Questions from Readers
Over the years a great many
readers of “Straight Bible Talk” and its predecessor, “The Hudson Valley
Bible Herald” have written or called with questions.
Under these two names, we have been sending out Bible based literature to
people for over 15 years now. We
thought we might respond to some of these readers in this edition.
Let me hasten to add that some of those who have written have taken a
negative view of our writings. Others
have simply sought Biblical responses. Whether
negative in their comments or searching for truth, we appreciate everyone who
has taken the time and made the effort to respond.
One reader suggested, “The world
is not going to end.” And then
suggested that I “Read ‘Earth in the Balance” by Al Gore.
This same reader said, “I do not
need Bible Study.”
The world is going to end!
“But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens
will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat,
and the earth and its works will be burned up.
Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of
people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening
the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be destroyed by
burning, and the elements will melt with intense heat!
But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new
earth, in which righteousness dwells.” 2
Peter 3:10-13
Notice what Jesus said:
“Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away.
But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor
the Son, but the Father alone.” Certainly
Al Gore does not know about that day, whatever he may have written in his book.
Nor apparently did our reader know about that day or she would not have
written what she did. If she wants
to know the truth, some Bible study would be helpful.
If you are not interested in God’s truth then I suggest you stay away
from the Bible. But the Bible will
prepare you for the end of the world. Neither
Al Gore’s book nor any other book can prepare you for that event.
You need to know what the Bible says about getting ready for the end!
Another reader responded:
“I want to know what the Bible says or doesn’t say about masturbation
or being a sex addict???”
Neither masturbation nor sexual
addiction is addressed under those terms in the Bible.
Having said that, the Bible is not silent on issues related to both.
One writer professed to find
masturbation in Genesis 49:4. The
particular sin in view in that passage was the matter of Reuben having sex with
one of his father’s concubines, the mother of some of Reuben’s half
brothers. The other passage to which
the writer referred was Deut 23:9-14. The
passage refers to “nocturnal emissions” or what are more commonly today
called “wet dreams,” not self-induced emissions.
What the Bible does make clear is
that sexual relations are intended for the marital relationship.
Consider, for example, Hebrews 13:4:
“Marriage is to be held in honor among all, and the marriage bed is to
be undefiled; for fornicators and adulterers God will judge.
The King James Version said, “whoremongers and adulterers God will
judge.
The word “fornicators” comes
from a Greek word that has been defined as follows in a Greek Lexicon written by
Bauer, Arndt, Gingrich—in our
literature quite generally “fornicator, one who practices sexual immorality,
excluded from the kingdom of God”
Paul defines the works of the
flesh that will exclude one from the kingdom of God in Galatians 5:19-21.
Among those he lists fornication followed by “impurity” and
“sensuality.” The word
translated “sensuality” has also been translated as:
lasciviousness, licentiousness and debauchery.
All of these words describe conduct that tends to excite lustful desires.
Masturbation and sexual addiction would appear to fall under this
heading.
While such conduct is common in
our world being a staple of television and movies as well as the everyday
life-style of many people, it is not righteous conduct.
As a Christian one might attempt to draw a fine line between various
practices to determine what one might or might not indulge without condemnation
from the Lord. On the other hand,
the far safer course is to reserve all sexual activity to marriage.
That would seem to be the intent of the remarks in Hebrews 13:4 as well
as those other passages of the New Testament that deal with sexual conduct.
Such passages include: Matt
5:27-28; Rom 1:26-32; 1 Cor 5:11; 6:9-11; Gal 5:19-21; Eph 4:17-20; 5:3-5; Col
3:5-11 and Heb 13:4.
God intends that His people be
free from all the “works of the flesh.”
We are to be holy as He is holy.
Another reader took issue with our
position on the baptism of babies. One
argument was that the scriptures “weren’t read by the common person for
thousands of years and so oral tradition and ritual had to suffice.”
First of all, the New Testament
scriptures were (many of them) addressed to churches.
Paul even closed one letter by writing, “When this letter is read among
you, have it also read in the church of the Laodiceans.”
(Col 4:16a) Unless one is
ready to assert that there were no “common people” in that congregation, the
argument fails.
What is true is that there was a
concerted effort for hundreds of years to keep common people from reading the
scriptures. Copies were generally
not available and the only “approved” copy of the scriptures was in Latin, a
language unknown to the vast majority of Europeans in the Dark Ages.
In another attempt at justifying
the baptism of babies, the writer refers to the presentation at the temple when
Jesus was a baby. That particular
ceremony was for the benefit of the mother according to the laws given through
Moses and not for the baby. Jesus
was not baptized nor anointed on that occasion.
A common procedure among many
churches is to look at what they are doing and then seek justification from
somewhere in scripture. The Bible is
distorted beyond recognition in order to sustain the practice of the church.
True Bible study begins with
scripture not with church procedures. Its
intent is to determine the will of God rather than to seek justification for
what the church wants to do.
The writer closes by saying, “I
don't want to join a Bible club.” A
“Bible club” might be helpful if one wants to seriously study God’s word.
We invite everyone to join us in searching the scriptures to learn
God’s truth.