Transcript

American Family Radio takes your Bible questions live on American Family Radio

>>  : 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.

Alex McFarland welcomes Dylan Burroughs to Exploring the Word

Welcome to Exploring the Word.

>> Alex McFarland: You know, there's an old gospel hymn. I remember, learning it when I was a brand new Christian. And it's a song called He Keeps Me Singing. And the chorus says, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus keeps me singing as I go. And I think of that hymn when I read Ephesians chapter 5, verse 19, that talks about being filled with the spirit. I love this verse. Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs. Singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord. Well, this is Exploring the word. Alex McFarland here and with us today as we go through Ephesians 5+plus. Later on in the show, we'll take prayer requests and Bible questions, but our regular friend and colleague Dylan Burroughs coming to us from Tennessee. And Bert is traveling today. So Dylan, thank you so much for all the times that you're with us on Exploring the Word. And thanks for making time to be with us today.

>> Alex McFarland: Of course, always a pleasure to be with you, especially as we are in a new book now, I was with you during the last part of Isaiah.

A lot of focus on the songs of the church in Ephesians

Now we dive into the apostle Paul's, chapter five of Ephesians. And like you said in the end introduction, a lot of focus on the songs of the church, which I love. I think about that every Sunday as I sit with my congregation or stand and sing, the songs of old and the new songs of today. Praising the Lord with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord. I love those words. I'm glad to talk with those and other words from that chapter today and a pleasure to be with all of you here on American Family Radio.

>> Alex McFarland: Amen. Amen. Well, thank you, brother.

Paul was under house arrest in Rome when he wrote Ephesians

And you know, as we were sort of queuing this up a, week ago and getting into Ephesians, you know, Paul was under house arrest in Rome, and this, I don't know, might have been 30 years after the cross. And Paul writes much about what believers have been given in Christ, all the riches that you have in your relationship with the Lord. And, and then we were talking about yesterday how it's very practical things that we are to be and to do, being followers of Christ, walking in love because he has first loved us and given himself for us and as we're going to see, we're going to pick it up at verse 18 here in a minute. But there are things that we are not to do, and there are the things to which we aspire and the things that are not part of our life as walking in the newness of salvation. And Dylan, I think, you know, this is kind of basic discipleship really. But like, in the first 17 verses, you know, there's admonitions to avoid fornication and avoid unrighteousness. And then even in verse six of these verses we went over yesterday that we are to be on the alert against false teaching and not being deceived by false teachers. it might be summed up by verse 10, proving what is acceptable unto the Lord. Goodness, righteousness, truth, what is acceptable unto the Lord. And Bert and I said this yesterday and I'll throw it to you. Dylan, I really don't think you can be a disciple without the word of God being just foremost in your life. Because the Bible is the. Well, it's God's roadmap for our lives and for history as well actually. But some, if we're going to rise to the challenge and be all that a disciple is to be, we have to build our life, our beliefs, our behaviors on God's word, don't we?

>> Alex McFarland: Oh, of course. And I think also that following verse in 17, like what the King James says, but understanding what the will of the Lord is, and if you look at any, the of the Greek language behind that, that the Lama to Korea, the will of the Lord, which is used over and over in the NewSong Testament, that's how we know what the will of the Lord is. A lot of times one of our biggest questions is, what does God want me to do with my life? What am I supposed to do next? Well, many times it's right there in the pages of Scripture if we will take the time to look at it, to understand it, to interpret it, and then to apply it. It's one thing to say I want to know God's will. It's another to take the time to work and to figure out what God's word says about the topics you're facing in life and then with a spirit led plan to focus on applying that to your given situation. So there's so much depth in this passage. and again, Paul is doing this when he's in house arrest. So he was in difficult circumstances. This wasn't a classroom in a seminary or in a college. He was in a very dire situation compared to what we have today. And yet he was teaching God's word, focusing on his truth. And if you look at the end of the book of Acts, it says for two, two full years, he proclaimed the word of the Lord to everyone who came to him, took full advantage of his house arrest opportunity in the capital of the Roman Empire there in Rome to proclaim Scripture. And yet today we're still studying and gaining from what he wrote and using it to apply to situations that we face as Christians in our lives.

>> Alex McFarland: I like verse 15, and, and this is a little bit of repetition from yesterday, but, you know, it's worth doing a review.

Dylan Burton: First John 1:9 contrasts wisdom and foolishness

I've got the King James here, says, see then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise. Now this is very plain talk. And the word circumspectly, really, in the original language means carefully. here's a word for you folks. The word intentionality. You know, if you're going to really be a disciple every day, you know, walking with the Lord, communing with the Lord, hearing from God and following the Word, there has to be some intentionality about it. I think about in 1st Peter 3:15, where it says, set apart Christ as Lord in your heart. It kind of reminds me of like Daniel back in Babylon. Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself. Now here's the thing. walking circumspectly or carefully, not as fools. Now a little bit of a word. I love words, by the way. the word there translated as fools. And by the way, if you ignore the Lord and disobey God's, hand on your life, that, that is foolishness, but it's the opposite of wisdom. there's a Greek word, Sophia, which means wisdom. philo, Sophia, philosophy. That's love of wisdom. But this word here is. It's got the prefix A. Now the letter A as a prefix means the negation of something. The opposite. So if you're walking, you know, you know, disregarding God and his Word, that's the absolute opposite of wisdom. In fact, it's very, very unwise. And so verse 15, I know there's, it's a brief little verse, and yet there's a lot there. And I'll say this. The best favor you'll ever do yourself is to follow Jesus. I mean, it's very foolish not to, isn't it?

>> Alex McFarland: Oh, of course. And it reminds me of so many other places. The Apostle Paul spoke similar words like Romans 12:2, where he says, do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your. And, there are several other opportunities like that. And even in the Old Testament, you see the proverbs that contrast wisdom and foolishness, and that's still applicable here in our lives. It's something that Paul focused on in the early church. And we see again and again, we have this choice that we can make between doing what we desire, which is often a foolish action, and doing God's will, which is his desire for our lives that can lead to impact in our own soul and in the souls of those around us. And I like how it transitions from there to this discussion in verse 18, which is a little controversial, of course. And we talk about alcohol and, do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery or drunkenness, and instead be filled with the Spirit. And we can unpack that a little bit, Alex, and find out, what the scriptures are really trying to focus on here. What, what do you see in these verses as we continue on?

>> Alex McFarland: Well, we are going to be filled with and controlled by something. I mean, it might be carnality and sin, or it could be the Spirit of God and truth. Be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess or debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit. so as a Christian, you know, Christians can sin, but we are to repent and turn from it. First John 1:9 is often used in evangelism. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. But really, First John 1:9 is written to believers. And so, yes, believers stumble in sin, but it shouldn't be a habit. And there's whole nother show we could do here, the difference between sinning and being tempted. You know that, Hebrews 12:1 and 2 talks about turning away from the sin which so easily besets us. Dylan, I think different believers, based on their makeup and maybe their history, different believers have different temptations. That is a weakness. You know, what. What is a very severe testing and temptation to one person may not even be an issue with some other person, but the way that we stay on the. The narrow way the path of life is that I think every single day we are. We let God's Word speak to us. We pray, we communicate with God. one thing we say on exploring the Word a lot. Burton and I are big on this, that on Sundays you need to be in church. But Monday through Saturday we're to be attending to that walk and growth as well, aren't we?

>> Alex McFarland: Oh, of course. And it's the rest of Sunday too, I think. So many times there's the, the situation of the family that argues and fights to try to get into the church sanctuary on time. And then they suddenly get there and everything is fine and God is great and God is good. And oftentimes, that's what our kids remember growing up. We have to be careful that we're consistent inside of our churches, outside of our churches, every moment of every day that we're focus fixing on the Lord. And interesting aspect of this verse in verse 18, about do not get drunk on wine, but instead be filled with the spirit. You think of someone who drinks too much wine or too much alcohol, it controls them in a negative way. But the contrast is that when someone is controlled by the spirit, they're controlled in a positive way.

Dylan says the pathway to joy begins with gratitude

The next verse directly goes to praise and singing, making music from your heart to the Lord. So whether you're one of those joyful noise people or you're gifted with a beautiful voice or the ability to play instruments very well, those abilities are from the Lord and is, are part of following his spirit in a way that can bless, the Lord and bless others in ministry. I think so much of the people who play at my church each week and the blessing they are to me or to any church that I visit, that's quite a ministry and been blessed to be part of many good worship experiences over the years and so thankful for those out there who use their gifts and talents in that special way.

>> Alex McFarland: You know what's interesting about, Ephesians 5:19. Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord. See, there's this thing of walking in the joy of the Lord, led by the Spirit of the Lord. It's personal and it's corporate. In other words, in our heart we're singing, praising, meditating on the Lord inside of ourselves. But it begins speaking to yourselves, in other words, to each other. And Dylan, joy is contagious, isn't it? I mean, when a Christian just really. I mean. And if you want joy, folks, just think about how good the Lord's been to you. Oh my goodness. If you, you wake up in the morning, you've got a roof over your head, some food on the table, maybe you don't have all of your wants, but God absolutely meets all of our needs, and very often much, much more even beyond that. But I really think that the pathway to joy begins with gratitude. I, really believe that. And it's personal. But it's collective, too, isn't it?

>> Alex McFarland: Of course. And as we wind down this segment, I love the very end of verse 20. It talks about always giving thanks to God the Father for everything. We are always to be thankful, as you mentioned, and to be thankful for all things. The good times, the bad times, everything in between, moment by moment, focused on the Lord and all that he brings to our lives.

>> Alex McFarland: Amen. Stay tuned, folks. Exploring the Word is back after this.

>>  : The AFR app is a powerful tool, but it does have limitations. You can't use it to change the oil in your vehicle or get rid of carpet stains. They won't walk the dog, won't pick up the dry cleaning or take the kids to practice. But while you're doing those things, you can listen to your favorite AFR content through the app on your phone, smart device, or Roku. Just go to your app store or visit afr.net listen to AFR wherever you go with the AFR app.

>> Alex McFarland: My faith don't flinch at your wrath Devil gon get off of my shoulder. You thought you had the last laugh. You thought this song was over.

>> Alex McFarland: Whoa, you ain't my king.

Exploring the Word focuses on family and marriage in Ephesians 5

Welcome back to Exploring the Word. This is Dylan Burroughs here Today with Alex McFarland, and we're enjoying time together with you and all of our other listeners today in Ephesians, chapter 5. And as a reminder, think about the context in which the apostle Paul wrote Ephesians. He was in house arrest in Rome, the center of the Roman Empire. He was arrested for his faith. So he's being persecuted for being a Christian, and yet he's speaking out day after day and writing letters to places like we see in the letter to the Ephesians. And we picked up, the middle of the chapter, the beginning of today's segment. But we're continuing on here at the end of verse 20, where it's talking about singing and making music from your heart to the Lord and then transitioning to an interesting switch where it begins a focus or emphasis on family and marriage. And Alex, this is certainly needed in churches today and lives of Americans today and in our own lives. It starts off in verse 21, saying, Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ, diving into discussions about wives and husbands and how they relate with each other. So I'll let you dig in to these verses and guide the discussion and join in here with you. But, at the very least, I want to say this relationship between wives and husbands is one of the most foundational relationships that we experience on this planet and in this life. So it's important that we look at Paul's wisdom, scripture's wisdom on this and find out everything we can to make our relationship with our spouse better. So lead us on here.

>> Alex McFarland: Amen. Well, God bless you. That was a great setup for this. This section here in Ephesians 5, really 21 through 33, there's a lot about husbands and wives and the marital relationship. And then chapter six, we'll get into about really, children and parents. But let me sort of cue this up by saying that God is a God of order and structure. And even Jesus Christ, God incarnate, when he was here on earth, he made it clear that he was here to obey the will of the father. By John 17, when Christ was on his way to the cross and he prayed the. What's called a high priestly prayer. He said, father, I finished the work that you've given me to do. So God is a God of order. And let me just say this submission and accountability is not a bad thing. though our. Our world, that is very much inclined toward license. you would think submission is. Is a bad word. But let's read this and we'll talk about it. God's word says in Ephesians 5:21, submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God. Now, here's where it gets controversial. Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church, and he is the Savior of the body. Therefore, as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be. Be to their own husbands in everything. Now, I can hear the. The feminist pushback even as we read, but the husbands, they have their assignments too. Verse 25. Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church and gave himself for it that he might sanctify and purify the church. Okay, so Jesus bought the church, and it says, cleansed with the washing by the Word, that he might present to himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that it should be holy and without blemish. So men ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loves his wife, loves himself.

Dylan Lynch: Western feminism has not lived out Biblical roles for marriage

So let's talk about this. I guess first, let's say what this is not. This is not that. The Wife is a doormat. And this is not that the husband is to be just this dictatorial, you know, boss. it's really mutual submission. And let me just say, lest anyone think that this is demeaning or something to women, I would say that, you know, Proverbs 31. My goodness, Proverbs 31 talks about the virtuous godly woman who not only loves and serves her family, but in Proverbs 31, she's an entrepreneur, you know, considers a piece of land and buys it and things like that. So, Dylan, for really in a God led marriage, there is so much joy in service to each other and love for each other. verse 21, we are to submit ourselves one to another, as in the fear of God. But you know, I would say 50 to 60 years of Western feminism has really done their utmost to not live out what the Bible sets as the roles for marriage. And I don't know if we'll live in our lifetime to see it. See, Christian marriage is put back on a completely biblical foundation. I don't know. But it was there. Even though people have certainly chosen, at least to varying degrees, disregard it.

>> Alex McFarland: Well, of course. And people don't realize when they read the Bible. In the first century there was an easy divorce culture among Romans and Jews similar to what we see in American culture today. And I still remember thinking back to years ago when I was an intern as a youth minister in a church and I had a small group of 10 students and I said, you know, if you're willing, would you raise your hand if you've come from a family that's had divorce doors in it? And out of 10 people in that youth, group, all 10 people raised their hands and that was in the church. And I thought, if that's the situation in the church, what is it like outside of the church? And of course some studies have shown that there's no difference statistically between Christian marriages in the church and those outside of it. And so there's such a huge need to bring perspective and to bring honor to the marriage relationship that's lacking in our societies today. but as I look at the verses, so much of it is wrapped up in how we treat one another. all the cultural stuff aside, you know, if I get up every day and treat my wife badly, what should I expect to happen? Well, my relationship's going to get worse, not better, and the same for the wife. And that's what God calls us to. But look at a couple of the details here, a couple of them in verse is 26 talks, about the. The washing with water through the word to present her to himself as a radiant church. Comparing marriage to the church. There's this purifying asp. This holy aspect to it that, we need to restore to our marriages as well. One, of the major causes of divorce, we, would all agree, is that when someone cheats on another spouse, well, that's because the standard of holiness and a marriage relationship has been lowered to the point that one spouse thinks that it's okay or can get away with being in a relationship with someone else. And, that's contrary to what we see in the teachings here. Over and over again, from Genesis through Ephesians to the end of Scripture, the focus between man and wife is comparing, the man and wife in a relationship created in the image of God compared to the church, lifting each other up in biblical love in a way that makes each other better instead of bringing each other apart.

>> Alex McFarland: Amen. Well said. And, you know, Bert and I, we have our sayings that we repeat over and over and over, and one of them is this. Lose at anything else, but win with your family. I mean, really. And Dylan, let me just say I'm horribly repetitious. I realize that. But, when I was in seminary, it wasn't long before I was at the hospital and doing. You know, I did my first funeral when I was an interim pastor outside of Lynchburg. I was going to Liberty University. And I noticed something very quickly that, whenever I was at the hospital, at the bedside of a dying person, only two things matter. God and family. Nobody at the, in the final moments of. Of life, nobody says, oh, if I had only had a nicer car, you know, or something. It's always the Lord and my loved ones. And that's why, even right now, somebody listening as we read what Ephesians 5 says about marriage and then later on children. I mean, really, thank God for your family. And if you're so blessed to have a spouse. Angie and I have been married 36 years, and, you know, that. I don't want to say proud as in prideful, but. But gratifying. One of the things that, I am most, most, most thankful for, and the Lord has been so good to us. But, you know, we've. We've built a life of three and a half decades. And, you know, there's a lot of joy and there's a lot of tears. We've, you know, Watched all of our parents pass away, and that was not easy. but, folks, what matters most in life? I believe it's just two things. It's the Lord Jesus and our family and succeeded. And God is here to help you. See, the good news is, your marriage can be saved. Dylan, I've got to say this. We have a very dear friend. We've had him on the show. he's spoken for me in many conferences. Dr. Gary Chapman, and he wrote what I think is one of the greatest books. It's called the Five Love Languages. And Dylan, I'm sure you're probably familiar with that book, but, Dr. Chapman is a very close friend. We live about 30 minutes apart from, and I see him a lot. And he has been a pastor and Christian author and counselor since 1968. Okay, that's a long time. And the love language concept is that, you know, maybe your. Your spouse, what fills their emotional tank is like, time together or your acts of service for men. He says, I think he's right. The primary love language that men respond to are words of affirmation, respect. But I asked him this, and we'll get back to the scripture. I said, since 1968, how many marriages. When people come to Gary Chapman because their marriage is in trouble, I said, how many marriages could be saved if we would know our spouse's love language and be intentional and speaking to that? And he said, all of them. He said, now, not every marriage is saved. But he said, alex, I've. I've never seen a couple that couldn't have worked things out with God's help if they would. And so I just believe that if we want to help, fulfill the Great Commission and help restore our nation and obey the scriptures, that we have to really become champions for the family. Would you agree?

>> Alex McFarland: Of course. And I think so much.

Dr. Chapman's Five Love Languages talk about love and respect for spouses

In addition to what you're sharing with Dr. Chapman's Five Love Languages, that last verse in the section that talks about the. The roles for each spouse, that each one of you must also love his wife as he loves himself, which is a huge commitment, and the wife must respect her husband. So this two ideas of love and respect. If the husband is showing to his spouse as he loves himself, and we see that in other places in Scripture about loving your neighbor as yourself, you're also supposed to love your wife as you love yourself, and then the wife respects her husband and treats him well, then you have a mutually uplifting relationship that encourages one another like you talk about and can build One another up, it's so rare to see, but when you do, it's. It's such a treasure when you see a couple that's been together for years and years and they're building one another up like you've talked about. 36 years in your case, 25 plus in my, case. And we have so many Christian, families out there who are good role models that we need to encourage. So if you see a family in your church that is celebrating a 30th anniversary or a 50th or 60th anniversary, make, sure to encourage them. They are the heroes of our church. They are the ones who are the foundation of the next generation. And also, want to say that if you're one of those people who come from a family of divorce, make your goal. Make your goal to break the cycle. do not repeat the cycle. We've had so many families that I've worked with who've had a parent, a grandparent, even a great grandparent, three generations of divorce in their family, and they're the ones who are seeking to break that cycle. It can be done by the power of the Lord and by applying principles like we're talking about here today.

>> Alex McFarland: Amen. Amen. well said, Dylan. And very famously, well, you know, in like, 29. For no man ever hated his own flesh. I mean, your arms or legs, your body part, you wouldn't harm one of your body parts. We, we look after our body. And, the, will for self preservation is one of the strongest human instincts. Well, that's how much we need to love our spouse, just like we would, you know, we try to do the best we can for. And by ourselves. Well, we need to love our spouse like we're taking care of ourself. for we are members of his body, of his flesh and of his bones. Verse 30, by the way. and I've. Right now, I mean, we, Angie and I, have been counseling a couple that the man, did some very, very sinful, unwise things and pretty much abandoned his wife and kids. And, really, we've tried and tried to get this guy to wake up, but here's my point. Remember, your spouse, if they're a Christian, is also, a soul for whom Christ died. It's a brother or sister in the faith in whom dwells the Holy Spirit of God, joint heirs of life. And so another incentive, besides many reasons, that we are to, love and lay down our life for our spouse. Also because of the body of Christ. I mean, we wouldn't betray a fellow Christian. Well, our spouse. Let's remember, if you're believers, our spouses are fellow Christians as well. in verse 31 is very famous, and it's from Genesis. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother and shall be joined to his wife. And they, the two shall be one flesh. this is so beautiful. And it's the foundation of civilization, really. Marriage and the family. This is great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ in the church. I know we've got a break coming up. By the way, folks, Tuesday is a day of prayer. And in addition to your Bible questions, we love to take prayer requests today. And just think, I mean, millions of people across America, we can all join together in prayer. And so the number I'm going to give it. I know we've got a break in just a second, but the number is 888-589-8840. Triple 858-9840. Hey, Dylan. One of the reasons I think the family has been under attack is because as 32 and 33 say, the marriage is a picture of the gospel. Really, the family is a picture of the gospel. we can talk more about that later, but we'll be back on more Exploring the Word after this break. Stay tuned.

>> Alex McFarland: Praise him for friends and family for the very air we breathe. Can we breathe for having everything we need. Won't somebody come praise the Lord with me? Yeah. Can I get a hallelujah?

>> Alex McFarland: Amen. Yes, we will Praise the Lord together To God be the glory.

40 Bible questions and prayers on Tuesday. Welcome to Exploring the word

Welcome back to Exploring the word. Alex McFarland here along with Dylan Burrows. The number is triple 858-9888. 40 Bible questions and prayers on Tuesday. We love to take prayer requests, too, and lift each other up, but, Brent Austin, our board operator, is going to help us cue up the calls today. Brent, where do we begin?

>> Alex McFarland: We are going to begin in Mississippi with Susan. Susan, go ahead. Hello, Susan.

>> Alex McFarland: Hello.

>> Alex McFarland: Hi. Welcome. What you got?

>> Caroline: Well, I, I just wanted to know if you would please be praying for my great niece. She lost her mother at 10 to a drug overdose, and she's been living with my sister, her grandmother and me since she was 6. And in a nutshell, she just turned against God. I don't know if she ever really knew him or Jesus. And I just, you know, can't. Can't seem to reach her.

>> Alex McFarland: Goodness. Yes, we will pray. if you don't mind me asking, what's her first name?

>> Caroline: Olivia.

>> Alex McFarland: Olivia. And how Old is she now?

>> Caroline: She is 17. She's a very, very bright, intelligent child and my heart hurts for her.

>> Alex McFarland: let me do this, off air. if we could get your address, I would, I'm going to send you one of our books. we've written a number of books. Dylan and I have done books together. Bert and I have done books together. And we've got some gospel material specifically created for teenagers. And one book that I did called the God you thought you knew, deals with anger and emotion about the hard things of life. So if we can get your address, I'm going to send you a book. But, but, but right now let, let's pray. And Dylan, would you pray that this 17 year old girl would, the spirit of God would touch her heart and she would come to faith in Jesus?

>> Alex McFarland: Of course. God, we thank you so much for this prayer request and asking on behalf of Olivia that you would intervene in her life in a special way today that you would draw here near to you. scripture says that if we draw near to you, you will draw near to us. So we pray that you would bring her near to you today, help her to find you as savior. I pray that her family would be able to intercede on her behalf and to share the gospel with her in such a way that it would make an impact and would change her heart. I pray for her life direction and goals that they would be turned toward you. I, pray for your protection upon her. Pray for her family members as well and God. Only you know the unique situation and how to change her heart toward you. And we ask that you would do that now and pray this in Jesus name. Amen.

>> Alex McFarland: Amen. Amen. Brett, where to next?

>> Alex McFarland: All right, let's go to Kevan in Arkansas. Kevan, thank you for calling.

>> Caroline: Hey Alex.

>> Alex McFarland: Hello there.

>> Caroline: Yeah, I met you when you some Bella Vista, Arkansas here a few months ago.

>> Alex McFarland: yeah, we had a good meeting there. Well, thank you for being there and thanks for listening today.

How do you feel about the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Ethiopian Bible

>> Caroline: Yeah, I've got a question for you about how do you feel about the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Ethiopian Bible, the 22 missing books? how do you feel about all that?

>> Alex McFarland: Well, that's a great question. And by the way, many, many of the Dead Sea Scrolls are at the Bible Museum in Washington this year and they aren't taken around the world very much, for a lot of reasons. And so if you can make it to the Bible Museum in Washington this year, folks, a very, very rare opportunity to see many of the Dead Sea Scrolls. Dylan, let's talk a little bit about this, about the canonicity. By the way, the Dead Sea Scrolls represent Old Testament books. And, they. What was so significant, we had manuscripts or manuscripts of the Old Testament that were known to exist, were from about, 900 A.D. and the Dead Sea Scrolls are from around 200 B.C. so the question had been, because, get this, folks, the Book of Malachi was written about 400 B.C. and, you know, we've got Old Testament manuscripts from, you know, centuries later. over those centuries, had the content been preserved? Well, when they, in the late 40s, they begin to study the Dead Sea scrolls that were 1100 years older than any of our previously known manuscripts, much to the surprise, of this world of scholars, the content was the same. It was preserved. And, Dylan, I believe the Dead Sea Scrolls, which contain, I think, every Old Testament book except Esther, if memory serves me. Is that right, Dylan?

>> Alex McFarland: good memory, yeah. That's amazing. Go ahead.

>> Alex McFarland: But it was a powerful, powerful, undeniable proof that the Old Testament had been preserved. The content had not been changed, not been altered. But. And they were found near the Dead Sea in a place called Qumran. There were these scholars called the Essenes that had, you know, preserved the Old Testament. So what do I think of the, Dead Sea skulls? Powerful, powerful, apologetic for the preservation and authenticity of the Old Testament. the other part of the question, Dylan, like the Ethiopian Bible and various canons, do you have much knowledge on that, Dylan?

>> Alex McFarland: Well, Ethiopian tradition mostly developed separately from the Western church. So around the 5th century, the books were being compiled in the Ethiopian church, included the Old Testament, NewSong Testament books, some apocryphal books, books, and some additional books. So we have a wider collection there. one thing that's positive about it, it gives us an independent history of the scriptures that are preserved from a very early time period in the Ethiopian language. The negative side of that is that there's some confusion about which books should be included in the Bible because of it. And I would simply say that, you know, throughout church history, it's been confirmed and affirmed which books are part of the Old Testament. That was already done before the NewSong Testament was written. NewSong Testament books after that, the other books that are found in the Ethiopian Bible are interesting. Some are historically accurate. Some, are impossible to confirm whether they are or not. But in the end, the Ethiopian Bible is one of many tools, like the Dead Sea Scrolls, that we use to affirm the accuracy of the Bible and the history of the Bible in its transition and its transmission.

>> Alex McFarland: You know, one of the great books. We'll go to the next call in just a second.

The subject of canonicity is, uh, an important one right now

the subject of canonicity is, an important one right now. We get a lot of questions about that. Norm Geisler, who was a close colleague and friend. Geisler and Nix. Nix. William Nix. They wrote a book called From God to How we got the Bible. It's a great, great book to do a deep dive on the canonicity. And like Dylan said, the Old Testament, no one questions that collection of books. But the NewSong Testament, I believe what we have, Matthew through revelation, that is the canon God gave. but, Brent, where do we go next?

>> Alex McFarland: Okay, let's stay in Arkansas and talk to Linne. Linne, thank you for calling. Exploring the word. You're on.

>> Caroline: Oh, thank you. Yeah. my daughter lives in a very small town in Idaho. Her car cannot be fixed, and so she needs to find another car. It's really difficult because she doesn't have a car, and the nearest larger town is an hour away. her dad lives in the town. She does, but his house is bad. So I'm praying that she could find a decent car. And so she doesn't have a lot of money. But anyway, so that's my prayer.

Brent: When Jesus healed people, he would tell them don't tell

And then my Bible question is, I was reading in Mark, and I'm not sure if it was also in Matthew, but when Jesus healed people, he would tell them, don't tell anybody. But there was one time when he did say, go out and tell people. And I'm wondering why. I don't remember the scripture reference. Do you know what I'm talking about?

>> Alex McFarland: maybe, and feel free to jump in here, Dylan, if you want to. Like, You know, sometimes he would say, like in John, my time is not yet, or my hour is not yet come. Because Jesus understood that he was really on this divine timetable. And, you know, it's amazing that he did the miracles he did proved himself to be the promised messiah. but he knew that his journey to the cross was on this timetable. But one time, you know, he did heal, and he said, go and show yourself to the priests. And, Dylan, I think that it was really because. Because many of the Jewish hierarchy, the Sanhedrin and the Pharisees and many. The priests, some believed, many did not. But when he, said, go show yourselves to the priest, I think it was a witness. He was essentially saying, look, I am the one. I am the Messiah. It was validation of his messiahship, wasn't it?

>> Alex McFarland: Yes, it was. There was also another purpose for that, which in the Jewish law, you had to be noted as cleansed by a priest to be able to rejoin the community. So that was a major, step that was part of the process as well. there's also one other story where Jesus healed the demon possessed man and the man wanted to go with him in the boat. And I remember in, Luke 5, Jesus told him to go home to his own people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you. And sometimes I think about that because I remember being younger and thinking, oh, God, send me to the mission field. I'll be out there in the middle of nowhere and someplace no one's ever heard your name and share the gospel. And sometimes God calls you to do that, but other times he calls you to minister right where you are. And if, you're in that situation, that's no lesser calling than being called to reach someone in an unreached people group. So if Jesus has called you to go home to your own people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, do that with joy, do that with gladness, and God will make an impact through you there as well. But thank you so much for your call. Your question. And we want to make sure. We pray for your daughter Linne and her car that needs replacement.

>> Alex McFarland: Let me pray that.

>> Alex McFarland: You want to pray for that one.

>> Alex McFarland: Yes, Father. God, in the name of Jesus, we lift up this, this young lady that needs transportation. Lord, we pray for Linne and the car situation. And Lord, I testify as to how faithful you are to meet needs. So, James 4:2 says that we're to ask and we will receive. We're asking. And maybe even in a church, somebody would help her out and lend her a car or drive her around until she can get a replacement car. But Lord, for provision, for protection, and just for every blessing, we lift Linne up to you now in Jesus name, Amen. Amen. Brent, where to?

Matt in Texas says he and his wife disagree on whether to have another child

>> Alex McFarland: All right, let's go to Matt in Texas. Matt, thank you for calling.

>> Caroline: Hey, can you hear me?

>> Alex McFarland: We can welcome. Yes, we can hear you.

>> Caroline: So I've got a, I've got kind of a story here. So, I have four kids. They're all wonderful. They're, they're happy, they're healthy. Two girls, two boys. me and my wife have a very loving marriage. we, we, you know, are doing, doing well, but we've come to major disagreement and she wants another kid because she believes that, that, that she's gonna have. She's always had this dream that she's gonna have five kids. And I, I'm the provider. She stays at home and, you know, things are tight as they already are, and I just really do not want another kid. And when we talk about it, she gets extremely, you know, unhappy and disappointed and sad and I don't. I don't know how to deal with this. I know I need to be a good steward, but, but also I know God will provide so.

>> Alex McFarland: Well, let me encourage you to, if, and I'm assuming your health is good, but fast, and pray about this, you know, and really say, God, what would you have me to do? you know, you don't want this to be a wedge in your relationship between you and your wife. And so, you know, take, some time and really seek the Lord and pray about this. if you. I know humanly, believe me, I'm keenly aware of financial considerations, but make sure that, your position is, you know, what God would have it to be. That. And I'm not saying you're not trusting God. Maybe you're being prudent. but, Dylan, do you have any counsel on this?

>> Alex McFarland: Well, this is one of the situations where the Bible doesn't give you an exact verse on which way to go. But it's very clear from the scriptures we looked at today that God wants you to be united with your wife and the decisions you make. So you guys need to pray about it, talk more about it, figure out something you both agree on in terms of moving forward that God would make clear to you which way to go. And you, know, from my perspective, you know, I encourage people to have kids, as many as they're able to, provide for as many as they can have with good health. but there's no exact number, no exact pattern for that. So you really have to seek the Lord and work together to figure out the best decision on that.

>> Alex McFarland: Our prayers are with you, brother.

Brent: How would mortals react to Jesus during thousand year reign

Brent, do we have time for one more question, perhaps?

>> Alex McFarland: yeah, I believe so. Terri in Mississippi, if you could. Terri, go quickly, please.

>> Caroline: Okay. Hey, guys, while we are with Jesus during the thousand year reign and we're going to be in our glorified bodies, how would the mortals react to us? So, when the mortals pass away, because we won't pass away, when they pass away, will they be judged to go to heaven or hell because Jesus will be on earth?

>> Alex McFarland: Yeah. let me quickly say this, and Dylan, I'll let you take us out. Yeah. I think this is why, when Satan is loosed at the end of the millennium, that's why the condemnation is so severe, because people have had more revelation. I mean, the Bible is true. Christ is returned. I mean, Christ is physically present during the millennial era. Clearly, all the proof is there that Christianity is real and true. And yet, that's the stubbornness of the human heart. Some don't believe. it's in our book on 100 questions about prophecy. Dylan, thanks for being with us. It's been a great day, hasn't it?

>> Alex McFarland: Oh, I love talking with all the people, especially your questions and prayer requests. Thanks so much. Look forward to joining you again in the near future.

>> Alex McFarland: The views and opinions expressed in this broadcast may not necessarily reflect those of the American Family association or American Family Radio.