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Three Who Are Rejected This week our text brings us to Matt. 22:1-14. V. 2 says, “The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son.” This king is God the Father and Jesus is His Son. The marriage refers to all who are saved and become His bride. Paul says in II Cor. 11:2, “For I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.” Rev. 19:7 says, “Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.” Now the king has killed oxen and fatlings to entertain his guests which reveals the riches of heaven, but they made light of it and went their ways. One said he had bought a farm. Another his merchandise. These are the rich and powerful but they are rejected. But what surprises us is the reaction in some who took the king’s servants and killed them. What do you think the king would do? The king sent for his armies and destroyed those murderers and burned up their city. This is the same as given in a parable before this where the king’s Son is killed. This referred to Jesus and the accusation was levelled at the chief priests and Pharisees. Our Lord applied this to himself how He would grind the Pharisees to powder. Jesus had cast out a dumb and deaf devil from a boy. The Pharisees out of spite commented that Jesus had done this by the power of Beelzebub the Prince of devils. Jesus using irrefutable logic toppled the Pharisees’ comment for even the Devil’s house, divided against itself, cannot stand. What the Pharisees said was blasphemy against the Holy Spirit because they spoke against their conscience. Their sins will not be forgiven, neither in this world, neither in the next. These are the proud and self-conceited, the second group rejected by our Lord. By way of application, we have a group of church leaders who boast they have discovered mistakes in the Bible. This has aroused our indignation to defend the Bible, God’s Holy Word to be 100% perfect without any mistake. The Bible declares of itself, “The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserved them from this generation forever” (Ps. 12:6,7). Moreover three times it is declared in the Synoptic Gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke, “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.” For those church leaders to speak against the Bible in the face of God guarantee is no less proud and conceited than the Pharisees. Now the dinner began after the seats were all filled. The king came to check up on the guests if every one had put on his wedding garment. To his surprise one was discovered and he was speechless. This is the third type to be rejected. We have those who are rich and powerful. Then the proud and conceited, and now the happy go lucky. This man not wearing the king’s wedding garment is one whose philosophy of life is enjoy yourself for tomorrow you die. A Chinese proverb says, Womanising, gambling, drinking, smoking. If anyone here does not repent of his sins it will be too late. Who are those called to the king’s wedding dinner and are blessed? Those who humbly repent of their sins and thank the Lord for their salvation. None of us qualifies for the Wedding Feast. Isaiah 64:6 says, “All our righteousnesses are as filthy rags.” May the Lord have mercy on us. *************** THE GOSPEL OF LIFE: The Word of God came to man in the form of messages spoken by the prophets. After this the spoken messages of the prophets were written down and became books of the Old Testament. Now, the Word of God came personally by becoming Man. That is what is meant by the Word was made flesh, or the Word became incarnate (a Latin word meaning in the flesh). God is not satisfied that the prophets should speak His Word, as a King is not satisfied that his ministers represent him. God wants His own Son to come into the world to speak to us, as a King sends his crown prince to represent him to his people. In this way God is more fully and gloriously revealed when we see Him, and hear Him, the Declarer of His Word. (Jn 1:18) Prophets were holy men, but Jesus Christ the only begotten Son of God! While prophets spoke the truth, they might lack grace. (Compare John the Baptist’s ministry with Christ’s. Jesus Christ is Truth and Grace personified!) John is the last prophet that stands at the dividing line between the Old and the New Testaments. He both closes the O.T. chapter and opens up the New. Now, John the Apostle chimes in at v.16 to add his testimony. The Apostle is overwhelmed by the graciousness upon graciousness of the Lord Jesus Christ. He is overwhelmed by the new law of Grace not fully experienced by those under the law of Moses. How is John thus overwhelmed? By the Son of God who came, and by his personal contact with Him. This fact is further attested in I John 1:1, “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have handled, of the Word of Life .....” Hebrews 1:1 seems to sum up the words of this paragraph, “God who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds.” John 1:19-34 John the Baptist was a true prophet because he preached not himself, but Christ. Read this long passage how he exalts Christ, how he points you and me to Christ for salvation. John the Baptist was a true prophet because he did not impersonate Elias (Greek spelling for Elijah) who is the prophet to herald Christ in His Second Coming. Nor did John impersonate Christ for he denied he was That Prophet (v. 21). That Prophet was Christ whom Moses predicted in Deut. 18:15 and is further identified by Peter at Pentecost to refer to Christ (Acts 3:22). If John the Baptist is a true prophet then what he says is true. What he testifies of the Christ is true. What are the signs of the true Christ? That He is the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world. The Lamb which is sacrificed from the dawn of history is the only means of reconciliation between God and fallen man (Gen 4:4). Christ is the True One because on Him descended from Heaven the Spirit like a dove. This happened on Jesus’ baptism in the River Jordan, which is recorded in greater detail in Matt. 3:16. Here B.B. Warfield observes the Triune God to be in full manifestation: “God in Heaven (speaking), God on earth (standing), and God descending from heaven to earth.” As to Jesus’ baptism, it is unique, quite different from ours. Ours is in witness of repentance from sin and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 2:38). Jesus’ baptism is one rather of commissioning like the washing of the Priest in the O.T. (Ex. 29:4) before He enters into His public ministry (Scofield). To fulfill all righteousness: “To offer His Father full obedience, while the particular reason was to consecrate baptism in His own body, that it might be common between Him and us” (Calvin). Our Statement of Faith on The Preservation of God’s Word Overview (1) We hold to the inerrancy and infallibility of the Bible in the original languages (autographs and apographs) which are perfectly inspired and perfectly preserved (Ps 12:6-7, Matt 5:18, 24:35, Mark 13:31, Luke 21:33, John 10:35, 2 Tim 3:16, 1 Pet 1:23-25). (2) We uphold the use of the KJV Bible, which is the best, most faithful, most accurate, and most beautiful English translation of the Scriptures made by godly translators from the best Hebrew and Greek texts, which are the closest and purest (i.e. without mistakes whatsoever) to the autographs. (3) Our doctrinal position is expressed in the College Constitution, Doctrinal Positional Statement, and the Westminster Confession of Faith. We hold to an INERRANT and INFALLIBLE Bible and the FULL and PERFECT preservation of God’s holy Word. According to G I Williamson, The only Bible which is properly in view when we speak of “The Bible” is this original text deposited in the autographa of the inspired writers. This divine text was originally contained in the written form in those documents (pieces of materials with Hebrew and Greek letters, words, and sentences inscribed on them). This text, was in its entirety and in every least part thereof, absolutely infallible and perfect in every way. Making use of this fact, Modernists (who disbelieve the original perfection of the text of Scripture) have long argued that Reformed Christians have no infallible Bible to which they may appeal. “What use,” they ask, “is an infallible Bible when no one possesses it?” This brings us to the matter of God's “singular care and providence” by which He has “kept pure in all ages” this original text, so that we now actually possess it in “authentical” form. And let us begin by giving an illustration from modern life to show that an original document may be destroyed without the text of that document being lost. Suppose you were to write a will. Then suppose you were to have a photographic copy of that will made. If the original were then destroyed, the photographic copy would still preserve the text of that will exactly the same as the original itself. The text of the copy would differ in no way whatever from the original, and so it would possess exactly the same “truth” and meaning as the original (G I Williamson, The Westminster Confession of Faith for Study Classes, 14-15, emphasis his). We will continue to uphold the use of the KJV Bible, which is the best, most faithful, most accurate, and most beautiful English translation of the Scriptures made by godly translators from the best Hebrew and Greek texts, and reject all the modern versions that either employ the corrupt Westcott and Hort text or use the dynamic equivalence method of translation. Our doctrinal position with regard to the Word of God is precisely stated by the Westminster Confession of Faith (1.8) as reproduced below: The Old Testament in Hebrew (which was the native language of the people of God of old), and the New Testament in Greek (which, at the time of the writing of it was most generally known to the nations), being immediately inspired by God, and, by His singular care and providence, kept pure in all ages, are therefore authentical; so as, in all controversies of religion, the Church is finally to appeal unto them. But, because these original tongues are not known to all the people of God, who have right unto and interest in the Scriptures, and are commanded, in the fear of God, to read and search them, therefore they are to be translated into the vulgar language of every nation unto which they come, that the Word of God dwelling plentifully in all, they may worship Him in an acceptable manner; and, through patience and comfort of the Scriptures, may have hope. This Reformed view of the infallible apographa, which is also shared by various B-P Churches, has been understood to mean that the original language Scriptures were given by inspiration of God and have been providentially preserved for us in a divinely special way in the Hebrew OT and Greek NT that underlie the KJV. Since our KJV Bible was translated from very pure Hebrew and Greek texts, and is the best English translation of these texts, we have no doubt that it is the very Word of God, and is fully reliable. This position that we have been holding all this time is the same position held by the Westminster divines, the Reformers, the KJV Translators, not forgetting Dean Burgon, E F Hills and D A Waite—all of whom championed the Textus Receptus against Westcott and Hort. Let us be clear that the “(100%) Perfect Bible” Debate is about the original language (Hebrew/Aramaic and Greek) Scriptures that are directly inspired and perfectly preserved by God (verbal and plenary). The original language Scriptures in the Autographs and Apographs are therefore inerrant and infallible (and obviously perfect). As such, we do not believe that puny man should play textual critic and arrogate himself into a position of authority to correct, change, or conjecturally emend the infallible and inerrant Hebrew and Greek Scriptures immediately underlying the KJV. We declare our unequivocal stand for the perfect Word of God by affirming the FEBC statement of faith on the Holy Scriptures: 4.1.1 We believe in the
divine, Verbal Plenary Inspiration
(Autographs) and Verbal Plenary 4.1.1.1 We believe the
Hebrew Old Testament and the Greek
New Testament underlying the 4.1.1.2 We uphold the Authorised
(King James) Version to be the Word of
God—the best, most 4.1.1.3 The Board of Directors
and Faculty shall affirm their allegiance to the Word of God by taking Soli Deo Gloria! Humbly submitted by Rev Dr Timothy Tow, Rev
Dr Jeffrey Khoo, Eld Eric Mahadevan, Verse for the Week: My fruit is better than gold, yea, than fine gold; and my revenue than choice silver. Prov 8:19 ***** FEBC Daily Vacation Bible College (May 3 – 8, 2004) will be held at the Far Eastern Bible College, 9A Gilstead Road, Singapore 309063. Time: 9.00 am – 12.30 pm. An Exposition of 2 Thessalonians by Dr Saxe. Ladies Fellowship Meeting will be held at the home of Mrs Quek Siok Eng this Wed (May 5, 04) at 7.45pm. Address: 58 Watten Drive, Singapore 287963. Tel: 64667130. Message: “Serving In Times Of Distress” by Rev Das Koshy. All are welcome. Prayer Meeting will be held at the home of Mr and Mrs Edmund Wong this Friday (May 7, 04) at 8.00 pm. Address: 82 Strathmore Avenue, #14-144. Singapore 141082. Tel: 91388760. Young People’s Fellowship Meeting will be held this Sat (May 8, 04) at 3.30pm. Venue: Mr and Mrs Foo’s house at 53 Oriole Crescent. Message: “Compassion for the Multitude” by Dr Jeffrey Khoo. Calvary Tengah (Joyful
Singers) Presents …
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