.
So the present is not the present Declaration is of a status that points to the future covenantal.
Vindication, I think that you would say in the present you have been justified, right?
Not in the sense of the future covenantal vindication which awaits the eschatological you are a member of Abraham's family by what you have done but I. One of the things that concerns me is I don't see any meaningful discussion of whether of What the nature of your standing in the family of God is?
If it's print, I mean look at the the tense of the verbs many times in Romans having been justified.
I I agree and and I have we have peace presently with God, you know.
I don't know. I want to read more about just trying to get a grasp on exactly what he's saying. So would you recommend that book?
Well, if you yeah in the sense of you know, if you want to understand any particular movement that is that is troubling the church You got to read it there. One of the one of the issues that I've really found concerning in in this work is is later on the discussion of of how you not only the ecumenical task, but also the discussion that he gives of how the the Judaizers In I'm sorry the the Galatians who were seeking to be justified by by works Were still justified by faith nonetheless and I'm like where did where did Galatians chapter 5 go.
Christ will be of no benefit to you and and And things like that that that just leaves me going.
You know, how does he handle the Philippian text that you mentioned earlier about not having a righteousness of our own derived from the law?
But that which is yeah Philippians 3 9 is one of his Big things basically what he's what he what he does is he? Worded well, I had it with Philippians 2. Okay. Yeah here He says the key phrase here importantly is not the Kai assume a they you God's righteousness but the Kai assume a act they you a Righteousness from God all too often scholars have referred this passage as though it could be the yardstick for uses of the Kai assume a They you but this is impossible.
Thinking back to the Hebrew law court. What we have here is the righteousness the status which the vindicated party possesses as a result of the courts decision. This is a righteous status from God and this is not as we saw God's own righteousness.
And so he he again Goes back to Hebrew law court doesn't use Paul's own Understanding of that law court with the with the centrality of Christ as the advocate within it and says it's simply a righteous status.
It is not when it when Paul says Not not having a righteousness of my own that which is from the law. But that which is through faith in Christ the righteousness from God that is upon faith. He is simply saying that is a that is a righteous status That is granted to anyone who believes in Jesus.
It is not the imputed righteousness of Christ. There's no imputation at all. Well, what's the what. I'm sorry didn't hear all that. Well in dealing with.
What the death of Christ actually did. How does. How does he then twist that or how does he well?
It was the true Demonstration of God's faithfulness to the covenant made to Abraham to bless the nation's.
He became.
Corinthians 5 is one of the key issues that I I have with right because his reading of that text is really weird. Fundamentally what he says about 2nd Corinthians 5 in fact It's on the very same page as what I was just reading to you is what he says when he quotes it.
He says I've left the last critical phrase untranslated. Which is the kaya soon a they you righteousness of God. This time it is certainly the righteousness of God and generations of readers have taken it to be clear evidence for a sense in the Lower half the diagram.
He has a diagram where he divides up the possible meanings of righteousness of God.
That I.
Have pointed out in detail elsewhere. However that Paul is not talking about justification. But about his own apostolic ministry, and I've I've discussed this. I read I read the other where the other place I read that article.
I don't know about six months ago on the dividing line. You might want to go back and look in the archives and go over that.
In a way He says that he has already ascribed this in chapter 3 is the ministry of the new covenant that the point at issue is the fact That apostles are ambassadors of Christ with God making his appeal through them and that therefore the apostolic ministry including its suffering fear and apparent failure Is itself an incarnation of the covenant faithfulness of God?
What Paul is saying is that he and his fellow apostles in their suffering and fear their faithful witness against all odds are not just talking About God's faithfulness. They are actually embodying it.
The death of the Messiah has taken care of their apparent failure now in him. They are the righteousness of God the living embodiment of the message. They proclaim. Yeah, that's I mean what what scholar?
Has ever taken that position, uh.
Don't know.
Good question. Yeah five were ambassadors, right? Pleading people to be reconciled.
Context. But he would he his argument and and I'll have to make this quick because we've got a number of the callers now. But his argument in essence is that the last phrase. If you if you take verse 21 as a statement about justification that it becomes this floating little statement.
That has no place in the context. I completely disagree with that and I addressed that a few weeks ago in Austin when I was at Dayspring Chapel and they have the. The mp3 is online for free for anybody who wants to listen to those.
So what what. I don't have the URL. Maybe somebody in the channel can pop it up for me. But if you'll just Google Dayspring Chapel.
It should pull it up. I'll call in a Thursday night. My question was on Dealing with Catholics on the view of you know, like with Mother Teresa becoming a saint versus what the New Testament says about.
Saints, okay. Well, we've got we've got three three calls lined up and one of them is on something similar. So maybe we'll get to it. If not, give us a call back on Thursday. All right. Okay. Thanks a lot.
All right. Let's run off to Adam in Akron, Ohio. Hi Adam. Hello, how are you sir?
Just calling you because I've been talking to a couple of Jehovah's Witnesses and Need some help witnessing to them. I've been talking we met yet but we've got and one and one I know a little bit about.
That is the nature of evil and where does evil originate from and. The other one is the reappearance of Christ the coming of Christ in 1914. Right. Supposedly. And I gave I got. I went to the school library and looked up encyclopedia, Britannica and.
Other.
Encyclopedias and Israel and all these places said that the second that Nebuchadnezzar the date they use it the country of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar Sixth century BC and they keep on saying it's in the early seventh, right?
And I had gotten a book Johanson. I believe it's his name. Yes called Gentile times reconsidered. I haven't actually gotten a yabba Little man, Dr. Robert Bowman suggested. Yeah, that would be a good book.
Yeah to deal with that issue. Yeah, hold on. Hold on. Slow down there. Take take a breath.
You're yeah, I'm supposed to respond to these things.
What was going on and everything? I was just wondering if you had any comments on any of those topics or anything.
Yeah, I'm not sure if we still have it Rich do we have it on on mp3? I don't know. I I did in a dividing line years and years ago. I'm not sure if it's called the dividing line I think it was anyways.
We did it we did a tape and we had available for a while and and it must have sold five or six copies probably during his lifetime on the 1914 prophecy where I go through that book and and simplify it for you because you'll you'll discover it's not a Easy book to read it's not.
It's not real simple or anything. And so it's it's definitely the book that you want to get. Dr. Bowman is is correct that that would be the one that you want to look at in essence. You're correct. Jerusalem fell in 586 587 the reason it the reason you use two numbers like that is because they they did not go January to December their years covered a portion of the 586 587 time frame.
There's no question of the dating of the the fall of Jerusalem in the 19th regnal year of Nebuchadnezzar. Nebuchadnezzar was not even king in 607 when the Watchtower says that he had fallen that he was king and the Jerusalem fell.
This is one of the historical factual issues where the society has completely changed history to fit their current teaching. But remember something they're changing that current teaching a process has been going on for quite some time now.
Where the 1914 teaching will eventually be dropped by the Watchtower side. There's no question about this that member the 1914 teaching was originally the Christ returned visibly in 1874 and at 40 years later in 1914 was when Armageddon was going to take place then 1874 got changed 1914 1915 1918 so on so forth and eventually 1914 became the spiritual return of Christ.
There's a tremendous amount of information both on the history of the society's changing of its doctrine as well as the historical Fact that Jerusalem fell in 19 and Nebuchadnezzar's 19th regnal year in 586 587.
But I haven't found a whole lot of Jehovah's Witnesses who were Really willing to Listen to that particular information as to the issue of the origin of evil remember from the the Watchtower's perspective at least if they've read Historically what the Watchtower teaches Jehovah has been likened.
I think by Dwayne Mignogne to the heavenly weatherman. That is the Watchtower society is sort of the original modern version of the open theist and that God is.
Not.
Eternal in the sense of existing outside of time his knowledge of the future is actually predictive and and not so much due to certainly not due to any divine decree or anything like that and. Hence they have a they have a real hard time with the With the sovereignty of God and things like that.
So that should. Both those subjects are going to be a little bit tough To deal with with a Jehovah's Witness not because the Bible isn't clear on those things But because there's just so much information to cover so I hope it goes.
I hope it goes well for you, okay, and.
Do you think Romans 9 would be a good place to start. Um yeah certainly.
I mean, that's that is that's a place that you can go in regards to God's eternality and his sovereignty and and the issues concerning Theodicy the origin of evil. You can go to Genesis chapter 50. Joseph's statement there about his brothers and his being sold in the slavery in Egypt.
You can go to Isaiah chapter 10. That's an excellent passage. Acts 4 27 to 28 would give you the opportunity of transitioning from the sovereignty of God and the the origin of evil into a presentation of the crucifixion and Salvation and things like that.
There's a number of different places that you could go in in dealing with that particular perspective as well. Okay, well. Thank you. All right. Thanks a lot man. God bless. I hope it goes well for you.
Let's pop on up to at least the city. I flew into it's not the city Spoken but the city I flew into. Robin in Minneapolis. Hello Robin. Yes.
I'm sorry I couldn't catch you. Actually. I was planning on it, but I actually had to work. So yeah sure I know actually.
We were we were up against the weather and that is up in in the twin cities. The weather was beautiful over the weekend is like 77 78 degrees and up there. You're up against the weather when it's good weather down here in Phoenix.
You're up against the weather when it's raining, but that's it's just so normative during November December January February March April. For for things to be sloshy and icky and cold in the twin cities that you're up against the weather and people were out on the on the lakes and they were out fishing and and Doing stuff and everybody kept saying this is the last nice weekend.
This is going to be it. This is the last nice weekend. We're going to have and so that's what I was up against.
Okay. When the issue of Paul's use of works of law in Galatians got brought up actually I've done some studying on that. I mean of the law and what they'll use is. They'll say Matthew chapter 5 where Jesus speaks of of the continuation of the law fiction to Jesus.
Except that Paul obviously Defines exactly what he's saying in the sense that he in Romans chapter 3 says do we therefore nullify the law? No, instead we establish the law and I I agree.
I wasn't quite sure you're talking about but I have a few commentaries that say Greek word is ergo. No, no most. He's actually speaking of legalism and not necessarily the law itself. Well, I'm wondering if.
Well the point the point to remember is that in in new perspectivism their take on works of law is that it's not Legalism in fact, that's the foundation of new perspectivism. Is that is that they argue that Second Temple Judaism and this comes out of the writings of a man by name EP Sanders.
EP Sanders is writing after World War two and there is a strong emphasis in what I would call less than conservative streams of theology and of course most people would view me as such a right-wing nutcase that That my use the term less than conservative would be ridiculous but in in less than conservative branches of theology There is a very strong concern after World War two that you not say anything or believe anything that could be construed In as anti-semitic and therefore EP Sanders and others writing that time period who do not believe in inerrancy.
Therefore, they do not have to Create a theology of Paul that takes into consideration anyone else's viewpoint within scripture because their perspective not only are not all the Pauline epistles Paul's but There there is no overarching consistency in the biblical revelation.
Therefore EP Sanders in studying Jewish materials comes the conclusion that Second Temple Judaism was in fact a a Covenant religion a covenant of grace and that Jews did what they did out of thankfulness for being in this gracious covenant of God and so they take works of law as being a the Jewish national symbols circumcision the the the celebration of feast days the things that marked you out as a Jew and Therefore what what they're saying is what Paul was concerned about is that these Jews of the Judaizers?
Were continuing to to celebrate these.
These.
Signs and symbols and saying everybody else had had these signs and symbols to show their covenant faithfulness to God and this was in danger of creating two different churches and. Therefore the idea of works of law is not legalism.
It's not the idea of earning something from God or meriting something from God at all. That's one of the first things they reject. Now of course I go to Romans chapter 4 verses 4 through 5 and say look that is exactly what Paul is saying.
Paul says at the end of chapter 3. For by the laws and knowledge of sin. Well, I'm sorry. Circumcision and external ceremonial laws do not show us our sin. This is this has been something that's been dealt with for Centuries, but it keeps coming back up.
And again that that doesn't have to be a real issue For the original writers in this field because they don't have to worry about consistency. You just develop what your theory and then you get published and you get tenure at your at your school and all as well.
So I guess. Well, I guess.
One of the things as I have many Messianic Jewish friends and they do. They still think it's legitimate for them. So they do uphold the traditions and I guess all of them would be considered Judaizers and but I'd say for the most part it really depends on whether they're making those.
Celebrations something that that In any way impacts their status and they're standing before God. If they are then that would be falling into the Galatian heresy. If they're not then that would be a an exercise of Christian Liberty.
But in most situations as I've seen within what's called the Messianic movement. It ends up leading into. You know the tendency of man's heart is always to boast in his flesh to boast in his Accomplishments and the tendency there is to is to go that direction as well.
So that that seems to be seems to be the case. But anyway, we've got believe it or not. We're gonna go ahead and go a few extra minutes. Normally, we'd be wrapping up right now. We have two more callers.
We want to grab a real quick. Thank you for your call and hope you hope you enjoy the cold weather. That'll undoubtedly be heading your direction.
Okay.
Okay, we're gonna take two more calls real quick because they're already online. We're just go ahead and squeeze it past the hour here that you can do that when you have webcasts. It's not like the world's coming to an end.
Let's talk to Paul in Illinois real quickly. Hi Paul.
Hello. Hello Paul. Yes, sir. Hi, dr. White. I have a friend who is a classmate of Scott Hans at Gordon Conwell. Okay, and apparently he was the teacher's aide to Roger Nicole.
Your friend your friend your friend. Or Scott Han. Yes, Scott Scott Han was a teacher's aide to Roger Nicole writer or a.
Student assistant or something. He graded all their papers. Okay, I put it but he was also considered to be the Jonathan Edwards scholar. And my friend was just appalled when I gave him the tape version.
Yes, as well as your critique of him on Marriage for all in Romans 10 right there. I'm sorry Hebrews 10, right?
Well, you know, I've I've met Scott Han a couple of times and I remember the first time we met in Phoenix. He accompanied Jerry matics here for some debates and and After the debate because they were 25 minutes late getting there.
After the debate he and Han stood there and Han quoted from Jonathan Edwards a number of times on James chapter 2.
Obviously showed knowledge of that which again Raises the issue when you look at what is in Rome sweet home and on his conversion tape. It's basically the same story. It truly makes you wonder how someone who could know For example Jeff.
He's a Jonathan Edwards scholar that he knows Edwards wrote on the subject of justification. He even addressed the issue of works of law and so how could you Make the kind of simplistic claims and and the collapse of your faith in those things that he makes.
It just doesn't it just doesn't follow it doesn't make any sense. Well, you know, I I wasn't there when he was a student. But I can guarantee you one thing the material that I've seen especially In reviewing the entirety of his book on Mary is just absolutely amazing truly amazing indeed.
So well, thank you for your call, sir. Appreciate that information. Let's grab one last call real quick here on the dividing line today. Let's go to the United Kingdom and talk to Martin. Hello Martin.
How are you today? I'm so thankful to have an opportunity to slip back into my natural my natural cadence, you know what I mean? Every time I talk to a person from England everybody in channel then tells me I sound like an Australian and when I talk to Australians they say I sound like an Englishman.
I don't understand it. Well, I have to say James you are getting better. I'm getting better. Well, thank you. Oh, that's wonderful. You do sound more English man. Thank you very much.
Heard some Eric Spencer mentioned this but looking at they both identify a person called Mary right who has yes. Okay. Now, where do we find we look very similar? It's not identical and of course to Matthew chapter 13 55.
Yeah, well, you're exactly right and I'm so you're exactly right and see what you do is is Do you have Eric Svensson's book who is my mother not yet? Well, you need to get that you need to get it to fly across the pond to you shall we say we could sell it to you if you'd like and and if you look at the Page 98 write it down and you will see that if you put on the left-hand column under John 1925 you have Mary Magdalene you have Jesus's mother you have Jesus's mother's sister.
And you have married the wife of Clopas then if you put Matthew 27 56 You have Mary Magdalene again you have Mary you have the mother of Zebedee's sons who is parallel with Jesus's mother's sister and Then you do not have any reference to Mary wife of Clopas then that makes Mary the mother of James and Joseph to be Jesus's mother as you just pointed out and then in Mark 15 40 you have Mary Magdalene all the way across.
You have married the mother of James the younger and Joseph's which again Then becomes parallel with Mary the mother of James and Joseph which becomes parallel with Jesus's mother. And then you have Salome who is which is the name of the mother of Zebedee's sons.
Which is the mother Jesus's mother's sister. So Salome is Jesus's mother's sister. She's the sister of Mary Jesus's mother and so it makes perfect sense, but I don't think that mr. Madetik's understood it.
That's exactly right it makes it makes perfect sense. But it was very obvious that he had never. I just don't get the feeling he's ever read Eric Stenson's book even though he debated him and you. For me if I were to go around Giving seminars all the time even in England if I were to get to go to England I'd like to go to England, you know.
If I were to go to England and I was going to go around I was going to give seminars and I debated a man Who handed me my head upon a platter and then he writes a book on the same subject. You know what?
I would have to do just simply to be able to look at myself in the mirror in the morning. Would be I'd have to read it and I'd have to alter my presentation so as to give an answer for it. But it's very very clear to me that mr. Madetik's does not think of any that he feels he came to the final conclusions when he converted and now He doesn't have to look he doesn't have to listen to what is said to him at all and change his presentation.
I was particularly Patrick Madrid Patrick Madrid when he put a cheap debating trick. Audience. We don't worship the statue we worship what's behind it, but you could have said that's the ancient Egyptians or the Greeks.
So they would have come up the same answer. It's still idolatry under a different name. Oh very much.
So it was it the term cheap debating trick is a very good one. It's awful. Well, thank you Martin for calling in. You know, there's someone in Canada just in channel right now he's just so thankful that I'm getting to do my My British accent.
And it is very helpful to be able to have a true Englishman on the program at the same time. It really does. Someone yelling make it stop. Thank you very much Martin that surely and now you're gonna be listening next week aren't you I am.
What time is it there in in the motherland? It's oh my goodness. Well, so this is an evening program for you. All right, thank you very much. Bye-bye. Oh Well, you know, I it's so it's Martin. Yes Martin this there's no there's no ah, that's how you say.
Ah and Those of you who just lost the feed it's because Pete turned it off he's in all caps. He's yelling and screaming in the channel. Now this is a man This is a man who loves talk a hero and even uses that Nick and he's talking about my Not doing a British accent, please, please.
Terrible. Yes, please do that. Mr. Aleman person. I appreciate that. Well great calls today. Excellent topics. Hope it's been useful to you and I think I'll go out like this just simply for Pete's so that he can be very happy as we Go out and say see you Thursday evening on the dividing line.
I have been brought to you by Alpha and Omega ministries. If you'd like to contact us call us at 602 9 7 3 0 3 1 8 or write us at p .o Box 3 7 1 0 6 Phoenix, Arizona 8 5 0 6 9. You can also find us on the world wide web at a omen org That's a o m I n dot o RG where you'll find a complete listing of James White's books tapes debates and tracks.
Join us again this Thursday evening at 5 p .m. For the dividing line.