The Bible is God's word--
His mind in print.
The truth found within its pages
is simple and beautiful.
But that doesn't mean
some passages aren't hard
to understand.
On today's program we're going
to look at three common Bible
questions we receive at
Tomorrow's World, and we're
going to teach you how to answer
those questions yourself,
straight out of God's word.
So, join us for a new
installment of "Your Questions,
the Bible's Answers."
♪
Greetings, and welcome to
Tomorrow's World.
If you're a new viewer, welcome.
You'll soon find that we're not
like most religious programs
you see on television
or the Internet.
And, as our regular viewers know
well, we don't ask you to
simply take our word for
the things we say.
We ask you to believe your
Bible, and to measure everything
we tell you against the truth
of God's eternal word.
As King David says of God in
Psalm 119 and verse 160...
But that doesn't mean that we
can't misunderstand the Bible
from time to time.
As we'll see, the Bible
testifies of itself even that
sometimes its meaning is
misunderstood or, frankly,
twisted by others.
In such cases, the student of
the Bible needs to strive to
rise to the challenge.
In 2 Timothy 2:15, the Apostle
Paul encouraged his young
protege to do just that,
telling him...
That's what we want to do.
To rightly divide the
word of truth.
To help you do that, we're
making available today one of
our most in-demand resources,
the 24-lesson Tomorrow's World
Bible Study Course.
The entire course is completely
free, just like everything we
offer on Tomorrow's World.
Be sure to keep an eye out for
the information you need to
request your first lesson.
But today, we're going
to focus on three
specific Bible questions.
We enjoyed our first
"question and answer" program so
much, we couldn't help but do
another one.
And as we answer the questions,
we'll illustrate the principles
you can use in the future
to answer Bible
questions for yourself.
Our three questions today are:
Let's jump right in.
Our first question is a
common misunderstanding.
Some teach that Jesus is divine,
in some way,
but is not actually God,
just as His Father is God.
They say Jesus is a created
being, just like the angels.
And one verse that is commonly
pointed to for such claims is
Revelation 3 and verse 14.
There, in vision, the Apostle
John sees the glorified Christ,
who reveals messages to the
Church of God, intended to span
the centuries that would follow.
John writes
in Revelation 3:14...
Those words, "the Beginning of
the creation of God," seem to
suggest to some that Jesus--
even in His divine existence
before His life on earth--
was created by God.
So, "Was Jesus created?"
One of the principles we'll use
on today's program to help us
answer these questions
is a vital tool for
biblical understanding.
When trying to find out what the
Bible really says about
something--in this case, the
nature of Christ--it is
important to "Examine other
scriptures on the same topic."
After all, the Bible--every word
of it--is inspired by the same
God, through the same Spirit.
It does not contradict itself.
The Son of God, Himself, Jesus
Christ, tells us this in John
chapter 10 and verse 35,
where He says...
"the Scripture cannot
be broken."
When we want to understand the
fullness of God's mind on a
subject, we want to rightly
divide His word and look at the
whole of that word and what it
has to say about that subject.
In this case, what does the
Bible have to say in other
places about Jesus Christ's
existence with God before His
incarnation in the flesh?
There are many places in
Scripture where we could turn,
but since Revelation is Jesus'
revelation to His servant John,
let's turn to John's own
gospel to see how he understood
Jesus' pre-incarnate nature.
Look at the very beginning of
the book of John, starting with
the very first verse...
John here refers to Jesus
Christ--or, in Greek, the
"Logos," translated "Word" in
the New King James.
He makes this plain in the rest
of the chapter, such as in
verses 14 thru 18.
And here John plainly says...
the Word was with God--and was
God--and They were together from
the very beginning.
More explicitly, John says...
"All things were made through
Him, and without Him nothing was
made that was made."
How plain.
All created things were made
through Him.
This could not be true if Jesus,
Himself, were one of
the created things.
This understanding of Christ as
the Creator is taught plainly in
many other passages as well,
such as Colossians 1:16-17,
Ephesians 3:9, Hebrews 1:2,
and others.
These and other scriptures in
the Bible make it plain that all
things were made through, by,
and for Jesus Christ.
This is why some other English
Bibles translate Revelation 3:14
differently, saying Christ is
the "origin of God's creation"
like the New Revised Standard
Version, or the "source of
God's creation" like the
New American Bible.
So, the answer to our question
is, No, Jesus was not created.
In the beginning He was with
God, and He was God--one of the
two members of the God family
Whom we now call the
Father and the Son.
We'll move on to our second
question in a moment, but first
let me give you an opportunity
to request today's free offer,
the Tomorrow's World
Bible Study Course.
This study course is unique,
designed to teach you what the
Bible itself says, not what man
says about the Bible.
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at your own pace through the
teachings of the Bible, this
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Every fourth lesson ends with a
self-checking test, and with
each answer key, we send you the
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As always, there is no
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All you have to do to start is
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Here's the information you need.
And then I'll be right back to
tackle our next Bible question
and ask whether or not the
Apostle Paul really said we
should eat poisonous starfish.
You don't want to miss it.
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resource will help you
understand this vital truth--
straight from the
pages of the Bible.
If you're calling for the first
time, you will also receive a
free annual subscription to
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news, science, and modern
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of your world from
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Welcome back.
For our second question, some
context will be helpful.
Many viewers of Tomorrow's World
and readers of our magazine--our
free magazine that you'll
receive in addition to today's
Bible Study Course--have heard
us explain the Bible's teaching
in Leviticus 11 concerning
clean and unclean animals.
Clean animals, being those God's
word says it is lawful to eat,
and unclean animals, being
those we're told are not
lawful to eat.
God's law is plain: Some
animals are not to be eaten.
And that brings us to our
second question today:
Let's look at 1 Timothy 4:4 and
make sure we understand what
is being asked.
We read there that Paul
wrote to Timothy...
So, at first glance, you might
think Paul is saying that we
should throw out God's laws
about what animals are clean or
unclean, and many try to use
this verse to make that very
point--even though Paul said
elsewhere that God's laws and
commands in the Old Testament
are holy, just, and good.
Any time someone wants to use
the Apostle Paul to make the
Bible seem to say God's laws
should be ignored, you should
take warning--and not because we
are warning you, but because the
Bible itself warns you.
We see that warning, written by
the Apostle Peter, in 2 Peter 3,
verses 15 and 16...
So, Peter encourages us to be
careful, lest we fall into the
trap of those who twist the
Apostle Paul's comments--which
are sometimes hard to
understand--to say
something lawless that they
were not meant to say.
And, we have to admit, there are
clearly many, many creatures
that are not good for food.
Animals such as the comb
star--an intensely poisonous
starfish, whose flesh contains
tetrodotoxin, a deadly
neurotoxin for which there
is no known antidote.
So, is Paul literally saying
here to Timothy that God
intended every creature He
created to be edible?
After all, eating a comb star
sandwich may kill you, but the
starfish is a "creature of God."
Let's read more carefully by
examining the context around
the verse--another key
to understanding the Bible.
Here, let's go up a few verses
and begin reading again in
1 Timothy 4 and verse 1...
Already, we've learned several
important facts.
First, Paul isn't speaking about
God's law, at all, but about
"doctrines of demons."
It would be blasphemous to imply
God's own laws originated
in the demon world.
Interestingly, Paul mentions
examples: man-made regulations
forbidding to marry and
commanding to abstain from foods
created by God to be eaten.
Using the first tool we've
discussed, looking at other
verses that speak on the same
topic, we see that Paul
addressed the same problem in
Colossians, calling such
man-made restrictions the...
[...not commands of God, and...]
Are there false versions of
Christianity that do impose
man-made dogmas and doctrines,
such as forbidding some to marry
and abstaining eating animals
God created to be eaten,
such as beef from cattle?
Yes, there are.
"Fish on Fridays" and so-called
"Christian vegetarianism,"
I'm looking at you.
Paul is addressing
these false beliefs.
These are doctrines and
restrictions that do not come
out of the Bible, but from the
traditions of men,
and Paul calls them
"doctrines of demons".
He is clearly not talking about
the instructions of the Bible,
where God teaches exactly which
animals He created--as it says
in verse 3 of 1 Timothy 4--to be
received as food.
But let's get even more context
and look at the verse that
follows 1 Timothy 4:4...
[Why?
Verse 5...]
Now, to be sanctified is to be
set apart by God, and Paul here
says he is speaking of food from
creatures that have been set
apart by the word of God, which,
for Paul, was the Old Testament.
Well what animals have been set
apart by the "word of God"
as created to be
animals we can eat?
The clean animals
of Leviticus 11.
Animals like the cow or bull,
that have cloven hooves and chew
the cud, for instance.
The word of God sets them apart,
as created to be good for food.
In fact, no other animals in the
world have been set apart by the
word of God, other than the
animals the Bible declares clean
and available for meat.
Certainly not our poisonous
starfish friend.
Reading the verses around
verse 4 helps make Paul's
meaning clear.
The answer to our question "Does
Paul tell Timothy that every
animal [you could choose to
consume] is good for food?"
is no, the context and other
passages indicate he does not.
Paul was fighting against
doctrines of demons and
self-imposed, man-made
restrictions, explaining that
all of the creatures God set
apart in His word are
acceptable, not those animals
God did not create to be eaten
in the first place.
Rightly dividing God's word
takes skill, and a familiarity
with the larger messages and
themes of the Bible.
And today's free offer, the
24-lesson Tomorrow's World Bible
Study Course has been especially
designed to help you gain that
intimate familiarity with
the word of God.
Here's the information you need
to order your first four
lessons, and don't go away,
because I'll be right back
to explain one of the most
misunderstood verses
in the Bible.
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resource will help you
understand this vital truth--
straight from the
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For our third question,
let's look at Luke 17.
There, in verses 20 and 21,
we read...
Now some take note of those last
few words and ask the following:
The question is whether Jesus
meant that the Kingdom of God is
something only set up in the
hearts of Christians--now--and
not a literal, world-ruling
Kingdom that is yet to come
in the future.
Now, this idea is explicitly
reflected in some Bible
translations, such as the
Contemporary English Version,
which translates Jesus'
words of verse 20 as
"God's kingdom isn't
something you can see."
But is this
interpretation correct?
Is the Kingdom of God just
in your heart?
Well, let's use the two tools
we've already discussed.
First, let's consider
other verses.
Passages such as 1 Corinthians
chapter 6, verses 9 and 10,
chapter 15, verse 50, and
Galatians 5:21 plainly describe
the Kingdom of God as something
Christians will inherit in the
future and do not yet have, and
that it is something flesh and
blood, like we are now,
cannot inherit.
In many passages, such as
Matthew 25:31-34 and Mark 14:25,
Jesus clearly describes
the Kingdom as something
Christians will inherit with
His future Second Coming,
not before.
And Revelation 11:15 describes
the inauguration of God's
Kingdom as coinciding with
Christ's return, as well, with
other verses saying explicitly
that Christ will rule over the
world alongside His saints.
And the Old Testament is filled
with prophetic descriptions of
that future world.
Frankly, there are too many
verses to refer to them all.
But they plainly depict the
Kingdom of God as being a very
real Kingdom that will rule the
world in the age to come.
And let's use our second tool
and look at the context by
reading the larger passage
in Luke 17...
Notice that last part:
the coming of Jesus Christ, the
Son of Man, will be as when
lightning flashes, which fills
the entire sky.
That's something very
visible--in fact, accompanied
by thunder, it can be
impossible to miss.
This does not sound like
something invisible that exists
only within your heart.
Finally, let's use a third tool
for understanding the Bible:
Luke is not the only biblical
writer to describe Jesus'
comments about the Kingdom
and its visibility.
Look at a related passage as
recorded by a different gospel
writer, this time Matthew.
Let's read Matthew 24,
beginning at verse 23, and
see what he adds...
This additional witness records
additional elements in
Jesus' description.
First, He isn't talking about
something that cannot be seen at
all, but rather He is warning
that He will not return and
establish His Kingdom in some
secret location somewhere--some
location that has to be
figured out or hunted down.
In fact, the Greek word
translated "observation" in Luke
17:20 can mean just that--a
close and careful inspection,
picking over minute details.
The Weymouth New Testament
translates Jesus'
words of verse 20:
That matches better Jesus'
warnings to avoid those who say,
"Hey, Jesus is in this hidden
group or that secret place--you
just haven't seen Him."
He is saying the coming of
His Kingdom will be
very public and impossible to
miss--like lightning filling the
entire sky, or, as this passage
adds, like a flock of eagles
swarming around their dinner.
Not secret at all,
and extremely visible.
So, what does He mean when
He says "the Kingdom
is within you"?
Many other Bible translations
get this verse more accurately
than the King James and New King
James--as much as I love
them--by translating that phrase
more clearly as "the Kingdom is
among you" or "the Kingdom
is in your midst."
And that makes far more sense.
Wherever Jesus went in His
ministry, the people experienced
a foretaste of the great Kingdom
to come in tomorrow's world.
So, let's summarize what we've
learned today--but first I need
to give you one more opportunity
to request our free
24-lesson Tomorrow's World
Bible Study Course.
This course is designed
with you in mind.
Whether you have never cracked
open a Bible before or whether
you're a long-time Bible reader
looking to go deeper, this free
course was designed for you.
Order your first lessons right
now, and I'll be right back to
highlight the lessons you can
begin applying today in your
own Bible study.
For today's free offer call...
Or go to...
This clear and straight-forward
resource will help you
understand this vital truth--
straight from the
pages of the Bible.
If you're calling for the first
time, you will also receive a
free annual subscription to
Tomorrow's World magazine.
Ten inspiring issues discussing
news, science, and modern
culture will help you make sense
of your world from
a biblical perspective.
Call today and join millions
around the world who are turning
to Tomorrow's World for truth,
prophecy, and hope in these
confusing times.
Call now!
Or go to...
Welcome back.
We hope this episode of
Tomorrow's World has been
helpful for you.
In addressing these common Bible
questions, we've seen that Jesus
was not created by God but,
instead, existed in eternity
past with Him.
And that all created things
were, in fact made through Him.
We've seen that the Apostle Paul
was not trying to say that you
should be willing to eat any and
every animal on earth, but those
God created to be eaten
are fair game.
And we've seen that the Kingdom
of God is not just something set
up in your heart, but truly is a
world-ruling Kingdom to be
brought by Jesus Christ
at His return.
And we've answered those
questions by employing three
solid principles that you should
always keep in mind when trying
to understand a particular verse
or passage of the Bible.
With these principles in mind,
you'll be well on your way to
fulfilling that charge the
Apostle Paul laid upon
Timothy--and which, centuries
later, he lays on all of us...
If you are serious about doing
that, and you recognize the
eternal value that lies within
the pages of the Bible, then I
can't think of a better way for
you to learn how to bring that
eternal value out of the pages
of the Bible and into your life
than enrolling in today's free
offer, the 24-lesson Tomorrow's
World Bible Study Course.
It's time to stop making
excuses and start
making things happen.
I hope you will order your
copy--and I hope you will
come back next week.
When you do, you'll find that
Gerald Weston, Richard Ames, Rod
McNair, and I will be here
waiting for you, looking forward
to sharing with you the hope of
the coming Kingdom of God, the
inspiring teachings of Jesus
Christ, and the vital end-time
prophecies of our day.
Until we see you again,
take care.
For today's free offer call...
Or go to...
Call today and join millions
around the world who are turning
to Tomorrow's World for truth,
prophecy, and hope in these
confusing times.
♪
The preceding program is
produced by the
Living Church of God.