Open Line with Dr. Michael RydelnikThis weekend on Open Line with Dr. Michael Rydelnik, we hope you'll join us for our Bible study across the airwaves. Bring your questions about the Scriptures and we'll examine the Word together.
Hello friends. It's time for the second hour of Open Line doctor Michael Ray Dolan. Moody radio is a Bible study across America where we're talking about your questions about the Bible, God, and the spiritual life. My name is Michael Redlich. I'm academic dean and professor of Jewish studies and Bible at Moody Bible Institute, and we're live today sitting around the radio kitchen table taking your questions. Now's the time to give me a call. The phone number (877) 548-3675. That's (877) 548-3675. If you can't call or you can't get through, just go to our website, Open line radio org click on Ask Michael a question. You can leave your question there. I hope you have your Bibles open. I hope you have a second cup of coffee, because I always need a second one, because we're ready to talk about the scriptures and we're going to talk to Maria in Lakeland, Florida, listening on WLKY's. Welcome to Open Line. Maria. How can I help you today?
Well I have a question about David and Saul. When David had the evil spirit of the Lord come upon him and he had the headaches he had, I'm sorry. When Saul had um, he had David come and play his harp for him, and he knew him well. But yet when David slew Goliath, Saul didn't recognize him, and he had known him well. And David was still a young man. So I just don't know how he didn't recognize him.
Well, you know, you know how kings are. They're just so self-absorbed. They don't know anybody. You know, they can't remember. I don't I'm just teasing. I'm pulling your leg. Uh, I believe what the answer is. And there are lots. That's one of the issues that people find is to be critical of the Bible. The presumption that people have is that everything written in the historical books was written in chronological order. But I don't believe they were. They were things like that other passage where David is playing the harp. That's after David had already. Uh, slain Goliath. But the author of, uh, first Samuel, in my opinion, put that in to introduce us to David and his gifting. But then, uh, what happens is in chapter 15, you've got the rejection of Saul. Uh, chapter 16. Uh, you have the anointing of David, and then chapter 17. You've got, you know, Saul is rejected in chapter 15 because he doesn't have God's heart, right? He doesn't care.
Right?
And then chapter 16, David, he's the last one. He's out in the field. All the brothers are bigger and taller and handsomer. But no, uh, he's the one because he's the one after God's own heart. And and so people want to say, well, when you're reading it, you say, well, what makes David so special? Then you get chapter 17. He cared more about honoring God. Then he cared about his own safety or security. That's. And so that shows us that in the context there, it shows this is the person who has God's heart. That's the one. That's why he was chosen. Not because he was the oldest, the biggest. You know, it's because of his heart. Because man looks at the outward appearance. Uh, chapter 16 says God looks at the heart. Uh. It's okay. And so that's the sequence there. But I don't believe that it's always put in chronological order. It's the way the Bible is written in historical books. It follows a basic chronology, but it's more thematic than it is, uh, chronological.
Okay. Okay. Well, that answers that.
Yeah. Good. I'm glad. By the way, don't you think that's, you know, so often when we study David and Goliath, you know how people teach it. They'll say, oh, how do we overcome the the. The Giants in our life, right? And it seems to me a better lesson from that is who asks the question who does God choose to use? And the answer is God chose David because he had God's heart. He had a heart. For God put God first. He you know, he said, who is it that he taunts the armies of the living God? He was concerned that that Goliath and the Philistines didn't honor God, and David was willing to put his own life on the line, to put God first and honor him with everything. I think when people say, well, how do I know God will use me? Let's be like David. Put God first, put him, put his honor as our utmost concern, honoring God above all. Don't you think that's a yes? That's a better way.
Agree 100%. Yes.
Yeah. So yeah, I love that passage. One of my favorite passages. I love going to Israel and standing in the Valley of Elah and teaching. First Samuel 17. I just love it. So anyway, thanks so much for your call. Uh, Maria would, uh, call again any time. Okay, thanks. Thank you. Uh, we're going to speak next with Norm in Zeeland, Michigan. WGN b welcome to Open Line, Norm.
Thank you. Um, I just had a quick question about when I pray with other people, quite often I hear them say, we bind Satan. And I'm like, where do they get that in Scripture that we can bind Satan?
Uh, well. There's, uh, in Matthew. Let's see. Uh, wait a second. Matthew 12, I think.
Okay.
I'm trying to. You guys. I'm trying to pull up the passage. I think it's a parable that people base it on. And, uh, by the way, I never do that. I don't bind. Satan. I trust God to me. Yeah. Me too. Uh. This is in Matthew 12. If you if I drive out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come to you. How can someone enter a strong man's house and steal his possessions? Unless he first ties up the strong man, then he can rob his house. Anyone who is not with me is against me. So, uh. What what that's about is, uh, people take that to mean that we have to bind Satan first. Uh, bind the strongman before we can have God answer our prayers. And I just don't think that that's what that's saying. He's using an illustration about the rejection, uh, that he had there. Uh, so I don't think he's calling on us to bind Satan. Uh, that's that's just, uh, it's sort of an illustration. Uh, here's here's what someone once said, uh. By driving out demons. He was proving he was greater than Satan. He was able to go into Satan's realm, the strong man's house, and, uh, come away with victory. Uh, in that way, institute the kingdom of God. So, uh, basically what he is saying is I'm not casting out demons by Satan's power. I'm casting out demons on my own power. And I have bound Satan, the strongman, so I could do whatever I wish. That's what he's talking about. The one who binds the enemy, not us. Not through our prayers, but the Lord Jesus. He's the one that does that.
Okay. Thank you.
Okay, great. Uh, by the way, I don't think it's wrong because the Lord Jesus is the one that binds. But nevertheless, I don't think that's something that's essential. So, uh, thanks for your question, Norm. We're going to talk with Kristen in Dayton, Ohio, listening on Wfg. Welcome to Open Line. Kristen, how can I help you?
Thank you. Hi. Um, I was wondering, I had a question about the Millennial Kingdom. I just, um, wanted to understand, how are we going to coexist with. So we're in our glorified bodies, from what I understand. And Jesus is there and he's holy. How are we going to coexist with the people who are still in their sinful nature state, um, when Satan comes to deceive them?
How? Well, uh, let me just put it this way. The Lord Jesus came to earth after the resurrection, right? And he was in his glorified body. And yet he was able to interact with people who are not yet glorified. Right. So I don't think. I don't think that'll be all. It's not that an impossibility? Uh, there will be people entering the kingdom who are not yet glorified. Think about this. At the return of the Lord Jesus. He comes and delivers Israel when they have believed in him, so they are believers. And he delivers Israel and they enter the kingdom. But they have not yet been resurrected or translated or made glory glorified. Right? So they're going to be believers who enter the kingdom from the people of Israel, right? At the Second Coming. They enter the Kingdom. They are not yet glorified. Also after the judgment of the sheep and the goats, the judgment of the Gentile nations. That's what that is at the Second Coming, when the Lord Jesus returns, he's going to judge the nations, and the sheep will enter the kingdom. The those who are believers will will enter the kingdom, and they will not yet have been glorified. So for the thousand year reign, there's will be there. Obviously, those of us who have been, uh, you know, either translated or resurrected will be there, but also there'll be believers who have not yet been glorified. They will marry, they will have children. And when they marry and have children, their children will have to trust the Lord to. They will have to become believers in the Messianic kingdom, and some of them will, and some of them won't. And they are the ones that will have the rebellion at the end of days, at the end of the millennium that's spoken of in revelation 20, when Satan is released and he deceives the nations once more, and there's one last rebellion, and then the new heavens and the new earth, so I hope, does that explain it for you? Is that what.
You.
It's probably. Yes. Thank you.
Yeah. Uh, it's hard for us to grasp that. Yeah, it's hard for us to. I'll tell you what's hard for me to believe. That there will be people born in the millennium who will live under the rulership, the just wonderful rulership of the Lord Jesus and still not put their trust in him. Isn't that amazing? It's the heart.
Of. Yeah.
Yeah, the heart of man is amazing. Uh. And, uh. Yeah, it's it's it's it's heartbreaking when I think about that. So, anyway, uh, thanks for your question, Kristen. Uh, we're going to take a break here. Come back with more of your questions. You can always call (877) 548-3675. We're going to come back with, uh, questions about the Bible, God and the spiritual life. Stay with us. This is Michael Ray Jelinek on Open Line. Welcome back to Open Line. I'm Michael Ray Dolnick. I'm so glad that you're listening today. I'm so grateful for, uh, our kitchen table partners. I want to say, you know, I'm grateful for every listener. I'm grateful for everyone that says they listen regularly. But I especially appreciate even more our kitchen table partners. They're the folks that say, I care about this program so much, I want to keep it on the air. I'm going to commit to a monthly gift. Uh, we're really looking, uh, by the way, to, uh, my friend William Washington from Moody Bible and CDs are our dean of student life. He's the one who said, you gotta double that number. I said, well, I can't. It's our listeners that can do that. And he said, well, remind them that we need to do that so that we can really firm up open line and make sure that we keep ministering to people and having their Bible questions answered in their their spiritual life. Questions answered. If you would like to become a partner with us, that's the way to do it. Become a kitchen table partner. You can commit, and when you do, uh, you're helping expand and and help this broadcast. I really, really do appreciate it. The way to do it is go to our website, Open Line Radio org. There's a link there about how to become a kitchen table partner. And also you can call (888) 644-7122. And by the way, when you become a kitchen table partner I will send you every other week a Bible study moment, which is a little mini Bible study, an audio Bible study. You click on it and your email, and we'll spend a 5 or 7 minutes in the word every other week together. I'd really appreciate it if you do it. I thank you so much, all of you who have become kitchen table partners, and especially those of you who are considering to do it as well. Uh, I did want to say to, you know, we're coming to the rapid season. When we need students who want to come to Moody for the fall, now's the time to really start applying. We've got opportunities for people to come and and look at the school all semester. We've got, uh, great opportunities, uh, to come to Moody. And here's the most amazing thing about coming to being a residence student in Chicago, living in the dorms, which is a great way to study, but that's all you'll pay for is room and board. Uh, everyone else gets a full tuition scholarship. Uh, students pay room, board and, uh, special fees for classes, but that's it. Otherwise, it's, uh, room and board and fees and otherwise, no tuition. It's it's how I was able to afford to go to college at Moody. It's our Tricia McMillan, our producer. She was able to afford it. We're really grateful for what the friends of the institute have done. And so if you're interested in a great biblical foundation for life and, uh, also a very, very helpful financial, uh, uh, package to get everyone into school here that can that can do the work. We're really grateful for them. So what you do is check out moody.edu. I hope you'll come visit Moody. I hope you'll apply, uh, if you if you're, uh, uh, if you have a son, daughter, grandson, granddaughter, uh, that you think would benefit from that, please tell them about, uh, Moody Edu, check out Moody Bible Institute. We're going to talk to Jim in Oakbrook, Illinois, listening on Wbai, our flagship station. Welcome to Open Line. Jim. How can I help you?
Good morning, Michael. I'm so happy to be on your show here to have you to ask this perplexing question. It's, well, perplexing, a little strange. How about just a curious question in Exodus 2515 and Exodus 37 five, God gave very specific instructions to Moses that the carrying poles for the Ark of the covenant should always remain in place. When God says always, we understand that he means what he says. And we're reminded repeatedly in Scripture the importance of being of obeying God's instructions. Precisely. I don't ever recall reading that God said, you may remove the poles when the ark is finally in place inside the Holy of Holies. I took this divine instruction to be similar to his instructions. Um uh, when he said that bread is to be baked without yeast, so that, like the ark, it be ready to go and it's time to quickly leave. And that he also added the added benefit of the poles of preventing anyone from ever touching the ark directly. Yet. Um, I read in just this morning, as a matter of fact, to remind me of this question that I've had before in numbers chapter four and verse six, the heights which we read were in Scripture, where the vision of the tribe of Levi, in charge of the logistical packing up and moving of the tabernacle when the camp moves, are instructed to put the carrying poles of the ark in place in preparation to move the ark. Now, per God's original standing instruction in Exodus, shouldn't those polls have already been inserted through the golden rings and have been in place to begin with?
Well, I think, uh, when you read Exodus 25, where it says, uh, the poles are to remain in the rings of the Ark, they must not be removed from it. I think that's talking about when they move it in the context that's talking about moving the ark.
Uh, okay.
And so always when you move it, keep the poles in the ark, it doesn't mean when it comes standing that the poles can't be taken out. So the Ark of the covenant is always to have, uh, the poles when it's moved. And then when you're going to move it, it's the coincides who put them in, because it's always supposed to have poles when you move the ark, that's what it's referring to. Okay, okay.
And then that that kind of brings to mind, uh, just a follow up to that, uh, in chapter, uh, in second Samuel, in chapter six, when we when we hear about, uh, the unfortunate passing of us, who was the, um, who was apparently on the team to move the ark on its procession back to Jerusalem, that he, uh, there was a misstep by the oxen and the cart became unsteady or something, and he quickly reached to, uh, touch the, uh, um, the ark and, uh, the God struck it was a dead on the spot for touching it directly that, uh, I'm thinking, had the poles been in place, he could have grabbed those poles.
Well, here's the thing. They were looking for ease. They put it on a cart instead of carrying it on a pole on poles. And, uh, I think Uzzah had the right. He didn't want the ark to fall, but they were treating it, uh, like a talisman or or something. That was, uh, a good luck charm. That's how they were treating it. And they needed to treat it as holy and follow God's rules about that. And I think this was a very clear way that God was saying, uh, do not take lightly the directions I've given you about how to move the ark. So don't look for your ease. Look for your obedience. Okay? Hey, thanks for your call. Really appreciate it. We're going to talk with, uh. Acting in Greenville, South Carolina, listening on FCM or on the app. Welcome to Open Line. How can I help you?
Yes, doctor Robinette, thank you so much for taking my call. I love your show and thank you to you and your team for all you do. Thank you. Um, I, I have a I have a question, um, about Luke 1711 through 19 when Lord Jesus healed the ten lepers. Um, he the text said that he looked at them and told them to go show themselves to the priest. So they went on their way, and while on their way they were healed. So that act of going was that faith or was that obedience, or was it both? Um, I'm just a little I just want to try to understand that part a little bit better.
The Lord Jesus said, go, uh, and show yourself and they they could see it themselves that they were not yet healed. So they went, believing that he would heal them. But they they started to obey him. Even though he had not healed them, and only once they started. It's sort of like when Moses steps into the water. Uh, that's when the Red sea parts. Uh, so that's what happened. I believe that would be that's what we would call in Scripture the obedience of faith. Okay. Okay. It's just like. It's like, uh, Abraham said to the men who were with him when he took Ishmael. Ishmael. I'm sorry I got that wrong. Uh, Isaac to be bound. He said, uh. Uh, the boy and I will return to you. Well, that meant that he was going to obey God about sacrificing his son, but he believed God would raise him from the dead. So, uh, so he was doing the obedience of faith, and and that's what was happening here with the ten lepers. The amazing thing is, only one came back to say thank you.
I know.
And he was a Samaritan. Uh. That's the. An outcast one that was hateful and hated. You know, the Samaritans hated the Jewish people. Uh, there had been a long history of tension between Samaritans and Jewish people. And so that that'd be like, uh, the outcast person, the dangerous person coming back and and saying, thank you. So that's that's pretty amazing story. It's true. It was amazing.
Yes. Really amazing. Yes. Yeah. Okay. Thank you so much. Thanks for playing that for me. Thank you so much. God bless you.
Thanks for calling. Okay. We're going to talk with Carol in Cleveland listening on WKF. Welcome to Open Line. Carol, how can I help you? Thank you.
So much. Um, I have a question regarding Isaiah 45 three where it says, I will give you the treasures of darkness and the hidden riches of secret places, that you may know that I, the Lord, who call you by name, and the God of Israel. Um, what is meant by the secrets of darkness? I mean the secrets of the quiet places and the riches of darkness.
Oh, my. Uh. I don't believe it's anything evil. If that's what you're asking. Uh.
No. I'm just. I'm. I've been thinking about this, and I couldn't find it in a commentary. Um, it refers to other verses that mention darkness and secrets, but it doesn't really specifically say what this refers to. Mhm. Now, does that mean, you know, if you're walking in sin and the Lord reveals something to you, is that the treasures of darkness, that the light shines brightest in the darkest places? Or I'm just questioning. No.
Well, here's, uh, I will give you hidden treasures, riches stashed away in secret places. So that's just talking about, uh. That God's going to give the faithful remnant. Uh, secret treasures. Treasures that no one else knows about. That's all. It's. It's sort of a metaphor for God's going to give you things that that no one, uh, knows about. I'll give you wonderful treasures that are hidden in dark places. Riches that no one knows about. Uh, and it's talking about that God's really going to bless them with things that they're not even aware of. That's what I think that's talking about.
Bye to Gentiles. Pardon me. Can this be applied to Gentiles as well, or is this strictly applied to Jewish believers?
Well, I think that well, this then it was talking about the remnant of Israel. That's the direct meaning. But I do believe that God gives special blessing to anyone that has, uh, turned to him. And there's treasures that no one knows about that we get the benefit of that are hidden and secret and spiritual blessings that, uh, it says in Ephesians one that believers get every spiritual blessing, right. Uh, the in the heavenlies. And so those are things that I think that's the kind of thing it's talking about there. Okay.
All right. Thanks for clarifying that.
Yeah. So yeah. By the way, isn't that amazing? We have every spiritual blessing in the heavenlies, secret places, things that people don't know about. Uh, sometimes I think we're not even aware of it. Maybe we better read Ephesians a lot more and and see all the great gifts that God gives us that are hidden from others. Hey, thanks for your call, Carol. We're going to come back with the mailbag in just a bit. The FBC mailbag. Tricia McMillan is chomping at the bit to get in here, so we'll let her in. This is open line with Michael Ray. Don't like. We're back. It's time for the f e b c mailbag. I'm so grateful for for Far Eastern Broadcasting Company, which partners with Open Line. They bring us the they they support and partner with us, uh, so that we can bring you the fab C mailbag and you can write to us. You just go to our website, Open Line Radio org, click on the link that says Ask Michael a question and Trish puts them together. And we'll take those questions and answer them on the air every week. Grateful for fab C and all they're doing to reach people in unreached places with the Far East Broadcasting Company, check out fab Korg. They've got a terrific, uh, podcast called Until All Have Heard that features editor Canon Wayne Shepherd. You'll love it. So check it out. Go to fab BC dawg. And, uh, Trish is here with the mailbag. Okay. Okay. Uh, I'm all set. Ready to go? Yes.
Okay, okay. Our first question is from Mary in Georgia. Listens to Wlp and says if you if she wants to begin taking biblical courses with a goal eventually towards a degree which is unknown right now, what basic courses would be would you suggest to start? And she's been listening for 15 years. Oh great program. Yeah.
Well well, well not to this program for 15 years, but something like this. Yeah. Yeah. Because we've been on almost 13, right?
No.
Uh, 12, 12, 12 years isn't it.
Yeah. It'll be 12 in April.
Yeah. 12 in April. Okay. Uh, and you've been with Open Line. Not quite that long. No. Like ten years.
About something like that. No, eight. Amazing. Eight.
Eight years.
Eight years. Yeah.
And you look exactly the same. I got to tell you.
You were kind to say so.
It's true. It's true. So anyway, uh, here's what I would say. First of all, start studying the Bible now. Don't have to go to school. Uh, I think that's a great thing to do. Also, we've got terrific moody online courses that a person could take. Uh, and I'll mention a couple of good ones that to start with, depending on a person doing a graduate or undergraduate degree, they're both available for both, uh, graduate or undergraduate, and they can apply to a later degree that you decide to take. Uh, but I want to encourage this, that get our Bible study resource for this month. That's a great place to start before you even take a course, you can. Uh, our current resource was based on a course I took in seminary. Uh, Prof. Howard Hendricks taught every Dallas seminary student Bible study methods. He was a master teacher. He opened our minds. He showed us how not only how great and fun it was to study the Bible, but also he made it a lot of fun. But it also gave us a really good instruction on how to get more out of the scriptures. And so I would say, uh, start with getting a copy of living by the Book by Howard Hendricks. That's a wonderful book. He committed that course Bible Study Methods to Writing. It's called living by the book. And by the way, we'd love to send, uh, people copies of a copy of living by the book. The way to do that is give a gift of any amount, and we'll send you living by the book just to say thank you. Uh, give a gift of any size. And that's what we'll send you. If you'd like to do that, go to Open Line Radio org or call (888) 644-7122. Now I'm going to see if you agree with me about what courses you should start with.
Okay.
Because you, you went to Moody Bible Institute and Moody Graduate school.
Right I did yes.
I think everyone should take Old Testament survey, New Testament survey to get an overview of the Bible. Um, that's where I would start. Secondly, I would take a course in interpreting the Bible. Hermeneutics. Uh, so that you can get some skill to know a metaphor from a, uh, uh, from a literal direct statement. Okay. And learn how to interpret things so that and then I would say take, uh, a basic doctrine course. Uh, in the undergraduate school, we offer a course called The Church and Its doctrines, which covers the doctrines of the Bible. So those are five courses or four courses. I would start with number one, Old Testament survey number two, New Testament survey number three hermeneutics and number four doctrine. Okay. Yeah.
Those are. Those are good. Um, would you suggest any theology classes? Uh, well, once you.
Take the doctrine course. Okay. You know. Yeah. Uh, the way we teach it in the undergraduate school at Moody is every freshman takes the church in its doctrines. Okay? And then juniors and seniors take theology one and two.
Okay. Which is very different from how it was way back in my day. Yeah. We had four theology classes and you took one each year. So there was a theology 100 to 200 to 300 and a 400. Yeah. Um, that all kind of stood alone other than having to just get the. They kind of just gave you the basics of each of the main doctrines.
Well, we still do the same thing. You know, at the time, theology 100 was spiritual life. Mhm. Back when you went we still have a course in spiritual life. And you can't take theology one and two until you take spiritual life. Okay, okay. So uh, so yes.
But so different names and different orders, but still the same core classes, I think. I think those are all good. The other one, I remember being.
Good, by the way, that's a great course to take to spiritual life and community. It's called. And it's a great undergraduate course in spiritual life. Yeah.
Yeah. Um, was and I'm trying to. Was it Bible intro? Oh, yeah. With the Name of Love kind of gave you the history of this is where the Bible came from and why we can trust it. Yes, that that was my Bible introduction.
One of my favorite courses when I first got to Moody at that was a Bible department course I wanted to teach. And they've never let 30 years I've never been allowed to teach it. Now, if they asked me, I was going to say, it's too late. I'm not trusting that course. But, uh, I always wanted to. That's a great, great course. And, you know, here's the thing that you notice what we're saying. This is. These are such great courses. How about this in the curriculum? How about this? And the curriculum. Right. Which was five.
That would be like one full time semester, right. Yeah.
So what you want to do is really come to Moody Bible Institute. That's the best way to get a great foundation. Check out Moody Edu, send your kids, send your grandkids or you come yourself. It's a great way to study. Or you can study online through Moody Online. Check that out.
Yeah. And some of these I remember, um, especially like the Old Testament New Testament survey there are there were um, before we had the online option. They were the correspondence courses, like a lot of these where you could, um, do those, you know, writing down and then you would mail them in and, and those kinds of things. So I'm really.
Glad we've, we've courses, we've come into the modern era. We're doing it online. We have.
We have, but there's a lot of good classes and they've been around for a long time and have been, um, the basic building blocks of getting the degree, whatever you want it to be. I think even these classes, those five, the Old Testament survey, New Testament survey, the hermeneutics, which is the Bible interpretation, the church and its doctrines, and Bible introduction. Even if you're not getting a degree. Those are all helpful for your own spiritual life to understand. You know, if you're a Bible, a Sunday school teacher or small group leader, or even just teaching your own kids or grandkids, um, they're all or just for your own personal life. Those are all helpful classes to help you understand the Bible better and how, uh, how we've gotten to where we are in Christianity and.
Also get living by the book. Yep. Yes. Howard Hendricks and and I'll tell you another thing. Get a moody Bible commentary. That would be a great thing to help you, uh, with your foundation for life. So there we go. Uh, let's go to the next question.
Right. All right. The next question is from. Um. From my in Florida. Listen to WLKY's. And she said recently a friend mentioned that they don't believe in the Trinity, but believe all three are separate and gave her five different scriptures. Um, talking about God alone is God and, um, the the son and the father being separate. Um, that there's only one true God. Um, these types, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. So how do you, um, how do you. How does someone respond to someone who does not see the Trinity? Um, but but says there's only they're all three separate things because that's how the Bible talks about them.
First of all, there's only one God. Where you know hero Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Deuteronomy six four. There's only one God, and that's taught both Old and New Testament. Uh, the Bible teaches that the Father is God, our God and Father, right? It talks about, uh, the son being God. Uh, in, uh. Number of passes. Well, I can't say how many passages talk about the son. Of God being God himself. I was just reading. Romans nine five. Uh, where it talks about the Lord Jesus being physically Jewish. Right? Uh, and it says. About the Jewish people. To him belong the ancestors of theirs, and from them by physical descent came the Messiah, who is God overall. So. So there's the Lord Jesus in Romans nine five called, referring to his physical descent from the Jewish people, so human and at the same time, who is God overall? So the Son of God is God. And then you've got the Holy Spirit is God. He's got the attributes of deity, uh, and, uh, that he's called God. Uh, well, here's the point. The Bible teaches that there's one God, and then there's father, son, and Holy Spirit, and they're God. Well, how could that be? Well. It's what I would call the Trinity. It's what the Bible teaches. It never explains how that can be. Someone wrote in the 50 questions one of the questions I answered. Can you give a simple explanation of the Trinity? My answer was, I wish I could, but a lot of the early church fathers spent a lot of time trying to figure out how could the three be one and one, one God and three persons. And of course they came up with this one essence, which is God. And the three persons of the Trinity share that one essence of deity. And and that's how it is. If if I think I could explain that or understand it now, people always come up with illustrations. You know, egg has got eggshell, it's got egg white, it's got egg yolk. They're all equally egg. Uh, you know, if that illustration helps you find. But every illustration breaks down, it's just what we affirm because the Bible teaches it. Theologians have tried to explain it, but I think the key is that we have to believe it. So, um. Okay. Okay. Well, anyway, thanks. Thanks for the question. Yeah. You're welcome.
Thanks. My.
Yeah, we're going to come back with more questions in just a moment. Uh, when, uh, Tricia is, uh, going back and checking out other questions you've sent in to Open Line Radio org by going to ask Michael a question. Thank you so much for doing that, Trisha. And, uh, we're going to come right back with your more phone in questions. That was Trisha McMillan I'm Michael Ray Zelnick. This is open line. We'll be right back. Welcome back to Open Line. I'm Michael Zelnick and I want to. Mention this. It's important because Israel is at war. It's a war that the nation didn't start, didn't want, didn't anticipate. And it came as a result of the horrific October 7th assault by Hamas when they murdered more Jewish people in any one day since the Holocaust. What does the future hold now? Chosen people Ministries. Which one of our ministry partners. They want to offer or they are offering a special book. It's called Israel's Glorious Future. The book details God's faithfulness to his covenant promises to Israel in the past that he he made them, and he's keeping them, and the biblical prophecies that are yet to be fulfilled in the future. The Bible. God's word plainly says that Israel has a glorious future. If you'd like a copy of their book, Israel's Glorious Future, just go to Open Line Radio. Org. Scroll down. You'll see a link that says A free gift from Chosen People Ministries. Click on that. You'll be taken to a page where you can sign up for your own copy of Israel's Glorious Future. We're going to speak now with Susan in Northbrook, Illinois, listening on Wbai. Welcome to Open Line. Susan, how can I help you today?
Thank you for taking my call. I'm wondering about the history of Lent in church history. When did they start, um, practicing a Lenten season? And, you know, what did they do? And when did it end? For some denominations.
It seems to have started in the third century. People started practicing some sort of self-denial, uh, as they approached. The week's coming up to Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday. Uh, but the calendar, really where it was made official was that the Council of Nicaea? Mhm. Uh, where they were and that was in 325. And, uh. That. That's, I think, where it came from. Uh, you know, it was never a great season for Jewish people.
Okay.
Uh, the reason is when Jewish people lived among Christians, it was when lent began that the Christians began to, uh, emphasize assaulting, beating, killing Jewish people.
Wow.
Um, so, uh, sadly, along with self-denial, there was also a lot of destruction. Uh, a lot of blaming Jewish people for falsely not the Bible doesn't do this, but falsely blaming Jewish people for the death of Jesus. And as they prepared to observe Good Friday, uh, it led to a lot of assaults on Jewish people. It was the worst season of the year, Lenten season for Jewish people, culminating in Resurrection Sunday being the worst for the Jewish community. So it's it's kind of heartbreaking for me as I look back on it. Uh, the church moved away from Lenten when it became less formalistic, less liturgical. And after the now, of course, there was, uh, Lutheranism with the Reformation. Uh. Became, uh, maintain a lot of liturgy and things like lent. Uh, but as the church became more informal with Anabaptist traditions and things like that coming in, then there was a sort of a rejection, as the Reformation church did, that, uh, there was a rejection of formalism, of liturgy. And so as a result, uh, Lenten went by the wayside. That's that's what I would say.
Thank you. Thank you. Okay. Yeah. Okay.
Uh, appreciate appreciate the call. Uh, we're going to speak with Tim in the Twin Cities, in Minnesota, listening on the Moody App. How can I help you today, Tim?
Okay, I'm a Cptpp kitchen table partner and right. Thank you, thank you. Question I have and I get opinions left and right but never a true answer. Sabbath Saturday or Sunday. Um, do you have some insight to that and what it's based on? Some people celebrating it, of course, on Sundays and Saturdays. Yeah.
Just so you know, I'm going to give you about a one minute answer. And I once wrote a whole, uh, paper, uh, for a theology conference about it. So there's, I could read you the paper. That would take an hour. So but here's the simple answer. That Sabbath is always Saturday never changes. Uh, with the, uh. With the New Testament. What happened was, uh, not that Sabbath is no longer Saturday, but Paul writes in Romans 14, one manners, one man honors one day above another. Another views them all like let all be convinced in his own mind, which means that the day of worship. For believers. Doesn't have to be on Sabbath, doesn't have to be on Sunday. It has to be when God leads you and leads your congregation. So there's a great deal of freedom, according to the Bible, about when to worship the early Jewish believers they went to. You could see it in the book of acts. They went to the the temple on Saturdays. On Sabbath they went, they gathered. As believers. You could see that in acts 20 they gathered as believers on Saturday night. Uh, so that's when they did that. Uh, the early church said Sunday would be an appropriate day because of the resurrection. So a lot of the Gentile churches began to do that. That seemed fine as well, uh, to gather on the first day of the week. Uh, and the reason is, Paul says, is because there was a great deal of freedom.
Okay, okay. So get rid of the guilt and stuff people have sometime. And you're awesome, Mike.
Well thank you. You know, what day does your church meet?
Uh, Sunday, of course. But my daughter goes on Saturday, so of course, that's where the debate started. And then you talk to people and they don't have good answers, but they, um. You know, boy, that clears it up. And I wrote a lot down here, so.
Well, we we were, uh, in a church. We're going to church a lot in Michigan now because we go on the weekends to Michigan and, uh, the church we go to meets Saturday night and Sunday morning, and we go out Saturday night. And that's because Romans 14 says there's a good deal of freedom. I think what's really commanded, and this is so important that believers, believers gather for worship that says, don't forsake the assembling of yourselves together. And so, I mean, if I had no choice, I'd go on Sundays, but I prefer Saturday night. So, uh, and a lot of reasons, one being that often I preach on Sundays, and if I preach, it's hard for me to go to a regular congregation. So Saturday night's preferable. So, anyway, uh, thanks for your call. Can you believe it? The program's over, but we'll be back next week with more of your questions about the Bible, God, and the spiritual life. My name is Michael Redneck. Join me next week. Uh, during the break. Uh, during the break. Uh, check out our webpage afterwards. Open Line radio org has all sorts of links. Current resource how how to become a kitchen table partner. We'll be back again next week. Keep reading the Bible. We'll talk about it next week. Open line with Doctor Michael Redlich is a production of Moody Radio, the ministry of Moody Bible Institute. See you next week.
