One God & One Lord

I’ve recently started reading a book by G. K. Beale titled, We Become What We Worship. I’m finding lots of little gems in the book. Among them:

His study is centered on Isaiah 6. Emphasis added by me.

A bit of background text:

“Thus the idols have eyes and ears but cannot really see or hear either physically or spiritually, and their worshipers‘ sensory organs are also described as malfunctioning, which reveals that they have become spiritually blind and deaf like their false objects of worship. … If we looked up “ears and eyes” in a concordance, what would we find? That wherever Israel is addressed as those “who have eyes but cannot see and who have ears but cannot hear” or such like language they are being convicted and reprimanded for being idol worshipers!” (Page 49)

“In this ancient ritual of preparing idols to be receptacles of a god’s presence, an image would be manufactured in a workshop near a canal, a garden-like area or a temple, and then the idol would be led to the threshold or gate of the temple and then formally set up. At that time, the living essence of the deity would be transferred into its temple statue and given life by the ritual. Though the image was produced by human hands, the gods were seen as the ultimate makers of the image. The cleansing rite enabled the mouth of the image to be opened and to become the conduit through which the god spoke … . In this respect, one could say that the image mystically becomes the god that it represents without limiting that god, so that the god remains transcendent; hence the image was like a theophany transubstantiated. (Page 65)

Later…

“The point in Isaiah 6 would be that the prophet Isaiah has been taken from among idolatrous Israel as one, like his people (a “people of unclean lips”), tainted with the uncleanness of pagan idols and who has become like its idols, which can never be cleansed. Isaiah has been brought into the true heavenly temple of the true God. In that heavenly temple he had his mouth ceremoniously cleansed and transformed by members of the divine council and joined that council, so that his whole being was transformed by being filled with God’s Spirit and presence in order to reflect the holy image of this true God. Accordingly, he becomes the human image of God that God originally intended. Though not perfect, he had become a transformed representation of the divine and the purified, living image of God and spokesman for God.” (Pages 67-68)

And…

“We have seen that images are in the likeness of the gods they represent. Similarly, the ancient Near Eastern conception of kings being in the image of their various gods may form a very general background here. Just as Adam, a kingly figure representing humanity, was in the image of God, and therefore like God, so it was believed that ancient Near Eastern human kings were like the gods of which they were an image.” (Page 69)

— End of Beale Quotations —

• 2 Corinthians 4:4-5 NASB
  (4) in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
  (5) For we do not preach ourselves but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your bond-servants for Jesus’ sake.

• Colossians 1:15 NASB
  (15) He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.

• Hebrews 1:3 NASB
  (3) And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at thea right hand of the Majesty on high,

• Colossians 2:9 NASB
  (9) For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form,

• John 3:34-36 NASB
  (34) “For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God; for He gives the Spirit without measure.
  (35) “The Father loves the Son and has given all things into His hand.
  (36) “He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.”
• Matthew 13:13 NASB
  (13)  “Therefore I speak to them in parables; because while seeing they do not see, and while hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.
• 1 Corinthians 2:14 NASB
  (14)  But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised.

An idol is a lifeless and imperfect representation/image of a false god or of the one true God (such as the golden calf in Exodus 32).

Jesus is the living and perfect representation/image of the one true God.

I am a young earth creationist; I believe the physical heavens and earth were created in six days as accounted for us in the book of Genesis. Answers in Genesis (AIG) is a large, worldwide creation ministry, based in the United States and Australia. In recent years AIG has opened a huge creation museum in Kentucky, which I would like to visit one day. I have attended talks by AIG speakers; they are extremely knowledgeable and engaging. I have financially supported AIG in the past and have subscribed to their magazines.

A couple of years ago I made the decision to not support AIG anymore and not to renew my subscription to their magazine. Why? Because they apparently decided to branch out from their focus of teaching about creation, to promoting in their magazine a specific flavor of theology, namely, Calvinism. I disagree with Calvinism and choose not to support ministries that promote it. However, AIG’s Calvinistic teachings are not what this article is about.

I am a young earth creationist. I am also a preterist. It was on a preterist website that I read about AIG’s craftiness, which I then personally verified for myself.

Charles Haddon Spurgeon is a well-known Calvinist preacher from the 19th century. Content of his sermons and writings are quoted by many, Calvinists, Arminians, and others. At the start of this year, 2009, Answers in Genesis began posting Charles Spurgeon’s sermons to their website in a section entitled, “Charles Spurgeon—Reloaded.” One of those sermons, article #30 posted on 26 February 2009, is titled, “The Power of the Holy Ghost.” Here is a quotation from that sermon on the AIG website:

But if you will look in the first chapter of Genesis, you will see there more particularly set forth that peculiar operation of power upon the universe which was put forth by the Holy Spirit; you will then discover what was his special work. In Ge 1:2, we read, “And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.” Our planet has passed through various stages in creation, and different kinds of creatures have lived on its surface, all of which have been fashioned by God. But before that era came, when man should be its principal tenant and monarch, the Creator initially created the world as a chaotic mass on the first day of creation. It was entirely without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep.

I quoted a bit more than necessary because I wanted to make sure I include surrounding context. Below is a quote from the same sermon, copied from The Spurgeon Archive:

But if you look in the first chapter of Genesis, you will there see more particularly set forth that peculiar operation of power upon the universe which was put forth by the Holy Spirit; you will then discover what was his special work. In the 2d verse of the first chapter of Genesis, we read, “And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.” We know not how remote the period of the creation of this globe may be—certainly many millions of years before the time of Adam. Our planet has passed through various stages of existence, and different kinds of creatures have lived on its surface, all of which have been fashioned by God. But before that era came, wherein man should be its principal tenant and monarch, the Creator gave up the world to confusion. He allowed the inward fires to burst up from beneath, and melt all the solid matter, so that all kinds of substances were commingled in one vast mass of disorder. The only name you could give to the world, then, was that it was a chaotic mass of matter; what it should be, you could not guess or define. It was entirely “without form and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep.”

If you compare the two quotations, you’ll note that some of the language was updated or abbreviated, such as instead of saying “In the 2d verse of the first chapter of Genesis,” the AIG version simply says, “In Ge 1:2.” I don’t have a problem with that. But another thing you’ll notice is that the AIG version is considerably shorter than the original version. Why? What’s missing? Well, here is the original quotation again, this time with the portions highlighted in dark red that were omitted from the AIG version. The bracketed text in green were {added} to the AIG version.

But if you look in the first chapter of Genesis, you will there see more particularly set forth that peculiar operation of power upon the universe which was put forth by the Holy Spirit; you will then discover what was his special work. In the 2d verse of the first chapter of Genesis, we read, “And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.” We know not how remote the period of the creation of this globe may be—certainly many millions of years before the time of Adam. Our planet has passed through various stages of existence, and different kinds of creatures have lived on its surface, all of which have been fashioned by God. But before that era came, wherein man should be its principal tenant and monarch, the Creator gave up the world to confusion. He allowed the inward fires to burst up from beneath, and melt all the solid matter, so that all kinds of substances were commingled in one vast mass of disorder. The only name you could give to the world, then, was that it was {initially created the world as} a chaotic mass {on the first day of creation.} of matter; what it should be, you could not guess or define. It was entirely “without form and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep.”

It does not take a college professor to see that AIG has removed the parts of Spurgeon’s sermon that disagree with the teachings of AIG, and they have reworded portions to agree specifically with their teaching.

Friends, that is dishonest. And that’s all I’m going to say on the matter.

This is an update to the previous entry, Was Jesus Omniscient?

Someone responded that Jesus had to be God manifest in the flesh because he could read the thoughts of men. This person quoted the following verses as proof texts:

• Matthew 9:3-4
  (3)  And some of the scribes said to themselves, “This fellow blasphemes.”
  (4)  And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, “Why are you thinking evil in your hearts?
• Luke 11:17
  (17)  But He knew their thoughts and said to them, “Any kingdom divided against itself is laid waste; and a house divided against itself falls.
• John 1:47
  (47)  Jesus saw Nathanael coming to Him, and *said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!”

To study and learn and know the word of God is to grow in wisdom. Here is a word of wisdom from Psalms 12:5:

The thoughts of the righteous are just, But the counsels of the wicked are deceitful.

Are there other examples in scripture of righteous men “knowing the thoughts” of other men? Yes.

• Job said he did:
  Job 21:27
  (27)  “Behold, I know your thoughts, And the plans by which you would wrong me.”
• David knew the thoughts of his enemies:
  Psalms 56:5
  (5)  All day long they distort my words; All their thoughts are against me for evil.
• God revealed to Daniel what the thoughts of Nebuchadnezzar were:
  Daniel 2:29
  (29)  “As for you, O king, while on your bed your thoughts turned to what would take place in the future; and He who reveals mysteries has made known to you what will take place.

Therefore, Jesus knowing the thoughts of others, that there was evil or deceit in their thoughts or hearts, is not unusual among the righteous men and prophets of God.

As a defense of the deity of Christ, trinitarians cite certain verses as demonstrations that Jesus was indeed omniscient. He knew of a certain coin that would be in a fish’s mouth before the fish was caught (Matthew 17:27), he knew specific details about the life of a woman he had not previously met (John 4:16-19), and he knew the very thoughts of others (Matthew 9:4). However, these were not unique abilities to be attributed only to the omniscient Almighty God. Well, actually they are, but it doesn’t have to mean that it is “God in the flesh” demonstrating this knowledge. Rather, it is through special equipping by God that men can know such things.

We will look first at 1 Samuel chapter 9. A prophet (”man of God,” 1 Samuel 9:6) was called a “seer” in those days (1 Samuel 9:9). It was expected that the seer/prophet would know everything about the person who consulted him. That is, indeed, why seers were sought out. Here are examples from 1 Samuel 9:

• 1 Samuel 9:6 NASB - He said to him, “Behold now, there is a man of God in this city, and the man is held in honor, all that he says surely comes true. Now let us go there, perhaps he can tell us about our journey on which we have set out.
• 1 Samuel 9:19 NASB - Samuel answered Saul and said, “I am the seer. Go up before me to the high place, for you shall eat with me today; and in the morning I will let you go, and will tell you all that is on your mind.”
• 1 Samuel 9:20a NASB - “As for your donkeys which were lost three days ago, do not set your mind on them, for they have been found.”

Now lets compare what we know about the seer/prophet/man of God from 1 Samuel 9 with some passages about Jesus.

In John 4:17-18, Jesus reveals to the Samaritan woman at the well that he knows about her past and present life, her having had five husbands and that the man she now has is not her husband. Her reaction is, “Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet” (John 4:19). Then in verse 25 the woman tells Jesus of her expectation of the Messiah, who “will declare all things to us.” Jesus responded in verse 26, “I who speak to you am he.”

• John 4:29 NASB - “Come, see a man who told me all the things that I have done; this is not the Christ, is it?”

One does not have to be God to know the hearts and intentions of man, they need only be a “man of God,” a prophet. Look at Luke 7:39 -

• Luke 7:39-40a NASB - Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet he would know who and what sort of person this woman is who is touching him, that she is a sinner.” And Jesus answered him…

From 1 Samuel chapter 10 we can see an example of a prophet telling someone specifically what they will see and do later that day.

• 1 Samuel 10:2-5 NASB  (Samuel speaking to Saul)—
  “When you go from me today, then you will find two men close to Rachel’s tomb in the territory of Benjamin at Zelzah; and they will say to you, ‘The donkeys which you went to look for have been found. Now behold, your father has ceased to be concerned about the donkeys and is anxious for you, saying, “What shall I do about my son?”‘
  “Then you will go on further from there, and you will come as far as the oak of Tabor, and there three men going up to God at Bethel will meet you, one carrying three young goats, another carrying three loaves of bread, and another carrying a jug of wine; and they will greet you and give you two loaves of bread, which you will accept from their hand.
  “Afterward you will come to the hill of God where the Philistine garrison is; and it shall be as soon as you have come there to the city, that you will meet a group of prophets coming down from the high place with harp, tambourine, flute, and a lyre before them, and they will be prophesying.”

Stating matter-of-factly what will take place is what prophets of God do. One does not have to be God to know such things.

• Matthew 21:2-3 NASB - [Jesus sent two disciples,]  saying to them, “Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied there and a colt with her; untie them and bring them to Me.”If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord has need of them,’ and immediately he will send them.”

• Mark 11:5-6 NASB -  Some of the bystanders were saying to them, “What are you doing, untying the colt?” They spoke to them just as Jesus had told them, and they gave them permission.

These demonstrations of knowledge do not prove that Jesus is God in the flesh any more than they prove that the prophet Samuel was God in the flesh.

See also Mark 1:1-10, Luke 6:8, Luke 11:17, Luke 19:29-38, John 2:24-25, John 13:11, Hebrews 1:1-2.

• Psalm 49:7 NASB - No man can by any means redeem his brother Or give to God a ransom for him–

I have been seeing this verse put forward by trinitarians as proof that Jesus had to be God in order to redeem mankind by his blood. However, viewing Psalm 49:7 in this way is to yank the verse completely out of context.

If one looks at the whole of Psalm 49, they will see that the context of the psalm is “The Folly of Trusting in Riches” (the NASB subtitle). In other words, the foolishness of thinking that material, worldly wealth will be able to redeem a man from death.

Verse 7 has absolutely nothing to do with the precious blood of the man Jesus Christ, who died for our sins.

Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends. (John 15:13)

Here is the entire psalm for your review:

Psalm 49 (NASB)

1 For the choir director. A Psalm of the sons of Korah. Hear this, all peoples; Give ear, all inhabitants of the world,
2 Both low and high, Rich and poor together.
3 My mouth will speak wisdom, And the meditation of my heart will be understanding.
4 I will incline my ear to a proverb; I will express my riddle on the harp.
5 Why should I fear in days of adversity, When the iniquity of my foes surrounds me,
6 Even those who trust in their wealth And boast in the abundance of their riches?
7 No man can by any means redeem his brother Or give to God a ransom for him—
8 For the redemption of his soul is costly, And he should cease trying forever—
9 That he should live on eternally, That he should not undergo decay.
10 For he sees that even wise men die; The stupid and the senseless alike perish And leave their wealth to others.
11 Their inner thought is that their houses are forever And their dwelling places to all generations; They have called their lands after their own names.
12 But man in his pomp will not endure; He is like the beasts that perish.
13 This is the way of those who are foolish, And of those after them who approve their words. Selah.
14 As sheep they are appointed for Sheol; Death shall be their shepherd; And the upright shall rule over them in the morning, And their form shall be for Sheol to consume So that they have no habitation.
15 But God will redeem my soul from the power of Sheol, For He will receive me. Selah.
16 Do not be afraid when a man becomes rich, When the glory of his house is increased;
17 For when he dies he will carry nothing away; His glory will not descend after him.
18 Though while he lives he congratulates himself—And though men praise you when you do well for yourself—
19 He shall go to the generation of his fathers; They will never see the light.
20 Man in his pomp, yet without understanding, Is like the beasts that perish.

The following is a guest article written by Jason Styba.

In my quest to understand who God is and who God’s only begotten Son is, I’ve realized that there are numerous differences between God and his Son.  This is not to say that his Son Jesus Christ did anything contrary to the will of God, but rather to highlight the inherent differences concerning who they are, what they have done and their relationship to us.  There are many more points than what I’ve listed here. Hopefully one can begin to see that they are not the same being if these hold true.  I believe the first and the last points listed are the most important.  It’s also of utmost importance for one to understand that God is my Father, and that Jesus is the Christ and he is my Lord.  I love God with my whole being and am ever thankful that he provided THE way for salvation by sending his only begotten Son into the world to sacrifice his perfect self on the cross, making atonement for our sins.  I thank God for raising my Lord Jesus Christ from the dead after three days and three nights and making him both Lord and Christ.  What a great God we have and what a wonderful Savior!  That being said, please let us consider the following, looking up each scripture reference to see for yourself:

• God’s Son actually died and was raised from the dead, while God is eternal and immortal and, therefore, cannot die.  (Romans 5:10, 1 Tim 1:17)

• God’s Son learned obedience to God, while God need not obey anyone for he is almighty.  (Hebrews 5:8, Acts 5:29, Daniel 7:27)

• God’s Son grew in favor with God, while God cannot grow in favor with his own self.  (Luke 2:52, common sense)

• God’s Son was given all things by his Father, while God already has all things.  (Luke 10:22)

• God’s Son did not seek to do his own will, while God is the one who’s will he sought and did. (Luke 22:42)
• God’s Son is a man, while God is spirit with no flesh and bones.  (Mark 15:39, John 4:24, Luke 24:39)

• God’s Son has a God, while God is the MOST HIGH GOD, having no God himself.  (John 20:17, Genesis 14:22)

• God’s Son has a Father, while God has no Father for He is the creator.  (Matthew 11:27, Isaiah 40:28)

• God’s Son was made of a woman, while God has always been.  (Galatians 4:4,  Romans 16:26)

• God’s Son prayed to his God, while God doesn’t pray to anyone - for He’s God and receives prayer.  (John 17:1-3, common sense, and Acts 10:31)

God’s Son is our Lord Jesus Christ, while God is our Heavenly Father!  (1 Corinthians 8:6, Luke 11:13, 2 John 1:3)

Jason Styba

The following is quoted from The Unitarian Advocate and Religious Miscellany, Vol. 1—No. 1, January 1830. The text itself is quoted from “the late Bishop Watson.”

“What!” he exclaims, “shall the church of Christ never be freed from the narrow-minded contentions of bigots; from the insults of men who know not what spirit they are of, when they would stint the Omnipotent in the exercise of his mercy, and bar the doors of heaven against every sect but their own? Shall we never learn to think more humbly of ourselves, and less despicably of others? to believe that the Father of the universe accommodates not his judgements to the wretched wranglings of pedantic Theologues; but that every one, who, with an honest intention, and to the best of his ability seeketh the truth, whether he findeth it or not, and worketh righteousness, will be accepted of him? …

“If different men,” he afterwards adds, “in carefully and conscientiously examining the scriptures, should arrive at different conclusions, even on points of the last importance, we trust that God, who alone knows what every man is capable of, will be merciful to his that is in error. We trust that he will pardon the Unitarian, if he be in error, because he has fallen into it from the dread of becoming an Idolater, of giving that glory to another which he conceives to be due to God alone. If the worshipper of Jesus Christ be in an error, we trust that God will pardon his mistake, because he has fallen into it from a dread of disobeying what he conceives to be revealed concerning the nature of the Son, or commanded concerning the honor to be given him. Both are actuated by the same principle—THE FEAR OF GOD; and, though that principle impels them into different roads, it is our hope and belief, that, if they add to their faith charity, they will meet in heaven.”

This one ties in with my earlier article, “Ecumenical Thoughts,” so I’ll end it with the same words in which I ended that one:

Faith working through love, serving Jesus Christ, living in righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit: this is the kingdom of God. Instead of bickering, biting, and devouring one another, let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds (Hebrews 10:24).

Is there not another class who may properly be named speculative Christians? Christians who profess to have attained a correct religious faith, but who do not exhibit a truly christian practice; whose evidence of discipleship proceeds from their lips, and not from their lives? If so, they do not comply with the injunctions of Christ Jesus. He has no where required a belief in any enumerated set of opinions as a condition of divine acceptance. Sincere obedience is his only test of a christian profession. “Ye are my disciples if ye do whatsoever I command you.” A good life is the only scriptural evidence of a saving faith. The only scriptural heresy is immoral conduct. Continual reference is made by him to the actions of men, and not to their speculative opinions. We are directed to judge of persons by their characters, and not by their creeds. And we are assured that God will render unto every man according to his deeds, and not according to his religious sentiments. A correct faith is indeed valuable. It is of great value, because it is more likely to produce correct conduct; and for this reason we should search for truth as for hidden treasures. But a correct practice is infinitely more valuable; because this is the sum and substance of the gospel requisitions; and this can be secured where the faith is erroneous. For every candid person will allow that there are obedient Christians in every sect; and no man can allow that all religious opinions of every denomination are true. Unreserved obedience is therefore the test of discipleship required by Christ; and without this, a belief in all the creeds in creation will not entitle us to his approbation and acceptance.

Quoted from The Unitarian Advocate and Religious Miscellany, Vol. 1—No. 1, January 1830.

Notice the difference in the directness of the answers Jesus gives to these questions and assumptions about him.

KING

• John 18:37
  37 Therefore Pilate said to Him, “So You are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say correctly that I am a king For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, to testify to the truth Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.”

MESSIAH (CHRIST)

• John 4:25-26
  25 The woman said to Him, “I know that Messiah is coming (He who is called Christ); when that One comes, He will declare all things to us.”
  26 Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am He.”

• Mark 14:61-62
  61 But He kept silent and did not answer Again the high priest was questioning Him, and saying to Him, “Are You the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?”
  62 And Jesus said, “I am; and you shall see THE SON OF MAN SITTING AT THE RIGHT HAND OF POWER, and COMING WITH THE CLOUDS OF HEAVEN.”

TEACHER and LORD

• John 13:13
  13 “You call Me Teacher and Lord; and you are right, for so I am.

GOD

• John 10:33-36
  33 The Jews answered Him, “For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy; and because You, being a man, make Yourself out to be God.”
  34 Jesus answered them, “Has it not been written in your Law, ‘I SAID, YOU ARE GODS’?
  35 “If he called them gods, to whom the word of God came (and the Scripture cannot be broken),
  36 do you say of Him, whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’?

Notice here, also, that Jesus did not acknowledge their accusation that he made himself out “to be God,” but rather corrected them, saying he said that he was the “Son of God.” First he points out from Scripture that men were called gods, even by God Himself; then he goes further to clarify that he never called himself “God,” but “the Son of God.” This is a far cry from his usual direct responses –

“So You are a king?” — “You say correctly that I am a king.”
“I know that Messiah is coming.” — “I who speak to you am He.”
“Are You the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?” — “I am.”
“You call Me Teacher and Lord” — “You are right, for so I am.”

• John 20:25-29
  25 So the other disciples were saying to him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “Unless I see in His hands the imprint of the nails, and put my finger into the place of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.”
  26 After eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors having been shut, and stood in their midst and said, “Peace be with you.”
  27 Then He said to Thomas, “Reach here with your finger, and see My hands; and reach here your hand and put it into My side; and do not be unbelieving, but believing.”
  28 Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!”
  29 Jesus said to him, “Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed.”

In this one, Thomas’ exclamation of astonishment is not even addressed by Jesus. It is usually argued that because Jesus did not rebuke him, then Thomas’ statement must be true; but that is an argument from silence. Perhaps Jesus simply recognized that it was a statement made in a moment of stunned recognition… Not recognition that Jesus was God, but recognition that Jesus had risen from the dead, which is what the whole passage is about.

Thomas didn’t see Jesus the first time with the other disciples. When the disciples tell him, “We have seen the Lord!” Thomas states in verse 25 that unless he can physically touch Jesus, he will not believe. Believe what? That they saw him, that he was really there, back from the dead. On finally seeming him eight days later, Thomas, in his excitement and joy, exclaims “My Lord and my God!” But Jesus ignores the form of address (if indeed that is what it was; there are alternative explanations) and confirms the important thing, that Thomas believes: “Because you have seen me, have you believed?” Some would want you to believe that Jesus meant that Thomas now believes that Jesus is God, but that is totally out of context to the passage. Rather, it is the belief that Jesus is the Christ, the Son whom God has raised from the dead. The very next verses confirm this:

• John 20:30-31
  30 Therefore many other signs Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book;
  31 but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name.

When Jesus was addressed as or questioned about who he was, he directly and without many words affirmed the truth. As we can read, this was not the case when the Jews accused him of being God.

This is actually the body of an email I sent to a friend back in October 2006. The subject of contemplative, or “centering,” prayer was recently brought to my attention again after hearing some young people talk about what they had learned at a Christian youth retreat from which they had just returned. They did not mention the words “contemplative” or “centering,” but were instead taught that they should be still and listen for God. The general idea seemed the same to me, so I searched through my email for items I may have saved on the subject. Instead I found one I wrote myself to a dear friend. Here it is.

Quiet is good. I often, when I’m in prayer, stop speaking and listen for a few moments. The difference is that in eastern meditation you are intentionally trying to clear your mind of thought (or sometimes concentrating your thought on one single thing or word) for the purpose of allowing the greater “whatever” to communicate with you. However, in the spiritual world that we know exists, such an emptying of our minds is only an invitation for evil (satan, demons) to enter into it and let us think that our “revelations” are from God. There is a reason God tells us to dwell on his word day and night.

The two Bible verses that are primarily used to support contemplative prayer are the following, and they are both used out of context! The first is —

• 1 Kings 19:11-12 NASB
  (11) So He said, “Go forth and stand on the mountain before the LORD.” And behold, the LORD was passing by! And a great and strong wind was rending the mountains and breaking in pieces the rocks before the LORD; but the LORD was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake.
  (12) After the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of a gentle blowing.

Where NASB translates “gentle blowing” in verse 12, the KJV translates it as “still, small voice,” which is the translation that contemplatives latch on to. But nowhere does the passage indicate that Elijah was meditating or being intentionally quiet for God to speak to him that way. In fact, he had just experienced an earthquake and fire! Those things certainly got his attention. Maybe his alertness to what was going on around him following those things, NOT a turning inward, is what allowed him to know that God was there in the gentle breeze. But let’s also not forget that God also appeared to and spoke to Moses in fire (the burning bush), not a gentle breeze.

God knows how to get your attention when He wants it. We can’t force Him to come to us on our grounds, our terms, how WE think is best (e.g., quiet meditation). Our awesome God is not a “force” that we can tap into by practicing certain techniques. He is in control, not us. Jesus taught us how to pray, and “quiet your mind” was not one of his instructions! He did often go off alone to pray and that is something we all should do, even if the place we go off alone to is our bedroom.

OK, and the other verse is this one —

• Psalms 46:10 NASB
  (10) “Cease striving and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”

The KJV says “Be still, and know that I am God.” This is also used heavily by contemplatives. The NASB translation is more accurate with the meaning in context. It has to do with not striving for things in our own power, in our flesh, without depending on God’s help and guidance. It has nothing to do with emptying or quieting the mind for meditation. It’s about not forging ahead with our own plans, forgetting about God in the process, forgetting to pray and asking for His guidance. About not trusting Him. Settle down, chill out, the Lord is with us, He is our stronghold (which is basically the very next verse) —

• Psalms 46:11 NASB
  (11) The LORD of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our stronghold. Selah.

I hope this has helped you, dear brother. Pray daily for God to give you spiritual discernment, to know good from evil, truth from falsehood. That is a gift we all need.