This is the last in a three-part series on the biblical theology of the pastorate: A unique role; Biblical definitions; and The pastoral team. Continue Reading…
Tag Archive - Acts
Biblical pastoring: Definitions
This is part two of a three-part series on the biblical theology of the pastorate: A unique role; Biblical definitions; and The pastoral team. Continue Reading…
“You asked for it”, follow-up 4
In November I taught a three-week series yesterday called “You Asked for It” at Oak Tree Community Church. We asked our congregation to submit questions that they wanted me to answer during the series. Their questions could be about a Bible passage they don’t understand, a Biblical topic they want more information about, or something in the culture they wonder if the Bible addresses.
However, there were several questions I couldn’t get to during the services, so I’m posting answers here. I wondered if this one would come in, and I was not disappointed. And I like the method, too. Today’s question consists of a single word: Continue Reading…
Proverbs 31
The last chapter of Proverbs is best-known for its section on the “virtuous wife” – that ideal woman of dreams. But she is actually the third of three sections in chapter 31.
Like in chapter 30, we know nothing of Lemuel or his mother, except that he was a king and that God’s people recognized him/them as speaking God’s truth here and kept this together with the rest of God’s Word.
Lemuel’s mother taught him three things that he would find necessary when he became king (and we find necessary in our lives, too):
1 – Keep your mind strong (31:3-7)
It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine, or for rulers to crave strong drink, lest they drink and forget what is decreed,and remove from all the poor their legal rights. (31:3-4)
Whether they will admit it or not, everyone knows that alcohol is a mind-altering drug. No doubt it affects people in different ways – some more, some less. But those who say, “It doesn’t affect me” don’t realize the power that it has. Just ask the guy who’s 24 years sober, yet still going to AA meetings religiously.
Lemuel’s mother’s advice is right on – drink affects your mind, so don’t drink when you’re going to be needing your mind. In a king’s case (or president, governor, etc.), that could be at any time, so he shouldn’t drink at all.
Who should drink according to Lemuel’s mom? “The one who is perishing…those who are bitterly distressed” specifically for the purpose of forgetting their current troubles.
But before you go get drunk to forget your troubles, ask the guy in AA why he stopped 24 years ago.
2 – Stick up for the little guy (31:8-9)
Mother Teresa
Open your mouth on behalf of those unable to speak, for the legal rights of all the dying. Open your mouth, judge in righteousness, and plead the cause of the poor and needy.
This is a recurring theme in God’s Word. In the Old Testament Law, he set up very specific guidelines for taking care of “the poor and needy” (Leviticus 19:9-10) and the prophets took up the cause as well (Isaiah 1:17). The apostles practiced it in the early days of the church (Acts 4:34-35), and Paul commanded that it continue to be done through the church (1 Timothy 5:3-16). James even went so far to say that is the true meaning and purpose of religion as far as God is concerned (James 1:27).
What are you doing to stick up for the little guy? Need some ideas? Check out Hope Ministries and see how you can volunteer.
3 – Marry wisely (31:10-31)
Here’s the section we all know and love. Let’s spend some time together on it in my next post.
Baptism, Part 5
This is the last post in a series on water baptism. In Part 1 and Part 2 we explored what water baptism is and how the early church performed it. Part 3 introduced the teaching that water baptism can provide salvation – a teaching that we thoroughly debunked in Parts 4a, 4b, and 4c.
Based on all of that, to finish this series, let’s answer the questions “Who should be baptized and when?”
As usual, we’ll go back to the Scriptures and see the pattern established there:
- John baptized people “as they confessed their sins” (Matthew 3:6; Mark 1:5) and because of their “repentance” (Matthew 3:11; Luke 3:12-16). Repentance means change of heart, mind, and action.
- The apostles baptized people “who accepted [Peter's] message” about Jesus Christ (Acts 2:41)
- Philip baptized Samaritans “when they believed…as he was proclaiming the good news” (Acts 8:12)
- Philip baptized the Ethiopian official after he “proclaimed the good news about Jesus to him” (Acts 8:35-38)
- Ananias baptized Saul after his encounter with Jesus on the way to Damascus (Acts 9:1-18)
- Peter baptized people in Cornelius’ house after they “received the Holy Spirit…[and] accepted the word of God” (Acts 10:44 – 11:1)
- Paul baptized Lydia after God “opened her heart to respond to what Paul was saying” (Acts 16:14-15)
- Paul and Silas baptized their jailer and his family after he asked what he “must do to be saved” and “he had come to believe in God, together with his entire household” (Acts 16:30-34)
- Paul and his team baptized people in Corinth after they “believed” (Acts 18:8)
In every single recorded case, baptism followed someone’s belief in Jesus Christ. Even if was at the same time they believed, in each case, they believed first and were baptized after.
There is not a single biblical case where a person was baptized first, then believed in Christ or was baptized for salvation without believing in Jesus.
Additionally, it seems that everyone who believed in Jesus Christ for salvation was baptized, most of them as soon as possible afterward.
I don’t think this needs a lot of explanation.
Who should be baptized? Everyone who has already believed in Jesus, turned from their sins, and accepted his salvation.
When should a person be baptized? As soon as possible after their salvation.
At OTCC we’ll baptize anyone who has accepted Christ as long as they understand what baptism is – an outward expression of an inward reality.
The only caveat to this practice for us is in the case of minors. If an under-age person wants to be baptized, and he or she is still living at home, we must have permission from the parents. (The same is true of church membership.) We will not baptize minors against their parents’ wishes.
Have you turned from your sin and believed in Jesus Christ for salvation? If so, have you been baptized in water to express that publicly?
You can read all the posts in this series here.
