Biblically Speaking Magazine

Today Upholding:

The Gospels

The Bible

The Christian Faith

Into the 21st. Century

This first issue of ' Biblically Speaking' comes to you from Christians who take the teachings of the Bible seriously as God's holy and inspired Word. We do not make any apology for believing in a Creator God. Today excuses are often made by people who say that they represent Christianity but who are embarrassed by the clear teaching of the Scriptures.

History shows that God's word has stood firm against the attacks made to the truths in it by an unbelieving world. There are still those who love and trust the Sacred Scriptures and believe them with their very lives. In the past men and women have been prepared to suffer even death for these precious truths and there are still Christians today who believe the traditional biblical Christian message as it was believed by those early Christians nearly two thousand years ago. Sticking to the truths of God's Word, the Bible, has never been popular and has always met with opposition, often even from religious people. The Lord Jesus Christ was not popular when he walked this earth either. The Prophet Isaiah tells us:

He was despised and rejected of men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief: And we hid as it were our faces from Him; He was despised  and we esteemed Him not. (Isaiah 53 v.3)

What is a Christian ?

A Christian is one who follows the teachings of the historical Christ. The word 'Christian' was in fact first used intending an insult to Christ's early disciples in Antioch. It therefore bears a historical stigma. The belief that the historic biblical Christianity is or has every been a tool of any state or country is therefore not correct. States and nations have however used or hidden behind a veneer of diluted Christianity to do many wrong things that traditional biblical Christianity by its very distinctive has always condemned. A careful reading of the Bible would soon dispel this error and put the true position about real Christianity into perspective.

Putting the Records Straight

It is therefore necessary that we understand the true position about the Christian faith from the very outset because many false views have built up around the Christian faith and especially within the latter part of the twentieth century.

The aim of 'Biblically Speaking' is to set the records straight and direct people to the teachings of the Scriptures and encourage personal study of the Bible. Ignorance of what is taught in the Bible has become today almost a point of boasting and fashionable sophistication.

Had any other book been treated with such contempt and ignorance such attitude would readily be described as bigotry. It is surprising how many educated people today are becoming increasingly if not wilfully and scornfully ignorant of it. Why ?, we must ask ourselves. Assuming that one is going to disagree with something might not that something be first accurately understood or even simply read!

How well do you know the Bible? Have you ever enquired? Do you know what it teaches or who its Author is or are you simply prejudiced believing it to be beneath your dignity? Do you believe it to be a book of outdated myths?

An Ethiopian Official's Experience

Let us share with you the account of an important African almost two thousand years ago. Read about it in (Acts 8:26-39 ). ).  This Ethiopian was an eunuch who had a great position of authority under Queen Candace of Ethiopia (Ethiopia was a very important country at the time, receiving respect from even the powerful Roman Empire). He took time out from his busy schedule as the chief financial state official, to enquire about what the Bible was teaching concerning Christ. He had the humility to ask a simple Jewish man Phillip, to explain it to him. At no time did he say, 'I am too important a person to read this despised Jewish book called the 'Book of Isaiah' or to hear about a man who would be despised by other men and crucified as a common criminal on a cross. He could have gone to the more prestigious city of Rome but he came rather to Jerusalem to worship.

When asked by Philips the evangelist whether he understood what he was reading, the Ethiopian official replied, 'How can I except some man guides me? 'Then he invited Phillip to join him on his carriage for a discussion of the passage of Scripture that he was anxious to understand. Phillip explained the Bible to him, it was all about Jesus and when he understood it he asked to be baptised as a sign of his faith and trust - he had become a Christian!

Are you afraid to become a Christian? . What caused the Ethiopian man to believe in Jesus of Nazareth as the Messiah (' Promised One')?  First the Ethiopian knew that there was something not quite right with this world.

He had reached a very high position in his professional life. He had become a very important person in his own country. He mixed with Royalty and heads of State. He had a fancy carriage, fine clothes and a huge salary. He had a nice house back home and while in Israel he was not going to stay at the worst hotel. So why did he bother reading this ancient book of Isaiah written centuries before his lifetime?

It wasn't even written by another Ethiopian, it was written by a Jewish prophet. The book wasn't from his own culture or religion or race but he read it anyway. He read it because he had started to read it and couldn't put it down. He didn't even put the book aside when he found he could not understand which man the prophet Isaiah was speaking about. He wrestled with it till along the way help came. It was a man sent by God, to meet him and help him to understand.

Already the Ethiopian official had begun to see this was no ordinary book. It explained things he had tried to understand all his life. Why is there sin in the world? . Why can't I control my life morally? Whom can I really trust? . Why do I lie, boast, hate, lust, fear death, despise others, cheat? Why do others do these things as well? Why are there wars and rumours of war? Why does one nation seek greatness and expansion at the expense of others?

These questions and many others had the Ethiopian official wrestled with all his life. He had probably tried to find the answers in books and scrolls; from chatting with the wise men in Candace's palace; with his wide circle of friends and his family, over a drink or at a dinner party but he could not.

The Suffering Messiah

Suddenly, as Phillip explained the Bible to the Official, answers to many of his questions came leaping out at him. He had begun to understand. What? That not long before there was a righteous Man living in Israel. This man was a very unique miracle worker who was a humble and good. This man went around doing good, healing the sick, bringing the dead back to life. Telling people to prepare for a spiritual kingdom, teaching that there were a heaven and hell and that everyone would end up in either the one place or the other. Telling people they needed to repen t, meaning that they should abandon their sinful bad ways and seek God's forgiveness. Telling them that they could do nothing to please God by themselves but that they needed to trust and believe that God could make them right again and put new feelings and desires in them to follow after and obey what was God's will. Sinners trusted Jesus and many religious people hated Him Tax collectors changed from their money seeking ways; a prostitute gave up selling herself and followed him (see Luke 7 :37-50); even a condemned criminal came to trust Him as Jesus innocently suffered for the sins of many on the cross (see Luke 23 v 42).

Why did they follow Him?

Not because Christ became like them but because they wanted to become like Him. To be honest, true, pure, good, loving, kind, obediently trusting God the Creator; worshipping, praying and experiencing freedom from sinful habits and addictions. Then one day the Jewish political and religious leaders and the people were shouting, 'Get rid of Him!', Crucify Him! '. And they did crucify Him.

They spat at Him, they knotted thorns and sunk them into his brow, they punched, kicked and abused Him. Then finally they gave Him a wooden cross that was too heavy for Him to drag all the way to the top of a hill, in his weakened and hurting state. While on the cross he was thirsty - he was given a vinegar-soaked sponge or cloth to drink.

 'He was oppressed, and afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth, he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter'

(Isaiah 53 v.7)

Beginning to Understand

 Yes, the Ethiopian was beginning to understand. Why did they treat Jesus in this way? Why did they want to get rid of a man who was obviously innocent ? What had he done that they should be so outraged?

The Son of God who has power to Forgive Sins and Defeat Death

Jesus claimed to be the Son of God. He had said that he was able to forgive sins and that people should worship Him and the Father. And Jesus had said some painfully true things.

Exposing Religious Hypocrites

He had exposed hypocrisy and exposed the sinful ways and habits of men and women, not least the religious establishment who pretended to worship God while they really loved to receive honour and fame from other men. They loved to be called reverend, or a rabbi / teacher. They also loved to line their pockets too. Then he had dared to speak about the resurrection of the dead and even claimed that he would raise himself again from the dead!

His claims offended the people who didn't believe in the resurrection. He said that he was a king and had authority and power . The despotic rulers didn't like this whether Jews or Romans. There was no doubt that they hated him.

The Ethiopian Eunuch began to see that the description of this Jesus of Nazareth who was crucified and rose again from the dead and ascended up into heaven was the very same man the prophet Isaiah was prophesying about.

Going away Rejoicing !

It was as plain to see as the Jerusalem road he travelled along. Everything began to make sense like a computer program with the last bug fixed. The Ethiopian went away rejoicing! Jesus is indeed the Son of God! Jesus was the only way back to his Maker and God. Jesus is God ! . He came back from the dead within three days! He gave power and authority to simple men to go tell the good news as he went to heaven back to his power and authority, back to his beloved Father who sent him into a rebellious world because He loves and cares about men and women, boys and girls.

For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

Will You ?

Will you have this experience? A changed life, forgiveness and relationship with the Son of God or will you rather live away from your Creator who invites you to come to Him willingly and freely. God forbid!

God help you to understand what you read, not taking offence but seeing your need.

Feel Free to Contact us by writing to the Editor at the address below if you wish to learn more about the Traditional Christian message or 'Biblically Speaking'.

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karl@ketsvc.netkonect.co.uk

Published by: Southview Publications P.O. Box 4124 London SE27 ONY England © 1996

Editor: Karl Thompson