Wednesday, September 30, 2015

WHOOPI, FRANCIS, THE BIBLE, & ABORTION

Recently, actress/comedienne Whoopi Goldberg, one of the regular hosts of The View, made the following comments with regard to abortion, in conjunction with the Pope's recent visit to America:

GOLDBERG: "Well, there’s nothing in the Book that says anything about abortion. Let’s make sure of that. The Ten Commandments are the Ten Commandments. There’s only ten. Only ten."

Nothing in the Bible that says anything about abortion! The implications, I suppose, is that all of us Bible-toting hillbilly fundamental preachers have been making it all up out of whole cloth.

With all due respect to Whoopi, there is a veritable MOUNTAIN of Scripture that bears either directly or indirectly on the abortion debate--including the Sixth Commandment. It is interesting that "broad-minded" progressives of Ms. Goldberg's ideological persuasion typically accuse evangelicals, conservatives, and other traditionalists of being "close-minded" and insufficiently attentive to other viewpoints, being unwilling to invest either time or labor in attempting to learn why others feel the way they do about various issues. With Whoopi, however, it is seems sadly apparent that it is she who has invested next to nothing in attempting to understand the Biblical case on behalf of the sanctity of pre-natal Life, and why Christians feel as strongly as they do on this issue.

For all the potential Whoopies out there, and for those who would lovingly share the truth with them, I have collected some passages relevant to the Biblical case for life.



ABORTION
In Light of the Clear Teaching of Scripture
 
I. God has a plan for every human life.

Isa. 49:1: Listen to Me, O islands, and pay attention, you peoples from afar. The LORD called Me from the womb; from the body of My mother He named Me.

Isa. 49:5: And now says the LORD, who formed Me from the womb to be His Servant...

Jer. 1:5: "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, And before you were born I consecrated you; I have appointed you a prophet to the nations."

Gal. 1:15: “But when God, who had set me apart even from my mother's womb and called me through His grace...”

 II. GOD—not man—is the Author & Sustainer of all Life.

Gen. 2:7: Then the LORD God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.

Job 12:9-10: "Who among all these does not know that the hand of the LORD has done this, in whose hand is the life of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind?”

Ps. 66:8-9: Bless our God, O peoples, and sound His praise abroad, Who keeps us in life and does not allow our feet to slip.

Isa. 42:5: Thus says God the LORD, Who created the heavens and stretched them out, Who spread out the earth and its offspring, Who gives breath to the people on it and spirit to those who walk in it...

Dan. 5:23b: But the God in whose hand are your life-breath and all your ways, you have not glorified.

Acts 17:25b, 28a: 25“He Himself gives to all people life and breath and all things...”;  28“...for in Him we live and move and exist...”

 
III. God reserves unto Himself exclusive prerogatives in determining matters of life & death...

Ps. 31:15a: “My times are in Your hand...”

Ex. 20:13: "You shall not murder.”
 

[Note the exception—when God explicitly delegates unto men the duty to perform capital punishment (Gen. 9:6) or the right to engage in self-defense (Ex. 22:2).]

 
IV. We are OWNED by God Almighty, who has exclusive rights over us—and OUR BODIES!

Ps. 100:3: Know that the LORD Himself is God; it is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; we are His people and the sheep of His pasture.

Ezek. 18:4: "Behold, all souls are Mine; the soul of the father as well as the soul of the son is Mine. The soul who sins will die.”

1 Cor. 6:19-20: Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.

 
V. How does God characterize life within the womb, and WHEN, thus, does an  individual human life BEGIN?
 

Note the status of Jacob & Esau within Rebekah’s womb; they were children, spoken of in personal terms—not simply blobs of tissue! Jacob was a he—not an it! And they did things consistent with personhood—such as struggle!
 

Gen. 25:22a: But the children struggled together within her...

Hosea 12:3a: In the womb he took his brother by the heel...
 

Note David had a sin-nature at conception—something a “non-person” cannot have!
 

Ps. 51:5: “Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me.”
 

John the Baptist was endowed with the Holy Spirit while yet in the womb—hardly characteristic of a “non-person!”
 

Luke 1:15: "For he will be great in the sight of the Lord; and he will drink no wine or liquor, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit while yet in his mother's womb.”
 

John the Baptist—who was six months inside his mother’s womb—experienced the human emotion of joy (!) in encountering the unborn Person of Jesus (who probably would have only been conceived 8-to-10 days prior)!
 

Luke 1:41: When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.

Luke 1:44: "For behold, when the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby leaped in my womb for joy.”
 

WHAT did the Angel Gabriel tell Mary that Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist, had conceived? A “potential-life?” An impersonal blob of tissue? A mere “fetus?” Or a SON?
 

Luke 1:36: "And behold, even your relative Elizabeth has also conceived a son in her old age...”
 

WHAT was our Lord when He was conceived  and within His mother’s womb? Merely a “potential human?” Or...a CHILD?
 

Matt. 1:18: Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: when His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child by the Holy Spirit.
 

Matt. 1:20: But when he had considered this, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.”
 

WHEN did the Word become Flesh? Historic Christian theology has always affirmed that God became incarnate when Mary was overshadowed by the Holy Ghost—and not at some later time-period! He became a genuine human at the point of conception—like other men, whom He came to save!
 

Luke 1:35: The angel answered and said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy Child shall be called the Son of God.

John 1:14a: “And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us...”
 

Does God regard prenatal life as genuine & sacred—entitled to FULL LEGAL PROTECTION? More to the point: “Should abortionists be regarded as murderers?” Note the response of Exodus 21:22-25: if a man, through a deliberate act of violence, caused the death of an unborn child...he was to be put to DEATH as a MURDERER, in accordance with the legal code that GOD HIMSELF gave to the Israelites!
 

Ex. 21:22-25: "If men struggle with each other and strike a woman with child so that she gives birth prematurely, yet there is no injury, he shall surely be fined as the woman's husband may demand of him, and he shall pay as the judges decide. But if there is any further injury, then you shall appoint as a penalty life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise.”
 

VI. Does Jesus have concern for babies & little children?

Matt. 18:10: "See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven continually see the face of My Father who is in heaven.”

Matt 18:14: "So it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones perish.”

Luke 18:15 -16: And they were bringing even their babies to Him so that He would touch them, but when the disciples saw it, they began rebuking them. But Jesus called for them, saying, "Permit the children to come to Me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.”

Mark 10:13-14a: And they were bringing children to Him so that He might touch them; but the disciples rebuked them. But when Jesus saw this, He was indignant and said to them, "Permit the children to come to Me; do not hinder them...”

Ps. 127:3: Behold, children are a gift of the LORD, the fruit of the womb is a reward.
 

VII. How does God regard the shedding of innocent blood?

Lev. 18:21: “You shall not give any of your offspring to offer them to Molech, nor shall you profane the name of your God; I am the LORD.”

2 Kings 24:3-4: “Surely at the command of the LORD it came upon Judah, to remove them from His sight because of the sins of Manasseh, according to all that he had done, and also for the innocent blood which he shed, for he filled Jerusalem with innocent blood; and the LORD would not forgive.

Prov. 6:16-17: “There are six things which the LORD hates, yes, seven which are an abomination to Him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood...”

Ps. 106:38: And [they] shed innocent blood, the blood of their sons and their daughters, whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan; and the land was polluted with the blood.

Ezek. 35:6: “...therefore as I live," declares the Lord GOD, ‘I will give you over to bloodshed, and bloodshed will pursue you; since you have not hated bloodshed, therefore bloodshed will pursue you.’”
 

VIII. How does God regard indifference amongst His people to the shedding of innocent blood? Are there consequences?
 

Prov. 24:11-12:  Rescue those who are being led away to death! Indeed, hold back those who are staggering to the slaughter! If you say, "Behold, we didn't know this;" Doesn't He who weighs the hearts consider it? He who keeps your soul, doesn't He know it? Shall he not render to every man according to his work?


Lev. 20:4-5:  If the people of the land all hide their eyes from that person, when he gives of his seed to Molech, and don't put him to death; then I will set my face against that man, and against his family, and will cut him off, and all who play the prostitute after him, to play the prostitute with Molech, from among their people.


Wednesday, January 7, 2015

These are my outline notes for a study on the feeding of the 5,000 for a recent Allegheny District pastor's meeting (Conservative Grace Brethren Fellowship). Perhaps someone else will find them useful.

 
The Feeding of the Five Thousand

(T.L. Reese, Pastors Meeting, Oct. 11, AD 2014)

 

TEXT: Mark 6:30-44 (Matt. 14:13-20, Lk. 9:10-17, John 6:1-14).

 

Introduction. 

a. Testimony to its importance: found within all four Gospels.

b. Monumental devotional import—not simply a miracle story.

 

I. Backdrop, Time, & Location.

A. A lot of things are happening at the same time...

B. They depart to a remote area for refreshment (Mk. 6:31-32)

 

II. But no opportunity affords itself for personal needs (Mk 6:33)

 

III. The Lord’s response to the people.

A. He was always prepared to minister!

B. His focus was outward; upon others, not Self.

C. What He does:

1. He has compassion for them (Matt. 14:14 & Mark 6:34).

2. He welcomes them (Luke 9:11).

3. He ministers to them in various ways (Matt., Mark, Luke).

D. WHY Messiah  pitied & empathized with them: Mark 6:34.

 

IV. The Problem: how to feed a  multitude (Mark 6:35-36)?

A. The Disciples observe the lateness of the hour (vv. 35-36).

B. Their solution: walk away from responsibility & human need

C. A characteristic response for them: cf., Matt. 15:23, 19:13.

 

V. Our Lord’s shocking solution (v. 37a)!

1. “BUT…” (a contrast between Jesus and His Disciples);

2. “YOU [emphatic] give them something to eat!

 

VI. The Disciples’ response: Mark 6:37b (cf., John 6:7-9).

Their overall responses summarized & paraphrased:

1.Send them away:” absolve ourselves of responsibility.

2. “Let them go to the villages:” i.e., someone else will

surely assume responsibility here!

3. “They can buy themselves food:” i.e., self-help.

4. “Let’s not get too extravagant, here!” 200 denarii?!?!

 

VII. The Lord provides—starting with what we have (v. 38)!

 

Viii. The need is met (vv. 39-44)…

A. God has resources that we know nothing about. 

B. TODAY, He issues impossible directives (Mt. 28:19-20a).

C. But…He is with us! (Matt. 28:20b, Heb. 13:5-6)