Hudsonville Protestant Reformed Church
5101 Beechtree
Hudsonville, Michigan 49426
Services: 9:30 a.m. and 6:00 p.m.
Homepage on Internet: http://www.prca.org
Vol. 8, No. 1
Contents:
Amillennialism
Power Limited by Unbelief
Are There Different Kinds
of Christians?
Amillennialism
The word "amillennialism" means literally "no millennium." Strictly speaking it is not the case that amillennialism teaches no millennium at all. The truth is that amillennialism does not believe in a literal future thousand years.
Amillennialism teaches that the millennium of Rev. 20 is the whole New Testament age from the first coming of Christ to the end of the world. The thousand years of Revelation 20 is, therefore, understood symbolically rather than literally.
This teaching is based first of all on the fact that numbers in Scripture, including the number 1000, are often symbolic rather than literal. A good example is Psalm 50:10, where Scripture certainly does not mean literally and only "a thousand hills" but "all hills."
Since the binding of Satan is one of the chief features of this thousand year period (Rev. 20:1-3), amillennialism teaches that Satan is bound throughout the NT age, not completely bound, but bound only "that he should deceive the nations no more" (Rev. 20:3). He is bound, in other words, only in that he cannot prevent the gospel from being preached and having its fruit in the conversion of the gentile nations.
That Satan was bound at the time of Christ's first coming is clear from Matt. 12:29. There, in a clear reference to Satan, Jesus uses the same word as in Revelation 20:2, and speaks in connection with this "binding of the strong man" of the coming of the kingdom through the gathering of the Gentiles by the preaching of the gospel (Matt. 12:14-21, 28-30), just as does Revelation 20.
Amillennialism, therefore, does not look for a millennium yet to come, but believes that we are in the middle of the millennium now, and that when the millennium is finished, the end of the world will have arrived. This NT age is the last age of the world.
Amillennialism does not, therefore expect a rapture 1000 years before the end, nor a coming of Christ 1000 years before the end, nor does it expect that the great tribulation will take place 1000 years before the end of the world. Rather it teaches that all these events will take place at the end, and will be followed by the eternal state.
I Cor. 15:51-52 identifies the trump that shall sound at the rapture as the last, and I Thess. 4:17 tells us that when the rapture comes we shall "ever be with the Lord," a synonym in Scripture for the eternal state of heavenly glory. Likewise, in Matt. 24:29ff., the great tribulation is immediately followed by the trumpet that announces Christ's coming, the actual appearing of Christ on the clouds, and the gathering of His elect.
Amillennialism also does not teach a period of unprecedented peace and prosperity for the church before the end, but takes seriously the Biblical truth that the great tribulation of the church shall precede the end of all things - that in those last days "grievous times shall come" (II Tim. 3:1), times in which "evil men shall wax worse and worse" (vs. 13).
Because of this, some accuse amillennialism of pessimism. It is not pessimistic, though. Amillennialists believe that Christ rules, and that with sovereign power He causes all things to work together, even these grievous things, for the good of His own. Rev. Ronald Hanko
Power Limited by Unbelief
"And he could not there do no mighty work, save that he laid his hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them. Mark 6:5
The question one of our readers asked in connection with this text is: What do we say to brethren who quote Mark 6:5 as an instance where Christ's power was limited apparently by human unbelief?"
The events described in the context took place in the area where Jesus had lived as a child and young man. The people knew who He was.
According to vs. 2, Jesus not only taught in this area, but also performed a number of miracles. His detractors even speak of these might works which are wrought by His hand. It seems to me that this is important to note.
His own people rejected him, however. Apparently Jesus' own words and His mighty deeds pointed to the fact that He was the Son of God. This is evident from the contention of the people that they knew His mother, His early work as a carpenter, His brothers and sisters. They mean to say: How could He be the Son of God? He's the son of Mary.
In addition to that, they were offended. The reason why they were offended is not stated, but there are probably two reasons: 1) He performed His miracles on the Sabbath day, something which repeatedly got Him into trouble with the legalistic Pharisees. 2) His claims, demonstrated by His miracles, that He was the Son of God.
It is in that context that we read, "And he could there do no mighty work…."
Some interpret this to mean that the inability of Jesus to do miracles was due to the fact that the people lacked miraculous faith. This is especially the interpretation of Charismatics who put more stock in signs and wonders than in the Word of God.
But this interpretation seems doubtful, chiefly because we are told that Jesus had done miracles prior to the rejection of Him by His acquaintances.
It seems more in keeping with the entire passage to interpret this to mean that Jesus was prevented from doing miracles because the unbelief of those wicked Jews made nonsense out of the purpose of miracles.
Let me explain.
The miracles which the Lord performed were not done willy-nilly, so to speak. They were not performed merely for the sake of performing marvelous works. The charismatics have reduced miracles to that lowly level. But the Lord never did that.
His miracles (as, indeed, all the miracles of Scripture) were for two purposes: 1) to prove the divinity of Christ ("Believe me for my works' sake,) Jesus told the unbelieving Jews.); and, 2) to give a graphic and visible sign of the wonder of salvation itself. Spiritually dead people are raised; spiritually blind are made to see; spiritually deaf hear the gospel because their ears are blessed, etc. Of these wonders of salvation, miracles were signs.
These signs were necessary for the faith of those who believed in Christ, because the Scriptures had not yet been completed. All Israel had were the Old Testament Scriptures. But now, with the coming of Christ Himself, they saw the Old Testament miracles, and the miracles which Christ Himself did as pointing to the fact that salvation came through Him who was the Son of God.
But in Nazareth and the surrounding communities unbelief was rampant. They who should have known, more than any other in Israel, that Jesus was the Son of God, refused to believe. (This explains also why Jesus marveled at their unbelief, vs. 6.)
This was not due to ignorance on their part. They had first hand knowledge of all the events surrounding Jesus' birth. They knew as well as Mary herself that Christ was born without a human father. They had been told of the angels, the shepherds, the wise men, Simeon and Anna. And now they witnessed once more His miracles.
But they would not believe. They were apostate Israel, smug in their own self-righteousness. They needed not the One Who had come to save them from sin, for they had no sin - not in their own eyes.
Hence, for Jesus to perform miracles there would have been an exercise in futility. They had rejected the gospel. It could be preached no longer. Miracles, pictures of the truth of the gospel, could not therefore be performed any more than the gospel could be preached.
To them belong the woes pronounced later on Chorazin and Bethsaida, which cities saw Christ's mighty works as well, but which also refused to believe.
But Israel must be pushed aside so that salvation might come to the Gentiles (See Romans 9-11). And even among the Jews a remnant according to the election of grace shall be saved. Prof. Herman Hanko
Are There Different Kinds of Christians?
Our question this time is: "Are there two types of Christians, carnal and spiritual, or only one type ('If He is not Lord of all, He is not Lord at all'), namely, spiritual?"
According to those who believe that there are different kinds of Christians, some carnal and some spiritual, a carnal Christian is one who has been saved, but who remains "carnal," that is, his life continues much the same as before he was "saved." He (or she) shows few or none of the fruits of holiness.
Closely related is the notion, popular in some circles, that a person can have Jesus as Savior without having or acknowledging Him as Lord. That Jesus is Lord, means, of course, that He owns us, body and soul, and with all we have, and claims for Himself our whole life, demanding daily obedience of every one of us. Those who (supposedly) are saved without having Jesus as Lord are those who do not understand or acknowledge His claims and continue to live a life that is little changed by the grace that "saved" them.
Such teaching traces to the Scofield Bible notes and arises out of its "theology" and the kind of evangelism work that is done on the basis of that theology. The theology is that of "free-willism" and teaches that the will of the sinner is decisive in salvation. God loves all, wants to save all, has sent Christ to die for all, and offers salvation to all in the gospel. It is now up to the sinner to accept or reject that salvation-all depends on him.
That teaching is reflected in the altar calls, appeals, pleas for decisions, and all other such perversions of the gospel that are so much a part of evangelism work today. And the teaching that there is such a thing as a carnal Christian is an attempt to cover up the fact that the vast majority of persons who come forward in response to altar calls and appeals are not saved at all, as is evident from their carnal lives. And, in order that they may continue to count those saved who have responded in some way to their evangelistic efforts, they have dreamed up this notion of "carnal Christians."
In fact, there is no such thing. One can no more have a "carnal" Christian than a square circle. Scripture makes this clear in such passages as Romans 6:1-2. There are many reasons why this cannot be, not the least that the justice of God requires otherwise. Having been forgiven, there is no reason anymore why we should still be left in the slavery of sin. The redemption price has been paid by Christ, and we must, in the justice of God also be redeemed and released from our spiritual bondage.
Christians do fall into sin. There are innumerable examples of this in Scripture (David, Peter), but if they are truly saved, they will not only repent of such sins, but will return again to the way of holiness and obedience to God. Christians can behave in a carnal matter (I Cor. 3:1-4), but the distinction in Galatians 5:17-24 and Romans 8:1-9 is not between carnal and spiritual Christians, but between those who are Christ's and those who are not (Gal. 5:24), -- those who are in Christ and those who are not (Rom. 8:1). The only two classes of people are the saved and the unsaved, Christians and non-Christians.
This "carnal Christian" teaching is unbiblical and dangerous. It encourages what is called carnal security, the belief that one is saved while in fact one is not. It gives Christians an excuse for sinning, which none of us need. Worst of all, it denies sovereignty of grace, the justice of God, and the finished work of Christ - He did not die only to redeem us, but to make us holy and beloved (Eph. 1:3-4). Rev. Ronald Hanko
We have a new pamphlet published that should prove of great interest to our readers: "Genesis 1-11: Myth or History?" by Prof. David J. Engelsma. Write to the address on the masthead for your free copy.