American Christian

AMERICAN CHRISTIAN #56“The Coming ‘Kingdom’”

Interpretation (Part 4)

Every word and every statement have context.  Context is comprised of the immediate context (word or phrase), then the surrounding context (chapters and books), and location of the text – whether it is found in the Old Testament or New Testament. What about the apocalyptic writing where visions come into play?  Additionally, context within Christian theology, although used sparingly, determines the intended meaning of any part of Scripture.  Dr Nichols will walk us through a couple of example passages and show us some surprising context in relation to the “kingdom” in Acts 1:6.

(40 mins)

AMERICAN CHRISTIAN #55“The Allegorical Interpretation of the Good Samaritan”

Interpretation (Part 3)

“I didn’t know that the Word of God meant that!”  Well, in most or some cases, it does not!  What is an allegory?  Reading passages in the Word causes us to come to conclusions, but a passage cannot mean 20 different things, to 20 different people!  But there is an intent of the Author (Holy Spirit) and the inspired author as to what is being addressed.  Today we look at the parable of the Good Samaritan beginning in Luke 10:25. The setup of this passage is, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit the Kingdom of Heaven?”  The Kingdom of Heaven is the context of the parable. We’ll look at the history of this allegory through the eyes of Origen, Augustine and Luther.  But what is Jesus telling us beyond the static of those that came before us?  Also, who is your neighbor?

(36 mins)

AMERICAN CHRISTIAN #54“Let the Word be the Word”

Interpretation (Part 2)

Is a “logos word” better than a “rhema word”?  Are there superior words, as in the form of importance, in the Bible?  What is the foundation of these two words, and which carries more weight?  When hearing from the Lord we should not place our doctrine on the difference between certain words like “logos” and “rhema.”

We’ll investigate from the Greek text found in Acts 10:44 to examine both logos and rhema, how are they used?  Often, we here that there is only one word in the Greek or Aramaic that can describe something, is that true?  Listener, we certainly do hear from God and as sons and daughters, we know He does communicate with us! 

Consider this, what do we do with the (4) words, agape, eros, philia and storge, that are used to describe the word love in the Scriptures? Perhaps you have heard it said that agape love is the highest form of love. Come along with us, as we examine 1 John 4:18-19 and see what Jesus said when He spoke to Peter regarding love.

(33 mins)

American Christian (EP 1)

Founder, Dr. David Nichols (Heart of the Father Ministries) and Rev. Pete Couper open up a discussion about revival.  What is it?  Do Christians in America know about revival?  Are there different kinds of revival?  Are there Old Testament references to revival?  This is Episode One in the series, American Christian.

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 AMERICAN CHRISTIAN #53“Has Your Hand Caused You to Sin?”

Interpretation

In the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 5:30 it states, “And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.”  2 Timothy 3:16-17, says, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”  But how are we to handle figurative language in the Word of God as seen in Mt 5:30?  Dr Nichols sheds light on interpreting the Bible, that it is a divine human encounter where the Word is placed into a human vessel.

(35 mins)

AMERICAN CHRISTIAN #52“Why Do You Believe What You Believe?” (Part 3)

Translations of the Bible

How many translations of the bible are there?  Choosing a translation or using translations of the Word of God is a great way to study.  Whether the translation is literal, dynamic equivalent, paraphrased, all can have their place.  Dr Nichols will help us unravel translations and reminds us that the Word is to correct us, and not for us to correct the Word, it is the authoritative correction we all should desire.

(39 mins)

AMERICAN CHRISTIAN #51“Why Do You Believe What You Believe?” (Part 2)

The Canon - What belongs in the Bible and what does not belong?

The Word of God is nourishment to our spiritual lives, (Dt 32:47). Why is it important to your Christian life to know which writings are God’s words and which are not?  In this episode we will look at where and how the Orthodox, Catholic and Protestant bible made it to the 21st century and other writings did not. 

(35 mins)

AMERICAN CHRISTIAN #50“Why Do You Believe What You Believe?”

Ever heard of the Apocrypha?  Or any of  the “Lost Books of the Bible”?  These are books or writings that the Jews never accepted as Scripture, why they have not been included in the New Testament writings?  Did 5-year-old Jesus turn mud pies into sparrows on the sabbath?   Where do the authoritative Scriptures come from?  What makes them authoritative?  Also, the word “inspiration” (2 Timothy 3:16) translates θεοπνευστος (THEOPNEUSTOS), a Greek word occurring only once in the New Testament. Its meaning, literally, is “God-breathed.”  And, how is the Word of God rightly divided?  Welcome to Hermeneutics 101.

(37 mins)

AMERICAN CHRISTIAN #49“Church government & The Five-Fold Ministry”

Four forms of government, self, family, church and civil, are given to us by God.  In this episode we are going to look at church government; the bishop, elder and deacon as seen in the Scriptures (1Tim 3:1-7; Eph 4:11-12; Eph 2:19-20).  But what about the ascension gifts (5-fold gifts) given by the Head of the Body, Jesus Christ, in the form of apostle, prophet, evangelist, teacher and pastor?  How do these passages in Scriptures support one another and what is considered foundational?

(36 mins)

AMERICAN CHRISTIAN #48“God Opposes Tyranny”

How in the world can we do away with tyranny?  What if revival is taking on the tyranny of the kingdom of hell and the devil??  Being courageous, speaking the truth, walking out the application of the Gospel and encouraging others, all play their part in the destruction of tyranny.  But there is more!  All authority is delegated in the (God established) four realms of government.  They are (1) self-government; (2) family government; (3) church government; and (4) civil government.  Each with its own role, function and jurisdiction.  If one invades the jurisdiction of the other, chaos or tyranny ensues.  We’ll be looking at Luke 10:17-19; Hebrews 2:14-15; Deuteronomy 1:12-17 and Ezra 7:25-26.  How is tyranny broken and destroyed? With the flesh and blood of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.  Sin broken; death overcome!

(35 mins)