Matt Slick Live

The following program is recorded content created by the Truth Network. It's Matt Slick Live. Matt is the founder and president of the Christian Apologetics Research Ministry, found online at Carm.org. When you have questions about Bible doctrines, turn to Matt Slick Live for answers, taking your calls and responding to your questions at 877-207-2276. Here's Matt Slick.

All right, everyone, welcome to the show with me, Matt Slick, and you're listening to Matt Slick Live. Today's date is January 20th. twenty twenty six If you want, you can give me a call. It's easy. All I have to do is dial 877-207-2276.

You can also email me at info at carm.org info at carm.org. And uh You can uh You can give me it. Oh boy, I'm just doing three things at once. And you can put in the subject line of the email radio comment or radio question, either one of those will be fine. And then we can get to that stuff later, usually, maybe even today, because we've got no callers coming in right now.

All right, so I did two hours last night discussing theology. And sometimes the uh discussions are better than others.

Sometimes they are more involved, and wasn't really involved last night. Might go back on to Twitter or Discord. To, I don't know, just kind of interact and teach and ask or answer questions.

Now, I'm not saying get all the answers, but you know, I really enjoy just answering questions from people. I've always enjoyed that kind of a thing. And been doing it for a long time.

So I started this in 1980, you know, just answering questions, studying, and teaching, and stuff like that.

So, anyway, like I said, if you want to give me a call, you can 877-20-72276. And you can email me info at carm.org info at carm.org. Put in a subject line, radio comment, radio question, something like that, and I get to them. And let's see, I'll even look right now to see if anything's coming in. at the moment because I'm looking at her Right now.

And uh Nope. Nope. Nope and uh no uh So, there you go. I don't see anything new that comes in the past couple of minutes, anyway, because a lot of times people will do that pretty quickly. But I do have a bunch of questions I can get to, and I think I'm just going to do that.

And, um,. Yeah.

Okay. I did this already, but this is really worth going into again. How do you explain faith without works as dead? The context of that in James 2:24 is. Very simple.

It's the issue of if you're going to have true faith, let's see it. And if you don't, Have true faith, we won't see it. If you're a true believer in God, we're going to see that manifested by what you do. That's all it's saying. Faith without works is dead.

It doesn't mean that the faith that you have before God has to have works because God is one who grants that we have faith, Philippians 1:29, and that faith is the work of God that's in Jesus, John 6:29.

So the faith that we have in that sense is already good, it's already complete. God knows that it's real because He gave it to us. But James 2 is talking about faith for people. And how do you know that if someone else says he has faith? And that's all that's going on.

And he's differentiating between the faith that saves and the faith that doesn't save. True faith saves. And false faith doesn't. But the way I can tell you have true faith is if you do good works. But that doesn't require God for you to do it in order to be saved.

which a lot of cults Undeath. false religions like Mormonism. Jehovah's Witnesses Islam Um Actually, Roman Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, those are false religions. I'm going to just say it flat out. Eastern Orthodoxy is not Christian.

And Roman Catholicism is not Christian. If you believe what their churches officially teach, you're going to hell when you die. This is because they teach a false gospel, false gospel, and they promote a false Mary. And uh I I will die on on that that hill. I will die on that.

I will defend it. And it's what I firmly believe. And no, I was never a member of one of those churches. It's just a theological issue. And I'll tell you, those are bad churches.

Alright, let's see. Yeah.

Let's get to some more.

Some more stuff. Have you guys looked at how Russia Has now banned witness league.

Well, we talked about this before: witness league Bibles inside of Russia. I don't know, I haven't looked into that. Here's the main news report. One from Italy, Livingstream Ministry, Russian. I wonder why.

Now, the Witness Lee group is problematic. I remember my interaction with him in Southern California. uh long story short, went in and met with one of the elders and uh it was a nice discussion. And he was. Guarded.

And then I got an email later thanking me for the visit and how well it went. And then the email reminded me how other groups have said bad things about them and they've had to be sued.

Okay. And she said, no, you won't do that. Thank you very much. And so it was a veiled threat. And that's how it is.

So, um You know, I just write what's the truth, that's all.

Alright, now let's get to this. Whoa, that's a long one. I can't get into this kind of stuff, it's too long.

So how about this one? Yeah, but that one. I have recently been made aware of several pastors are teaching that we will return to Animal sacrifice during the millennial reign of Christ. Not we, we won't. Christians won't do that.

Even from the premillennial view, Uh Anybody who would be teaching that Christians are going to start having sacrifices, that would be a That would be an abominable teaching because we have one sacrifice in Christ and we don't need any more. And Hubert 10 talks about this.

So we don't need any more. That is it. And so. Out of that perspective, premillennialism, which I don't hold to, but that, you know, from that perspective, that's what he goes on. He says, even though they say it will only be used as a witnessing tool, a reminder of Christ's death, looking back.

It's just dumb to say that. You go into a temple, you take an animal, you sacrifice it. What's it representing? Christ? It's already been done on the cross.

And any theologian worth his salt would not put that as a possibility that the Christians would do it. That's not to say that the Jews might, in that perspective of premillennialism, that the Jews might not do it. But, you know, so no. To me, this seems to diminish the fact that Christ was the ultimate sacrifice. That's correct.

And it seems the whole Old Testament was leading up to Christ's ministry and sacrifice on the cross. That's correct. Why would we go back to that? Good question. What are your thoughts on this?

And if you disagree with that idea, so you can give reasons why I did. And yeah, so it's just a bad idea. It's just a fault. There's a lot of bad theology out there. There really is.

And now I'm not saying I got it all down, but I'll tell you, after 46 years of really intense study and debates and teaching, I've learned a lot. I went to college and took theology, went to seminary, got a degree, witnessing, teaching, door-to-door, prison ministry, internet ministry, radio ministry, impromptu debates, discussions on a regular basis on the internet. I mean, doing this for a long time. And I'm just telling you that A lot of people, a lot of a lot of uh A lot of pastors don't know their theology.

Now I'm not just knocking all pastors, okay, I'm not doing that. But a lot of them just are weak in some areas and they need to shore up those areas. And not every pastor knows everything. Not every pastor is perfect. But one of the things I'll do is I'll go through statements of faith on different churches.

People will remind me, what about this church? And I'll go in and I'll take a look at the statement of faith. And Um It's always been every single time that if I was on staff there and they were writing that statement of faith, I would have had a slight modification in wording or something like that. There's always been the case in every one of them. And a lot of time it's just stylistic.

But a lot of the uh The statement of faiths I read are very good. A lot of them are very good. But I would have expanded a couple of articles or a couple of sections and worded it slightly different. You know, there's preferential things.

However, there are a lot of statements of faith that are so weak. just so weak that pss Is it Christian or not Christian? And it's generally those kind of churches that are not biblically minded, but are more experiential, more. seeker friendly as instead of What they're trying to do is reach the lost instead of equip the Christians because the work of the pastor is to equip the Christians. That's his work.

He's supposed to equip the Christians for the work of ministry. And this is uh It failed.

Now, if you know, I don't have an interest in starting a church, but if, you know, say some people came to me and said, We want you to start a church, and they really convinced me, and they're going to do all the work. All I got to do is preach and teach. That's all I got to do.

Okay. One of the things I would do is is equip the Christians. It's okay. You know, Sunday you're going to get a sermon, and Wednesday night you're going to get a class. Whatever it would be.

And in the class, we're going to go deep into theology, expanding on the sermon. And there'd be homework for those who want to do homework. And these are the areas that I would write extensive lessons in theology. In fact, I'd just say, go to my website, Karma, start reading these articles. And learn.

And I'm going to teach you guys what the theology of the Bible is so they can become witnesses and workers for the faith, going out evangelizing, going out and doing stuff. I believe door-to-door evangelism is biblical. Going to the beach, if you live in the beach area, is biblical. Going on the internet and witnessing is biblical. Doing all the things you can.

But a lot of times, Christians just don't want to do anything. They just go to church, they go home. That's it. That's their Christianity. And that's a weak form of Christianity.

We're supposed to be bold. Doesn't mean that every individual's got to be bold.

Some people just don't have that in them, and I get that. But overall, the Christian church needs to be doing more than what it has been doing because it's basically weak. uh in or in the the world. It's supposed to be the thing that changes the world. And it says, Jesus says in Matthew 16:18, the gates of hell.

will not prevail against the church. It was at verse 19. Will not prevail against the church. Gates don't attack. We knocked down the gates.

the defensive mechanism of the false system. Christian's supposed to knock him down. And don't worry. God will raise up people who are excellent communicators, who understand stuff. And who will do what God wants him to do?

Let's get to Sean from Tennessee. Sean, welcome, buddy. You're on the air. Hey, Matt, how's it going? It's been a while.

This is actually Sean from Japan, but we moved back to the States. Hey man, how you doing, buddy? I'm doing really good. We are making a plan to come up and see you, by the way.

So we'll be talking about that sometime. I know.

Well, we're here, but I'm in town. You'll know. Yeah, it sounds fine. Yeah.

All right.

So I got a big one for you, okay? Right. Mm-hmm.

So Uh I'm looking at the NASB. We're going to look at Second Peter. uh chapter one verse four And this is the partaking in Divine Nature's verse. And my question here is that in the Greek It does use the words. Let me look this up really quickly and make sure I don't mispronounce this.

So it does say here that we are going to be koinoni. He fails. And the question is that we're not going to be a part of the uncommunicable attributes, the communicatum mediumatum. To what degree are we going to be communicating with God, they're communing with God. in upon glorification.

I don't know. I know, right? That's what I've been thinking about, too. You said to what degree?

Well, you know, 38 degrees? Or do you mean, well, what's a standard of measurement? You know, how much are we going to be fellowshipping? I don't know. I've never been there.

And I think of my wife, who recently passed away, and she is with the Lord now. She's having complete fellowship with him, unfettered by the carnality in her place.

So what's that like?

Well, I don't know. I don't know, you know? Yeah, it's a tough one. Yeah, because there's a promise of the sinless nature that we're not going to be sinful. We don't have these inclinations.

So, a lot of things that we can say that we will experience. But I suppose the question is to what part or to what degree are we in union with Christ that we are partaking in the divine essence? Because we don't become immutable. We're not going to become all-knowing or anything like this. Those incommunicable attributes aren't going to be for us.

But when we are in union with Christ, it's very similar to the marriage of Adam and Eve being as one flesh. And so what does that mean for us as believers upon glorification? Let's expand on that after the break. See if we can kind of work through a little bit and offer possibilities, okay?

So hold on, buddy. Hey folks, we right back after these messages. If you want to give me a call, the number is 8772. 072276. You're right there.

It's Matt Slick Live, taking your calls at 877-207-2276. Here's Matt Slick. All Roderick and welcome back to the show. We have three open lines. If you want to give me a call, the number.

is 8772072 2276. Let's get back on with Sean from Tennessee. Sean, buddy, you still there? I'm still here. All right.

Okay. Yeah.

So let's start off with what it's not. The East Orthodox view holds to what's called the essence-energies distinction. And what this means is, God's essence cannot be known or experienced except through his energies or the activities that he has in the world. And what they do is they then say, in that participation of his energies, of his expression of love, expression of mercy, that that is how we go through theosis, becoming God-like.

Now they take that way too far, of course, and then they'll say that's what it means to partake in the divine nature, and they call it a theosis kind of an issue, and that's that's false teaching.

Now, more in line, the Protestant position seems to be quite biblical in the sense that it reads the context. And it says, By these, now what by these is the antecedent is before everything pertaining to life and godliness through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and excellence. For by these, these things, his callings, etc., he has granted to us his precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.

So, that last statement, which follows that phrase, partakers of the divine nature, seems to hint at the issue of being born again, of the redemptive work that God has done by partaking in that divine nature, partaking in the death, the burial, resurrection of Jesus Christ by faith. We've escaped the corruption that's in the world. And I think that's what it means, okay? Yes, and while we were on the break, I quickly pulled up John Calvin's Catholic epistle and on the commentaries on that. And he actually says here, it's really interesting, but the word nature here is not essence but quality.

And then he follows on by saying, like, the Manichaeans were dreaming that we were once going to be a part of God. Later in the verse here, I think he says something that's quite nice. And I think it's what you were getting at. It says, But such a delirium, occurring to the Manicheans, as this has never entered in the mind of the holy apostles. They only intended to say that when divested of all vices of the flesh, we shall be partakers of the divine and blessed immortality and glory as so to be as it were once with with God as far as our capacities will allow.

Yeah.

Yeah, he was smart. Yeah, he was a very smart guy. And he wrote that what? By the time he was twenty eight or something, twenty seven, twenty eight. Yeah, he wrote that when he was twenty seven, and he had an identic memory and he played flute, so that's why we get along so well.

And a lot of people don't know this, but the Institutes of the Christian Religion, written by John Calvin, I think he was done by 28 or 29, something like that. Um is considered Outside the Bible. the number one most influential book on in on Western civilization. Oh, yes, very much so. Yeah, and it was a lifelong project.

I don't know if you know this or not, but he also had a pet dog named Tigger. That was with him for all of his sermons for like 13 or 14 years.

Well Yeah, so even on the pulpit he had a he had a little dog named Tigger.

Well, you know, since we're talking oddities here, did you know that John Hood Edwards would preach by holding on to a rope that was suspended from the above him 'cause he was nervous and he would kind of use it? Yeah.

That's what I did not know that. Professor told me that in, I think it was seminary or college, I forgot which, that he would do that. And did you also know? That people, when hearing him preach, he would read his sermons, John to the Edwards, read his sermons, and sometimes people would just break down crying and falling out of their pews. Yeah, I wonder about that too, because he wasn't a very dynamic preacher.

He just read in very monotones without any. you know, expression at all. It was very soft spoken. Yep. Yeah.

Yeah, well, you know, sinners in the hands of an angry God, his imagery is what did it. And that's and incidentally, we're really digressing. I think that's what's lacking in a lot of preaching today. I think we need more imagery. Because if you can weave the lesson around an image, you walk away with the image and you have the lesson retained.

I think that's hard to do. I've been trying to do it, but man, it's hard. You got to be smart. And that's why I'm struggling.

So it feels kind of good.

Well, you're a great blessing to the Christian faith, and I just wish you for all the success and wish you for all the strength in your life that you're having right now. And just know that you're under my prayers and hope to meet you in person. One day it's going to happen. The train. That's right, Lord Hill.

All right, man. Lord willing. All right.

God bless, and I'll keep listening. All right, Sean. God bless. All right.

Yeah, he used to live in Japan. We'd talk ladies in Japan. He's fluent in Japanese. And apparently, I forget I've asked him, but he plays a Japan, I think if I get this right, a Japanese flute. And he's a master at it, and he was even on Japanese TV playing it.

That's how good he is at it.

Something like that. Me, I could hardly blow through a straw. Let's get to Robert from Ohio. Robert, welcome. You're on the air.

Um Thank you. Thank you for answering my call. And I agree with the last gentleman's comment. about your your show and how strong you are in your faith and I really do I've been listening to you for a long time on my way home from work. Which is what I'm doing now.

But thank you very much. But I do have a question. By all means, I don't challenge the Word of God. It's just something that sticks out. Every time I read it.

In the book of Blackfordist, um The Lord says that uh he hardened Pharaoh's heart. And then Moses kept pleading with them. Look, let my people go. And we all know the story, correct? Is God so loving, why did He harden his heart.

And he repeatedly says it. And again, I'm not challenging God's word. I know there's a. There's a a lesson to learn in all that. And all this.

and by him hardening his heart. Is that the same concept that's happening in today's world where people see all the evidence of God. and see all the evidence and the miracles and all the love and mercy But still They do not. want to believe or admit anything about God. Is that am I kind of seeing that thing?

Yes. Or am I challenging God why it's hard in people's hearts? You're just asking, and that's okay to ask. And I ask questions of God. I will say sometimes to my Lord, I'll say, respectfully, Lord, I don't understand why you're not saving more.

I'm not doubting him, I'm just asking, would you please save these people? And you just leave it at that. But the reason he hardened Pharaoh's heart, according to Exodus 7.3, so that he could multiply his signs and wonders in the land of Egypt, gives us the reason why.

Now, one of the things I've got to realize is that there's a lot of background, it's got squeaks there, it's really hard. I don't know if you can do something different with your phone. Uh or muted or something for now, right? Yeah, 'cause it's a lot of squeaks coming through.

Okay. So Um A lot of times, and I'm not exactly sure if you got into this issue very much, but I heard a phrase that kind of. resembled it. Could you mute yourself? Here, I'm going to put you on hold because it's and we got a break anyway, so hold on, okay.

Hey folks, we right back after these messages. We got a break coming up. I'm going to get back in. It's a good topic. Good topic.

And some good information coming. We'll be right back after these messages. If you want to give me a call, the number is 8772. is 0722. Seven six be right back.

It's Matt Slick live, taking a call at 877-207-2276. Here's Matt Slick. All right, well, welcome back to the show. Let's get back on with Robert. Are you still there, buddy?

Yes, I am. I I'm gonna put it on mute so it won't screech. All right, good. All right, so uh there's a lot that uh was said and uh before the break, so One of the things that we have to understand is that God loves everyone in one sense, but hates others in another sense. We know that God loves all people.

In the sense of he lets the rain and the sun go upon everybody equally. That's Matthew 5:43 through 48. But yet we also know that God hates those who do iniquity and who love violence. That's Psalm 5:5 and Psalm 11:5.

Now those who do these kinds of weird things, bad things, evil things, There's a consequence of judgment upon them. In Romans 1:18, the wrath of God is revealed against all ungodliness. This is occurring today. And so the wrath of God is upon those who are denying the truth of the gospel, denying the work of Christ, denying his death, burial, and resurrection. Etc.

And so then what they'll do is they get rid of Christ as Lord, they put themselves as Lord, or give themselves over to something else, either satanic or leftist agenda, or commie this or commie that, or secularist hypocrisy, whatever it is. And they do these kinds of things because they're not rooted in God.

Now Here's a little bit more information because I forgot exactly what his question was. But I remember these are related to the issue. And then, in light of these things, we'll talk to him and get some more information and questioning. A lot of people don't know that in Deuteronomy 28:63, it says, The Lord will delight over you to make you perish and destroy you. And this is talking about judgment upon some people.

He delights to do this. That's in Deuteronomy 28:63. In 1 Samuel 2:25, it talks about people. and uh one particular individual where the Lord desired to put him to death. In Isaiah 53:10, the Lord was pleased to crush him.

That's a prophecy of the person of Christ.

So, this idea, just a strict idea that God is not judgmental. but is only loving is not biblical. He is loving and judgmental and just and holy and patient and forgiving, and all of these work together.

So the reason he hardened Pharaoh was ultimately for his own glory, but it says specifically that his wonders and his work might be made manifest through him. And this is reiterated in Romans 9, 22 and 23. Where it says, What if if God was willing and he was demonet with much patience, endured with patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction? And he was doing this to show his glory that he could show upon vessels of mercy, which he prepared before him for glory.

So the issue here is. There's a lot of factors. related to the topic at hand.

Now having said that, let's get back on With uh with uh Robert. Are you still there, buddy? Um unmute yourself and Yes I am. Yes I am.

So I'm not sure if I answered enough of it, but I deleted the foundation down.

Okay. No, you sure did. That kind of really opened up my eyes and Again, um I read that. The Exodus quite a few times, and I never really seemed Wh why didn't I see it then? But I guess You know Go into your radio sta radio.

Release me. Expands my view of it and gives me a lot of understanding.

So I appreciate that. And you didn't answer my question, so I appreciate that very much.

Well, praise God. All right.

Okay, anything else? Uh nope, I'll just keep listening and uh God be with you, brother. I love you and. Everybody that's listening. is the wise man.

Well, what about that? But praise God.

Okay, all right, God bless. All right.

All right, now next longest waiting is Nelson from California. Nelson, welcome, you're on the air. Excuse me. Hey, Matt, what's going on? It's going pretty well.

Well I have a question. I've heard I'm pretty sure you've heard this as well over the years that passage, I forget where it's found in but it's when Jesus talks about whatever you bind in heaven is lo or bound in on earth is loosed in heaven, Whatever you buying stuff, whatever uh, forget how that goes. Yeah.

What is the exact interpretation for that? Because I've heard so many interpretations over the years. I don't use it when they say I bind you, Satan. And all that.

Okay. I just personally don't do that because I don't need to do that.

Alright, so the Catholics will use this verse, and it's Matthew 16:19. It says, I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, whatever you bind on earth. Says what it actually says in the Greek is: will have been bound, or shall have been bound.

So whatever you lose on earth will have or shall have been found. In heaven.

Now, this is important. Because It's a uh Yeah. It's a future perfect passive in the Greek, future tense, passive voice. Uh means it's happening to you. But uh What's going on here?

is in the what's called the perfect tense. The perfect tense is I have been. Pluperfect is I had been.

So it's talking about in the perfect sense. It's a continued action in the past that continues on in the present. I have been eating, which means I was eating in the past and I still am now. If I said I had been eating, it would mean then that the action was completed in the past. I'm not doing it now.

Why is that significant? I'll give you the keys, whatever you bind on earth.

Now, when he talks like this, Jesus is talking, whatever you bind. What is is in the it's called the Okay. Aorist act is subjunctive. Subjunctive deals with possibility. A conditional.

And aorist means past tense.

So if you were to have done this, is kind of what he's saying. Yeah.

Then uh Whatever you you have will have what you might do here on earth will have already been bound.

Well, shall have been bound. It's a future about what's already done. Yeah.

And so, this is what's interesting in this. It's a difficult thing to work through the tenses in Greek. And So it's like saying this, whatever you have bounded Pat I'm trying to make it more past tense-ish. Whatever you have bounded blinded, I should say, on earth, shall have or will have been done already in heaven. Tricky.

It's that kind of a thinking that's going on.

Now what does it exactly mean? Uh I d I don't know.

So Some people think this is uh Petrine authority. That it means that they have apostolic authority. and a succession It comes from Peter. And that therefore they have the authority to bind and loose, to say what is true and what is false.

Now, the easiest way to deal with that and refute it is to say, well, which church is correct, the Eastern Orthodox or the Roman Catholic? Because in 1054 they split. They ended up excommunicating each other. Which one of you is the true one who can bind and loose? Because if you claim apostolic authority, then you have to solve which one's the true one.

They can't do that, then they don't have any claim to this because another can make the same claim, etc., etc. We can get into that.

So what might it mean?

Well, look at what it might mean. In that we have the ability, and I don't believe it's just Petroine necessity, but I think it's generically speaking as Christians, that we have the ability to be able to do things in a spiritual sense.

So, when I'm praying sometimes, and sometimes I pray for the radio show.

Well, I pray regularly before the radio show, before we start.

Sometimes, what I'll do is I'll lift up Keith, and Keith's listening, his eyebrows just went up. And I'll lift up Keith, who's our producer. He does the work. And I'll ask that I'll ask Jesus to bind. the evil one from hindering what What Keith is doing as he takes the calls, as he does stuff, whatever it is, as well as interfering with any technology.

And I'll expand it sometimes to let people hear who need to hear, etc., etc. What I'm doing is recognizing that my authority as a Christian, because it says in John 1:12, as many as received him to them, he gave the authority to be called the children of God, the exusia, authority, power. To be called the children of God as a child of God. And I'm a priest, as after the order of not after Melchizedek, but I'm a priest in the general sense. And 1 Peter 2 talks about this.

Well, then we have, as Christians, a certain kind of spiritual authority. Not that it rests in us, but because we're in Christ and we can invoke the name of Christ as we seek to accomplish His work, His will, and His glory in the world.

So. Binding. I believe, it's my opinion, that it means that we can affect spiritual things with our prayers, with our intentions, with the preaching and teaching of the word. And that's what I think it means. And I don't think it's just a petrine um necessity that is pa handed down to the certain bishops of whatever true church happens to be making such a claim at a time.

Does that make sense? Yes, perfect sense because um it as And like, I guess what you're saying, I mean, I understood what you said, makes total sense because it's kind of like almost the like, for example, like if I'm praying for my wife and I tell the Lord to protect her, to um back the enemy, uh, to you know, you need to defend her from the enemy, it's your job as a husband, too. Hold on, man, we got a break, so hold on, you're on the right track. Hey folks, we'll be right back after these messages. Before you call me, the number is 8772-0723.

Two seven six. We'll be right back. It's Matt Slick Live, taking your calls at 877-207-2276. Here's Matt Slick. Hey, everybody, welcome back to the last segment of the show.

If you want to give me a call, the number is 877-207-2276. Nelson, you still there?

Okay. Okay. Alright, so I hope that helps and You said something before the break, which I think is important. How you mention how you will pray over your wife for protection, things like that, right? Yes, yes.

Now That is exactly what a Christian husband is supposed to be doing, among many things, to protect and to guide. That's your job as a husband, according to federal headship and your headship in the family. One of your responsibilities is to pray for the protection and guidance of your family, especially your wife. Then your children follow after her. She's before them.

theologically, but I know that we put our kids before our spouses, we know what that means. But your the right attitude you have of of seeking to protect her spiritually is exactly good, exactly right. I'm glad you said that. Yeah.

Yeah, amen. All right, my brother.

Well, thank you very much again. And this makes total sense because it it lines up with Scripture, what it says in Second Peter chapter one, verse four, that He has given us the divine nature Haven't escaped this. world that is caused by evil lust. And so authority, and so we should use that Um Into it. by the authority that God has given us through prayer.

That's right. And so Thank you again for your ministry, appreciate it. Thank you for the answer. God bless. Okay well.

All right.

If you want to give me a call, 877-2. 072276. Let's get to Chris from New Jersey. Chris, welcome. You're on the air.

Hey Matt, how are ya? Oh, I'm hanging in there, man. What do you got? That's good. That's good.

Yeah, quick question.

So, brother and I have been talking for a couple of months. And trying to really Flesh out what this whole divine counsel thing is that I'm hearing about all over the place now in Psalm 82. where it talks about God being in the council of The other gods. Yeah.

And we're trying to decide if that's talking about the Jewish judges or if that's talking about some sort of other heavenly governors. Because I know Jesus quotes it in John 10. Two, I believe, the Pharisees. When they're like, oh, you're calling yourself God. And he goes, our, you know, the Old Testament says.

Uh are you gods and stuff like that?

So we're trying we're going back and forth trying to decide what this really is trying to say here. Second. Yeah.

Alright, so um When Jesus quoted this, he said, is it not written in your law? Your law. You didn't say the law, which is really interesting. It's not written in your law. Why is that?

I think, this is my opinion. That the reason is because it was the Pharisees who were unrighteous and who were murderers at heart. in their unrighteousness, their desire to control, and in their desire to kill Christ.

Now, they knew that Psalm 82 was an imprecatory psalm. An imprecatory psalm is a psalm of condemnation. And there's lots of psalms like this. It's a psalm where basically it says, God get them, God wipe them out. God, you know, get, you know.

And so we know that it says in verse seven that of Psalm 82 nevertheless you will die like men Okay.

Now let's look at this. God takes his stand in his own congregation. He judges in the midst of the rulers.

Now the word congregation there Is interesting, but what's even more interesting is the word rulers, which says Elohim.

Now the word Elohim refers to God. But It can also refer To other things. And of the word, is uh 430 in the concordance. and that word occurs two thousand five hundred and ninety nine times. In the Old Testament.

And it's referencing God and a bunch of other stuff. I can't even have time to go through them all.

So, what's going on? He says, God stands in the congregation, in the midst of the congregation. If it's divine beings, somehow we can't say gods because we know the Bible says Isaiah 43.10, 44, 6, 44, 8, 45, 5. We know that there's only one God, period. That's it.

None like him doesn't know of any other God. That's it. So, when it says in the Elohim here, we know it's not talking about other gods like him. 'Cause if I vote that we would just contradict Scripture flat out.

So the NASB translated as rulers. which makes sense. If it's, however, divine beings in the sense what they mean, divine, not in the sharing of the same nature as God, but in the celestial realm. If that's the case, then how is it does it say you'll die like men?

Now it's interesting because it it's a problem. But then again, on the other hand, to die like men, well, why would you say that if it already is men? And the implication could be taken that to spiritual beings.

Well, then there's another issue. We know that spiritual beings have an influence on the on the world.

So what the heck is going on here?

Well, it's difficult to say, well, this is what obviously what it means. What we can say there's two main views. the spiritual and the human. The spiritual view is the idea that there are Well, let's just say spiritual beings there. who aren't very nice.

And then there's a curse. You're going to die like men. It doesn't mean a physical death in that sense, it means you're going to be judged. And that makes sense if that view is held there. But on the other hand If the Jews at that time were under the judgment of God because they were acting like God, the power of God in life and death.

And they were exalting themselves inadvertently or on purpose. above other men. And it says you're going to die like men. What that could be is a curse upon them. And this is what's interesting because it says in that same psalm, it says, well, in verse 3, vindicate the weak and the fatherless.

Do justice to the afflicted and destitute. Rescue the weak and needy. Deliver them out of the hand of the wicked. This certainly seems to be talking about people's jobs on earth. He says, They do not know, nor do they understand.

They walk about in darkness. All the foundations of the earth are shaken. I said, Year gods. Or you are God's, excuse me, and all your sons of the Most High. Because he's saying you're sons of the most high.

It's a mockery of the unrighteous judges, is what I believe it is. And he said to be like gods, but you're going to die like men. Because the contrast of you're going to die like men is in the idea of being gods. You have all this power, but you know what's going to happen to you? You're going to get hosed, it's coming to you.

You will die like men, and fall like any one of the princes. Arise, O God, judge the earth. The earth is what's being judged, not the spiritual realm, for it is to you who possess all the nations. And so this is why I think that the preponderance of internal evidence of Psalm 82 supports the idea that it's the unrighteous judges.

So when Psalm, excuse me, when Jesus quotes this in referencing to the Jews in John 10, he's actually insulting them and condemning them at the same time, and they know it.

Okay? Mm. And would by Jesus doing that, um Would that be a positive outlook on his divinity, like because he says that the scriptures cannot be broken. Like and I'm saying that, and then he says I think a verse or two later, How much more does the God, the man who was sanctified by God, who came to the earth?

Something like he he would be able to recall that or something like that. I'm sorry, it's not in front of me. I can't read it right off the bat. Yeah, it says: He who called them gods. to whom the word of God came in the scripture cannot be broken.

Do you say of him whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world? You're blaspheming because I said, I am the Son of God. He's playing with him. He's playing with them. If you understand Psalm 82 and what they're saying, they're condemning him.

They're saying you're claiming to be God, but they deny that he's God. which is what the cults do. Yeah.

Okay. So that causes and the Muslims agree with the f with the Jews that Jesus is not God. Right there.

So, what he's doing, it's really an interesting thing because of what so many things are going on. He says, Well, I'm the Son of God.

Well, there's different senses in which the term son of God can be understood because the term son of God is talking about the sons of God in the angelic realm. And you can become a son of God through faith and belief if you're really trusting in him. But in what other sense it means he's divine. We go to John 5:18, where it says Jesus was calling God His own Father, making himself equal to God.

So, when we look at this and we ask the question, what was it that Jesus said and did? Where was it? But he said and did it that caused him to think. That he's claiming to be God. And that's a whole nother discussion which I give to the cults because it has a certain apologetic appeal and ramifications.

But in he goes, I do not, he says, if I don't do the works of my father, do not believe me.

Now he's calling God his own Father. In relationship to the idea of him being the son of God.

Now, for the Muslims who don't understand biblical theology, no, God doesn't need a wife to have a son. Because that's what they say. That's how they refute the incarnation.

Well, can you have a consort? Can you have a wife? They're so ignorant.

So, um So, this is what's going on there about that. And you can see it's a deep topic, a deep subject.

So, I don't know if I helped you at all or not. It definitely did. I mean, that's kind of the way that I lean. I'm just trying to see if I was. and at doing things accurately and stuff like that you are.

Yeah, I think you are. Is there a view for one more quick question? Sure. The other view is defended, but I don't think it has much warrant as one I gave it. Go ahead.

What's the other question? Yeah.

Other question is when Jesus was baptized in John and then he immediately goes out into the wilderness? Yeah.

No, uh because the I don't believe so, because the scapegoat is part of the atonement. process where you had one goat that you lay hands on transfer and that was goat was killed and the other one was to go escape into the wilderness. But that was part of the of the retification of sin and the solving of sin. And so he wasn't doing that. He went there to be tempted not to participate in any atoning thing work.

Okay? Okay, that makes sense. That's what I would say. All right.

Thank you so much. All right.

Well, you're welcome so much.

Well, God bless. All right.

Have a wonderful day. You too.

Now, just we don't have any waiting, so let me just throw something in. The Seventh-day Adventists. they teach that the scapegoat mentality is when our sins are put upon Satan. And he's cast out in the outer darkness. And that's part of the atoning.

work. And because that means sin is taken care of. That's what atonement does. It's a blasphemous false teaching from the SDA. Seventh day Adventist Church.

Whew. All right, we got less than a minute in the show.

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