Genesis 2:4-7. The soldiers didnt know what happened. CARM |P.O. We're on a mission to change that. Peter and the other disciple went forth, verse 3, and were coming to the tomb. least the record of the battle with Amalek , the Ten Commandments (34:4, 27-29), and the Book of the Covenant (20:22-23:33). Christs breathing on them was symbolic of their receiving Gods Spirit. And they died because they preached Jesus crucified and risen; and if they faked His resurrection, that would have been absolutely the most idiotic thing they could have ever done. But its not an event you need to see. I think the Jewish leaders were more afraid Jesus would rise than the disciples believed He would. There is nothing here (or anywhere else in the New Testament) about apostolic succession that says priests have the authority to forgive sins and that it is passed down. What did Jesus mean when He said I am the way and the truth and the life (John 14:6)? The soldiers testify to an empty tomb. But more specifically, it was John who said it was still dark when Mary Magdalene came to the tomb. John wants all his readers to come to that same point of belief in Jesus Christ as Lord and God. The integrity of Scripture is maintained in the honesty of these statements. They checked it. As Mark 2:7 states, Who can forgive sins but God alone?, Now, as Christians, we should forgive our debtors (Matthew 6:12), but this falls short of clearing ones sins. It happened because God willed it to happen, and by His supernatural power it happened. In the meantime, in the meantime, the other women arrive. God raised Him from the dead, validating His work on the cross. Some of Israels leaders (elders, judges, kings, officers, etc.) They put a seal, a Roman seal, which meant that it would become a crime, a violent crime, if you broke the Roman seal; and they put a significant amount of Roman soldiers there. All of our resources exist to guide you toward everlasting joy in Jesus Christ. "He believed that Jesus was risen from the dead. Gods forgiveness is supreme in that He cleanses one from sin or blots out your transgressions (Isaiah 43:25). Mary Magdalenes the first one. 37'. Recently, certain Muslim apologists and YouTubers have been excited that former kickboxer and controversial internet by Matt Slick | Jan 2, 2023 | Islam, World Religions. Matthew tells us in Matthew28:1 both Marys headed for the tomb. March 1, 2023. Grace To You - John MacArthur. They almost all, with the exception of John, died as martyrs. 02/26/23. Clearly all of them placed the arrival at the same time. After graduating from Talbot Theological Seminary, John came to Grace Community Church in 1969. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the New King James Version ( 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.). We are saved solely by faith in Christ, which may or may not be expressed by words. The women testify to an empty tomb. John 20:26-29 The Story of His Wounds Terry Trivette. Until then the city would be absorbed in the dusky darkness. Theyre so terrified, Luke says, They bowed their faces to the ground. I think probably the angels had to repeat themselves to get the point across in the middle of their shock. In addition, he also earns from his speaking engagements. I believe that, in the context, Jesus is talking about church discipline and about the authority of the leaders of the church. No one saw the resurrection. Jesus' words in John 20:23 were stated immediately after alluding to a tool in this process that that would be new to them: "He breathed on them, and said to them, 'Receive the Holy Spirit'" (verse 22). God only can forgive sins, and Christ being God, has a power to do so likewise; but he never communicated any such power to his apostles; nor did they ever assume any such power to themselves, or pretend to exercise it; it is the mark of antichrist, to attempt anything of the kind; who, in so doing, usurps the divine prerogative, places himself John MacArthur, pastor-teacher, has been offering his practical, verse-by-verse Bible teaching through Grace to You for nearly 40 years. (Expanded Edition), John MacArthur, 1994, Zondervan. No one saw the resurrection. The bulk of his revenues are from his position as minister of Grace Community Church. (Screenshot credit: Julie Roys/YouTube) For the first time, John MacArthur publicly admitted Sunday that COVID-19 infections spread through his Southern California congregation last winter, noting he and his wife fell ill to the virus in December. Elders today do not have this ability to speak with inspiration. 02/19/23. Feb. 22, 2016. If you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven." The ridiculous notion of critics through history that the disciples were so committed to the resurrection of Jesus that they fabricated is completely contrary to the testimony of Scripture. JOIN Grace Community Church Sunday Service with John MacArthur, Live Stream February-26-2023. The corner stone of every relationship is a strong fellowship and . John MacArthur. You cant study creation from a rational, observable, pragmatic, scientific perspective; you can only accept the miraculous declaration that the Creator gave us in Genesis1. You preach the resurrection all through the book of Acts in apostolic preaching. All rights reserved. Follow John MacArthur: Contact Information: Phone: 800-55-GRACE Fax: 661-295-5871 Email: [email protected] Mailing Address: PO Box 4000 . This raises the question of how John 20:23 applies today. 10 But in order that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sinsHe said to the paralytic 11 I say to you, rise, take up your pallet and go home. 12 And he rose and immediately took up the pallet and went out in the sight of all; so that they were all amazed and were glorifying God, saying, We have never seen anything like this, (Mark 2:5-12). Instead, he affirms their claim, states he has the authority to forgive sins, and then heals the paralytic. Heres the evidence of an empty tomb: the absent guards, the absent guards; the stone removed; the body gone; and then the grave clothes neatly lying in place. Understanding Islam: Class by Dan Conder and John Oakes, Seattle Teaching Weekend Christian World View Freedom in Christ. Thats why the apostle Paul, as I read earlier, in 1 Corinthians15 says, It is this truth of the resurrection which you heard, and which you received, and which you believed, and in which you stand. It is the very essence of the gospel. He says, if you forgive anyone, I also forgive him. I believe that 2 Corinthians 2:10 is helpful in understanding John 20:23. She is not part of a plot to fake a resurrection. This validates the earlier testimony of Mary Magdalene. If only God can forgive sins, then how can you explain John 20:23, which seems to contradict this? And then they would wrap around and around and around and around the head the spices as well. Whatever you forbid on earth must be what is already forbidden in heaven (Amplified Bible). The Bible does mention appointing elders (Acts 14:23; Titus 1:5), and that the disciples of Jesus had special authority (Matt. This passage appears to be teaching that if Jesus hearers forgive sins, then that results in God forgiving themputting the role of forgiveness and even ultimate judgment in human hands. John MacArthur is the pastor-teacher of Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, Calif., president of The Master's College and Seminary and featured teacher with the Grace to You media ministry. Slider in Lightbox. He was dead. (6) The publishing of the forgiveness of sins by faith in Christ, and the setting forth and proclaiming the wrath of God in retaining the sins of the unbelievers, is the sum of the preaching of the gospel. Can followers of Jesus forgive sin (John 20:18-25)? Apr 14, 2019. Similar assertions of Mosaic writing occur elsewhere in the . The perfect tense is I have been. The pluperfect is I had been. The perfect tense designates an action that occurs in the past and continues into the present, i.e., I have been eating. The disciples were not doing the forgiving but pronouncing the sins that have been forgiven by God. How could they sustain it their whole life, die as martyrs for a fraud, a hoax? The same women who were at the foot of the cross were there on Friday when Joseph and Nicodemus were burying the body of Jesus. To have sin abide, therefore, is to remain estranged from God. It is saying that Christian disciples have the authority to pronounce what sins have been forgiven.. But, my friend, if you believe that Jesus was born of a virgin, then you can only conclude that God's literal blood flowed in Jesus' veins. And thats exactly what she says. Muslims routinely claim that the Bible has been corrupted. People attend a revival event led by evangelist Nick Hall at Rupp Arena in Lexington, Kentucky, Feb. 26, 2023. SUBSCRIBE: https://goo.gl/z2K59B John Fullerton MacArthur Jr. (born June 19, 1939) is an American pastor. I believe that the leaders of local churches are, by implication, also given a significant amount of authority. Then she ran, and came to Simon Peter, and the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and said unto them, They have taken away the Lord out of the sepulchre, and we don't know where they have laid him ( John 20:1-2 ). HisChannel LIVE TV STREAM ON DEMAND SCHEDULE PRAYER CONTACT DONATE. Why not? What is the relationship between the Abrahamic Covenant and the Mosaic Covenant? If the person continues to not listen to the advice of the church, in extreme situations, the person may end up being treated as no longer a disciple by the church. I would say that this would be overstepping what Jesus is saying and, besides, it would contradict a great number of passages which clearly teach that judgment is of God, not of humans. Doesnt matter how it happened. She runs to Simon Peter and the other disciple, who is John, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, They whoever she thought that they were have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid Him.. John MacArthur. Michael Brown holds a Ph.D. in Near Eastern Languages and Literatures from New York University and . It is so early it is still dark. John has also written several bestselling books, including The MacArthur Study Bible, The Gospel . Jesus promised He would rise: Destroy this body, in three days Ill raise it again. As he walked across the stage July 26 to the large, wooden pulpit, the auditorium that seats 3,500 people was filled with non-masked, non-socially distanced conservative . This looks at the women. No editor is saying, Well, this is a little bit different here. Is it true only the apostles had the ability to give the miraculous gifts of the Spirit by laying on of hands? Then they ran a spear into His side and out came blood and water, the indication that His heart had burst. I believe it is possible to overinterpret this passage. It is early. The case that is too hard for you, bring to me, and I will hear it (Deuteronomy 1:17). But let me just give you a final glimpse that will help you to understand the attitude of the disciples initially. All you need to see is the Person who was dead, and there were many witnesses. 03/05/23. Christ also alluded to this in another Gospel. Over four decades of ministry, John has written dozens of bestselling books, including The . What does it mean to let not your heart be troubled in John 14:1? It is a supernatural miracle like all the other miracles that our Lord did. The Roman executioners knew He was dead; thats why he didnt break His legs. John20, verse 9. The most hated Christian doctrine is the doctrine of total depravity. The word forgiven is in the perfect tense. John MacArthur :: Bible Introductions - Exodus. So they took the money, verse 15, took the money, did as they had been instructed. They went everywhere and said, The disciples came and stole His body while we were asleep. And this story was widely spread among the Jews, and is to this day. Johns writing sixty years later, and thats still the story among the Jews: the disciples stole His body, the disciples stole His body. Let me tell you what I think (and let you judge for yourself). received Gods Spirit (Numbers 11:16-17). You dont need to see it - Hes gone. He said, These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets, the Psalms must be fulfilled. Then He opened their minds to understand the Scripture, and He said to them, It is written, that the Christ must suffer and rise again from the dead the third day, and that repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. We dont know what happened. The ultimate principles upon which this power rests are those stated abovethe being sent by Christ, and the reception of the Holy Ghost. And now He is in charge of His own resurrection. Mark16:1, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome, they brought spices coming to anoint Him. This is early. Now go back to John for just a closing thought. (150-220): On Baptism, 20: "Therefore, my blessed ones, whom the grace of God awaits, when you ascend from the most sacred font of your new birth [baptism], and spread your hands for the first time in the house of your mother [the Church . She runs. Verse 1. Theyre gone, startled awake in the deep Sunday darkness, shaken by the earthquake out of their divinely-induced comas. Several other translations bring out the proper meaning here: Likewise, this principle and Greek grammar apply to the wording in Matthew 16:19. 23 If you forgive the sins of any, their sins have been forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they have been retained, (John 20:19-23). Matthew and Mark only refer to the one who speaks. Does John 20:23 mean that Catholic priests can forgive sins? Now lets pick up the soldiers. The leaders of the local church have the authority and even the responsibility to Expel the wicked man from among you in extreme cases. There was an earthquake, stone rolled away, bodys gone. But their eyes were prevented from recognizing Him. This is on Sunday. Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came early to the tomb, while it was still dark, and saw the stone already taken away from the tomb. But go, and tell His disciples and Peter, He is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see Him, just as He told you. They went out and fled. Theres a lot of running going on this morning. ii. They dont fully believe it until they see Him and touch Him. John 20:23 - If you forgive anyone's sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven." Answer: I certainly can see how this passage could cause concern for you. It should be clear that only God forgives sins; and Christians, as representatives of Christ, pronounce to people what has already been forgiven them by God. Jan. 1, 2023. Nobody would do that. John Piper Apr 12, 2009. He tells them that if they, in their authority as apostles, forgive sins, then He forgives them as well. The women are shocked and terrified. Stefan Scepovic - Brisbane Roar - shot with right foot from the centre of the box is saved in the top left corner. Slider with Animated Blocks . For example, Paul determined that Church members in Corinth shouldnt have tolerated the man involved in sexual immorality with his stepmother: Your glorying is not good (1 Corinthians 5:1-6). The composite testimony of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John is the full, revealed, inspired picture of the resurrection. Nothing is said here about apostolic authority being passed down. Get our Question of the Week delivered right to your inbox! It is a creative miracle. #1. They didnt name them like we do Sunday, Monday, and so forth - they numbered them. ; John 16:8 et seq. Theyve run into angels in this tomb, and they are amazed. That word means to be awestruck, ekthambe, again, an intensified word: astonished, alarmed, terrified. Luke uses emphobos, from which we get phobic. John MacArthur. Indeed, besides all this, it is the third day since these things happened. So sad; its the third day. The first chapter of Genesis, you go from absolutely nothing to the entire universe coming into existence in six days. Now none of these people know whats happened on Saturday. Now, the other gospels tell us that Mary came with several of the women. He will see His offspring, and He will be eternally glorified and exalted. Last year, he helped organize a controversial statement responding to social justice. Is it really possible for Christians to do greater works than Jesus? Thats why they forced him to crucify Jesus, even though he declared His innocence six times. They try and provide contradictions in God's word to weaken CARM is a nonprofit, non-denominational, multi-staffed Christian Apologetics Ministry that supports evangelism, radio outreach, and provides full-time support for several foreign missionaries. One of the few translations that reflect key Greek nuances here is the New American Standard Bible: If you forgive the sins of any, their sins have been forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they have been retained (emphasis added throughout). When the women finally began to clear their heads on this, and Peter and John began to realize what was going on, it says in verse 8 that John believed. Were not sure exactly what he believed or how complete that faith was, For as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead. That would be Old Testament, and that would be New Testament Scripture. He was in the grave a few hours on Friday before sundown. As we come to his account and as we go through this, well blend in a little from Matthew, Mark, and Luke at strategic points to help you get a better grip on it. After all, they were ordaining elders and not apostles; and it was the apostles who were given the authority by Christ to do miracles and write scripture. John 20:23 New International Version 23 If you forgive anyone's sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven." Read full chapter John 20:23 in all English translations John 19 John 21 New International Version (NIV) " (John 20:19-21) How do we understand this? John 7:7 The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify about it that its works are evil. What you find everywhere is this unbelief, or this small amount of faith thats confused. By David J. Stewart | January 2008 . The majority of Bible translations use similar wording here, making it sound like God has given the ministry of the Church the authority to forgive or retain sins. With more than four decades of ministry experience, John has written dozens of November 11, 2022. Theres no way to diagnose them or to understand them humanly. As the Father has sent me, I am sending you." 22 And with that he breathed on them and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit. Let me be honest here. You had the entire creation account of the universe in one chapter. No Bible writer tries to explain the resurrection - I mean the physiology of it or the pathology of it, because there is no rational explanation. Well, they have a plan for that too, verse 14: If this should come to the governors ears, we will win him over and keep you out of trouble. And by the way, the Jewish leaders owned Pilate, right, they owned him. They also have the authority to forgive such sins in the sense that they can receive back into the fellowship those who sinned and were sent away. John 20 :24-28 The Nail-Scarred Hand Adrian Rogers. The two are running together. John wants us to know that he was faster than Peter. However, about a year later, Paul told them that the mans punishment and repentance were sufficient for them to forgive and comfort him (2 Corinthians 2:6-7). Nevertheless, this tool would allow the apostles to make Spirit-led judgments. Theyre shocked and terrified. She runs to Peter and John; they dont have any thought of resurrection either. The Risen Christ His Peace, Power, and Purpose. It happened the way all miracles happened. This is to demonstrate to us that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, so that we might believe that, and by believing have eternal life in His name.. $1979 $24.99. God supports the right of the leaders (presumably the elders in the ideal case) of the church to make binding decisions on such discipline matters. The apostles had miraculous knowledge and the ability to speak with inspiration. Jul 19, 2015 "We Will Not Bow" Selected Scriptures You start in the book of Acts with the first sermon by Peter. . We might want to harmonize all of this.. Fourth, the promise of . If Christians are forgiven of thier sins, then why do they have to give account their lives at Judgement (1 Peter 4:5-6)? No one saw it. He is, in essence, appointing the to a position of great power, authority and responsibility over his emerging church. All of that is going to be laid out in the twentieth chapter of John for us. Well, maybe Deuteronomy19:15. A resurrected Jesus doesnt need the stone to be removed. She sees the stone taken away from the tomb. FREE delivery Fri, Feb 10 on $25 of items shipped by Amazon. The two were running together; and the other disciple ran ahead faster than Peter and came to the tomb first; and stooping and looking in, he saw the linen wrappings lying there; but he did not go in.