It Is Not Works That Brings God's Approval--It Is Doing His Will

For by grace you have 

been saved through faith,

and that not of yourselves,

it is the gift of God, 

not of works, lest

anyone should boast.

For we are His workmanship,

created in Christ Jesus 

for good works, which God

prepared beforehand that

we should walk in them.

Ephesians 2:8-10

    What is the gift of God? It is faith! No one has the faith of God unless He desires to give that person faith, saving faith. No one can boast that they have some amount of goodness in them to choose for themselves saving faith. No amount of works will bring redemption to a person for it is not of works that brings us into favor with God. We are created for good works and the Scriptures are plain and clear as to what are the good works. First, and foremost we are to be witnesses to the life, death, burial, resurrection, ascension into heaven by Jesus Christ, the One foretold in the Old Testament, and revealed in the New Testament. It is He who was, is, and is coming again (Revelation 11:17b). It is Jesus Christ who received the kingdoms of this world and it is then He will reign with that reception forever and forever (Revelation 11:15). This miracle of redemption is the true miracle and it is this miracle that is to be proclaimed to all. It is not by some works, some gibberish language, some euphoric gyrations, not by having miracles be the means by which a person apprehends divine revelation. It is not by some portion, great or small, of faith by which we apprehend the truth of miracles. No external evidence can produce faith, or enable us to see that a miracle is true revelation from God. Such reasoning is fallacious! It overlooks the nature of faith, that faith is a conviction of things not seen, on adequate testimony. 

     What does the Bible teach? First, the evidence of miracles is important and decisive. Secondly, Nevertheless, miracles are subordinate and inferior to truth itself. All this is to be found as truth from Scripture: by the language of Scripture and by the facts as found in Scripture. God has confirmed His revelations, those made by prophets, Apostles, that by these manifestations of His power is itself proof of their validity and as a seal to the divine mission. Both from the narratives found in Old Testament and New Testament the writers of the Bible, by means of these miracles, were proven to be messengers of God. Even Jesus Christ, the One that the fullness of God dwelt was approved to be the Messiah, the One coming, by wonders, miracles, and the gifts of the Holy Spirit: "Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves also know-- (Acts 2:22). Jesus appealed to those works done by Him those that the Father had given Him to do (John 5:20,36). Jesus Christ did those works in the Father's name (John 5:38). We must be doers of His will, then and only then can we confirm the truth of a doctrine, whether or not it be of God or of man: "If anyone wills to do His will, he shall know concerning the doctrine, whether it is from God or whether I speak on My own authority" (John 7:17).

     The highest proof of truth is truth itself, and the highest proof of goodness is goodness it self: Jesus Christ is His own witness for His glory reveals Him as the Son of God to all those whom God has not blinded. The point of miracles, the gifts of the Spirit is not necessarily to prove the truth of those gifts, that the doctrines are true, as so to prove the Divine mission of the teacher for the latter is in order to the former. A man may teach that which is true, but that truth may not necessarily be of Divine origin. But, when a man presents himself as a messenger of God, whether he is to be received as such or not depends first on the doctrines which eh teaches, and secondly, upon the works which he performs. He must teach doctrines confirmed to the nature of God, and be consistent with the laws of our own constitution. If he performs works which evince Divine power, then we may not only know that the doctrines are true, but also that the teacher has been sent by God.

     It is then that we do not approve a man by his works, rather by his doctrine, whether or not they are Scriptural, then if his doctrines are Scriptural, his works will be accepted as from God. As I have attempted to demonstrate and show is that the works that are being performed in those Pentecostal, and Charismatic Churches and performed by men and women who have come to believe in those doctrines that are promulgated by pastors and teachers, are not Scriptural, not doctrinal. Those who do such things are attempting to find reality in human goodness, or holiness, but that is not reality: reality is redemption. The revelation of God is redemption. There is where we place faith, that gift of God. It is God who separates people (Romans 1:1), as Paul speaks of himself. As long as our eyes are on ourselves, upon our own witness we shall never get near the reality of redemption. If we are not willing to come to God, that is in contact with the reality of redemption due to our total depravity, then all a person desires is to be made more desirable in their own eyes. If that is your case then you have not come into contact with the reality of redemption, redemption cannot touch you, God cannot delver you while your interest is upon yourself, your own character. You must become recklessly abandon to God and to be separated by Him: for one purpose; to proclaim the Gospel of God.

Who shall separate us 

     from the love of Christ?

Shall tribulation, or distress,

    or persecution, or famine,

or nakedness, or peril, or sword?...

     Yet in all these things we are

more than conquerors through Him

     who loved us.

                               Romans 9:35,37

Tell the Truth In Christ

Richard L. Crumb

Some Miracles Transcend All Known Laws Of Nature

Then they took away the stone

from the place where the dead man

was lying. And Jesus lifted up

His eyes and said, 

'Father, I thank You that You

have heard Me.

And I always know that You 

hear Me, but because of the

people who are standing by

I said this, that they may

believe that You sent Me.'

Now when He had said these

things, He cried with a loud voice,

'Lazarus, come forth!'

And he who had died came out....

John 11:41-44a

     The miracles of Jesus Christ always had this in mind: first, to demonstrate to the people that He was the One sent from God, the One that had been prophesied by the prophets of old, the One that they had calculated would come about this time: He was the One sent from the Father. Jesus gave witness to that fact by the signs that were done by Him and were a witness to that fact. Secondly, Lazarus, who had been dead and in the grave four days, deterioration of the flesh having begun, all the natural events of death having been rendered in effect, came alive! This resurrection of Lazarus from the dead came about by a simple command: 'Lazarus, come forth!' This command transcended all laws of nature, as did all other commands,  such as healing of the sick, raising of others who were dead, calming the storm, etc. All this miracles came about by a command. The Church doctrine in regards to miracles gives a simple, rational, and satisfactory account of these events: that is, all assumptions of unknown laws are unnecessary and unjustifiable. No scientist can give a justifiable reason that these miracles were caused by some physical cause. Do not we, as humans with a will cause things to happen? Are not our wills cause for various secondary causes? Are we limited to just one use of our will to one and only one cause? No! Neither is God! God can choose whatever cause He chooses. Was not God the creator of all things in the universe? As the creator does He not have control over His creation? 

     There are miracles that transcend all possible laws of nature. Nature cannot create, it can propagate, reproduce it itself, but nature cannot create life. If nature could create life then there would be no need for God, and nothing in the universe could account for all that it contains. There is no "higher law of nature" and all miracles are to be referred to the immediate power of God. Jesus did not use His own will to cause a miracle. He referred all miracles to God, that the power came from God. Jesus as man, a man on a mission, that is, to demonstrate that He was the Messiah, the One hoped for, the One promised from old, that all power, the power that transcends all of nature, is of God, and that by Him, through the power of God was the promised messiah, the One who by His death would pay for the sins of all God's children: "But if I cast out demons with the finger of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you" (Luke 11:20). There is never a claim that these miracles were done by some occult power. This was never the claim even by the Apostles when miracles occurred in their presence for they referred all such miracles to have occurred by God. When Peter and John went into the temple soon after the events of Pentecost and met a lame man who desired for money, Peter said: "Then Peter said, 'silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk" (Acts 3:6).

     Miracles do not happen by chance. A miracle is a material fact, and that fact is due to the announcement by the agent, for when a miracle occurs we can only account for it as a miracle due to the extraordinary return from some illness, or bodily defect, by the announcement by the agent and the immediate occurrence. Do not be misled into seeing the healing, or the miracle in its occurrence; see that it happened not by chance, not just by the faith of the one "healed" and forget that this miracle is morally impossible that this agreement accompanied by a command was due to some chance, for it was not by chance but by the power of God who determined to healed that person. It was God's choice, not the by some power that a person had or has, rather it was due solely by the providence of God. We can pray that a person receive healing, but we cannot force God to heal, or do any miracles by our wills. We ask and then leave all to the economy and Providence of God. God is Good, and all that He has decreed is good, and all that He does is for the purpose that He set forth from the beginning, that is to have a people who are devoted to Him. He chooses those people, He heals who He desires, and by His omniscience He causes all things, even the bad to bring about His purpose. Peter spoke these words: "Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves also know--" (Acts 2:22). 

     I will conclude this subject in the next blog, that of the value of Miracles as proof of God's Divine revelation. 

Beware of false prophets,

    who come to you

in sheep's clothing, but

    inwardly they are

ravenous wolves.

                      Matthew 7:15

Today, Make an Effort to Hear His Words

Richard L. Crumb

Unanswered Objections Leads To False Doctrine And False Doctrine Leads to Unscriptural Practices

But when the kindness

and the love of God our Savior

toward man appeared,

not by works of righteousness

which we have done, but

according to His mercy

He saved us, through the

washing or regeneration and

renewing of the Holy Spirit,

whom He poured out on us

abundantly through

Jesus Christ our Savior.

Titus 3:4-6

     Church history divulges that many objections as to miracles have misled seekers for a higher Christian walk, leading them into false teaching, or, has aided some to teach and preach that the Gifts of the Spirit, the miracles, could be obtained giving to a person a supernatural ability. Schools have opened and prospered as people seek to obtain this Supernatural Spirit whereby they can apply these Gifts of the Spirit, to their own lives and in the lives of others. Objections are set aside never to grace the teaching of these pastors and leaders who have succumbed to the many assets that available to them as people flock to learn and hear so that they could have a special unction from God. This I have attempted to point out and that much of this false teaching and misuse of Scripture is in error and has similarities to the narrative given to us when Simon the Magician attempted to buy from Peter supernatural gifts, those gifts that was demonstrated by Peter. Peter rebuked him for you cannot buy, or by taught, the Gifts of the Spirit. This fact does not deter those caught up in this euphoric experience, to have and demonstrate some gift, and that there is a lot of money to be made by having people come and learn of those gifts. Simon the Magician would be dancing in his grave for what he could not receive from Peter, people are now paying for those gifts in such Churches that promote the Supernatural, the ability to obtain the Gifts of the Spirit. Fact in point is the School of Supernatural in Redding, California; Bethel Church and the promotion of the Sozo movement; you must pay! Example from their website:

 Note: This schedule is only for seminars held at Bethel Church in Redding, CA. It is not the schedule seminars conducted at other locations.

Seminars can be held at Bethel, or the Sozo team can travel to the church or organization's location. To see where Sozo training is being scheduled see the Sozo Team itinerary.

Cost:

$750 PER CHURCH GROUP/TEAM (up to five per group)
$150 per person after five
$200 per person not connected to a group
$300 per married couple
There is a 20% cancellation fee.
To register online, go to ibethel.org

Simon the Magician would be proud!

     This kind of misuse of the Gifts of the Spirit, those miracles that many seek to have is to be addressed and corrected. The objections given by men who are learned, theologians, Professors, teachers, etc. are necessary to be examined and the truth  known because any false understanding leads to false teaching and false teaching is only misleading people and keep them from the God of the Bible as revealed to us in His Word. Therefore, when such learned men object to miracles as coming by means of God's will, then some teach that God has given over to the material universe that the universe is to be governed by the laws of nature; for God set forth the laws and then allowed those laws to govern His creation. For those men, and women, they believe and teach that God does not interfere with that which He constructed. Some of these objectors admit that God is everywhere present, and everywhere acting, controlling physical laws so as to accomplish His purposes, but they insist that He never operates immediately, but always acts through the established laws of nature. The attempt by these men and women is to merge everything into nature and to admit of no other causes. Some who call themselves Theist admit of the constant operation of God's will in nature, but that God's power is exercised according to law, and in connection with physical causes. Miracles are believed to occur only in so far as they occur according to the law by which they come to pass, or the physical forces acting in their production are unknown. John Locke (1632-1704), widely known as the Father of Liberalism, was an English philosopher and physician regarded as one of the most influential of Enlightenment thinkers, had this unsatisfactory definition: "A miracle, then, I take to be a sensible operation, which, being above the comprehension of the spectator, and, in his opinion, contrary to the established course of nature, is taken by him to be divine." All that John Locke has done is to assign miracles to an opinion; it is not a matter of fact to be determined by testimony, but a matter of opinion as to the cause of that fact. A person may admit of the fact of miracles, and then one person may admit that this "miracle" is due to natural law, known or unknown: if so, then that occurrence is not a miracle. The answer as to correctness cannot be determined by testimony. The decision must be governed by by the general views of nature and of God's relation to the world, which men entertain. All then that has been proven is that miracles occur in the external world and brought about by unknown physical causes. All that has been proven is that there is a presence of superhuman knowledge and the working of superhuman power.
     This blog may seem to be philosophical in its approach but it is not: we must know the objections so that we can find the truth and examine those objections. The desire is to live and practice our lives in accordance with the truth and the truth begins with knowledge: we do not seek the supernatural as true children of God, we seek the truth and we desire to cast off false teaching. Seeking the truth is not wrong, it is what we must do for we are commanded to do so, we do not hide our heads in the sand as an ostrich, we do not go about doing things so that we might feel holy and acceptable to God. God will direct if we ask Him, He will give the desires of our heart and those desires are to know Him, to worship in in spirit and in truth. Jesus said to "ask", to "seek" and to "knock" (Matthew 7:7-11). Ezekiel wrote: "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them" (Ezekiel 36:26-27). There is no question: God wants us to walk in accordance with His Spirit, that Spirit that He puts into His children. Our work is not some outlandish practice, it is to keep His statutes. When those objections, that are being listed, are answered and the truth is enlightened, when we put away false teaching and practices; then and only then can we worship our God in our every day life, not according to our opinions, rather according to His revealed will.

If anyone come to Me 
    and does not hate
his father and mother,
    wife and children, 
brothers and sisters,
   yes, and even his
own life also, he
   cannot be My disciple.
                  Luke 14:26

Go and Tell The Good News

Richard L. Crumb 

God Is Not Subject To Law--Especially The Law Of Matter

Wisdom rests in

the heart of him

who has understanding,

but what is in the 

heart of fools

is made known.

         Proverbs 14:33

     To examine a thing is to gain understanding and understanding is the way to wisdom; to examine a thing is to address objections, objections lead a person to examine. Fear that we may not be believing correctly, that the familiar that we hold and cherish, accepting it as truth, then to find out that what we believe is not Scriptural; this is hard, disconcerting, and this fear causes a person not to examine. Jesus never failed to examine, discuss, and correct, error, error in a person's doctrine and understanding. Sometimes Jesus rebuked a person for what they believed and practiced. Even John the Baptist was not afraid to call a "spade" a "spade": "But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, 'Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come" (Matthew 3:7). Jesus was not afraid to "call" things what they were: "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead man's bones and all uncleanness" (Matthew 23:27). Don't you be afraid to examine all things, and to "call" those things that are not Scriptural wrong. Many so-called "Christians" who are doing things that seem so Scriptural, have all the "right" answers, are on the outside white, but black as night on the inside: we will not know the truth until we examine what a person believes and using Scripture as the basis of truth, and to use the faculties that God has given man: your brain. Objections rightly examined will lead a person to the truth: therefore we will examine the objections as to miracles.

     The first objection is one that assumes that the laws of nature are in themselves immutable, and therefore that they cannot be suspended. In answer to this objection is to notice that it is a gratuitous assumption that the laws of nature cannot be suspended. Why? It is gratuitous as an assumption because there is not a reason, a reason given, that those laws could not be suspended, only that this is what a person may believe, and that belief is without foundation. To assume that a thing has been is no proof that it must always be. Example: There is no absolute certainty that the sun will rise tomorrow; it has in the past, but we cannot know for sure that it will do so in the future. What ground do we have that it will do so? What if tonight God has determined that time should cease? Time began, but there is no certainty that it should continue. Nature began, it may cease and everything about nature is liable to change. No one has the right to assume that because physical laws are, and that with our limited experiences, that they have always been as we now see it, that they have been regular in their operation. A mistake so common among men who are ready to accept without examination that uniformity is inconsistent with voluntary control. If we hold to that position is to admit that because law reigns; God does not reign. This uniformity in nature exists because God wills that it exist, and this uniformity continues as long as God so will. 

     To assume that God is subject to law is to make God completely out of His character. God is Holy, Holiness is an attribute of God because God is Holy and as a Holy God He is in control of all things that He created, that includes the law of matter. Do you believe in God? To admit this then we must admit that the whole universe, everything that this universe contains, all the laws of the universe and of all creation, those laws that control all things, are subject to the will of God. To object that God is in control of all things, an objection that makes God to be subject to nature, to those laws that He created, is an assumption that God can be controlled by outside forces, those forces that He willed into existence. 

     To be a Christian is to believe in the authority of Scripture and that Scripture is the decisive authority. Upon any examination of Scripture a person will find that the Bible, everywhere within it, asserts that God is in absolute control. The Bible demonstrates that control with examples and every miracle in the Bible is such an example. Example: Lazarus being called from the grave: Lazarus was in the grave four days before Jesus called him to come out (John 11:43), the forces of death were already at work, his body was in dissolution, his body ceased to operate. When Jesus called out and the winds ceased (Luke 8:23-25). When Jesus walked on water the law of gravitation ceased to affect Him. The Old Testament records many miracles; i.e., when the axe head floated on water (2Kings 6:5-6). The Scriptures teach that both by word and deed that God can act, not only with physical causes, but without and against them.

    Can this be done, this working against the laws of nature by man? Yes! When a person lifts weights, he is counteracting the law of gravity. When a plane fly's in the air, the plane is counteracting the law of gravity. This counteracting upon nature is happening around us all the time. One force counteracts another force; vital forces keep the chemical laws in balance, muscular force can control the action of physical force. We saw this truth when examined those events such as Jesus walking on water. There is a simple and grand truth: the universe is not under the exclusive control of physical forces for there is a higher force that is separate and is superior to all things and that force is the infinite God who has an infinite will, not superseding, but directing and controlling all physical causes, acting with or without them. God has ordained all laws: God is everywhere present in His works: He governs all things by cooperating and using the laws which He has ordained. God is free to act as He so desires. 

     There are other objections that we must examine and this I will do in the next blog: that objection consists in the assumption that miracles should be assigned to a higher law, an occult law of nature and not to the immediate agency of God. is this true?

Whoever transgresses and 

    does not abide in the

doctrine of Christ does not 

    have God. He who abides

in the doctrine of Christ

    has both the Father

and the Son.

                         2John 9

May the truth of God abide in you

Richard L. Crumb

To Question Is Good And Is Necessary! To Find True Answers Is Better!

Finally, brethren, whatever

things are true,

whatever things 

are noble,

whatever things are just,

whatever things 

are lovely,

 whatever things

are of good report,

if there is any virtue

and if there is anything

praiseworthy--Meditate 

on these things.

Philippians 4:8

     I may have introduced a blog with the above Scripture or used in in the body of the blog, but no matter for there is truth to be found and that truth is that we are to think upon things, to meditate on those truths. Before we can meditate properly upon things we must not just acquiesce and accept whatever is told us; that includes me and my blog, question what is said, test by Scripture, what is said, do not give tacit approval. Why? Paul in writing to the Philippians wrote: "For all seek their own, not the things which are of Christ Jesus" (Philippians 2:21). We saw the truth in that statement when I wrote and displayed the ghastly wealth accumulated by preachers who prey upon those seeking truth with an emphasis upon the "sign" gifts. So, as we test, and meditate our thoughts are to those objections, whatever they are, and to examine them and to find the truth from Scripture. Do not shrink back from objections, be proactive and search out what God has revealed to us in His word. 

     Miracles have been reported among all people, Christians and non-Christians. The pagan religions explain what they do not understand, things that seem to decry understanding, to a god(s). Christians say that miracles are also from God. Some would object that miracles do occur, and especially from God. Is that true? We first must understand the objections. It is objected to the definition: A miracle may be defined to be an event, in the external world, brought about by the immediate efficiency, or simple volition of God. Those objectors cavil at the thought that God would set aside, or violate, the laws of nature. Some will only admit that this setting aside or violation of the laws of nature is impossible. Reason they give is that if the Law of Nature be the will of God, then that law cannot be violated or set aside. The objectors cannot conceive or imagine any interruption of the natural order or some suspension of the laws of matter. They will admit that those supposed "miracles" should be investigated by science, and that science due to the constancy of nature is only admitted, forms a basis for study and to be able to reach a conclusion. This study of science and even taught in some Churches is called "natural theology." This thought, natural theology, even effects how they view and teach the creative days as outlined in Genesis. Furthermore, many scientist are uniformitarians, that is all things occur today as they did in the past. These objectors to miracles believe in a cosmical philosophy, and that there is a universal causation, but that causation is not to be conjoined to God as though God changed His laws, and the laws of nature are always due to His will that they exist and His will cannot be changed or He is a mutable God. They further believe that the truth, understood by those cosmical philosophers, and those scientist who hold to uniformity, is that the universe is self-sustaining, and has self-evolving powers which pervades all nature. 

     An English clergyman in 1860, in the writing: "Recent Inquiries in Theology, or Essays and Reviews" pg. 151; concluded: "if miracles were in the estimation of a former age, among the main difficulties and hinderances to its acceptance." His argument is this, miracles, as usually defined, involve a suspension, or alteration, or violation of the laws of nature; but those laws are absolutely immutable, therefore that definition must be incorrect, or, in other words, miracles in that sense must be impossible. 
     Many today will not believe in miracles, even if they cannot express their reasons for not believing in them as do some scientists and even some theologians, and scholars. They just cannot come to any understanding of those unexplainable events, only that they occurred because of the laws of nature, even if we do not know or understand those laws. Maybe you have trouble understanding miracles. Some just accept them because they find miraculous events in the Bible, or that they go to Churches that place great emphasis on miracles, whether it be healing, or "tongue" speaking, or visions; things that are held to be of God. Many just accept that there are miracles and that those miracles are caused by God. But, to just accept them is to do nothing more than what pagan religions believe; that is, assign the unknown to a god(s). 
     To have objections is good, and necessary if a person is to come to truth. Answers are better, and the only way to obtain an answer is to know the objections, and to meditate, and study in order to find the truth and to not be misled by those who would gain by misrepresenting the truth, that is lie, and rob a person of the truth. I have attempted to do just that; to dig deep and to come to an understanding, by the use of Scripture, and to use rational common sense, to know history, to understand the reason for events, so that the truth can be known and objections be answered. Healing, the ability to speak a language unknown and unlearned by the speaker, etc.; are such as would be considered a miracle. 
     Before I attempt to answer objections to miracles, I must necessarily give the two most objections so that there is clear understanding what is being taught and believed by some and to know if what they believe is truly Scriptural.
Objection #1. The objection presented is by those who would make nature the will of God, and the answer to that objection is that nature is not the will of God in any other sense that that He ordained the sequence of natural events, and established the laws or physical causes by which that regular sequence is secured. The answer just given that the will of God in regards to nature and His will cannot be set aside, is that the answer to that objection assumes that nature and its laws are subject to God, and that God at anytime that He so wills, they can be suspended or counteracted, at His good pleasure. Objection #2. This objects assumes that the laws of nature are in themselves immutable, and therefore cannot be suspended. 
     I will address those objections in the next blog(s). This study will give confidence in miracles, that miracles are due to God and not to some uniformity, or by any other means, but we will not assume their validity until we address those objections. Objections require an answer and that we will do. The answer(s) will come be way of Scripture and by our own common sense. Once we understand miracles, then we will have knowledge that miracles are from God and are to fulfill His purpose, the reason(s) for assigning the Gifts of the Spirit to anyone.

We are of God.
    He who knows God
hears us; he who is 
    not of God does 
not hear us. By this
    we know the spirit
of truth and the 
    spirit of error.
               1John 4:6

God's Children Have God's Spirit

Richard L. Crumb 

The Gift Of Miracles

To another the working

of miracles, to another

prophecy, to another 

discerning of spirits, 

to another different 

(not in original Manuscripts)

kinds of tongues, to

another the interpretation

of tongues.

But one and the same

Spirit works all these

things, distributing 

to each one individually

as He wills.

1Corinthians 12:10-11

     The actual Greek word used in verse 10 in the above Scripture that is translated "miracles" is "δυνάμεων" and has its meaning that of power, or the meaning as of the meaning of languages: "Therefore, if I do not know the meaning (δυνάμιν) of the language, I shall be a foreigner to him who speaks, and he who speaks will be a foreigner to me" (1Corinthians 14:11). The literal translation is: "If, then, I do not know the power, (meaning) of the sound (the word for languages, glossalia, is not present, the word for sound is) I will be...... In 1Peter 3:22: Ephesians 1:21, the same Greek word used in 1Corinthians 12:10 is translated as power. In Mark 5:30 where the woman with the ailment of blood touch the hem of His garment and was healed, a power (the same word used in the above verses) went out from Him, a miraculous power. Luke 1:35 records the same word for the miraculous power that came upon Mary and she became pregnant with Jesus. With these verses of various uses, and other uses of the word for "power" it is understandable that the translators would understand that Paul was referring to miraculous power in 1Corinthians 12:10. 

     Allow me to define the word "miracle." The word "miracle" is derived from the word "miror", to wonder, that which excites wonder. Therefore the word may be used to designate any extraordinary event that would excite surprise or rouse attention. With this word have indefinite meaning it is not surprising that the writers of Scripture used the word in a very loose sense. Those events that were wonderful, by could not be discovered by natural means, was indicated to be a miracle. Luther says: "conversion is the greatest miracle of all miracles." Every day miracles occur when the Gospel is preached and the truth maintained by the hearers of the Gospel, and is greater as a miracle than any healing or speaking in tongues. The etymology of the word "miracle" nor does the usage of the word lead us to a definite idea of the nature of a miracle, we can attain an idea of a "miracle" only by examining of some confessed miraculous event. 

     The Westminster Confession states: "God, in ordinary providence making use of means, yet is free to work without, above, or against them at pleasure."  Often people are so excited about events that seem to have no answer, and forget that there are events that are due to ordinary operations of second causes, as upheld and guided by God. That is, God has decreed all things, but works often within second causes, working those events to fulfill His purpose. What are some of those events? The process of nature, the growth of plants and animals, the orderly movement of stars and planets, etc., even such unusual events; i.e., earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, wars that have been agitated within human societies. There are those events that are caused by the Holy Spirit when He works on the hearts of men, such as regeneration, sanctification, spiritual illumination, etc. Then there are events that do not belong to either of the above two classes of events that have distinguishing characteristics: First of all they take place in the external world, such as being within the sphere of the observation of the senses, and that they are cause simply by the volition of god, with the intervention of any subordinate cause. To this class of events belong such as the creation, in which all the events of second causes could not have intervened to cause it to occur. Therefore, a miracle, may be defined to be an event, in the external world, brought about by the immediate efficiency, or simple volition of God. 

     When we examine miracles as recorded in Scripture we will establish the correctness of this definition. Example: The raising of Lazarus from the dead. This event occurred in the outward world, an event seen and could be verified by the testimony of the senses. This event did not occur either in whole or in part by any efficiency of natural causes. This event was due to the simple word, or volition, or immediate agency of God. Other similar events: i.e., the daughter of the ruler of the synagogue, the healing of lepers, Jesus walking on water, the multiplication of the fishes and loaves of bread, the fact that Jesus calmed the winds and sea simply by a command; there is no cooperation of physical causes for there are not just ignored, but the by the clearest of intimation, denied.

     There are those who will object to the above definition and I will examine those objections in the next blog.

For thus says the LORD,

     who created the heavens,

who is God, who formed 

     the earth and made it,

who established it, who

    did not create it in vain,

who formed it to be inhabited:

     "I am the LORD, and there

is no other."

                               Isaiah 45:18

Recall To Your Mind: God

Richard L. Crumb

                                 

What Happened At Pentecost? Being Filled With The Holy Spirit?

When the Day of Pentecost

had fully come, they

were all with one accord

in one place.

And suddenly there came

a sound from heaven,

as of a rushing mighty wind,

and it filled the whole house

where they were sitting.

Then there appeared to them

divided tongues, as of fire,

and one sat upon each of them.

And they were all filled with 

the Holy Spirit and began

to speak with other tongues,

as the Spirit gave them utterance.

Acts 2:1-4

     There are four things mentioned in the above verses: 1. A sound from heaven as of (the Greek word used here means to be born along) a mighty (the Greek word here is derived from the root word meaning a violent, or forceful) wind, and that wind filled the whole house. 2. There appeared to them, tongues as resembling tongues of fire, that sat upon each one of them. 3. They were filled with the Holy Spirit. 45. They spoke in tongues, that is a language that they had not learned so that they would be able to speak to the foreigners gathered in Jerusalem for the Passover feast and had remained fifty days unto Pentecost another feast to be celebrated by the Israelites. These four elements that came upon those in the room are nothing more than a miracle. Signs that something new was to begin. Christ had come and He fulfilled all that the Old Testament spoke of, His coming. Jesus used miracles and signs; i.e., healing, walking on water, calming the raging winds and seas, etc. denoting His Godhood, and now by signs promised to a certain people (Joel 2:2:28-32) had come preparing the way for His ekklesia, the Church, those called out ones from the world. 

     In Acts 4:8 the word "filled" appears in Peter for he was "filled" with the Holy Spirit, but, tongue speaking is absent. This filling of the Holy Spirit was used in connection with John the Baptist (Luke 1:15), even while he was in his mother's womb, no record of anyone speaking in tongues. Paul was said to have his sight regained and to be "filled' with the Holy Spirit (Acts 9:17). Tongues are not mentioned, only that once he regained his sight and was filled with the Holy Spirit he began to preach the Gospel in the synagogues, saying that: "He is the Son of God" (Acts 19:20). At Ephesus Paul found some believers who had not heard of the Spirit's coming; Paul laid his hands upon them and they were filled with the Holy Spirit and they began to speak in tongues and to prophesy. We are not told whether or not it was anything other than a foreign language or some form of gibberish as being practiced in some Churches today. There was no tongues of fire that sat upon those believers, there was not a rushing violent wind, in fact there was no wind mentioned. Tongues are mentioned as a person having been caused by the filling of the Holy Spirit to speak in foreign languages and there is no reason to assume anything different on this occasion. 

     There is no question; miraculous gifts, such as having the ability to speak in a language that was previously unlearned did occur in the early Church. Yet, Paul in writing to the Corinthian Church to address problems that had arose in that Church, those misuses of the freedom a Christian has in Christ, were to be signs that God had begun a new era, not a dispensation as Darby and some others would have us believe, rather, that His Church begun and that the work of the Church, believers, is to spread the Gospel. Signs ended, and history denotes that fact. Yes, there are those who would point out that in some early Church Fathers there are accounts of some miraculous occurrences, but none of the Fathers state that they have seen such occurrences, only that the heard of such occurrences and none of the Early Church Fathers promoted any of the sign gifts. Not until some 200 years ago did these "sign" gifts once again appear in the Churches, and much of those occurrences occurred in Churches here is the United States. With the onslaught of liberal Christianity, with liberal preaching, came those gifts, only the gifts practiced in those Churches are not identical to the gifts originally given to the early Church. Much misuse and abused, as I pointed out in earlier blogs, has occurred, and people are looking for such gifts as to have Christianity to be validated. This is wrong, for the Church of Jesus Christ does not need such validation, for the Church is to aid brothers and sisters in their Churches, and to prepare themselves to meet the objection to the faith by preaching the Gospel, and that a person must not make a decision for Christ by some emotional appeal, rather they are to come to repentance for they, as all men are, sinners deserving the full justice of a Holy God. Just to see the "signs" so often demonstrated in some Churches that hold that the "sign" gifts of the early Church are for believers today, that they might receive some blessing, some prosperity, something that is missing in their lives, a desire for some happiness, are wrong motivations. A person must repent, and when they have repented and being drawn and enabled by God and given the gift of faith, they submit to God, and to our Savior Jesus Christ, and as Paul did, they preach the Gospel, in their lives, openly and preachers and teachers, missionaries, for it is the Gospel that saves a person, not the gifts. There is a danger of misplacing one's faith upon things that are not elevating the Gospel, placing more importance upon the Gifts of the Spirit than on Jesus Christ as Savior. Just because there has been growth in those Churches that believe that "sign" gifts are for the believers, that growth is not evidence that those Churches are teaching the truth. Because some people of those liberal Churches do some good, a philanthropic service, is not proof that they are saved, and that they are practicing the truth. We are warned: "Do not be carried about with various and strange doctrines..." (Hebrews 13:9a). By this misuse of the Gifts of the Holy Spirit some have come to believe that by their possessing such gifts, they are saved. Wrong! God gives gifts as they are needed so that the Gospel will be preached, the Gospel, allow me to remind you, is simply that that God came to earth and became man, that the very Wisdom of God, the Word of God, God clothed in human flesh, so that by His mercy through the death, burial, and resurrection of His Only Begotten Son, would pay the debt that His Children, or none of this world, could pay, and that by Him drawing those He chose before the foundation of the world (Romans 8:28-29), would hear this good news and by the faith they have been given, repent of their sins and are saved: "By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God...We are of God. He who know God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error" (1John 4: 2, 6). 

     Do not become obsessed with the Gifts of the Holy Spirit, for if He decides to give you a gift, then He will, we are to desire gifts but we are never to seek them. These Gifts of the Spirit have been exploited by many, misused by many, and what is needed? The Gospel, we are to live and be obedient to the Gospel and those requirements set forth in God's word. Whatever you do, whatever occupation you find yourself in, make your life to be that "light" the "light" of the world, be a Christian in everything you do, don't allow yourself to be misled, and stand for Jesus Christ, don't allow others to usurp what God has placed in you, causing you to be confused, and often ridiculed; it is Christ we live for, and it is Christ that will be our Savior for eternity, we will live with Him eternally, and all that this world has to offer will cease. Rejoice in the Lord!

Beloved, do not believe

     every spirit, but test 

the spirits, whether they

    are of God....

                       1John 4:1a

God is Your Witness And Your Savior

Richard L. Crumb

Speaking In Tongues--Gibberish or An Unknown Language?

Though I speak with 

the tongues of 

men and of angels,

but have not love, 

I have become 

sounding brass

or a 

clanging cymbal.

1Corinthians 13:1

     The use of words in translating where there are more than one choice of words can be a hard task to choose the right one so that the meaning of the original author is clear and forthright, understandable, and is in harmony with what the author intended. The task of a preacher is to make clear from the original language what the word should be chosen, such as the word "pros" found at John 1:1 where one scholar chose the word "toward" and he was correct in one sense, the word does mean, in one use, "toward." But he was incorrect and he did not use good Greek in his translation for in Greek many words have more than one meaning when one of the cases is used; i.e., nominative, genitive, dative, or accusative. If John 1:1 where the word "pros" is found and translated as "toward" then the translation would read, "and the Word was toward God." Yet, the word for God is in the accusative, therefore when the noun is in the accusative then the word takes on a different meaning for when the noun is in the accusative the word "pros" means "with," so the translation should read; "and the Word was with God." As always the present context, the use of the word throughout Scripture, the theme and reason for the letter, must be taken into consideration, and no single verse is to be used as a proof text. The Greek word; "glossalia" is one such word and when the translation, which is not entirely wrong, uses "tongue" instead of "language" then we must use the correct rules for translation. But, when we hear or read the word "tongues" a mental picture comes immediately to mind and that picture may lead a person to an incorrect understanding as to what is actually being said by the author. For one person the word "tongue" causes in the mind of an actual, physical tongue; for others it means a language of people that is unique to them, for others, and this has happened into some Churches, an unknown, an unintelligible noise, or language. If you where to replace the word "tongue(s)" and replace it with the word "language" I surmise that you would have a different picture, and understanding of the Greek word and its uses: try it! The words of Paul at Chapter 13 verse one is a good example where our personal understand of a word could be misconstrued, the verse is quoted above and it is the first word that causes a possibility to confuse. The Greek word "ean" always takes the subjuntive, and "ean" is a word of possibility and so is the subjuntive and to render the word "though" as does the King James Version, and the New King James Version does, is not not entirely wrong, the NIV renders the word "if" and it is a better word and gives causes a better mental picture of what the author is saying, but in either case, either word is not wrong, only our estimation of the word may change by which word we understand. Now if the author had used "ei" which when translated is "if" he would have meant other than what the word "ean" and the subjuntive that follows the word does indicate. So Paul was saying: "if if do, or if I don't, speak, but if I do, no matter from where it comes, I would be sounding as brass or clanging cymbal," that is he would not be speaking in intelligible words, that is what he would have become. What he was emphasizing was to have love and diminishing the use of the "sign" gifts. Read chapter 13 and this will be made clear. 

     Examining the use of the Gift of the Spirit, the ability to speak in an unlearned language is apparent, for the Greek word "glossalia" and "dialectos" has only one meaning, languages. This gift given by the Holy Spirit was to enable the Apostles to preach the foreigner, those whose language was not either Greek or Hebrew, to hear the Gospel, and it worked for more than three thousand became believers. Paul in writing to the Corinthian Church, a Church that would have many people from around the world, who did not speak Greek, or Hebrew, and needed to hear the Gospel, would be able to hear the word of God preached in their own language, for when did the "glossalia" of Acts become some sort of "angelic" gibberish, that only the speaker could understand as to what he was saying, even though for others who heard such gibberish needed to have an interpretation. The use of "glossalia" was the same in both instances, for the unbeliever to hear the Gospel. Paul writes: "Pursue love, and desire spiritual gifts, (you will notice that the word "gifts" is italicized, because a better translation leading to a better understanding is that the Greek word means "spiritual things, therefore the admonition is that a person is to be spiritual), but especially that you may prophesy, for he who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God, for no one understands him, however, in the spirit he speaks mysteries" (1Corinthians 14:1-2). Don't get lost in the rhetoric so prominent in many churches regarding the gifts, especially the gift of tongues, as Paul was addressing the misuse and misunderstanding of those gifts. Does God need us to speak to Him in some unknown and gibberish language? Does not have the ability, as the One who give the gift of language, understand all languages? Are not the Gifts of the Spirit for the benefit of the Church and for the propagation of the Gospel? To speak in some unintelligible sound is not being promoted by Paul, or admonished as that which a believer should seek, for only God could make any sense, if there is any, out of such gibberish. Why speak mysteries, the unknown, they had the Gospel preached to them by Paul and by the leaders of the Church, so why speak in such a manner? Paul readily commits a person to understand this gift of languages, and attempts to straighten the Corinthian Church and bring them into a right understanding, and this is my attempt also, for he said: "But now brethren, If ("ean") I come to your speaking with tongues, what shall I profit you unless I speak to you either by revelation, by knowledge, by prophesying or by teaching? Even things without life, whether flute or harp, when they make a sound, unless they make a distinction in the sounds, how will it be known what is piped or played? for if ("ean") the trumpet makes an uncertain sound, who will prepare for battle? so likewise you, unless you utter by the tongue words easy to understand, how will it be known what is spoken? for you will will be speaking into the air. There ae,it may be, so many kinds of languages in the world, and none of them is without significance. therefore, if ("ean") I do not know the meaning of the language, I shall be a foreigner to him who speaks, and he who speaks will be a foreigner to me. Even so you, since you are zealous for spiritual gifts (gifts is in italics, and a better translation is "things") let it be for the edification of the church that you seek to excel.Therefore let him who speaks in a tongue pray that he may interpret. For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my understanding is unfruitful. What is the conclusion then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will also pray with the understanding. I will sing with the spirit, and I will also sing with the understanding. Otherwise, if ("ean") you bless with the spirit, how will he who occupies the place of the uniformed say "Amen" at your giving of thanks, since he does not understand what you say? For you indeed give thanks well, but the other is not edified. I thank my God I speak with tongues more than you all; yet in the church I would rather speak five words with my understanding, that I may teach others also, than ten thousand words in a tongue. Brethren, do not be children in understanding; however, in malice be babes, but in understanding be mature. In the law it is written: "With men of other tongues and other lips I will speak to this people; and yet, for all that, they will not hear Me," says the Lord. therefore tongues are for a sign, not to those who believe but to unbelievers; but prophesying is not for unbelievers but for those who believe. therefore if the whole church comes together in one place, and all speak with tongues, and thee come in those who are uninformed or unbelievers, will they not say that you are out of your mind?" (1Corinthians 14:6-23). I took the time to record the words of Paul's letter to the Corinthians because it is by the Word of God that we are built up in Him; read the rest of Chapter 14 and see for yourselves how misused this gift has been and is being done in some Churches today. If your Church is involved in such false teaching and will not change to correct teaching, then leave that Church, you have that responsibility to do so, for yourselves, your wives, and your children, and get into a Church that teaches the Bible and not some ideology that is not Scriptural. Paul adds: "Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, by which also you are saved, if ("ei") you hold fast that word which I preached to you--unless you believed in vain" (1Corinthians 15:1-2).

Look to Me, and be saved,

     all you ends of the earth!

For I am God, and there is no

     other.

                      Isaiah 45:22

God Is Calling Us To The Truth

Richard L. Crumb

Misuse Of The Gifts Of The Holy Spirit Must Be Addessed

Whoever causes the 

upright to go astray

in an evil way, 

he himself will fall

into his own pit;

but the blameless 

will inherit good.

Proverbs 28:10; cf. Matthew 6:33

     Beginning in the 1830's when liberalism found its way into some Christian Churches, tongues have been a prominent activity and plays a role among many "Christians." Tongue speaking is conjoined to the life of a Christian and is subsequent to their conversion. I will address Liberalism in the Church in future blogs, but until then a research on this subject is easy to do and easy to find the information that there has truly been a liberal affront to the Christian Church. There are many Churches who define themselves as charismatic that do not regard as essential to have been born again the use of the gift of tongues. We do find that they do believe that upon regeneration by the Holy Spirit upon their believing that the baptism of the Holy Spirit occurs after that regeneration. I will address the baptism of the Holy Spirit, or a second baptism that some profess is necessary in later blogs. What is found in regard to speaking in tongues is that is is found among Pentecostal, neo-Pentecostal, Charismatic, and even in Roman Catholic Churches and often in mainstream denominational Churches. With all of those Churches proclaiming the use and the necessity of "tongues" you might come to believe that this gift is truly one for the Churches today. Is it? It is interesting to note that this emphasis on Gifts of the Holy Spirit and especially of the gift of tongues has brought about an ecumenical approach and removing some of the disagreements and stigma among Protestants and Roman Catholics, they have become closer. Is this a good thing? Yet among such Churches, those who have memberships in those Churches have never spoken in tongues, and furthermore, there seems to be little change in the lives of those who claim this gift. Jesus Christ made this important statement (as though other statements are not important; Ha!): "But Jesus knew their thoughts, and sad to them: 'Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand" (Matthew 12:25). Jesus is not speaking of ecumenicalism as some would have have say: rather any truth that is proposed, any doctrinal position, must be in accordance with the truth as outlined in Scripture: "He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad. Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men. Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come" (Matthew 12:30-32). It is clear: it is important to know the truth and with all this division and confusion, the truth is elusive because many so-called pastors have used these gifts to enrich themselves, or the pastor is so afraid of losing his congregation that he will not address this issue: "For a bishop must be blameless, as a steward of God, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money, but hospitable, a lover of what is good, sober-minded, just, holy, self-controlled, holding fast the faithful word as he has been taught, that he may be able, by sound doctrine, both to exhort and convict those who contradict...but as for you, speak the things which are proper for sound doctrine" (Titus 1:7-9; 2:1). We have the warning: "For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock" (Acts 20:29). John in his second letter advises: "Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him into your house not greet him, for he who greets him shares in his evil deeds" (2John 9-11). How important is it to know the truth? Very! If the Church you attend does not hold to the truth, to sound doctrine, run! Get away, find a Church that does teach the truth, do not be a participant in error, not even tacitly. 

     Tomorrow I will ask several important questions to be considered and open a path for you to understand what the Bible actually says in regards to this gift of "tongues."

And we know that the Son of God

     has come and has given us an

understanding, that we may know

    Him who is true; and we are 

in Him who is true; in His Son 

Jesus Christ. This is the true 

    God and eternal life.

                                1John 5:20

Grace, Mercy, and Peace Be With You

Richard L. Crumb