Dr. Brown Tackles Your Best Questions

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Get on the line of fire. And now here's your host Dr. Michael Brown. Life question, cultural question, language question, Israel question, you name it. If we talk about it on the line of fire, it's a subject that's come up. If I've written about anything, you want to interact with me, that is the number to call 866-3-4-TRUTH.

Let's start with Louis in Las Vegas. Welcome to the line of fire. Hey Dr. Brown, how you doing today? You're very welcome, doing well. Hey, I was watching, I've been watching a lot of debates on probably every Calvinism debate. I watched you with the one with Dr. White, I thought it was fascinating on predestination.

My question is this, this is what I'm still a little concerned with, or I can't find the answer. From a perspective like Jeff Durbin and James White, based on eschatology, where they believe that the angels, they changed the word to messengers in Matthew 24, and that they believe that we, the Christians, are going to go out and gather all the elects. So my question is at the end, because I'm taking they don't believe in an actual physical rapture, I mean a physical resurrection, so what do they feel happens after they win the whole world over at the end of all things? What is their teaching on prederism?

So, right, of course, James is a dear friend, and Jeff, I don't know as well, but another colleague, I love and honor these brothers. We haven't had in-depth discussion on eschatology, and in fact, Dr. White, to my knowledge, has shifted more to post-millennialism than he, he used to be more ambiguous about his views, but I think maybe being with Jeff or looking at it more, he shifted more to a post-millennial view. So the standard post-millennial view, which of course I reject, and I strongly reject the preterist reading of the Olivet Discourse for many reasons, but the preterist view is that after the whole world is Christianized, after the gospel has impacted the entire world and brought about the millennial kingdom, in other words, it's not a thousand-year reign specifically, but what's spoken of as the millennial kingdom, and that time of perfect righteousness on the earth, and God's glory filling the worth, as covering the earth, as the world is covered, to see the knowledge of the glory of the Lord covering the earth, as the world is covered, to see that after that, Jesus returns and we go into eternity. There's the remaking of heaven and earth, and we go into eternity. So the pre-mill view, Jesus returns before the millennium, then we have the thousand-year kingdom, and then the final resurrection, punishment of the wicked, renovation of the universe, and then the eternal age. Post-millennium says after the millennial kingdom, Jesus returns, and we go into eternity. So the return of Jesus has much less import then.

It's much less of a cardinal foundational issue than it would be for someone who's pre-mill. It's more kind of like the final climax, and then from there into eternal. Of course Amil doesn't believe that there will be a reign like that on the earth in that same way. So they do believe in a physical resurrection at the end with the post-millennial position? That's the general post-millennial view, because we haven't been resurrected yet, and we have to be resurrected at some point, right? Then I don't think Durbin believes that, because I watched him teach on Corinthians 15, and he didn't seem like he believed that the resurrection is physical. So he doesn't believe that there will be a future physical resurrection of the dead at all, for sure. No, I've watched all his videos. Yeah, I've been watching all his videos, and I can't get a clear understanding. All right, just yesterday a colleague was talking about Jeff Durbin and, you know, areas of commonality that Jeff, Dr. White, and I had, etc., and that I should do a discussion with Jeff about eschatology. I said, absolutely I should.

So now you follow this up. I remember, though, years back when I debated Don Preston, who is a full Preterist, and I remember almost distinctly it was Dr. White who said, bear in mind there are some that would view him as a heretic because he denies the future physical resurrection of the dead and denies a future physical return of Jesus. So that would be surprising that Dr. White would embrace an eschatology that denies the future physical resurrection of the dead.

I debated a gentleman named Michael Sullivan, and it was really very sad to do it. I mean, he had really pushed, really pushed wanting to do it, but it left our students at our ministry school that attended that night absolutely incredulous because he says we're in the new heavens and the new earth, that this is it, that we've already entered into this final age, and that we are in the age to come, and it was utterly bizarre. I mean, one of the students said, but I mean, it was so absurd that at the end of the debate, whether it's time for questions, he said, well, right now when I drive home, I have to put my lights on, but in the new heavens and new earth that the lamb himself or God is the light as of why do I have to put the light?

I mean, it was that absurd. It's like we're still dying. We're still mourning.

We're still grieving. Oh, no, I mean, it was utterly bizarre, utterly bizarre. Okay, one more quick thing about your debate. On your Jeremiah 19 passage that you were bringing up to Dr. White, I was debating a Calvinist over the last week, and he keeps saying to me that they don't believe that God ordained, that he decrees everything that happens, good and bad. Did Calvin really teach that? I believe you could say that Calvin did teach that. I have to refresh myself on key statements in the Institutes, but certainly Dr. White would point to passages like in Lamentations 3 or Amos 3, that disaster doesn't come unless the Lord brings it about. Dr. White would clearly say, as we debated back and forth, that even the kidnapping, rape and killing of a child by a serial rapist and killer was ordained by God and that he can receive glory even through that, and that Calvin did teach that the unsaved are doomed from the womb for eternity. And Dr. White did affirm that in the debate we had at Southern Evangelical Seminary. So whether he would say every... I do believe you would get that. So it's not Islamic determinism in terms of a Calvinistic mentality, but it is saying that everything that happened, he ordained there. So of course, there's no luck, there's no chance, there's nothing random because everything has been preordained.

Obviously, I differ with that scripture that I certainly see God's active hand in history. Hey Louis, thanks for the call. So yeah, I gotta engage Jeff Durbin, and let's see, maybe we'll just have a private conversation or maybe he'll want to have a public conversation or debate. Oh yeah, 866-348-7884.

Let's go to Roy in South Carolina. Welcome to the line of fire. Thanks, Dr. Brown. I appreciate your ministry a lot. Just wanted to ask, it seems like most heroes of the faith, modern and past, seem to be married individuals. I mean, obviously the Apostle Paul was never married, but Corey Tim Boom is obviously a hero of ours in the modern world, so to speak. But it seems like there aren't too many male, single, never married that are heroes of the faith, and I'm figuring I'm just missing the connection on that because that would encourage me as an older, never married, single. So wanted to see if you knew of any biographies of someone that would sit in that category.

Sure, absolutely, Roy. And obviously, you can testify that Jesus is enough married or single, but we do recognize that the pattern in the word is marriage, and that the gift of celibacy is not given to all. So of course, I would differ with Roman Catholicism saying that priests couldn't marry for many reasons. However, there is the famous biography of Henry Martin. Henry Martin died as a missionary in his 20s in the Middle East, bringing the gospel into the Islamic world, and he was deeply attached to a woman he wanted to marry, but knew, and he had frail health as well, felt that to take her on the mission field was a death sentence and so on. So he had he left behind agonizingly the woman that he loved in order to go serve on the mission field and then died, tuberculosis related, there was sickness in his family, but died as a man in his 20s after having accomplished much.

So that was the decision that was made for the sake of the gospel that he couldn't marry. So Henry Martin, M-A-R-T-Y-N, or John Praying Hyde, H-Y-D-E, he died in his 40s because of the life that he lived, the praying around the clock, the constant fasting that it wore his body down, but Hyde chose to never marry so that he would not share his love with anyone except the Lord. And he was one of the great prayer warriors of all time. So John Praying Hyde, Henry Martin in the 1800s, Hyde into the beginning of the 1900s is when they lived and flourished. Those are two that come to mind and very, very inspiring examples. And there's some great biographies of them because I read them many years ago.

Those are two that come to mind immediately. Many others, I don't know that I noticed in those reading the story that jumped out at me, but these two for sure. So great evangelical Protestant ministers of the gospel with great stories and both made conscious choices. It wasn't even that they couldn't find anyone, but they made conscious choices.

I just have to give my life. So in Martin's case, it's too dangerous being on the mission field and the challenges of marriage and family couldn't work on the mission field. And for Hyde, didn't want to share his affections with anyone else except the Lord and one of the great men of prayer. So their biographies are very, very inspiring and hopefully we'll minister to you, Roy.

Okay, I appreciate it. Yeah, as someone who's 40 plus, it gets a little bit lonely because obviously on a Friday, Saturday night, if you're not out doing ministry, there's no one else around to be with. Yeah, and listen, Roy, it could well be that God has preserved someone for you that's also in a similar situation and at the right time that will still happen. You know, there are some who have said, hey, I'm never going to marry because I don't feel called to or because it's going to conflict with ministry related activity or whatever. But there are others that I know close to that are in their 40s that would love to marry, be very happy to marry, and they just haven't met the right person. And then I've seen them in their 40s meet the right person. And it's been, it could be a widow, thinking of a man, it could be a widow that he met and just at the right time and right season.

It could be someone that was also single her whole life. So may the may the Lord's best be done. May he bless you. Fill your life as a single man.

But if it's his will, may he bring the right person into your life and may you both be ready to spend wonderful years together in the days ahead. Hey, God bless you. Appreciate the call very much. 866-348-7884. We've got some phone lines open.

Doesn't often happen on a Friday. We've got some phone lines open. So go ahead. Call in 866-3-4-TRUTH. It's the line of fire with your host, Dr. Michael Brown. Get on the line of fire by calling 866-3-4-TRUTH. Here again is Dr. Michael Brown.

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Okay. Back to the phones. Let's go to Glenn in Dayton, Ohio. Welcome to the line of fire. Hello, Glenn.

Are you there? Hey, good afternoon, sir. Hey, I had a quick question. I called in a few months ago and I was asking about women in ministry and you were saying about how, yeah, it's very acceptable with society nowadays and all that, and so as I went back to my local men's group they were asking then, what do you do with 1 Timothy the second and third chapters and Titus the second chapter? Because all of the adjectives in those chapters describes ministry only to be from a man's position holding that power, especially over other men in the church, and it also describes that a minister is to be a man of one wife, so how could a woman fulfill that? Right, so first what I was saying was it's not a cultural thing, not because of society today, but as I understand scripture, that of course women can do all kinds of ministry, but I did say that governmental leadership is male. That as I understand scripture, that senior governmental leadership is male, so that would be roles of elders, roles of senior pastors, etc. I still understand that to be primarily male in terms of God's plan, in terms of how he set things up. When it talks about deacons and it says their wives should be thus and such, there's a debate.

Does it mean they're wives? It doesn't mean they're women, excuse me, women, female deaconesses, and we know elsewhere that the same word deacon just means a servant in Greek is used of women in the New Testament. Go through the list in Romans 16 and look at all the women involved in ministry there. Look at how Paul writes to two women, fellow workers of his, in ministry in Philippi in terms of asking for their harmony, but go through Romans 16.

Look at the list there. Look at who is it that first sees Jesus after the first sees Jesus after the resurrection and go and tell the disciples it's the women. Yeah, so I agree. Glenn, I agree, and somehow you're cutting in and out, not sure what's happening, but I agree that senior governmental authority is male, so that's why it talks about elders being husbands of one wife because it was presupposed that elders would be male. And the same way with the senior congregational leader, if it's, you know, Bishop and King James, et cetera. Yeah, so I would understand that as male. There are exceptions to the rule, but that's the rule. But under that, women are released to do all kinds of ministry, preaching, teaching, ministering, and all kinds of different ways. Absolutely. So we embrace that scripturally, but sit with your friends and recognize, again, 1 Timothy 3, when it says about the wives of deacons, it could just as well in the Greek mean female deacons.

That's one thing. But look at the list of Paul's fellow workers in Romans 16. Notice that in the book of Acts, starting in the 18th chapter, it mentions Aquila and Priscilla, so husband and wife, but thereafter it keeps referencing Priscilla and Aquila, putting her name first, and that they together disciple Apollos.

So there are many, many examples, and in early church history, women acted in all kinds of ministry, but senior governmental leadership is male. So that's what I understand, scripture, to say, hey, thank you for the call. I appreciate it. If anything's unclear, you can always write to us as well, but your connection was cutting in and out.

So in any case, I hope that was helpful. Let's go over to Peter in Los Angeles, California. Welcome to the Line of Fire.

Hello, Dr. Brown. Thank you for having me. So, okay, so the way this whole conversation started was my dad has been studying Ezekiel 38 and 39, and we were talking together about the connection with that passage in Revelation 19-20. So I was very curious to hear your perspective on the connection there, and also, like, we see Magog and Gog mentioned in Revelation 20, but not specifically in Revelation 19.

So I wanted to know if you see a connection there, and also if you would, like, what's your perspective on who Gog is? Right, so Ezekiel 38-39, and I'm going to start the answer and then answer on the finish, probably on the other side of the break. I do understand those things to be events that will happen in the future before Jesus returns. So a final conflict with Israel, part of the, quote, tribulation at the end of the age, and then God's final victory for Israel as he comes to destroy Israel's enemies. So I look forward to that happening in this age before the Lord returns.

I'm not dogmatic on it, but that's how I best understand it. The reference then to it in Revelation 20 just seems to be metaphorical. In other words, pointing to a final conflict between good and evil as Gog Magog in the Old Testament, so this and those.

Revelation is borrowing, most of its imagery and most of its verses are coming straight from the pages of the Old Testament, and it's not necessarily the exact application as much as a prophetic application. So if you wanted to argue that it was a literal understanding of Revelation 20, then that would be at the end of the millennial kingdom is when Gog Magog takes place. As to who it is, it's really debatable.

I don't have a view in terms of, there's certainly no figure in the past that would fulfill this. So it is some world leader. I don't look at, you know, there have been misunderstandings that it's talking about Russia or other places. That's just not reading the Hebrew correctly. But we really don't know. It seems to be the Antichrist figure in a final rebellion, and then Israel right in the center of it being attacked, and then God ultimately fighting for Israel. But if Revelation 20 is a literal application, Peter, then what it means is that this happens at the end of the millennial kingdom. If it's just a prophetic application, if it's just a saying that as Gog Magog happened in the past, there'll be a final similar kind of thing with the final human rebellion. That's how I understand it, that Revelation is using it in the prophetic sense, not in the literal sense. Yeah, that's very interesting because Michael Heizer was saying something along the same lines where he was saying it could be a recapitulation, but he also sees a linear, like it could be either or kind of thing. And so I was curious.

Yeah, it could be either or, or both and, and that there is the literal and then a different unfolding of a similar event just like that at the end of the millennium. Hey, thank you for the question. It's the line of fire with your host, Dr. Michael Brown. Get on the line of fire by calling 866-34-TRUTH.

Here again is Dr. Michael Brown. Thanks, friends, for joining us and thanks for your faithful support of this broadcast. We want to keep you posted as we launch on new cities across America with your help, with your prayer, with your support. So shout out.

Thank you again to all of our torchbearers, all of our supporters, all of our prayer warriors, those who help with one-time gifts together, we're making a difference and oh, I just, I'm going to go to the phones in a moment. I just, I was going through some things actually in a closet at home and I found a letter that I had brought home with me and shared on the air previously, but it was a mother gave me this letter saying, Hey, my daughter was going through difficult times and was same-sex attracted and, and, but then she came out of that and she's married to a man, but now she believes she's a man. She started taking testosterone shots and wants me to refer to her as he and, and her husband has no problem with it.

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We go to Sean in Michigan. Welcome to the line of fire. How are you doing, Dr. Brown? Doing very well.

Thanks. All right. Um, I was trying to shed some light on, uh, uh, the rug and my rug in that she just talked about just now. And, um, I'm going to bring my point from, uh, my future. I think it's I think it's, uh, hold on.

I'm trying to read the Bible verse. Right. So this is not a question you want to respond to the previous caller. Yes, sir.

Yeah. He said, uh, behold, your house left on mute. For I say unto you, you shall not see me in sports. So you say, blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord. The end of Matthew 23. Yes, sir. Yes, sir.

You know, and, uh, there's a, there's a particular point there that I'm trying to make. I think it's the earlier verse. It says, I've gathered thy children together, even as the end gathered her chickens under her wings. How often have I longed to gather your children together as the chick gathers her hands, as the hand gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing.

Behold, your house is left, you desolate. Right. Yep. You know, so if, if this solution is going to happen to Israel and then there's, it happened, it happened. Yeah, but this is talking about a future dissolution. No, no, it's, it's talking about what's about to happen with the destruction of Jerusalem in the year 70. It happened.

No, no. So the reason why I said, the reason why I said no is because, if you remember in Genesis 49, 10, it says, the gathering shall be done by Christ. No, so that's the gathering of the nations that, that the gathering of the nations is to Him in, in Genesis 49, 10. And in Matthew 23, it's prophesying the destruction that's going to come on Jerusalem that did come. It's the parallel to Luke 19. It did come. That's why He weeps over and Jerusalem will not see the Messiah again until it welcomes Him as the Messiah.

So it was prophesying the desolation that took place in the year 70. But if you, if you notice it keeps, it stresses that the gathering belongs to Christ. Right, right. I don't want to get into an argument with you. I did answer the previous caller, but your points are not relevant to Gog Magog. These passages. Give me a little bit of time, sir.

Hang on, hang on. I don't have the opportunity to just have folks call in and respond to questions that were asked. Feel free to post something on your, on your Facebook page or your social media site, whatever, to post your view where you differ with me. That's, that's perfectly fine. But when I'm trying to help you with simple verses and you're not even open to hear that, I'm not going to take radio time for you to explain something that I differ with to the audience. So with all respects, sir, I differ with where you're going.

All right. And because you can't hear the simple truths I'm giving, I mean, no insult, but simple truths about interpretation of verses that do not relate to Ezekiel 38, 39, except to say that at the culmination of the age that Israel will recognize Messiah and as he returns and help usher in his return. Yes, that's, that's applicable. But with all respects, sir, feel free to post your views and differ or even go on our Facebook page now or our YouTube channel and say, here's where I believe Dr. Brown is wrong and go ahead and post, have at it. But I just can't take radio time to have you at length exposits something that I fundamentally differ with when you're not even hearing correction on these simple verses. So God bless. Don't mean to be rude about it, but please do respect our parameters here. And thank you for the call. Diane asked this. We're just taking some social media questions.

Then we'll get to our buddy Eddie from Connecticut. Does God know the future? Yes. Infallibly and perfectly. There is the view in so-called open theism that God knows everything that can be known, but there are various human choices that God does not know what the outcome will be because we have free will. I understand that God inhabits eternity, Isaiah 57, 15, and the very thing that separates him from other so-called gods is his perfect and infinite knowledge of the future. I encourage anyone that questions whether God knows the future, but that believes the Bible is God's word to take Isaiah 40 through 48 and read it devotionally on your knees or in worship before God, read it over and over, and then ask yourself the question, is there any doubt whatsoever that the scripture explicitly says that God knows in detail the beginning from the end and the end from the beginning?

To me, there is no doubt about that whatsoever. And let's see, the Aries Andrews, Isaiah 6, how did Isaiah's sins get atoned for was through the seraph using a hot coal, it's similar to Exodus 23, 21. So, the coal comes from the altar, and it's not so much atonement for sin as much as purging and removal. It's a burning coal that purges away and removes sin. The root lechapere, the verbal form lechapere, in the book of Isaiah is principally used in terms of a purging and a removing.

Hence, it's parallel with lasour, to remove. There in Isaiah 6, you'll find a similar parallel in Isaiah chapter 27. So, in point of fact, it's not necessarily an atonement verse in terms of cleansing from sin and being made right with, excuse me, it's more the cleansing than the reconciling aspect of it. That being said, you could argue that there is the element of atonement because the coal comes from the altar, just like in Numbers the 16th chapter, a coal or incense is taken from the altar to bring an end to a plague.

So, you could argue that because the coal comes from the altar of atonement, it carries those atoning powers to it. As for, I wrote a whole academic article on the subject of atonement in the book of Isaiah and don't want to try to rehash that now. As far as Exodus 23, 21, yeah, the reason I want to look it up is because it doesn't use the word atonement, but the angel of the Lord had the power to forgive Israel's sins, to say, okay, forgiven, not forgiven is God's representative. But all atonement still flows from the altar and ultimately from the cross. The atoning work is always ultimately done at the cross, but God can pronounce anyone forgiven at any time.

The work has been done, has been paid for. From an Old Testament perspective, it flowed from the altar. But the angel pardoning sin, that's different, doesn't even use the word atonement there. All right, let's go over to our buddy Eddie from Connecticut. What's the Bible study question this time?

Oh, this was a hot and heavy one, Dr. Brown. We were talking about or studying when Satan, Jesus in the wilderness, and his temptation, and then I came up and I said, listen, I'm not trying to cause any trouble, but this is what I thought of. If Satan knew Jesus and Jesus knew Satan, how could that even happen? Because the Bible says, or the Torah says, Dr. Brown, Satan can't do nothing on his own. He has to have the permission by God. So how does that work in heaven? Okay, God says, go cut myself.

And when Jesus heard the question... Okay, so hang on, where does it say, hang on, where does it say that Satan can't do anything explicitly without God's permission? I guess I'm referring to Job, you know. Ah, but Job, that's just how far he could go. And in other words, could he kill Job's children? Could he afflict Job himself because Job was righteous and protected? Doesn't say he couldn't tempt him, right? So Satan goes around tempting all the time.

That's number one. Number two, this was part of God's will for Jesus to be tested. So even with your theory of Satan couldn't do anything with that explicit permission from God, then God gave permission because his son was going to be tested at that time. It was part of the plan of God to test him. If you have a more wide view that Satan does all kinds of things because of the fall and because of human beings opening the door to him, but he can only go so far, then certainly he tempts all the time, right? 1 Peter 5, he goes about as a roaring lion looking for him, for who he can devour. He's called, Matthew calls him the temptor, the temptor, the temptor, right?

So that's just what he does by nature. But yeah, it was the will of God. Yeah, go ahead.

Go ahead. If Jesus knew who he was and he's saying, you know, I'll give you the kingdoms of the world with all their glory, wouldn't Jesus say, what kingdoms? The earth is the Lord's in the fullness.

What do you got? You've got nothing to give me. So that's the further debate. Was he simply claiming more than he had or more likely was he saying, look, because of the fall, human beings have given their allegiance over to me and I control this. So that's the bigger debate point, actually.

It's a great discussion. On the one hand, Daniel 2 says, God sets up kings and removes kings. On the other hand, 2 Corinthians 4, 4 says that Satan is the God of this age, meaning he's the one that people worship as God. So because of that, because of the fall and the earth being given into human hands, right, God rules the heavens and he's the king. But he gave the earth for human beings to steward. So as human beings turned away from God and began to follow Satan, he has power over human beings. And he could be saying, hey, look, these are mine.

I got these guys. But if you worship me, I'll give it over to you. So either way, Jesus knew who he was dealing with and whether Satan was exaggerating, lying or just simply saying, hey, look, I've got these and you follow me and I'll give you their allegiance.

You can really be Lord of the world under me. Either way, Jesus knew exactly who he was. He's dealing with a liar. He's dealing with a tempter. But it was a genuine temptation because that's human nature.

But Jesus being perfect, utterly refused it. Hey, as always, man, thanks for the question. Appreciate it. 866-34-TRUTH. We go right back to your questions on the other side of the break. It's the line of fire with your host, Dr. Michael Brown. Get on the line of fire by calling 866-34-TRUTH. Here again is Dr. Michael Brown. All right. I want to go right back to the phones.

866-34-TRUTH. We start with Angelo in Richmond, Virginia. Welcome to the line of fire. Hey, Dr. Brown.

I appreciate you taking my call. I got a question for you concerning is there something I'm missing here? So in Genesis chapter two, it says that man was created in the image and likeness of God. Man fell and then sin came into the world. And then in chapter five, it says, Adam created people in his own image.

Right. So then we go to Romans chapter eight and we see in Romans chapter eight where it says those who are who walk after the spirit are children of God. So I've always looked at that and said, OK, man lost God's image when he sinned. They're no longer in the image of God. And because Adam created people after his own image, after he fell. And then looking at just creation as people in general, everybody is God's creation, but only God's children are those who are led by the spirit or follow after the spirit and are born again.

Am I correct in that philosophy or that line of thinking? Am I missing something in the Hebrew? Well, first, it's not so much the Hebrew. You hit on key verses. And I was I was wanting to see if you went to Genesis five, because that's the amazing verse. Adam was created in the image of God than his offspring is created in his image after the fall.

I would nuance it a little. I would say that all human beings are still created in the image of God in in that we have the capacity to love, to hate. We have the capacity to choose good or evil. We have the capacity to create, et cetera, that we are different than all other beings that have been created and are created in the image of God.

The fact we still have a conscience, et cetera. However, so we are we are moral, rational beings, thus created image of God. But we are fallen and therefore incapable of living this out fully. So Ephesians four, the other passage that that comes to mind as it's talking about how how we should be living. Verse twenty three of Ephesians four to be made new in the attitude of your minds and to put on the new self created to be like God and new righteousness and holiness. So we regain lost aspects of the image of God through being born again and then will fully attain it in eternity. So we're still created an image of God, but fallen. We now regain lost elements of that through the new birth and renewing our heart and mind. And that's the that's kind of the recreating in the image of God. And then we live it out fully and perfectly in our resurrected bodies.

So I would just nuance it a little bit. Okay, so when when people say that all all all men are image bearers of Christ, I you know, that's kind of the thing that I have a problem with when we try to love everybody as you know, we're all the same. Yes, we're not. We're definitely not all image bearers of of Christ.

But remember in Acts 17 is Paul is preaching. Right. Right. So it it's a good point.

What do we mean by that, Angelo? Right. And it's one thing to say we're created in his image and yet fallen. It's another to say that all human beings are image bearers of God. That would almost give the impression that whatever we do is reflecting divine nature. Right.

Right. So that that can be misleading in the way we expected. I would say every human being is of value in God's sight because every one of us are created in the image of God. So there is a there is a purpose for us that is unique. There is something that has been given to us that is unique. There is a responsibility that's given. It's been yet we are fallen and in need of redemption, which is why we kill each other and do all the terrible things we do to each other because we've lost that much of that image of God. Remember John one that that Jesus is the light that lights every person that comes into the world.

You know, that's that's one part of it. And then Paul, speaking in Acts 17, quotes a Greek poet, says we're all his offspring. So in that sense, we're all children in that sense of creation, but we're not children relationally.

So, yeah, I wouldn't say it. I know some people mean it the right way, sir, when they say we're all image bearers of God, but I would say it a little differently with you. We've been created in the image of God, yet we're fallen and in need of redemption.

So much of the dignity and beauty and uniqueness of God is found in human beings, but it's been flawed and corrupted, which is why we need to be born anew, born again to to retake what's been lost of that image. Thank you very much. I appreciate it.

Yeah, you are very welcome. I love the the way you're thinking this through. All right, let us go to Brad in West Virginia.

Welcome to the line of fire. Did you say Ed or Brad? I said Brad, and if that's you or Ed, whoever you are in West Virginia, the man I'm talking to. That's me, sir.

Okay. I just started going to church about six months ago, this new church. It's kind of a Baptist, a little bit to the spirit side, but I'm on fire, and I have been for many years, and my passion seems to overtake them a little bit. So I'm trying to understand, because they're taken, I can tell they're taken back by it, and I'm not sure what to do with it.

I come there to serve and nothing else, but I'm just asking you, what should I do with this? I love these people. They're really, you know, they love the Lord, but they're not on fire like I am.

Right, so of course... That doesn't make you special, that just... Yeah, yeah. You pray for God's best for them, God's blessing for them. You just pray good things for them in non-judgmental ways, but I would do my best to find people of like heart and mind if possible.

In other words, people that'll challenge you to go deeper in God, people that'll be just as zealous for evangelism, or just as zealous for prayer, or just as zealous for holiness, so that you're not uncomfortable around other people, that you're not feeling held back, that they're not feeling judged by you or some pressure, that I would look for a place honoring these folks. Here, look at it like this. If you love Italian food... It's our divine, it's our divine, though, Dr. Brown. Yeah, well... The churches, they're not around here, they're all, you know, they're dull. Right, so you could pray, you know, just pray for God to pour out His Spirit in your region, right, non-judgmental prayers. But I was starting to say, if you like Italian food, you can't expect it at a Chinese restaurant. So if you're Pentecostal, you're frustrated in the Baptist church.

If you're Baptist, you're disagreeing with the Pentecostal church. So you try to find those of like heart and mind. But otherwise, Brad, what I would do is really do my best to serve, if that's the place where you find the most commonality, really do my best to serve, really honor the people there, and then just be zealous. In other words, not in a way that stands out in a service that makes people uncomfortable. But, you know, so you don't want to be...

It's never in the service, it's always like in the foyer, outside, I never do it in service. Yeah, yeah, but you just honor and respect folks, make sure you're not being obnoxious or seeming self-righteous, and then run your race, man. Be zealous. So if you walk in humility and honoring others, but you keep burning bright, you got a burning heart for the lost, you just got to share the latest thing the Lord did, and they don't know what to do with your zeal, then be a good example. The key thing is do it with humility and honor, and then keep the fire burning. You might help ignite others there, and if not, you just be a blessing and serve and take that fire to the lost.

Win the lost and go from there, and God will bless. So the key thing is you don't want to get into a frustrating mindset. You don't want to get frustrated negatively judging others. You don't want to put your self-righteousness on the other, self-righteousness on the other. You do not want to let that fire go out.

Keep it burning bright. It's essential, all right? Yeah, I agree. Thank you, sir. Sure thing.

God bless you. All right, let us go to Solomon in Iowa. Welcome to the line of fire. Hello, Dr. Michael Brown.

Hey. Thank you for giving me the chance to ask some questions. Actually, I'm born from an Orthodox family, but in between, while I was growing, the devil has good work of turning me away from the dead. What kind of Orthodox do you mean? I'm Eritrean Orthodox.

Eritrean, I'm from Eritrea, so I born to Eritrean Orthodox family. Christian church. Okay, got it. Understood. Yeah.

Okay. Yeah, when I grow up, it's amazing how the devil came to me through a person that I wouldn't expect, and I was lifted slowly until he even believed that homosexuality could be natural. The moment I believed that, I felt something came out of me, and I become zombie. But since I wasn't dealing spiritually, I went to the psychiatrist, and they couldn't help me anything. And somehow, I had a dream that answers my political view.

That was also another thing that the country is going through. Then when I believe Jesus died for me, and so as I can live, I see miracles from heaven, rain falls while it was the baby's son. Just one minute. And when I believe the Lord help me, my whole self was restored. I felt what I lost was rejected, and all my emotions restored. But for some reason, the psychiatrist went crazy. I don't know why.

I think maybe it wasn't there. They didn't tell me that I could come out of my circumstance, or I don't know for any reason. God breaks a lot of our paradigms. You may have folks with a secular perspective who are very sincere, but they've never seen anyone really transformed.

And when they do, through the power of the gospel, they have to question whether it's real or whether you might be delusional. Hey, listen, we are about to run out of time. I want to get to your question.

Are you able to? Yeah, then what happened was I encountered this Pentecostal cosmetic movement. I think you are also part of it. And for me, the question is, if child baptism wasn't done, so it didn't hand it down to us from apostles' time, when did it really start? One question. Another question is, how can we reconcile Paul saying women shouldn't preach with what we're seeing now? All right, so, got it.

Thank you for the questions. Go to my website and type in women pastors. So go to my website, askdrbrown.org, type in women pastors. Child baptism comes in fairly early in church history. I just don't believe you can make a case for it biblically. In the biblically, adult baptism was the norm, and that's clearly what Scripture teaches. So that's the ultimate authority. Hey, let's talk more in the feed for Solomon. God bless you.