EXPOSITORY FILES 1.4

Edited by Warren Berkley & Jon Quinn

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The Front Page

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Welcome to the fourth issue of Expository Files! The

editors continue to be extremely pleased with the results

so far, and are working hard to insure that each issue

will be worth downloading, reading, studying, pondering,

copying, printing, sharing and uploading to other boards

and individuals.

 

 In the first article in this issue, I take a look at the

battle of Armageddon. Be forewarned that the approach is

not typical of most of today's viewpoints, but instead the

interpretation is based upon the Book of Revelation's own

introduction to its message which gives us important

information regarding the timeframe of the events of the

book.

 

 In the second article, Kenneth Chumbley examines the

moral and sexual climate of first century Thessalonica. In

light of the very loose moral standards of that day, Paul

instructs the new Christians there concerning godly

conduct. Very timely information for them... very timely

information for us as well.

 

 In the third article by Warren Berkley, it is shown that

attributes of God's personality do not conflict with one

another, but rather compliment one another. We are asked

to consider "mercy" and "truth." Many today, in the name

of "tolerance" (mercy) insist that truth be ignored.

Warren shows that there is no such conflict; it is not an

either/or proposition with God, and ought not to be with

us either.

 

 Finally, Alex Ogden begins an expository series on the

book of Hebrews which will conclude, Lord willing, in

December. See the introduction to his first article for

more information on what looks like will be an excellent

presentation.

 

As always, we invite your comments. You may reach us

through E-Mail on America Online (WEB47 and JWQuinn).

Please feel free to upload EXPOSITORY FILES into local

bulletin board networks or disperse to others.

 

     "And now I commend you to God and to the word of His

grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the

inheritance among all who are sanctified." (Acts 20:32,

NASB).

Apocalypse Now? The Battle Of Armageddon

(Revelation 16:12-16)

By Jon Quinn

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   It was during the gulf war with Iraq that we heard it

once again. "This is it!" They said. "The prelude to the

final battle...the battle of Armageddon!" But wait a

minute. I thought they had said that the Iraq-Iran war was

the opening shots of Armageddon. And before that, the 1973

Arab-Israeli war. And before that, the Arab-Israeli

conflict of 1967. And didn't the Soviet occupation of

Afghanistan have something to do with it?

 

   There has been a lot of foolish speculation about it.

It is easy to watch the headlines and then to lift some

Biblical passage out of its context and say "See, the

Bible predicted this event!" In fact, the battle of

Armageddon is a favorite topic because there are always

plenty of trouble spots, especially in the Middle East,

which provide the headlines around which one can weave his

theories of how that final great battle is forming. From

the amount of attention given Armageddon you would think

that it must be a prominent Bible topic.

 

      IT IS NOT! In fact, "Armageddon" is mentioned only

once and "the battle of Armageddon" is not mentioned at

all!

 

  The one passage which does mention "Armageddon" ( or

more correctly, "Har-magedon") occurs in the book of

Revelation: "And the sixth angel poured out his bowl on

the great river, the  Euphrates; and its water was dried

up, that the way might be prepared for the kings of the

east. And I saw coming out of the mouth of the dragon and

out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the

false prophet, three unclean spirits like frogs; for they

were spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to

the kings of the whole world, to gather them together for

war on the great day of God, the Almighty. (Behold, I am

coming like a thief. Blessed is the one who stays awake

and keeps his garments, lest he walk about naked and men

see his shame.) And they gathered them together to the

place which in Hebrew is called Har-magedon." (REVELATION

16:12-16).

 

MEGIDDO IN HISTORY

   "The kings came and fought; then fought the kings of

Canaan at Taanach near the waters of Megiddo;" (JUDGES

5:19). The word "Har-magedon" comes from the Hebrew. The

word "Har" means "mountain" and "Magedon" refers to an

ancient site of many battles called "Megiddo." The battle

mentioned above took place under the leadership of Deborah

and Barak about 1100 years before Christ (See also the

fourth chapter of Judges). Megiddo was of strategic

importance because it occupies a valley through which

armies could march on their various campaigns. Because of

the many history-changing battles fought there, Megiddo

became a symbol, sort of like our own Alamo or Pearl

Harbor. It came to symbolize warfare, struggle and death.

But that's about Megiddo; a valley. Where is "the mountain

of Megiddo" from which we get the word Armageddon? The

answer is that there is NO such literal place! It does not

exist as far as geography is concerned! Then why does the

book of Revelation mention it?

 

BACKGROUND OF THE BOOK OF REVELATION

   "The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to

show His bond-servants, the things which must shortly take

place; and He sent and communicated it by His angel to His

bond-servant John" (REVELATION 1:1). Though certainly the

book of Revelation contains glimpses of the final judgment

and eternity, the great majority of the book was

prophesying of things which "must shortly take place" back

in about 100 A.D.  Also; "Blessed is he who reads and

those who hear the words of the prophecy, and heed the

things which are written in it; for the time is near"

(REVELATION 1:3). Any speculative theory which contends

that Armageddon has something to do with our future has to

first ignore what this book itself says about the

timeframe!

  The book is written in symbols. That is why there can be

a "mountain of Megiddo" at all. It is a symbol, just like

the dragon, the beast, the false prophet, the frogs, the

drying up of the river Euphrates and the rest of the

context of the chapter and book. Well then, what does it

symbolize?

  It symbolizes something that took place back in the

first, second and perhaps third centuries. The book of

Revelation emphasizes that it is speaking of things which

"must shortly take place." The early church was undergoing

tremendous persecution. Roman power and culture awed the

world and Rome considered Christianity as an enemy to be

destroyed. The kings of the world sought alliances with

Rome and thus joined her in persecuting Christians

everywhere. The Roman emperor was made into a deity and

all Roman subjects everywhere were expected to worship

him. Christians would not do so. But Rome was so powerful.

It had armies with swords and shields. The Lord's kingdom

had its army also, not armed with literal swords but with

the word of truth. But how can those armed only with the

truth of the Scriptures stand against cold steel?

 

THE PROMISE OF THE BOOK OF REVELATION

  "And after this I heard, as it were, a loud voice of a

great multitude in heaven, saying, 'Hallelujah! Salvation

and glory and power belong to our God..." (REVELATION

19:1). The promise is that Rome, in all her power and

glory, will fall. But the truth which she sought to

destroy will survive. There will first be suffering and

sacrifice on the part of the faithful. But it will only

serve to show the whole world that this new faith is worth

dying for. Chapter four shows that God is still on His

throne. He has not surrendered. He will not allow Rome to

win. He will call upon them to repent, and when they

refuse He will bring them down. "Har-magedon" refers to

that struggle between right and wrong; to the great

conflict between world forces of darkness and the forces

of light as they follow the true "King of kings and Lord

of lords". Many of His followers would lose their lives,

but not their souls. There would be a resurrection. Jesus

would win the battle of Har-magedon. History shows that He

did. Rome fell. Truth prevailed.

   We all have our battles to wage. We are as certain of

victory as they were when we remember Who our King is;

 

What Paul Taught the Thessalonians About Sex

(I THESSALONIANS 4:3,4)

By Kenny Chumbley

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      The moral picture of the Roman Empire during the

first century was indeed sordid. The cities of the empire

were pockets of wild corruption. From the upper classes to

the lowest slaves debauchery ruled. It has been said that

there has probably never been a period when vice was more

extravagant or uncontrolled than it was under the Caesars.

Into this twisted context came the Gospel-calling upon men

to rein in and control their sexual energies.

 

      "For this is the will of God, even your

sanctification, that ye should abstain from  fornication:

that every one of you should know how to possess his

vessel in  sanctificaion and honour." (1 Thess. 4.3-4).

 

      Note the three stages of expectation that Paul

develops: He begins by laying down the general, positive statement

that God wills for us to live sexually

sanctified-holy-lives. Anyone, therefore, who contends

that God sanctions unholy living is at direct odds with

Paul.

 

 Next comes a specific, negative injunction that we

abstain from every kind of immorality. "Abstain" is a

strong word in the Greek. It means more than simple

avoidance. As Phillips renders it, abstinence entails "a

clean cut with sexual immorality." We must totally abstain

from every kind of unlawful sexual intercourse, whether

fornication, adultery, homosexuality, polygamy, or

bestiality. Concerning things that are totally evil - such

as sexual immorality - there can be no moderation, only

total abstention.

 

 Finally, Paul provides two fundamental, practical

principles to guide our sexual behavior. First, sex has a

God-given context:  viz., monogamous, till

death-do-us-part, heterosexual marriage (this is how I

understand the phrase, "that every one of you should know

how to posses his vessel," i.e., his wife; cf. 1 Pet. 3.7,

"weaker vessel"). There is, I think, an unmistakable

similarity between 1 Thessalonians 4.3 and 1 Corinthians

7.2, "To avoid fornication [and promote sanctification]

let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have

her own husband." Marriage, from one standpoint, is a

Divinely-designed means of avoiding terrible sin. Second,

sex has a God-given character: holiness and honor

("possess his vessel in sanctification and honour"). Even

within the sphere of marriage God expects restraint rather

than an "anything goes" mentality to inhere. Things

condemned in God's word-e.g., selfishness (1 Cor. 7.3ff),

sodomy, pornography, etc.-are as unlawful within marriage

as without. Selfish lust and dishonorable sexual practices

which use a partner will eventually destroy any

relationship. Within marriage, true love-making that

honors, cherishes and respects the other is the rule to

which there is no exception.

 

     Paul only spent three weeks in the city of

Thessalonica before persecution forced him to leave under

cover of darkness (Acts 17.1-10). During this time the

church was comprised entirely of babes in Christ. But

during the brief time He was with them, as 1 Thessalonians

4.2-3 shows, Paul thought it important to teach these new

converts how the Gospel governed their sexual behavior. If

Paul thought this subject important enough to include in

his earliest instruction to the Thessalonians, it must

indeed be an important subject.

 

    Christian parents, elders, teachers and preachers,

therefore, must not be afraid to expound Biblical

standards of morality. In this age of godless relativism

and worldliness, people need plain, practical, ethical

teaching. Right from the beginning let's teach our

children and new converts that God calls us to purity, not

promiscuity. They, and we, must learn that God sees the

intimacies of the bedroom. Christian husbands and wives,

therefore, must honor God and each other, here as

elsewhere.

 

 

Psalms 85:10

by Warren E. Berkley

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"Mercy and truth have met together; Righteousness and

peace have kissed each other," (Psalms 85:10).

 

As the diligent student reads through the Word of God and

devotes attention to various passages, it becomes clear

that God has linked certain things together. Once we

understand this, we shouldn't have any trouble realizing

that man has no business tampering with or unconnecting

things God has put together. As in marriage, so with other

things God has put together: "...what God has joined

together, let not man separate," (Matt. 19:6).

 

Notice some things God has put together: Faith is

expressed by works of obedience (Jas. 2:14-26); Love is

manifested through obedience (Jno. 14:15); Christ is the

Head of His church (Eph. 5:23); and Reverence toward diety

is displayed through acts of worship (Jno. 4:24). These

are things God has put together.

 

And, in Psalms 85:10, "mercy and truth have met together,"

and "righteousness and peace" are likewise joined. What do

these connections tell us about the person of Deity?

 

It is a mistake to regard God as a multi-personality

being. When we study His attributes and characteristics,

there may be a tendency to divide the Supreme Person of

Deity into "blocks" of character - His power, then

(separate from that), His love, etc. But this isn't the

way God is. He is a unified whole person, each attribute

connected to the other.

 

God's truth and mercy are compatible. That means, there is

nothing about God's origination and His revelation of

truth that interferes with His mercy. Both are part of the

whole character of God. Likewise, His righteousness and

peace enjoy perfect harmony.

 

It follows - if someone suggests that there is some sort

of conflict between God's mercy and God's truth, that

suggestion ought to be quickly rejected. All theories,

doctrines or arguments which array one quality of God

against another are in error, regardless of the debater,

the cause or the consequence.

 

For instance, the mercy of God which brings about pardon

for sin is wrought through the message, the gospel of

Christ. God's mercy is active in forgiving us, but this

mercy is executed through the message, the truth of the

gospel. No conflict!

 

Also, the demands of God's perfect righteousness were met

by the Savior's meritorious death, "the righteous for the

unrighteous." As a result, sinners can be reconciled to

God, thus "making peace." [1 Pet. 3:18; Eph. 2:14-22]  In

the gospel plan of salvation, revealed in the New

Testament of Jesus Christ, there is "Mercy and Truth"

meeting each other, and righteousness and peace kissing

each other.

 

But perhaps you've heard something like this: I know what

the truth (of God's Word) says, but I believe mercy

demands that we tolerate violation. This pits mercy

against truth; it actually places mercy above truth.

Objecting to the application of truth on grounds of mercy

is not plausible! Objecting to righteousness on grounds of

peace is likewise invalid. In God's person and in God's

perfect revelation, mercy and truth meet; righteousness

and peace kiss.

 

It is commendable to "pursue peace with all people," but

the same verse says we must also pursue "holiness, without

which no one will see the Lord," (Heb. 12:14). Christians

are to "be diligent to be found by Him in peace," but the

same verse adds: "without spot and blameless," (2 Pet.

3:14). The "wisdom that is from above is" peaceable but it

is "first pure," (Jas. 3:17). It is a mistake, therefore,

to isolate peace from other virtues and qualities and

build some kind of "loop-hole" or permissive argument on

the grounds of peace alone!

 

"Affection" and "mercy" motivates us to be likeminded

(Phil. 2:1-2), but we are warned not to boast or lie

against the truth (Jas. 3:14).

 

The truth and love of Christ motivates us to "glorify God

for His mercy ... But in every nation who ever fears Hm

and works righteousness is accepted by Him," (Rom. 15:9;

Acts 10:35).

 

The God who made us and who is the Father of the Lord

Jesus Christ is "the Lord God, merciful and gracious,

longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth," (Ex.

34:6).

 

 

 

Studies In Hebrews #1

(Hebrews 1:1 - 2:18)

By Alex Ogden

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Editor's Note: With this article we begin publication of

an excellent series of articles written by Alex Ogden.

There will be a total of nine installments, so that the

whole study will be contained in volume one. Bro. Ogden

preaches in Blytheville, Arkansas with the Main & 13th

Streets church of Christ. Previously, he has worked with

churches in Florida, Illinois, Tennesse and North

Carolina. Alex has been on two preaching trips to Jamaica,

and has preached in several different states in the

Southeast. He was a student at Florida College, and his

father is Art Ogden, who preaches in Somerset, Kentucky.

The editors of Expository Files believe this series in

Hebrews will be a useful contribution to your library, and

will stimulate deeper interests in this epistle. The

series will conclude with the December issue.

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 With this issue we begin a series of studies through the

New Testament book of Hebrews.  A study of Hebrews is rich

and rewarding.  The book is unlike other New Testament

books, especially in the unique picture which is presented

of Jesus.

 

Introductory Material

 

   One of the perplexing things about the book of Hebrews

is that the author nowhere identifies himself.  Several

have been suggested as the author such as Paul, Barnabas,

Luke, Priscilla & Aquila and Apollos.  Since the author

does not identify himself in the book, all such

conclusions are guesswork.  We must conclude as Origen

did, "God alone knows."  It is best for us to call him

"the writer of Hebrews" or "the Hebrew writer".

 

   Even though we do not know by name the writer of

Hebrews we do know a few things about him.  He was well

acquainted with his readers' spiritual condition

(5:11-14).  He was well aware of their past (6:10;

10:32-34).  He was certain they could do better

spiritually than they were doing (6:9). When you read the

book it is clear he had a thorough understanding of the

Old Testament, thus showing he had Jewish influences upon

him.

 

   Another question we need to answer about the book is,

"Who were the recipients of the book?"  Most of our bibles

have "The Epistle to the Hebrews" at the beginning of the

book.  This title would indicate the book was written to

Hebrews, or Jews.  But this title to the book was added

later.  For us to learn who the book was written to we

need to look inside the book itself.

 

   Some "scholars" have put forth the idea that the book

was written to Gentiles [Moffatt & Windisch].  Their

position is based on Hebrews 3:12. They feel that if

Jewish Christians are being addressed, their relapse into

Judaism would not involve "falling away from the living

God" because they would still be worshipping the God of

Israel.  Therefore, at least in their mind, the book had

to be written to Gentiles.

 

   There is plenty of proof from the book itself to show

the book was written to Jews who had become Christians.

(1) Hebrews 6:1 says, "not laying again a foundation of

repentance from dead works." The "dead works" would seem

to refer to the Jewish rites and ceremonies that were mere

works void of any spiritual cleansing for the soul (see

9:9-14).

 

(2) The continual appeal to the Old Testament scriptures

by the author shows the author was confident his readers

were well acquainted with those scriptures.  Jews, not

Gentiles, were taught the scriptures daily.

 

 (3) The recipients seem to accept the Levitical

priesthood. In 7:11 the writer says, "Now if there was

perfection through the Levitical priesthood..."  If it

were written to Gentiles, they would naturally answer the

author, "we never thought there was!"  The Jews, not the

Gentiles, would relate to the things said by the writer in

the book about the priesthood.

 

(4) Hebrews 10:32-34 speaks of the recipients as having

been persecuted by others. When the Jews obeyed the gospel

they were persecuted by unconverted Jews  (Acts 8:1).

Generally speaking, Gentiles who obeyed the gospel were

NOT persecuted as the Jews were.  Therefore, the

recipients of the book would have been Jews.  From these

and other pieces of evidence we can conclude the book was

written to Jewish Christians -- people who were born to

Jewish parents and perhaps raised