WWUTT 1045 Q&A Divorce and Remarriage, Pastors and Lust, Christians and Piracy?

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00:00

What does the Bible say about divorce and remarriage? Is a pastor unqualified if he is guilty of lust?

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And does the Bible say anything about watching pirated content? The answers to these questions, when we understand the text.

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This is when we understand the text. A daily study in God's word that we may present ourselves to God as one approved workers who have no need to be ashamed rightly handling the word of truth.

00:35

Tell your friends about our website www .t .com. Here once again is

00:40

Pastor Gabe. Thank you, Becky. You're welcome. How many days we got until Truth Matters?

00:46

Oh, a little over two weeks. The Truth Matters conference. Yep, a little over two weeks. What is it? 19 or 18 days from today.

00:52

I'm excited. I can't remember. I got my Truth Matters bracelet on. Yes, me too. They came in the mail. Yeah. Boom.

00:58

Yeah. That's neat. I don't think they've done that before. I don't remember getting something in the mail prior to Shepcon.

01:06

Maybe it's just Truth Matters that they do. Must be. You have to walk up to the window and get your little badge at Shepcon.

01:12

Yeah, but yeah, we got our bracelets. We're ready to go. I'm wearing mine, so I don't lose it. That's the same with me.

01:18

Because I thought about packing it already in my suitcase that I'm going to take. And then I'm like, well, I also have to pack up the kids.

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So, I don't want to put it in the wrong suitcase and send it on the wrong way. You got to pack up the kids. I do.

01:30

You thought your mom and dad were taking the kids. I'm folding the kids and I'm putting in the... They wanted to come, so...

01:38

So, the suitcases you have to pack for the kids to go to your mom and dad's, you thought the bracelet would end up in there.

01:44

Probably. Yeah. Because they don't always listen to me. So, they don't always pick the right suitcase.

01:50

I was going to put it in my backpack. Yeah, the same with me. I was like,

01:55

I'm going to lose this. Yep. So, I'm just wearing it. From now until Truth Matters, we're just wearing our bracelets.

02:00

You know, two weeks, not too bad. We're talking about the Truth Matters conference.

02:06

It's going to be at Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, California. Yep. An inerrancy conference.

02:14

Well, they're talking about the sufficiency of scripture. Yes. So, they did an inerrancy summit several years back.

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But this one's going to be on the sufficiency of scripture with guys like John MacArthur, Votie Bauckham, Justin Peters.

02:29

I want to say Kosti Hinn. I think he's one of the speakers too, isn't he? Todd Friel is going to be there. I think so.

02:35

Don't pull your phone up and look this up. We'll be here forever. We would. We would. I was going to verify.

02:41

Yep. But yeah, so we're heading to Truth Matters out in California. Looking forward to everybody who's going to be there.

02:48

May just take a week off the podcast. We might. Be the easiest thing to do.

02:54

I hope we didn't deflate anybody's expectations for that week coming up.

03:00

We'll see how it goes. This being Friday, we take questions from the listeners and you can submit questions to whenweunderstandthetext at gmail .com.

03:08

Our first question here. The first two questions actually were two questions we had tacked on to last week's questions.

03:14

Right. And we didn't get to these because I thought it was going to take more than the 10 minutes that we had left. Right. So we're about to find out here if we could have fit these into 10 minutes or not.

03:23

All right, let's go. First one comes from David. Dear what I have typically been of the understanding that remarriage after divorce is allowed biblically only if the divorced spouse has died or remarried someone else.

03:37

But I was recently challenged on the ladder since the Bible never mentions that allowance.

03:43

I've read John Piper's paper on the subject and it seems pretty solid. What are your thoughts?

03:48

Can a divorced person marry someone else if his ex -wife is still alive but is married to someone else?

03:56

This question is major practical implications for me as I am currently an elder at a small home church and the pastor and I are struggling with how to counsel one of our members who is dating a divorced man whose ex -wife has already remarried.

04:11

Thanks again for your time. Grace and peace, David. Well, full disclosure and we've talked about this in the past.

04:19

We have. In fact, we talked about that. I think it was around March because this has been one of our most requested episodes.

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I've had emails asking, hey, where was that episode where you're talking about divorce and remarriage? Okay. So anyway, full disclosure here.

04:32

Becky is divorced. I am. And remarried to me, remarried to me. And in her case, her husband was abusive and had cheated on her.

04:45

And then he's also remarried. So, you know, the likelihood that there was going to be any sort of reconciliation was just not going to happen.

04:53

He was not supporting his daughter, Annie. I think there was one payment he made in her entire life.

05:02

Yep. So the deal that I made with him when I married Becky was if you give me full custody of her, then you pay nothing, whatever you owe on child support.

05:14

We wipe the slate clean. And he agreed to that. And so I have full custody of our oldest daughter and she does not belong to anyone else.

05:23

She is mine. That's right. She's always been my daughter. Yeah, and that's that's just the way we look at it,

05:29

Annie. I am your father. Annie, I am your father. That's a terrible Darth Vader impression.

05:37

That's for her. That's for her in the future when she finally gets to this episode.

05:43

Make fun of Daddy's terrible Darth Vader impression. So anyway, where were we?

05:49

Oh, yeah, divorce. Okay, so you know where we stand on this issue. Yeah, kind of. I mean, it's circumstantial.

05:55

Right. It should be taken on a case -by -case basis. Right. I really don't think there is a blanket prohibition on.

06:02

If you've been married and then you get divorced, you cannot be remarried unless your ex dies.

06:09

Right. I don't really think that's what scripture says. Now, I know what John Piper says about this.

06:15

I've read his paper. I've seen the various Ask Pastor John segments where he's talked about this.

06:21

He's very, very strict on it. Okay. I mean, he basically believes that unless your ex dies, then you can't get remarried.

06:30

That is the only thing that annuls the marriage covenant is if the is if the other dies either your spouse dies or you get divorced and your ex dies.

06:42

That's the only instance in which okay. Now you're free to get remarried and I don't really see that especially considering that Jesus said in Matthew 19 9.

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I say to you whoever divorces his wife except for sexual immorality and marries another commits adultery.

07:02

So he's really saying there that in the instance that sexual immorality has occurred in the marriage the the spouse who is the offended can divorce the offending spouse.

07:16

Does this make sense? Right. Am I using the right words here? Okay short and and get remarried and the

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Bible permits that Christ himself even permits that in the way that he is saying the law to the

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Pharisees there in Matthew chapter 19 right now. John Piper is not real big on the historic confessions.

07:37

Okay, like what do you mean? So I so like the Westminster Confession of Faith. Okay, the London Baptist Confession of Faith the

07:44

Westminster Confession is a lot more detailed on marriage and divorce. Oh really more so than the

07:50

Baptist Confession my understanding there is that the reason why there isn't so much in the section on marriage and divorce in the

07:57

London Baptist Confession is because the Baptist just couldn't come to an agreement on it. Oh, so there's a lot of a surprise surprise a

08:05

Baptist meeting. They couldn't all come to an agreement on something so they just needed more food. They probably ran out of food.

08:12

Well, you couldn't have couldn't have crock pots back then, you know, yeah, the crock pot had not yet been invented to help hurry that thing along.

08:20

So those poor people anyway, the Westminster's put a lot more detail in it than the

08:26

Baptist did and in their section. Let's see. This is chapter 24 of marriage and divorce article 5 here is what it says adultery or fornication committed after a contract being detected before marriage giveth just occasion to the innocent party to dissolve that contract in the case of adultery after marriage.

08:49

It is lawful for the innocent party to sue out a divorce and after the divorce to marry another as if the offending party were dead and I totally agree with that and that was our understanding of it even before you and I had an understanding of historic confessions, right?

09:11

So when Becky and I got married, we really didn't know historic confessions when I became a pastor. I wasn't all that up on historic confessions.

09:18

Church history was one of those things I learned as I came to realize the importance of knowing those area and you know, there were some things

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I learned but I wasn't very detailed on the church confessions and the Westminster confession section on divorce and remarriage really is quite good all very solid in biblical.

09:36

You've got all sorts of passage mentions in there including Matthew 19 9 that's mentioned there in chapter 24 article 5 on marriage and divorce.

09:49

All right. So I've got a question. Okay, what does it mean by being detected before marriage?

09:55

Let's see adultery or fornication committed after a contract being detected before marriage giveth justification to the innocent party to dissolve that contract.

10:06

So in other words when they were betrothed but not yet married, does that make sense?

10:12

Okay, so engaged. Yes, like this would basically say that even if infidelity had happened in the engagement.

10:20

Okay that the person who was the offended has just cause to therefore divorce.

10:28

Okay. So even in the case of that happening in an engagement, it doesn't even have to be after vows were exchanged at the altar which

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I can I can see that being just as justifiable there as it would be in the marriage. Yeah, and again, it's as if the offending party were dead.

10:47

So you think of of the the sin the seriousness of that sin and in our sexually charged culture.

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We just don't think about how serious no sexual immorality is. We try to play it over.

11:01

We try to you know, sweep it under the rug. Yeah. Yeah, minimize it. It's a good way to put it.

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Yeah, but this is this is the way that historically these TV shows.

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They're awful. It's everywhere. Even those shows that you know TV PG or something like that.

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Yes, you still have to be aware of the stuff that's in that show because yeah, it could still have some pretty adult plots going on if they don't show anything.

11:26

They're still talking about it, you know, but this is this is just how serious the sin of sexual immorality is.

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You've you've got Paul talking about in first Corinthians chapter 6 that the sin of sexual immorality is even unique to other sins because every other sin you commit outside your body but sexual immorality immorality is committed with the body your temple of the

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Holy Spirit whom you have from God who dwells within you right? So Paul says therefore honor

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God with your body in Ephesians Paul says let there not even be a hint of sexual immorality in you and oftentimes when you see lists of sins mentioned in the

12:11

Bible sexual immorality is often at the top of that list. This is a very serious sin to the point that the the

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Bible says so and I believe that the Westminster's got it correct as well when they spelled out their section on divorce and remarriage sexual immorality in the marriage is as if that person has died because they have committed a sin that is so serious.

12:35

It has killed the marriage. Yeah, even Christ is permitted divorce in the event of sexual immorality in the marriage.

12:43

So that's the way I feel about that and going back to your question David. You said that this has major practical implications as you are currently an elder at a small home church and the pastor and you are struggling with how to counsel one of your members who is dating a divorced man whose ex -wife has already remarried.

13:03

Yeah. Here's something that I would encourage you to look at ask the divorced man why he got divorced.

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What was the reason for the divorce? Was it his fault or was it his ex's fault?

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If it was his fault, you probably have a good cause to warn the person in your congregation that they should not marry this man because he was the one that cheated on his ex -spouse causing his ex -spouse to leave and then go marry somebody else and in which case the divorced man.

13:37

I don't believe should get remarried as a consequence for what he has done. Yeah, he probably should stay single or at the very least this sister in the

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Lord that you have in your own congregation should not be marrying the man. But again going back to what Becky said earlier.

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This is circumstantial. It should be on a case -by -case basis. Definitely. So look at those things talk about those things with the couple talk it out with them find out the specifics the details they're going to need to be ministered to one way or the other right?

14:08

So don't just look at it as oh, okay. Well, it wasn't you know, it was just this and it wasn't this other thing so we can let them do whatever it counsel is needed here and Becky and I went through a lot of it a lot before we got married.

14:20

We had three pastors. I believe that we were meeting with and then we also went to one of the family life today marriage conferences need to two of them.

14:30

We went to one as pre -married right? And then we went to one as a married couple. That's true. Right, but it's true.

14:36

Yeah, so we went before we got married and got all the like the the engaged couple counseling.

14:41

Yeah, and then we went as a married couple and we got to do all the stuff that married's got to do right?

14:46

Yeah, that's fun. But it was but we wanted to make sure that I wasn't bringing in or I wanted to make sure that I wasn't bringing in baggage and and putting the blame that should be put on another person on to him right or to blame myself and not be a good wife and in the part of you know,

15:10

I'm just not worthy. I'm not I'm not good enough for this position, you know that sort of thing right now.

15:16

We just wanted to make sure we were because when Becky first spotted me she said to me that she saw me and she was like I want to marry a man like that.

15:26

Yeah, but she didn't think it was going to be me not at first anyway. No because I wasn't good enough, right?

15:31

So so that was part of the counseling was not bringing that guilt into the marriage and and in that counseling me being able to tell her look

15:41

I see you is pure. You're my pure bride who's going to be walking down the aisle and white and I'm not holding any of your past sins against you because I mean frankly,

15:51

I wasn't pure either. I had sins in my past and and that was my role in our pre -marriage counseling as well because I had come from a failed engagement and I wanted to be sure that I wasn't bringing any of that baggage into the marriage as well and even making sure that I wasn't still holding on to any sort of bitterness right or anything of that nature.

16:13

So that was part of why we got the kind of counseling that we did before we got married out like we we felt like it was what we needed to do right in order to get on the right path.

16:25

Now. We had let's see. There was a Wesleyan minister and I think two Baptist ministers was the was our counselors in that right?

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Are you remembering that right? I don't remember. Okay. Anyway, all of them remember the Westland.

16:39

Yes, all of the all of the ministers that we met with unanimously said there really was not anything biblically wrong with us getting married right and we did have in my son on my side of the family.

16:52

We have some independent fundamentalists. Yeah, yeah, and we did hear from a few members of the family going.

16:59

Yeah, you see you're not even supposed to be marrying this gal because she's previously divorced right and that was great to be able to share that testimony with them and walk them through the scriptures that we had been walked through right and as far as I know,

17:10

I think we changed everybody's mind. Yep. So everybody was even those that were previously opposed ended up coming to the wedding.

17:17

Yeah, so that was great. Yeah, it was wonderful, but I hope that's helpful for you David again case -by -case basis sort of a thing and don't look at this as just sort of a blanket issue where you can have our now

17:30

I've given you the answer. So now you're going. Oh, okay. Well, it's all right now that you you do need to specifically counsel.

17:36

Yeah, this man and this woman and question outright, right? Why what happened? I mean because you're looking out for your your your shepherding your sheep.

17:47

Yeah, the sheep that you got that right. I did. And you may want to because you don't know what he has said to the woman.

17:56

You may want to talk to him alone. Yeah, and and not together as you know, as a premarried couple at first made talk to him and say now what does she know about your past right and or talk to her alone and say what do what do you know about his past and alone meaning?

18:13

I mean somebody else is there not a man and woman alone right never right in counseling that should never happen just to state that all right this next question wanted to be submitted anonymously.

18:25

So we've got an anon here. Hi Pastor Gabe and Becky longtime listener here first. I want to thank the

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Lord for the work that he is doing in your ministry. Praise God for seeing you guys for a thousand episodes in that exciting.

18:39

Yes as such an amazing feat may God be glorified. I'm kind of past it now though.

18:44

I mean, we're at 140 or 1040 something now. Yeah, I'm not I'm not even really thinking about the thousand mark anymore.

18:52

I just I just hit because I haven't hit a thousand episodes. So oh, that's true.

18:59

Yeah, because you came in around 450 or something like that. I'm like that. I just hit over 10 ,000 followers on Twitter and Nate pickowitz had messaged me and said hey congrats on getting 10k there and he said from here on out.

19:13

There's nothing spectacular about getting any more followers. He said the next milestone really isn't until you hit a hundred thousand.

19:20

Oh, wow. So it's like it's like after you hit 10k, it's just like okay, you don't really get to see the number tick up anymore because it just says 10k, you know, but okay, where were we back to anon's question second.

19:34

Can you bring clarity to the stepping down of a pastor due to adultery? We've already seen some pastors rebuked and step down due to this sin and other pastors not stepping down.

19:47

I'm looking at you totally on chavidian shame on you. Jesus said that if a man looks upon a woman and lusts after her he has already committed adultery in his heart.

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That's in Matthew 5. If this is the case then almost all pastors are not qualified due to the sin of adultery.

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How does or I'm sorry does a pastor need to step down when he committed the sin of adultery in his thoughts?

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How about if the pastor got attracted to someone who is other than his wife?

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What if he repented can he still pastor a church? Thank you for taking time to listen to this.

20:25

So kind of the nature of the question here is is almost like degrees of adultery.

20:30

Okay, because it is true. What Jesus says in Matthew chapter 5, of course, it's true what

20:35

Jesus says. Of course, I don't even need to preface that but where he says that some people Beth Moore when excuse you almost need to make that my one per list now.

20:50

It's like one per episode every time we get together and we do an episode. Where's Beth Moore going to get mentioned in here?

20:56

No. Anyway, so so in Matthew chapter 5,

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I'll read the passage out here Matthew 5 27. You have heard that it was said you shall not commit adultery, but I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

21:19

So if that's the case, if you've got a minister who has looked at a woman lustfully does that now disqualify him as a minister as as somebody who could pastor and lead a church.

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Let's go to the qualifications for elders first year first Timothy chapter 3 verse 1 the saying is trustworthy.

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If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task.

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Therefore an overseer must be above reproach the husband of one wife and the way that that's translated.

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It's literally he must be a one -woman man. He must be sober -minded self -controlled.

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There's a big one that goes along with that. So he must be committed to his wife. He must be self -controlled.

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He must be respectable hospitable able to teach not a drunkard not violent, but gentle not quarrelsome not a lover of money.

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He must manage his own household. Well with all dignity keeping his children submissive for if someone does not know how to manage his own household.

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How will he care for God's Church? He must not be a recent convert or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil.

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Moreover. He must be well thought of by outsiders so that he may not fall into disgrace into a snare of the devil.

22:37

So that first qualification there and you've heard this said multiple times is that the overseer must be above reproach.

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He must have a good reputation and Paul even clarifies. They're not only among Believers, but even among unbelievers.

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He must even be well thought of by outsiders. Right RC Sproul was on renewing your mind recently.

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And of course, this was an older message obvious because he has gone home to be with the Lord and in the message that I heard on renewing your mind.

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I think this was a week or two ago. He was talking about the qualifications for an overseer in first Timothy chapter 3 and the way he started out the lesson.

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He said anybody can look at this list and feel like they're totally unqualified.

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How can a minister ever be qualified to keep this standard? Is that kind of like Proverbs 31 woman the

23:31

Proverbs 31 woman? Yeah, like why a woman looking at that going? How could I ever aspire to this ever going to aspire to this?

23:37

Yeah, and that was an interesting approach to start out the message because often and I've taught this same way.

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I've heard Mark Dever teach this way on the qualifications of a pastor, but often we talk about this as anybody in the church should aspire to these attributes, right?

23:54

These characteristics these qualifications, but it's the it's the pastor in particular who must have an ability to teach and he sets a standard or a model for the rest of the congregation to follow right

24:05

Hebrews chapter 13 says consider those who have Taught you the faith and imitate their faith walk in their way of life.

24:13

But yeah, when you're when you're talking about the level of holiness that is expected here of a man who is supposed to be an overseer in the church.

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It can be pretty intimidating. You can't look at this going boy. I just cannot measure up to this.

24:26

I mean, how how am I to be sober minded? How am

24:32

I to be self -controlled? I mean, sometimes I do get angry here. It says, you know, we must not be violent but gentle not quarrelsome.

24:39

So if I've had an argument with somebody am I now disqualified from becoming a pastor?

24:45

So as you're looking at those qualifications, it can be kind of intimidating but we must remember as any of us need to remember that the holiness that we have is not from ourselves, right?

24:57

It is from God a person who aspires to the office of overseer. There is certainly going to be higher expectations upon him as it says in James 3 one not all of you should aspire to be teachers my brothers because you know that teachers will be judged with greater strictness.

25:14

So in that case, you know, sure we know that there's going to be a greater scrutiny that's going to be placed upon a teacher than would be placed upon anybody else, right?

25:25

You're even in the public eye. You're seen by more people. Most of the rest of the congregation is just going to blend in with everybody else.

25:31

You know what I mean? But all of us all of us have been called to holiness since I'm here in Matthew chapter 5.

25:37

It says in verse 48 you therefore must be perfect right as your

25:43

Heavenly Father is perfect. So and again what God demands he also gives to us he demands righteousness and he gives us the righteousness of Christ his imputed righteousness that has been given to us.

25:57

Amen. And so now walking in maturity in that faith. We must demonstrate these attributes as those who are pursuing godliness.

26:08

Now, let's bring this now back to the question that was presented regarding levels of like adultery or temptation.

26:19

Okay. So now you have a minister who has been tempted in his heart.

26:24

He has looked at a woman with lustful thoughts. Is he immediately disqualified for the pastorate?

26:31

Let me put this for you in a more specific way. Let's say that a guy is browsing through a catalog.

26:39

Okay, and I'm even going to pick a catalog that I don't even think exists anymore. Okay, a

26:45

Sears catalog. Okay. Okay, right. All right. You remember browsing through the Sears catalog when you were kids?

26:50

Yeah. Okay. So did you and your brother you did the thing where you're like circling the Christmas gifts that you wanted a toy section?

26:56

Yeah. Yeah, I remember that. Yeah, I looked forward to the Christmas catalog every year, right?

27:03

JC Penney Sears didn't matter, but I was I was all over that catalog. I was always looking for the remote control cars to that was

27:10

I could see that was my section. So anyway, let's say he's browsing through a Sears catalog and he gets to the lingerie section and he opens it up and instead of going.

27:22

Whoa, okay wasn't meaning to turn to that section. He stops for a minute. Wait a minute five seconds.

27:29

He just sits there on the page a little bit longer than he should have at what point did he become disqualified?

27:36

Was it at three seconds? Was it at five seconds? You know what I mean? So what so is the man now disqualified because he just browsed through the lingerie section of the catalog a little longer than he should have looked at it.

27:50

Is this man now a hypocrite if he has to go to his brother who is in an adulterous affair and tell this man you have to repent or God is going to judge you for it.

28:01

Is he not able to do that now because he's got a great big log in his eye since he was since he was glancing too long at the lingerie section in the

28:09

Sears catalog. I guess that would depend on his heart right if he didn't feel like that was anything worth well, it was something

28:21

I don't want to say that it wasn't anything. It was something know what he feels that oh, it's no big deal, you know, like those kind of things right like it happens all the time men do it all the time.

28:33

This is a guy thing. This is something that you know, I'll I'll say for me personally. This is something that I deal with when

28:39

I do my image browsing for the what videos that I do and so I have to before I sit down at my computer and I start doing image searches.

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I have to pray and I have to say God help me to take every thought captive and make it obedient to Christ. And when something pops up on the screen that I should not be setting before my eyes.

28:58

Boom. I'm hitting the X. I'm getting off of it. I'm moving to another page. Whatever it is that I have to do to get away from the search results that I got there.

29:07

Right? I remember reading an article from Tim Challis where he was talking about that as well. And he was talking about how his sanctification had so matured to the place now where that disgusts him anytime that pops up on the screen.

29:20

He's immediately repulsed has to get it off the screen get back to the task that he was doing right and and I mean online you could be searching for brooms right and you could come up with some scantily clad picture.

29:32

Yeah, it really is no safe image search that is out there even if you've got safeguards on your computer and whatnot, right?

29:39

And so if a pastor has an image like that come up on a screen and he looks at it for too long as he become unqualified as Becky has said it does consider the condition of his heart.

29:53

Yeah. Now, let's get let's get even more severe here. Let's talk about a pastor that has downloaded porn and he now has it on his computer.

30:03

Has he become disqualified for his office that particular case?

30:08

I would say absolutely. Yeah, and in fact, depending on the severity of it, I would say something like that could even permanently disqualify

30:16

Yeah, because you're talking about somebody who is saving images to his computer because in his mind he is already storing up for himself.

30:25

I am an intention a deliberate intention to look at this later and it's on his mind and on his heart continually and that's why he's doing that.

30:37

That's why he's saving those images, right? And so I would say that if in in a circumstance that a pastor

30:42

Gets caught in something like that. He's probably again case -by -case basis seek out if this man is repentant and he's truly convicted of it, right?

30:52

And and you know, I would have to leave that to elders, but I'm just speaking for myself in this particular instance or circumstance.

30:59

I would say I don't see how that guy can continue to maintain that office and ever be able to do it again with any amount of credibility.

31:05

He can no longer be trusted. He has no self -control. He demonstrated there. He's got no self -control.

31:11

No self -control over his body his eyes his thoughts and he has given those thoughts over to something that is that is repulsive unto the

31:22

Lord and as well as it should be repulsive to any of us, right? So yeah, there are certainly various degrees of this and I've said in the past and and Becky and I have talked about this, you know,

31:33

I think this was back in March as well that a person who has what we talked about it last year even and when

31:40

I did my series on first Timothy, we talked about this. I talked about it with my church five or six years ago.

31:46

I can't remember when that was. We went through first and second Timothy, but if a pastor as a pastor if an elder has committed adultery as he was holding that office, he's permanently disqualified and Phil Johnson actually just talked about this recently with Todd Freel even on an episode of too wretched for radio and he mentioned the same thing there because what has happened there with that sin is he's no longer above reproach.

32:16

He will never be able to have a reputation to hold that office again because you he can't be trusted can't be trusted with that office and that position again considering what it was that he did a person who should have known better more than anyone else in the congregation, right?

32:31

There are people who are not Christians that know that's wrong right and so for him to have slipped so severely in that way and whenever you mention something like that.

32:41

There's always somebody says well, what about David David was a completely different circumstance David was a king and there were serious ramifications for what happened with David even

32:52

David himself said that he was a dead man when Nathan the prophet came and convicted him over it

32:58

David knew that he was going to die but Nathan the prophet said the Lord is going to be merciful on you and you will not die but your child will the child that was conceived of this unholy

33:11

Union and and so death resulted because of the seriousness of this sin so you can't compare this to David.

33:18

You can't say well the pastors done this say, you know, David was restored somebody died.

33:24

Yeah, so it's it's a very serious in the Lord takes it very very seriously.

33:29

We are called to purity in this way and and I take this very seriously.

33:34

I understand the glass house that I'm standing in when I'm saying what it is that I'm saying because now people are going to look at me going.

33:42

Okay Gabe. We're going to test you by your words. That's fine. I understand that and I should be I should be held to that standard as well and I do hold you to that standard.

33:52

Yes, you do but it's like we sing in the song come thou fount of every blessing prone to wander

34:01

Lord. I feel it prone to leave the God. I love here's my heart Lord take and seal it seal it for thy courts above it is the

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Lord who purifies us and makes us righteous and it is he who holds us close to himself

34:18

James says in James 4 draw near to God and he will draw near to you flee the devil resist the devil and he will flee from you and that is that's the way we need to approach these things clinging to Christ every day because we in our own flesh do not have the power to overcome the temptations that come at us daily.

34:39

Yeah, especially in the sexually charged culture that we live in right now. So I hope that was helpful for you a non it's just like we said with the previous question case -by -case basis.

34:53

It is everything all of these things need to be handled on a case -by -case circumstance. Next question.

34:59

Oh, what were you gonna say? I was just gonna say and just be thorough on your investigations thorough.

35:07

Yes, certainly thorough. Yes, but gracious. Oh, yes, definitely.

35:13

So because that was the other word I was looking for I was trying to think of the other word and I couldn't yeah,

35:19

I think thoroughness is very good, but we got to be careful with that because thorough can can turn into like scrutinizing and suspicion right and you don't want to approach it like that.

35:31

Definitely not. Yeah, when you're just constantly suspecting someone of evil then there's really nothing that they can say to you.

35:39

That's gonna that's gonna make you go. Oh, well, everything's okay. No, you're just gonna hear everything as well.

35:44

See, he's just that's just a smoke screen, right? He's just dodging the issue. Yeah, so make sure that you are pure in your own intentions, right?

35:53

So we do need to have grace toward one another because our Lord God has been gracious with us thorough certainly.

36:00

Yes, but gracious in your thoroughness. Next question comes from Lee in Allentown, Pennsylvania.

36:07

Greetings Pastor Gabe and Becky. I love your show, especially the relationship that the two of you have. I believe it's evident to everyone that you really like each other and that's that's a refreshing thing to hear.

36:19

I do kind of like this person, you know, sitting next to me here. I like him too. Pastor Gabe has made jokes about how

36:27

Becky is the star of the Friday episodes. I had a suggestion to make that might give

36:37

Becky some more airtime because Gabe does tend to talk quite a bit more than Becky does.

36:42

Yeah, you do, but that's okay. It's not really in like our everyday things. No, I don't think

36:49

I think we're pretty equal and we're pretty equal on those. But in the in the podcast. Yeah, it's definitely more. Yeah, two -thirds me and one -third

36:55

Becky. Yeah, so here's here's a suggestion to give Becky more airtime.

37:01

Why doesn't Becky read the questions? I saw you guys do this in a video once and I wondered why she didn't do this on the podcast.

37:09

Thanks for your ministry and for taking my question. So Becky, why don't you read the questions? You saw that video, huh?

37:18

Okay, so I am dyslexic and I fumble over words really, really bad and to get through the intro alone.

37:29

It's at least five takes each time. So yeah, until I get better at that,

37:38

I think I'm going to allow Gabe to continue read the questions. I would be okay with it.

37:43

I think it would be great. But yeah, she she does have it takes so much longer to record and edit now.

37:50

She's she's actually a fast silent reader. She does better than I do as far as like reading silently.

37:57

But when it comes to reading it out loud, there is kind of a struggle disconnect. Yeah, to take it from your brain to your mouth is a little bit a little bit harder more difficult coordination.

38:07

I guess with the dyslexia that you have and be praying for Becky too, because she is preaching a message at a women's conference tomorrow morning.

38:16

Yes, it's the first women's conference we've had at our church. Yes, and and she's reading that, right?

38:25

So be in prayer for her. Because if I don't read it, then I will rabbit trail so many different ways.

38:31

I mean, you guys have heard us on the podcast, you kind of get an idea. So, so I'm going to be reading it to stay, you know, in time and everything because I only have a little slotted time.

38:42

But but yeah, I'm excited. I'm also quite nervous. So yes, please pray for us.

38:48

I think I think she'll do great. It's it's to kick off our women's Bible study. That's right.

38:54

Yeah, because then we're going to do that. What's twice? What you're going to do? I'm not going to do that. Well, I'm going to definitely go to you for help.

39:03

It's the man hater woman's club. I'm not invited to that. Stop. So Becky's kind of nervous.

39:12

I think Sonia and I are working with her today and then she's going to be doing this message tomorrow.

39:19

Yep. And you can also pray for her to read the questions on the podcast. Sure. Eventually, eventually.

39:26

Now this next question comes from I know I'm not going to say this right because I remember him emailing us the pronunciation of his name and then

39:34

I've lost that email. Oh bummer. But this is Kenichukwu from Nigeria. Okay, and he says good day to you

39:41

Pastor Gabe and family. I hope all is well. It's been a while since I last emailed but I've still been enjoying the podcast, especially the

39:51

Friday Q &A's. Oh, of course because because Becky's on the

39:56

Friday. Not just because of me. My question today is related to some changes happening in my own life right now.

40:04

I was challenged by a question from a friend intended to own me which was downloading free movies and content online is illegal.

40:13

So does it mean we are all guilty of theft and we are going to hell in Nigeria? We don't really think that much about this because pretty much the standard way of getting access to TV shows

40:25

Etc has always been what I would confess to be piracy. So I made a decision to stop what my conscience now convicts me has been sinful.

40:35

But now I'm in a tough spot with my conscience because most of the people selling DVDs in Nigeria are selling pirated content.

40:43

We share music to friends all the time even in preparation for choir practice. The online textbook material we use for study and school are often downloaded for free instead of bought from the original vendors.

40:57

My point is it goes very deep so much that I'm even wondering if there is any way

41:04

I could truly escape digital piracy. I know that this is a hefty conscience issue, but I would appreciate your input on the matter of digital piracy copyright legislation isn't really a thing here in most

41:15

Western products aren't available here. So while I might be innocent with regards to laws of the state my conscience convicts me that by partaking in these normal activities using and consuming foreign copyrighted content.

41:28

I'm actively partaking in theft. Thank you for listening. I would appreciate your answer. If you have any insight from the

41:35

Bible that you think would be relevant to my conundrum God bless you and your family for your commitment to teaching the word every day of the week.

41:41

It has blessed me so much now we talked about this because I was actually standing in my kitchen when

41:49

I read this email and Sonia was with us too. Yeah, so in first Corinthians chapter 8 we read about food offered to idols and it says in verse 4 as to the eating of food offered to idols.

42:05

We know that an idol has no real existence and that there is no God but one for although there may be so -called gods in Heaven or on Earth as indeed there are many gods and many

42:16

Lords yet for us. There is one God the father from whom are all things and for whom we exist and one

42:25

Lord Jesus Christ through whom are all things and through whom we exist.

42:31

However, not all possess this knowledge, but some through former association with idols eat food as really offered to an idol and their conscience being weak is defiled food will not commend us to God.

42:45

We are no worse off if we do not eat and no better if we do but take care that this right of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the week for if someone sees you who have knowledge eating in an idol's temple.

43:00

Will he not be encouraged if his conscience is weak to eat food offered to idols and so by your knowledge this weak person is destroyed the brother for whom

43:11

Christ died thus sinning against your brothers and wounding their conscience when it is weak you sin against Christ.

43:18

Therefore if food makes my brother to stumble I will never eat meat lest I make my brother to stumble.

43:24

So that's in regard to food offered to idols. Let me now read this passage a different way. I'm going to come back to verse 7 some through former association watch movies and TV shows as they have been pirated and their conscience being weak is defiled movies and TV shows entertainment will not commend us to God.

43:49

We are no worse off if we watch and no better off if we don't watch but take care that this right of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the week for if anyone sees you who have knowledge watching or partaking in pirated content.

44:09

Will he not be encouraged if his conscience is weak to then partake in or purchase or well consume for free pirated content and so by your knowledge this weak person is destroyed the brother for whom

44:26

Christ died to kind of help kind of use the principle that's being said here in first Corinthians 8 and applying it to pirated content.

44:36

I would think so concerning the laws that you have there in Nigeria and considering how widespread this is if you're obeying the laws of your state

44:46

I in my position I would say that I would not have a problem with it and I'm just speaking for myself but if your conscience is defiled by partaking in that which is pirated content then don't do it right and don't do it just because I said to do it.

45:01

You really need to seek this out with the Lord. These principles are also laid down in Romans chapter 14 and where it says in Romans 14 that that everyone must be fully convinced in his own mind.

45:13

So if you are convinced even a little bit that what you're doing might be sin don't do it. Don't defile your conscience before God and don't encourage anybody else to do the same.

45:22

But if you can seek this out that according to the laws of your state and there's really you know of all the movies and stuff like that that's around there's no way that you can purchase it in a way that would be legal according to America's laws, right?

45:38

It and and yet you still want to watch movies and TV. Now, I would say that in terms of like things that are important in life movies and TV really are not high up on the list.

45:49

You can get by with not partaking in this entertainment at all. They used to do it all the time.

45:55

What do you mean back in the day when they didn't have TV? They pirated it all the time. No, they didn't watch

46:01

TV. Oh, yeah. Oh, okay. I got you. I got sorry. Was that just a flu?

46:06

Yeah flew over my head. Sorry. Yeah, people used to do a little taller people used to do it all the time not watch

46:13

TV. Yeah, they did lots of other stuff, but believe it or not for most of human history people have not listened to recorded music watch television gone to the movies.

46:25

Yeah, it's only about the last hundred years or so. So anyway, it's not that important a thing for you to have to have so you can get by with not having entertainment in which case you don't have to struggle with this particular conundrum.

46:40

But again, you must be fully convinced in your own mind. And do not cause anyone else to stumble.

46:47

If you're convinced that you can watch pirated content and there's nothing really wrong with that and then you've got this friend who wants to own you with this question downloading free movies and content online is illegal.

46:59

So does it mean that we're all guilty of theft and we are going to hell if it's going to make your friends conscience be defiled then don't even mention it.

47:07

Don't talk about it. Don't you know do it around other people in terms of like watching movies and okay television and stuff like that.

47:17

If it's a personal thing for you great. Anyway, I really would put you in the spot of having okay having to go.

47:25

What is it in the USA that it says you have to read America's laws and then you're going by America's laws on whether or not you could be watching

47:33

TV and doing it legally, right? But whenever America I guess

47:40

I don't know. I was thinking that whenever it goes overseas that it's different for each.

47:48

I don't know. I don't know how that works. I know that after because I just watched a movie the other day and it was an old

47:53

DVD that I watched and at the end there's that Interpol crawl. Uh -huh. Do you know what I'm talking about?

47:59

I think so. Yeah, so it's like the the thing that was passed on September 8th 1977 related to International Copyright Act and Interpol says this.

48:08

Oh, right. I don't remember what that law is. I just happen to remember the date and that there's that there's that Interpol subtext, you know that comes up at the very end of older movies.

48:20

I don't think they really do it in most films anymore. Probably not. They they're too busy thanking everybody and their dog.

48:27

That's true. Who came on set. Yeah, the the coffee boys assistant and yeah, what not anyway, so I hope that helps you out with that a little bit.

48:38

I don't know how clearly we answered the question for you. It gives you something to think about. Yeah, definitely. But again, this is a

48:43

Bible versus to go over. Yeah, this is going to be one of those Christian Liberty sorts of questions and so study

48:50

Romans 14 go back that to that there and try to see this issue in light of the food and day laws that are that are talked about there in Romans 14 given that I just read first Corinthians 8 1 through 8.

49:05

Let me come to this question here from Neil. He says, hey, this is Neil from Greenville, South Carolina. Love your podcast and your spirit of Brotherhood.

49:12

I like the way that you build up John MacArthur, even though you obviously disagree on eschatology. Yep. Yep, because we're going to truth matters.

49:19

That's right truth matters. Just a couple of weeks. Here's my question. Can you help me with the seemingly contradictory statements of first Corinthians 8 1 through 8 and Revelation 2 14?

49:31

So we just read about that some through former association with idols eat food really offered to an idol and their conscience being weak is defiled.

49:40

That's what we read in first Corinthians chapter 8. Let me flip over here to Revelation chapter 2 verse 14.

49:49

I'm going to start at an inverse 12 because this is to the church in Pergamum and to the angel of the church in Pergamum right the words of him who has the sharp two -edged sword.

50:00

I know where you dwell where Satan's throne is yet. You hold fast my name and you did not deny my faith even in the days of Antipas my faithful witness who was killed among you where Satan dwells, but I have a few things against you.

50:19

You have some there who hold the teaching of Balaam who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel so that they might eat food sacrifice to idols and practice sexual immorality.

50:35

Now, this is not in contradiction with what Paul just said in first Corinthians 8 right this reference in verse 14 and Revelation 2 14 is being used as an example of when

50:48

Balaam and we read about this in the book of Numbers Numbers 25 when Balaam was being hired by the king of Moab to curse

50:57

Israel, but he couldn't do it. He couldn't get the words out to curse Israel. Oh, right. Uh -huh.

51:02

And so what's Moab's King wanted Balaam to do is he wanted the

51:10

Israelites to be seduced into both sexual and spiritual adultery.

51:16

Okay, because if he could get that to happen then the Israelites God which the

51:22

Moabites feared the the Israelites God would abandon them even the

51:27

Moabites understood that so if we contempt Israel into spiritual idolatry and sexual adultery, then their

51:36

God will abandon them and then they will be weak and then we will be able to conquer them. Then we won't have anything to fear of them when they come into our land.

51:43

That's what it was that he wanted to do. Okay, and so the the spiritual idolatry would have been for the

51:50

Israelites to eat food that had previously been offered to idols. Now that was significant in the

51:56

Old Testament under the Mosaic law, but here in the New Testament, which is Paul speaking in first Corinthians 8 1 through 8, right?

52:04

We are under a new law the law of Christ where things that were types in the

52:11

Old Testament have a spiritual connotation in the New Testament, right? And so this is merely in Revelation 2 14.

52:20

This is merely an example of the Israelites being tempted into sexual and spiritual idolatry just as the

52:28

Nicolaitans are trying to tempt the Christians at Pergamum into sexual and spiritual idolatry.

52:36

So this is what Jesus is warning them of. I have a few things against you. There are some that hold to the teaching of Balaam who taught

52:44

Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel so that they might eat food sacrifice to idols and practice sexual immorality.

52:52

So also some of you who hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans therefore repent.

52:58

If not, I will come to you soon and war against them with the sword of my mouth.

53:03

So this was Jesus saying some of you are in sexual and spiritual idolatry.

53:08

Yeah, and it needs to needs to stop. If you don't repent of this now, yeah, then

53:14

Jesus will come against them in judgment rather than coming to them as Savior.

53:21

So that's that's what's meant to be understood there in Revelation 2 14, so it doesn't contradict.

53:28

Nope. No contradiction. There's never a contradiction in Scripture. If we think there's a contradiction, it's our own fault.

53:34

That's our problem. Yeah, that's not scriptures problem. I think we'll even talk about that it truth matters in a couple of weeks probably so that's our show for today.

53:42

And if you would like to send an email to us again, our email address is when we understand the text at gmail .com

53:49

all spelled out all spelled out. Yes, not WWU TT at gmail .com.

53:55

You're going to confuse. I know now that I've just confused everybody when we understand the text at gmail .com.

54:01

Yes, let's pray. Yes, let's Heavenly Father. We thank you for our time together and I thank you for those who are diligently searching the word lurk looking for what

54:12

God has said about this matter or that matter that in everything that we say and do we are governed by the word of God and what a blessing it is to have

54:23

Scripture and have it so readily available to us in this way. We've got Bibles on our shelves.

54:29

We've got Bibles overflowing in our churches. There's no shortage of places where we can get

54:35

Bibles. So let us not neglect that. We've got God's word at our fingertips and we can open it up and study it and know your will.

54:43

And if there are things that we don't understand we go to those who may have deeper understanding so that they may guide us into all truth.

54:52

Help us to know that the Bible is sufficient for our every need it is inerrant and it is sufficient.

55:00

It is our authority in all things. Even those who do not acknowledge that the

55:06

Bible is an authority the word of God has authority over everyone and everything. So may we hold that dear that way when we are sharing the gospel with others.

55:15

They too may know the gospel of Christ and submit to the authority of the word of God by the regeneration that happens by your

55:24

Holy Spirit in the hearts of man. Thank you for your grace. We pray these things in Jesus name.

55:29

Amen. Amen. Did you get all the coffees out?

56:39

I hope so. Cough, cough, cough, cough. Heck, heck, heck. The coffees spelled

56:44

C -O -U -G -H -I -E -S. Not the good type. Not the C -O -F -F -E -E -S.

56:51

You don't want to get those out anyway. You want those in. True. The good coffees you want in.

56:56

They're yummy. So that you've got some pep and you're going to make it all the way through this episode. Pep in my step.

57:04

My back though. My back and my neck from bending over and getting all those burrs out of the dog.

57:11

Well, that was your job because I was just going to leave him for the rest of his life. He would just have.

57:16

It was so tempting. The kids when they reacted to him coming in.

57:23

Look at the dog. I was like, I am not looking at that dog until I have had time to mentally prepare for what

57:33

I'm going to see. Well, I saw how the leash was wrapped around the weeds out there.

57:40

I was like, okay, that's how he got all of them on his face. I just didn't think he would even bother going over there.