Was St. Nick a Real Figure in Church History?

Some Christians love Santa Claus. Others have reservations, but was Satan a real figure in church history. That is one of the questions will be answering on today's addition of core Christianity hi this is Bill Meyer with pastor Averill Sanchez and this is the radio program where we answer your questions about the Bible and the Christian life every day. You can call us right now with your question. At 833. The core that's 1-833-843-2673.

You can also post your question on our Facebook, Instagram or twitter accounts and you can email us at questions at core, Christianity.com. Well, he's 12 years old and he's headed to Georgia Tech.

We told you before about Caleb Anderson. He's a brilliant 12-year-old who's been attending high school and taking classes at a Georgia technical College, and now Caleb has been accepted at Georgia Tech will be starting as a freshman next fall. He plans to study aerospace engineering and wants to be an astronaut and Caleb just received some more great news TV host Steve Harvey has offered to cover the cost of his tuition.

By the way, here's Caleb's advice for other kids if you want to succeed you have to do two things. Number one, you have to learn to fail in the second part is you always try to wow that is so cool it's a pretty amazing how you just have some people who, for whatever reason your natural Talbot really also the gifts that God gives to us people who really shine into really well in academics. I think that's just amazing. I think a lot has to do with his parents to have kinda been encouraging this all along so and they are very bright people themselves well. Congratulations Caleb. We pray that you do really well in your freshman year will here's our first question of the day a drill. It comes from Greg in Christman, Illinois.

My wife and I were the baptismal service for young lady and the pastor stated that when Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist when he went into the water. All the sins of the world were placed on them. At that time and he carried him until he went to the cross. My wife and I believe that is incorrect teaching.

We have searched the gospel and we believe that is incorrect since the world were not put on Jesus until he was on the cross like know your comments on this. Thank you, a great thanks for giving us a call and for being the reason for searching the Scriptures, you know, I think it's important for people in the church to understand that they have an obligation as well to dig into the Scripture so that when they hear something from the pulpit or in a baptismal service that doesn't ring true that contradicts no other passages of Scripture.

They're able to discern for themselves. He knows this is just in line with God's word, and so I want to commend you. I've actually never heard that interpretation of Jesus's baptism. This idea that when Jesus was baptized.

That's when the sins of the world were placed on him.

Actually I think if you go to a place like Isaiah 53 the prophecy of the suffering servant, the prophecy of our Lord Jesus Christ and his passion.

Passages like that make it very clear that Christ bore our sins when he was crucified. So Isaiah chapter 53 the very beginning. This was believed what he has heard from us and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed or he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground. Yet no former Majesty that we should look at him and no beauty that we should desire him.

He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief and is one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows, yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted.

But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace and by his wounds we are healed. It's very clear and this pastor was correct in saying that the sins of the world were placed onto Jesus at the question is, what point did that happen in here though since being placed on Jesus is associated with the passion of Christ and and actually I think that's precisely what the apostles teach as well. In first Peter chapter 2 verses 24 and 25 is actually echoing that passage in Isaiah 53. He says he himself bore our sins in his body on the tree that is on the cross and so brother, the Scriptures are very clear that Jesus bore our sins on the tree of the cross and what a wonderful way to begin our program for today meditating upon the fact that Jesus is carried our sins, that through his sacrificial death.

We are forgiven. So thank you for that question.

Hope that clears things up for you a little bit. This is core Christianity with pastor Averill Sanchez.

Here's an email question that came in from Delsea. She says I have a five-year-old grandson who is very smart. I started reading illustrated Bible stories to them, but when he sees Adam, he asks is this God any mail he sees he associates with God I'm stumped as to how I can explain an abstract concept like God.

To him yeah God is the spirit, and of course we can't see God right now me, that's absolutely clear though we do not see him. We love him.

Peter said in first Peter chapter 1 verse eight there was a time where God walked the earth.

I'm thinking in particular of the incarnation of our Lord Jesus and and when people saw Jesus they saw God. God incarnate, but Jesus ascended into heaven and is at the right hand of the father, and so we we don't see God. Now what we do is we hear the word of God proclaimed, and in that way. Jesus is set before us effect.

This is what the apostle Paul told the Galatians very clearly talked about how he placarded the word that he used in Galatians, there is the same word for billboard is a high bill boarded Jesus to you how well nothing I painted a big picture of Jesus for you. He saying I preached Jesus and him crucified in such a vivid way that you saw him, as it were, with the eyes of your heart.

I think that's were called to do the teach the Scriptures and and so I love Delsea that you're reading the Bible to your grandchildren and and that your trying to help them understand and know who Jesus is and and and what Jesus has done for them. I think sometimes you know it with pictures and things can get kind of confusing some years ago we were at the church that our congregation rents. We meet in a building that we rent the Lutheran Church building.

There's just big stained glass image of Jesus in the building and and I remember after church one Sunday was just me and my oldest son there in the sanctuary and my son serve walked toward the big image and he said I love you, God, and he was being very sincere, but he was also like kids can be confused because that picture wasn't a picture of God, you start to realize why God gave his people. The second commandment where he talked about not making any images of God. God doesn't like to be misrepresented.

Jesus spirit and really we can't in any picture that we draw encapsulate all that God is, and so we have to be careful with that and I think with your grandson up with which you can do is to stress the fact that what we can't see God and God is so great he so awesome that there is no picture that can that can fully communicate to us. His greatness is beauty, his wonder, but we do have the words of Scripture, and so give your grandchildren that give them the words of Scripture. I think Delsea is above Paul's encouragement to Timothy actually on a couple of occasions Paul talks to Timothy about his family. His mother and even his grandmother and he talks to Timothy about how from his childhood. He had known the Scriptures which were able to make him wise for salvation will how do you know the Scriptures through his family through his mother and grandmother and so you play a very important role Delsea in the building up of the next generation and imparting the word of God to them so that the faith might continue to grow and so again I commend you and just want to encourage you to keep doing that to keep reading the Scriptures to your grandchildren and pointing them to Jesus. This is core Christianity with pastor Averill Sanchez and our goal is to help you understand the core truths of the Christian faith that we want to help as many people as possible.

Gain a clearer understanding of the gospel.

We do that through this radio show. The questions we answer the articles on our website. The resources we produce. But you know we can't do it without your help. That's right, Bill and I were a listener supported program and if you benefited and been encouraged by the answers to the questions about the Christian faith you hear on core Christianity would like to ask you to please consider sending a gift now to help us continue as a thank you for your gift of $20 or more will send you our new resource how to read the Bible. This is a resource that shows you how to answer some of the most important questions you hear us answer on the show. Most importantly, this resource will help you answer questions about the Bible and how its grand message points to Jesus how to read the Bible resource introduces you to the history of the Bible key concepts that help tie the Old Testament and the New Testament together and key ideas from the main sections of the Bible and much more. It's a 10 week study that can be used in personal devotions Sunday school classes or your Bible study group. Each weekly lesson includes selected passages from the Bible. Reflection questions and explanations of the key themes every Christian should know about the Bible as a whole to make a donation and receive this new study just head over to core Christianity.com/Bible. That's core Christianity.com/Bible or you can call us at 833 the core that's 1-833-843-2673 and on behalf of the entire team. A core radio thank you so much for your support federal here's our Facebook post that came in from Cynthia. She says hi pastor a drill. I recently heard folks say that St. Nicholas was a real historical figure who fought against heretics in the ancient Christian church does this give us reason to celebrate the Santa Claus folklore during Christmas. I'm not sure how the myth and St. Nicholas are related in the first place. Well, I think we should give a warning here Bill.

For those of you who are listening with your kids nearby. If you don't want us to reveal any secrets you might want to turn the radio off by that, I think doing the whole Santa Claus thing at this time of year is a matter of personal conscience abducted Christians who refuse to do it because they say I feel like I'm lying to my children if I tell them that their presence came from Santa Claus that abduct others is that it is not that big of a deal. You know, we can have fun with it. Sort of like the tooth fairy that kind of thing, but Cindy you are right St. Nicholas was a real person known this for his acts of charity toward the poor who also said to stood up for Christian orthodoxy that is to say he was is a man who defended the teaching of the Bible. And maybe that's the story that we need to be telling right now because that's the true story of who St. Nick was in the myth was the sort of birth out of the stories of St. Nicholas. You know gift of charity to children in need. As far as I can tell the red suit and a white beard, that's probably a later addition to the story and one that I think is less interesting than the real story here is that they're the real story behind St. Nick.

One. First he suffered for his faith under the persecutions of the Emperor Diocletian in the fourth century, but he was a guy who walk the walk. He was willing to cling to his beliefs despite opposition to think this is so cool. He was in attendance at the Council of Nicaea in 325 A.D. this was a Council of Christian pastors think of the big church conference maybe who were basically responding to an early heresy that taught that there was a time when Jesus didn't exist. There was a group there within the church that was saying Jesus was a created being. And so these pastors came together and they said yeah no that's not what the Bible teaches, and they drafted a statement against that heresy which was known as Arianism as I get this. Here's a guy who love the Scriptures suffer for his faith and lived it out with acts of charity on behalf of those who are in need know what that's I think we need more of today. We need people who are going to stand up for the truth cling to the word of God to the teaching of the Scripture to Christian orthodoxy to the right doctrine given to us in the Bible and not just talk the talk but they walk the walk there, willing even to suffer for their faith in Jesus Christ and they exhibited through acts of love acts of charity.

For those who are in need and what a great thing for us to be reminded of this Christmas season. As we meditate upon the incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ. I mean that's doctrine, that's theology that God the son would assume humanity. Our flesh and blood so that he might perfectly represent us so that he might restore humanity as it were, by uniting it to God in the incarnation, so that he might live the perfect life on our behalf and then offer up his body to atone for all of our sins made it really is quite a quite a story and it's a true story. That's the true story of Christmas and end Christians like St. Nicholas defended that message and were willing to suffer for it and loved others as they shared it and so I think maybe Cynthia more and more what we need to do for ourselves but for our families really talk to our kids about that story about who St. Nicholas really was and about how we do the gospel have to be generous givers because of how God is blessed us and given to us.

It really is such a beautiful thing and so hope that that gives a little bit of of clarity on who who St. Nick really was, and blesses you this Christmas season. I don't know if this is true about St. Nicholas.

But there is a legend that when he was probably a teenager heard about this poor family in his area where the daughters didn't have enough money to pay their dowry for marriage. So during the night. He put gold coins inside their home and I never did find out who did it, but it was St. Nicholas.

Again, I don't know if that's true with the fifth one of those legends above it shows his generosity. That's right yeah I've heard that same story. Bill and Anna. I don't know hundred percent. If it's true, but it does highlight the fact that whoever he was me. He was known for these acts of charity for caring for those who are in need for the poor and what a great example for all of us. This is core Christianity with pastor Adm. Sanchez and here's a voicemail that came in through our website@corechristianity.com. This is from David in the United Kingdom either. Thank you so much for what you do and especially for this contest that it's a great blessing for me and for a lot of the line so thank you and I want to ask about the Spirit's voice, especially as it relates to nonpoint processing and a people hearing the voice of God when I pray when I read the Bible when admitted siding or when they are in church and I did a very strong sense of something I want to say to someone will interpret that as the voice of the spirit. I don't know any thing in Scripture that contradicts this is so MI just to stay clear and strong in my secessionist opinions.

Thank you for any help that you can develop this matter.

David, thanks for reaching out to us all the way from the UK.

I'm so grateful to hear that you've been blessed by the program and that others are being blessed as well. What a joy it is for us to be able to talk about God's word and I like you know the careful distinctions that you're trying to make here, you know, what's the difference between somebody who says I have a word from the Lord. I'm prophesying and somebody says it, I just really have this strong sense of of maybe God leading me in this particular direction.

Or what about winter reading the Scriptures and and all the sentences as they're opened up to us as if God is speaking directly to me through the preaching of the word or through and out by own Bible studies. I'm reading the Scriptures we have to have a category for what we we refer to as illumination. In other words, God opening up the Scriptures to us by the Holy Spirit. Whenever I preach a sermon that prior to preaching.

II give a prayer of illumination. I asked God by the Spirit to open our hearts to the word, because that the reality is we can hear God's Word, the Bible goat in one ear and out the other. What we need is the spirit to work with the word and in our hearts to seal the word to our hearts so that we might truly grasp and understand it. I don't deny that there are times when God might providentially lay something on your heart. And of course like like you I wouldn't call that prophecy but providential guiding perhaps to me that there are different ways we can talk about this.

I remember really difficult time in my life that I didn't talk to anyone about and having a woman in my church. An older woman of a mother in the faith, we might say, walk up to me and tell me that she didn't know why, but the Lord had placed me on her heart and that she was praying for me and I can't tell you how much that meant to me in the moment more than she knew. Certainly I would go as far as to use the language that God spoke to her. I think that that can confuse things. Yeah, and it's also quite quite a bold claim. You don't people cite God spoke to me. God told me this.

Sadly, I think anytime some Christians feel an emotional prodding, they assume that God must be leading them to do or say this or that and I think that's also dangerous.

I've I've seen that in the church were people assume anything to have this the strong feeling her inclination that that's the Lord guiding them in and then will go as far as to say, will God is telling me to do this or that and I think that's really dangerous and so we have to distinguish between how God ordinarily works among us through the word illuminating Scripture to us faithful Bible teaching and preaching. We have to distinguish that from the extraordinary happenings that are rare, but I think also real yeah there are times where God might place something on an individual's harder or put someone on on someone's heart is just have a strong sense to pray for that person, or to encourage them with the particular passage of Scripture and I think there's there's nothing wrong with that. But, but, of course. Again, we wouldn't say, but that's prophecy or some miraculous gift for states. The providential guidance of God, which sometimes he blesses us with as his people and so may the Lord bless you brother and thank you for listening. Hey David, thank you so much for listening there in the UK and for checking out our podcast. By the way, if you subscribe to that and give it a five star review that will help reach more people with the truth of God's word through the core Christianity podcast, it will. Here's an email question that came in from Mercy and she says pastor a drill. Is it necessary to understand God or is faith in Jesus enough. That's a very interesting question. I'm in one sense mercy, we can never fully understand God, we can comprehend God as he is in his essence because he's totally other. He's different than we are of God is just a greater creature. He's the creator. Even at his own category and so I will never comprehend or understand God as he is in his essence and yet God has revealed himself to us mercy, through his works through his acts in redemptive history and that's what we have been in the pages of the Bible as we have God's redemptive revelation of himself as he spoke to man and revealed his goodness.

His promises. Ultimately his gospel to us and and fundamentally in the person of his son Jesus semi-Jesus when Jesus came.

Mercy said that he was revealing the father to us. And so if you want to understand God as it were. You look to Jesus.

Jesus is the one who reveals to us the father, by the grace of the Holy Spirit, and so what we know of God we know to what God has accomplished for us what God has revealed to us at and that revelation reaches its height in Jesus the one who we meditate on the one who we look to the one who, as I quoted that passage earlier this program from from first Peter the one who even though we don't see him.

We love him and we know him and we can have a personal relationship with him and so I would say yeah. In that sense it's very necessary to understand God. That is how God has revealed himself to us and that happens through faith in Jesus Christ and faith in Jesus is sufficient to save us, not because it's really strong, but because it holds fast to Jesus the Savior. That's the one that we cling to. We cling to Christ and and he's the one who saves us and so you know, one of the things we want to encourage. On this program mercy is that all of us would grow in our understanding of God through his word and and that's really important you know I think sometimes we think will just enough to have faith what we have to get into all this talk about theology and Bible study this that and the other can't we just love God, can't we just love each other but let me tell you just speaking from personal experience, the more you understand God's word, you're going to love the Lord so many of the problems that we have today in the church come from a lack of understanding of who God is and how he's revealed himself in his word. We have a low view of God. We don't treat them as holy as he truly is. We have a high view of ourselves we don't recognize that were as sinful as the Bible says that we are we don't understand or fully comprehend the depth of God's love for us in Christ. And so we do is we try to work our way to God and we always feel let down burdened by our failure to keep God's light so important for us to know who God is to know his love for us in is that precisely what Paul prayed for for the Ephesian Christians. He says in Ephesians chapter 3 verse 14.

For this reason, Paul says I bow my knees before the father from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory. He may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breath and length and height and depth, and to know there's that word to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, you may be filled with all the fullness of God's mercy. Don't you want that I do something each of us and wanted something each of you should want to be filled with the fullness of God through what knowledge of the love of God revealed in the son of God, Jesus Christ, thanks for listening to core Christianity to request your copy of today's special offer. Visit us@corechristianity.com and click on offers in the menu for or call us at 1-833-843-2673 that's a 33 core when you contact us. Please let us know how you been encouraged by this podcast and be sure to join us next time. As we explore the truth of God's word together