OceanSide church of Christ

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QUESTIONS & ANSWERS (63)

Victor M. Eskew

 

INTRODUCTION

 

A.    There are some questions that are fun to consider.

1.      If you could possess a superhuman power, which would you choose?

2.      If you could speak to one important person in the history of the world, who would it be?

3.      What did you enjoy most about your childhood?

4.      If you could do one thing different in life, what would it be?

5.      What is the one thing about yourself that hinders you the most?

 

B.      For some reason, it seems almost all questions spark some sort of interest. 

1.      This has been true of our Q&A lessons on the first Sunday of each month.

2.      Many of you look forward to both the questions and the answers.

 

C.     In our lesson this morning, we will be examining three questions.

 

I.                   QUESTION #1:  A church without Elders

 

A.    Stated:  In light of Acts 14:23 and Titus 1:5, how can a church without elders be Scriptural?  Should it merge with another congregation that has elders?

 

B.      Answer:

1.      In the Bible, we are sometime confronted with God’s ultimate will and reality (Ex., the saved).

a.      God’s ultimate will is for all men to be saved (I Tim. 2:4).

 

Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.

 

b.      This, however, will not be reality on the Day of Judgment (Matt. 7:13-14).

 

Enter ye in at the strait gate:  for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:  because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

 

2.      In the Bible, God’s ultimate will for every church is for there to be elders, men who are overseers, to rule over the local congregation.

a.      The two verses noted by the person who asked the question prove this.

1)      Acts 14:23

 

And when they had ordained them elders in every church, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord, on whom they believed.

 

2)      Titus 1:5

 

For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting, and ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed thee.

 

b.      This, however, will not always conform to reality.  Let’s think of a couple of illustrations.

1)      A missionary starts a church in a small village in a foreign country.  These individuals have never heard of the truth.  Even though several may have been converted, they would not be able to be elders immediately.  One of the qualifications of an elder is:  “not a novice” (I Tim. 3:6).

2)      A church may have to split due to a doctrine problem that arises.  When the new church is formed, there may not be men who are qualified at the time to serve. 

3.      Can a church exist for a period of time without elders and be acceptable to God.  The answer to that is:  “Yes.”

a.      Paul started churches in the region of Galatia, departed from them, and did not ordain elders in them until he began his journey back home.  Were these churches Scriptural?  Paul thought so.

b.      The same was true on the island of Crete.  Paul started churches there.  He left Titus to set in order the things that were wanting.  Thus, the churches there were “elderless” for a period of time

4.      In order for men to serve as elders, they must meet the qualifications found in I Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:5-9.  If they do not, men should not serve. 

5.      The questioner asks:  If a church has not elders, should that congregation merge with a church that does?

a.      There is no command in Scripture for this to be done.

b.      If the church does not have elders, who would make that call?

c.       Each Christian would need to make up his/her mind if he/she can stay while a church is developing men who can serve as elders.

 

II.                QUESTION #2:  John the Baptist and Elijah

 

A.    Stated:  In what way was John the Baptist like Elijah?

 

B.      Answer:

1.      When the last prophet of the Old Testament prophecied, he made an interesting prophecy as he closed his book (Mal. 4:5-6).

 

Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord:  and he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.

 

2.      The Jews understood this to mean that Elijah the prophet would come before the Messiah. During the earthly ministry of Jesus, His disciples asked Him about it.

a.      Mark 9:11

 

And they asked him, saying, Why say the scribes that Elias must first come?

 

b.      Jesus’ answer is interesting in Mark’s gospel (Mark 9:12-13).

 

And he answered and told them, Elias verily cometh first…But I say unto you, That Elias is indeed come, and they have done unto him whatsoever they listed, as it is written of him.

 

1)      Jesus’ answer in Mark’s gospel indicates that Elijah had already come to prepare the way.

2)      Question:  Did Jesus mean the Elijah of the Old Testament.  Was he resurrected from the dead?  Had the disciples of Jesus missed him somehow?

 

c.       Matthew’s gospel provides us with additional information about this conversation (Matt. 17:10-13). 

1)      The question and the answer found in this text is almost identical to the one recorded by Mark.

2)      Matthew, however, concludes with verse 13.

 

Then the disciples understood that he spake unto them of John the Baptist.

 

d.      In a previous conversation, Jesus had made a similar statement about John (Matt. 11:13-14).

 

For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.  And if ye will receive it, this is Elias, which was for to come.

 

3.      So, twice we are told that John the Baptist was the Elijah about whom Malachi prophesied in Malachi 4.  It is here that our question comes into play.  “In what way was John the Baptist like Elijah?”

a.      Some teach that John the Baptist was a reincarnation of Elijah.  However, John denied that he was Elijah (John 1:21).

 

And the asked him, What then?  Art thou Elias?  And he saith, I am not…

 

b.      Those who make this affirmation have not studied the Bible enough.  In Luke’s gospel, we are told how John can be compared to Elijah (Luke 1:17)

 

And he shall go in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of their fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.

 

1)      The word “spirit” refers to their mental dispositions.

2)      The word “power” refers to the authoritative nature of their preaching.  NOTE:  It cannot refer to their miraculous powers because John did no miracles.

c.       LESSON:  There are times when new individuals arise within the church who remind us of those who have gone before.  We might say:  “He is the Franklin Camp of our day,” or, “He is the Marshal Keeble of our day.” 

 

III.              QUESTION #3:  Mine Hour Is Not Yet Come

 

A.    Stated:  What did Jesus mean when He told His mother:  “…mine hour is not yet come?” (John 2:4).

 

B.      Answer:

1.      When these words were spoken, Jesus and his mother were attending a feast in Cana of Galilee.

a.      There was not enough wine.  In fact, they ran out of wine.

b.      Mary asked Jesus to assist.

c.       It was then that Jesus answered and included the statement involved in our question (John 2:4).

 

Jesus saith unto her, Woman, What have I to do with thee?  mine hour is not yet come.

 

d.      This phrase is only found in John’s gospel.  It is found three (3) more times in the book of John (John 7:6, 30; 8:20)

e.       Then we reach John 12:23 and John 13:1.  Listen to what Jesus says.

 

And Jesus answered them, saying, the hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified…Now before the feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end.

 

2.      When Jesus came into the world, He was on a time schedule.

a.      After man’s sin in the Garden of Eden, God set a plan in motion. 

b.      That plan would be executed at just the right time (Gal. 4:4-5).

 

But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.

 

c.       When Jesus walked on the earth, He was executing God’s plan on God’s time. 

1)      Sometimes man wants to hurry God’s plan.  Jesus would not allow this.  Thus, He would say:  “Mine hour is not yet come.”

2)      However, when the time was come, Jesus did not try to delay it.  Thus, He said:  “The hour is come.”

d.      The time was right.

1)      Things throughout the world would allow the free spread of the gospel.

2)      Passover was eminent, therefore, many Jews would be present to witness, not only the death of Jesus, but also His resurrection.

3)      The prophecies of the Old Testament and the types found in the Law would be manifest in all of their brilliance.  (NOTE:  In I Corinthians 5:7, Jesus is referred to as our “Passover”).

4)      Man’s sin was completely full.  Now was the time to offer the sacrifice for the sins of the world.

3.      LESSON:  We are not as privy to the plans of God as Jesus was.  But, we, too, must do as Jesus did and trust God’s timing.  Sometimes, we have to patiently wait on God to bring His will to pass in our lives.  We should never give up our faith as we wait for the time to come.

 

CONCLUSION

 

A.    We have looked at three good questions.

1.      One dealt with churches not having elders.

2.      One dealt with the likenesses between John the Baptist and Elijah.

3.      One dealt with the proper hour of Jesus crucifixion.

 

B.      Here is a thought.  Now that Jesus has died and the gospel has been fully revealed, it is not time to wait on the salvation of our souls (II Cor. 6:2).

 

…behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.