Dr. Brown Tackles Your Toughest Questions

The following program is recorded content created by the Truth Network phone lines or wide open good questions. We've got answers for the light a fire with your host scholar and cultural commentator Dr. Michael Brown your voice for more personality and spiritual clarity. Call 866-34-TRUTH to get on the line of fire and now there's your host Dr. Michael Brown yes yes yes got questions, got answers so phone lines are open right now or call screeners are standing by peers number to call 86 634-8784 that's 866-34-TRUTH any question of any kind that relates in any way to any subject matter that the light a fire. Yours truly we ever touch on phone lines wide open again. 866-34-TRUTH let us go straight to the phones beginning with Chandler in Ada, Oklahoma. Walking to light a fire are dark brown oak yakking. Okay great I have a two-part question.

I understand it, you know no one is justified by the law, but during the days of the old covenant God gave Israel the ordinances that they were expected to obey any stranger that was sojourning with them that wanted to be at them. They were expected to obey them during the day when a Gentile who was on complete opposite side of the world on the opposite side of the globe, would they have been expected to keep those ordinances that the bike the law of the land that God placed on every absolutely not, except for fundamental moral laws that God gave to the whole world like don't murder, for example. That was something for which God would judge people universally you see in Amos 12 is God pronounces judgment on the nation surrounding Israel and then gets to Judah and Israel, themselves, that he rebukes them for violations, humanitarian violation, breaking covenants with one another, ripping a pregnant women in moral inhumane acts acts of cruelty and violence. So God will judge the whole world for those things but the people of Israel were given specific commitments they would live life in rabbinic tradition. This becomes the separation between the so-called seven laws of Noah which the rabbis read into Genesis 2 and Genesis 9 for example, laws against blasphemy laws against murder, theft, adultery, those being universal for everyone and then the so-called 613 Commandments of the Torah which were just for Israel and it is very clear in Scripture that God does not judge the foreign nations based on, for example, dietary laws or the observance of the seventh day Sabbath. Those were things that God gave to Israel not to the whole world.

Okay. And then my follow-up question is that on her first in the light dietary laws.

For example, that God gave Israel where they couldn't eat pork for example.

But now that were under a new covenant. It's okay to eat pork. So what was the point of the commandment in the first place right deploy the commandment was to keep Israel separate from the nations and by having dietary laws that restricted their table fellowship with others and by reminding them that they were separated. People, this was something constant for them to say okay we are different were separately belong to God.

We are holy. We are distinguished from everyone else and therefore, even in our food, even eating in a table fellowship. We must be separate from others. The other thing is there were probably some parts of the law that were given for health purposes. In other words, many of the animals that you could need. It's it's best not to eat for health purposes. In general, but that being said, the purpose of the prohibition was, not just health it was more separation and with the coming of the new covenant that separation is not needed between Jew and Gentile mother. There are many believers that still feel the dietary laws. A good many Jewish believers that still live by them as part of their solidarity with the Jewish people, but certainly it's not something that was binding or is binding for New Testament believer the way it was for an Old Testament. You also you'll notice in in Matthew 15 and Mark seven where Jesus explains that what you eat doesn't defile you, but what comes out of your heart defiles you.

So whether it's eating with unwashed hands and though the food is technically unclean and and now you eat that in your unclean know. He said that this actually defile you. It's what comes out of your heart that the files immediately after that Jesus goes into Gentile territory and heals the daughter of a Gentile woman. It's as if he's outputting an action the principal that he just taught a thank you for the call 866-34-TRUTH. Let's go to Jonathan in Central on Washington walking to the line of fire. Dr. bracketing every okay yes thank you all right side question is probably question you received before but you know how when you're talking to someone. Normally, an unbeliever or or maybe they are a believer in their walk with God is very solid and you're talking to them about sin and holiness and repentance. And they always they respond with. Jesus said not to judge and so so you're telling them that they need to repent.

But then they respond with unity did not judge right that's that's how they respond.

Now Frank Couric has this interpretation of the reading of Scripture that Jesus never actually said not to judge the only said that we ought to judge righteously, and barely right.

That's Frankfurt's regular Scripture and I think that makes a lot of sense, but how would you respond to someone who says you should be judging me whenever you tell them to repent and and what is what is your reading of the text you agree with Frank Couric yes so the first thing is we have to look at everything Scripture says about judgment and judging but why would you is my initial response. I would send this person's race is wrong, slavery wrong words.

Pick something that they're likely going to agree with you is is wrong and then asked them okay so can I judge this person for being a racist.

Can I judge this person for owning slaves or for kidnapping people in Africa while yeah okay aren't you judging is child trafficking wrong, should we judge the child trafficker so you want them to say yes we should make certain judgments of Frank's answers always.

We just judge me for judging you, and then the next thing the soundbite answer is that what Jesus meant when he said judge not lest you be judge was don't judge critically. Don't judge unfairly. Don't judge hypocritically. Don't condemn but make righteous judgments. See if Matthew 710 also.

Luke six.

Don't judge, was to be judge also. John 724 stop judging by outward appearances make righteous judgments.

Not only so you through first Corinthians in the second chapter pulses the spiritual by makes judgments about all things. First Corinthians 4. He says that even judge myself first quickens five pieces judge those within the body. First Corinthians 6. He says you will judge angels prescriptions 11. We should judge ourselves before we partake of communion. So the word is used with different nuances and from different angles. But again, my response of summonses when you're judging me, I would say well do we agree that we should judge certain things if we so racism we should say it's wrong we wrong to judge the, the killer of joy which George Floyd and say what he did was wrong. Do we agree that we should condemn slavery that we should condemn child trafficking is okay so then say we want to do is judge fairly, not hypocritically, not condemn, not superficially, but judge fairly.

That's what we want to do so.

How does your life have is my life line up with God's standards.

Let God be the judge and that's also the way that I would say things practically. Jonathan, how about we let God be the judge and let's look at our lives based on his standards and if you want to get into it further you say will are all judgments wrong when when someone appears before the court and an evidence is presented.

Should we make a judgment of someone's guilty should we convict them. Shouldn't Jeffrey Epstein been convicted of certain crimes for pedophilia and then you want to get past the superficial were similarly great yeah I agree this could be wrong or that could be wrong or we should make certain judgments and we agree okay but we don't want to judge hypocritically with a limited superficially and we don't want to condemn so that's how I would respond. In short, an in-depth all right. I make a lot of thank you very much. Sure thing that to help. 8663 for 87884. Let's go over to Taylor and State College, Pennsylvania. Walking to the line of fire, a Dr. Brown Baker out of me.

My question when they first how much I appreciate your ministry how much of plot left me in the last three years that I've been listening with my joy yet so I have one question that maybe another time. Psalm 3723 in the NKJV the steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, that he delights in his way from the Hebrew or anything else.

Is there a way to know who the investment pronouns referred to here, in other words, is the first thing that a good man to lighten the weight of the Lord, or that the Lord delight in the ways of his directors who walk with them yet so syntactically I would think that most all translations of the readers will many will read it the same way. But it's it's one of those things where it's a judgment call. In other words, you have to say. Okay, what's the most likely reference so literally just transfer the Hebrew literally meant that I meet said they got governed so of from from the Lord, are the steps of a man, a chronometer so there from the Lord. The steps of man are ordered for dark oyez pots and he delights in his way. So who is who is the likely see their that's that's the question so so you have you have man referenced right in the steps or order, and then he delights in his way. So the NGV for example the steps of the manor made firm by the Lord, that without due better established for the Lord when he delights in his way. Capital H but it could be read either way, theoretically I am reading at the same way as the NGV that that it's God who does this out when he delights in this person's way or and God delights in the person's way that he establishes and orders the steps but hey will will get you the question. On the other side of the break, but the Hebrew is potentially as ambiguous, with he is the English just syntactically the most logical reading is is is dissent from the NGV okay will be right back out one phone line open if you want to try to get it we will be right back. Stay here is the line of fire with your host Dr. Michael Brown got on the line of fire by calling 866-34-TRUTH here again is Dr. Michael Brown, you have cause the first copies in advance. All this is over three weeks early. We are really excited. The first copies of the political seduction of the church are now in my newest book, how millions of American Christians confuse politics with the gospel. This will inform you, this will deal with big issues is the church call to take over society. What can we learn from the 2020 elections. How do we make an impact within the world of politics without getting seduced by power and corruption we we do what we can we learn how can we growing forth some of the prophets get things so wrong about Trump. What happened with chewing on it is a no holds barred eye-opening book but one that will help you inspire you stir you and encourage you friends.

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Asked Dr. Brown the Lord in order right now and insist get your order will sign the books and outs of this is first edition so we number the first, whether it's hundred 203, and whatever we number the first orders I signed each one for the Scripture. In fact, I haven't thought of the Scripture and putting it I try to have a specific verse that ties in specifically with the book. I haven't decided that yet we pray over the books so the rock on my desk doubling Monday we sign sent out the first copy so in order now it asked Dr. Brown.org okay so Taylor second question back to you. Go ahead. After thank you so in the Old Testament expert Daniel 1314, I was looking through the capital of the Christian God recently said that what it says. David was a man after God's own heart.

There is a Hebrew idiom there that actually doesn't speak so much about the character of David as much as it does God's character in sovereign selection of David Knight just wanted to know if that was correct because it sort of change the way I died in the meaning of that is not in my view, that none of my opinion, no I I read it the same as others have read it in the way that God commands David for being a man after his own heart of I don't see that some to do is sovereign selection as much as why God was wrong to David and why God continued to work with David despite his his flaws in the way he's described elsewhere in terms of righteous and keeping God's commandments. So I would imagine that a Christian scholar would have looked at this and have a reason for the position based on a study that he had done, but in my own view absolutely no reason to depart from the way we've always understood okay great thank you all right. You're very welcome 86634 let us go to Eugene and Arkansas. Welcome to the want to fire. Oh Dr. Browning eradicating area cater sure can yet. So my question, I hope to get my Masters degree and I'm Christian theology want to start Diane about a year and 1/2 or spelling. But I do a lot of extra reading on my own time and having a charismatic background. I obviously notice a lot of the differences between my own theological conviction concerning the activity in the gifts of the Holy Spirit in reference to a lot of the reformers I typically read from. I appreciate their knowledge may have a lot to offer myself in the body of Jesus Christ but my mentors you can have the same background as me. I talk about the contention that I have some of their youth, their response is pretty abrasive for fun.

Maybe Frank telling me. Maybe ditch their resources and listen to people who are more from our movement but I don't believe I need to divide because my theological convictions. Art is different from theirs and still for you who have gone through school and 500 people who have different views and convictions than your own theology. However you maintain your stand. Even when your stand is sometimes a very very different on issues of the Holy Spirit.

Yes, so Eugene there are core things that shape who I am in God the right deep convictions I have faced an intensive study of Scripture over the period of many years. There are experiences I've had in my walk with God that shape who I am and to deny those things would be to fundamentally deny the word of God and the work of God in my own life so the nonnegotiable. They are foundations. They are like the, the roots of the tree go deep underground to nourish the rest of the tree so there could be a branch here and there with her could be variation or deviation but not the fundamentals, so the fundamentals of my faith in Jesus being Messiah and Lord that's forged by the way, God save me and then in the crucible of dialogue and discussion with rabbis and Jewish leaders.

In my early years in the Lord with all of that was challenged. My firm belief in the authority of Scripture and inspiration of Scripture was forged in the midst of of God's word being real to me and then the challenges of studying with professors and scholars who didn't believe Scripture the way I did in reading the critical literature and sing.

Is there something to this of my core beliefs in the gifts and power of the Spirit for today, the way God save me, then my trying to deny them get the word of God being too clear to me on that. Then my experience of my the outpouring of the Spirit have me firmly believe these things so I don't need to see someone healed to believe that God is the healer and if I see something flaky or wrong, I like to react against it the way I might have decades ago and been truck prone to throw out the baby with the bathwater. At the same time having been a Calvinist for five years and immersing myself in a lot of Calvinist literature and Puritans in Spurgeon to fight that II learned to love so much of their heart for God, I learned to appreciate other spirituality. I learned to honor the insights they had. So even where I have differences I can still embrace that in and be blessed by it. Just like if Pastor MacArthur was doing some great expository preaching on a passage saying first Peter, I thought what would a great job when he was always Ben Shapiro. I loved the way open up Isaiah 53 to him in the gospel. It is those masterful of course I categorically different with some of his characterization of the charismatic movement. But that's as me. I can't receive from all the good so the things that become foundational in your life. Eugene there. There they can be there through the storms and those are forged as said by the word of God and by the work of God in our lives and that makes us who we are and and over the years those things deep and in our walking experience and in our study, they just become more and more confirmed as we go on and the other things are very very secular. You know it's it's like Annecy. I can have an argument that is utterly meaningless in terms of our relationship meeting. We've we've been married over 46 years and and we are committed to each other with our blood and love each other to the core of our being and an argument is something that will fix and get over. It's no big deal because of the core of our relationship solution, it would be the same with these key things that are foundational in my life and God of SSA through the word of God and through the working of God in my life. I hope that helps. I wrestled with for a number of years like him in a crossfire of different camps, Christianity and theology, and I'm being very very difficult for me to get settled in what I believe and why and a really maintain a humbling fashion. When I say theological opposition and so thank you for your ERI your answer.

Dr. I do appreciate your very welcome. Sure thing Eugene 866-34-TRUTH let us go over to Kevin in Florida and California. Sorry. Welcome to want to fire God. Sure thing and my question about that biblical back to the well Being in chapter 9 okay on this date. Dr. David seven, 115 date of the month for Fremont Canaveral and so is a agenda there 77 at the positively damn he thought of kinda but if it does, nobody can look at Kevin Judaism follows the lunar calendar and it has called into colony months because things shift time that that's actually have to edit in some extra weeks to balance things out because of the difference between the lunar calendar so encounter the months are set by with the calendar in Judaism so that means, for example, that that you could have pass over one year in mid-March one year in late March, one year in early April of because it's it's functioning based on the lunar calendar and then like I said, you have to every so often make up for things of, or should we keep shifting so that you do have Passover could be June or July or November so you shift things every so often in the thousands of lookup lunar calendar in Judaism or intra-calorie months, intra-calorie months and that will explain how the system works and when things are added into to make up for the difference in time, because ultimately the world runs based on the solar calendar circular function based on the lunar calendar.

Then it's it's going to need to have periodic adjustment epithets of the new moon is still something that's recognized in Judaism and that's how each new month begins, say thank you for the call. I do appreciate it 866-34-TRUTH of those that want to follow the sum of the Sabbath is fathers of the Sabbath is still silica on the lookout it away every seven days every seven days. That part does not change okay we will be right back. On the other side of the brace. He is getting now call the line of fire with your host Dr. Michael Brown on the line of fire by calling 866-34-TRUTH here again is Dr. Michael Brown fire we devote this date to your questions are questions we got answers any question of any kind that ties mother broadcast in any way, by all means go for a couple lines open 866-348-7884.

Let's go to Joseph in Durham, North Carolina. Welcome to the line of fire by Dr. Brown thank you for taking my call.

Welcome so that Mark Munich came across a bunch of the long ending should maybe be in the Bible. I was wondering what your thoughts are with that right soon to give the background for everyone. Mark 16 verse eight ends quite abruptly people are fearful and there's questioning. This is after reports of the resurrection of come from the women and if you grew up reading King James. You just go on and read verses nine through 20 which end with the commission to to go in and preach the gospel to every creature. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved forever does not believe will be damned. And these signs will follow those that believe and that includes speaking new tongues laying hands on the sick, picking up serpents and not being hurt drinking a deadly poison.

It won't kill and goes out powerful ending so the vast majority of scholars. New Testament scholars agree that verses nine through 20 were not the original ending of Mark. Why, of the Earl of the manuscript evidence overwhelmingly says that as we have Mark's gospel. It ends in verse eight, and the syntax changes the suddenly a change in subjects talk about somebody in verse eight somebody else. In verse nine and then there's vocabulary this used in verses nine through 20, which is not typical barking vocabulary is also shorter in the abort, you find it like RSP or something like that it's it's not as commonly known of my view is that we don't have the original ending of Mark, but that we do have authoritative gospel words that were added by perhaps another apostle, or apostolic witness that verses nine through 20 or gospel truth, but are not the original ending of Mark, and that we can learn from them and preach them, provided that we explain that this is not the original ending of Mark supposedly was written there is true and can be supported by Scripture throughout the rest of the New Testament with the question with the one question being the drink any deadly thing won't hurt them. We support that elsewhere in the New Testament, but everything else speak in tongues laying hands on the sick, driving out demons even pick up snakes as happens to Paul.

Now the Baltic in acts 28 of these things we can support grant told will preach the gospel, baptizing, etc. Prof. Craig Keener, who's working on what may become the fullest commentary on markets have been written.

He believes that Mark intentionally ended in verse eight that he knows so much more about Mark than I do is been immersed in it now for years and is such a great scholar ready that he believes it ends in verse eight, and it's saying okay now you go you go share the message that is intentionally abrupt and what so again he's got far more scholarly investment Mark that I do. But that's not been my view, my views been we don't have the original ending verses nine through 20 or in early ending. From the early church, perhaps even apostolic just not Mark's original ending we should have it in our Bible, but in brackets. We should have it, but with clear notes and this is not the original ending of Mark.

Would you fired or not that that's the $64,000 question is that I personally believe that it is, but I cannot say it dogmatically because of textual evidence and questions. Therefore, I cannot bring it to the whole church and say based on this we do this based on this we hold the stock.

I must supported elsewhere so I personally believe it's inspired but I cannot make that a dogmatic statement for the whole body as as authoritative spirit of our banking yet to shrink the strains I can Joseph, thank you so much.

I 866-34-TRUTH. Let's go to Brian in Richmond, Virginia. Welcome to the line of fire