“And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book: but these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name” John 20:30-31

Why was the Bible written? And, why does it not tell us of every miracle and word of Jesus?

Why was the Bible written? The apostle John answers that for us when he says: “And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book: but these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.”

The teaching and the miracles of Jesus recorded in the Bible are there for us to read that we might believe that Jesus truly is the promised Messiah, the very Son of God in human flesh come to be our Savior, and that believing we might have life eternal through His name.

The apostle Paul also encouraged Timothy to continue in “the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 3:15).

And, why does the Bible not tell us every miracle and include every word preached or taught by Jesus? John also answers that when he writes: “And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen.” (John 21:25).

But the Bible provides us with enough witnessed accounts of Jesus’ life, His teaching, His miracles, His sufferings, His death and His resurrection that we might, by the gracious working of the Holy Spirit, come to know and believe in Jesus as our God and Savior. The Bible provides us with all that we need to know to be saved through faith in Christ Jesus and atoning sacrifice on the cross for the sins of the world.

God grant that we read and believe the witness of the Bible and place our faith in Christ Jesus and His sufferings, death and resurrection that we, too, might have life through His name. Amen.

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction. Proverbs 1:7

This is so true! The beginning of wisdom and knowledge is to know the LORD God (Jehovah God of the Bible) and to honor and revere Him as our God and Maker. Indeed, apart from the fear of the LORD, all the knowledge of this world will be of little value and benefit.

Proverbs 9:10 says: “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.”

How can one begin to understand life or the world in which we live without knowing and revering the God of the Bible who created and redeemed us? How can one know how and why he even has life, and how she should live life, without this knowledge of God?

And, “fools despise wisdom and instruction.” Few take the time to consider the wisdom and knowledge revealed by God Himself in the Bible. Most assume they know enough and neglect the true source of wisdom and understanding. Thus, they live their lives in foolish pursuits and end their lives in emptiness and hopelessness.

The wise will seek the knowledge and wisdom which God gives in His Word. “The LORD giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding” (Proverbs 2:6).

And it is through His Word, the Bible, that He makes us “wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus” 2 Timothy 3:15. He reveals to us our sinfulness but also the redemption accomplished for us by the holy life and innocent sufferings and death of God the Son in our stead.

God, grant us the wisdom to know You and honor You as our Creator and our Redeemer. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

[Scripture taken from the King James Version of the Bible]

While public education serves an important purpose by providing a basic education to America’s youth, it suffers from its inability to provide a full and well-balanced education to our children and grandchildren. Public education essentially goes to bat with two strikes against it before the first pitch.

I will be the first to acknowledge that a public education is probably better than no education at all, and no education is what many, if not most, American children would get if it were not for public schools. This is true, in part, because so many parents do not have the time or the resources to teach their children at home.

But parents should know that public education is flawed from the start because of weaknesses built into the entire concept — weaknesses which can only be overcome by parents dedicated to providing what public schools cannot provide. I’m not criticizing public school teachers but pointing out flaws inherent in the concept of public education which affect the outcome.

What are the flaws and what is missing?

So that you know upfront, I approach this issue with a Christian and Biblical worldview. Proverbs 1:7 states: “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge”; and Proverbs 9:10 says: “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.”

How can the public schools teach the fear of the LORD God when the Bible is not permitted to be publicly used or taught in the schools? How can students be taught to know the LORD when the Biblical doctrines of creation, sin and redemption cannot be taught in schools? And how can public schools provide knowledge and teach wisdom when the basis for knowledge and wisdom are first removed?

Without teaching the fear and respect of the LORD God, the basis for moral principles is gone. Without God as the creator and lawgiver, who is to say lying, bullying, stealing, rape or even murder are wrong? Instead of words, thoughts and actions being judged as right or wrong by God’s law, they are only limited by policies and possible negative consequences. And, what’s considered inappropriate behavior today might be viewed as the Constitutionally-protected norm of tomorrow. It pretty much comes down to things being wrong only if there are negative consequences or if a person is caught and punished in some way.

And, if knowledge of the LORD God of the Bible and respect for the true God cannot be taught in public schools, how can students begin to understand the world in which we live, the scientific and mathematical principles built into God’s creation, or God’s purpose and plan for their lives? Without God, everything is only a result of chance existence, and life itself is meaningless. Indeed, it’s no wonder that some kids think nothing of shooting up schools and killing other students and teachers, and many take their own lives!

Though some would argue for the teaching of the Bible in public schools, the second flaw inherent in public education is that public schools cannot dictate in regard to the teaching of religious views. If the Bible were reintroduced into the public school system, what doctrinal position would a school hold? Which religious views would be taught? Would schools teach the Bible as truth or as myth? Would Jesus be presented as the Son of God or just an important religious teacher? Or would it all be up to each teacher, with one teacher saying one thing and another something entirely different?

That’s why I say public education comes to bat with two strikes against it. It can’t teach the fear and knowledge of the LORD God, making the rest of education baseless and unguided; and it is not really possible to bring back the Bible and Biblical teaching into public schools because the schools, as public and government-run institutions, are not permitted to teach one religious belief system over another.

What’s the solution? I offer three suggestions: parochial schools, home schools and supplementing public education with a strong religious education at home and in one’s church.

I am a strong supporter of parochial or church schools. Such schools can teach the Bible so that students learn to honor and respect the LORD God who created and redeemed them. And teaching the Bible provides a basis for moral teaching and for the rest of education — math, science, language, social studies, geography, etc. Parochial schools can teach the same doctrine as one’s church and thereby prepare students for life in this world and for life in God’s kingdom.

Home schools are increasingly the choice of many and can be a good choice, especially when no good parochial schools are available. If parents are dedicated to education, they can often move their children along at a faster pace and give them a better education than a system which is designed to move a mass of students through basic state-dictated curricula. It also allows parents to teach the Bible and Biblical values, in addition to providing a quality education in subjects like reading, language, math and science.

The weakness of homeschooling is that not all parents have the time or expertise to teach their children. So, homeschooling may work great for some but provide a poor education for others, depending on the time and abilities applied to education by parents.

The third option is to utilize public education but supplement that education with a strong Christian education at home and at one’s church. Christian teaching needs to include Biblical doctrine as well as answers to the many contrary “doctrines” taught in the public schools.

Sadly, many who take this latter route fail to diligently do their part to teach Biblical truth and to refute the errors of secular worldviews.

“Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as My Father hath sent Me, even so send I you. And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost: Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained.” John 20:21-23

On the evening of that first Easter Day, Jesus appeared to His disciples where they were gathered together behind closed doors for fear of the Jews and showed them His hands and His side to prove to them that He truly was Jesus and that He really had risen from the dead (John 20:19-20).

Two times Jesus said to them: “Peace be unto you.” Since Christ had died upon the cross for their sins and was risen again in victory, they had peace with God – the peace of having all sins pardoned and forgiven through faith in the shed blood of Jesus (cf. Eph. 2:11ff.; 1 John 2:1-2).

The Bible says: “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: by whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God” (Rom. 5:1-2).

Not only did Jesus bless them with the peace of sins forgiven, He breathed on them, gave them His Holy Spirit and commissioned them to forgive the sins of penitent sinners and to retain (not forgive) the sins of impenitent sinners as long as they do not repent (John 20:21-23). We often speak of this as the Office of the Keys because it opens the gates of heaven to those who are sorry for their sins and look to Christ and His redemptive work and closes the gates of heaven to those who are not sorry for their sins or do not trust in Christ for forgiveness. Indeed, it takes the wisdom and guidance of the Holy Spirit to rightly use and apply these keys to others, but this is what Christ our Savior would have us do!

Some would object and say, “How can we, as believers in Christ, forgive and retain sins? Only God can do that!” This power is given us precisely because of Christ’s death upon the cross for the sins of all mankind and His glorious resurrection on the third day. Since Christ has paid for all sin and is risen in victory, we can announce and proclaim God’s pardon and peace to penitent sinners. And since Christ is the only way of salvation, we must also warn those who continue in sin and unbelief of the coming judgment of God upon all who do not repent.

As Jesus says, “He that believeth on Him [the Son] is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God” (John 3:18).

Dear Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, we thank and praise You for Your death on the cross for our sins and for Your glorious resurrection and ascension. Grant us Your Holy Spirit that we may always trust in You and find peace in the pardon You have won for us, and help us to rightly apply Your Word to others that they too might receive the comfort and peace of knowing their sins are forgiven and that they too might have life everlasting through faith in Your name. Amen.

[Scripture Quotations from the King James Version of the Bible]

“But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.” 1 Corinthians 15:20 (Read v. 1-20)

The apostle Paul wrote (v. 14-19): “And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain. Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not. For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised: And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins. Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.”

Did you get that? If Jesus did not rise bodily from the grave on the third day, the following is true:
1. Our preaching and faith is vain and useless.
2. We are false witnesses of God for preaching that Christ was raised from the dead if He was not.
3. Your faith is worthless and you are still dead in your sins.
4. Those who have died trusting in Christ are perished forever – they will not be raised up, nor will we.
5. If our hope and faith is only for this life, we are of all men most miserable.

“But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.”

As we have heard, Christ Jesus died for our sins, according to the Scriptures, He was buried, He rose again the third day, according to the Scriptures (1 Corinthians 15:3-4).

And Jesus was seen alive by Cephas (Peter), the twelve, more than 500 brethren at once (many still alive when Paul wrote), James, the apostle Paul (v. 5-8). And we can add to that the two on the road to Emmaus, Mary Magdalene and the other women (Mark 16; John 20-21; Matthew 28; Luke 24; Acts 1; Acts 9).

As the angels said, Jesus is alive. He has risen as He said. But what does this mean for you and for me?

Because He lives:
1. Our preaching and faith is true and should be heeded (Mark 16:15-16).
2. We tell the truth when we claim that Jesus rose from the dead and will return to judge the world (Acts 10:39-43).
3. Atonement has been made for all our sins and we have full pardon and forgiveness through faith in Christ Jesus (v.3-4; Romans 3:23-26; 4:25; Colossians 1:19-23; Ephesians 1:6-7; 2 Corinthians 5:18-21; 1 John 1:7 – 2:2).
4. Those who died trusting in Jesus are safe in His arms and He will bring them with Him when He returns on the last day (Luke 16:19-31; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; Psalm 16:8-11; Revelation 7:9-17).
5. We have the certain hope of life everlasting (cf. John 3:16; 5:24; 11:25-26; 14:1-6; Philippians 1:21-23; 2 Corinthians 5:1-8 ; 1 Corinthians 15:20, 35-58; 1 Peter 1:3-9).

O dearest Jesus, we thank You for bearing upon the cross the full punishment for our sins and for rising again in victory that we, too, might have forgiveness of sins and life everlasting through faith in Your name. Amen.

[Scripture quotations from the King James Version of the Bible]