And when he returned to Capernaum after some days, it was reported that he was at home. And many were gathered together, so that there was no more room, not even at the door. And he was preaching the word to them. And they came, bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men. And when they could not get near him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him, and when they had made an opening, they let down the bed on which the paralytic lay. And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven." Now some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts, "Why does this man speak like that? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?" And immediately Jesus, perceiving in his spirit that they thus questioned within themselves, said to them, "Why do you question these things in your hearts? Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Rise, take up your bed and walk'? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins" - he said to the paralytic - "I say to you, rise, pick up your bed, and go home." And he rose and immediately picked up his bed and went out before them all, so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, "We never saw anything like this!" (Mark 2:1-12 ESV)
It is quite amazing that I have read this passage countless of times, always puzzled as to what exactly was my Lord Jesus comparing when He said, "Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Rise, take up your bed and walk'?" I always thought it was the number of words, or complexity of the syntax of the sentences. But somehow, I never bothered to check further.
Today at the Sunday services, Dr Tim Berrey explained that it is easier to say, "Your sins are forgiven" because there is no way to verify it. But when you say to a paralyzed man, "Rise, take up your bed and walk", you will be proven false if the man cannot do what you say. This website also gave the same explanation.
Dr Berrey also pointed out that the crowd's reaction was somewhat unsatisfactory. They were amazed at the miracle but did not notice the point which Jesus was trying to prove, that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.
Jesus knew what they were thinking, so he asked them, "Why do you have
such evil thoughts in your hearts? Is it easier to say 'Your sins are
forgiven,' or 'Stand up and walk'? So I will prove to you that the Son
of Man has the authority on earth to forgive sins." Then Jesus turned to
the paralyzed man and said, "Stand up, pick up your mat, and go home!"
(Matthew 9:4-6 NLT)
Sunday, May 31, 2015
Friday, May 29, 2015
Message, Not Miracles
By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already. (1 John 4:2-3 ESV)
For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. (Matthew 24:24 ESV)
The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. (2 Thessalonians 2:9-10 ESV)
Signs and wonders can be imitated by Satan (Matthew 24:24, 2 Thessalonians 2:9), but he will never confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh (1 John 4:2-3).
If there arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and giveth thee a sign or a wonder, and the sign or the wonder come to pass, whereof he spake unto thee, saying, Let us go after other gods, which thou hast not known, and let us serve them; thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams: for the Lord your God proveth you, to know whether ye love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. (Deuteronomy 13:1-3 KJV)
But the prophet, which shall presume to speak a word in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or that shall speak in the name of other gods, even that prophet shall die. And if thou say in thine heart, How shall we know the word which the Lord hath not spoken? When a prophet speaketh in the name of the Lord, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the Lord hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him. (Deuteronomy 18:20-22 KJV)
For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. (Matthew 24:24 ESV)
The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. (2 Thessalonians 2:9-10 ESV)
Signs and wonders can be imitated by Satan (Matthew 24:24, 2 Thessalonians 2:9), but he will never confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh (1 John 4:2-3).
If there arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and giveth thee a sign or a wonder, and the sign or the wonder come to pass, whereof he spake unto thee, saying, Let us go after other gods, which thou hast not known, and let us serve them; thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams: for the Lord your God proveth you, to know whether ye love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. (Deuteronomy 13:1-3 KJV)
But the prophet, which shall presume to speak a word in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or that shall speak in the name of other gods, even that prophet shall die. And if thou say in thine heart, How shall we know the word which the Lord hath not spoken? When a prophet speaketh in the name of the Lord, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the Lord hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him. (Deuteronomy 18:20-22 KJV)
Thursday, May 28, 2015
False Teachers Are God’s Judgment
For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. (2 Timothy 4:3-4 KJV)
The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. (2 Thessalonians 2:9-10 ESV)
"False teachers are God’s judgment on people who don't want God, but in the name of religion plan on getting everything their carnal heart desires. That’s why a Joel Osteen is raised up. Those people who sit under him are not victims of him but he is the judgment of God upon them. And they want exactly what he wants, and it’s not God." - Paul Washer
The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. (2 Thessalonians 2:9-10 ESV)
"False teachers are God’s judgment on people who don't want God, but in the name of religion plan on getting everything their carnal heart desires. That’s why a Joel Osteen is raised up. Those people who sit under him are not victims of him but he is the judgment of God upon them. And they want exactly what he wants, and it’s not God." - Paul Washer
Wednesday, May 27, 2015
The False Doctrine Of The Believers Authority
The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything. (Acts 17:24-25 ESV)
For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills. I know all the fowls of the mountains: and the wild beasts of the field are mine. If I were hungry, I would not tell thee: for the world is mine, and the fulness thereof. Will I eat the flesh of bulls, or drink the blood of goats? (Psalm 50:10-13 KJV)
But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me. (1 Corinthians 15:10 KJV)
But Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." (Matthew 19:26 ESV)
I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. (John 15:5 KJV)
Kenneth Hagin told of a 1952 incident when Jesus and he was having a conversation. A hairy demon came to interrupt. He could not hear what Jesus was talking but Jesus did not do anything. In desperation, he commanded the demon to stop in the name of Jesus and the demon went away. Then Jesus said to him, "If you hadn't done something about that, I couldn't have."
Kenneth Hagin was using this incident to teach the false doctrine of the believers authority. In this false doctrine, we are told that God and believers are in a symbiotic relationship, where God has all the power but cannot act, and believers can act but have no power. Thus God and believers must act together to get things done.
Here is the actual quote of the incident taken from the book "The Believers Authority" by Kenneth E Hagin, found in page 35.
QUOTE
In 1952, the Lord Jesus Christ appeared to me in a vision and talked to me for about an hour and a half about the devil, demons, and demon possession. At the end of that vision, an evil spirit that looked like a little monkey or elf ran between Jesus and me and spread something like a smoke screen or dark cloud. Then this demon began jumping up and down, crying in a shrill voice, "Yakety-yak, yakety-yak, yakety-yak." I couldn't see Jesus or understand what He was saying.
(Through this entire experience, Jesus was teaching me something. And if you'll be attentive, you'll find the answer here to many things that have troubled you.) I couldn't understand why Jesus allowed the demon to make such a racket. I wondered why Jesus didn't rebuke the demon so I could hear what He was saying. I waited a few moments, but Jesus didn't take any action against the demon. Jesus was still talking, but I couldn't understand a word He was saying—and I needed to, because He was giving instructions concerning the devil, demons, and how to exercise authority.
I thought to myself, Doesn't the Lord know I'm not hearing what He wanted me to? I need to hear that. I'm missing it! I almost panicked. I became so desperate I cried out, "In the Name of Jesus, you foul spirit, I command you to stop!" The minute I said that, the little demon hit the floor like a sack of salt, and the black cloud disappeared. The demon lay there trembling, whimpering, and whining like a whipped pup. He wouldn't look at me. "Not only shut up, but get out of here in Jesus' Name!" I commanded. He ran off.
The Lord knew exactly what was in my mind. I was thinking, Why didn't He do something about that? Why did He permit it? Jesus looked at me and said, "If you hadn't done something about that, I couldn't have." That came as a real shock to me—it astounded me. I replied, "Lord, I know I didn't hear You right! You said You wouldn't, didn't You?"
He replied, "No, if you hadn't done something about that, I couldn't have." I went through this four times with Him. He was emphatic about it, saying, "No, I didn't say I would not, I said I could not." I said, "Now, dear Lord, I just can't accept that. I never heard or preached anything like that in my life!"
I told the Lord I didn't care how many times I saw Him in visions - He would have to prove this to me by at least three Scriptures out of the New Testament (because we're not living under the Old Covenant, we're living under the New). Jesus smiled sweetly and said He would give me four. I said, "I've read through the New Testament 150 times, and many portions of it more than that. If that is in there, I don't know it!"
Jesus replied, "Son, there is a lot in there you don't know." He continued, "Not one single time in the New Testament is the Church ever told to pray that God the Father or Jesus would do anything against the devil. In fact, to do so is to waste your time. The believer is told to do something about the devil. The reason is because you have the authority to do it. The Church is not to pray to God the Father about the devil; the Church is to exercise the authority that belongs to it.
"The New Testament tells believers themselves to do something about the devil. The least member of the Body of Christ has just as much power over the devil as anyone else, and unless believers do something about the devil, nothing will be done in a lot of areas."
We believe that certain people have power. No, Jesus said the least member of the Body of Christ has just as much power over the devil as anyone else; and when we start believing that, that's when we're going to get the job done.
Jesus continued, "I've done all I'm going to do about the devil until the angel comes down from heaven, takes the chain and binds him, and puts him into the bottomless pit [Rev. 20:1-3]."
That came as a real shock to me. "Now," He said, "I'll give you the four references that prove that. First of all, when I arose from the dead, I said, 'All power [authority] is given unto me in heaven and in earth' (Matt. 28:18). The word 'power' means 'authority.' But I immediately delegated my authority on earth to the Church, and I can work only through the Church, for I am the Head of the Church." (Your head cannot exercise any authority anywhere except through your body.)
The second reference Jesus gave me was Mark 16:15-18: 15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. 16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. 17 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; 18 They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.
He said, "The very first sign mentioned as following any believer—not any pastor or any evangelist - is that they shall cast out devils. That means that in my Name they shall exercise authority over the devil, because I have delegated my authority over the devil to the Church."
The next reference Jesus gave me was James 4:7: ".. .Resist the devil, and he will flee from you" (the understood subject of this sentence is "you".)
After that vision, and after Jesus gave me that verse from James, my spirit told me the word "flee" was significant. I looked it up in the dictionary and found one of the shades of meanings was "to run from as if in terror." The devil will run from you in terror! Then I knew why the demon in my vision had begun to whimper and cry - he was terrified.
Since then I have seen other demons quake and quiver in fear as I exercised my God-given authority over them. They were not afraid of me, but of Jesus, whom I represent.
UNQUOTE
I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at length you have revived your concern for me. You were indeed concerned for me, but you had no opportunity. Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me. (Philippians 4:10-13 ESV)
For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills. I know all the fowls of the mountains: and the wild beasts of the field are mine. If I were hungry, I would not tell thee: for the world is mine, and the fulness thereof. Will I eat the flesh of bulls, or drink the blood of goats? (Psalm 50:10-13 KJV)
But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me. (1 Corinthians 15:10 KJV)
But Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." (Matthew 19:26 ESV)
I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. (John 15:5 KJV)
Kenneth Hagin told of a 1952 incident when Jesus and he was having a conversation. A hairy demon came to interrupt. He could not hear what Jesus was talking but Jesus did not do anything. In desperation, he commanded the demon to stop in the name of Jesus and the demon went away. Then Jesus said to him, "If you hadn't done something about that, I couldn't have."
Kenneth Hagin was using this incident to teach the false doctrine of the believers authority. In this false doctrine, we are told that God and believers are in a symbiotic relationship, where God has all the power but cannot act, and believers can act but have no power. Thus God and believers must act together to get things done.
Here is the actual quote of the incident taken from the book "The Believers Authority" by Kenneth E Hagin, found in page 35.
QUOTE
In 1952, the Lord Jesus Christ appeared to me in a vision and talked to me for about an hour and a half about the devil, demons, and demon possession. At the end of that vision, an evil spirit that looked like a little monkey or elf ran between Jesus and me and spread something like a smoke screen or dark cloud. Then this demon began jumping up and down, crying in a shrill voice, "Yakety-yak, yakety-yak, yakety-yak." I couldn't see Jesus or understand what He was saying.
(Through this entire experience, Jesus was teaching me something. And if you'll be attentive, you'll find the answer here to many things that have troubled you.) I couldn't understand why Jesus allowed the demon to make such a racket. I wondered why Jesus didn't rebuke the demon so I could hear what He was saying. I waited a few moments, but Jesus didn't take any action against the demon. Jesus was still talking, but I couldn't understand a word He was saying—and I needed to, because He was giving instructions concerning the devil, demons, and how to exercise authority.
I thought to myself, Doesn't the Lord know I'm not hearing what He wanted me to? I need to hear that. I'm missing it! I almost panicked. I became so desperate I cried out, "In the Name of Jesus, you foul spirit, I command you to stop!" The minute I said that, the little demon hit the floor like a sack of salt, and the black cloud disappeared. The demon lay there trembling, whimpering, and whining like a whipped pup. He wouldn't look at me. "Not only shut up, but get out of here in Jesus' Name!" I commanded. He ran off.
The Lord knew exactly what was in my mind. I was thinking, Why didn't He do something about that? Why did He permit it? Jesus looked at me and said, "If you hadn't done something about that, I couldn't have." That came as a real shock to me—it astounded me. I replied, "Lord, I know I didn't hear You right! You said You wouldn't, didn't You?"
He replied, "No, if you hadn't done something about that, I couldn't have." I went through this four times with Him. He was emphatic about it, saying, "No, I didn't say I would not, I said I could not." I said, "Now, dear Lord, I just can't accept that. I never heard or preached anything like that in my life!"
I told the Lord I didn't care how many times I saw Him in visions - He would have to prove this to me by at least three Scriptures out of the New Testament (because we're not living under the Old Covenant, we're living under the New). Jesus smiled sweetly and said He would give me four. I said, "I've read through the New Testament 150 times, and many portions of it more than that. If that is in there, I don't know it!"
Jesus replied, "Son, there is a lot in there you don't know." He continued, "Not one single time in the New Testament is the Church ever told to pray that God the Father or Jesus would do anything against the devil. In fact, to do so is to waste your time. The believer is told to do something about the devil. The reason is because you have the authority to do it. The Church is not to pray to God the Father about the devil; the Church is to exercise the authority that belongs to it.
"The New Testament tells believers themselves to do something about the devil. The least member of the Body of Christ has just as much power over the devil as anyone else, and unless believers do something about the devil, nothing will be done in a lot of areas."
We believe that certain people have power. No, Jesus said the least member of the Body of Christ has just as much power over the devil as anyone else; and when we start believing that, that's when we're going to get the job done.
Jesus continued, "I've done all I'm going to do about the devil until the angel comes down from heaven, takes the chain and binds him, and puts him into the bottomless pit [Rev. 20:1-3]."
That came as a real shock to me. "Now," He said, "I'll give you the four references that prove that. First of all, when I arose from the dead, I said, 'All power [authority] is given unto me in heaven and in earth' (Matt. 28:18). The word 'power' means 'authority.' But I immediately delegated my authority on earth to the Church, and I can work only through the Church, for I am the Head of the Church." (Your head cannot exercise any authority anywhere except through your body.)
The second reference Jesus gave me was Mark 16:15-18: 15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. 16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. 17 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; 18 They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.
He said, "The very first sign mentioned as following any believer—not any pastor or any evangelist - is that they shall cast out devils. That means that in my Name they shall exercise authority over the devil, because I have delegated my authority over the devil to the Church."
The next reference Jesus gave me was James 4:7: ".. .Resist the devil, and he will flee from you" (the understood subject of this sentence is "you".)
After that vision, and after Jesus gave me that verse from James, my spirit told me the word "flee" was significant. I looked it up in the dictionary and found one of the shades of meanings was "to run from as if in terror." The devil will run from you in terror! Then I knew why the demon in my vision had begun to whimper and cry - he was terrified.
Since then I have seen other demons quake and quiver in fear as I exercised my God-given authority over them. They were not afraid of me, but of Jesus, whom I represent.
UNQUOTE
I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at length you have revived your concern for me. You were indeed concerned for me, but you had no opportunity. Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me. (Philippians 4:10-13 ESV)
Tuesday, May 26, 2015
God's Sustenance
Thy raiment waxed not old upon thee, neither did thy foot swell, these forty years. (Deuteronomy 8:4 KJV)
And I have led you forty years in the wilderness: your clothes are not waxen old upon you, and thy shoe is not waxen old upon thy foot. (Deuteronomy 29:5 KJV)
Yea, forty years didst thou sustain them in the wilderness, so that they lacked nothing; their clothes waxed not old, and their feet swelled not. (Nehemiah 9:21 KJV)
And I have led you forty years in the wilderness: your clothes are not waxen old upon you, and thy shoe is not waxen old upon thy foot. (Deuteronomy 29:5 KJV)
Yea, forty years didst thou sustain them in the wilderness, so that they lacked nothing; their clothes waxed not old, and their feet swelled not. (Nehemiah 9:21 KJV)
Monday, May 25, 2015
The Purpose of Miracles Recorded in the Bible
The public showing of miracles, signs and wonders is written in the Bible as an evidence of divine power to authenticate the messengers and the message in the Bible were indeed sent by God.
God also testifying with them, both by signs and wonders and by various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit according to His own will. (Hebrews 2:4 NASB)
Moses
Jesus
God also testifying with them, both by signs and wonders and by various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit according to His own will. (Hebrews 2:4 NASB)
Moses
- Three signs to authenticate Moses as a prophet in the eyes of the children of Israel (Exodus 4:3-9)
- The ten plagues of Egypt so that the Egyptians shall know God had stretched out His hand to bring out the Israelites (Exodus 7:3–5, Exodus 8,9,10,11)
- God leading Israel in a visible manner by a pillar of cloud and fire (Exodus 13:21)
- The parting of the Red Sea (Exodus 14:21-22)
- The giving of the Law at Mount Sinai (Exodus 24)
- The daily manna (Exodus 16:35)
- Water from rock (Exodus 17:5-7, Numbers 20:10-11)
Jesus
- Jesus is the Messiah (Matthew 11:1-6; Luke 7:18-23)
- Jesus is the Son of God (Matthew 14:25-33, John 20:30-31)
- God is with Jesus (John 3:2)
- Jesus is from God (John 9:1-33)
- Jesus has authority on earth to forgive sins (Mark 2:10-11; Matthew 9:6-7; Luke 5:24-25)
- Jesus is authenticated/approved/attested/accredited/endorsed by God (Acts 2:22)
- The Father is in Jesus and Jesus is in the Father (John 10:37-38, John 14:11)
- The kingdom of God has come (Matthew 12:28; Luke 11:20)
- Confirm that the Word of God was preached by the Apostles (Mark 16:20, Acts 14:3, Romans 15:18–19, Hebrews 2:3-4)
- Confirm the authority of the Apostles (2 Corinthians 12:12)
Sunday, May 24, 2015
Healing
Pray for the sick
Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. (James 5:14-15 ESV)
But healing is God's sovereign choice
Erastus remained at Corinth, but Trophimus I left sick at Miletus. (2 Timothy 4:20 NASB)
So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. ((2 Corinthians 12:7 ESV)
No longer drink water exclusively, but use a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent ailments. (1 Timothy 5:23 NASB)
Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. (James 5:14-15 ESV)
But healing is God's sovereign choice
Erastus remained at Corinth, but Trophimus I left sick at Miletus. (2 Timothy 4:20 NASB)
So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. ((2 Corinthians 12:7 ESV)
No longer drink water exclusively, but use a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent ailments. (1 Timothy 5:23 NASB)
Saturday, May 23, 2015
Faith vs Unbelief
God is able
Is any thing too hard for the LORD? At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son. (Genesis 18:14 KJV)
Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for me? (Jeremiah 32:27 KJV)
For with God nothing shall be impossible. (Luke 1:37 KJV)
But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible. (Matthew 19:26 KJV)
And he said, The things which are impossible with men are possible with God. (Luke 18:27 KJV)
Amount of faith is not an issue
And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief (ἀπιστίαν): for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you. (Matthew 17:20 KJV)
Unbelief is the issue
And he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief. (Matthew 13:58 KJV)
So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief. (Hebrews 3:19 KJV)
Is any thing too hard for the LORD? At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son. (Genesis 18:14 KJV)
Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for me? (Jeremiah 32:27 KJV)
For with God nothing shall be impossible. (Luke 1:37 KJV)
But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible. (Matthew 19:26 KJV)
And he said, The things which are impossible with men are possible with God. (Luke 18:27 KJV)
Amount of faith is not an issue
And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief (ἀπιστίαν): for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you. (Matthew 17:20 KJV)
Unbelief is the issue
And he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief. (Matthew 13:58 KJV)
So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief. (Hebrews 3:19 KJV)
Sunday, May 10, 2015
Could Pontius Pilate Have Released Jesus?
Pilate then called together the chief priests and the rulers and the people, and said to them, "You brought me this man as one who was misleading the people. And after examining him before you, behold, I did not find this man guilty of any of your charges against him. Neither did Herod, for he sent him back to us. Look, nothing deserving death has been done by him. I will therefore punish and release him." (Luke 23:13-16 ESV)
Besides, while he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent word to him, "Have nothing to do with that righteous man, for I have suffered much because of him today in a dream." (Matthew 27:19 ESV)
The Jews answered him, "We have a law, and according to that law he ought to die because he has made himself the Son of God." When Pilate heard this statement, he was even more afraid. He entered his headquarters again and said to Jesus, "Where are you from?" But Jesus gave him no answer. So Pilate said to him, "You will not speak to me? Do you not know that I have authority to release you and authority to crucify you?" Jesus answered him, "You would have no authority over me at all unless it had been given you from above. Therefore he who delivered me over to you has the greater sin." From then on Pilate sought to release him, but the Jews cried out, "If you release this man, you are not Caesar's friend. Everyone who makes himself a king opposes Caesar." (John 19:7-12 ESV)
So when Pilate saw that he was gaining nothing, but rather that a riot was beginning, he took water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, "I am innocent of this man’s blood; see to it yourselves." (Matthew 27:24 ESV)
Could Pontius Pilate have released Jesus? He had many reasons to do so.
While the Bible did not tell us why Pontius Pilate was afraid of the Jews, secular history gave a possible reason as given in this quotation taken from "Daily Life In The Time Of Jesus Bible.org"
QUOTE
When Tiberius moved to Capri, he left the empire in the hands of Sejanus, who was terribly anti-Semitic. Pilate implemented Sejanus' anti-Jewish policies in 26 A.D. with a vengeance. We read how he massacred Jews and established pagan emblems and rituals in the temple. But, Tiberius heard of this and the ambition of Sejanus (probably through Caligula), and so he returned to Rome. Sejanus was executed October 18, 31 A.D. In 32 Tiberius ordered the governors not to offend the Jews. Pilate was now forced to ingratiate himself to the emperor--he feared an uprising of the Jews, and so to placate the leaders he asked what he should do with Jesus. Two years earlier he would have never done that. Pilate could not afford to get into trouble with Tiberius--he would not be a "friend of Caesar." And finally, his enemy Herod Antipas now became his friend. Rome wanted peace in the territories; and the client kings and governors had to comply.
UNQUOTE
From the predestination perspective, Pontius Pilate must crucify Jesus.
However, from our temporal perspective, Pontius Pilate went through a normal decision making process within his own understanding as any of us would. His mind was not suddenly possessed by some divine impulse, making him incapable of releasing Jesus, even if he had wanted to. He could release Jesus, if he had decided that justice was more important than his career. He could release Jesus, if he thought that Jesus was a divine being who could help him with his career. He could release Jesus, if he thought that offending Jesus would be worse than offending Tiberius Caesar. His mind is capable of making decisions, just as how our mind make decisions. But he looked at his own political situation, weighed it against the possibility of inflicting injustice against a likely supernatural being, decided that it was better to be politically expedient than to offer justice, even to one who might be divine. He did it out of his own free will, his selfish purpose and in doing so, he fulfilled God's will unknowingly.
Besides, while he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent word to him, "Have nothing to do with that righteous man, for I have suffered much because of him today in a dream." (Matthew 27:19 ESV)
The Jews answered him, "We have a law, and according to that law he ought to die because he has made himself the Son of God." When Pilate heard this statement, he was even more afraid. He entered his headquarters again and said to Jesus, "Where are you from?" But Jesus gave him no answer. So Pilate said to him, "You will not speak to me? Do you not know that I have authority to release you and authority to crucify you?" Jesus answered him, "You would have no authority over me at all unless it had been given you from above. Therefore he who delivered me over to you has the greater sin." From then on Pilate sought to release him, but the Jews cried out, "If you release this man, you are not Caesar's friend. Everyone who makes himself a king opposes Caesar." (John 19:7-12 ESV)
So when Pilate saw that he was gaining nothing, but rather that a riot was beginning, he took water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, "I am innocent of this man’s blood; see to it yourselves." (Matthew 27:24 ESV)
Could Pontius Pilate have released Jesus? He had many reasons to do so.
- He did not find Jesus guilty of any of the Jew's charges against him (Luke 23:14).
- His wife told him to have nothing to do with Jesus, a righteous man, because she suffered bad dreams because of him (Matthew 27:19).
- He was superstitious and believed in the supernatural, such as sons of gods (John 19:7-8).
While the Bible did not tell us why Pontius Pilate was afraid of the Jews, secular history gave a possible reason as given in this quotation taken from "Daily Life In The Time Of Jesus Bible.org"
QUOTE
When Tiberius moved to Capri, he left the empire in the hands of Sejanus, who was terribly anti-Semitic. Pilate implemented Sejanus' anti-Jewish policies in 26 A.D. with a vengeance. We read how he massacred Jews and established pagan emblems and rituals in the temple. But, Tiberius heard of this and the ambition of Sejanus (probably through Caligula), and so he returned to Rome. Sejanus was executed October 18, 31 A.D. In 32 Tiberius ordered the governors not to offend the Jews. Pilate was now forced to ingratiate himself to the emperor--he feared an uprising of the Jews, and so to placate the leaders he asked what he should do with Jesus. Two years earlier he would have never done that. Pilate could not afford to get into trouble with Tiberius--he would not be a "friend of Caesar." And finally, his enemy Herod Antipas now became his friend. Rome wanted peace in the territories; and the client kings and governors had to comply.
UNQUOTE
From the predestination perspective, Pontius Pilate must crucify Jesus.
However, from our temporal perspective, Pontius Pilate went through a normal decision making process within his own understanding as any of us would. His mind was not suddenly possessed by some divine impulse, making him incapable of releasing Jesus, even if he had wanted to. He could release Jesus, if he had decided that justice was more important than his career. He could release Jesus, if he thought that Jesus was a divine being who could help him with his career. He could release Jesus, if he thought that offending Jesus would be worse than offending Tiberius Caesar. His mind is capable of making decisions, just as how our mind make decisions. But he looked at his own political situation, weighed it against the possibility of inflicting injustice against a likely supernatural being, decided that it was better to be politically expedient than to offer justice, even to one who might be divine. He did it out of his own free will, his selfish purpose and in doing so, he fulfilled God's will unknowingly.
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