Luke 16:19-31

Universalism refuted

• Luke 16:22-23 – One saved, one not.

Materialism refuted

• Luke 16:24-25 – Both still existed after death.

• The eternal spirit lives on after death. The material is not all there is.

• II Corinthians 4:16; 5:1

• Ecclesiastes 12:7

Spiritualism refuted

• Luke 16:27-29 – The dead could not commune with the living.

Soul sleeping refuted

• Some teach that at death, the soul sleeps until judgment.

• Luke 16:24-25 – Both were still conscious.

Predestination refuted

• Some teach that God selected certain people to be saved before time began.

• Luke 16:28-29 – His brothers could hear Moses and repent.

• Man has a choice in the matter!

Purgatory (second chance) refuted

• Luke 16:26 – Gulf could not be crossed.

Authority = right, liberty

Deity: Father, Son, Holy Spirit (Genesis 1:1; Hebrews 1:2; John 16:7)

• → Inspired people: apostles, prophets (John 16:13; Acts 8:18)

• → Inspired scripture: Bible (I Thessalonians 2:13)

Gather all the facts

• Commands

  • Matthew 28:18-20; Luke 17:7-10; I Corinthians 7:19; I Thessalonians 4:1-2, 11; II Thessalonians 3:4-6; II Peter 2:21-3:2; I John 2:3-4; 3:22-24; 4:21-5:3; II John 1:4-6

• Statements

  • Psalms 119:104; Matthew 10:34-37; 15:9; 21:42-45; Acts 20:35

• Examples

  • John 15:12; Acts 20:35; I Corinthians 4:16; 10:6-11; 11:1; Philippians 3:17; 4:9; I Thessalonians 1:6; II Thessalonians 3:7-9; Hebrews 4:11; III John 1:9-11

• Inferences

  • Creation → Romans 1:18-21

  • Genesis 2:24-25 → Matthew 19:3-6

  • Genesis 14:18-20 + Psalms 110:4 → Hebrews 7:7-11; 8:6

  • Exodus 3:6 → Mark 12:26-27

  • Psalms 16:10 → Acts 2:24-32

  • Psalms 110:1 → Matthew 22:41-46; Acts 2:33-36

  • Matthew 9:6 → Matthew 9:2

  • Acts 16:9 → Acts 16:10

Harmonize the facts into a conclusion

• Acts 10

  • Vision: unclean animals, “God has cleansed” (Acts 10:10-16)

  • Spirit: “accompany them” (Acts 10:19-20)

  • Angel to Cornelius: “send for … Peter” (Acts 10:5, 22)

  • → Peter infers/concludes: “I should not call any man unholy or unclean” (Acts 10:28, 34-35)

• Acts 11

  • The vision and the commands (Acts 11:5-10)

  • The angel telling Cornelius to send messengers (Acts 11:11-14)

  • Holy Spirit’s command for Peter to go with them (Acts 11:12)

  • The Holy Spirit falling on the Gentiles (Acts 11:15-16)

  • → Jews infer/conclude: “God has granted to the Gentiles also the repentance that leads to life.” (Acts 11:18)

• Acts 15

  • Peter: inference from events with Cornelius (Acts 15:6-11)

  • Paul and Barnabas: examples from 1st preaching journey (Acts 15:12)

  • James: statements from prophets (Acts 15:13-18)

  • → Apostles and elders lead them to a conclusion: “do not trouble” Gentiles (Acts 15:19)

• I Corinthians 9

  • Statement: Deuteronomy 25:4 (I Corinthians 9:9a)

  • Inference: from Deuteronomy 25:4 (I Corinthians 9:9b-10)

  • Example: Old Covenant priests (I Corinthians 9:13)

  • Command: Jesus, Luke 10:7-8 (I Corinthians 9:14)

  • → Paul leads them to a conclusion: Preachers have a “right” to support (I Corinthians 9:4-6, 18)

What we need to know

• We must reason logically and objectively from the text (Acts 17:2, 17; 18:4, 19, 28)

• The failure to do so has resulted in tons of religious division and error (Matthew 15:3-9)

• This did not originate with the Restoration Movement (II Timothy 2:15)

Attitude check: Galatians 1:6-7; 4:16 – When we disagree, the point is to unify on truth.

Why don’t you call your preacher the “Pastor?” (continued)

• Three Greek words are used in the New Testament to refer to the men who are appointed as leaders and watch over the souls in a local church.

  • Presbuteros – elder, presbyter

  • Episkopos – overseer, bishop

  • Poimen – pastor, shepherd

• How do we know these words all refer to the same man?

  • Acts 20:17, 28; I Peter 5:1-2 – These passages use the terms interchangeably.

• Don’t preachers feed the flock, thus making them pastors/shepherds?

  • Yes, they do, but so do other people: song leaders, scripture readers, those who bring short lessons, etc.

  • The Bible makes a distinction between anyone who feeds the flock and those who are specifically designated with special responsibilities. I Timothy 3; Titus 1

• Why this matters

  • We don’t want to imply that preachers have some unauthorized role or authority within a congregation.

  • We don’t want to rob elders of their proper role and authority.

How do I know when the Holy Spirit is talking to me?

• Don’t take Jesus’ promises to the apostles as promises to us.

  • Jesus made several promises about the Holy Spirit to the apostles. Those promises are often quoted today as if Jesus was making promises to all people for all time.

  • John 13-17 – Jesus was speaking with His apostles.

    • Matthew 26:20; Mark 14:17; Luke 22:14

    • John 14:26; 15:27

  • “You”: apostles, not all believers everywhere for all time

    • John 14:16-17, 25-26 – Holy Spirit would teach and inspire perfect memories.

    • John 15:26-27

    • John 16:7-13

  • Jesus prayed with and for the apostles in John 17 and then that’s the end of the section (John 18:1).

• These promises to the apostles began to be fulfilled in Acts 1-2.

  • Acts 1:1-8 – Jesus gave orders to the apostles.

  • Acts 1:14-15 – Other people mentioned, but subject returns to the apostles in Acts 1:26.

  • Only the apostles were speaking in tongues in Acts 2.

  • Acts 2:7 and 1:11

  • Acts 2:14, 37, 42-43

• Luke 24:49

• We might wonder if the phrase in Acts 2:38 (“the gift of the Holy Spirit”) means that all people receive some supernatural communication or power from the Spirit.

  • Numerous examples show that baptism and receiving the Holy Spirit in a miraculous way were two separate things. Acts 8:16-18; 10:44-48; 19:1-7

Lesson five: the apostles in scripture

• Apostles as a group

  • Called “The Apostles” or “The Twelve”

    • They accompanied Jesus most of the time

      • Luke 7:11; 8:1

      • Matthew 20:17-19

    • Not always together with Jesus

      • Mark 6:7-13

      • John 6:15

    • They were given authority

      • Matthew 10:1

      • Mark 3:13-15

    • And instructions

      • Luke 9:1-6

      • Matthew 10:5-15

      • Luke 24:44-53

• Apostles in smaller numbers

  • Peter, James, and John

    • Matthew 17:1-9

    • Mark 5:21-26, 35-43

    • Mark 14:32-42

    • Plus Andrew – Mark 13:3-4

  • Peter and John

    • Luke 22:8

    • Acts 3:1ff

    • Acts 8:14

  • Phillip and Andrew – John 12:20-23

  • Larger group – John 21:2

Lesson six: looking at each apostle

• Researching history and tradition

  • Neither is inspired

  • History and its sources

    • Primary sources

    • Secondary sources

    • Questions of accuracy

  • Tradition and its sources

    • Stories and accounts handed down

    • Story changes over the years

    • Contrast with Scripture

  • What’s not included

    • Peter and Paul

      • They’ll be in separate lessons

    • Study of Peter

      • Much tradition to be analyzed

      • Blends in to lesson on apostolic succession

• Andrew in scripture

  • Brother to Peter – Matthew 4:18

  • Present when John declared Jesus “Lamb of God” – John 1:35-44

    • First known to “follow” Jesus

    • Was a “multiplier” (Andrew + Simon = double)

    • Knew Jesus immediately as the Messiah

    • From Bethsaida, then Capernaum on the Sea of Galilee

    • Fisherman – Matthew 4:18

    • Found the boy with the fish – John 6:5-9

    • Directed some Greeks to Jesus – John 12:20-23

  • Named among the twelve

    • In initial naming

    • In Jerusalem awaiting the Holy Spirit – Acts 1:13

    • Included whenever apostles grouped

• Andrew: history and traditions

  • Given Hellenistic name

    • Never called to repent or redact name

    • Repentance was with regard to works, deeds, thoughts

    • Matthew 3:7-8; Acts 8:22; 26:19-20

  • Left Jerusalem at an unknown time

  • Traveled to Scythia and preached

  • Continued across Asia Minor to Ephesus

  • Began preaching in Greece

  • Converted governor’s wife in Patras, Greece

    • Enraged governor

    • “Debate” followed by crucifixion in AD 69