Category Archives: The Bible

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September 28, 2016

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The Bible

In the Bible does “wine” mean grape juice?

Bring up alcohol in the Bible among some Christians and an angry debate is certain to erupt. The issue is contentious for reasons of society- alcohol abuse in America is rampant. The issue is contentious for reasons of language. None can deny that the Bible gives strong warning against drunkenness and “strong drink”. (Proverbs 23:29-35) None can deny that the Bible permits at least some drinking. (1 Timothy 5:23) Does the Bible forbid or permit all recreational drinking? The answer to that question first must answer the question, what is “wine” in the Bible.

In American English “wine” has a very definite meaning. It is an alcoholic drink made from fermented fruits, usually grapes. Any American reading the Bible would naturally assume the word wine is referring to the alcoholic grape based beverage usually served with nice dinners or enjoyed just before bed.

Unfortunately, the Biblical words do not necessarily refer to the same thing we think of today. The differences of culture and language mean the American reading of a word cannot define what the Bible is speaking about. The Bible was written to Ancient Hebrews living in a variety of cultures. Their understanding of what the words meant must become the dictionary by which we define the Biblical meaning of the English translation of those words today.

Obvious technological differences tells us that no one in the Bible ever popped the cork out of a glass bottle and pour themselves a nice glass of vintage Chardonnay. Likewise, any grape juice in Biblical times would not be the same as modern store bought plastic bottles of pasteurized grape juice.

A lengthy discussion of the Hebrew and Greek terminology is not possible. Entire books have been written on the subject. The Bible uses multiple words that are translated into the English word “wine”. The Hebrew word most commonly used in the Old Testament clearly describes alcoholic wine and fresh grape juice. For example, Isaiah 16:10 says, “And gladness is taken away, and joy out of the plentiful field; and in the vineyards there shall be no singing, neither shall there be shouting: the treaders shall tread out no wine in their presses; I have made their vintage shouting to cease.” Obviously fermented wine does not flow out of the winepresses. At times in the Old Testament the fresh pressed juice of the grape is called “wine”.

The Greek word most commonly used in the New Testament is also used to describe various types of drinks from the juice of grapes. In Luke 5:38 Jesus says, “And no man putteth new wine into old bottles; else the new wine will burst the bottles, and be spilled, and the bottles shall perish.” The new wine was the freshly pressed grape juice before it had the chance to ferment. In the process of fermentation gases build up. An old wineskin would break because it could not expand under the pressure. The adjective new is applied to the word wine but the usage is clear. The word wine could be used to describe fermented and unfermented grape juice.

Wine can never be translated as Welch’s grape juice. But, the original Hebrew and Greek words that are translated “wine” in the Bible can mean unfermented grape juice or various kinds of fermented grape juices.

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September 14, 2016

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How do I apply the Old Testament to my life today?

The Old Testament is profitable for Christians today. Understanding and applying the Old Testament can at times be challenging because it was written to God’s covenant people, the Jews. Important to understanding the Old Testament is remembering that Christians today are not the same as the Jews of 3,000 years ago.

Israel is not the church and Israel is not America. One cannot immediately apply the Old Testament commands to the New Testament Christian. Old Testament commands must be read with the understanding that Jesus has completed the Mosaic law (Ephesians 2:15) and brought in a new covenant with His people. The Old Testament reader cannot claim the promises given to the Jews as if they are promises to the church. One cannot view the judgments and blessings of the nation Israel as if God is going to do the same to America. Understand the Old Testament by recognizing who it was written to and why.

The Old Testament is not a book of puzzles that can only be figured out once the person has found the hidden key. The Old Testament must not be read as if it contains hidden truths that can only be discovered by modern technology or by interpreting secret codes. The Old Testament does not contain special meanings that were unknown until the church came along. The Old Testament is not the New Testament concealed in allegory, nor does the New Testament reveal the true, undiscovered meanings of the Old Testament.

Some things in the Old Testament are made more clear by the New Testament. Some things not revealed in the Old are made known in the New Testament. The Old Testament is best understood in light of the New Testament, but the meaning of the Old Testament is the same whether it was read before Jesus’ birth or two thousand years after His resurrection.

When reading the Old Testament the kind of book being read shapes how the book is understood. The book of Proverbs is not to be interpreted using the same methods as the book of Obadiah or the book of Genesis. History is different from poetry. Poetry is different from prophecy. Prophecy is different from the Psalms. The Psalms are different from the Law. These differences are very important. A command cannot be interpreted as if it is a promise. A Proverb should not be understood as if it was a prophecy. A detailed a look at how to understand specific kinds of Old Testament literature would take much more time and space than this article allows. Understand the Old Testament one book at a time according to the individual books literary genre.

Read the Old Testament as true history that is intended to teach of the glory of God, the plan of God to redeem a people to Himself, the Sovereignty of God and the holiness of God. The Old Testament is understood by following the normal rules of understanding written language. Look for purpose of the author in writing each book, or in some cases each section of the book. Understanding when the book was written and why it was written. Care must be taken to rightly understand what God said to the Israelites. Just like the New Testament the Old cannot mean something it never meant. Once the original intent and meaning of an Old Testament passage has been understood then principles can be drawn from the intended meaning and applied to New Testament Christians.

Every book of the Old Testament is of great profit to the believer today. Sometimes the Old Testament requires more work to understand how it applies to our lives today. Find good study materials, like commentaries and bible studies, to help. Study of the Bible takes work, but the Old Testament is no less profitable because of the energy required to mine its rich treasures.

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August 31, 2016

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Christian living, The Bible

How is the Old Testament relevant to Christians today?

Those with a basic familiarity with the Bible know it is divided into two portions- the Old Testament and the New Testament. For many Christians the Old Testament poses problems and challenges. The Old Testament is obviously written about and to the Israelites. How are these ancient Jewish books relevant to American Christians today?

The New Testament mentions several particular benefits of the Old. The stories of the Old Testament are examples and admonitions to modern day Christians (1 Corinthians 10:11). The stories of the Old Testament teach the blessings of obedience to God and the dangers of disobedience. The Old Testament is a treasure trove of truth lived out. Except for the gospels the New Testament is mostly concerned with doctrine and application. The Old Testament gives stories of the people of God that teach Christians today how to live.

The Old Testament was written for our learning to give Christian’s hope. (Romans 15:4) The rich doctrines of the Old Testament encourage believers to endure and they give comfort in difficulties.The Old Testament gives many examples of faithful men and women that encourage believers to be faithful today. The Old Testament shows how the saints of old dealt with problems and trusted in their God.

The Old Testament points to Jesus. (Luke 24:27) On the road to Emmaus Jesus taught two of His disciples what the Old Testament said about Himself. Jesus’ teaching points to the vast body of material in the Old Testament that describes the work of the Savior. The work of Jesus did not end with His death and resurrection. His work will continue until all the promises of the Messiah’s kingdom are fully accomplished. Revelation reveals some details of this kingdom, but it is the Old Tesetament that gives a fuller picture of the reign of the Messiah.

The Old Testament is profitable for doctrine, correction, reproof and instruction in righteousness. (2 Timothy 3:16) For example, the Old Testament is the primary source for our doctrine of God. The Old Testament vividly displays the person, work and character of God. Through the histories, the commands, the psalms and the proverbs the reader is given a picture of the nature of God, particularly of God the Father, as He works in the world and with His people. The theology of the Old Testament is taught through proposition and experience. The proposition that the Lord is holy becomes plain when God destroys Nadab and Abihu for offering strange fire. The proposition that God is merciful becomes real when He repeatedly delivers rebellious Israel from her captors. The Old Testament is a practical theology that teaches through living illustration.

Paul says in Romans 4:24 and in 1 Corinthians 9:10 that the Old Testament was written for our sakes. The early church only had the Old Testament for at least the first fifteen years. Though they had the teaching and preaching of the apostles the only written Word of God available to the earliest church was the Old Testament. The Old Testament was written to Israel and it was written for us.

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July 29, 2016

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Salvation, The Bible

Were the Old Testament Israelites saved by keeping the Law?

A recent answer stated that the people who lived before Jesus was born were saved by looking ahead to the promised Savior and trusting Him for their salvation. Some may wonder about the law of Moses. If people before Jesus were saved by trusting God’s promises to save, why did God give the law to the Israelites?

Historically, many Israelites believed they could be saved by obeying the Mosaic law. The Pharisees in Jesus’ day believed they were righteous because they were the children of Abraham who kept the law of Moses and the traditions of their fathers. All throughout the Old Testament the Israelites seemed frequently to misunderstand the role of the law. Even today many people look at the Old Testament and think the Israelites gained eternal life by being devout keepers of all the commands, rituals and sacrifices given through Moses. Is this true? Were the Israelites saved by obeying the law of Moses?

No Israelite was ever saved by his obedience to the law. The major theme of Romans and Galatians is the inability of the law to save. Galatians 2:16 says, “Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.” No one was ever justified- made righteous before God- by keeping the law. Old Testament Israelites were saved by trusting God for forgiveness of sin. Habakkuk 2:4 says, “the just shall live by his faith.” In Psalm 32 David rejoices in the blessings of being forgiven. He does not associate forgiveness with his keeping of the law but with the grace and mercy of God. David acknowledged his sin to God. He cried out in confession of his guilt and God gave forgiveness. Throughout the Psalms David declares that God is his salvation. The salvation that David describes is always based upon the compassion of God, not the obedience of the individual. He that could be righteous enough to earn salvation would have no need of forgiveness. In the Old Testament God never forgave because men earned His salvation. God forgave because of His great compassion. God poured out mercy on those who sought it from him.

The book of Isaiah is full of promises about the coming Jewish King and Savior. The Messiah and His kingdom are described at length. Isaiah ends with a great confession of sin and a plea for God to pardon the Israelites. Isaiah 64 recognizes the righteousness of men is no righteousness at all. The only answer, the only hope for Old Testament Israel, was to be pardoned by God. Isaiah 53 describes the work of the Messiah to gain that pardon and the eleventh verse says, “He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.” Old Testament Israelites were saved by Jesus’ bearing their sin on the cross. God’s judgment was satisfied by the suffering of His Son. Jesus makes men righteous, whether those men live now or 3,000 years ago, by carrying on His shoulders the consequences of their sin. Salvation is always, and only, by Jesus. “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12)

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July 13, 2016

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The Bible

Who is Jehosophat and why did he jump?

Though it is no longer common every once in a while you may hear someone say, “jumping Jehosophat!”. The exclamation has an amusing sound and serves as a useful expression of surprise or frustration. The hopping human of exclamatory fame is taught about in the Bible. Jehoshophat was king over the nation of Judah 850 years before Jesus was born. After the death of King Solomon the nation of Israel split. Most of the nation followed the rebellious leader Jeroboam and they continued to be known as Israel. Two tribes followed the leadership of Rehoboam, Solomon’s son, and became known as Judah. Many years later Solomon’s great, great grandson Jehoshophat became king over Judah. His story can be found in 1 Kings 22 but it doesn’t say anything about him jumping.

The history behind the origin and popularity of the phrase is not certain. The most plausible explanation seems to be that the phrase is slang that came into popularity during the 1800’s. To avoid breaking the third commandment by taking God’s name in vain people would insert into their exclamations an innofensive word instead of “God” or “Jesus”. Gosh, golly and gee serve a similar purpose today. The Biblical name Jehoshophat became a substitute for Jesus. The alliterated phrase caught on and is still with us a hundred and fifty years later.

This whimsical question reminds us how much the English language has been influenced by the Bible. Dozens of familiar phrases have their roots in the Bible. A few examples are:
– Money is the root of all evil (1 Timothy 6:10- the Biblical quote is acutally, “The love of money is the root of all evil.”
– By the skin of your teeth (Job 19:10)
– A little bird told me (Ecclesiastes 10:20)
– To everything there is a season (Ecclesiastes 3, “Turn, turn, turn” was added by the Byrds)
– The blind leading the blind (Matthew 15:13-14)
– Cast the first stone (John 8:7)
– An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth (Matthew 5:38)
– A fly in the ointment (Ecclesiasts 10:1)
– Go the extra mile (Matthew 5:41)
– The straight and narrow (Matthew 7:14)
– The apple of his eye (Psalm 17:8; Proverbs 7:2)
– The writing on the wall (Daniel 5)
– A thorn in the flesh (2 Corinthians 12:7)
– Wolf in sheep’s clothing (Matthew 7:15)
– Don’t cast your pearls before swine (Matthew 7:6)
– Eat, drink and be merry (Ecclesiastes 8:15; Luke 12:19)
– Give up the ghost (Genesis 25:8; Mark 15:39)
– The ends of the earth (Deuteronomy 33:17; Psalm 67:7)
and many, many more!

At one time the Bible was familiar to most Americans. Public schools used the BIble in their reading and writing curriculum. Many families read the Bible on a regular basis. The well educated were very familiar with the Bible, and the common man knew enough of the Bible for it to become part of the culture. Though the twentieth century saw the American culture lose its familiarity with the Bible, the Bible continues to influence our lives and language in ways that are sometimes surprising.

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June 1, 2016

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Who were the Sadducees?

Daily life of Israel under Roman occupation was governed by a group of religious and political leaders known as the Sanhedrin. Rome allowed Israel to govern itself in many matters as long as they did not interfere wtih Rome’s laws or foster rebellion against the Empire. Like the American Congress today the Sanhedrin was comprised of men holding allegience with one of two ideological groups. The larger of the two groups was the Pharisees. They held a strict adherence to a broad reaching series of traditional laws that governed every part of daily living. The Pharisees endured the government of Rome but generally did little to cooperate with it.

The other group within the Sanhedrin was known as the Sadducees. The Sadducees were very different from the Pharisees in politics, theology and daily living. Sadducees were mostly wealthy men of the ruling class. They were fewer in number than the Pharisees, but they held the positions of leadership within the Sanhedrin. The Bible tells us that the High Priest in Jesus day was a Sadducee (Acts 5:17) and history indicates that most of the High Priests under the Roman occupation were Sadducees. As a result, the Sadducees were the more powerful of the two groups.

The greatest political disagreement between the groups was over the relationship of the Sanhedrin to civil government. This issue is believed to be one of the primary reasons the Sadducees split away from the Pharisees sometime around 150 BC. The Sadducees desired both political and religious authority, while the Pharisees taught that civil government and religious government should not be invested in the same individual.

Very little first hand information about the theological teachings of the Sadducees is available. History has not preserved any of their writings. What is known about their doctrine comes from a several references in the Bible, the writings of Josephus and a couple other Jewish works. The Sadducees held to the teachings of the Old Testament, particularly the writings of Moses, but rejected the authority of the traditions of the Pharisees. This caused great conflict with the Pharisees who believed the oral traditions to be as authoritative as Scripture. While the Sadducees adherence to Scripture alone appears laudable their rejection of the traditions of the Pharisees seems to have been driven by a refusal to follow the Pharisees rather than by a desire to obey God’s Word.

The Bible says the Sadducees rejected belief in the resurrection (Mark 12:18; Acts 23:8). The believed the soul died with the body and that there was no promise of a future resurrection, either to a kingdom on this earth or to a life in heaven. The Sadducees also denied the existence of a spiritual essence in man and of angelic beings. They appear to have been materialists who were most concerned with maintaining their own power and wealth. Their influence in Israel lasted a little over 200 years. When the Temple in Jerusalem was destroyed, so was their power. They fell off the pages of history in 70 AD and have not reappeared since.

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May 25, 2016

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Who were the Pharisees

A reader of the gospels soon encounters a group of men who have become almost synonymous with religious frauds. Jesus tangled with the Pharisees more often than any other group. The Bible does not explain who the Pharisees were. The gospels were originally written to people that knew exactly who and what the Pharisees were. Modern readers are far removed from the culture of the New Testament and may wonder who and what the Pharisees were.

The Pharisees were religious leaders who exercised great authority over the Jews. The Jewish historian Josephus records that there were 6,000 Pharisees in Israel during Jesus’ day. They were members of the Sanhedrin, the ruling body of Israel. The beginning of the Pharisees can be dates to the days of Ezra and Nehemiah, over 450 years before the birth of Jesus. They trace their lineage to a group of Jews who separated themselves from those who had remained in the land of Palestine after the destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonians. (Ezra 6:21) This group gained influence within the nation over the years. By the time of Jesus’ day the Pharisees were a major part of the ruling body of Israel.

The Pharisees were Old Testament scholars. They studied and debated it endlessly. They knew it minutely. They were actively involved in teaching the application of the law of Moses to the daily life of the average person. This application was made primarily through an extensive series of traditions. The Pharisees blanketed the Old Testament laws with a huge system of precise regulations addressing every area of life.

The Pharisees themselves were scrupulous to observe all the traditions. Jesus called them hypocrites because they obeyed the law and kept the traditions to impress others not because they taught a way of life they did not themselves practice. The Pharisees were extremely careful to observe all their traditions and they held in disdain all those who did not share their scrupulousness for outward religion. Jesus referred to them as ones “which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others.” (Luke 18:9) Even though the Pharisees were active in teaching the common people how to live they would have very little interaction with non-Pharisees. The traditions of the Pharisees placed great restrictions on all interactions with those not a part of the brotherhood of the Pharisees.

Jesus strongly denounced the Pharisees. The harshest words of Jesus were directed at the Pharisees. Matthew 23 contains a series of curses upon the Pharisees for their self-righteousness, heartlessness and elevation of their traditions over the Word of God. The Pharisees were a group of influential religious leaders in Israel who had come to believe that they were righteous because they kept an extensive series of outward laws. They gave no thought to the true condition of their sinful heart. They hated Jesus for His powerful repudiation of their false religion. They hated Jesus because he pointed out to them the wickedness of their own hearts that could never be made clean by the outward keeping of rules and regulations.

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April 27, 2016

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What do all the numbers in Revelation mean?

The last book of the Bible is filled with numbers. Numeric references begin in the very first chapter with the seven spirits of God and increase from there. The next two chapters are addressed seven churches in Asia Minor. The judgments described come in groups of seven: seven seals, seven trumpets, seven thunders and seven bowls. The judgments afflict people and creation in thirds and quarters. The beast of Revelation has ten horns. The book of Revelation includes measures of months- 42- and days- 1,260 and 3 1/2. One hundred forty-four thousand Jewish men are set aside for God and two witnesses preach in Jerusalem. The list could continue, but no consideration of the numbers in Revelation would be complete without the mark of the beast- 666. Why does Revelation have so many numbers, some of which are frequently repeated? What is the significance of all these numbers.

The book of Revelation abounds with images that are difficult for its readers to fully understand. Certain sections are clearly symbolic representations that use fantastic imagery to depict historic and future events. Other sections are not as certainly symbolic. This author believes the majority of Revelation to be a literal depiction of future events. The amount of symbolism in Revelation makes the question of the importance of the numbers a difficult one to answer.

Most of the numbers have no discernible importance outside of identifying quantities or periods of time. The number of Jewish men set apart for God cannot be said to have any particular significance. The repetition of thirds in describing destruction is intriguing, but the Bible gives no hint that the fraction should be understood as anything other than a specific measurement. The reader of Revelation must take care to not assign any importance to a number without Scriptural direction. While there may be some significance to some of the numbers, the Bible does not tell what the significance may be. Without a Biblical statement it is impossible to determine any symbolic meaning of a number.

Revelation contains two notable numbers that are given some symbolical meaning. The number seven is used over 30 times in the book of Revelation. As used in the Bible, and in Jewish thought, the number seven seems to indicate, at times, completion, fulfillment or perfection. Consequently, the description of the “seven spirits of God” in Revelation 1 appears to be a description of the perfect Holy Spirit. Seven may also have significance in its usage in other places in Revelation, but determining the places where seven has a more symbolic import is difficult. No certain doctrines of future events can be developed based upon a speculative application of a symbolic seven. Any other symbolism attached to the number seven does eliminate literal meaning. The book of Revelation was first written to seven real churches. Whatever symbolic meaning may be found in the groups of seven judgments, the judgments are real and seven in number.

The number 666 has gained a lot of attention over the years as the mark of the beast. Described in Revelation 13:16-18 the mark of the beast is a mark placed on the hand or head which is required to sell or purchase any goods. This mark is described as “the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man.” The mark of the beast is a particular number which is uniquely indicative of man. Some have speculated that six is the number of man because man was created on the sixth day of creation. Whether this is true or not, Revelation 13 directly connects six hundred sixty six with the Antichrist. The number 666 seems to uniquely identify the Antichrist and those who worship him.

Most of the numbers of Revelation should be viewed as nothing more than counters of time or amount. Some may have some symbolic significance, but that symbolic meaning is left unclear in the Bible. What matters is the clear message of Revelation: Jesus is returning. He will return in conquest executing judgment on all who have not believed Him.

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March 30, 2016

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Jesus, The Bible

Why do the gospels have different accounts of Jesus’ life?

Some skeptical about the truth of the Bible claim the four gospels are filled with contradictions. These apparent contradictions are offered as proof the Bible is unreliable. The four gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, each present an account of the life of Jesus. If all four gospels are true accounts why do they offer differing versions of the same events in Jesus life. Examples of these differences can be found in the number of demoniacs healed in Gederah- Mark and Luke say there was 1 but Matthew says there were 2; the order of events at the crucifixion; the people Jesus stood before in His trial- John says Annas and Caiaphas, the other gospels just say Caiaphas. The gospels offer a wide selection of these kinds of differences. Why do the gospels at times present events in different ways?

To answer this question several things need to be remembered. The gospels are not biographies. This does not mean the gospels are fictional accounts, but the purpose of the writing of the gospels was not tell the life story of Jesus. The gospels are presentations of doctrinal truths about Jesus. The events contained in the gospels are not given for biographical but theological purposes. The gospel are not laid out in a precise chronological fashion. Though all four gospels move from the beginning of Jesus’ ministry to His death, none of them attempt to present an exact timeline of the events in Jesus’ ministry. This is why the gospels present the events in different orders. The miracles, teachings and significant events are arranged in thematic fashion which seeks to drive home a particular doctrinal point without entirely disregarding the broad chronology of Jesus’ life.

The gospels are not histories. The authors are not interested in detailing a precise historical formulation of Jesus. Generally a historian would seek to arrange things in a very orderly and sequential fashion and to include as many details as possible. The gospel writers are presenting the message of salvation to their readers. Historical details are the means of communicating rich gospel truths. The records of Jesus’ travels from place to place are not a description of the way of life of first century Palestinians, but the evidence that Jesus is the Son of God who came to bring salvation. Critiquing the gospels for their failure to be biographies or histories is to misunderstand the goals of the authors.

All other considerations aside, the reality is none of the supposed contradictions are actually contradictory. Some portions of the gospel may require more effort to correlate together, but in all cases no account excludes the information contained in another account. They offer additional details to the record. When Mark says there was a demon possessed man living in the tombs, he does not exclude the existence of another. The purposes of the narrower account is served with the discussion of the deliverance of the one man. The details of the gospels simply do not contradict one another. The gospels are complementary accounts that present the wonderful truth that Jesus God made flesh, the promised Messiah, who died and was raised to life for the salvation of men.

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February 26, 2016

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God, The Bible

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Do people not believe the Bible because of a lack of evidence?

Today’s essay is a follow up to the article I posted Wednesday and to some of the replies given to that article. One commenter said, “repeating a story is not going to convince an atheist to start believing it.” I agree. One who has rejected the Bible is not likely to suddenly start believing because of a restatement of the Biblical stories. Should Christians seek to find proofs that will conclusively show the Bible to be true and dependable?

Many proofs of Christianity can be shown, and proofs have been given over and over again. Evidences can be given, but is that the real issue? Do those who reject the Bible refuse to believe because the evidence is not convincing? As I said in the previous article, lack of information is not the problem. Nor is lack of evidence the problem. The reason for unbelief is simple. Unbelievers start from the presupposition that the claims of the Bible are not true.

Everyone brings a personal bias to truth claims and the supporting evidences offered. Evidence is always filtered through the hearer’s own worldview. Those who assert that truth can be discovered only through naturalistic means are expressing a presupposition about truth. Naturalism presupposes there is no spiritual agency at work in this world. It presupposes the absence of a Creator, a Divine plan or an eternal purpose. No one examines evidence in a completely impartial fashion. Every evidence is viewed from the foundational assumptions of the viewer. As a result, God is not proven or disproven based upon increased evidence or a recitation of the facts

Those who refuse to believe the Bible will not believe regardless of what evidences are presented to them. This is declared in Luke 16. Jesus tells of a rich man who dies and goes to hell. He asks Abraham to send one back from the dead to warn his brothers. Abraham respond, “They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.” The rich man says his brothers will not believe the Bible. Abraham replies, “Neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.” Even the most irrefutable evidence of Divine power will not convince those who have refused to believe the truth of the Bible. This is born out further in the life of Jesus. When Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead the Pharisees response to the undeniable miracle was to plot the death of Jesus in attempt to prevent others from believing. When Jesus rose from the dead the priests knew He had been restored to life but they bribed the Roman guards to spread the story that the disciples had stolen His body. The evidence did not change the heart. Those who refuse to believe, will not be persuaded by the most convincing evidence.

From the human perspective the repetition of the Bible will not change the presuppositions of another. Yet there is no hope for faith apart from the Word of God. True faith is only produced by the supernatural working of the Holy Spirit in the heart of the person. Until the spiritual eyes are opened the heart will remain blinded. Only when God gives sight can the spiritually blind see the truth of the Son of God. Until then no evidence in the world will change the mind of the one who refuses to believe.