The verse of Scripture under consideration reads, “And it came to pass after forty years, that Absalom said unto the king, I pray thee, let me go and pay my vow, which I have vowed unto the Lord, in Hebron” (2 Samuel 15:7 KJV). A footnote to the NKJV reads, “Septuagint manuscripts, Syriac, and Josephus read four.” The NIV and the ESV read, “at the end of four years.” In addition, Barnes’ Notes says, “An obvious clerical error, though a very ancient one for four years, which may date from Absalom’s return from Geshur, or from his reconciliation with David, or from the commencement of the criminal schemes to which 2 Sam 15:1 refers.” James Burton Coffman adds, “The KJV and other ancient versions have ‘forty years’ here instead of ‘four’; but the RSV is doubtless correct here in following the Syriac and certain texts of the LXX.  This indicates that it took Absalom four years from the time he was reconciled with David to launch his attempted coup de etat.” John Haley noted the observations of several students of the Bible, “…there is a copyists error in the case” (393). Each of the following commentators concludes the same thing. It is generally admitted that an error has here crept into the text, and that instead of [‎’arbaa‘iym‎], “forty”, we should read, with the Syriac and Arabic versions, and Josephus [‎’arba‘], ‘four years’ – i.e., after Absalom’s return to Jerusalem, and his beginning to practice the base arts of gaining popularity. (Jamieson, …

Note with me some biblical teachings concerning the concept of change. In a former article, we noticed that we live in a society that is characterized by change. We also considered some necessary changes, and we defined these as repentance and Christian growth. Please join me as we continue to explore a proper perspective of change. What Must Change? Generally speaking, we do not like to change spiritually. We are often stubborn and hard-hearted against the words of God (Acts 8:18-23; 24:25-26; 26:28; John 12:37-41). We love to do whatever we want to do. Gambling, drinking, smoking, pornography, profanity, harshness and bitterness are just some of the things people often struggle to overcome. Obviously, the problem is not when the Word tells us to do something we like to do or are already doing, but whenever God requires something we dislike. Many want to obey God on their own terms, and they are not truly seeking the truth. Yet, we are instructed to, “Lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save our souls” (James 1:21). This includes actually doing what the Word commands us to do (James 1:22-ff). In many ways, the hardest part of true Bible study is fully applying and fruitfully practicing the Book. If we truly seek the truth of God, we will make the needed changes to be right with Him. Remember, the truth of God possesses the power to free us from the …

John penned these words of Jesus to the church in Ephesus in Revelation 2:4-5: “Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent.” The language seems to indicate a lack of fervor, fire or zeal on the part of the Ephesian Christians. They had good works (vs. 1-3), but they were lacking something. Bible students might desire more specificity. Surely, though, whether this verse refers to it or not, observant disciples can notice that there is sometimes a lack of enthusiasm among the Lord’s people. Let’s assume, for the sake of argument, this is the case. Homer Hailey in his commentary on Revelation had an idea worthy of note: Perhaps this loss of an early fiery devotion can be accounted for by the fact that the congregation was now in the second or third generation of its existence. This is always a dangerous period in the life of a church. At such a point the youthful fire of discovery and the enthusiasm of a glorious anticipation of future hopes too often begin to diminish. Isn’t this a sad but true observation? It seems to be a common problem in many ventures. A business is opened by one generation of a family. They work feverishly to make ends meet at first and eventually make a profit. Their prosperity is …

God created the family in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 2:24), so it is only natural that we begin with the first family when talking about “Developing Strong Families.” God gave the following instructions to the first couple: “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it” (Genesis 1:28); “man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife” (Genesis 2:24) and “…eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden… ‘You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die’” (Genesis 3:3). After Adam and Eve sinned, God gave further instructions: to the woman. He said, “I will greatly multiply your sorrow and your conception; In pain you shall bring forth children; Your desire shall be for your husband, And he shall rule over you” (Genesis 3:16), and to the man He said, “Cursed is the ground for your sake; In toil you shall eat of it All the days of your life. Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you, And you shall eat the herb of the field. In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread Till you return to the ground, For out of it you were taken; For dust you are, And to dust you shall return” (Genesis 3:17-19). Adam and Eve were banished from Eden (3:22). Please note that Adam and Eve had work to do while living …

When it comes to tragedy and hardship, many people turn to the Book of Job. Job was a recipient of calamity, disaster, financial loss and death as we read in Job 1-2. First, he had every single one of his oxen and donkeys carried off by Sabeans, who then “put to the sword” every one of his servants. To compound matters, all his sons and daughters were killed when a windstorm collapsed the house in which they were feasting. Finally, Job was afflicted with painful sores “from the soles of his feet to the top of his head.” Then Job took a piece of broken “pottery and scraped himself with it as he sat among the ashes.” When his wife saw what was happening to Job, she said to him, “…Curse God and die” (Job 2:9). Talk about hitting “rock bottom.” Here is a man whose trials surpassed most of ours. He had lost everything – his health, his wealth, his children, and his wife told him to “curse God and die!” (Job 2:9-10). Job teaches us many things through his ordeal; one of those lessons he teaches us is that suffering in itself is not proof of God’s displeasure, and the book tries to answer the question, “Why do bad things happen to good people?” Readers must keep in mind that as they read the Book of Job which they see what Job cannot see. In Job 1 and 2, God sees Job as one of His best servants. …

What will be the eternal destiny of those who have committed sin? “But for the fearful, and unbelieving, and abominable, and murderers, and fornicators, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, their part shall be in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone; which is the second death” (Revelation 21:8). Most of these are categorized as “sins of commission,” since something evil was committed. However, most have never considered that there is another category of sins, namely “sins of omission.” When we fail to do what ought to be done, we are guilty of the sin of omission. Our society is full of people who live lives that would be classified by their fellow men as “good.” They have never been guilty of rape, murder, embezzlement, etc. The listing of bad things they have not done is long indeed. Many labor under the illusion that since they are “not too bad,” they will enter heaven. Jesus provided a glimpse of the future judgment. Those who fed the hungry, provided drink to the thirsty, clothed the naked and visited the imprisoned, were told, “Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom…” (Matthew 25:34). Others heard these words, “Depart from me, ye cursed, into the eternal fire…” (Matthew 25:41). What were the heinous crimes they had perpetrated? Actually, it was not what they had done, but what they had not done that brought this judgment. For “I was hungry, and ye did not give me to eat; I was thirsty, and ye …

I remember as a young boy growing up in West Tennessee, walking the two and a half miles from the schoolhouse to our home on those cold wintry days, how pleasant it was to smell the wood smoke as I would drew nearer the house. When I smelled that smoke I knew that my mother was preparing some sort of warm treat for a very cold boy. I am sure that many of you readers could relate some similar experiences. As I revive those sweet memories, it brings to my mind what I have used as the title of this article: “The Aroma of Grace.” According to the concordance in my computer, the word “grace”appears 170 times in 159 verses in the King James Version of the Bible. It first appears in Genesis 6:8 where it is stated: “But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.” Let us think about that verse for a moment. The context tells us of the wicked conditions that existed in the world at that time. We are told that “God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth…” (v. 5). It is further stated that He determined to destroy man from the face of the earth (v. 7). The next verse begins with “But…” This verse says, “But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.” In that wicked and perverse world of mankind stood one whose life and actions shone brightly. It was this man and his …

I am going to continue to do my best to love everyone, no matter what. I know a lot of people who have given themselves over to the practice of sin. [One note: yes, every person has sin in his or her life; the big difference is that some are trying to remove that sin from their lives, and others have just given in to it; some even flaunt it, and often defend it.] No matter what anyone says (even the Canadian Supreme Court), it is not only possible to love the sinner and hate the sin, but it is an imperative for Christians. We must hate the sin with which we struggle in our own lives. To love someone does not mean that we support their sin, but that we care about them as a person. Compromise and caring are not synonyms. My morality is not based on what is legal or not. Don’t misunderstand me; I am opposed to homosexual marriage on a moral basis. [Again, note: the decisions on this subject are the government making a moral decision. Someone says, well isn’t the defense of marriage act the government making a moral decision? Yes, it is, but I will not let the proponents of “gay marriage” get by without pointing out that they are asking the court to legislate morality. The gay activists are determined to make sure that their morality is forced on all other Americans. I know they argue that simply allowing “gay marriage” isn’t forcing their morality on others, but when …

Can we be holy like God? Peter says we can (1 Peter 1:15). The instruction is: You be holy like God is holy. If we are to develop holiness in our lives and become like God, we must come to know God. How can we be holy like Him if we do not know Him, or if we do not know His way and His revealed will? The “elect” (Christians) were sanctified (made holy, agiasmos, Gr.) by the Holy Spirit when they purified their souls in obedience to the truth and washed their sins away (1 Peter 1:2, 22; Acts 22:16). We learn in 1 Peter One that a function of the Holy Spirit in the election process is to separate (make holy) the sinner through obedience and through the sprinkling of the blood of Christ (1 Peter 1:1-2). This sanctification (setting apart) is to the spiritual realm, in the church and in Christ. The Spirit accomplished this by revealing, through the word of truth, the means by which one obeys the Lord and takes advantage of the true grace of God and appropriates to himself the benefits of the shed blood of our Lord. Yet, in 1 Peter 1:15, believers are told to be holy. The typical first reaction is, “I thought we were already sanctified and made holy.” In the context of 1 Peter 1:13ff, the sanctification of the believer is the focal point. Verse 13 tells us that considering what had been said regarding salvation, the elect were to gather …

Confidence is important in every area of life. When we were young babies, it was helpful as we took those first steps in learning to walk. If we lacked it, we preferred to crawl and perhaps did so a bit longer than others. As an older child, upon receiving the first bicycle, again confidence became an issue as we learned to ride. For some in later years, there were training wheels that helped us keep our balance. Taking those wheels off could often be an agonizing decision for both child and parent. In both of the examples above, it becomes apparent there is a correlation between one’s experience and one’s confidence. If the experience is one that is good and positive, confidence grows stronger and there is encouragement to try another step. However, if there is serious failure initially, then one’s confidence takes flight as on the wings of a dove. Confidence is so greatly needed in our spiritual lives, too. We should be interested in knowing whether the message falling upon our ears is truly from God. Is the speaker or writer speaking as the oracles of God (1 Peter 4:11; 1 Thessalonians 2:13)? Upon determination the message is truly the message of God, confidence is needed in our hearts as we take those first steps in answering the call of the Gospel. We need confidence that God will keep His promise in cleansing our sins and forgiving our unrighteousness upon our obeying the truth of the Gospel. This …

An online survey for Match.com (https://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/healthscience/2013/February/Singles-Survey-Reveals-Casual-Views-on-Sex/) demonstrates the need for moral leadership. The inclination may be to ask the Centers for Disease Control and the President of the United States to sound the alarm. Such action would be in line with the huge emphasis placed upon the need to get control of the spiraling cost of healthcare, but it might also be a subtle form of passing the buck. God’s people should not follow the lead of Adam in the Garden of Eden or Cain in his flippant response, “Am I my brother’s keeper?” Christians should be motivated to answer the call for moral leadership. There is a clear correlation between the rise in casual sex (44% of women and 63% of men say they have had one night stands) and epidemic numbers of sexually transmitted diseases (19 million new cases every year, with half being young people between the ages of 15 and 24). The monetary cost of treating this problem is more than $16 billion per year, while the spiritual cost is far greater. This is not the time for handwringing. The body of Christ must, instead, step through the open door of opportunity. First, dads and moms need to teach their children that sexual relations are a delightful gift from God that can only reach their full potential of enjoyment in marriage. “Marriage is honorable among all, and the bed undefiled; but fornicators and adulterers God will judge” (Hebrews 13:4). Second, they need to hear that sexual …

“For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body – whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free-and we were all given the one Spirit to drink” (1 Corinthians 12:13). Do we ever lose sight of what the church is? Of its bond and intimacy? Of the importance of our relationship with one another as the body of Christ to our relationship with God? The relationship of God’s people to God is tied to the church. That is, our relationship with God involves our relationship with one another. Of Christ’s purpose in his death on the cross the apostle Paul wrote, “His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace, and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through his cross, by which he put to death their hostility” (Ephesians 2:15b-16). There is one body in which we are brought to peace with one another and in which we are reconciled to God, not simply individually but together. By the one Spirit of God, of Christ, we were baptized into one body, and together given the one Spirit to drink from the same well. Paul also used the image of the temple of God where God dwells by His Spirit. “And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit” (Ephesians 2:22). We are together the house in which God lives by His Spirit through Jesus Christ. …

“Remember now your Creator in the days of your youth, Before the difficult days come, And the years draw near when you say, ‘I have no pleasure in them.’” This passage of Scripture is ordinarily used in encouraging young people to remember God and to give their lives to the Lord; however, I believe there are several lessons contained in this text that would be applicable for parents First of all, parents should remember that children are not ours to rear as we choose. The Psalmist declared, “Behold children are a heritage from the Lord…” (Psalm 127:3). We should have the same attitude of Hannah when she made this vow to God, “O Lord of hosts, if You will indeed look on the affliction of Your maidservant and remember me, and not forget Your maidservant, but will give Your maidservant a male child, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and no razor shall come upon his head” (1 Samuel 1:11). Our attitude should be same, that is, when God gives us children, we should give them back to Him by rearing them in the “training and admonition of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4). Second, youth is the time to teach our children of God and Jesus Christ. Their hearts are receptive and not filled with prejudice. Children trust their parents, and they can be impressed with the teaching they receive from the Word of God. Jochebed, the mother of Moses, must have greatly …

The Lord’s Supper is an integral part of Christian worship; it causes us to remember our Lord’s death and look for His glorious return. We look backward to the cross (1 Corinthians 11:24, “Do this in remembrance of me”). The Lord’s Supper is a memorial supper, a ceremony of remembrance. When we partake of the unleavened bread, we remember that Christ’s body was cruelly treated and nailed to the cross. When we partake of the fruit of the vine, we remember that the blood of Christ was poured out of his body. His body and blood were a sacrifice for our sins (Hebrews 10:19-20). We look outward to the lost (1 Corinthians 11:26, “For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death…”). When we assemble to partake of the Lord’s Supper, we are making a statement that Christ died for the world, and we set an example to all those who observe us keeping our weekly appointment with the Lord at His table. This includes the lost. Going to the Supper is preaching by example. Anyone can preach Christ in this manner (Colossians 4:5). We look forward to eternity (1 Corinthians 11:26, “…eat this bread and drink this cup… till he come”). For each of us individually, “till he comes” means “the coming of Christ.” Thus, the hymn writer called it “the little while between.” We know that eternity could be upon any one of us at any moment either by death or by the Lord’s return. The …

Steve Jobs died October 5, 2011. While some people may not know who he was, most of the world remembers him as the cofounder of Apple Computer and the driving force behind such products as the Mac, iPod, iPad and iPhone. His influence, along with that of Bill Gates, who was the driving force behind Microsoft until his retirement, established the computer age and popularized technology among the masses. Apple under his direction became the largest technology company in the world (based on revenue and profit). While some thought of him as hard to work with and overbearing, others idolized him. Yet, like every other human being, he has died. While many now mourn his passing, with time life goes on, his company will go on, and his accomplishments become a memory. This is true of all human beings. How many people have passed through this existence, some unknown in popular culture, others famous, only to be forgotten with time? The inspired words of James are proven true time and again; “yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes” (James 4:14). This reality also brings to mind another sobering Scripture; “it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment” (Hebrews 9:27). Winston Churchill’s last words, before slipping into a coma and dying 9 days later, seem to summarize how many people feel about life; “I’m bored with …

Several months ago, I had the honor of presenting a lesson before a group of mature Christians from our Collierville, Tennessee congregation. As is always the case with such invitations, the first challenge, absent guidance from the expected audience, was to determine what topic might best serve the audience and those with whom they may interact. I chose to explore some of the many challenges faced by those wishing to share God’s Word, with the hope of arming the saints to assist the less experienced. As is always my technique, let me first offer a brief disclaimer. Like many of you, I am a servant of our risen Lord and Savior Jesus the Christ. What Bible knowledge I possess has come from years of study and the hard work of the many caring believers with whom I have been privileged to learn. Please verify what you are told, whether by me or by others. We are all fallible and no matter how genuine the intentions, errors sometimes find their way into our understanding. President Regan once said of a very different subject, “Trust but verify”; I would argue this to be fine policy for use in one’s spiritual life. With the disclaimer out of the way, let’s dig into the day’s topic. Sharing the countless lessons within God’s Word and specifically the Gospel message can be challenging. Academic preparation certainly plays a large role, and the identification of evangelism opportunities can be difficult. Additionally, many Christians struggle with the development …

In view of the increasing number of preachers and teachers who do not seem to think that the words in the Bible have any specific meaning, but that almost any interpretation is satisfactory except some traditional one, we think it appropriate to emphasize that the Holy Spirit was very accurate in using the words He wanted to use to convey the exact thought He wanted us to gain from the expression. As a case in point, let us examine Romans 3:30, where we find the expression, “he shall justify the circumcision by [Gr. out of] faith, and the uncircumcision through faith.” I checked fourteen commentators, but none of them seemed to see any reason why Paul used two different expressions. Barnes makes the specific statement that there is no difference in the meaning. Lard is a little better, although he says, “Between the two expressions I can discover no difference. If there be any, it amounts to about this: that in ek pisteos the justification is conceived as arising out of belief as a source, whereas, in dia tes pisteos it is realized through the belief as means.” Even Whiteside, in whom I have more confidence than in most of the others combined, says, “It would seem that Paul meant to make a distinction between the phrases ‘by faith’ and ‘through faith,’ else why the two phrases? But the distinction, if any, is too subtle for me to discover.” Though loath to reveal either my arrogance or my ignorance, as …

Deuteronomy 6:13 says, “You shall fear only the Lord your God; and you shall worship Him, and swear by His name.” This is the verse Jesus cited when Satan tempted Jesus to worship him. God stated, and Jesus affirmed, that only God is to be worshipped. As we read through the Bible, we find men attempting to worship angels, but the angels refused it (Revelation 22:8-9). We also find men trying to worship other men, which was also refused (Acts 10:25; 14:8-18). Whenever a servant of God is worshipped, either men or angel, they refuse, because only God is to be worshipped. That being said, what are we to make of the fact of Jesus accepted worship? Hebrews 1:6 quotes from Psalm 148:2 where angels worship Him, and we find several instances where men worshipped Him (Matthew 2:11; 14:33; 28:9, 17; John 9:38). There can only be one conclusion: Jesus accepts worship because He is God. Otherwise, He contradicts His own words as found in Matthew 4:10 and Luke 4:8. Thomas said it very well when the resurrected Christ appeared to Him in John 20:28, and our cry should be no different!

There’s something about human nature that wants to dwell on negativity. If you don’t believe me, take a look at the news and magazines. The latest divorces, scandals and controversies dominate the scene. Inconsistent with biblical love, some even find pleasure in hearing the wrongdoings of others (cf. 1 Corinthians 13:6). There are some that seem to be consumed with everything that is wrong with the world to the point it makes them bitter and incapable of feeling joy. As Christians, we must be aware of the realities of the world (as negative as they may be), but we should not be consumed in our thinking by them. Remember the words of Paul: “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, let your mind dwell on these things” (Philippians 4:8 Mounce). As Christians, we should look for the virtuous things in life as a dwelling place for our thoughts. Let us all meditate upon this verse and actively seek to dwell on the good in our thought life. Let us focus on what’s right in the world instead of always what is wrong. Let us focus on the good that may come out of situations that are not so good. Let us focus on what we have instead of what we don’t have. Failing to let our minds dwell on the good is dangerous to our …