NORTHSHORE CHURCH OF CHRIST

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In yesterday’s sermon (April 30, 2023), we reviewed Dispensationalism. The dispensationalist claims and tries with all his might to read the Bible literally. Notice what dispensationalist Ken Blue wrote:

B. Dispensationalists hold to the literal principles of interpretation of Scripture. Someone has said that men spiritualize because they have no 'spiritual eyes.' The most dangerous method of Bible interpretation is that of spiritualizing a text or making everything a type.

Illustration: God promised Adam and Eve that the Seed of the woman would come. He did. Noah was warned of a flood. It came. Abraham's seed were promised a land. They received it. Moses was promised victory in leading Israel from Egypt; he did it. Rebellious Israel was warned of their coming dispersion; it came. The prophets promised Israel that God would return them to their home-land. He is doing it as we write. The virgin birth was foretold. It came to pass. The death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ was prophesied. It took place. The destruction of the temple and of the nation was prophesied. It happened.

If these and hundreds of prophecies like them were literal and proved to be so, why should the Bible believer assume that remaining prophesies are to be spiritualized and applied to the church? One opens himself to serious error when the literal approach to the Bible is rejected. A study of dispensations demands a literal interpretation of Scripture.

Have you ever heard of the logical fallacy of equivocation? It’s when someone uses a definition for something one way (usually a way in which most everyone agrees), and then he subtly switches the definition a bit later in his argument. Equivocation is “calling two different things by the same name.”

For example, “Dairy is good for me, so I eat a gallon of ice cream a day.” The argument equates dairy and ice cream. Ice cream has milk in it, but it also has a bunch of other stuff that, unfortunately, makes it unhealthy in great quantities.

Often, we omit important information to get our equivocation argument to go through. My child might say, “Can I go over to my friend’s house for a little while? He’s having a couple of friends over to play some games.” I might ask my child to further clarify because those statements are quite general. I’m picturing four or five guys sitting around a table playing Risk, when the real plan is for half the school to come over and have a pool party with illicit refreshments freely flowing. If I confronted him later about his deception, he would say, “We didn’t say how long and who can say how many ‘a couple’ of friends is?”

Dispensationalists often (though not necessarily on purpose) equivocate with this idea of reading the Bible literally. You see what Ken Blue wrote above. Read through all his illustrations of how the Bible literally says something and that thing literally happened. There is practically nothing you would argue with, right? He seals his argument up at the end with a question: “Why should the Bible believer assume that remaining prophesies are to be spiritualized and applied to the church?”

Well, he didn’t give us any examples of some of the other prophecies he takes literally. Neither does he explain what “spiritualizing” means to him. If we take the land promise and nation promise of Genesis 12.1–3 and apply those now to the church age, is that spiritualizing, or is that seeing how God is literally carrying out His promise in the way He had determined before time began? The dispensationalist waits today for God to fulfill the land promise to the nation of Israel. We read Jesus in Matthew 5.5, “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth,” and we realize this is connected directly back to Old Covenant language such as Psalm 25.13; 37.9, 11, 22, 29, 34. Jesus applies that language to citizens of His Kingdom under the New Covenant, so why should we not connect the land promise to ourselves who are citizens of Christ’s Kingdom?

There’s a reason why we interpret all those things Ken Blue listed as literally true. Almost all of them come from historical narratives in the Old Testament. When we read history, of course we interpret it literally. We believe it happened just as it is written.

However, other genres exist among the books of the Bible. Not everything is historical narrative. Prophecy in scripture is often proclaimed through poetry, and sometimes a certain type of prophetic language which we call “apocalyptic” is used.

For example, King Nebuchadnezzar had a dream in Daniel 2 about a statue which had different body parts composed of different metals: a head of gold, chest and arms of silver, middle and thighs of bronze, legs of iron, and feet of iron mixed with clay. A huge rock was cut out without man’s hands and was hurled at the feet of the statue, breaking it to pieces. Daniel interpreted the dream, and we understand each part of the statue stood for a kingdom in present or future history (future to Daniel). Was the statue literal? It was a literal dream of a statue, but Nebuchadnezzar would not be looking for a literal statue like that because he discovered that it was merely symbolic of historical realities to come.

We could also look at Nebuchadnezzar’s dream of the great tree in Daniel 4. Again, the tree symbolized Nebuchadnezzar himself and what God had planned for him in his near future.

The last six chapters of Daniel are full of prophetic imagery. Daniel 7 reveals a dream Daniel had of four great beasts: one like a lion and had eagles’ wings which had the voice of a man given to it; one like a bear raised up on one side with three ribs in his mouth; one like a leopard with four wings of a bird on its back and four heads; and one with ten horns and great iron teeth which it used to devour and break in pieces. Are we to take Daniel’s dream literally? In what sense do we take it literally? We believe he literally had a dream, but we also understand that those four beasts were not literal freaks of nature that God brought or will bring to earth. They stood, again, for four kingdoms which would come. We know that because Daniel received an interpretation at the end of the chapter (“As for the fourth beast, there shall be a fourth kingdom on earth…” Dan. 7.23).

When Jesus spoke in parables, He interpreted a few of them (Matthew 13) but not all of them. His interpretations of the few instructs us on how to interpret the rest of them. He teaches us how to listen to parables, to find a deeper meaning behind the simple stories. Likewise, God gives us interpretations for some apocalyptic language (such as in Daniel 7), which helps us understand how to read other apocalyptic literature, even when God does not supply the interpretation. We understand how to read this kind of literature. We are not supposed to read it literally but as it is given in symbols and signs.

Take Revelation 14.1–5. The premillennial dispensationalist believes in a literal 144,000 who have the literal name of the Father written on their literal foreheads. I assume they also believe these 144,000 will be literal viren men who never lie.

In Revelation 20.1–6, John five times mentions a 1,000-year period. The dispensationalist believes in a literal 1,000 years, and they believe it has not yet begun. They believe Jesus will come to earth to reign for this 1,000 years. You will notice, as you read those verses, that they do not say that Christ will reign on earth during those 1,000 years. That is read into the passage by bringing in other passages and ideas.

Are we to understand those numbers as literal? If we take them as figurative or symbolic, are we guilty of “spiritualizing” the text? Or are we reading it the way God intended us to read that genre of literature?

Reading the Bible is not always cut-and-dry easy, and that’s one reason it is so thrilling! We have much to learn, many mysteries to investigate, and wonders to behold of which we probably have no clue. As the Jews under the Old Covenant completely failed to understand the exact nature of God’s plan, even though it was revealed throughout the prophecies, so I expect we completely fail to understand the exact nature of what God is planning for us. Two things should be true: (1) we should investigate what God has revealed, asking questions and digging deep; and (2) we should be comfortable with not knowing all the details and waiting for the reality to come upon us.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding (Proverbs 3.5). Walk in humility. Love those who think they have it figured out, and encourage them to walk with God in faithfulness whether or not history works out exactly like they think it will.

God has the plan, and He’s working it!

As we near the end of Paul’s list of things to take off and put on from Ephesians 4.25–32, we arrive at this passage:

Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. (Eph. 4.29–30)

Some talk corrupts truth, corrupts beauty, corrupts reputations.

One destructive form of speech is gossip, which is talk behind someone’s back with the intent of painting them in a bad light. Gossip is not motivated by love; the gossiper is not trying to aid or encourage the target of conversation. Perhaps she gossips just to score points with her hearer, who hangs on to every juicy word. Perhaps she envies those she talks about and so speaks of their faults whenever possible. At the root of gossip lies a bent and selfish heart.

Slander is closely related to gossip, comprising falsehoods intended to smear a person’s name.

Backbiting involves returning evil for evil, which we are told never to do (Rom. 12.17). Picture a dog whirling around to snarl and snap at another that nipped him.

Boasting is almost the opposite of gossip. Instead of tearing someone down by focusing on their faults, the boaster builds himself up by focusing only on his strong points, often inflating reality in the process.

Sadly, filthy language pervades our society. In Ephesians 5.4, Paul writes, “Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving.” Never should filthy talk pass our lips. Filthy talk comes from filthy minds. Never should we tell a crude joke or gush foolishness. This includes “potty mouth” language, when we use words which describe baser bodily functions and toss them flippantly into sentences. There are times and places when some of these words are useful and proper. Turds [1] belong in the toilet and a bitch is a female dog, but how often are those words used properly? The world uses “ass” in disgustingly versatile ways. Jokes about sex and sexual acts demean men and women and throw what is lovely into the garbage.

Profanity uses words which describe holy things in flippant, common, and sometimes blatantly unholy ways. For instance, using “God” or “Jesus” or “holy” in flippant ways devalues our Lord and what is truly holy. Hopefully, we use those words often in good and right ways, but we should take care not to profane what is holy, like the world constantly does.

Instead of tearing people down, we should build them up.

Instead of speaking what is out of place, we should speak what fits the occasion.

Instead of speaking filthiness, foolishness, or crudeness, we should give grace to our hearers.

“If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man” (James 3.2). “How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell.” (James 3.5–6).

You have much power in that little tongue of yours. Will you edify or demolish? Will you give grace or maintain malice? Will you reply with a soft answer or a harsh word? We make this choice many times a day, and it’s a choice that has consequences!

As a final admonition, Paul finishes with, “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.” Corrupting speech grieves God’s Holy Spirit. How often do we grieve him? Let us strengthen our hearts, ask for God’s help, and work on controlling our tongues—to the praise of his glory!

Last week we looked at Ephesians 4.17–24 and how we are not to walk like the Gentiles walk in the futility of their minds and the callousness of their hearts. Rather, Christ teaches us to put off the old self and put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.

Paul then proceeds to list a series of evil, worldly practices we should take off. But he does not leave it there; we should not be content with trash removal. We are creatures of habit who must do things, and if we are not doing good, we will resort to evil. Therefore, the old sinful habits must be replaced by new holy habits. The old coat may have been laid aside, but we are getting cold. Will we put that old jacket back on, or will we find a new one?

The first thing Paul says to take off is falsehood:

Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members of one another. (Eph. 4.25)

What would society look like if everyone spoke the truth as a rule? The joke goes: How do you know if a politician is lying? His lips are moving.

But the fact is we all have a temptation to twist the truth to our own advantage. This is a human issue. Liars can be rich or poor, male or female, pretty or ugly, black or white.

Why do people lie? Sometimes we twist the truth out of fear, to cover up something we said or did that we are embarrassed about or that we think might get us into trouble. Sometimes we lie to gain something. Sometimes we lie to hurt another person who angered or hurt us. Some lie simply because they have become addicted to lying; they cannot even tell you why they did it.

God is the Father of truth, and his word is truth (John 17.17). In comparison, Jesus said of Satan, “He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies” (John 8.44).

When we speak falsehood (lies), we demonstrate the character of Satan! We side with the accuser of the brethren, the devil, the dragon of old, who seeks our destruction. When you think about it, you realize falsehoods destroy and damage others. Who wants to make choices based on lies?

There were many, but there was one big lie told consistently through the recent COVID epidemic. Those in charge told us we had to get the COVID shots because it would protect our families and our neighbors and our coworkers. How does it protect them? They first told us that if we got the shot we would not catch the bug nor would we pass it along to anyone else. It wasn’t long before everyone realized this was not true—even if you have the shot, you can still catch the bug and can pass it along to others. Did they change their story? No—in the past few weeks President Biden and Dr. Fauchi have continued to push the booster shots as a way to protect each other. It obviously does not protect others. You may take the shot because you believe it will help you not get as sick from the virus if you catch it, but it will not keep you from catching COVID, and it will not keep you from passing it along to others. How much better would it have been if we were told the truth? What truth could they have told us? They could have said, “We think this will help, but we don’t have enough data to know for sure what is going to happen.” Instead, folks who had the shots thought they were practically invincible and felt free to go everywhere…unwittingly spreading the virus further. And they tended to treat with contempt those who were skeptical of the main narrative. There were political and financial reasons for the lies to be told, and it ended up crippling our nation’s economy and hurting everyone in the process—especially low-income earners, those who were already hurting. Many families are still divided and reeling.

Our own lies hurt others, too, because it encourages others to make life choices based on an empty foundation. If a woman tells her fiancé that she’s a virgin when she’s not…if a man swears to his wife that nothing untoward happened on his recent business trip when, in fact, he spent a couple of nights watching hotel porn movies…if a mother teaches her children that it doesn’t really matter what religion they choose because all roads lead to heaven…if a son tells his parents he’s going to the library when he’s really headed to a friend’s house to party hard… people get hurt. We lie even to ourselves and tell ourselves we aren’t really hurting anybody. We convince ourselves we are doing something good by protecting our loved ones from things that would hurt them if they knew the truth.

Brethren, that was the OLD man, and we have put off that stuff. We have put on the new man, renewed in the image of God, and the new man does not tell falsehoods. We are now among those who “fear the Lord; who swear to [our] own hurt and do not change” (Psalm 15.4).

Among the things the Lord hates are “a lying tongue” and “a false witness who breathes out lies” (Prov. 6.16–19). He hates lying because it is not in line with his character. If we have been made now in his likeness, we should also hate it and it should not be in line now with our new character.

So, brothers and sisters, let us consistently speak the truth with one another because we are members of one another.