EpisTheology

EpisTheology But having the same spirit of faith.. we also believe, therefore we also speak.., 2 Corinthians 4:13

27/07/2025
"When people want to appear to be faithful, they borrow those words but they define them differently.Many, many, many ye...
26/07/2025

"When people want to appear to be faithful, they borrow those words but they define them differently.

Many, many, many years ago, I had the opportunity to speak to the faculty and board of Fuller Seminary.

Fuller's almost non-existent these days.

But they were a huge elephant in the room in the decline of evangelicalism. And they were trying to communicate that they believed in inerrancy of Scripture.

But the truth was they had denied inerrancy and were in the process of even more aggressively denying it.

But they wouldn't let go of the term because the term gave them some access to students and to donors.

So, this is always the way it's going to be.

The tares, the false teachers, the charlatans, and the frauds, the compromisers need access.

They need access.

So, they will borrow whatever term they need to borrow.

Like Mark Driscoll calling himself "reformed" and then becoming a charismatic when the reformed people threw him out.

They will always do that.

The labels are how they deceive."

— John MacArthur

"Whether you are a pessimistic amillennialist, or an optimistic amillennialist --> that’s a postmillennialist — you don’...
26/07/2025

"Whether you are a pessimistic amillennialist, or an optimistic amillennialist --> that’s a postmillennialist — you don’t know what to do with prophetic truth.

Because if you interpret prophetic truth in the same normal, natural way you interpret all the rest of the passages of Scripture, you’re going to end up a premillennialist; it’s inevitable.

And so, you have to change the rules of interpretation,

and once you say the Bible doesn’t mean what it says, then we have no idea what it means.

Certainly, you have no idea what it means - neither does anybody else.

Another way to see this would be to ask this question: what other category of theology — what other category of theology except atheism — starts with the alpha privative and labels itself as believing in something that doesn’t exist?

To say you’re an amillennialist is only to tell me what you don’t believe, and then you have to go to all of the passages of Scripture that talk about the kingdom and tell me why you don’t believe they mean what they say.

It’s a strange approach.

Does the end matter? I think it matters.

I think it matters to God. It matters to me. It matters to me to understand what God has said about the end. It’s the whole point of everything else.

It’s the whole point of the beginning and the middle. The end is as divinely designed as the beginning, and God has given us massive amounts of revelation in the Scripture about the future. It has to matter to us.

In fact, some say nearly one-fourth of Scripture is prophetic.

God filled the Bible with prophecy and much of it looking to the end.

Did God do this but somehow mumble?

Did He do it and somehow muddle it so hopelessly that the high ground for Bible students and the high ground for theologians is to recognize the muddle and abandon the perspicuity or the clarity of Scripture on that subject?

Is that what God wanted us to do, to look at it and say, “Aw, I can’t figure this out; let’s forget it?”

There are whole denominations that are instructed not to teach on the end times.

You would assume that they are confused because the Bible is confusing, and if the Bible is confusing, then God Himself is confused, and so, working hard - and it is often hard work - to understand prophetic passages is needless.

In fact, it’s an impossible effort since it doesn’t mean what it says, and you have to sort of allegorize it or spiritualize it and therefore interpretations are myriad; they are as many as interpreters. Why bother?"

— John MacArthur
Why Every Calvinist Should Be Premillennialist, Part 1

"I bear witness to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to them, God will add to hi...
25/07/2025

"I bear witness to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues which are written in this book.

And if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his part from the tree of life and from the holy city, which are written in this book."

«« Revelation 22:18-19 »»

"There is a growing influence of amillennialism, because amillennialism has been a part of reformed theology.

Reformed theology has made a monumental comeback in this culture, and thankfully so, because IT IS biblical.

The reformers had it right on MOST issues.

But they never got around to eschatology; they never got around to applying their formidable skills.

You cannot fight the war on every front, and at the great time of the Reformation, they were fighting the war where the battle raged the hottest.

And that was over the gospel, and over the nature of Christ, and over salvation by grace through faith and over the authority of Scripture.

They were fighting the massive Roman system, and being occupied on those fronts, they never really got to the front of eschatology.

They didn’t really get to the front of ecclesiology either, the study of the church, but those two kind of go together...

So, it is really one of the strange ironies of Reformed theology, and therefore it’s a strange irony in the church today, that those who love the doctrine of sovereign election most — that would be Reformed theologians — those who love the doctrine of sovereign election most supremely, and who love that doctrine most sincerely and — (this is going to be a long sentence) — and who are most unwavering in their devotion to the glory of God, the honor of Christ, the work of the Holy Spirit in regeneration, the veracity and inerrancy of Scripture —those who are usually the most fastidious in Bible interpretation — yes, those who are the most careful and intentionally biblical regarding all categories of doctrine, those who see themselves as guardians of biblical truth, those who are passionate to get it right, those who are not content to be wrong at all, and those who most heartily agree on the essential matters of Christian truth, so that they labor with all their powers to examine in a Berean fashion every relevant text to discern the true interpretation of all matters of divine revelation, are —
(and there’s the main verb in the sentence) — are in VARYING DEGREES OF DISINTEREST in applying their skills to the end of the story, and rather, content to be in HAPPY if not PLAYFUL disagreement in regard to the vast biblical data on eschatology, as if the end doesn’t matter much — period.

Or another way to say it would be this: how many of you have attended an amillennial prophecy conference? There isn’t such a thing. If you don’t know what you believe about the future, you can’t preach on it."

— John MacArthur
Why Every Calvinist Should Be Premillennialist, Part 1

"From the standpoint of the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but from the standpoint of God’s choice they are belo...
24/07/2025

"From the standpoint of the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but from the standpoint of God’s choice they are beloved for the sake of the fathers;

for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable."

«« Romans 11:28-29 »»

POSTMILLENNIALISM

"Christ will return, He will come in a glorious second coming to earth - but NOT to establish His kingdom, but rather AFTER His kingdom has been established.

Who will establish it? The church.

The church will have an increasing influence in the world. The church will become more influential, more impactful, more spiritually powerful.

The church will move out of its own environs to capture nations, leaders, ideologies, philosophies, theories, religions, and bring them all into captivity to Christ.

In the world, things will get better and better and better as the church becomes more powerful and more influential.

And when the church has brought about the dominating influence of Christ across the world, He will then come and end everything, and establish the new heaven and the new earth, which is the eternal state.

Postmillennialists think things are going to get better.

That’s a hard sell, frankly."

AMILLENNIALISM

"The alpha privative in the Greek language means a negative, so there is the view that there is NO millennium; that what John is writing about in Revelation 20 is very vague, may refer to nothing other than a long time in which the church flourishes on earth, simply referring to that kingdom which is spiritual - that is, the rule of Christ over those who belong to Him while on earth.

And there are others who believe that that refers to heaven; that refers to the experience of the saints in heaven.

But, for certain, according to amillennialists, there will be NO thousand-year reign of Christ on the earth.

When He comes, everything ends immediately.

NO kingdom on earth ruled by Christ BEFORE He gets here, and NO kingdom on earth ruled by Christ AFTER He gets here."

================

Now, the truth of the matter is, those are just two ways to look at the same thing; postmillennialism and amillennialism is really the same thing.

I like to call amillennialism negative, and postmillennialism positive.

That’s just two ways to look at the same thing.

It’s two ways to view human history.

One says it’s not the kingdom. The other says it is the kingdom.

One says moving toward the coming of Christ there will be no kingdom.

The other says there will be a kingdom.

But in both cases it will be the flow of history under the influence of the church, so they’re really looking at the same thing.

One calls it a kingdom and says it will expand and expand and expand - that’s the positive spin.

The other looks at it as a spiritual kingdom also but says it will decline and decline and decline until Jesus finally comes.

But in both cases, they would DENY the ACTUAL thousand-year reign of Christ, and they would deny that Christ will reign and rule on earth and literally fulfill all His promises to the nation Israel given in the Old Testament covenants.

Whether you’re an amillennialist or a postmillennialist, you basically say Israel forfeited all its promises.

Forfeited all its privileges, forfeited all those things that God declared in covenant that He would give to them in the future; and they forfeit it by their disobedience to the Mosaic Covenant, by their apostasy from true religion and by their rejection of their Messiah.

Therefore, Israel has been permanently set aside, so that the only kingdom will be that kingdom that we call the church, ruled by Christ, either expanding to take over the world, or existing in the world, and finally in heaven."

— John MacArthur
Why Every Calvinist Should Be A Premillenialist, Part 1

You will say then, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.”Quite right! They were broken off for their ...
23/07/2025

You will say then, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.”

Quite right! They were broken off for their unbelief, but you stand by your faith.

Do not be haughty, but fear, for if God did not spare the natural branches, He will not spare you, either.

Behold then the kindness and severity of God; to those who fell, severity, but to you, God’s kindness, if you continue in His kindness; otherwise you also will be cut off.

And they also, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again.

«« Romans 11:19-23 »»

Question: Are you suggesting that the church isn't Israel?

---------------

"The church is not Israel because they are separated.

The Church of God and Israel are two separate entities.

Here's the problem: you're talking now about Supersessionism.

You're talking about the idea that all the promises to Israel, Israel has forfeited by its disobedience and are now belonging to the church.

The Bible does NOT allow that.

Romans 11 does NOT allow that.

The promises God made to Israel, He will fulfill to Israel.

So, to make the church the recipient of promises given to Israel splits the Old Testament verses.

You can go all the way back to Deuteronomy, back to the Mount Ebal, Mount Gerazim, where God says obey Me and you'll have blessings, disobey Me you'll have curses.

So, I remember being in Jerusalem and hearing a Reformed preacher there say all of the curses came on national Israel, all the blessings came on the church.

Well, it's one thing to say that, it's something else to come to Jerusalem and say it.

He was, by the way, followed up by Dr. Charles Feinberg who was my mentor, who was so outraged he got up after that, he said, well, it's wonderful that we all gathered together to tell the Jews that they're getting nothing but the curses.

So, the future Kingdom of Israel will bring about the salvation of the nation Israel, and that's what Jeremiah is talking about when he says, I'm going to give you a new heart, a new spirit, and write My law in your hearts, and that's talking to Israel.

Yes, I believe in that.

You know, I love the fact that RC [Sproul] affirmed that based on Romans chapter 11, the future salvation of the nation Israel.

It's inescapable because it's in the text.

We get in trouble when we superimpose systems over the text but if we let the text speak, it's amazing how we all end up at the same place."

— John MacArthur

"...and so all Israel will be saved; just as it is written,“The Deliverer will come from Zion,He will remove ungodliness...
23/07/2025

"...and so all Israel will be saved; just as it is written,
“The Deliverer will come from Zion,
He will remove ungodliness from Jacob.”

“And this is My covenant with them,
When I take away their sins.”

«« Romans 11:26 »»

"All Israel will be saved.

That's in the future. There will be the salvation of the nation Israel.

Paul, basically, in Romans 11 is saying that the gifts and callings of God are not repented of.

God does not change His mind.

And in the Old Testament, He promised salvation to Israel in the New Covenant: Jeremiah 31, Ezekiel 36.

So, God made a promise in the future to fulfill the Davidic covenant, fulfill the Abrahamic promise with the nation Israel even after they killed the Messiah.

You remember in the early part of the Book of Acts, Peter gets up and identifies what they had just done, but says, "you are still the people of God."

God has a plan for a future salvation of Israel because His gifts and callings are not subject to repentance.

That does NOT mean that all Jews through all of human history will be saved.

It means that there will be a time in the future when the nation Israel believes and is saved and that is described in detail in the book of Zechariah when they look on the One they've pierced, mourn for Him as an only Son and a fountain of forgiveness and blessing is open to Israel and then it follows in to the Kingdom.

It's my conviction, if you've read the book I wrote called The Gospel According To God, Isaiah 53 will be the confession of the nation Israel when they are saved because it's not really a prophecy.

Isaiah 53 is not really a prophecy of the life of Christ because all the verbs are in the past tense: "He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities..."

So, if Isaiah is prophesying something in the future, why is it all in the past tense?

Because what he's prophesying is the future salvation of Israel when they look back and say, "He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities, and by His chastening we have shalom with God..."

So, that whole 53rd chapter is a confession of Israel which they will come to, by the Spirit of God, when they look on the One they pierced, mourn for Him as an only Son, and understand what His life and death meant for them.

The prophets also say that the two-thirds of the Jews will be purged out but there will be a future salvation of living Jews who make up the nation Israel and I think it's described in beginning detail in the book of Revelation when you have a revival in the city of Jerusalem."

— John MacArthur

"And the things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will b...
21/07/2025

"And the things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also."

«« 2 Timothy 2:2 »»

𝐉𝐨𝐡𝐧 𝐌𝐚𝐜𝐀𝐫𝐭𝐡𝐮𝐫 on his fellow workers and ministry leaders in

𝑮𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒆 𝑪𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒖𝒏𝒊𝒕𝒚 𝑪𝒉𝒖𝒓𝒄𝒉 (𝗚𝗖𝗖),
𝑮𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒆 𝑻𝒐 𝒀𝒐𝒖 (𝗚𝗧𝗬),
𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑴𝒂𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒓'𝒔 𝑼𝒏𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒊𝒕𝒚 (𝗧𝗠𝗨),
𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑴𝒂𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒓'𝒔 𝑺𝒆𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒂𝒓𝒚 (𝗧𝗠𝗦), &
𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑴𝒂𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒓'𝒔 𝑨𝒄𝒂𝒅𝒆𝒎𝒚 𝑰𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒏𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒂𝒍 (𝗧𝗠𝗔𝗜):

"Because we have a common set of convictions concerning the truth, concerning the mission of the church in the world, even though these guys lead one organization, that is not the full definition of what they're committed to.

We're all committed to everything.

So, we gather around our love for Christ around sound doctrine and then we live to encourage and support each other and, really, we just watch what the Lord does.

Mark [Tatlock] isn't going around the world trying to find 16 places to start schools. They are the places that coming at [him] and saying, please come and help us.

So, faithfulness is its own reward.

As I said, you worry about the depth and integrity of your ministry and the Lord will take care of the breadth of it...

Nobody here is alien to anybody else.

We all grew up in the same crucible. So we are, in the purest sense, a band of brothers. We are bound in heart and soul and mind.

We understand that each of our ministries is a piece of the whole.

The only thing that threatens that is when somebody becomes territorial or isolated in their possessiveness.

So, we have to have an open heart toward all other ministries."

Soar we now where Christ has led, Alleluia!Following our exalted Head, Alleluia!Made like Him, like Him we rise, Allelui...
17/07/2025

Soar we now where Christ has led, Alleluia!
Following our exalted Head, Alleluia!
Made like Him, like Him we rise, Alleluia!
Ours the cross, the grave, the skies, Alleluia!

Click below to visit our website to purchase a hymnal or make a donation!https://hymnsofgrace.orgSubscribe to our channel by clicking below and hit the bell ...

"There's a mathematical word that you might not heard unless you're into mathematics.It's the word "integer."What it mea...
17/07/2025

"There's a mathematical word that you might not heard unless you're into mathematics.

It's the word "integer."

What it means is "one."

Connected to that word is the word "integrity."

What does integrity mean?

It means one. In what sense? In the sense that you are one person.

That is to say, you live what you believe and what you say.

The opposite with be "duplicity," where you're talking out of both sides of your mouth, where you say one thing on one occasion and something else on another occasion, where you can't be trusted, where you're not consistent.

Integrity is to be one.

And let me tell you what makes for integrity. It is a clear set of convictions.

In other words, integrity is based on the fact that you believe certain truths and they are fixed, and inviolable, and immovable, and unshakeable, and you live and you speak according to those truths.

Integrity for a leader, for anybody in any responsible ministry is absolutely critical because it undergirds everything you say.

If you're telling other people what to do, if you're explaining to other people what God expects of them, that needs to be supported by the integrity of your own life.

But again, you have to start with firm convictions based upon the Word of God.

If you lose your integrity, if you have violated your integrity, if you have lived, in some ways, undermining the things that you preached and the things that you teach and the things that you affirm to other people, how do you get back?

It may take time. You have to restore what was lost.

Start with repentance. The Lord will forgive that.

And then regrip those firm unshakeable convictions you know to be true and walk in the Holy Spirit and you can restore what was lost.

It will take time but it can be done."

— John MacArthur
A Rare Commodity: The Importance Of Integrity

"And the material of the wall was jasper, and the city was pure gold, like pure glass. The foundation stones of the city...
16/07/2025

"And the material of the wall was jasper, and the city was pure gold, like pure glass. The foundation stones of the city wall were adorned with every kind of precious stone.

The first foundation stone was jasper;
the second, sapphire;
the third, chalcedony;
the fourth, emerald;
the fifth, sardonyx;
the sixth, sardius;
the seventh, chrysolite;
the eighth, beryl;
the ninth, topaz;
the tenth, chrysoprase;
the eleventh, jacinth;
the twelfth, amethyst.

And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; each one of the gates was a single pearl. And the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass.

And I saw no sanctuary in it, for the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb are its sanctuary.

And the city has no need of the sun or of the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God has illumined it, and its lamp is the Lamb.

And the nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it.

And its gates will never be closed by day, for there will be no night there; and they will bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it.

And nothing defiled, and no one who practices abomination and lying, shall ever come into it, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life."

«« Revelation 21:18-27 »»

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