January 2024

Bible Q&A with Pastor Paul – January 2024 Teacher: Pastor Paul LeBoutillier Calvary Chapel Ontario Pastor Paul: Welcome, everyone, it's January and this is our January Bible Q&A. And we're very happy to be with you here today and answer your questions that have come to us through our YouTube channel, via email, or through our website at ccontario.com. We have a lot of really good questions today, and I think we should go ahead and get into it. Sue: All right, sounds good. So the first one, I love this handle, @BestNewsEva, says, “Pastor and Miss Sue, do you have a recommendation on study methods or references to study the Bible so we can gain wisdom like you have? You are both extremely wise, and I'm eager to learn more and more. I'm afraid of random teachings because I've encountered many false teachings out in this YouTube jungle”. And before you answer, I have two things to say. First, God alone is wise. And second, that's very smart to consider the YouTube jungle of teachings. Pastor Paul: It can be very dangerous thing just to jump onto YouTube. And there's a lot of people that are saying a lot of things that aren't biblical, but they sound very convincing. And so I get with this person, it is very challenging. And I agree, if they hear wisdom from you and me, it's just because of God's Word and that sort of thing. And so I suppose that's the first thing I want to say. Proverbs 2:6 (ESV) says, The LORD gives wisdom. And from his mouth comes knowledge and understanding. But there are some things that people can do. First of all, when you're hearing anybody, the Bible says 1 Thessalonians 5:21, test everything. We’re to test things by the Word of God. Don't just believe it because somebody says it. Test it, and hold fast to what is good. But there are some tips that I do like to give people as it relates to studying the Word of God and study methods. First of all, you got to find out what works for you. I’ve had people come to me and actually apologize for the way they study the Bible, because they think that somehow, maybe it's not like somebody else does. And so they they're like, well, this is what I do and it may not be great. No, if it works, it's great for you. And so I want to first encourage that do what works good for you as it relates to studying the Bible. But here are some tips. I think it's important to read more than one Bible translation. You can get a lot of interesting insight on a passage by choosing more than one Bible translation to read. I'm talking about four or five, and make sure they're good solid Bible translations. I recommend, I teach from the ESV, the English Standard Version, so I obviously recommend it. I still like the NIV. There are some words here and there that I'm not thrilled about. But I'm not going to say that it's a bad translation. The New King James Bible is great. The New American Standard Bible, especially if you can get the 2020 year revision, they made some great changes in sentence structure that made the NASB really easy to read. And so there's several translations right there that I think would really help. Whenever you're interpreting Scripture, learn to interpret Scripture, by Scripture. That's really the first rule of biblical interpretation. Study the Bible in such a way that you interpret the Bible by the Bible. And that's really important, and then pray for understanding. If you're looking for other methods that work with, for example, my teachings, we have some things on our website. If people go to ccontario.com, and they look up the questions and answers, frequently asked questions and answers, not these questions and answers. But we have some frequently asked questions and answers on our website. The link is on our homepage. I actually give some pages where I show Bible study methods with my teachings that I think are helpful for people digging into the Word of God. So I would encourage someone to do that as well. Sue: And I would probably add to just practically there's a few things about studying the Bible. First, slow and steady wins the race. Just consistency, just keep going, don't get discouraged. There's a lot of parallels with like exercise or diet. If you kind of fall backwards, we'll just pick up again, and get started. But it is a cumulative effect over the years. So you're not going to study the Bible in one week and know it. It's year over year over a year and it’s just consistency. Pastor Paul: Yep, for sure. Sue: I guess it’s my turn to read another question, “Thank you for your teaching” says, I can't quite figure out what this handle is supposed to be. Pastor Paul: I see the word Mary in there somewhere. Sue: “I listened to you daily. Why is the Book of Jasher not used as part of the biblical narrative, since it's mentioned in Joshua 10:13 and 2 Samuel 2:18?” Pastor Paul: Well, that is true. The Book of Jasher is quoted in Joshua and also in 2 Samuel. But there are several reasons why it is not part of the biblical narrative. First of all, the original book of Jasher, as quoted by those two books is no longer in existence. We don't have any extant copies of that book, it's gone, it's lost to antiquity. Now, there are going to be some people out there that are going to say, now, wait a second, Pastor Paul, I've seen the Book of Jasher out there, that's not the original, there are actually several writings that have used that title and they are not the original book. And so that's one of the reasons why it's not there. But I want to say something here, that I think applies not just to the Book of Jasher, but applies to other extra biblical books that are quoted in the Bible, because Jasher is not the only one, there are others. Even in the New Testament, we have extra biblical books that are quoted by the biblical writers. And that question comes up a lot. They'll say, well if Jude, for example, quotes this, why isn't that in the Bible? Well, just because a biblical author chose to quote either a secular, or even a religious type writing, or a historical book, that doesn't mean that that original book is inspired by God. It just means that the biblical writer felt that there was a comment in that book that was germane to the point they were trying to make, and they were trying to bring out in their writing. That's all it really means. So it doesn't follow that because I quote, I mean, I quote books all the time that aren't… Sue: Well, the Apostle Paul did it too, wasn't it to Titus when he was saying, according to your one of your own prophets, cretins are always and then he went on to say. He was just quoting someone that was almost like a Shakespeare-ish person to them. Pastor Paul: Yeah, that's right. They were just sayings that were well known at the time. And it was really just to make a point. And the point is, what is inspired? Sue: Got it. Naveen says, “Does a person need to confess every lie to the person to whom it was told? Do I need to go to childhood teachers and friends and tell them that I lied so that I can be forgiven?” Pastor Paul: Well, there's interesting dynamics to this question. I understand where it comes from. First of all, I don't think, Naveen, it's even possible to remember all the lies you've probably told in your life. Secondly, it's also possible that some of the people to whom you lied, or told a lie, are no longer alive. So the answer is no, you don't have to go back to every single person you ever lied to and confess that in order to be forgiven. And that's what she's asking here, so that I can be forgiven? And what people mean, when they say that often is, is this going to threaten my salvation? In other words, if I'm not forgiven, does that mean that I won't be able to achieve heaven? I need to reiterate over and over again to people that your salvation is not based on you having done things perfectly, like repenting, confessing and so forth. Your salvation is based on the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, His finished work on the cross, not your perfect application of everything the Bible tells you to do. Sue: All right. Another YouTube person says, “I have one question that keeps me wondering. Why should we be afraid of GOD but love him at the same time? But overall, thank you Pastor Paul, for helping me with my journey.” Pastor Paul: This is a very common question. And the reason is, mostly because in our modern vernacular, we think of fear as really having one definition, and that is being terrified. And so when people read in the Bible where it talks about fearing God, they get confused because we're supposed to love God with all of our heart, soul, mind strength, and yet we're supposed to be terrified of him. Well, the reason we're of the confusion, there is really the definition of fear. There is an enormous difference between fearing God from a Biblical sense and being terrified of God. There are people who are terrified of God. That's not what he's telling us to do. You'll notice that when the Bible talks about the fear of the Lord or having a fear of God, it's always related to keeping us from sin. For example, Proverbs 3:7-8 (ESV) says, be not wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD, and turn from evil. Notice the connection there with fearing the Lord. It goes on to say, it'll be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones. So it's a refreshing thing to fear the Lord and turn from evil. And then proverbs 9:10 (ESV) says that the fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom. So we know that the fear of the Lord is always, always given to us in the Bible in a positive light, it keeps us from sin. It draws us toward knowledge and wisdom. It's always a good thing. It is not being terrified of God, it is learning to understand that God is sovereign. And that what a man sews, so also shall he reap. That gives me a healthy respect and fear of God. Sue: Very good. Kevin wants to know, “If you can recommend a Bible commentary in book form and one in online/app form? I greatly appreciate your church's online sermons and I'm seeking to further study but I'm having a hard time choosing a commentary.” Pastor Paul: There are so many commentaries. I don't collect commentaries in book form anymore. I stopped doing that a long, long time ago. All the commentaries that I use are in digital form. They're part of my Bible program that I use and so I have a really hard time doing that, but I will give you an online commentary. The online whole Bible Commentary by David Guzik is excellent. We'll put the link up on the screen here for you. It is enduringword.com. Go there. Great commentary. And it'll bless you. Sue: And I appreciate winning back all the bookcase space for my books. Pastor Paul: Do you? Sue: Yes. Thank you very much. Pastor Paul: I’m pleased to hear that. Sue: Amy says, “Thanks for your teaching. Are Christians meant to make plans or wait on God's plans only? Is there anywhere in the Bible that talks about this? When I make plans, it rarely goes well for me and causes a lot of stress. I've prayed about it and I don't know what to do.” Pastor Paul: Again, Amy's question is a very common question about knowing the will of God, taking steps of faith, and how much planning exactly should we do? But I think where Christians usually mess up on this, is they forget that it has more to do with your heart and your attitude and your intent than it does with the plans you make. James talks about making plans in his New Testament epistle, Chapter 4. His statement goes like this (James 4:13-15 ESV), come now, you who say; “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”-yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” Now, James isn't recommending that we adopt a certain language or sentence. In other words, if I make a plan, and I always say, if the Lord wills, now I'm covered. No, he's talking about an attitude of the heart. He's talking about making plans, writing them down, but making sure they're in pencil and you always give God the eraser. In other words, it's a way of saying to the Lord, you know Lord, my heart is to do your will, my heart is to stay within the confines of your will. I'm going to go ahead and make plans. But I'm going to pray about those plans. I'm going to ask you to guide and direct and open and closed doors according to your will related to my plans. And I'm going to be open and flexible to you changing my plans. That is the intent of the heart that God is looking for because we're not always going to make plans according to the will of God. We're just not. You're going to mess up. So the person who's trying to live their life in a way that they never make a mistake making plans, sorry, you're not going to do it. So just have the right attitude with God. Lord, I give you the freedom to intervene, to jump in to change my plan to redirect my path. Sue: And what a comfort it is that even the Apostle Paul had a certain plan, then the Lord had to reveal to him, no, I don't want you to go that direction. Pastor Paul: Luke writes about it in the book of Acts, they started off to go a particular direction, and the Lord stopped them on route, so it happens and it's going to happen, but having the right heart attitude is the key. Sue: Yeah. Denzil writes us from Nottingham, England. I love hearing where people are from. Pastor Paul: That’s pretty cool. Sue: He said, “Thank you Paul and Sue for your commitment to your calling from The Lord. My question is from one Corinthians 6:1-3 -- does this Scripture mean that we will judge angels and unbelievers on Judgment Day?” Pastor Paul: Yes, it does. If you read 1 Corinthians 6:1-3 (ESV), Paul says, when one of you has a grievance against one another, does he dare go to law before the unrighteous instead of the saints? Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world is to be judged by you, are you incompetent to try trivial cases? Do you not know that we are to judge angels? How much more than matters pertaining to this life! Obviously, the context of this passage is keeping believers from going into the secular courts to solve their grievances. That's the context. However, within the context, the apostle Paul reveals that the saints will be involved in some areas of judgment. Now, I don't think this means that we're going to be involved with the white throne judgment. We're going to be involved in judging during the Millennial Kingdom. And judges doesn't mean judging unto condemnation, to judge is kind of like the Old Testament judges who solved grievances for the people that were living at the time. The Kings functioned in the role of judges, in the sense of people coming before them. Remember Solomon, where the two women that were the babies and so forth. So I think that's the kind of judgments that we're going to probably be involved in. How we're going to judge angels, I have no idea. Sue: But we'll find out. Pastor Paul: We'll find out. Hopefully, we'll be able to judge the very angels and obviously this is talking about demons, fallen angels. Hopefully, we'll be able to judge the ones that particularly bugged us during our time on Earth. Sue: Hope Brennan says, “I looked everywhere for a church that studied the word book by book and was blessed to find you during the pandemic. I just bought two of your Q&A books from Amazon to share looking forward to reading. With that said, I was wondering how you feel about near death experience testimonies. I love hearing them and the messages people brought back.” Pastor Paul: I don't pay a bit of attention to them. I never watched them. I never click on them. I never listened to their testimonies. And the reason that I don't is because there have been so many of those in the past where people have made come to conclusions that are actually unbiblical, and they've led people astray because of those wrong conclusions. I don't trust people's assessment of what they consider to be a near death experience or even a death experience where they came back. I just don't trust that what they're saying is genuine. I don't trust that what they're saying is biblical or true. That’s it. Sue: Good answer. Ripsime has two questions. Well just take these one at a time. “Why were Adam and Eve born as adults and not children?” Pastor Paul: The Bible doesn't say but the God created the world at that time full grown. It says, he put trees, he didn't just put twigs or little seedlings in the garden. He put whole trees that had already borne fruit according to their kind. And so Adam and Eve and the whole world were created mature. I believe this is one of the things that might be behind the raging debate between the ancient Earth and the young Earth, sort of a deal. And one of the reasons why rocks and other things test as old as they do when we do carbon dating, is that it's not that they're actually that's their actual age, it's that they were created mature. If you would have looked at Adam and Eve on the day they were created, you would have said, oh, what are you? 32? No, I'm an hour old. So the Bible doesn't come out and says, it just tells us that these things were created mature. Sue: And then second question, “Was Elijah John the Baptist?” Pastor Paul: See, that's the reverse of what I usually get. I usually get was John the Baptist Elijah, because obviously, Elijah came first. And if you go to John 1:21, you can see that the people asked John. They said, are you Elijah? This is John 1:21. And he said, I am not. So John the Baptist said, I am not Elijah. Here's the connection between the two. First of all, the Bible does say that Elijah will return before the great and dreadful day of the Lord. And John came in the spirit and power of Elijah. And that is given to us in Luke 1:13, 16-17 (ESV), where an angel appeared to John's father Zechariah, prior to John's birth, and the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God, and He will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just to make ready for the Lord of people prepared.” So, what the angel said was, John would come in the spirit and power of Elijah. It doesn't mean he would be Elijah. And that's why when John was asked, are you Elijah, he said, I am not. John wasn't lying. Elijah is yet to come. Sue: All right, excellent. Michael says, “Hi, Pastor Paul. Some say the Bible can be divided into different dispensations that help us to interpret the Bible, through the different ages God deals with the human race in different ways. Can we therefore use this to help study and interpret Scripture? If so, in what way can we do so? Also, how does this affect what we apply in our Christian life and walk?” Pastor Paul: It is a huge way to understand scripture, and it very much affects our Christian life and walk. And when we say that the Bible is divided into different dispensations, what we're saying is that God dealt with people differently in different time periods. Now, those time periods are simply called dispensations. But they are essentially dispensations, or works of God among mankind, that show a different way of dealing with people. It doesn't mean that there's a different way of being saved. But for example, we have what we call the dispensation of the law, when God was teaching Israel, about his holiness. And there was a covenant that was kind of the over arcing understanding of a relationship between the nation of Israel and God, where God said, this is how I'm going to relate to you. It's through the law. And this covenant means that you follow the law, and here's what I'll do. Well as the church today, in New Testament times, we're not living under the covenant of the law. That was a different dispensation. So how does that affect me? Well, I know that the laws that dealt with Israel such as Sabbath Keeping and Food Laws, and so on and so forth, those don't apply to me as a Christian. There are certain moral aspects to the law that are timeless, like you shall not murder, and steal and so forth, but those are speaking of morality. Those transcend dispensation. That is simply declaring the righteousness or the righteous standards of God. So it is something that we understand from the Word of God. It helps us to apply the Word of God. It's the reason that I go into my life in Christ not thinking that I can't eat pork. Or that I have to do this or do that or any number of other regulations that followed the law. The New Testament clearly says that we are not under the law for that reason that was a different dispensation. Now, let me add one thing to that. There are a lot of people who refer to other Christians in a very negative way using the term, oh, you're a dispensationalist. And that has taken on in some areas a very negative connotation. You know that I don't like titles. We apply them sometimes to help us understand a particular doctrinal position or a doctrinal leaning. We call some people Calvinists. We call some people dispensationalists. We call some people cessationists. Those help us. But I will say that there's some negative connotation that goes along with this idea that the dealing of God with mankind can be divided in dispensations. I don't personally see anything negative about it. In fact, I see it clearly borne out in the Word of God. And in the scriptures that separate the God's dealings with Israel, for example, with the church. And if we don't apply those dispensations, we're going to go to the Old Testament, and we're going to read into it things that aren't applicable to the body of Christ. Sue: And then you get people saying, well, doesn't it say in the Bible that X, Y, Z? Where does it say it? Who was it told to? And what was the purpose? Pastor Paul: Who was directed to? Sue: So you can't just open up all the passage and say, yes, it says we're to do that. Pastor Paul: I was sharing with our body here just a week or so ago, that someone had recently written me, a woman, and her question was, is it okay for me to buy or to purchase things on the Sabbath? Well, this is a woman who is obviously still under the idea that the laws of Israel apply to her. And so she's confused. And there's a lot of that going around. Sue: All right, that was great. Where are we? I think we're at Charlotte. “Hi, Pastor Paul & Sue. I know for sure that we ought to pray for unbelievers for their salvation. I'm surrounded by unbelievers because I'm from Borneo, a multicultural society. The question is, should we pray for the unbelievers, for their health and their problems or anything other than salvation? I can assure you that if prayers answered, they will definitely give their god the glory, not my God.” And that's a really insightful question. Pastor Paul: It is. And I've never been to Borneo, but she's probably right. But these were the same issues that the first century believers were dealing with. Because paganism was so widespread, and they believed in these multiplicities of gods. And you know what, the book of Acts tells us that the Apostle Paul did do miracles, and they were attributed to pagan gods. When he was bit by a venomous snake, and he shook off that snake into the fire, they assumed he was a pagan god. So there's going to be misunderstanding. Here's the point about all this. It is not your responsibility how people react when you share the Gospel. Your responsibility, and I would say this to Charlotte or anybody else, your responsibility, our responsibility as believers is to share the gospel with whomever will listen. And then to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit in our dealing with that person. And not consider how they're going to react. Philip was told by the Spirit to go and follow a chariot, where there was an Ethiopian, who was making his way home from Jerusalem. He didn't know how that Ethiopian was going to react when he started a conversation with him because he heard him reading from the book of Isaiah. And he just kind of chimed in and started talking. He didn't know how this guy was going to react when he shared the gospel. He didn't know how this man was going to respond. He was obedient to the Lord and that's the way we need to be. Be obedient to God. Share the gospel with people. You're not responsible. Even if you pray with somebody for they might be healed. Let's say God did a miracle and healed somebody. It's not your responsibility how that person reacts to that healing. You're simply responsible to be faithful to God in what He tells you to do. So go do that. Sue: Plus, they may look back on it differently than how they react to you in the moment. Pastor Paul: Yeah, that's for sure. Sue: Conge says, “In the Book of Revelation, the nations are judged. If I pray for the country of Turkey, for example, to repent, what good would a prayer do if it already been decided? We're called to pray for nations, but then I wonder if there's any point, for example, Iran. How should I pray for a nation that has judged?” Pastor Paul: Well, this is probably one of the questions that comes up in the Bible. Like, when Jonah was called to go to Nineveh, which is modern day Turkey, essentially. Because Nineveh was the capital city of the Assyrian Empire. And he was kind of like, what's the point? They're going to be judged, and I want them to be judged. That was kind of Jonah's attitude. And the reason God sent Jonah to Nineveh was because they would be judged. And there's nothing that we can do about that ultimate judgment. But within those nations, whether it's Turkey, or Iran, or Iraq, or wherever, there are people that God wants to save. And we are to pray for them, and to any who will listen. So instead of praying for Turkey, or the ultimate path of Turkey, that's God's business, I would encourage this person Conge, pray for the people. If that's something God's laid on your heart. And I know he's probably just using an example. But if there are people in a particular area that God has laid on your heart, and you're thinking, well, what goods are going to do this? It’s nation that's ungodly. There are people in that nation that God wants to reach with the gospel. So you start praying for them. Sue: It's also healthy for us. I'm thinking at the moment about when Babylon came in and took the rest of the people from Judah and Jerusalem. And Jeremiah said, pray for the welfare of the city to which I sent you into exile. Well, Babylon was clearly already judged for what they were doing, because the Lord sent them to do it. And yet God said, settle down and pray for the people. Pastor Paul: Pray for the welfare. Sue: Pray for the surrounding. Wherever you are, pray for that. Even though they are judged. Pastor Paul: Exactly. Sue: All right. @Anon7777jeusslover says, “Hi, Pastor Paul. My sister and I have been curious to see what you and your wife looked like when you were younger. May we see a wedding picture or something like that?” Pastor Paul: We don't show wedding pictures, first of all, because it was the 70s. Sue: Yeah. Pastor Paul: And the 70s were terrible for style. Sue: Well, it wasn't the best weekend ever. I mean, my hair looks great. But I think you were struggling. Pastor Paul: Well, we were young. Sue was 17 when we got married, you were almost 18. And I was 14. No, I'm just kidding. I was 20. So here's what we're going to do. We're going to put up on the screen a picture of us from 1984 just after we had our first baby. So this is 40 years ago. There you are. We’re young, hair is dark, mustache, that was the thing in those days. It was the style. Don't judge me. And there you go. Sue: We're real people. Pastor Paul: And there's a rare picture. Sue: Misty says, “Does the Bible given the advice for single mothers? The kids and I are in church and I stay in the Bible! Is there a Bible verse that comes to mind to help me raise good Christian men and good Christian women?” Pastor Paul: Bless your heart, Misty. Single parenting is a huge challenge. And I want to just encourage you to keep going the way you're going. Does the Bible say anything? Well, the Bible just deals with parenting in a general sense, rather than dealing specifically with a single mother. Proverbs 22:6 (ESV) says, Train up a child in the way he should go; and even when he is old, he will not depart from it. And there's reason to believe that Timothy was raised by a single mother. We don't know that for sure, at least a single parent who was a believer. There may have been a father there. He's not specifically mentioned. But anyway, there's nothing I don't think specifically about single parenting. But just keep going, do your best, pray for your kids and get some people in your church involved possibly. Sue: And that's what I see two things. She says, here I am in church, and I am in the Word. Well, I really applaud you and for any other single parents listening to this, those are the two real keys. We have in our church body, I can think of very many, both single dads, and single moms and the fellowship, the Word says that we are to carry one another's burdens. And there are always people that just blesses me is that there's other people around in the church body looking for opportunities to bless those that are raising kids solo and it's so healthy for the church. And so those are the two keys, the church and the Word. Pastor Paul: Yeah, Amen. Sue: Dario says, “Ephesians 2:8 says that we are saved by grace through faith. But why through faith specifically?” Pastor Paul: Well, that's just God determined that faith was going to be the key that unlocks so much. I mean, really, all of our Christian life. Habakkuk 2:4 (ESV) said, the righteous shall live by his faith. And in Isaiah 30:15 (ESV), we have a beautiful passage that says, in quietness and trust (which is faith) shall be your strength. And faith is all about trust, putting your trust in God and that's just the key to our Christian life. Sue: Rebecky says, “I have watched the videos and read the blogs regarding where Cain got his wife. Pastor Paul's answer was that Adam and Eve had many more children in between and generations were formed. Wouldn't this mean that all these generations were brother and sister because they all came from Adam and Eve? Love your teachings!” Pastor Paul: No, wouldn't mean they're all direct brothers and sisters. Because if you got to remember, they lived for a long, long, long time. So if Adam and Eve had children who had children who married and had children, and who married and had children, and you have generations, then you start getting into cousins, and second cousins, and third cousins and things like that. And so they were definitely much more closely related than people today when they marry. But the gene pool was so fresh and unpolluted, that it just wasn't an issue. Sue: Michael says, “Did John the Baptist know Jesus was the Messiah before he baptized him? If he didn't know then why did it say in Matthew, I am the one who needs to be baptized by you, so why are you coming to me?” Pastor Paul: You can't know the answer to this question until you've seen Jesus face to face. When the Lord of Life walks up to you, whether you've met him before or not, and he stands in front of you. John was a godly man. And he knew when he beheld Jesus for the very first time, he knew who he was. I mean, I take it at face value. John said, I wouldn't have known who he was unless da-da-da. But he just knew when the Lord was there. Sue: Seena says, “Thank you so much for your teachings. We love listening to you. My question is from Matthew 26:74, when it says Peter began to call down curses on himself and he swore to them, I don't know the man. This was a sin which was forgiven, however Judas Iscariot was not. Why?” Pastor Paul: Well, it all comes down to the heart. Judas never repented. He was sorry, but that's not repentance. Peter repented. He was sorrowful, and he repented and their hearts were just different. They had different heart. Judas was a thief from the beginning. We're told that. Peter was reckless, but he had a good heart. And we have to remember, and Seena needs to remember this, we all need to remember this as believers, when you're reading something in the Bible, and you're like, why is this person treated different than that person, is because God sees the heart. He sees what you and I can't see. He sees the heart and he knows. Sue: And the commentary in the gospels just is not deep enough to give us all the insights. Pastor Paul: No, but God has all the insights. Sue: Right. Arun says, “Were the two brothers of Jesus (James & Judas) the apostles? If yes, we know from verse John 7:3-5, and Mark 3:21 that even Jesus' brothers didn't believe in him. But still, how come his brothers James & Judas became Apostles of Jesus?” Pastor Paul: Were the two brothers of Jesus the apostles? No, they were not. James was not the Apostle James, that James was the very first of the original 12 to be put to death. He had his head cut off by Herod. He was put to death. And again, Jude and Judas, it's the same name. And the brother of Jesus is the author of the book, Jude, but he did not come to the Lord, and neither did James, the brother of Jesus, come to the Lord until after the resurrection. We know that for sure about James because the Bible tells us that Jesus appeared specifically to James after his resurrection. So during His earthly ministry, James and Jude, the earthly brothers of Jesus, in other words, the sons of Joseph and Mary, did not believe that Jesus was who He claimed to be. It was only after His crucifixion and resurrection that came to faith in him. Sue: It can be a challenge to keep the names straight. Pastor Paul: It sure can because they were very common names. Sue: Yes. The Mary's and the John's and the Peter’s. Shanna asked, “Pastor Paul, I have had the pleasure of going through the Bible with you and doing my best to retain and learn more about Jesus. Some of my friends always have something to say if I post on my Facebook page. Recently, one of them said, you've been studying through the Bible for a while, so have you found a rational explanation for why the God of the Bible promotes genocide, infanticide, misogyny, racism, slavery, homophobia and torture? I just don't know how to reply.” Pastor Paul: Well, I'm going to say ahead of time that I did respond to Shanna personally. So I sent her a note on this. But I'll just kind of give you a synopsis of what I said. When a person asks a question like that, they are telling you by their question, my mind is made up and they're asking a leading question. In other words, a question that is going to immediately lead the hearer into the belief that all these things are real, that this is really. It's like me coming up to a man who's married and saying that I really have never met before, but just asking him, are you still abusing your wife? You see what the thing does? Sue: There’s a term for that in arguing or something. There’s defined as a term. Pastor Paul: I don’t know where it is. But what it does is it instantly puts that person in that negative light and that's what this person is doing. And there's really nothing that you can say, that is going to be a particular response that's going to make that person go, oh, really? Sue: I see that I'm wrong. Pastor Paul: I see that I'm wrong. The best thing you can say to someone like that is, well, I hope that one day you'll consider opening your heart and studying the Bible and realizing that all of your preconceived conclusions are wrong. That's really the only thing you can say, and they're going to come back with their own response. But what else can you say when somebody's mind is made up? Sue: Very good. D Harris first question, “Are the sheep in wolves clothing sons of perdition?” Pastor Paul: No, the term son of perdition, which is also translated in other Bibles, son of destruction, is a singular term in the Bible and it refers essentially to the Antichrist, the son of perdition. Sue: And second, “What do you do about professing brethren (Christians) living in fornication?” Pastor Paul: In other words, living, like in sexual sin. For example, like a couple that claims to be a believer or believers, but they're living together out of wedlock. They're not married, but they're living together. What do you do about it? Well, that depends greatly on whether you know them personally, whether they attend your church, whether you have a relationship with them, and an ability to speak into their life. The apostle Paul did write to the church in Corinth, and he talked about believers who were involved in sexual immorality. But this was a word given to the church, not to individuals, it was given to the church. And it's in 1 Corinthians 5:11 (ESV), here's what Paul said. He said, now I'm writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality, and he went on to name other things that person could be guilty of as well. He said, don't even eat with such a person. And again, that was a word to the church to withdraw from that individual for the purposes of fellowship, so that they might understand the gravity of their sin, and they might repent. However, when Paul wrote his letter to the Galatians, he addressed a more individual response, not necessarily to the church. In Galatians 6:1 (ESV), he said, brothers, if anyone is caught in a transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. But he went on to say, but keep watch over yourself that, you don't get tempted along those same lines. So that's more of the individual approach. We’re to withdraw from them as a church, if they're just coming to church, but they're living in sin, the body of Christ, led by the leadership of the church, is to begin to withdraw. Now how they do that they have to decide. But on a more individual basis, we are to restore that person in a spirit of gentleness, we’re to go to them gently to and to explain, here's what's going on in your life. And this is not right, and you need to walk in obedience to the Lord. Sue: All right. Jason has a long paragraph here, “I'm very familiar with your teachings on Spiritual Gifts and I've listened to your sermons on the gifts over the years. I watched the sermon and I was familiar with your line of logic in which you build a biblical argument that (1) Spiritual Gifts have indeed not ceased, and will not cease until “the perfect comes,” and (2) not everyone is meant to speak in tongues, but rather, different believers are given different spiritual gifts by the will of God for the purpose of empowerment. I struggle with Acts 19 because in it, I can hear my mother's Assembly of God background using this as a “proof text” that those who are “baptized in the Holy Spirit” will speak in tongues, just as occurs in all 12 of the disciples upon whom the Spirit descends in the text. Can you help bring clarity to this passage (or should I wait until you get to Acts Chapter 19?)” Pastor Paul: I mean, you could do that. But it's very, very challenging. When someone in your life comes from a particular bent, conclusion and they reiterate that to you over the years. He talks about his mother, who having a particular background in the church, came from that belief that the baptism of the Holy Spirit will always identify itself or manifest itself is a better way to say it, with someone speaking in tongues. And when somebody says that over and over and over, you really become conditioned to hearing it that way. And then you read the passage, and you hear the voice of your mother, or your father or whoever, who said those things over and over and over again and that's a very, very challenging thing. But you have to understand that, what they're saying is what they're saying, but also what they're not saying is something they're saying as well. Let me explain what I mean by that. When somebody comes to the conclusion that the baptism of the Holy Spirit always manifests itself through the gift of tongues. What they're saying also is, if you don't speak in tongues, you haven't been baptized in the Holy Spirit. It's the other side of that same coin. Now you have to start looking at people's lives, because you understand when Jesus said, you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit will come upon you and baptize you. He didn't say you'll speak in tongues. He said, you will receive power. Now we see a lot of people in the Bible, in in life, church history, who had incredible power, we see the power of the Holy Spirit on their lives. Billy Graham is one of them. Billy Graham, claimed to have never spoken in tongues, and yet we see power in his life. My question to people who take these kinds of positions like this is, are you going to walk up to Billy Graham, and I know you can't do that now he's with the Lord but are you going to be the one that walks up to Billy Graham and say, brother, you need more power? Because he's already met more people at the place of salvation than you have. He brought more people to Jesus than you probably ever will in your life. And you're going to tell him he needs power? We see power in men like Billy Graham. We see it in many others who have never spoken in tongues. The gift of tongues is a wonderful gift. But I do not believe it is the only sign that an individual has been baptized in the Holy Spirit. Because Jesus said, you will receive power, spiritual power. And we do see that in many people's lives. One of the very common sorts of things that Christians do is we look into the Word of God, and we look for patterns that we can put into a doctrinal box sort of a thing. We look for patterns. We'll say, in Acts Chapter 2, the Holy Spirit fell upon them and they all spoke in tongues. Acts Chapter 19, the Holy Spirit fell on them and they all spoke in tongues. There's a pattern there. And so what I'm going to do is I'm going to take this pattern, and I'm going to make this box, and I'm going to make God's stay in it. And this is the box that I've made for him. And this is the way we're going to do it. And we're always going to this is the way it is, and now becomes this teaching. Even though the Bible doesn't say anywhere when you are baptized in the Spirit, you will speak in tongues. It's all based on my understanding from some of these passages which aren't all the same. Because in Acts Chapter 4, the Holy Spirit falls on all the assembled believers and it simply says they spoke the Word of God with boldness. It didn't say anything about anybody speaking in tongues. So when we create boxes, and we demand that people and God live within the confines of that box, I think it's a mistake. I think we're making a mistake when it's not something that is specifically and clearly directed in the Word of God. And I hope that helps a little bit. Sue: Yeah, I'm sure it does. And that's our last question. Pastor Paul: That is our last question. So that's where we end for January. Sue: Hey, can I do a little reminder here at the end? Because we just started a women's Bible study. And we've only uploaded the first introduction video. So ladies, if there are any of you that want to jump in and join us, this isn't a zoom Bible study or anything, but we do upload every Friday. We're in 1 & 2 Kings Part Two. And we're going to finish off in nine weeks where we started last winter. And so I just really invite you to join us along. You can just go to the website, and you can download the PDF study guide. We'll be all set to go. Pastor Paul: And we’ll also remind you that I have published a book and it's called Pastor, I Have a Question. And you can find it on Amazon. If you just go to Amazon and do a search for Pastor Paul LeBoutillier or Pastor, I Have a Question, and that's something you can order. And there are over 150 questions and answers there as well. So that's going to wrap us up for January. We'll look forward to getting your questions and bringing them to you with answers in February sometime. So until then, God bless you. Have a good rest of your day and we hope to see you soon. Bye-bye. Sue: Bye-bye.