How to Enjoy the Bible Camp '70 (Session 4)
Publication Date: 07-07-1970
On Ephesians 4:25 where I want to begin tonight, or where we will begin tonight , the first part of what the Research Team gave me is the work that Walter Cummins published in our wonderful Way Magazine on "The Spoken Word." Also, as we cover Ephesians 4:28 tonight, I had all the information in front of me from another article that Walter Cummins has in the... has had in the Magazine. The first article on Ephesians 4:25 is entitled "The Spoken Word." The one on Ephesians 4:28 is "Workers for God." Both of these pieces of work by Walter are absolutely superb. And I believe that they should appear and will appear in our research journal GMIR whenever we begin publishing that. {GMIR Aramaic word meaning ' to perfect, accomplish , mature, complete, arithmetically to be divisible without any remainder.}
And I noticed again that some of the things that were stated are just so beautifully and logically presented, I'm truly thankful for, not only Walter, but the whole Research Department. I think our Biblical Research Department is just second to none. And it' s even going to be better by God' s mercy and grace next year and in years to come than it is at this time. And right now I do not believe that our Biblical Research Department needs to take a back seat for any academic institution or work in the world.
And I thought today, I have never... I've never thought of Walter Cummins in any other capacity than to be my assistant. I know Vince Finnegan, you know, on the books is my assistant. And that' s great. But I've never thought of Walter Cummins in any other capacity for so many years as always being my assistant. And I think he' s just the most wonderful person that any president could have as his assistant. And also to be chairmen of the Department of Greek, and then the coordinator of the Biblical research of The Way International. For any one man to have that position and that responsibility is an awesome reality and I'm real proud of Walter and real thankful for him. But I am also thankful for the rest of our wonderful men and women in the Research Department.
I would like for the Corps all over the country to go to the Magazine and find "The Spoken_Word," that's the title of it, dealing with Ephesians 4:25 and other scriptures, and before the next Corps meeting next week, you endeavor to master that great piece of work by Walter Cummins. It's just, you know, the spoken Word. Over fifty Greek words are used in the New Testament in connection with the faculties of utterance. Over fifty. And then he takes the most important ones and he lists them and it' s just. .. it' s just a piece of research work that you should really as a Corps master in your heart and in your life.
Ephesians 4:25 in the King James reads, Wherefore put away lyin g, speak every man truth with his neighbor: for we are members one of another.
The ' putting away' was interesting to me again because of the Greek word aniko, a-n-i-k-o.
And this word is ' the putting away,' this word ' put away,' aniko, is the same root word as in 4:22, where we use the word ' rest,' meaning ' to rest.' Is that right? Yep, that is right. I taught you that,
didn't I? Did I or didn't I? Doesn't look right to me. It is the same root. What chapter am I missing? Am I missing anything? I don't know. Right now I'm screwed up, ha ha. First time today. You check the word again and I'll do that, too and see what I'm missing here.
But a-n-i-k-o is the word for ' putting away from you. ' To put away. And it' s the same root as the word ' rest.' I don't know where the word appears, but it's got to be in there.
Now, that word ' speak,' every man speak. That word ' speak ' is from the Greek word
laleo, l-a-l-e-long-o. And that' s where Walter' s article on "The Spoken Word"_c omes in because that is.. .he uses that word laleo in here, which I teach in Corinthians when I teach the Foundational Class. And he says the word is employed 24 times in I Corinthians chapter 14. I had forgotten that.
This word is truly significant. I couldn' t quite understand it Research Department, what you said on page 26B 16, where you defined it ' to make vocal utterance,' ' to babble,' 'to talk,' 'to exercise the faculty of speech without reference to the words spoken.' I just wondered if there might not be another word that could be substituted or utilized at this point. I know that Zachariah 8:16 is the quotation that is used here, or spoken of. And that Zachariah 8:16 adds force to what is said by using a quote, a quotation. That' s why my question to the Research Department is, How can it be without reference to what is spoken if it is truth plus the quotation of the Word of God that's given. It doesn't quite fit for me.
'With his neighbor' has to be a believing neighbor. This 'speak truth with his neighbor' is a figure of speech gnome, g-n-o-m-e, which simply is a citation. And that' s a citation from Zachariah 8:16.
There are a series of figures of speech, Corps, in chapter four which just put the 00mph, the highlight, to the particular things that are set whereby you put off the old man. This phrase here 'speak every man truth with his neighbor' is one of them. The other one appears in verse 26, 'be angry and sin not.' ' Steal no more' is another one. 'Corrupt communication' is the fourth one. 'Grieve not the holy spirit' is the fifth one. ' All bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, evil speaking' is the sixth. And then ' be kind' and so forth, is the seventh.
You see, the last phrase in that verse, in King James, For we' re members one of what? [Another] And it' s relative to the neighbor. Now you just look at that. Wherefore put away lying, speak every man truth with his what? [Neighbor] For we are members one of another. That doesn't mean just a neighbor who lives next door, but it has to be a believing neighbor because we are members one of what? [Another]. You could not be a member ' one of another' ifhe was an unbeliever. That's how I know this is going to work. This tells me that the neighbor is a believer. And this ' we' re members one of another' continues the imagery of the Body of Christ.
The literal according to usage of this verse is as follows: Wherefore put away the lie... and I believe in my heart, before I go on with the literal that until man is born again, it's all a lie anyways. And that' s why I believe that this translation will fit in the light of that knowledge. Because when a man is not born again, his whole life is just a lie. Now you're born again, and that ' s why I think the text states it ' wherefore put away the lie,' the life you' ve been living , the screwed up life you have lived outside of God. It' s been just a life of a lie. It' s not truth. It' s just the opposite of truth and that's my reason for translating it this way... Wherefore put away the lie.
You've got to go with that translation. You have no other text to go by both from Aramaic and Greek it's 'lie.' Not 'lying.' If the Research Department has anything to share in the light of that, I'd be blessed to hear, but you' ve heard my reasons for translating it, Research Department, this way.
Now since they're born again, their whole life is changed, so the life of lying, and living a lie, and being a lie, and being false, is to be put away.
And every man... this is the translation ... and everyone, everyone. The word ' man' you could use because it's an inclusive noun, but I prefer to use the word ' one.'
Wherefore put away the lie and everyone speak the truth with his neighbor for we are members one of another. That is literal according to usage.
Now for the expanded according to understanding. It's not bad. Because of this... What we coughing for? Everybody sick?...Because of this... and the reason I went in the expanded along this line is because verse 24 last week told us that we are created by God in righteousness and in true purity, through holiness. Twenty four.
That's why 25, Wherefore ... 'wherefore' can be translated 'because of this.' Because of this what? Being created in righteousness and truly pure. See it's an inside job.
Because of this being created in righteousness and truly pure by the grace and the love of
God.. .Because of this being created in righteousness and truly pure, you put away, completely lay to rest the lie that you have been and were living and each one of you speak the truth using a quotation from the Word with his believing neighbor for we are members one of another in the Body of the Church.
Robinson {Edward} said, he translated, 'speak every man truth with his neighbor' and he said it's from Zachariah 8:16 which adds force to what is said by using a quote. That's why I translated that. I think that' s great. It adds force to what is said. If you're speaking to someone, it adds force to what you say by using a quote, a quotation from God's Word. In other words, ' you share the Word with them.' That' s why I went with that translation. I want to give it to you again in this sense.
Speak the truth using a quotation from the Word, which means 'share the Word.' Quote the Word to them. Tell them what the Word says, with his believing neighbor. Why? For we are members one of another in the Body of the Church. This verse is just mind blowing.
Here, you have a born-again believer neighbor who needs to grow up a little more. So what do you do? Each one speak the truth to that neighbor, that believer, using the Word, quoting the Word because we' re members one of another in the Body of the Church. It's a real positive thing to do.
Verse 26 in King James reads, Be angry.. .ha ha... we like that one, don't we. Be ye angry and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath.
Here is a verse of Scripture that' s very, very difficult for most people. And it' s not too easy for us either. But I think we are able to share the truth of the greatness of this and it's been burning in my heart for a long time to do this with our people.
Everybody has problems with ' how can you be angry and not sin?' You know, how can raise hell with something and not be sinful in doing it? Teed off and not be sinful. And how can you go... and what does it mean 'don't let the sun go down upon your wrath?' See.
In the context, here, verses 26 and 27 deal with your believing neighbor, specifically. Then the Greek word for ' anger' which is from the root orge, o-r-g-long-e means 'anger together with the desire of revenge .' That' s bad. That' s a heavy. The Hebrew word means ' to kill, and all the tumults of passion that terminate in killing.' So it's a real heavy word when it said ' be angry.'
And the way I believe it's used in God' s Word, ' be ye angry' means ' it's a long time anger with your believing neighbor until a change has ensued.' The desire to... of revenge is a change. And I, knowing the Word in the light of the new birth, it's where a change finally comes about. Until that time, you just, long-term, you just stay put witnessing the Word, sharing the Word. You do not dislike the believing neighbor; you simply dislike that he is not fully accepting the Word and walking on it. So it' s a long-term anger until a change has ensued. You just stay faithful.
I don't know what else to do with those words. It is a righteous anger. Yet it is a righteous anger without sin.
Among the scholars, there is a disagreement on these words. Well, I don't know about my being a scholar; that I don' t anything about being about. But it's simple to me because righteous anger is commanded by God's Word when it says ' be ye angry.' Well, the scholars can fight about it. I don' t care. It' s a command. Not just permitted to get teed once in a while when somebody' s off of God' s Word, a believer is off of God's Word. You' re always teed off righteously at any believer, born-again believer, who is off of God' s Word. And for those of us in the Way Ministry, it' s been a lifetime.
Get into it with them on... Oh what subject do you want to talk about? Baptism? Food? One God? See. All that stuff.
The Aramaic is accurate in the words ' and sin not.' It literally translates ' and you will not sin.' Again, this ' be angry and sin not' is that figure gnome. Quotation. A citation from the Old Testament. It' s from Psalm 4:4. But in King James, Psalm 4:4, it's translated 'stand in awe.' The real sense of the Hebrew is ' one of admonition;' sin not. Where we' re admonished to not sin. Sin not.
' Let not the sun go down on your wrath. ' Ha ha. That again is beautiful. People went to bed when the sun went down, when it got dark. That's when they went to bed. So what that simply is saying, ha ha, ' don't go to bed teed off.' Don' t let the sun go down on your wrath. In other words, go to bed; don' t go to bed mad. ' When you go to bed' is what it means. Let not the sun go down when you go to bed. And they went to bed when the sun went down. When it got dark, they went to bed, see.
' Upon your wrath.' And the word ' wrath' here is basically ' irritation.' Ha ha. Previously when I taught Ephesians, I made mention of this fact, ' don' t let righteous anger shake you, wondering if it was right on. When you go to bed, go to sleep.'
Now, this is what we have done with it in the literal, ha ha, according to usage. I got more papers up here than Carter has liver pills, or something. Then, I can' t find my... whatever it is I take off of it.
Okay, verse 26. You be righteously angry.. .this is literal according to usage.. .and you will not be sinning. Don't go to bed even with a momentary irritation, ha ha.
I don't think you get nearly as much fun out of this as I do. It's neat. It's absolutely scrumptious, see. At the opening, is that heavy word, remember? Anger. So it's a real heavy time. So what he is saying, in the heavy time, when your standing on God' s Word and sharing that with the believing neighbor, you' re righteously angry... you're not sinning. And you don't even go to bed with a momentary irritation. In other Words, when you go to bed, thank God the day is over. Say your last prayer and start snoring.
Boy, that would save a lot of sleeping pills, wouldn' t it? Practicing that principle. Boy, oh boy, what a tremendous Word. And hardly anybody understands verse 26. They argue about it, but they don' t get the understanding.
Now this is the expanded one according to understanding, I hope. And again, I would like to just lay some things before the Corps, and especially before the Research Department. I translated the first part of verse 26, You always stay angry with an all-out desire to have them to change which anger will not be sin on your part.
Then I have another translation of that first part of it: You be righteously angry, 'teed off' with sin... 'Teed off' I put in quotes. But don't you sin by acting ' holier than thou' vaunting yourself by acting so righteously like you never sin.
I do not know which one of those two the Research Department feels would be the better. The last part of the phrase that I translated which would go with both of these that I have given you here on the expanded one for understanding. This, the last part, goes with that first one and with the second ... also.. .even if it is only a momentary irritation. When you go to bed, go to sleep. That's what I did with it.
Now, verse 27. King James says, Neither (or neither) give place to the Devil. The word 'place' is simply a portion, a part. No believer will give full place to the Devil, but he may be giving a part, a portion. He' ll mark off a spot, ' this is Devil' s permission over here, over here, no permission, you know. And you really give the Devil a portion or a spot if you stew about it after you go to bed and you toss and you tum and can' t sleep.
This word 'the Devil,' ' the Devil' in the Aramaic is a very interesting and exciting Word to me and it blesses my heart. It' s a compound word where the first part means ' to eat' or ' to devour.' The latter
' to slander' or ' to accuse. ' So when I got to translating this, literally according to usage, verse 27 reads: Do not give any portion or space or an opportunity to the Devil. So I used those three words synonymously: portion, space, opportunity. Do not give any portion or space or an opportunity to the Devil.
The expanded according to understanding: And you will not give a toehold, an opportunity or an occasion for the Devil to eat you. Ha ha. I get more fun than you ever will out of working this stuff, huh.
You see, and to me, that communicates to my understanding. John 10:10. The thief cometh not but for to what? [Steal, kill, and destroy] Right. To eat you out. To beat you. And that's why that Aramaic word, on the word ' Devil' really thrilled me.
And that ' s why I put it into the expanded translation: And you will not give a ' toehold.' Now, at L.E.A.D., you know how important it is to get a what? [Toehold] Ha ha. And when you' re really climbing in, you' re blessed for a toehold. How thankful you are when you get a foothold. Now the adversary can never get a foothold in a believer' s life until he first has a toehold. That's why I translated it that way.
Do not give... and you will not give a toehold ... shave all the rocks off... an opportunity or an occasion for the Devil to eat you. And that' s exactly what he likes to do to believers.
Now we go to verse 28. King James says, Let him that stole steal not more: but rather let him labor, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth. And here again, is another great work that I believe should be in our research journal GMIR, Walter' s work on " Workers for God."
It' s just tremendous where he... you know... he just goes into God' s men are called many things in the Word. They' re called: fellow workers, ministers, or servants, slaves, fellow slaves, partners, messengers, soldiers, fellow soldiers, athletes, fellow athletes, stewards, ambassadors, witnesses, all of those. And he covers them so beautifully. And I love very much how he covered the word ' slave,' because it' s a much stronger word than to be a minister, or to be a servant. It is to be one who is branded, marked out, sold out. And baby, from that day on, there are no ifs, and' s, or but' s. You never budge on it. You are branded. Most believers are never branded. They may be servants, they may be ministers, but they are not branded. When you' re branded, you stay faithful. You do not budge. You do not change. You stay put. If all hell breaks loose, you still live the believing Word.
I think the prophet once said, If I was in the midst of hell, God I know you' d be there. (Psalm 139:8) He' d be there. That' s the doulos. That, of course, is just a tremendous piece of work.
And the other great part that I think... and this is a second piece that I want the Corps to master before next Wednesday night, " Workers for God," the work on ' witness.' You see, it's the same word basically that's translated ' martyr,' see. And we got a lot of those canonized. That's not at all what a witness is. A witness is a living example, not a dead one. The word 'martyr' simply means that you lay down your life in witnessing. And boy, when you put the doulos together with ' witness,' then you' ve got power for abundant living. It's just a fantastic work by Walter and I' m real grateful that it was published. Because once it' s in print, people can take a look at it if they want to.
I'd like a cup of coffee, please.
Now, we are in verse 28. The Aramaic translation is ' and he who was stealing.' I understand it from the English, ' let him that stole,' past tense. The Aramaic is real simple, real strong. ' And he, the one who is born again, who was, past tense, stealing.'
Thank you.
His whole life was one of those before he was born again.
Whenever you bring a cup of coffee to a right-hand man, you put the handle to the right. When you serve a cup of coffee to a left-hand man, you put it on the left-hand side and put the handle to the left. Corps principle number seven or something, ha ha. Mrs. Wierwille would say, Well, be thankful you even get a cup of coffee. [Laughter] Ah, you're wonderful.
See, ' let him who stole, steal no more.' 'Stole and steal,' that' s a figure of speech and is polyptoton p-o-l-y-p-t-o-t-o-n. It' s a repetition of the same root word in different parts of speech or reflections. But, that's not earth shaking right now in my heart.
You see, in some Eastern culture, it was not considered a sin or a shame to steal because that's the way they lived, the only way they lived. Somebody told me... or not only told me, one of our people, but it was in a national magazine, that the basic culture of Russia today is to steal. And in some respects I can understand this. If you don't have anything and you're starving to death and there' s a loaf of bread you can get a hold of... steal the dam thing. I understand that.
So this verse is really sharp, really sharp. Let him who stole, even though that man previously considered it the way to live and there was no shame in it, no sin in it. He said, Well, let that fellow who stole, steal no more. Something has happened on the inside of that man. Something that happened, where He is able to meet all of our need according to His riches in glory. Christ in you, the hope of glory. More than conquerors.
A record in the Old Testament, I forget where it is, but it's in there, that it' s never, you never need to borrow or steal bread or... what is that in the Old Testament? Begging bread. One person stand and tell me. {Psalm 37:25, I have been young and now am old; yet have I seen the righteous forsaken, nor His seed begging bread.} Psalm 27:25 who? {Psalm 37:25} 37:25. All the years, he's never seen the righteous to have to do what? {Beg bread} Beg bread.
First of all, I wish the Christian world could hear this. Secondly, I wish our government in the United States could understand it. The Word says, If you don't work, you don' t eat. A lot of that stuff. Well, what we've been doing is stealing from the people who are willing to work to give to the people who don' t want to work. That's a bunch of crap. That's stealing. That's why this verse is so hot in my soul tonight. Let him who stole, quit stealing, dang it. See.
Many years ago I was really knocked for a loop along some of this line in India, from Dr. Williams. I think he loved India maybe like I love the United States, I don' t know. Because only a man knows how much he loves his own country, I guess.
But... as we were traveling together, he said to me, Dr. Wierwille, I hear you have whores in the United States.
You know, I never had given it a thought. I just took it for granted. [Laughter] And I said, yeah. He said, Why does a rich country like the United States have whores?
And I said, I don't know.
And he said, I can't understand it. Cannot your women make enough money to live? Yeah, but they figure that' s cheaper and more pleasurable or something, I don' t know. And he said, Well, I think it's sinful that the United States has whores.
And I said, What do you mean?
And he said to me, why, I can understand India. He said we don' t enough food, we don' t have enough of anything hardly for a lot of people. And we have whores because that' s the only way they can continue to live physically.
And I thought to myself, well boy, that' s slapping me in the face good. And I took it as a wonderful lesson. There is no excuse in the United States for any women being a whore because she doesn' t need to get screwed and paid for it in order to get money so she can live. There's plenty of work available and if there isn' t she ought to get born again, then there' s a guarantee of work. ..other work, available. I tell you, when you' re honest, some of these men in other countries have some real logic behind their thinking. How would you have liked to have handled that? I just simply admitted, Well, I think we' re wrong in the United States. But I said, I think you' re wrong in India, too, because no reason to have whores here if you get them born again.
So I don' t know. But this verse today as I worked the final working on this verse 28 is when my heart really went back and burned with that truth that Dr. Williams had stated. Because in many Eastern cultures, it was not considered as sin or as shame to steal, if it was a matter of livelihood. You sometimes wonder who will live in the greatest condemnation before God and justice and judgment when the time comes.
For in most of what are called poor countries even, there is sufficient money, food, and other things for the people to live if those in positions of authority were not so selfish and egotistical, and want it for themselves , and let the rest of the world die... or a country die.
The word ' labor' in verse 28 is the word which literally means ' hard work resulting in fatigue.' That's how I felt coming from the woods last night. And I didn' t do anything. It was just hard work being there with the rest of you. Today I got so tired of being with some, I came home. Ah, you' re wonderful.
' Working with his hands' is an Eastern cultural type of thing. Today in our culture, you could have it, you know, the truth is working with your mind or working with your hand, whatever you' re working at. But in Eastern culture, every son was to be trained to work with his hands, even if he was the son of a king. Had to learn a trade, a profession of business.
Jesus Christ was a saddle maker. He made them to ride, I guess, what do you want? Tennessee Walkers , or? See. I think not only did he do that, Paul did it, too, you know. Someday I'm going to find a...or Walter, or some of those, are going to find me a manuscript to prove it. .. and a wonderful carpenter by trade. Many times doing carpentry work and being a saddle maker were sort of in the same household, because building carpentry and having saddles to use for their business and carrying on, were very, very closely aligned. Well, I won' t argue the point, but I wish we' d keep looking.
II Thessalonians.. .Do your hands ever get so dry you can hardly hold anything? Golly, mine are so dry tonight, I wonder why? II Thessalonians, chapter 3:10... this we commanded you that if any would not work, neither should he what? [Eat] Right. Even unemployment is no excuse for stealing. He just doesn' t eat. Goes and gets work. Boy, when I first saw the greatness of these principles many years ago, and then of course, I uniquely by God' s grace, inculcated that into our W.O.W. program and very dynamically in the Corps leadership.
2Th 2:1-3; 1Th 4:13-18; 5:1-6
1Co 15:1-29, 51; (Rom 10:9)
1Co 15:29-54
1Co 15:55-58; Rev 1:10; 20:5; Heb 11:35
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In the Foundational class we teach our people that we must be very careful to separate the Word as to whom it is addressed. This is one of the great principles of enjoying the Word of God. It is to rightly divide it, as to whom it is addressed and then to see the different developments along these lines. One of the reasons people do not understand the return of Christ is because they have not rightly divided the Word to enjoy it from the gospels and the epistles and from the Old Testament like the Book of Daniel and from the New Testament, like the Book of Revelation. Tonight, I would like to take you into II Thessalonians 2:1.
II Thessalonians 2:1
Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him,
There cannot be a gathering together unto him until he comes. Now, why in the world would he have to come if there is already a gathering together? If people who have died are Christian believers, who have died, are already with him why should he have to come to have a gathering together, because he already has them up there, right? So, this coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, the word is parousia and this coming has basically two great phases in it that I want to open with you tonight from the Word and let you read it yourself. It’s the coming of Christ, FOR the church the body of believers and then later the coming of Christ WITH the body of believers the saints upon the earth. Here we are talking about his coming at the time of our gathering together unto him. That’s the best word I know to use regarding the return of Christ and the Christian believers, simply the words our gathering together unto him.
II Thessalonians 2:2
That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or…troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.
In other words, what was happening, people were already saying at that time that the day of Christ was coming tomorrow morning at seven or tomorrow afternoon. And Paul by divine revelation says to the church don’t get shook over that thing, neither by spirit where some devil spirits controls a person’s mouth and says he will be here next Christmas nor by other word nor by a letter, they were saying that Paul had sent a letter saying that Christ was coming.
II Thessalonians 2:3
Let no man deceive you by any means: for that [the day of Christ] shall not come…
“…for that day shall not come” is rather accurately supplied in verse 3 although it is in italicized in your Bible. You have to go back to the last phrase of verse 2 to supply it.
II Thessalonians 2:3
Let no man deceive you by any means: for [the day of Christ] shall not come, except there come a falling away first,…
The words “falling away” are the words the departure (not a falling away at all); “except there come the departure first.” Some place in a Way magazine or in an article or in a Study in Abundant Living we have this written. There come the departure, well the departure is the one of verse 1 the gathering together of him, that’s the departure. When the Christian believers, those who are alive and those who have preceded in death, when these are gathered together unto him, that’s the departure.
II Thessalonians 2:3b
…and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
Now, in I Thessalonians 4:13.
I Thessalonians 4:13
But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are [what?] asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.
And the reason, death is called sleep here, is because there is no consciousness in death and when there is no consciousness there is no time. Time is always relative to consciousness. Where there is no consciousness, there is no time. So, the moment of a person’s death, would be the moment of the gathering together. This is why it’s called sleep. Like if you’re real tired and you go to bed, and you’re not filled with fears, worries, anxieties and frustrations, the next moment the alarm clock goes off (with some of you kids don’t hear very good. Even those girls out there don’t hear them too good because yesterday or two mornings ago I heard that alarm clock run for at least ten minutes and nobody seemed to shut it off, see; it’s good sleep. Well, we expect you to sleep well at the Way Headquarters.) So, this is why it’s called “sleep” because the moment you go to sleep, lo and behold the next moment the alarm clock rings. Now, taking this into the depths of the Word, where there is no time consciousness; there is no time. So, the moment of a person’s death is the moment of his return.
I Thessalonians 4:13b-15
…that you sorrow not even as others which have no hope.
For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive [at the time of the gathering together] and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not [precede] them which are asleep.
At the time of the gathering together.
I Thessalonians 4:16
For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
You watch your nouns, your verbs; you watch your time. I teach you all of this in the Foundational class, like the then and so forth. So, you watch this very carefully, your
time business. The dead in Christ shall rise first. They are not going to be resurrected; they are just going to what? Rise first.
I Thessalonians 4:17
Then [then, then, then, then] we which are alive [at the time of the gathering together] and remain shall be caught up together with them [those who have just been raised from the dead] in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the [where?] air:…
So, the first part of return of Christ, the gathering together, is not Christ coming upon the earth, it’s only coming for the body of believers, the church. So we will meet the Lord in the air.
II Thessalonians 4:17b, 18
…so shall we ever be with the Lord.
Wherefore comfort one another with these [what?] words.
And for most people, the Word has never been a comfort. Yet these are the words that are to comfort God’s people. Now, he says in contrast.
I Thessalonians 5:1, 2
But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you.
For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord [the day of the Lord] so cometh as a thief in the [what?] night.
Now, the day of the Lord is not the gathering together; the day of the Lord is the Lord’s day. This gathering together is something else; the day of the Lord’s is something else. So, when you read the Word of God to enjoy it, read it with a sharpness of mind. Read the newspapers when you’re tired and so forth, but you just don’t read the Word like that. The day of the Lord, this is what John was on or in when he saw the revelation which is recorded in the book of Revelation where it says the day of the Lord or the Lord’s day. He was in the spirit on the Lord’s day. It doesn’t mean Sunday; it means the day of the Lord, that time period when the book of Revelation and the reality and truths in it will come to pass. Now it says:
I Thessalonians 5:2b, 3
…the day of the Lord [shall] cometh as a thief in [what?] the night.
For when they [people] shall say, Peace and safety [everything is peaceful and we’re all safe]; then suddenly destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.
But, in contrast, in verse 4.
I Thessalonians 5:4-6
But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a [what?] thief.
Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.
Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.
Now, why won’t that day overtake us as a thief? Because we will already have been gathered together unto him. For we are children of light and we will already have gone to
be with him. So, it’s not going to overtake us as a thief, but for those that are remaining it will hit them like that, like a ton of bricks. Now, in I Corinthians 15, this is all there is in here by the way. Perhaps one of the great, great magnificent chapters in the Word along this line.
I Corinthians 15:1-9
Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;
By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye…believed in vain.
For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also [did what?] received, [How did he receive it? Revelation.] how that Christ died for our sins according to [what?] the scriptures;
And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:
And that he was seen [by] Cephas, then of the twelve:
After that, he was seen of above [more than] five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present [time], but some [of those] are fallen asleep.
After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles.
And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time.
For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of [what?] God.
Now you will remember from Acts, this will fit in here telling what happened on the road to Damascus to him.
I Corinthians 15:10
But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly [diligently; with much of himself put into it; I labored more abundantly] than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.
Is what caused him to be so dynamic and so enthused and so concerned about the outreach.
I Corinthians 15:11-13
Therefore whether…I or they, so we preach, and so ye believed.
Now if Christ be preached that he rose from [among] the dead [the word among has to be placed in there], how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead?
But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not [what?] risen:
You see, what he is building here is by revelation God’s setting the greatness of the resurrection of Christ. Remember Romans 10:9? ‘If thou confess with thy,’ what? ‘{mouth} the Lord Jesus and believe’ one thing, what? {‘That God raised him from the dead.’} ‘Thou shalt be saved.’ Everything is contingent upon the resurrection. That’s why this chapter is just out of this world, almost; just fabulous.
I Corinthians 15:14-19
And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your [believing] faith [your believing also is] vain.
Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise [what?] not.
For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ [what?] raised:
And if Christ be not raised, your [believing] is vain; ye are yet in your [what?] sins.
Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ [perish].
If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most [pitied], miserable.
Pitied, verse 20.
I Corinthians 15:20-21
But now is Christ risen from the dead, and…the firstfruits of them that [what?] slept.
For since by man [this is Adam] came death, by man…
By whom? Not God. Jesus Christ was not God, Christ Jesus is not God, he is man.
I Corinthians 15:21b, 22
…by man, [Jesus Christ,] came also the resurrection of the [what?] dead.
For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made [what?] alive.
So, everybody is going to get up whether they like it or whether they don’t. Right. Believers and unbelievers, God rejecters, the toughest guys and gals you have ever known, the crookedest man you have ever thought of or heard of, they are going to get up. You see, all of this is basically written, regarding Israel and the unbelievers. Because I just read to you a little while ago in Thessalonians that the church, the body of believers, shall not all, what? Die. Here you just read for as in Adam all, what? {die.} That’s right can’t then refer to me. The body of the church, because there is no guarantee that the Lord won’t come in the next two minutes. If he did I’d be living so would you; so we’re not all going to die. It’s really interesting in here if you rightly divide this and see the greatness of it.
I Corinthians 15:22
For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all…
All who? All who have died, and the only people who will all have ever died that this refers too are either all Israel are or unbelievers, never the church, the Body. It says the same thing in verse 51 here of the same chapter some place.
I Corinthians 15:51
…[I tell you] I shew you a mystery; We shall not all [what?] sleep…
To sleep is to die, so here in this part we are talking about all who? Died, verse 22 [23].
I Corinthians 15:23
[But every one, each one] But [each one] in his own order [in the order]: Christ the first fruits [and he was resurrected; God raised him from the dead]; afterward[afterward. After what? After the church; the Body] they that are Christ’s [with] his coming.
Not “at”, verse 24.
I Corinthians 15:24a
Then cometh the end,…
And the word “end” is the word telos. It’s the end resurrection.
I Corinthians 15: 24b-26 (not KJV)
…when [he] delivers up the kingdom to the Father…when he shall have put down [or brought to nought] all rule and all authority and power.
For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.
The last enemy [the last enemy, not friend; the last enemy] to be destroyed is [what?] death.
Right. The most difficult time in all of my years of research was to be able to understand death and have an explanation for it which the Word gives and would fit with life. And it says very plainly here that the last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. So, no matter what the poets do with it, it still’s an enemy and the very poets who always wrote about it being so friendly hated to go that direction when the time came. If it’s such a lovely friend, you ought to be holding hands and say “let’s trip out” on it. But everybody does just the opposite basically right? Even when they are deathly sick they still endeavor to hold on to life by engaging the best physicians, surgeons, anything else. We should have known all through the years without getting dogged by the so called Christian church that death was a real friend; we should have known that death was an enemy just from plain logic, sense, without even the Word.
I Corinthians 15:26-29
The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.
For he hath put all things under his feet [that’s Christ’s feet]. But when he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him.
And when all things shall be [subjected] unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in [what?] all.
Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all? why are they then baptized for the dead?
Punctuation is terrible in verse 29, I will give you the punctuation like it should be.
I Corinthians 15:29 (not KJV)
Else what are they doing which are baptized? It is for dead body, if the dead rise
not at all. Why are they then baptized? For the dead?
Do I do it again? [REPEATS]
I Corinthians 15:29 (not KJV)
Else what are they doing which are baptized [QUESTION]? It is for dead body, if the dead rise not at all [PERIOD]. Why are they then baptized [QUESTION]? For the dead [QUESTION]?
Would you get baptized for the dead if you never got up, this is what the argument is.
I Corinthians 15:30
And why stand we in jeopardy every hour?
You know if there is no gathering together, if there is no resurrection, if there is no return, why should we hazard our lives for the gospel?
I Corinthians 15:31
I [affirm] by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.
Which simply means that he just laid his life on the block for the Lord. He dedicated himself, day by day. Moment by moment, because tomorrow you may trip out on the Lord. You never what you’re going to do tomorrow. Today is the day you know what you’re doing. You never know what tomorrow brings.
I Corinthians 15:32
If after the manner of men I have fought with beasts at Ephesus, what advantageth it me, if the dead rise not?
What advantage would it have been to him if he fought with beasts at Ephesus in the arena and socked it to him and the time came for the beasts and he walked out of that place a free man. What advantage was it to him to go through all that jeopardy, if the dead rise not? If there is not something really to live for now and to look forward to in the future. You see so many people today ask, well what am I here for? I think the young people are really asking this in our day and time, what is the purpose of life. What am I here for? Well first of all you are here for: to glorify the Lord God and secondly you got the guarantee that you are not doing it for not. Because he is coming back to gather you. It’s a good trip coming and going. Else he said:
I Corinthians 15:32b
…let us eat and drink; for tomorrow we die.
So, you live it up. And this is quite the philosophy today, isn’t it? Just eat and drink, today is the only day anyway.
I Corinthians 15:33
Be not deceived: evil [associations] corrupt good [morals.]
The Word of God—didn’t write the book. Evil associations corrupt good what? {morals.} Now, remember this when you get out there’s a verse of scripture you couldn’t have it any plainer, and I’ve given you the accuracy of the text and the simplicity of it.
I Corinthians 15:34-40
Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I
speak this to your shame.
But some…will say, How are the dead raised up? [Or] with what body do they come?
Thou fool, that which thou sowest is not quickened, except it [what?] die:
And that which thou sowest, thou sowest not that body that shall be, but [naked] grain,…of wheat, or of some other grain:
But God giveth it a body as it hath pleased him, and to every seed [its] own body.
All flesh is not the same flesh: but there is one kind of flesh of men, [one] flesh of beasts, [one] of fishes, and [one] of birds.
There are also celestial bodies,…bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another.
You see the argument he is building? the logic, the truth? Using these different illustrations so that we can understand.
I Corinthians 15:41-43
There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for one star differeth from another star in glory.
So also is the [what?] resurrection of the dead. It is sown in [what?] corruption; it is raised in incorruption:
It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness;…
Put in the ground you know, sown in weakness, because of man’s weakness, death. But when—
I Corinthians 15:43b-44
…it is raised [this glory body is raised, in what?] in power:
It is sown a natural body;…
Body and soul of man. It’s sown a natural body (body and soul man, a natural body). It’s sown this way but when God raises men it becomes a what? {A spiritual body.} Right, a spiritual body.
I Corinthians 15:44b, 45
…there is a natural body, and there is a [what?] spiritual body.
And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.
And this is Christ Jesus when God raised him from the dead, he had what kind of body? Spiritual body. That’s the beauty of this.
I Corinthians 15:46, 47 (not KJV)
Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural [was first, the natural body]; and afterward [after the natural body is, the what? Spiritual.] that which is spiritual.
The first man [the physical man] is of the earth, earthy; the second man is from heaven.
“…is the Lord…” is not in the text. The second man is the one from heaven, that’s the spiritual man whom God raised.
I Corinthians 15:48-50
As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly.
And as we have borne the image of the earthy, the physical, we shall also bear the image of the [whom?] heavenly.
Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption [automatically do what?] inherit incorruption.
God will have to raise all Israel and all unbelievers, the whole business, have to get up and to the believers those who have corrupted, he gives what kind of a body? An incorruptible, and that spiritual body, that glory body and that body of power. Now verse 51.
I Corinthians 15:51
Behold, I shew you a mystery;…
Well if he showed it to us, it is no longer, a what? Mystery. Now, here we shift to the church, the Body.
I Corinthians 15:51b (not KJV)
…We shall not all be sleeping [is the text] but we shall all be changed.
Not everybody in the church, the body of believers, is going to be sleeping, at the time of the return of Christ on the gathering together. But everybody at that time, the body of the church, is going to be, what? Changed.
I Corinthians 15:52
In [an atom; the word “moment” is atom – you know A-T not A-D], in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump [remember we read that from Thessalonians a little while ago.]: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised [how?] incorruptible,…
Why? Because who has died, they’ve corrupted, and the corruptible has to put on what? By shear logic. And we, we who? Those who are alive, not all sleeping. Those who are alive shall be what?
I Corinthians 15:52b, 53
…changed.
For this corruptible must put on [what?] incorruption, and this mortal must put on [what?] immortality.
Right. So, as long as I am living, I am a mortal. For Christian believers who have died, they’re not mortal, they’re corrupted. Now, the corrupted must put on what? And the mortal must put on what? {immortality.} Right. All must be changed, because flesh and blood cannot, what? {enter.} That’s why we have to be changed. We have to get a glory body, a spiritual body.
I Corinthians 15:54, 55
So when [watch your time here now] this corruptible shall have put on [what?] incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then [then, then, and not until then,] shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.
O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy [what?] victory?
We read a little while ago the last enemy to be destroyed is what? {death.} And here it talks about the sting in death. Death is swallowed up in victory.
I Corinthians 15:56
The sting of death is sin;…
The reason there is death is because of what? That’s what it says, that’s the stinging. If there would be no sin, there would be what? And the reason, the reason, death came if you go back to Genesis is because of the sin of Adam and Eve, when they were kicked out of the paradise the Garden of Eden. In paradise there was no sin, there was no sickness, there was no death, none of that stuff. That’s why the sting of death is sin, literally what he is saying, “Due to sin you get stung by death.” That’s the ultimate of sin. Remember Romans says the wages of sin is what? Death. But the gift of God is what? Eternal Life.
I Corinthian 15:57
But thanks be to God [thanks be to God], which giveth us [or “who giveth us”] the victory…
The victory over what? Death. Both the corruptible and the mortal who is living, he gives us the victory over all…
I Corinthian 15:57, 58
…through our Lord [what?] Jesus Christ.
Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the [what?] Lord,…
That’s what it says. Abounding in it, not just tripping out every other day or you know, blowing big while you’re at camp and then a week later get all unseated. Steadfast, unmoveable, make up your stupid mind. In other words are you going to stand or aren’t you going to stand. Then you get power coming down. Because he’s coming. Boy.
I Corinthians 15:58b
…be ye steadfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in [who?] the Lord.
And not once in here does it say that the church is going to be resurrected. Resurrection is for Israel, and all unbelievers from the beginning of time till the end, all people who are resurrected will have had to die. Israel is dead, Abraham’s dead, Isaac’s dead, Jacob’s dead, Israel’s dead; those will have to be resurrected. That’s why the word “resurrection” is used regarding those who have died and not once used regarding the church of the body. Looking at it from a human point of view I can see why we got into the error because here’s a person who has died, we believe that in order for that person to get up he has to be resurrected. But when you use that word “resurrected” you have introduced an extraneous word which is not in the Word and you have introduced a confusion that you cannot solve. Because the Word says the dead in Christ shall rise, what? {first.} Not be resurrected, they shall simply rise. Looking at it from a human point of view, people might call it a what? {resurrection,} but not God. And the reason He doesn’t call it a resurrection is because not everybody will be dead. And to have a resurrection, literally everybody has to be dead. And Jesus Christ did not come to start the church, he came to redeem Israel. That’s why he the first fruits is called the resurrection. Revelation 20, remember now some of the things we read tonight on how that day of the Lord shall not overtake you as a what? Right, now I’m going to read with you in the book of Revelation in 1:10.
Revelation 1:10
I was in…Spirit on the Lord’s day,…
I told you it was in Revelation earlier tonight, but that’s the documentation if you need it, chapter 1, verse 10.
The book of Revelation deals with the Lord’s Day, the Day of the Lord, and that’s the book of Revelation period, and in this book of Revelation period you have all of the sorrow and suffering and all of the plagues and all of that baloney, all the tribulation. And I want to read with you now in the 20th chapter, almost at the end of the whole period of the book of Revelation. It says:
Revelation 20:5
But the rest of the dead [verse 5, the rest of the dead] lived not again until the thousand years were [what?] finished. This is the first [what?] resurrection.
If that is the first resurrection at that time and if the church is to be resurrected, then the church would have to go through all the tribulation of Revelation. If that’s the first resurrection. And if the church is going to be resurrected, they would have to go through all the tribulation. But the Word says that, that day shall not (the Lord’s day shall not) overtake you as a what? For the church, of the body, is going to be gathered together unto him before. Now, if you say that the church is resurrected, you got to go all the way through the tribulation to Revelation 20 and then you forget everything you read in Thessalonians and over in Corinthians. That’s why the Word says, as we read it tonight: that the dead in Christ shall rise first, then we which are alive and remain shall be changed and gathered with him to meet the Lord, where? {in the air.} That’s the beauty of it, then after that the tribulation begins, after that old Satan gets the treatment. And lots of other people get treatments too. But we won’t be around for it because we have already been gathered together unto him. We don’t go through that tribulation wherefore it says comfort yourselves, comfort one another, what kind of comfort is there? If you tell people, well boy you better get ready you might get through this thing tomorrow, where’s the comfort? No comfort; the comfort is that you and I have Christ now. We have all of his abundance available to us now, and we got the guarantee of the gathering together before that great and notable day comes to pass, therefore we ought to stand people, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that our labor is what? Not in vain. That’s the greatness of two great subjects, the gathering together and the resurrection. And we will not be in the resurrection; we will be in the gathering together. Only Israel and Old Testament believers and all unbelievers will ever be in the resurrection. And there are two: the resurrection of the just and the resurrection of the unjust. Perhaps I ought to just show you Hebrews 11:35.
Hebrews 11:35
Women received their dead raised to life again:…others were tortured, not accepting [what?] deliverance....
Could they have been delivered? Had they what? Believed, right. That’s how long you and I could live, just as long as we believe. When we quit believing is when we die, in the church of the body age. And nobody has ever believed that big to live forever. Even men like the apostle Paul.
Hebrews 11:35
…not excepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection:
Isn’t that beautiful? They sure get all screwed up on that one. Thinking that these people could have been delivered but they didn’t, they died a martyrs’ death so they could be saintinized or something. Because they’re going to have a better resurrection. Because they died martyrs therefore they are going to have something better than those that didn’t die martyrs. No, no, no. There are two resurrections: the resurrection of the just and the resurrection of the what? {the unjust.} And the better is which? {The resurrection of the just.} That’s what it says. It’s the resurrection of the just, that’s the better one. And if you follow through, these people all received righteousness because they believed. They were men who believed God.
Now, this is part of the joy of the Word. How to enjoy it is to just keep things separated and don’t let your past teaching and words trip you up. Just stay put on the Word. And you have to be able to get your context, your immediate, remote, all the way through, the very thing (and scope), the very thing we’re talking about today.
[Prayer] Father, I thank you for the night. Thank you for the Word, and the greatness of it, and for our people. Amen.
Good night. God bless you. I love you.