Transcript

Stay with American Family Radio for the next hour as we study God's word

>> Jeff Chamblee: the Bible, it's the word of God. Sharper than any two edged sword. This sacred book is living and active and contains all that's needed for life and godliness. Stay with American Family Radio for the next hour as we study God's word and take your Bible questions. Welcome to Exploring the Word.

>> Alex McFarland: You know what, if you hear the word imitation, sometimes it has a negative connotation. They'll say, well, that's not a genuine thing, that's an imitation. But we're going to give a Bible verse in which an imitation and an imitator is actually a good thing. Well, welcome to Exploring the word. Alex McFarland here. So honored to be with you along with Bert Harper. And we're just glad you're listening. And we're going to be in the NewSong Testament book of Ephesians, chapter five. And Bert, I gotta tell you, Ephesians is kind of flying by quickly, which I love. This book of the Bible. this is one of those books I'm wishing it had 10 more chapters than just the short length it does have.

>> Bert Harper: Well, if you gave it any more length, it would be like the book of Romans. No, they do cover, Paul does cover some of the same material and some of the same material in Romans. He spends a little bit more time on and explaining. And he had some things in Ephesians. But I agree with Ephesians is so well divided up. The first three chapters is our wealth that we have in Christ as a saved believer. And the last three chapters deal with our walk, our work, how we should follow the Lord since we have so much wealth. And so, Alex, I love this book. I tell you, I have a struggle. Let me tell you what it is. Whatever book I'm studying seems like becomes my favorite.

>> Alex McFarland: Yes, yes.

>> Bert Harper: I say Jon, but then when I get in Mark, man, this is good. Then we'll go to Luke and see that historical documentation. And I love it. Then get over into Matthew and see how Matthew would cover each event with so many numbers. And I'm a numbers guy and I say, man, this is good. God's word is good, isn't it?

>> Alex McFarland: Well, it really, really is. And we're going to get into Ephesians chapter five. But, as we do, let me give a little bit of a praise report about what God has been doing this week at our first summer camp in Montana.

Alex McFarland: Two dozen kids got saved this week at Montana camp

I'm back in North Carolina. Those that know my, the backdrop behind me. I'm back in the Exploring the Word studio in North Carolina. But, Bert, this week in Montana, Ekalaka, Montana, in the lower 48 states, this is supposedly the most remote of any town from any major stores or restaurants or anything like that. It's way, as we say, way, way out in the boonies. Out there is a wonderful place called Trails End Christian Ranch. And. Wonderful place. This will be our fourth year there. And we had around 130 there at Camp this week. And Bert, I'm going to estimate at least two dozen kids put their faith in Christ and got saved. Many, many of the youth there said that they had come for multiple summers and they love the content that we teach at our camps. Now we go hiking, we horseback riding. Bert, I have to tell you, you would have been proud of me out there. Tuesday, for a couple hours, we played a big game of softball. And, I'm not quite what I was 30 years ago. It's the oddest thing, but we had fun. The best part, though, sharing the gospel and watching kids come to Christ and, so be in prayer. We have, seven more camps we're going to be doing this summer. But you know what, here's the blessing, in Gillette, Wyoming, and that's where a lot of the, opportunity to do camps in the South Dakota, Wyoming, Montana area came from. Listeners out there in Wyoming that hear us and to see teenagers 15, 16, and they say, please tell Mr. Bert we love exploring the word we listen to. hey, to God be the glory. His word is going forth to very receptive young hearts.

>> Bert Harper: Amen. We thank God for Don Wildmon, who saw a vision of starting a network that would carry the gospel, the good news of Jesus, accurate news, that would tell truth. We praise God for that. And now God is added to it and blessed. And what a joy that is to hear that. Alex, you got seven more to go. Can you, can youth still register or are they all full?

>> Alex McFarland: the only one where we have any space is in Brevard, North Carolina. Now, for the first time, we're doing the western North Carolina, area called Brevard. And if you go to the website equipretreat.org we, still have some space in Brevard, North Carolina. and I gotta say this regarding Trails End Christian Ranch, Angie and I will be there in September. They're doing a family camp weekend. I'm not setting it up. They're doing it at Trail's End and I'm the speaker. But, if you go to my website, which is alexmcfarland.com or equipretreat.org we still have a little bit of space, not a lot, but in Brevard in western North Carolina.

>> Bert Harper: Amen. Go to Big sky country there in Montana. If you go there, you'll find out why they call it Big Sky. I tell you that. Well, Alex, again, we appreciate so much Dylan Burris and Jon Bowler. The last three days, they did a great job, but we missed you.

Alex McFarland: Ephesians 5 talks about being imitators

So let's dig in at Ephesians 5. Let me read that. So when we get to that that you opened with about imitators, you can let, us know which one of these words. If you were looked at it in the Greek, it would be imitators, therefore be followers of God as dear children. Now here's the first walk that we're talking about in chapter five. And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice of God for a sweet smelling aroma. Now he opens up this chapter again, the last three chapters have to do with their, walk. But, but in chapter five, if you wanted to outline it, let me give this first and then you take it away. Alex. In verse 2 it says walk in love. In verse 8 it says walk as children of light. And then in verse 15 it says walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise. So here it is. Walk in love, walk in the light and walk in wisdom. That's what we as believers are supposed to do. And when we do that, let me see, are we followers of Christ, Alex?

>> Alex McFarland: We are. When we do that, you know, I love words and I love, to look up. These words kind of catch my attention. as you read be followers of God, the translation I've got, which is the new King James, therefore be imitators of God as dear children. So looked up that word and Bert. Fascinating. In the Greek it's the word mime. M M, I, M E. now you've seen a mime, maybe like somebody silently going through some motions. You know, whenever in music, if somebody is not performing their lip synching or the technical word, they'll say, well, they weren't really live, they were miming to the record. And so most of the time, if something is an imitation, that's not good. That wasn't real leather, that was an imitation. Well, here it is. Wonderful. We are to be imitators of God. In other words, we're to be more and more Christlike. And so how do we know how to do that? Well, you read his Word Jesus, it said when he was accused and reviled, he didn't strike back, but he turned the other cheek. And he was forgiving. And even though he was hated, he showed love. And even though it wasn't easy, he trusted the call and the will of the Father. Now we're to do those things as well. And, those are just a few of the ways we can be imitators of God.

>> Bert Harper: So the first thing that he gives after that, about being an imitator, mind mimic, I know that gets a bad connotation too, but here it is true. The first thing that it comes up is what? Walk in love. For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believes in him would not perish but have everlasting life. The love of God. And again, the two. I mean, there's a lot of things you can say about God, but His two great characteristics that I believe just about everything else comes from is his love and his holiness. And that is why the cross was so important. That is the only way his love could be completely demonstrated to bring those of us that were unholy as we trust him to become holy through his sacrificial death. And so we walk in love as Christ also has loved us now. Alex. Okay, does that say this Christ loved me? Yes, but he loves these other people as well. So if Christ loves them, I need to love them as well. M. Does the Bible say something about they'll know you're my disciples if you have love one for another?

>> Alex McFarland: I think that's in Jon 13:35, I think. And you know, the mark of a Christian is love. It really is Biblically. Nowadays people kind of throw the word love around. That means, you know, anything goes. But no, biblical love includes forgiving and caring about people, but telling people the truth. verse two, walk in love. And that means continual action. As Christ also has loved us, given himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling aroma. In other words, when our ways are godly, it is pleasing to the Lord. Now, verse three.

>> Bert Harper: Alex, before we leave, verse two, do you mind me stepping in real quick? That sweet. Smell it. Aroma when you sow, that has the idea of sacrifice. And in the book of Leviticus you'll find the sacrifices, the offerings that were given, and the first three, burnt offering, meal offering, peace offering, they were all offered up to the Lord as an offering unto Him. And it was a sweet smelling aroma that we would give of ourselves to Him. And so this idea for, that I couldn't get over that. It ties back into the Old Testament again of the pictures of Jesus Christ and who he was and what he did for us. I wanted to throw that in. Go ahead.

>> Alex McFarland: Amen. Well, you know, like in the book of Revelation, it says that, the incense and the aroma in heaven are the prayers of the saints. And so our life and, yes, our prayers and standing for Christ and being Christlike to this watching world that is pleasing to God. Now, verse three says, but in other words, that's, in contrast, fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints. And by the way, the word fornication there in the Greek is the word pornea, from which we get pornography. I mean, you know, people think about, you know, porn, a, bad magazine, m. Or inappropriate material online, but it's sexual immorality and cleanness. And notice in that same vernacular is covetousness. And, you know, Bert, that's the tenth commandment. We are not to covet or obsessively, enviously want something that's not ours. Oddly enough, Bert, is there a tie between adultery and covetousness?

>> Bert Harper: There certainly is. you do. The Bible talks about that.

>> Bert Harper: Your neighbors, whatever you're.

>> Bert Harper: You know, that. That they have. You do not. So, it could be sexual? Yes, it could, anything like that. So there's that covetousness. I would say. David did that when he saw Bathsheba.

Ephesians chapter 5 deals with covetousness and fornication

Okay? He saw another man's wife, Uriah, and he was away fighting. let me just say, he was fighting David's war, you know, and David was at home when he should have been out there on the field. And then that all started. And it started with covetousness that led to fornication. And so they are tied in. The last thing it says it is fitting for saints. Listen, if we're going to be followers of Jesus Christ, we set ourselves apart from these things, and to Christ, it is both. So we're going to come back and we're going to continue in Ephesians, chapter 5. You don't want to miss it, because there's some great stuff waiting on us in this great chapter in the Word of God.

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>> Bert Harper: Right now, the voices in our culture are loud, but truth is often silent. And today, preborn needs you to help speak that truth. Women facing unplanned pregnancies are often pressured

>> Bert Harper: to act quickly before they have time to pause, breathe, or, hear the truth.

>> Bert Harper: About life, dignity and hope.

>> Bert Harper: But I refuse to be silent.

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>> Dr. Jessica Peck: Sing everything I need. Everything I need My father has a. My father hasn't. And every single time the Lord will provide. That's right, my father hasn't. It's My father hasn't.

>> Bert Harper: Amen. Jesus Christ. He provides the great salvation that each and every one of us need or we have already received. For Alex and myself, we received it and. And we're living it. But if you have never trusted Jesus Christ as savior, no matter where you are, in a truck, on a tractor, incarcerated, at your desk, in your kitchen, you can come to Jesus Christ. And I pray our program would call you to come in relationship with him for the greatest adventure of your life, following Jesus. It is worth every minute.

There are 26 days left for the Ten Commandments Project Speech Challenge

Well, Alex, there's something going on that our friend Joseph Parker, does every year about the Ten Commandments. Tell us a little bit about it, brother.

>> Alex McFarland: Well, I was thinking. Let's see. Today is June 4th, isn't it?

>> Bert Harper: Yes, it is.

>> Alex McFarland: So that means There are 26 days left for the Ten Commandments Project Speech Challenge. It's June 1 to June 30, and we're asking each participant to write a speech. Or, you know, maybe even have someone write a speech. And here is the topic for a young person to speak on, which is the first commandment, quote, you shall have no other gods before me. Now write a speech, and you can practice it then. Three to five minutes, not too long. Three to five minutes. And use your cell phone, make a video, and then email that video. Here's two emails. One is J. Parker afa.net that's Joseph Parker. J. Parker fa.net or faqfa.net and in the subject line, just please, if you would put Ten Commandments Project speech. And if you have questions, you can call Pastor Joseph Parker at 662-844-5036, extension 381. That's 662-844-50360, extension 381. And youth ages 7 to 17 can participate in this project. And again it ha. You have to submit by June 30, 2026. And that's coming up pretty quickly. Now for the 10 Commandment Speech Challenge, every youth who participates will get a Ten Commandments T shirt. And each youth is also going to receive a bookmark and some other things, but they're going to be awarded, you know, they're going to pick the winners of these speeches. And Bert, in years past I've seen a few of these and they're just, they're fantastic for young people. this time the Ten Commandments, which is the, really the foundation of our country. And the topic again, you shall have no other gods before me.

>> Bert Harper: We hope you'll do that and encourage your young people to do that. And so we can't wait to hear about what God's done even through this project.

Alex: Verse four says neither filthiness nor foolish talking nor coarse jesting

Well, Alex, we come to verse four of chapter five and it says, it adds neither. It lists those fornication, uncleanliness, covetousness. And then he goes, neither, I don't know exactly. I know the Holy Spirit is guiding him, but yet the personality of the apostle Paul comes out as well. It's a dynamic, you know, way that God would give us his word. And he comes, hey, I need to add some more to that list. It says neither filthiness nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving thanks. Thanks. So you see this, it's not fitting for the saints. And then he says, hey, there's some more on this list that you don't need to participate in. Filthiness, foolish talking, course jesting, which are not fitting. That goes back to verse three when it says ed is fitting for saints. There's some things that are fitting for saints and those that are not fitting for us. In other words, he's continuing the thing theme that he started in chapter four about putting on and putting off, you know, and he continues that. So he, he gives us the things we should. But also he, he's not slow in saying, now listen, this doesn't need to be a part of your life. And he does it well, doesn't he,

>> Alex McFarland: well he really does. And you know, this is just an example of how modern and relevant and really cutting edge the Bible is. And the Bible could not be irrelevant. It is relevant. But look in verse four, neither filthiness nor foolish talking nor coarse jesting. Is that how your translation.

>> Bert Harper: Yes, it is. Exactly.

>> Alex McFarland: So maybe you've heard the word trope T R O P E. And if somebody makes some kind of sarcastic slur about somebody or something, you know, very condescending, they call it a trope, that you'll see that word T R O P E. And in the original Greek, this is 2,000 years ago, the word for coarse. now we get a word out of this crude. And my mother would. We weren't allowed and we frankly never did. Crude talk. something that's an off color joke, coarse jesting. let me say as a born again believer, your speech should be God honoring. You shouldn't say or laugh at something you wouldn't do if Jesus weren't right there with you, because he is. And Bert, I'm not a legalist, you know, I'm not a legalist but I gotta tell you, I'll just. A dirty joke off color that's not appropriate for a Christian. But in the Greek language the word is basically eutropilia and the word trope is in there and that's a modern word. But we are to give talk and speech and yeah, laughing, joking, entertainment but stuff that is true. Uplifting God, honoring not off color and immoral and crude.

>> Bert Harper: Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth. James talks about the tongue and we need the Holy Spirit. Now you may have been taught as I was, we were taught the same thing. We couldn't even say what my daddy called by words. you know, in place of saying that letter we, we get a word, name close to it. We couldn't even say that now. It was very rigid. And so here it is. we, we need to let good communication. James talks about it. With the power of the Holy Spirit, God can help us. And I remember the story and I, I think I've shared it on this program. As a, as a kid there was this man, he was a mechanic in the town little village where we lived. Worked on my dad's tractor when it needed repairing. And man, I'd go there just about every other word seemed like a, a curse word, a cuss word as we said it back then. And so anyway we started praying at a revival. Can you think and as a teenager, young teenager, would you pray for the person that, you know, that needs Jesus Christ the most? Well, my brain went to him because I knew how he did. And on a Friday night, we went revivals back then. Went the whole week. On Friday night, I remember this man walking the aisle, and he. We'd been praying for him. Community had been praying, Church had been praying for him. His son had been praying for him. And he came down the aisle receiving Jesus Christ as Savior. The pastor said, have you got anything to say? And he said, pray for me. You know how I've used my mouth? I need God to clean it up. And he recognized that, and he was a changed man. And, his vocation did change. Took him a while, but God helped him through the power of the Holy Spirit to let no corrupt communication. Now, that corrupt means filthy talking. It also means lies. you know, it also means spreading gossip. So, Alex, this corrupt communication, this tongue set on fire that James talked about, he said no man on his own can control it, but through the power of the Holy Spirit, guess what? We do can and become more than conquerors through Jesus Christ. And one of those conquering things is our speech.

>> Alex McFarland: Amen.

Paul says don't be deceived by empty words in Ephesians 5

What a great testimony, Bert. Thank you for sharing that. Verse 5. Paul writes this in Ephesians 5. For this you know that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man who is an idolater has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Now, it doesn't mean that people can't be saved. Of course they can. whosoever will may come. But if Jesus has saved us, our life should be changed. And those things, they might be a part of our past, but they shouldn't be a part of our present nor future. Let no one deceive you with empty words. For because of these things, the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore, do not be partakers with them. I, like verse seven. It's just straight to the point, isn't it? Do not be partakers of all these things or the people that do them.

>> Bert Harper: When you come to verse six, Let no one deceive you. Now he's talking to the believers there in Ephesus. And how are they going to deceive you? With empty words. These. And again, we're talking about what communication. There it is again. We've been talking about all the things up here that communicate, with your tongue and how it works about. So don't be deceived with empty words. They may Sound good? they may look that way. And I'm going to use a political illustration of that. And that's the Senate race in Texas. There's a guy that's running, and he, man, he uses the Bible, but he miss. He misuses the Bible to say God permits abortion. It's all right. God is non binary. all the things that he is talking about, male and female, that doesn't have anything to do with it. And so he uses the words, but they're empty. And when those empty, empty words translate into our mind, it's just. Let me just say, it's plain lies. Yeah. And so here it is. let no one deceive you. Now, again, let's take it not. He's talking about this. Now, these are believers. So what they're talking about. Don't let anyone deceive you in your walk with Christ. Isn't that what he's been talking about? From chapter five, verse two. Don't let anyone deceive you in your walk with Christ. But know that. How do you do that in. Alex, you just said it in, verse seven. Therefore, do not be partakers with them. Through the word of God, you can know truth. And we're going to get to that later on in verse, 15. Walk in wisdom or truth. So here it is. I think it's very plain here that don't be deceived by empty words. Pretty plain, isn't it?

>> Alex McFarland: It absolutely is plain. By the way, I had the privilege a couple hours ago. Fox News interviewed me for an hour, and it's going to be on Loren Green's Lighthouse Faith podcast, which is, we did one hour on the theological heretical statements of that, Texas politician you named. And so, when I know the air date, I'll keep you up to speed on that. We did a very, very thorough analysis of his, false teaching. That's all it is. But verse 8 says, for you were. And again, there's all these past tense verbs. I'm so glad. Verbs can sometimes be past tense. Not are, but were. Might have been this, that, and the other. But Jesus has changed us. You were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light. Now, Bert, it doesn't just say, we were in darkness. We were darkness.

>> Bert Harper: Yeah. Alex, that's awesome. Go ahead, brother. That really grabbed me. Go ahead.

>> Alex McFarland: Yeah. You know, I was very privileged to live with both grandmothers growing up. And, remember how the Waltons would say, good night, Grandma. Goodnight, Jon Boy. You Bet, our house was kind of like that. I loved it. We had both, grandparents living with us. And my grandparents, they would say, don't you run around with the wrong crowd. And, you know, I would say, yes, ma'. Am. Yes, sir. Here's the thing. I didn't want to run with the wrong crowd. And it was convicting to think about. Look, I don't want to be the wrong crowd. And this is just amazing.

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Verse 8. You were once darkness. Not just in darkness, you were the darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light. first, Jon says that God is light, love, and life. And when we come to Jesus, and He is the Lord of our life, now we are shining his light. We have none of our own, but we are the reflectors of his light, and we are to walk in that light. Don't you want to be the light in the world? Jesus is the light of the world. But as his, representative, we can be light in the world, can't we?

>> Bert Harper: We really can. And we should. that's the whole idea. Walk as children of light. And notice what it says in verse nine. For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth. So what he does here, he uses the word children of light walk. And then he says, this is some, of what it is about. What is it? Goodness, righteousness, truth. That's the light. We walk in that, and we share that. As it said earlier, you are. You are the light. You are light. And as you go, as you are, you share so proven what is acceptable to the Lord. And having no fellowship with unfruitful works of darkness, and rather expose them. now, notice what it does here. He goes and talks about the fruit of the spirit in verse nine. And then in verse 11, the unfruitful works of darkness. Alex, here. Here's what Paul does again. Over several times. He talks about what you should, what you shouldn't, what you should put off, what you should put on, how you should walk and how you shouldn't walk, what you produce and what you should not be a part of. he covers it as well as I think you could in this context.

>> Alex McFarland: Well, there's a little Galatians, reference here, says, for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth. Finding out what is acceptable to the Lord and have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them. You know, Bert, we are. Every now and then, people can be critical of, you know, why do Conservative, you know, commentators and preachers, they, you know, speak about this or that issue, call out things. We are to have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but we are based on God's word, which is accurate in every detail. We are to expose the works of darkness, aren't we?

>> Bert Harper: We do light exposes and we can know truth and we can follow it. We're going to take phone calls. That number, 885-898-9840. If you have a Bible question, we would love to hear from you today.

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>> Dr. Jessica Peck: pick me up from the ground. You give me love.

If you've got a Bible question, we'd love to hear from you

>> Alex McFarland: Welcome back to Exploring the Word. This Thursday, I'm going to give the number. If you've got a Bible question, we'd love to hear from you. It's triple 858-98-80. Triple 858-9840. Bert, last, I think it was last Thursday, we called it, Thunder Thursday. And we took a lot of calls and, great, great questions. And so we'd love to hear from you. And listen, if you've never called, be a first time caller today and we'll do our best to give you a good biblical answer. Bert, are you ready?

>> Bert Harper: I'm ready to launch out. Let's do it.

>> Alex McFarland: We're going to start in Mississippi. The home state of the American Family association in Mississippi is Mary. Mary. Thanks for holding and welcome to the program.

>> Caroline: Well, thank you.

Bertrand Russell: Revelation 2 says you have left your first love

Can you please tell me who are the Nicolaitans in Revelation, chapter two, verse six?

>> Bert Harper: Okay, here it is. Let me read a little bit. Before this. I saw what the question was. And this is the church at Ephesus. And, he says, I know your works. I have this and everything. But he says in verse four, nevertheless, I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Remember therefore, from where you have fallen. Repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place unless you repent. But this you have that you hate. The deeds of the Nicolaidians, which I also hate. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I'll, give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God. Alex. it doesn't specifically say. Has history revealed. Always looked at this. And look. Okay, what did it say before? It seems like, you know, when they talk about, they had fallen, they had left their first love, but these Nicolaians had done worse than that. So. And they looked at them and downward at them. Do you have any more information on that?

>> Alex McFarland: Yeah. And, you know, we've, It's been our joy a couple of times in the last 15 years to teach through the book of revelation. In Revelation 2, verse 6, the Nicolaitans or Nicolaitans. Okay, here's the thing. just like nowadays, there are cults and, this or that section, you know. Well, there was in the early church. Now, a lot of commentators say this, that Nicholas, is a deacon mentioned in Acts 6, verse 5. There was a Nicholas. But according to church history, this Nicholas, whoever he was, he abandoned the. The true faith and began to teach, about bodily indulgence. Okay. The Nicolations, they, taught that Christians could participate in sexual immorality, pagan rituals. and so this term, N I K O O L A O S Nikolos. and the word Niko means to overcome. It's fascinating. I don't mean to get too much in depth here. The word Nike or Niko is to overcome. Laos. you've heard of Laos? Nigeria? Laos means the people. So, the Nicolasians were overcoming or literally conquering the people. It relates to the doctrine of this early apostate, somebody who abused and abandoned the faith. And Bert, there are apostate cults to this day, but an early cult, if you will, that Revelation 2 warns against were these nicolations.

>> Bert Harper: In the NewSong Testament, you find several people who left, they started, or else they were false to begin with. And a lot of times, here's what you do when you know you're wrong. You want to try to justify you being right. And then they went the opposite way and started, even here, a fool. False, as you said, occult. Alex. But notice the terminology here. Notice when it comes after he said, you've left your first love and remember from where you have fallen, you have this, that you hate these. But, you know, he said even though you don't participate, you don't like it and you don't live that way, you need to come to me. You need to remember your first love. You know, you catch that balance that Jon gives here.

>> Alex McFarland: Amen. We're, going to go to Texas. Barry in Texas. Barry, welcome to the program.

>> Caroline: Thank you. Thank you. thanks, Alex.

Alex: Bert, I have a question about brother as opposed to neighbor

And, Bert, I have a question today regarding the definition, of brother as opposed to neighbor. In Jon, for example, 1 Jon, ah, 2, 9, and 3, 10, he off, he uses the word brother and sisters. And then, for example, when we're looking at, a Good Samaritan, Luke 10:36, the word neighbor is used. Now, as I understand it, the word brother in Greek, if I have the pronunciation correct, as, adelphus, and then neighbor is glaceon, Now, what is the difference? Are these in any way synonymous, or does the one refer to, a humanity in general as a neighbor, and brother refers to something more specific as the fellowship of believers?

>> Bert Harper: Alex, go ahead.

>> Alex McFarland: What a great conscientious question. You know, you're right. The word Adelphis, okay, Delphos is the Greek word for the womb, like Delphi, the Delphic oracle. And so a brother, refers to the birth or the origin. Now, somebody could be your biological sibling, a brother or a sister, and it's doubly close when it's a brother or sister in Christ. And so in that sense, there's the distinction. Physical relation, spiritual relation, and somebody might be both. The neighbor is somebody that we are to show love to. And by that, as Augustine would say, love is to seek the highest good of another. And, Bert, even if they're not our, familial relationship, or even if they're not our spiritual brother or sister, we are to love them as a neighbor. So I would say the two words are very close. They're not exactly synonymous. But my neighbor is every other human being in the world, isn't it?

>> Bert Harper: It is. Whether they're saved or lost, they're our neighbor. A brother, ah, in the spiritual sense, is someone who has the same father that would be our Heavenly Father. Notice these words. And I could not help but think of this, Barry, as you were sharing that when Jesus said, I no longer call you servants, I call you my friends. So there's a growth that's possible in our journey in discipleship, and it brings us closer to Christ. And I can't help but contrast this. And I'll do this real quick how here in Ephesians, he says, I'm the less of the least of the apostles. And then when he gets to Timothy, he talks about, I'm the chiefest of sinners. Now, again, we're not talking that he fell away further. We're talking about as we get closer to him, we. We see how far he has brought us from and where he's brought us to. But he, at the same time, he sees that and we have a closer relationship with him. We, where we're the neighbor can become our brother, where the servant becomes our friend. That's that great relationship that if you're not saved, what you're missing out. It works both ways with us coming to him and him drawing us to himself. Alex, these, these, phrases, these words that God gives us, there are meaning in them. Martha, they are.

Stacy recently purchased an Ethiopian Bible and it has more books than King James

>> Alex McFarland: Barry, thank you for, as always, Barry, a fantastic question. Stacey in Oklahoma. Stacey, welcome to Exploring the Word.

>> Caroline: Thank you, sir.

>> Alex McFarland: Yes. What you got?

>> Caroline: the question. Yeah, I got a question. recently purchased, an Ethiopian Bible, and it's got a few more books than the King James Version. And I was wondering, is it, oh, is it okay for me to study and read that Bible, or should I stick with the King James?

>> Alex McFarland: let me jump in on this a little bit. One of the subjects that I think is a very important subject to teach on these days is canonicity, the canon. And, there are many, many fantastic books we could mention about that. let me. I'm going to mention m. One book that I really, really recommend by Norman Geisler and William Nixon, From God to Man, how we got our Bible. Great book. But here's, the bottom line, I would say, Bert. The Bible, the Protestant Bible contains 66 books. The Ethiopian Bible contains 81 books. And there are basically some, pseudepigraphal or apocalyptic books that are, apocryphal books, I should say, that were never historically considered scripture. And some of the books that are in the Ethiopian Bible and some other Bibles, there's like, one called First Enoch that, A lot of these have some stories that are kind of, They focus a little interestingly on sensational themes, like too much about angels and a lot of these things. The early church that recognized all the books in the Protestant canon, and I believe the canon is, as they say, closed revelation is the final book. the Ethiopian Church, while it's one of the oldest Christian groups in the world, Ethiopia was. By the way, Abe Hamilton III has taught on this a lot. Ethiopia was heavily evangelized, one of the very first nations to be reached. And I'm Glad of that. And, the Ethiopian Bible. I'm not going to say it's not Christian, because it is Christian, but they've got, an extra, 15 books that never were viewed as scripture. Their additional literature, I think, historically interesting, but were never considered, holy writ, as was the 39 old and 27 new, canonical books.

>> Bert Harper: Okay.

>> Alex McFarland: NewSong Testament.

>> Bert Harper: Thank you, Alex.

Grace in Texas says her son has been led astray by false teachings

Go ahead.

>> Alex McFarland: Let's go to Texas. Grace in Texas.

>> Caroline: Hi.

>> Alex McFarland: Welcome.

>> Caroline: Hello.

>> Alex McFarland: Yes. You're on.

>> Caroline: Okay. My question is, I have a. A son that grew up in church. not right away, but I was a single parent. eventually I came to another Lord, and I've been, you know, I made it in this, you know, economy as a young, you know, mother with, you know, whatever. The government helped me, Pell grants, whatever, but I got my, you know, a diploma. But now my son, you know, was also healed through Hodgkin's lymphoma at stage four by Christ. And he's walked away now. And I had warned him about false teachings, and now he's believing like you were talking about that Senate race. He's believing in that guy that's running for Senate. He's into that systemic stuff, patriarchy stuff, socialism, capitalism. You know, he just lost. And I've been praying, and I just wanted to see if y' all would do a special prayer for him.

>> Bert Harper: We will, Grace. yes, listen, False Teachers has been around the Book of Jude. If you have time, read that, and it might help you as well. But let me pray. Father, I thank you for Grace. Thank you for her love for you. It comes across, and her love for her son. But her son has been led away, led astray. And, God, I pray that you would bring godly, knowledgeable, biblical wisdom, in people close to him that would challenge his thinking. And, Father, we know your Holy Spirit, will do that, and we're praying for that. But we're also praying with somebody with skin on to come alongside him with truth. And I know he may have heard it in the past, but reaffirm that in him and that you would draw him to yourself while we wait and Grace waits. We know God. We have the assurance that you love him, and you're working in his life to bring him to yourself. And we believe that and we trust that in Jesus name. Amen.

>> Alex McFarland: Amen.

>> Bert Harper: M. Grace. Thank you. Thank you for calling.

>> Alex McFarland: You, know, Bert, there's a term that people use, scholars, use called toxic empathy. And a lot of times, you know, when it comes to some of the controversial issues, Moral issues, gender issues, immigration. You know, very often, not all, but younger people say, well, shouldn't we just show compassion and empathy? Of course, but there has to be boundaries and the rule of law as well. And very often, I think a lot of young people, when it comes to following after false teachers like James Talarico or others, I mean, it might sound good, anything goes, anything and everything. But really that's, not biblical. And it certainly not a sustainable, healthy future for this or any country.

Let's go to, uh, Albert in Mississippi. Hello. How are you doing today

Let's go to, Albert. Albert in Mississippi. welcome to Exploring the Word.

>> Jeff Chamblee: Hello. How you doing?

>> Alex McFarland: Good. Welcome. Thanks for the call.

Albert Brooks: Jesus says God is a spirit, but he manifested himself

>> Jeff Chamblee: Yes, my question is, in the Bible, Jesus says in the upper room to the disciples that he wasn't a spirit. He said, come and handle me, because the spirit doesn't have flesh and bone like I do. And then he says also that he is the image of the invisible God. And then you find a scripture that says, jesus says only the righteous shall see God. But he says God is invisible. He's a spirit.

>> Bert Harper: Okay, we don't have a lot of time. Alex, one minute. Take that away. Albert, thank you for calling.

>> Alex McFarland: Well, God is eternal spirit, but he manifested himself and the word image. M means representation. God showed himself in a way that we could understand, relate to, and even personally experience. God in fleshed, himself incarnate. And so, God is righteous, a fire, eternal power. But God made it possible for us to see him, comprehend and know him by coming to this earth in the person of Jesus Christ, who himself is God.

>> Bert Harper: And God passed before Moses, hiding him in the cleft of the rock, and hid himself from him. So God is that he invisible. It doesn't mean he can't sew, but he can make himself known at those times. He really has and will. Hey, fire away. Friday tomorrow, get your questions ready. We want to hear from you.

>> Alex McFarland: The views and opinions expressed in this

>> Bert Harper: broadcast may not necessarily reflect those of

>> Alex McFarland: the American Family association or American Family Radio.