According to Acts 15:20, these are the rules for the new believers. To keep holy, they are to refrain from taking these physical food and do not do these things. These rule applied on present Christian, in choosing the better and faithful Bible versions,
1. Refrain from reading any Bible offered to the idols, to have nothing to do with idols. worshiping, (1 Corinthians 8:10) This meant we have to choose a Bible version or translation, which is not promoting idols worshiping. Greed is a type of idolatry.
2. Refrain from reading any Bible versions which promoting blood eating, blood is symbol of life, (Leviticus 1:5). This also means we are to refrain from reading any Bible versions which is promoting violence and terrorism, racism, murdering, hatred...communism...
3. Refrain from reading any Bible which promoting people to eat strangled animals, the strangled animals have blood in the body, same with rule number 2.
4. Refrain from reading any Bible version which is promoting sexual immorality. (refer to Leviticus 18), we are abstain from homosexual, adultery, fornication's and premature sex.
After laid down these 4 simple rules in accepting KJV, CUV, NKJV, ESV, NIV, and etc...The question arising next to solve is, what is the word "Bible" means to us? Why we accept KJV and NKJV and CUV and ESV as a Bible?
What is the scope of the Bible?
(a) The Hebrew Bible. We called the Old Testament.
(b) The Greek New Testament.
The autographs, the Greek manuscripts written by the original authors, have not survived. Scholars surmise the original Greek text from the versions that do survive. The three main textual traditions of the Greek New Testament are sometimes called the Alexandrian text-type (generally minimalist), the Byzantine text-type (generally maximalist), and the Western text-type (occasionally wild). Together they comprise most of the ancient manuscripts. (quoted from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bible)
(1) The Scope of the Bible Text is:
For the Old Testament is the Masoretic Text. For the New Testament is The Byzantine text, Alexandrian text and Western text, these are the ancient manuscripts which we must accept them, to found out where the Bible verses are.
(2) The translations of the Bible are.
There are many translations, some are closer to the original text, some are not, like the KJV and NIV, they are both consider closer to the original text. Refer to the list of English Bible in http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_English_Bible_translations
When I was still in the primary school, I first read the 1 Maccabees and 2 Maccabees, after few years, I read some Christian magazines, and then after few years I started to read Chinese Union Bible, and then my first English Bible is NIV, and then KJV, until now, I am reading the Word of God in many other translations.
(3) The Inspiration of the Bible:
I hold the Biblical infallibility perspective, that the Bible is free from error in spiritual and scientific matters. So I believe the Bible is inspired, infallible and inerrancy of the Bible is sure. I believe in 2 Tm 3:16: "All scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness."
(4) The inerrancy of the original Bible:
Some American Protestants adhere to the 1978 Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy which asserted that inspiration applied only to the autographic text of Scripture.
(5) Some copies mistakes do not influence the faithfulness and the structure of the Bible.
(6) The original meanings are mostly found in the Holy Bible in our hands now, 99.99% of the original wordings are found, and we may have to be tolerant to each other in the rest of the 0.01% wording, they are the variants in the different Bible manuscripts. We still need some time to make sure of the true wordings, but this does not make our Bible void or less trustworthy.
KJV readers must be tolerant with the NIV and CUV readers.
I give you an example:
One student writes, I have 5 lemons. Another student writes, I have 5 yellow lemons, and another student writes, I have 5 lemon. Another write, I have lemons.
The original meaning and intention are there in these 3 sentences, there copy mistakes does not overrules, the original meaning that, they all have lemons! These kinds of mistake does not effect the the original meaning.
(7) The English Bible translations like KJV is not perfect. It is close to the original copy, some Bible translations are closer to the original.
(8) The Bible is preserved for us, why I said the Bible is preserved, because we have more than 5000 pieces of manuscripts that give us the Bible, in few thousands of years, the Bible verses are preserved miraculously for us through wars, bad weathers, fire, persecutions, times, places...God had preserved the Word generations after generations, time after time, the Bible is forever, eternal, sweeter than honey, better and priceless than gold, and the Bible speak until today, the Bible is the light onto our paths, and the Bible lead us to Christ, the Bible speaks about Christ, the centre is God, and the centre of man is Christ, and the head of mankind is Christ, and the Bible is sending the same message even after 2000 thousand years Christ born in Israel. The gospel message is preserved in the preserved Bible, and that is why it is like a jewel in the sand, and whoever found this preserved Word of God, found the gospel, whosoever found the gospel found the Christ, whosoever found Christ, found God, because God is in Christ!
And Christ's Name is Jesus from Nazareth. The Bible is preserved for us, that is why we trust the Bible is trustworthy, and that is why we read the CUV, KJV, NKJV, NIV.
(9) The complete Bible I believed is hidden in all the manuscripts and in all the Bible translations. And we are very sure that we have at least 99.99% of the Bible wording in KJV and NIV and others translations.
(10) The LORD is the Bread from heaven, the hidden manna, the living Word of God! These simple rules of the Bible is making us to believe the original Bible is perfect! This is only my personal view.
We pray for unity within the Bible-Presbyterian Church. Calling some of their fundamentalists to repentance. We reprimand Far Eastern Bible College (FEBC) lecturers for teaching heresy and living in lust and pride! ++THIS BLOG HAS STRONG LANGUAGE. Reader discretion is advised++
19.6.09
Some poor men are saved into heaven
Luke chapter 16:19-31
"There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores and longing to eat what fell from the rich man's table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores.
"The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried. In hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. So he called to him, 'Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.'
"But Abraham replied, 'Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.'
"He answered, 'Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my father's house, for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.'
"Abraham replied, 'They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.'"
'No, father Abraham,' he said, 'but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.'
"He said to him, 'If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.' "
In the end, money cannot save a man, nor a man saved his money. He goes empty handed.
"There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores and longing to eat what fell from the rich man's table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores.
"The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried. In hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. So he called to him, 'Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.'
"But Abraham replied, 'Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.'
"He answered, 'Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my father's house, for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.'
"Abraham replied, 'They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.'"
'No, father Abraham,' he said, 'but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.'
"He said to him, 'If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.' "
In the end, money cannot save a man, nor a man saved his money. He goes empty handed.
My most interested thing is
The charismatic and Pentecostal churches do not happy when they know some one like me critique them in the way the speak in tongue. They want bigger drums, better music, freedom of speech, shorter training in theological schools, bigger pay, richer and healthier, in these they become happier and happier, the churches become bigger and bigger, until they wanted to build more house churches!
The conservative churches are not happy when some one critique them in the way they handle different Bible and theological stand. They wanted more fluent speaker, with oratorical power, fiery sermon, solemn, serious, straight forward in rule and regulations, they wanted better Bible translations, they wanted the original Bible, they like to fight over on a few Bible verses, and continue to fight until no end, and they are happy in these inward fighting for the Bible, they said they are fighting for the truth, and you cannot do anything against the truth, and they wanted the truth, and they are happy in this life styles.
The Jehovah Witness are not happy when we are rejecting them in the way they talk about Jesus Christ, and believe in Him, perfect man and Perfect God. Christians see Jehovah Witness as a cult!
The Jehovah Witness has become our constant enemy until the end of the world, and they wanted the whole world to follow them, but they themselves do not want to follow Christ!
So, now a day, I heard some followers of Christ proudly announced, "The most interested thing I am going to talk is 'money'....money...money, you must ask God for more money. Without money we cannot survive, we need money to buy food."
And another follower of Christ proudly announced, "The most interested thing I am going to talk about is the Bible....the Bible, this Bible verse...the perfect Bible and VPP. Without the Bible there is no salvation!"
And another follower of Christ proudly announced, "The most interested thing I am going to talk about is the Gospel....the Gospel, the Gospel!" Let go and do something good for the Lord.
And another follower of Christ proudly announced, "The most interested thing I am going to talk about is the movie, social welfare, politics, I am in the world, the world in me, the world and me are one, and the world must believe in this one world religion, every morning I rang a bell to wake up a god, and I am that god, I am god, and I rang a bell to worship god, I burnt incense to a god, and I am that god whom I am worshipping. I am god to myself, I am worshipping myself. I feel good about being a god! You are not a god, if you do not worship yourself, make yourself a god today, ring the bell loudly in the morning!
Who am I to follow?
Romans 1:16-17 Paul wrote about his most interest thing is the Gospel.
I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last,just as it is written: "The righteous will live by faith."
So the churches and his followers are contradicting each other, they are fighting inwardly, but outwardly they are calling each other as brother and sisters, but they are cursing those disagreement, until they split.
Paul commanding them to esteem each other, in whatever differences, rich or poor, Jew or Gentile, they are united into one body of Christ.
Philippians 2:3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. 4 Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.
At the end of the world, the follower of Christ, say this, "Money is the most interested thing!" Are you one of them? And some still fighting over a few missing letters, and so quarrelling over the mode of worships, the size of the keyboard and drums at the stage of the church...they eat, drink and be merry until Christ return!
The conservative churches are not happy when some one critique them in the way they handle different Bible and theological stand. They wanted more fluent speaker, with oratorical power, fiery sermon, solemn, serious, straight forward in rule and regulations, they wanted better Bible translations, they wanted the original Bible, they like to fight over on a few Bible verses, and continue to fight until no end, and they are happy in these inward fighting for the Bible, they said they are fighting for the truth, and you cannot do anything against the truth, and they wanted the truth, and they are happy in this life styles.
The Jehovah Witness are not happy when we are rejecting them in the way they talk about Jesus Christ, and believe in Him, perfect man and Perfect God. Christians see Jehovah Witness as a cult!
The Jehovah Witness has become our constant enemy until the end of the world, and they wanted the whole world to follow them, but they themselves do not want to follow Christ!
So, now a day, I heard some followers of Christ proudly announced, "The most interested thing I am going to talk is 'money'....money...money, you must ask God for more money. Without money we cannot survive, we need money to buy food."
And another follower of Christ proudly announced, "The most interested thing I am going to talk about is the Bible....the Bible, this Bible verse...the perfect Bible and VPP. Without the Bible there is no salvation!"
And another follower of Christ proudly announced, "The most interested thing I am going to talk about is the Gospel....the Gospel, the Gospel!" Let go and do something good for the Lord.
And another follower of Christ proudly announced, "The most interested thing I am going to talk about is the movie, social welfare, politics, I am in the world, the world in me, the world and me are one, and the world must believe in this one world religion, every morning I rang a bell to wake up a god, and I am that god, I am god, and I rang a bell to worship god, I burnt incense to a god, and I am that god whom I am worshipping. I am god to myself, I am worshipping myself. I feel good about being a god! You are not a god, if you do not worship yourself, make yourself a god today, ring the bell loudly in the morning!
Who am I to follow?
Romans 1:16-17 Paul wrote about his most interest thing is the Gospel.
I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last,just as it is written: "The righteous will live by faith."
So the churches and his followers are contradicting each other, they are fighting inwardly, but outwardly they are calling each other as brother and sisters, but they are cursing those disagreement, until they split.
Paul commanding them to esteem each other, in whatever differences, rich or poor, Jew or Gentile, they are united into one body of Christ.
Philippians 2:3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. 4 Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.
At the end of the world, the follower of Christ, say this, "Money is the most interested thing!" Are you one of them? And some still fighting over a few missing letters, and so quarrelling over the mode of worships, the size of the keyboard and drums at the stage of the church...they eat, drink and be merry until Christ return!
18.6.09
Lust of the eyes
What is adultery
Matthew 5:27"You have heard that it was said, 'Do not commit adultery.'[a] 28But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.
Exodus 20:14 "You shall not commit adultery.
Beware of the dangers in the Internet! It is like a web trap us in side, and it is like a enemy, which invades our family life, and it is like a knife cut us apart, and it is like a swarm of locust that destroys our corps!
The adulterous will not inherrit the kingdom of God!
Matthew 5:27"You have heard that it was said, 'Do not commit adultery.'[a] 28But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.
Exodus 20:14 "You shall not commit adultery.
Beware of the dangers in the Internet! It is like a web trap us in side, and it is like a enemy, which invades our family life, and it is like a knife cut us apart, and it is like a swarm of locust that destroys our corps!
The adulterous will not inherrit the kingdom of God!
North Korea and Palestine
North Korea is an independent country and she is making atomic and nuclear weapons, she is making them for the end of the world, for the coming wars are great, and they are free to go to space and go into the sea, because God is oversee them, and they will be made stronger for the coming of Adonai. Hallelujah, Adonai is merciful forever!
And the Palestine must be protected, they must be given a piece of land, co habit with Jerusalem, and then the people will live in peace for a time. The Israelites do not give them a piece of land, and the Israelites are making problems for themselves, so, I called onto Adonai, God, please give a good piece of the futile land for the Palestine's people, they must be respected. Because their cries had risen to Adonai. Since the Israelites delay, and do not cooperate with UK and USA, and do not give them the land, there is a fear from the sea, to come and make the Israelitea to be in fear, make way for them to obey Adonai. Even until they make agreement with the Palestines. Three days and a half they will lived in peace! Hallelujah!
And the Palestine must be protected, they must be given a piece of land, co habit with Jerusalem, and then the people will live in peace for a time. The Israelites do not give them a piece of land, and the Israelites are making problems for themselves, so, I called onto Adonai, God, please give a good piece of the futile land for the Palestine's people, they must be respected. Because their cries had risen to Adonai. Since the Israelites delay, and do not cooperate with UK and USA, and do not give them the land, there is a fear from the sea, to come and make the Israelitea to be in fear, make way for them to obey Adonai. Even until they make agreement with the Palestines. Three days and a half they will lived in peace! Hallelujah!
Salary for the policeman
This is far most important in maintaining the peace in the society, at the end of the world, this is only my personal opinion.
Suppose today, 10 kilogram of white rice is costing you 30 bucks in your country. How much salary your government should pay your policemen per month? The policemen should received a salary at least 2500 to 3500 bucks per month. Some country even paid the policemen more than 4000 bucks, sometimes plus allowances and bonuses!
If a country underpaid her policemen, this is not fair to them. The policemen are working hard to keep us safely, so we must respect them, we know no every one of us is perfect. They are facing dangers day and night, so it is reasonable to increase their salary. They are not working like a teachers, they are working harder than a teachers, they risk their life in patrolling the streets at night, even at gun points.
CEO and managers are receiving big bucks at the recession?
Suppose today, 10 kilogram of white rice is costing you 30 bucks in your country. How much salary your government should pay your policemen per month? The policemen should received a salary at least 2500 to 3500 bucks per month. Some country even paid the policemen more than 4000 bucks, sometimes plus allowances and bonuses!
If a country underpaid her policemen, this is not fair to them. The policemen are working hard to keep us safely, so we must respect them, we know no every one of us is perfect. They are facing dangers day and night, so it is reasonable to increase their salary. They are not working like a teachers, they are working harder than a teachers, they risk their life in patrolling the streets at night, even at gun points.
CEO and managers are receiving big bucks at the recession?
Kept pure in all ages
What is the meaning of "pure" in Matthew 5:8, "Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God." Here "pure" is from root word, "katharos," "pure" means ethically free from corrupt desires, from sin and guilt. "Pure" is in spiritual sense, free from pollution.
I found sometime different word has same theological point, the condition to see God, compared to Hebrew 12:14, ".....and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord." Here "holiness" is from "hagiasmos." Sanctified!
The Condition to see God is this,
1.the pure in heart
2.holiness.
1 Peter 1:16, "Be ye holy; for I am holy." Here the word holy is from "hagios," in the same chapter St. Peter is writing about holiness in the heart, the holiness in the heart is called "a pure heart." After writing about holiness in the heart, in 1 Peter 1:16 previously, in supporting his point about holiness, now he stressed holiness in the heart, in 1 Peter 1:22, "...you have purified your soul.....see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently." The word pure here is from the Greek word, "katharos."
Firstly, St Peter wrote be ye holy, next he wrote that you have purified....and then ye love one another with a pure heart."
Be ye holy is equal to have a pure heart. "Purity" has equal meaning and important to "holiness!"
Having a Holy Bible or a pure Bible does not mean we have a perfect Bible! Some words are missing, this does not mean the Bible is not holy, the Bible still is the Holy Bible, a few missing words are missing, does not make the Bible to become a unholy Bible! Having a Holy Bible means having a pure Bible! Holy Bible and Pure Bible are the same meaning to me, it does not mean a perfect Bible to me! Since I believe a few words are missing or miss copied!
In Westminster Confession Chapter 1, 8 , what does "kept pure in all ages means?" What does that "pure" means actually? "Kept pure in all age" means kept holy in all ages! That is why in 2 Timothy 3:15, the Bible is called the "...Holy Scripture..."
The Bible is kept holy! Without any blemish and without spot in holiness! It means Kept holy for all ages!
Does these word "kept pure" carrying any sense of perfection, did God gave mankind a gift to have this "photocopying" power and ability, in handling down the Bible to us by human hands? Can mankind copy without error? Is there a gift like this? Copying and copying for few thousand years and copied without mistake?
You mean the word "pure" means you men copied the Bible without any copying errors, not one word nor not even one letter missing or miss copied, does it means when the person who was copying in the past does not make any careless mistake at all, 100 % perfectly copied to us by hands, robotic human hands, 100 % perfect, not even one letter was missing in the copying process for thousands of years, even totally you claimed, you said every word are copied to us, without one word missed? Does "kept pure" mean these statement? I do not think so!
I believed God preserved the Bible for us, this is miracle, and God kept it holy for all ages for us! This is what kept pure in all ages really make sense to me!
The Bible is the Word from God eternally, and the Bible is Holy and pure! So I can say loudly, by the grace of God, may I read the Bible every day. And I have a Pure Bible, I have a Holy Bible, I have the Word of God! Say this and read the Bible every day. And be a doer of the Word. And keep away from the error of Verbal Plenary Preservation, and also the theologian who taught people to believe in this false teaching.
May God bless us, to discern, is to know God, and is to see God at last!
I found sometime different word has same theological point, the condition to see God, compared to Hebrew 12:14, ".....and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord." Here "holiness" is from "hagiasmos." Sanctified!
The Condition to see God is this,
1.the pure in heart
2.holiness.
1 Peter 1:16, "Be ye holy; for I am holy." Here the word holy is from "hagios," in the same chapter St. Peter is writing about holiness in the heart, the holiness in the heart is called "a pure heart." After writing about holiness in the heart, in 1 Peter 1:16 previously, in supporting his point about holiness, now he stressed holiness in the heart, in 1 Peter 1:22, "...you have purified your soul.....see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently." The word pure here is from the Greek word, "katharos."
Firstly, St Peter wrote be ye holy, next he wrote that you have purified....and then ye love one another with a pure heart."
Be ye holy is equal to have a pure heart. "Purity" has equal meaning and important to "holiness!"
Having a Holy Bible or a pure Bible does not mean we have a perfect Bible! Some words are missing, this does not mean the Bible is not holy, the Bible still is the Holy Bible, a few missing words are missing, does not make the Bible to become a unholy Bible! Having a Holy Bible means having a pure Bible! Holy Bible and Pure Bible are the same meaning to me, it does not mean a perfect Bible to me! Since I believe a few words are missing or miss copied!
In Westminster Confession Chapter 1, 8 , what does "kept pure in all ages means?" What does that "pure" means actually? "Kept pure in all age" means kept holy in all ages! That is why in 2 Timothy 3:15, the Bible is called the "...Holy Scripture..."
The Bible is kept holy! Without any blemish and without spot in holiness! It means Kept holy for all ages!
Does these word "kept pure" carrying any sense of perfection, did God gave mankind a gift to have this "photocopying" power and ability, in handling down the Bible to us by human hands? Can mankind copy without error? Is there a gift like this? Copying and copying for few thousand years and copied without mistake?
You mean the word "pure" means you men copied the Bible without any copying errors, not one word nor not even one letter missing or miss copied, does it means when the person who was copying in the past does not make any careless mistake at all, 100 % perfectly copied to us by hands, robotic human hands, 100 % perfect, not even one letter was missing in the copying process for thousands of years, even totally you claimed, you said every word are copied to us, without one word missed? Does "kept pure" mean these statement? I do not think so!
I believed God preserved the Bible for us, this is miracle, and God kept it holy for all ages for us! This is what kept pure in all ages really make sense to me!
The Bible is the Word from God eternally, and the Bible is Holy and pure! So I can say loudly, by the grace of God, may I read the Bible every day. And I have a Pure Bible, I have a Holy Bible, I have the Word of God! Say this and read the Bible every day. And be a doer of the Word. And keep away from the error of Verbal Plenary Preservation, and also the theologian who taught people to believe in this false teaching.
May God bless us, to discern, is to know God, and is to see God at last!
13.6.09
A Bazooka for the VPP
Are you angry with a wine bottle. I tell you, I do not drink, I have no such extra money to drink, I found joy in Christ, I do not found it only in the bottle.
Are you angry with me, because I had prayed in tongue for the last 25 years openly and secretly? Why, I do not see the tongue is any big or serious threat to Christianity, nor Verbal Plenary Preservation, they some times creating confusions, I do not see every one must speak in tongue. Once I stopped my tongue speaking for nearly few years, because, once I was praying in tongue, I asked myself to utter, "Jesus is Lord." I failed that simple test, because too deep indulged in tongue speaking for hours, I found it is too hard for me to tune my lip and tongue to utter these 3 simple words, I am shocked in that failure in uttering Jesus is Lord, so I spend much times in seeking the truth of this tongue speaking. It is biblical or not?
I hope every modern tongue speaker check our salvation, check our life, check our belief and also our relationship with God. Tongue speaking is a temporal gift, it will end one day, please test your lip and tongue and heart, say "Jesus is Lord" in the middle of our tongue speaking! See weather we can say it or not! Test our spirit! That is why Paul said to the Corinthians : When we are praying with tongue my understanding has no gain! 1 Corinthians 14:14, "...my understanding is unfruitful." Paul admit that tongue is still capable in self edification. 1 Corinthians 14:4.
Are you angry with my manner of writing this blog. Why? Let I tell you one disciple of the so called Verbal Plenary Preservation theologians, he is an middle age Chinese man, having a Master of Divinity from Bob Jones University. You know what we called him, a taliban! Why we called him a taliban, let me illustrate this for you, I am a Chinese, I do not see color skin has any distinction among human on earth, when we are dead, we will go down into the ground! What colour are you? This is matter arising in the grave? No!
I tell you that taliban who has MDiv, reading KJV, with high degree from Bob Jones USA, he is the taliban in VPP Church! One day this chinese taliban came to talk to a young Burmese man, "You men who came from from the third world country, when you come to Singapore, you felt Singapore is a heaven to you and you thought you are entering heaven, Singapore is a heaven to you. Ha..." And so he looked down to the colored skin, looked down to the people comes from third world country. He tortured them! He swindled money from the church! He is our pharisee living in the mask of Verbal Plenary Preservation! He was making us to live like living in hell!
You ask me, do I angry with Verbal Plenary Preservation, no, I do not angry with the theologian who are teaching this VPP, I was angry in the past, in the begining of VPP, but I have more sadness than angry with them now because they are behaving like that taliban who tortured people from third world country! They tortured people who are reading CUV, NKJV, NIV, ESV.....They are to be destroyed with the invisible "Bazooka," the Words from the mouth of God!
The demoniac man was healed by the Lord, at the lake side, after the demons was cast out from the demoniac man, and the Bible said he was now understood, he came back to understanding! How can we do not ask God for understanding! Are we also processed with the a fanatic spirit like that taliban?
A bazooka is needed!
Are you angry with me, because I had prayed in tongue for the last 25 years openly and secretly? Why, I do not see the tongue is any big or serious threat to Christianity, nor Verbal Plenary Preservation, they some times creating confusions, I do not see every one must speak in tongue. Once I stopped my tongue speaking for nearly few years, because, once I was praying in tongue, I asked myself to utter, "Jesus is Lord." I failed that simple test, because too deep indulged in tongue speaking for hours, I found it is too hard for me to tune my lip and tongue to utter these 3 simple words, I am shocked in that failure in uttering Jesus is Lord, so I spend much times in seeking the truth of this tongue speaking. It is biblical or not?
I hope every modern tongue speaker check our salvation, check our life, check our belief and also our relationship with God. Tongue speaking is a temporal gift, it will end one day, please test your lip and tongue and heart, say "Jesus is Lord" in the middle of our tongue speaking! See weather we can say it or not! Test our spirit! That is why Paul said to the Corinthians : When we are praying with tongue my understanding has no gain! 1 Corinthians 14:14, "...my understanding is unfruitful." Paul admit that tongue is still capable in self edification. 1 Corinthians 14:4.
Are you angry with my manner of writing this blog. Why? Let I tell you one disciple of the so called Verbal Plenary Preservation theologians, he is an middle age Chinese man, having a Master of Divinity from Bob Jones University. You know what we called him, a taliban! Why we called him a taliban, let me illustrate this for you, I am a Chinese, I do not see color skin has any distinction among human on earth, when we are dead, we will go down into the ground! What colour are you? This is matter arising in the grave? No!
I tell you that taliban who has MDiv, reading KJV, with high degree from Bob Jones USA, he is the taliban in VPP Church! One day this chinese taliban came to talk to a young Burmese man, "You men who came from from the third world country, when you come to Singapore, you felt Singapore is a heaven to you and you thought you are entering heaven, Singapore is a heaven to you. Ha..." And so he looked down to the colored skin, looked down to the people comes from third world country. He tortured them! He swindled money from the church! He is our pharisee living in the mask of Verbal Plenary Preservation! He was making us to live like living in hell!
You ask me, do I angry with Verbal Plenary Preservation, no, I do not angry with the theologian who are teaching this VPP, I was angry in the past, in the begining of VPP, but I have more sadness than angry with them now because they are behaving like that taliban who tortured people from third world country! They tortured people who are reading CUV, NKJV, NIV, ESV.....They are to be destroyed with the invisible "Bazooka," the Words from the mouth of God!
The demoniac man was healed by the Lord, at the lake side, after the demons was cast out from the demoniac man, and the Bible said he was now understood, he came back to understanding! How can we do not ask God for understanding! Are we also processed with the a fanatic spirit like that taliban?
A bazooka is needed!
The tongue speaking rich fool
Every where we go, in the churches, we will found some “tongue speaking rich fool,” who are these tongues speaking rich fool.
They are confused with the richness and the baptism of the Spirit
These are the Christian who practice, tongue speaking, and at the same time they are the rich fool.
Let me write a few words about them! Why I said these tongue speakers are the rich fool
They said according to the Book of Acts, every Christian must speaking in tongue, they said all the believers at the event at the Pentecost spoke in tongues, they were speaking in tongue at the upper room. Since every one spoke in tongue on that occasion, likewise every Christian must speak in tongue. Since every one of them at the upper room were filled with the Holy Spirit, and they started to speak in tongue.
Now a day, we have Charismatic brothers came to ask us, “Did you have the baptize in the Spirit?” and I asked them “What is that baptism in the spirit is all about?” they said “The baptism in the Holy Spirit is simply speaking in tongue!” I was stunned by the acclamation!
These charismatic wanted every one to speaking in tongue like those at the Pentecost! They told us to be filled in the Holy Spirit and start to speaking tongue! No, I disagreed with them, Paul does not want every one to pursue the gift of speaking in tongue. Why?
As we had looked through the scriptures, we have two kinds of tongue speaking:
1.the tongues speaking in the Book of Acts
2.the speaking of unknown tongue in the Church of Corinth.
In the Book of Acts they were speaking in some human languages, but in the Book of Corinthians they were speaking in an unknown tongue, no one know what this tongue means. The Corinthians’ tongue is a spiritual gift from God, along with this, the fact is that not every one receive this spiritual gift.
Paul asked the Corinthians this question: 1 Corinthians 12:29 “Are all apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? are all workers of miracles? 12:30 Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret?” Paul’s answer is, no, not every one does speak with tongues! The Charismatic is teaching their church that every one must speak in tongue, this is a wrong teaching.
Compared to the tongue in the Pentecost, every one in the upper room was speaking in tongue, each of them was speaking in a human language, this is a work, a miracle from God, we know they were filled with the Holy Spirit.
Acts 2:3 “And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. 2:4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.”
But in Corinth, the tongue is a spiritual gift for self edification.
Here we are, two different kinds of tongues speaking in New Testament, with two different kinds of speaker! Many Charismatic leaders now a day have that wrong conception that every one in the church must speak in tongues, this is not correct. They said every one at Pentecost was speaking in tongue, it is true, every one at Pentecost was speaking in tongue, but they were speaking in human languages. People knew what they had spoken.
But it was not the same case in Corinth Church, In Corinth church not every one was speaking in tongue, even some confusions arise from the phenomena in the Corinth church, that is why Paul wrote back to them in his epistle, and Paul laid down the rules and conditions in speaking with this tongues. Even though there was confusions in the church, but Paul wrote to them, commanded them to continue in tongue speaking, do not forbid them to speaking in tongue!
Paul would that they all spake with tongue. 1 Corinthians 14:5 I would that ye all spake with tongues, but rather that ye prophesied: for greater is he that prophesieth than he that speaketh with tongues, except he interpret, that the church may receive edifying. And Paul was spoken this kind of tongue more than every one in Corinth. Corinthians 14:18 I thank my God, I speak with tongues more than ye all:
Remember Paul was not one of them at the upper room! Paul spoke with different kind of tongue compared with them at the upper room at Pentecost. Paul was not speaking in a human language, but an astatic one with angelic sound!
But Paul encouraged them to speak five words with his understanding.....1 Corinthians 14:19 “Yet in the church I had rather speak five words with my understanding, that by my voice I might teach others also, than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue.” In the church meeting, understanding is more important than speaking in tongue! Let people know what you are speaking! The gift of speaking in tongue must be controlled. Paul wanted them to be mature in understanding. Tongue has the use for personal edification.
Paul laid down some rules, when some one is speaking in the church, Paul presumed that not every one speak with tongue in Corinth, because he said “if any man speak ....”
14:27 “If any man speak in an unknown tongue, let it be by two, or at the most by three, and that by course; and let one interpret. “
So when the “tongue speaking rich fool” is teaching every one to pursue the unknown tongue, they are making the first mistake.
Secondly why these tongue speaker sometimes are the rich fools?
The tongues speaking rich fool one day come to me, and he said to me, you do not have money, because you do not asked money and food from God!
Matthew 7:7 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:
In another place it is written, Matthew 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
These tongue speaking rich fool are the one who preach that wealth and health must come before salvation! They are the one who preach the gospel of health and wealth, and they said this is the faith and word coming from God.
But what about the Lord comment to the rich fool? Should a rich young man be given more wealth?
Luke 18:22 Now when Jesus heard these things, he said unto him, Yet lackest thou one thing: sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me. 18:23 And when he heard this, he was very sorrowful: for he was very rich. 18:24 And when Jesus saw that he was very sorrowful, he said, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God!
Richness becomes a stumbling block to the rich fool, so Jesus Christ asked him to sell his belongings, distribute his richness unto the poor! To have the treasure in heaven he must become poorer. After that, come, and follow Jesus!
Salvation must be first, before wealth even health!
Salvation must come first, not the richness! Richness may become a stumbling block to a young rich man! Health is needed, but it is testing our faith in sickness.
Micah 6:10 Are there yet the treasures of wickedness in the house of the wicked, and the scant measure that is abominable? 6:11 Shall I count them pure with the wicked balances, and with the bag of deceitful weights? 6:12 For the rich men thereof are full of violence, and the inhabitants thereof have spoken lies, and their tongue is deceitful in their mouth.
What about health? The rich fool sometimes preaches health and wealth message, they replace the gospel with message of wealth and health. Sometime God let some one in blindness, the spiritual blindness is more deathly than the physical blindness!
Matthew 15:14 Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch. Revelation 3:17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:
There is remedy for sickness for the believers, these are those who have trusting the Lord, but later fell into sickness, even Christian fell sick, James 5:14 Is any sick among you? 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: 5:15 And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.
Sometimes we must take care of ourselves by taking good and healthy food!
Acts 27:34 Wherefore I pray you to take some meat: for this is for your health: for there shall not an hair fall from the head of any of you.
Christians are wishing every one with good health and prosperity. Some time our wishes become true, speak well of other with our mouths.
3 John 1:2 Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.
But at another time, even faithful servant and follower of Christ may fell sick, and it is by the mercy of God, God heal him.
Philippians 2:25 Yet I supposed it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother, and companion in labour, and fellowsoldier, but your messenger, and he that ministered to my wants. 2:26 For he longed after you all, and was full of heaviness, because that ye had heard that he had been sick. 2:27 For indeed he was sick nigh unto death: but God had mercy on him; and not on him only, but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow.
Conclusion
Not every one speak with tongue!
Some richness may become stumbling block for the fool in believing God.
Sometime even faithful Christians fallen in sickness.
Do not become a tongue speaking rich fool.
They are confused with the richness and the baptism of the Spirit
These are the Christian who practice, tongue speaking, and at the same time they are the rich fool.
Let me write a few words about them! Why I said these tongue speakers are the rich fool
They said according to the Book of Acts, every Christian must speaking in tongue, they said all the believers at the event at the Pentecost spoke in tongues, they were speaking in tongue at the upper room. Since every one spoke in tongue on that occasion, likewise every Christian must speak in tongue. Since every one of them at the upper room were filled with the Holy Spirit, and they started to speak in tongue.
Now a day, we have Charismatic brothers came to ask us, “Did you have the baptize in the Spirit?” and I asked them “What is that baptism in the spirit is all about?” they said “The baptism in the Holy Spirit is simply speaking in tongue!” I was stunned by the acclamation!
These charismatic wanted every one to speaking in tongue like those at the Pentecost! They told us to be filled in the Holy Spirit and start to speaking tongue! No, I disagreed with them, Paul does not want every one to pursue the gift of speaking in tongue. Why?
As we had looked through the scriptures, we have two kinds of tongue speaking:
1.the tongues speaking in the Book of Acts
2.the speaking of unknown tongue in the Church of Corinth.
In the Book of Acts they were speaking in some human languages, but in the Book of Corinthians they were speaking in an unknown tongue, no one know what this tongue means. The Corinthians’ tongue is a spiritual gift from God, along with this, the fact is that not every one receive this spiritual gift.
Paul asked the Corinthians this question: 1 Corinthians 12:29 “Are all apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? are all workers of miracles? 12:30 Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret?” Paul’s answer is, no, not every one does speak with tongues! The Charismatic is teaching their church that every one must speak in tongue, this is a wrong teaching.
Compared to the tongue in the Pentecost, every one in the upper room was speaking in tongue, each of them was speaking in a human language, this is a work, a miracle from God, we know they were filled with the Holy Spirit.
Acts 2:3 “And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. 2:4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.”
But in Corinth, the tongue is a spiritual gift for self edification.
Here we are, two different kinds of tongues speaking in New Testament, with two different kinds of speaker! Many Charismatic leaders now a day have that wrong conception that every one in the church must speak in tongues, this is not correct. They said every one at Pentecost was speaking in tongue, it is true, every one at Pentecost was speaking in tongue, but they were speaking in human languages. People knew what they had spoken.
But it was not the same case in Corinth Church, In Corinth church not every one was speaking in tongue, even some confusions arise from the phenomena in the Corinth church, that is why Paul wrote back to them in his epistle, and Paul laid down the rules and conditions in speaking with this tongues. Even though there was confusions in the church, but Paul wrote to them, commanded them to continue in tongue speaking, do not forbid them to speaking in tongue!
Paul would that they all spake with tongue. 1 Corinthians 14:5 I would that ye all spake with tongues, but rather that ye prophesied: for greater is he that prophesieth than he that speaketh with tongues, except he interpret, that the church may receive edifying. And Paul was spoken this kind of tongue more than every one in Corinth. Corinthians 14:18 I thank my God, I speak with tongues more than ye all:
Remember Paul was not one of them at the upper room! Paul spoke with different kind of tongue compared with them at the upper room at Pentecost. Paul was not speaking in a human language, but an astatic one with angelic sound!
But Paul encouraged them to speak five words with his understanding.....1 Corinthians 14:19 “Yet in the church I had rather speak five words with my understanding, that by my voice I might teach others also, than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue.” In the church meeting, understanding is more important than speaking in tongue! Let people know what you are speaking! The gift of speaking in tongue must be controlled. Paul wanted them to be mature in understanding. Tongue has the use for personal edification.
Paul laid down some rules, when some one is speaking in the church, Paul presumed that not every one speak with tongue in Corinth, because he said “if any man speak ....”
14:27 “If any man speak in an unknown tongue, let it be by two, or at the most by three, and that by course; and let one interpret. “
So when the “tongue speaking rich fool” is teaching every one to pursue the unknown tongue, they are making the first mistake.
Secondly why these tongue speaker sometimes are the rich fools?
The tongues speaking rich fool one day come to me, and he said to me, you do not have money, because you do not asked money and food from God!
Matthew 7:7 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:
In another place it is written, Matthew 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
These tongue speaking rich fool are the one who preach that wealth and health must come before salvation! They are the one who preach the gospel of health and wealth, and they said this is the faith and word coming from God.
But what about the Lord comment to the rich fool? Should a rich young man be given more wealth?
Luke 18:22 Now when Jesus heard these things, he said unto him, Yet lackest thou one thing: sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me. 18:23 And when he heard this, he was very sorrowful: for he was very rich. 18:24 And when Jesus saw that he was very sorrowful, he said, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God!
Richness becomes a stumbling block to the rich fool, so Jesus Christ asked him to sell his belongings, distribute his richness unto the poor! To have the treasure in heaven he must become poorer. After that, come, and follow Jesus!
Salvation must be first, before wealth even health!
Salvation must come first, not the richness! Richness may become a stumbling block to a young rich man! Health is needed, but it is testing our faith in sickness.
Micah 6:10 Are there yet the treasures of wickedness in the house of the wicked, and the scant measure that is abominable? 6:11 Shall I count them pure with the wicked balances, and with the bag of deceitful weights? 6:12 For the rich men thereof are full of violence, and the inhabitants thereof have spoken lies, and their tongue is deceitful in their mouth.
What about health? The rich fool sometimes preaches health and wealth message, they replace the gospel with message of wealth and health. Sometime God let some one in blindness, the spiritual blindness is more deathly than the physical blindness!
Matthew 15:14 Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch. Revelation 3:17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:
There is remedy for sickness for the believers, these are those who have trusting the Lord, but later fell into sickness, even Christian fell sick, James 5:14 Is any sick among you? 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: 5:15 And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.
Sometimes we must take care of ourselves by taking good and healthy food!
Acts 27:34 Wherefore I pray you to take some meat: for this is for your health: for there shall not an hair fall from the head of any of you.
Christians are wishing every one with good health and prosperity. Some time our wishes become true, speak well of other with our mouths.
3 John 1:2 Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.
But at another time, even faithful servant and follower of Christ may fell sick, and it is by the mercy of God, God heal him.
Philippians 2:25 Yet I supposed it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother, and companion in labour, and fellowsoldier, but your messenger, and he that ministered to my wants. 2:26 For he longed after you all, and was full of heaviness, because that ye had heard that he had been sick. 2:27 For indeed he was sick nigh unto death: but God had mercy on him; and not on him only, but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow.
Conclusion
Not every one speak with tongue!
Some richness may become stumbling block for the fool in believing God.
Sometime even faithful Christians fallen in sickness.
Do not become a tongue speaking rich fool.
10.6.09
Wine drinking and speaking in tongue in Jesus' time
Wine drinking
Further investigation in the Bible, does Jesus has anything to do with wine drinking?
In Gospel of John, chapter 2, Jesus changes water into wine in the wedding in Cana, what kind of wine Jesus made for the people there? It was the best old wine! Listen to the guests who drink the wine. John 2:10, after the guests drunk the wine Jesus made for them, they acclaimed it was a choice wine, and said "Everyone bring out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink, but you have saved the best till now." The wine Jesus made is the best wine! The guests said, the men usually have first "well drunk with choice wine," "getting drunken because of the choice wine........;" what does this means? "well drunk what kind of wine?" There are evidents indicating the "choice wine" here is a type of fermented wine. (Referring the word "have well drunk" "methuo" is used in Matthew 24:49, Acts 2:15, 1 Cor 11:21, 1 Thes 5:7)
Jesus had made the best wine for them, from the quest's conversation, it is normal for them to drink much better wine in the first place in the wedding. Many did this kind of drinking at Jesus' time. Question is what kind of wine? What kind of wine is called as the better wine. The word "wine" is "oinos" in this verse, what kind of wine is that? We cannot tell merely from this word, because this word "oinos" has two kind of meanings, may be it is a kind of fermented strong drink or maybe a kind of fresh press grape juice.
It is impossible Jesus had made those 120 gallons of best wine for them? The guests in the wedding said the wine Jesus made is the best wine, the better wine, the choice wine, the good wine! Which kind of wine is called the better wine? The new wine or the old wine? Jesus Christ gave us the answer in his parable! What is the meaning of better old wine in Jesus' understanding? Listen to Jesus Christ in judging the wine and his wine grading, in Luke 5:39, Jesus said, "And no one after drinking old wine wants the new, for he says, "The old is better." The fermented wine is the better wine! Who said this, Jesus did!
Jesus tells us that the old wine is the better wine, naturally it becomes the choice wine, the older is the better, the best wine in the Cana wedding was made by Jesus Himself! Jesus made the better, old wine, the fermented wine in Cana. Does Jesus forbid people from drinking choice and better wine, in this case, ironically, no. He made it for them! Indeed, in Luke 5:37, "And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the new will burst the skins, the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined." The new wine is the still fermenting wine, for sometime they put the fresh press grape juice in the wineskin, after sometimes in the skin, it will ferments, that is why the skin burst! What about the old wine? The old wine is fermented wine! Contents alcholol!
How much best and choice wine Jesus made for them? According to John 2:6, it is about 120 to 180 gallons! And you may argue and fight with one another, what is the wine is all about, it is alcoholic? Intoxicating? If you asked the VPP theologians! They will write a tone of thesis for you. My important question is, wine made from many grapes, what we had transformed them within us? What is the meaning in taking wine in New Testament? In the early Christian Church, it was usual to mix the sacramental wine with water. Wine is figurative of the blood of Christ. (Matthew 26:27-29) But the scriptures forbid drunkenness! Some Christians do drink, moderately! And this become a debate in Christendom, over the drinking habit and the split began. They forgot to read, 1 Timothy 5:23 Drink no longer water, but use a little wine for thy stomach's sake and thine often infirmities.
What about wine drinking in Old Testament
There is many proofs that indicate Israelite drink until they drunk. Did they split into pieces? Did they really drunk? Drunk until they lost their balance and sound mind, babbling and fallen asleep at the road side?
In the Old Testament time, Eli thought Hannah was getting drunk when she came to pray in the temple, it was seen even often in Old Testament time, wine causing Israelites women into troubles, reading 1 Samuel 1:13b-14, Eli thought she was drunk, and said to her, "How long will you keep on getting drunk? Get rid of your wine." God heard Hannah's prayer, and gave her a son, and later Hannah brought a skin of wine to the temple in 1 Samuel 1:24. It is normal in those days the wine were being brought to the temple.
Dr Luke wrote about wine drinking in his journal, it is mentioned at the time when some of them spoke in tongue at Pentecost, at that time they were speaking in some human languages, Act 2:11, "we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God." the speakers never learn that languages before, but they utter with the help of the Holy Spirit, someone understood what they had spoken, the tongue here is different from Corinthians's tongue, Corinthian tongue is not a human language, reading from 1 Corinthians 14:2, "For anyone who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God. Indeed, no on understands him....." No one understand him....surely this is not a human language. But the tongue in Pentecost is a kind of human language where some people can understand what they were uttering.
Forbid not those spoke in tongue in Corinthians, Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 14:39, " ...do not forbid speaking in tongues!" Do not stop or attack anyone who is speaking in a strange tongue even though no one understand him, or no one knew what he was saying!
The VPP theologians had spend times, writing papers and wasting much inks in attacking the fundamentalists! They even mocked them! This article is written to refute the VPP theologians who attack those fundamental moderate wine drinker and tongue speaker in this Far East!
When the Israelites spoke in tongue, in human languages in such of strange manner in Act 2:13, "some, however, made fun of them and said, "They have had too much new wine."
They mocked those who spoken in tongue! New wine is also has intoxicating nature. Ironically, Dr Luke and others knew what is the effect of too much wine, so too much new wine may cause a man to get drunk. The wine at Jesus' time is actually a tonic which has alcohol causing drunkenness. It is often not grape juice, or wine deluded with water! Drunkenness is seen too often in Jesus' time. The theologians does not make a fine study about speaking in tongue and wine drinking in New Testament, but they have already getting drunk with the false accusation given to brother in Christ!
What is the lesson for us to learn from the wine drinking and tongue speaking practices?
John Calvin wrote in his commentary about the wine skin in Luke 5:39...he wrote,"I take it simply as a warning to the Pharisees not to attach undue importance to a received custom. For how comes it that wine, the taste of which remains unaltered, is not equally agreeable to every palate, but because custom and habit form the taste? Hence it follows, that Christ’s manner of acting towards his disciples is not less worthy of approbation, because it has less show and splendor: as old wine, though it does not foam with the sharpness of new wine, is not less agreeable on that account, or less fitted for the nourishment of the body." John Calvin meant we better don't behave and think like a Pharisees.......! We better stop attacking those who are speaking in tongue, and those who are drinking moderately.
Summary
Do I encouraging you to speaking in tongue, yes, if that tongue you spoke can edify you and you did not disturb the peace in the church and family, referring to 1 Corinthians 14:4, "He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself." Do I encouraging you to drink wine? No, I do not, stop your drunkenness, quit it! Stop being a drunkard! What I pursue until now is that, it is better for us to stop being a Pharisee. Moderate drinking of wine and controlled speaking in tongue are not forbidden by scripture! Likewise speaking in tongue, even though there is no evidence of the presence of the Holy Spirit! That is human spirit who is praying in tongue, when I am speaking in tongue is because my spirit prays, do not react over sensitive about this phenomena. And fight over it. (1 Corinthians 14:14, ... For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prayeth...) Give some places for wine and tongue if they are scriptural and biblical! Drink in the Spirit, is what matter most, what I meant the Holy Spirit, drink in the Holy Spirit, the tongue and wine become the things in the past and secondary!
There is place for the responsible and temperate usage of wine and tongue, rather, we must forbid the abuse or incessant use of them, that an individual who always has a bottle on the table and so addiction, or an individual always pray with tongue without orders in the church. Paul laid down, as a simple but infallible test, the witness which such an utterance bears to Jesus: "no one can say 'Jesus is Lord' except by the Holy Spirit" (1 Corinthian 12:3) John later insisting in 1 John 4:2, "every spirit which confessed that Jesus Christ has come in the fresh is of God." Remember Christ is both God and man. Any effort to mix the kingdom of God with the old legalistic system is self-defeating.
Revelation 6:6 And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine. Isaiah 5:11 Woe unto them that rise up early in the morning, that they may follow strong drink; that continue until night, till wine inflame them!
happy father day!
Written for the VPP drunkard
Further investigation in the Bible, does Jesus has anything to do with wine drinking?
In Gospel of John, chapter 2, Jesus changes water into wine in the wedding in Cana, what kind of wine Jesus made for the people there? It was the best old wine! Listen to the guests who drink the wine. John 2:10, after the guests drunk the wine Jesus made for them, they acclaimed it was a choice wine, and said "Everyone bring out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink, but you have saved the best till now." The wine Jesus made is the best wine! The guests said, the men usually have first "well drunk with choice wine," "getting drunken because of the choice wine........;" what does this means? "well drunk what kind of wine?" There are evidents indicating the "choice wine" here is a type of fermented wine. (Referring the word "have well drunk" "methuo" is used in Matthew 24:49, Acts 2:15, 1 Cor 11:21, 1 Thes 5:7)
Jesus had made the best wine for them, from the quest's conversation, it is normal for them to drink much better wine in the first place in the wedding. Many did this kind of drinking at Jesus' time. Question is what kind of wine? What kind of wine is called as the better wine. The word "wine" is "oinos" in this verse, what kind of wine is that? We cannot tell merely from this word, because this word "oinos" has two kind of meanings, may be it is a kind of fermented strong drink or maybe a kind of fresh press grape juice.
It is impossible Jesus had made those 120 gallons of best wine for them? The guests in the wedding said the wine Jesus made is the best wine, the better wine, the choice wine, the good wine! Which kind of wine is called the better wine? The new wine or the old wine? Jesus Christ gave us the answer in his parable! What is the meaning of better old wine in Jesus' understanding? Listen to Jesus Christ in judging the wine and his wine grading, in Luke 5:39, Jesus said, "And no one after drinking old wine wants the new, for he says, "The old is better." The fermented wine is the better wine! Who said this, Jesus did!
Jesus tells us that the old wine is the better wine, naturally it becomes the choice wine, the older is the better, the best wine in the Cana wedding was made by Jesus Himself! Jesus made the better, old wine, the fermented wine in Cana. Does Jesus forbid people from drinking choice and better wine, in this case, ironically, no. He made it for them! Indeed, in Luke 5:37, "And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the new will burst the skins, the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined." The new wine is the still fermenting wine, for sometime they put the fresh press grape juice in the wineskin, after sometimes in the skin, it will ferments, that is why the skin burst! What about the old wine? The old wine is fermented wine! Contents alcholol!
How much best and choice wine Jesus made for them? According to John 2:6, it is about 120 to 180 gallons! And you may argue and fight with one another, what is the wine is all about, it is alcoholic? Intoxicating? If you asked the VPP theologians! They will write a tone of thesis for you. My important question is, wine made from many grapes, what we had transformed them within us? What is the meaning in taking wine in New Testament? In the early Christian Church, it was usual to mix the sacramental wine with water. Wine is figurative of the blood of Christ. (Matthew 26:27-29) But the scriptures forbid drunkenness! Some Christians do drink, moderately! And this become a debate in Christendom, over the drinking habit and the split began. They forgot to read, 1 Timothy 5:23 Drink no longer water, but use a little wine for thy stomach's sake and thine often infirmities.
What about wine drinking in Old Testament
There is many proofs that indicate Israelite drink until they drunk. Did they split into pieces? Did they really drunk? Drunk until they lost their balance and sound mind, babbling and fallen asleep at the road side?
In the Old Testament time, Eli thought Hannah was getting drunk when she came to pray in the temple, it was seen even often in Old Testament time, wine causing Israelites women into troubles, reading 1 Samuel 1:13b-14, Eli thought she was drunk, and said to her, "How long will you keep on getting drunk? Get rid of your wine." God heard Hannah's prayer, and gave her a son, and later Hannah brought a skin of wine to the temple in 1 Samuel 1:24. It is normal in those days the wine were being brought to the temple.
Dr Luke wrote about wine drinking in his journal, it is mentioned at the time when some of them spoke in tongue at Pentecost, at that time they were speaking in some human languages, Act 2:11, "we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God." the speakers never learn that languages before, but they utter with the help of the Holy Spirit, someone understood what they had spoken, the tongue here is different from Corinthians's tongue, Corinthian tongue is not a human language, reading from 1 Corinthians 14:2, "For anyone who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God. Indeed, no on understands him....." No one understand him....surely this is not a human language. But the tongue in Pentecost is a kind of human language where some people can understand what they were uttering.
Forbid not those spoke in tongue in Corinthians, Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 14:39, " ...do not forbid speaking in tongues!" Do not stop or attack anyone who is speaking in a strange tongue even though no one understand him, or no one knew what he was saying!
The VPP theologians had spend times, writing papers and wasting much inks in attacking the fundamentalists! They even mocked them! This article is written to refute the VPP theologians who attack those fundamental moderate wine drinker and tongue speaker in this Far East!
When the Israelites spoke in tongue, in human languages in such of strange manner in Act 2:13, "some, however, made fun of them and said, "They have had too much new wine."
They mocked those who spoken in tongue! New wine is also has intoxicating nature. Ironically, Dr Luke and others knew what is the effect of too much wine, so too much new wine may cause a man to get drunk. The wine at Jesus' time is actually a tonic which has alcohol causing drunkenness. It is often not grape juice, or wine deluded with water! Drunkenness is seen too often in Jesus' time. The theologians does not make a fine study about speaking in tongue and wine drinking in New Testament, but they have already getting drunk with the false accusation given to brother in Christ!
What is the lesson for us to learn from the wine drinking and tongue speaking practices?
John Calvin wrote in his commentary about the wine skin in Luke 5:39...he wrote,"I take it simply as a warning to the Pharisees not to attach undue importance to a received custom. For how comes it that wine, the taste of which remains unaltered, is not equally agreeable to every palate, but because custom and habit form the taste? Hence it follows, that Christ’s manner of acting towards his disciples is not less worthy of approbation, because it has less show and splendor: as old wine, though it does not foam with the sharpness of new wine, is not less agreeable on that account, or less fitted for the nourishment of the body." John Calvin meant we better don't behave and think like a Pharisees.......! We better stop attacking those who are speaking in tongue, and those who are drinking moderately.
Summary
Do I encouraging you to speaking in tongue, yes, if that tongue you spoke can edify you and you did not disturb the peace in the church and family, referring to 1 Corinthians 14:4, "He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself." Do I encouraging you to drink wine? No, I do not, stop your drunkenness, quit it! Stop being a drunkard! What I pursue until now is that, it is better for us to stop being a Pharisee. Moderate drinking of wine and controlled speaking in tongue are not forbidden by scripture! Likewise speaking in tongue, even though there is no evidence of the presence of the Holy Spirit! That is human spirit who is praying in tongue, when I am speaking in tongue is because my spirit prays, do not react over sensitive about this phenomena. And fight over it. (1 Corinthians 14:14, ... For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prayeth...) Give some places for wine and tongue if they are scriptural and biblical! Drink in the Spirit, is what matter most, what I meant the Holy Spirit, drink in the Holy Spirit, the tongue and wine become the things in the past and secondary!
There is place for the responsible and temperate usage of wine and tongue, rather, we must forbid the abuse or incessant use of them, that an individual who always has a bottle on the table and so addiction, or an individual always pray with tongue without orders in the church. Paul laid down, as a simple but infallible test, the witness which such an utterance bears to Jesus: "no one can say 'Jesus is Lord' except by the Holy Spirit" (1 Corinthian 12:3) John later insisting in 1 John 4:2, "every spirit which confessed that Jesus Christ has come in the fresh is of God." Remember Christ is both God and man. Any effort to mix the kingdom of God with the old legalistic system is self-defeating.
Revelation 6:6 And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine. Isaiah 5:11 Woe unto them that rise up early in the morning, that they may follow strong drink; that continue until night, till wine inflame them!
happy father day!
Written for the VPP drunkard
9.6.09
The VPP bottle
Moderate drinking
The Book of Luke and wine drinking. Dr Luke had written in the Gospel about wine drinking. Firstly he talked about John the Baptist, Dr Luke said John will not drink any wine and strong drink.
Luke 1:15 For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother's womb.
Did Paul forbid drinking? What about other disciple? Like Peter and Dr Luke? Matthew Henry expounded about Paul's drinking view, those that would be filled with the Holy Ghost must be sober and temperate, and very moderate in the use of wine and strong drink; for that is it that fits him for this. Be not drunk with wine, but be filled with the Spirit, with which that is not consistent, Matthew Henry said be moderate in drinking, not to be drunk in drunkenness.
Paul's view, he wrote in Eph. v. 18. And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; be not drunk. He warns against the sin of drunkenness: And be not drunk with wine, this was a sin very frequent among the heathens; and particularly on occasion of the festivals of their gods, and more especially in their Bacchanalia: then they were wont to inflame themselves with wine, and all manner of inordinate lusts were consequent upon it: and therefore the apostle adds, wherein, or in which drunkenness, is excess. The word asotia may signify luxury or dissoluteness; and it is certain that drunkenness is no friend to chastity and purity of life, but it virtually contains all manner of extravagance, and transports men into gross sensuality and vile enormities.
Note, Drunkenness is a sin that seldom goes alone, but often involves men in other instances of guilt: it is a sin very provoking to God, and a great hindrance to the spiritual life. The apostle may mean all such intemperance and disorder as are opposite to the sober and prudent demeanor he intends in his advice, to redeem the time. Instead of being filled with wine, he exhorts them to be filled with the Spirit. Those who are full of drink are not likely to be full of the Spirit; and therefore this duty is opposed to the former sin.
The meaning of the exhortation is that men should labour for a plentiful measure of the graces of the Spirit, that would fill their souls with great joy, strength, and courage, which things sensual men expect their wine should inspire them with. We cannot be guilty of any excess in our endeavours after these: nay, we ought not to be satisfied with a little of the Spirit, but to be aspiring after measures, so as to be filled with the Spirit. Now by this means we shall come to understand what the will of the Lord is; for the Spirit of God is given as a Spirit of wisdom and of understanding. And because those who are filled with the Spirit will be carried out in acts of devotion, and all the proper expressions of it, therefore the apostle exhorts, To sing unto the Lord, v. 19. Drunkards are wont to sing obscene and profane songs. The heathens, in their Bacchanalia, used to sing hymns to Bacchus, whom they called the god of wine. Thus they expressed their joy; but the joy of Christians should express itself in songs of praise to their God. In these they should speak to themselves in their assemblies and meetings together, for mutual edification. .......v. 20. We are appointed to sing psalms, &c., for the expression of our thankfulness to God; but, though we are not always singing, we should never want a disposition for this duty, as we never want matter for it. We must continue it throughout the whole course of our lives; and we should give thanks for all things; not only for spiritual blessings enjoyed, and eternal ones expected (for what of the former we have in hand, and for what of the other we have in hope), but for temporal mercies too; not only for our comforts, but also for our sanctified afflictions; not only for what immediately concerns ourselves, but for the instances of God's kindness and favour to others also. It is our duty in every thing to give thanks unto God and the Father, to God as the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ and our Father in him, in whose name we are to offer up all our prayers, and praises, and spiritual services, that they may be acceptable to God. (Exposition from Matthew Henry)
What about Jesus Christ's comment on drinking?
Luke 3:22 And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased.
Jesus Christ is Spirit filled.
Luke 5:33 And they said unto him, Why do the disciples of John fast often, and make prayers, and likewise the disciples of the Pharisees; but thine eat and drink?
Luke 5:34 And he said unto them, Can ye make the children of the bridechamber fast, while the bridegroom is with them?
Jesus was defending his disciples in eating and drinking! He explained what kind of their drinking habit is all about! Luke 5:39 No man also having drunk old wine straightway desireth new: for he saith, The old is better. Jesus Christ descripted the taste of Old Wine, because He said and agreed Old wine is better! Taste better! The old is better; Matthew Henry wrote, for, though it does not give its colour so well in the cup, yet it is more warming in the stomach and more wholesome. Christ's disciples, though they had not so much of the form of godliness, had more of the power of it.
Next Jesus is more concerned the inner heart than the old wine!
Luke 6:45 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.
The reigning love of God and Christ in the heart denominates a man a good man; and it is a good treasure a man may bring forth that which is good. But where the love of the world and the flesh reign there is an evil treasure in the heart, out of which an evil man is continually bringing forth that which is evil; and by what is brought forth you may know what is in the heart, as you may know what is in the vessel, water or wine, by what is drawn out from it, John ii. 8. Of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks; what the mouth ordinarily speaks, speaks with relish and delight, generally agrees with what is innermost and uppermost in the heart: He that speaks of the earth is earthly, John iii. 31. Not but that a good man may possibly drop a bad word, and a wicked man make use of a good word to serve a bad turn; but, for the most part, the heart is as the words are, vain or serious; it therefore concerns us to get our hearts filled, not only with good, but with abundance of it.
Dr Luke continue in writing the drinking habit with the Son of Man!
Luke 7:34 The Son of man is come eating and drinking; and ye say, Behold a gluttonous man, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners!
By this it appears that the ministers of Christ may be of very different tempers and dispositions, very different ways of preaching and living, and yet all good and useful; diversity of gifts, but each given to profit withal. Some even called Him as a winebibber!
Luke 7:35 But wisdom is justified of all her children.
Does Jesus Christ drinks? Dr Luke did not wrote about His drinking directly, or heard from Jesus Christ, that He forbid drinking totally, neither wine or strong drink! What Dr Luke focus next is about the kingdom of God.
Luke 9:11 And the people, when they knew it, followed him: and he received them, and spake unto them of the kingdom of God, and healed them that had need of healing.
Luke 10:34 And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him.
Dr Luke continue in writing on his finding about wine in his culture and living. Wine is used to wash the wound of the wounded, it is normal on those days, even a Samaritan brings along a bottle of wine! Strong wine can be a antiseptic for the fresh wound.
Dr Luke continue in his writing about all things are cleansed! Luke 11:41 But rather give alms of such things as ye have; and, behold, all things are clean unto you.
And He continue in rebuking some lawyers lade men with burdens. Luke 11:46 And he said, Woe unto you also, ye lawyers! for ye lade men with burdens grievous to be borne, and ye yourselves touch not the burdens with one of your fingers.
Here in Luke 13:26, Jesus expounded the drinking habit in his time.
13:26 Then shall ye begin to say, We have eaten and drunk in thy presence, and thou hast taught in our streets. 13:27 But he shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence ye are; depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity.
They drink even in front of Jesus Christ, in His presence they drunk, but Jesus did not rebuke them at that moment! He allowed it. But Jesus know every one of them throughout. Like Judas ate bread with Christ, dipped with him in the dish. Hypocrites, under the disguise of their external profession, receive the Lord's supper, and in it partake of the children's bread, as if they were children. They had been Christ's hearers, had received instruction from him, and were well acquainted with his doctrine and law: "Thou hast taught in our streets--a distinguishing favour, which few had, and surely it might be taken as a pledge of distinguishing favour now; for wouldest thou teach us, and not save us?"
The point is Jesus was requesting them to follow morale laws. Not to become a drunkard at last and then losing the heaven at great cost!
Luke 16:17 And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one tittle of the law to fail. The moral law is confirmed and ratified, and not one tittle of that fails; the duties enjoined by it are duties still; the sins forbidden by it are sins still.
He did not preach to us, asking us to pursue a perfect Bible, or a perfect underlying texts, but here He is requesting us to keep the morale law, the VPP theologians misquoted this verse to support their Verbal Plenary Preservation view. "Jot and title" actually referring to the morale laws in Old Testament.
Luke 20:9 Then began he to speak to the people this parable; A certain man planted a vineyard, and let it forth to husbandmen, and went into a far country for a long time. Jesus used the parable, He said even God is compared to an owner of vineyard.
21:34 And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares.
In suffering do not drink until you are drunk! Simple!
Take heed lest you be overcharged with surfeiting and drunkenness, the immoderate use of meat and drink, which burden the heart, not only with the guilt thereby contracted, but by the ill influence which such disorders of the body have upon the mind; they make men dull and lifeless to their duty, dead and listless in their duty; they stupid the conscience, and cause the mind to be unaffected with those things that are most affecting. (2.) The inordinate pursuit of the good things of this world. The heart is overcharged with the cares of this life. The former is the snare of those that are given to their pleasures: this is the snare of the men of business, that will be rich. We have need to guard on both hands, not only lest at the time when death comes, but lest at any time our hearts should be thus overcharged. Our caution against sin, and our care of our own souls, must be constant. ........Do not drink too much wine until getting drunk, and live like a drunkard!
Luke 22:18 For I say unto you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine, until the kingdom of God shall come. ...Jesus preferred wine than tea?
The kingdom of God is now so near being set up that you will not need to eat or drink any more till it comes.
Luke 23:36 And the soldiers also mocked him, coming to him, and offering him vinegar..
They made sport with him, and made a jest of his sufferings; and when they were drinking sharp sour wine themselves, such as was generally allotted them, they triumphantly asked him if he would pledge them, or drink with them. Jesus tasted that sharp sour wine on the cross!
Paul rebuked those who fallen in drunkenness continually. 1 Corinthians 5:11 But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat.
Titus does not encourage people in taking much wine, Titus 2:3 The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things;
Peter was angy with a drunkard, 1 Peter 4:3, For the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries:
These disciples all has a same point, moderate in drinking!
Paul draw out the conditions in eating and drinking:
Romans 14:21 It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor any thing whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak.
One day a young man met a pastor from a Bible Presbyterian Church, he told the old pastor, "I have backache, i am very weak." The old pastor told the young man, a Chinese remedy, buy a few bottles of gin and some Chinese herds, and then put the herds into the gin, and keep it for some time, and drink it, and then go and serve the Lord, work diligently, and evangelize the world with it!
Some theologians are saying at the noon day, "I am getting drunk with these false theology. Oop...my VPP bottles...where are they? Every step you take... I am watching you..."
Conclusion:
Moderate in drinking.
Bible warns against the sin of drunkenness.
Be considerate of other in drinking and eating.
Do not drunk with false theology.
The Book of Luke and wine drinking. Dr Luke had written in the Gospel about wine drinking. Firstly he talked about John the Baptist, Dr Luke said John will not drink any wine and strong drink.
Luke 1:15 For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother's womb.
Did Paul forbid drinking? What about other disciple? Like Peter and Dr Luke? Matthew Henry expounded about Paul's drinking view, those that would be filled with the Holy Ghost must be sober and temperate, and very moderate in the use of wine and strong drink; for that is it that fits him for this. Be not drunk with wine, but be filled with the Spirit, with which that is not consistent, Matthew Henry said be moderate in drinking, not to be drunk in drunkenness.
Paul's view, he wrote in Eph. v. 18. And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; be not drunk. He warns against the sin of drunkenness: And be not drunk with wine, this was a sin very frequent among the heathens; and particularly on occasion of the festivals of their gods, and more especially in their Bacchanalia: then they were wont to inflame themselves with wine, and all manner of inordinate lusts were consequent upon it: and therefore the apostle adds, wherein, or in which drunkenness, is excess. The word asotia may signify luxury or dissoluteness; and it is certain that drunkenness is no friend to chastity and purity of life, but it virtually contains all manner of extravagance, and transports men into gross sensuality and vile enormities.
Note, Drunkenness is a sin that seldom goes alone, but often involves men in other instances of guilt: it is a sin very provoking to God, and a great hindrance to the spiritual life. The apostle may mean all such intemperance and disorder as are opposite to the sober and prudent demeanor he intends in his advice, to redeem the time. Instead of being filled with wine, he exhorts them to be filled with the Spirit. Those who are full of drink are not likely to be full of the Spirit; and therefore this duty is opposed to the former sin.
The meaning of the exhortation is that men should labour for a plentiful measure of the graces of the Spirit, that would fill their souls with great joy, strength, and courage, which things sensual men expect their wine should inspire them with. We cannot be guilty of any excess in our endeavours after these: nay, we ought not to be satisfied with a little of the Spirit, but to be aspiring after measures, so as to be filled with the Spirit. Now by this means we shall come to understand what the will of the Lord is; for the Spirit of God is given as a Spirit of wisdom and of understanding. And because those who are filled with the Spirit will be carried out in acts of devotion, and all the proper expressions of it, therefore the apostle exhorts, To sing unto the Lord, v. 19. Drunkards are wont to sing obscene and profane songs. The heathens, in their Bacchanalia, used to sing hymns to Bacchus, whom they called the god of wine. Thus they expressed their joy; but the joy of Christians should express itself in songs of praise to their God. In these they should speak to themselves in their assemblies and meetings together, for mutual edification. .......v. 20. We are appointed to sing psalms, &c., for the expression of our thankfulness to God; but, though we are not always singing, we should never want a disposition for this duty, as we never want matter for it. We must continue it throughout the whole course of our lives; and we should give thanks for all things; not only for spiritual blessings enjoyed, and eternal ones expected (for what of the former we have in hand, and for what of the other we have in hope), but for temporal mercies too; not only for our comforts, but also for our sanctified afflictions; not only for what immediately concerns ourselves, but for the instances of God's kindness and favour to others also. It is our duty in every thing to give thanks unto God and the Father, to God as the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ and our Father in him, in whose name we are to offer up all our prayers, and praises, and spiritual services, that they may be acceptable to God. (Exposition from Matthew Henry)
What about Jesus Christ's comment on drinking?
Luke 3:22 And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased.
Jesus Christ is Spirit filled.
Luke 5:33 And they said unto him, Why do the disciples of John fast often, and make prayers, and likewise the disciples of the Pharisees; but thine eat and drink?
Luke 5:34 And he said unto them, Can ye make the children of the bridechamber fast, while the bridegroom is with them?
Jesus was defending his disciples in eating and drinking! He explained what kind of their drinking habit is all about! Luke 5:39 No man also having drunk old wine straightway desireth new: for he saith, The old is better. Jesus Christ descripted the taste of Old Wine, because He said and agreed Old wine is better! Taste better! The old is better; Matthew Henry wrote, for, though it does not give its colour so well in the cup, yet it is more warming in the stomach and more wholesome. Christ's disciples, though they had not so much of the form of godliness, had more of the power of it.
Next Jesus is more concerned the inner heart than the old wine!
Luke 6:45 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.
The reigning love of God and Christ in the heart denominates a man a good man; and it is a good treasure a man may bring forth that which is good. But where the love of the world and the flesh reign there is an evil treasure in the heart, out of which an evil man is continually bringing forth that which is evil; and by what is brought forth you may know what is in the heart, as you may know what is in the vessel, water or wine, by what is drawn out from it, John ii. 8. Of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks; what the mouth ordinarily speaks, speaks with relish and delight, generally agrees with what is innermost and uppermost in the heart: He that speaks of the earth is earthly, John iii. 31. Not but that a good man may possibly drop a bad word, and a wicked man make use of a good word to serve a bad turn; but, for the most part, the heart is as the words are, vain or serious; it therefore concerns us to get our hearts filled, not only with good, but with abundance of it.
Dr Luke continue in writing the drinking habit with the Son of Man!
Luke 7:34 The Son of man is come eating and drinking; and ye say, Behold a gluttonous man, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners!
By this it appears that the ministers of Christ may be of very different tempers and dispositions, very different ways of preaching and living, and yet all good and useful; diversity of gifts, but each given to profit withal. Some even called Him as a winebibber!
Luke 7:35 But wisdom is justified of all her children.
Does Jesus Christ drinks? Dr Luke did not wrote about His drinking directly, or heard from Jesus Christ, that He forbid drinking totally, neither wine or strong drink! What Dr Luke focus next is about the kingdom of God.
Luke 9:11 And the people, when they knew it, followed him: and he received them, and spake unto them of the kingdom of God, and healed them that had need of healing.
Luke 10:34 And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him.
Dr Luke continue in writing on his finding about wine in his culture and living. Wine is used to wash the wound of the wounded, it is normal on those days, even a Samaritan brings along a bottle of wine! Strong wine can be a antiseptic for the fresh wound.
Dr Luke continue in his writing about all things are cleansed! Luke 11:41 But rather give alms of such things as ye have; and, behold, all things are clean unto you.
And He continue in rebuking some lawyers lade men with burdens. Luke 11:46 And he said, Woe unto you also, ye lawyers! for ye lade men with burdens grievous to be borne, and ye yourselves touch not the burdens with one of your fingers.
Here in Luke 13:26, Jesus expounded the drinking habit in his time.
13:26 Then shall ye begin to say, We have eaten and drunk in thy presence, and thou hast taught in our streets. 13:27 But he shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence ye are; depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity.
They drink even in front of Jesus Christ, in His presence they drunk, but Jesus did not rebuke them at that moment! He allowed it. But Jesus know every one of them throughout. Like Judas ate bread with Christ, dipped with him in the dish. Hypocrites, under the disguise of their external profession, receive the Lord's supper, and in it partake of the children's bread, as if they were children. They had been Christ's hearers, had received instruction from him, and were well acquainted with his doctrine and law: "Thou hast taught in our streets--a distinguishing favour, which few had, and surely it might be taken as a pledge of distinguishing favour now; for wouldest thou teach us, and not save us?"
The point is Jesus was requesting them to follow morale laws. Not to become a drunkard at last and then losing the heaven at great cost!
Luke 16:17 And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one tittle of the law to fail. The moral law is confirmed and ratified, and not one tittle of that fails; the duties enjoined by it are duties still; the sins forbidden by it are sins still.
He did not preach to us, asking us to pursue a perfect Bible, or a perfect underlying texts, but here He is requesting us to keep the morale law, the VPP theologians misquoted this verse to support their Verbal Plenary Preservation view. "Jot and title" actually referring to the morale laws in Old Testament.
Luke 20:9 Then began he to speak to the people this parable; A certain man planted a vineyard, and let it forth to husbandmen, and went into a far country for a long time. Jesus used the parable, He said even God is compared to an owner of vineyard.
21:34 And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares.
In suffering do not drink until you are drunk! Simple!
Take heed lest you be overcharged with surfeiting and drunkenness, the immoderate use of meat and drink, which burden the heart, not only with the guilt thereby contracted, but by the ill influence which such disorders of the body have upon the mind; they make men dull and lifeless to their duty, dead and listless in their duty; they stupid the conscience, and cause the mind to be unaffected with those things that are most affecting. (2.) The inordinate pursuit of the good things of this world. The heart is overcharged with the cares of this life. The former is the snare of those that are given to their pleasures: this is the snare of the men of business, that will be rich. We have need to guard on both hands, not only lest at the time when death comes, but lest at any time our hearts should be thus overcharged. Our caution against sin, and our care of our own souls, must be constant. ........Do not drink too much wine until getting drunk, and live like a drunkard!
Luke 22:18 For I say unto you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine, until the kingdom of God shall come. ...Jesus preferred wine than tea?
The kingdom of God is now so near being set up that you will not need to eat or drink any more till it comes.
Luke 23:36 And the soldiers also mocked him, coming to him, and offering him vinegar..
They made sport with him, and made a jest of his sufferings; and when they were drinking sharp sour wine themselves, such as was generally allotted them, they triumphantly asked him if he would pledge them, or drink with them. Jesus tasted that sharp sour wine on the cross!
Paul rebuked those who fallen in drunkenness continually. 1 Corinthians 5:11 But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat.
Titus does not encourage people in taking much wine, Titus 2:3 The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things;
Peter was angy with a drunkard, 1 Peter 4:3, For the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries:
These disciples all has a same point, moderate in drinking!
Paul draw out the conditions in eating and drinking:
Romans 14:21 It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor any thing whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak.
One day a young man met a pastor from a Bible Presbyterian Church, he told the old pastor, "I have backache, i am very weak." The old pastor told the young man, a Chinese remedy, buy a few bottles of gin and some Chinese herds, and then put the herds into the gin, and keep it for some time, and drink it, and then go and serve the Lord, work diligently, and evangelize the world with it!
Some theologians are saying at the noon day, "I am getting drunk with these false theology. Oop...my VPP bottles...where are they? Every step you take... I am watching you..."
Conclusion:
Moderate in drinking.
Bible warns against the sin of drunkenness.
Be considerate of other in drinking and eating.
Do not drunk with false theology.
3.6.09
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