Question and Answer Program No. 79

They were not think we put the word think of it, another thinking cap on Apple effective back to the record of Scripture and the biography that were provided of David and Solomon. Just what led Harding murder division apostasy. You can type so much of one of the things that we've done is set up a Bible question line where you are. Listeners can call in and ask any question that you have about the Bible or the Christian faith. That number is 910-808-9384 and you can use that number any time that you have a Bible question. We've received several questions from our listeners today. Stephen is in the studio to answer those. Here's our first question will verse 33 and even my version from the giant. What exactly that, referring to giant banking. The truth of Scripture, Stephen from time to time is people are reading the Bible, we come across words that were unfamiliar with or maybe even people like those that Carl is referring to that no longer exist and it can be confusing to figure out what the Bible is referring to ministers got in.

This is probably one of those so often repeated questions.

What we do with enough Aleem the giants in the land and their relationship to attic and of course going all back to Genesis chapter 6 we have that confusing passage about the sons of God intermarrying or or mating with women and it sounds like angels bread with women and we know we got this race of great giants. So if we just can't appeal this back and deal with some of these issues one at a time. Maybe we can come up with a good answer. First of all, thank you for your question and she's asking a question from numbers 13 and diverse 33 so if I could just go to that paragraph here. The spies go out in and day spy out the land and Caleb and Joshua course come back with a positive report that says let's go up against them they're not too strong for us and so they gave out to the sons of Israel. This report well there were spies a gave a negative report and they said this, they gave a bad report of the land which they spied out, saying, verse 32 of numbers 13, the land through which we've gone and spying it out a land that devours its inhabitants, and all the people whom we saw in it are men of great size. There also we saw the enough Aleem the sons of Anna are part of the naphthalene and we became like grasshoppers in our own site and so we were in their sight enough Aleem is really unclear in this definition, but it tracks back to the Latin translation by Jerome. This preceded of course the King James translation in the Vulgate use the word gigantic is to translate the nestling and that's where we get the word or the idea of giants and numbers.

13 now the context of Genesis chapter 6 doesn't necessarily refer to giants, but I think it's safe to say that this is an unusual group of individuals that appear in several occasions in the Old Testament, and I think it's clear to say that they were they were tall in size. They were they were frankly giants incising we saw one of the day we would be rather impressed. I frankly saw a bunch of them playing recently on the weekend another 6'7" tall, weighing 350 pounds and that most conservative historians taking some of the measurements of the Old Testament say that there were there were men that would be about 7 feet tall, very large in stature. The trouble I've got in Carl if I could just answer this little bit of it.

II don't think that we have in Genesis 6 is an angelic interbreeding of fallen angel interbreeding with women.

There a lot of problems related to that we would have to have spirit beings, not just taking the form of mankind, but able to reproduce.

We have, then the sort of half Angel half human.

Those that hold of that view would say well they were destroyed in the flood and that may be one way that to solve the problem. The bigger issue that I have is text, like acts, chapter 17, where were told that all the nations are of one blood or one man we don't have a combination of angelic blood and Adamic blood so that indicates you know, in this view of the nestling you get this problem. They would still be living. In fact, they'd still be breathing it still have angelic DNA so to speak with human DNA and I think it's clear from acts 17 that no such thing exists.

So what were these enough Aleem what are these Anna came. Well if you go back to Genesis 6 I think the Bible is really clear if you just take it in context. A lot of times we stop reading the Bible in one phrase and come up with all sorts of views were told in Genesis 6 it came about, when men began to multiply on the face of the land and daughters were born to them that the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful and they took wives for themselves whomever they chose is of course people say the sons of God is a phrase used of angelic creatures and yes it is. So this means that it would be the fallen angelic beings that mated with women. The problem with that is you just need to keep reading. The Lord said, my spirit shall not strive with man forever, because he is also flash. Nevertheless his days shall be 120 years.

The enough Aleem were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came into the daughters of men and they bore children to them.

What is next racing. These were the mighty men who were of old men of renown. Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart were only evil continually. And then you're told in the next few verses that knows a man was it was a righteous man is talking about men so I would have to agree with those conservative theologians that what he's talking about here is the godly line of Seth not half demon half woman. Of course mankind is fascinated and Hollywood is fascinated with the offspring of of angelic or demonic beings with females, and that you get all of these movies that are made a lot of speculation about the half Angel, and half human. Right now, let's let's jump from there to the issue of giants. What we know from Joshua chapter 11 what even back in numbers 13. The indicates were completely wiped out by Joshua Anna kites weren't left an Israelite territory but were told the giants lived in Gaza in Gath and in Ashdod. The Bible never records their line ending. By the way, which means that if there line never ended, you'd have even today mark this you have today people on the planet with some demonic DNA in them and human DNA and that opens up a tremendous amount of the issues. Obviously if you have interbreeding. What you do have are our tall men you have tall race and we we have the people of the same size. Today, that would've match the size of Goliath you get up to about 696 10 7 feet and a large size, then you've got exactly what these Israelite spies saw in the lands are not the result of interbreeding. They are simply a large human beings.

The kinds of human beings we see playing basketball at Italian and football. But if you go through the Old Testament. Carla, you can see references to the refereeing. The most common term used to describe giants in the Bible.

By the way there referred to in Deuteronomy chapter 3 and second Samuel 21. The refereeing simply could be translated giants as it is give the full them. Of course we've referred to in Genesis chapter 6 were told that there are very large there strong. You have the anti-team also mentioned and that of course if I can wrap this up Scott and overspent longtime Gorbachev Goliath. That's a Philistine slain by David and by the way, if you study Goliath's life you'll notice he came from Gath that happened to be one of the three places where the anti-team remained more than likely Goliath was a descendent of the anti-came, who mixed with a Philistine population were told in the Hebrew text that he was six cubits and a span that would be 9'9" tall by the time he put on his helmet and I've had a picture drawn of Goliath, Scott, as you know, and unrolled it to the congregation here at the Colonial and David would've come up to his belt buckle, so he would have been an impressive creature.

By the way, there are four more Philistine giants are often overlooked. They were relatives of Goliath second Samuel chapter 21 tells us, and I frankly think Carla that the reason David picked up five stones as he was expecting that only the kill Goliath, but his for relatives who more than likely were in the Philistine army yet. Thank you, Stephen. That's very interesting when when we encounter a giant living today.

It's quite unusual but I guess back then there was this entire family or clan know while you were talking I was paying attention, but I was also on my computer and I went to the Guinness Book of World Records and I learned that the tallest living human today is 8'3" tall living in Turkey. Interesting. It's got it's also interesting to look at the fossil record friends. I often go to answers in Genesis is a good resource and them I'm also looking on my laptop. Scott and the fossil records of some pretty and amazing animals that would have been shocking to us. A fossil of a turtle is been found was 16 feet long.

A worm 22 feet long, a crocodile, 40 feet long spider up to a foot long, that evidently eight birds caught in a bird that's just just incredible. A lot of times Eunice got people look at the Bible and cellulose just that it's a bunch of baloney because a reference these giants you know when the land and and I say can I just hang onto your hat.

First of all, that in the Bible.

Organ believe it, but it's interesting how archaeology is revealed to us that even animals that we would think of as very small. They found to be in the past, large and and consider again the length of life in the pastors Adam living over 900 years and in the change in the anatomical structure of the of so many creatures and even the lifespan is something that we we believe because the Bible records it and that it's interesting that the fossil record reinforces the impact of the passage that Carla referenced on a on a practical level, it just reinforces the faith of Joshua and Caleb just regular sized men, they spy out the land filled with these giant people but they want to go because they know God's given them that land absolutely. Thank you so much Carla for calling were really glad that you did before we move on to our next caller.

I'd like to give you the number that she used to ask her question. That's 910808938.

For now, I'll remind you that we don't answer that number. That number is only set up to record your question for us to play on a future broadcast. If you'd like to speak with us. You need to call our regular office number but if you have a question regarding the Christian faith or the Bible that you'd like Stephen to answer.

Call 910-808-9384 is our next question I and my question was King David and King Solomon thanked him when it was plain as day and all May 17 17 were Moses on behalf of God and not the multiply. Why thank Stephen the world were the well let me just say very clearly Kevin.

They were not thinking I like the way you put that they were thinking they didn't have their thinking cap on at all. In fact, if you go back to the record of Scripture and the biography that were provided of David and Solomon guess what led to heartache murder division apostasy. You can tie so much of it back to polygamy. David's polygamist life led to the rape of one of his daughters Taymor by one of his sons, Taymor's half-brother, you have the murder of Taymor's brother by Absalom you have Solomon and were told clearly in first Kings 11 that his many wives turned away his heart from the Lord into the worship of false gods effect of just reading this morning how Abraham and Sarah brought into their marriage. A polygamist relationship and Abraham knew Hagar and because of that Union Hagar would have Ishmael and I can trace 11. All of the unrest that has lasted to this very day in the Middle East to that union and to the bitter hatred, anger and fighting between the sons of Ishmael and the sons of Isaac Stephen the fact that the Bible records historic facts for us about what Kings and Abraham and his other men did. Isn't license or right, it doesn't mean that we can pursue those things. Certainly the Bible records a lot of things and it doesn't pass judgment on inducible reports. It records it and that isn't our marching orders. Just because the Bible records something doesn't mean the Bible approves something and there's a vast difference between the two. So keep reading the Bible friends. What does the Bible say about marriage. We have a lot of information. If you just keep reading the Bible all the way through the New Testament you find there are passages that are clearly speaking against polygamist relationships for 73 effect requires that a man will be a leader in the church.

He can only have one wife.

He can be committed to one woman in first grade. In chapter 7 were given the singular form of a wife and husband throughout the passage as an illustration of how the church ought to operate in its views toward marriage you have in Ephesians that the mystery of Christ and his union with the church, pictured by the union of one man and one woman. In fact, it's fascinating, get to the New Testament texts and you have that wonderful statement in Matthew 19 work in Mark chapter 10 were talks about marriage between one man and one woman, in that it adds, as it was from the beginning, going all the way back. Adam was introduced by God to his wife Eve at the very beginning of time and the best picture and model for today is for us to go back to the created order and to understand all of the biographies were something is reported doesn't mean that were not going to go out and I do a look at the Bible record of the Jews were not hung himself. Does anybody want to think that the Bible wants us to do it just because it reported. I don't think so. Thank you Steven and thank you Kevin for your question and thanks for thinking critically about what you read in the Bible. These things are all written for our instruction, so that we can follow the good examples that we find and avoid the bad examples that we find in Scripture friends. The number that Kevin used to call in with his question was 910-808-9384 and you can call that number 24 hours a day, and ask your Bible question of Stephen just like this listener. I'm in Florida and I am Robert Elian, how are the letters and to where he delivered and delivered. We don't have any computer stuff there, standing up reading it. So how is Paul's letter deliver from the Roman jail thank you so much Robert for calling into question so Stephen, how did the churches receive these letters is a great question, Robert and the thank you for asking is sometimes so we don't know and that sometimes were given clear Scripture on it. We do know for instance that Luke and of the book of acts written by Dr. Luke. Both of those books were reports given to Theophilus so were told that he wrote them and to whom he wrote them were told in second Timothy chapter 4 verse 12 that a man by the name of ticket kiss was sent by Paul to the to the church in Ephesus and he carried more than likely Colossians and Ephesians on that same journey from a Rome we know again is another illustration.

The book of Philippians was written by Paul in prison and Roman and we know that while he was there, were told that he received a financial gift from the church in Philippi in that gift was delivered to him by a man named Aphrodite. This end up Aphrodite us in turn delivered Paul's thank you letter back to the Philippians in the book of Philippians is really just a long very gracious thank you letter. Another illustration could be the book of Romans we take his implication from chapter 16 verse one that Phoebe, who was commended in the letter that would've been in an oriental approach to commending the bearer of the letter so more than likely she was carrying the letter to the church in Rome and by the way, keep in mind that tertius actually wrote it. Romans chapter 16 verse 22 tells us, as Paul dictated the letter that may be of interest to you. Then again, probably one of the easiest ones would be we call the book of Philemon. That's a letter to a man named Philemon from Paul who tells him to receive anesthetists back as his brother, not as a slave. That letter of course being carried to Philemon by an SMS, we recommend. In fact, only to you Robert but to our listeners that you get in included into your library a good Bible encyclopedia Bible dictionary, you can look up any book of the Bible and and that you'll have typically at the beginning a reference to the origin. The author, it will give you information on how people receive the letter.

We know many of these letters in the New Testament, especially were circular letter, that is, they they traveled from one assembly to the other. I think a good commentary or a good Bible dictionary or Bible encyclopedia will help you answer these kinds of questions.

Thank you Steven and would it be safe to say that much. For every book of the New Testament.

They were hand-delivered in absolutely, and they would have been read immediately in the assembly by the elder of the leader. Take for instance the letters of John you have in third John the letter were John is directly writing to this assembly through church leaders effect these telling them that when he arrives he's going to deal with a church leader named Diane, after fees, who was acting appropriately so these these assemblies would gather they would hear the letters written by the apostles.

These would be their marching orders and very significant moments in the life of the church and then they would copy them down and they would of course circulate them to other churches until they had really gone around all of Asia minor all around the Western world and becoming ultimately the record that we hold in our lab today. Thank you and thank you Robert for calling in. Let me give you that number one more time that Robert used to ask this question. It's 910-808-9384 and you can call that number anytime we have time for one more question today is cool. You need given. I cried today, they will achieve a level of all men elective plastic comment on what's happening sooner screws, thank you so much Charles for calling in Stephen.

I can't speak to the accuracy of his statistics regarding the rise of false teachers, but there certainly is a large number of false teachers and many of them coming out of seminaries of that is true. I think that if you go all the way back to the beginning of human history. The very first person to represent God, was a false prophet and that was Satan who said you know God really didn't mean that he didn't really mean to say what you think he said so. False prophecy or are let's just say false representatives of truth began at the very beginning point of human history, and we we do know into his point that it will increase enough second Peter tells us that in the last days mockers are just going to sort of compound one another, were told in first John we need to be very alert. If John believe that the church back 1900 years ago needed to be alert and testing the spirit that is in testing the message of the prophets, and those who represent God. Certainly we should be critical in our thinking. Today there is so much error. Frankly, unit of the Christian bookstores of our day and half of it isn't worth buying.

There's so much mysticism so much Pietism so much of it removed from the clear teaching and exposition of Scripture. There's a lot of stuff about the Bible but not a lot of stuff actually teaching the Bible is a Charles to your point, I think we need to be alert and careful today more than ever.

So Stephen I'm I'm guessing that this is probably part of the vision that you had in starting Shepard's theological seminary was a site. This need for biblically grounded church leaders absolutely and in one of the things we often say is were surrounded by ministries today that illustrate with Scripture and expound on life human condition human relationships. What we need are men who will expound on Scriptures and illustrate with life and in one of the joys we have a shepherd seminary is to have a growing student body of of men and women, by the way, you are learning.

The scriptures we believe that men should be trained to preach and teach mixed audiences to lead is first of the three clearly says the church. We also believe women are to be taught the scriptures as well so they can use it in their ministries to children and to the women's ministries and we've got we've got an exciting growing student body's God of of men and women who are learning the Scriptures and and a first-class faculty and I know I gotta stop because you got me started here I can go there but friends of you're interested go to Shepard's.ED you and check it out for yourself, were were interested in training men who go to the word of God preparing to teach the word of God without any apology.

If you're a pastor and you'd like to expand your theological training or if you are interested in in church ministry of any kind is it Shepard's.ED you shepherds is a fully accredited graduate level seminary in Stephen. In addition to his pulpit teaching ministry is the president of shepherd seminary as well will friends were just about out of time for today before we close. Let me give you that number that you can use to ask your question one last time. It's 910-808-9384 and we'd love to hear from you if you'd like to write to us. Our address is wisdom for the hearts. PO Box 37297, Raleigh, NC 27627 and our website one more time is wisdom online.org wisdom online.org if you'd like to call us. Our office number is 86 648 Bible 86 648 Bible if you'd like to speak with us. That's the number that you need to use 86 648 Bible will be back on Monday with another lesson from God's word. I hope that you make plans to join us, right here on wisdom for the heart