Spiritual Light

Footnotes

1. (Page 6) Ezekiel prophesied during the sixth century BC. The Exodus most likely took place during the fourteenth century BC.
2. (Page 12) The length of time from the possession of Canaan by Israel until the time they demanded a king is between four and five centuries.
3. (Page 13) Admah and Zeboim were two cities destroyed with Sodom and Gomorrah. See Gen. 19:24-25 and Deut. 29:23.
4. (Page 14) At the time of the latest historical books of the Old Testament (Ezra-Nehemiah), the Medo-Persian Empire ruled the world. At the beginning of the New Testament books, Rome ruled the world. This means that between the time of Ezra-Nehemiah and the time of Jesus, the Medo-Persian Empire fell, Greece ascended and descended as a world power, and Roman rule spread over the known world. Approximately, the time for all this involved 400 years.
5. (Page 14) For example, one may consider the story of the defiled altar in 1Maccabees 4:36-46.

   The presence of Anna the prophetess (Lk. 2:36-38) does not contradict this. She certainly was not a prophet in the vein of Elijah, Isaiah, or the many other well-known prophets who were called to guide or chasten the nation. God's presence was still with Israel to some degree all through this period, so that even Caiaphas, one of Jesus' enemies, prophesied under His power (Jn. 11:49-52), and healing was, in small measure, provided for (cp. Jn. 5:1-4).

6. (Page 29) For purposes of distinction, "tabernacle" should be used when referring to the tent of worship which Moses constructed at Mt. Sinai, and "temple" should only be used when referring to Solomon's temple in Jerusalem.
7. (Page 30) For example, compare these similarities between heaven and its earthly counterpart:
1. Made without hands: 1Kgs. 6:7 with Heb. 9:11
2. The ark within it: 1Kgs. 6:19 with Rev. 11:19
3. Foursquare: 1Kgs. 6:20 with Rev. 21:16
4. Pure gold: 1Kgs. 6:21-22 with Rev. 21:18
5. The two cherubim: 1Kgs. 6:23, 27, 28; with Zech. 4:3-5, 11-14; Rev. 11:3-4
6. Cherubim figures: Ex. 26:1, 31; 1Kgs. 6:29, 32, 35; 7:29, 36 with Ps. 68:17; Mt. 26:53; Heb. 12:22; Rev. 5:11
7. Posts: 1Kgs. 6:33 with Isa. 6:4a
8. Foundation: 1Kgs. 7:10 with Rev. 21:19-20
9. Molten sea: 1Kgs. 7:23 with Rev. 4:6a, 15:2
10. Curtains: Ex. 26:1 with Ps. 104:2; Isa. 40:22
8. (Page 38) The disciples could not have received the Spirit in John 20:19-23. Jesus here only ordained them (1) to receive the Spirit (v. 22), and (2) to go out and begin to preach (v. 21), and (3) to forgive and retain sins (v. 23). None of those things happened at that time.

It cannot be concluded from Jesus' words to Mary Magdalene after his resurrection (Jn. 20:17) that he had already ascended to the Father, made the eternal sacrifice, been accepted and glorified by God, and then entered again into his fleshly body to return to earth. Some teach that he had done so in order to give the holy Spirit to the ten disciples in this scene (Thomas was not there) and then, later, returned to the Father in order to send back the baptism of the Spirit.

Besides this being an unreasonable and inexplicable order of events, it contradicts the immense weight of clear scriptural evidence. For instance, Jesus told his followers that what they would receive at Pentecost was "the promise of the Father" (Acts 1:4). But if the disciples received the Spirit before Pentecost, then "the promise of the Father" is the baptism of the Spirit, and not the Spirit itself (contrary to Gal. 3:14 and Eph. 1:13, etc.)

Another minor point. That Jesus could appear into a room with its doors and windows shut and locked is not the proof that some suppose it is that the Lord was in a glorified body before his ascension. After all, which takes more power to do, to appear in a room with locked doors or to walk on water? Jesus had that kind of miracle-working power the entire time he was here on earth. Moreover, Philip was involved in a very similar miracle in the book of Acts, and he certainly was still in his fleshly body (Acts 8:39-40).

9. (Page 44) As will be explained in detail later, this was because water baptism was a work of the Law - to which all Jews (but only Jews) were obligated.
10. (Page 48) That Gentiles who were converted had been cleansed sufficiently by the blood of Christ to be worthy of acceptance into the fellowship of the rest of the (Jewish) body of believers without submitting to the rites of the Mosaic Law is more than a socio-religious issue between Jews and non-Jews. It is a matter that goes to the heart of the gospel. Paul understood that it was no less than a question of the degree of the sufficiency of Christ for our salvation.

    The issue is this: Is Jesus Christ, by himself, able to sanctify the Gentiles so completely that they are fit company for sanctified Jews, who were ritually pure according to the Law of Moses? It was Paul's contention that whether a person is Jew or Gentile, the Law's ceremonies were irrelevant to the question of justification before God. Paul's astonishing and much-hated doctrine was that by the holy Spirit, Christ cleanses both Jew and Gentile through faith (Rom. 3:28-30), without the employment of any ceremony whatsoever. Whether one is circumcised or uncircumcised is no longer relevant, as concerns being acceptable with God (Gal. 5:6). This was a revolutionary doctrine, but Paul was adamant: Jesus Christ alone is able to supply everything anybody needs to be pure in God's sight and prepared to meet God in peace.

    We may approach the same truth in this manner: God accepted Abraham's worship upon the high places of Canaan (Gen. 12:7-8). But when, under the Law of Moses, God ordained Jerusalem and the temple to be the acceptable place of worship, it became idolatrous for men to worship in high places as Abraham did (cp. Deut. 12:1-14; Jer. 2:19-20; 3:1-6; Ezek. 6:1-7). Later, God again moved the acceptable place of worship, this time out of the ceremonies and forms required by the Law and into the Spirit (Jn. 4:19-24), and, in time, it became idolatrous for the Jews to continue serving God according to the Law of Moses. For the Gentiles, it was idolatrous even to start worshiping God according to Moses' Law, for it never was for them.

    Now, for us all, Jew and Gentile, to worship God in spirit is, and will remain forever, the only acceptable way to worship. The Law's rites are now "dead works".

    This issue is Paul's major concern in his letters to the saints in Rome, Galatia, and Colossae, while it plays a major role in the books of Ephesians, Philippians, and Hebrews. The issue is also touched on, in his other letters. The arrogance of many of the Jews against the Gentiles is often mentioned by Paul. In one case, he says that he has even been forbidden by the Jews to so much as speak to Gentiles (1Thes. 2:14-16).

    Considering the attitude of his contemporaries, especially the attitude of the community of faith at that time, Paul's determined preaching to the Gentiles is indication of his determination to obey God and make the Gentiles aware of their newly granted privilege to eternal life, apart from the Law and its ceremonies.

11. (Page 53) Receiving the Spirit is conversion, for "If any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his" (Rom. 8:9). That the baptism of the Spirit is when the Spirit is received is an important point. This may be more easily understood with reference to Romans 8:9. With that Scripture in mind, please read the stories in Acts which include baptism of the Spirit (Acts 2, 8, 9, 10, 19), asking the question, "When did those people receive the Spirit?"
12. (Page 59) With the exception of Joshua and Caleb, the faithful spies. See Numbers 13, 14.
13. (Page 62) The bride of Christ is not the entire body of Christ. Rather, the bride of Christ will be comprised of the members of the body who have been faithful to God until death.
14. (Page 69) Paul would not have baptized a Gentile with water. That would have been contrary to everything he taught the Gentiles. Jesus did not send Paul with Peter's gospel, which included John's water baptism, so that he would have baptized Gentiles with water, as Peter once did (1Cor. 1:13-17; Acts 10:46-48).
15. (Page 72) Though not much preached now, it is an integral part of the gospel that those who obey it will, without exception, suffer for doing so. (Mt. 5:10-12; 2Cor. 1:3-7; Phip. 1:29; 2Thes. 1:5; 2Tim. 2:12; 3:10-13; 1Pet. 4:1, 12-19).
16. (Page 72) To discern between good and evil is not easy for young converts to do. According to Hebrews 5:14, it can only be accomplished by those who are of full age in Christ.
17. (Page 73) It is important to note that Jesus did not say, "He that begins to follow me is free." He said rather that if we would continue in his word, we would learn the truth and be made free (Jn. 5:31-32). Babes in Christ, Paul said, are still of a carnal mind (1Cor. 3:1-2). It takes time for the mind of Christ to develop in us. See Ephesians 4:11-16, and note #16 above.
18. (Page 74) Perfection in Christ is attainable in this life. It is commanded of us by Jesus in Matthew 5:48. Of course, not even Jesus achieved the kind of perfection that carnally-minded men expect. But perfection before God is provided for in the atonement and is expected of the saints.