Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.You will recognize them by their fruits (Matthew 7/15-16)
When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with the humble is wisdom. (Proverbs 11:2).
Steve Kozar (The Messed Up Church) demonstrates how to lose friends and alienate people!
Kozar: "Paula White doesn't directly promise an angelic visitation (or "7 Supernatural Blessings") for a $1,000 donation. Please show where her commercial says 'If you don't send $1,000, you won't get 7 supernatural blessings,' before commenting. That's what this is about: being truthful. Truth matters. Words mean something. Please go to another more sensational channel if you don't like accurate and careful videos. This video does NOT "defend Paula White." (By the way, welcome to all of you 'Pastor Michael Grant''s viewers!)"
Once again, Steve Kozar has taken it upon himself to critique his fellow YouTube discerners and has offended many people. It appears that Kozar is actually looking for a fight with what he falsely terms as "sensational channels". Michael Grant, pastor of Moore's Corner Church, MA has come in for the brunt of Kozar's ire, which is shameful since Grant is head and shoulders above Kozar in the faith!
Kozar: "Paula White never actually said if you give her $1000 God will send you an angel."
Paula White's actual words: "I believe that when you honour God on passover starting on April 12th at sundown to Good Friday on the 18th including on Easter Sunday, you can receive these seven supernatural blessings. For you and your house, according to Exodus 23, God will assign an angel to you; He will be an enemy to your enemies; He will give you prosperity; He will take sickness away from you; He will give you long life; He will bring increase in inheritance; and He will give a special year of blessing. You are not doing this to get something, but you are doing it in honour to God realising what you can receive." The video continues: "Don't miss your special moment to release seven supernatural blessings and provision into your life.."
Paula White framed her scam in deceptive double talk.. "..you are not doing this to get something.. but you are doing this in honour to God realising what you will receive.." Why is Kozar splitting hairs? I view Kozar's remarks as immature and divisive. His pettiness and sniping against his supposed "brethren" is absolutely disgusting (Matthew 7:18). Kozar promotes himself as an "expert" and the only one worthy of producing "accurate videos". Many see this as an agenda and an attempt to put himself first as the foremost discernment minister at the expense of maligning others. This malicious and unfounded behaviour is unworthy of someone who claims to be a Christian.
As far as I am concerned, the more people calling out false teachers like Paula White, the better. Their voices add weight to the witness against her and other NAR wolves.
In January 2023, Kozar took it upon himself to issue a stern rebuke to Sean Christie (Revealing Truth) when he dared to criticise the Lutheran "holy grail", i.e. baptismal regeneration.
At that time, Kozar referred to"..amateur discernment bloggers who seem to have the viewpoint of 'it's me and my bible against the world, I'm just going to do this all by myself.'"1
My question to Steve Kozar is this: Who do you think you are, and who are you to judge who is qualified to produce videos exposing false teachers?
I have recommended Kozar's videos in the past but with reservations. These days, I look for different sources of information due to the elephant in the room i.e. baptismal regeneration. Baptismal regeneration is a very serious error supported by Lutherans Steve Kozar, Daniel Long, and Chris Rosebrough. This heresy alters the very core of soteriology. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God.. (Ephesians 2:8).
On this occasion, I left a message on Kozar's YouTube video, but as I expected, it was to no avail, and he has doubled down. Like many other proud people, Kozar has refused to accept correction.
My view is that believers should mark and avoid the Lutheran Mafia!
Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth. (2 Timothy 2:15).
Paul Wilkinson is back on the scene after a prolonged absence. Very sadly, this period of difficulty doesn't appear to have done him much good, and he has failed to ask the right questions. In particular, his vice-like grip on the pretrib rapture remains unchanged. If he had sought the Lord about this issue, I believe his difficulties would have been resolved a long time ago.
In this video Wilkinson explains how he came to join an Assemblies of God Gypsy church in Wales following an alleged direct word he received from God. This is a huge red flag. The AOG is Pentecostal, known mainly for the false New Apostolic Reformation and Charismania. My prayer is that the Lord will lead the Gypsy community into all truth. (John 16:13).
In a previous post, I exposed Wilkinson's dishonest revisionism concerning John Nelson Darby and the origin of the pretrib rapture.* In reality, Darby claimed that he received the pretrib rapture by "divine revelation". His cultish behaviour and teachings caused a firestorm of opposition from "Open" Brethren leaders George Müller, Benjamin Wills Newton, Samuel Tregelles, and James Grant. These men denounced Darby as a despot who maligned scripture. Darby was also condemned by Charles Spurgeon and DL Moody.
Darby: "..what God has with infinite graciousness revealed to me concerning His dealing with the Church.."1
"..it was in this the Lord was pleased, without man's teaching, first to open my eyes on this subject, that I might learn His will concerning it throughout."2
In Wilkinson's own words, the pretrib rapture is "our blessed hope".
The phrase "the blessed hope" is found in Titus 2:13. This phrase emphasizes the Christian anticipation of future fulfillment and redemption and refers to the second coming of Jesus Christ. The pretrib camp has modified this phrase to explicitly refer to the pretrib rapture.
Wilkinson: "Of course there is that threat, there is that wrong teaching of tribulationalism, and it's around; the midtrib, prewrath, posttrib position that just blasts the hope out of the rapture." The prewrath view comes under special assault from pretrib teachers. Wilkinson quotes Tim LaHaye, whose comment reflects his "Left Behind" Mickey Mouse eschatology. Many Christians have rejected the false pretrib rapture in favour of prewrath precisely because it is a theologically bankrupt doctrine with no scriptural evidence to support it. (1 John 4:1).
There was a profusion of emotionalism in Wilkinson's talk but very little actual teaching. What concerned me very greatly is that the Gypsy church are teaching the pretrib rapture to their children and filling them with false hopes.. and so the deception continues.
Wilkinson briefly mentioned "the hour of trial" in Revelation 3:10 out of context.
Because you have kept my word about patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world, to try those who dwell on the earth. (Revelaiton 3:19).
Pretrib teachers falsely teach that the Antichrist’s great tribulation (thlipsis) and the day of the Lord’s wrath (orgé) are a single period. The scriptures as a whole describe the day of the Lord's wrath in very specific terms as a separate period that follows the Antichrist's tribulation. Believers will be rescued from the hour of trial/the day of God's wrath but not from the great tribulation. (1 Thessalonians 5:9; Revelation 6:12-17; Matthew 24:29). Wilkinson's emotionalism may be persuasive to some, but his self-indulgent displays are not a sign of doctrinal soundness and stability.
For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. (Ephesians 6:12).
In this post, I am focusing on the above video from the 39-minute mark, when Andy Woods and Paul Wilkinson discuss "..rehabilitating John Nelson Darby and C.I. Scofield, and why the doctrine of the pre-tribulation rapture is under such vociferous attack today". For Woods and Wilkinson, the pretrib rapture is a primary issue, aka "the blessed hope".
Darby's claim of direct revelation
Paul Wilkinson purports to be an expert on John Nelson Darby, having supposedly written a PhD thesis on the subject. In this video, Wilkinson blatantly distorts several facts about Darby, beginning with the false claim that Darby arrived at the pretrib view by studying the scriptures.
Wilkinson: "Where did his (Darby's) understanding of the rapture come from? It didn't come immediately, but as he himself writes, in his own writings, he got it from studying the word.." (49:00 mark)
Darby - in his own words, claimed that God Himself revealed dispensational hermeneutics to him directly.
Darby: "..what God has with infinite graciousness revealed to me concerning His dealing with the Church.."1
"..it was in this the Lord was pleased, without man's teaching, first to open my eyes on this subject, that I might learn His will concerning it throughout."2
Darby's claim of direct revelation from God puts the whole premise of his authenticity and the pretrib rapture on shaky ground. Darby put himself on the same level as the first-century apostles. (Galatians 1:12 cf. 1 Corinthians 11:23). It is not surprising that Darby claimed to receive "direct revelation" since he was associated with the Irvingites, who were pioneers in reviving the charismatic gifts of the Holy Spirit within the church. There are good reasons to believe that the Irvingites were precursors to the modern Pentecostal Movement.3 In our generation, many have learned painful lessons from recently exposed false NAR "apostles" and "prophets" such as Mike Bickle and Todd Bentley. It is a fatal mistake to buy into an alleged "prophetic word" without rigorously testing it against the scriptures. (1 John 4:1). Darby's claim was absolutely huge! He denied the very words of Jesus Christ Himself by announcing that the warnings in the Olivet discourse do not apply to the church. Wilkinson failed to mention that Darby's "direct revelation" was vigorously challenged by his contemporaries. In my view, the pretrib rapture is one of the biggest deceptions to be foisted onto the modern church. The pretrib camp has worked very hard to shoehorn the pretrib rapture into the scriptures. They have also made exhaustive efforts to prove that pretrib predates Darby and can be found in the Church Fathers. However, in both these endeavors they have failed miserably.4Believers should consider the consequences ahead of time before the false hopes of pretrib leaders fail to materialize and the Antichrist's persecution becomes a reality.
Woods: "My question for you is, is this a secondary issue, because a lot of people say 'don't get wrapped up in this, this is a secondary issue'? My other question.. Is the fact that pretribulationalism is always under assault proof that pretribulationalism is probably the right one?"
Wilkinson: "Is it a secondary issue? Well, the apostle Paul in Titus 2 said it's our blessed hope.. that's my hope, that's the church's hope.. Wilkinson continues with a lot of platitudes but he offers no exegesis of the various texts he cites. He completes his answer by trotting out the overused trope that Christians should be looking for Christ, not the Antichrist.
Woods:"What I am hearing you say is that this is not a secondary issue because what you believe about this changes your focus." Woods brings out another overused trope about bridegroom imagery with the excuse that if we go through the tribulation, then God is a "spousal abuser". This worn-out argument can equally be levelled against the martyrdom and persecution of Christians throughout church history. In the West, Christians are living in a persecution-free bubble, but this is not the case in many other countries. The scriptures warn us to expect persecution. (John 15:20; Matthew 5:11-12; 1 Peter 4:12-14; Philippians 1:29, etc.) When the Antichrist arrives at the midpoint of the 70th week, worldwide persecution against Jews and Christians will escalate exponentially. When God gives explicit warnings then we would be wise to take notice rather than bury our heads in the sand and be taken off guard! The very warnings that Jesus gave to his disciples about the end of the age in the Olivet Discourse are magicked away by pretrib teachers. (Matthew 24:4). Woods and Wilkinson can be in denial as much as they like, but their denial does not invalidate God's word!
Woods: "I don't think it is a secondary issue either and I mark and avoid people. I have a hard time appearing on their shows, appearing at their conferences.. A lot of them have contacted me and wanted to participate at our conferences and when I find out they are aggressively promoting some other perspective, I just have a difficult time unleashing them in front of God's people.."
To paraphrase Woods' second question: 'Because the pretrib rapture is always under assault is proof that it is probably the right doctrine..' This remark lacks depth and fails to adequately explain or respond to the major exegetical problems associated with the pretrib rapture. Woods should know better than to offer this kind of pat answer. The truth will always be attacked by those who oppose the scriptures, but on the other hand, false doctrines also come under heavy attack by those who rightly divide the word of truth and practice discernment. (1 Timothy 2:15).
Is the timing of the rapture a secondary issue?
I feel the same way as Andy Woods in reverse, i.e., I "mark and avoid" those who promote the pretrib view. (Romans 16:16-17). I am not willing to quietly sit in a congregation and watch others passively swallow the pretrib Kool-Aid to their own destruction. At best, I consider pretrib leaders to be heavily deceived; at worst, I consider them to be wolves. (1 Timothy 4:1). My concern is that when the Antichrist's persecution begins, many will fall away and apostatize. (Matthew 24:10). In other words, many will forfeit their faith on the altar of the pretrib rapture. The stakes are incredibly high! Pastors who fail to prepare God's people for the coming persecution are sinfully negligent. What will happen to pretrib teachers who fail to sound the horn? (Ezekiel 33:6). Woods has effectively shut down any challenge to pretribulationism, and it is difficult to miss his particular hostility towards the prewrath camp. He can't even bear to mention the name of Alan Kurschner or any other prominent prewrath teacher.
Woods: "Now we have this very perverted view of Rosenthall, and others came up with this, and there are some younger expondents and proponents of that view that I don't want to mention on this show because I don't want to promote their stuff.. They don't attack mid trib, post trib - they are always aiming their guns at pretribulationism. " This is not true! While the false pretrib rapture teaching is a major concern to those within the prewrath camp, other views have not been ignored! Midtribulationism does not come in for much critique because it is only held by a small minority and is easily debunked. However, postribulationism has received attention from Alan Kurschner and others.5
Paul Wilkinson's appalling distortion of John Nelson Darby
Wilkinson's claim that Darby was an innocuous guy who simply went around teaching the bible is outrageous. How did Wilkinson manage to miss the firestorm against Darby from "Open" Brethren leaders George Müller, Benjamin Wills Newton, Samuel Tregelles, and James Grant? These men denounced Darby as a despot who maligned scripture. Darby was also condemned by Charles Spurgeon and DL Moody. In addition, it is undeniable that Scofield was an absolute scoundrel.* I do not like to call anyone an out-and-out liar, but in this instance, I can't find an alternative explanation for Wilkinson's dishonesty. (Psalm 107:7; Proverbs 12:22; Ephesians 4:25).
For an accurate account of John Nelson Darby, seePapers of John Nelson Darby published by the John Rylands University Library at the University of Manchester.
Charles Spurgeon:
"Mr. Darby is, to all intents and purposes a thorough Pope, though under a Protestant name. He will never admit that he is in error; and therefore very naturally declines to argue with those who controvert the soundness of his views. How, indeed, could it be otherwise? If Mr. Darby holds, which he does, with a firm grasp, the principle that whatever conclusions he and those acting in conjunction with him may come to, express beyond all question the mind of the Spirit; and if those Darbyites who gather together in London, can go so far as to exclude all other denominations, even the most godly among them, 'believing themselves to be the one or only, assembly of God in London,' how need we feel surprised that Mr. Darby, as the 'prophet, priest, and king' of the party, should exercise a perfect despotism within the domains of Darbyism?"6
George Müller: "Scripture declares plainly that the Lord Jesus will not come until the Apostasy shall have taken place, and the man of sin shall have been revealed."7
Anthony Groves:
"As the years passed, he (Groves) became increasingly concerned with the drift of the Plymouth Brethren towards sectarianism under the leadership of Darby and aligned himself with George Müller. The split was complete in 1848 to form the Open Brethren and the Exclusive Brethren."8
Wilkinson: "I have to believe and accept and rightly handle the word of my Lord. That's how I'm going to be judged by my Lord.. Did I rightly teach His word? Did I rightly divide it? Did I faithfully teach it? Wilkinson is attending an Assemblies of God church in Wales. This is a huge red flag. The Assemblies of God are a Pentecostal denomination known for their involvement with the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR). Given Wood's opposition to the charismatic movement, it is strange that he would even consider unleashing a man like Wilkinson onto his audience. Wilkinson's suspect "words" from the Lord, his dishonesty and revisionism of Darby, and his emotionalism are indications of self-deception and instability. (2 Timothy 3:13).
Lutheran Chris Rosebrough's wide influence has drawn men like Steve Kozar and Daniel Long into the error of baptismal regeneration. These men have been very successful in exposing false NAR teachers within "charismania", and they have done some very useful work in that area. Baptismal regeneration debates are fraught with foundational biblical-theological difficulties and there is much at stake.
In this video, Chris Rosebrough responds to a question from Michael Grant, the pastor of Moore's Corner Church MA: "And how can it be both the blood of Christ and the water that is washing away sin? If baptism washes away sin, logically, it would seem the blood of Christ doesn't, or vice versa. Where am I going wrong?"
Rosebrough: "Your question actually presupposes something. Notice you said the word 'logically'. When it comes to exegesis, we have to do it exegetically."
Matthew Poole: "Wash away thy sins; as washing causeth the spots to disappear, and to be as if they had not been, Isaiah 1:18; so does pardoning mercy, or remission of sins, which accompanieth baptism, as in the due receiver, Matthew 3:111 Peter 3:21,22. Where true faith is, together with the profession of it by baptism, there is salvation promised, Mark 16:16. In the mean while it is not the water, (for that only signifies), but it is the blood of Christ, which is thereby signified, that cleanseth us from our sins, as 1Jo 1:7. Yet sacraments are not empty and deceitful signs; but God accompanieth his own ordinances with his power from on high, and makes them effectual for those great things for which he instituted and appointed them."1
Rosebrough: The scriptures nowhere teach the popular American Evangelical belief that baptism is a 'sign to the world that you’ve made a decision to follow Jesus.'" I have not heard anyone describe baptism in these simplistic terms. Baptism is a public declaration of faith, but it is much more than that. The general consensus within mainstream Christianity is that water baptism is a significant act of obedience and public declaration of faith. Water baptism is a foundational practice within Christianity, representing the believer’s identification with the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. (Romans 6:3-4). When we are baptized, we publicly declare our faith in Christ and our commitment to follow Him. Baptism is something we do before God and in the presence of other believers. If unbelievers are present (as they were at my baptism), then the witness to the world outside of Christianity is undeniable.
Rosebrough's objection to using one's "logic" when wrestling with difficult questions is a red flag. The scriptures instruct believers to test the spiritsand to compare scripture with scripture exegetically. (1 John 4:1). While some things are beyond the scope of human reason, the scriptures encourage believers to engage their minds. (Matthew 22:37; Acts 17:11; 1 Peter 3:15). The Holy Spirit is indispensable in aiding believers to discern truth from error. (John 16:13). Our reasoning, when employed in partnership with the Holy Spirit enables believers to align their views with God's will and purposes. Don't false NAR prophets tell us to evacuate reason? Paul often reasoned with the Jews in the synagogue Acts 17:2-3,17;18:4,19). He reasoned with the Ephesians for three months, contending for the gospel. (Acts 19:8-9).
Strongs: "dialegomai: To discuss, to reason, to argue, to speak..1256 dialégomai (from 1223 /diá, 'through, from one side across to the other,' which intensifies 3004 /légō, 'speaking to a conclusion') – properly, 'getting a conclusion across' by exchanging thoughts (logic) – 'mingling thought with thought, to ponder (revolve in the mind)' (J. Thayer).2
Rosebrough's hermeneutic of referring selectively to passages that explicitly refer to baptism and regeneration while failing to include other passages that refer to faith and regeneration is another red flag. Rosebrough is highly regarded by some as a competent bible expositor, but given some of his previous blunders, I wonder if this is actually the case?3 A favorite tactic of false teachers is to quote the scriptures selectively. To arrive at an accurate understanding when dealing with tough questions, it is necessary to include all the relevant passages, not just those that seem to prove our point superficially. (Proverbs 18:17). The sum of your word is truth, and every one of your righteous rules endures forever. (Psalm 119:160).
-- the sum of your word, not just some – is truth.
Rosebrough's PDF examples4
Acts 2:38–39: “And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.”
Bible Hub: "Repent - Repentance is a call to turn away from sin and change one's mind and heart towards God. It is a consistent theme throughout Scripture, seen in the messages of John the Baptist (Matthew 3:2) and Jesus (Mark 1:15). Repentance is foundational for entering the Kingdom of God and is a prerequisite for receiving forgiveness and salvation."5
Romans 6:3–5: “Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.
Ellicott: "Why has baptism this special connection with the death of Christ? In the first place, the death of Christ is the central and cardinal fact of the Christian scheme. It is specially related to justification, and justification proceeds from faith, which is ratified in baptism."6
Colossians 2:11–12: “In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead.”
Cambridge: "—Baptism is the Sacrament of Faith, and never, in principle and idea, to be dissociated from its Thing (Res), as if its work was done where the Thing is not truly present."7
Acts 22:16: “Rise and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling (ἐπικαλεσάμενος) on his name.”
There is some manipulation of the text here by Rosebrough. He quotes only the last part of Acts 22:16! This verse is preceded by Paul's Damascus Road experience and his conversion (Acts 22:6-16) culminating in Ananias' question. And now why do you wait? Rise and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on his name.’ (Acts 22:16).
Expositor's Greek New Testament: "—ἐπικαλ., cf. p. 81, on the significance of the phrase. This calling upon the name of Christ, thus closely connected with Baptism and preceding it, necessarily involved belief in Him, Romans 10:14."8
Titus 3:4–7: “But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing (λουτροῦ) of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.”
Bible Hub: "This phrase likely refers to the concept of spiritual rebirth, which is central to Christian theology. It connects to Jesus' conversation with Nicodemus in John 3:3-5, where He speaks of being 'born of water and the Spirit.' The imagery of washing may also allude to baptism, a rite symbolizing purification and initiation into the Christian community. In the cultural context, washing was a common metaphor for spiritual cleansing."
1 Peter 3:21–22: “Baptism, which corresponds(ἀντίτυπον)to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him.” For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.”
The meaning of the Greek adjective antitupos in 1 Peter 3:21 is "Antitype, counterpart, corresponding figure.. Meaning: typical of, representing by type (or pattern), corresponding to, an image."9
Berean Standard Bible:And this water symbolizes the baptism that now saves you also—not the removal of dirt from the body, but the pledge of a clear conscience toward God—through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.. (1 Peter 3:21).
John 3:5: “Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.
Pulpit Commentary: "The references to the baptism of the early Church are not numerous in the New Testament, but they are given as if for the very purpose of showing that the water baptism was not a necessary or indispensable condition to the gift of the Holy Ghost. Cornelius and his friends received the sacred bestowment before baptism. The language of the Ethiopian ennuch shows that he had received the holy and best gift of Divine illumination and faith before baptism. Simon Magus was baptized with water by Philip, but was in the gall of bitterness and un-spirituality. There is no proof at all that the apostles of Christ (with the exception of Paul) were ever baptized with water, unless it were at the hands of John. Consequently, we cannot believe, with this entire group of facts before us, that our Lord was making any ceremonial rite whatsoever indispensable to entrance into the kingdom. His own reception and forgiveness of the woman that was a sinner, of the paralytic, and of the dying brigand, his breathing over his disciples as symbolic of the great spiritual gift they were afterwards to receive, is the startling and impressive repudiation of the idea that Christian baptism in his own name, or, still less, that that ordinance treated as a supernaturally endowed and divinely enriched sacrament, was even so much as referred to in this great utterance. But the entire system of Jewish, proselyte, and Johannine baptisms was in the mind of both Nicodemus and Christ.." 10 Rosebrough is correct in identifying λουτρόν as baptism in Titus 3:5.11. However, I am very concerned by his assertion: "..baptism becomesone of the means by which God regenerates.." Rosebrough effectively introduces two ways of regeneration. The claim that baptism can stand alone without faith as a means of salvation is foreign to the scriptures and butchers the word of God. (2 Timothy 2:15). This view necessitates the introduction of a supernatural element into baptism where faith is absent. However, those who believe in salvation through faith believe the supernatural work of the Holy Spirit occurs by faith.
Faith is essential for salvation
In the early church, water baptism was inextricably bound with conversion and the forgiveness of sins. (Acts 2:38). The normative practice in the New Testament was that believers were baptized immediately upon conversion. There is no such thing as an unbaptized Christian in the New Testament. (Acts 2:41; 8:12-13, 36-39; 9:17-18; 10:47-48; 16:14-15, 31-33; 18:8; 19:5).
..whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. (Romans 3:25).
For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God.. (Ephesians 2:8).
know that a man is not justified by works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have believed in Christ Jesus, that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified. (Galatians 2:15).
But to all who did receive Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God— / children born not of blood, nor of the desire or will of man, but born of God. (John 1:12-13). For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that everyone who believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. / For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him. / Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe has already been condemned, because he has not believed in the name of God’s one
And without faith it is impossible to please God. For anyone who approaches Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him. (Hebrews 11:6).
The above verses and many others state that faith is absolutely necessary for salvation. It is neither biblical nor logical that baptism alone without faith is "one of the means to regeneration".
Rosebrough also appeals to the Church Fathers' belief in baptismal regeneration. Problematically, some Church Fathers believed in the practice of infant baptism, and yet there is no record of an infant being baptized in the New Testament. While the Church Fathers are interesting, they are not authoritative. Most bible believers take the view that the Bible is the sole infallible source of authority for Christian faith and practice (sola scriptura).
In the video Rosebrough goes on to claim that baptism is a spiritual weapon against temptation based on Ephesians 5:26. Water baptism is not mentioned in Ephesians 6:10-18 where Paul specifically addresses spiritual warfare. Rosebrough: "The the word of God is attached to the waters of baptism." Water is a symbol of life and cleansing in the New Testament. It represents the cleansing of the sinner by the washing of the water of the Word of God. Water is also the source of the living water that springs up into eternal life.
Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. (Ephesians 5:25-16).
Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” (John 4:13-14).
Jesus referred to “living water” as the Holy Spirit. (John 7:38-39 cf. 1 Corinthians 6:11). God is the source of this living water in both the Old and the New Testament; those who drink of it will never thirst again. (John 4:14).
Rosebrough's view appears almost identical to the Roman Catholic view that the act of baptism regenerates the person being baptized from spiritual death to life (infants and adults), apart from faith in Christ (ex opere operato,“by the work performed”).
In my view, Rosebrough's arguments for baptismal regeneration are deficient and fall far short of the acceptable standard for reliable biblical exegesis. Furthermore, this view is extremely dangerous and is likely to destabilize the faith of believers. (2 Corinthians 6:3). Baptism is an imperative, and to deliberately refuse to be baptised is an act of rebellion for which no doubt there are consequences. Nevertheless, I can find no scriptural evidence that baptism alone is salvific.
Jimmy Evans of Daystar infamy continues to spew false teaching despite being exposed and humiliated as a spiritual abuser.1 Evans should have repented and stepped down after this disgraceful debacle, but false teachers do not give up easily. His false teaching on remarriage has probably led many into adulterous marriages, not to mention his blasphemous attempt to sanctify the adulterous marriage of Joni Lamb! Evans is now channeling the entirety of his dubious skills into the pretrib rapture and newspaper eisegesis.
The Restrainer
And you know what is restraining him now so that he may be revealed in his time. For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work. Only he who now restrains it will do so until he is out of the way. (2 Thessalonians 2:6-7).
Evans: "He who now restrains, capital H as in God.. Now the 'he' is the Holy Spirit and the church.." The Bible does not identify "the Holy Spirit and the church" as 'he who now restrains'. (2 Thessalonians 2:7). The identity of "the restrainer" i.e. one who holds back the full manifestation of lawlessness, has been widely debated with interpretations ranging from the Holy Spirit, the church, Satan, human government etc. The prewrath view that Michael the Archangel is the restrainer is compelling. Alan Kurschner: " In the April 2000 volume of The Journal of Theological Studies, Colin R. Nicholl published a seminal article, 'Michael, The Restrainer Removed (2 Thess. 2:6-7),' demonstrating that Michael is the Restrainer, which would prove to put an end to the 'Who is the Restrainer' debate given the cogent and convincing argumentation."2
1. Contemporary Jewish literature viewed the characteristics of Michael having eschatological pre-eminence as the chief opponent of Satan and Restrainer of God’s people. 2. Michael is viewed as a celestial restrainer of God’s people in Daniel 10–12, the passage serving as the source for Paul’s exposition in 2 Thessalonians 2:3–8. 3. Daniel’s use of the Hebrew term ʿmd comports with the activity of the restrainer in 2 Thessalonians 2:6–7. 4. The Greek term parerchomai in Daniel 12:1 of the Septuagint (LXX) means, “to pass by,” which corresponds with the ceasing of restraint in 2 Thessalonians 2:6–7. 5. Early Rabbinic interpretation of Daniel 12:1 perceived Michael as “passing aside” or “withdrawing” just after Antichrist’s establishment near or at the temple mount (Dan 11:45), just before the eschatological unequaled tribulation against God’s people (Dan 12:1). 6. Revelation 12:7–17 supports viewing Michael as the Restrainer because it links the cessation of Michael’s war against the dragon with the unprecedented persecution of God’s people, which is consistent with 2 Thessalonians 2:6–7 and Daniel 11:45–12:1.3
The Assyrian
Evans' idea that the Antichrist will be "the Assyrian" and that he may be Islamic is based on the poor exegesis of Joel Richardson which has been thoroughly debunked by Chris White.* The Assyrian is mentioned in Isaiah 7:17-20,8:3-7,10:5-19, and Micah 5:5. The prophecy in Isaiah was fulfilled with the defeat of the Assyrians when God protected Jerusalem by sending an angel to destroy 185,000 Assyrian soldiers surrounding the city. The person referred to as "the Assyrian" was the Assyrian king Sennacherib who was killed by his own sons. (Isaiah 37:36-38 cf. 2 Kings 19:35; Ezekiel 31: 3–17). There is no indication in the scriptures that this prophecy has a double fulfilment. Micah 5:5 is a hyperthetical clause within a millennial passage and refers to the Assyrians rather than to an individual. This passage cannot possibly refer to the Antichrist since he will be in the lake of fire during the millennium. (Revelation 19:20,20:10). The Hebrew conjunction "ki" is a versatile particle used to express causation, condition, time, and emphasis and can be translated in a number of different ways i.e. for, because, when, if, surely, indeed, that. The Net Bible says:Should (ki)the Assyrians try to invade our land and attempt to set foot in our fortresses.. (Micah 5:5). Any assumptions built on Richardson's faulty assertions about the Antichrist are undone by close scrutiny and will result in an erroneous picture of eschatology. (1 John 4:1).
The pretrib camp teaches the doctrine of "imminence," i.e. no prophesied event can happen before the rapture. As such, in their view, the rapture must happen before the 70th week of Daniel, i.e. before the first seal of Revelation is broken. It appears that Evans has forgotten the core pretrib doctrine of imminence because in this video he asserts that famine will precede the rapture. In the Book of Revelation, shortages occur during the third seal and famine occurs during the fourth seal.
And when the Lamb opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, “Come!” Then I looked and saw a black horse, and its rider held in his hand a pair of scales. And I heard what sounded like a voice from among the four living creatures, saying, “A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius, and do not harm the oil and wine.”And when the Lamb opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, “Come!”Then I looked and saw a pale green horse. Its rider’s name was Death, and Hades followed close behind. And they were given authority over a fourth of the earth, to kill by sword, by famine, by plague, and by the beasts of the earth. (Revelation 6:5-8).
I was unable to verify the precise meaning of Evans' statement "Prepare for famine before the rapture" because the video was cut short. If viewers want to hear the rest of Evans' substandard teaching on this subject, they will have to join hissubscribers for "exclusive content". The unethical practice of giving paying viewers"special privileges" for "exclusive content" is extremely problematic. (Matthew 10:8; James 2:2-4). The class system created by teachers offering access to extra information for money is another one of Evans' noxious practices. Not only does Evans teach false doctrines, he expects people to pay for them!
And in their greed they will exploit you with false words. Their condemnation from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep. (2 Peter 2:3).
GPA: "Do you suffer from food allergies, gut problems or issues with food? Join the prophets for a mighty hour of deliverance as we cast demons out of food. Deep dive into scripture, and move with the Holy Spirit in healing as we listen to what God is saying today."
Emma Stark is one of the bottom feeders of the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR) cesspit. She takes a prize for one of the worst false "prophets" imaginable due to her abundance of low hanging rotten fruit. Incredibly, she has 66.9K subscribers who apparently do not know their right hand from their left. (Jonah 4:11).
In the New Testament, demons aka unclean spirits inhabited people. (Matthew 10:1,12:43; Luke 6:18,8:29,11:24; Mark 1:26,3:11,5:2,7-8,25,9:25; Luke 4:33; Acts 5:16,16:16-18; Revelation 16:13. The only exception is where they settled for a herd of pigs as an alternative to being sent to the abyss. (Luke 8:31). There is nothing whatsoever in the bible about anyone ingesting a demon! Demon possession appears to occur when someone habitually opens themselves up to evil and eventually gives themselves over to it entirely. This was the case with Judas Iscariot who had a callous heart and loved money. (John 12:6). Satan entered into Judas when he eventually betrayed Jesus Christ for thirty pieces of silver. (Matthew 27:14-16; John 13:27). Demon possession is also related to occult practice and idol worship. (Leviticus 17:7; Deuteronomy 32:17; Psalm 106:37; 1 Corinthians 10:20). In the Old Testament, King Saul was troubled by an evil spirit after he rebelled against the Lord. (1 Samuel 16:14-15,18:10-11,19:9-10).
Emma Stark's claim that she ate a Jezebel sandwich is beyond ridiculous.
Emma Stark: "I was sitting with my friends in New Jersey.. They presented to us a sandwich. I've never seen anything like it, it was like a two-metre-long python snake in size.. As soon as I put it in my mouth I felt immediately sick. It hadn't even been chewed, it wasn't like an hour later. It was like 'this is poison'. And so I said to the Lord, 'What on earth is going on?' and my prophet heckles were up.. but I thought 'I have actually chewed on Jezebel..' I knew that it was a Jezebel demon. Why did I know that? Because Jezebel finds your price and Jezebel seduces whole industries either for..sex, but Jezebel seducing for maximum profit.." (41:40 mark)
In the New Testament food is spiritually neutral. Specifically, Paul referred to food sacrificed to idols as neutral, although if an immature believer, i.e. someone with a weak conscience, considers such food to be unclean, then for that person it is unclean.
I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself, but it is unclean for anyone who thinks it unclean. (Romans 14:14 cf. Acts 10:15; 1 Corinthians 1:8-13; Mark 7:18-19).
Food will not commend us to God. We are no worse off if we do not eat, and no better off if we do. (1 Corinthians 1:8).
What Emma Stark describes as "Jubilee economics" is based on Leviticus 25. The observance of the Sabbath years given to Moses on Mount Sinai required the rest of the land of Israel every seven years. (Leviticus 25:1-6; 26:33-35). The Jews disobeyed this command and as a result they were taken into exile to Babylon for seventy years. (2 Chronicles 36:21; Jeremiah 25:11-12; 29:10-14). Leviticus 25 also describes the year of Jubilee every fiftieth year. When Emma Stark says: "..food has not been put through a biblical mindset of Leviticus 25" she is in danger of reverting to legalism. While there are good principles in the Mosaic Law regarding fallowing, for instance, New Testament believers should not revert to strict legalism. It goes without saying that bad practices within the food industry can cause illness, however, this is not the "Jezebel spirit", it is the sinful practice ofpeople in business who put profit above good practice. Emma Stark's "deliverance" is a reductio ad absurdum.
Emma Stark: "I speak to every demon that has caused digestive and food issues, and I say you come up and you come out in the breath right now in Jesus name. Anything of diverticulitis of celiac disease, irritable bowel syndrome, of food intolerances, you get off these people in Jesus' mighty name. So wherever you are, wherever you're watching, you take a big deep breath and we say it comes out on the breath in Jesus name.. In the name of Jesus that food issue, that digestive issue, that fear of eating, that IBS, it is removed from you and God now comes as your liberator, and any demonic force that is part of it is removed in Jesus mighty name you are healed.. it is up and out of the breath in Jesus name.." she reverts to gibberish. (51:40 mark)
Unsurprisingly, this video attracted negative comments which were immediately removed by Stark's subordinates.
Emma Stark's tall stories are unbiblical and unrealistic in every possible sense and should be rejected. I urge those who have fallen under the NAR curse to test the spirits and to mark and avoid this woman. (1 John 1:4).
I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them. For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive. (Romans 16:17-18).
Fibster Joni Lamb plays "the Lord spoke to me" card yet again! "..a prophetic voice of a man that has been used for a long time prophetically sent me. And the Lord said 'Get the people to say this prayer with you', so I am going to say it and just repeat after me.." (1 Timothy 1:10).
This "prayer" was copied word for word from real estate investor and business consultant Taylor A Welsh.1 Welsh is the founder of "The Wealthy Consultant", an education group that licenses business development, sales, and management training. Welsh has some unsound, (possibly NAR), ideas about theology and prayer that I do not endorse. However, he does not claim to be a "prophet" and denies sending this "prayer" to Daystar or that he even knows Joni Lamb!
Imprecatory prayers are found in the book of Psalms. To imprecate is to speak a curse or invoke evil against someone or something. King David, is associated with imprecatory prayers in Psalm 55:15,69:28; Psalm 109:8. He used phrases like, “Let their way be dark and slippery, with the angel of the LORD pursuing them!” (Psalm 35:6) and “O God, break the teeth in their mouths; tear out the fangs of the young lions, O LORD!” (Psalm 58:6).
Got Questions: "Psalms 7, 35, 55, 58, 59, 69, 109, and 139 were written by David to ask God to bring judgment upon his enemies. (The other two imprecatory psalms, 79 and 137, were written by Asaph and an unknown psalmist.) These prayers were written not so much to exact revenge upon one’s enemies, but rather to emphasize God’s abhorrence of evil, His sovereignty over all mankind, and His divine protection of His chosen people. Many of these prayers were prophetic and could be seen taking place later in the New Testament in actual historical events."
Comparable words were uttered by the apostle Paul when he cursed false teachers. (2 Corinthians 11:13-15; 2 Peter 2:1-3 etc.).
If anyone has no love for the Lord, let him be accursed. Our Lord, come! (1 Corinthians 16:22). 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. As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed. (Galatians 1:8-9 cf. Galatians 5:12; 2 Timothy 4:14; Revelation 6:9-10).
It goes without saying that Joni Lamb is in a bad place before God and has no authority to pronounce "biblical" curses upon others. Joni Lamb is in an adulterous marriage, she promotes the false prosperity gospel, and she has done many wicked things against the body of Christ. Joni Lamb's imprecation is fairly typical of NAR "prophets" who claim authority they do not have. False teacher Benny Hinn did a similar thing about ten years ago.3 Joni Lamb has put herself in a very dangerous place by speaking curses upon believers, and has no doubt exacerbated her already precarious position before the Lord. (Psalm 7:16).
My take on imprecatory prayer is to bear in mind Jesus' command to love our enemies. (Matthew 5:44; Romans 12:14,20-21; 1 Peter 3:9; 1 Thessalonians 5:15 etc.) At the same time, it is necessary to contend for the faith. (Jude 1:3). False teachers/prophets pose a grave threat to the spiritual welfare of the church. As such, I often pray that the Lord will bring down false teachers/ministries and that they will be exposed and stand down for the protection of the body of Christ. (Ephesians 5:11; 1 Corinthians 5:13; 2 Corinthians 1:4; 1 John 4:1-3).
Joni Lamb desperately needs to repent before it is too late. (Revelation 2:21; 2 Peter 3:9). The alternative does not bear thinking about. ( 2 Peter 2:1-17; Jude 1:12-13).
But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction. And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of truth will be blasphemed. And in their greed they will exploit you with false words. Their condemnation from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep. (2 Peter 2:1-3).
In the above video Tom Hughes and Olivier Melnick discuss Zephaniah 2:4 as it relates to Gaza.
For Gaza shall be deserted, and Ashkelon shall become a desolation; Ashdod’s people shall be driven out at noon, and Ekron shall be uprooted. (Zephaniah 2:4 cf. Isaiah 11).
The connecting word "for" appears to refer to the exhortation to "seek the Lord" in Zephaniah 2:3 ..perhaps you may be hidden on the day of the anger of the Lord. This prophecy is identified by many expositors as concerning the day of the Lord, i.e. God's eschatological wrath which will begin after the 3.5 year tribulation (cut short) and the rapture of the church. (Matthew 24:29-31; Revelation 6:12-17). I have discussed the timing of the rapture extensively in previous posts and I will not repeat the prewrath argument here. How far current events play into the eschatological picture is unclear.
Below I will elucidate why Hughes' and Melnick's understanding of the sheep and goat judgment in Matthew 25 is unfeasible.
When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, He will sit on His glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate the people one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will place the sheep on His right and the goats on His left. Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave Me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave Me something to drink, I was a stranger and you took Me in, I was naked and you clothed Me, I was sick and you looked after Me, I was in prison and you visited Me.’ Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You something to drink? When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? When did we see You sick or in prison and visit You?’ And the King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of Mine, you did for Me.’ Then He will say to those on His left, ‘Depart from Me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave Me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave Me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, I was naked and you did not clothe Me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after Me.’ And they too will reply, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?’ Then the King will answer, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for Me.’ (Matthew 25:31-46).
Melnick: "It splits into two halves; those who helped the Jews during the tribulation and those who did not. And those who did not go into the lake of fire and brimstone; and those who did enter into the millennial kingdom.. It's the group of people who get saved during the tribulation and they help the Jews out of the kindness of their heartbecause they know it's the right thing to do as believers, as Christians, as followers of the Messiah.. We apply it today to make a difference in Israel.."
Only the beast (the Antichrist) and the false prophet are thrown into the lake of fire before the millennium. (Revelation 19:20). Unbelievers will be thrown into the lake of fire at the end of the millennium. (Revelation 20:11-15).
Hughes' and Melnick's application of the sheep and goat judgement in Matthew 25 specifically to believers who help the Jewish people during the great tribulation is perplexing. Jeremiah 30:7 describes "Jacob's trouble" or "Jacob's distress" i.e. the persecution of the Jews by the Antichrist after he takes his seat in the Jerusalem temple. (2 Thessalonians 2:4). It seems highly unlikely that many Gentiles will be saved after the abomination of desolation event due to the extreme consequences of refusing the mark of the beast. i.e. no one can buy or sell etc. (Revelation 13:7-8). Extreme persecution will come upon both unsaved Jews and Gentilebelievers at this time.(Revelation 12:17,13:7). This scenario indicates that it will not be possible for Gentile believers to help Israel during the great tribulation. The scriptures indicate that the Jewish people will be isolated during the siege of Jerusalem and that God alone will defend them. (Zechariah 12:1-4). And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and pleas for mercy, so that, when they look on me, on him whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for an only child, and weep bitterly over him, as one weeps over a firstborn. (Zechariah 12:10 cf. Romans 11:26). These events follow Israel’s acceptance of the evil shepherd predicted in Zechariah 11:15-17.
And when the dragon saw that he had been thrown down to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child. But the woman was given the two wings of the great eagle so that she might fly from the serpent into the wilderness, to the place where she is to be nourished for a time, and times, and half a time. The serpent poured water like a river out of his mouth after the woman, to sweep her away with a flood. But the earth came to the help of the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed the river that the dragon had poured from his mouth. Then the dragon became furious with the woman and went off to make war on the rest of her offspring, on those who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus. And he stood on the sand of the sea. (Revelation 12:13-17).
In the Olivet discourse, Jesus addresses His followers, i.e. Christians; He warns specifically that worldwide persecution will overtake them.
Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake. And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.
“So when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let the one who is on the housetop not go down to take what is in his house, and let the one who is in the field not turn back to take his cloak. And alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days! Pray that your flight may not be in winter or on a Sabbath. For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be. And if those days had not been cut short, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short. (Matthew 24:9-22; cf. Daniel 12:1).
When Jesus refers to "the hungry, the thirsty, the stranger, the naked and the prisoner", He refers to suffering believers, i.e. members of His body. (1 Corinthians 12:2; Romans 12:4-5; Ephesians 4:12-16; Colossians 1:18 etc.) When we serve one another we are actually serving Him. ..I was hungry etc. Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of Mine, you did for Me. See also James 2:14-17; 1 John 3:17.
Bengel's Gnomen: "Matthew 25:35. Ἐδώκατέ, κ.τ.λ., ye have given, etc.[1100]) Of all good and bad actions, those will be especially mentioned which have been performed to the saints, which presuppose faith and love towards Jesus Christ and His brethren, and involve confession of His name, which are most frequent, and remarkable, and conspicuous; and then, from the manifest glory of the Lord, the dignity of His brethren, and the character of good and evil actions towards them, will be manifest; cf. ch. Matthew 10:40-41."1
Barnes: "I was an hungered - The union between Christ and his people is the most tender and endearing of all connections. It is represented by the closest unions of which we have knowledge, John 15:4-6; Ephesians 5:23-32; 1 Corinthians 6:15. This is a union - not physical, but moral; a union of feelings, interests, plans, destiny; or, in other words, he and his people have similar feelings, love the same objects, share the same trials, and inherit the same blessedness, John 14:19; Revelation 3:5, Revelation 3:21; Romans 8:17. Hence, he considers favors shown to his people as shown to himself, and will reward them accordingly, Matthew 10:40, Matthew 10:42. They show attachment to him, and love to his cause. By showing kindness to the poor, the needy, and the sick, they show that they possess his spirit, for he did it when on earth; they evince attachment to him, for he was poor and needy; and they show that they have the proper spirit to outfit them for heaven, 1 John 3:14, 1 John 3:17; James 2:1-5; Mark 9:41."2
Typically pretrib teachers do not respond to exegetical problems associated with their view. However, it would be interesting to see a response from Hughes and Melnick on this occasion?
This video comprises two solid hours of Spencer Smith's misogynistic teaching. Not only is he biblically inaccurate, he obviously has a major attitude problem and a lack of respect and Christian love for women.
Smith weighs straight in by pulling up a comment by one of his viewers:
Smith: "Has God called women to be the centre of attention and articulate general theology to the masses? Maybe we could call that preaching.. I think the answer to that is no, God has not called women to do anything like that." Another viewer chimed in, "it is narcissism".
After plugging his teaching 'Rise of the Divine Feminine', Smith continues: "I think women are being used by Satan today to cause a lot of chaos and a lot of problems in the local church."
To clarify, I am not egalitarian and I have no desire whatsoever to be a pastor or an elder in any church. Furthermore, I would not attend a church with a woman pastor or women elders.
The Bible gives no directions about women's freedom (or not) to discuss faith and theology outside the church. Spencer Smith has taken it upon himself to add to the scriptures and go beyond what is written. As far as I can determine, it is permissible for women to hold opinions and to voice them, especially if the scriptures back them up!
I have applied all these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, brothers, that you may learn by us not to go beyond what is written, that none of you may be puffed up in favor of one against another. (1 Corinthians 4:6 cf. Proverbs 30:5-6).
Ironically, those who go beyond what is written are described in the scriptures as arrogant and divisive! Those who engage in this kind of rhetoric do immense damage to the body of Christ and stunt the growth of believers.
If Smith can bear to humble himself for a little while, then he should listen to Mike Winger's series: Women Leaders in the New Testament. Part 4 is particularly relevant to the present discussion: Women Leaders in the New Testament: Women in Ministry part 4 Winger: "We will examine claims that there were women apostles, women elders, women deacons and various other hints that some say offer us evidence of women in very significant leadership positions in the New Testament. We will also get into the 1 Timothy and Titus and the requirements that Paul gives for elders and deacons." Winger has inserted subheadings and I think that many will find the following sections very helpful:
13. 1:53:16 1 Tim. 3, deacons’ wives or deaconesses?
Phoebe and women in the early church
I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a servant* of the church at Cenchreae, that you may welcome her in the Lord in a way worthy of the saints, and help her in whatever she may need from you, for she has been a patron (προστάτις) of many and of myself as well. (Romans 16:1-2).
* a deaconess
In the Greek, διάκονος is servant, minister, deacon.
Bible Hub: "Cultural and Historical Background: In the Greco-Roman world, a 'diakonos' was typically a servant or attendant who performed various duties. In the early Christian church, the term took on a more specific connotation, referring to those who served the community in both practical and spiritual matters. The role of a deacon, as outlined in the New Testament, was one of service and support, assisting the elders and apostles in the ministry of the church."1
In Philippians 1:1 Paul greets the deacons in a specific sense.
In 1 Timothy 3:8,12 refers to the offices of deacon and overseer.
In other instances διάκονος refers to servant in a generic sense.
Bible Hub: "The term 'prostatis' refers to a woman who acts as a leader, protector, or benefactor. In the context of the early Christian church, it denotes a woman who provided support, whether through financial means, hospitality, or leadership, to the community or individuals within it."2
Their wives (γυναῖκας) likewise must be dignified, not slanderers, but sober-minded, faithful in all things. (1 Timothy 3:11).
Paul acknowledges that women pray and prophesy in the church, indicating their active participation in worship. (1 Corinthians 11:5 cf. Acts 21:9).
Ruby Franke/Jodi Hildebrant
Smith goes into a lengthy discussion about two Mormon women, Ruby Franke and Jodi Hildebrant who ran a vlog in 2023. Wikipedia: "Ruby Franke (née Griffiths; born January 18, 1982) is an American convicted child abuser and former family vlogger who ran the now defunct YouTube channel 8 Passengers. On August 30, 2023, Franke and Jodi Hildebrant were arrested in Washington County, Utah, and charged with six counts of felony aggravated child abuse of two of Franke's children. Franke ultimately pleaded guilty to four counts and was sentenced to 4-30 years in prison on February 20, 2024." 3
Why does Spencer Smith judge unbelieversand why does he find it necessary to say that these women are representative of all women, even Christian women?
For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? (1 Corinthians 5:12).
When someone commented "Not all women are like this", Smith's responded: "There are obvious exceptions." In other words, 'the majority of women are like this'. Smith has now made two videos about these Mormon women, but frankly, this subject is irrelevant and has nothing to do with the body of Christ. Smith condemns the way these women presented themselves on social media: "My wife doesn't post pictures like that.." He goes on to second guess their motives as narcissistic and suggests that the pictures give out the message: 'Just look at me, hey look at my face, I'm a cutie, please give me that validation..' Obviously I do not endorse these women, but the pictures are not offensive or indecent and they are not flaunting themselves sexually. Christian women don't need any extra rules from Smith about how to present themselves! My best guess is that it suited Smith's purpose to make an example of these unsaved Mormon women to lash out against all women.
Smith has absolutely no authority to dictate to Christian women in a general sense. If he subjugates women within his own limited sphere of influence, and they are willing to put up with it, that is tragic. (2 Corinthians 1:24; 1 Peter 5:3; Proverbs 18:2).
..For the great day of Their wrath has come, and who is able to withstand it?” (Revelation 6:17).
Mark Hitchcock: "It is Jesus, the Lamb who is opening all of those seals.. these are all the wrath of God."
The pretrib rapture view was promoted by cult leader John Nelson Darby in the 18th century from false ideas he usurped from the Irvingites. Pretribulationism was popularized during the 1900s by Cyrus Scofield via the Scofield Reference Bible. This view was further popularized by the "Left Behind" novels written by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B Jenkins during the 1990s. Contrary to various dishonest pretrib claims, it has been demonstrated decisively that no evidence exists that the pretrib rapture was taught before the 18th century.1
The pretrib view depends on the assumption that the rapture of the church occurs before the 70th week of Daniel (pretrib teachers wrongly refer to the 70th week as the "tribulation"). The pretrib camp makes the further assumption that the eschatological wrath of God begins when the first seal of Revelation is broken based on 1 Thessalonians 5:9. This post provides scriptural evidence that the rapture occurs after the 3.5-year great tribulation between the sixth and seventh seal of Revelation and that the eschatological wrath begins at the seventh seal. (Revelation 8:1-6).
The explicit wording "the great day of their wrath has come" (orgé) (Revelation 6:17) occurs after the sixth seal is broken. The verb has come / ἦλθεν is aorist indicative active. Many pretrib teachers wrongly interpret this to mean the wrath of God began when the first seal was broken. However, the aorist tense is characterized by its emphasis on punctiliar action; that is, the concept of the verb is considered without regard for past, present, or future time.The context of Revelation 6 necessitates that the wrath of God becomes imminent following the rapture of the church when the sixth seal is broken i.e. the wrath is about to happen.
And I watched as the Lamb opened the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black like sackcloth of goat hair, and the whole moon turned blood red, and the stars of the sky fell to the earth like unripe figs dropping from a tree shaken by a great wind. The sky receded like a scroll being rolled up, and every mountain and island was moved from its place. Then the kings of the earth, the nobles, the commanders, the rich, the mighty, and every slave and free man hid in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains. And they said to the mountains and the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of the One seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb. For the great day of Their wrath has come, and who is able to withstand it?” (Revelation 6:12-17).
The phrase "the great day of their wrath" refers explicitly to God's eschatological wrath. This phrase is often associated with the "Day of the Lord" in biblical prophecy. The "great day" signifies a time of unprecedented divine intervention in human history when God's wrath is revealed. This phrase aligns with Old Testament prophecies such as Joel 2:31 and Zephaniah 1:14-18, which describe a day of darkness and destruction. Significantly, Joel 2 specifically states that the celestial disturbances will occur "before" the day of the Lord: The sun shall be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the great and awesome day of the LORD comes. (Joel 2:31).
Alan Kurschner: "..there is a comparison between the seals and the Olivet Discourse. This illustrates a consistent sequence of events leading up to the sixth seal: beginning of birth pangs, great tribulation, celestial disturbances. Accordingly, in Jesus’ Olivet Discourse, he teaches everything that happens before the celestial disturbances relates to the world’s depravity and Antichrist’s great tribulation."3
In Revelation 6, the four living creatures orchestrate events on God's behalf beginning with the summons to the four horsemen: "Come" (ἔρχου). (Revelation 6:1,3,5,7 cf. Revelation 4:6-9,5:6-14,14:3,15:7,19:4).
The four living creatures are found in Revelation 4:6-9,5:6-14,6:1-8,14:3,15:7,19:4. Got Questions: "The texts that describe these creatures do not indicate that they are figurative—they are real, actual beings. The four living creatures (literally 'beings') are a special, exalted order of angelic beings or cherubim. This is clear by their close proximity to the throne of God. Ezekiel 1:12–20 suggests that they are in constant motion around the throne."4
The first seal: So I looked and saw a white horse, and its rider held a bow. And he was given a crown, and he rode out to overcome and conquer. (Revelation 1:2).
The second seal: Then another horse went forth. It was bright red, and its rider was granted permission to take away peace from the earth and to make men slay one another. And he was given a great sword. (Revelation 6:4).
The third seal: Then I looked and saw a black horse, and its rider held in his hand a pair of scales. And I heard what sounded like a voice from among the four living creatures, saying, “A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius, and do not harm the oil and wine.” Revelation 6:5-6). A "voice" among the four living creatures determines economic hardship and scarcity of necessities. However, the oil and the wine are not to be harmed.
The fourth seal: Then I looked and saw a pale green horse. Its rider’s name was Death, and Hades followed close behind. And they were given authority over a fourth of the earth, to kill by sword, by famine, by plague, and by the beasts of the earth. (Revelation 6:8).
The pivotal message of the three angels (probably during the fourth seal) constitutes God's final ultimatum to humanity: 1. The eternal gospel is proclaimed to the inhabitants of the earth. (Revelation 14:6-7); 2. the fall of Babylon is announced. (Revelation 14:8); 3. the full strength of God's wrath will be the fate of those who worship the beast and its image or receive the mark of the beast. (Revelation 14:9-11). This final warning immediately precedes the rapture (the harvest of the earth). (Revelation 14:14-16). This information confirms that the direct wrath of God follows the rapture after the sixth seal is broken. (Revelation 6:12-17).
And another angel, a third, followed them, saying with a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and its image and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, he also will drink the wine of God’s wrath, poured full strengthinto the cup of his anger, and he will be tormented with fire and sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever, and they have no rest, day or night, these worshipers of the beast and its image, and whoever receives the mark of its name.” (Revelation 14:9-11).
The fifth seal: And when the Lamb opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the testimony they had upheld. And they cried out in a loud voice, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge those who dwell upon the earth and avenge our blood?” Then each of them was given a white robe and told to rest a little while longer until the full number of their fellow servants, their brothers, were killed, jst as they had been killed.(Revelation 6:9-11). The martyrs do not have resurrected bodies and are referred to as "souls". They are each given a white robe in anticipation of God's wrath and are told to "rest a little while longer.." The description of the martyrs during the fifth seal period is an obvious indication that the rapture has not yet occurred.
The sixth seal: A critical shift occurs when the sixth seal is broken. The first four seals and the summoning of the four horsemen refer to earthly judgements during the Antichrist's tenure. When the sixth seal is broken the focus shifts from the tribulation to direct intervention from heaven beginning with fearful cosmic disturbances.
And I watched as the Lamb opened the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black like sackcloth of goat hair, and the whole moon turned blood red, and the stars of the sky fell to the earth like unripe figs dropping from a tree shaken by a great wind. The sky receded like a scroll being rolled up, and every mountain and island was moved from its place. (Revelation 6:12-14).
Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. (Matthew 24:29-31). Note the unmistakable parallels between Revelation 6 and Matthew 24. There can be little doubt that the cosmic disturbances and the rapture happen in rapid succession after the sixth seal is broken.
The seventh seal: After the seventh seal is broken the seven angels prepare to blow the trumpets for the commencement of the trumpet judgements. (Revelation 8-9). The bowl judgements (the third woe) follow the trumpet judgements chronologically. The four living creatures direct angels to inflict the wrath of God upon the earth via the seven plagues.
And one of the four living creatures gave to the seven angels seven golden bowls full of the wrath of God who lives forever and ever, and the sanctuary was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from his power, and no one could enter the sanctuary until the seven plagues of the seven angels were finished. (Revelation 15:7-8).
Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to Him, we ask you, brothers, not to be easily disconcerted or alarmed by any spirit or message or letter seeming to be from us, alleging that the Day of the Lord has already come. Let no one deceive you in any way, for it will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness—the son of destruction—is revealed. He will oppose and exalt himself above every so-called god or object of worship. So he will seat himself in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God. (2 Thessalonians 2:1-4).
