Barnes church of Christ

An unthankful person is a “boar” to be around! His thoughts and his actions are fixed upon himself, and he has little to no interest in needs of others! He is far from the person whom Jesus describes in his teaching! The word thankfulness is not part of his character. He may think of himself as a faithful Christian, but the evidence would point differently!
We have just had a great “thanksgiving” day with family and friends but did we think who had less than we have. Thankfulness is in every part of the character found in the teaching of Christ! But we can know if we are a thankful person, but we need to know a little about more what the word means!
It is a three-part word: 1) thank, 2) full and 3) ness. Now for the first part of the word ‘thank” is being grateful for all that we have. Just to keep it simple, we give thanks for what we have and even more so, when we look around us. “Full” would carry the thought of being up to the rim, room for no more and the “ness” on the end expresses a state of being. I remember a preacher telling a story of himself. He had gone to preach in Africa and when he departed his homeland people had one car and it was parked outside. However, upon his return he found that everyone had two cars, a double garage full of things, so the two cars were still parked in the big driveway and finally in the back of the house was a big boat. His conclusion was that we are a very wealthy people. This all hit him as a striking blow as he had just come home from a land where people walked with no shoes, they cooked their meals on wood burning fire, and whole family lived in a hut for years, where people cooked outside their little hut, whole families slept with no door.
But, do we thank God for all we have, not just one day a year but every day. Paul wrote in a worshiping context the following: “speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Eph. 5:19-20). Paul says we are to be “giving thanks.” We have every reason to be thankful when we live in the wealthiest nation of earth! This is in the material world but in the spiritual realm, we feast at the table of our God, and receive the spiritual blessings daily which can come from no other!
Thankfulness comes up 71 times in the New Testament, and most of those instances are the word, or related to this word. The definition: “To show oneself grateful, to be thankful, to give thanks.” It seems so simple to give thanks to God for all the good we receive! But, how many times do we utter the word, but give little thought to what we have really received! In this life we can start with the air we breath, the water we drink, and the food we eat. Spiritually, how about the forgiveness of our sins?
But let us look at a few more things to be thankful for! If you have a family, you have something to be thankful for; if you have good health, then you have something to be thankful for; if you have a good job, then you have something to be thankful for; and if you are able to be in the weekly assembly of worship, then you have something to be thankful for.
Now, let us get a little closer to home. When your voice blends together with that of others, even though it is a little too right (or flat) of center, it helps the overall singing; that is if your voice is not heard above everyone elses. Paul wrote: “giving thanks in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord.”
If you would, let me give you little personal story. The first time I went out to preach, which would be my third sermon, the little congregation had no song leader; so I told them, that the Lord said “sing;” therefore, let us sing and I attempted to lead them! Yes, we were a little off key! Let us give thanks for blessings!

Frank R. Williams

Questions are a good way to teach, that is if reader in this case, is willing to answer the questions. So, lets you and I give it try. Here is the first question, “Do you walk on the world, or do you walk on the earth? Do you dig in earth or do you dig in world? Do you teach the earth or teach the world? Is there a difference between and the earth and the worltd?
When Jesus gave apostles commission, “go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature”(Mark 16:15), just what was he demanding of them? When in Acts, Jesus said to the apostles to go “unto the uttermost part of the earth” and be witnesses; what did he mean? Is there a difference between the two commands? The word “world” appears 287 times in the Bible and the word earth appears 987 times (KJV). This is not to say that the word “earth” is more important or that the word “world” is less important but informative. As Jesus used both words in giving the commission to the apostles.
While in India I learned how they translated Mark 16:15, as they put it, the apostles were to go and preach in every language, in every tongue and this included the hundreds of tongues in India. They were saying that not one language was to be left out! This sets well with Jesus’ words! However, is there a difference between what Jesus commanded in Mark 16:15 and Acts 1:8? Or is it that these verses compliment each other? Just to get back to our two words, world and earth, did Jesus command the apostles to go and walk in the world in one place, then, in another, tell them to preach the gospel to the whole earth? What would the earth do with the gospel, as it as no ears to hear!
Here is a good text to help us understand the difference in how our two words are used in the New Testament. “And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth ( standing out of the water and in the water: Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men” (2 Peter 3:4-7). What was destroyed, the “world” or the “earth?” Go read this text again. Was the “world” destroyed by water or was it the “earth” that was destroyed? The ungodly of that day, like so many today, fail to understand the word of God! It was the “world” that perished and not the earth. We still stand and walk upon the earth that Noah did! “World” after “world” has come and gone but the “earth” still stands! It will stand so long as it pleases God. And the same gosplel the apostles preached we are commissioned to preach as the church of our Lord is taught to preach; “To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God,” Eph 3:11 “According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Eph. 3:9-10). So, let us walk upon God’s earth as we take the soul saving gospel to the world. Are you walking upon God’s earth as you teach the gospel.
How beautiful are the words of God, given by the Holy Spirit, that we might handle it right, Paul wrote these timely words, “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” Then he continued with these words: “It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him” (2 Tim. 2:11).

–Frank R. Williams

Did you and I have a beginning? Yes, I began to be March of 1939. No, this not what we call my birthday but month I was conceived! When my mother conceived me I was a human being. Jesus became a human being at the time Mary conceived him. This is also the way all of us began to be!
There are nations that start the age of a person from conception, and they count your age as one year old at birth. So just back up nine months from your birth and that is how old you really are. If I remember correctly, South Korea is one nation that counts their age as one when born. This would work for America but we have a hard time getting a woman to tell how old she is and would make her one year older than she is the way we do it.
The point is that Jesus had a beginning, in his flesh and blood being. John put it this way: “And the Word was made 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.” (John 1:14). As pointed out in the first article on this subject; the words “was made” is the Greek word, “ginomai,” and means “to cause to be.” (Strong). Notice how Luke puts this: “To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary.” (Luke 1:27) Then, read these words also from Luke: “And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Spirit shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall beover shadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God” (Luke 1:35). Here are the words of Matthew: “Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of Holy Spirit” (Matt. 1:18). Mary was not found with child of Joseph or any other man but of the Holy Spirit. Here we have both his humanity (of Mary) and of the Holy Spirit (His Deity) the Son of God. John use the words, “The Word (Diety) was made flesh” (his humanity). Yes, Jesus had a beginning; a time when he was not and a time when he was! At the same time, he had no beginning – God!
To answer our first question, which was: Did Jesus have a beginning, a time when he was not and a time when he came into being! This also answers the our other two 2) Can God be tempted and 3) Was Jesus tempted?
First, can God be tempted? One verse will answer this, James wrote: “Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:” (James 1:13) God cannot be tempted! But this put us in a state, of answering this question: “Was Jesus tempted, if so, and he was, how can he be God. As we have pointed out, Jesus was both human and God and it was through his humanity that he was tempted and not his Deity! Here are few verses that will show his humanity: “And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt” (Matt. 26:9). Jesus prays in his humanity. As he said, “not as I “(his humanity) then “but as thou wilt,” the will of Deity! How deep was his prayer, let Luke tell us: “And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.” This was his humanity, as Deity does not have sweat but humanity does. How grateful are we of Jesus and his humanity? Before continuing let us once more recall the word in Hebrews: “For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need” (Heb. 4:15-16). How grateful are we for the humanity of Jesus?
Second, was Jesus tempted and how can it be so? Jesus in his humanity he was tempted but not his Deity! God cannot be tempted; hear James once more: “Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:” Never say, “God is tempting me!” Let James tell us how we are tempted: “But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.” (James 1”14-15).
Jesus was both Deity and human! If we lose sight of this we will miss the greater part of the four gospel accounts! Yes, Jesus in his humanity he was tempted just as we are but in his deity he was never tempted!

– Frank R. Williams

Did Jesus have a beginning! Was Jesus tempted as we are? Can God be tempted? These three questions demand answers! Years ago, I was sitting a Bible class when at the end of the class the teacher asked; If Jesus was tempted, he was God, and God cannot be tempted?” One lady in the class spoke up and said, that she was not going there. As this was the question and we should deal with it! But does the Bible go there?
The New Testament is generally understood that Jesus was tempted in all points as we are: “For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin;” (Heb. 4:14-18) and yet, God cannot be tempted: “Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man” ( James 1:13) Just how can these two points be true? If Jesus was God and he is, how can he be tempted, as he was and still be God?
First, let us answer the first question: “Did Jesus have a beginning?” Here we turn to John who wrote: ”In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1) The one referred to as the “Word,” is God! Now what happened to this “Word?” Turning to verse fourteen, John wrote: “And the Word was made 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” (verse 14) The key words are: “The Word was made flesh!” God the Word was made something he was not at the beginning. In fact, he was made “flesh.” The key words are “was made.” This is the Greek word “ginomai” which means “to cause to be.” The “Word” was made something he had not been before at a certain point in time! Looking now Matthew where he wrote: “And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins” (Matt. 1:21). At the conception, Jesus was “made flesh” and come into being, as the “Word was made flesh!” Thus, Jesus as savior, but in order to be a savior, he had to be flesh and blood. It is through his “blood” that we are saved! As the old song goes: “Nothing but blood!”
A second text which must have our attention is Isaiah: “Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel” (Isa. 7:14). The name “Immanuel” means “God with us!” And what did “the Word” become, but flesh! Thus, God with us! As John wrote: “the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us!” Let me point out that the pronoun “us” does not mean “us” today, as our eyes have never looked upon God in the flesh, as we know him through the New Testament! Nevertheless, we know him, and we know that “God, the Word” was made flesh and blood and by God in the flesh we are saved! If we do not know him, we cannot be saved, as John wrote: “And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments” (1 John 2::3). John went on to write: “He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him” (Verse 4).
You can now see that it is imperative that we know Jesus, who was while upon this earth, as if we do not know him, we cannot be saved and this means to know by keeping his word! Yes, God was made flesh and dwelt among us (those at the time Jesus lived upon this earth)! Clearly, Jesus could only be tempted in his humanity, flesh and blood!
It is the hope that the reader will understand the subject of Jesus better now than before, even though we will have more articles to follow! We will look at Jesus in the flesh, yet, without sin!

Frank R. Williams

In this concluding article on the Holy Spirit we will prove that the points made in the first three articles are true! To this point, we have pointed out three things¨1) the apostles received “power” after the Holy Spirit came upon them; 2) this “power” enabled the apostles to speak by inspiration; 3) that this “power” enabled the apostles to do miracles which confirmed that their words came the Holy Spirit and 4) that this “power” enabled them to lay hands on others to impart spiritual gifts.
First, only the apostles did receive “power” as promised them by the Lord Jesus Christ. As Luke wrote: “But ye shall receive power, after that Spirit is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth” (Act. 1:8) This became a reality on the first Pentecost after the Lord was resurrected, once more as Luke penned: “And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance” (Acts 2:4). Here the apostles received the promised “power’ which enabled them to preach the gospel by inspiration and confirmed it with ‘tongues; that is they spoke in languages which they did not know by natural means. This marks the beginning of the age of Christ. Paul put it this way; “which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Spirit teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual” (1 Cor. 2:13). The “power” which the Holy Spirit gave to the apostles enabled them to speak by inspiration.
Second, this “power” received by the apostles enabled them to lay hands on others and impart “spiritual” gifts. Luke wrote: “Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this “business you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business” (Acts 6:3). Please notice that one of the qualifications was that they had to be “full” of the Holy Spirit. This means that the apostles had already laid their hands upon them and this means that no one upon who the apostles had not laid their hands were to be considered. This is true as every time the phrase is used, a miraculous event followed. Such as when Mary conceived: “and it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit And she spake out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb” (Luke 1:41-42). Notice when Elisabeth was “filled with the Holy Spirit” she said: “blessed art thou among women” and “blessed is the fruit of thy womb,” which would be Jesus! Every time one is said to be “filled” or “full of,” the Spirit, something miraculous follows! How did Elisabeth know this? She was “filled with the Holy Spirit.” You can look this up for yourself. Therefore, the seven had already had the apostle’s hands laid upon them!
Third, those upon whom the apostles had laid their hands on could not impart spiritual gifts to others. Let us notice this in the text. Luke wrote that the apostles heard that many had obeyed the gospel, they send John and Peter to them. Why was this done? Let Luke tell us as he wrote: ”Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.” Let Luke tell us how this took place when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles’ hands the Holy Spirit was given, he offered them money, see this, for more proof as he wrote: : “And when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles’ hands the Holy Spirit was given, he offered them money“ (Act 8:18). Please notice that Simon did not offer Philip any money! Why not? Because Philip, even though he had the hands of apostle laid upon him, he could not do same to others! Simon did not offer him money! Thus, only the apostles could impart spiritual gifts!
Let me call your attention to this truth. It was the “power” the apostles received and not the personal, bodily Holy Spirit which some claim. No one had to have the personal Holy Spirit to dwell within them. What they needed was the “power” of the Holy Spirit. The apostles imparted “power” to the ones who had hands laid on them but they could not do the same.

Frank R. Williams

Is it necessary that Holy Spirit personally, bodily, dwell within the apostles of Christ? Oh, it is so simple! If we would only think about it from our own personal need! What about the word of God, does it not have the “power” which Paul wrote: “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek” (Rom 1:16” Is the “gospel of Christ” God’s power unto salvation, or do we need something else? No, not in any way! When we have the gospel given by inspiration, and confirmed by miracles, what else do we need? Are we so unsure of the word of God?
What kind of faith do we have in the word of God? We believe it, but we need something else, the Holy Spirit, to dwell in us, so we can be sure that we are saved! If anyone needed more than the word of God, to confirm their salvation, it would have been those first Christians but then, they saw the miracles being done in their presence. They also had, some of them, miraculous gifts but these gifts were not to confirm their salvation but to confirm the word of God. These gifts were not to confirm their salvation, but to confirm word of God; it does not confirm our salvation. Let us keep in mind, God does not do the unnecessary! If one thing will do it, God does not use two things!
Without going too overboard, is it not a lack of faith in the word of God, to need the personal, bodily, indwelling to prove that we are saved? Then, there is this, how do you know the Holy Spirit personally dwells within you? Well, the New Testament says so! So, we went from the word of God; then, we come back to it to prove the indwelling of the Holy Spirit! The apostles of Christ had the “power” which came from the Holy Spirit but even they did not have this so-called personally, bodily, Holy Spirit dwelling in their bodies. Then, there is the question, did they depend on the so-called personal indwelling, or did they have all the three areas of the Holy Spirit. By this, is meant: inspiration, confirmation, and the ability to impart spiritual gifts. But, keep in mind, these three areas were not to assure them of their salvation! Their faith in the word of God was all they needed, and it is all we need today!
As apostles traveled from place to place, what did they do? They did miraculous things, then, they preached the gospel unto the lost. After the folks had obeyed the gospel, then, they imparted spiritual gifts unto some of them but not unto all them. The new converts did not need this so-called personal Holy Spirit to dwell within, as they heard the confirmed word of God and had obeyed it; then, they were saved and they knew they were saved. They needed nothing else to assure them that they were saved! Remember, Jesus said to the apostles that they would receive “power” after the Holy Spirit came upon them, then they would be his witnesses throughout the earth! So, why did the apostles of Christ need this “power?” To preach by inspiration, to confirm what they preached, and to impart spiritual gifts to others. One of these was only given to the apostles and this was the ability to lay hands on others and impart spiritual gifts, but not to confirm their salvation. This was done, so others could preach the gospel and confirm it!
We today confirm our salvation and that of others, by appealing to the word of God! If we do what the gospel says we must do, then, we know we are saved! Do we really need anything else? Are you sure about that? Do you need more than the inspired, confirmed, word of God? If so, why? What is missing in your faith in the word of God, the gospel of Christ?
No, even the apostles of Christ did not have a so-called personally, bodily, indwelling of the Holy Spirit. What they had was the fulfillment of the promises Jesus had made to them, that they would receive “power” after the Holy Spiriit came upon them on that great day of Pentecost! Here is another question as we conclude this third article. Did those on the day of Pentecost need a personal, bodily, indwelling of the Holy Spirit for them to know that they were saved? No, not in any way! They received the inspired, confirmed gospel which they heard from the mouths of the apostles of Christ! Just look at them on that great day. Having obeyed the gospel, they would have looked at the apostles and told them, we need something more! God forbid!

Frank R. Williams

Many among us believe that the Holy Spirit’s being, his person, dwelled within the apostles and even us today. However, is this true? Is it necessary for the Holy Spirit to personally dwell in one for person to have spiritual power? Is it necessary for the Holy Spirit to personally dwell with the Christian for the Christian to know that he is saved? These are most important questions that need to be answered!
First, let us take the apostles of Christ and the Holy Spirit. Did the Holy Spirit personally dwell within them? Here attention is called to the promise Jesus made to them. It is recorded by Luke in Acts one, verse eight; which reads: “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.” Is Jesus promising the personal Holy Spirit to dwell within the apostles or is he promising something else? It is my firm belief that Jesus is promising something else, which he names within the text. The Holy Spirit was and did come upon the apostles is not a question of debate. But other than the Holy Spirit coming upon the apostles, just what did Jesus promise?
Jesus said they would receive “power” and that from the Holy Spirit coming upon them. Just what was this “power?” This power would be that they would speak by inspiration as they delivered the gospel, that they would confirm the words which they spoke by miracles, and that they would be able to import spiritual gift to others. These three things the apostles did through the action of the book of Acts and which they wrote about in the letters to the churches. We will look more at this in a few moments. But first, all one has to do is reason with the text written.
We have spent so much time in trying to prove that the Holy Spirit personally, bodily, dwelled within the apostles that we have overlooked the facts given in the text. Did Jesus promise that the Holy Spirit would come upon the apostles, yes! But what did this do for the apostles? Read what Luke wrote in Acts: “And they were all filled with the Holy spirit, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance” (Acts 2:4). Being “filled with the Holy Spirit” is equal to having “power” to speak with “other tongues” in this case! This was necessary so they could speak to each group present that great Pentecost day. The lost were going to be saved on that day, having heard the gospel, and seeing it confirmed by the “tongues” which the apostles spoke. Was it necessary for the Holy Spirit personally to dwell within the body of the apostles for them to speak the gospel and confirm it with “tongue” speaking? No! Not in any way! This is to demean to Holy Spirit and his power, which he imparted to the apostles just as Jesus said he would (Acts 1:8, 2:4).
Here is a good question: “What was the purpose of the apostles being filled with “power,” if it was not to preach the soul saving gospel to the lost, while confirming it with “signs?” Those on the day of Pentecost needed proof that the apostles were in fact, preaching with “power” of the Holy Spirit and this required the supernatural. In this case, it was their speaking with “tongues!” One might ask, if present on that day, how do we know that you (the apostles) are speaking the word of God? It was not the “tongue” speaking that enabled the lost to be saved but what was spoken in “tongues:” the gospel. Remember, it is the “gospel of Christ” that is God’s power unto salvation (Rom. 1:16). It was not the Holy Spirit filling the apostles with the words alone, but also confirming it with signs, in this case, the tongues in which they spoke.
This would be repeated many times throughout the book of Acts of the Apostles! The apostles would speak the gospel and confirm it with signs; both coming from their being filled with “power” which came from the Holy Spirit. This would result in near 3,000 souls being saved on that great Pentecost day, as Luke wrote: “Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls” (Acts 2:41)
Therefore, the question: “Was it necessary for the Holy Spirit to dwell personally, bodily, within the apostles for them to do their work?” The answer is “no!” To demand that the Holy Spirit must personally, bodily, within us today, is to question the power of the gospel of Christ! It is the gospel that converts us today and not the personal Holy Spirit dwelling in us! Don’t demean the gospel of Christ and the power within it!

Frank R. Williams