Author: believersarmedanddangerous

Have you ever had a conversation with someone, and they just don’t seem to understand the terms you’re using or you don’t understand theirs?  A classic example of this is in the brilliant classic comedy skit by Abbott and Costello, Who’s on First. 

With Cults, one of the methods they use is to redefine terms to suit their beliefs.  Let’s use the Mormon’s Mormon Article of Faith to to demonstrate this. It reads: “We believe in God, the Eternal Father, and in His Son, Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost.”

To the average Christian, this seems to describe the Biblical Trinity pretty well. After all, we believe in the nature of the one true God (Isa. 44:6) there are three distinct Persons: the Father (Gal. 1:1), the Son (Heb. 1:8), and the Holy Spirit (Acts 5:3,4).

But, to the Mormon, “God the Eternal Father”  means something very different.  They have redefined the terms to match what they teach.  They believe the Father (Elohim), the Son(Jesus), and the Holy Ghost are three separate gods. 

The god the Mormons call the Father or Elohim is an exalted man who was just like you or I, but over time, he was able to rise to the point of godhood and became god over the planet earth.  All male Mormons seek to attain godhood just like Elohim.  So, the Mormon definition of “Father” is not quite what the Bible teaches.  To the Jehovah’s Witnesses, “God the Eternal Father” is the only Person of the godhead.

His Son, Jesus Christ to the Mormon means a spirit child born to Elohim, who preexisted then became truly the physical offspring from sexual relations between God the Father – an exalted man remember – and the Virgin Mary.  The Mormons don’t believe Jesus was conceived of the Holy Spirit as the Bible teaches (Luke 1:35).

To Jehovah’s Witnesses, “His Son, Jesus Christ”  is also redefined.  The son to them is the first and greatest creation of God the Father.  The son was the creator of all other things as Michael the archangel.  Then the Father destroyed him, took his essence and placed it in Mary’s womb.  As a result, Jesus was born as a perfect man but only as a man.  At the crucifixion, Jesus died and ceased to exist for three days.  On the third day Jesus was recreated as Michael the Archangel as God the Father remembered him and now sits as a secondary being to God the Father.

Holy Ghost  to Mormons means a personage of spirit, a third god of the godhead.  To the Jehovah’s Witnesses, the Holy Spirit is nothing more than God’s active force, not a Person at all but God’s power.

Even the word “Trinity” is redefined in Mormonism as three Gods one in purpose.  They deny the Christian/biblical definition as do the Jehovah’s Witnesses who deny the Trinity is a biblical doctrine at all.

Why is this important?

So, we can see how something which sounds like what we believe can mean something very different. When we talk with cultists or anyone who disagrees with our beliefs, it is extremely important to make sure we agree on terms and definitions.  As with Abbot and Costello, non-agreement on terms can lead to deep confusion and misunderstandings.

Since we’ve looked at cults on this blog over the years.  we thought it might raise the awareness of readers who are in a cult to recognize some of the traits common to what Dr. Walter Martin used to call “non-Christian cults”/ I think the term sounds a little awkward but it is a good way to differentiate those cults which claim to be Christians from those that do not.  This post will only address some traits of non-Christian cults.

Aristocentric:  Cults are usually aristocentric which means they are not only the sole body of the saved but are superior to others outside the group.  We often hear “I’m so proud to be a part of [insert cult name here].”  While the Bible teaches pride is a sin, they feel better than others.  They might not say so, but we can see it in their actions and condescending attitude when discussing their faith.

Slights to the Bible:  Non-Christian cults cannot allow the Bible to stand by itself or it would expose the cult’s errors.  They must add other authorities to the Bible, authorities which are taken as more reliable than Scripture.  For Jehovah’s Witnesses, it is the Watchtower Organization itself and their publications.  I have heard of Jehovah’s Witnesses who pray before reading their Watchtower Magazine that they might be worthy of the truth God is about to express to them through this magazine.

JWs have also printed their own Bible which has been changed to align with their teachings.  A Christian organization aligns it’s doctrine with the Bible not the other way around.

Mormons have as their eighth article of faith: “We believe the Bible to be the word of God as far as it is translated correctly; we also believe the Book of Mormon to be the word of God.”  This tells the Mormon the Bible can’t be fully trusted but the Book of Mormon can.  As a result, the Bible takes a back seat.

Centered around someone’s interpretation:  For Mormons, Joseph Smith has told them what the Bible says and has produced his own “New Translation of the Bible.”  To show how this works, here are three “translations”. The first is the English Standard Version – a scholarly translation of John 1:1, then Smith’s translation of the same passage, and lastly the Jehovah’s Witnesses’ New World Translation:

John 1:1 (ESV)  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God

John 1:1 (Smith’s) “In the beginning was the gospel preached through the Son.  And the gospel was the word, and the word was with the Son, and the Son was with God, and the Son was of God.”

John 1:1 (NWT)  “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was a god”

Cannot be questioned: 

A non-Christian cult’s leadership will either not allow the doctrine to be questioned or will treat the questioner as unspiritual or a troublemaker.  Questioning the Watchtower doctrine can get you disfellowshipped (excommunicated) from the group.  This means other JWs are not allowed to be friends with you including family even within a household.

One woman I spoke with was studying with JWs and was about to join.  The elders of the group told her to divorce her husband if he refused to join.  I think this is rare, but JW elders carry a lot of authority over the rank and file.

Mormons are a little looser in their discipline of questioners, probably because so much of their hidden past is now on the internet for all to see.  Many cultist remain in the group because of this shunning.  They are called PIMOs (Physically in but Mentally Out).  They stay to prevent losing their family and friends.

No outside research:  This is very true of the Jehovah’s Witnesses.  They can, again, be cast out of the group for looking into the organization through outside sources.

Why is this important?

Many trapped in cults do not realize they are.  They are lost and following an organization or individual who is more interested in power and/or money than the well being of the rank and file.  The Governing Body of Jehovah’s Witnesses live a luxurious lifestyle as do Mormon high leadership.

I’ve limited this post to just Mormons and Jehovah’s Witnesses because they are the most public in America.  We see them on street corners and at our doorsteps.  But, these traits are common to all cults along with denying the basic doctrines of the Christian faith: the deity of Christ, His bodily resurrection, the Trinity, and salvation by grace alone.  A group needs only to call itself Christian but deny any one of these, and they qualify as a non-Christian cult. These traits are common through the cults, however.

Some good news is God is using the internet to draw people away from these deceptive groups and toward His Son.  Now a person can sit alone in their home and research their group if they have doubts.  No one is the wiser, so they don’t risk discipline from the leadership.

Pray for these people and love them.  They are people Jesus loves and died for.

“I was answered that I must join none of them, for they were all wrong; and the Personage who addressed me said that all their creeds were an abomination in his sight; that those professors were all corrupt; that: they draw near to me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me, they teach for doctrines the commandments of men, having a form of godliness, but they deny the power thereof.”  (Pearl of Great Price – Joseph Smith, 1:19)

According to Mormon (LDS) founder, Joseph Smith, the above quote comes directly from Jesus in a vision where God the Father and Jesus spoke directly to him in 1820 telling him to join none of the Christian churches because they were all corrupt.

The “gauntlet,” therefore, was thrown down not by Christians to Mormonism but from Mormonism to Christians.  They claim the true Christian church became corrupt shortly after the death of the apostles, and the church’s power was removed by God:

“Following the death of Jesus Christ, wicked people persecuted and killed many Church members. Other Church members drifted from the principles taught by Jesus Christ and His Apostles. The Apostles were killed, and priesthood authority—including the keys to direct and receive revelation for the Church—was taken from the earth. Because the Church was no longer led by priesthood authority, error crept into Church teachings. Good people and much truth remained, but the gospel as established by Jesus Christ was lost. This period is called the Great Apostasy.”   (Quoted from the LDS website) 

Then, Mormons believe, the true church was restored in 1820 when God the Father and Jesus reestablished it through Joseph Smith.

But, you might say “Wait.  We have the New Testament written by the apostles at the time, and there is no reason to believe the church today has lost what it taught there,” and you would be right.  To get around this, the Bible is the least trusted of the Mormon holy books.  To show this, let’s look at the eighth LDS Articles of Faith:

“We believe the Bible to be the word of God as far as it is translated correctly; we also believe the Book of Mormon to be the word of God.”  So, if the Bible says something to contradict the other three sacred books, it is considered to be incorrectly translated.

Look what Jesus says about this.  First the early teaching of the Church:  Matt. 24:35 (ESV)  Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.  So, the idea of a Great Apostasy is counter to Jesus’ own words.  The message of the New Testament has not been lost and never could be.

The thought of a Great Apostasy also means the true Church ceased to exist for the centuries from just after the apostolic times until 1820 when it was restored through the Mormon prophet, Joseph Smith,  Jesus has an answer for that as well:

Matt 16:18 (ESV)  And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

Jesus Himself said His word would not pass away nor would the church He established.  Of course, the Mormon might claim these passages have been mistranslated.  The King James was the best known and most commonly read English Bible Translation in Joseph Smith’s time so there might have been room for some doubt.  It was a little hard to understand even in that day.  Today there are nearly a thousand Bible translations into English.  None of these present the Mormon gospel of many Gods, the priesthood, temple endowments, or salvation by grace along with works.  We know what the Bible truly says.  The translation is not corrupt.

Why is this important?

We need to understand well the Mormons teach not a reformation of Christianity but a restoration.  They teach we all believe a false gospel, are members of a corrupt church, are all following the commandments of men and, of course, that only they have the truth.

The Christian Gospel is simple.  It is salvation through faith by grace alone through Christ’s work on the cross.  It is when someone adds something to that simple gospel that that the gospel becomes corrupted.  Jehovah’s Witnesses tell us we need the Bible plus the Watchtower’s publications, and works.  Mormonism teaches the Bible is not enough, in fact it’s not reliable for accurate teachings.  We need it plus the Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price for the true teaching of God plus works.  This waters down the true Gospel enough to deceive and draw sincere people away from the truth.

Our Mormon friends, neighbors and family are wonderful sincere people.  They are, however, sincerely deceived.  They have a false gospel brought to them by the angel Moroni passed on by Joseph Smith telling them to go after other gods. The Bible warns of this too:

Gal 1:6-8 (ESV)  I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— ⁷ not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. ⁸ But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed.

Deut. 8:19-20 (ESV)  And if you forget the Lord your God and go after other gods and serve them and worship them, I solemnly warn you today that you shall surely perish. ²⁰ Like the nations that the Lord makes to perish before you, so shall you perish, because you would not obey the voice of the Lord your God.

God has warned us to flee from such doctrines.

2 Nephi 25:23 (Book of Mormon)  23 For we labor diligently to write, to persuade our children, and also our brethren, to believe in Christ, and to be reconciled to God; for we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do.

Mormon theology, grace requires works, “all we can do,” to reach the ultimate heaven.  Some groups calling themselves Christian teach works are necessary for salvation while the Bible teaches works have nothing to do with salvation. They are the result of a new life in Christ. 

An article by Bruce R. Halen on the Brigham Young University website plainly lays out the Mormon stand:  “The LDS doctrine that salvation requires both grace and works is a revealed yet commonsense reconciliation of these contradictory positions.”

So, the Mormon doctrine of grace is that it must be accompanied by works.  There are quite a number of works required for this exaltation, earning the highest level of heaven (remember the Mormon heaven has three levels).  For a list of at least 15 required works, see here.

What does the Bible say about works and grace?

Eph. 2:8-9 (ESV)  For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, ⁹ not a result of works, so that no one may boast. ¹⁰ For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Works are not required for salvation but are the natural result of salvation, of the Holy Spirit living within us.  Paul makes this even more clear in his letter to Titus:

Titus 3:4-5 (ESV)  But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, ⁵ he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit,

I should address one more Bible verse often misused by Mormon missionaries and theologians to try and prove works are needed:

James 2:17 (ESV)  So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

This seems pretty clear, don’t you think?  Faith requires works.  One of the most important things to remember when someone brings up a single verse to prove their point is to read that verse in the context surrounding it.

The book of James was written to believers not to non-believers, and it was written as an instruction manual.  James is saying our faith should produce works, and if your faith does not produce works it is dead, you are separated from God.  Look at the full paragraph:

James 2:14-17 (ESV)  What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? ¹⁵ If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, ¹⁶ and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? ¹⁷ So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

James is speaking to “my brothers” to show how a Christian’s faith should be obvious in the works it produces.  When a body dies, the body does not cease to exist but is still there.  There are just no signs of life.  The body and spirit have been separated.  Likewise, when the spiritual life shows no signs of life, no outward expression of the God that lives within, that spirit has been separated from God.  It didn’t cease to exist.  The faith is still there.  The person has allowed it to go dormant.

Why is this important?

Often examining the beliefs of others against what we know to be true strengthens our faith.  It clarifies exactly what God has taught us.  Paul writes that it is actually a good thing there are divisions among us even in the church. 

1 Cor. 11:18-19 (ESV)  For, in the first place, when you come together as a church, I hear that there are divisions among you. And I believe it in part, ¹⁹ for there must be factions among you in order that those who are genuine among you may be recognized.

How much more do we learn from those who are as far afield at we can see the Mormons are?

There are four major doctrines of the historic Christian Church: the deity of Christ, His bodily Resurrection, the Trinity, and salvation by grace alone.  If a group calls themselves “Christian,” these are the standards by which we measure such a group.  If they deny even one, they are not to be included in the historical church. Mormons deny all save the bodily resurrection of Jesus.

We need to point out something before we continue with this series.  Mormon missionaries will often ask the homeowner to pray about the Book of Mormon.  They depend on that person to feel a “burning in the bosom” to confirm the truth of the book.  This isn’t the Christian approach to truth.  Christianity isn’t based on an emotional response or praying to find truth.  Christianity is based on fact, proven truth claims made in the Bible.  Christians are to base what they believe on the Bible alone.  It is our standard of truth.  Hopefully this blog has shown that over the past six years. 

We don’t pray if we should cheat on our taxes or should shoplift a pack of gum.  We know it’s wrong because the Bible tells us it’s wrong.  Under the same principle, we don’t pray if the Book of Mormon is correct.  We look to the Bible to see what it says.  That’s why this blog includes Scripture to show the Bible teaches something much different than what we see in Mormon doctrine.

This week we’ll look at the Mormon view of salvation, but first let’s look at the biblical view so we can compare Mormon doctrine to what we already know to be true in the Bible.

Eph. 2:8-9 (ESV)  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.

Titus 3:5 (ESV)  he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit,

Mormons teach first that we preexisted, we were God’s spirit children before we were born into a physical body. Our life here on earth is judged, and after we die there are two levels of salvation.  The first is salvation from judgment which is covered by Jesus’ sacrifice.  Pretty much all of us get this.  We are raised physically at the judgment and enter into one of the three levels of the Mormon heaven.  The very evil folks like murders are cast into outer darkness because Jesus’ blood was not enough to cover their sins, but their sins can be paid for by the individual shedding his own blood.

“. . . Joseph Smith taught that there were certain sins so grievous that man may commit, that they will place the transgressors beyond the power of atonement of Christ.  If these offenses are committed, then the blood of Christ will not cleanse them from their sins even though they repent.  Therefore their only hope is to have their own blood shed to atone, as far as possible in their behalf.”  (Mormon Doctrine by Bruce R. McConkie –  member of the Mormon Quorum of the Twelve, Bookcraft Books, Salt Lake City, UT p. 93)

This is why the firing squad is an option for execution in Utah and now in Idaho, a heavily Mormon state (a bill allowing for a firing squad was just signed there in March 23, 2023).  The Mormons teach there are sins too evil even for Jesus’ blood to pay for them.  This is not what the Bible teaches.

1 John 1:7 (ESV) But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. 

The Bible, our standard for spiritual truth, says there is no sin Jesus’ blood cannot cover.  The limited atonement of Mormonism teaches against the Bible’s clear doctrine. 

Mormon men believe they can become gods on the same level as the Father and Jesus upon their death.  They believe this because they believe there are many gods and you can become one if you are a right-living Mormon male.

 “Then shall [right living Mormons] be gods, because they continue; then shall they be from above all things because all things are subject unto them.  Then shall they be gods, because they have all power and the angels are subject unto them.”  (Doctrine and Covenants 132:20 – one of the Mormon Scripture)

Why is this important?

Mormons, as a rule, are very fine and moral people, but Mormonism itself is a perversion of the true gospel of Christ.  They often present themselves as the true Church of Jesus Christ (Latter Day Saints).  We need to know how and why their teachings differ from biblical Christianity in order to share the truth with our Mormon friends and family and to protect ourselves and others from false teachings.

1 Thess. 5:20-21  (ESV)  Do not despise prophecies, but test everything; hold fast what is good.

I expect this to be a short series on Mormonism over the next few blogs.

I’m sure most of us know and/or are related to Mormons, members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (LDS).  But what do we know about what they believe?  Most Mormons seem very moral, very godly, very nice and sincere people.  They even seem to be Christian, but are they?  Let’s look as a few of the things they teach to see if they match up with what the Bible teaches.

Before I begin, I’d like to point out the Mormons rely on four “Scriptures” for their doctrine: the Book of Mormon (BOM), Doctrine and Covenants (D&C), Pearl of Great Price (PGP), and the Holy Bible – “so far as it is translated correctly.”  I will be quoting from these LDS authorities as well as from Mormon Doctrine (MD) written by Bruce R. McConkie, an apostle of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (1996 edition). Now let’s look at the god of Mormonism. To begin with, the Father has a body:

“The Father has a body of flesh and bones as tangible as man’s; the Son also; but the Holy Ghost has not a body of flesh and bones, but is a personage of Spirit.”  (Doctrine and Covenants 130:22 – LDS)

Christians know the Bible teaches God is spirit.  Jesus Himself tells us this:

John 4:24 (ESV)  “God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”

As quoted above, Mormons teach the trinity is actually three separate gods, not the one God in three Persons Christians worship:

 “There are three Gods – the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost – who, though separate in personality, are united as one in purpose, in plan, and in all the attributes of perfection.” (Mormon Doctrine, Bookcraft, 1966 p. 317)

So, Mormons are polytheists, they believe in more than one god.  There are millions of gods in Mormon theology, and the men in Mormonism each have a chance to become a god some day.  According to Doctrine and Covenants, all Mormon men in good standing (baptized, sealed in marriage in the temple, temple endowment, experienced the laying on of hands, didn’t kill anyone unjustly, among other things) will become gods:

“Then shalt they be gods, because they have no end; therefore shall they be from everlasting to everlasting, because they continue; then shalt they be above all, because all things are subject to them.  Then shalt they be gods, because they have all power, and the angels are subject to them.” (D&C 132:20)

The Mormon god the Father, Elohim, is a man like we are.  He is exalted, however, just as every Mormon male in good standing may become a god of his own world.

“Man and God are of the same race, and it is within the power of righteous man to become like his Father, that is to become a holy Man, a Man of Holiness.”  (MD p. 465, 466)

Is this what the Bible teaches, that there are many gods, that man may become a god if he behaves himself and lives right?

Isa. 43:10 (ESV)  “You are my witnesses,” declares the Lord, and my servant whom I have chosen, that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he. Before me no god was formed, nor shall there be any after me.”

There aren’t any gods but Yahweh, and there won’t be any more to come. Mormonism is false.

Why is this important?

Mormons seem harmless, and they are if you know what they truly believe.  Knowing what they believe helps us both protect ourselves from the influence of false teachings and sharing the truth with those who are deceived.

We need to know who we are talking with when we talk with people who present themselves as Christian.  Not everyone who claims to be Christian is Christian.

I was thinking it had been a while since I’d written about the Problem of Evil (POE), so maybe it was time for a review.  It turns out after doing a search through the more than 300 posts written since BAAD started in June of 2017, I’ve never dedicated a single post to this important subject.

Though it may not be commonly known by this name, we hear the POE stated all the time in general conversation: “How can a loving God allow school children to be shot?”  “Why doesn’t God do something about all the evil in the world?”  These are sort of informal and “unsteady” ways of posing the problem.  Here is the formal and clearer, more difficult to answer, form:

• An all-powerful God could end evil.
• An all-knowing God would know how to end evil.
• An all-good God would want to end evil.
• Evil exists.
• Therefore, there is no all-powerful, all-knowing, all-good God.

That’s the short and sweet of the problem, and it has been asked since before Christ.  In fact Epicurus (3^rd century b.c.) taught a form of the argument as you see in the photo above and a more primitive form was posed by Plato before him.

The POE is not a problem for most modern world religions as they have different ways of explaining or denying the presence of evil. The gods they believe in are not wholly good, all knowing, or all powerful.

For the Christian the POE was a definite problem, though, and had been for nearly 2,000 years.  Then in 1974 philosopher Dr. Alvin Plantinga published his book God, Freedom, and Evil.  In this book, Plantinga argued as follows:

• God Loves us
• God wants our love in return
• In order for us to love Him freely, we must be free to choose not to love as well.
• God has given us this freedom, this freewill, to love or not to love.
• Therefore evil, ungodly acts, in the world are done by the free choice of the doer.

Freewill is as universal a truth as the laws of gravity.  We can choose to love God or not.  We can choose to act in a godly or an ungodly manner.  For the Christian, this free choice is controlled by his will and the Spirit of God that lives within him.

As a result, when we see children abused, it is not God that causes it. Nor can it be logically argued because He did not stop it, He does not exist.  It is the freewill God has given to all including the abuser that allows this to happen.

For God to remove this freewill would mean an inability for us to love God freely.  We would then be robots forced to love Him.  That would not be true love.  God has chosen this plan in order to gain disciples who truly love Him knowing many people would still choose not to.

Plantinga’s argument has all but settled the POE.  The problem has all but vanished from college philosophy courses because it has been soundly refuted.

The POE has other forms, though, such as how God can allow animals to suffer or destructive earthquakes to happen.  C. S. Lewis said it would be incorrect to say “My dog feels pain.”  Lewis believed it would be more accurate to say “Pain is taking place in my dog.”  He believed pain was not evil unless there was a person who experienced it, and animals are not persons according to Lewis.  This is an interesting idea, but I’m not so sure he was correct.

My dog, Larry, dreams, makes decisions, knows things, remembers things, loves, is happy or sad, etc.  These are traits of consciousness, of personhood.  I don’t believe Larry possesses considered moral standards or is self-aware. He doesn’t objectively think about things he has thought about (think about thinking). But there is a rudimentary level of consciousness in him.  I think he feels pain, so that pain, that evil, needs another explanation for why it happens.  I think it better falls within the reasons for natural evil: earthquakes and tidal waves.  We live in a fallen world (Genesis 3:14-19).  The world is no longer perfect due to Adam’s fall.  As a result it does not always act in a predictable or perfect way.

Why is this important?

Christians face the challenge of evil from critics fairly often.  We need to be ready with an answer when we are asked why God allows evil.

1 Peter 3:15  but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and  reverence.

We read about Nicodemus only in the gospel of John.  Yet he is a very important man in the story of the earthly ministry of Jesus.  Nicodemus is an interesting name.  It means “Victory over the People.” We believe Nicodemus was a major player in first century Jerusalem.

Nicodemus was a Pharisee and a ruler of the Jews (John 3:1).  He was also a member of the Sanhedrin.  At a rigged trial of Jesus, Nicodemus stood up against the rulers to stand on the law (John 7:45-52).  Jesus was being tried without being present.  Nicodemus would have none of it and attempted to stop the trial on a point of law.  He was apparently successful since Jesus was not arrested at that time, but that didn’t keep them from continuing to plot against Jesus.

The entire next chapter, chapter eight of John, is a long argument between the Jewish leaders and Jesus about just who He was.

The final time we see Nicodemus is at the burial of Jesus’ body in John 19:38-42 when he brings seventy-five pounds (KJV and NKJV say “one hundred pounds) of spices to include with the wrappings of Jesus’ body.  Seventy-five pounds of spices was unusual for a common burial.  That much was usually only appropriate for a royal burial.  This implies Nicodemus either considered Jesus in the highest regard or perhaps was a dedicated follower of the Christ.

Many scholars believe Nicodemus may well have been a very close relative to Flavius Josephus, the famous first century Roman/Jewish historian.

Nicodemus is mentioned just three times in John’s Gospel.  In chapter three, we see a discussion between he and Jesus about the new birth.  Reading these verses from a 21st Century perspective gives us a poor idea of what is going on here.  We need to remember Nicodemus is a consummate Jew.  He is still under the Law and, as a Jew, believes he is assured a place in God’s kingdom.  Then Jesus tells him that’s not enough. He needs to be “born-again.”

Do you remember your confusion the first time you heard the term “born-again?”  It was worse for Nicodemus.  Here he was, a teacher of the Law, a Pharisee, an authority on the Jewish faith, and Jesus tells him he needs to be reborn.  The fact he couldn’t understand what Jesus meant by that brings up the foolish question “can I climb back into my mother’s womb?”  We might have asked the same thing if this were our first time hearing this.

In John 3:3, Nicodemus had just finished recognizing Jesus as a “teacher come from God” when Jesus throws “You must be born again” at him.  Nothing Nicodemus said seemed to lead up to that though we do see just a few verses earlier that Jesus knew what was in man (John 2:25).  So, Jesus probably read why Nicodemus was there and jumped right to it.

The rest of the passage is Jesus trying to give examples of what He meant by “born-again.”  He goes directly to the very question Nicodemus asked and used the same example of fleshly birth, “born of water.” 

Even 2,000 years ago people knew of the amniotic fluid that comes with the baby.  The child seems to be born of water.  So, first be must be born physically as Nicodemus knew, but then we must be reborn spiritually as Jesus explained: “That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.” (John 3:6)  So, the context says we are all born of flesh, but to enter the kingdom of God, we must also be born of spirit.

Some think Jesus is talking about Christian baptism here when He speaks of being born of water, but we must remember there was no such thing as Christian baptism when this conversation took place, only the baptism of John.  This was still Old Testament times.  The New Testament does not begin until the ultimate sacrifice is given for us: the crucifixion of Jesus.

Why is this important?

Understanding the main characters of the Gospel helps us to examine ourselves, our faults and our strengths.  Also, having a better understanding of what it means to be born-again makes our Christian witness stronger and more accurate.

Nicodemus needed to know what was required to enter the kingdom of heaven.  In verse 16, Jesus makes it abundantly clear for him in a single sentence:

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

I have taught Bible study methods for years.  One such method is called the ABC Method.  It’s called that because with any passage we study, we should be able to Find: A Title, Basic verse, and the Challenge or commitment in that passage.  John 3:16 is the basic verse, the verse which best explains the entire Bible plan, the verse we often turn to to explain God’s offer.  It was first explained to Nicodemus.

John 2:18-22 (ESV)  So the Jews said to him, “What sign do you show us for doing these things?” Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” The Jews then said, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will you raise it up in three days?” But he was speaking about the temple of his body. When therefore he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they believed the Scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken.

When asked “who raised Jesus from the dead,” most Christians would say “God raised Him,” and they would be right.  But, Scripture gives us quite a bit of additional information on just Who raised Jesus.  The Bible says the Father raised Jesus (Gal. 1:1).  The passage quoted above, says Jesus raised Himself, and the Bible says the Holy Spirit raised Jesus (Rom. 8:11).  Also, Peter, in his great sermon before the Temple says God raised Him from the dead (Acts 2:32).  So the triune God was active in all three Persons to raise Jesus from the dead.

I would like to look more closely at the passage at hand (John 2:18-22).  There are some serious implications here we need to understand.  First is how can a dead man raise his own body.  We need to remember Jesus has two natures, the human nature and His divine nature.  It was His human nature that died on Calvary 2,000 years ago, but His divine nature didn’t die, of course.  Had His divine nature died along with His body, God would have ceased to exist as a triune God.  He would then have to change His nature, but our God does not change (Mal. 3:6).  Because of this, Jesus must have continued to exist as God and was perfectly able to raise His dead body from the tomb.  He tells us this in the passage above.

Jesus raised His body.  He wasn’t raised as a spirit as some cults teach.  It is clear here this is what He is talking about, “the temple of His body.”  He makes a direct claim supporting this in Luke 24:36-39

As they were talking about these things, Jesus himself stood among them, and said to them, “Peace to you!” But they were startled and frightened and thought they saw a spirit. And he said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me, and see. For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.”

Jesus’ resurrection was a bodily resurrection.

So, why was He raised?  We know why Jesus died for us, it was to pay the price for our sin.  Why then did He need to rise from the dead?  Wasn’t dying enough?

One reason is that Jesus performed miracles often to prove His message.  When the men lowered the paralytic through the roof so Jesus could heal him (Mark 2:1-13), He said to the man “Your sins are forgiven.”  The scribes questioned how He could say such a thing since only God can forgive sins.  To prove what He said was true, He told the paralytic “Rise up and walk,” and the man rose, picked up his bed, and left.  The miracle healing was done to prove what Jesus said was true.

In the same way, Jesus’ resurrection proves His claim to have power over life and death.  He said accepting Him would bring us eternal life (John 3:16, 5:24).  His resurrection is proof of that claim.

Why is this important?

A better understanding of Who God is and how He works helps build our faith and emboldens us to share that faith with others.

This Easter season, we have a better than usual opportunity to share the truth of Christ’s resurrection with others.  We can use the strength of God’s Spirit to help us explain how a dead man can rise to life.

1 Cor. 15:14-17 (ESV)  And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain.  We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins.

1 Thess 5:21 (ESV)  but test everything; hold fast what is good.

It occurred to me I often say we should test the things we’re told, but I’ve never given some ways to test them.

We can never really know something is true unless we test it, look for justification of why it’s true.  When we’re talking about something in Scripture, it’s pretty easy.  We look at the passage cited and read the surrounding context.  The context will usually reveal what the part in question really means

Bible Questions: If you’ve heard something strange and checking the context doesn’t resolve the issue, look into a few Christian commentaries.  I say a few because there are a few odd commentaries floating around as well.  We need a generally agreed upon interpretation if possible, but Bible study is a personal activity.  It’s God speaking to us. If you’re just reading for yourself, prayer is the way to go first.

Authorities: This is a good one.  Sometimes someone with a PhD will come up with a really foolish idea and speak as though it is true.  Because he or she has a PhD, we tend to believe what they say. Check other sources, though.  Just because a person has an advanced degree doesn’t mean we should believe what they say.  Some of the dumbest ideas I’ve ever heard came from my college professors.

Another issue with authorities is someone with expertise in one area will claim to be an expert in another.  So, just because someone has a PhD, don’t consider them an expert unless that degree is in the field their writing about.

Someone with a degree in Cosmology is not a good source of information on evolution, for instance.  Usually, if you look at an author’s degrees listed on a book jacket, it’s a dead giveaway if they don’t also tell you what those degrees are in.

Evidence: Evidence of something being true is a little complicated.  There are two major theories of truth.  The first is the Correspondence Theory.  This theory says for something to be true, it has to correspond to reality.  You’re reading this on a computer I assume, so a claim that computers do exist should be acceptable since you’re using one to read this.  You’re holding a computer, and that’s pretty strong evidence computers exist.

There is a second theory, and this one is where we run into trouble.  It’s called the Coherence Theory of truth.  It states that something is true if it coheres to something we already believe to be true.  This relates mostly to something we hear.  If we watch the news each evening and the weatherman says it will rain tomorrow, and it does, and he can do that consistently, then maybe we should accept as true what the weatherman says about the weather.  But sometimes the weatherman is wrong.  To believe him every time he predicts the weather would be foolish.

Let’s pick someone more reliable than the weatherman such as our pastor.  A good pastor will tell us to go home and check out what he’s said to make sure it corresponds with the Bible.  What he is doing is saying not to trust it just because what he has said coheres with what you already believe.  He wants you to move it up a notch and check it against a much more reliable source, the Bible.

The Bible: Okay, if we use the Bible to support what we believe, then we should check that out as well.  The Bible is actually the only religious book that challenges us to examine the truth of what it says.  How do we do that?  Isn’t it just hearsay from authors from thousands of years ago?  In fact it isn’t.

The Two major ways to check if the Bible is true is by both internal evidence and external evidence.  These two lines of reasoning should give us plenty of evidence for the Bible as a reliable source.

Why is this important?

Besides the fact the Bible tells us to test things, knowing the truth is a hallmark of the Christian.    

Prov. 12:17 (ESV)  Whoever speaks the truth gives honest evidence, but a false witness utters deceit.

The truth is consistent.  Falsehood is inconsistent.  So, we need to pay close attention to what we hear.  If following a false teacher, the inconsistency in their teachings should become obvious.  Evolution, for instance, has inconsistencies, so the inconsistencies are a good way to know it is false.  Evolution can’t explain consciousness, for instance.  Could abstract math arise from amino acids banging into each other over millions of years?  No.  So, evolution is logically inconsistent and, therefore, incorrect.

We just need to test all things more often rather than accept ideas at face value.