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What is Double-Minded?

Bill Alderson
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What is Double-Minded?

There is so much in this crazy world in which we live that competes for our attention. Life is confusing. Thinking clearly in the midst of all the obstructions and noise has become more difficult than ever. To know what I believe and why I believe is a mountain the believer must climb to find peace of mind. In James 1:5-8, the one who lacks wisdom is encouraged to ask of God, in faith and without doubting, and God would answer. Otherwise, he will be “like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind.” This man cannot expect to receive anything from God since he is “a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.” The Greek word for double-minded is dipsychos and it literally means two souls or minds and is the foundation for his doubt.

To understand double-mindedness is to acknowledge the spiritual warfare each believer faces. In Galatians 5:17, “For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please.” In Romans 7:14-15, Paul tells us that, “For we know that the Law is spiritual, but I am of flesh, sold into bondage to sin. For what I am doing, I do not understand; for I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate.” The man of the flesh is being controlled by his fleshly desires and is not capable of consistently doing what he wishes. Paul tells us that the root cause is the law of sin and death “waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members” (Romans 7:21-24).

Are we lukewarm?

This terminal condition is influenced and promoted by the believer’s relationship to the world around him. In Revelations 3:15-18, Jesus addresses the Laodicean church as being “rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing”. As a result, they “do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked.” Because they are so comfortable in their surroundings and their possessions, Jesus tells them they are lukewarm, apathetic rather than hot or cold. It appears that their apathy is directly related to their double-mindedness and is caused by their relationship to their environment. Unhealthy attachments to the material realm distort the mind’s ability to think clearly and recognize spiritual realities.

The mind governing the spiritual man is uniquely different than that of the man of the flesh. Scripture tells us that the central issue is the condition of the heart. In James 4:8, “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.” The avenue to overcoming double-mindedness is a pure heart. But what exactly does that look like? Jesus gives us the answer in Matthew 5:8, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” The Greek word for pure is katharos and it means not only clean and pure, but also real and genuine. It means the believer is transparent with no secrets. He is willing to face any failure head-on, without hiding. He is honest.

Psalm 51:6-10

“6 Behold, You desire truth in the innermost being, and in the hidden part You will make me know wisdom. 7 Purify me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. 8 Make me to hear joy and gladness, let the bones which You have broken rejoice. 9 Hide Your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquities. 10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.”

In this psalm, David acknowledged his sin before God, admitting his sin is against God Himself in verse 4. He is ready to come clean and face the music, whatever that may be. He also recognizes he needs God to make his heart pure and clean; this work is beyond him. Hyssop was used in the sacred purification rites and David was asking God to purge, to remove from within him his sin problem. He continued by asking to hear joy and gladness, evidence that his sin was resolved. Finally, he asks God to create (bara – create from nothing) a heart that has had the guilt and shame removed from the emotions and conscience. A steadfast spirit is one that is committed to righteousness. David understood that sin has its own energy and is offset by a steadfastness to integrity.

The importance of a pure heart

These verses from Psalm 51 tie in nicely with Psalm 24:3-6 where David speaks of the one who “ascends into the hill of the Lord.” He is the one who, “has clean hands and a pure heart, who has not lifted up his soul to falsehood and has not sworn deceitfully.” In verse 6, he is the one who seeks God in every generation. Who better to learn this lesson from than the one who was after God’s heart (Acts 13:22).

In the New Covenant age, everyone whose hope is fixed on the promise that, “We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is. And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure” (1 John 3:2-3). The one who places his confidence in the promise that he will be like Jesus is purified in that hope. In 2 Corinthians 7:1, “Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.” The believer who focusses his attention on the person and work of Christ (Hebrews 12:2) has been motivated to avoid anything that would defile him and is perfecting his holiness in that relationship.

Like a Madness That Knows No Bounds: The Parable of the Prodigal Father

Guest Contributor
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Like a Madness That Knows No Bounds: The Parable of the Prodigal Father

In Luke 15:11–32, Jesus tells the parable of the prodigal son. This description only captures the first half of the parable (15:11–24), which will be the focus of this post. Charles Dickens reputedly called it “the greatest short story of all time.” It is also referred to in Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice and has inspired masterpieces such as Dickens’ Great Expectations, paintings such as Rembrandt’s Return of the Prodigal Son, and lyrics amongst artists as diverse as Everlast, Keith Green, the Rolling Stones, and U2.

Elements of the parable have entered our common language. Even Michael Scott from The Office, when reuniting with Jim, could say, “the prod . . . er . . . prodigal . . uh . . . my son returns,” with the assumption that his audience would understand the reference, however fumbled it was.

This is especially revealing. It demonstrates that for many the traditional description of this parable is still familiar to them without even knowing what it means. I would like to describe briefly what this parable really teaches, what the term “prodigal” means, and why we so often attribute the term to the wrong person in the story.

A Better Title

“There was a man who had two sons” (Luke 15:11).  The hero in this story is a respectable owner of an estate with servants and fatted calves to spare. Jesus’ story implies that this father, however, is most foolish. It is not his money that makes him foolish. It is not a lack of status. It is his love for a son.

There is something timeless and familiar about the younger son. With the world before him, he demands his inheritance early, gathers his portion, and he runs. More audacious, as we will discuss shortly, is the father’s response. The father acquiesces rather than rebukes. Moreso, the father gives over his property (lit. “his life”) to divide between the brothers. The father gives it all.

The parable indicates that both the father and the younger son act dishonorably here. The father apparently ignores the wisdom of the ancient scribe, Ben Sira: “In all that you do retain control . . . When the days of your life reach their end, at the time of your death distribute your property” (33.23–24). Likewise, land and possessions in Jewish antiquity were highly prized and preserved through family lines. In this instance, the younger son sells off not merely what his father would have worked for but likely what his father was given by the generations preceding him.

The father’s permissiveness extends beyond granting the wish of dividing the inheritance prematurely. At any instance, the father could regain control over his son’s actions and prevent him from selling off the family possessions. No such actions appear to be taken.

The son, in response, takes all that his father worked for and gave him and wastes it with what has been understood and translated as “wild living,” “a prodigal lifestyle,” or what Walter Bauer refers to as “a madness that knows no bounds.”  This is where the term “prodigal” comes from. Prodigal means “lavish” or “wasteful.” As we will see, a better title for the parable is, “The Parable of the Prodigal Father.”

Like the People That Moved Jesus

Having squandered his inheritance, the details of the younger’s son condition resonate with the timeless, common afflictions that have faced every generation: failure, desperation, and abandonment. Although the older son would later tell his father that the younger son “wasted his inheritance on prostitutes” (15:30), it is unclear if Jesus intends us to believe this. There is nothing in the parable, per se, that indicates that this younger son’s exploits were sexual in nature versus a mere reckless opportunism. The point is that he gambled it all. And lost.

Following his complete failure, the son was exposed to the types of famine that ravished Palestine and its surrounded regions on a regular basis. Like many, the younger son was both a responsible agent and unwitting victim in his circumstance. He was forced to sell himself to foreigner, to “a citizen,” who, under such a contract, had complete authority over the man’s daily life.

In this case, it was the son’s task to feed this foreigner’s pigs. This is emphasized by Jesus to paint a picture of this man as a reckless, foolish disappointment. Pigs were so loathed by Jewish people that archeologists use the presence or absence of their bones to determine the settlement distributions of Jews in antiquity. In their eyes, they were the most unclean of animals, and this younger son was not even permitted, so to speak, to eat the food that fell from the pigs’ table (cf. Matt 15:27).

The son was in worse condition than the dogs that roamed the streets of Palestine. He was like a harlot who sold herself for survival. He was like a tax collector who betrayed his people. He was like a leper, unclean and exiled and hopeless. He was, in other words, like all the people that moved Jesus.

Shame, Shame, Shame

Everything we have learned about first century Jewish culture increases the shame that runs through the story. It is shameful for a son to demand his father’s inheritance before he dies. It is shameful to abandon your family. It is shameful to neglect to care for your father in his old age. It is shameful to squander your inheritance and your family’s name. It is shameful to abandon your identity as a Sabbath-observant Jew, which the younger son surely would have done under his new labor contract. It is shameful to feed the pigs of a foreigner.

At this moment, the son literally “comes to himself” (15:17) and comes up with a strategy (15:18–19): “I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’” Although some bible teachers claim that this amounts to repentance, there are several reasons to doubt it.

Whenever there is internal dialogue in the parables in Luke’s Gospel, they give the hearer or reader insight into the depravity of a character’s intentions. For example, the rich hoarder says to himself, “This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones . . . And I’ll say to myself, ‘You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry’” (12:18–19). The shrewd manager, before unjustly reducing the debts of his master’s debtors, says, “What shall I do now? My master is taking away my job. I’m not strong enough to dig, and I’m ashamed to beg . . .” (16:3). Every instance of internal dialogue in a parable of Luke’s Gospel seems designed to accentuate moral ambiguity.

Moreso, the younger son rehearses his lines: “I have sinned against heaven and against you,” and these words mirror those of Pharoah to Moses: “I have sinned against God and against you” (Ex 10:16).  This son’s heart is no softer than the Egyptian. But he believes his father has food to spare. He leaves (likely under the cover of darkness), abandoning the obligations of his labor contract, and he decides to become his father’s servant instead.

But when his father sees him, his shame, too, knows no bounds (Luke 15:20). Seeing his child from a far distance, he runs with self-abandon to embrace him. This father, too, has been shameful. He failed to discipline his son. He failed to keep him from wrongdoing. And now he fails to be honorable. Grown men in Palestine are not encouraged to hike up their robes to run, exposing their legs.  But the father does much more. He gives a dishonorable son the “best robe.” Whose robe is this? The father’s own. He gives his son the signet ring of responsibility. Whose ring is this? The father’s own. And he slaughters the fatted calf for him. Such a calf could feed up to a hundred people; a whole village could be invited.

The True Prodigal

A great party ensues. But it is also a completely unexpected party, and this creates an insight into the father’s joy. A fatted calf took approximately six months to prepare for a slaughter after its birth. It would be penned up and confined to limit weight loss. These animals were not merely there for the taking at any moment, but they were groomed for special occasions such as weddings or communal feasts.  The father must already have been grooming this calf for a special occasion. Its slaughter did not merely result in an extravagant feast for a wasteful son; it meant that whatever occasion the father had saved it for would be deprived of its fatted calf.

This is why the father is the true “prodigal.” He is heedless, wasteful, and excessive in his gracious joy. His is a madness that knows no bounds. His is a picture of the prodigal love of God.

This blog post is based on an excerpt from For People Like Us: God’s Search for the Lost of Luke 15. It has been reprinted exclusively to this blog with permission from Wipf & Stock.Luuk van de Weghe (PhD, University of Aberdeen) is the author of For People Like Us: God’s Search for the Lost of Luke 15. He has publicly debated leading skeptics and has been published in preeminent peer-reviewed journals such as New Testament Studies, Tyndale Bulletin, and Bulletin for Biblical Research.https://www.luukvandeweghe.com/publications.html

7 Historic Examples of End-Times Error

Guest Contributor
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7 Historic Examples of End-Times Error

One of the most fascinating aspects of the Bible is its prophetic nature. The prophecies in the Bible astound us and give us insight into who God is and how He operates in our lives. But understanding biblical prophecy is not always easy, nor is it something that can be done overnight. It requires years of dedicated study and a willingness to dive deep into the Scriptures, history, geography, ancient languages and more.

When it comes to interpreting Scripture, context matters—and that’s especially true with biblical prophecy. Proper context helps us understand God’s will by providing us with the necessary historical and cultural background information needed to make sense of these complex passages. Without proper context, we miss out on understanding what God has actually revealed in His Word.

What negative side effects happen when we don’t understand it properly? Throughout history, many people have been so passionate about understanding these prophecies that they’ve made false predictions and taken drastic action only to be proven wrong. In this article, we’ll look at seven examples of times when people misunderstood biblical prophecy about the last days and the errors that resulted.

The Crusades (1095-1291)

The Crusades were a series of military campaigns that took place in the Middle Ages and were led by members of the Latin Church in an effort to reclaim land that had been taken by Islamic forces. The Crusades began in 1095, when Pope Urban II called on Christians to take up arms against Muslim forces in the Middle East. In his speech, he asked for “Christian soldiers to fight those who have invaded the lands of Christians and have depopulated them by pillage and fire.” He based this call to arms on a passage from the book of Revelation that spoke of an impending war between God’s people and those who opposed him. This misunderstanding led to centuries of bloodshed and conflict between Christians and Muslims.

The Great Awakening (1734-1745)

Nearly four centuries after the Crusades ended, another misunderstanding arose when it came to biblical prophecy—this time around the Second Coming of Christ. During this period, known as the Great Awakening, religious leaders began preaching about an imminent return of Jesus Christ and encouraged their followers to be ready for His coming by repenting from their sins. They argued that all signs pointed to His imminent return—a claim largely based on passages from 2 Peter 3:8-9 which states that “with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years is like one day”—and warned of dire consequences if their listeners failed to heed these warnings. Eager for Jesus to return, many began neglecting their everyday responsibilities such as tending farms or paying taxes, causing economic disruption across the country.

Millerites (1843 (2x), 1844 (2x))

William Miller was a Baptist preacher in the early 19th century who founded what became known as the Millerites. Using Daniel 8:14 (the “cleansing of the sanctuary”) and other proof texts, Miller calculated and recalculated several dates for Jesus’ return to earth, finally landing on October 22, 1844. When this last attempt also failed to occur, his followers were devastated and entered a time known as the Great Disappointment. Some eventually went on to form the Seventh-day Adventists.

Jehovah’s Witnesses (1914)

Charles Taze Russell was a Presbyterian clergyman who founded what is now known as the Jehovah’s Witnesses in 1872. He believed that Jesus Christ returned invisibly on October 2nd, 1874 to usher in a new era of peace and prosperity for believers on earth. Inspired by the beginning of World War I as the beginning of Armageddon, Russell taught that Jesus would return in 1914. This obviously did not happen, but Jehovah’s Witnesses continue to hold onto the belief that Jesus returned invisibly in 1874 and will reveal Himself soon.

Herbert W Armstrong (1936, 1943, 1972, 1975)

Having already missed two end-times predictions, Herbert Armstrong, American evangelist and founder of the Worldwide Church of God, predicted that Jesus Christ would return sometime between 1972-1975. These calculations were based on his interpretation of biblical prophecies concerning Israel’s rebirth as a nation-state in 1948 and their victory in the 1967 Six-Day War. However, both 1972 and 1975 came and went without any sign of the Second Coming or Armageddon. Armstrong died in 1986 without ever having seen his predictions come true.

Harold Camping (1994 (3x), 1995, 2011 (2x))

Harold Camping was an American Christian radio host who proclaimed throughout his career he had discovered a new formula which revealed when Christ would return. Camping first claimed several moving dates for Jesus’ return in 1994-1995 and then again in 2011. His predictions received widespread attention but failed to materialize as expected. Deluded, some Christians fell into financial ruin after spending their life savings on Doomsday preparations and billboards advertising Camping’s predictions. Camping later admitted he was wrong and apologized for misleading people with his false claims.

Edgar Whisenant (1988, 1989, 1993, 1994…)

In 1988, former NASA engineer Edgar Whisenant published a book titled “88 Reasons Why The Rapture Will Be In 1988.” In it, he claimed that the Rapture would occur on September 11-13 of that year. His book sold over 4 million copies. When his prediction failed, he republished the book under the title “89 Reasons Why The Rapture Will Be In 1989” explaining he had made an error in his calculations. When this prediction failed too, Whisenant went quiet until 1993 when he wrote another book entitled “On Borrowed Time,” predicting 1994. Whisenant continued to make predictions until he eventually faded into obscurity.

The Need for Proper Interpretation

These have been just a handful of end-times errors where people have misunderstood biblical prophecy about the last days and were led into misguided beliefs with negative consequences. As Christians today, it is important that we seek knowledge from reliable sources (1 Tim 2:4; 2 Tim 4:3) so we might understand God’s plan for us more clearly. Romans 12:2 reminds us not to be conformed to this world, but to be “transformed by the renewing of your mind that you may prove what is the good, acceptable and perfect will of God.”

If you are interested in growing in your understanding why you believe what you believe, consider joining or starting a small group Bible study with your local church today.

Prophecy Course Bible study

References

“Bible Study Groups”. Crosswalk Inc. Accessed March 10, 2023. https://www.crosswalk.com/faith/bible-study/bible-study-groups-1277321.

“What is Prophecy?” Got Questions Ministries. Accessed March 10, 2023. https://www.gotquestions.org/prophecy-prophesy.html.

Schoenherr, Matthew. 2022. “You’re Probably Wrong”. Prophecy Course. Retrieved from https://prophecycourse.org/session/03/wrong/.

“Unfulfilled Christian Religious Predictions.” Wikipedia.org. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unfulfilled_Christian_religious_predictions.

Stand Firm and Be Fully Assured

Bill Alderson
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Stand Firm and Be Fully Assured

“For this reason it is by faith, in order that it may be in accordance with grace, so that the promise will be guaranteed to all the descendants, not only to those who are of the Law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all, (as it is written, “A FATHER OF MANY NATIONS HAVE I MADE YOU”) in the presence of Him whom he believed, even God, who gives life to the dead and calls into being that which does not exist. In hope against hope he believed, so that he might become a father of many nations according to that which had been spoken, “SO SHALL YOUR DESCENDANTS BE.” Without becoming weak in faith, he contemplated his own body, now as good as dead since he was about a hundred years old, and the deadness of Sarah’s womb; yet, with respect to the promise of God, he did not waver in unbelief but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully assured that what God had promised, He was able also to perform. Therefore, IT WAS ALSO CREDITED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS.” (Romans 4:16-22)

It is no surprise that Abraham is the father of the faith and, therefore, the father of us all as believers in Christ (verse 16). How can anyone measure the degree and/or quality of faith in God it took him to “Go forth from your country, and from your relatives and from your father’s house, to the land which I will show you” (Genesis 12:1). And this of a man whose entire religious experience to that time had been the worship of pagan gods. In spite of his willingness to step out in faith, it took many trials and tests of faith to bring him to the place where he could be fully assured that God could fulfill His promises. As Paul teaches in Romans 4, the avenue to be credited with God’s righteousness is a willingness to trust God in extreme situations and to believe the most unbelievable promises.

El Shaddai

Paul begins this passage by saying that it must start with faith so that it can “be in accordance with grace” and makes the promises “guaranteed to all descendants.” This kind of faith can believe in something that does not yet exist! It does not waver because it recognizes its total dependence on God doing it. In verse 20, Paul says Abraham did not waver in unbelief (concerning God’s promises) but grew strong in his faith in what God had promised. It was always about His promises. In Genesis 17:1-8, God Almighty (El Shaddai) spoke to Abram as a ninety-nine-year-old and told him to “walk before Me and be blameless”. Abram’s response was to fall on his face, and this is when God told Abram that His covenant was with Abram, and He was now changing Abram’s name to Abraham. God was telling Abraham things that could not be believed unless El Shaddai would do it. Faith places its complete confidence in the One who would fulfill it.

Since the new covenant is with each believer individually, it assures each one with the same confidence as Abraham had once the believer exercises his faith. Future generations would also enjoy being fully assured as Hebrews 11:13-16 tells us: “All these died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seen them and having welcomed them from a distance and having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. For those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a country of their own. And indeed, if they had been thinking of that country from which they went out, they would have had the opportunity to return. But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God; for He has prepared a city for them.” Real faith happens when each believer recognizes he is a stranger and an exile on the earth, never getting too attached to the material world.

Anchor of the Soul

For when God made the promise to Abraham, since He could swear by no one greater, He swore by Himself, saying, “I WILL SURELY BLESS YOU, AND I WILL SURELY MULTIPLY YOU.” And so, having patiently waited, he obtained the promise. For men swear by one greater than themselves, and with them, an oath given as confirmation is an end of every dispute. In the same way, God, desiring even more to show to the heirs of the promise the unchangeableness of His purpose, interposed with an oath so that by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have taken refuge would have strong encouragement to take hold of the hope set before us. This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and one which enters within the veil, where Jesus has entered as a forerunner for us, having become a high priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek. (Hebrews 6:13-20)

The foundation for full assurance, complete confidence is the unchangeableness of God (He cannot lie) and His purpose, represented by His promises and His oath. The promises made to Abraham had substance, equipping Abraham to patiently wait, accompanied by His oath, the reinforcement of a person’s word by calling on God as witness to the truth. These become an anchor for the soul, so we are more than willing to change our desired course for His unchangeable purpose that always leads us to triumph in Christ (2 Corinthians 2:14). Consider the following:

The Lighthouse

I once heard a story about a battleship at sea. The ship had come under severe weather, and the captain got a report that there was light up ahead. “Is it steady or moving?” the captain called out. The lookout replied, “Steady, captain.” This meant that the ship was on a collision course. The captain sent out a message to the vessel up ahead warning, “We are on a collision course; advice you change course 20 degrees.” But the reply that came back said, “Advisable for you to change course 20 degrees.” The captain was furious and retorted, “I’m a battleship! You change course 20 degrees.” The reply flashed back, “I’m a lighthouse.”

The unchangeableness of God is our lighthouse, our hope and it brings the believer “within the veil” where the presence of God is found and where Jesus, like Abraham, has become our forerunner in the faith. This kind of hope or confident expectation is the source for our salvation, as in Romans 8:24-25, “For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for who hopes for what he already sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance, we wait eagerly for it.” Like the lighthouse seen from a distance, we wait eagerly for the promises of God to be fulfilled and for the ultimate conclusion of all things. Within the veil of the new covenant, there is great security.

Why Could Jesus Do No Miracles in Nazareth?

Matthew Schoenherr
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Why Could Jesus Do No Miracles in Nazareth?

In Matthew 13:58, we’re told Jesus did not do many mighty works in His hometown of Nazareth “because of their unbelief.” Why couldn’t Jesus heal in Nazareth?

I’ve heard pastors declare that Jesus couldn’t heal many because Nazareth’s unbelief somehow drained His ability to heal; that He was in some way insufficient to overcome their lack of faith. This teaching is all over the Church! It’s used by Word of Faith preachers to declare if you only had more faith, you’d be healed! And by other less charis-manic preachers, this passage is used as the flagship example to illustrate that Jesus doesn’t always heal. But both these views present their own problems.

Was Jesus Short-Circuited by Unbelief?

Let’s cut to the chase. Jesus did not heal many in Nazareth not because His power to heal was somehow reduced. The towns before and after Nazareth brought their sick and lame to Him, but in Nazareth—due to their unbelief—they did not, therefore not many were healed. Jesus’ power to heal remained consistent; He knew who He was and Nazareth’s unbelief did not potter Him. Nazareth’s cynicism did not shake our Lord’s identity, His faith nor His power to heal. Mark 6:5 speaks of the same moment:

“He could do no mighty work there, save that he laid his hands upon a few sick and healed them.”

But as we read further into Mark 6, we next see Jesus imbuing the apostles with power to witness, deliver and heal the sick all over Judaea. Since the apostles were new to this, I wonder how much of their faith or authority was fueling those healings and deliverances? I would argue “not much” as it likely wasn’t as much their awesome faith as it was Jesus’ authority and His faith that His word would be carried out!

Continuing through Mark 6, Jesus feeds thousands with five loaves and two fish! Did He need the apostles’ faith to do this? Maybe the crowd’s? Of course not.

Then in Mark 6:45-52, Jesus walks on water. Again, did He need the apostles’ faith? They were terrified! They thought they were seeing a ghost! Finally:

53 When they had passed over, they came into the land of Gennesaret and drew to shore. 54 When they came out of the ship, the people immediately recognized him, 55 and ran throughout the whole region, carrying the sick in their beds to wherever they heard he was. 56 Wherever he entered into villages, cities, or country, they laid the sick in the streets, and besought him that they might touch even the border of his garment and as many as touched him were made whole. (Mark 6:53-56)

This response is a stark contrast to Nazareth’s! Gennesaret (pronounced jen·sr·ay) had the faith to bring their sick to Jesus and to reach for the hem of His garment; Nazareth did not. But Gennesaret’s faith in Jesus did not add to Jesus! Gennesaret’s faith in Jesus did not fuel His identity, His faith, His authority nor His power; it fueled their response. And so, by their faith, they positioned themselves to receive their healing. This is what Nazareth failed to do.

But Jesus Doesn’t Always Heal, Does He?

Once you rightly understand what happened in Nazareth, it should pull the legs out from under this single supposed example of Jesus not healing people. The truth is, according to the Gospel record, Jesus healed all who came to Him. There is not a single scriptural example of Jesus trying to heal someone and not being able to, where He shrugs and says, “Well, I guess it’s just not your time.” Even when the apostles failed to heal the epileptic boy, Jesus admonished them for their unbelief and healed the boy (Matthew 17:14-23, Luke 9:37-43). When the apostles ask why they couldn’t deliver the boy, Jesus says, “This kind does not go out but by prayer and fasting.” In other words, their faith was beaten by the dramatic visuals of the boy’s epileptic fit. How we see and what we magnify has a large impact on how we pray and the fruit we see. Therein lies one of the greatest challenges facing every believer across the ages to today.

But yes. To set the record straight, when Jesus prayed, all were healed. Every time. I think the question is, do we know Him, in whose name we pray, and do we believe His words are true.

Remember, it’s the Truth that sets you free.

Christian Apologetics: Understanding and Defending the Faith

Guest Contributor
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Christian Apologetics: Understanding and Defending the Faith

Christian apologetics is the branch of theology that focuses on providing logical, rational, and evidence-based arguments to defend the Christian faith. It is an essential aspect of Christianity, as it helps believers understand and defend their beliefs against skeptics, critics, and non-believers. In this article, we will explore some examples of Christian apologetics and how they can be used to defend the faith.

The Historical Evidence for the Resurrection of Jesus Christ

One of the most significant events in Christian history is the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The resurrection is the cornerstone of the Christian faith and is the foundation of Christianity. The resurrection of Jesus is not only a historical event but also a theological one. It is the event that demonstrates that Jesus is the Son of God and that He is alive. The historical evidence for the resurrection of Jesus Christ is one of the most powerful arguments for the Christian faith.

There are several pieces of historical evidence that support the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The first piece of evidence is the empty tomb. The empty tomb is a historical fact that is supported by both Christian and non-Christian sources. The second piece of evidence is the testimony of the witnesses. The witnesses to the resurrection of Jesus Christ include the apostles, Mary Magdalene, and other women. The third piece of evidence is the transformed lives of the witnesses. The witnesses of the resurrection of Jesus Christ were transformed from fearful and doubtful individuals to bold and courageous proclaimers of the gospel.

The Cosmological Argument for the Existence of God

The cosmological argument for the existence of God is one of the oldest and most popular arguments for the existence of God. The cosmological argument is based on the idea that everything that exists must have a cause. The argument states that the universe must have a cause, and that cause must be God.

The cosmological argument is based on the idea that the universe had a beginning. The universe cannot be eternal, as it would mean that an infinite amount of time would have passed before the present moment, which is impossible. The universe must have had a beginning, and this beginning must have a cause. The cause of the universe must be an uncaused, eternal, and necessary being, which is God.

The Teleological Argument for the Existence of God

The teleological argument for the existence of God is based on the idea that the universe and everything in it displays signs of design and purpose. The argument states that the universe and everything in it must have been created by an intelligent designer, who is God.

The teleological argument is based on the idea that the universe and everything in it displays signs of design and purpose. The universe is not a random collection of matter and energy, but it is a complex and ordered system. The universe and everything in it is fine-tuned for life, and the fine-tuning cannot be explained by natural causes. The fine-tuning of the universe and everything in it must be the result of an intelligent designer, who is God.

The Moral Argument for the Existence of God

The moral argument for the existence of God is based on the idea that morality is objective and that it cannot be explained by natural causes. The argument states that the existence of morality is evidence for the existence of God.

The moral argument is based on the idea that morality is objective and that it cannot be explained by natural causes. Morality is not a product of human opinions or cultural traditions, but it is a part of the natural order of things. Morality is not a human invention, but it is a part of the natural order of things. The existence of morality is evidence for the existence of God, who is the source of all morality.

The moral argument is also based on the idea that human beings have a sense of morality and a moral conscience. This sense of morality and moral conscience cannot be explained by natural causes, but it must be the result of an intelligent designer, who is God. The moral argument also states that without God, there would be no objective morality, and moral values would be reduced to personal preferences and cultural traditions.

Summary

In conclusion, Christian apologetics is an essential aspect of Christianity, as it helps believers understand and defend their beliefs against skeptics, critics, and non-believers. The examples discussed in this article, such as the historical evidence for the resurrection of Jesus Christ, the cosmological argument for the existence of God, the teleological argument for the existence of God, and the moral argument for the existence of God, are just a few examples of how Christian apologetics can be used to defend the faith. By understanding and utilizing these arguments, believers can better understand and defend their beliefs in a logical and rational manner.

Shadrach Aliu is the editor-in-chief at Churchreaders.com, a Christian blog covering topics on prayers, Bible verses, spirituality and ministers’ biographies. When he is not blogging, he is busy reading up on latest SEO trends and doing keyword research.

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