An Antichrist (2 John 1:7)

 A.C.Pike

Introduction

In this brief article, I will explain who the 'antichrists' of the Apostle John's Day were. 

Scripture

The Bible reads, "For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist." (2 John 1:7).

Text

In the above Scripture ( 2 John 1:7), John mentions that there were "many deceivers" in the world. These false teachers went out into the world teaching false doctrines. The false doctrine that they were teaching was that Christ had not come in the flesh. 

One of the core Christian tenets is the belief that Jesus Christ came in the flesh (born of a virgin) and lived a human life. There was a group of people called the Gnostics who believed that flesh is evil. There was also another group of people called the Docetists who taught that Jesus appeared as a mere human. These two groups of people denied the literal physical body of the Lord Jesus Christ.

The belief that Jesus was human (flesh) is equally important as the Doctrine of the Trinity or the belief of being saved by grace.

Conclusion

As we can see, John makes it clear that to be a TRUE believer of Jesus, you have to believe that he had (and has) a literal physical human body.

Notes

The Authorised (King James) Bible.

Key Biblical Words In Eschatology And Prophecy

 A.C.PIke

Introduction

In this brief article, I am going to mention and explain some key terminologies to help us understand the meaning of eschatology and Prophecy.

Terminology

The Seven churches (Revelation 1-3) are the seven locations where Christians are gathered for worship and fellowship. 

The seven bowls, seals, and trumpets are God's jugements. 

The Great Red Dragon, the original Serpent, the prince of the air, the god of this system, Belial, Satan the Dragon, is a fallen Angel.

A third of the stars that fell from Heaven are Demons.

Michael is the Archangel or Chief Angel.

Angels (Messengers) are spirit beings who serve and worship God.

The woman who flees is 'true' Israel - God's people.

The Synagogue of Satan are Jews who have rejected Jesus as the Messiah.

The Head of gold/The Lion with Eagle's wings is Babylon.

The Arms of silver/The Bear/The Two Horned Ram is the Medo-Persians.

The body of brass/bronze/ The Leopard/ The Ram is Greece.

The Little Horn is Antiochus VI.

The King of the North and the King of the South are Egypt and Syria, respectively. 

The Legs of Iron/The Terrible Beast/The Beast from the Sea is Rome.

The Ten Heads/Ten Horns/Ten Crowns are the Pagan nations that later become the European kingdoms.

The Little Horn is the Papacy.

The Great City is Rome. This is the geographical location of Imperial and Papal Rome. 

The Beast represents a Kingdom, the Woman represents a False Religion, and the Merchants represent Traders.

The False Prophets is a false Religious System (apostate Christians).

The sheep are believers (one fold of Jews and Gentiles) coming together to worship God.

The Goats are the unbelievers. 

The Wheat are the true believers, the Tares are false Christians, and the Field is the world.

Conclusion

As we can see, knowing the above terms helps us to understand eschatology and prophecy more clearly.

Addition

I am mentioning these terms because, God willing, I hope to do an in-depth article about Eschatology and biblical prophecy. 

Notes

More to be added along with Scriptural References. 

Six Books That All Christians Should Read

 A.C.Pike

Introduction

Below is a list of books that all Christians (especially Protestant and Reformed ones) should read. 

Some of these books might be too advanced for a new Christian. So they are generally recommended for someone who is a little bit more mature in the faith. Whereas other books are essential to a new Christian to help them build their knowledge of the truth and equip them in their walk with the Lord.

The Recommended Books

One ) The Holiness Of God 

By John Charles Ryle.

Two) The Sovereignty Of God 

By Arthur Pink

Three) The Great Awakening 

By Charles Hodge

Four) The Bondage Of The Will 

By Martin Luther

Five) Sinners In The Hands Of An Angry God 

By Jonathan Edwards

Six) The Mortification Of Sin 

By John Owen

Conclusion

All of these books are a blessing to the people who read them. But most importantly, Christians need to read their Bible. 

Note

I am hoping to add (in the future) a small view of these books and some information along with a brief biography of their authors. 

The Field Is The..........?

 A.C.Pike

Introduction

This text of Scripture is often misunderstood for various reasons. I have seen (and read) Christians who say that the wheat represents true Christians, the tare represents false Christians, and the field represents the world. They then use this Scripture to teach that we should tolerate false Christians and their teachings with-in the Church? But is this true? In this article, I will take a brief look at this Scripture, and its correct meaning. 

Scriptural Texts

"The kingdom of God is likened unto a man who sowed good seed into his field. But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir didst thou not sow good seed in the field? |From whence then has it tares? He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Whilt thou then that we go and gather them up? But he said, Nay lest while we gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers , Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to throw them: but gather the wheat into my barn" (Matthew 13:24-30). 

It's Meaning

In verses 37- 41  Jesus explains the meaning of this parable. The Sower who sows the field is Jesus (v 37). The field is the world (v 38). Christians are the good seed and non-Christians are the tares (v 38). Our enemy is the Devil who sows the tares (v 39). The harvest is at the end of the world, and the Angels are the reapers (v 39). In the end times, these tares will be gathered and burnt in the fire (v 40). It is Jesus who sends his Angels out at the end of the world (age) to "gather out of his Kingdom all that offend (tares)" (v 41)*. These tares will be thrown into a furnace (v 42), and the righteous will shine in the Kingdom (v 43).

The people slept, so the enemy came along and sowed tares among the wheat. This happens when complacent Christians fall asleep spiritually and do not have the full armour of God on. So the Devil comes along and brings false Christians and their teachings into the world to lead people astray. 

Jesus doesn't gather these tares out of the Kingdom straight away for fear that the wheat may also be pulled up! So he lets them both grow together until the end of the world. He does this because we need true Christians in the world to preach the Gospel message to mankind so that they can be saved.

Conclusion

As we can see, the field is not the Church, it is the world. This Scripture has nothing to do with true Christians tolerating false Christians and their practices in their Church. It is about false Christians living in the world among true Christians, - and that as true Christians, we must avoid false Christians and their doctrines and practices. 

Notes

*The gathering of all who offend and removing them from God's Kingdom refutes the beliefs that the righteous will be removed from the earth and the unrighteous will remain. 

Jesus uses two different words for 'world.' In verse thirty eight he uses the word 'kosmos' which means "order" to denote the entire world. In verse Thirty Nine he uses the word 'age' to denote the present wicked system that will pass away.

Reference

AV/KJV Bible

Colossians 2:16 Feast Days

 A.C.Pike

Introduction

This is a Scripture that is often used by Christians to justify the celebration of Roman Catholic Religious Days such as Christmas, Easter, and Lent, and secular Days like New Year's Eve and New Year's Day. But is this Scripture really about this? In this article, we will see that Colossians 2:16 has nothing to do with non-biblical secular or so-called religious Days. 

Colossians 2:16 And It's Meaning

This Scripture reads, "Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holiday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days" (AV/KJV).

The Apostle Paul was writing to Christians in the Church at Colossae. In the area of Colossae, there were both Jews and Gentiles (Romans and Greeks) who were living and working there. The Christian Church had both Jewish and Gentile believers attending their services and fellowshiping together. Also, there were Jews who still practiced the Mosaic Law and Gentiles who believed in and worshipped the Greco-Roman deities that lived in the City. So a mixture of beliefs and practices was present in Colossae.

This Church had become heavily influenced by Jewish thoughts and beliefs. This is why Paul told the Church that God had blotted out the ordinances that were against us (v14). Jesus' death on the cross fulfilled the Ceremonial Laws and types and shadows in the Old Testament. It ended the Judicial Penalties for sins and transgressions that were committed under the Nation of Israel. But most of all, it forgave us ALL (both Jews and Gentiles) of our sins. 

We no longer have to observe the national Feast Days of Israel. We no longer have to eat the Passover Lamb, or divide the clean and the unclean foods. These are not legally binding on a Christian. 

The Jews in the first Century were trying to make Christians feel obligated to observe the Ceremonial and Festive Days of the Jews.

This is what the Apostle Paul was talking about.

Conclusion

As Christians, we are not under Ceremonial requirements or Judicial penalties of the Law. Also, they are no longer binding on the Jews.

Notes

The Authorised (King James) Version of the Bible.

 

Healed By His Stripes - Isaiah 53:5

A.C.Pike

Introduction

This is a Scripture that is used by Charistmatic Christians when performing so-called miraculous sign gifts. * They say that this text of Scripture is about the physical healing of a person who is prayed over by a Charismatic Healing Ministry. But is it? In this article, I will show that Isaiah 53:5 is not about the physical healing of a person from illness, but a spiritual healing from sin.

Healed By His Stripes (Isaiah 53:1-10)

1) "Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed? 2) For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. 3) He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. 4) Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. 5) But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. 6) All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. 7) He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth. 8) He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken. 9) And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth. 10) Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand." (Isaiah 53:1-10 AV/KJV).

The Text's Context

The report that is given is about the coming of the "arm of the LORD (Jehovah)" (v1). Jehovah God's arms is the Lord Jesus Christ. He grows up like a "tender plant" (v2). He is both "despised and rejected" by mankind (v3). The weight of the world is upon his shoulders as he bears our grief and sorrows (v4). He has been wounded for "our transgressions" and "bruised for our iniquities", it is by his "stripes" we are healed (v5). We are wayward sheep that have gone astray in sin, and because of this, he (Jehovah) has "laid on him (Jesus)" all of our iniquities (v6). He was oppressed (by the Leaders of the day). They inflicted him. He was a sheep that was "as a lamb to the slaughter" (V7). He was killed for the sins and transgressions of the people (v8),  A righteous man had to die and be laid to rest with sinners (v9). Death was punishment on mankind for the sins that they inherited from Adam and the sins that they have committed. Jesus Christ was sinless and committed no sin, but died like a sinner, taking away the sin of the elect, and having it placed upon himself. It pleased God to lay the punishment that we deserve upon him, because in doing so, it would forgive us and take away our sins.

Conclusion

As we can see, Isaiah 53:5 is not about physical healing from illness, but a spiritual healing from our sin. It is in verses four and five that we read that Jesus Christ, as the sacrificial lamb of God, bore our sins and transgressions on the cross. It is because of the stripes that Jesus bore on the cross that we are healed from our sins.

Notes

* I do not believe that the sign gists are for today. I believe that they ended in the First Century with the passing away of the Apostles, Prophets, and Evangelists. 

Psalm One

 A.C.Pike

Introduction

This Psalm was composed by king David of Israel. It was written with-in the time period of 1030 - 930BC. The Psalm itself has no title.  

It is about a righteous man who does not walk in the "council of the ungodly" (v1) and how he delights in God's law. 

The Scriptural Text

1) Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. 2) But his delight is in the law of the Lord (Jehovah); and in his law doth he meditate day and night. 3) And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. 4) The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away. 5) Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.

The Textual Meaning

Verse One: We truly are blessed when we do not stand in the council of the ungodly or the ways of sinners or sit with scornful people. We do not participate in their bad behaviour or condone their ways.

Verse Two: All people should delight in Jehovah's Law and meditate upon it daily. If we apply God's Law in our lives, then we will see the benefits in our own lives and how we treat others. 

Verse Three: A blessed person will be like a well-watered healthy tree that will bear fruit in due Season. He will not weather, but prosper. 

Verse Four: Ungodly people will be like chaff that is blown away by the wind.

Verse Five: Ungodly people will not be able to stand when being judged. Sinful people can not stand in a Congregation of righteous people. 

Additional 

What a blessing it is to be covered by the precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. We, as believers, will be able to stand before the LORD (Jehovah) God because of what Jesus has done for us upon the cross.

Conclusion

What pearls of wisdom and encouragement the reader gleams from the inspired words of the Psalmist David.

References

The Authorised (King James) Version of the Bible.