____________________________________________________ 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" (Matthew 28:19,20). ____________________________________________________ January 28, 1996 ____________________________________________________ Answers For Our Faith by Bill Robinson, Jr. QUESTION: Would you please explain the idea of original sin and what you mean by our fallen nature; please give scripture. JM ANSWER: In order to give scripture, to explain an idea, the idea has to first be taught in the scriptures. And, the idea of original sin is not taught in the Bible. In the second place, to my knowledge, I have never used the phrase ``fallen nature'' in my speaking or writing to describe the nature of man. However, the concept of original sin with its theological implications does refer to and insist on the ``fallen nature'' of man. To understand the idea of original sin, perhaps it is best to let those who teach it speak for themselves. Thus, we offer the following quotes: ``Denying the Enlightenment doctrine of man's innate goodness, evangelicals believe in the total depravity of man...Man was originally created perfect; but through the fall (i.e. Adam's sin - b.r.) sin entered the race, making man corrupt at the very core of his being, and this spiritual infection has been passed on from generation to generation...It is moral and spiritual blindness and bondage to power's beyond one's control'' (Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, ``Evangelicalism'', p. 379). ``A proper definition of total depravity should not focus primarily on the questions of sin--fulness vs. goodness or ability vs. inability, but on fallen man's relation to a holy God. Because of the effects of the fall, that original relationship of fellowship with God was broken and man's entire nature was polluted'' (ibid., ``Depravity, Total,'' pg. 312). Let us clarify some things the Bible does teach relative to sin. The scriptures affirm man was created perfect and that the individual who practices sin can and does corrupt his nature (Eccl. 7:29; Eph. 2:3). Furthermore, God's word teaches that through Adam's transgression sin entered into the world and mankind only suffers consequentially as a result (Rom. 5:12). However, that is a far cry from saying man (i.e. ``from generation to generation'' see above quote) at birth either inherits and/or shares in the guilt of Adam's sin. ``The soul that sinneth, it shall die: the son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son; the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him'' (Ezek. 18:20). Nowhere in the Bible does God ever transfer (impute) either the sin or the righteousness of one person to another. Thus, to speak of man's fallen nature as that which is passed to us at birth from Adam is contrary to the Bible. God places the responsibility for sin on the individual. ``The soul that sinneth (i.e. commits sin) it shall die'' (Ezek. 18:20), not the soul which inherits Adam's original sin. To subscribe to this theory, according to their own words, is to place man in ``bondage to power's beyond one's control.'' Yet, man is clearly viewed by God as a free moral agent with the power to choose good or evil (II Tim. 2:20-ff). God has throughout history offered man a choice (Deut. 30:19; Joshua 24:15). Thus, the choices God offers man argues for the freedom of man's will. Therefore, man is guilty of sin not because he inherits original sin or because he cannot do otherwise (i.e. his ``fallen nature''). To the contrary, he is a victim of sin by his own power of free choice (Rom. 6:16-17; John 8:34). -- Via Stand, 9/88 ___________________________________________ THE NEW TESTAMENT TEXT by Jerry F. Bassett In recent times, one of the most frequent attempts to discredit the New Testament is the denial that the current translations of it can be trusted to accurately state what was contained in the original writings. As the following chart suggests, attempts to raise this cloud of doubt are incredulous in view of the manuscript evidence upon which the text of the New Testament has been established and translated. COMPARATIVE MANUSCRIPT EVIDENCE AUTHOR DATE OF MANUSCRIPTS EARLIEST MSS OR WORK ORIGINAL AVAILABLE AVAILABLE Thucidides 460 B.C. 8 900 A.D. Herodotus 400 B.C. Scarce 900 A.D. Julius Caesar, 58-50 B.C. 5 950 A.D. History of the Gaelic Wars Aristotle 343 B.C. 5 1100 A.D. N. T. 50-95 A.D. 20,000+ 150 A.D. This chart cites four ancient writers whose works have been translated into English and are accepted in academic circles as genuine and accurate documents of the original writings. Notice, however, that none of the manuscript evidence for any of these is abundant, much less early. For example, Aristotle, who wrote in ancient 4th century B.C. Greece, now exists in only five manuscripts, the earliest of which is over fourteen centuries later than the original. However, the New Testament books as we have them today are translated from more than twenty thousand whole and part manuscripts, and are supported by numerous early translations and quotations reaching back to within fifty years of the originals. Truly, the evidence on which the text of the New Testament rests is incomparably superior to any other ancient writing. For that matter, so is its content. -- Via God Hath Spoken, Volume 3, Number 6 ___________________________________________ A Look At The Word "Christian" It was Charlie Brown from Stanford, Kentucky, whom I heard during a gospel meeting several years ago, define "Christian" to the following effect: "If you look at this word you see 'Christ' followed by 'ian.' That 'ian' stands for me; but if you take that away from Christ, you just have 'ian' -- 'I ain't nothing.' That's just what we are without Christ -- nothing!" -- Tom ___________________________________________ Ruined by Bitterness ``For if you forgive men for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you do not forgive men, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions'' (Matt. 6:14,15). He was a man nobody liked--hard, sullen, taciturn, and sour. If you met him on the street and wished him good-day, he would keep his eyes straight in front of him, grunt sulkily and pass on. He lived in a tumbled-down old hut away back in the bush. He spoke to nobody, and he made it perfectly plain that he wished nobody to speak to him. Even the children shunned him. Some said he was a hermit; some that he was a miser; some that he was a woman-hater; some that he was a fugitive from justice, a man with a guilty secret. But they were all wrong. The simple truth was that in his youth a companion had done him a grievous injury. ``I'll remember it to my dying day,'' he hissed, in a gust of passionate resentment. And he did. But when his dying day actually came, he realized that the rankling memory of that youthful wrong had soured and darkened his whole life. ``I've gone over it by myself every morning,'' he moaned, as he lay gasping in his comfortless shanty, ``and I've thought of it every night. I've cursed him a hundred times each day. I see now,'' he added brokenly, a suspicion of moisture glistening in his eye, ``that my curses have eaten out my soul; they've been like gall on my tongue and gravel in my teeth. My hate has hurt nobody but myself. But it's turned my life into gloom and misery!'' It was true. The man at whom he had spat out his venomous maledictions, having done all a man could do to atone for the suffering that he had thoughtless caused, had dismissed the matter from his mind a generation back. Upon him the gnarled old man's bitterness had produced little or no effect. It was the man who cherished the sinister memory who suffered most. It shadowed his life; it lent a new terror to death; it expelled every trace of brightness and excluded every ray of hope; and at last, a grim and ghostly companion, it lay down with him in his cold and cheerless grave. May we each learn the healing power of forgiveness -- before it is too late! -- Selected and adapted ___________________________________________ Living Beyond the Grave by Tom Edwards In syllogisms there are major and minor premises that are used to infer a logical conclusion. For example, if our major premise is that ``all blue jays are blue and gray'' and our minor premise is that ``Bernie is a blue jay,'' then we can infer that Bernie is also blue and gray. Let's use the same technique in considering the Lord's response to the Sadducees about Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in Matthew 22:31,32: Major premise: ``God is not the God of the dead but of the living.'' Minor premise: God is the ``God of Abraham...Isaac, and...Jacob.'' Conclusion: Though not stated, on the basis of these two premises, we can deduce that Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are not dead but still alive! Corresponding to this, the Lord states, ''...if anyone keeps My word he shall never see death'' (Jn. 8:51). Though the body dies, a human is more than a body. His true essence is his internal--and eternal--soul whom Jesus refers to as the ``he'' in this verse. Sadly, though, for those who do not keep Christ's word, their soul will also live on, but rather than experiencing the joys of eternal life, their existence will be more likened to a ``living death''--an existence without any of the joys of life. John speaks of hell as being the ``second death'' (Rev. 20:14). Since we each will continue to exist beyond the grave, let's make sure it will be in a place where we can be eternally content! Only through Jesus can this be obtained. So let us hear His word, believe, and obey Him today--that heaven may one day be ours eternally! ___________________________________________ New Year With The Lord The open door of another year I've entered by grace divine. No ills I fear and no foes I dread, For a wonderful Guide is mine. Through joy or chastening though He lead, In tears though my race be run, Whate'er my lot, this my prayer shall be, ``Not mine, but Thy will be done.'' I walk by faith in my heav'nly Guide, With fearless, unfaltering tread, Assured that He, who appoints my days, Will daily provide my bread. He'll send more grace should afflictions come, And a staff for the pathway steep, While o'er me ever by night and day My Father His Watch will keep. With perfect trust in His love and care, I'll walk to my journey's end; And day by day He will strength renew, And peace to my heart will send. O blessed Guide, walking all unseen, Yet close to my side alway, Do Thou, who guidest my steps aright, Lead on to eternal day! -- selected (actual title and author not known) ________________________________________ Tri-State CHURCH OF CHRIST 713 13th Street, Ashland, Kentucky 41101 Sunday: 10:00 A.M. Bible class 10:50 A.M. Worship 6:30 P.M. Worship Wednesday: 7:30 P.M. Bible study evangelist/editor: Tom Edwards (606) 325-9742 e-mail: tedwards@zoomnet.net Gospel Observer web site: http://www.zoomnet.net/~tedwards/go ________________________________________