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The
Gospel Observer
"Go therefore
and make disciples of all the nations...teaching them to observe
all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to
the end of the age" (Matt. 28:19-20).
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September 15, 2019
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Contents:
1) Examining the Scriptures (L.A. Stauffer)
2) The Dead In Christ Shall Rise First (Ron Daly)
3) News & Notes
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-1-
Examining the Scriptures
L.A. Stauffer
The apostle Paul was commissioned by God to bear witness of Christ
and preach the gospel to the Gentiles. When he traveled to the
various cities in Asia and Europe, his practice was to go first to a
synagogue of the Jews and then to the Gentiles (see Rom 1:16; Acts
13:46).
When he entered the Jewish houses of worship, the apostle opened
their scriptures, the Old Testament, and argued from them that Jesus
of Nazareth is the Messiah the Jewish nation was expecting. More
often than not, the Jews disagreed, rejected his teaching, and drove
him from the synagogue and, often, from their city. This happened in
the ancient city of Thessalonica (Acts 17:1-10). But after leaving
this Macedonian town, he came to Berea some 50 miles away where he
received an unusually different welcome.
The Bereans, Luke tells us, were “more noble” than their
fellow Jews in Thessalonica “in that they received the word with all
readiness of mind, examining the scriptures daily” to see whether
the things Paul preached were so (Acts 17:11). “Noble” here doesn’t
mean they were a higher class of people politically, economically,
or socially, but that they were of a higher rank spiritually.
Open Minds. They were nobler spiritually because their minds
were open to what Paul taught. Luke tells us that they “received the
word,” an expression that means they welcomed what the apostles said
and listened to the passages he quoted and considered the arguments
he made. By opening their minds to Paul’s preaching, they were able
to grasp the points he was making; at least they understood what he
declared to them.
Eager Minds. Beyond hearing what the apostle was saying,
they listened with eagerness. “Readiness of mind” suggests the
enthusiasm one might find among students who have come to class to
learn. They are there because they want to be; they are, as it were,
sitting on the edge of their seats; they are hanging on every word
the teacher utters. The Bereans were hearing things that were
attractive – a message that made sense and was pleasant to the ears.
Cautious Minds. The good news about Jesus, though delightful
to the ears, wasn’t something they would receive unless it is true.
They l istened cautiously and made it a point to examine or
search the Old Testament writings to see if what Paul said “were
so,” an expression that literally means: whether the scripture “have
it this way.” Their question: Does the life of Jesus really fulfill
what the Old Testament teaches about the coming Messiah?
The New Testament commends the Bereans because this is the very kind
of mind that can hear what the Bible says, understand what it
teaches, and respond in the obedience of faith to its demands. Only
people with the heart of the Bereans will believe that Jesus is
God’s Son, repent in rejection and repudiation of sin, confess that
Jesus is Lord, and be buried with Christ in baptism for the
forgiveness of sins (John 20:30-31; Acts 2:38; Romans 10:9-10; Mark
16:16). God demands this of all men.
— Via articles of the Kirkwood church of Christ (Kirkwood,
Missouri), November 11, 2005
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-2-
The Dead In Christ Shall Rise First
Ron Daly
Paul wrote in his first letter to the Thessalonians, that when the
Lord descends from heaven, "the dead in Christ will rise first" (1
Thess. 4:16).
Apparently, Paul had reason to be concerned that some of the
Christians in Thessalonica were uninformed regarding the status of
fellow-believers who had died. He wrote to them so that they would
not grieve. He states that when the Lord descends from heaven the
dead saints will not be forgotten, nor left behind. They will rise
before the living are caught up to meet the Lord in the air! "For
this we declare to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are
alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will by no means
precede those who have fallen asleep" (v. 15).
The apostle is not affirming any of the doctrinally erroneous
presuppositions of the premillennial heresy. His point is not that
the dead saints will rise and be caught up in "the rapture," a
contrived theory of premillennialists. Instead, he implicitly
indicates that the dead saints will not be abandoned, but they will
rise to meet the Lord together with those who remain. The following
verbal phrases constitute the immediate context of Paul's words, in
which actions are ascribed to the Lord and his saints: "The Lord
himself ... will descend (katabesetai) from heaven, and the
dead in Christ will rise (anastesontai) first. Then we who
are alive, who are left (perileipomenoi), will be caught up (harpagesometha)
in the clouds together with them to meet (apantesin) the Lord
in the air, and so we will be (esometha) with the Lord
forever. Therefore encourage (parakaleite) one another with
these words" (vv. 16-17). Notice the word "then" in verse 17. It
translates epeita which in the present context is emphatic,
and the term means "after that, in the next place." The
Greek-English Lexicon of The New Testament and Other Early
Christian Literature, Bauer, Arndt-Gingrich-Danker, 284,
indicates that epeita is used "to denote succession in
enumerations, together with indications of chronological sequence."
Paul's point seems to be, immediately after the dead saints rise,
the living saints will join them to meet the Lord in the air.
The text does not teach a partial resurrection, i.e., that some of
the dead, those who are in Christ will be raised at the Lord's
coming, but the wicked dead will remain in the graves for several
more years. In the 1 Thessalonians' text, Paul's primary focus is on
"we who are alive" in Christ and "the dead in Christ." He is not
denying a general resurrection of all the dead, he simply discusses
one class of dead persons who will rise. This seems to be the
category about which the Thessalonians had inquired, or at least
were concerned.
Please consider that Paul does not say, "Only the dead in Christ
shall rise"; but he says, "The dead in Christ shall rise first." Let
us ask, first in relation to what? The word "first" is a translation
of proton, an adverb which in this text means "first of all,
first in order." Before the living ascend to meet the Lord, the dead
in Christ will be raised and both groups shall be caught up to meet
the Lord in the air.
According to numerous New Testament texts when Jesus comes to judge
the world, all the dead will be raised. "Do not be astonished at
this: for the hour is coming when all who are in their graves will
hear his voice and will come out — those who have done good, to the
resurrection of life and those who have done evil, to the
resurrection of condemnation" (John 5:28-29). Peter and John caused
much annoyance to the priest, the captain of the temple, and the
Sadducees "because they were teaching the people and proclaiming
that in Jesus there is the resurrection of the dead" (Acts 4:1-2).
Paul affirmed that he was "on trial concerning the hope of the
resurrection of the dead" (Acts 23:6). Paul made his defense to
Felix the governor, proclaiming "that there will be a resurrection
of both the righteous and the unrighteous"; and he declared that he
was on trial "about the resurrection of the dead" (Acts 24:15, 21).
The apostle said to the people of Athens that God "has fixed a day
on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he
has appointed . . . they heard of the resurrection of the dead..."
(Acts 17:31-32). "For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be
raised..." (1 Cor. 15:52).
In his second letter to the Thessalonians, chapter 1:7-9, Paul
states that when the Lord is "revealed from heaven" (the equivalent
to "the Lord himself will descend from heaven" in the first letter,
4:16) vengeance will be inflicted on the wicked, but he will be
glorified in the saints.
Therefore in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, Paul is not teaching a partial
resurrection of some of the dead, neither is he indicating that
there will be multiple resurrections of all the dead. There will be
only one literal resurrection of all the dead.
— Via Guardian of Truth XLI: 4 p. 10-11, February 20, 1997
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-3-
News & Notes
Folks to be praying for:
Ron Daly preaches for the Emerson Avenue church of Christ in
Indianapolis. While helping his son to mow some city property (a
median), Ron became the innocent victim of a hit-and-run driver that
left him in critical condition. He suffered a brain bleed, a damaged
aorta; a broken back, neck, and several ribs; and his knees were
shattered. A gofundme account has been set up for him by
Edward T. Rangel, who also gives updates on Ron's condition.
If you would like to contribute toward Ron's medical expenses and/or
read the updates, here is the address:
https://www.gofundme.com/f/ron-daly-medical-expenses
Jan Bartlett’s first chemo treatment, which had been
scheduled for last Friday, was cancelled and rescheduled for
September 20.
Melotine Davis is still awaiting to hear when the surgery
will be for her herniated disk.
Rick Cuthbertson had one treatment of chemo Wednesday and
went back to work Thursday and Friday. He did okay with that.
Next Wednesday, he will be receiving two treatments.
Others to also pray for: Jim Lively; Pat & A.J. Joyner;
James, Bennie, Deborah, and Penny Medlock; Shirley Davis, Mary
Vandevander; Rex and Frankie Hadley; Eva Mabry, and
Stephanie Fals.
WordPress version of this week's bulletin:
https://thegospelobserver.wordpress.com/2019/09/15/the-gospel-observer-september-15-2019/
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The Steps That Lead to Eternal Salvation
1) Hear the gospel, for that
is how faith comes (Rom. 10:17; John 20:30-31).
2) Believe in the deity of Christ
(John 8:24; John 3:18).
3) Repent of sins (Luke 13:5;
Acts 17:30).
4) Confess faith in Christ (Rom.
10:9-10; Acts 8:36-38).
5) Be baptized in water for the
remission of sins (Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38; 22:16; Rom. 6:3-4;
Gal. 3:26-27; 1 Pet. 3:21).
6) Continue in the faith, living for the Lord; for, if not, salvation can be
lost (Heb. 10:36-39; Rev. 2:10; 2 Pet. 2:20-22).
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Tebeau Street
CHURCH OF CHRIST
1402 Tebeau Street, Waycross, GA 31501
Sunday services: 9:00
a.m. (Bible class); 10 a.m. & 5 p.m. (worship)
Wednesday: 7 p.m. (Bible class)
evangelist/editor: Tom Edwards (912)
614-8593
Tom@ThomasTEdwards.com
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(Older version of Gospel Observer website without pictures, but
back to March 1990)
http://tebeaustreetchurchofchrist.org/
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