Satan the Adversary

Our study of Satan begins as a word study. Join Jacob and Tim in this lively conversation as they find out the definition of the Hebrew word “satan” and some surprising ways it is translated. By the end, there is a good foundation for carefully considering the context in which Satan is mentioned and who or what it could be. You’ll never look at this word Satan the same way again.

Reference Material:

The Englishman’s Concordance listing mentioned in the podcast providing every occurrence of the word satan and diabolos can be download from these links for Hebrew and Greek.

Key Verse:

“And Peter took [Jesus] aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “Far be it from you, Lord! This shall never happen to you.” But [Jesus] turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.” (Matt. 16:22-23)

Outline:

  1. Introduction
    1. Review of concordances
    2. The word “satan” and its definition
    3. The need to study this word systematically and carefully
  2. Satan in the OT
    1. Num. 22:22,32 – The first occurrence that of the angel of Yahweh
    2. The next six occurrences are all human (1 Sam. 29:4; 2 Sam. 19:22; 1 Kings 5:4; 11:14,23,25).
    3. Psalms examples (Psa. 109:6 individual; Psa. 38:20 group)
    4. The curious case of comparing 1 Chr. 21:1 with 2 Sam. 24:1
    5. Deferring for another episode Job and Zech 3:1-2
  3. Satan in the NT (Examples of the same)
    1. Individuals who set their minds on the things of men in opposition to God
      1. Matt. 16:21-23 – Peter “set his mind” (ESV)
      2. Acts 5:1-5 – Annanias and Sapphira contrived in their hearts
    2. Collectively those opposed to the truth
      1. 1 Thess. 2:14-18, the satan of v. 18 defined in v. 14-16
      2. Rev. 2:9-10,13 (cp. 3:9) – The opposition of Jewish and Roman authorities
      3. Rev. 20:2,7 Understanding the Satan as the kingdoms of men in opposition to God’s kingdom (Rev. 11:15)
  4. Conclusion

 

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The Origins of Evil

In this episode Wayne and Tim dive into the perplexing question of the source of evil. What does the Bible tell us about its origins? Does it come from angels, men and/or God? The answers uncovered in scriptural examples challenge the conventional understanding of good versus evil. Join in the conversation as we establish an important foundation for our future studies concerning Satan, the Devil and Demons.

Key Verse:

“I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things.”  (Isaiah 45:7)

Outline:

  1. Introduction
    1. Definition and Types of Evil – Moral and Natural (Jer. 26:3)
    2. What is the cause? An angel, men or God?
  2. God
    1. God a source of natural evil (Isa. 45:5-7; Deut. 32:39; Job 2:10; 42:11). The false notion of God is good, Satan is evil.
    2. God the only source of power (Psa. 62:11; Lam. 3:37-38; John 19:10-11; Rom. 13:1)
    3. Only one God (John 17:3; Isa. 43:10-11; 44:8; 1 Thess. 1:9)
  3. Mankind
    1. The source of moral evil. Where does temptation come from (James 1:13-16; Mark 7:20-23; Rom. 7:18-21; Ecc. 9:3)
    2. Man’s freewill, the knowledge of good and evil (Gen. 2:16-17)
    3. The natural state of the hearts of men (Gen. 6:5; Jer. 17:9-10)
  4. Angels
    1. God is in control of the angels (Dan. 4:35; Psa. 103:20-21; Heb. 1:13-14).
    2. They do his will whether it be good or natural evil (Psa. 78:49; 1 Sam. 24:15-17; 1 Kings 22:19-23; Judges 9:23; 1 Sam. 16:14)
    3. Reading a quote that raises deeper questions. Can angels be a source of moral evil? Do angels have free will? Are they tempted like men?
  5. Conclusion – Future episodes covering this topic

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The Apostasy

Tim and Jay follow up on a question from last season about the church and the holy spirit gifts. The answer leads on a fascinating study of the prophecies concerning a falling away from Apostolic teaching. Prophecies that surprisingly came to pass in the Apostle’s day and are still with us.

Key Verse:

“Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.” 2 Timothy 4:2-4

Outline:

  1. Introduction
    1. Review of “perfect” (1 Cor. 13:8-10; Eph. 4:13-14) in the Ages of the Spirit episode and the question
    2. The body of Christ vs the Apostasy
      1. Define Apostasy
      2. The Lord knows who are his (2 Tim. 2:19)
  2. Apostasy Foretold
    1. Acts 20:28-32 (ref. Matt. 7:15-20)
      1. From without and within
      2. The warning to be alert (Rom. 16:17-19)
    2. Signs of the Apostasy
      1. 1 Tim. 4:1-3 – Doctrines of demons, forbidding to marry, abstinence from foods
      2. 2 Tim. 4:2-4 – Wander into myths
      3. 2 Pet. 2:1-3 – Emphasis on greed and sensuality
  3. Apostasy Started
    1. Jude 1:3-4 – Fulfillment of 2 Peter passage
    2. 1 John 2:18-19 – The beginning of the antichrist
    3. 1 John 4:1-6 – Testing the spirits of truth and error
    4. 2 Thess. 2:1-12
      1. The rebellion comes first and was already at work
      2. Would last to the coming of Christ
  4. Conclusion

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Rightly Handling the Word of Truth

For the kick off of Season 7, we are very pleased to have Jason Hensley joining us. Jason shares the awkward moment that challenged how he read the Bible. This drove him to write a book called “The Bible in Context“. We review the important points of his book and undergo some paradigm shifts along the way. The result is a whole new way of reading the Bible in context.

Key Verse:

“Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.” (2 Tim. 2:15)

Outline:

  1. Introduction
  2. Determining Intent
    1. The challenges of interpreting the Bible
    2. The importance of context and the author’s intent (2 Peter 3:15-16 cp. 2 Tim. 2:15) and God’s intent
    3. Recognizing bias and the importance of learning in a community
  3. Historical Content
    1. Cultural, contemporary, geographical
    2. Example of Psa. 121:1
    3. Determining historical context
  4. Literary Content
    1. The immediate verses (Example of Lucifer Isa. 14:12)
    2. Context of a book
  5. The Biblical Content and Divine Intent
    1. Example of demons
    2. Meaning beyond the author (1 Peter1:11)
  6. Principles and Applications
    1. Study and application
    2. Principles defined
    3. Example of Satan vs God’s Sovereignty
  7. Conclusion

Jason Hensley links

Webpage: https://www.jasonhensley.net/

Get the book on Amazon: The Bible in Context

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Testimony and Reflections Season 6

Jesse grew up in a Pentecostal church but later in his teens started to drift away with the prospects of a career in hockey. One simple conversation became the catalyst for him to consider his life’s path and begin a journey to discover the truth of God’s word.

Key Verse:

“Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called “the uncircumcision” by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands— remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.” (Ephesians 2:11-13)

The Laying on of Hands

This may seem like a strange topic for an essential Bible study, but hopefully everything will become clear as we dig into the Scriptures.

Key Verse:

Hebrews 6:1-2  “Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, and of instruction about washings, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment.”

Outline:

  1. Introduction
    1. Why would we consider this as an essential study? From our first podcast “Defining Essential Bible Studies” and Hebrews 6:2
    2. Letting the Bible leads us in our studies
  2. Four aspects to laying on of hands
    1. Blessing
      1. the first instance with Jacob and his grandsons (Gen. 48:14)
      2. Jesus on the children (Matt. 19:13-15)
    2. Sacrifice and association
      1. The day of atonement (Lev. 16:21)
      2. The people and the Levites (Num. 8:10,12)
    3. Commissioning
      1. Moses to Joshua (Num. 27:18,23; Deut. 34:9)
      2. The Apostles on Stephen (Acts 6:6)
      3. The Antioch Ecclesia on Paul and Barnabas (Acts 13:3)
    4. Healing and miraculous Holy Spirit gifts
      1. Healing by Jesus (Luke 4:40) and the Apostles (Acts 28:8)
      2. Transfer of the Holy Spirit gifts by Apostles (Acts 8:17-19; 19:6)
      3. Timothy (1 Tim. 4:14; 2 Tim. 1:6)
  3. Which one is Heb. 6:2 referring to?
  4. The purpose of the Holy Spirit gifts
  5. Conclusion

Overcoming Anxiety

Worry, anxiety and depression touch our lives in one way or another. It can have a crippling effect on our walk of faith. What advice did Jesus have for overcoming it? Where can we turn for help? The Bible has a lot to say about mental health matters. Joel Suntz and Tim Young begin with the basics of anxiety from a Biblical perspective. Joel then provides three ways to overcome it—developing faith, praying and helping others. Simple things that are hard to do.

Key verse:

“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?” Matthew 6:25

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The Helper, The Holy Spirit

In our last study, we ended with the question “Is the Holy Spirit a person?” A series of passages in the Gospel of John chapters fourteen to sixteen would seem to indicate that this is true. Jay and Tim dig a little deeper, discovering Old Testament parallels that reveal who Jesus is referring to when he mentions sending “The Helper, the Holy Spirit…”

Key verse:

“But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.” John 14:26

Outline:

  1. Introduction
  2. The Gender of the Holy Spirit
    1. Neuter in Greek, feminine in Hebrew, male in Latin – Does it matter? We have to be careful with grammar in other languages.
    2. The spirit is used in many ways – but why in some passages is it personified like it can be lied to (Acts 5:3), resisted (Acts 7:51) or grieved (Eph. 4:30)?
    3. There is a Spirit of God the Father and a Spirit of the Son but there is one passage in particular where the Spirit is personified in the masculine gender separately from the Father and Son.
  3. The Helper of John 14-16
    1. The Parakletos (par-ak’-lay-tos) in John 14-16, The Helper (ESV, NKJV, NASB), Comforter (KJV), Advocate (NIV, NET, NLT) (14:16-18, 26; 15:26; 16:7, 13)
    2. The angels = ministering spirits (Heb. 1:13-14)
    3. Old Testament comparisons (Ex. 23:20-22; Isa. 63:9-11)
    4. Jesus and the angels (1 Pet. 3:22; Rev. 1:1-2)
    5. Angels and Spirit in the Acts (Acts 8:26, 29)
  4. Conclusion

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The Father, Son and Holy Spirit

In our continuing studies on the Spirit, Jay Mayock is back to talk with me about the relationship between God the Father, his Son the Lord Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. This is popularly known as the Trinity but since that word is not in the Bible we are going to need a little help from some historical creeds to get a definition. From there we open our Bibles, comparing the creeds to what the Scriptures teach us about the Godhead.

Key verse:

“There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call—one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.” (Ephesians 4:4-6)

Outline:

  1. Introduction
    1. Jewish belief – One God – Monotheism
    2. The popular belief of Christianity – The Trinity
  2. The Trinity defined by the Creeds
    1. Apostle’s Creed (Old Roman)
    2. Nicene Creed
    3. The Trinity would be a radical new teaching for Jews. Where is it taught in the Bible? (Acts 2:22)
  3. The Spirit in relation to the Father and Son
    1. One Spirit… One Lord… One God and Father (Eph. 4:4-6 cp. 1 Cor. 8:6-7).
    2. The Spirit sanctifies (1 Peter 1:2; 2 Thess. 2:13-14; 1 Cor. 6:11) = The word of truth sanctifies (John 17:17; Eph. 5:26)
    3. Thus, the Spirit is important in baptism (Matt. 28:19)
    4. The Spirit of God and Christ in us (Rom. 8:9-11; Gal. 4:6)
  4. Cliff hanger – But what about the passages where the Spirit is personified as the Helper?

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