The Wonderful Plan of God: Part 1

The Holy Bible is an amazingly unified text that encompasses the whole plan of God to bring salvation to man through Jesus Christ and complete all of history in our Savior (Ephesians 1:10). Knowing the plan of God helps us realize the meticulous detail by which He brought us eternal life through His wisdom, knowledge, and love, for his good pleasure and praise (Ephesians 1:4-8).

 

Key to this plan is:

• The structural elements to bring salvation.
• The teaching elements to allow us to recognize the Savior.

 

Both are detailed below in the order of the scriptures. The following is an overview and not an exhaustive study.

 

Progression of the plan of God

 

Adam and Eve (Genesis 2-3) – The sin in the Garden of Eden completely corrupted the mind and physical being of man and separated him from God (Romans 5:12-14). God punished Adam and Eve for their disobedience (Genesis 3:16-19).

·       Adam is a type of Christ in that, as one man, brought death and disobedience into the world while through one man, Jesus Christ brought grace and salvation to the world (Rom. 5:15-21)

·       Key Messianic prophecy (Genesis 3:15) – God first promised a solution to the sin problem created by Adam’s fall by indicating that Eve’s seed would defeat the serpent (Satan) who caused the transgression in the garden.

 

Cain and Abel (Genesis 4) – Eve hoped the birth of her son, Cain (Genesis 4:1), would provide the holy man God promised in Genesis 3:15. Cain, unfortunately, proved to be a man of sin and killed his brother Abel because he offered a more acceptable sacrifice. Therefore, God banished Cain. From this time onwards, the threads of two separate societies, one from Cain, that hates God and embraces sin, versus the people of God’s choosing who love and obey Him. Over time, the sons of God were overtaken by wicked men, and the world was filled with sin (Genesis 6:1-6).

 

Noah (Genesis 6-9) – Because of so much sin in the world, God sent His wrath to destroy mankind in the great flood, except for righteous Noah and his immediate family, whom he graciously saved in the ark. Noah typed (foreshadowed) Christ in that:

·       He was chosen by God.

·       He built the ark out of obedience and faith.

·       The end (the beginning of the flood) came suddenly at an unknown time.

·       The chosen were saved from God’s wrath.

 

After Noah, God gave man a third opportunity to be obedient to God.

·       Key Messianic prophecy (Genesis 9:25-27) – This verse states that the Messiah would come from the line of Shem, indicating the land of Palestine.

·       Tower of Babel (Genesis 11:1-9) – After Noah, over time, people divided into 70 countries. However, in the land of Babylon, the Tower of Babel was created to replace and resist God. Babylon came to represent in scripture a system of government that is anti-God and will ultimately be destroyed in the tribulation (Revelation 17 - 18). God punished man for his sin by confusing the languages to inhibit their ability to work together to resist Him.

 

Abraham (Genesis 11:30 through Genesis 25:11), a new plan by means of Israel – Abraham is a central figure in scripture. God chose Abraham to leave Ur of the Chaldees, which he did by faith, coming to Palestine at God’s direction. Abraham received the first major covenant from God (Genesis 12:1-3; 15:1-5). 

 

The Abrahamic Covenant consists of three promises which are:

·       Isaac, Abraham’s son – He was significant because Abraham and his wife Sarah were too old to bear children, and so believing God’s promise of a son was a test of faith, which Abraham passed (Genesis 15:1-6). The provision of a son was a sign to Abraham of God’s faithfulness in completing the remaining two promises that would not be fulfilled in his lifetime.

·       A blessing to all nations – This is a promise of Messiah coming from Abraham’s seed (Galatians 3:16) through Isaac (Genesis 21:12; Romans 9:7; Galatians 4:28: Hebrews 11:18). Isaac was a type of Christ whom God ordered Abraham to sacrifice as his only begotten son. God saved Isaac from sacrifice by providing a ram in his place (Genesis 22:1-18). It is through Isaac that the spiritual blessings of Messiah come (Genesis 21:12; Romans 9:7; Hebrews 11:18).

·       A founder of a great nation – This is Israel, and the promise comes through Abraham’s grandson Jacob to the ‘seed after you’ (generations following Jacob). It was confirmed by the sign of circumcision in (Genesis 17:7-14; Psalm 105:6).

·       Key Messianic prophecy (Genesis 49:10) – When Jacob gave blessings to his sons he further identified the coming Messiah as a king from Judah.

 

The Abrahamic covenant represents, in essence, the cornerstone of scripture, which lays out the purpose of the Bible to the Book of Revelation consisting of:

·       The plan of God to salvation through Jesus Christ and to conclude the history of the whole world in Him at His second coming.

·       The provision of Israel to provide Messiah and the fulfillment of God's promises to them at Christ’s return and the establishment of His kingdom.

 

We have a great God who has given us a wonderful plan for salvation, to sum up all things on the earth and in heaven for eternity in Christ (Ephesians 1:10)!

 

Thank you for reading my blog. Join us next time as we continue this journey through God's plan and the events following Abraham. 

 

Join us again next time and share this important blog with your friends and family!

 

William C. Stewart, MD

 

Email - info@teleiosresearch.com

Website - http://teleiosresearch.com/

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/TeleiosResearch

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/TeleiosResearch

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/c/TeleiosVideos/

 

Disclaimer - This blog and its content are provided only as information and are intended for visitors 18 and older. No content on the website should be taken as advice or recommendation to any personal or institutional situation. The views expressed are those of the author alone and not necessarily either shared or endorsed by Teleios. Both the blog and the contents are subject to change at any time without notice. Although I endeavor to ensure that the blog and the content are current and accurate, it may contain errors. I do not represent that the blog or the content is current, accurate or complete, or appropriate for your specific requirements. I do not accept any liability from any person for the blog, the content or any other information (or the use of such information) I provide. I do not have a seminary degree, but I have trained myself in the scriptures to teach and provide this information. For any specific question, I suggest you contact experts in that field and or do your own research into the scriptures.

 

 

 

Communion: Remembering Christ’s Sacrifice

Welcome back to my blog and thank you for visiting. Today's exciting topic is communion. 

 

Communion is a common sacrament of the church. The number and the form of the sacraments in the church are quite controversial and are in part what define church denominations. Sacraments generally are meant to convey a blessing to the believer or allow them to show their dedication to Christ. Unfortunately, a full discussion of individual denominational beliefs is beyond the scope of this blog. 

 

Communion, however, is perhaps the best-attested sacrament in the Bible and importantly commemorates the precious sacrifice of Christ on the cross. Nonetheless, communion can be a very controversial subject and people's beliefs can often be based on feelings or tradition. However, as Bible-based Christians, we consider 1st the scriptures to differentiate what the epistles say to the church about communion without relying on opinion or tradition. Further reading is referenced below (Ryrie CC. Basic theology: A popular systematic guide to understanding biblical truth). 

 

·     Communion in the Scriptures (1 Corinthians 11:24-27; Matthew 26:26-29; Mark 14:22-25; Luke 22:15-20; John 6:48-58) – Communion, along with water baptism, appear to be the most common sacrament celebrated by the local church. How it is celebrated, who serves it, its frequency, its location, setting, and the precise elements served, vary widely across denominations. 

 

Importantly, scripture allows great freedom in how churches or individuals celebrate communion. The scriptures do not even indicate that communion must be limited to a church service although that is now tradition. The apostle Paul only comments specifically on an unworthy communion celebration in the Corinthians church (1 Corinthians 11:17-34).

 

·       Significance of communion - The rite is based on the last supper of Christ, when after the Passover meal, He broke the bread and poured wine to remember His upcoming sacrifice upon the cross for sins and our salvation at His coming again. Christ further explains in the Gospel of John that we must eat His flesh and drink his blood to be saved (John 6:48-58). This passage also appears reflected in the communion meal.

 

·       Meaning of the elements - These two elements are typed in the Old Testament, the wine by the sprinkling of blood on the mercy seat at the Day of Atonement for the coverage of sins (Leviticus 23:7-8). The bread is typed by the manna given daily by God that sustained the Israelites in the desert (Exodus 16; John 6:48-58).

o   The wine – The wine represents Christ’s blood spilled on the cross for the forgiveness of our sins. By drinking the wine, we remember that He is a fully sufficient sacrifice for our sins as a pure and perfect savior.

o   The bread – This represents His broken body on the cross which took the punishment for our sins. By eating the bread, we remember His substitutionary death for us and His glorious resurrection and our accompanying regeneration to new life, access to God, and salvation (John 6:48-58; Hebrews 10:19-20). Indeed, Christ recognized the resurrection during the communion meal by saying to celebrate the bread and the wine until He comes again, indicating there must be a resurrection! 

 

Although some denominations believe (i.e., Catholic, transubstantiation) that our Savior is actually Himself present in the elements of the communion meal there is no evidence in scripture to indicate this claim.

 

God graciously has given us a beautiful remembrance of His gracious death upon the cross and life-giving resurrection for our salvation in the rite of communion. We should remember His death and resurrection frequently in gratitude and corresponding service (Philippians 2:12; Romans 12:1).

 

Next time we will discuss vital topics of the Christian life!

 

Join us again next time and share this important blog with your friends and family!

 

William C. Stewart, MD

 

Email - info@teleiosresearch.com

Website - http://teleiosresearch.com/

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/TeleiosResearch

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/TeleiosResearch

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/c/TeleiosVideos/

 

Disclaimer - This blog and its content are provided only as information and are intended for visitors 18 and older. No content on the website should be taken as advice or recommendation to any personal or institutional situation. The views expressed are those of the author alone and not necessarily either shared or endorsed by Teleios. Both the blog and the contents are subject to change at any time without notice. Although I endeavor to ensure that the blog and the content are current and accurate, it may contain errors. I do not represent that the blog or the content is current, accurate or complete, or appropriate for your specific requirements. I do not accept any liability from any person for the blog, the content or any other information (or the use of such information) I provide. I do not have a seminary degree, but I have trained myself in the scriptures to teach and provide this information. For any specific question, I suggest you contact experts in that field and or do your own research into the scriptures.

 

 

 

Hermeneutics - How to interpret scripture: Part 2

 

Bible content intended for the church

 

Bible interpretation can be challenging. For example, the Old Testament law and the gospels contain difficult commands for us to obey today, such as animal sacrifices and following the rules of the Pharisees (Matthew 23:3)! Obviously, in our Christian-based society we do not practice these things nor does the church command them.

 

Consequently, on what basis of interpretation can we ignore some commands and follow others? This is a vital question to answer to avoid confusion, believing lies about God and guilt!

 

Importantly, the Old Testament and the gospels must be interpreted carefully within the cultural and historical context in which God intended to communicate to His people and administrative them. Please read my last blog below to find clues on how to do this.

 

Today let's look at the portion of scripture intended towards the church specifically, the apostolic epistles in the New Testament, from Romans to Revelation 3. These letters explain what Christ wants us to do as church-based Christians following his glorious resurrection and ascension. 

 

·       The apostle Paul specifically was chosen to explain to the church the meaning of Christ’s coming (Colossians 1:25; Ephesians 3:1-6). In several instances, commands from the Old Testament law, such as nine of the Ten Commandments, and ‘love one another’ from the Gospels, are repeated in the epistles. However, it is from the Epistles that we derive our instructions as Christians in this time when God manages people through the church.

 

·       Proper technique in understanding the Bible is vital. Misinterpreting scripture based on an improper view of scriptural interpretation will cause us to believe lies about God which can have a negative psychological or physical impact on us and others. In the extreme, it can cause disunity in the church, formation of Christian cults, leading others astray, and causing wasted lives and resources in service to God. 

 

·       Basic interpretation rules for the Christian in the church (please also see my last blog).

 

• Guidance for the Christian is in the New Testament epistles. 
• Do not believe information about God, Christ or the Spirit that is not in scripture.
• As bad as it is to not believe Bible, it is also dangerous to add to the scripture (Revelation 22:18-19). Both removing and adding to scripture teaches lies about the character, actions, desires, and requirements of our holy God. Unfortunately, adding to scripture is quite common, often from well-intentioned teachers and leaders. Adding to scripture is most commonly done by:

Ø  Using philosophic arguments that are not in the Bible to assign their own beliefs to God.

Ø  Over-interpreting a verse according to one’s prejudice.

Ø  Interpreting a verse in isolation and not understanding the historical, cultural, or textual context.

Ø  Poor hermeneutics (basis of interpretation, please see my prior blog).

o   Scripture is progressive in revealing more information about God and His great plan of salvation as you proceed reading through the Bible; and should be interpreted in a normal, literal fashion. Otherwise, interpret is as it would have been understood at the time of writing and by the type of literature it represents (e.g. historical narrative, poetry, etc.)

 

·       For scriptural study techniques, see the Teleios guide on Bible study methods.

 

Make a strong habit, as people tell you what to believe about God, to check the veracity in scripture itself (yes, even the Teleios website) especially if it will strongly affect your or others’ lives and beliefs. You may need to ask the person who first made the statement where it is supported in the Bible. By this method, over time, you will learn what is actually in scripture and what God really desires from Christians. Knowing what is in scripture, and what is not, is quite freeing and helpful to your life.

 

Please join us next time which we discussed the plan of God in scripture. What a great and encouraging topic! I look forward to seeing you then.

 

Join us again next time and share this important blog with your friends and family!

 

William C. Stewart, MD

 

Email - info@teleiosresearch.com

Website - http://teleiosresearch.com/

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/TeleiosResearch

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/TeleiosResearch

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/c/TeleiosVideos/

 

Disclaimer - This blog and its content are provided only as information and are intended for visitors 18 and older. No content on the website should be taken as advice or recommendation to any personal or institutional situation. The views expressed are those of the author alone and not necessarily either shared or endorsed by Teleios. Both the blog and the contents are subject to change at any time without notice. Although I endeavor to ensure that the blog and the content are current and accurate, it may contain errors. I do not represent that the blog or the content is current, accurate or complete, or appropriate for your specific requirements. I do not accept any liability from any person for the blog, the content or any other information (or the use of such information) I provide. I do not have a seminary degree, but I have trained myself in the scriptures to teach and provide this information. For any specific question, I suggest you contact experts in that field and or do your own research into the scriptures.