Pastoral Letter 11 Aug 2019

My dear readers,

Questions Posed at CPBPC’s Annual Church Camp (10-15 June 2019) – Part 7

Question : Going into business with a non-believer constitutes being unequally yoked. What about buying shares in a business? Or if you are a majority shareholder, being able to make major decisions?

Reply : Knowing the biblical principle behind a teaching is better than simply obeying a teaching without understanding why. The text that teaches Christians not to yoke with unbelievers is 2 Corinthians 6:14-18. The meaning of yoke includes marriage and business ventures as well as all things spiritual in the church such as a joint venture with a secular kindergarten organization inside the church premises. The reason for this is that at the level of leadership where the principles and visions of a relationship originate there can be no meeting of minds. One will be Christian and the other is not. That is why a partnership in business with an unbeliever will bring great conflict even before it begins. For example the believer would like to keep the Lord’s Day holy to honour the Lord by not doing business but the unbelieving partner would like to open on Sunday as it brings in the most money. Many other issues and conflicts will soon arise and unless the believer compromises, the partnership will fall apart.

Buying shares in a business is fine as long as the business is biblically acceptable. It should not be a business like a casino or some alcoholic ventures. Having said that it is also important that the number of shares bought ought not to make the shareholder a decision-making business partner where the Christian has to compromise his witness for Christ.

Question : Is the apostle's creed biblical? Did Jesus go to hell between His death and resurrection?

Reply : The Apostles’ Creed:

“I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.

I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried; he descended to hell. The third day he rose again from the dead. He ascended to heaven and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty. From there he will come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.”

The Bible teaches clearly that Jesus Christ upon death went to paradise just as He said to the malefactor who was crucified and died on the cross next to Him. Luke 23:39-43: “ And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us. But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss. And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.” The Bible also reveals that Christ will not see corruption and His soul was not in hell. Acts 2:31-32: “ He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption. This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses.”

The clause “he descended to hell” might have been taken from 1 Peter 3:18-20: “ For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison; Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.” Based upon this context, we see that the text teaches Jesus’ Spirit was convicting the hearers in Noah’s time when Noah preached the Word of God regarding the impending global Flood to his generation. Since Noah preached the Word of Christ it was as it were the Spirit of Christ that preached to them who were in bondage to sin. Based upon a complete biblical understanding, the meaning of the phrase “he descended to hell” refers to Christ’s three days in the grave as the phrase is sandwiched between “was crucified, died, and was buried;he descended to hell. The third day he rose again from the dead.” [Emphasis added.]

Question : Is feminism right?

Reply : What is feminism? "Charles Fourier, a utopian socialist and French philosopher, is credited with having coined the word 'feminisme' in 1837. The words 'feminisme' ('feminism') and 'feminisme' ('feminist') first appeared in France and the Netherlands in 1872, Great Britain in the 1890s, and the United States in 1910. The Oxford English Dictionary lists 1852 as the year of the first appearance of 'feminist' and 1895 for 'feminism'. Depending on the historical moment, culture and country, feminists around the world have had different causes and goals. Most western feminist historians contend that all movements working to obtain women's rights should be considered feminist movements, even when they did not (or do not) apply the term to themselves. Other historians assert that the term should be limited to the modern feminist movement and its descendants. Those historians use the label 'protofeminist' to describe earlier movements." [https://en.wikipedia.org/ wiki/Feminism] It is about women’s rights for in the past women’s rights did not exist and women were very badly taken advantage of.

With education for all and in today’s global and cultural climate women have become queens, Prime Ministers, CEOs, and leaders in almost every field of society.

How should believers view feminism in relation to God's Word and the church? Feminism and all of the movements of the world are organized and ruled by the god of this world. Its aims and results are carnal and are of the world. When believers live in such a world the Bible has revealed sufficient truths to guide and help all believers to witness for Christ in a godly and righteous manner.

But feminism must not be brought into the church. The biblical reason is that in the church, Jesus Christ is the Head of the church and not the god of this world who is the devil himself. To bring feminism into the church is to bring the carnal philosophies of the evil one into the church to do God's work! This is blasphemy! God has given His children the perfect and all sufficient Word of God to guide all men and women on how they ought to relate to each other and to serve and witness for His glory. The church must not sin by importing the ways of the world to do God’s work. It is like saying that God needs help from the devil to do His holy work! How could the unholy evil one contribute anything that is holy? Impossible! Feminism has no place in a believer’s life and in God's church.

Question : What is the biblical take on the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict? Also how will Israel and the situation regarding it change as we approach the end times?

Reply : This conflict will only end when Christ returns. No human can solve the hatred in the hearts of mankind except the love of Christ. As long as hatred remains and breeds in the hearts of all mankind, conflict and warfare will never end. It will escalate and climax in the revelation and promotion of the Antichrist, the ruler of the world. These verses from the Book of Revelation reveal to us how the Antichrist will conquer using peace. Revelation 6:2-8: “ And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer. And when he had opened the second seal, I heard the second beast say, Come and see. And there went out another horse that was red: and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword. And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand. And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine. And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see. And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.” Once he gains power his true colours will reveal a megalomaniac who will kill and maim and destroy anyone who dares to oppose him. He will use economic sanctions such as no man can buy or sell without his mark on him. Revelation 13:17: “ And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.”

Israel will make peace with the Antichrist. This peace will last only seven years. In the middle of this seven-year period the Antichrist will betray this peace by placing an abomination of desolation in the midst of the holy place. Daniel 9:27: “ And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.” Jesus Christ also mentioned this event as one of the signs that will come to pass before His return to judge this sin-filled world. Matthew 24:15: “ When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand).”

Israel is the only nation designed by God from inception. The conflict is spiritual and not carnal. The world controlled by the god of this world will always be against Israel. Israel will become God’s people again when the witness of the church ends. Israel will triumph as the promises of God made to Israel are fulfilled. Israel will be the nation where Christ will reign on earth for a thousand years. It is called the millennium where Christ will rule in the new heaven and new earth of Isaiah 65 and not to be confused with the new heaven and new earth of Revelation 21.