In This Issue

• PRAY, BELIEVING
• BORN IN SIN? OR EZEKIEL 18?
• A HARD HEADED PREACHER
• MORE INFORMATION...

PRAY, BELIEVING

Matthew tells in Matt. 21:19-20 of the Lord’s pronouncing a curse upon a barren fig tree, and immediately, the fig tree withered away. The next morning when the apostles noticed the withered tree, they greatly marveled at the swiftness of its destruction. In response to their amazement, Jesus said to them: "Assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but also if you say to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ it will be done. And all things whatever you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive" (Matt. 21:21-22).

These apostles had earlier been sent out on what we often call "the limited commission" -- limited to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, Matthew, chapter 10. That mission was also limited in its length of endurance. Apparently, the spiritual gifts the apostles received for that particular occasion did not remain with them. Later, as our text indicates, such supernatural powers will again be furnished to them. They are promised that when the Holy Spirit comes upon them, they will be able to speak in tongues, heal the sick, raise the dead, and do various miraculous deeds. But even more important, when the Spirit comes upon them, they will be able to remember accurately everything Jesus has taught them while He walked among them -- and they will even be empowered to know things not yet revealed. See such promises in Mark 16:17-18; John 14:26; 16:13, etc. These promises began to be fulfilled in Acts 2 on the Pentecost after Christ’s resurrection from the dead. The miraculous powers given to the apostles were given to convince others that God was with them in their preaching and teaching. The miracles confirmed the word they taught, Mark 16:20; Heb. 2:3-4. The miraculous gifts were referred to by Paul as "the signs of an apostle," (2 Cor. 12:12). No one had these miraculous powers except the apostles, and those on whom the apostles personally laid their hands to impart such gifts, Acts 8:18. Once the apostles and other inspired teachers had put Jesus’ message into written form, the miraculous signs of confirmation were no longer needed. Today, the written word is sufficient to produce faith in our hearts to lead us to salvation in Christ, John 20:30-31.

Note that Jesus told His apostles that whatever they prayed for, believing, they would receive. This promise, in other passages, is extended to all Christians, but of course has some limitations. Our "believing" is not in our prayer, but in the God who answers prayer. He knows our needs better than we do, and sometimes gives us in answer to prayer something very different from the thing requested -- but always what is best for us.

--CRJ

The reason the title reads as it does is because that’s the way it is. You cannot possibly get the two together, for the one is a refutation of the other beginning with verse 1 and going through verse 32.

Recently in a gospel meeting in eastern Arkansas, on the evening we were studying Ezekiel 18, a primitive Baptist preacher spoke up during the services and said abruptly, "That’s not what the Bible teaches!"

He was offered time to inform us of our error and to present his case, which offer he graciously refused, and then even in private discussion with him, he never touched Ezekiel 18.

How can you take a section of Scripture designed to deny the transmission of the guilt of sin from one generation to another and give it fair discussion and place, while at the same time believing that the guilt of the sin of Adam is transmitted to each and every generation? The man had himself a king-sized problem, and the best he could so was run to other sections that supposedly supported his contention -- but Ezekiel 18 was never mentioned by him.

Ezekiel’s brethren had a proverb, of a sort, that explained their state of bondage (at least in their minds), and it’s recorded in 18:2: "The fathers have eaten sour grapes and the children’s teeth are set on edge."

As is true of many little sayings people get in the habit of using, it looks innocent enough at the outset -- but as you consider it carefully, it is seen to be an insidious bit of error that saturates the religious world around us today.

At first glance, you might think the proverb dealt with sins of the fathers (the eating of sour grapes) and the CONSEQUENCES of those sins (children’s teeth set on edge) being visited upon their offspring, but that isn’t what they had in mind, and there are at least two reasons for this conclusion.

1. The entire chapter is a denial of the point of the proverb, but the consequences of the sins of one generation being visited upon another is a working reality in human affairs. The text is not going to be denying a reality for one verse, much less a whole chapter.

2. The way we understand what they meant by the proverb is to notice carefully the Lord’s reply to it, and as we do that it becomes obvious that GUILT, not CONSEQUENCES, is what they had in mind. They considered that they were viewed as sinners because of the sins of their forefathers. This, the chapter flatly denies and responds to that point of view so thoroughly that "ye shall not have any occasion any more to use this proverb in Israel" (verse 3).

The heart of the discussion involves verses 5-18 and a look at three different men in successive generations, and if you study the three paragraphs carefully, you will notice two main sections in each: (1) there is a detailed description of the life of each man, and then (2) there is a God-evaluation of that particular man.

Space will not permit citing all of the details, but as you read, the point is driven home. The God-evaluation is predicated upon one thing -- the life of the individual considered.

Does daddy have anything to do with the evaluation? No, sir! Does grand-daddy have anything to do with the evaluation? No, sir! Does Adam have anything to do with the evaluation? No, sir! God’s estimate of each person is dependent upon the heart, attitude, and lifestyle of the one being considered -- and that’s it.

If, perchance, a person makes it through this section without getting the point, he just can’t miss it in the short paragraph that follows: "and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him." Adam answers for his wickedness, my Dad answers for his, and I answer for mine.

Over and over the point is made in the chapter; as effectively as can be done, the nails are driven in the coffin of the doctrine of transmission of the guilt of sin from one generation to the next.

Born guilty of the sin of another, OR Ezekiel 18 -- which will it be?

--Harold E. Turner, Christianity Magazine, November, 1986

Members of the church quite often refer to some preacher as being "hard headed." I don’t know why some preachers are disposed to deny it. A preacher working with and trying to save rebellious people has to be hard headed -- just as hard headed as the people with whom he is working -- if he is to accomplish the desired end. Before you disagree, let me quote two passages -- one from the Old and one from the New Testament.

"Behold, I have made thy face hard against their faces, and thy forehead hard against their foreheads. As an adamant harder than flint have I made thy forehead; fear them not, neither be dismayed at their looks, though they are a rebellious house" (Ezek. 8:8-9). "For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning..." (Rom. 15:4).

Ezekiel was a hard headed preacher, and God made him so. Why did God make him hard headed? Simply because the people to whom he was to preach were hard headed and rebellious, "...for all the house of Israel are of a hard forehead and a stiff heart" (Ezek. 3:7). He had to have a head as hard as theirs, or he would have no chance of making any imprint on them.

Ezekiel’s hard head is not to be confused with a lack of love or concern. For time and again he fell upon his face before God to plead for Israel, Ezek. 9:8-10; 11:13. And for a sign to Israel, he willingly gave the "desire of thine eyes" -- his wife -- without being permitted to shed a single tear because of her death, Ezek. 24:16-24. Oh, how he must have loved God and the nation of Israel!

It is true that the people generally do not like for a preacher to be so hard headed that he will persevere in giving them the straight truth when their lives are not in harmony therewith. If it were otherwise, it would be something new under the sun! The prophets were misused, 2 Chron. 36:16; put to flight to save their lives, 1 Kings 17:3; 18:10; imprisoned, Jer. 36:5; cast in a dungeon to sink in the mire, Jer. 38:6; put to death, 1 Kings 18:13; Acts 7:52. Ezekiel also was persecuted by the very people whom he was trying to save. "But, thou, O son of man, behold, they shall put bands upon thee, and shall bind thee with them and thou shalt not go out among them" (Ezek. 3:25). His people did not appreciate him. He was just too hard headed. He would not stop preaching against their ways -- even the ways of their leaders, Ezek. 22:25-28. But whether the people liked it or not, the hard head that God gave him enabled him to do the work of a prophet of God. "And they, whether they will hear, or whether they will forebear, (for they are a rebellious house,) yet they shall know that there hath been a prophet among them" (Ezek. 2:5). And the people who persecuted him were in reality fighting God.

Gentle friend, when you are inclined to talk about some preacher having a hard head, please remember that in the case of Ezekiel the preacher’s head was made hard because of the hard headed people with whom he had to work.

God, give us preachers today with characteristics of Ezekiel -- who love God and will obey Him regardless of the personal loss, who love His people even when they are rebellious, who have courage enough to preach the word forcefully and uncompromisingly, and who have heads hard enough to persevere in the face of rebellion and persecution.

--Jesse G. Jenkins

The Exton church, 217 N. Whitford Road, Exton, PA is having a teachers' workshop on Saturday, June 16 from 9:00 A.M. to 3:30 P.M. for ladies interested in teaching children, ages 2-11. The teacher will be Sara Smith of Flint, Michigan.

MORE INFORMATION...