MacArthur: How Should We Interpret the Bible?

A John MacArthur sermon about...well...read the title of the post.

How Should We Interpret the Bible?

Podcast: Tiptoe Through the TULIP Total Depravity

Here is the latest podcast, where we begin a little series briefly examining all the five points of Calvinism!

Silly Arguments Part IV

Why hello there, face-palming Picard! This must mean it's time for another...you guessed it...silly argument!

Once upon a time in the world of a social media website that shall remain nameless, I saw this argument made for the King James Bible and why we should use it alone.

psalm 12-6 purified 7 times. it was the 7th translation, it took 7 years, and english is made of 7 languages

This is a popular argument used by KJV-Onlyists, in an attempt to try to prove some level of divine connection with the KJV. I've already touched on the silliness of KJV-Onlyism before, but let's take a moment to examine this claim.

Firstly, no one at the time of the KJV translators thought this. Unlike the apostles, who realized when Christ had fulfilled a passage of scripture, we don't see any record of the KJV translators leaping up from their tables and declaring, "Psalm 12:6 has been fulfilled!" This mentality is about as recent as KJV-Onlyism (and that's very recent).

Secondly, the KJV is actually the tenth English translation, not the seventh. They are, in order:

1. Wycliffe
2. Tyndale
3. Coverdale
4. Matthew
5. Great Bible
6. Taverner
7. Geneva Bible
8. Bishops' Bible
9. Douay-Rheims Bible
10. King James Bible

This is not even counting the individual translations found in England before Wycliffe, and others found throughout the history of the other publications.

Thirdly, I have no idea what this individual means regarding English having "seven languages." English itself is the language, and if this is referring to dialects, well...there are countless English dialects to say the least. I did a Google search on this, and found out that what this person meant to argue, I think, is that the Bible, at the time of the translation of the KJV, has been translated into seven languages: Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek, Old Syriac, Old Latin, German and English. This likewise is not true - by the time of the translation of the KJV, the Bible had likewise been translated into: Gothic, Armenian, Coptic, Old Nubian, Ethiopic, Georgian, Old Church Slavonic, Old French, Czech, and Hungarian. That's about seventeen languages, folks - and I'm sure if I did a little more digging, I'd find plenty more languages that holy writ had been translated into by 1611.

Fourthly, and most importantly, Psalm 12:6 is not speaking about translations! That's completely ripping it out of context. Let's examine the context quickly - here's the Psalm in full:

Save, O Lord, for the godly one is gone; for the faithful have vanished from among the children of man. Everyone utters lies to his neighbor; with flattering lips and a double heart they speak. May the Lord cut off all flattering lips, the tongue that makes great boasts, those who say, “With our tongue we will prevail, our lips are with us; who is master over us?” “Because the poor are plundered, because the needy groan, I will now arise,” says the Lord; “I will place him in the safety for which he longs.” The words of the Lord are pure words, like silver refined in a furnace on the ground, purified seven times. You, O Lord, will keep them; you will guard us from this generation forever. On every side the wicked prowl, as vileness is exalted among the children of man. [Psalm 12:1-8]

The Psalmist begins by describing a situation not too pretty - the godly one is gone, the faithful have vanished (v. 1), and everyone utters lies to their neighbors, using flattering lips and "a double heart" (v. 2). The Psalmist turns against these people, hoping that the Lord would cut off all the flattering lips and boasting tongues (vv. 3-4). The Lord Himself then promises His intervention in the matter, and says He will place the poor and needy in safety (v. 5). 

We then reach verse 6, where we read that "the words of the Lord are pure words"...but let's stop a moment - what "words" are we talking about? Are we talking about the entire Bible? Actually no...we're talking about the words the Lord just spoke. That is, the words pertaining to the protection of the poor and needy. The psalmist is contrasting them with the words of the haughty and boastful in verse 4. This is emphasized in the next part of the verse, where it says the Lord's words are "like silver refined in a furnace...purified seven times." Let's ask quickly: do God's words need any sort of refining? Actually no - they're already refined, as they're already pure. That's the point the psalmist is trying to make: the Lord's words don't need refining, in contrast to the words of the liar and the boastful, whose words would need plenty of refining. The phrase "seven times" (referring the number of perfection) is simply emphasizing how pure the silver is (and hence God's word). This is continued in verses 7-8, where the psalmist confirms that God will protect the poor and needy against the wicked and the vile - hence how we know that God's words truly are pure.

In short, Psalm 12:6 does not teach KJV-Onlyism.

St. Patrick's Bad Analogies

Some examples of Trinitarian analogies people shouldn't use, presented in a humorous way.

Podcast: What Happened at OneThing VA Beach

The following is the latest podcast, featuring a conversation that happened between myself and Allen Hood, Associate Director of the International House of Prayer and President of their university (IHOPU), at the OneThing Regionals Conference in Virginia.


This link goes to the post where I discuss whether or not IHOP-KC is a cult.

This link goes to the post where I discuss IHOP-KC's teachings on prophecy.

This link goes to the post where I discuss IHOP-KC's teachings on forerunners.

This link goes to the post with the first IHOP-KC podcast, discussing its foundation.

This link goes to the post where I engaged in discussion with an IHOP-KC supporter over the scriptural basis for the forerunner ministry.

This link goes to the post where I discuss whether or not all Christians are supposed to prophesy.

Cult Lessons from Boy Meets World

My wife and I recently watched this episode of Boy Meets World, and, aside from how well it seemed to handle the issue of cults or cult-like organizations without going too over the top, I was amazed at how it also didn't sacrifice the idea of God and truth. I couldn't help but think of a few organizations or leaders I've run into or studied while watching it.

Another thing that fascinated me: this was made in the mid-1990's, barely twenty years ago, and it's hard to imagine a show today featuring a character asking another "Did you believe in God?", or featuring a character praying to God at the climax. For certain, it doesn't necessarily take the side of a specific religion (ie., Sean doesn't pray to Christ or anything like that), but nonetheless it would be bold for today's standards.

By the by, I probably sympathize with Mr. Feeny the most in this episode...

The Unpardonable Sin

On another website, someone asked about the famous "unpardonable sin." Below is my response (starting with the full context of the passage).

Then a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute was brought to Jesus, and he healed him, so that the mute man spoke and saw. All the crowds were amazed, and were saying, "This man cannot be the Son of David, can he?"

But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, "This man casts out demons only by Beelzebul the ruler of the demons."

And knowing their thoughts Jesus said to them, "Any kingdom divided against itself is laid waste; and any city or house divided against itself will not stand. If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself; how then will his kingdom stand? If I by Beelzebul cast out demons, by whom do your sons cast them out? For this reason they will be your judges. But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. Or how can anyone enter the strong man's house and carry off his property, unless he first binds the strong man? And then he will plunder his house. He who is not with Me is against Me; and he who does not gather with Me scatters. Therefore I say to you, any sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven people, but blasphemy against the Spirit shall not be forgiven. Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man, it shall be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come." [Matthew 12:22-32; NASB]

We find another miracle of Jesus, one wherein he casts out a demon that had rendered a poor man blind and mute (v. 22). This causes the people to wonder if he was the "Son of David" - in other words, the Messiah (v. 23). The Pharisees hear this, and, out of jealousy, come up with the excuse that Jesus is only doing this by the power of Beelzebul (another word for Satan) - in other words, he's casting out demons by using a demonic authority (v. 24). Interestingly enough, the rabbinical sources that speak on Jesus do talk of his miracles, and they too attribute his miracles to witchcraft and demonic power.

Knowing their thoughts, and obviously desiring to nip all this in the bud right away, Jesus addresses them and presents two reasons why their logic does not work:

1) They believed demons were pitted against demons (vv. 25-26) - While it is possible for exorcisms to be faked by demons (for we cannot assume that Muslim or Hindu exorcisms are legitimate, as demons fear no one but the true God), the Pharisees were not arguing that Jesus was in league with the demons to create ruses, but rather that Jesus was using a higher demonic authority to expel demons who were going about their job. By this logic, Satan's house was divided, and there was a demonic civil war going on. This is what Jesus means by "If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself; how then will his kingdom stand?" Later on, in verse 29, Christ will give a more accurate view of the situation: it is actually another, non-demonic power at work against the demonic powers.

2) They had disciples who exorcised demons too (v. 27) - Jesus was not the only one known to cast out demons, though he was certainly the only one to cast them out of his own authority and by his own command. In any case, the Pharisees did not attribute every single exorcism to demonic power, but were seeking to disprove Christ's Messianic status. When Christ says "they will be your judges," he does not necessarily mean that the other Jewish exorcists will stand up and judge them, but rather that the Pharisees' hypocrisy in holding up Jesus to one standard and the other exorcists to another standard will be used against them when they are judged. To explain this phraseology, imagine if someone says, "This video tape that recorded your crime will condemn you." This doesn't mean the video tape is going to bang a gavel and pronounce sentencing, it simply means the video tape will be a damning piece of evidence used in the court of law.

Having proven this logic does not work, Christ now presents the only conclusion: "If I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you" (v. 28). In other words, Christ's exorcisms were part of the prophecies foretold about the Messiah, and what expelled the demons was not Satan, but God the Holy Spirit, working with God the Son in accordance with the Trinitarian work. Note that earlier (see vv. 17-21), Matthew had quoted Isaiah 42:1-4, which said that God's "Beloved" (the Messiah) had had the Spirit placed upon him, and he would do all the work he was meant to do. This story is one such example of Christ fulfilling that. The people in verse 23 were correct - Christ was the Son of David. And he was proving that by the work of the Spirit against the demons.

Here now, during Christ's response, we have the mention of the "unpardonable sin." Christ outlines that those who are not with him are against him (so much for inclusivism!) and  those who are not gathered with him scatter (v. 30). There is no neutrality. Christ is drawing a line in the sand at this point, for both the benefit of the people listening and the Pharisees. He takes it even further by saying that all sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven, but "blasphemy against the Spirit shall not be forgiven" (v. 31), going on to say that "whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man, it shall be forgiven him" - but those who speak "against the Holy Spirit" will not be forgiven either "in this age or in the age to come" (v. 32). For many who quote these few verses in isolation, they come to similar erroneous conclusions:

1) The Post-Death Judgment Error - Some believe that this means that God will forgive sins after a person dies. What they do is they take the "either in this age or in the age to come" and read it backwards into "it shall be forgiven him." The problem with this is two fold: a) Christ is not arguing that some sins can be forgiven after death, only that the blasphemy against the Spirit is very serious - he's emphasizing how gosh darn serious it is by adding "either in this age or in the age to come" to demonstrate it; b) the "ages" here refer more so to the pre-Messianic age and the Messianic age - that is, Jews of Christ's time had in mind that you would have the old covenant, then the coming of the Messiah, and then the new age under the Messiah's rule. This is how Christ's listeners would have understood it. 

2) The Hyper-Charismatic Error - Some in the Hyper-Charismatic and Neo-Pentecostal camp have taken these verses to mean that any time you point to a supposed work of the Holy Spirit (a miracle healing, speaking in tongues, prophecy, etc.) and say "That's not the Holy Spirit," that automatically means you're blaspheming the Holy Spirit. This can't be the case, as scripture is quite clear that we should be on the lookout for demonic counterfeits of spiritual work: Pharaoh's magicians could mimic many of the miracles of God (Ex 7:11, 22; 8:7); the Law warned against those who would perform miracles and wonders and yet attempt to lead you astray from the orthodox path (De 13:1-4); Jesus warned against false christs and prophets who would perform miracles (Mt 24:24); the apostle Paul warned that the "lawless one" would perform signs and wonders (2 Th 2:9-10); the beast in Revelation is described as performing signs and wonders (Re 13:13-14). Declaring something to not be the work of the Spirit, especially when we have grounds to do so, is not in and of itself blasphemy against the Spirit, but just good discernment.

So, what is this verse talking about? Well, let's remember some of the preliminary information given us, and try to follow the flow of the narrative: Jesus, as Messiah, has the Spirit (v. 18); the people are wondering if Jesus is the Messiah, but the Pharisees are denying it (vv. 23-24); Christ states that his work is by the Spirit, which means the kingdom of God has come upon them (v. 28); he then states that blasphemy against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but not blasphemy against the Spirit (vv. 31-32). What then is Christ talking about in these two verses?

It is clear, from the context, that Christ is stating that, when all is fulfilled (that is, the Messianic age has come, and Christ is glorified after the resurrection), those who continue to deny his divine status and role as Messiah, just as they were then, will be condemned. Many "spoke a word" against Jesus as the Son of Man (such as Peter) but were later forgiven, especially at Pentecost and other events recorded in Acts. Most of the Pharisees, however, continued to work against him and denied not only his messianic status, but his divinity - first during his earthly ministry, and then against his church. This is even more clear in Mark's parallel account, where (after the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is spoken of) Mark adds that Jesus said all this "because they were saying, 'He has an unclean spirit'" (Mk 3:30). In denying that Christ's power and miracles were by the Spirit, and attributing it to demonic powers, the Pharisees were blaspheming the Spirit and working against the kingdom of God. It was a sign of their heart (hence Christ's stern warnings about the connection between the heart and words in vv. 33-37, following the "blasphemy of the Holy Spirit" verses) and that they were, in essence, marked off for condemnation. 

This has led many theologians and commentators to argue that, really, the "blasphemy of the Holy Spirit" is no longer relevant for this day. That is, it was only relevant to those who lived during Christ's time, during that tender moment between the two ages, when one could blaspheme the Son of Man but not blaspheme the Holy Spirit. If we were to apply it today somehow, it would, in a sense, be similar to those who, upon hearing of Christ's miracles, attempt to write them off as exaggerations, lies, sorcery, magic tricks, or the like. We should not, however, use these verses to write these people off as damned, and we should treat them with respect and love, and give them the same message of hope and reconciliation which God used to call us. There are many who denied Christ's miracles today who later repented and put their trust upon the Lamb.

Podcast: Re: Are You Saved?

Ever heard someone say to you "I was saved, I'm being saved, and I hope to be saved"? We  review that sort of response in the latest podcast, in which we review an Eastern Orthodox response by Molly Sabourin to the question, "Are you saved?"

The Theological Humor of Mystery Science Theater 3000

One of my favorite shows of all time is Mystery Science Theater 3000. For those of you who have not been graced by this masterpiece of comedy, the show tells the story of a man and two robots who are stuck in space by a mad scientist, and are forced to watch real-life terrible movies in a sick experiment. Characters and voice actors changed throughout the show, but the main point always remained the same, which was to heckle horrible movies.

One thing I've noticed over time is that many of their jokes are theological or religious in nature. I thought for fun I would start to collect some together. Obviously this will take some time as I remember some or watch more episodes. If any fellow MSTie out there would like to help, feel free to email me (my address is on the right) and give me episode number, movie title, and a help as to context, and I'll try to add it here post-haste with some credit. Many thanks ahead of time.

Episode #301: Cave Dwellers

Ator: "Man's destiny is predetermined..."
Joel: "Oh, he's a Calvinist!"

Episode #411: The Magic Sword

[As a giant stone is moved aside]
Joel: "Why do you seek the living among the dead?"
Explanation: A reference to what the angel says to the women at the empty tomb (Luke 24:5).

Episode #514: Teenage Strangler

Betty: "I turned for just a second, and..."
Mike: "And you became a pillar of salt. What? What?"
Explanation: A reference to the fate of Lot's wife when she turned to look at burning Sodom and Gomorrah (Gen 19:26).

Lieutenant: "What about you?"
Mike: "Surely not I, Lord!"
Explanation: What the disciples said when Christ revealed that one of them would turn traitor (Matt 26:22).

Mikey: "It's all my fault!"
Mike: "Well, only in the sense of original sin..."

Lieutenant: "Got a friend of yours with me..."
Mike: "Maybe it's Jesus!"
Tom Servo: "Probably not..."

Episode #603: The Dead Talk Back

Mike: "Fine! Fine! Everyone pick on the devil!"

Crow: "Hey look, the devil is my brother!"

Episode #904: Werewolf

Crow: "O God of Battles!"
Explanation: A reference to the prayer of Henry V before the Battle of Angicourt.

There are a couple of obvious references in this one, all of them a play on the main character's name of Paul.

Natalie: "Paul?"
Mike: "I enjoyed your letter to the Philippians."

Natalie: "So what do you think, Paul?"
Mike: "Could the Colossians stand another letter?"

Episode #908: The Touch of Satan

Crow: "Lay on him."
Explanation: Some fans believe this is a really, really, really obscure reference to Elijah's resurrection of the Zarephath widow's son (1 Kings 17:21-22).

Episode #1003: Merlin's Shop of Mystical Wonders

Old Woman: "All right...who's the wise guy?"
Tom Servo: [as lightning flashes] "I AM WHO AM the wise guy!"
Explanation: A reference to God's identification of Himself as "I AM WHO AM" (Exodus 3:14).

Episode #1004: Future War

The episode features a Roman Catholic nun having a crisis of faith and a Bible quoting, kung fu fighting human slave (no I'm NOT kidding). As you can tell, the jokes for theology and ecclesiastics abound. 

Hero: [while the female looks annoyed] "Better a neighbor near..."
Crow: "Heard it!"

[The alien robot breaks into the Catholic church]
Mike: "The Lutheran church builds a cyborg!"

Hero: "I want to be like that man..."
Tom Servo: "Jesus was a kickboxer, right?"

Episode #1008: Final Justice

[A mafioso dresses up as a monk and does the sign of the cross in a church, trying to play the part]
Mike: "Uh...Dominos...pizza delivery...whatever."