Chronological Study (004/365)

Genesis 11:10-26 / 1Chronicles 1:24-27 / Genesis 11:27 – 14:24

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The Tower of Babel (Genesis 11:1-9)

Genesis 11:1-9 says, “¹ Now the whole earth used the same language and the same words. ² It came about as they journeyed east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there. ³ They said to one another, ‘Come, let us make bricks and burn them thoroughly.’ And they used brick for stone, and they used tar for mortar. ⁴ They said, ‘Come, let us build for ourselves a city, and a tower whose top will reach into heaven, and let us make for ourselves a name, otherwise we will be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth.’ ⁵ The Lord came down to see the city and the tower which the sons of men had built. ⁶ The Lord said, ‘Behold, they are one people, and they all have the same language. And this is what they began to do, and now nothing which they purpose to do will be impossible for them. ⁷ Come, let Us go down and there confuse their language, so that they will not understand one another’s speech.” ⁸ So the Lord scattered them abroad from there over the face of the whole earth; and they stopped building the city. ⁹ Therefore its name was called Babel, because there the Lord confused the language of the whole earth; and from there the Lord scattered them abroad over the face of the whole earth.”

Genesis 10:8-10 described the mighty and rebellious warrior, Nimrod, who founded Babylon, and Genesis 10:25 described Peleg’s name (which means “division”) originating from the moment when earth became divided. And so chapter 10 highlighted key events so as to transition into Genesis 11, which zooms in to explain the details of that division previously mentioned. And so just as Genesis 1 describes a broad overview of creation and then Genesis 2 zooms in to explain details, the same pattern can be seen throughout the book of Genesis. Throughout Genesis, the story provides a broad overview and then zooms in to explain details. The bigger overall picture, and then the smaller overlooked details; telescope out, and then microscope in; expand out, and then shrink back in. So, in this design, the book of Genesis is almost as if the Word of GOD is mimicking humans breathing in with the lungs inflating, and then exhaling out with the lungs deflating. The Word of GOD is living and active (Hebrews 4:12). And if we are connected to the Source, we will be connected to the Breath of Life and will remain as a living being.

When the wicked descendants of Cush (from Ham) declared, “let us make for ourselves a name”, it was a prideful and perverted imitation of Genesis 1:26-28 when GOD said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule….” How so? Because they abused the privileged and honorable role of rulership, which was only supposed to equate to humble and grateful stewardship. Rather than giving glory to GOD, they wanted to bring glory to themselves. In order to achieve their prideful goal, they united together with one common purpose of building a “tower” that would reach into Heaven. The fact that they desired the tower to reach into Heaven revealed their arrogance that they believed they could become their own gods. Rather than inviting GOD down to earth, they desired to go up to Heaven. GOD acknowledged the fact that if they all united together for the same common purpose of evil, they would be able to dominate the earth as one powerful evil army. This foreshadows what will later occur during the end times when Satan builds his army, uniting all the wicked people of the earth as a wicked one-world governing body. And in that Day, that wicked one-world governing body who desires to rule over others will be the blasphemous mockery of the righteous one-world submissive body of Christ who desires to love and serve others. Just as the Church will become the bride of Christ, Satan’s army will become the blasphemous harlot of Satan. However, because Satan’s wicked one-world governing body was attempting to form prematurely according to GOD’s perfect appointed time, the Lord “came down”, confused them, and then caused them to disconnect and disperse into diverse divisions of distinct demographics. But because we are now in the last of the last days, Satan is once again stealing from GOD and using that diversity to bring together an “inclusive” army; consequently, the wicked one-world governing body is using DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) to bring about the coming of the Antichrist. And take notice of how the letters “d-e-i” are a disarrangement of “d-i-e”, which is the word describing death. Satan wants the children of GOD to “d-i-e” and so he pridefully disarranged those letters into “d-e-i” as a blasphemous mockery and reminder of the event of the Tower of Babel (which will soon be explained). And so, just as Satan is attempting to reverse and pervert GOD’s rainbow, Satan is also attempting to reverse and pervert GOD’s diverse and inclusive body. As we see from Revelation 7:9, the body of Christ is diverse “from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues”, and so Satan desires to use a diverse body to accomplish the opposite of GOD’s will. However, the Lord “came down”, confused them, and scattered them.

The word translated as “tower” is the Hebrew מִגְדָּל [H4026] miḡdāl (mig-dawl’), which usually refers to a fortress and emphasizes security. Scholars believe this miḡdāl to be a ziggurat, which resembles pyramids but has steps leading up to the top. Ziggurats act as some type of stairway to Heaven. The word miḡdāl comes from the root word גָּדַל [H1431] gāḏal (gaw-dal’), which means to magnify, to grow, to become great. When it is written that the Lord “came down” to see their tower, the description is using humorous sarcasm as if to say, “Where is this tiny tower? I certainly can’t see it from Heaven. But didn’t they boast that it would reach into Heaven? I suppose I’ll go down there so I can see that little thing. I better bring my magnifying glass so I can see how this tiny tower magnifies them and makes them great.”

Further, when GOD said He was going to confuse their language, as Jewish scholar Nahum Sarna has pointed out, the Hebrew consonants in this form of the verb for “confuse”, which is “n-b-l”, is a disarrangement of the first three consonants in the word for “brick”, which is “l-b-n”. And because GOD “n-b-l”, the people stopped using their “l-b-n” because they were confused. Because GOD “nay’-beh-lah” the people stopped “leb-ay-naw’” and everything became like the 1969 Sesame Street song, “Mah Nà Mah Nà” in that everything became confounded nonsense. Hence, it could be said that GOD collapsed the building blocks of their greatness as easily as toppling over a toddler’s toy tower.

And finally, GOD’s humorous sarcasm can be seen in the fact that they wanted to make a name for themselves, but their project became known as the “Tower of Babel”. That word “Babel” (which has the consonants of b-b-l) is a pun on the Hebrew verb בָּלַל [H1101] bālal (baw-lal’), which means to mix, confound, or confuse. So, GOD reversed “l-b-n” to “n-b-l” and then the tower became known as “b-b-l” because they were so confused they couldn’t even spell “confused”. In Hebrew, the words “Babel” and “Babylon” are spelled the same; everywhere else in Scripture, “Babel” becomes translated as “Babylon”. And as we will later see, Babylon will eventually take Judah captive into exile (1Chronicles 9:1; Jeremiah 39,52). In the Old Testament, no other adversary brought such terrible destruction on Jerusalem. In later literature, this particular event becomes the prototypical picture of horrendous death and destruction, and Babylon becomes the literary symbol epitomizing all of Israel’s enemies. However, Babylon makes a reappearance in Revelation 17-18 as the symbol of pride and rebellion against GOD. In the Babylonian language (Akkadian), the name “Babylon” means “gate of god”. Therefore, rather than the wicked people being able to make a name for themselves and achieve god-like status, the Lord effortlessly turned them into one big joke and then scattered them as easily as He causes leaves to blow in the wind. Ironically, the people decided to build that tower so that they would not be scattered (Genesis 11:4). However, as it is written in Proverbs 19:21, “Many plans are in a man’s heart, But the counsel of the Lord will stand.”

In conclusion, the story of the Tower of Babel reveals the evil of Satan and wickedness of man, but it also showcases GOD’s humor and sovereignty. In Psalm 2:4, it is written that the wicked counsel together against GOD and yet “He who sits in the heavens laughs, The Lord scoffs at them.” Therefore, GOD humorously and gently redirected the humans while He seriously and viciously destroyed the works of Satan.

Babylon means “gate of god”. But what does that gate look like? Where is that gate located? In Matthew 7:13-14, Jesus said, “¹³ Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. ¹⁴ For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.” But then Jesus later tells people how to enter through the gate in John 10:7-9, “⁷ Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. ⁸ All who came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. ⁹ I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.” And in John 14:6, Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.” Therefore, Jesus is the Gate of GOD.

Can we build a stairway to Heaven? What would those steps truly look like? Belief in GOD? Loving GOD? Humility? Repentance? Faith in Christ? Walking by the Spirit? Loving others? We should be uniting together as one unified body, but for what purpose are we uniting together? What is our ultimate end goal? How many monuments do we build to boast of our own greatness while ignoring GOD? Mansions? The tallest skyscraper? World records? Collections of trophies? Followers on social media? Are we trying to reach the “high places” in life while refusing to live in faithful obedience to the low level of humility? How can we ensure that we are truly worshiping GOD rather than doing great things for our own glory? Is it important that we make a name for ourselves? Are we like dogs urinating on fire hydrants so that we can let others know we were there? What can humans truly build while using pride as building blocks? What are you building? Why are you building it? Are you building it on the firm foundation of the Lord? Are you a Kingdom builder? For whose kingdom are you building? Are you building the church? Are you not aware that the body is the temple for the Holy Spirit, together we are the body of Christ, that the body is the church and the church is the Bride of Christ? We most certainly should be building each other up, but it should be for the purpose of building the Kingdom of GOD. If the godless are willing to unite together in order to build a wicked one-world governing kingdom, how much more should the righteous children of GOD be willing to unite together in order to build GOD’s Kingdom here on earth as it is in Heaven? And so, if the “stairway to Heaven” leads to the Gate of GOD – who is Christ Jesus – how can we help others to find this stairway to Heaven? (And no – the answer is not Led Zeppelin.)
(Read and ponder on the following: Genesis 12:7-8; Deuteronomy 32:4; 2Samuel 22:2-3; Psalm 118:22; Isaiah 28:16; Matthew 6:33; 7:24-27; 16:16; Acts 4:8-12; 1Corinthians 3:11; 6:19-20; 10:4; 11:3; 12:27; Ephesians 1:22; 2:18-20; 5:22-33; 1Peter 2:6-7)

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ABRAM’s LIE (Genesis 12-13)

In Genesis 12:1-9, GOD calls Abram to go to an unknown land that He will show him. In response, Abram departs, walking by faith. In 12:10-20, while in Egypt, Abram lied to Pharaoh and told him that Sarai was his sister. However, Abram’s wealth only increased afterwards. But if GOD commands not to lie in Exodus 20:16, then why did GOD bless Abram and allow him to prosper by lying? Further, why did Pharaoh get punished with terrible plagues because of Abram’s lie?

In our chronological timeline, the command not to lie (from Exodus 20:16) has not yet been given by GOD because that will happen later through Moses. However, because Abel (Genesis 4:4) and Noah (8:20) possessed prior knowledge of the sacrificial system (which GOD commands later through Moses), it is reasonable to believe that Abram knew that lying was morally wrong. In fact, even Pharaoh knew lying was morally wrong and that’s why he was angry about Abram’s lie. However, Abram’s increase in wealth should not be viewed as a divine reward for his lie. Pharaoh gave great gifts to Abram before he experienced the plagues and discovered the truth of Sarai being his wife. And for whatever reason, Pharoah didn’t desire to take his gifts back from Abram even though he told him to leave his land. Pharaoh may have felt an obligation to make amends to Abram for unwittingly taking his wife into his palace; after all, adultery was strictly forbidden by the Egyptian religion. And of course, Pharaoh could have merely allowed Abram to keep his gifts out of his fear of the Lord, believing that his gift would be the way to appease an angry god. What is more, the bigger picture of the entire story reveals that Abram does pay for his sin later on. As we will later see, the years of trouble that follow between Sarah and Hagar may have been a direct result of his lack of faith in GOD’s ability to protect him. We don’t know about that in particular, but we do know in general that GOD permits the consequences of sins to take their course. And finally, we must remember that although some people are portrayed as righteous men of GOD, they are still fallible, susceptible to moral failures, and responsible for their own sins. For example, Noah got drunk (Genesis 9:21), and as we will later see, David will have a moral failing due to his adulterous affair with Bathsheba in 2Samuel 11-12. Therefore, GOD blessed them in spite of their sins, not because of their sins. In fact, this is the message of the Gospel: GOD blessed us and gave us the gift of salvation in spite of our sins (Romans 5:8; Ephesians 2:8-9).

Moreover, context is key. Abram told his wife, Sarai, to lie so that he wouldn’t die. That decision was based on fear, not love. Understand this: there is no fear in love for perfect love casts out fear (1John 4:18). Love puts others first (1Corinthians 13:5; Philippians 2:3-4). However, Abram put himself before Sarai with that decision, which put her in a position to potentially get raped and essentially come under new “ownership”. Fortunately, GOD loved and protected Sarai as Abram should have done; in fact, it is written that the plagues GOD sent on Pharaoh were because of how GOD felt about Sarai (Genesis 12:17). But why did Pharaoh have to endure great plagues? Because GOD needed Pharoah to know how important Sarai was to Him. How important was she to GOD? In 12:3, GOD told Abram, “in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.” How so? Because through Abram and Sarai will come the promised Seed who will crush the head of the serpent (3:15).

All of this drama came almost as soon as GOD had called Abram. We need to understand that as followers of The Way, we will find that when we make a determined decision to follow the Lord, we will almost immediately encounter great obstacles that will challenge our faith. As soon as you decide to live for the Lord, the Lord will put you through His refinery in order to purify you; in addition, you will have a target on your back for the devil and all demons to see.

Just as Noah was a righteous man yet eventually sinned, Abram was a man of faith yet eventually lost faith for a brief moment. However, Noah’s moment of failure and Abram’s moment of flounder are mere flaws from finite and fallible beings. But as the entire Bible reveals, faith in the Lord is greater than our flaws because His grace covers the Law just as He had covered Adam and Eve (Genesis 3:21). When Abram lied, his problems multipLIED! He could have been welcomed into Egypt; instead, he was kicked out of that land because of his lie. However, it is written that the only reason Abram went there was because GOD caused a severe famine that forced Abram to travel to Egypt (12:10). However, because of Abram’s lie, Pharaoh had his army escort Abram out of Egypt and back out into a position of survival and dependency upon GOD. But because of Pharaoh’s great gifts, Abram was blessed in spite of his moral failure. Abram’s life was not spared because of his lie, but because of GOD in spite of the lie.

But why did GOD steer Abram to Egypt? Simply put, because He knew Sarai’s beauty and Abram’s lie would bring Pharaoh before GOD and that needed to happen. This entire scene foreshadows the future interaction between Moses and the Pharaoh of Egypt at that time, except Abram’s scenario showcases a right response from a Pharaoh who receives plagues whereas Moses’s scenario showcases the wrong response from a Pharaoh who receives plagues. Therefore, this scenario highlights the fact that humans possess freedom of choice and will be held accountable for all choices made (Isaiah 3:10-11; Jeremiah 17:10; Matthew 16:27; Romans 2:6; 14:12; 2Corinthians 5:10; Colossians 3:24-25; Revelation 20:12). In John 5:45, Jesus told the Jewish followers of Moses that it would be Moses who would accuse them before the Father because it was Moses who wrote about Him and yet they refused to believe Him. Also, in Matthew 12:41, Jesus told the scribes and Pharisees that the men of Nineveh will stand up with their generation at the judgment and will condemn them because the men of Nineveh repented at the preaching of Jonah and yet the scribes and Pharisees refused to repent at the teaching of Jesus, who was greater than Jonah. Likewise, the Pharoah who chose to do what is right while interacting with Abram and Sarai will testify against the Pharaoh who chose to do what is wrong while interacting with Moses and the Israelites.

Prior to GOD causing a severe famine and steering Abram toward Egypt, Genesis 12:1-9 describes Abram’s faith-filled journey in how he departed when the Lord instructed him to do so, even building altars in dedication to the Lord along his journey, which occurred in stages (12:9; 13:3). In general, our journey with the Lord will always occur in stages so that we will have the time and opportunities we need to be able to purify and mature as we should. For this reason, in John 16:12, Jesus told His disciples that He had many more things to tell them, but He didn’t because He knew they were unable to bear those words at that time. And so yet again, all of this showcases how GOD’s timing is precise and perfect. In fact, GOD’s perfect timing and perfect plan is why He prevented Sarai from becoming pregnant at first (Genesis 11:30) even though the promised Seed would come from her (12:3; 15:4; 17:19). GOD’s perfect timing and perfect plan is also why He allowed Abram’s brother, Haran, to die (Genesis 11:28). Haran was the father of Lot (11:27). Because Lot no longer had a father, Abram became a father figure to Lot and then Lot joined Abram on his journey (12:4; 13:5). Further, GOD directed Abram to Egypt because He knew Pharaoh would bless them with many great gifts, which would increase their wealth. Again, this was not a reward for Abram’s lie; rather, GOD planned to use that increased wealth so that “the land could not sustain them while dwelling together, for their possessions were so great that they were not able to remain together” (13:6). Why did GOD desire for Abram and Lot to split up and go their own separate ways? Because GOD planned to use Lot in His judgment against Sodom and Gomorrah (13:12-13; 18:20; 19:1-29). Therefore, GOD allowed Haran (Lot’s father) to die so that Sodom and Gomorrah could come under GOD’s judgment of brimstone and fire. And then 13:14 says that GOD waited until Lot separated from Abram and then He confirmed His commitment to Abram. In response, he built another altar to the Lord (13:18).

After Abram had been forced to leave Egypt, it is written in 13:3-4 that he returned “³ to the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Ai, ⁴ to the place of the altar which he had made there formerly [12:8]; and there Abram called on the name of the Lord.” Therefore, it is evident that Abram was indeed a man of faith who just happened to lose faith in one brief moment of weakness while fearing for his life. If we examine this story in a broad overview, we will see that GOD’s timing is precise, GOD guides us, we make mistakes, GOD responds with grace, and even though GOD permits our sins to run their courses through consequences, GOD is in control and uses every seemingly insignificant detail to accomplish His will. And what we learn from Abram is that after we fall, we need to rise up again (Proverbs 24:16) and return to the place we were before when we were right with the Lord so that we can recommit ourselves to living faithfully obedient to His will. Essentially, that is repentance. And when we return to Him in worship, GOD confirms His love for us and reminds us once again of the inevitable outcome that His will shall be done and the enemy will not win.

Ponder on this: Haran died without ever knowing how his death played a significant role in GOD’s judgment against the wicked Sodom and Gomorrah. What if he died believing he made no difference at all? What if Christians reading the Bible discount his name, believing that he made no difference? Scripture tells us that Seth never got to witness the birth of Noah because Seth lived 807 years after the birth of Enosh (5:6-7) but Noah was born 821 years after the birth of Enosh (5:28-29). It is also written that the righteous Lamech witnessed Noah construct the ark, but he died before ever witnessing the flood because he died when Noah was 595 years of age (5:30) and the flood came when Noah was 600 years of age (7:6). And what about you? How many of your relatives never got to see all the ways GOD has worked through your faithful obedience? And what about your own life? How many things has GOD done through you behind the scenes that you’re not even aware of? Can you imagine finally living on the New Earth that is to come and hearing stories from all other children of GOD of all the great things GOD had done that you never knew about? Can you imagine Jesus telling you or even showing you all the different ways your faithful obedience made significant impacts on others’ lives even though you were never aware of the impact you made?
But let’s consider also all the events in life you are aware of, the ones you remember. How many times in your life has GOD blessed you in spite of your sin? What is the most recent incident? Why do you think GOD blessed you in spite of your moral failure?
Had Abram not previously praised and worshiped the Lord at that time in his past, he would not have had that helpful moment for his current struggle leaving Egypt. Whenever anxiety of the future comes, allow yourself to fall back on the monuments of praise you have built in the past and remind yourself of all the times GOD has worked in your life in the past and then simply place your trust in GOD and move forward in faith. Your past praise presentation is the reminder for your current situation to help you move forward toward your future destination. When we stop making choices in GOD’s direction, our only option is to make choices in the wrong direction. After returning to his previous altar, Abram eventually moved on and built yet another altar to the Lord. How many monuments of praise and worship are you building that you will be able to return to later on?

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WHO IS THE KING? (Genesis 14)

At one point in this Genesis story, Cain’s line represented the wicked who will be unsaved and Seth’s line represented the righteous who will be saved. From Seth came Enosh, and the time of Enosh was when “men began to call upon the name of the Lord” (Genesis 4:26). However, the genealogy of 5:9-31 informs us that 1,416 years passed since the birth of Enosh until the righteous Lamech died. It was at that time that “the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually” (6:5). Therefore, in less than 1,400 years, even Seth’s righteous line gradually declined, decayed, and developed into wickedness. And then 1,421 years after the birth of Enosh, when Noah was 600 years of age, GOD sent the flood (7:6) as judgment against the wicked. After the water receded and Noah went out from the ark onto dry land, Noah became the second “Adam” (9:1). At first, chapters 9-10 make it seem as if Ham’s line would be the wicked line just as Cain’s line had been the wicked line and Shem’s line would be the righteous line just as Seth’s line had been the righteous line (which is true because Jesus comes from the line of Shem); however, GOD knows that it’s only a matter of time before the humans will slide down Satan’s slippery slope and gradually decline into wickedness once again. We are informed in 10:25 that Peleg’s name (which means “division”) had been given to him “for in his days the earth was divided.” We are informed in 11:1-9 that the earth was divided at the event of the Tower of Babel. And then the genealogy of 11:16 informs us that Peleg was born 101 years after the flood. Therefore, in less than a century after the flood, Satan attempted to prematurely form a wicked one-world governing body, hoping that GOD would see their wickedness and decide to destroy them again, but to destroy them permanently. However, GOD chose instead to destroy Satan’s plan and only scatter the humans. And then we see in 11:26 that Abram was born 292 years after the flood, about 190-210 years after the event of the Tower of Babel. And finally, we see in 12:4 that GOD called Abram at age 75, which was 367 years after the flood, about 265-285 years after the event of the Tower of Babel.

Now, in Genesis 13:10-13, Abram and Lot separated and went their own ways, with Lot settling near Sodom. And 14:1-2 describes how war broke out between nine different kings, with four kings against five kings. This passage highlights the consequence from the proclamation of 11:4 when the people of Babylonia said, “let us make for ourselves a name”. The humans’ prideful desire to make a name for themselves is what led to multiple people declaring themselves to be kings and then choosing the path of violence to force others to call them kings. Because GOD prevented the people from uniting together to form a wicked one-world governing body, Satan changed his war tactics, and at this point in our chronological story, he is now attempting to use the division GOD initiated in order to turn everyone against each other. It’s as if Satan said, “If GOD won’t destroy them, and I’m not permitted to destroy them, then perhaps I can convince them to destroy themselves.”

It is written in 14:12 that because Lot lived in Sodom, he ended up getting captured by one of the wicked groups fighting in the war. However, one of Lot’s men managed to escape and run to Abram with the news, and 14:15-16 informs us that Abram attacked them and recovered all that had been taken, including Lot and all other captives. But how did Abram do that? Well, 14:13-14 informs us that Abram not only had 318 trained men who had been born into his household, but he also had allies.

Nine kings fought over who was the true and most powerful king and yet Abram ended up defeating them even though he did not even declare himself to be a king. How? Because the King of kings and Lord of lords had conquered the other so-called “kings” on behalf of Abram. And after Abram returned from his victory, it is written in 14:17-24 that both the king of Sodom and the king of Salem came out to meet Abram. Melchizedek of Salem blessed Abram, and in return, Abram gave to him a tenth of everything. But who is Melchizedek? He was the king of Salem and a priest of GOD Most High (Hebrew: El-Elyon). “Melchizedek” means king of righteousness, and ‘king of Salem” means king of peace. He is the first priest/king of Scripture. Melchizedek ruled Salem, which will later become the site of the future Jerusalem; in fact, Salem is merely a shortened version of Jerusalem (Psalm 76:2). And what is Jerusalem to the Jews if not everything? Melchizedek gave Abram bread and wine, which represent the body and blood of Christ (Matthew 26:26-29; Mark 14:22-25; Luke 22:14-23; 1Corinthians 10:16; 11:23-29). Abram tithed (gave a tenth) to Melchizedek just as the Israelites will eventually tithe to the Lord. As we will later see in our chronological journey, Melchizedek makes a brief appearance in Psalm 110:4, where the idealized Davidic king is identified as also having priestly credentials “in the order of Melchizedek.” In the Dead Sea Scrolls, Melchizedek is depicted as a heavenly redeemer figure, a leader of the forces of light, who brings release to the captives and reigns during the Messianic age. And finally, Hebrews 5-7 make it absolutely clear that Melchizedek is a type of Christ, foreshadowing the future Priest/King of righteousness and peace (but I’ll expound upon that when we discuss the book of Hebrews in this chronological journey).

Abram received the blessing from Melchizedek and even gave a tenth to him, but Abram refused to receive anything from the king of Sodom. Abram’s different responses to the two kings are extremely important theologically because they represent the two paths of either walking by the Spirit or the flesh (Ezekiel 36:27; Romans 8:4-8,12-14; Galatians 5:16-25). In addition, the two different responses represent how our response should be to the King of Heaven, who is Jesus (Deuteronomy 10:17; 1Timothy 6:15; Revelation 17:14; 19:16), and the ruler of this world, who is Satan (John 12:31; 14:30; 16:11; 2Corinthians 4:4; Ephesians 2:2; 6:12; 1John 5:19). Not only did Abram refuse to receive the plunder from the battle or even covet what did not belong to him, but he also desired to give credit and reward to his allies while completely relying upon the Lord. The plunder would have made him even more wealthy and powerful, yet he placed his future hope in GOD alone. Rather than attempt to forcefully take control over the promised land of Canaan (Genesis 13:15), he decided to wait for the Lord to give it to him.

It is written that Lot chose to live in Sodom based off what he saw. Where else in the biblical story have people made decisions based only on what they saw? What about you? How many decisions have you made based only on what you saw? How did those decisions turn out? What have you learned from those decisions?
Abram had courage that came from GOD. Do you have that type of courage?
Abram had men who were already trained; that means he had been prepared to expect the unexpected and was ready to respond to evil. How trained are you to expect the unexpected? Are you ready to respond to evil?
Abram had allies. Are you connected with others or are you isolated and an easier target, like Lot?
It would have been easier and safer not to become involved in Lot’s trouble, but Abram decided to help Lot. Sometimes we must get involved in a messy, dangerous, or painful situation in order to help others. We should be willing to act immediately when others need help. Are you willing?
Most people are willing to say they care about others; however, multiple test subjects who have been recorded by hidden cameras have revealed that fear often overrides care and concern and paralyzes people into indifferent inactivity. Many amateur YouTubers and television shows such as ABC’s “What Would You Do?” reveal that when a situation is hostile, most people choose not to get involved in order to keep themselves safe. A main reason behind the decision to hide in safety rather than getting involved is the fact that people don’t know how to respond because they never prepared themselves for the possibility of the problem. Would you freeze in fear or would you respond in righteousness with a relentless rescue operation? Have you trained yourself how to respond to evil situations? Bullying? Rape? Theft? Vandalism? What would you do? This story reveals that only those who respond in righteousness are rewarded with the blessing from the Priest/King.
And finally, we need to understand that Lot’s capture and rescue is the picture of our salvation. We were prisoners of sin, held in bondage by Satan, and yet Jesus was already prepared and cared to act on our behalf. Jesus pursued and rescued us! Will you give Him the praise He deserves?

John 7:53-8:11 (Woman Caught In Adultery)

I received a question from a fellow believer:
“Was John 7:57-8:11 added and if so, is the scripture still inerrant?”

Those are good questions. Your questions invoke a similar response to a YouTube video I already posted titled, “Why Are There Missing Verses In My Bible?” If you haven’t seen that video yet, watch that video either before or after you read this article.

1. Regarding John 7:53-8:11, the perceived problem is that some scholars question whether this story should even be in the Bible at all. This story of the woman taken in adultery is found in the KJV, ASV, NASB, and NIV. However, the NEB places it at the end of the Gospel under the caption, “An incident in the temple.” And since 1971 the RSV places it in special print set off from the rest of the text, as does the NRSV. The standard Greek New Testament (Nestle-Aland Text, United Bible Societies) places brackets around it, indicating that it is not part of the original text of John. So, why do many scholars believe this story is not part of the original manuscript of the Gospel of John?

Well, there are several reasons why many scholars question whether this passage belongs here in John’s Gospel.

1. The passage does not appear in the oldest and most reliable Greek manuscripts.
2. It is not found in the best manuscripts of the earliest translations of the Bible into Old Syriac, Coptic, Gothic, and Old Latin.
3. No Greek writer commented on this passage for the first 11 centuries of Christianity.
4. It is not cited by most of the great early church fathers, including Clement, Tertullian, Origen, Cyprian, Cyril, and others.
5. Its style does not fit that of the rest of the Gospel of John.
6. It interrupts the flow of thought in John’s Gospel; it reads better if one goes directly from John 7:52 to 8:12.
7. The story, either wholly or in part, has been found in several different places in Bible manuscripts – after John 7:36,44,52; 21:25; and after Luke 21:38; 24:53.
8. Many manuscripts that include it in John 7:53-8:11 have it marked (with an obelus), indicating they believe it is doubtful.

However, in spite of all this, because this story has been found either wholly or in part in other places in other manuscripts (albeit later in dating), it has been included in many Bible translations [in brackets]. Many Bible scholars believe this story can be authentic because there doesn’t seem to be any reason to reject it apart from the aforementioned reasons. It certainly contains no doctrinal errors, it fits with the character of Jesus and His teachings, and fits with the character traits of the Pharisees; however, there is no certainty that it was in the original Gospel of John.

Examination:

In John 8:5, the Pharisees brought a woman caught in the act of adultery and proposed that she should be stoned to death. However, Leviticus 20:10 and Deuteronomy 22:22-24 state that both the man and the woman caught in the act should be stoned. So, where was the man? In Matthew 23, Jesus condemns the Pharisees for devouring widows’ houses (23:14), and for tithing yet neglecting justice, mercy, and faithfulness (23:23). It is for this reason Jesus said the Pharisees do not practice what they preach (23:3).

In John 8:6, the Pharisees used this scenario as a trap in order to condemn Jesus. This fits with other accounts we see throughout the other Gospels (Matthew 16:1; 19:3; 22:15,18,35; Mark 8:11; 10:2; 12:15; Luke 10:25; 11:16,54). Not only does it fit with the other Gospels, but it fits with the Gospel of John (John 7:19; 8:37,40).

In John 8:7, Jesus told the Pharisees that whoever is without sin should be the one to cast the first stone. This is actually extremely important and relevant because Deuteronomy 17:7 states that the witness of the crime must be the one to cast the first stone. However, because they were the witnesses, that would put the guilt of the woman’s blood on them. And again, where was the man who committed adultery? Either one of the Pharisees had committed the act of adultery or the Pharisees allowed the guilty man to leave (thus showing partiality in judgment and violating the Law – Exodus 20:16; 23:1; Leviticus 19:15; Deuteronomy 1:17; 5:20; 16:19; Proverbs 18:5; 24:23; James 2:9). Another possible scenario is that the Pharisees conspired together to lie against a woman they hated even though she had been innocent of adultery on that occasion. But if that were the case, then the Pharisees were guilty of being false witnesses and thus violated the Jewish Law according to Deuteronomy 19:18-19. If Jesus said the woman should not be stoned, the Pharisees would have accused Him of violating the Law. However, if Jesus ordered that she should be stoned, Jesus would have violated the Law of the Jews (because the guilty man was not present) and the Roman empire’s law that only Romans could execute capital punishment (John 18:31). So Jesus’s clever response called attention to their own guilt. Only the one without sin could cast the first stone. However, they were already guilty because the man who committed the adultery was not present. Thus, if they did cast the first stone, they themselves would have broken their own Law as well as Rome’s law and would be condemned. Checkmate. And this is very similar to Paul’s rebuke we see in Romans 2:1,22 as well as Jesus’s warning in Matthew 7:1-5 about hypocritical judgment. And so when Jesus said that whoever is without sin was able to cast the first stone, He boldly declared that only He was able to cast the first stone because He was without sin (2Corinthians 5:21; Hebrews 4:15; 1Peter 2:22; 1John 3:5). But instead, Jesus merely told the woman to go and sin no more.

In John 8:11, Jesus told the woman to go and sin no more. We also see this in John 5:14. And this fits well with what we see in Luke 5:32 and Romans 2:4.

In conclusion, simply because there’s less evidence for this particular passage, that doesn’t mean this incident didn’t actually happen. In fact, Jesus did many things that aren’t recorded in the Gospels (John 21:25); it might have come from oral tradition. Though this passage is clearly out of place, ancient scribes clearly attempted to insert this story in different places they believed it would blend while they created copies. However, because there’s less evidence for this particular passage, it’s wise to allow this passage to simply remain as background information; do not formulate any foundational beliefs on this story. There might be a few reasons to reject it, but there are also many reasons to accept it. Scripture interprets Scripture. And in this case, all of Scripture is able to affirm several aspects of this story. And in the end of this story, all the religious hypocrites walk away defeated just as we see in Matthew 22:46.

Inerrancy Conclusion:

In regard to the question as to whether this affects the inerrancy of the Bible, I don’t believe it does because even with this story, the Bible is still without error or fault in all of its teachings. Again, the teachings or truths of this story is only affirmed by multiple other scriptures; in addition, this story does not contradict anything else in the Bible because it does not contain doctrinal errors, it fits with the character of Jesus and His teachings, and it fits with the character traits of the Pharisees.

For more about how we got the Bible in its finalized format, please see my article: “How Did We Get The Bible?”

No Comparison Within Christianity

I received a message from someone regarding a video I posted about my testimony:

“Your testimony is incredible… My gosh.”

If you’ve heard my testimony and have ever sent me a similar message, thank you for your kind words. However, I want to use this opportunity to build you up, and anyone else who is watching this. A lot of Christians struggle with the thought that because they don’t have an extreme testimony that they don’t have an awesome testimony. But that’s not true. Listen, comparison is of the devil. Everyone’s testimony is different, but everyone’s testimony is awesome if it leads you to the Lord and your name is written in the Book of Life. You don’t have to have an extreme testimony to have an awesome testimony.

Noah got drunk one time when he shouldn’t have gotten drunk (Genesis 9:20–23) — How many people in the world were drunks before they encountered Christ and the Lord changed their lives and they became sober-minded servants of the Kingdom? That transformation is awesome!

Hagar felt unloved and as if she had nowhere to go yet GOD loved her, saw her affliction, pursued her, and then blessed her (Genesis 16:7-13) — How many people in the world never experienced true love until the Lord pursued them and loved them? That testimony is awesome!

Abraham and Sarah considered themselves to be too old to experience GOD’s miracles (Genesis 17:17; 18:11–12) — My grandpa didn’t give his life to the Lord until he was on his death bed at an old age. Whatever happened in that room with my grandpa and my uncle is a testimony just as awesome as mine.

Jacob was a liar and wrestled against GOD (Genesis 27:19–24; 32:24–32) — How many people lived their lives deceiving others until they discovered the Truth of Jesus? That transformation is awesome!

Leah was considered to be ugly and felt unloved (Genesis 29:17,30). Dinah was raped (Genesis 34:2). But GOD loved them both enough to include them in the Bible, which is the Word of Life and salvation to all human kind — How many people believe they are invisible and live a loveless existence only to discover later on that they are written in the Book of Life and GOD gives them rewards according to their faithful deeds (Matthew 19:27-30; Luke 6:23,35; John 14:2-3; Colossians 3:24; Hebrews 10:35; 11:6; Revelation 22:12)? What a heavenly surprise!

Joseph was sold into slavery by his own brothers and ended up in prison after a false accusation of being a rapist, but GOD had his hedge of protection around Joseph the entire time and positioned him so that he could help save the lives of many (Genesis 37:18–36; 39:7-23; 50:20) — How many people sentenced to prison ended up finding the Lord in their jail cell? How many prisoners have helped to lead other prisoners to the Lord? How many of those awesome testimonies have we never even heard? Some of the most awesome testimonies often go unheard. And that’s sad.

Moses murdered someone and also had some sort of a speech impediment (Exodus 2:11–12; 4:10). David was an adulterer and murderer (2Samuel 11) — How many people in this world were murderers before the Lord redeemed them and worked through them in order to bring others to eternal life? That’s an awesome testimony! But I wouldn’t want that testimony.

Rahab was a prostitute yet she ended up being written in the Hall of Fame for her faith (Joshua 2:1; Hebrews 11:31) — How many women were prostitutes on the streets before they became evangelists for the Lord? That’s awesome! But I wouldn’t wish that testimony on anyone. I don’t want girls to have to learn the hard way that their bodies are temples for the Holy Spirit. I would rather a little girl have a simple testimony than one of abuse.

The prophet Elijah was suicidal at one point (1Kings 19:4) — How many people, like myself, wanted to end their lives only for the Lord to call them to live for Him so that others might not perish? Yeah it’s an awesome testimony, but I wouldn’t wish those suicidal thoughts even on my enemies.

Job lost everything – his possessions and family. Even his friends turned on him and accused him of being a sinner who deserved his afflictions (Job 1:13–19; 16:1-4). Yet GOD deemed Job to be highly favored and blessed because Job suffered innocently and kept his faith and then GOD restored him (Job 42:7-17) — How many people don’t believe they have an awesome testimony because they believe all they have is a life that fell apart? But haven’t you kept your faith? If you keep your faith after your life falls apart, that’s an awesome testimony! But again, I wouldn’t wish that on anyone. And that’s not a testimony you need to seek out. You don’t have to crash and burn and lose everything and everyone in order to have an awesome testimony.

Mary Magdalene had been possessed by seven demons (Luke 8:2) — How many people in this world were possessed and lived for the devil before proclaiming Christ as Lord and Savior? My brother in Christ, Ray, was possessed prior to Jesus saving him. That’s an awesome testimony, but I know he wouldn’t wish that on anyone.

Saul (who became Paul) was too religious and persecuted Christians (who are GOD’s adopted children), yet he ended up becoming blind, only to see again, and then planted churches in multiple areas (Acts 7:54–58; 9:1–2; 23:6). Paul was imprisoned, scourged, beaten with rods, almost stoned to death, three times he was shipwrecked, a night and a day he spent in the ocean. He was in danger from robbers, from the wilderness, and from harm of false brethren; he had many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. And to top it all off, he had daily pressure of concern for all the churches he helped start (2Corinthians 11:23-28) — Did you know that you enduring persecution and hardships while remaining steadfast in faith is an awesome testimony? But you don’t have to be beaten with rods and almost stoned to death to have an awesome testimony.

Listen, my testimony might fall into the extreme category — and that might make it seem incredible to some people — but I wouldn’t wish my testimony even on my enemy. In Matthew 18:1-4, it is written: “At that time the disciples came to Jesus and said, ‘Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?’ And He called a child to Himself and set him before them, and said, ‘Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever then humbles himself as this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.’ ”

Understand this: I’d rather you possess that childlike faith and your testimony be that you never needed to reach rock bottom because your faith and hope in the Lord caused you to rise to the top and never sink down. I was like Thomas who needed to see to believe. But do you remember what Jesus said to Thomas? “Jesus said to him, ‘Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed.’ ” (John 20:29). In my personal opinion, the most awesome testimony a person could ever have is that he/she possessed childlike faith from youth and never departed from that faith because they were trained up in the way to go (Proverbs 22:6). I don’t have that testimony. But that’s okay. I have mine and you have yours. I was rebellious and had to crash and burn before being rescued. I was blessed that a Father in Heaven loved me enough to adopt me as a His child even though I never deserved it. So, please, do not discredit or discount your testimony. Don’t ever compare your testimony to others’ testimonies as if yours is less-than. Even if you think you have the most boring and uneventful testimony, I promise you it’s awesome in the sight of the Lord.

In Matthew 10:32, Jesus said, “Therefore everyone who confesses Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven.” — When all is said and done, all children of GOD are going to have the same testimony in that they confessed Christ before men. Therefore, everyone’s testimony is awesome.

Satan is our accuser who tries to belittle us and fills our minds with doubts and comparisons: “Are you truly saved? You don’t have that person’s testimony. Are you truly loved and one of GOD’s chosen? We both know your history. You’re not that special.”

Those are lies! It is written that we overcome Satan. How? It is written in Revelation 12:11: “And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death.”

Listen, you know why you proclaim Christ Jesus as Lord and Savior. That’s your testimony. Stand on that and you’re an overcomer with an awesome testimony. Don’t let the enemy deceive you — your testimony is awesome even if it isn’t extreme in the sight of other humans. It is written in Galatians 1:10, “For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a bond-servant of Christ.”

We don’t need to impress people with our testimonies; rather, we need only to share our testimonies. They are what they are. Be obedient by sharing your testimony. Because I promise you that your testimony is awesome. And so I challenge you today, record your testimony and then share it with the world. Who cares what others say about it? You know why you proclaim Christ Jesus as Lord and Savior. Share your testimony and point people to the One who set you free. And may GOD open the ears of those who listen and soften hardened hearts so that your testimony may be seed planted in good soil. May those who hear your testimony decide to seek Christ Jesus with all their hearts, minds, and soul and receive a testimony of their own. In the name of Christ Jesus, I pray, amen.

Picture Scripture: “Jesus Is GOD” (John 10:30)

(John 10:30)
“I and the Father are one.”

…———…

Our understanding of who Jesus was/is must correspond to Jesus’s own self-understanding. When Jesus said, “I and the Father are one,” the word “one” is the English translation of the Greek word heis, which means a single one in contrast to many, to the exclusion of others. But the specific spelling of this adjective as used in John 10:30 is hen, which is the neuter (common) spelling, denoting neither masculine nor feminine. The verb preceding the number one is eimi, which is the basic Greek verb which expresses being and means “I am” or “I exist.” But the specific spelling of this verb as used in John 10:30 is esmen, which is the first person plural indicative of eimi, and it means “we are.” Therefore, Jesus claimed to exist in unity with the Father and claimed to be the great I AM. And though the use of hen is a small and often overlooked detail, I believe it is also important because GOD is neither male nor female, but is Spirit (John 4:24). Also, eimi, being in the present tense, indicative mood – can be time-inclusive (“omnitemporal,” like the Hebrew imperfect tense). Only the context indicates whether the present tense also has “timeless” implications. For example, in John 14:6, Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.” Here, eimi naturally accords with the fact that Christ is eternal – meaning “I am (was, will be).” For this reason it is written in Hebrews 13:8, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” Moreover, the “I am”(egō eimi) of John 14:6 links with GOD’s only name, YHWH, meaning “He who always was, is, and will be.”

So, did Jesus ever claim to be GOD? Yes. Consider all that follows. In Exodus 3:14, GOD revealed Himself to Moses as “I AM WHO I AM.” The name, YHWH, refers only to the one true GOD. Exodus 20:5 tells us that no other person or thing was to be worshipped or served. In Isaiah 44:6, it is written, “I am the first and I am the last; there is no God but Me.” The great “I AM” can be seen in Isaiah 41:4; 43:10-11,13; 46:9; 48:12; 52:6; and even Jeremiah 29:23.

This Gospel of John especially makes it clear who Jesus was and still is: Jesus is the great “I AM” (John 4:26; 6:20,35; 8:12,16,19,23-24,28,58; 10:7,9,11,14; 11:25; 13:19; 14:6; 15:1,5) and “I AM” is GOD (Exodus 3:14); therefore, Jesus is GOD and GOD reveals Himself in Jesus (John 1:14; 8:19; 10:30; 14:7-11).

Isaiah 42:8 says, “I am the Lord, that is My name; I will not give My glory to another, nor My praise to graven images”

Mark 14:61-62 says, “Again the high priest was questioning Him, and saying to Him, ‘Are You the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?’ And Jesus said, ‘I am; and you shall see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.’ ”

Now that question may be drawn from Jesus’s public teaching in the Temple (Mark 12:1-12,35-37; cf. 3:5-11; Luke 4:16-30), in which He claimed to be the Son of the GOD of Israel and the Messianic Lord of David, who shares exclusive honor with GOD Himself. “I am.” Jesus answered affirmatively and then applied to Himself messianic prophecies from Psalm 110:1 (cf. Mark 12:35-37) and Daniel 7:13-14. And this is why in Mark 14:63-64 the high priest charged Him with blasphemy and they condemned Him to death.

John 8:58 says, “Jesus said to them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am.’ ”

John 10:30 says, “I and the Father are one.”

John 10:38 says, “the Father is in Me, and I in the Father.”

John 17:5 says, “Now, Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.”

In Revelation 1:17-18 Jesus said, “I am the first and the last, and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore”

Psalm 23:1 says, “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.”

In John 10:11, Jesus said, “I am the good shepherd.”

Joel 3:12 says, “For there I will sit to judge all the surrounding nations.”

In Matthew 25:31-46 and John 5:24-30, Jesus claimed to be the Judge of all people.

In Isaiah 62:5; the entire book of Hosea, but specifically Hosea 2:16, YHWH is the ‘Bridegroom.’

Jesus is the ‘Bridegroom’ (Matthew 9:15; 25:1; Mark 2:19-20; Luke 5:34-35; John 3:29; Ephesians 5:22-33; Revelation 19:7; 21:2,9; 22:17).

Psalm 27:1 says, “The Lord is my light and my salvation.”

John 8:12 says, “Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, ‘I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.’ ”

YHWH is the giver or life (Deuteronomy 32:39; 1Samuel 2:6) and YHWH is the only Judge (Deuteronomy 32:35; Joel 3:12).

Jesus raises the dead and is Judge (John 5:21-30).

No one should worship anyone other than GOD (Exodus 20:1-4); Deuteronomy 5:6-9; 6:13; Matthew 4:10; Acts 10:25-26; 14:11-15; Revelation 19:10; 22:8-9).

Jesus accepted worship (Matthew 8:2; 9:18; 14:33; 15:25; 16:17; 20:20; 28:17; Mark 5:6; John 20:28-29).

Isaiah 43:25 says, “I, even I, am the one who wipes out your transgressions for My own sake, and I will not remember your sins.”

Jesus had the authority to forgive sins (Mark 2: 5-12). It is for this reason, the Jews charged Him with blasphemy, which is punishable by death (Leviticus 24:10-23; Numbers 15:30-31).

John 3:12 says, “If I told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?”

In The Message, Eugene Peterson paraphrases it this way: “If I tell you things that are plain as the hand before your face and you don’t believe me, what use is there in telling you of things you can’t see, the things of God?”

H.A.N.D.S.

Jesus gets GOD’s Honors
Jesus has GOD’s Attributes
Jesus has GOD’s Names
Jesus does GOD’s Deeds
Jesus sits in GOD’s Seat

Honors: Jesus expected people to honor Him as they did the Father (John 5:23; Luke 10:16; 1John 2:23); He accepted worship from His disciples (Matthew 14:33; 28:9,17; Luke 24:52); He encouraged them to have faith in Him as they did in YHWH (Matthew 18:5,20; John 14:1); He invited them to pray to Him (John 14:14).

Attributes: Jesus claimed to be just like GOD the Father — so much so that if you saw Jesus you had seen the Father (John 14:7-11); Jesus revealed Himself to be omnipresent when He asserted that He would be present with His disciples wherever they gathered in His name (Matthew 18:20); Jesus even said that He had existed before creation (John 17:5).

Names: Jesus was equal with the Father (Matthew 11:27; John 5:17-18); Jesus’s “I am” statements echoed the way GOD identified Himself in the Old Testament (compare Isaiah 43:10 with John 8:24,28,58); Jesus’s title for Himself, “the Son of Man,” refers to prophetic visions of a divine yet human figure (Ezekiel 1:26-28; Daniel 7:13-14); Jesus accepted Thomas and did not rebuke him when he called Jesus “My Lord and my God” (John 20:28).

Deeds: Jesus did many deeds and claimed to have done many deeds that only GOD could do. He calmed a raging storm with a mere word, walked on water, and fed thousands of people with one boy’s lunch (Matthew 8:23-27; 14:13-33); Jesus claimed the right to forgive people of all their sins (Matthew 9:1-8; Mark 2:1-12); Jesus said that He would raise the dead (John 5:28-29; 11:25-26) and be the final Judge of all humanity (Matthew 25:31-46; John 5:22-23). And whenever Jesus gave commands, He did not say “Thus says the Lord” like prophets did; rather, Jesus, having the authority of GOD, said, “I say to you” (Matthew 5:18-44; 10:15; 12:6; 13:17; 18:3; Mark 10:15; 14:30; Luke 5:24; 7:14,47; 12:8; 23:43; John 3:3; 5:24-25; 6:53; 8:51). It is for this reason it is written that Jesus taught as One having authority (Mark 1:22,27). And it was Jesus Himself who gave His disciples authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every kind of disease and every kind of sickness (Matthew 10:1).

Seat: Jesus claimed that He would sit on the seat of GOD’s own throne, the place from which GOD rules over His entire creation (Matthew 25:31; Mark 12:36; Luke 20:42-43). And that is exactly what Jesus will do there: He will rule over absolutely everything in creation (Matthew 11:25-27; 28:18; Luke 10:21-22).

Summary:

The religious people who rejected Jesus understood that He claimed to be equal to GOD (Mark 2:7; John 5:17-18; 10:27-33) and that is exactly why they desired to kill Him. Jesus most certainly did claim to be GOD, but is there good reason to believe His claim? Absolutely. Yes. To support His claim to deity, Jesus showed supernatural power and authority that are unique in human history. The fulfilled prophecies, historical records, the virgin birth, and sinless life are all in favor of the deity of Christ. His disciples had lived and worked with Him for three years in close proximity, yet their opinions of Him were not diminished. Beyond the moral aspects of His life, the miraculous nature of His ministry is a divine confirmation. Jesus performed an unprecedented display of miracles (Matthew 11:4-5). This special outpouring of miracles was a special sign that the Messiah had come (Isaiah 35:5-6). And of course, let’s not forget the resurrection. Nothing like the resurrection of Christ is claimed by any other religion, and no other miracle has as much historical confirmation.

Jesus thought it was fundamentally important what others believed about Him. It was not a subject that allowed for neutrality or a less-than-honest appraisal of the evidence. I believe C. S. Lewis captured this truth best in his book, Mere Christianity. After surveying some of the evidence regarding Jesus’s identity, Lewis wrote:

“I am trying to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: ‘I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept His claim to be God.’ That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic – on a level with the man who says he is a poached egg – or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronising nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.”

Some people believe Jesus is GOD because they believe the Bible is the inspired Word of GOD, which teaches that Jesus is GOD. I, too, believe the Bible is the wholly inspired Word of GOD; however, I do not think one needs to hold that belief in order to conclude that Jesus is GOD. If the New Testament books are historically accurate and reliable — so reliable, in fact, that Jesus cannot be dismissed as a mere legend; if the gospel accounts preserve an accurate record of the things He did, the places He visited, and the words He spoke; if Jesus made firm claims to be GOD, then every person must answer the question, “Is Jesus’s claim to deity true or false?” This question deserves serious consideration because the answer will determine our identity and purpose.

There are only two alternatives with four options to which we can respond. The two alternatives to Jesus’s claim to be GOD is that either His claim was true or false. If false, He either knew His claims were false or He did not know His claims were false. If He knew His claims were false, then He made a deliberate misrepresentation, He was a liar, hypocrite, demonic, and a fool who died for being a lying fool. If He did not know His claims were false, He was sincerely deluded and a lunatic. However, if His claims are true, Jesus is GOD and we can either accept it or reject it.

Was Jesus A Liar?

Homicide detectives often list three types of motives at the heart of any misbehavior: (1) financial greed, (2) sexual or relational desire, and (3) pursuit of power. Therefore, we must examine the evidence:

Financial Greed: Jesus is never described as a man who possessed financial wealth. He taught His disciples to give their possessions to the needy and not to store up treasure in this life, but to store up spiritual treasure in the life to come (Luke 12:32-34). He also told the rich young ruler the same (Matthew 19:21). Jesus gained nothing financially from His preaching, teaching, or healing ministry.

Sexual / Relational Desire: No evidence suggests that Jesus was motivated by lust or relationships. Many women followed Jesus (Luke 8:2-3). By all accounts, however, He showed them the highest respect, even in ways that were countercultural at that time (John 4:1-45; Luke 8:42-48).

Pursuit of Power: It is utterly unreasonable to assert that Jesus lied about His identity in order to gain power. Rather than gaining power for Himself, He modeled serving others (John 13:1-16; 15:13) and giving without expectation of return, even to the wicked and ungrateful (Luke 6:35-36); and He taught His disciples to do the same. In a dispute over who would be the greatest in the Kingdom, Jesus taught His disciples that the greatest is the one who serves (Luke 22:24-27). Moreover, Jesus relinquished His power (Matthew 26:52-53) and emptied Himself, willingly sacrificing Himself to save everyone (Philippians 2:5-8).

Was Jesus A Lunatic?

Jesus has in abundance qualities that liars and lunatics most conspicuously lack: His practical wisdom and ability to read human hearts and minds; His deep love and compassion; His calm and collected manner; His ability to astonish, His unpredictability, and His creativity. No lunatic could have been the Source of such perceptive, innovative, and effective psychological insight while being completely selfless.

Is Jesus Lord?

If Jesus is neither a liar nor a lunatic, He must be Lord! Even His disciples believed Him to be so (Matthew 16:16; Mark 1:1; John 11:27; 20:28; Hebrews 1:3)!

In Matthew 7:21-23, Jesus warned His disciples [and us] that not everyone who calls Jesus Lord will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. For those who do not do the will of the Father, Jesus will say, “I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.”

Jesus exposed the people who sounded religious yet had no personal relationship with Him. On “Judgment Day,” only our relationship with Christ — our faith in Him as Savior and our obedience to His Word — will matter. In John 8:19, Jesus said to the Pharisees, “if you knew Me, you would know My Father also.”

Do you only know of Jesus or do you truly know Him? Would you acknowledge Him before all people? Remember what is written:

Matthew 10:32-33 says, “Therefore everyone who confesses Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven.”

In Matthew 16:15-17, Jesus said to His disciples, “ ‘But who do you say that I am?’ Simon Peter answered, ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.’ And Jesus said to him, ‘Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.’ ”

But… Son of Man? Son of God?

Perceived Problem:
Jesus referred to Himself most often as the Son of Man. An example of this is seen in Matthew 20:18 when Jesus told His disciples “the Son of Man will be delivered to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn Him to death.” But this seems to point to His humanity more than His deity. He was a human, a mere man who died like everyone else in history. If He was really the Messiah, the Son of GOD, why did He use the self-description, “Son of Man”?

Scriptural Solutions:
First of all, even if the phrase “Son of Man” is a reference to Jesus’s humanity, it is not a denial of His deity. By becoming man, Jesus did not cease being GOD. The Incarnation of Christ did not involve subtraction of deity, but the addition of humanity. Jesus clearly claimed to be GOD on many occasions (Matthew 16:16-17; John 8:58; 10:30). But, in addition to being divine, He was also human. He had two natures conjoined in one person.

Furthermore, Jesus was not denying His deity by referring to Himself as the Son of Man. The term “Son of Man” is used to describe Christ’s deity as well. The Bible says that only GOD can forgive sins (Isaiah 43:25; Mark 2:7). But, as the “Son of Man,” Jesus had the power to forgive sins (Mark 2:10). Likewise, Christ will return to earth as the “Son of Man” in clouds of glory to reign on earth (Matthew 24:30; 26:63-64). In Matthew 26:63-64, Jesus is citing Daniel 7:13 where the Messiah is described as the “Ancient of Days,” a phrase used to indicate His deity (cf. Daniel 7:9). Jesus’s title for Himself, “the Son of Man,” refers to prophetic visions of a divine yet human figure (Ezekiel 1:26-28; Daniel 7:13-14).

Further, when Jesus was asked by the high priest whether He was the “Son of God”, He responded affirmatively, declaring that He was the “Son of Man” who would come in power and great glory. This indicated that Jesus Himself used the phrase “Son of Man” to indicate His deity as the Son of GOD.

Finally, the phrase “Son of Man” emphasizes who Jesus is in relation to His Incarnation and His work of salvation. In the Old Testament (Leviticus 25:25-26,48-49; Ruth 2:20), the kinsman redeemer was a close relative of someone who was in need of redemption. So Jesus, as our Kinsman Redeemer, was identifying Himself with humankind as its Savior and Redeemer. Those who knew the Old Testament truth about Messiah being the Son of Man understood Jesus’s implicit claims to deity. Those who did not, would not so recognize this. Jesus often said things in this way so as to test His audience and separate believers from unbelievers (Matthew 13:10-17). But many Jews did understand much of what Jesus said and they plotted to kill Him because Jesus made Himself equal with GOD (John 5:18; 10:30).

Those who don’t believe the deity of Jesus typically point to the phrase, “Son of God” or “Son of Man” and determine that Jesus was literally the son of GOD in the same way a human could be a son to a human father. But the Bible does not teach henotheism such as Hermes being a son of Zeus in Greek mythology. GOD came into this world via the miraculous virgin birth; this is the incarnation. Jesus is GOD made manifest into human form (Matthew 1:23; John 1:1,14). Jesus existed before the world (John 1:1; 8:58; 17:5,24; Colossians 1:15-18), is the Word that spoke everything into existence, and the Word became flesh. Ponder: Judas was described as being the “son of destruction (John 17:12). But this does not mean that a being named “Destruction” had a son named Judas. No — both Son of Man and Son of God were titles. And this is why we simply cannot take the Bible literally at all times in all areas; rather, we must use logic to reason, the Holy Spirit for revelation, and the Body for confirmation.

Worship Only GOD:

Matthew 14:33 says, “And those who were in the boat worshiped Him, saying, ‘You are certainly God’s Son!’ ”

Matthew 28:9 says, “And behold, Jesus met them and greeted them. And they came up and took hold of His feet and worshiped Him.”

Matthew 28:17 says, “When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some were doubtful.”

Luke 24:51-53 says, “⁵¹ While He was blessing them, He parted from them and was carried up into heaven. ⁵² And they, after worshiping Him, returned to Jerusalem with great joy, ⁵³ and were continually in the temple praising God.”

John 9:38 says, “And he said, “Lord, I believe.” And he worshiped Him.”

John 20:28 says, “Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!””

The word “worshiped” is the Greek προσκυνέω [G4352] proskuneō (prahs-koo-neh’-o). This is a compounded word from πρός [G4314] pros (prahs) and a probable derivative of κύων [G2965] kuón (koo’-ohn). The word pros means in the direction of, moving towards the object, goal, or destination. The word kuón means either a literal dog, or metaphorically, an unworthy and undeserving person who is of lowly status. Thus, this compounded word describes a person of lowly status approaching someone of superiority, such as the King. This word also describes a kiss, like a dog licking its master’s hand. And so this is a description of one “kissing” the ground when prostrating before someone of superior status. Therefore, this word, like the Hebrew word, שָׁחָה [H7812] shachah (shaw-khaw’), describes complete submission and signifies whom you serve.

Acts 10:25-26 says, “²⁵ When Peter entered, Cornelius met him, and fell at his feet and worshiped him. ²⁶ But Peter raised him up, saying, ‘Stand up; I too am just a man.’ ”

Acts 14:11-15 says, “¹¹ When the crowds saw what Paul had done, they raised their voice, saying in the Lycaonian language, ‘The gods have become like men and have come down to us.” ¹² And they began calling Barnabas, Zeus, and Paul, Hermes, because he was the chief speaker. ¹³ The priest of Zeus, whose temple was just outside the city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates, and wanted to offer sacrifice with the crowds. ¹⁴ But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of it, they tore their robes and rushed out into the crowd, crying out ¹⁵ and saying, “Men, why are you doing these things? We are also men of the same nature as you, and preach the gospel to you that you should turn from these vain things to a living God, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all that is in them. ”

Revelation 19:10 says, “Then I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, ‘Do not do that; I am a fellow servant of yours and your brethren who hold the testimony of Jesus; worship God. For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.’ ”

Revelation 22:8-9 says, “⁸ I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I heard and saw, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed me these things. ⁹ But he said to me, ‘Do not do that. I am a fellow servant of yours and of your brethren the prophets and of those who heed the words of this book. Worship God.’ ”

The Bible calls attention to incidents when people worshiped who they should never worship, yet Jesus always accepted worship and never rebuked anyone for worshiping Him. GOD’s Word never rebukes or condemns someone who worships Jesus. In fact, Mark 5:6, using the same word proskuneō, describes a demonically possessed man prostrating before Jesus. Hebrews 1:6, referencing Psalm 97:7, affirms that angels worship Jesus.

Matthew 4:8-11 says, “⁸ Again, the devil took Him to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory; ⁹ and he said to Him, “All these things I will give You, if You fall down and worship me.” ¹⁰ Then Jesus said to him, ‘Go, Satan! For it is written, “You shall worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only.” ’ ¹¹ Then the devil left Him; and behold, angels came and began to minister to Him.”

The devil wanted Jesus to prostrate before him and serve him as master. This is the same command king Nebuchadnezzar made to Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego in Daniel 3:13-15 when he demanded that they fall down and worship the golden image he had made. But Jesus referenced Deuteronomy 6:13-15, which specifically refers to worshiping YHWH. Therefore, every time Jesus accepted worship from someone and did not rebuke that person, Jesus made Himself equal with YHWH. But Scripture is clear that no one should worship anyone other than YHWH (Exodus 20:1-4; Deuteronomy 5:6-9; 6:13-15). In fact, Isaiah 42:8 says, “I am the Lord, that is My name; I will not give My glory to another, Nor My praise to graven images.” Yet the Bible gives glory to Jesus.

Conclusion:

GOD’s Word provides the logical conclusion that Jesus is GOD based on Jesus getting GOD’s honors, possessing GOD’s attributes, possessing GOD’s names, doing GOD’s deeds, and sitting in GOD’s seat. A mere mortal man does not exist before creation, forgive sins, resurrect to life from the dead, and judge the entire world. Jesus is GOD.

But how can the Son also be the Father? How can the Son and the Father be one and exist in unity? This can only be explained by expounding upon who GOD is as the Trinity.

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The Artist J:

As I have already established in what I wrote in the previous Picture Scripture (#46 My God And Your God?), and as Pastor Trenton has just established within this Picture Scripture, Jesus without a doubt claimed to be God in the flesh.

Jesus said things like “My Father is working until now, and I am working” (John 5:17). It was for this reason that the Jews tried harder to kill Jesus, because Jesus called God His Father, and they understood that Jesus was making Himself equal with God. Jesus was claiming to be in complete unity with God, in whom He called His Father.

So the question we have to ask is whether or not Jesus’s claim to be God is true. Is Jesus God? Let’s examine this together.

God is omnipotent, meaning “all-powerful”:

Jesus displays God’s omnipotence in His performance of miraculous healings and the bending of natural laws throughout the Gospels. Like in Luke 8:43-48, where it says “And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, and though she had spent all her living on physicians, she could not be healed by anyone. She came up behind him [Jesus] and touched the fringe of his garment, and immediately her discharge of blood ceased. And Jesus said, ‘Who was it that touched me?’ When all denied it, Peter said, ‘Master, the crowds surround you and are pressing in on you!’ But Jesus said, ‘Someone touched me, for I perceive that POWER has gone out from me.’ And when the woman saw that she was not hidden, she came trembling, and falling down before him declared in the presence of all the people why she had touched him, and how she had been immediately healed. And he said to her, ‘Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace.’ “

Or within Luke 8:22-25, where Jesus displays His power over nature: “One day he [Jesus] got into a boat with his disciples, and he said to them, ‘Let us go across to the other side of the lake.’ So they set out, and as they sailed he fell asleep. And a windstorm came down on the lake, and they were filling with water and were in danger. And they went and woke him, saying, ‘Master, Master, we are perishing!’ And he awoke and rebuked the wind and the raging waves, and they ceased, and there was a calm. He said to them, ‘Where is your faith?’ And they were afraid, and they marveled, saying to one another, ‘Who then is this, that HE COMMANDS even winds and water, and they OBEY HIM?’ “

Jesus’s omnipotence is also displayed within turning the water to wine, walking upon the water of the sea, multiplying the loaves of bread and the fish to feed large multitudes, cursing a fig tree and it withered, causing miraculous catches of fish, casting out demons, cleansing lepers and healing all sorts of ailments, and other disabilities. Jesus displayed the omnipotence of God.

God is omniscient, meaning “all-knowing”:

Jesus displays God’s omniscience in His ability to know people’s thoughts, and in accurately revealing things that were still to take place, and also in knowing things that would be impossible for others to know. Like in Matthew 9:2-7, where it says, “And behold, some people brought to him a paralytic, lying on a bed. And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, ‘Take heart, my son; your sins are forgiven.’ And behold, some of the scribes said to themselves, ‘This man is blaspheming.’ But Jesus, KNOWING THEIR THOUGHTS, said, ‘Why do you think evil in your hearts? For which is easier, to say, “Your sins are forgiven,” or to say, “Rise and walk”?  But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins’–he then said to the paralytic—’Rise, pick up your bed and go home.’ And he rose and went home.”

Or in Luke 21:5-6, when Jesus speaks of the temples destruction saying, “And while some were speaking of the temple, how it was adorned with noble stones and offerings, he [Jesus] said, ‘As for these things that you see, the days will come when there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.’ “

In A.D. 66 a Jewish rebellion ignited a war with Rome, and the very temple Jesus spoke of was destroyed in A.D. 70, leaving no stone that was not thrown down, thirty-six years after Jesus said it would happen.

In Matthew 17:24-27, Jesus proves that just as God knows how many hairs are on our heads and is even fully aware of where every animal is at (Matthew 10:29-30), Jesus is also fully aware of even the animals upon the earth: “When they came to Capernaum, the collectors of the two-drachma tax went up to Peter and said, ‘Does your teacher not pay the tax?’  He [Jesus] said, ‘Yes.’ And when he came into the house, Jesus spoke to him first, saying, ‘What do you think, Simon? From whom do kings of the earth take toll or tax? From their sons or from others?’  And when he said, ‘From others,’ Jesus said to him, ‘Then the sons are free. However, not to give offense to them, GO TO THE SEA AND CAST A HOOK AND TAKE THE FIRST FISH THAT COMES UP, AND WHEN YOU OPEN IT’S MOUTH YOU WILL FIND A SHEKEL. Take that and give it to them for me and for yourself.’ “

Jesus’s omniscience is also displayed when He saw and knew who Nathaniel was before they even met (John 1:48). Jesus knew who was going to betray him (John 13:11). In Matthew 12:25, and in Luke 6:8 Jesus again knows the thoughts of people.

Jesus obviously displayed God’s attributes of love, faithfulness, mercy and grace, but one of the biggest indicators that Jesus is God is fulfilled prophecy. Not only did Jesus claim to be God, but Jesus claimed to be God’s Messiah (Anointed One) and Savior. Right from the start of Jesus’s ministry in Luke 4:16-21 it says, “And he [Jesus] came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. And as was his custom, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and he stood up to read. And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written, ‘The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has ANOINTED ME to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.’ And he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. And he began to say to them, ‘TODAY THIS SCRIPTURE HAS BEEN FULFILLED IN YOUR HEARING.’ “

So did Jesus accurately fulfill prophesy? If He did, this would prove that Jesus was telling the truth that He was God’s anointed one, and if God had anointed Him then Jesus would also not be lying when He also said He was God.

So here are some verses that I compiled a few years ago that I like to call “The Gospel according to the Prophets”. All these verses are entirely from the Old Testament. Read these and see if this sounds like it could have been fulfilled by literally anyone else other than Jesus.

The Gospel using only Old Testament verses:

“But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah [referring to the city of Bethlehem], too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you One will go forth for Me [God] to be ruler in Israel. His goings forth are from long ago, from the days of eternity [which means this ruler would have always existed with God]. Therefore He will give them up until the time when she who is in labor has borne a child. Then the remainder of His brethren will return to the sons of Israel. And He will arise and shepherd His flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord His God. Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel [God with us].”

I will open My mouth in a parable; I will utter dark sayings of old. The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, because the Lord has anointed Me to bring good news to the afflicted; He has sent Me to bind up the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to captives and freedom to prisoners; but He [this anointed one] was despised and forsaken of men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and like one from whom men hide their face He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. Even my close friend in whom I trusted, who ate My bread, has lifted up his heel against Me. “Throw it to the potter, that magnificent price at which I was valued by them.” So I [the friend] took the thirty shekels of silver and threw them to the potter in the house of the Lord.

By oppression and judgment He [the Anointed One] was taken away; He was oppressed and He was afflicted, yet He did not open His mouth; like a lamb that is led to slaughter, and like a sheep that is silent before its shearers, so He did not open His mouth. I gave My back to those who strike Me, and My cheeks to those who pluck out the beard; I did not cover My face from humiliation and spitting. For dogs have surrounded me; a band of evildoers has encompassed me; They pierced my hands and my feet. I can count all my bones. They look, they stare at Me; They divide My garments among them, And for My clothing they cast lots. So that they will look on Me whom they have pierced; and they will mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him like the bitter weeping over a firstborn. They also gave Me gall for My food, and for My thirst they gave Me vinegar to drink. All who see Me sneer at Me; They separate with the lip, they wag the head, saying, “Commit yourself to the Lord; let Him deliver him; Let Him rescue him, because He delights in him.” But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, and by His scourging we are healed. All of us like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; but the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on Him.

My God, my God, why have You forsaken me? Far from My deliverance are the words of My groaning. But the Lord was pleased to crush Him, putting Him to grief; If He would render Himself as a guilt offering, He will see His offspring, He will prolong His days, and the good pleasure of the Lord will prosper in His hand. As a result of the anguish of His soul, He will see it and be satisfied; by His knowledge the Righteous One, My Servant, will justify the many, as He will bear their iniquities.

He was cut off out of the land of the living, for the transgression of my people, to whom the stroke was due. His grave was assigned with wicked men, yet He was with a rich man in His death, because He had done no violence, nor was there any deceit in His mouth.

For You will not abandon my soul to Sheol; nor will You allow Your Holy One to undergo decay. But God will redeem My soul from the power of Sheol, for He will receive Me. Therefore, I [God the Father] will allot Him a portion with the great, and He will divide the spoil with the strong; because He poured out Himself to death, and was numbered with the transgressors; yet He Himself bore the sin of many, and interceded for the transgressors. The Lord says to my Lord: “Sit at My right hand until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet.”

(Micah 5:2-4, Isaiah 7:14, Psalm 78:2, Isaiah 61:1, Isaiah 53:3, Psalm 41:9, Zachariah 11:13, Isaiah 53:7-8, Isaiah 50:6, Psalm 22:16-18, Zachariah 12:10, Psalm 69:21, Psalm 22:7-8, Isaiah 53:5-6, Psalm 22:1-2, Isaiah 53:10-11, Isaiah 53:8-9, Psalm 16:10, Psalm 49:15, Isaiah 53:12, Psalm 110:1)

That is the Gospel of Jesus Christ! From His virgin birth, to His ministry, to His betrayal, to His beatings and crucifixion, to the Romans casting lots for His clothes, to baring our sin, to His death and resurrection, to ascending and sitting at the right hand of the Father. Jesus proved that He was the fulfiller of the prophets and anointed savior, and He proved that He is God, that He and the Father are one!

He was and is and will always be in perfect unity with His Father, still completely in direct congruency while His body was being knit by the Potter, eternal but born, dust but divine, God incarnate, submissive but equivalent, King and advocate, a being like no other, a visible display of God the Father, embassary and servant, a perfect sacrifice, their is no other, sent to circumvent sin on behalf of men, perfect innocence to pay iniquities sentence, no other position from God could be so high, as to lower one’s self for His creation and die, conquer death, rise again, saying “the keys are mine”, hell’s sting is gone, Glory to the anointed and beloved Son, Jesus Christ who verified His statement, “I and the Father are one.”

GOD: Lord Of The Lies?

Is the Bible full of lies and liars? Does GOD lie? Does GOD ever condone lies? Does GOD ever bless people because they lied? Many critics believe that GOD is the Lord of lies and deity of deception; however, a full investigation into the critics’ claims only reveals their ignorance of GOD’s Word. 

The first one to plead his case seems right, until another comes and cross-examines him.
(Proverbs 18:17, AMP)

Perceived Problem:
We are told in the Bible not to lie (Exodus 20:16), but, in Genesis 12:10-20, when Abraham lied about Sarah, his wealth increased. But if we’re not supposed to lie, why did GOD bless Abraham and allow him to prosper by lying?

Solution:
First, Abraham’s increase in wealth should not be viewed as a divine reward for his lie. Pharaoh’s gifts to him were understandable. Pharaoh may have felt obligated to pay amends for the wicked constraint that his corrupt society put on strangers who visited his land. Furthermore, Pharaoh may have felt he had to make amends to Abraham for unwittingly taking his wife into his palace. Adultery was strictly forbidden by the Egyptian religion. And of course, Pharaoh could have merely given to Abraham out of his fear of the Lord, believing that his gift was appease an angry god. What is more, Abraham paid for his sin. The years of trouble that followed may have been a direct result of his lack of faith in GOD’s protecting power. And finally, although some people are portrayed as men of GOD, they are still fallible and responsible for their own sin (ex: David and Bathsheba, 2Samuel 12). GOD blessed them in spite of, not because of, their sins. In fact, this is the message of the Gospel: GOD blessed us and gave us the gift of salvation in spite of our sins (Romans 5:8).

Context is key. Abram told his wife, Sarai, to lie so that he wouldn’t die. This decision was based on fear, not love. Understand this: there is no fear in love for perfect love casts out fear (1John 4:18). Love puts others first. Abram put himself before Sarai with this decision. Fortunately, GOD loved and protected Sarai as Abram should have done (Genesis 12:17). As believers, we will find that when we make a determined decision to follow GOD, we will almost immediately encounter great obstacles that will challenge our faith. Just as Noah was a righteous man yet eventually sinned, Abram was a man of faith yet eventually lost faith. However, Noah’s moment of failure and Abram’s moment of flounder are mere flaws from finite and fallible beings. But as the entire Bible reveals, faith in the Lord is greater than our flaws. When Abram lied, his problems multipLIED! He could have been welcomed; instead, he was kicked out of that land. Abram’s life was not spared because of his lie, but because of GOD in spite of the lie. 

In Genesis 20:1-18, Abraham lied yet again, using the same tactic as he had before (12:11-13). And just like before, it did not work and the situation did not go well. And just like the time before, GOD had to come to their rescue (12:17; 20:3). Abraham did not learn his lesson the firs time. In fact, by giving in to the temptation again, he risked turning a single sinful act into a sinful pattern of lying whenever he suspected his life was in danger. What habit do you now have because you had given in to the temptation long enough for it to become a habit? Which is easier: to walk away before the habit takes you captive or to escape captivity while in chains? Was there a careless expectation for GOD to save Abraham and Sarah from their wrong choices? As if to say, “It’s okay because I know GOD will forgive me.” But is that acceptable? No (Romans 6; James 4:17)! Are you still living in sin because you have taken GOD’s grace for granted? Abraham believed it would be more effective to deceive Abimelech than to trust GOD to work in the king’s life. We should not assume that GOD will not work in a situation that has potential problems. Isn’t GOD capable of changing hearts? In fact, GOD did work in the heart of Abimelech and even prevented him from sinning (Genesis 20:6). How many times has GOD worked in your heart and prevented you from sinning in certain situations? Have you not felt the  change within due to the Holy Spirit speaking conviction? Abimelech ended up being an example of righteousness when he chose not to retaliate against Abraham (20:14-16), thereby providing us with an example of what is written in Matthew 5:38-41 of not taking revenge but to bless your enemy instead. Abraham’s action was a sin against Abimelech yet the king chose to bless Abraham. Are you willing to bless someone who has sinned against you? If not, why do you think you are unwilling to live as GOD commands us to live? Have you ever blessed someone who sinned against you? If not, now is a good time to start forming new helpful habits to replace the old harmful habits. GOD clearly used Abraham’s sin as a lesson for us.

Perceived Problem:
In Genesis 31:20, Jacob is said to have deceived Laban by not telling him that he was fleeing. However, GOD blessed Jacob by appearing to Laban and warning him not to speak either good or evil to Jacob (31:24). How could GOD bless Jacob after he had deceived Laban?

Solution:
First, it is not necessary to translate the Hebrew word in Genesis 31:20 as “deceived.” The passage literally states, “And Jacob stole Laban’s heart.” This is a Hebrew idiom which can be used in a given context to mean “to deceive” or “to outwit.” Jacob did not tell Laban that he was going to leave, nor did he tell Laban that he was going to stay. He may have left in secret because he feared Laban (31:2). Neither was Jacob obligated to remain with Laban, since he had fulfilled all the requirements of the contracts between them. In spite of the accusations by Laban, Jacob was justified in his fear and his action to leave without telling Laban.

Second, even on the assumption that Jacob was involved in deception, GOD would not bless him because of it, but in spite of his shortcomings. This kind of situation is an example of the principle that not everything recorded by the Bible is approved by the Bible. Description does not equate to prescription. It is a mistake to assume that everything contained in the Bible is commended by the Bible. The whole Bible is true (John 17:17), but it records some lies, for example, Satan’s lies (Genesis 3:4; John 8:44) and Rahab’s lies (Joshua 2:4). Inspiration encompasses the Bible fully in the sense that it records accurately and truthfully even the lies and errors of sinful beings. The truth of Scripture is found in what the Bible reveals, not in everything it records. Unless this distinction is held, it may be incorrectly concluded that the Bible teaches immorality because it narrates David’s adultery (2Samuel 11:4), that it promotes polygamy because it records Solomon’s hundreds of wives (1Kings 11:3), or that it affirms atheism because it quotes the fool as saying “there is no God” (Psalm 14:1).

GOD had chosen Jacob to become the father of the 12 tribes of Israel, not because of any righteousness in Jacob, but on the basis of GOD’s grace. GOD could bless Jacob according to His grace even though Jacob was a sinner. Through Jacob’s experiences with Laban, and later his confrontation with Esau, and his wrestling with the angel of the Lord in the night, Jacob’s character was changed so that he became a fit vessel for GOD to use. 

Perceived Problem:
Genesis 31:32 makes the statement that Jacob did not know that “Rachel had stolen” Laban’s idols. However, it seems that GOD blessed Rachel because she lied to Laban.

Solution:
GOD did not bless Rachel either for stealing the idols or for lying about her deed. Simply because Laban did not discover that Rachel was the thief does not mean that GOD blessed her. On the contrary, it is more reasonable to assume that GOD did not expose Rachel’s theft in order to protect Jacob. Also, Genesis 35:16-19 reports that Rachel died in delivering her second son, Benjamin. In the intervening chapters between 31:32 and 35:19 very little is said about Rachel. The biblical record reveals that in fact GOD did not bless Rachel for what she did, but allowed her to fall into the background of importance until her painful death. 

Perceived Problem:
The Bible declares that “the authorities that exist are appointed by God” (Romans 13:1). The Scripture also says, “Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord” (Proverbs 12:22). But the Pharaoh (king) of Egypt had given a direct order to the Hebrew midwives to murder the newborn Hebrew boys. “But the midwives feared God, and did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the male children alive” (Exodus 1:17). Not only did the midwives disobey Pharaoh, but when he questioned them about their actions, they lied saying, “Because the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women; for they are lively and give birth before the midwives come to them” (1:19). In spite of this, 1:20-21 states that GOD “dealt well with the midwives… He provided households for them.” How could GOD bless the midwives for disobedience and lying?

Solution:
There is little question that the midwives both disobeyed Pharaoh by not murdering the newborn male children, and that they lied to Pharaoh when they said they arrived too late to carry out his orders. Nonetheless, there is moral justification for what they did. First, the moral dilemma in which the midwives found themselves was unavoidable. Either they obeyed GOD’s higher Law, or they obeyed the lesser obligation of submitting to Pharaoh. Rather than commit deliberate infanticide against the children of their own people, the midwives chose to disobey Pharaoh’s orders. GOD commands us to obey the governmental powers, but He also commands us not to murder (Exodus 20:13). Moreover, murder naturally goes against the absolute moral standard we innately possess (Romans 2:12-16). The saving of innocent lives is a higher obligation than obedience to government. When the government commands us to murder innocent victims, we should not obey. GOD did not hold the midwives responsible, nor does He hold us responsible, for not following a lower obligation in order to obey the higher Law (Acts 4; Revelation 13). In the case of the midwives, the higher Law was the preservation of the lives of the newborn male children. 

Second, the text clearly states that GOD blessed them “because the midwives feared God” (Exodus 1:21). And it was their fear of GOD that led them to do what was necessary to save these innocent lives. Thus, their false statement to Pharaoh was an essential part of their effort to save lives. 

Third, their lying is comparable to their having disobeyed Pharaoh in order to save the lives of the innocent newborns. This is a case where the midwives had to choose between lying and being compelled to murder innocent babies. Here again the midwives chose to obey the higher moral Law. Obedience to parents is part of the moral Law (Ephesians 6:1). But if a parent commanded his/her child to kill a neighbor or worship an idol, the child should refuse. Jesus emphasized the need to follow the higher moral Law when He said, “He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me” (Matthew 10:37). It’s important to realize that GOD didn’t bless the midwives because they lied; rather, GOD blessed the women for deciding to save lives rather than be an accomplice in mass murder. GOD blessed them because they were loyal to the Lord.

Perceived Problem:
When the spies came to Jericho, they sought refuge in the house of Rahab. When the king of Jericho commanded Rahab to bring out the men, she lied saying that the men had already gone and that she did not know where they went. However, when Israel finally destroyed Jericho, Rahab and all her family were saved alive. How could GOD bless Rahab for lying? 

Solution:
Some people argue that it is not clear that GOD blessed Rahab for lying. GOD certainly saved Rahab and blessed her for protecting GOD’s men and assisting them in the overthrow of Jericho. However, nowhere does the Bible explicitly say that GOD blessed Rahab for lying. GOD could have blessed her in spite of her lie, not because of it. Actually, Rahab’s act of protecting GOD’s men was a demonstration of great faith in the GOD of Israel. She firmly believed that GOD would destroy Jericho, and she exhibited that belief by siding with Israel against the people of Jericho when she protected the spies from being discovered. In fact, Rahab is in the Hall of Faith as it is written in Hebrews 11:31: “By faith Rahab the harlot did not perish along with those who were disobedient, after she had welcomed the spies in peace.” Rahab is also commended in James 2:25 for her faith producing good works. 

Other people insist that Rahab was faced with a real moral conflict. It may have been impossible for her to both save the spies and tell the truth to the soldiers of the king. If so, GOD would not hold Rahab responsible for the unavoidable moral conflict. Certainly a person cannot be held responsible for not keeping a lesser law in order to keep a higher obligation. The Bible commands obedience to the government (Romans 13:1; Titus 3:1; 1Peter 2:13), but there are many examples of justified civil disobedience when the government attempts to compel unrighteousness (Exodus 5; Daniel 3, 6; Revelation 13). 

Although the Bible records Rahab’s lie, the Word is silent regarding her lie. Rahab is, however, commended for her faith in GOD. Several explanations for this have been offered: 

• GOD forgave Rahab’s lie because of her faith;
• Rahab was simply deceiving the enemy, which is a normal and acceptable practice in wartime;
• Rahab was not a Jew, so she could not be held responsible for keeping the moral standards set forth in GOD’s Law; 
• Rahab broke a lesser principle— telling the truth — to uphold a higher principle — protecting GOD’s people.

Rahab risked her life to hide GOD’s men (Joshua 2:1-8), confessed her faith in GOD’s acts of redemption (2:9-11), and negotiated for her family’s preservation (2:12-21). Thus, what she did was out of reverence of the Lord and love for her family. Therefore, GOD blessed her in spite of her lie because of her faith and her love.

Perceived Problem:
Abraham was judged by GOD for telling the half-truth that Sarah was his sister (she was his half sister) when she was really his wife. However, in 1Samuel 16, GOD actually encourages Samuel to tell only half of the truth, namely, that he had come to offer a sacrifice, when he had also come to anoint David king as well. Two problems emerge from this. First, did not GOD encourage deception here? Second, why did GOD condemn Abraham for the same thing that He commanded Samuel to do?

Solution:
The first thing to note in response to this perceived problem is that the two situations are not the same. In Abraham’s case, his so-called “half-truth” was in fact a whole lie, for the question he was asked was, “Is Sarah your wife?” And his answer in effect was really “No. She is my sister.” By his answer to this question Abraham intentionally misrepresented the facts of the situation, which is a lie.

Samuel’s case was different. The question he was asked is, “Why have you come to Bethlehem?” His answer was, “I have come to sacrifice to the Lord” (1Samuel 16:2). This was truthful in that it corresponded with the facts, namely, it is why he came and it is what he did. The fact that he also had another purpose for coming is not directly related to the question he was asked and the answer he gave, as it was in Abraham’s case. Of course, had Samuel been asked, “Do you have any other purpose for coming?” then he would have had to come clean. To say “No” would have been a deception.

Second, concealment and deception are not the same. Samuel certainly concealed one of the purposes of his mission so as to save his life. It is not always necessary (even possible) to tell all the truth. The fact that GOD told Samuel to conceal one of the purposes of his visit to avoid possible death does not necessarily mean he was guilty of lying. Not telling part of the truth and telling a falsehood are not necessarily the same. Secrecy and concealment are not the same as duplicity and falsehood. In this specific scenario, GOD in His omniscience knew the best way to respond so as to both answer truthfully yet also secure safety.

Perceived Problem:
Scriptures teach that GOD is Truth (Deuteronomy 32:4; 1Samuel 15:29; John 14:6; Romans 3:4) and that it is impossible for Him to lie (Numbers 23:19; Titus 1:2; Hebrews 6:18). Furthermore, GOD commands us not to lie (Exodus 20:16), and He will severely punish those who do (Revelation 21:8). And yet, in spite of all this, GOD is portrayed in 1Kings 22:22-23 as enlisting lying spirits to entice wicked king Ahab to seal his own doom. The text says, “Now therefore, look! The Lord has put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these prophets of yours.”

Solution:
Several factors should be considered in understanding this situation. First, this is a vision. As such, it is a dramatic picture of GOD’s sovereign authority spelled out in regal imagery. Second, this dramatic vision represents GOD in all His sweeping authority so that even evil spirits are represented as being subjected to His ultimate control. Third, the GOD of the Bible, in contrast to gods of pagan religions, is in sovereign control of everything, including the forces of evil which He uses to accomplish His good purposes (Job 1-3). Fourth, the Bible sometimes speaks of GOD “hardening” people’s hearts (Exodus 3:19; 4:21; 5:2; 7:3; Romans 9:17) or even sending them strong delusions (2Thessalonians 2:11). However, on closer examination of the text, we discover that GOD allowed this only on those who freely hardened their own hearts (Exodus 8:15) and who “did not believe the truth” (2Thessalonians 2:12). In short, GOD is not commending lying here. He is simply utilizing it to accomplish His purposes; GOD always creates good from the bad and uses evil to accomplish good (Genesis 50:20). GOD is not promoting lying, but permitting it to bring judgment on evil. That is, GOD, for His own purposes of justice, allowed Ahab to be deceived by evil spirits whom He knew in His omniscience would be used to accomplish His sovereign and good will. 

Perceived Problem:
When Elisha went out to meet his enemies, he told them “this is not the way, nor is this the city. Follow me, and I will bring you to the man whom you seek” (2Kings 6:19). how could a man of GOD lie to these Syrian troops?

Solution:
What Elisha told them was not actually a lie. The Syrian troops were sent to Dothan to capture Elisha. The Lord blinded them, and Elisha came out of the city to meet them. What Elisha told them was “this is not the way, nor is this the city.” Once Elisha came out of the city he was no longer in Dothan. Consequently, entering Dothan was no longer the way to capture Elisha, neither was it the city. Elisha also instructed them, “follow me and I will bring you to the man whom you seek.” This was also true. Elisha went before them into Samaria, and when they arrived, the Lord opened their eyes and they saw Elisha, and that they were in Samaria. 

Perceived Problem:
In Jeremiah 20:7, the KJV reads as, “O Lord, thou has deceived me, and I was deceived.” But, GOD is a GOD of Truth who cannot lie (Hebrews 6:18), nor can He tempt others to sin (James 1:13). How then could GOD deceive Jeremiah?

Solution:
The Hebrew word (patah) translated “deceived” by the KJV does not imply moral deception here. It can be translated “induced” or “persuaded” (NKJV and NIV note). It simply means that GOD persuaded or constrained Jeremiah into a ministry of which he was not fully aware of all the consequences. This is merely a case of Jeremiah venting from his prior unrealistic expectations of his role in the ministry. But this is a good description of marriage. And who but the most cynical would insist that all romance and courtship are moral deception simply because the couple could not foresee all they were getting into. In context, Jeremiah was venting because Pashhur the priest beat Jeremiah and put him in the stocks (Jeremiah 20:2). But GOD never promised Jeremiah a lifetime of happiness during his ministry; in fact, GOD informed Jeremiah from the beginning that his enemies would fight against him but that they would not prevail against him (1:19). Jeremiah’s complaints to GOD come from emotion as is evident by the fact that he shifts from lament to praise (20:9-13), but then shifts again to distressed realism over his calling (20:14-18). There is a reason Jeremiah is known as the weeping prophet and that is because he was a very emotional person. 

Perceived Problem:
In Ezekiel 14:9, Ezekiel declares that GOD “induced” the false prophets to speak and then would “destroy” them for doing so. But this sounds deceptive.

Solution:
GOD’s action was neither deceptive nor morally coercive. Giving false prophecies is exactly what false prophets do. So, there is no coercion by GOD in inducing them to ply their trade. The sovereign GOD so ordered the circumstances that these evil men would, by their own free will, utter false prophecies that would reveal their true character and lead to their eventual doom. It is because they did not love the Truth that GOD gave them over to error and its eventual consequence, destruction (2Thessalonians 2:10-11).

Perceived Problem:
In John 7:3-4, Jesus’s unbelieving brothers challenged Him to go up to Jerusalem and show Himself openly if He was the Messiah. Jesus refused, saying, “I am not yet going up to this feast, for My time has not yet fully come” (7:8). However, only a few verses later Jesus “went up to the feast” (7:10). So, didn’t Jesus lie to His brothers?

Solution:
Jesus did not go up to Jerusalem at the exact time or in the exact way in which His brothers suggested. They suggested He go at that moment and also be “known openly” (7:4). But the Scripture explicitly declares that “He also went up to the feast, not openly, but as it were in secret” (7:10). The Greek present tense in 7:8 can legitimately have the sense, “I am not now going,” indicating that Jesus did not go up to the feast at that time and in the way the brothers suggested. And because the Jews had plotted to kill Jesus (5:18), and “the Jews were seeking Him at the feast” (7:11), and because GOD’s timing is precise and with purpose (7:6,8), Jesus delayed His journey to Jerusalem. Midway into the festival, Jesus went to the Temple and began to teach (7:14), declaring publicly that the mob had the mind to murder Him (7:19). Consequently, because their denial of wanting to murder Him (7:20), the Jews had to scheme of legal ways to get rid of Jesus, which thereby delayed His inevitable death to the exact moment which GOD had arranged from the beginning. 

Perceived Problem:
The high priest Ananias commanded that Paul be struck on the mouth. Paul rebuked him for doing so, and those who stood by condemned Paul for reviling the high priest. Paul responded by claiming, “I did not know… that he was the high priest” (Acts 23:5). But this is highly unlikely, since Paul himself was a member of the Jewish Sanhedrin and worked closely with him before his conversion (Acts 19:1-3). So, did Paul lie?

Solution:
There are several views taken on this passage. Some suggest that Paul may have not known the high priest personally, even though he was previously a member of the Jewish Council. Others claim that Paul may have had poor vision (perhaps his “thorn in the flesh”) and not been able to see him clearly. Still others believe that Paul could have been lying to get himself out of a bad situation. Apostles sinned too (Galatians 2:11-13). If this were the case, Acts is simply giving us a true record of Paul’s sin. However, it seems more plausible to take Paul’s statement as sarcastic but not false. In this case, his statement, “I did not know… he was the high priest,” could be translated something like this: “This sinner is the high priest of GOD’s Law? I would never have known it by his unlawful command to strike me!” After all, Ananias had violated Jewish law by assuming that Paul was guilty without a trial and ordering his punishment (Deuteronomy 19:15). Further, Paul could have insinuated that Ananias was not the true high priest because Christ Jesus is the true High Priest (Hebrews 2:17; 4:14; 5:6; 7:26-27; 9:12).

Perceived Problem:
Paul wrote, “And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie” (2Thessalonians 2:11). But Revelation 21:8 says, “the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.” But it seems inconsistent for GOD to condemn liars and yet send such a strong delusion that people should believe a lie. So, how can GOD send a lie for people to believe and yet not allow liars into Heaven?

Solution:
GOD does not send a lie but simply confirms those who do not wish to believe the truth. GOD is not responsible (i.e., culpable) for those who go to Hell. For it is because of their rejection of the Gospel that they eventually end up there, not because of GOD’s negligence. The context of this passage reveals that man has already rejected the Gospel of Christ. Paul says that when the Antichrist comes, he will come with signs and false wonders with all deception of wickedness (2Thessalonians 2:8-10). These things happen for “those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved” (2:10). When GOD sends the deluding influence, Paul says He does so in order “that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness” (2:12). They have chosen to reject GOD rather than to accept His provision of salvation. GOD is not sending the lie to trick people, but He sends delusions to reveal human depravity in which they freely choose evil over good. 

Conclusion:

The question then remains: is there ever a time when lying is the right thing to do? The most common illustration of this dilemma comes from the life of Corrie ten Boom in Nazi-occupied Holland. Essentially, the story is this: Corrie ten Boom is hiding Jews in her home to protect them from the Nazis. Nazi soldiers come to her home and ask her if she knows where any Jews are hiding. What is she to do? Should she tell the truth and allow the Nazis to capture the Jews she was trying to protect? Or, should she lie and deny that she knows anything about them? In an instance such as this, where lying may be the only possible way to prevent a horrible evil, perhaps lying would be an acceptable thing to do because it is the lesser of two evils. Such an instance would be somewhat similar to the lies of the Hebrew midwives and Rahab. In an evil world, and in a desperate situation, it may be the right thing to commit a lesser evil, lying, in order to prevent a much greater evil. However, it must be noted that such instances are extremely rare. It is highly likely that the vast majority of people in human history have never faced a situation in which lying was the right thing to do. 

Colossians 3:9 says, “Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices.” Lying is also listed in 1Timothy 1:9-11 as something practiced by the lawless. Furthermore, liars will be among those judged in the end (Revelation 21:8). In contrast, GOD is Truth (Deuteronomy 32:4; 1Samuel 15:29; John 14:6; Romans 3:4) and it is impossible for Him to lie (Numbers 23:19; Titus 1:2; Hebrews 6:18).

Jesus called Himself the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6), and He expects those who follow Him to be people of Truth. The truth is to be expressed in love (Ephesians 4:15), offering hope to those seeking redemption from the lies of the world.

It is important to note, however, that GOD never condones lies. Despite the “positive” outcome of these lies, the Bible nowhere praises the lies themselves. The Bible nowhere states that there are instances where lying is the right thing to do. At the same time, the Bible does not declare that there is no possible instance in which lying is an acceptable option.

Should a Christian ever lie or bend the truth? To answer that, we must know what GOD thinks about lying. GOD hates lies (Exodus 20:16; Psalm 119:29,163; 120:2; Proverbs 6:16-19; 12:22; 13:5; 1Corinthians 13:6; Colossians 3:9; Ephesians 4:25; 1Timothy 1:9-11; Titus 1:2; Hebrews 6:18; Revelation 21:8). Lies are not good. But is there ever a time when it’s acceptable to lie in order to save ourselves or others? The Bible nowhere presents an instance where lying is considered to be the right thing to do; however, there have been a few times when it was the lesser evil out of two evils. Time after time, we see that falsehood leads to misery, loss, and judgment. However, even though lying is never the right thing to do, it might be a necessary lesser of two evils forced upon us in order to do what’s best in a sinful and fallen world and prevent an even greater evil. Even GOD’s chosen, Abram (Abraham), lied. Lying is not a good thing. Lying is bad, especially if you lie to good-natured people.

However, in my personal opinion (which is prone to being wrong), lying to those who desire to do evil in order to prevent a greater evil seems wise to me. This is war after all. All around us. We are in a constant war to save souls and protect the ones that are already saved. In war, the ultimate victory is when you are able to use the enemy’s own weapon against himself to defeat him. However, I strongly recommend that you don’t ever lie unless you absolutely must do so in order to save lives. The consequence associated with the risk simply isn’t worth it. If you use a lie against evil it could be a good thing and could potentially save yourself and others. It’s possible to trick evil with its own evil. However, with one misuse of a lie, Abram was treated well because of Sarai, but then got kicked out of the land once his lie was discovered. The lie that Abram told ended up hurting good people and caused Abram and Sarai to be thrown out. Also, how do you think that entire situation made Sarai feel? Her husband told her to be someone else’s wife just so he wouldn’t be murdered. I’m willing to bet she probably felt betrayed and hurt. And if that Pharaoh had taken Sarai for sexual relations, the marriage covenant would have been violated and broken. Before you make your decision on whether or not to use a lie, you need to think about the consequences of your choice. Is the situation dire? Is it a life or death situation? Will telling the truth set you free or lead you to your death? But even if you escape physical death from your lie, will it lead to a spiritual death? Should you risk rotting your character because of this lie? To whom are you lying? Is the person evil? Would GOD want you to lie at that moment or tell the truth? Would your lie prevent an even greater evil? You better be absolutely certain that the other party is in fact an evildoer and darkness dweller before committing to the lie. If you lie to someone of good nature, things will certainly go wrong and be bad.

Lying is a rotten thing to do, and it will rot any good situation. If you lie and don’t prevent a greater evil, you’ve rotted a portion of your character. A lie is a powerful weapon, but it is usually a weapon we end up using against ourselves. Is it worth rotting your character? A lie can be paralleled to the ring that is well known in J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings. We can hide behind the cloak of The Lie, and Frodo can hide behind the cloak of The Ring, but it hurts us. The Lie corrodes our integrity and corrupts future judgment. Frodo used The Ring with good intentions, did he not? But it still deteriorated his character, correct? Let us not forget that Gollum had also been a normal Hobbit named Sméagol; however, The Ring (The Lie) eventually corrupted him and changed him. The Ring is one and the same as The Lie. Frodo believed that he could hide behind the cloak of The Ring and it would save him; however, it only hurt him every time he used The Ring. Just as Sméagol and Frodo could not be saved behind the cloak of The Ring, we cannot be saved behind the cloak of The Lie – we might be spared for the time being, but it deteriorates, corrupts, and rots us from the inside out. The only true solution of Frodo’s dilemma was to destroy the ring; likewise, the only true solution to our dilemma is to put the lie where it belongs — in the fire.

Do you know what happens when you make a practice of something? It becomes easier each new time you do it. Change within us is gradual and difficult to notice, but we are all changing every day based on what we choose to believe and do. So, is a lie ever right? No. Is a lie ever acceptable? Yes. But remember — acceptance of something does not mean an approval of that something. Is a lie worth it? In rare occasions, the lie prevents a greater evil (Exodus 1:15-21; Joshua 2:5). You have free will. Choose wisely. Here in this sinful and fallen world, a lie might prevent a greater evil. However, in the new earth to come, lies will never be allowed (Revelation 21:8). So, shouldn’t we be practicing to live like we’re going to live in the life to come?

It is written in Romans 3:3-6 that unbelief will never nullify the faithfulness of GOD. In fact, GOD’s Word will be found true even if every person is found to be a liar. The Lord will be proved right when He wins His case in the court. GOD is entirely just (Acts 17:31; Revelation 20:12) and He will judge the world (Revelation 20:11-15).