In the first part of this series, we looked at the proposition that some theologians believe that the four accounts about Christ’s birth contradict each other. We showed that the Bible does not contain errors, and that the gospel accounts complement, rather than contradict each other.

While different scholars may have their own, and varied views, on the matter about Jesus’ birth, the Church of God, historically, has explained that the Bible interprets the Bible in all matters!

And so, let us look at the two different writings in Matthew and Luke and see where they have the same information and are in complete agreement.

1. Mary was a virgin

Mary, the mother of Jesus, was a virgin, as we read in Matthew 1:18, 23 and 25:

 ^“Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit… Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name “Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.”’… [Joseph] did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son. And he called His name Jesus.”

The word “virgin” is only mentioned in verse 23, but the other two verses, quoted above, contain the phrases: “Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together” and that Joseph “did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son.”

In Luke 1:26-27, we read: “Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary.”

We will discuss the biblical claim of the “Virgin Birth” in more detail in the next Q&A.

2. Nazareth was the city where Joseph and Mary lived

 As mentioned above in Luke 1:26-27, we read that Nazareth was where Mary and Joseph lived.

Also, in Luke 2:39, as referenced in subheading No. 4 below, we read that “they returned to Galilee, to their own city, Nazareth.”  See also Matthew 2:23.

3. Jesus was born in Bethlehem

 In the book of Matthew 2:1, we read a clear statement of fact: “Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem.”

We further read in Luke 2:4-7: “Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child.  So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.”

Both accounts agree that Jesus was born in Bethlehem. Also, the prophecy of Micah confirms this fact, where we read in Micah 5:2: “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Though you are little among the thousands of Judah, Yet out of you shall come forth to Me The One to be Ruler in Israel, Whose goings forth are from of old, From everlasting.”

4. They returned to Nazareth after Jesus’ Birth

Matthew 2:23 says: “And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, ‘He shall be called a Nazarene.’”

Luke 2:39 says: “So when they had performed all things according to the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own city, Nazareth.”

In passing, much confusion exists about the statement in Matthew that Jesus was called a Nazarene. In our Q&A, titled “Is the Shroud of Turin Authentic?,” we wrote:

“… we are told that a man is not to wear ‘long hair,’ and that even nature teaches us that wearing long hair is a ‘dishonor’ to a man…

“…  the Old Testament permitted a man on special occasions to wear long hair. This exception is set forth in Numbers 6, known as ‘the Law of the Nazarite.’ Men were permitted to make a temporary ‘Nazarite vow’ to God. During the time of their vow, a Nazarite was not to cut his hair, but let ‘the locks of the hair of his head grow’ (verse 5). In addition, he was not to touch a dead person, eat any fresh grapes or raisins, or drink anything made from grapes, including wine. This law was inseparably connected with the ritual law of sacrifices: At the end of the separation, the Nazarite had to bring several offerings, and he had to go through additional rituals before the priest.

“Jesus, however, was not a Nazarite. He grew up in the city of Nazareth and was therefore called a ‘Nazarene’ (Matthew 2:23) — which is of course quite different from being a Nazarite.

“Since we have no record of a written Old Testament prophecy regarding to Christ being called a Nazarene, we conclude that Matthew is referring here to an oral prophecy (He specifically states that this had been ‘spoken’ of Jesus.) However, in Isaiah 11:1, Christ is called the ‘Branch,’ in Hebrew ‘nezer.’ This Hebrew word is very similar to the Hebrew word for Nazarene. It has therefore been suggested that Jews at the time of Jesus might have understood this verse to refer to someone from Nazareth.

“In any event, Christ was not a Nazarite, because He did many things which were prohibited for Nazarites.”

So, we see, that both Matthew and Luke confirm Jesus grew up in Nazareth.

However, there are events that are exclusively written in just one of the gospel accounts, as a study of the harmony of the gospels will show.

Only in the book of Matthew do we read about the visit of the magi (Matthew 2:1-12) and the flight into Egypt (Matthew 2:13-15).

Only in the book of Luke do we read about the birth of Jesus (Luke 2:1-7); the visit of the shepherds (Luke 2:8-17); Christ’s presentation in the temple (Luke 2:22-24) and the words of Simeon and Anna (Luke 2:25-38).

Does this mean that there are errors in these accounts?   We must remember that none of these events are mentioned in either the book of Mark or John.  If we honestly and carefully put all of this information together, there are no contradictions, just accounts that focus on different things that happened.

There are two verses at the end of the book of John which are very telling: “This is the disciple who testifies of these things, and wrote these things; and we know that his testimony is true.  And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written. Amen” (John 21:24-25).

This clearly reveals that only so much about Jesus was written and much more was not recorded in the Bible.   Therefore, we have a lot of information about the Savior of mankind, recorded in different biblical books, but it is only a small amount that could have been recorded.   But God decided, directed and inspired the writers of the gospel accounts what needed to be recorded for posterity. The information that we have is sufficient to reveal God’s Master Plan for Salvation which shows that God’s faithful and loyal people can enter the Kingdom of God at Christ’s return.

Other areas of dispute in the article originally referred to at the beginning of this Q&A was that of the alleged differences between the events of Matthew 2 where the wise men from the east visited the “young Child” (Matthew 2:1-12) and where Joseph, Mary and the infant Jesus fled to Egypt on the instruction of the angel of the LORD (Matthew 2:13-15).

In Luke 2, we find recorded the visit of the shepherds who were told by an angel: “For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger” (Luke 2:11-12), and the journey that Joseph and Mary made to Jerusalem “to present Him at the temple in Jerusalem to the Lord” (Luke 2:22 and 39).

In Matthew 2, we read that the wise men “came into the house and saw the young Child with Mary” (verse 11).  In Luke 2, the shepherds saw a “Babe” (not a young Child) lying in a manger.   These two events were obviously quite a time apart.

There are those who see that these events are contradictory when, in fact, they are complementary.  Just because one writer gives one account and another writer gives different information, pertaining to a different time, doesn’t mean that either is in error.

The shepherds saw Christ just after He was born; He was circumcised in Jerusalem, and Simeon (Luke 2:25-32) and Anna (Luke 2:36-38) saw Him in the Temple at Jerusalem.  Much later, the wise men saw the Child and after Herod realised that the wise men had not returned to give him any news, it was then that Joseph was told to flee into Egypt.   We then read about the massacre of all male children under the age of two years taking place.  The fact that it was all male children under the age of two gives us an understanding that Jesus could have been up to two years old when this happened. In fact, we read that Herod ordered the massacre and “put to death all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its districts, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the wise men” (Matthew 2:16).

In our Q&A on the wise men in Matthew 2, we quote the Bible Encyclopaedia as follows:

“[Regarding the] Magi who worshipped Jesus [the word] translated ‘wise men’ is the Greek word magos. This is the same as magus, an old Persian word equivalent to the chakam of the Old Testament (above). Magi is the plural of magus… There is no indication that they practiced sorcery or claimed magical powers. Their recorded conduct is sincere and worshipful. They appear to have researched the Old Testament and believed its prophecies about the Messiah… The record does not specifically say that there were three, or that they were kings… but there was obvious wealth involved… These magi did not arrive until possibly almost two years after Christ’s birth, certainly sometime after his presentation in the Temple (Luke 2:22-39)… There is no mention of camels or any mode of transportation in the biblical record. There is also no mention of their names…”

After the massacre, Herod died and Joseph was told to go back to the land of Israel, and the family then dwelt in Nazareth (compare Matthew 2:19-23).

Regarding the reporting of events, one internet writer opined that “When one reads any of the gospels, one gets the impression that it was a normal narrative technique at that time to report incidents which were separated by a significant amount of time as if they were successive events.”

The events in Matthew 2 and Luke 2 are complementary, and must be true because if they are not, then the Bible has errors, but we know that this is not so.   If the Bible had errors, then it could not be trusted.   But that is not the case, and the Bible is the Word of God that we can truly rely on!

(To Be Continued)

Lead Writers: Brian Gale (United Kingdom) and Norbert Link

It was brought to our attention by a reader in Africa that there had been a paper produced entitled, “Was Jesus really born in Bethlehem?  Why the Gospels disagree over the circumstances of Christ’s birth.” The paper was published in December of 2021 by Rodolfo Galvan Estrada III, Assistant Professor of the New Testament, Vanguard University.

He states that “Every Christmas, a relatively small town in the Palestinian West Bank comes center stage: Bethlehem. Jesus, according to some biblical sources, was born in this town some two millennia ago. Yet the New Testament Gospels do not agree about the details of Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem. Some do not mention Bethlehem or Jesus’ birth at all.

“The Gospels’ different views might be hard to reconcile. But as a scholar of the New Testament, what I argue is that the Gospels offer an important insight into the Greco-Roman views of ethnic identity, including genealogies. Today, genealogies may bring more awareness of one’s family medical history or help uncover lost family members. In the Greco-Roman era, birth stories and genealogical claims were used to establish rights to rule and link individuals with purported ancestral grandeur.”

With these comments, the author implies that the four Gospel accounts cannot be relied upon as being factual, but that they just relate a “narrative” based on manufactured genealogies to establish Christ’s “right to rule” and His “ancestral grandeur.”

Let us, first of all, answer the supposed contradictions in the genealogies in Matthew and Luke. We have addressed this issue in our free booklet, “Jesus Christ—A Great Mystery” and also in our Q&A entitled: “Would you please explain the difference in genealogy in the records in Matthew 1 and Luke 3? What was the nationality of Jesus?” To quote briefly from this Q&A, we say the following:

“Matthew 1 and Luke 3 describe different lines. Matthew 1 describes Christ’s legal genealogy through Joseph. Luke sets forth Mary’s line.

“Matthew 1:16 tells us that Matthew’s record covers Christ’s lineage through His stepfather Joseph. It says ‘Jacob begat Joseph, the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus who is called Christ.’

“A correct rendering of Luke 3:23 shows that Luke is setting forth Christ’s blood descent. However, the translation of the New King James Bible is misleading. It gives the impression that Joseph was the father of Heli, and that therefore, Luke is also setting forth Christ’s descent of Joseph. This is incorrect, as Joseph was not the SON of Heli, but of Jacob, as Matthew 1:16 points out.

“Luke sets forth Christ’s genealogy through His mother Mary, NOT through His stepfather Joseph. Accurately translated, Luke 3:23 should read: ‘Now Jesus Himself began His ministry at about thirty years of age (being, as was supposed the son of Joseph), which was of Heli.’ The parenthesis should start with the words ‘being, as was supposed,’ and it should close after ‘the son of Joseph.’ The word ‘son’ in ‘son of Heli’ is not found in the original Greek. Jesus, who was supposed to be the son of Joseph, was, through Mary, a grandson of Heli. Heli was the father of Mary.”

It is interesting that this academic, Rodolfo Galvan Estrada III, tries to devalue the veracity of God’s Word and veers off on a tangent rather than trying to reconcile any differences that he might see. Surely, he must realise that if all the gospels were exactly the same, then one would be vitally important and the other three would be totally redundant.

From a human standpoint, we know, for example, that different witnesses of the same accident can often, seemingly, give different versions.   This may be due to a number of reasons; seeing an accident from a different angle; a good view of the incident rather than just a glance; one witness’ eyesight could be much better than another’s; problems with memory; maybe vested interests in the outcome, and more. This kind of argumentation has been used by some to criticize or question the accuracy of the four Gospel accounts, as the writers allegedly were suffering from faulty memory; vested interest in the outcome; a lack of thorough investigation or observation, etc.

As we will see, none of the following applies to the accuracy and reliability of the Gospel accounts, but strictly from a human standpoint, here is interesting information on the neurosciencenews.com website where we read the following:

“Researchers investigate why two people who experience the same event often have different memories of what occurred. Does it ever strike you as odd that you and a friend can experience the same event at the same time, but come away with different memories of what happened?  So why is it that people can recall the same thing so differently?? We all know memory isn’t perfect, and most memory differences are relatively trivial. But sometimes they can have serious consequences.

“Imagine if you both witnessed a crime. What factors lead to memory differences and whom should we trust? There are three important aspects to memory: encoding, storage, and retrieval. Encoding is how we get information into the brain. Storage is how we retain information over time. Retrieval is how we get information out of the brain.

“Differences in each or a combination of these aspects might help explain why memories differ from one person to another.”

This may sound pretty convincing for those who regard the four Gospel accounts, and for that matter, the entire Bible, only as uninspired writings by fallible human beings who tried to use their faulty memories, or even human traditions, to relate certain events.

However, interesting as it is when applied to human beings with faulty memories or observations, this is not the case with Scripture.

Jesus said: “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, [it] will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you” (John 14:26).

Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible explains:

“… bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said to you; which through inattention, or want of understanding in them, had slipped their minds, and were forgotten by them. This accounts for it, how the evangelists some years after the death of Christ; at different times and places, and without consulting each other, could commit to writing the life, actions, sayings, and sermons of Christ, with all the minute circumstances attending them.”

Further, we read in 2 Timothy 3:16: “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness…”

Also, 2 Peter 1:20-21 tells us that “no prophecy [or inspired preaching] of Scripture is of any private interpretation [or origin; compare margin of the New King James Bible], for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.”

Ecclesiastes 12:11 states: “The words of the wise are like goads, and the words of scholars are like well-driven nails, given by ONE SHEPHERD.”

Barnes Notes on the Bible comments:

“One shepherd – i. e., God, who is the supreme Giver of wisdom, Proverbs 2:6, and the chief Shepherd, Jeremiah 23:1-4. Compare 1 Corinthians 2:12-13.”

Matthew Poole’s commentary says: “And this clause seems to be added partly as the reason of that admirable harmony and agreement which is amongst all the men of God in all ages and places, because they are all taught by one Master, and guided by the same hand; and partly to oblige us to the greater attention and reverence to all their doctrines and counsels, which we are to receive as the word of God, and not of men only, as it is said, 1 Thessalonians 2:13.”

In 1 Thessalonians 2:13, we find the following remarkable words by Paul:

“For this reason we also thank God without ceasing, because when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also effectively works in you who believe.”

We can, therefore, safely appreciate that all of Scripture, including the four Gospel accounts, was authored by God, and written by men as they were led, not by their own faulty memory, but by God’s Holy Spirit.

As we know that the Holy Spirit guided the four different writers of the four Gospel accounts, we know that they will need to be harmonised; otherwise, we would not be able to trust the Bible to be true.   What we find in the different reports about the birth of Jesus and subsequent events is that they are complementary, not in competition.

In the paper that was written by the above-mentioned scholar disputing this fact, the following was an approving answer from another misguided scholar on the historical Jesus, John Meier, who wrote that: “Jesus’ birth at Bethlehem is to be taken not as a historical fact but as a ‘theological affirmation put into the form of an apparently historical narrative.’” In other words, the belief that Jesus was a descendant of King David led to the development of an invented story about Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem.

In addition, Raymond Brown, a Roman Catholic and another scholar on the Gospels, also stated erroneously that “the two narratives are not only different – they are contrary to each other in a number of details.”

However, the Hebraic Jesus scholar Geza Vermes, speaking of the Nativity narratives, has described Brown’s coverage as “the primary example of the position of having your cake and eating it” (Wikipedia Encyclopaedia).

(To be continued)

Lead Writer: Brian Gale (United Kingdom) and Norbert Link

In the previous Q&A in this series, we began to look at some great relationships in the pages of the Bible.

Relationships – Great Relationships in the Bible (continued).

In this final instalment, we will continue to review some more interesting relationships.

Job and His Friends

Job is described in Job 1:1-3 as the greatest of all the people in the East, and he had seven sons, three daughters and many possessions. However, Satan was allowed to tempt him, but not to take his life (Job 2:6).  In his hour of need, he was visited by his three friends:

“Now when Job’s three friends heard of all this adversity that had come upon him, each one came from his own place—Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite. For they had made an appointment together to come and mourn with him, and to comfort him.  And when they raised their eyes from afar, and did not recognize him, they lifted their voices and wept; and each one tore his robe and sprinkled dust on his head toward heaven.  So they sat down with him on the ground seven days and seven nights, and no one spoke a word to him, for they saw that his grief was very great” (Job 2:11-13).

At the beginning, their concern, compassion and attitude were sincere and commendable. But as the story unfolds, his friends became condemnatory and accused Job incorrectly of all kinds of sins, because they did not understand—and neither did Job—why Job was suffering, concluding that Job must have greatly sinned to deserve such punishment. God wanted to show Job that he had to overcome his self-righteousness, but the three friends could not see that, while condemning Job of sins he was not guilty of (Job 32:3). God became angry with Job’s three friends and was willing to punish them severely, because they “have not spoken of Me what is right, as My servant Job has” (Job 42:7). While Job had repented “in dust and ashes” for the wrong things he had said against God, his three friends did not show the same kind of remorse. So, God asked Job to pray for them so that He would not deal with them “according to [their] folly” (verse 8). The remarkable conclusion is that Job WAS willing to pray for his three friends, even though they had shown themselves as accusers without mercy and compassion.

In the end, it all worked out. The former relationship when his friends made the time out of genuine concern to be with Job when he was in great distress, was restored.

Paul and Timothy

Timothy was a relatively young Evangelist, but Paul had full confidence in him. In 2 Timothy 1:1-2, we read: “Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, according to the promise of life which is in Christ Jesus, To Timothy, a beloved son: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.”

McLaren’s Expositions observes: “PAUL’S heart had been drawn to Timothy long before this letter was written, as far back as the beginning of his second missionary journey, and Timothy had cherished the enthusiastic devotion of a young man for his great leader. He seems to have been the best beloved of the circle which the magnetism of Paul’s character bound to him.”

There is no doubt that the two had a close relationship and friendship, and in verses 3-7, Paul writes about Timothy’s faith and heritage.   Paul had laid hands on Timothy and reminded him to stir up the gift of God which he had received.

We read in Acts 19:22 that Timothy and Erastus had ministered to Paul, and Timothy was with Paul, as we read in Philemon 1. Paul refers to him as “our brother and minister of God, and our fellow labourer in the gospel of Christ,” and he was confident that Timothy would be able to “establish” and “encourage” the brethren concerning [their] faith” (1 Thessalonians 3:2). Paul also referred affectionately to Timothy as “my true son in the faith” (1Timothy 1:2).

Abraham and God

“My friend”—that is how God referred to the patriarch Abraham (Isaiah 41:8: James 2:23; compare also 2 Chronicles 20:7 where Abraham is referred to as God’s friend “forever”). What a remarkable relationship where a limited, physical, mortal human being is thought of by the all-powerful, immortal, all-knowing, supreme God as His dearly loved friend. This friendship developed, and when God tested him by commanding him to slay his son Isaac as a sacrifice, Abraham was willing to obey. God wanted to see whether Abraham loved Him more than anything or anyone else, and Abraham trusted God so much that he understood that God would never ask something of him which would betray their friendship. Abraham could have thought of many reasons why he should not kill Isaac, but he proceeded as God had commanded him. He proved his faith by his works. And we know how well that situation worked out! God had not really intended for Abraham to kill his son, but Abraham did not know this. But he knew that God had promised him that he would become a father of many nations, through Isaac, and that God cannot lie.

And so, we read about Abraham’s motives and thoughts in Hebrews 11:17-19:

“By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, of whom it was said, ‘In Isaac your seed shall be called,’ concluding that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead, from which he also received him in a figurative sense.”

David and God

David’s relationship with God was personal from the time that he was a very young man until the day he spoke his last words when he was dying.   In Acts 13:22 we read: “And when He had removed [Saul], He raised up for them David as king, to whom also He gave testimony and said, ‘I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My own heart, who will do all My will.’” This was because of his attitude toward God. In Psalm 63:1-2 we read: “O God, You are my God; Early will I seek You; My soul thirsts for You; My flesh longs for You In a dry and thirsty land Where there is no water. So I have looked for You in the sanctuary, To see Your power and Your glory.”

In 1 Kings 2:1-3, we read: “Now the days of David drew near that he should die, and he charged Solomon his son, saying: ‘I go the way of all the earth; be strong, therefore, and prove yourself a man.  And keep the charge of the Lord your God: to walk in His ways, to keep His statutes, His commandments, His judgments, and His testimonies, as it is written in the Law of Moses, that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn…’”

David had many faults and committed many sins, but once he recognized his mistakes and sins, he repented deeply. God, knowing his heart, appreciated this character trait tremendously. David loved God and His law (Psalm 119:10, 16, 35, 47, 97). His focus was on God and that is why he had such a strong and personal relationship with God.

John and Jesus

John 13:23 gives us an indication of the close relationship John had with Jesus: “Now there was leaning on Jesus’ bosom one of His disciples, whom Jesus loved.”   The Benson Commentary observes: “This was John, the memory of whose sweet disposition, and other amiable qualities, is perpetuated in the peculiar love which Jesus bare to him. He always avoids with great care the expressly naming himself.”

Even Peter requested of John to ask Jesus who would betray Him, rather than asking Him personally (John 13:24).

We note Jesus’ words on the cross in John 19:26-27: “When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing by, He said to His mother, ‘Woman, behold your son!’  Then He said to the disciple, ‘Behold your mother!’ And from that hour that disciple took her to his own home.”  He was the disciple who is noted as being at the crucifixion, and he was told by Jesus to look after His mother.  That certainly indicates a very close personal relationship, and the trust and confidence which Jesus had in John that he would fulfil that responsibility. It is remarkable that Jesus did not ask any of His other disciples, nor any of His half-brothers, to care for Mary. John had without any doubt a very special relationship with Christ. Even after His resurrection, Peter recognized this relationship. Christ had told Him three times that he was to feed and tend His sheep. He also told him that he would glorify God through his death as a martyr. It was at that moment that we read in John 21:20-23:

“Then Peter, turning around, saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following, who also had leaned on His breast at the supper, and said, ‘Lord, who is the one who betrays You?’ Peter, seeing him, said to Jesus, ‘But Lord, what about this man?’ Jesus said to him, ‘If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you? You follow Me.’ Then this saying went out among the brethren that this disciple would not die. Yet Jesus did not say to him that he would not die, but, ‘If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you?’”

Apparently at that moment of jealousy, Peter, very well aware of the special relationship between Christ and John,  wanted to know about John’s fate. But Christ told him bluntly: That is none of your business. You do what I told you to do.  John lived on, writing the gospel according to John, three letters, and the book of Revelation. Then he died, to be resurrected within the next second of his consciousness to be with his beloved Friend, being like Him, seeing Him as He is (1 John 3:2).

Jesus and Mankind

Real friends are loyal to each other when the going is easy and also when it is tough.   They support and sacrifice for each other and their relationship is usually very strong and close. The ultimate degree of friendship was described by Jesus when He stated: “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends” (John 15:13).  Jesus gave His life for us and if we want to be His friend, we must be willing to go all the way in proving our loyalty to Him: “You are My friends if you do whatever I command you” (John 15:14).

What is unrealised by the world at large is that “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day” (John 6:44; compare John 6:65).   Those called now can have, and must have, that close personal relationship with God the Father and Jesus Christ, and those not called at this time will have their opportunity at a later time.

Christ calls us His friends and encourages us not to be afraid of men, but to have reverence and respect for God (Luke 12:4-5), assuring us of His great love and concern for us (verses 6 and 7). He told us—His friends–everything we need to know in order to inherit salvation (John 15:15). He called Lazarus His friend, whom He loved and resurrected (John 11:5, 11).

Jesus said to His disciples in John 15:16: “You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.”   The same is true today.  God the Father wants those whom He chooses at this time, to have a close personal relationship with Him and His Son. But this relationship can only be obtained and maintained if we refuse to be friends of the world and its evil way of life (James 4:4).

Conclusion.

The Bible is replete with information about relationships, as we have seen in this series. Even the genealogies that we read about in the pages of God’s Word are all indicative of inevitable relationships.

The most important relationship of all is the one that we have with God, as this will determine our future as well as being the right and godly way to live in this present evil world.

Lead Writers: Brian Gale (United Kingdom) and Norbert Link

We have reviewed so far relationships between the Father and Jesus Christ; man with fellow man; those within the family unit; and our own personal relationship with God.

In any great relationship, friendship is a fundamental and essential part along with other requirements such as honesty, trust, loyalty and a proper lifestyle.

Great Relationships in the Bible

In this Q&A, we are beginning to review examples of some of the great relationships in the pages of the Bible.

Abraham and Lot

When God told Abram (later Abraham) to “get out of your country, from your kindred and from your father’s house To a land that I will show you” (Genesis 12:1), Lot went with him (verse 4). In the following chapter, we read that “Lot also, who went with Abram, had flocks and herds and tents.  Now the land was not able to support them, that they might dwell together, for their possessions were so great that they could not dwell together.  And there was strife between the herdsmen of Abram’s livestock and the herdsmen of Lot’s livestock” (Genesis 13:5-7). The result was that Abraham gave Lot a choice of whether to go to the right or to the left (verse 9), even though it would have been Abraham’s prerogative to choose. As it turns out, Lot chose poorly, and it was even more troublesome that he moved into the wicked city of Sodom to dwell and live with the evil Sodomites.

In the next chapter, we read about Lot’s captivity and rescue.  Starting in Genesis 14:12 we read that “They also took Lot, Abram’s brother’s son who dwelt in Sodom, and his goods, and departed.”   But help was at hand.  “Then one who had escaped came and told Abram the Hebrew, for he dwelt by the terebinth trees of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshcol and brother of Aner; and they were allies with Abram. Now when Abram heard that his brother was taken captive, he armed his three hundred and eighteen trained servants who were born in his own house, and went in pursuit as far as Dan.  He divided his forces against them by night, and he and his servants attacked them and pursued them as far as Hobah, which is north of Damascus. So he brought back all the goods, and also brought back his brother’s son, Lot, and his goods, as well as the women and the people” (Genesis 14:13-16). Abraham put his life on the line for Lot to restore his nephew’s freedom. That is what can happen in good families and shows the deep respect and affection that Abraham had for Lot and for their relationship.

Later, God announced to Abraham that He was about to destroy Sodom, due to their wickedness. Abraham pleaded with God in what some have called one of the most moving passages in the Bible, asking time and again to spare Sodom if at least ten righteous people were to be found in the city. God agreed, but not even 10 righteous people could be found. However, God rescued righteous Lot, his wife and their two daughters, but Lot’s wife wanted to turn back and became a pillar of salt. Undoubtedly, when Abraham uttered his heartrending pleas, he had Lot in mind as well, not wanting that he was to perish (even though he must have realized Lot’s big mistake in settling down in that city). But true friendship is willing to overlook mistakes and act mercifully.

Moses and Aaron

Two brothers were parted when Moses, at the age of three months, was put into an ark of bulrushes which was placed into the river (Exodus 2:2-3), while Aaron, the firstborn, stayed with his parents. We know that Moses grew up in the Pharaoh’s household for 40 years (Acts 7:23) and then fled to Midian and was there another 40 years (Acts 7:30) but most of his last 40 years was spent with Aaron at his side through the encounters with Pharaoh and the ten plagues (Exodus chapters 4-12) and the subsequent desert wanderings. Moses died when he was 120 years old (Deuteronomy 34:7).

Moses, at the age of 80 had had the experience at the burning bush, and when he was told that he would have to return to Egypt and confront Pharaoh to let the Israelites go from their slavery, he pleaded with God saying that “I am not eloquent, neither before nor since You have spoken to Your servant; but I am slow of speech and slow of tongue.” Exodus 4:10).   God replied: “Is not Aaron the Levite your brother? I know that he can speak well. And look, he is also coming out to meet you. When he sees you, he will be glad in his heart.  Now you shall speak to him and put the words in his mouth. And I will be with your mouth and with his mouth, and I will teach you what you shall do.  So he shall be your spokesman to the people. And he himself shall be as a mouth for you, and you shall be to him as God” (Exodus 4:14-16).

Subsequently, the record shows that Moses, not Aaron, mainly spoke to Pharaoh, being mighty in words and deeds (Acts 7:22). In due time, Aaron listened to the people in building a golden calf, kindling Moses’ wrath and holding Aaron responsible (Exodus 32:21), and because of envy, Aaron and Miriam would later speak against Moses, questioning his authority (Numbers 12:1).

Nevertheless, Moses undoubtedly forgave Aaron, and it was a great friendship and relationship that lasted for 40 years and, through the workings of God, they achieved the freedom of Israel from subjugation to the Egyptians.   What a close relationship that was, and had to be.

David & Jonathan

We read in 1 Samuel 18:1-3 the close friendship that David and Jonathan had: “Now when he had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.  Saul took him that day, and would not let him go home to his father’s house anymore.  Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul.”

We read in 1 Samuel 19 that Saul persecuted David, and Saul’s son, Jonathan, showed his loyalty to his close friend.

On the website of beliefnet, we read: “This is the essence of friendship, to love another as you love yourself. Not only this, but Jonathan sacrificed for David, stripping himself of the items which represented his power and position, and giving them to him. Jonathan was also unwaveringly loyal to David, warning him of King Saul’s treachery and intent to kill him. The two friends shared a close emotional bond as well, and were unafraid of sharing their feelings, weeping when it became clear that David had to leave. These three elements—displayed love, loyalty, and emotional openness, are three essential traits that psychologists deem necessary for friendships to thrive.

“To clarify an area of contention regarding the relationship between David and Jonathan, the Hebrew word for love used in 1 Samuel, in the context of their friendship, has clear diplomatic and platonic friendship implications. David and Jonathan are a fantastic example of the male friendship that we often lack in our modern culture—men don’t often form such close bonds. God created both men and women to be able to establish these intimate, life-long friendships. To strive for less is to miss out on something wonderful.”

The friendship between David and Jonathan was very deep and lasted until Jonathan’s death. We can read about David’s deep sorrow for Jonathan when he learned about his tragic death in battle.

Elijah and Elisha

Elijah is first mentioned in 1 Kings 17 where he proclaimed a drought for 3½ years as punishment for worshipping Baal.  Later, God answered Elijah’s prayers and the priests of Baal were slaughtered by the Israelites.  He escaped from the wrathful Queen Jezebel.   He then became somewhat depressed and God gave him tasks as we read in 1 Kings 19:15-18: “Then the Lord said to him: ‘Go, return on your way to the Wilderness of Damascus; and when you arrive, anoint Hazael as king over Syria.  Also you shall anoint Jehu the son of Nimshi as king over Israel. And Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel Meholah you shall anoint as prophet in your place.  It shall be that whoever escapes the sword of Hazael, Jehu will kill; and whoever escapes the sword of Jehu, Elisha will kill.  Yet I have reserved seven thousand in Israel, all whose knees have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him.’”

He saw that he was not the only one alive who believed in the true God and was shown that there were 7,000 of whom Elijah had had no knowledge.  He was also commissioned to anoint Elisha to take his place and this is where this close relationship and friendship started.  Elijah soon found Elisha and threw his mantle on him (1 Kings 19:19-21) and Elisha followed and served him.

Elisha left everything to follow Elijah, including his family, friends and his way of life.  Today, followers of Jesus Christ leave behind their old way of life and follow the Saviour of mankind.

They both performed many miracles and worked together for several years before Elijah was taken up into heaven (the first heaven) by a whirlwind (2 Kings 2:11), to be transported to another place here on earth from where he continued to operate. His mantle fell on Elisha (verse 13) to continue the Work of God.   During their time together, it is obvious that they had a very close relationship as they worked in unity as God decreed. In fact, from the three tasks which God had given to Elijah, he only performed the first one (anointing Elisha as a prophet.) The other two tasks were carried out by Elisha (anointing Hazael as king over Syria and Jehu as king over Israel), but there was no envy on Elijah’s part that his successor would continue the Work and perform even mightier miracles than Elijah had done.

Naomi and Ruth

This is a most unusual story in that Elimelech, Naomi and their two sons left Bethlehem, Judah, to go to Moab because of a famine in the land (Ruth 1:1-2).   Elimelech died (verse 3) and the two sons married and dwelt there about 10 years (verse 4).   However, both sons died (verse 5).

Naomi lost her husband and two sons in a foreign land and decided to return home.  Both of her daughters-in-law started on the journey with her but she urged them both to turn back to their homeland (verses 8-13).  One daughter-in-law, Orpah, kissed Naomi and returned home but Ruth clung to her (verse 14).  We read an impassioned plea in verses 15-16: “But Ruth said: ‘Entreat me not to leave you, Or to turn back from following after you; For wherever you go, I will go; And wherever you lodge, I will lodge; Your people shall be my people, And your God, my God. Where you die, I will die, And there will I be buried. The Lord do so to me, and more also, If anything but death parts you and me.’”

That was quite a statement from someone who was initially not brought up in the fear of God and showed a real commitment by Ruth, and in faith.   It is obvious that Ruth had learned about the true God, mainly through her mother-in-law, and that she had become a believer. She referred to God as “your God and my God.” (Please note that the phrase, “shall be” in verse 16 of Ruth 1 has been added and is not in the Hebrew. For instance, virtually all German Bibles, including the Luther Bible; the Elberfelder Bible, the Menge Bible and the Schlachter Bible, read: “Your people is my people, and your God is my God.”) The rest of the story in the 4 chapters of the book of Ruth shows a very close and personal relationship between the two women and an enduring friendship.   Such a friendship revealed many qualities that a close relationship should have, that of loyalty and encouragement, help and sound advice, as well as self-sacrifice when someone was in great need of such devotion and support.

Ruth married Boaz and the baby that they had was Obed, who was the grandfather of King David.  This is quite a story with Ruth’s relationships with Naomi and her husband, Boaz, all being part of God’s plan for Israel!

(To be continued)

Lead writers: Brian Gale (United Kingdom) and Norbert Link

We have so far looked at the relationship between God the Father and Jesus Christ; man’s relationship with fellow man and how to deal with others, together with reviewing relationships within the human family. In this Q&A, we are going to look at our vitally important personal relationship which we must have with God.

Our personal relationship with God.

So many today feel that they have a relationship with God while still trampling over His laws. But Christ tells us that we worship God in vain if we lay aside the commandments of God in order to teach and follow the commandments of men (Mark 7:6-8).

In addition, “once saved, always saved” is a false doctrine that we have covered at length previously, and we have to be obedient to the Way that God has called His people to live, that of obedience to His law—not walking all over it, thinking that it doesn’t matter. It does.

In his booklet “A World Held Captive,” Mr Herbert W Armstrong, late human leader of the now defunct Worldwide Church of God, observed as follows:

“MAN was created to have a personal relationship with God — to be begotten as children of God, finally born into the GOD FAMILY (page 6).”

“God created MAN in God’s own image — form and shape. Man was mortal like animals, but differing as to form and shape, and in MIND. To human brain was added human spirit, empowering human brain with intellect, thus making possible a relationship between man and God” (page 14).

The Bible shows that God had a relationship with a few in the Old Testament.  Enoch walked with God (Genesis 5:22) and Abel, Enoch and Noah are all mentioned in Hebrews 11:4-7.  Later, Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Aaron, Miriam, Joshua, Rahab, Deborah, Job, Ruth, Esther, Samson, Elijah, Elisha, David, Samuel, Solomon, Isaiah, Daniel and a number of others are all shown to be in contact with God and He with them.

In the New Testament, the twelve apostles had a close personal relationship with Jesus. Of course, Judas betrayed Christ and was later replaced by Matthias. We could also mention other remarkable men such as John the Baptist, as well as other remarkable women like Mary, the mother of Jesus; Mary Magdalene; Mary, the sister of Lazarus; and Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist. Paul, too, had a close relationship with Christ after his conversion, and so did James, the half-brother of Christ, and many others.

The names above are not a complete list but are among those shown to have been close to God.

In 2 Corinthians 6, we read that Paul was telling the Christians at that time (and by extension, God’s people today) not to be unequally yoked with unbelievers  (verse 14) and that we are not to be involved with idols: “And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: ‘I will dwell in them And walk among them. I will be their God, And they shall be My people.’  Therefore ‘Come out from among them And be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, And I will receive you.’  ‘I will be a Father to you, And you shall be My sons and daughters, Says the Lord Almighty.’”

We are given clear instruction that our relationship is to be with the great God Himself and not with the ways of this world, when we become begotten sons and daughters of God through that relationship with Him.

In Revelation 3:20-22, we read Christ’s words: “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.  To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”

We must realise that it takes time to build a relationship with God; we don’t click our fingers and there it is.  We have to make time for continuing prayer. Throughout the day we can be in contact with the great Creator God of the universe and He can be on hand to help even in the most minor of details if we involve Him as we should.

Here are just a few of many verses we can reflect on in respect to our relationship with God.   First of all, we must realise that Jesus said that “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day” (John 6:44:65).   We have to be called to His Way of Life to have a close personal relationship with God.

Moses says in Deuteronomy 31:6:  “Be strong and of good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD your God, He it is that does go with you; He will not fail you, nor forsake you.”

Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible observes: “…he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee; not fail to fulfil his promises to them, not leave them till he had given them complete victory over their enemies, put them into the possession of their land, and settled them in it. This promise, though made to literal Israel, belongs to the spiritual Israel of God, and is made good to every true believer in the Lord; see Hebrews 13:5: ‘Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.’”

We are never alone when we are close to God, but that doesn’t mean that we will never have any difficulties.   When this happens, we read in Psalm 34:17-19 what God will do for us: “The righteous cry, and the LORD hears, and delivers them out of all their troubles. The LORD is near to them that are of a broken heart; and saves such as be of a contrite spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivers him out of them all.”

We read further: “But they that wait on the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint” (Isaiah 40:31).

It is incredible to realise that the One who created us all describes His people who are close to Him in this way: “Then those who feared the LORD spoke to one another, And the LORD listened and heard them; So a book of remembrance was written before Him For those who fear the LORD And who meditate on His name. ‘They shall be Mine,’ says the LORD of hosts, ‘On the day that I make them My jewels. And I will spare them As a man spares his own son who serves him’” (Malachi 3:16-17).

We can be encouraged with this promise: “‘For all those things My hand has made, And all those things exist,’ Says the LORD. ‘But on this one will I look: On him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, And who trembles at My word’” (Isaiah 66:2).  With this sort of attitude, our relationship with our Creator will be very close, fruitful and peaceful. Christ assured us:  “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you: not as the world gives, give I to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” (John 14:27).

God’s people are instructed to “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7).  What a wonderful promise that is for this time now, and the future is to be amazing.  Peter adds the following:

 “Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care on Him; for He cares for you” (1 Peter 5:6-7).

We have to have a child/parent relationship with our great Creator God, and we can see the dividends that this brings now. In the future, when Christ rules this earth, everyone will learn of God’s ways, and those who respond will also be able to have a good and close relationship with God (See Isaiah 11:9-10).

This personal relationship with God starts at the time when we realize our need for Him and do as the apostle Peter instructed in Acts 2:38: “Then Peter said to them, ‘Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.’”

Right from the outset of life on earth, Adam and Eve were offered the opportunity of having a personal relationship with God, as we read in Genesis 3:2-3: “And the woman said to the serpent, ‘We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, “You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.”’” As the serpent tried to derail our original parents from going God’s Way, Eve related what God had told them, but some doubts may have already crept in, because she added something what God had not told them. God had only said that they were not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil; but Eve went further and said that they were not even to touch it—something God had not said. Adam and Eve had direct communication with their Creator but still fell for the lies of Satan. Our adversary is so powerful that if we are not close to God and stay close, our relationship will falter: “Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come” (1 Corinthians 10:11).

The world at large has no idea about the plan of God.  We have been given a future that man, without God, can only dream about.  This requires however, that we overcome sin, so that we can inherit eternal life. While eternal life is a gift, God is not going to bestow it on us if we live in rebellion against His Law. We read in Romans 6:23: “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

This personal relationship with God is vital and is an integral part of our Christian Way of Life which reaps so many benefits now – and for eternity.

There are quite a few metaphors that Scripture uses to describe our relationship with God and which show how important it is. For instance, we are clay in our Potter’s hands—the “WORK” of His hands (Jeremiah 18:1-6; Isaiah 64:8); we are the branches of the Vine and of the Vinedresser (John 15:1-8); we are the sheep of our Shepherd (John 10:1-18); and we are God’s friends when we do what He commands us (John 15:13-15).

In addition, let us conclude this installment with a few excerpts from our Q&A (which you should read in its entirety), titled, “What are some of the spiritual analogies applying to our relationship with God the Father and Jesus Christ?”

“When dealing with the Father’s and Christ’s relationship with His Church, we find that the Bible pictures the same through several analogies. One of these analogies is the concept of a marriage agreement—we read that both in the Old and in the New Testament, the ‘congregation in the wilderness’—Old Testament Israel—and the Body of Christ—New Testament Israel or the Church of God—are pictured as entering a marriage agreement with the LORD or YHWH, who was none other than Jesus Christ. In other words, the old covenant and the new covenant are compared with marriage agreements. We read that Christ—the bridegroom—will marry His Church—the bride.

“At the same time, we read that we are Christ’s brothers and sisters, and that God is our Father—as He is also the Father of Jesus Christ. When we receive God’s Holy Spirit, we are called begotten children of God, and we will become born-again children at the time of our change to immortal spirit beings in God’s Family. The new covenant also includes for us a promise of inheritance. We are called co-heirs with Christ. All these meaningful analogies contain very important spiritual principles and teachings for us…

“It is important to realize, in this context, that these are spiritual analogies… the main emphasis is on the spiritual ‘consummation’—an analogy drawn from the physical marriage concept…

“The marriage analogy expresses the thought that we must be OBEDIENT to our Husband—Jesus Christ. So we see that the marriage analogy complements the analogy of God being our Father and we being His children. God is not our physical Father, and we are not His physical children, but He is our spiritual Father, and we are His spiritual children. And as the spiritual bride or wife is to be subject to Christ in everything, so we, as spiritual children of God, are to be subject to the Father in everything. And as Christ loves His bride, so the Father loves His children. In fact, we read that the Father loves us with the same love with which He loves Christ, and that Christ loves His bride with the same love with which the Father loves Him (John 17:23; 15:9).

“The marriage analogy is complemented with the analogy of inheritance… Christ will consummate the marriage with us and share His inheritance with us, if we stay faithful. Another analogy describes vividly what will happen to us if we don’t remain faithful. It is the analogy of us being children of God—begotten children at the time of the receipt of the Holy Spirit—and born again children at the time of our change to spirit beings. But if we—as begotten children—become unfaithful, the analogy of physical abortion pictures our ultimate spiritual fate, preventing us from ever being born into God’s Family… As there is the possibility of a physical miscarriage or abortion, so there is the possibility of a spiritual miscarriage or abortion. God, our Father, will never abort us, unless we force Him to do so, by refusing to grow and to obey Him. When God aborts a spiritual child, it is because His child has rejected Him…

“Of course, there are further analogies in the Bible, especially referring to those who are being called to salvation in this day and age. The Bible calls them firstfruits—Jesus Christ being the first of the firstfruits… Another analogy compares the body and the bride of Christ with a temple—a holy building in the Lord—being built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets, with Christ being the chief cornerstone of the foundation of that temple.

 “Considering all of the above-described analogies, we should take great comfort, but also great care that we, as Christ’s bride and His brothers and sisters, as well as God the Father’s children, concentrate on becoming worthy to stand before the Son of Man at His return, to be born into the Kingdom and Family of God, ‘consummating’ our marriage with Christ, and inheriting the promises.”

(To be continued)

Lead Writers: Brian Gale (United Kingdom) and Norbert Link

In the previous Q&A, we reviewed some Scriptures that show how we are to deal with others in our relationship with them. In this Q&A, we are going to look at relationships within the conventional family.

Relationships within the human family.

Family is a place where strong relationships are built and provides a sense of meaning and belonging, although it has been undermined and demeaned in recent years by those who have an agenda to eliminate the family as we know it.

In our booklet “The Keys to Happy Families and Marriages!,” we read the following on page 18 under the heading of “The Christian Family”:

“As the Bible gives clear instructions as to the individual roles and functions of husbands and wives, it also explains the duties and responsibilities of fathers and mothers toward their children, and of the children toward their parents.

“As we have far too many marriage problems, we also have FAR too many family problems. Too often, parents know little about proper parenting, and rebellious children are the result. Children who are victims of divorce are expected to be resilient when someone they love suddenly disappears from their life. More often than not, they grow up with multiple mothers, fathers, and grandparents due to remarriage, and yet are left to fend for themselves too much of the time, because no one has time for them.

“We read, in fact, a startling and sobering prophecy in the Bible for the very last days—just prior to the return of Christ—that addresses the tragic reality of broken families. Sadly, this situation HAS also affected the attitudes of true Christians, and God says that unless these conditions change, something terrible will happen to this planet.”

We also have a Q&A entitled “What is a Family?” and this can be found in that Q&A, we address what constitutes a family in the eyes of God, and what does not “qualify” as a family according to the Bible.

In this Q&A, we focus on the relationships that there must be to help the God-ordained family flourish as a group.

There are relationships between husband and wife and between children and parents.

Relationship between husband and wife.

We read in Genesis 2:24: “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.”   This is repeated in Ephesians 5:31: “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.”

As Marvin J Martin wrote: “God has designed separate, but related, roles for men and women in much of life, including our marriages. We need to accept the roles God has given to us and learn to complete, not compete with our spouses. Honestly helping one another to succeed in our biblical roles as husbands and wives can help build successful, enjoyable, fruitful marriages.”

In Ephesians 5, we see instructions given to both husband and wife.  The instructions to the husband are:

“Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.  So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself.  For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church” (verses 25-29).

In Ephesians 5, the instructions to the wife are:

“Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord.  For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body.  Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything” (verses 22-24).

In verse 33 there is an instruction to both husband and wife: “Nevertheless let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.”

In 1 Peter 3:1-6 we read:

“Wives, likewise, be submissive to your own husbands, that even if some do not obey the word, they, without a word, may be won by the conduct of their wives, when they observe your chaste conduct accompanied by fear.  Do not let your adornment be merely outward—arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel— rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God.  For in this manner, in former times, the holy women who trusted in God also adorned themselves, being submissive to their own husbands, as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord, whose daughters you are if you do good and are not afraid with any terror.”

One problem many husbands have is to really love their wives, and one problem many wives have is to submit to their husbands in the right way. Colossians 3:18 and Ephesians 5:22 give an important addition. We state in our booklet:

“Wives, submit to your own husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.” Note the fact that it would not be fitting or pleasing to the Lord, if the husband gave unreasonable orders; if he acted selfishly; or if he ceased to love his wife. Although the command to be submissive is directed to the wife, it presupposes that the husband himself submits to God first and that he does not require of his wife things that are ungodly. For instance, if a husband asks his wife to lie, the wife is not to do that. God’s commands always come first. We have to obey God rather than man (cp. Acts 5:29). Wives must not sin in ‘submitting’ to their husbands. They must not violate their biblically-based conscience (cp. Romans 14:23). The application of that principle can sometimes be difficult and may require individual advice from one of God’s ministers.

It is very important to handle any such conflict with love and respect for the mate, rather than with an arrogant, self-righteous attitude.

“Notice Ephesians 5:22, ‘Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord…’ Note again that we do not submit to God if we break His commandments. Likewise, wives are not to submit to their husbands if doing so would mean breaking one of God’s commandments in the letter or in the spirit.”

It will be easier for a woman to submit to her husband when he is a loving and kind man and deeply concerned about the welfare of his wife. Continuing with quoting from our booklet:

“It is true that 1 Peter 3:1–6 requires of the wives to be submissive to husbands who are not obedient to the word of God. Notice, though, the wording and the advice: ‘(verse 1) Wives, likewise, be submissive to your own husbands, that even if some do not obey the word, they, without a word, may be won by the conduct of their wives, (verse 2) when they observe your chaste conduct accompanied by fear…’

“This is not talking about fear or torment because of the husband, but rather that women should live in the fear of God. Notice Proverbs 31:30, ‘But a woman who fears the LORD, she shall be praised.’ We… read in Ephesians 5:21 that we are to submit to one another ‘in the fear of God.’ Peter is not saying here that wives need to live in fear and torment of their disobedient husbands, but rather that they need to submit to their husbands in the fear of God. Again, they would not obey their husbands if the husbands require of the wives to do something that would be contrary to the word of God.”

The Headline to 1 Peter 3, verse 7, in the New King James Bible is “A Word to Husbands.” The Scripture itself reads:

“Husbands, likewise, dwell with them with understanding, giving honor to the wife, as to the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers may not be hindered.”

In our booklet, mentioned before, we say about this passage:

“Husbands need to understand their wives. If a husband doesn’t understand his wife, he needs to ask her, what she would like to do—what her dreams are, her preferences, and her dislikes. A husband needs to spend a lot of time communicating with his wife, as with his closest friend. He needs to respect her—to show her honor, to praise her for what she does. A husband must never put her down before others. Nothing hurts a woman more than being shown disrespect by her husband, especially in front of others. All husbands have done that at times. All husbands must repent of such disrespect.

“The husband’s guidance must be given with love and honor and respect for his wife. And, what is the purpose for such guidance? Is it so that HE can be regarded by others as the ‘RULER’ of the household? So that HE can glory in front of others in the fact that he is ‘obeying God’s commandments’ and his wife is obeying him? Far from it! That’s the kind of vain glory that we must not have!

“The reason why the husband is to give loving guidance to his wife is that God ordained that the husband and wife are one flesh—they are one entity, spiritually. Their Christian goal is to enter the kingdom of God together—to become inheritors of eternal life together, of which they are already heirs. So, the husband is to act out of true Godly love for his wife, and his wife, knowing that this is the reason why he acts the way he does, will be much more willing to overlook the shortcomings of her husband. If her husband shows that his love for her is so great that he is willing to lay down his life for her, on a continuing, life-long basis, and that he is concerned for her—spiritually and physically—then what Christian woman would not willingly respond to the leadership of her husband?

“On the other hand, when the marriage is on the rocks, then even our individual and personal relationship with God is impaired. That’s why Peter says to husbands to ‘dwell with your wives with understanding, give them honor and respect, so that your prayers may not be hindered’ (1 Peter 3:7). Peter places the responsibility on the shoulders of the husband to see to it that the prayers of husbands and wives are not hindered.”

Especially Colossians 3:19 is worth mentioning in this context, saying, “Husbands, love your wives and do not be bitter toward them.”

We state in our booklet:

“We are told that we need to give up all bitterness. All of us have to do that. Bitterness is like cancer. It will eat us up internally, until our light within us has become darkness. If we love another person, we cannot really be bitter toward that person. If there is still bitterness in our hearts toward another person, and especially, if a husband has bitterness toward his wife, then one has not come to the perfect love that is required of us. Notice Ephesians 4:31–32, ‘Let all bitterness… be put away from you… And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as Christ forgave you.’

“Are husbands kind and tenderhearted toward their wives? Are they willing to forgive them? Or do husbands feel offended, and do they feed on that offense? Will they allow bitterness to creep into their hearts? If husbands do that, then they are walking on dangerous ground and unless quickly overcome and removed, that bitterness will quench their love for their wives. And then, it is the husbands who are in violation of God’s commandments not to be bitter towards their wives, and to love them as themselves.

“Notice the kind of love that God requires of the husbands toward their wives. ‘Love does no harm to a neighbor’ (Romans 13:10). If husbands really love their wives, they will not hurt them physically nor emotionally—they will not harshly ‘lord it over them.’”

Where there is not a close personal relationship between spouses, problems will inevitably occur.   In fact, even with a close personal relationship, misunderstandings and mistakes can take their toll on a perfectly good relationship, so how many more problems may arise where the relationship is less than ideal.   The Scriptures quoted above are God’s instructions for a good and right relationship to exist in a marriage.

The relationships within such a family will be pleasing to God as they will foster peace, harmony and personal growth for them all.

Children in the Family

In addition, children are told in the Fifth Commandment to “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord your God is giving you” (Exodus 20:12) and this admonition is repeated in Deuteronomy 5:16 (also compare Ephesians 6:1-3).  This is, again, further counsel and guidance to produce fruitful and harmonious relationships within the family.

The responsibility of parents is related in Proverbs 22:6: “Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it.”   From birth, parents have control over what their children do and how they behave. As the years go by, that family direction diminishes as children make their own decisions.  However, if this sound foundation is followed, that influence will still be there to one degree or another throughout their lives for their own benefit.   We are the product of our environment, and a good and effective relationship forged through years of close interaction will yield many good benefits.

We say this in our booklet, cited before:

“Children learn by what they see. We teach by our actions, as well as by our words. We are not teaching or properly training if our actions do not match our words. We don’t teach Godly principles either, if our words and actions don’t correspond with God’s commandments. So, if we teach our children by our words or by our actions that it is sometimes justified to lie, to steal, to kill, to commit adultery, or to use God’s name in vain, then we are not teaching our children God’s word—we are not bringing them up in the training and admonition of the Lord.”

The book of Proverbs is a powerhouse of wise counsel: “A wise son heeds his father’s instruction, But a scoffer does not listen to rebuke” (Proverbs 13:1); and “Listen to your father who begot you, And do not despise your mother when she is old” (Proverbs 23:22).

We read in Colossians 3:20: “Children, obey your parents in all things, for this is well pleasing to the Lord.” When this vital relationship is ignored by parents and children, the results can be dire: “The rod and rebuke give wisdom, But a child left to himself brings shame to his mother” (Proverbs 29:15).

However, we also state this in our booklet:

“As children, we are to obey our parents in the Lord. This means, we are not to obey them if it would not be in the Lord—that is, if it would be in contradiction to God’s commandments—either from a literal or a spiritual standpoint. Once a child is old enough to understand God’s way of life, he or she must follow God….  It is never well-pleasing to God if we disobey Him. We discussed that wives cannot disobey God by obeying their husbands. In the same way, children must not obey their parents either, if this would violate God’s Law. They are not to lie or to steal or to kill or any such thing in ‘obedience’ to their parents’ ‘orders.’”

Good parenting also includes not provoking our children to wrath (Ephesians 6:4; Colossians 3:21).

Good family relationships are vital because they are a pattern for how we live and relate as present or future begotten members within the Family of God at this time and for eternity in the Kingdom of God.

God knew that, over the years, we would have many good and bad times in our family relationships, and He gives help and direction in His Word for those situations that arise.

The love chapter, 1 Corinthians 13, shows how love behaves: “Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things” (1 Corinthians 13:4-7).  If our relationships, both in the family and with others, are according to the above approach, they will be successful, enjoyable, long-lasting and pleasing in God’s sight.

And finally, in this section, 1 Timothy 5:8 states: “But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.”  When someone is lazy and slothful, being not easily aroused to action or work, relationships can be easily affected and probably strained, at the lack of provision for others by such inaction.  This is a situation that must not exist in our families.

(To be continued)

Lead Writers: Brian Gale (United Kingdom) and Norbert Link

In the second part of this series, we started to look at an outline of biblical information to show just how important inter-personal relationships are with other human beings.

In this third part, we will review some Scriptures that show how we are to deal with others in our relationship with them.

How we are to deal with others in our relationship with them.

One of the most obvious places to start is in Exodus 20 where God gave Israel the Ten Commandments. The first four commandments are instructions about how humans should relate to God and the other six are about how people should treat and relate to each other. If these were taken seriously, all relationships would be unrecognisable to what we experience today where selfishness and self-serving predominate.

The Ten Commandments give a summary of how to love God and how to love our neighbour.  God gave additional statutes and judgments showing the practical application of the Ten Commandments.

For example, Exodus 22:21-22 tells us: “You shall neither mistreat a stranger [sojourner or foreigner] nor oppress him… You shall not afflict any widow or fatherless child.”

Rather than oppressing others, we ought to help them when we have opportunity. Deuteronomy 22:1-4 states:

“You shall not see your brother’s ox or his sheep going astray, and hide yourself from them; you shall certainly bring them back to your brother. And if your brother is not near you, or if you do not know him, then you shall bring it to your own house, and it shall remain with you until your brother seeks it; then you shall restore it to him. You shall do the same with his donkey, and so shall you do with his garment; with any lost thing of your brother’s, which he has lost and you have found, you shall do likewise; you must not hide yourself. You shall not see your brother’s donkey or his ox fall down along the road, and hide yourself from them; you shall surely help him lift them up again.”

We are to do a good turn for others wherever possible.

In addressing our relationship with other Church members, Jesus said: “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.  By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:34-35).

There should be no semicolon in the phrase, “… love one another; as I have loved you.”  Rather, Christ is telling us that we ought to love our brethren in the same way as He has loved us.

Paul, when writing to the Galatians, outlined important principles of sowing and reaping and of not growing weary in well doing, and he finished by saying: “Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith” (Galatians 6:10).

Paul further wrote how he did everything he could to accommodate others to show them the way to salvation, without compromising God’s law, when he wrote: “…and to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might win Jews; to those who are under the law, as under the law, that I might win those who are under the law;   to those who are without law, as without law (not being without law toward God, but under law toward Christ), that I might win those who are without law; to the weak I became as weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some” (1 Corinthians 9:20-22).

First, he was determined in destroying the Church and having the members arrested and killed, but after his conversion, he was reaching out to others and was trying to do all he could to help others to be led to God’s Truth and to reach man’s ultimate potential—entrance into the Kingdom of God. His communication was out of love towards his fellow human beings. He knew of course that he could not convert or proselytize someone, but he wanted to make sure that he did not become a hindrance for those whom God would call to salvation.

John, the apostle whom Christ loved and who had a special relationship with Christ, addresses another important point in this context, writing:

“If someone says, ‘I love God,’ and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen?” (1 John 4:20).  This was central to the teaching that Jesus gave to all who listened to Him and wanted to follow Him. Unfortunately, down through the ages, lip service has so often been present but the substance ignored.

Notice the communication which Jesus had with one of the scribes:

“Then one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, perceiving that He had answered them well, asked Him, ‘Which is the first commandment of all?’ Jesus answered him, ‘The first of all the commandments is: “Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one.  And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.” This is the first commandment.  And the second, like it, is this: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” There is no other commandment greater than these.’ [Christ summarized here the Ten Commandments.] So the scribe said to Him, ‘Well said, Teacher. You have spoken the truth, for there is one God, and there is no other but He. And to love Him with all the heart, with all the understanding with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love one’s neighbor as oneself, is more than all the whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.’ Now when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, He said to him, ‘You are not far from the kingdom of God.’  But after that no one dared question Him” (Mark 12:28-34).

Christ was also saying, in effect, that those who do not love God or their fellow man are far from the Kingdom of God. In fact, they were still walking in darkness even though they might have thought that they were walking in the light. This is especially true for Church members who hate their brethren (1 John 2:9-11).

Jesus said that He would judge the nations and gave this warning for those who did understand the Truth, but refused to live by it: “… for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me” (Matthew 25:35-36). He then went on to explain in verses 37-40: “Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink?  When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You?  Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’  And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’”  That’s quite a warning for those who are followers of Jesus Christ who gives us the blueprint for how we are to treat and deal with other brethren. It is quite a lesson in interpersonal relationship behaviour.

We have to be careful that we don’t upset or offend others unnecessarily.   We will probably know some people who can be touchy or sensitive; perhaps we ourselves can be like this at times, but the apostle Paul addresses this type of relationship in 1 Corinthians 8:9-13 where we read the following:

“But beware lest somehow this liberty of yours become a stumbling block to those who are weak. For if anyone sees you who have knowledge eating in an idol’s temple, will not the conscience of him who is weak be emboldened to eat those things offered to idols?  And because of your knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died?   But when you thus sin against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ.  Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never again eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble.”

This is a classic case of doing without by abstaining or forgoing what we might normally do for the sake of others who are weak in the faith and might be encouraged by our conduct (which is objectively faultless) to follow our example, but they would be doing so with a compromised conscience. Inasmuch as whatever is not from faith is sin (Romans 14:23), we must be careful by not encouraging others to sin against their conscience.  We should endeavour at all times, wherever possible, to have good relationships with others although at times, for many reasons, that may not be possible.  If it is not possible, let us ensure that we are not the responsible party in such a case.

Selflessness should be part of the way we react and behave in life as the apostle Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 10:33: “…just as I also please all men in all things, not seeking my own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved.” Again, Paul’s desire was that others would be saved, and he did not want to endanger that possibility by the way he conducted himself.

Jesus was hassled and harassed by the religious establishment of His time as they tried to trick Him into giving answers that would incriminate Himself.  “But when the Pharisees heard that He had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. Then one of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, and saying, ‘Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?’  Jesus said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.”  This is the first and great commandment.  And the second is like it: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”  On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets”’” (Matthew 22:34-40).  After the Sadducees failed, the Pharisees tried yet again to trap Jesus. However, Jesus was not taken by surprise or without an answer and gave a perfect summary of the foundation of all the law and the prophets for all of those who choose to follow Him.

James, the half-brother of Jesus, later explained: “If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself,’ you do well” (James 2:8).

Jesus gave instruction about those who are against us: “But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.  For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?  And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so?  Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect” (Matthew 5:44-48).

On the same theme, further direction and guidance was given as we read in Luke 6:35 about this matter which cuts right across the grain of our human nature:  “But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil.”  Very often, when enemies see others reacting in this most unusual way, that of trying to do good to them or trying to be helpful, they can have a change of mind about them.

Paul, in quoting from Proverbs 25:21-22, tells us in Romans 12:17-21:

“Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, ‘Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,’ says the Lord. Therefore ‘If your enemy is hungry, feed him; If he is thirsty, give him a drink; For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.’ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”

One practical example can be found in Exodus 23:4-5: “If you meet your enemy’s ox or his donkey going astray, you shall surely bring it back to him again. If you see the donkey of one who hates you lying under its burden, and you would refrain from helping it, you shall surely help him with it.”

If we are to treat our enemy that way, how much more are we to show love for our brethren, leading to unity. Psalm 133:1 is a key verse and very self-explanatory: “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is For brethren to dwell together in unity!”

The first part of Proverbs 18:24 states that “A man who has friends must himself be friendly,” showing that we shouldn’t be inward looking and “locking out” other people. However, many feel that this is not the best translation. The Ryrie Study Bible comments: “Probably better, ‘A man of (too many) friends will be broken in pieces.’ Indiscriminately chosen friends may bring trouble, but a genuine friend sticks with you through thick and thin.” It still remains true that we must act towards genuine friends in a friendly manner.

When relationship problems occur in a marriage, friendship, business and in so many other areas of life, the outcomes can be threatening, even disastrous.   Even in the Church we can have difficulties between members which can be distressing to the parties involved and may be resolved if the appropriate action is taken.

One passage of Scripture is often overlooked when there is sin involved, causing problems with inter-personal relationships within the Church. The modern phrase is conflict resolution and how we go about it.   We have covered this many times in sermons and in other literature but a brief reminder may be helpful. In Matthew 18:15-17 we read: “Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother. But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that ‘by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.’  And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector.”

For a thorough discussion of conflict resolution between brethren  in Matthew 18:15-20, please see our Q&A, https://www.eternalgod.org/q-a-2853/  See also our Q&A on the power and authority of excommunication in Matthew 18:17.  https://www.eternalgod.org/question-and-answer-279/

On the other hand, our personal relationship with others may need to involve division and separation because of the Word of God. We explain this aspect in detail in our Q&A which addresses what it means to deny Christ, https://www.eternalgod.org/what-does-it-mean-to-deny-christ/, saying:

“Why would someone deny Christ? A major reason is because of persecution as a Christian, but JESUS warned that this would come:

“‘Remember the word that I said to you, “A servant is not greater than his master.” If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also. But all these things they will do to you for My name’s sake, because they do not know Him who sent Me’” (John 15:20-21).

“When a person is called into the Truth, standing firm and not denying Christ will oftentimes be a great test. Again, this is something JESUS said would come—it is part of ‘counting the cost’ (Luke 14:28):

“‘Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. For I have come to “set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law”; and “a man’s enemies will be those of his own household.” He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it’” (Matthew 10:34-39)…

“Finally, consider this ominous warning from JESUS:

“‘For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels’” (Mark 8:38).”

If we love others more than God and if we are compromising with God’s Truth, just to maintain a close or friendly personal relationship with others,  we deny Christ, and He will be ashamed of us when He returns.

In summary, our personal relationships with others must be pleasing in the sight of God.

(To be continued)

Lead Writers: Brian Gale (United Kingdom) and Norbert Link

In the first part of this series, we looked at the relationship between God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ.   In the second part, we will give an outline of biblical information to show just how important inter-personal relationships are with other human beings, and how bad relationships can be disastrous for everyone involved.

Relationships – Man’s interpersonal relationships with fellow man.

In Genesis 1:26, we read that God spoke about creating man who was to be made in His image with God’s end goal of reproducing Himself through man. As God is a Family, He wanted man to become part of His Family—to ultimately join Him in His Family as born-again immortal God beings. In Genesis 2:21-25, we read that a woman was made and that husband and wife, as well as their children, were to be a human family (compare Genesis 1:28). This was to be a physical pattern of the ultimate purpose of enlarging the God Family. However, Adam and Eve failed to obey God, and so there were conversations in chapter 3 where God spoke to Adam and his wife after they had eaten of the forbidden fruit and where, as a consequence, God expelled them from the Garden of Eden, thereby preventing them to eat from the Tree of Life and obtain God’s Holy Spirit and finally eternal life.

Since the dawn of civilisation, man’s relationship with fellow man has been a constant problem.  Adam obeyed Eve in eating from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, which he should not have done, and the first child born to Adam and Eve was Cain who killed his brother Abel, because Abel’s works were righteous, while Cain’s works were evil (1 John 3:12). As mankind multiplied, so did the problems, and it became so bad that Noah was instructed to build an ark and that those on board that ark would be the only ones who would survive the Flood, and that was after only 1,650 years after the creation of man.

Why would this be so?

In his booklet “Military Service and War,” Mr Herbert Armstrong wrote the following on pages 10 and 11:

“There are the two broad, general philosophies or WAYS OF LIFE.

“God’s WAY is the WAY of LOVE (which is outgoing concern)—of being God-centered , loving and obeying God ahead of all else—and loving fellow man (including enemies) as one’s self. It is the way that believes Jesus when He says it is more blessed to GIVE than to receive (Acts 20:35). It is THE WAY of cooperation, helping, sharing.

“SIN is THE WAY of vanity, self-love, self-centeredness, selfishness, greed, competition, grasping, taking, getting, accumulating, acquiring; and of jealousy, envy, malice, resentment, strife, hatred, murder. It is the OPPOSITE of God’s way. It is the way of WAR.

“In the SIN WAY OF LIFE, love of SELF is balanced by an equal hostility or lack of concern for others—although the ‘empirical self’ usually includes those one feels allied with—such as wife or husband, one’s club, team, group, or country. In GOD’S WAY, concern for others is in equal balance to love of self.

“These are the two OPPOSITE WAYS OF LIFE—opposite ATTITUDES of HEART. One is the way of righteousness, the other the way of SIN.

“God is LOVE. His whole character is that of LOVE and OUTGOING CONCERN. HE IS THE GIVER of every good and precious gift. In love for us humans, God GAVE His Son – gave His Law that it might go well with us! God desires to GIVE each of us His Holy Spirit, and eternal life!

“This gives you the broad, general PRINCIPLE of God’s LAW—the basis and foundation of the Government of God.

“The entire Law may be summed up in the one word, LOVE. It is love toward God, and love toward neighbor—the two great commandments. The first four of the Ten Commandments define, in principle, HOW to love God. The last six, love toward fellow man. These, in turn, are applied in principle to specific cases.

“Military service, bearing arms (for use against humans), killing, war, is directly contrary to God’s Law in principle! It is not THE WAY of giving, sharing, helping, serving… The one specific point of God’s basic Law concerning war is the sixth of the Ten Commandments, ‘Thou shalt not kill.’”

(Please also read our free booklet, “The Ten Commandments,” and, especially in this context, chapter 9, “The Sixth Commandment,” as well as our free booklet, “Should YOU Fight in War?” ).

From these insightful observations, it becomes clear WHY we have had interpersonal relationship problems from the dawn of civilisation.

From the biblical record, there was rebellion and a self-centered attitude from the first family on earth right on to the time that Noah was given his commission.   This was brought about by man’s behaviour, as we read in Genesis 6:5: “Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” Adam and Eve took what was not theirs—they ate from the forbidden fruit of the Tree of Knowledge—and at the time of Noah, “the sons of God” –descendants from Adam and Eve’s son Seth—“took wives for themselves” from “the daughters of men”—descendants of the evil Cain (compare Genesis 6:1-2). These women were idol worshippers and of a different race, and God did not approve of such a marriage. As Eve looked at the Tree of Knowledge and “saw” “that it was pleasant to the eyes” (Genesis 3:6), so the descendants of Seth “saw the daughters of men, that they were beautiful” (Genesis 6:2). In both cases, their desire for what was forbidden led to sinful and evil conduct. (For more information, please read our Q&A, “Did angels have sexual intercourse with women and thereby produce giants?”).

After the Flood, man again went his own way, as we read in Genesis 11 about the Tower of Babel, when men disobeyed God by assembling at one place, rather than filling the earth (Genesis 9:1; 11:4). God intervened, as we read in Genesis 11:6-9: “And the Lord said, ‘Indeed the people are one and they all have one language, and this is what they begin to do; now nothing that they propose to do will be withheld from them.  Come, let Us go down and there confuse their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech.’  So the Lord scattered them abroad from there over the face of all the earth, and they ceased building the city.  Therefore its name is called Babel, because there the Lord confused the language of all the earth; and from there the Lord scattered them abroad over the face of all the earth.”

So, God saw to it that they ultimately did what they were at first unwilling to do. God will always make sure that His plan is carried out.

As man was scattered all over the earth, again God and His Ways have generally been ignored with man’s governments holding sway and developing their own laws and ideas.   Other gods were of man’s own making with the usual results. All of this occurred, of course, under the inspiration of Satan who has deceived the whole world (Revelation 12:9).

Then God chose Israel to be His nation and, although there were some good times and mainly bad times in their history, as both the houses of Israel and Judah did what was right in their own eyes, disobeying God, the Messiah came through the lineage of Judah—one of the 12 tribes of Israel (compare Hebrews 7:14; Matthew, chapter 1; and Revelation 5:5).

Jesus came to fulfil (fill to the full, expand) the Law of God (compare Matthew 5:17-20), and while the true Church of God has always maintained the knowledge of God’s Law,  it has in these end times continued to preach the Gospel of the Kingdom to the world as a witness, as Jesus Himself preached and emphasised that the Law of God must be kept.

Satan is the “god of this world” (2 Corinthians 4:4) and “the prince of the power of the air” (Ephesians 2:2). He is the same evil spirit, in serpent form, which lied to Eve and persuaded her to take of the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil which, as he claimed, God had selfishly withheld from them (see Genesis 3:1-7). This has been at the heart of all of the problems that man experiences with both himself and his fellow man.

(For more information on the two trees in the Garden of Eden, please read our free booklet, “Human Suffering, Why… and How Much Longer?,” and especially in this context, chapter 2, “The Two Trees.”).

Before we discuss in detail how we should, as Christians, react and behave, let us have a brief look at how people form their relationships in the first place, and why true and proper relationships are important. We read the following on the website of  theologyofwork:

“Many people form their closest relationships when some kind of work—whether paid or not—provides a common purpose and goal. In turn, working relationships make it possible to create the vast, complex array of goods and services beyond the capacity of any individual to produce. Without relationships at work, there are no automobiles, no computers, no postal services, no legislatures, no stores, no schools, no hunting for game larger than one person can bring down. And without the intimate relationship between a man and a woman, there are no future people to do the work God gives. Our work and our community are thoroughly intertwined gifts from God. Together they provide the means for us to be fruitful and multiply in every sense of the words.”

(To be Continued)

Lead Writers: Brian Gale (United Kingdom) and Norbert Link

One of the great themes in the Bible is that of relationships – between God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ, God and man, and between human beings themselves.  Pretty much everyone has relationships with other people unless they live on their own on a desert island, and so it should come as no surprise to anyone that it is a major theme running right through the Bible.   Unless we get these relationships right, we will have a miserable life, but much more importantly, the spiritual application is of paramount importance, as we get close to God, and stay close to Him, which will give us eternal life in the Kingdom of God.

This series of Q&As is but a brief overview on this subject, and we hope that it will prove helpful to all who read this information, and to those who decide to delve further into this matter.   There is so much more in the Bible than that which we will cover in this series.

Relationships – God the Father and Jesus Christ.

Right from the dawn of civilisation we read in the first book in the Bible that there was a relationship with God the Father and one other Personage, the “Logos” or “Spokesman.”  In Genesis 1:26, we read: “Then God said, ‘Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.’”

There are those who take issue with the phrase “Let Us make man in Our image” dismissing the argument that it is about more than just one Person. This concern is addressed in our booklet “God is a Family” on pages 3-4:

“Some claim that the statement, ‘Let Us make man in Our image,’ does not reveal a plurality of persons in the Godhead, but that it is like an expression of a king who speaks of himself in the plural form. They point out, for instance, that the queen of England might say something like, ‘We have decreed…’ She is referring to herself, but she says, ‘we.’ This way of speaking is called ‘pluralis maiestatis’ or ‘pluralis maiestaticus.’

“The problem with applying this concept to God’s statements in Genesis 1 and 3 is that God did not use this kind of speaking in His inspired word, the Bible—in fact, the early Hebrews knew nothing about this way of speaking.”

The booklet then goes on to cover many more aspects about the relationship between the Father and the Logos—the “Word” and the Son of God, who became Jesus Christ, with subtitles such as “Jesus Was – And is – God!”; “Jesus Came to Reveal the Father”; “Who and What Was Jesus Before His Human Birth” and much more, and is very well worth reading or re-reading.

Let us look at some very pertinent Scriptures that show how important and close this relationship is and always has been.

In Revelation 13:8, we read: “And all who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.” Other translations render this phrase slightly differently, thereby implying that the Book of Life existed from the foundation of the world and that the names of true believers were written in that book before the world was founded. Both concepts are correct. We explain this in detail in our free booklet, “Are You Predestined to Be Saved?”

In any event, it was established or preordained or predestined from the foundation of the world (in fact, even prior to this) that Jesus Christ would come to this earth to die for our sins.

We read further that “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was in the beginning with God.  All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.  In Him was life, and the life was the light of men” (John 1:1-3).   In verse 14, it reveals that the Word was Jesus Christ: “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.”

And so we can conclude quite clearly from these verses that the Word, Jesus Christ, had no beginning and was with the Father from eternity.  Micah 5:2 confirms this, saying that Jesus Christ—the One to be Ruler in Israel—will come “Whose goings forth are from old, From everlasting (literally, the days of eternity).”  In the letter to the Hebrews, it is explained that Jesus Christ—called “Melchizedek”—was and is “without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life” (Hebrews 7:3).

And the two of them are a Family. They are both God beings, referred to as the Father and the Son.

Jesus came to this earth to preach the Kingdom of God and this was central to His ministry.  In Matthew 4:23, we read: “And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people.”   He further taught: “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you” (Matthew 6:33).   There are well over 100 references to the Kingdom in the four gospel accounts.   This same gospel has to be preached today.

In our free booklet “The Gospel of the Kingdom of God,” we read, on page 2: “The Bible repeats time and again that Jesus Christ preached the gospel of the Kingdom of God. In fact, Christ’s whole message had to do with the Kingdom of God—WHAT it is, WHY we need to understand it, and HOW we can have a part in it.

“The Jews at the time of Christ were so upset about the message of the Kingdom of God that they killed Christ. Their understanding of what the Kingdom of God is, and who would be in it, was quite different from what Jesus taught. That is why they were so intent on killing Him.”

John 5:19 gives an insight into the close personal relationship that the Son had with His Father: “Then Jesus answered and said to them, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner.’”  The Son and the Father were united in love and purpose.  In John 14:9, Jesus is quoted as saying: “Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?”

In John 5:30, we read a statement which reveals the closeness of Father and Son: “I can of Myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me.”

The website of dailyverse.knowing-jesus.com says: “Jesus is the true representation of the immortal God in every aspect of His character and will. He is a visible image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation Who is able to genuinely say, ‘My food is to do the will of My Father’ and ‘Thy will not mine be done’. Philip had yet to understand that Jesus was the Word of God, made flesh, Who was with God in the beginning. He is the exact representation of God, Who had come to earth to reveal the Father to Adam’s fallen race.” Of course, we understand that man did not “fall”—it is Satan who fell like lightning from heaven (compare Luke 10:18).

Jesus came to earth not to do His own thing, but to do His Father’s Will.   We read this in several verses: “Jesus said to them, ‘My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work’” (John 4:34); and: “‘For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me’” (John 6:38).  We further read: “Then Jesus said to them, ‘When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and that I do nothing of Myself; but as My Father taught Me, I speak these things. And He who sent Me is with Me. The Father has not left Me alone, for I always do those things that please Him’” (John 8:28-29).

Jesus always spoke as directed by His Father:   “For I have not spoken on My own authority; but the Father who sent Me gave Me a command, what I should say and what I should speak” (John 12:49).   We also read in John 14:31: “But that the world may know that I love the Father, and as the Father gave Me commandment, so I do. Arise, let us go from here.”

Jesus is immortal and came to this earth and preached about the Kingdom of God.  His Father commanded Him what to say; He always sought to do His Father’s Will, and copied what the Father does. This reveals very precisely and surely that the Father and Jesus Christ have the closest relationship that it is ever possible to have, being in total agreement and unity about everything.

The relationship between the Father and the Son has been in existence from before there was any beginning—before there was anything created—and they agree on all things.  We just have to think about the total agreement that they both had to have when working out their master plan of salvation for mankind and when creating the universe with every tiny detail agreed to completely.  We know that the return of Jesus Christ will be necessary at the end of this age (compare Matthew 24:22) but no one knows either the day or the hour when that will happen (see verse 36) except the Father.  The Father “knows” or better “decides” when that time has come; it is in His total, complete and sole authority to determine the timing. When the Father makes that decision, as He determines when that time has arrived, there will be no disagreement between the Father and the Son and Jesus will return just in time to save mankind from cosmocide. There is no competitive spirit between them and they are as one.   These remarkable examples in the Word of God give ample testimony to their close and unchanging relationship which will continue on throughout eternity.

The Father entrusted and entrusts Jesus with great responsibility: “For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him” (Colossians 1:16); and: “God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds” (Hebrews 1:1-2).  In turn, Jesus fully trusted and trusts His Father; theirs was and is a fully reciprocal relationship.

As alluded to before, the relationship between the Father and the Son is one of love. In fact, all the aspects of their relationship, discussed herein, are based and founded on the fact that they love each other. We read in Matthew 3:17 the Father’s message about His Son to the people, which was communicated by an angel: “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” This message was repeated to Peter, James and John on the mount of transfiguration (Matthew 17:5; compare 2 Peter 1:17). The Father loved and loves the Son (compare John 3:35; 5:20; 10:17; 15:9; 17:24, etc.)—He always has and He always will. At the same time, as already stated above, the Son loved and loves the Father (compare again John 14:31). That loving relationship will never end.

There is so much more information about our Saviour, Jesus Christ, but we have only referenced briefly that which is concerned with His relationship with His Father.

Our free booklets “Jesus Christ – A Great Mystery”;  “Do You Know the True Jesus of the Bible?”; “God is a Family;” and “Is God a Trinity?” are replete with so much more invaluable information.

(To be Continued)

Lead Writers: Brian Gale (United Kingdom) and Norbert Link