BeachCast.TV: Bible Exploration, Apologetics and Church History with Dr. Chase A. Thompson:

In 1st Timothy 5, Paul tells Timothy to drink a little wine for his stomach. What kind of wine was he talking about - fermented with alcohol, or sweet wine that was simple grape juice? Today's episode discusses whether or not Christians can drink wine, and whether or not they SHOULD drink wine.

Happy Four Weeks in Quarantine, everybody - maybe your quarantine has been less than ours? Our Bible readings today are Leviticus 19, Psalms 23 and 24, Ecclesiastes 2 and 1 Timothy 4.

For many people in the past, Psalm 23 was almost as popular and well-known as John 3:16. I am not quite sure that is the case for younger generations, but my generation of church kids was frequently exposed to this Psalm, and for good reason - it is one of the most comforting passages in Scripture! Let's read it and then come back and discuss it. (We'll add Psalms 24 in the reading too, but mostly focus our discussion on 23):

The Lord is my shepherd; I have what I need. 2 He lets me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside quiet waters. 3 He renews my life; he leads me along the right paths for his name's sake. 4 Even when I go through the darkest valley, I fear no danger, for you are with me; your rod and your staff—they comfort me. 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. 6 Only goodness and faithful love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord as long as I live.

Psalm 23

The Shepherd metaphor is abundantly used in Scripture. In modern society, it is considered an insult to call people 'sheep,' or 'sheeple,' but it does not appear to have had the same connotation in Bible times. Human shepherds could be men or women (Rachel, wife of Jacob, was a shepherdess), and though it was not necessarily a high-level job in society, many of the Old Testament's prominent people (Abraham, Moses, King David, Jacob, Abel, the prophet Amos) were shepherds at some point. As we see above, God is a shepherd of his people, and Jesus, in John 10, identifies Himself as 'The Good Shepherd.'

11 "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12 The hired hand, since he is not the shepherd and doesn't own the sheep, leaves them and runs away when he sees a wolf coming. The wolf then snatches and scatters them. 13 This happens because he is a hired hand and doesn't care about the sheep. 14 "I am the good shepherd. I know my own, and my own know me, 15 just as the Father knows me, and I know the Father. I lay down my life for the sheep.

John 10:11-15

In Ezekiel 34, God calls to account the leaders of His people, chastizing them as bad shepherds:

34 The word of the Lord came to me: 2 "Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel. Prophesy, and say to them, 'This is what the Lord God says to the shepherds: Woe to the shepherds of Israel, who have been feeding themselves! Shouldn't the shepherds feed their flock? 3 You eat the fat, wear the wool, and butcher the fattened animals, but you do not tend the flock. 4 You have not strengthened the weak, healed the sick, bandaged the injured, brought back the strays, or sought the lost. Instead, you have ruled them with violence and cruelty. 5 They were scattered for lack of a shepherd; they became food for all the wild animals when they were scattered. 6 My flock went astray on all the mountains and every high hill. My flock was scattered over the whole face of the earth, and there was no one searching or seeking for them. 7 "'Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord. 8 As I live—this is the declaration of the Lord God—because my flock, lacking a shepherd, has become prey and food for every wild animal, and because my shepherds do not search for my flock, and because the shepherds feed themselves rather than my flock, 9 therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord!10 "'This is what the Lord God says: Look, I am against the shepherds. I will demand my flock from them and prevent them from shepherding the flock. The shepherds will no longer feed themselves, for I will rescue my flock from their mouths so that they will not be food for them.

Ezekiel 34:1-10

This gives us great insight into HOW the Lord is our shepherd. He had appointed human leaders and priests to take care of His people, but they were neglecting their 'sheep,' and only taking care of themselves. So God says He is going to do their job, which includes: strengthening the weak, healing the sick, bandaging the injured, bringing back the strays and seeking the lost. Charles Spurgeon has some great insight into this passage, so let's turn to him and read his verse-by verse commentary:

I hope we all know this Psalm by heart; may we also know it by heart-experience! It is a sweet pastoral song just suited to our Sabbath evening worship. There is here no din of arms, no noise of war; but there is a delicious hush, only broken by the gentle tinkling of the sheep bell. God give us that sweet rest to-night! Verse 1. The LORD is my shepherd; All true rest begins with Jesus, as all the comfort of the sheep is provided for them by their shepherd. "The Lord is my shepherd." Is it so? Can you look up, poor defenceless sheep, and say, "The Lord is my shepherd"?

Then comes the blessed inference:—I shall not want. I do not want, I cannot want; I never shall want with such a Shepherd as I have. He will provide for me; more than that, God himself is my provision. All I need I have, for "The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want." I cannot provide for myself, but I shall not want. Famine may come, and others who have no God to go to, may pine and perish; but in the worst season I shall not want, for "The Lord is my shepherd."

He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: I am so weak that I even need God's help to enable me to lie down; but "He maketh me to lie down." Yes, the rest of the soul is so hard to attain that nobody ever does reach it except by the power of God. He who made the heavens must make us to lie down if we are really to rest. What delightful rest it is when we lie down in his pastures, which are always green! Did you ever find them dry? Our Shepherd makes us not only to feed, but so to feed that we lie down in the midst of the pastures. There is more than we can eat, so the Lord makes a couch of it for us: "He maketh me to lie down in green pastures:"

He leadeth me beside the still waters. There is, first, contemplation: "He maketh me to lie down." Then there is activity: "He leadeth me." There is also progress, and there is provision for our advance in the heavenly way: "He leadeth me." He leadeth me beside the waters of quietness; not by the rushing torrents of excitement, nor by the place of noisy strife. "He shall not strive, nor cry; neither shall any man hear his voice in the streets." "He leadeth me beside the still waters." Not, he drives, or drags; but he himself leads, going first to show the way. It is for me to follow, happily to follow, where "He leadeth me beside the still waters."

He restoreth my soul: He can do it at once. He restoreth now. He is a restoring God. "He restoreth my soul." He brings my wandering spirit back when I forsake his ways; and having done that, he leads me, even more carefully than before, for a second time we have the psalmist's declaration, "He leadeth me."

3, 4. He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: Though death's shadow hovers all around me, and damps my spirit, though I feel as though I must die, and cannot bear up under present trial any longer, "Yea, though I walk," for I do walk, I will not quicken my pace, I will not be in a flurry, I will not run for it. Though death itself shall overshadow me, I will keep up my walk with God. Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil." There is none, therefore I will not fear any. We often feel more afraid through our fear itself than through any real cause for fear. Some people seem to be ever on the lookout for fear where there is none. Do not you see any, nor let any enter your heart; say with the psalmist, "I will fear no evil:"—

For thou art with me; Should a sheep fear when the shepherd is with it? What cause has it to fear if that Shepherd is omniscient, omnipotent, and full of tenderness?

Thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thy rule and thy correction: thy rod [of correction], with which I sometimes am made to wince; thy staff, with which I am supported. These are my comforts; why should I fear? Are you drinking in all this precious truth, dear friends? Are you feeling it in your soul's deepest experience?

Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: There is a fight going on, and there are enemies all around. You do not generally have tables set in the hour of battle; but God keeps his people so calm amid the bewildering cry, so confident of victory, that even in the presence of their enemies a table is spread with all the state of a royal banquet. "Thou preparest a table." There is a cloth on the table, there are the ornaments on it, and there are all the accompaniments of a feast: "Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies." They may look on if they like; they may grin, they may wish they could devour, but they cannot sit down at the table, and they cannot prevent me from sitting down at it. Let them blow their trumpets, let them fire their guns: "Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies." It is the very perfection of security and repose that is here described. I know of no expression, not even that of lying down in green pastures, that is more full of restfulness than this: "Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies."

Thou anointest my head with oil; At some feasts, they poured perfumed oils on the heads of the guests, so God will leave out nothing that is for the joy and comfort of his people. "Thou anointest my head with oil." You shall have delicacies as well as necessaries; you shall have joy as well as safety; you shall be prepared for service as well as preserved from destruction.

My cup runneth over. I have not only what I wish, but I have more; not only all I can hold, but something to spare: "My cup runneth over." If this is the case with your cup, dear friend, let it run over in thankful joy; and if you have more of this world's substance than you need, ask the poor and needy to come and catch that which flows over.

Surely— This is another of the psalmist's inferences, and a very sure one. He does not say, "Perhaps," but, "Surely"—

Goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: Here is a prince of the blood royal of heaven attended by two body guards,—goodness and mercy,—which keep close behind him. These are the grooms that ride on the horses of salvation: "Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me." "Goodness"—to provide for me; "mercy"—to blot out my sin. "Goodness and mercy shall follow me,"—not only now and then, but, "all the days of my life." When I get grey-headed and feeble, and have to lean heavily upon my staff, these twin angels shall be close behind to bear me up, and bear me through.

And I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever. Even while I am here in this world, I will be— "No more a stranger or a guest, But like a child at home," dwelling with God; and by-and-by, in the fullest sense, "I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever."

I always compare this Psalm to a lark. It begins on the ground among the sheep, but up it goes till you may hear its blessed notes echoing among the stars: "I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever." It has its nest in the grass of the green pastures; but it flies up like the strains of sweetest music rising even to the skies: "I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever." God grant that this may be the portion of every one of us, for his great name's sake! Amen.

Psalm 23 starts off with a famous declaration: The Lord is our Shepherd. What does this mean? How is the Lord our Shepherd? Should we take comfort in this Bible truth? YES!! Includes a great exposition by Charles Spurgeon.

Happy Tuesday, friends! Tomorrow will mark our 4th week in quarantine here in California, a sentence I never thought I would write for a variety of reasons. Hope you guys are holding tight out there - holding tight to Jesus and His promises, holding tight to each other in love and humble service, and holding tight to the inner-workings and leadings of the Holy Spirit of God! Today, we are continuing in our pursuit of a biblical gender studies degree in discussing a topic that is somewhat controversial, but probably not as much as yesterday's topic. Here is our big Bible questions: What is a deacon, and does the Bible allow women to serve as deacons? Today's Bible passages are: Leviticus 18, Psalms 22, Ecclesiastes 1 and 1 Timothy 3.

So, when I was a kid, I went to church, and I remember two important things about deacons. #1 Deacons were the guys who were most likely to wear a suit to church. #2 I remember going to more than one church service where deacons were ordained, and that was a fascinating thing. The deacon being ordained would sit in a chair - or kneel on the ground - and the other deacons would come and lay hands on him, and whisper in his ear. I think that they were probably praying for him, but young Chase thought they were sharing secrets that were for deacons only, and that was pretty interesting. I'd have given up a pretty hefty amount of my childhood treasures to hear some of those secrets. So - what are deacons, anyway? Are they besuited men that are solemn and tell each other secrets a few times a year? Not really. Let's go to the Bible:

Acts 6:1 6 In those days, as the disciples were increasing in number, there arose a complaint by the Hellenistic Jews against the Hebraic Jews that their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution. 2 The Twelve summoned the whole company of the disciples and said, "It would not be right for us to give up preaching the word of God to wait on tables. 3 Brothers and sisters, select from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and wisdom, whom we can appoint to this duty. 4 But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word." 5 This proposal pleased the whole company. So they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a convert from Antioch. 6 They had them stand before the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them.7 So the word of God spread, the disciples in Jerusalem increased greatly in number, and a large group of priests became obedient to the faith.

Acts 6:1-7

A couple of translations of verse 2:

HCSB: "It would not be right for us to give up preaching about God to handle financial matters. NLT: teaching the word of God, not running a food program.

Wycliffe: we leave the word of God, and minister to boards.

MAYBE THE BEST and MOST ACCURATE: International Children's Bible stop our work of teaching God's word in order to serve tables.

All of these are attempting to translate this phrase: Διακονέn Diakoneōn τράπεζαis trapezais, which means to serve/minister to 4 foots. Deacons were called to bring unity to the early church - to take care of the people's needs and SERVE. A deacon, therefore, is a leader servant who ministers, or a minister who serves in a leading way, or a minister-servant, who leads the rest of the church in ministry/service. Deacons have a lead role in churches as ministers and as servants. Servant is a bad word to many people, but we must remember that Jesus came as a servant, exalted servanthood in His teaching, and proclaimed that - if anybody on earth wanted to be great, they MUST be a servant. Deacons get a head start on that. Let's go to 1 Timothy 3 and read about the qualifications for deacons, and then return and discuss them.

There are a few named deacons in the Bible, and they didn't just help out the church with table-waiting type things. Stephen was a deacon who preached the Word of God powerfully - with SIGNS and WONDERS accompanying his message (see Acts 6:8.) Some teach that only the apostles taught with signs and wonders, but this is not the case. Philip was also a deacon, and he also proclaimed the message of God accompanied by signs/miracles and wonders. So - deacons were and are important in the church and carry out practical and spiritual acts of ministry/service.

What about women? Are women allowed, according to the Bible, to serve as deacons? As I explained in yesterday's show, I am theologically what is known as a Complementarian, which means that I believe men and women have equal value and worth, but different roles in the Kingdom of God and the family. Paul wrote yesterday in 1 Timothy 2, that he did not allow a woman to have authority over a man, and in 1 Timothy 3, and Titus, he is going lay out two major offices in the church: Elders/overseers and deacons. We'll talk about elders/overseers in a few days - probably when we get to Titus, but most (but not all!) Protestants equate elders/overseers with pastors/shepherds, and I believe that, from everything I can see in Scripture, that the office of pastor/shepherd should be a male. Practically every Complementarian agrees with that position. Practically every Egalitarian - which is a school of thought that says the Bible does not differentiate at all between the sexes in terms of role and function, does not. More on that in a few days. The one area where many Bible-believing Complementarians don't necessarily agree on is in our question of the day: Does the Bible allow for women to be deaconesses. Let's consider a couple of Bible passages:

I commend to you our sister Phoebe, who is a servant of the church in Cenchreae. everything.

Romans 16:1 CSB

I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a deacon of the church in Cenchreae.

Romans 16:1 NIV

So - two translations, with two different words! The issue, as you might have guessed, is that the Greek word 'Διακονέn Diakoneōn' can be translated as 'deaconess' OR 'servant.' So - was Paul commending Phoebe as a deaconess, or as a servant? That's the rub, and our big question of the day!

Here is my take on the issue: in 1st Timothy and Titus, Paul gives qualifications for elders/overseers and deacons. That seems to me, and to many churches, to be two different offices in the church. The elders seem to be tasked with leading and teaching, and the deacons with serving and ministering. Some churches, however - particularly baptist churches - seem to blend those two offices into one office, and usually call that one office a 'deacon.' In those cases when that happens, the deacons usually serve as a hybrid of deacons and elders. Other churches have two separate offices - the deacons serve and minister, and the elders lead and preach. When a church is set up in that manner, I see no scriptural issue whatsoever with having female deacons, because the Bible makes it very clear that there were women who did have powerful ministry and serving roles in the early church, including Phoebe, Chloe, Philip's daughters (who prophesied), Priscilla, and many others. When the primary role of deacons in a church is to minister and serve, then I believe that it is a good thing to have female deacons, because I believe the Bible is very clear that ALL are called to minister/serve - men and women. Three very prominent Baptists, who are also Complementarians, agree wholeheartedly with this, John Piper, David Platt, John Calvin and Thomas Schreiner:

Were Women Deacons? By John Piper Probably yes. There are four observations that incline me to think that this office was held by both men and women. 1. The Greek word for deacon can be masculine or feminine in the same form. So the word itself does not settle the issue. 2. In the middle of the qualifications for deacons in 1 Timothy 3:8-13 Paul says, "The women likewise must be serious, no slanderers, but temperate, faithful in all things." This could be the wives of the deacons, but could also be the women deacons. The latter is suggested by the fact that no reference to women is made in 3:1-7. Since women were not candidates for the eldership in the New Testament (1 Timothy 2:12-13) because of its authoritative function in teaching and oversight, the absence of the reference to women in 1 Timothy 3:1-7 would be expected. But this confirms the probability that the reference to women in 3:11 is to women deacons, not merely to wives of deacons. 3. The deacons were distinguished from the elders in that they were not the governing body in the church nor were they charged with the duty of authoritative teaching. So the role of deacon seems not to involve anything that Paul taught in1 Timothy 2:12 (or anywhere else) which is inappropriate for women to perform in the church. 4. In Romans 16:1, Phoebe is very probably called a deacon. "I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a deacon(ess) of the church at Cenchreae, that you may receive her in the Lord as befits the saints, and help her in whatever she may require from you, for she has been a helper of many and of myself as well." It appears then that the role of deacon is of such a nature that nothing stands in the way of women's full participation in it. Within the deaconate itself, the way the men and women relate to each other would be guided by the sense of appropriateness, growing out of the Biblical teaching of male and female complementarity.

https://www.desiringgod.org/messages/biblical-eldership-session-1

Some worry that appointing women as deacons violates 1 Timothy 2:12, where women are prohibited from teaching or exercising authority over men. We must recognize, however, that deacons occupy a different position from elders/pastors/overseers. The latter is one office, as Ben Merkle has convincingly argued, in which two qualities are required that are not required of deacons. First, elders must have an ability to teach biblical truth and correct deviant teaching (1 Tim. 3:2; 5:17; Titus 1:9). Second, they must have gifts of leadership (1 Tim. 3:4–5; 5:17; Titus 1:7). And remarkably, teaching and exercising authority over men is the very thing disallowed for women in 1 Timothy 2:12. Women therefore may serve as deacons because the diaconal office is one of serving, not leading. Deacons don't teach and exercise authority, but rather help in the church's ministry.

In many Baptist churches, deacons along with the staff pastor or pastors lead the church, but in these instances the deacons are really functioning as elders—and in such cases the deacons should be called elders, pastors, or overseers.

The earliest evidence we have is that deacons helped care for the poor and sick. There is some freedom in how deacons serve, since the New Testament doesn't prescribe precise responsibilities. In the church I serve as an elder, deacons carry out many responsibilities. We have role-specific diaconates—that is, deacons of finance, of hospitality, of ushering, of greeting, of building maintenance, of sound, and so on. The deacons don't meet together regularly as a group, since their tasks differ dramatically.

Christians who love God's Word differ on whether women may serve as deacons, but the evidence presented here suggests they may do so. And in such a ministry they are a great blessing to the church, and the women who serve are encouraged as they use their gifts.

Thomas Schreiner, pastor and professor at the Southern Baptist Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/bible-support-female-deacons-yes/

Platt Secret Church 2010: And the last question there, what about women? We've seen that elders are men. What about deacons? And basically there are two schools of thought on this one. Can women be deacons? There are two schools of thought. One says yes and the other says no. So here's the deal... there are Bible-believing scholars and pastors that I respect greatly that are on both sides of this picture. Some of you might be thinking, "Well, look at 1st Timothy 3, like, it's pretty easy. Like, it says, 'Deacons must be dignified, not double-tongued,' et cetera. And then it says in 11, 'Their wives, likewise, must be dignified, not slanderous, but servant-minded, faithful in all things. Each deacon can be the husband of one wife.'" So some say, "Well, that just – it's that easy."

I don't think it's necessarily that easy here. Four things I want you to think about that point to what I think is a possibility that, yes, yes, women can be deacons in the church. And I want you to follow with me. Number one, consider the translation. When you get to verse 11 there, and you probably have a note, and it's not here, but in your Bible you'd have a note that's at the bottom that says the "their" there is – the "their" there – their wives there, is it not in some manuscripts? And the picture is, many people, many Bible scholars, believe that this is just talking about women. And there's ambiguity there. Consider the transition here. Paul transitions at that point in the same way that he transitioned when he went from elders to deacons, then to the third picture of what some would say deaconesses.

Consider the elder's wives, like, "Why did he not say anything about elder's wives, especially when an elder had more responsibility in the home and more leadership responsibility in the church in a sense? They said nothing about elder's wives." And then consider what I call the Phoebe factor. Romans 16:1, "I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a servant of the church at Cenchreae," and the Word there for servant is deaconess, deaconess, which would seem to point to a deacon role.

Now, here's the deal. What I think is important, because there are all kinds of different pictures of church structure represented around this room. And there are churches represented in this room that, if I could be honest, deacons basically serve as elders. And deacons are more of an overseeing body. If that's the case in a church then I would not say, then, women should be deacons, because that – they're basically serving as elders in an overall role. But when it comes to, okay, somebody leading out in a hospitality ministry, somebody leading out in a variety of different ministries and you look in the New Testament and you see 17 different women that Paul mentions that are in significant leadership positions in the church doing different things in the church, serving in different ways in the church. I think the reality is if we have a proper understanding of elders and deacons and where they fit, I think it makes total sense that it's certainly possible. So how it all works – every member of the church as a minister of the gospel. Ephesians 4, makes that clear: Every member of the church, minister.

David Platt - Secret Church, 2010

"He first commends to them Phoebe, to whom he gave this Epistle (of Romans) to be brought to them; and, in the first place, he commends her on account of her office, for she performed a most honorable and a most holy function in the Church; and then he adduces another reason why they ought to receive her and to show her every kindness, for she had always been a helper to all the godly." John Calvin, Commentary on Romans.

"Deaconesses were created not to appease God with songs or unintelligible mumbling, not to live the rest of the time in idleness, but to discharge the public ministry of the church toward the poor and to strive with all zeal, constancy, and diligence in the task of love." John Calvin, Institutes, IV. XIII. 19.

Deacons were amazingly used by God in the Bible - both in acts of service, like distributing food to the poor in Acts 6 and in powerful preaching, as seen by Stephen and Philip in Acts 7-9. What is a deacon, actually? Leaders in the church? Ministers? Servants? Preachers? Does the Bible allow women to be deacons? We'll hear from John Piper, David Platt, Thomas Schreiner and John Calvin on that question today.

Happy Monday, friends! How was your celebration of the resurrection yesterday? Ours was obviously radically different. For one, the quarantine, for two, all of us lived in Alabama until the Summer of 2018, so this was our second Easter apart from our family back home in Dixie. Our church was not able to gather together in person in one room or place, but two interesting things happened. First, for the live-stream of our church's Easter celebration, we had so many people play a role. Three different worship teams - one a husband, wife and friend who led from our church building, another one of our deacons leading from his home, and then my wife and our two eldest daughters leading from our house, with an assist from my son reading Scripture. In addition to that, we had testimonies and encouraging words and Scriptures from at least seven other families, and then a short message from me. I was exhilarated and encouraged by hearing from so many of our church family. As we discussed last week, the church isn't just made up of a pastor and worship team, but a whole family gifted to reach the lost, build each other up, and serve the King.

And then, we had an extra treat in the afternoon. My wife and daughters, joined with our pastor neighbor and his family for a time of worship outside in the afternoon. They played and sang from their yard, and we from ours, maintaining more than six feet of distance. Other neighbors came and joined in - all maintaining distance, with one family across the street. Four churches were represented. It wasn't a huge crowd, and it wasn't the most polished worship set ever, but it was really amazing and exhilarating to experience. Our together-celebration was lowered, but our proclamation was increased in a variety of ways. Thanks be to God.

As you might have noticed, I sometimes steer clear of controversy on this show. There is a reason for that, and it is not that I want to avoid controversy. The main reason I avoid it is because biblical controversy is best handled in a local church setting, in the midst of relationships and leadership and pastoring. Where questions and discussion can happen face to face and unfold via relationship. A podcast just doesn't allow that to happen. I don't avoid every controversial passage, but do dance around a few that I'd be much rather cover in our local church context. That said, we're not going to steer so broadly around controversy today. We're going to turn the bow of this ship into the storm. We're not going straight into the middle of this storm, and by that metaphor, I mean I am not going to answer every possible objection and issue some might have with 1 Timothy 2, but I do want to give at least the beginnings of an answer. Batten down the hatches!

1st Timothy 2 is quite the controversial passage. Who does Paul think he is to tell women how to dress and to be quiet? Well, I'm not going to dive deep into this, but I will share a couple of things. In 1st Timothy 2, Paul does indeed tell women to dress in Kosmios/κόσμιος apparel. This is a difficult word to translate well, because it only appears twice in the Bible. The other time it appears is in 1 Timothy 3:

An overseer, therefore, must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, self-controlled, sensible, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, 3 not an excessive drinker, not a bully but gentle, not quarrelsome, not greedy.

1 Timothy 3:2

The same word that is translated as 'modest' in 1 Timothy 2 is translated as 'respectable' in 1 Timothy 3. So, Paul in one passage tells women to dress in this way, and in the second passage tells church leaders to behave and have this kind of character. Sensible/modest/appropriate. Who does this guy think he is? And the answer is that he is, under the inspiration and direction of the Holy Spirit, writing the Words and commands of God. That's what the Word of God is for. It is to tell us how God wants us to live, how to please Him. Sometimes that manifests itself in how we dress, sometimes in how we behave. We are followers of God, and we follow Him via His Word:

16 All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, 17 so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

2nd Timothy 3:16-17

Ok, I hear you saying - I guess some of that makes sense, but what about this WOMEN MUST BE SILENT business. That just sounds ridiculous, sexist, and old-fashioned. I can appreciate where you are coming from, but I don't think that 'sexism' is the right conclusion, and I think I can come pretty close to proving that. First, allow me to say that I am what is called a biblical Complementarian theologically. That means I believe that God has given men and women equal worth and value, but different roles in the earthly Kingdom of God. Not everybody agrees with that, but I believe that it is beautiful when practiced biblically, with no hint of selfish sexism. Take Ephesians 5:

22 Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord, 23 because the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church. He is the Savior of the body. 24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives are to submit to their husbands in everything.

Ephesians 5:22-24

WHOA! How can it NOT be sexist to ask wives to submit to their husbands?! Have you met men?! Yeah, I get it. But, let's back out a little bit and see the verse in its context:

21 submitting to one another in the fear of Christ. 22 Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord, 23 because the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church. He is the Savior of the body. 24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives are to submit to their husbands in everything. 25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself for her 26 to make her holy, cleansing her with the washing of water by the word. 27 He did this to present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or anything like that, but holy and blameless. 28 In the same way, husbands are to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 For no one ever hates his own flesh but provides and cares for it, just as Christ does for the church, 30 since we are members of his body. 31 For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. 32 This mystery is profound, but I am talking about Christ and the church. 33 To sum up, each one of you is to love his wife as himself, and the wife is to respect her husband.

Ephesians 5:21-33

So - this gives us a little bit of a clearer picture as to what is going on here. Paul calls wives to submit to their husbands, and I believe that is the Word of God. Keep reading - Paul then calls husbands to love their wives like Christ loved the church - by providing and caring for her. How did Christ take care of His church? BY DYING for it!! So - wives are called to SUBMIT. Husbands are called to SACRIFICE. Which of those two 'S' words are easier? Is it easier to sacrifice your wants/needs/desires/safety/physical well-being for another? To endure pain for them so that they don't have to? To utterly give yourself for them? OR is it easier to submit to a person - an imperfect person?! The fact is that BOTH of those things are hard. You might believe that husbands and wives should EQUALLY submit to each other and EQUALLY sacrifice for each other. You're entitled to your opinion, but that's not how the Bible lays it out. Husbands must sacrifice themselves for their wives. Wives are called to submit to their husbands.

Is that sexist? I think a husband demanding submission who is unwilling to sacrifice is indeed sexist and sinful and abhorrent and a perversion of marriage. The greatest possible perversion of marriage is husband to wife physical or mental or emotional abuse. That a man could be called to sacrifice himself for his wife, and rather than do that, he abuses her? That is an abomination, and it is infuriating, and such men will face incredibly harsh judgment. They should be in JAIL on earth, and tortured in eternity. Likewise, I think a wife who demands her husband sacrifice himself for her (in the way Christ laid down His life for the church) and then refusing to follow His Godly leadership is also sexist, in a way. Husbands are to bear the bulk of sacrifice in the relationship, though wives should sacrifice for their husbands from time to time. Wives are to bear the bulk of the submission in the relationship, though husbands should certainly submit to their wives in things from time to time, as is fitting in an Ephesians 5:22 sort of way. That is what I believe the Bible teaches. Does that make me sexist? I don't think so, but you can feel free to think of me that way. Ultimately, I want to please God and love my wife well.

Back to the silence thing. First of all, let me say that I believe the translators of the KJV somehow missed it when they translated the Greek word 'ἡσυχία hēsychía' as 'silence.' I think the translators of the CSB got the sense of the word much better by using the word 'quiet.' I do not believe that Paul is here forbidding women to speak in the least. First of all, etymologically, it comes from a root word that means to 'be settled.' For instance, consider a passage that uses the same word:

12 Now we command and exhort such people by the Lord Jesus Christ to work quietly and provide for themselves.

2 Thessalonians 3:12

Is 2 Thessalonians 3:12 - directed at men and women - a command to be silent? It certainly doesn't appear that way. 'Silent' doesn't make any sense whatsoever in that passage. Quiet does. Being settled does. Since Paul is writing to Timothy about pastoring, and since he is about to introduce the topic of elders/pastors, I believe the context is 1 Timothy 2 in about how women should act during a church gathering when they are being taught. I note here that the same word is used of the men in Acts 22:

"Brothers and fathers, listen now to my defense before you." 2 When they heard that he was addressing them in Aramaic, they became even quieter

Acts 22:2

In other words, the men were listening and being quiet - which seems somewhat appropriate for some church services. (Although I actually like interaction in teaching quite often - as did Jesus, Paul and others) So - is Paul telling women to dress modestly, be quiet and submit? It all depends on how you frame it. Framed in a biblical way, those commands make sense and are lovely and beneficial for all. Paul does indeed tell men to be work in a quiet/sensible matter, to submit to all governing authorities, to sacrifice for their wives, to be gentle to them and never harsh, to not ever be bitter with her, and to love/take care of her in the same way the husband takes care of himself.

Beloved: There are commands in the Bible from God. Some of them are written to women. Some to men. Some to children. Some - many - to pastors/shepherds/leaders. Some to followers. Some to moms. Some to fathers. Some to bosses, some to workers. This is what is meant by the Lordship of Christ. This is what is meant by 'following Him.' If you don't want to be told how to live life and what to do, you are going to struggle with the Bible and following Jesus completely.

If you think you can pick some verses and commands to really love and follow and then rule the others as archaic and dated, then God isn't Lord -you are. You are the arbiter of your behavior in that scenario. This sort of approach doesn't work as workers in the workplace, nor as law-abiding citizens under traffic laws, etc., or as students in school, nor soldiers in the military, and it sure doesn't work under the authority of the King of Kings. Is He good? Do you trust Him? Is He really working all things for the good of those who know Him and are called according to His purposes? He is - so follow Him and trust His ways and commands. It's not easy to sacrifice for my wife, but I must. I'm sure it can often be difficult for her to follow my leadership, but I can sure help with that by sacrificing for her, by being gentle, taking care of her, loving her, listening to her, cherishing her, and by never being bitter or harsh with her, or the kids.

One more thing: The beginning of this passage is important and often ignored by Christians. I can't think of a time in my lifetime that it has been more important for Christians to walk in and embrace the whole truth and counsel of the beginning of 1 Timothy 2:

First of all, then, I urge that petitions, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for everyone, 2 for kings and all those who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. 3 This is good, and it pleases God our Savior, 4 who wants everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

1 Timothy 2:1-4

This is an hour to pray for our leaders. Whatever you think of our president, vice president, governor and congressional leaders - HIT YOUR KNEES and pray for them! Let me be very clear - this is not a partisan text in the least. It means that Christians should have been crying out to God for Barack Obama and Bill Clinton with the same amount of vigor and fervor as they cry out to God for Donald Trump and George W. Bush. There is not a president beyond the reach of God's hand, nor is there a world leader that we should not pray for. Allow me to close with some thoughts from a younger John Piper on our calling as Christians to pray for our world leaders, and allow me to challenge you to raise the level of your prayers for our leaders - in these desperate times, we must pray that they repent, that they listen to wisdom, that they seek the Lord and that God would work mightily through them. Not just our favorites, but all of them. If I'm a sailor on a boat going through a terrific storm, and I have a number of disagreements with our ship's captain, you'd better believe I'm going to be rooting for him and praying for him in the midst of the storm, because I don't want to go down with the ship. That's logical. Plus, we have this clear command to do so, and it has no exceptions!

After Paul has stressed that we pray for all men, he singles out kings "and all in high positions" to make sure that we include them. Why? It is clear from verses 4–7 that what Paul wants to emphasize is that nobody be excluded from our good will, for nobody is beyond the grace of God. Why then do kings and those in high positions come in for special mention? I can see at least two reasons.

The first is that these people had characteristics that made it especially difficult for the early Christians (and for us) to pray for them. For example, they were so distant, so remote, if not in actual miles, then at least in accessibility. It is hard to pray earnestly for someone you don't know, and especially hard to pray for somebody you never see. Yet, this difficulty must be overcome, Paul says. You must pray for them: emperors like Nero, proconsuls like Gallio, governors like Pilate, kings like Herod. They may seem remote and inaccessible, but remember, they are not remote and inaccessible to God. And by prayer you can get as close as one of their intimate advisers.

Another characteristic that makes rulers hard to pray for is that they are often godless men, insensitive to the promptings of the Holy Spirit. This was almost universally true in Paul's day. And in most countries around the world today I think it would still be true. I am not automatically enthused when a politician claims to have had a religious experience. It does not matter where or when we have lived, to obey God's command to pray for all in high positions will involve us in praying for many people indifferent or hostile to our faith.

But this should not cause us to hesitate one moment to pray for them, first, because God may save them and bring them to a knowledge of the truth, and second, because God uses rulers to accomplish his purposes whether they believe in him or not. When God wanted to punish his rebellious people, Israel, he turned the haughty king of Assyria into the rod of his anger (Isaiah 10:5) and stirred him up to attack Israel. Once Nebuchadnezzar, the great king of Babylon, said to himself:

Is not this great Babylon which I have built by my mighty power as a royal residence and for the glory of my majesty? (Daniel 4:30)

And God took away his reason and made him eat grass like an ox until he learned this lesson (Daniel 4:34, 35):

The dominion of the Most High is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom endures from generation to generation; all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing; and he does according to his will in the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth, and none can stay his hand, or say to him, "What doest thou?"

No king, no president, no premier, no Ayatollah can stay the hand of the Lord when he has purposed to do a thing. "The king's heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord; he turns it wherever he will" (Proverbs 21:1). "Many are the plans of the mind of a man (of a king!), but it is the purpose of the Lord that will be established" (Proverbs 19:21).

Therefore, we have strong encouragement to pray for kings and for all in high positions, whether they are believers or not, because our God reigns, and none can stay his hand!

John Piper, Sermons from John Piper (1980–1989) (Minneapolis, MN: Desiring God, 2007).

Usually we somewhat avoid controversy, today we're headed straight in! Is the Bible sexist at all? (no!) If the Bible isn't sexist, why does Paul tell women to be modest and quiet in 1 Timothy 2 - what's going on with that? \ Also - a sincere call from the Word of God to pray for our government officials.

Happy Resurrection day, friends! On this day, and every day, let us rejoice and celebrate the most significant event that has ever happened - the day death was defeated. Shoutout to the guy in the Greensboro/High Point North Carolina area who downloaded 95 episodes of the show yesterday. I don't see who downloads the show, of course, but when somebody downloads 95 episodes in one day, it jumps out on the stats, and I always look where they are from. 95 episodes of this show would equate to well over 50 hours of content. I'll be praying for you, brother or sister. ;)

Whether you are quarantined in your house, or somehow able to gather with other believers - nothing diminishes the glory and joy of the resurrection of Jesus! If you don't have an online church to worship with, allow me to invite you to join the livestream of Valley Baptist church today at 11AM pacific. Just go to Facebook and type in VBC Salinas, and join us!

On almost every episode of the show so far, we have focused on the Bible passages we read for the day, and we will continue in that vein, by and large. Today is an exception. Today, we briefly focus on the glorious resurrection of Jesus! Our Bible passages will include: Leviticus 16, Psalms 19, Proverbs 30 and 1 Timothy 1. Our focus question comes from Luke 24:

On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came to the tomb, bringing the spices they had prepared. 2 They found the stone rolled away from the tomb. 3 They went in but did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 While they were perplexed about this, suddenly two men stood by them in dazzling clothes. 5 So the women were terrified and bowed down to the ground. "Why are you looking for the living among the dead?" asked the men. 6 "He is not here, but he has risen! Remember how he spoke to you when he was still in Galilee, 7 saying, 'It is necessary that the Son of Man be betrayed into the hands of sinful men, be crucified, and rise on the third day'?" 8 And they remembered his words.

Luke 24:1-8

Why, indeed, were the women coming to the tomb to embalm the body of Jesus? Hadn't He told them that He would be raised from the dead on the third day?! In answering that question, I'd like to read you a portion from my book Easter Fact or Fiction, which is available on Amazon, and when you buy a copy, you can get out of one hour of purgatory. Okay, that's probably not true.

I know it is old school and quite dated, but I love the song "He's Alive" by Don Francisco. That old hippie can sing, and every time I hear the song, I cry tears of gratitude. If you aren't familiar with the song, here is the first part of the lyrics:

The gates and doors were barred And all the windows fastened down I spent the night in sleeplessness And rose at every sound Half in hope of sorrow And half in fear the day Would find the soldiers breakin' through To drag us all away And just before the sunrise I heard something at the wall The gate began to rattle And a voice began to call I hurried to the window Looked down into the street Expecting swords and torches And the sound of soldiers' feet But there was no one there but Mary So I went down to let her in John stood there beside me As she told me where she'd been She said they've moved Him in the night And none of us know where The stone's been rolled away And now His body isn't there We both ran towards the garden Then John ran on ahead We found the stone and empty tomb Just the way that Mary said But the winding sheet they wrapped Him in Was just an empty shell And how or where they'd taken Him Was more than I could tell Oh something strange had happened there Just what I did not know John believed a miracle But I just turned to go Circumstance and speculation Couldn't lift me very high 'Cause I'd seen them crucify Him Then I saw Him die. (He's Alive - Don Francisco)

I'm getting teary-eyed just reading the lyrics! The truth that Francisco's song captures so well is the fact that the disciples DID NOT EXPECT JESUS TO RETURN FROM DEATH! Even though He had told them multiple times that He would rise again on the third day, they either didn't understand, or take Him seriously at all, despite the fact that, according to Matthew, He plainly told the disciples THREE times, at least, that He would die and be raised up again. In fact, Matthew 27:63 notes that even the chief priests and the Pharisees knew that Jesus had said He would rise again; that is why they requested a guard to prevent anybody from rolling the stone away from the tomb! So, of course, since Jesus told them that He would rise again on the third day, the disciples made a field trip to the graveyard that Sunday to wait, right? Right?! This is something I have never really understood about those guys. I don't know that I would have believed that Jesus could come back from such a terrible and bloody death as the one represented by His crucifixion, but I do think I would have made the walk over to the cemetery Sunday morning just to see if something might happen, wouldn't you have at least done that?

The fact that NONE of the disciples of Jesus went to the grave that Sunday morning clearly demonstrates that they were not slack-jawed yokels that would believe anything because they were so primitive and dumb. They knew death was final just like people in 2017 know that death is final. In fact, due to most deaths occurring in and around homes (and not in hospitals) they were probably more exposed to death than most moderns are, and thus more confronted regularly by its hostility and finality.

C.S. Lewis calls the view that the ancients were dumb, primitive and uninformed, "chronological snobbery." While it is true that they didn't have iPhones, and they couldn't call an Uber to get around to places, the fact is that they were actually quite intelligent, not jaded, and fully aware of the finality of death.

While the disciples didn't show up at the tomb of Jesus on the third day. The faithful women certainly did surely they would be waiting with eager joy to see the promised return of their messiah, right? Actually, the women didn't come to greet a resurrected Jesus, they came laden with burial spices, wondering who would roll away the tomb door. They came to prepare the corpse of Jesus for eons of rotting in a tomb. Even the faithful women did not believe that Jesus would be bodily resurrected.Not only that, but even when Jesus appeared to the disciples in person

after the Resurrection, the Bible states that "some doubted." We might assume that first century people were much more likely to believe that somebody could rise from the dead, than we moderns would be, but the evidence shows that they would be just as incredulous – if not more so – than modern, scientifically oriented people. That they had a prompt change of heart about the possibility of resurrection demonstrates and gives some level of proof that something happened to change their mind and take away their doubts.One more bit of evidence to the idea that the disciples and followers of Jesus were not expecting a resurrection. As noted in the Scripture quoted at the beginning of this chapter, a follower named Cleopas and his unnamed friend were walking on the Emmaus road on the first Easter Sunday. Despite the fact that Jesus had been raised from the dead, and had already appeared to the women at the tomb, Cleopas and the other disciple were discouraged and arguing. Surely they must have been discouraged because they hadn't heard Jesus was raised from the dead yet, correct? Unfortunately, that is not the case. According to Luke 24, Cleopas and friend had indeed been told that the women had seen the resurrected Jesus in the flesh! Why were they discouraged? Because they DID NOT believe the women! They were so certain of the finality of death that, despite Jesus' multiple statements that He would rise after death, and despite hearing about the women's claims to have seen Jesus, they still didn't believe. This clearly demonstrates that the majority of the disciples and followers of Jesus fully expected Him to stay dead, and also demonstrates the high unlikelihood of their being involved in some sort of resurrection scam.

Were the followers of Jesus primitive and ignorant slack-jawed-yokels that didn't understand anything about death or science, and therefore could have been easily tricked? Did they somehow invent the resurrection of Jesus because they wanted to believe it so badly? It turns out that the disciples of Jesus and the women that followed Him were just as certain about the finality of death as modern man is.

Happy Easter-Eve, friends! Whether you celebrate Easter or not, do allow me to prod and urge you to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus this Sunday - and EVERY Sunday! Our celebration in many churches will be muted in the sense that we won't physically be together, but I have resolved to make my proclamation of the resurrection louder than ever, and I hope you join me! We've even 'decorated' outside this year, for perhaps the first time ever. Not with bunnies and eggs, but with messages about the resurrection, and I'm planning on giving away as many resurrection books as I possibly can tomorrow and Saturday to those that walk by our house. (We live in a very walky neighborhood.)

Our front yard, thanks to my wife and kids!

Shoutout to Pradeep Kumar who left an interesting comment on the Biblereadingpodcast.com site yesterday: Comment: Dear sir Please explain what's end times and how can we save ourselves from this Dire consequences. Thanking you Yours sincerely Pradeep kumar

Pradeep - I have good news for you! Today we are indeed talking about the end times and salvation from its dire consequences through Jesus, the savior and deliverer. Our focus passage today is mostly based on yesterday's reading, which was split into a two parter, as I am endeavoring now more than ever to keep episodes just under 30 minutes a day as often as possible. That said, one of our readings today, 2nd Thessalonians 3, seems to echo back to 2nd Thessalonians 2, so that is something to consider.

3 But the Lord is faithful; he will strengthen and guard you from the evil one

2 Thessalonians 3:3

Our Bible readings for today include Leviticus 15, which is on bodily discharges, and is a chapter I would not at all be able to read through in sixth grade without losing it. And also, Psalms 18, Proverbs 29 and the aforementioned 2 Thessalonians 3 passage. I'm cheating a bit, hope that's ok, but the focus question is mostly derived from yesterday's reading of 2 Thessalonians 2:

3 Don't let anyone deceive you in any way. For that day will not come unless the apostasy comes first and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. 4 He opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he sits in God's temple, proclaiming that he himself is God.5 Don't you remember that when I was still with you I used to tell you about this? 6 And you know what currently restrains him, so that he will be revealed in his time. 7 For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work, but the one now restraining will do so until he is out of the way, 8 and then the lawless one will be revealed. The Lord Jesus will destroy him with the breath of his mouth and will bring him to nothing at the appearance of his coming. 9 The coming of the lawless one is based on Satan's working, with all kinds of false miracles, signs, and wonders, 10 and with every wicked deception among those who are perishing. They perish because they did not accept the love of the truth and so be saved.

2 Thessalonians 2:3-10

So - to quickly summarize yesterday, Paul is telling the Thessalonians church (and us, by extension) that, though they may have heard about rumors that Jesus had come back, to not be alarmed, because He hasn't returned (at the time of Paul's writing) and that TWO very noticable and important things would have to happen BEFORE Jesus returned. Those two things are the apostasy/rebellion we discussed yesterday, and the revealing of the Man of Lawlessness that we will discuss today. Before we discuss more about this individual, let's talk a little about one practical implication of what Paul is saying here. One way to read this passage is to say that, there's no way whatsoever that Jesus' return is imminent - could happen at any moment - because the apostasy hasn't happened and the lawless man hasn't been revealed. The problem with that statement is that Jesus taught His return would be a bit of a surprise - even to believers - and that we wouldn't know when it would be. The possibility exists that the man of lawlessness has indeed been revealed (I doubt he will have an M.O.L. tattoo on his forehead), and the apostasy that Paul has spoken of might have happened, or be happening. The western church has seen a remarkable amount of professing believers turn away in the last decade or so - could that be the apostasy? I don't think so, but it COULD be.

My favorite theologian, Wayne Grudem, addresses this issue by quoting a number of Bible passages that declare the seeming imminence of the return of Jesus, and then

The end of all things is at hand. (1 Peter 4:7)

But the day of the Lord will come like a thief and then the heavens will pass away with a loud noise, and the elements will be dissolved with fire, and the earth and all the works that are upon it will be burned up. (2 Peter 3:10)

The time is near. (Rev. 1:3)

Behold, I am coming soon. (Rev. 22:7)

Behold, I am coming soon bringing my recompense, to repay everyone for what he has done. (Rev. 22:12)

He who testifies to these things says, "Surely I am coming soon." Amen. Come, Lord Jesus! (Rev. 22:20)

What shall we say to these passages? If there were no passages in the New Testament about signs that would precede Christ's return, we would probably conclude from the passages just quoted that Jesus could come at any moment. In this sense, we can say that Christ's return is imminent.7 It would seem to blunt the force of the commands to be ready and to watch if there was a reason to think that Christ would not come soon....

Except for the spectacular signs in the heavens, it is unlikely but possible that these signs have already been fulfilled. Moreover, the only sign that seems certainly not to have occurred, the darkening of the sun and moon and the falling of the stars, could occur within the space of a few minutes, and therefore it seems appropriate to say that Christ could now return at any hour of the day or night. It is therefore unlikely but certainly possible that Christ could return at any time.

But does this position do justice to the warnings that we should be ready and that Christ is coming at a time we do not expect? Is it possible to be ready for something that we think unlikely to happen in the near future? Certainly it is. Everyone who wears a seatbelt when driving, or purchases auto insurance, gets ready for an event he or she thinks to be unlikely.23 In a similar way it seems possible to take seriously the warnings that Jesus could come when we are not expecting him, and nonetheless to say that the signs preceding his coming will probably yet occur in the future.

This position has positive spiritual benefits as we seek to live the Christian life in the midst of a rapidly changing world. In the ebb and flow of world history, we see from time to time events that could be the final fulfillment of some of these signs. They happen, and then they fade away. During the blackest days of World War II, it seemed very likely that Hitler was the antichrist. During times of persecution against the church, it can seem more likely that Christians are in the middle of the great tribulation. When we hear of earthquakes and famines and wars, it makes us wonder if the coming of Christ might not be near. Then these events fade into the background and world leaders pass off the scene, and the tide of events leading to the end of the age seems to have receded for a time.

Then once again a new wave of events will break on the world scene, and once again our expectation of Christ's return is increased. With each successive "wave" of events, we do not know which one will be the last. And this is good, because God does not intend us to know. He simply wants us to continue to long for Christ's return and to expect that it could occur at any time. It is spiritually unhealthy for us to say that we know that these signs have not occurred, and it seems to stretch the bounds of credible interpretation to say that we know that these signs have occurred. But it seems to fit exactly in the middle of the New Testament approach toward Christ's return to say that we do not know with certainty if these events have occurred. Responsible exegesis, an expectation of Christ's sudden return, and a measure of humility in our understanding, are all three preserved in this position.

Wayne A. Grudem, Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine (Leicester, England; Grand Rapids, MI: Inter-Varsity Press; Zondervan Pub. House, 2004), 1104–1105.

I wholeheartedly agree with Grudem. It does not appear that the events foretold in Scripture to happen before the return of Jesus have happened, but I could be mistaken, and Jesus commanded us to be alert, ready, and working according to the Master's will, so that He would bless us when He returns, so that is what I want to be about the business of doing.

Let's talk about the Man of Lawlessness. Who in the world is this referring to? As Grudem mentioned, many guesses have been made over the years as to who this individual is: Hitler, Napoleon, Nero, Nicolae Carpathia, and many others. Thus far, all of those guesses have been mostly wrong, but John does tell us that there will be many antichrists in 1st John 2:18. Let's go back to Grudem for more on the Man of Lawlessness/Antichrist:

Many attempts have been made throughout history to identify the man of lawlessness (the "antichrist") with historical figures who had great authority and brought havoc and devastation among people on the earth. The ancient Roman emperors Nero and Domitian, both of whom severely persecuted Christians, were thought by many to be the antichrist. (Many Roman emperors, including these two, claimed deity for themselves and demanded to be worshiped.) In more recent times Adolf Hitler was commonly thought to be the antichrist, as was Joseph Stalin. On the other hand, many Protestants since the Reformation, especially those who were persecuted by the Catholic Church, have thought that one or another of the popes was the antichrist.

But all of these identifications have proved false,21 and it is likely that a yet worse "man of lawlessness" will arise on the world scene and bring unparalleled suffering and persecution, only to be destroyed by Jesus when he comes again. But the evil perpetrated by many of these other rulers has been so great that, at least while they were in power, it would have been difficult to be certain that the "man of lawlessness" mentioned in 2 Thessalonians 2 has not yet appeared.

Wayne A. Grudem, Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine (Leicester, England; Grand Rapids, MI: Inter-Varsity Press; Zondervan Pub. House, 2004), 1103.

I agree with Grudem in linking the Man of Lawlessness with the Antichrist. There is a fair amount of debate about this whole topic, so I will attempt to steer a middle course, and avoid big claims here. That said, I believe that the Man of Lawlessness is the individual that Daniel speaks of in Daniel 7-8

Near the end of their kingdoms, when the rebels have reached the full measure of their sin, a ruthless king, skilled in intrigue, will come to the throne. 24 His power will be great, but it will not be his own. He will cause outrageous destruction and succeed in whatever he does. He will destroy the powerful along with the holy people. 25 He will cause deceit to prosper through his cunning and by his influence, and in his own mind he will exalt himself. He will destroy many in a time of peace; he will even stand against the Prince of princes. Yet he will be broken—not by human hands. 26 The vision of the evenings and the mornings that has been told is true. Now you are to seal up the vision because it refers to many days in the future." 27 I, Daniel, was overcome and lay sick for days. Then I got up and went about the king's business. I was greatly disturbed by the vision and could not understand it.

Daniel 8:23-26

I think, in a very real sense, that the 'little horn' in Daniel 8 is a reference to the real life ruler Antiochus Epiphanes, but in the same dual-fulfillment sense of prophecy we see in Isaiah 7-9, this little horn will be MOST fulfilled in a future ruler that will be the ultimate antichrist. This ruler seems to be again referenced in Daniel 9, and also by Jesus in Matthew 24:

15 "So when you see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place" (let the reader understand), 16 "then those in Judea must flee to the mountains. 17 A man on the housetop must not come down to get things out of his house, 18 and a man in the field must not go back to get his coat. 19 Woe to pregnant women and nursing mothers in those days! 20 Pray that your escape may not be in winter or on a Sabbath. 21 For at that time there will be great distress, the kind that hasn't taken place from the beginning of the world until now and never will again. 22 Unless those days were cut short, no one would be saved. But those days will be cut short because of the elect. 23 "If anyone tells you then, 'See, here is the Messiah!' or, 'Over here!' do not believe it. 24 For false messiahs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. 25 Take note: I have told you in advance. 26 So if they tell you, 'See, he's in the wilderness!' don't go out; or, 'See, he's in the storerooms!' do not believe it. 27 For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.

Matthew 24:15-27

This passage seems to indicate that there might be more than one of these active antichrists, with perhaps one of them being specifically the one spoken of in 2nd Thessalonians and Daniel, and other books. Revelation, as you might expect, also speaks of this individual, and - like Daniel, Matthew 24, 1st John and other books that speak about the man of lawlessness/Beast/antichrist, seems to indicate that there might be several active antichrists:

And I saw a beast rising out of the sea, with ten horns and seven heads, with ten diadems on its horns and blasphemous names on its heads. 2 And the beast that I saw was like a leopard; its feet were like a bear's, and its mouth was like a lion's mouth. And to it the dragon gave his power and his throne and great authority. 3 One of its heads seemed to have a mortal wound, but its mortal wound was healed, and the whole earth marveled as they followed the beast. 4 And they worshiped the dragon, for he had given his authority to the beast, and they worshiped the beast, saying, "Who is like the beast, and who can fight against it?"

5 And the beast was given a mouth uttering haughty and blasphemous words, and it was allowed to exercise authority for forty-two months. 6 It opened its mouth to utter blasphemies against God, blaspheming his name and his dwelling, that is, those who dwell in heaven. 7 Also it was allowed to make war on the saints and to conquer them. And authority was given it over every tribe and people and language and nation, 8 and all who dwell on earth will worship it, everyone whose name has not been written before the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who was slain. 9 If anyone has an ear, let him hear:

10 If anyone is to be taken captive, to captivity he goes; if anyone is to be slain with the sword, with the sword must he be slain.

Here is a call for the endurance and faith of the saints.11 Then I saw another beast rising out of the earth. It had two horns like a lamb and it spoke like a dragon. 12 It exercises all the authority of the first beast in its presence, and makes the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose mortal wound was healed. 13 It performs great signs, even making fire come down from heaven to earth in front of people, 14 and by the signs that it is allowed to work in the presence of the beast it deceives those who dwell on earth, telling them to make an image for the beast that was wounded by the sword and yet lived. 15 And it was allowed to give breath to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast might even speak and might cause those who would not worship the image of the beast to be slain. 16 Also it causes all, both small and great, both rich and poor, both free and slave, to be marked on the right hand or the forehead, 17 so that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark, that is, the name of the beast or the number of its name. 18 This calls for wisdom: let the one who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man, and his number is 666.

Revelation 13

So, after reading all of that, I am sure things are just as clear as mud for you. Do keep in mind that this is the Bible READING podcast, and not the Bible ANSWERS podcast, or the Bible KNOW IT ALL Podcast. I'm sort of kidding, but ultimately, as we discussed earlier this week - some of these deep mysteries of the Bible about eschatology are NOT meant to be known yet, no matter how hard we try. I believe they will become progressively clearer to the church and believers alive during the generation of Christ's return, because that will be important information to them at the time, but it hasn't been super important for the church in the past few hundred years to know the answers to all of these questions, because they weren't the generation that would live to see the return of Jesus. I believe the nearer we get to that generation, the clearer it will be. So many people have asked me, including my own kids, if the coronavirus pandemic now means the return of Jesus is closer. I tell them - maybe. Probably not, but maybe, and that I have an eyebrow raised and my Bible radar turned up to a higher than normal level of alert.

WHO is the Man of Lawlessness/Antichrist? I don't know. He will be powerful. He will be a man of guile and intelligence. He will have great power and an ability to deceive. It appears that He will be empowered by Satan, and have the ability to stand against the archangel Michael in terms of power. He will wage war on true followers of Jesus - the saints - and He will have great success, for a time, in that war. So - back to Pradeep's question at the beginning: How can we save ourselves from this dire situation? And the humbling and scary answer is - WE CAN'T. We don't have the power to stand up against the enemies of the last days. But that doesn't mean all hope is lost. For those who are in Christ - saved by grace through faith, having believed in their heart that Jesus is Lord and God raised Him from the dead, and CONFESSED/PROFESSED those things with their words - true Christians will be delivered and saved BY GOD and by the COMING OF CHRIST. See here in Daniel 7:

21 As I looked, this horn made war with the saints and prevailed over them, 22 until the Ancient of Days came, and judgment was given for the saints of the Most High, and the time came when the saints possessed the kingdom.

Daniel 7:21-22

Ultimately deliverance comes from the Ancient of Days and His power. But - we are not without weapons of our warfare, which are mighty in God, says Paul, to the pulling down of strongholds. Among those weapons is the fact that true followers of Jesus are washed in His sacrifice, and thus the enemy has no hold on them, or no ability to eternally wound them. We also have the earth-shaking power of our testimony and proclamation of the Gospel:

10 And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, "Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God. 11 And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death.

Revelation 12:10-11

Look to Jesus and be saved, all the earth and rest in His salvation and His power and His soon return, in which all who have trusted in Him will not be put to shame, but will be delivered and redeemed forever!