Bible Worldview
Bible Worldview. Created by the Biblical Literacy Task Force (BLTF) for the Anglican Diocese of Pittsburgh a Spring 2012 a Under the supervision of Bishop Robert Duncan Written by BLTF members Jim Fitzgerald, Allie Overly, Fred Carlson, Gail Macdonald, Gladys Hunt Mason, Carol Schmidtetter, Theresa Newell
Jesus heals Jairus’ daughter.
WHY AN AREA WITHIN the Biblical Literacy Mission for BIBLE WORLDVIEW? Anglican Christianity is a creedal faith where we affirm Biblical truths every Sunday. The creeds (Apostles, Nicene, Athanasian) are strictly descended from scripture. One would assume Christians affirming these creedal truths weekly would have a Biblical worldview, but 1) many don’t always understand what they are repeating, and 2) the creeds are meant to be a Christian statement of faith, and not necessarily an outline for thinking with a basic Bible Worldview. In fact, surveys show that over 90% of Americans don’t have a biblical worldview as measured against a mere handful of teachings--hence the need for a focused effort in this area as a part of of the effort to develop biblical literacy. (Barna surveys and the BLTF have pointed to huge gaps in our people’s biblical literacy that has pointed out the need for the BLTF ministry in the first place.) With Bible Worldview we offer a re-engagement of this area of ministry with seven (7) objective truths expressed in a single sentence that are culled from scripture to form a basic biblical worldview. These truths are not meant to replace the creeds which have a different purpose-reaffirming personal faith-but rather to be a concise aid to further help develop true biblical literacy. (In brief, we seek to strengthen the creedal lens on the scriptures we are encouraging our people to engage.) Several quick examples may help further explain the need for this category, Bible Worldview, in the development of biblical literacy. Fuzzy Thinking about God is a Problem (Universalism and Relativism Must Be Fought) Recently, a mature, long-time believer casually said to me (Jim) that Christians and Muslims worship the same God. But how can this be true when the God we Christians worship reveals Himself to be a Trinity of Persons—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, while Muslims adamantly claim that the Allah whom they worship is not a Trinity. To say we both worship the same Deity is to make our words and doctrines meaningless or trivial—and undercuts their importance to faith. Or else it implies that Muslims are too-benighted to know what they believe and we simply overlook their little ignorance.
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Our People Must Be Strengthened in Biblical Truths On another occasion, we were discussing the nature of God in a group of mature believers when the subject of His invisible nature came up. Almost every person there expressed the sincere belief that God has an actual body while at the same time being invisible, infinite, and omnipresent, and who were we to think otherwise— God can do anything. Needless to say, I was astounded! Some years ago after Easter, several of us were standing after service saying what a wonderful thing the Resurrection of Christ was and what hope it gave us. When I commented that He would be returning in a physical body, one of those standing there who had been a Christian and a leader for many years said, “You don’t really believe He has a physical body do you? Jesus is a spiritual being. He doesn’t have a body now. Again, I was amazed at such misunderstanding about the most basic of biblical truths among even well-established Christians, despite what they have heard and read for twenty or thirty years.
What Does Bible Worldview Ministry Look Like? While no one can be expected to know everything there is to know, certainly we should expect all believers should at least know the basic 7 major truths that form the basis of a Christian Bible Worldview. The goal of Bible Worldview is to provide a short list of seven one-sentence truths to master. Each one deals with a major truth of the Christian faith that can help to form a biblical worldview. If believers don’t understand the meaning of the words and terms they hear and read, what is the benefit or the point? We aim to provide some focused help in these seven most foundational areas. Each of the seven truths is further developed in short essays in addition to the scriptural citations. With Bible Worldview as one of the four cornerstones of biblical literacy (the other three are regular Bible reading, Bible memorization, and Bible knowledge), these seven basic truths are not meant to be creeds or statements of faith, or confessions, numbers of which already exist. For instance, the truths don’t deal with the Church or the sacraments. Nor are the truths the same thing as knowing about the Bible and the concept that it can be understood as a drama in six parts. These things come under our other general area, Bible Knowledge. But that is not the same thing as Bible Worldview and doesn’t serve the same purpose. The seven basic truths are meant to provide believers with a short list of the key building blocks for a clear biblical worldview as one reads scripture, hears sermons, and thinks and talks about life and faith with family and friends. This list is also now active on the BLTF section of the Anglican Diocese website as a Bible Worldview curriculum. www.pitanglican.org
Discipleship Follows Conversion. Finally, we note that The Great Commission calls for conversion and discipleship: “And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing themin the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you.” (Matthew 28:18-20 NRSV) Baptism in water and the Holy Spirit encompasses the conversion part of Christian ministry. Teaching to obey everything Jesus commands is the discipleship part and is to be found in the Bible. This discipleship ministry includes Bible reading, knowledge, memorization, and worldview as the basic building blocks for biblical literacy with the end goal of obedience to our Lord. Your BLTF servants: Jim, Fred, Gail, Gladys, Allie, Carol, Theresa
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Seven Basic Truths to Help Form a Biblical Worldview. 1. God. There is one true God, eternal, invisible, almighty, a holy Trinity of persons who reveals Himself through the creation He made, the Bible which He inspired, and His only Son Jesus Christ whom He sent into the world in love to save sinners. Gen.1:1, Exodus 20:1-3, I Tim.1:17, II Tim.3:16, John 3:16, 17:1-3 2. Human beings. Human beings were made in God’s image to have an eternal relationship with Him, as well as to have dominion over the earth; but having been corrupted by Satan and sin, they are all helplessly separated from God and in need of a Savior. Gen.1:26-28, Gen. 3:1-13 3. Jesus Christ. Fully God and fully man, Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world, the incarnate Son of God who lived a sinless human life, sacrificed His life to pay for our sins, rose bodily from the dead, ascended to heaven, and is coming again to judge the living and the dead and establish the Kingdom of God in all its fullness. Col.1:15-23, Heb. 1:1-3, John 3:16, 14:6, Acts 4:12, 2 Corinthians 5:21 4. Holy Spirit. The third person of the Trinity is the Holy Spirit, who is fully God, indwells and empowers Christ’s Church and all Christian believers, leads us to know the truth, and enables us to grow in the likeness of Christ. John 14: 16, 17, 26 comes within at Salvation for guidance, etc. Acts 1:4,5,8, Acts 2:4 comes upon at Holy Spirit Baptism for "enduement of power" 1 Corinthians 3:16-17 the spirit consecrates God’s people (His temple) 5. Bible. Written over 1500 years by over 40 divinely-inspired authors, the Bible is the revelation of God’s work in history to fulfill His great promises to send a Savior into the human race, and contains all things necessary for salvation. II Tim. 3: 16-17, Heb. 4: 12, John 17: 17, Romans 10:17, Psalm 119:105 6. Salvation and damnation. Salvation and Damnation are both real and eternal: No one is saved by good works but only by grace through genuine faith in Jesus Christ who died for sin and rose again; and they will spend eternity enjoying God in the new Heaven and Earth, while the lost will suffer eternal damnation with the devil. Eph. 2:8-9, I John 2: 25, Mark 9: 43, Romans 6:23 7. The devil. The devil, Satan, is a powerful angel who rebelled against God in the beginning with a host of fallen angels, and who now deceives and tempts the human race to serve him instead of God, until the end of time when he will be punished forever. Jude 6, Matthew 25:41, 46, John 10: 10, 2 Corinthians 11:13-14, Rev. 20: 10
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1. God. There is one true God, eternal, invisible, almighty, a holy Trinity of persons who reveals Himself through the creation He made, the Bible which He inspired by the Holy Spirit, and His only Son Jesus Christ whom He sent into the world in love to save sinners. Explanation According to the Articles of Religion in the Book of Common Prayer, there is but one living and true God, everlasting, without body parts or passions, of infinite power, wisdom and goodness, the Maker and Preserver of all things, both visible and invisible. And in unity of this Godhead, there are three persons of one substance, power and eternity, The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (pg. 867 BCP). God existed before the earth was formed. He created heaven and earth, all things seen and unseen (Catechism, pg. 846 BCP). He is the picture of perfect holiness and justice and all human beings fall short of His perfection. He reveals Himself through His creation, the Bible and His Son. Supporting Scriptures Genesis 1:1 – In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Exodus 20: 1-3 – And God spoke all these words: “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. You shall have no other gods before me.” Isaiah 6:3 – Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory. 1st Timothy 1:17 – Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen. 2nd Timothy 3:16-17 – All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. John 3:16 – For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 17:1-3 – After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed: “Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him. Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.” Revelation 4: 8b, 11 – Holy, holy, holy, the Lord God the Almighty, who was and is and is to come. You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.
Mary and the infant Jesus.
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2. Human Beings. Human beings were made in God’s image to have an eternal relationship with Him as well as to have dominion over the earth; but having been corrupted by Satan and sin, they are all helplessly separated from God and in need of a Savior. Supporting Scriptures Genesis 1:26, 28 – Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness... And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” Genesis 3: 1-4, 6, 8, 11, 13 – And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden’?” And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’” But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die.” So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” Then the LORD God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.” Explanation According to the Catechism found in the Book of Common Prayer: To be created in the image of God means that we “…are free to make choices: to love, to create, to reason, and to live in harmony with creation and with God. From the beginning, human beings have misused their freedom and made wrong choices.” (p.846, BCP) Supporting Scriptures Romans 3:23 - for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Matthew 15: 10-11, 17-20 – And he called the people to him and said to them, “Hear and understand: it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth; this defiles a person. Do you not see that whatever goes into the mouth passes into the stomach and is expelled? But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. These are what defile a person.” 1 Thessalonians 5:9 – For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. John 14:6 - Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” Concluding Statement Our salvation is only through Jesus Christ, our Savior.
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3. Jesus Christ. Fully God and fully man, Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world, the incarnate Son of God who lived a sinless human life, sacrificed His life to pay for our sins, rose bodily from the dead, ascended to heaven, and is coming again to judge the living and the dead and establish the Kingdom of God in all its fullness. Explanation Scripture teaches us that Jesus Christ is the eternal only begotten Son of God, the second person of the Trinity who was with the Father and the Holy Spirit before creation. In the fullness of time, He then took upon Himself our human nature in the womb of Mary so He could fulfill the promises of God to send a Savior into the world to save lost sinners from judgment. Being fully God and being born without a fallen human nature through the agency of the Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ was the perfect God/Man. This meant He was able to obey all the Jewish law and live a sinless human life so He might be offered as a perfect sacrifice for the sins of the world. Then as scripture says, Jesus died on the cross, rose bodily from the grave on the third day, was seen alive by the disciples and hundreds of witnesses, and then ascended to heaven to be enthroned at the right hand of the Father and given all authority in heaven and earth. This same Jesus Christ is now Lord of Lords and King of Kings who will return at the end of time to judge the living and the dead. Supporting Scriptures John 8:58 – Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.” Galatians 4:4-5 – But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. Genesis 3:15 – “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.” John 3:16 – For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. Galatians 3:16 – Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring. It does not say, “And to offsprings,” referring to many, but referring to one, “And to your offspring,” who is Christ. Matthew 5:17 – “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.” John 8:46 – “Which one of you convicts me of sin? If I tell the truth, why do you not believe me?” 2 Corinthians 5:21 – For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. Romans 4:24-25 – It will be counted to us who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification.
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Matthew 28:18-20 – And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.” Acts 1: 9 – And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. Revelation 19:16 – On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords. Other Citations Showing Fulfillment of God’s Promise Genesis 12:1-3, 7; 13:15-16; 24:7 Matthew 24:30-31 John 1:1-2, 14, 18 Romans 3:23-26 1 Corinthians 15:3-7 Galatians 3:13-14 Philippians 2:8-11 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 Explanation Then, at last, the Kingdom of God will come in all its fullness and perfection with the new Heaven and new Earth and the New Jerusalem where the redeemed believers will dwell forever with God and the Lord Jesus who will be their light. Supporting Scriptures Revelation 20:11-15 – Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. Revelation 21:1-7, 22-23; 22:5 – Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away. And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” And he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son.”
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4. Holy Spirit. The third person of the Trinity is the Holy Spirit, who is fully God, indwells and empowers Christ’s Church and all Christian believers for miraculous ministry, leads us to deepen in the truth, and enables us to grow in the likeness of Christ. Explanation The Holy Spirit is the Worker of the Trinity throughout the Bible. This is written to Christians today to clarify the work of the Holy Spirit from within. The Holy Spirit comes WITHIN at Salvation at which time our spirit bears witness with the Holy Spirit that we are children of God. Supporting Scriptures about the Holy Spirit WITHIN John 14: 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, 17 …the Spirit of truth…will be in you 26 he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. John 15: 26 he will bear witness about me (Jesus). John 16: 8 he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: (notice this is to the world, not to the Christians) 13 he will guide you into all the truth…and he will declare to you the things that are to come. 14 He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. Explanation The Holy Spirit comes UPON Christians at Holy Spirit Baptism for enduement of power for ministry. Supporting Scriptures about the Holy Spirit UPON Luke 24:49; Acts 1:4-5,8; 2:4 After the Cross and just before He ascended, Jesus said, “And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high…he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.
The resurrected Jesus and the disciples.
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Acts 1: 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you… Acts 2: 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. (Then Peter preached an empowered sermon that saved 3,000!) The apostles administered salvation, water baptism, and baptism in the Holy Spirit to all new converts. Acts 8: 5 Philip went down to the city of Samaria and proclaimed to them the Christ. 12 But when they believed Philip…they were baptized, both men and women. 14 Now when the apostles…heard…they sent to them Peter and John, 15 who came down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit, 16 for he had not yet fallen on any of them... Acts 10:44-48 While Peter was still saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word. And the believers from among the circumcised who had come with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out even on the Gentiles. For they were hearing them speaking in tongues and extolling God. Then Peter declared, “Can anyone withhold water for baptizing these people, who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?” And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.
Peter freed from prison.
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The house of Cornelius was so hungry for God that when they heard how to receive Him, they did and were also baptized in the Holy Spirit. Afterwards, they were water baptized. Jesus, our example, did no miracles (e.g. The miracle of the water into wine at the marriage in Cana in John 2:1-11) until the Holy Spirit came upon Him. Luke 3:22 and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form, like a dove; 4:1 And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness… Jesus then quotes Isaiah 61:1-3, a Messianic prophecy, in the synagogue, claiming his ministry would prove Him to be the Messiah. (Luke 4:16-21) Explanation The Holy Spirit enables us to grow in the likeness of Christ, and consecrates us for God’s service. Supporting Scripture 1 Corinthians 3:16-17 Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you? If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him. For God's temple is holy, and you are that temple. Question: Can we fulfill His ministry on earth without the Holy Spirit upon us? John 14:12 “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father.”
Isaiah in the temple feels the presence of the Lord.
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5. Bible. Written over a period of 1500 years by over 40 divinely inspired authors, the Bible is the revelation of God’s work in history to fulfill His great promises to send a Savior into the human race and contains all things necessary for salvation. Explanation According to the Catechism found in the Book of Common Prayer, “The Holy Scriptures, commonly called the Bible, are the books of the Old and New Testaments. We call the Holy Scriptures the Word of God because God inspired their human authors and because God still speaks to us through the Bible. “We understand the meaning of the Bible by the help of the Holy Spirit, who guides the Church in the true interpretation of the Scriptures” (pp 853-4, BCP). The Articles of Religion states that “the Old Testament is not contrary to the New: for both in the Old and New Testament everlasting life is offered to Mankind by Christ, who is the only Mediator between God and Man, being both God and Man” (p 869, BCP). God’s Word in the Hebrew Scriptures are “filled fuller” in the New Testament. Every covenant promise (for example, Genesis 3:15; Genesis 12:3) will be completed. It will not return void! Supporting Scriptures Psalm 119:105, 160 – Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path…The sum of your word is truth, and every one of your righteous rules endures forever. Isaiah 55: 10-11 - For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it. II Timothy 3:16-17 - All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. Hebrews 4:12 - For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. John 17:17 – Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. Romans 10:17 – So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ. I Peter 1:12 – It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in the things that have now been announced to you through those who preached the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels long to look.
David sings the Psalms with lyre near the Ark of the Covenant.
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6. Salvation and Damnation. Salvation and Damnation are both real and eternal: No one is saved by good works but only by grace through genuine faith in Jesus Christ who died for sin and rose again; and the saved will spend eternity enjoying God in the new Heaven and Earth, while the lost will suffer eternal damnation with the devil. Explanation There is no such thing as universal salvation where everyone goes to heaven. There are only two paths: one leading to salvation and one to damnation described in both the Hebrew Scriptures and in the New Testament. Our Lord is a God of eternal holiness and justice. There are consequences to actions in God’s created order. He cannot reward sin. His creatures either choose their own ways, which are temporary and products of a deceived mind, or they repent and turn to Christ alone for their eternal reward. According to the Catechism found in the Book of Common Prayer, “Redemption is the act of God (Christ’s atonement on the cross) which sets us free from the power of evil, sin, and death.” (p. 849, BCP). The Articles of Religion XVIII and XXXI (p. 871, 874, BCP; and Acts 4:12) state that “For Holy Scripture doth set out unto us only the Name of Jesus Christ, whereby men must be saved,” and “the offering of Christ once made is that perfect redemption, propitiation, and satisfaction, for all the sins of the whole world, both original and actual; and there is no other satisfaction for sin, but that alone.” Supporting Scriptures Matthew 7:13-14 – Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few. Matthew 13:41-43 - The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all law-breakers, and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear. Ephesians 2:8-9 – For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. I John 2:25 - And this is the promise that he made to us—eternal life. Mark 9:43 - And if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than with two hands to go to hell, to the unquenchable fire. Romans 6:23 - For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. 1 John 1:9 - If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Acts 4:12 – And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men (the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth) by which we must be saved.
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Revelation 20:10-15 - …and the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever. Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. Explanation Christ alone, after He has come again in glory for all to see, is the final judge of both His sheep and the devil’s goats sorted to their fates as God’s re-created, resurrected, renewed order (the New Jerusalem) reigns forever at the end of time. Supporting Scripture 1 Corinthians 15:20, 23-24, 51-52 – But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed.
Timothy with a household being baptized.
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7. The Devil. The devil, Satan, is a powerful angel who rebelled against God in the beginning with a host of fallen angels, and now deceives and tempts the human race to serve him instead of God, until the end of time when he will be punished forever. Supporting Scriptures Jude 1:6 – And the angels who did not stay within their own position of authority, but left their proper dwelling, he has kept in eternal chains under gloomy darkness until the judgment of the great day… Matthew 25:41, 46 - Then he will say to those on his left, “Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.” And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life. John 10:10 - The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. 2 Corinthians 11:13-14 – For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. Revelation 20:10 – …and the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever. Isaiah 14:12-14 – How you are fallen from heaven, O Day Star, son of Dawn! How you are cut down to the ground, you who laid the nations low! You said in your heart, “I will ascend to heaven; above the stars of God I will set my throne on high; I will sit on the mount of assembly in the far reaches of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.” Ezekiel 28: 12-19 - You were the signet of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. You were in Eden, the garden of God...You were an anointed guardian cherub. I placed you; you were on the holy mountain of God; in the midst of the stones of fire you walked. You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created, till unrighteousness was found in you…you were filled with violence in your midst, and you sinned; so I cast you as a profane thing from the mountain of God, and I destroyed you, O guardian cherub…Your heart was proud because of your beauty; you corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor. I cast you to the ground; I exposed you before kings, to feast their eyes on you. By the multitude of your iniquities, in the unrighteousness of your trade you profaned your sanctuaries; so I brought fire out from your midst; it consumed you, and I turned you to ashes on the earth in the sight of all who saw you…you have come to a dreadful end and shall be no more forever.
The devil in the wilderness.
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Explanation In the Bible, the devil is often referred to by the name “Satan”. In Hebrew, the word Satan means “enemy”, and the Bible makes it clear that Satan is the enemy of both God and man. The devil is also called by many other names in the Bible: adversary, angel of the abyss, Beelzeebul, Belial, Abbadon, the destroyer, father of lies, great red dragon, murderer, serpent, power of darkness, ruler of this world, ruler of demons, tempter, evil one, and more. The devil is seen to watch over the affairs of humans and search out human weakness to exploit to his purposes (Job 1:6-12). He works in people to move them to lies (Ananias in Acts 5:3 is one example) or worse (Judas, to betray Jesus to his murderers in John 13:27). It is clear that there are evil spirits active in the world, often called demons. Satan rules over a kingdom of these evil spirits. (Eph. 2:2, 6:12) He is a powerful being, but his power is certainly not equal to the Lord’s. The beginning of Job’s story is one place where it is shown that Satan’s power is limited to that which God permits. During the days of Jesus’ earthly ministry, there are multiple examples of Jesus having sufficient power to beat Satan easily. (Matthew 4:1-11, The Tempting in the Wilderness) The Word of God-the Holy Scriptures, and the Word made flesh-Jesus Christ, alone give us the focus and power to resist Satan’s counterfeit truth claims. It is important to stay on the alert so as not to fall into any trap the devil might lay in order to oppose God’s plans in this world and for His people. Satan has designed all non-biblical faith systems to deceive mankind into counterfeit adoration away from the one true God of the Bible and Jesus Christ as Messiah. Christians who seek to follow the Lord ought to actively resist the devil. Supporting scripture Matthew 4:9 - And he (the devil) said to him (Jesus), “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” Colossians 2:20-23 – If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the world, why, as if you were still alive in the world, do you submit to regulations—“Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch” (referring to things that all perish as they are used)—according to human precepts and teachings? These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh. 1 Peter 5:8 - Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. James 4:7 - Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Colossians 2:14-15 - …by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him. We should respect the fact that this enemy exists and has power to fight, but we should remain secure in our trust in our all-powerful and loving Father God.
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Paul, far from this flock, prays while the multi-ethnic early Christians in Rome read aloud his Letter to the Romans.
Anglican Diocese of Pittsburgh Bible Worldview ©2012 by the Biblical Literacy Task Force Booklet designed by Fred Carlson Artwork by Fred Carlson ©2008 The Little Book of Hope
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Jesus heals Jairus’ daughter.
WHY AN AREA WITHIN the Biblical Literacy Mission for BIBLE WORLDVIEW? Anglican Christianity is a creedal faith where we affirm Biblical truths every Sunday. The creeds (Apostles, Nicene, Athanasian) are strictly descended from scripture. One would assume Christians affirming these creedal truths weekly would have a Biblical worldview, but 1) many don’t always understand what they are repeating, and 2) the creeds are meant to be a Christian statement of faith, and not necessarily an outline for thinking with a basic Bible Worldview. In fact, surveys show that over 90% of Americans don’t have a biblical worldview as measured against a mere handful of teachings--hence the need for a focused effort in this area as a part of of the effort to develop biblical literacy. (Barna surveys and the BLTF have pointed to huge gaps in our people’s biblical literacy that has pointed out the need for the BLTF ministry in the first place.) With Bible Worldview we offer a re-engagement of this area of ministry with seven (7) objective truths expressed in a single sentence that are culled from scripture to form a basic biblical worldview. These truths are not meant to replace the creeds which have a different purpose-reaffirming personal faith-but rather to be a concise aid to further help develop true biblical literacy. (In brief, we seek to strengthen the creedal lens on the scriptures we are encouraging our people to engage.) Several quick examples may help further explain the need for this category, Bible Worldview, in the development of biblical literacy. Fuzzy Thinking about God is a Problem (Universalism and Relativism Must Be Fought) Recently, a mature, long-time believer casually said to me (Jim) that Christians and Muslims worship the same God. But how can this be true when the God we Christians worship reveals Himself to be a Trinity of Persons—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, while Muslims adamantly claim that the Allah whom they worship is not a Trinity. To say we both worship the same Deity is to make our words and doctrines meaningless or trivial—and undercuts their importance to faith. Or else it implies that Muslims are too-benighted to know what they believe and we simply overlook their little ignorance.
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Our People Must Be Strengthened in Biblical Truths On another occasion, we were discussing the nature of God in a group of mature believers when the subject of His invisible nature came up. Almost every person there expressed the sincere belief that God has an actual body while at the same time being invisible, infinite, and omnipresent, and who were we to think otherwise— God can do anything. Needless to say, I was astounded! Some years ago after Easter, several of us were standing after service saying what a wonderful thing the Resurrection of Christ was and what hope it gave us. When I commented that He would be returning in a physical body, one of those standing there who had been a Christian and a leader for many years said, “You don’t really believe He has a physical body do you? Jesus is a spiritual being. He doesn’t have a body now. Again, I was amazed at such misunderstanding about the most basic of biblical truths among even well-established Christians, despite what they have heard and read for twenty or thirty years.
What Does Bible Worldview Ministry Look Like? While no one can be expected to know everything there is to know, certainly we should expect all believers should at least know the basic 7 major truths that form the basis of a Christian Bible Worldview. The goal of Bible Worldview is to provide a short list of seven one-sentence truths to master. Each one deals with a major truth of the Christian faith that can help to form a biblical worldview. If believers don’t understand the meaning of the words and terms they hear and read, what is the benefit or the point? We aim to provide some focused help in these seven most foundational areas. Each of the seven truths is further developed in short essays in addition to the scriptural citations. With Bible Worldview as one of the four cornerstones of biblical literacy (the other three are regular Bible reading, Bible memorization, and Bible knowledge), these seven basic truths are not meant to be creeds or statements of faith, or confessions, numbers of which already exist. For instance, the truths don’t deal with the Church or the sacraments. Nor are the truths the same thing as knowing about the Bible and the concept that it can be understood as a drama in six parts. These things come under our other general area, Bible Knowledge. But that is not the same thing as Bible Worldview and doesn’t serve the same purpose. The seven basic truths are meant to provide believers with a short list of the key building blocks for a clear biblical worldview as one reads scripture, hears sermons, and thinks and talks about life and faith with family and friends. This list is also now active on the BLTF section of the Anglican Diocese website as a Bible Worldview curriculum. www.pitanglican.org
Discipleship Follows Conversion. Finally, we note that The Great Commission calls for conversion and discipleship: “And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing themin the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you.” (Matthew 28:18-20 NRSV) Baptism in water and the Holy Spirit encompasses the conversion part of Christian ministry. Teaching to obey everything Jesus commands is the discipleship part and is to be found in the Bible. This discipleship ministry includes Bible reading, knowledge, memorization, and worldview as the basic building blocks for biblical literacy with the end goal of obedience to our Lord. Your BLTF servants: Jim, Fred, Gail, Gladys, Allie, Carol, Theresa
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Seven Basic Truths to Help Form a Biblical Worldview. 1. God. There is one true God, eternal, invisible, almighty, a holy Trinity of persons who reveals Himself through the creation He made, the Bible which He inspired, and His only Son Jesus Christ whom He sent into the world in love to save sinners. Gen.1:1, Exodus 20:1-3, I Tim.1:17, II Tim.3:16, John 3:16, 17:1-3 2. Human beings. Human beings were made in God’s image to have an eternal relationship with Him, as well as to have dominion over the earth; but having been corrupted by Satan and sin, they are all helplessly separated from God and in need of a Savior. Gen.1:26-28, Gen. 3:1-13 3. Jesus Christ. Fully God and fully man, Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world, the incarnate Son of God who lived a sinless human life, sacrificed His life to pay for our sins, rose bodily from the dead, ascended to heaven, and is coming again to judge the living and the dead and establish the Kingdom of God in all its fullness. Col.1:15-23, Heb. 1:1-3, John 3:16, 14:6, Acts 4:12, 2 Corinthians 5:21 4. Holy Spirit. The third person of the Trinity is the Holy Spirit, who is fully God, indwells and empowers Christ’s Church and all Christian believers, leads us to know the truth, and enables us to grow in the likeness of Christ. John 14: 16, 17, 26 comes within at Salvation for guidance, etc. Acts 1:4,5,8, Acts 2:4 comes upon at Holy Spirit Baptism for "enduement of power" 1 Corinthians 3:16-17 the spirit consecrates God’s people (His temple) 5. Bible. Written over 1500 years by over 40 divinely-inspired authors, the Bible is the revelation of God’s work in history to fulfill His great promises to send a Savior into the human race, and contains all things necessary for salvation. II Tim. 3: 16-17, Heb. 4: 12, John 17: 17, Romans 10:17, Psalm 119:105 6. Salvation and damnation. Salvation and Damnation are both real and eternal: No one is saved by good works but only by grace through genuine faith in Jesus Christ who died for sin and rose again; and they will spend eternity enjoying God in the new Heaven and Earth, while the lost will suffer eternal damnation with the devil. Eph. 2:8-9, I John 2: 25, Mark 9: 43, Romans 6:23 7. The devil. The devil, Satan, is a powerful angel who rebelled against God in the beginning with a host of fallen angels, and who now deceives and tempts the human race to serve him instead of God, until the end of time when he will be punished forever. Jude 6, Matthew 25:41, 46, John 10: 10, 2 Corinthians 11:13-14, Rev. 20: 10
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1. God. There is one true God, eternal, invisible, almighty, a holy Trinity of persons who reveals Himself through the creation He made, the Bible which He inspired by the Holy Spirit, and His only Son Jesus Christ whom He sent into the world in love to save sinners. Explanation According to the Articles of Religion in the Book of Common Prayer, there is but one living and true God, everlasting, without body parts or passions, of infinite power, wisdom and goodness, the Maker and Preserver of all things, both visible and invisible. And in unity of this Godhead, there are three persons of one substance, power and eternity, The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (pg. 867 BCP). God existed before the earth was formed. He created heaven and earth, all things seen and unseen (Catechism, pg. 846 BCP). He is the picture of perfect holiness and justice and all human beings fall short of His perfection. He reveals Himself through His creation, the Bible and His Son. Supporting Scriptures Genesis 1:1 – In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Exodus 20: 1-3 – And God spoke all these words: “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. You shall have no other gods before me.” Isaiah 6:3 – Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory. 1st Timothy 1:17 – Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen. 2nd Timothy 3:16-17 – All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. John 3:16 – For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 17:1-3 – After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed: “Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him. Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.” Revelation 4: 8b, 11 – Holy, holy, holy, the Lord God the Almighty, who was and is and is to come. You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.
Mary and the infant Jesus.
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2. Human Beings. Human beings were made in God’s image to have an eternal relationship with Him as well as to have dominion over the earth; but having been corrupted by Satan and sin, they are all helplessly separated from God and in need of a Savior. Supporting Scriptures Genesis 1:26, 28 – Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness... And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” Genesis 3: 1-4, 6, 8, 11, 13 – And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden’?” And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’” But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die.” So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” Then the LORD God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.” Explanation According to the Catechism found in the Book of Common Prayer: To be created in the image of God means that we “…are free to make choices: to love, to create, to reason, and to live in harmony with creation and with God. From the beginning, human beings have misused their freedom and made wrong choices.” (p.846, BCP) Supporting Scriptures Romans 3:23 - for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Matthew 15: 10-11, 17-20 – And he called the people to him and said to them, “Hear and understand: it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth; this defiles a person. Do you not see that whatever goes into the mouth passes into the stomach and is expelled? But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. These are what defile a person.” 1 Thessalonians 5:9 – For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. John 14:6 - Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” Concluding Statement Our salvation is only through Jesus Christ, our Savior.
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3. Jesus Christ. Fully God and fully man, Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world, the incarnate Son of God who lived a sinless human life, sacrificed His life to pay for our sins, rose bodily from the dead, ascended to heaven, and is coming again to judge the living and the dead and establish the Kingdom of God in all its fullness. Explanation Scripture teaches us that Jesus Christ is the eternal only begotten Son of God, the second person of the Trinity who was with the Father and the Holy Spirit before creation. In the fullness of time, He then took upon Himself our human nature in the womb of Mary so He could fulfill the promises of God to send a Savior into the world to save lost sinners from judgment. Being fully God and being born without a fallen human nature through the agency of the Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ was the perfect God/Man. This meant He was able to obey all the Jewish law and live a sinless human life so He might be offered as a perfect sacrifice for the sins of the world. Then as scripture says, Jesus died on the cross, rose bodily from the grave on the third day, was seen alive by the disciples and hundreds of witnesses, and then ascended to heaven to be enthroned at the right hand of the Father and given all authority in heaven and earth. This same Jesus Christ is now Lord of Lords and King of Kings who will return at the end of time to judge the living and the dead. Supporting Scriptures John 8:58 – Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.” Galatians 4:4-5 – But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. Genesis 3:15 – “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.” John 3:16 – For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. Galatians 3:16 – Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring. It does not say, “And to offsprings,” referring to many, but referring to one, “And to your offspring,” who is Christ. Matthew 5:17 – “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.” John 8:46 – “Which one of you convicts me of sin? If I tell the truth, why do you not believe me?” 2 Corinthians 5:21 – For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. Romans 4:24-25 – It will be counted to us who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification.
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Matthew 28:18-20 – And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.” Acts 1: 9 – And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. Revelation 19:16 – On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords. Other Citations Showing Fulfillment of God’s Promise Genesis 12:1-3, 7; 13:15-16; 24:7 Matthew 24:30-31 John 1:1-2, 14, 18 Romans 3:23-26 1 Corinthians 15:3-7 Galatians 3:13-14 Philippians 2:8-11 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 Explanation Then, at last, the Kingdom of God will come in all its fullness and perfection with the new Heaven and new Earth and the New Jerusalem where the redeemed believers will dwell forever with God and the Lord Jesus who will be their light. Supporting Scriptures Revelation 20:11-15 – Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. Revelation 21:1-7, 22-23; 22:5 – Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away. And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” And he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son.”
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4. Holy Spirit. The third person of the Trinity is the Holy Spirit, who is fully God, indwells and empowers Christ’s Church and all Christian believers for miraculous ministry, leads us to deepen in the truth, and enables us to grow in the likeness of Christ. Explanation The Holy Spirit is the Worker of the Trinity throughout the Bible. This is written to Christians today to clarify the work of the Holy Spirit from within. The Holy Spirit comes WITHIN at Salvation at which time our spirit bears witness with the Holy Spirit that we are children of God. Supporting Scriptures about the Holy Spirit WITHIN John 14: 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, 17 …the Spirit of truth…will be in you 26 he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. John 15: 26 he will bear witness about me (Jesus). John 16: 8 he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: (notice this is to the world, not to the Christians) 13 he will guide you into all the truth…and he will declare to you the things that are to come. 14 He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. Explanation The Holy Spirit comes UPON Christians at Holy Spirit Baptism for enduement of power for ministry. Supporting Scriptures about the Holy Spirit UPON Luke 24:49; Acts 1:4-5,8; 2:4 After the Cross and just before He ascended, Jesus said, “And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high…he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.
The resurrected Jesus and the disciples.
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Acts 1: 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you… Acts 2: 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. (Then Peter preached an empowered sermon that saved 3,000!) The apostles administered salvation, water baptism, and baptism in the Holy Spirit to all new converts. Acts 8: 5 Philip went down to the city of Samaria and proclaimed to them the Christ. 12 But when they believed Philip…they were baptized, both men and women. 14 Now when the apostles…heard…they sent to them Peter and John, 15 who came down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit, 16 for he had not yet fallen on any of them... Acts 10:44-48 While Peter was still saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word. And the believers from among the circumcised who had come with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out even on the Gentiles. For they were hearing them speaking in tongues and extolling God. Then Peter declared, “Can anyone withhold water for baptizing these people, who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?” And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.
Peter freed from prison.
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The house of Cornelius was so hungry for God that when they heard how to receive Him, they did and were also baptized in the Holy Spirit. Afterwards, they were water baptized. Jesus, our example, did no miracles (e.g. The miracle of the water into wine at the marriage in Cana in John 2:1-11) until the Holy Spirit came upon Him. Luke 3:22 and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form, like a dove; 4:1 And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness… Jesus then quotes Isaiah 61:1-3, a Messianic prophecy, in the synagogue, claiming his ministry would prove Him to be the Messiah. (Luke 4:16-21) Explanation The Holy Spirit enables us to grow in the likeness of Christ, and consecrates us for God’s service. Supporting Scripture 1 Corinthians 3:16-17 Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you? If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him. For God's temple is holy, and you are that temple. Question: Can we fulfill His ministry on earth without the Holy Spirit upon us? John 14:12 “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father.”
Isaiah in the temple feels the presence of the Lord.
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5. Bible. Written over a period of 1500 years by over 40 divinely inspired authors, the Bible is the revelation of God’s work in history to fulfill His great promises to send a Savior into the human race and contains all things necessary for salvation. Explanation According to the Catechism found in the Book of Common Prayer, “The Holy Scriptures, commonly called the Bible, are the books of the Old and New Testaments. We call the Holy Scriptures the Word of God because God inspired their human authors and because God still speaks to us through the Bible. “We understand the meaning of the Bible by the help of the Holy Spirit, who guides the Church in the true interpretation of the Scriptures” (pp 853-4, BCP). The Articles of Religion states that “the Old Testament is not contrary to the New: for both in the Old and New Testament everlasting life is offered to Mankind by Christ, who is the only Mediator between God and Man, being both God and Man” (p 869, BCP). God’s Word in the Hebrew Scriptures are “filled fuller” in the New Testament. Every covenant promise (for example, Genesis 3:15; Genesis 12:3) will be completed. It will not return void! Supporting Scriptures Psalm 119:105, 160 – Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path…The sum of your word is truth, and every one of your righteous rules endures forever. Isaiah 55: 10-11 - For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it. II Timothy 3:16-17 - All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. Hebrews 4:12 - For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. John 17:17 – Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. Romans 10:17 – So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ. I Peter 1:12 – It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in the things that have now been announced to you through those who preached the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels long to look.
David sings the Psalms with lyre near the Ark of the Covenant.
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6. Salvation and Damnation. Salvation and Damnation are both real and eternal: No one is saved by good works but only by grace through genuine faith in Jesus Christ who died for sin and rose again; and the saved will spend eternity enjoying God in the new Heaven and Earth, while the lost will suffer eternal damnation with the devil. Explanation There is no such thing as universal salvation where everyone goes to heaven. There are only two paths: one leading to salvation and one to damnation described in both the Hebrew Scriptures and in the New Testament. Our Lord is a God of eternal holiness and justice. There are consequences to actions in God’s created order. He cannot reward sin. His creatures either choose their own ways, which are temporary and products of a deceived mind, or they repent and turn to Christ alone for their eternal reward. According to the Catechism found in the Book of Common Prayer, “Redemption is the act of God (Christ’s atonement on the cross) which sets us free from the power of evil, sin, and death.” (p. 849, BCP). The Articles of Religion XVIII and XXXI (p. 871, 874, BCP; and Acts 4:12) state that “For Holy Scripture doth set out unto us only the Name of Jesus Christ, whereby men must be saved,” and “the offering of Christ once made is that perfect redemption, propitiation, and satisfaction, for all the sins of the whole world, both original and actual; and there is no other satisfaction for sin, but that alone.” Supporting Scriptures Matthew 7:13-14 – Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few. Matthew 13:41-43 - The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all law-breakers, and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear. Ephesians 2:8-9 – For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. I John 2:25 - And this is the promise that he made to us—eternal life. Mark 9:43 - And if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than with two hands to go to hell, to the unquenchable fire. Romans 6:23 - For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. 1 John 1:9 - If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Acts 4:12 – And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men (the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth) by which we must be saved.
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Revelation 20:10-15 - …and the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever. Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. Explanation Christ alone, after He has come again in glory for all to see, is the final judge of both His sheep and the devil’s goats sorted to their fates as God’s re-created, resurrected, renewed order (the New Jerusalem) reigns forever at the end of time. Supporting Scripture 1 Corinthians 15:20, 23-24, 51-52 – But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed.
Timothy with a household being baptized.
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7. The Devil. The devil, Satan, is a powerful angel who rebelled against God in the beginning with a host of fallen angels, and now deceives and tempts the human race to serve him instead of God, until the end of time when he will be punished forever. Supporting Scriptures Jude 1:6 – And the angels who did not stay within their own position of authority, but left their proper dwelling, he has kept in eternal chains under gloomy darkness until the judgment of the great day… Matthew 25:41, 46 - Then he will say to those on his left, “Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.” And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life. John 10:10 - The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. 2 Corinthians 11:13-14 – For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. Revelation 20:10 – …and the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever. Isaiah 14:12-14 – How you are fallen from heaven, O Day Star, son of Dawn! How you are cut down to the ground, you who laid the nations low! You said in your heart, “I will ascend to heaven; above the stars of God I will set my throne on high; I will sit on the mount of assembly in the far reaches of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.” Ezekiel 28: 12-19 - You were the signet of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. You were in Eden, the garden of God...You were an anointed guardian cherub. I placed you; you were on the holy mountain of God; in the midst of the stones of fire you walked. You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created, till unrighteousness was found in you…you were filled with violence in your midst, and you sinned; so I cast you as a profane thing from the mountain of God, and I destroyed you, O guardian cherub…Your heart was proud because of your beauty; you corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor. I cast you to the ground; I exposed you before kings, to feast their eyes on you. By the multitude of your iniquities, in the unrighteousness of your trade you profaned your sanctuaries; so I brought fire out from your midst; it consumed you, and I turned you to ashes on the earth in the sight of all who saw you…you have come to a dreadful end and shall be no more forever.
The devil in the wilderness.
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Explanation In the Bible, the devil is often referred to by the name “Satan”. In Hebrew, the word Satan means “enemy”, and the Bible makes it clear that Satan is the enemy of both God and man. The devil is also called by many other names in the Bible: adversary, angel of the abyss, Beelzeebul, Belial, Abbadon, the destroyer, father of lies, great red dragon, murderer, serpent, power of darkness, ruler of this world, ruler of demons, tempter, evil one, and more. The devil is seen to watch over the affairs of humans and search out human weakness to exploit to his purposes (Job 1:6-12). He works in people to move them to lies (Ananias in Acts 5:3 is one example) or worse (Judas, to betray Jesus to his murderers in John 13:27). It is clear that there are evil spirits active in the world, often called demons. Satan rules over a kingdom of these evil spirits. (Eph. 2:2, 6:12) He is a powerful being, but his power is certainly not equal to the Lord’s. The beginning of Job’s story is one place where it is shown that Satan’s power is limited to that which God permits. During the days of Jesus’ earthly ministry, there are multiple examples of Jesus having sufficient power to beat Satan easily. (Matthew 4:1-11, The Tempting in the Wilderness) The Word of God-the Holy Scriptures, and the Word made flesh-Jesus Christ, alone give us the focus and power to resist Satan’s counterfeit truth claims. It is important to stay on the alert so as not to fall into any trap the devil might lay in order to oppose God’s plans in this world and for His people. Satan has designed all non-biblical faith systems to deceive mankind into counterfeit adoration away from the one true God of the Bible and Jesus Christ as Messiah. Christians who seek to follow the Lord ought to actively resist the devil. Supporting scripture Matthew 4:9 - And he (the devil) said to him (Jesus), “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” Colossians 2:20-23 – If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the world, why, as if you were still alive in the world, do you submit to regulations—“Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch” (referring to things that all perish as they are used)—according to human precepts and teachings? These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh. 1 Peter 5:8 - Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. James 4:7 - Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Colossians 2:14-15 - …by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him. We should respect the fact that this enemy exists and has power to fight, but we should remain secure in our trust in our all-powerful and loving Father God.
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Paul, far from this flock, prays while the multi-ethnic early Christians in Rome read aloud his Letter to the Romans.
Anglican Diocese of Pittsburgh Bible Worldview ©2012 by the Biblical Literacy Task Force Booklet designed by Fred Carlson Artwork by Fred Carlson ©2008 The Little Book of Hope
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