On Saturday, February 19, 2005, Rene Messier and Brian Gale will give split sermons in San Diego.
The services can be heard at www.cognetservices.org at 12:30 pm Pacific Time (which is 2:30 pm Central Time). Just click on Connect to Live Stream.
Preaching the Gospel & Feeding the Flock
A new member letter was written by Dave Harris. It will be sent out on Friday, and has been posted on the Web. In the letter, Dave Harris challenges all of us to make sure that we are not deceived or deceiving ourselves.
Please remember our annual Church conference, which will begin on Friday, February 18, 2005. Please pray for safety for all of those who will be traveling to San Diego, and especially for Rene Messier, who is suffering with a painful back problem. Please also pray to God for inspiration during the conference, and that He would give us the wisdom and understanding of His Will for us.
A new StandingWatch program is scheduled to be recorded on Friday, and should be on the Web shortly.
Is the provision in Deuteronomy 23:2 still valid today? Does it apply to God's Church?
The passage reads, in the New King James Bible: “One of illegitimate birth shall not enter the assembly of the LORD; even to the tenth generation none of his descendants shall enter the assembly of the LORD.”
Before we address the questions whether this passage is still in force and effect today, and whether it applies to the Church of God, let us try to determine what the passage conveys, as worded.
Several translations, including the Authorized Version, the Living Bible, the Revised Standard Version, Lamsa, and the Elberfelder Bible translate the Hebrew word “mamzer” (“of illegitimate birth” in the New King James Bible) as “bastard.” First, what is meant with the word, “mamzer”? The Broadman Bible Commentary explains that the “meaning of the Hebrew word [“mamzer”] translated ‘bastard’ is not really clear. Rabbinical interpretation points to the offspring of mixed marriages such as are mentioned in Nehemiah 13:23.”
Soncino points out: “Some Rabbis defined the term as the offspring of an incestuous marriage, others as non-Israelite (without any reference to illegitimacy). It means, ‘stranger,’ i.e. one whose descent is unknown.”
The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible defines the Hebrew word, under #4464, as “a mongrel, i.e. born of a Jewish father and a heathen mother.” [Of course, Strong’s makes the common mistake to equate an “Israelite” with a “Jew.”] Young’s Analytical Concordance to the Bible defines the Hebrew word as, “mixed” or “spurious.” It is also used in Zechariah 9:6.
The Nelson Study Bible equates the word with an illegitimate birth and points out that “it may refer to the offspring of an illicit cultic union, such as the child of a temple prostitute (vv. 17, 18).”
The Tanakh renders this word as “misbegotten,” and explains that the meaning of the Hebrew word is uncertain; but that in Jewish law, it has received the meaning of the offspring of adultery or incest between Jews. The New Bible Commentary:Revised defines the word as “the offspring of an adulterous or incestuous relationship or marriage.”
As quoted above, the New King James Bible renders the Hebrew word as, “one of illegitimate birth.” The New International Version states, “born of a forbidden marriage.” The New Revised Standard Version states, “born of an illicit union,” while the New American Bible has here, “of an incestuous union.”
The next question is, what is meant with the statement that the person shall not enter into “the assembly of the LORD.” (The Authorized Version says here that the person shall not enter “into the congregation of the LORD.”)
The Broadman Bible Commentary explains that “the assembly of the LORD… is the official gathering of qualified citizens for purposes of annual religious feasts, war, or the determination of justice involving tribes… It also… presumed circumcision as a sign of covenant participation.”
The Nelson Study Bible adds: “In Deuteronomy the word (for assembly) often refers to those gathered before Sinai (5:22; 9:10; 18:16). Exclusion from the assembly means restriction from full participation in religious rites.”
Based on these explanations, some have concluded that the instruction in Deuteronomy 23:2 only forbade the particular person from holding a public office in the nation of Israel or the congregation (compare Matthew Henry’s Commentary).
Whatever the exact meaning of the passage, it is clear from the reasons given below that it is no longer in force and effect today, and that it does not apply to God’s Church. While Israel was a physical, unconverted nation, which did not have God’s Holy Spirit, the Church of God is a spiritual organism, composed of all those who have received God’s Holy Spirit, after genuine repentance and baptism. God does not exclude ANYONE from His Church, merely based on nationality, gender, upbringing, descent or offspring. The sins or mistakes of the parents are immaterial, when God calls a person. God looks at the heart and mind of those whom He calls — not at the actions in which the parents might have engaged.
The Bible makes it very clear that God is not a respecter of persons, and that all persons from all nations are acceptable to Him, when they repent. Acts 17:30 tells us that “God… now commands all men everywhere to repent.” Titus 2:11 adds that “the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men.” Peter stated in Acts 10:28, 34-35: “You know how unlawful it is for a Jewish man to keep company with or go to one of another nation. But God has shown me that I should not call any man common or unclean… In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality. But in every nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him.”
We also read in Galatians 3:28-29: “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.”
Even in Old Testament times, this future understanding regarding those who would be called to salvation was already revealed. God raised up Jephthah to judge Israel for six years. Jephthah will be in the Kingdom of God (compare Hebrews 11:32), but he was “the son” of Gilead and “of a harlot” (Judges 11:1); that is, he was an “illegitimate child.” Furthermore, The Broadman Bible Commentary adds the following in its discussion on Deuteronomy 23:2: “One passage in Isaiah suggests that in the future of Israel these restrictions will be lifted so that the eunuch and the foreigner will be welcome (cf. 56:3-8).”
This is indeed the case today. Nobody is excluded from the Church of God, the “Israel of God” (Galatians 6:16). Ethnic, cultural or similar backgrounds of the persons are immaterial, once they repent and accept Jesus Christ as their personal Savior.
The passage in Deuteronomy 23:2, and similar passages, are no longer valid today, nor can they be applied to the Church of God. They served their purpose for the carnal, physical nation of Israel, but they have been superseded by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ Who has opened a new way to God the Father, based on personal responsibility and conduct of those who are called today.
Religious Freedom
“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.”
Thus begins the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and what is, according to many, that which makes this country so great. Because of this many denominations within America have thrived peaceably for the last two and a quarter centuries. We have all been able to follow or not to follow God as we have seen fit. Americans have even been able to worship in a myriad of ways, or to reject any worship of God, and we have slapped ourselves on the back, congratulating one another in our open-minded approach to religion.
The twist to all of this is that the true and only God is not a believer in so-called religious tolerance. He is not an advocate of worshipping however we want or whatever we want (compare Matthew 15:7-9; Mark 7:6-7). It’s quite the opposite. He is an extremely jealous God (compare Exodus 20:5; Ezekiel 23:25-27), demanding our full attention and requiring that we shun all “rivals” with the utmost intolerance (compare Isaiah 42:8). He requires that we follow His Word to the letter at the very least (compare Malachi 4:4) and beyond that to the spirit of His commands (compare John 4:23; Matthew 5:17-48).
Sure, we still have the freedom to choose one of the ways set before us. Even in the world of tomorrow when Christ returns, people will still have the free moral agency to opt for one way or the other. But make no mistake about it, God has laid out the rules that we are to play by and with it comes cause and effect as well as blessing and cursing (compare Deuteronomy 11:26-28; Galatians 6:7-8).
So let us choose wisely because our immortality is a matter of life and death.
Haters of God
On Saturday, February 12, 2005, Dave Harris will give the sermon, titled, “Haters of God.”
The services can be heard at www.cognetservices.org at 12:30 pm Pacific Time (which is 2:30 pm Central Time). Just click on Connect to Live Stream.
Preaching the Gospel & Feeding the Flock
A new StandingWatch program will be recorded on Friday, and should be on the Web shortly. It will be titled, “The Last Days of Pompeii.”
Is polygamy in accordance with the Biblical teaching on marriage?
God never promoted polygamy or intended that His followers should engage in that practice. Although the Old Testament records that several of the patriarchs practiced polygamy, it was never in accordance with God’s will and His intent for marriage. When a man took more than one wife, curses and punishment were the consequence.
Abraham sinned when he had sexual relationships with Sarah’s maid Hagar. This was not only a sin because he lacked faith in God that He could give him a son through his wife Sarah, who was barren, but he also sinned, because he was married to Sarah and therefore committed adultery with Sarah’s maid.
Even though Sarah had consented to this act, it did not in any way negate God’s law. And so, we read that Sarah gave Hagar to Abraham, “to be his wife” (Genesis 16:3), but when God speaks to and of Hagar, she is only referred to as Sarah’s maid (Genesis 16:8) or the bondwoman (Genesis 21:13). God never calls Hagar Abraham’s wife, but when God is referring to Sarah, He speaks of her consistently, even after the episode with Hagar, as Abraham’s wife (Genesis 17:15, 19; 18:9-10; 20:2, 7). In Genesis 21, it is recorded that Abraham sent Hagar away, as Hagar’s and Ishmael’s presence created problems for Sarah and Isaac. After the episode with Hagar, the Bible does not mention that Abraham had sexual relationships with any other women but Sarah, until Sarah’s death.
Isaac had only one wife – Rebecca. Although Isaac repeated Abraham’s mistake when he lied about his wife, by calling her his sister, he did not repeat the mistake of his father Abraham to try to produce offspring through Rebecca’s maid, but he waited on God to give him children through Rebecca, trusting in God that He would heal Rebecca who was barren (Genesis 25:21-22).
Jacob took more than one wife (Leah and Rachel), and he repeated the mistake of his grandfather Abraham and produced offspring through the maids of his wives, but he was unconverted at that time. His conversion apparently took place when he wrestled with God, as recorded in Genesis 32:22-32.
Israel’s first king, Saul, took more than one wife, and he thereby sinned, following the practices of the pagans all around him. He violated God’s specific command to Israel’s kings in Deuteronomy 17:17, not to “multiply wives for himself.”
David had more than one wife. We read of his wives Michal, Abigail, Bathsheba, and of other wives and concubines (2 Samuel 5:13). At least ten of his concubines (2 Samuel 15:16) are also called his wives in 2 Samuel 12:11. It seems to follow from 2 Samuel 19:5, that David had even more concubines and wives, than just the ten whom he left in Jerusalem, to guard his court, when he fled from his rebellious son Absalom. David followed the practice of Saul and other kings, to multiply wives, against God’s explicit commandment prohibiting such practice.
We read in 2 Samuel 20:3 that David no longer had any sexual relationships with his concubines, after they had been disgraced by his son Absalom. We also read that Michal was once his wife (1 Samuel 25:44), but ceased to be so, when she had become the wife of another, namely Paltiel. When that happened, the Bible calls Paltiel her husband (2 Samuel 3:15), and David was not supposed to take her back, when he had become king, under the law in effect at that time (compare Deuteronomy 24:1-4. Update #73 discusses the question whether or not this law is still in force and effect today). David probably did so for political reasons, so he could say that he was the husband of King Saul’s daughter. The Bible does not refer to Michal as David’s wife, after he had taken her back, but consistently refers to her as “Michal, Saul’s daughter” (2 Samuel 6:16, 20, 23).
David’s son Solomon took seven hundred wives and three hundred concubines, transgressing thereby God’s commandments, and they turned away his heart. What Solomon did was “evil in the sight of the LORD” (1 Kings 11:6).
These Old Testament examples only prove to show that polygamy always has been wrong and against God’s law. This fact is clearly confirmed in the New Testament.
Christ explained, in Mark 10: 6-9, that God’s intent for marriage was a relationship between one man and one woman. The “TWO” (verse 8) were to become one flesh. We don’t read that the “three” or the “four” are to become one flesh.
Human marriage is a symbol of the spiritual marriage between Christ and His Church, as Ephesians 5:25-33 brings out. There, too, we read about the fact that “each one of you… so love his own wife as himself” (verse 33). We don’t read about a husband loving his own WIVES as himself.
Christ will only marry ONE wife – not many wives. It says in Revelation 19:7: “His wife has made herself ready.” It does not say: “His wives have made themselves ready.” Christ’s Church is a spiritual organism, consisting of all in whom God’s Spirit dwells. But it is ONE body (Colossians 1:18) – not several bodies.
We read in 1 Timothy 3:2, 12 that a minister or a deacon must only have one wife. But this does not mean that unordained Church members are permitted to have more than one wife. As we saw, God intends marriage to be a bond between one man and one woman. When addressing the requirements for ministers and deacons, Paul emphasizes God’s teaching, not to have more than one wife, as he emphasizes other character traits required of ministers and deacons (such as, to be “temperate,” “of good behavior,” “not violent,” “not greedy for money,” etc.). This does not mean that these are just requirements for ministers and deacons, and that other Church members don’t sin when they behave badly, or when they are violent or greedy for money.
The teaching of the Old and New Testament is clear and consistent: It is not the Will of God that a man should have more than one wife.
What Does God Require?
On Saturday, February 5, 2005, J. Edwin Pope will give the sermon, titled, “What Does God Require?”
The services can be heard at www.cognetservices.org at 12:30 pm Pacific Time (which is 2:30 pm Central Time). Just click on Connect to Live Stream.
Preaching the Gospel and Feeding the Flo
A new StandingWatch program was placed on the Web, titled, “Are you a Peacemaker?”
Our new booklet on Military Service and War, Jury Duty and Governmental Elections has entered the second stage of the review cycle.
Paul writes many times about "Jews" and "Greeks" or "Gentiles." Compare, for example, Romans 2:9-10, 14, 17, 24. Does this mean that the term "Jew" only refers to the house of Judah, while all other tribes of the house of Israel are "Gentiles"?
The Bible distinguishes between the house of Israel (also referred to as the lost ten tribes) and the house of Judah, or the Jews. At the time of Paul, the house of Judah was politically composed of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin, and part of Levi. A careful study of Paul’s writings reveals that he uses the term “Jew” many times as a SUMMARY TERM, which also includes all the tribes of the house of Israel; for instance, Joseph (Ephraim and Manasseh), Simeon, Levi, and Reuben.
We read, in Acts 21:39, that “Paul said, I am a man which am a JEW of Tarsus, a city in Cilicia.” However, in Romans 11:1, Paul explained: “I also am an ISRAELITE, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.” Notice that Paul called himself a Jew and an “Israelite” — a descendant of ancient Israel or Jacob — and not just a Jew.
Acts 9:15 shows Paul’s 3-fold mission; i.e., to bear Christ’s name before GENTILES, kings and the children of ISRAEL. Here, the Bible makes a distinction between Gentiles and the children of ISRAEL — not just Gentiles and Jews. This passage shows that the children of ISRAEL are NOT Gentiles.
In Matthew 10:5-6, the same distinction is made. We read, in the Authorized Version: “These twelve [apostles] Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not: but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” The twelve were forbidden, at that time, to spread the gospel among the Gentiles, but they were to preach it to the house of ISRAEL — not just the tribe of Judah, commonly referred to as “Jews.” Again, we see from this passage that the children of ISRAEL (not just the Jews) are NOT Gentiles.
James defined the children of Israel in his letter as “the twelve tribes of ISRAEL.” The TWELVE tribes include not just the Jews, but ALL of the tribes of Israel (compare Revelation 7:4-8). James 1:1 says: “James a bondservant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the TWELVE TRIBES which are scattered abroad.”
As was mentioned, the term “Jew” in Paul’s writings is, many times, a summary term for all from the house of Israel and Judah. As we saw, Paul says he is a Jew and an Israelite; Christ says that “salvation is of the Jews” (John 4:22), but Paul writes in Romans 9:3-5: “For I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my BRETHREN, my countrymen according to the flesh, who are ISRAELITES, to whom pertain the adoption [better: sonship], the glory, the COVENANTS, the giving of the law, the service of God, and the promises, of whom are the fathers [Abraham, Isaac and Jacob] and from whom, according to the flesh, Christ came…”
Although the tribe of Judah is included here, the passage goes beyond the Jews and includes ALL tribes of the house of Israel. Many commentaries do not understand this distinction and equate Jews with Israelites, as if all of the tribes of Israel are “Jews.” This is, however, untrue. The Jews are ONE tribe of Israel. So, it is correct that all Jews are Israelites, but not all Israelites are Jews, and none of them are “Gentiles.” The law and the covenants were given to ISRAEL, not just the tribe of Judah (compare, too, Ephesians 2:12, speaking about the GENTILES who were formerly aliens from the commonwealth of ISRAEL, and strangers from the covenants of promise). The promises were made to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the “fathers” — the forefathers of all of Israel, not just the tribe of Judah.
As “Jew” in Paul’s writings is many times a summary term for all the tribes of Israel, the term “Greek” is many times a summary term for all Gentile nations. Please note that Paul, many times, uses the terms “Greek” and “Gentile,” interchangeably. In Romans 1:16, Paul speaks about Jews and Greeks, but in Romans 2:9-10 (in the AV), in the same context, he speaks about Jews and Gentiles. (Compare, too, Romans 9:24.) At times, there might be a distinction between “Greeks” and other “Gentiles,” but at other times, the term “Greek” is all-encompassing. The Ryrie Study Bible explains in a footnote to Romans 1:14: “‘Greeks’ — Those who spoke Greek and who had adopted Hellenistic culture, in contrast to ‘Barbarians,’ who had not. However, in v. 16 ‘Greek’ means ‘Gentile.'”
In passing, we are not addressing here the additional aspect of “spiritual” Jews, that is, true Christians (compare Romans 2:28-29). It might be noteworthy, that even in that regard, the Church is referred to, in Galatians 6:16, as the “ISRAEL of God.”
The letter to the Galatians says much about Jew and Gentile. One key passage is Galatians 3:28: “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” Here the contrast between nationalities (ethnic), between slave and free (social) and between male and female (sexual) is drawn. The first one covering nationality is restricted to either “Jew” or “Greek”–REPRESENTATIVES of either Israelites or Gentiles. Especially considering that rulership arises from the Jews, the term “Jews” is used here as a summary term for all the tribes of Israel, represented by the RULING tribe. “Greeks” served as representatives of all other nations.
When Paul speaks in his writings about “Jews,” he is addressing, many times, all of the tribes of Israel. He did not mean to imply that everyone, who is not a descendant of the tribe of Judah, is a “Greek” or a “Gentile.” Today, the descendants of the house of Israel can be found in the United States of America, Great Britain, Australia, New Zealand, and parts of Europe. They are not “Gentiles,” but of the house of Israel. This is important to understand, if one wants to comprehend what is prophesied about their future. For more information, please read our free booklet, “The Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord.”