In this episode, Arnie and Fred begin a discussion about various facts about the gospel. We start by noting that in discussing God's word, Jesus referred to it by another term. We discuss that term. We talk about five other terms that New Testament writers also use which are, the New Testament, the doctrine of Christ, revelation, the counsel of God, and the word of truth. The Hebrew writer refers to Jesus as the mediator. We look at those two places and discuss what that means. Paul, John and Peter all discuss inspiration. We talk about what they had to say and why that is important to us today.
Paul notes that the gospel is explicit in what it says. We look at the two places that he notes this. Take about 30-minutes to listen in on our discussion. Have your Bible handy so you can verify what we are saying. There is a transcript provided of this Buzzsprout episode for your convenience.
In this episode, Arnie and Fred begin a discussion about various facts about the gospel. We start by noting that in discussing God's word, Jesus referred to it by another term. We discuss that term. We talk about five other terms that New Testament writers also use which are, the New Testament, the doctrine of Christ, revelation, the counsel of God, and the word of truth. The Hebrew writer refers to Jesus as the mediator. We look at those two places and discuss what that means. Paul, John and Peter all discuss inspiration. We talk about what they had to say and why that is important to us today.
Paul notes that the gospel is explicit in what it says. We look at the two places that he notes this. Take about 30-minutes to listen in on our discussion. Have your Bible handy so you can verify what we are saying. There is a transcript provided of this Buzzsprout episode for your convenience.
This is a presentation of the Woodland church of Christ meeting at 3370 Broad Street in Sumter, South Carolina. We meet for worship on Sunday at ten thirty am and five thirty pm. We meet for bible study at nine thirty am on Sunday, and seven pm on Wednesday. If you have questions or comments on this lesson, you may email them to Fred Gosnell at fgosnell@ftc-i.net Or to Arnie Granke at agranke440718@twc.com.
Arnie:Good afternoon. This is what does the Bible say, and is brought to you by Woodland church of Christ in Sumter, South Carolina. I'm Arnie Granke. And Fred Gosnell is here with me and and we want to talk about what does the Bible say? And Fred, one of the topics that we really haven't given a lot of attention to, has to do with some of the characteristics of of the Bible. What about the gospel? You know? And and where did it come from? How did we get it? Did a bunch of men just sit down and start writing this stuff? Or was there was there some other source that was that headed that up? So what do you say we talk about some of those facts about the gospel?
Fred Gosnell:Okay. Well, of course, some of these is some of the things that Jesus said about it. That's the first place we're gonna go. Jesus made a statement in John 17, verse 17, short statement. He said, Sanctify them through Thy truth, Thy word is truth. So so two terms used. The truth, and Thy word is truth. You know, of course, you know, when you're talking about truth, you know, Fred was born in 21st of December. That's true. But that's not the truth. When Jesus talks about the truth, he's talking about the words of God, those words that come from God, and, and those are the words that we are sanctified by those words will make us saints, as is said, elsewhere. So two terms, Thy truth, sanctify them through Thy truth. Thy word is truth. So whatever words we have, from God, are true, and are the truth. And you know, one of the things we need to know is a lot of times the text will have a definite article in it. I didn't check this one. But I'm gonna check it when I get a chance to see whether or not there's a definite article on this one.
Arnie:Well, yeah, I didn't check that out, either. But let us know what you find out when you when you do that. Well, it's the Gospel is, also known as the New Testament. There are quite a number of terms by which, by which it's known. Hopefully, in the course of discussing these things, will will reveal some of those terms. But but the New Testament is one of the terms for, for the gospel. And Paul uses that in second Corinthians chapter three, and beginning in verse five, he said, Not that we're sufficient of ourselves, to think anything as of ourselves, but our sufficiency is of God, Who also hath made us able ministers of the New Testament, not of the letter, but of the spirit for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life. So when he's talking about the New Testament, there he's not specifically referring to the volume may be that that we've got here with with each of us, you know, beginning Matthew, Mark, Luke and John and ending up with Jude and Revelation there, 27, 27 books. But he is talking about it with relation to God having provided it. It's it's a New Testament. We need to have testaments. Fred and I are getting to be old and one day somebody is going to read our Testaments. And and we sometimes refer to that as our, our last will and testament or, or whatever. And that's a that's a document. It's a legal document and it's responsible, people are responsible for abiding by that with regard disposition of our property and, and other matters that you might include in your testament. The same principle is applicable here when we're talking about God's word, people are obligated by God's Word, to to obey it and perform it. Because it's not written just by Matthew, Mark, Luke and John and Jude and revelation, or Jude and, and
Fred Gosnell:John.
Arnie:John. John wrote five of the books, there we go. It's not just written by these people, but they were writing things that the Holy Spirit gave them. And and we're obligated to obey those things that it teaches us.
Fred Gosnell:Yes, of course. You mentioned John, John, in his second letter, made a statement there. He said, whosoever transgresses and abide is not in the doctrine of Christ hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he has both the Father and the Son. Of course, when he's talking about the doctrine of Christ, there he's talking about, about the teaching of Christ. And he says, if you go beyond the teaching of Christ, then you don't have God. So So that tells us that there is a limit, the Bible is complete, Jesus's teaching is complete. And we are required to stay within his teaching, and not go beyond it. And then he says, He that abides or stays within the teaching of Christ, the doctrine of Christ, then he has both the Father and the Son. So again, that would comprise of the word, which is the truth. And we can't go beyond that we can't go beyond the New Testament. You know, Fred has a last will and testament. And when I die, that testament becomes in force, we'll talk about that a little bit, too. So everything that I have specified in my will, in my testament, whoever I have listed, to carry out my requirements, will have to go by what I said. They can't go beyond it, they can't do less than I say, and the same way in the teaching of Christ. In the testament, his New Testament, we can't go beyond it. The testament is his doctrine, is his teaching. And if we go beyond that, then we have violated his testament, we have violated his doctrine, we violated his doctrine. And if we do that, John says, we don't have God. So this is a serious thing that we have here.
Arnie:So these, these things that appear in the New Testament, are not just Matthew, Mark, and, and John's and, and Luke's and others. opinions. They're the doctrine of Christ. They're God's word, Christ's word. It's also the New Testament, also is referred to as revelation. Well, not confusing that with the Book of Revelation, that's the name of a book, but also everything in the New Testament has been revealed by God has been revealed by Christ. And so it's revelation as well. And in the Roman letter, Paul, refers to that in Romans chapter 16, beginning in verse 25. Now to him, that is of power to strengthen you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery. Those would be things that had not been known by man, that now God is revealing. That's why it's called revelation. The mystery which was kept secret, since the world began. And then down in verse, verse 27, he says, Glory through Jesus Christ forever. Amen. So, another term for for the New Testament is, is the revelation.
Fred Gosnell:Yes. then there's another one that we find in Acts, chapter 20, verse 27. And I believe this is Paul, he says, For I have not shunned to declare unto you, all the counsel of God. So here, what Paul is saying,what he's preaching to these, these elders from Miletus, is the all the counsel of God. So it's God's counsel. It's what God has, has said, what his words that have been provided to Paul. And Paul says that I have declared all of it, all of the counsel of God. So, again, another term, and we don't have part of it. Paul says that he provided all that he had. And of course, other writers said the same thing. So the gospel is referred to as the counsel of God. And another way of saying that would be the word of God.
Arnie:Some of some of our listeners, their first language is, is a different language from American English. So it'd be easy for them to become confused about the word counsel. This is not the Council this ends with the letter C I L, as in a group of people to discuss something and make some decisions. But rather, it's the counsel as being what God has required, and and has told us about S E, L is the end of that spelling of that word. So don't think it's a group of people making a decision, understand that it's the word of God that that's under consideration there. And it's spoken of as being the word of truth. And and you kind of started with that concept, Fred, when when we were looking at John 17. But down in in Ephesians, one, and beginning in verse 12, Paul writes, he said, That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ, In whom ye also trusted, after that you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. And we'll just pause for a moment and say, you couldn't trust in Him if you didn't know about him. And the only way that you know about him is is the fact that the word of truth, the gospel, tells about him, there, and then he ends the ends verse 13 by saying, In whom also, after that you believed, you were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise. That doesn't mean that everybody was, was given the wholly, of the Holy Spirit, so that they could perform miracles, speak in tongues and, and do some of these other things, prophesy, and, and whatnot. You were sealed with the holy spirit, your spirit has become holy in God's in God's eye, because you're not rebelling against Him when you obey it, and and do what it teaches.
Fred Gosnell:Yeah. And there are a number of other things that we're going to talk about various facts about the gospel. And we'll start here in Hebrews 9, 15, through 17. Notice, notice what the writer says, he says, For this cause he is the mediator of the New Testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the First Testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance. For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator For a testament is of force after men are dead. Otherwise, it is of no strength at all, while the testator liveth. And of course, that that explains to us that the New Testament is the last will and testament of Jesus Christ, and it was in force when he died. Of course, he died on the cross. So his death shows us when his testament began. But then notice he is the mediator of the New Testament. And for those who maybe are members of, of a labor group, a labor union, they might understand this term mediator. But a mediator is someone who intervenes between two individuals, two persons that are in dispute, they disagree about something. Then there's somebody that doesn't have any thing to do with either one of them, and they mediate to bring about an agreement or a reconciliation between these two people that that disagree. So So Jesus is the one who mediated the New Testament. And of course, it says he mediated it by means of death. So what happened was that of course, we, man Adam and Eve, sinned against God, they decided they were going to do something contrary to what he said. And consequently then they lost fellowship with Him and they were cast out of the garden and then ever since then, mankind when they get a certain age, they decide they're going to do things their way and not God's way. And then we have we are no longer in fellowship with God, we are in disagreement with him about the things that we ought to do. So Jesus came here to mediate us between God and man. And the way that he provided that mediation was, he provided, paid the price, he died on the cross, He shed His blood. And then he satisfied the requirement that God had made. He told Adam and Eve, you know, if you eat of the tree that I tell you not to, you'll surely die. And of course, that sentence was upon man until Jesus satisfied it on the cross. So he is the mediator of the New Testament. Then, then the writer says in Hebrews 8, 6 through 9. He says, But now hath He obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also, He is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises. For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second,.For finding fault with him. He saith, Behold, the days come saith the Lord, When I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah, not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not saith the Lord. And of course, again, the first covenant would be the Old Testament law that that Moses, God gave Moses, but that law, that covenant did not provide for anyone to be saved by it, because that whenever you violated that covenant, just one violation, then you were guilty, there was nothing you could do, other than to keep following the law. But the animals that were sacrificed didn't take away your sin. And of course, when Jesus came, then he satisfied that covenant, by being a perfect sacrifice, sinless. So he set that aside and instituted his New Testament, His new covenant. And then under the New Covenant, then there are requirements there that we can follow, we can obey, and we can have our sins forgiven. That's another story. But but but he is the mediator of that new covenant, and the way he mediated was his death, and he satisfied the requirement that God made to where we can regain our fellowship with God, even though we had sinned against him. And then we follow what Jesus says, and we will be forgiven.
Arnie:All around the world, there's a tendency for individuals, in most societies to grow up, believing the religion, practicing the religion, and thinking that that that particular religion, the religion that your parents had, is, is going to put you in God's good, good graces. And that's not necessarily so. Not all religions go by anything in the Bible. Some religions go entirely by the, by the Old Testament, but now that Testament has been done away, and it's not in, not in practice anymore. And the New Testament is, has been put in its place. But the problem there is that a lot of religions change over a period of time. People that perhaps ancestors 500 years ago, read the New Testament and believed the things that it said, practice something new, somebody in Rome or somebody in in you know, whatever, whatever state that you live in your state capitol or whatever, may have decided that, Oh, well, this is what we believe now. And they've gotten away from from even the New Testament, and just have man man made religions. That's a dangerous thing. One of the one of the statements Fred in verse 17, of chapter nine that you read right there from the Hebrew letter is, a testament ais of force after men are dead. Well, in a lot of religions, no testament is in force. They just, they just make up their, their own religion as they go along. We need to practice what the New Testament says, or we don't benefit from it. We won't benefit from the death of Christ if we don't do it. I spoke for a moment there. So I'll give you the next. The next word, Fred.
Fred Gosnell:Well, then the the,Paul, when he wrote to Timothy makes it makes a statement there concerning the how we should look at a God's word. And in Second Timothy chapter 3, 16, and 17. What Paul says here he says, All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness that the man of God may be perfect or complete, throughly furnished unto all good works. So So what Paul says is now, All scripture is given the inspiration or his God breathed that word, there means, and it's God breathed, it comes from God. And so it's not just like, it's not like something that some uninspired man wrote, people write a lot of things. But the Bible is different in this in the sense that it is inspired by God, the words come from God. And then notice, he says that All scripture is given by inspiration of God. And then he says, tells us well, what's a good for? Well, it's profitable for, for doctrine, for teaching, for reproof, you need to point something out to someone if you need to correct someone for correction, for instruction in righteousness. And then what's the result if you use God's Word in the right way, knowing that it comes from God? Well, then the man may be complete, and he may be furnished to all good works. So when we do what the Bible says, then we are following what God says, because God is the one that provided those words. And of course, that's another study on how he did that. But nevertheless, the Bible is inspired. It's not just a production of, of, you know, 67, or men writing over several 1000 years. And they just decided, well, I think I'll write this or I think I'll write that. What they wrote came from God, and is God breathed.
Arnie:And God has not given any more, we'll probably talk about that again, as well. There is no, though another, there is no another testament of Jesus Christ, just one, just one testament. And that's why it's called the New Testament there. In John, chapter 14, Jesus is speaking in verse 26. And he said, But the Comforter, which is the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you, I don't know about you all, but but there are a lot of things that I was taught in, in high school. And even before that, in, in elementary school, that I just really don't remember anymore. Don't remember who taught them or, or what they were, maybe some of those things have changed, and I just completely forgot about them. there. God's word, of course, isn't going to change. And what what it does do, if you, if you pay attention to it, is is that it brings things to your remembrance the things that Jesus had the apostles write in the New Testament, and the those were things that he had, had taught them. So it had come to their remembrance, God inspired, what they were writing. And so none of that was their opinion. And when you read it, there, it's not your opinion, as long as you use the proper definitions of the of the words that are that are in, in the Bible. You are reading something that God has, has provided Himself. It's it's inspired by Him and he'll bring all things through His Word, bring all things to your to our remembrance, whatsoever he had said to the apostles,
Fred Gosnell:Yes. And of course then, there are there are going to be people that are going to question what the Bible says. And we're not left to wonder about whether or not what they say is true. But Peter wrote concerning these people who would question their words in Second Peter 1, 16, through chapter two two. Peter begins in verse 16. He says, Now, we have not followed cunningly devised fables when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For he received from God the Father, honor and glory when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory. This is my beloved Son in whom I'm well pleased. And this voice which came from heaven, we heard when we were with him in the holy mount. We have also have a more sure word of prophecy, whereunto ye do well, that's ye take heed as unto a light that shineth in a dark place until the day dawn and the day star arise inyour hearts. Knowing this first that no prophecy of the scripture is of someone's own interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man, but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers, among you, And we're in chapter two verse one, Who secretly shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them and bring upon themselves swift destruction, and many shall follow their pernicious ways, by reason of whom the way of Truth shall be evil spoken of. So So notice what what Peter says here, he says, now, now we were eyewitnesses of these things that we are writing. And so God provided us the inspiration to write about them, but we saw these things. And then he says, Now, we were with him in the holy mountain, when Jesus was transfigured. Peter was there. And Peter says, we heard the voice that came from heaven. And God said that this is my beloved Son in whom I'm well pleased. And He said, Hear ye him. So. So the words we have are inspired, they come from God, they were written down by eyewitnesses, Peter was one of them. And they wrote, wrote what they saw and what they heard. And we can depend upon it, because God is the one that provided the words, these words that we have, are inspired.
Arnie:You know, sometimes, when we're thinking about something that has been said, we may miss word, and not say it exactly the way the original speaker said it. So. So there are some precautions that we generally use, for example, if you're in, in court, there will be a recorder, of course, now you record it electronically, but but there would be somebody that would be recording and taking down and writing every word that is spoken by anyone who speaks in the in the courtroom. Or if you're making a pledge to pay for something or some kind of other arrangement in business, you might, you might need to have have a magistrate or someone to, to record that. So that so that there's never any question about what the agreement in involved. And so the same occurs with regard to, to God's word, it's explicit. It's something that we can put absolute confidence in, that when Matthew or Mark or Peter or John, whoever is the, the writer was writing, he didn't make any mistakes. He didn't use the wrong word. Because it was explicitly delivered to him, exactly as he wrote it. First Corinthians chapter two, beginning in verse 12, is is a passage that that speaks of that; We have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God, that you might know the things that are freely given to us of God, Which things also we speak not in words, which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Spirit teacheth, comparing spiritual things with with spiritual. So whenever you look at a particular word, in the Bible, you might say, well, you know, maybe what John meant or maybe what, Paul meant, there's no maybe what he meant there. It's in that word, that word is explicitly correct. And it's certified by the by the Holy Spirit there. The Holy Spirit taught it. And and what he what he did was he gave exactly the word to the writer, that he wanted to be there. So so spiritual things were expressed using spiritual words. That's the point that that Paul is making to the Corinthians there.
Fred Gosnell:And Paul specifically makes the statement to Timothy in First Timothy four, one through three. Notice what he says he says, Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, and in the latter time some shall depart from the faith giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils. speaking lies in hypocrisy having their conscience seared with an iron, forbidding to marry and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth. So the Spirit speaks expressly. And at the end of this, Paul says, well, whatever you would like to eat, that's fine as as long as you give thanks for it. There's no restriction that God has provided for us to eat and just give thanks for it and you can eat it.
Arnie:Expressly, means specifically the Holy Spirit speaks. Well, this is a good stopping point. Fred, let's talk about this a little bit more in our in our next conversation. And for you listeners, we we look forward to being with you again next Lord's Day. We hope that you'll that you'll tune us in you can pick us up on podcasts online as well any day of the week, anytime of the day, or night, and we wish you a good week.