“I’m afraid this is the new normal,” responds his cohost Michael Wilbon.

Wilbon’s response might be the mantra for most Americans after the terrorist attack at the April 15 Boston Marathon in Boston, Massachusetts. And for good reason. Perhaps this is the new normal. Perhaps the days of steadfast invulnerability are gone. Perhaps waking up to stories of planes flying into buildings, bombs blowing up at community events, elementary school and movie theater massacres, and poison being sent to government officials in envelopes is the new normal. Perhaps we are not as immune to the terroristic assaults that have plagued foreign nations as we thought.

It is not unreasonable to suggest that this, in fact, is the new normal.

But isn’t this precisely what a world enslaved to corruption looks like? (Rom 8:21) Isn’t this the natural result of a world “subjected to futility?” (Rom 8:20) And who are we, as Americans, to think that we are exempt from the effects of this corruption, as if we are some kind of privileged mogul that lives outside of its jurisdiction?

The scriptures are clear that our world is indeed “subjected to futility” (Rom 8:20). This subjection is ultimately the result of Adam’s sin. “Futility” means “producing no useful result.” According to the Greek context, this lack of result is based on a lack of content, indicating emptiness. In other words, the world cannot help but produce evil because its purity has been overwhelmingly spoiled. Hoping for purity in an evil world is like hoping for fresh milk after weeks of exposure to the west Texas sun. The desired contents just aren’t there. And the contents that are there are a nasty brew of what they ought to be. Can we expect anything less from a world that has Satan as its god? (2 Cor 4:4)

But thankfully, there is hope.

Romans 8:20 does not end with the phrase, “subjected to futility.” It ends with the phrase, “in hope.” An old adage says that a man can live 40 days without food, three days without water, and eight minutes without air, but not a moment without hope. The scriptures state that this hope is that “the creation itself will be set free from its slavery to corruption into freedom of the glory of the children of God” (Rom 8:21). This means that one day this “new normal” will come to an end and the dictatorship of sin will effectively cease, granting newfound liberty to all who trust in Christ. That is, this current “new normal” will be overcome by an even newer normal. Until then, however, “the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth,” (Rom 8:22) which means that the whole world is in agony, as if it is in labor. But like labor, the pain is not meaningless, but carries with it the hope of new life.

This means that even when Satan, the god of this age, seems to have won the battle, there is a God of the ages that wins the war.

Paul could not have said it any better in writing, “I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us” (Rom 8:18). Although our present condition is subject to futility, our future is not. Even the worst tragedy that Satan unleashes, whether it be a plane killing thousands of people, a bomb killing and injuring hundreds, a coward spraying bullets at innocent children, or even the natural, timely death of a loved one, there is a hope that we will be set free from these kinds of things.

This hope is Jesus.

So, like Lelisa Desisa Benti, the individual pictured above and winner of the 2013 Boston Marathon, let’s finish the race strong. Let’s focus on hope, not tragedy. Let’s look for the even newer normal that is to come. Let’s look at Jesus.

In the meantime, my prayers go out to those affected by this terrible tragedy, hoping that all can “wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body” (Rom 8:23).

Picture Credit

]]> http://jaredwellman.com/2013/04/17/the-new-normal-what-the-boston-bombings-reveal-about-humanity-and-the-hope-of-an-even-newer-normal/feed/ 2 Bema 041513-Boston-Marathon http://jaredwellman.com/2013/04/15/the-truth-test-why-truth-should-dictate-beliefs-and-not-the-other-way-around/ http://jaredwellman.com/2013/04/15/the-truth-test-why-truth-should-dictate-beliefs-and-not-the-other-way-around/#comments Mon, 15 Apr 2013 20:00:39 +0000 Jared Wellman http://jaredwellman.com/?p=890 ]]> On March 30 an article appeared in the Odessa American entitled, “The Meaning of Equality,” in which I argued for the “traditional” definition of marriage. To this a reader responded by submitting a letter to the editor, which appeared in the April 14 edition of the Odessa American with what I consider largely an ad hominem response, an argument that is against the debater instead of the issue being debated. With this said, there were some statements in the letter that deserve a response, if not for any reason except that believers need to know that we have a justified place in the arena of debate, so long as we enter that arena with love and not malice.

The individual’s letter can be read here: Letter to the Editor

While I could spend my time answering and responding to a variety of things in the letter, I felt that my time would be best spent respectively responding to the individual’s final sentence, which essentially outlines one of the foundational differences between the two of us. I am accused of “circular reasoning” essentially because I am a Christian, although my article doesn’t quote or refer to the Christian faith in any capacity. It argues for what is known as the traditional definition of marriage, which defines marriage as being between one man and one woman, which, while is certainly a Christian belief, is not solely restricted to this faith. In fact, many argue in favor of this traditional definition of marriage without citing the Bible, the source for Christian beliefs, at all.

The best example is the book, What is Marriage, written by Sherif Girgis, Ryan Anderson, and Robert George.

The fact that this is indeed the traditional definition of marriage is obvious in the fact that the Supreme Court is currently considering redefining it to include other integers. If it were not the traditional standard, then there would be no current debate. My argument is simply that marriage, by traditional definition, is between one man and one woman and that to change that definition is to change the meaning of marriage, causing it to become something entirely different.

The following comprises my response that I plan to submit to the Odessa American for this weekend. My hope is that readers will see that there is such a thing as truth, that it should dictate what we believe about life, and that we can unapologetically communicate it with confidence and love.

“I always lie.”

This is a curious statement. Another way of saying it is, “The truth is that I never tell the truth.” Therefore to say this is to tell the truth, thus making the statement, “I always lie” false. This is because the statement is fundamentally self-defeating. It doesn’t pass it’s own test. The pathological liar cannot describe his incessant lying without lying about lying, thereby telling the truth.

The same principle applies to a statement written by a reader in response to my March 30 article, “The Meaning of Equality.” In a letter written to the editor, a reader writes, “Let’s not assume something to be true unless it’s proven to be so.” This is a statement that essentially suggests that truth doesn’t exist unless it passes a “truth test.” It must be “proven to be so.” However, this statement is itself a truth claim, and an “untested” one at that. It suggests that, “The untested truth is that truth claims should not be believed unless they pass a test.”

Therefore, allegedly every other truth needs to be proven true, except for this particular statement.

This reveals that this statement is fundamentally inaccurate. It is a self-defeating statement that, like our imaginary pathological liar’s claim, fails its own test. It also reveals that there is such a thing as stand-alone truth outside of it being “proven to be so.” In epistemology, the branch of philosophy that deals with the nature of knowledge, this is called a priori knowledge. A priori is Latin for “from what is before,” and suggests that there are things that people just know to be true without the need to be “proven so.” They are known ‘prior to’ experience or some other test for truth.

This is a foundational principle and to deny its existence is to commit epistemological suicide.

Another way of analyzing the aforementioned statement is to consider by what standard a truth claim is tested. To argue that truth doesn’t exist unless it’s proven to be so is to suggest that there is some standard of measurement that will determine whether the potential truth is either true or false. But from where does this standard derive? Has it itself been tested? If so, by what standard of measurement? Is it, as some might say, by popular opinion? Did the earth used to be flat because it was what the majority believed? Of course not. It was spherical all along. Even if the whole world, by popular opinion, believes something it doesn’t mean that it is true.

This is because beliefs do not dictate truth. Instead, truth should dictate beliefs. People are either right or wrong about what they believe based on if it is true or not.

Allow me to illustrate.

For the past few weeks a story has decorated the social networks concerning a doctor named Kermit Gosnell who is on trial for eight counts of murder, (although it should be a great many more). In a documentary about the story entitled “3801 Lancaster” (3801lancaster.com), we learn that Dr. Gosnell not only aborted the lives of thousands of babies, but that some of the abortions took place after full-term. Moreover, Dr. Gosnell collected pieces of these babies as his personal trophies.

Dr. Gosnell’s practices do not need to be tested to “prove” they are morally wrong. Instead, there is a transcendent standard of truth that tells us that it is absolutely wrong to snip the spinal cord to a baby and to collect, as a personal accolade, his feet in a jar.

This is because there is a moral standard of truth that does not need to be tested and this standard is not determined by popular opinion, nor does it bend by cultural epochs. It is an unchanging principle that was superimposed onto the heart of man by, in my conviction, the hand of God. And this is but one of many available examples.

We have “the work of the Law written on our hearts, our conscience bearing witness and our thoughts alternately accusing or defending others,” as Paul writes (Rom 2:15).

To the reader I quoted, I want to say thank you for both reading and taking time to respond to my article.

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This is a name of which you may or may not have yet heard. While the media usually drools, like a canine over a juicy treat, at the chance to feast on tragedy, they have ignored the scandalous reports coming out of 3801 Lancaster Avenue in West Philadelphia.

More than likely, this is because the egregious facts about abortion would be unveiled for what they truly are; the horrific execution of innocent life, the kind only read about in twisted horror novels.

God forbid that the media inform the public about such acts, revealing unbiased facts. Instead, they focus their attention on other murder stories like “The Blade Runner”  or Jodi Arias because these don’t threaten the liberal agenda.

The following comprises a handful of the better articles I have accumulated on the subject, with a short annotation of each. This is by no means an exhaustive list.

3801 LANCASTER (3801lancaster.com)

This is the nerve center and the best place to receive unmitigated facts about the ongoing case against Kermit Gosnell and the Women’s Medical Society. Here you can watch a documentary, read about the case, donate to the cause, and even receive help if you have had an abortion.

KERMIT GOSNELL AND THE CULTURE OF DEATH (projecttgm.org)

Written by my friend Brandon Smith, this article is an intimate expression of how devastating abortion is. Brandon begins the article by sharing a sonogram of his daughter Harper, who is yet to be born. He shares how at this particular stage of her development her organs are already formed and her heartbeat is already strong. The article details how we are building a culture of death and how Christ builds a culture of life.

KERMIT GOSNELL AND THE GOSPEL (russellmoore.com)

Russell Moore is the President-elect of the Southern Baptist Convention’s Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission. Moore writes a convicting article about how the Gospel functions in events like the Gosnell case. He discusses both the justice and mercy of God for all sinners, referencing the thief on the cross as an example.

WHY DR. KERMIT GOSNELL’S TRIAL SHOULD BE A FRONT-PAGE STORY (theatlantic.com)

Written by Conor Friedersdorf, this is arguably the best article available describing the current details surrounding the trial, such as the abortion procedures practiced, the abuse of the women patients, and the failure to cease the clinic’s operation.

9 THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT THE GOSNELL INFANTICIDE AND MURDER TRIAL (thegospelcoalition.org)

As the title reveals, this blog provides nine facts about Kermit Gosnell’s clinical practices and murder trial. A great read for those looking for quick information on the story, or for those looking to be introduced to it.

8 REASONS FOR THE MEDIA BLACKOUT ON KERMIT GOSNELL (thegospelcoalition.org)

Written by Trevin Wax, an editor at Lifeway, this article provides eight reasons why the liberal media is afraid to cover the story about Kermit Gosnell, citing facts that threaten much of what the liberal agenda has worked years to obtain. Also, a handful of other helpful, related articles are included at the end of the post.

DENNY BURK (dennyburk.com)

Dr. Denny Burk is an associate professor of biblical studies at Boyce College, the undergraduate arm of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. Dr. Burk provides ongoing, helpful articles on the subject. This is a great website to visit often to receive updated information on the case.

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There are two ways to follow the blog. The first is for wordpress users who can click the “Follow Blog” link on the right sidebar. The second is to follow by receiving the blogs via email. This option is also available on the right sidebar.

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The line is, “Don’t be afraid. Everything is possible with God.”

In The Bible, this line is spoken by Jesus as he carries the cross, but in the Bible it is spoken to the disciples after Jesus’ dialogue with a wealthy young man. The actual line is,

“With people this is impossible, but with God all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26).

This review focuses on this particular line because while The Bible may have been focused on being “cool,” as producer Roma Downey states in an interview on The O’Reilly Factor, this line actually reveals the truth about Jesus Christ, as well as the true message of the Bible. This truth is that Jesus provides salvation, something that was once impossible. This is why he carried the cross, why he died, why he was buried, why he rose, why he ascended to heaven, and why he is coming back again.

To discuss the line, I am sharing my article originally posted on the Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry’s website (carm.org). This article is written in response to the question, “What does it mean to say, ‘With God all things are possible?’”

This question refers to a statement made by Jesus in Matthew 19:26 and its counterpart Mark 10:27.  The totality of His statement was, “With people this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”  The question is best answered by looking at the context of the statement, which, beginning in Matthew 19:16, consists of a conversation between Jesus and a young rich ruler. The keys to purely understanding the statement hinge first on what Jesus meant by “this,” and second, what He meant by “all.” Whatever “this” was is impossible with man, but with God, “all” is possible.

The scene opens up with a rich young man coming to Jesus asking “what good things he should do to inherit eternal life” (Matthew 19:16). Jesus’ response is important because He begins to attack the young man’s understanding of “goodness.” Jesus declares that only the Father in heaven is good. This of course was not a disclaimer of His own deity, but a lesson to His special audience that no one is good except for God. Continuing His discourse with the young man, Jesus then said, “but if you wish to enter eternal life, keep the commandments” (Matthew 19:17).

Because he still did not understand, the young man’s response to Jesus was to receive a “laundry list” of commandments that he needed to follow in order to receive eternal life. Jesus replied by listing five commandments that all deal with human relationships (Matthew 19:18-19). This is important because He was making a distinction between having faith in the law (or in one’s own abilities) and having faith in God; that is, the difference between the law and grace. The young man thought that the law could save him, but Jesus knew that that was impossible. John MacArthur writes,

“Jesus was trying to impress on the young man both the high standard required by God and the absolute futility of seeking salvation by his own merit. This should have elicited a response about the impossibility of keeping the law perfectly but instead the young man confidently declared that he qualified for heaven under those terms.”

“All these things I have kept,” said the young ruler (Matthew 19:20).

Even after the young man failed twice to acknowledge his self-righteousness, Jesus continued to expose the sin in his heart. The young man asked, “What am I still lacking?” (Matthew 19:20) Jesus replied, “If you wish to be complete, go and sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me” (Matthew 19:21). At this, the young man “went away grieving for he was one who owned much property” (Matthew 19:22).

At least two sins were revealed here: First, the young man was not as blameless as he thought he was because he was guilty of loving himself and his possessions more than his neighbor, (which was a broken commandment according to v. 19). Second, he lacked true faith which requires an unparalleled devotion to Jesus. This is when Jesus called over His disciples to teach them a lesson. He said, “it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God” (Matthew 19:24). The disciple’s response was, “Then who can be saved?” or, “Then how is it possible for anyone to be qualified to enter the kingdom of God?” (Matthew 19:25)

This is where the famous and oft quoted verse comes in, which is the inspiration for the original question. Jesus replied, “With people this is impossible, but with God all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26). This answers our first contextual issue, for we can now see that the “this” concerns salvation. It is impossible for man to save himself by his own merits, or for the law to grant eternal life. The grace offered only by Jesus Christ is necessary.

The question now is: What did Jesus mean by ‘all things’?

This part of the question concerns God’s omnipotence, or, His power. It is important to understand that omnipotence does not mean that God is capable of doing anything including the irrational or imperfect. There are things that God is incapable of doing, such as lying or denying Himself (Hebrews 6:18; 2 Timothy 2:13; Titus 1:2). Because God cannot do certain things, however, does not mean that He is not perfect because the things that He cannot do would actually take away from that perfect nature. Instead, omnipotence refers to God’s power, which is unlimited (Job 11:7-11, 37:23; Revelation 4:8). That is, God can take the things that are impossible to man, and make them possible because His power is unlimited, while ours is limited. The context of Jesus’ statement in Matthew 19:26 is a perfect example of His unlimited power because while it is possible for man to be saved, it is impossible for man to accomplish the goal on his own. God’s unlimited power is needed to make the impossible, possible.

Scripture is full of verses that portray God making the impossible possible. When Abraham and Sarah were awaiting the promise of a son, even after they were well past child bearing years, God told them, “Is anything too difficult for the Lord?” (Genesis 18:14) In the book of Numbers when the Israelites were complaining to Moses about food, the Lord told Moses that he was going to feed over 600,000 people for an entire month.  Moses was skeptical, but God said, “Is the Lord’s power limited?  Now you shall see whether My word will come true for you or not” (Numbers 11:23).  In the book of Job, after forty-two chapters of trials, Job was able to answer God and say, “I know that You can do all things, and that no purpose of Yours can be thwarted” (Job 42:2).  The prophet Isaiah wrote, “Behold, the Lord’s hand is not so short that it cannot save; Nor is His ear so dull that it cannot hear” (Isaiah 59:1).  Jeremiah said, “Ah Lord God! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and by your outstretched arm! Nothing is too difficult for You” (Jeremiah 32:17).  Finally, in Luke 1:37, in foretelling the birth of Jesus, the angel Gabriel told Mary, “For nothing will be impossible with God.”

It is easy to get hung up on the word “all,” but it is best to remember that the context of this statement is in reference to salvation.  God made a way when the way was impossible for us.  This is what it means that “with God all things are possible.”

Read reviews of earlier parts of The Bible here:

Part One Review

Part Two Review

Part Three Review

Part Four Review

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(Keep reading)

. . . so long as he understands that marriage is between one man and one woman and that to enjoy that right he must submit himself to that traditional understanding of the institution.

Therefore, it’s not even necessarily that a homosexual should have the right to get married as much as it is that a homosexual currently does have the right to get married.

This is because marriage is a term that means something and to participate in it one must follow the inherent principles of the term’s definition. For example, “walking” is defined as “advancing on foot at a moderate pace,” while “running” is defined as “going quickly by moving the legs rapidly.” Walking is not running and running is not walking. Therefore, to participate in the activity of walking is not the same as participating in the activity of running. Moreover, one can easily differentiate between the two activities based on the inherent principles included in the definitions of the terms.

Marriage is defined as a union between a “husband and wife,” which means a “male and a female.” Therefore, a homosexual male can only participate in marriage so long as he marries a woman, and a homosexual woman can only participate in marriage so long as she marries a male, just as I can only perform heart surgery on a patient if I have credibly earned a medical license or cannot perform heart surgery on a patient if I have not credibly earned a medical license.

Actually, I could perform the surgery, but it wouldn’t make me a heart surgeon. Moreover, it would be dangerous and harmful to society.

This is because functionality, or the right to participate or not participate in certain actions, doesn’t mean inequality. It merely means that there are standards applied to certain rights and these standards are applied for good reasons.

One would never argue that people should be able to perform heart surgery on other people without a license, citing that it is a breach of equality to suggest otherwise.

The current debate on “same-sex marriage,” which is the equivalent of saying “the current debate on square circles,” argues on the platform of “equality,” but there has been a serious misunderstanding as to what “equality” is. Equality has nothing to do with the right for every person to participate in every action. It is the balanced and tested result of multiple, defined integers. Therefore, an unlicensed individual plus a scalpel doesn’t “equal” a heart surgeon anymore than a man plus a man “equals” a marriage.

Certain factors need to be present for a certain summation to take place, and in the case of “same-sex marriage” it is the opposite gender.

In order for homosexuals to participate in “same-sex marriage,” the integers of marriage would have to be redefined. And redefining integers always equals a different summation. But this is not what proponents for “same-sex marriage” want to do. They want to redefine the integers but keep the same result. They want to redefine the number two, but still suggest that, “two plus two equals four.” They want redefine the principles of walking, but still call it walking when they might actually be running.

If the Supreme Court of the United States votes in favor of “same-sex marriage,” then they have essentially voted that “two” can mean “three, five, or one-hundred and ten,” but that adding “two and two” still equals “four.”

Suggested Articles:

Read the Fine Print Before Supporting “Marriage Equality.”

How Not to Have a Debate About Gay Marriage

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This is how Part Three of The History Channel’s The Bible ends. But The History Channel seems to have a different perception of what “changing the world” means than Jesus. This is revealed not by what is included in Part Four of the series, but in what is left out. And what’s worse, The Bible did not leave important scenes from the Bible out; it left important moments out of the important scenes, essentially reformatting the original context of the events.

Leaving key moments out of Jesus’ life would have been bad, but including the key moments and ignoring their crucial elements might be worse.

Consider these two portrayals from Part Four of The Bible.

THE LAST SUPPER AND JESUS AS THE ONLY WAY

In The Bible’s Last Supper scene, Jesus shares with the disciples that this will be his final meal with them. Naturally, this births fear and sorrow for a group of men who have grown very close to their Messiah.

Jesus quotes John 14:1-6, telling his disciples, “Don’t be afraid. Trust in God, trust in me also. You know the way to where I am going.”

“We don’t know where you are going, how can we know the way?” a balding Thomas declares.

Jesus replies, “I am the way. The truth. And the life.”

And then he stops.

But there is a very important line missing from Jesus’ monologue in The Bible included in the actual Bible. This line is, “No one comes to the Father but through me” (John 14:6).

Of the various verses in scripture that reveal that Jesus is the only way to the Father, this one is arguably the clearest. Therefore, if a producer of a series on the Bible wants to accurately depict Jesus’ mission to “change the world,” including a scene dialoguing John 14:1-6 is a great way to start, but leaving out the final portion of the passage leaves the biblically immature audience they are supposedly targeting, well, biblically immature.

Jesus is not just the “way, truth, and life,” but the “only way, truth, and life.”

THE LAST SUPPER AND THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS

In the same Last Supper scene, Jesus takes the bread and says, “This is my body.” He then takes a cup after pouring wine into it and says, “This is my blood.” He closes by saying, “Remember me by doing this.” These are all included in the Last Supper accounts detailed in the scriptures, but The Bible leaves out another line that reveals how Jesus “changed the world.” This line is, “which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins” (Matt 26:28).

There is an old adage that captures why this line is important:

Jesus didn’t come to make bad men good, but to make dead men live.

To give The Bible the benefit of the doubt, there is a scene depicted from Matthew 9:1-8 in the early portion of Part Four where Jesus heals a paralytic. Jesus met both the physical and spiritual needs of the man, telling him both “Get up and walk” and “Your sins are forgiven.”

The reason the inclusion of the line is important in the Last Supper, however, is because it is directly connected to his death. Jesus didn’t come just to cure the physical ailments that plague mankind; he came to cure the spiritual ailment that plagues mankind. This ailment is sin and the penalty is death. Therefore, forgiveness of sins cannot come without death, the very thing Jesus references at the Last Supper.

While The Bible reveals that Jesus dies, it doesn’t necessarily reveal why Jesus dies.

This is the meaning behind Paul’s statement that “the wages of sin is death” (Rom 6:23). Jesus didn’t die to inspire bad people to be good, make lame men walk, and put people’s ears back on. He died to make dead people live.

This is clear in the Bible, but not in The Bible.

This is why his body was broken and his blood was shed. Jesus is our substitutionary atonement for the wages that we had earned through our sins. He paid it in our steads, and in so doing he “changed the world.” (But it probably happened with more of a Hebrew dialect.)

Read reviews of earlier parts of The Bible here:

Part One Review

Part Two Review

Part Three Review

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“He has one of the best brief treatments of the Lord’s Prayer I have ever seen.”

One of the greatest opportunities in which a follower of Jesus can participate is prayer. Another great opportunity is fasting. Both draw a believer closer to God and allow that believer to build a deep and personal relationship with him.

In my book, The Church Member, I provide a brief treatment of The Lord’s Prayer found in Matthew 6 which outlines how Jesus taught us to pray. I also deal with fasting. This chapter is now freely available for download here: Chapter Eight Pray and Fast

Don’t forget that at the end of March, anyone who is following jaredwellman.com will be entered for a chance to win a copy of The Church Member. To follow, all you need to do is click on the “subscribe” button located on the right sidebar.

]]> http://jaredwellman.com/2013/03/21/free-download-from-the-church-member-chapter-eight-on-prayer-and-fasting/feed/ 0 Bema Book Cover http://jaredwellman.com/2013/03/19/the-bible-review-part-three/ http://jaredwellman.com/2013/03/19/the-bible-review-part-three/#comments Tue, 19 Mar 2013 21:34:40 +0000 Jared Wellman http://jaredwellman.com/?p=790 ]]> Part Three of The Bible covers six-hundred years of history in two hours. The stories were fairly well done, but it is not unreasonable at this point to suggest that the producers are more interested in recreating the cinematics from the movie 300 than they are with biblical accuracy.

There are essentially three story lines detailed in Part Three. These include Jerusalem’s fall to Babylon (Zedekiah and Jeremiah), Israel’s life while in captivity to Babylon (Daniel), and the introduction to the life of Jesus. While I could spend time talking about each story, I want to focus on the birth of Jesus because tradition has warped many of the biblical details about this event. The tradition was manifested in many ways in Part Three of The Bible.

TRADITION ONE: MARY ENTERED BETHLEHEM IN LABOR

This tradition is portrayed vividly in Part Three of The Bible, but it is easily debunked in the actual Bible. Luke 2:4 records Joseph bringing his family into Bethlehem for the census and Luke 2:6 reveals that they were actually there for a while before Mary gave birth.

While they were there, the days were completed for her to give birth.

This may seem trivial, but the Christmas tradition of Mary going into labor immediately upon entering Bethlehem causes a domino effect of other traditions such as an angry inn-keeper, a wooden crib, and a dusty old barn, things that simply are not found in the Bible. Ultimately, these traditions distract from the true story taking place, which is that Jesus’ death, burial, resurrection, and second coming were all prophesied at his birth.

TRADITION TWO: JESUS WAS BORN IN A BARN, AND PLACED IN A MANGER

The following is taken from a December article entitled, The Real Story of Christmas: Jesus’ Life, Death, Burial, Resurrection, and Second Coming Prophesied at His Birth

The final part of Luke 2:7 says that Jesus was placed in a “manger” because there was no room for him in the “inn.”

The word “inn” is more accurately a “guest room.” In the parable of the Good Samaritan the injured man is taken to an inn, the kind of inn that is usually associated in the Christmas story. In Greek, this word is pandocheion, which indicates a commercial-style inn. In Luke 2:7, however, Luke uses the Greek word katalyma, which indicates the “spare” or “guest room” of a house.

In ancient Bethlehem, houses were built with a “stable” inside the house. The area is likened to the modern day garage. A garage is a separate area of the house reserved for parking cars, not necessarily for living. Ancient Israelites would bring in their animals at night to house them from predators and inclement weather. Like garages, this was not necessarily a living area, but still considered part of the house. The “manger” was a hewn rock in which animal feed or water could be poured for the animals. It was a natural part of the stable, much like a water heater closet might be a natural part of the garage. Therefore, a Jewish reader, upon reading the word “manger,” would understand that this was an inside feeding trough for a family’s precious animals.

Reading the passage in this context provides insight into why Luke wrote the verse in the way he did. A modernized way of translating this verse could be: “and they placed the baby in the water heater closet, because there was no room for him in the guest room of the house.” This of course is not the ideal place for a baby, but if there is no room in the house it is the better than putting him on the dirty floor; especially if that floor is usually reserved for animals.

Jesus’ family wasn’t cast into a barn because there was no room in any local hotels (or because of an angry hotel manager), but into an inside garage because there was no more room left in the guest room of the house. This also fits with the Jewish tradition of being open to inviting others into one’s house.

The manger symbolizes the notion Jesus gave at the Lord’s Supper in saying, “Take, eat; This [bread] is my body” (Matt 26:26) and the statement he made to the woman at the well, “but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst” (John 4:14). At his birth, Jesus was placed in a feeding trough, symbolizing that Christians will need to “eat” of his body and “drink” from his well.

TRADITION THREE: THE MAGI WERE PRESENT AT JESUS’ BIRTH

One of the most long-standing traditions of Jesus’ birth is that there were three magi who arrived on the night of his birth to worship him. However, the number three is not included in the scriptures. There are multiple gifts given by multiple magi, but this doesn’t necessarily mean that there are three magi with three gifts. It could have been any number of magi who brought the “gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh” (Matt 2:11).

Moreover, Matthew 2:1 is clear that the magi were not present at Jesus’ birth:

Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem . . . magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem.

In case you missed it, they arrived in “Jerusalem,” not “Bethlehem.” And this was “after” Jesus was born.

The magi approached Herod and asked him where the King of the Jews was. Herod told them to go find this child and to report back to him. An argument can be made that Jesus was anywhere from one to two years old before the magi met him because after the magi refused to return to Herod, he had every male child from two years and under killed (Matt 2:16-18).

Unfortunately the shepherds who “watched their flocks at night” received little-to-no attention in The Bible. It truly is a remarkable story that of all the people in the world to share the good news with, God chose to share it with lowly shepherds. Some scholars believe that these shepherds watched over the sacrificial sheep for the temple. If this is true, then an incredible message can be extracted from the story that at Jesus’ birth stood those who watched over the sacrificial lambs for God, standing over the sacrificial Lamb of God.

I have yet to ever see a cinematic portrayal of Jesus’ birth that captures the story accurately. Unfortunately most on-screen portrayals are colored more by tradition than the Bible, and The Bible is not exempt.

Before it was over, Part Three of The Bible continued the cinematic trend included in Parts One and Two, creating a Jedi vs Sith moment when Jesus and Satan square-off in the wilderness. With Satan dressed in dark-side garb (who looked a lot like Barack Obama) and Jesus in light-side (typical Fabio look-alike), I thought for a moment that I had accidentally changed the channel to The Phantom Menace, catching the scene where Darth Maul faces Qui-Gon Jin in Tatooine.

When the lightsabers didn’t come out, however, I realized that no, I was still watching The Bible, but that George Lucas had some serious explaining to do.

Read my reviews of other Parts of The Bible here:

Part One Review

Part Two Review

Part Four Review

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This doesn’t even include the 1877, 1891, 1914, 1918, 1925, 1941, and 1975 predictions made by the Jehovah’s Witnesses.

The most recent prophecy for the end times concerns the papacy and is commonly referred to as the “Prophecy of the Popes.” The prophecy is a series of one hundred and twelve short phrases that predict the Roman Catholic Popes starting with Pope Celestine II in 1143 and ending with the 111th Pope after him, which is the newly elected Pope Francis I. While the prophecy was first published in 1595 by Benedictine monk Arnold Wion, it is attributed to Saint Malachy, a 12th-century Archbishop of Armagh, Ireland. The prophetic phrase attributed to the one hundred and twelfth Pope, and thus Pope Francis I, is:

Peter the Roman, who will pasture his sheep in many tribulations, and when these things are finished, the city of seven hills will be destroyed, and the dreadful judge will judge his people. The End.

This “prophecy” is clear, suggesting that the one hundred and twelfth Pope, Francis I, will be the final Pope who will lead the church through the end. While there is no clear connection between “Peter the Roman” and Francis I, many are trying to force the connection suggesting such things as that Saint Francis of Assisi’s father’s name was Peter.

The Prophecy of the Popes is merely the newest manmade “prophecy” in a string of “prophecies” throughout time. One does not have to think very far back to remember the frenzy surrounding the turn of the century known as “Y2K.” The thought was that every computer ever built would become confused at a 2000 date and the entire planet would, consequently, collapse.

I imagine that there are many who are still filling their television remotes and smoke detectors with the batteries they bought to survive the event.

And who can forget Harold Camping’s “prophecy” that the rapture would occur on May 21, 2011? Camping invested millions of dollars in a campaign to make sure that people were well-aware of the forthcoming event. Everyone is instead well-aware of how foolish Camping’s “prophecy” was.

Then there was the Mayan “prophecy” suggesting that an ancient tribe of indians had studied the stars to produce a calendar that ended on December 21, 2012. If it wasn’t John Cusack outrunning an earthquake in an airplane that got you believing, then it might have been the countless hours of documentaries on The History Channel.

As it turned out, the Mayan’s “prophecy” was more in line with the end of the Twinkie than it was the end of the world.

The Prophecy of the Popes is merely another fabricated attempt at predicting the end that will conclude in disappointment for those who take stock in it.

The truth is that man will never be able to predict when the end will come. Jesus said, “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone” (Matt 24:36). Therefore, instead of trusting in manmade, fabricated “prophecies” of the end, we should instead trust in Jesus’ prophetic words about prophecy. While we can know that the end will come, and while we can know how the end will come, we simply cannot know when it will come.

It is interesting to note that every manmade “prophecy” that has ever been made has failed, but every prophecy that God has made has either been fulfilled, or is on the path to being fulfilled. The Old Testament, for example, details countless prophecies about a Messiah who would come to offer redemption to the world. The prophet Micah prophesied that he would be born in Bethlehem of Judea (Micah 5:2). Isaiah prophesied that he would be born of a virgin (Is 7:14). Psalm 22 details the events of death by crucifixion hundreds of years before it was even invented. Job, perhaps the oldest book in the Bible, conveys a physical resurrection, stating, “Even after my skin is destroyed, yet from my flesh I shall see God” (Job 19:26).

While Job’s statement may not be a messianic prophecy of the resurrection, Psalm 16:10 arguably is.

These are but a handful of biblical prophecies that concern the Messiah and the New Testament reveals that Jesus of Nazareth fulfilled every single one of them. Moreover, these prophecies were made hundreds, and some thousands, of years before Jesus was born.

This is an incredible feat.

Many years ago Peter Stoner and Robert Newman penned a book discussing the importance of Jesus’ fulfillment of these messianic prophecies entitled, Science Speaks: Scientific Proof of the Accuracy of Prophecy and the Bible. The book is based on the science of probability, setting out the odds of a man fulfilling just a handful of the prophecies listed in the Bible about the Messiah. Specifically, the book discusses the possibility of one man fulfilling just eight of the sixty major prophecies for the Messiah.

Stoner and Newman suggest that the probability of one man fulfilling just eight prophecies would be 1 in 10¹⁷. That’s 1 in 100,000,000,000,000,000. Here is their illustration of the proposition:

Suppose that we take 10^17 silver dollars and lay them on the face of Texas. They’ll cover all of the state two feet deep. Now mark one of these silver dollars and stir the whole mass thoroughly, all over the state. Blindfold a man and tell him that he can travel as far as he wishes, but he must pick up one silver dollar and say that this is the right one. What chance would he have of getting the right one? Just the same chance that the prophets would’ve had of writing these eight prophecies and having them all come true in any one man, from their day to the present time, providing they wrote them in their own wisdom (Peter Stoner, Science Speaks, Chicago: Moody Press, 1969, 106-7).

Like Y2K’s January 1, 2000 prediction, Harold Camping’s May 21, 2011 prediction, the Mayan’s December 21, 2012 prediction, the Jehovah’s Witnesses myriad of predictions, and every other manmade prediction, we will never be able to accurately prophesy when the end will come. The Bible, however, has prophesied countless events and they have always come to pass, or are on the path to being fulfilled.

Therefore, instead of placing our stock in manmade, fabricated philosophies and predictions, let us invest our hope in the second coming of our Messiah Jesus Christ. Let us faithfully await that blessed hope where heaven opens and the one called “Faithful and True” proceeds forth to establish his reign on this earth. Let us place our hope in the prophecy of the Prince of Peace, not a prophecy of a Pope.

This is the true end for which we should wait! This is the prophecy that is on the path to being fulfilled!

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