The Narrow Path 6/23

Good afternoon and welcome to the narrow path radio protest Steve Greg and we are live for an hour with an open phone line where you can call if you have questions about the Bible of the Christian faith or you have a different viewpoint you like to discuss different from the house that is and the number to call is 844-484-5737 that's 844-484-5737 our first caller today is Stan from Dundee, Oregon hi Stan, welcome to the narrow path is for going will hi Steve, just didn't Dundee. My wife and I've been enjoying your virtually burst teaching here and tonight for Bible study were going into acts chapter 2 yelled in his look in your studies of things with the it talks about they were in the upper room and the tongue is still on mail to questions or were ladies also filled with the spirit that that time and then it looks like it only says, speaking in tongues was a gift was also as you spoke about and chapter 12 the Corinthians. There's other guests were they also use manifested at the same time Pentecost was like did you understand my question. I'm sure yes I like this like a two questions that were created with did women receive this to end the and also there are other gifts of the same times that is at regular thank you CPS all right good well you know it doesn't mention the women but I've always assumed I always assume that the women were included in this Thursday in the Bible makes very clear that God doesn't show favoritism between men and women especially when it comes to the of the spirit been given. In fact, I think there's a strong hint of it when Peter said this is what Joel suddenly said your sons and your daughters will prophesy, and in your mind and maidservants and your menservants will prophesy, so I think that the data suggest that there were both men and women who receive the spirit of the time. Now as far speaking in tongues.

I would clarify use of the tongues fell upon them. I think although fell upon them isn't a term used in Scripture.

I would say based on acts 18 that we could see the Holy Spirit fell upon them speaking in tongues was one of the manifestations of the spirit but not the only one not are not universal.

I don't believe that everyone who receives Holy Spirit speaks in tongues and and I don't know that I don't know that all of them do. I think they probably all began to speak in tongues that would probably include the women to but the preaching when Peter said preach was not preached in tongues.

He preached and no doubt Greek or Aramaic. One of the languages that everyone would understand. So the tongues. I think probably were spoken and the Holy Spirit received a binding and women alike. I find no biblical reason to suggest otherwise. And then as far as other gifts we don't read specifically of other gifts accepted when Peter quotes Joel chapter 2 it does say your sons and daughters shall prophesy now.

My impression is that prophesying is anytime someone speaks the word of God by the power of the Holy Spirit, and it may well be that speaking in tongues in this particular usage was seen as Peter by Peter since it was an inspired speech as simply a form of prophecy. Of course later on in first contents 12 Paul distinguishes between the gift of prophecy and the gift of tongues and other gifts to but of the word prophecy I think sometimes is used more broadly and sometimes more narrowly, I think, to speak from God under inspiration is prophecy and therefore word word of knowledge or word of wisdom or speaking in tongues interpreting tongues would all be types of prophecy though. There's also a gifted process more specific to speaking as, for example, agonist did said, thus says the Lord such and such is the case, and speaking directly as if it soon God speaking is in the Old Testament prophets now. One reason I say that word of knowledge might be considered in the under the general rubric of Paul of prophecy is because when Jesus was talking the woman at the well and he he gave what we would consider word of knowledge. He knew something about her.

He revealed things about her past. She said no sir see your profit. In other words, she knew that in the Old Testament prophets were the kind of people who did that kind of thing so I would see there may have been, in addition to tongues. Other forms of prophecy. Or maybe that Peter and quoting a verse about prophecy is simply referring to tongues as a fulfillment of this because tongues would be also form of prophesying, perhaps in the broadest sense that term now other gifts. The spirit did manifest later.

We don't read of the apostles. For example, working miracles and healings that kind of thing prior to the day of Pentecost. We do see it afterwards and whether those things also happened on Pentecost or just in the near future. As a consequence of Pentecost. We don't have enough information to know, but we do know that other gifts of the spirit were manifested from that day on in the church and Jesus had said to them, you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and ask 18, and therefore the power to heal the power to do these other things they did the supernatural ability seem to have come when the spirit came upon the Pentecost will good it was youngsters hoping for because going to church you the true talking to Bill Nolan the apostles old died out. That was the end of the end when the New Testament was written that was the end of things, and that always bothered me so I appreciate your and my eyes to that's not the case here in today's world. So the idea that been looking at know I'm just looking forward to growing in the spiritual gifts in I don't notice too big of a question elegy. How did you get your spiritual gift of speaking in tongues held did that happen. Let's eat you. Steve well I actually give my testimony about about that in in my lecture about the baptism the Holy Spirit in the series on on charisma and character is noted that in the mood. I get my test but I got filled with the spirit. When I was 16 and I didn't speak in tongues for some time at sometime later I actually did not, but I didn't want an excellent spirit. Now Pentecostals believe that if you don't speak with tongues not filled with the spirit. That of course is not a biblical case to be made for that. That's just a assumption made on reading things innocent passages but I I did in fact eventually speak in tongues I didn't at the point of civil spirit so and I and frankly, I've never done it in public. Ever you know and you know it's it's been four years old for which are little more than a gifted but you mentioned in your study wisdom that worded knowledge is just in a course going along with plausibility just the greatest thing in the world. So all you might question a let somebody else get you really appreciate you, Steve and thanks good talking to about minor Richard from seal Beach, California. Welcome to the narrow path. Thanks for calling it explain just once again about Revelation 21 into. I know it's symbolic, but that the angel represent Christ. And it says that the and that he will be released for a short period.

So when do you think that short period is is it good for the second coming. Could it be now and I'll listen to you on the radio. Thanks again, Steve call well in Revelation chapter 20 verses one and two John sees a strong angel coming down from heaven with a chain and he grabs Satan in chains and throws them in a bottomless pit for thousand years. It mentions that Satan after the thousand years will be released for a little while to do some more damage.

So that's what you're talking about.

Well I is first is the angel Jesus, I would say if the angel represents anyone happy Jesus. I'm not saying I believe this is a an impressionistic vision.

I don't know that the characters I don't know that the actual trauma unit is to be depicted very literally. But what is being said here certain that Satan has been bound by Christ. Because Jesus himself said that he said he had bound the strongman and therefore was able to plunder his house in Matthew chapter 12 I guess must be brought. Verse 28 and 29. And so Jesus said he had bound the strongman so that Satan was powerless resistant and that is of course what I think this chapter is pointing out it's doing so in very dramatic graphic dramatic terms that look like like like the visions in the Bible do I mean when you look at Daniel's visions or Zechariah's vision visions are the visions Revelation you find it there.

Very dramatic. Even though they correspond things on earth that aren't always quite so sensational. So the binding of Satan is something Jesus already said he had done when he was here on earth and the height, I believe that he remains bound until near the end. Now you said with the releasing of Satan. One is that while it appears be at the very end of of earthly history of there be a little while. Apparently the Satan is released and it ends as you see in verses six and seven or I should say 78 with the Satan deceiving the whole world again and bringing them in force against the beloved city, which is certainly the church so that the church comes under a widespread prep global persecution for a little while, at the end of the church age and then at the end of that you see in verse nine fire from heaven comes down and destroys Satan and those are with another fire from heaven.

I understand to be a reference to the second coming of Christ.

Since Paul said in second Thessalonians, 18 that Jesus when he comes, will come in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know him and who are not obey him. So Jesus comes in flaming fire represented by fire from heaven. In Revelation 20 verse nine and then you have course, the resurrection and the judgment that are described are so little while, would be just for a period of time very indistinctly referred to, we don't know how long it would be and and that would be at the end and it would be in that little while" with Jesus coming back and the little I will be characterized by I'm I'm just taking this from the passage as I would understand it. I think I rather universal or global persecution of the church that the church is always been persecuted, but there's never been a time in history where the church was persecuted everywhere on the globe so that there is literally nowhere to run, I mean the via Moravians were persecuted by in Moravia so they fled to Germany and and found refuge in Germany under Townsend's and Dorf.

You know the the Armenians in Armenia received a prophecy that the Turks were to come and wipe them out or so about half of them fled to America to escape their even the church in Jerusalem was warned by God, of a place they could flee to, and they did before the Romans came in they fled across the river Jordan to Pella so I mean there's always been historically somewhere, to which Christians can flee from persecution if they have the opportunity.

Even now you know well in communist countries and other lots of comments Christians escaped and came to America or other parts of the free world and and so that would be something that hasn't that is is different, perhaps in this case because it looks like it's the whole city of God, the whole church. That's innocence besieged and therefore there is never previously been a time where there is no country you could go to nowhere you can go to escape persecution sites are taken to be a global thing and are we living in a time you ask. I don't know. I don't know if we are not. It could be that this is the beginning of that or may be that it's near the end of that. I really don't know.

Persecution of course continues in many places around the world that there have always been refuges in Western civilization were people from those areas could flee if they could, but now Western civilization is turning against Christianity very violently and so it's hard to know.

Maybe. Maybe we are living in a time I'd I guess we'll just wait and see if we are then that would mean that this intense. Would end with the second coming of Christ and the creation of the new heavens and new earth in his use of all the stuff that is eschatological. He the last things all right. So that be my best way that I know to respond to Alan from Honolulu. Welcome to the narrow path. Thanks for calling and letting hi Lee bought on you know look great on it is cranky with the lease is in an environment. Your ad is been spot on the thank you for that. But I will come from resident there. About dreaded the people of minimum right you don't do it Billy got out the right heart. He believed it happened early that not all at with the woman of right and then had children, you know, but I will credit the that how can MDD have babies raised in pocketable know my take was that you know kind of the pilot evil that even with investing man do the evil thing right you know and I get it on another print. They can't imagine that hot bod with an upper mom, you get a bleeding body article that they found already let the world being the people that described enough about my take on that.

Yeah most of the muscles photos on the Internet have been proven to be Photoshop for years yet. Well, there were there were giants in the earth. The bonds are clear about that.

Goliath himself and glass father was a giant Goliath was one of five sons of the Giants of the giant is called another game occupation was a giant and there are giants today.

I mean if we were not talk about Jack and the beanstalk type Johnson at some of these photos you see on the Internet that in Photoshop makes it look like you know you know a man's. The Giants hand was as big as a man whose digging it up or something you know something huge of the skull was his biggest. The archaeologist found it. Those are fake photos but but that there are giants today. I mean I'm not talking about huge Johnson target people who are bigger than other people there some people who reach a friend.

He might be listening right now in Las Vegas is 7 feet tall. We took a picture of him next map 64. I look like a tiny next to him, but he's probably not even his biggest the Giants could remain by either Hebrew reckoning and Hebrew Scriptures Goliath was about 9 1/2 feet tall.

Now I don't see many people like that.

Now, although there are people who have glandular problems to grow unnaturally large.

I've seen a statue full-size statue, life-size statue of a young man he didn't live to be very old but he was enormous. He had some granular issue and he was there, I don't. He's probably 8 feet tall or so huge from time to time.

You know, people do get that big and and the Bible sorta indicates that in later Old Testament times, it was pretty uncommon to find them. You know, Goliath and his family big enough to be notable that people refer to them as the Giants innovate, they worked every day size people now in in Genesis 6 where it says the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair to look upon and took wives of them and married and had children with them.

This does not necessarily have to speak about angels.

It's very common for both Christian and Jewish scholars to identify the sons of God is angels and so they see it has fallen angels who left heaven and came and in mated with women, and then the next assumption is that the the nestle and that are spoken of a few verses later with their offspring and it's thought that since nestle and were unusually large. People apparently Giants. They must've had some something about their parentage that made them bigger than other people and so symbolism of that that would prove the sons of God were not mere humans. They were angels and therefore there is a supernatural element in the conceiving of these giant people now that whole scenario comes not so much from Genesis is from the book of Enoch occurs. Genesis has the word but they don't initially mean that there's no there's no insistence in the passage that the nestle and were the offspring of these marriages, or that these marriages were anything other than humans married other humans sons of God is a very common term for for godly people in the Bible it it's also term is sometimes used of angels so it's it's ambiguous, but there's no reason to insist upon them being angels and there's certainly nothing there that says that the Mifflin or the Giants were the children of these particular marriages. In fact, it says there were nestle and in the earth in those days, then assess and also after that, when the sons of God went into the daughters of men and children born to them, you know okay so there's nestling in the earth in those days that even after these marriages took place before and after apparently which is strikes me as indicating that they are not the children of those marriages. They had a separate existence, before and after these marriages took place so I can save enough lunges to be genetic, Giants, but again I don't believe there 20 feet tall and 30 feet tall. I think there probably that could've been anywhere between seven and 9 feet tall. Perhaps article and very rarely you'll find people that about that size now and so I'm not seen in this any particular proof of supernatural intervention is first fallen Angels committee meeting with women like yourself.

You said you can see how heavenly beings could reproduce with women. No, I don't think so either they don't have human DNA you can't really have children with another being, unless that being has the same species of DNA as you. That's why you know even a dog can't their offspring with the Or horse can't their offspring with the draft and then they don't have the same DNA. Likewise, humans and apes can't bear children together the DNAs to different so I would you know how it angels have human DNA incentives. They will angels in the Bible sometimes appear as in human form. True in human form, but does that mean they have the entire ancestral history of the of the human race in their DNA, which is what DNA does in your DNA. It comes from your parents, which came from their purchase came from. There's DNA is information about your ancestry and you know, to say the these angels when they appeared in human form which was usually very brief. In the Bible that they not only had a human form, but they have human DNA which would suggest ancestry going back to Adam and Eve.

I don't think so, and without human DNA.

I don't really see how this could happen with an NMC reason to think so because it is having the passage that speaks of angels necessarily, nor of anything about the situation that would require us to see them that way. I appreciate your call. Hope that helps Darrell in Portland, Oregon. Welcome to the narrow path. Thanks for calling. I have a question about humble and thinking that maybe the net that humble person that God knows the debit. I know their lives as the Romans 13 and also in the seven amount was to help negotiate the house at possible location.

How is it possible for us to inherit the world know not how would you not possible to be humble at the same time inherited and you you will. It's entirely possible to be in a high position without being arrogant and proud. I mean, especially if you see yourself like David is a speck of dust remembrance on chapter 8. David said, Lord, I see the heavens and the work of your hands the moon and the stars he made, what is man that you are even mindful of him, or the Son of Man that you would visit him you know and then he says you've made man a little lower than the angels, and give him power and authority and dominion over the animals and so for the nurse he he he admits that God has made man, the ruler of the creation and David himself more than most because he's also the ruler of one of most rich nations in the world of the time a very powerful man and yet he was humbly forgot. I don't know how you can pay attention to me. I'm just a man, you made the heavens and the earth. This is so big I think humility doesn't mean that you are incapacitated from bearing responsibility or holding a high office.

In fact, holding a high office in Christian circles, requires humility as it is a precondition. Even Jesus says in Philippians chapter 2 and it says there that we should have this mindedness that was in him that he humbled himself in a big took on the form of a servant in and died on the cross and services.

Therefore God has highly exalted him and given him a name above every name, I don't think Jesus character has changed as I don't think he's no longer humble.

I think he was his humility was seen in his willingness to take on the form of a servant. I think he still would take on this form of a servant.

As far as his disposition is concerned that he happens to hold a high position and even Jesus said the rulers of the Gentiles innovate x-rays dominion over them, but it shall not be someone you said to the apostles among you, whoever wants to be chief must be the slave of the rest having a slave of others is a humble thing and Jesus himself actually went to wash the disciples feet in John 13. He said you know you say I am Master and Lord, and you're right I am. But if your master Lord, have washed your feet, then you need to wash each other's feet. Now washing feet was a very humble act self humbling self abasing and Jesus said I am your master in your Lord, which doesn't sound like a very hot statement, but it's just state the fact that being humble doesn't mean you deny the facts. If someone tells you, boy. You're really good looking of all you really are talented boy, you're really smarter boy you really are, you can run fast. If it's true for you saying yeah that's really something is not mean that doesn't mean that you're not humble. It went where you become un-humble is where you begin to take some kind of credit for that. You don't deserve or begin to think that because you have because you're better looking are smarter than some of us that somehow you're better person and and deserve more privileges or whatever else like that mean people do let power and rank go to their head when they do they not been hunted, but is entirely possible for a person to be of high rank inherit the earth and rule the earth crowded that it will be giving God all the credit because it's all by grace and I think understanding that it's all by grace is the key to remaining calm and need to take a break and hope that clarifies some things for you are listening to the narrow pathway of another half-hour coming so don't go away. We are listener supported.

If you'd like to help us stay on the air. You can write to the narrow path, PO Box 1732 macula CA 92593 or go to our website. The narrow path.com. I'll be back in 30 seconds.

As you know, the narrow path radio show is Bible radio that has nothing to send everything to give you do the right thing and share with your family and friends. Tell them to tune into the narrow count on this radio station narrow path.com where they will find topical audio teachings blog articles and diverse teachings and archives of the radio shows you know listener supported Nero With Steve Greg share which you now welcome back to the narrow path radio broadcast Steve Greg and live another half-hour taking a call if you have questions about the Bible or Christianity. Are you disagree with. Also something I want to talk about that there's a phone number you can use to get on the air that numbers 844-484-5737 once again that's 844-484-5737 and our next collar is the Trish from San Diego, California hi Trish, welcome to the narrow path.

Chapter 163-3332 chapter 2135 and 36 Reggie this is Dan about the right direction from the dead angels cannot get in marriage he can explain that they really appreciate sure I got a feeling this probably is a question sparked by the previous question about Genesis 6 which IS what yeah okay well yes well I think the fact that Jesus said of course that angels in heaven do not marry and are not given in marriage, it means obviously the God didn't intend for them to marry Kathy didn't intend for them to marry, then I think it's a fair assumption. He didn't intend for them to have sex and if he did intend for them to have sex. He probably didn't make them sexual in Army didn't intend for amoebas to have sex obediently made them a sexual. He wanted to course is to have sex, so he made them sexual them in their sexual and asexual creatures that God made and the ones that he doesn't want to have sex. I assume he made without sexual you know organs of one sex or another, and that being so would raise serious doubts about the theory that the sons of God were angels who mated with women in Genesis chapter 6 now the other question is about the sons of God in Job. Are they angels or what now I would say that the assumption that the sons of God in Job chapters 1 and two are angels is the primary assumption that informs people's us other assumption that the sons of God are angels in Genesis 6. Now again I said to the previous collar.

I don't believe this sons of God in Genesis 6 necessary refers to angels, but I am willing to believe that the sons of God in Job could be angels. Though the doesn't have to be the case. The term sons of God, and Bibles use a number of ways which is in the singular. Of course it can refer to Jesus as the son of God when it refers to Christians as sons of God. It means that we been born again into God's family. His father in the Old Testament God told Israel that when they were righteous they be called sons of the living God.

So in other words some and then it's very possible we don't know for sure but very possible that in Job chapter wanted to the sons of God are in fact angels so that be a different you got the sons of God are son of God terms used many different ways. In fact another way that is sometimes observed in the Psalms is that the term son of God was used in the ancient near East where the Jews lived sometimes to refer to the rulers of of God's kingdom of God's frankly even pagans were called the sons of whatever God's their nations worship to so for example when it says in Psalm 27.

You are my son, this day I begotten you. We know from the New Testament that Sargon of Jesus when Jesus you when David used it. He may have been using terminology that would reflect himself because many things David says about himself are later applied to Jesus in the New Testament, and when he says that you that God said to him you are my son, the stay of a got you. It's possible that he is so referring to himself as the king of the gods, nation, and therefore, the son of God in the same sense that other kings of other near Eastern countries were called the sons of their gods it all and change the terms are ambiguous and we can't assume that it always means the same thing, even if it means even if means angels in Job.

It doesn't mean angels and a whole bunch of other places works used and therefore wouldn't necessarily tell us that it means angels in Genesis 6 now, what if it isn't angels in Job if it's not angels.

In Job's and I don't know that we have any passages in the Bible were sons of God refers to angels, but I think it is. I think it probably is referring to angels, but there's that too is open to question.

Because all it says is there's a time when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also among them. Well every Sunday in churches many sons of God present themselves before the Lord for worshiping and for instruction in our churches and there's no reason it could have been done that week. Then to that in Job stated godly people assemble themselves to worship God present themselves before the Lord that affected Satan was among them doesn't mean he was one of them.

I think Satan is among us sometimes to in the church I've seen. I've seen his work in the church, as I'm pretty sure that you can go to churches where the sons of God have gathered and and Satan gives evidence of being among them, so it is not impossible to say that the sons of God here might be referring to godly people like Job himself and that the devil is there examining them and seeking to basically accused them before God, which is what his mother's main activity is recorded in Scripture. So I'm you know I'm I don't know why I tend to think they are angels and and the reason I do is because later in the book of Job. It specifically says that the angel of the sons of God in the morning stars sang together and rejoicing when God laid the foundations of the earth and I'd love to be able to give that verse number card. Glancing through the bottle will give it to the sons of God rejoiced. It says when he laid the foundations of the earth which would mean here is its first 30 chapter 38 verses six and seven of Job service to what were the foundations fastened and who laid its cornerstone, when the morning stars sang together in the sons of God shouted for joy. So it sounds like the sons of God shouted for joy when God laid the foundation of the earth that would have been pre-humans as humans when around other information here so that might be probably the most telling verse that would incline one to believe that the sons of God in Job artifact angels are not mere humans. All right.

We talked to John and Indiana John, welcome to the neuropathic for calling.

Blessings to you. I was witnessing over the weekend just to know that shopping mall opening and I I want to go shopping myself, you know, and I saw hundreds of people just hear the store part and there was really only one person there calling people. It would just crazy thing and I started thinking about how we in America are being pushed to honor all different types of religions, no matter what they do, no matter how they behave the matter what their particular foundation is it all will world the Lord and we have to honor everyone you know and matching that up with the behaviorist over the weekend I saw you saluting in the mall this last weekend in Indiana where you and Indiana Indianapolis yeah yeah and is raising well you do this with light. I think it was one of the things were people were to stop and step down her pants and there like a arrest me. You know all you know that comedy and it got better been in. It was one of those situations where I was being called out myself for from other you know from some prejudice people know and they were making fun of me because of the way I look and step in and you are you are you minority person known. So what we are clowning me is what they say well we got a long time.

A lot of people waiting anonymous to just get it it it it caused me to read Deuteronomy because I you know do not inquire as to how they worship their God and and I wrote down the INSET how to write yeah yeah so do that back then and how are they doing it now and worship I get back to back them up with David by divination, sorcery, sacrifice, and all and so the New Testament called out a spiritual work shift and not ritual worship. John and I know when I hear I hear your frustration and I understand that but we need to cut to the question now because I know a lot of people waiting only a few minutes left, he could speak a little bit about spiritual sacrifice versus carnal sacrifice your Peter said were where to offer acceptable sacrifice to God as a holy priesthood, now okay you okay I'll talk about that I can't connect it to directly to your expenses in Indianapolis this last week and so I just answer the questions you stated. All religions offer sacrifice every religion does that's that's what worship is worship is the offering of sacrifices goes on all the back to Cain and Abel may be in before that when God actually be of offer sacrifice on his own to cover Adam and Eve's nakedness, but Abraham offered sacrifices. Jacobson and you all the pre-Mosaic people of of Abraham's line didn't know I did.

This is what second this is what worship was when Abraham was going to go up on the mountain and offer Isaac. He told his servants were to go up and worship the Lord and will be back now and worship the Lord. That meant offer sacrifices. That's why his son said where's the animal sacrifice now course, when Moses gave the law. The Jews had their sacrificial system of worship and of course all the pagans had their sacrifices they offered to the false gods to abominable things laid off of the children and so forth to Mullican bail, whereas God for bad stuff, but the truth is that the sacrifices of the animals in Old Testament times for buyer to choose where I type in a shadow of a New Testament spiritual reality.

They had priests of the line of Aaron in the Old Testament.

Now we have a kingdom of priests. Every Christian is spiritually part of what Peter calls a royal priesthood, and we offer up spiritual sacrifices.

He says now there's a number of things that are called spiritual sacrifices for for example in Hebrews chapter chapter 13 verse 13 to 15, or talks about how we offer up the fruit of our lips as a sacrifice to God, which means our praise and thanksgiving. It also talks about doing good.

He said, with such sacrifices God's will.

Please Paul told the Philippians in Philippians chapter 4 that he had received a generous gift from them while he was imprisoned. He said that that gift they gave is a sacrifice that's acceptable to God and sweet smelling savor to God in Romans 12 one Paul said, I beseech you therefore, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God. Now these are all sacrifices that we as a kingdom of priests offered to God and they're all spiritual in nature and heart.

My body is not a spiritual thing. But the offering of my body to God to be holy and separate it to him is a spiritual act of sacrifice.

Likewise, the money that was sent to Paul when he is in prison. It was it was tangible, non-spiritual substance, but the generosity and their love for Paul and they're doing it unto the Lord made it a spiritual act and therefore spiritual sacrifice. Likewise, when we offer praise and thanksgiving to God as the fruit of our lips.

That's a spiritual act to so these are spiritual sacrifices and they differ from animal ciphers and I we don't need animal sacrifices anymore for the simple reason that Jesus was the final blood sacrifice. There's never good to be another need for blood to be offered as a ciphers to God for atonement. But there still Thanksgiving offerings and so forth of the Jews offered and and we have spiritual counterfeits counterfeits counterfeits counterparts of those that are counterfeit stupid their counterparts to those in the spiritual life so that's that's the difference between physical and spiritual sacrifices. David from Portland, Oregon. Welcome to the neuropathic for telling him I wanted to ask a question about baptism and 70 that is what he would be and I been trying to get into the baptized.

Well, you know you were there when I was so you need to get. I think this should work with you think since whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, and it also says repent and be baptized now. Everyone in the Bible who is baptized, believed and repented before they were that and therefore normal Christian baptism is baptism of somebody who is believed to repented and so if somebody has been baptized, but they had not yet believed to repented it doesn't really have any counterpart to any of the baptism recorded in Scripture for that reason a lot of people when they were baptized as infants and they later become real believers they choose to be baptized over again. This this was something that was first practiced as far as I know in the church history after the Reformation, when both the Roman Catholic Church of the reformed churches all baptized infants. But when the Anabaptist movement began.

There were some who were seen in the Scripture that baptism is for believers and if you get a baby wet and they're not a believer that's not baptism*in the baby wet. Baptism is a sense a statement of faith by somebody who's repented his beliefs so a lot of these people began to rebaptize your get rebaptized. They would call it that because they thought the first christening was not really her true baptism, but it was very controversial at the time they got better persecuted for but they did it because they felt like well when I was a baby and again it because I wasn't really a Christian. So how was that a Christian baptism. No one else can make you be baptized. You have to be baptized in your own volition after you become a believer now. There's actually a New Testament sort of parallel to this in the 12 people that Paul ran into an emphasis in acts chapter 19 in the opening seven verses and they have been baptized before Paul came to preach the gospel and they have been baptizing John's baptism, which was not the same.

And when he preached Christ to them. Paul then baptized in the name of Jesus. Interestingly, they didn't say well you know we got baptized already in John's baptism so even though that isn't quite normal will discount that to be our baptism that were saved know that they got baptized again. They didn't consider that there baptism prior to conversion was authentic baptism so I think that when the question is raised biblically, you know, people often do believe that they should II would agree with them that if there baptized as infants.

Once they actually become a believer which they were not when their infant well at that point. Baptism seems to be incumbent upon them like a regarding else. I appreciate your call. A lot of noise in the background on your call there, but we got through Bob from Omaha, Nebraska. Welcome to the narrow path. Thanks for calling. Hi thanks, might be concise as I can just have to do is reading the word, and so I assume that's my wife and I assume that when the need when early churches got a letter from one of the apostles Paul Peter any of them date. We and I and everyone I talked to students the same. I said you think that they just read a little bit and say you know it's come back each week and will finish this letter off from Paul that we been waiting for in the neck, not a minus him right if not more than once or twice, and so when I bring it up to teachers on my king. We just we just read a letter through once in a while because I mean other than the Gospels and acts in Revelation, the New Testament, so love letters, records, and I and that's my questions right under stacking is a great practice for the church.

If you just read through one of the letters out loud.

Thank you. I've never seen anybody do it on 54, and no one would do it I got it I got at the floor though because I teach people often want to make comments on the I. What I what I will do as I read through the letter I meant. I don't on this on some occasions, not all the time. Of course, but I something that just read through the letter and then just say any questions you had.

We can discuss afterwards which is possibility did in the early church to you.

You actually do that in your service, your normal service. I have done it in his right eye and I'm not. I'm not a pastor of a church, but there's been times I've been asked to teach places. I decide that fabulous read through the book of first Peter and at African so you can ask any questions you want about.

I commend you for that. Thank you. So that was nearly church practice temperature all right. Thank you for your call. God bless you okay Alex from Honolulu. Welcome to the neuropathic for calling. He's gone. Interesting. Okay Francis in Vancouver, Washington hi welcome to the narrow path so the adoption okay that some biological sons of God that we understand the difference between just being adopted and being biological.

It is a vast difference to me so I like sure got to talk about that. I was just thinking about that the other day as I was listening to somebody talk about adoption and to send you reflecting on the difference in those expressions and on the Bible does say that we been adopted.

Also says in Romans chapter if it were looking forward to the adoption which is interesting because Paul talks about are in one place.

In Romans chapter 8, he refers to the adoption as the glorification of our bodies when we, that is when Jesus comes back and we receive our immortal bodies that that he calls at the adoption in Romans eight and yet we are sons of God. Now perhaps a different sense of the Bible does say that we are born again and that probably is not the ice. The same thing as adoption because it means that the life of God is in us. If we been born of God, then the seed of God dwells in it says in first John and it says that we have been born of God. We know were we passed from death into life and were born children of God, and so forth. Because of the love that switches the spirits work in assessing internal things, not just a legal thing that God is adopters were just officially his children others something of God's own nature that has been put in us, just like a father imparts to his children, so I I'm you know I some people might find clear distinctions between these, they certainly are different images but I think that the Bible has several different images of our relation with God. For example, your servants and he's our master or we are children and he's our father, or we are members of Christ body and he's our head, or we are in our soldiers and he's our commander, and so forth him and there's there's a lot of different earthly analogies used, to try to convey things to us about our relationship with God, and I think that adoption and birth, although they are different means of becoming sons, both of them in their own way communicate something about our son ship of God. In one sense we have been born of God's Spirit is in us is natures been given to us that we been partakers of the divine nature and we we live in as a son born again into his family. On the other hand, another aspect of it is that we have the privileges of an adopted children who were not born to him initially and that is before Christians, we were not born of God and yet by bringing us into his family. There's an analogy to adoption as well and and I think the river I think that these images all work.

I think that they are all all of them contribute their each in its own aspect of the truth about our relation with God to a site I don't think it's either or.

Although it is true that Paul did say that were looking forward to the adoption now Paul in Galatians chapter 4 liberties talks about how we were like children before the lock before Christ came. We are like children no better than servants under schoolmasters and so forth.

And then he says, but when the fullness of time came, God sent forth his son, and to give us the spirit of adoption by which we cry, Abba, father now. Paul said that we cry, Abba father. Because we receive the spirit of adoption which doesn't mean we been adopted. Maybe it does. But then he also talked adoption something future in Romans eight so I have a feeling that some of these metaphors are rather fluid. I think that we are when Paul wants to make a certain point, he chooses a metaphor that works for that point and not that any of them would bounce any of the other ones out of the ring in a competition that they're all really truths about our relation with God.

That's at least how I would understand the use of his verse 23 being down again.

See incorruptible God so you God, which is the word of God, we can identify with Jesus – he was became a different kind of word that we get each of the begotten that God had a direct communication okay really have only minutes left on time for sermon now, but I appreciate your call and you're certainly welcome to call back sometime when we have more time to discuss things at the moment. I'm really looking at a tight clothes here even listening to the narrow path mining Steve Greg and we are on Monday through Friday. If you happen to stumble on the program today and never heard before it we been doing this for 22 years is our 23rd year daily doing this program and we might be relatively new in your area.

Or maybe your listing on RM. If you don't live in a place where were on the air and we are on their 30 stations across country, which isn't really very many.

You can still hear the program from your phone if you want to download for free. The narrow path.com go to app store where you can actually say the narrow path.com download it and it's on your phone program where we are in the world is your cellular service and you don't have to miss a program also other resources from a website can became from our pathos list are supported in the garage was at the narrow path, PO Box 1730 macula CA 92593 or from a website, you can donate the narrow path.com. Let's talk again tomorrow