Is Jesus or the Bible the Word of God?

The Bible is called the word of God.

But Jesus is also called the word of God.

So which is best is one of the questions will be answering on today's addition of core Christianity hi this is Bill Meyer, along with my friend Pastor Adm. 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 court, that's 1-833-843-2673. You can also email us at questions at core, Christianity.com will a new survey has found that the Bible has been a vital lifeline for Christians in the United Kingdom and Ireland during the COBIT 19 lockdowns the Bible study after word go, found that 63% of churchgoing Christians in the UK and Ireland say the Bible is been crucial in helping them deal with the pressures of life since the lockdowns first began in March. Simon Lennox is the director word go says it's so encouraging to hear people being comforted by God through the Bible in these challenging times. This shows that the genuine impact of Bible engagement on our lives in times of great uncertainty.

We need the timeless wisdom and genuine peace that only the word of God can bring is not encouraging Israel. Yeah I am sure Bill we would both say amen to that. I know in my own life there been there, been challenging times where I went to the Scriptures and study God's word and it just was such a comfort. I'm just an anchor. Frankly, in those difficult times. I'm glad to hear that other people are recognizing that is so important for us to go to God's word to find that comfort in that piece when things seem really unstable. Our first question of the day. This was posted on her Facebook page by Lee.

Lee says I've heard a pastor say that he's never once had someone come to him and repent of being greedy even though Jesus talks about greed more than any other sin. My question is, then, has anyone ever confess to you that they struggle with greed and if not what you think about this. Yeah. Believe it or not, you know, I mean, that's not one of the frequently confess to send this and I think that that is a problem is this may be, it exposes a big blind spot that we have me, especially in our context. In the United States we really have more money than the rest of the world.

I mean, some so many of us are are doing much better than the majority of the people that live on planet Earth.

And now that doesn't mean that weren't necessarily greedy, but I think that money is one of the biggest idols temptations for us comfort just that pursuing comfort to the extent of neglecting what God has called us to, and how God is called us to use the resources that he gives to us the love of money can be something that you are enslaved to whether you're rich or you're poor if it's what drives you, what you live for what you hoard up and cling to this and there's an issue.

This is why Jesus said in the sermon on the Mount. You can't serve God and mammon or money riches you have to pick one.

It's amazing to me. Let me let me say this. I know because of the prosperity gospel and you know these televangelist people see on television that there are a lot of faithful pastors that have a hard time talking about money and possessions because the whole conversation is become so tainted with preachers on TV who were saying things like oh you know you need to sow your seed and be blessed and and sent to my ministry and God is and to give you back tenfold and of those kinds of things.

Those kinds of lies a minute really is a false doctrine, and it leaves a bad taste in so many people's mouths and and so that I think there's this reaction to that were pastors just downright good to touch the topic of money with a 10 foot pole. And yet Jesus had no problem talking about money and possessions you me think about the parables that he told and it's interesting because when he talked about how we as Christians should think about money and possessions he almost flipped everything upside down to do what we would normally assume, for example, he gives the parable of rich fool who stored up all this money, his riches in it he said to himself now. Alas, I can finally rest look at all this that I've saved up. I really been pretty savvy financially and yet that person died with all of his riches in Jesus that that man was a fool because he was in investing in heaven, and then you think about the poor widow there in the temple giving her her widow's might everything that she had frankly and we might be tempted to think okay that the rich guy he was smart with his resources that widow and she was foolish giving you know her last dime to the temple and yet Jesus commends her and he calls the rich man a fool is the I think a lot of times in our in our society today we might look at the rich man is a smart guy storing up for tomorrow and look at the widow and think and how pitiful and yet Jesus commends the widow and calls the rich man a fool. What are you investing I think is that the key question where your treasure is, that's where your heart will be and there is such a close relationship to the way we think about money and possessions and oftentimes reveals something of our spiritual condition how we think about God and his kingdom. And each of us, frankly, were to be held accountable. Randy Alcorn. He has a book.

Think of money, possessions and eternity.

He made a point in that book that really struck me said you know if you work from 25 to 65 making $25,000 a year you will have made $1 million in your lifetime, and his point was to say that each of us in the course of our lives will manage a fortune, and if were not careful it will manage us. It will rule over us and ultimately working to be accountable for how we use the resources that God gave to us. And so Jesus again has a lot to say about money and possessions because he knew the this was a huge temptation for us and it is a huge temptation.

I think for many of us here in the United States, and so we we do have to ask ourselves whether or not we are tempted by this and being controlled by money and possessions in the longing for security in these other things, or are we using the resources God gives us for his glory. Are we doing good and sharing is Paul told Timothy to encourage the the rich in his congregation to do sharing with those who are in need giving to the work of the church to give to your local church for the advancement of the gospel meet all of these things are so so important, and they reveal something about how we think about the world and how we think about God and his kingdom.

And so think this is a huge blind spot for us and something that each of us needs to ask ourselves personally in my control by money or my controlled by the Lord and his spirit and why use the money that he gives me as a tool for advancing his glory way so thankful you asked that question is something that all of us should be really pondering in our hearts, and ask God to show us if there's any blind spots. This is a core Christianity with pastor Adm. Sanchez and here's a question that came in from band he posted this on her Instagram account he says in Mark 1330 Jesus says truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. How do we correctly interpret this passage. It seems to say all of those things have already happened since that generation has already passed away, or who is this generation referring to. Thanks so much for thank you for your question mark and I think the key as far as understanding.

This is concerned is in looking at the beginning of the chapter and by the way, I just I just mentioned the widow's might the widow's offering comes right before this, ask Mexican at the start in 12 chapter 12 verse 41 because I think it helps us to understand even that story to end it. 13 and then answer your question so as he sat down opposite the treasury and watch the people putting money into the offering box.

Many rich people put in large sums in a poor widow came and put into small copper coins, which make a penny and he called his disciples to him and said to them, truly I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box.

When they all contributed out of their abundance, which she out of her poverty has put in everything she had all that she had to live on and he came out of the temple and one of the disciples said to him, look, teacher, what wonderful stones and what wonderful buildings and Jesus said to him do you see these great buildings.

There will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down for so in the context of Mark chapter 13, there were only two things that Jesus is talking about.

I think what he's talking about the second coming at various points you to his his return to judge the earth. But he's also talking about what he referred to there at the very beginning of the chapter, which was the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem. This glorious building, Josephus, the Jewish historian when he talks about it.

He says that when the sun was rising on the temple.

It was almost as if the thing was glowing of disease. Large white stones and overlaid with with gold.

It looked as if it was covered in snow at times when the sun would hit it. It was absolutely magnificent and that's why the disciples they will look at how beautiful this is. And Jesus says it's going to be torn down and sure enough in 70 A.D. that the Romans did just that they destroyed the temple. They sacked Jerusalem and so that's what Jesus is referring to. I think that event in particular when he talks about this generation. Witnessing the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. and the reason I brought up again that the widow's mite. There is because how do you think that the temple got so beautiful. Well, he was to the contributions of people like this poor widow is on one since she's commended because of her sacrificial giving.

But Jesus was also rebuking the priesthood that the temple officials who were exploiting people and taking basically everything that they had instead of caring for them to build this big beautiful building that one day would be torn down and ultimately we know that through Jesus. The temple is being rebuilt.

I'm not talking about the physical temple in Jerusalem. I am talking about the temple of his body, the church, and you and I are leaving stones in that temple really is a wonderful thing and so so yeah that I think I think we recognize that Jesus is referring right there specifically to 78. It clears up any confusion about this generation. Witnessing these things. Thanks for your question. Your listening to core Christianity with pastor Adm. Sanchez. I'm Bill Meyer and here's this program. Our mission is to help you understand the core truths of the Christian faith. But the fact is we can't do it without your help. Absolutely Bill, we are a listener supported program in all of the work that we do from the articles on our website. Do the resources reproduce and each and every question answered on this program is only possible with your support, so if you benefited from the answers to questions about the Christian faith that you hear on core Christianity. If you want others to experience that as well. We would ask you to please consider sending a gift now to help us continue our work as a thank you for a gift of $20 or more will send you our new resource how to read the Bible. This resource introduces you to the history of the Bible key concepts that help to bridge the old and the new Testaments together key ideas from the main sections of the Bible and it shows you how the entire Bible points to Jesus how to read the Bible is 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 to make a donation and receive this new study just head over to core Christianity.com/Bible. That's core Christianity.com/Bible and on behalf of the entire team here at core radio. We thank you for your support. Here's a question that came in from Eli, who posted this on our website says please explain what Jeremiah 48, 10 means curse. It is he who does the work of the Lord with slackness and cursed is he who keeps back his sword from bloodshed. This is very confusing to me. Why did the books of the prophets often speak in these dark and confusing ways that will in the context there in Jeremiah chapter 48 God is pronouncing judgment against the people of Moab and and often times in the prophets, you have the sort of apocalyptic poetic language and I think that's one of the reasons why sometimes it can be difficult for us to parse out the meaning because you know a lot of times that the prophets are using this language that were not used to and they're speaking in ways that are there quite fantastic in order to make a very vivid point. So it's important for us to understand even even just the idiom there. Or that the genre of of apocalyptic literature and that's often times is that how the prophets would write. Who were the prophets, Elio and the prophets were raised up. Essentially to prosecute the terms of God's covenant and in particular to Israel's kings. What I mean by that is Godhead had given this covenant to his people and when they failed to obey their end of the bargain when they sinned against the Lord will God would raise up prophets and he would send these prophets to the people to prosecute the terms of the covenant to say hey if you don't repent judgment is coming to the prophets would oftentimes bring a message of judgment not just for Israel all that was often related to Israel, but also for the world the nations of the world that were acting in ways that were wicked and contrary to God's laws and so God raised these prophets to bring a message of judgment. Oftentimes, but also a message of hope in the Messiah and you see that hope articulated in other places in the book of Jeremiah think of Jeremiah 31 and the promise of the new covenant because Isaiah's prophecies in Isaiah 52 and 53 related to the suffering servant of these are keys or prophecies that point us forward to the Messiah to Jesus into the forgiveness of our sins, as I think one of the reasons that were oftentimes confused when we read the prophets is because we don't understand this genre of prophetic literature were having a hard time understanding that, and also because the context rightly. These prophecies came in a historical setting. This was during something that was taking place in the life of God's people in Israel and if we don't understand that historical background. A lot of times this is the prophets are talking were going to have a hard time understanding what their even referring to, because we don't we don't understand who who Moab was in and what their role was in that time in history. So it's important for us at one of the things this reminds us of his imports of reading the Bible in its context and inking some of the historical background and once we have that it doesn't really help the color of the text even more for us to soak any other helpful resources out there you think of the study Bible, or even a basic commentary and end. That's what I oftentimes encourage, if you read through the prophets.

Having a simple commentary that next you that's going to give you at least some of the historical background will help make sense of things. But even if you don't have that I would. I would still encourage you to read because it's God's word and God will use his word to encourage you and to point you to his son Jesus, thanks for that, a drill, this is core Christianity with pastor Adm. Sanchez. You have a question for us.

You can call us anytime at 833, the court.

I have a two-part question during the word of God.

I realized that the word of what is the word of God in reality is more than just a word on the page spirit spirit behind that course of God became flesh and dwelt among us. Word became flesh close to you. So please explain that why people pastor preachers do not share God and God said that when they they always seem to say what Paul said to James, said that the writer of Hebrews, God, thank you, thank you for that question.

But you know I think you're picking up on something. A lot of times a week we talk about the word of God and we could mean one of two things we could be referring to the Bible as God's word.

Inspired by the Holy Spirit and and of course I would go to a place like second Timothy chapter 3 verse 16 vortex all Scripture being God breathed at the word of God. It's it's God's very word is God speaking to us and and then we also talk about Jesus as the word of God, the second person of the holy Trinity, and John speaks in this way, in particular in his gospel and in the book of Revelation as well.

I John chapter 1 verse one in the beginning was the word and the Word was with God and the word was God and then down in verse 14 and the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have beheld his glory as of the only son from the father full of grace and truth. What a great verse to meditate upon us. We you start to approach the Christmas season but but there are two ways I think, in which we can think about that that phrase the word of God. In both ways our biblical we can be talking about Scripture or we can be talking about the incarnate Word. The logo says he's called the second person of the Trinity Lobos being the Greek word for word. Now why do pastors not say this is God's word. You know, Paul said her James that will because Paul and James did in fact say.

May God use these individuals to communicate is where he inspired them by the Holy Spirit without sort of erasing their personalities you know wasn't it wasn't like you know this automatic writing were gods or possess these individuals that they lost all control and they just get out moving their their hand on a piece of paper writing things down. It wasn't that God use them, God use their personalities and yet he inspired them by the Holy Spirit and preserve what they said for us as his word to us and so so we can send me that when I'm preaching through the New Testament of the Old Testament symptoms. Is that what Moses said this or John says here but I could also say this is God's word and God is speaking to us through these words that are there for us but today you have been a very real sense, as we understand them in their context and why is it that Jesus is called the word of God really is interesting, but this was at the heart of some of the debates related to the doctrine of the holy Trinity early on in the life of the church. Actually, the fact that Jesus is called the word the word of the father. The word of God, I think, highlights his own divine status Jesus's own divine status in that he comes from the father.

He is the one through whom the father creates all things. And that's what John says a little bit later there in in John chapter 1 he's always in the father the same way that that the word that comes from our mouths comes from within. Jesus reveals the father sent the thing that John makes absolutely clear to think of a what what Jesus is out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.

Will Jesus as the word of the father reveals the father. He is the eternal son of God took on flesh and came down to us for our salvation for our redemption.

It's okay so the poor that we understate a house. How is this phrase being used are we referring to Jesus, the second person of the holy Trinity, or we are referring to holy Scripture, the Bible as God's word will both phrases are true and so far as the referring to one or the other week. We have God's word and we also trust in God's word. Jesus, the eternal word of the father great clarification. Thanks. I drill this is core Christianity with pastor Adm. Sanchez. Just a reminder that we are listener supported. We count on people just like you to keep this program on the air. So if you're a regular listener of the radio program of the podcast and you believe in what we do and you find it helpful encourage you to prayerfully consider making a gift. You can do that by going to our website at core, Christianity.com.

One last question for today. This one came in from Natalie and she says in first John five.

What is the sin that leads to death. Yeah, lower ending with a really easy question. I think I can note this is actually pretty controversial passage and I know that there are a lot of Christians who read this text, where John is referring to the sin that leads to death, and that we shouldn't pray for an individual about and their terrified because they think will have I done that or will I do that, but it seems to me like John is trying to to cause these Christians to worry, to think, oh boy did I commit sin unto death, because at the beginning of this section at the end of this section, he reassures them in verse 13 I write these things to you who believe in the name of the son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and then in verse 18, we know that if you're born again. Everyone who is been born again does not keep on sinning, but he was born of God protects them and the evil one does not touch them so I don't think that this sin unto death is a sin that genuine believers those who are truly born again regenerate of the Holy Spirit can actually commit because they have eternal life, and there kept by Jesus. And so what is this sin unto death, will I think it's referring to those who abandoned the church and in abandoning the church and the faith quote unquote there showing forth that they were never really a part of the true community of faith.

To begin with, and John actually says this very thing.

Earlier, he speaks of schismatics people who would left that church. The church that is writing 20s as they went out from us if they had really been a bus, they would've continued with us, but they went out that it might become evident that they were not truly of us.

So I think the sin unto death.

Here is is unbelief. Apostasy turning away and what that reveals. And John says this and in first John what that reveals is this person, despite the fact that maybe they were around the truth and had even made a profession of faith and heard the truth of the gospel over and over and over again and ended up being deceived and rejecting it and not believing and as a result, they left the church and John says look unbelief rejecting Christ. There is no hope for the person that does that.

But if you believe in Jesus. If you trust in him will know this is what John says in first John 513. He will never leave you or forsake you know keeping and preserve you unto very 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 bar or call us at 1-833-843-2673 that's a 33, the court 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