015 Fivefold appeal/3 Appeal Appeal Three: Listen to What the Law Really Says/Gal. 4:20-31

015 Fivefold appeal/ Appeal Three: Listen to What the Law Really Says/

Paul was combating a false teaching in the Church, a basic doctrine of Salvation by works.

The Jews have very little influence upon the world today, they did at one time…but because of the rejection of Christ, God has set them on the sideline..the church is God’s to world....even through jewsism isn’t an infludance in today’s Church…you still a churches who preach salvation by works.

I grew up in a Catholic community. Although I never attended a Catholic church, I was surrounded by Catholics friends and neibours.

I worked in a Catholic insitution

Their basic doctrine in Salvation by works...

Their are other beliefs that have come out of the true Church

Seventh-day Adventism (hereafter SDA) sprung up in upstate New York in the 1840s, an offshoot of the Millerite movement that arose during the religious revival known as the Second Great Awakening. At that time a Baptist preacher named William Miller predicted and preached that, based on his reading of , Christ would return sometime between March 21, 1843, and March 21, 1844. The failure of this prediction—known as the Great Disappointment—led many Millerites to become disillusioned. But Hiram Edson claimed to have seen a vision of Jesus standing at the altar of heaven and concluded that Miller had been right about the time but wrong about the place. He said that Jesus’s return was not to earth but a move into the heavenly sanctuary as is referenced in .” The development of this doctrine, known as “Sanctuary/investigative judgment” (see below), influenced Joseph Bates and James and Ellen White, the founding pioneers of the SDA church.

Most of their Fundamental Beliefs are similar to our doctrine. However there three main doctrines that are wrong . 1. requried observance of the Sabbath, which they believe falls on Saturday, 2. the gift of prophecy as “manifested in the ministry of Ellen G. White,” 3. and the Sanctuary Doctrine.

The Sanctuary Doctrine teaches that Christ entered the “sanctuary in heaven” and after a “prophetic period of 2,300 days” (ending in 1844) he entered the second and last phase of his atoning ministry, a work of “blotting out” sin. The doctrine teaches that,

From his ascension until 1844, Jesus had been applying the forgiveness he purchased on the cross in the first compartment of the sanctuary, but in 1844, he entered the second compartment and began to investigate the lives of those who had received forgiveness to see if they were worthy of eternal life. Only those who passed this judgment could be assured of being translated at his coming. This doctrine gave rise to what later became known as the sinless perfection teaching . Following the investigative judgment, Christ would come out of the heavenly sanctuary and return to earth bringing to every man his reward, and ushering in the great and terrible day of the Lord.

1. Righteousness by faith: Righteousness by faith included both justification and sanctification. Our standing before God rests both in the imputed and imparted righteousness of Christ (God's work for me and in me). Justification is for sins committed in the past only.

2. The human nature of Christ: Jesus Christ possessed a human nature that not only was weakened by sin, but had weakness toward sin itself. His nature was like that of Adam after the fall. Because of his success in overcoming sin, Jesus is primarily our example.

3. The events of 1844: Jesus entered into the second compartment of the heavenly sanctuary for the first time on October 22, 1844, and began an investigative judgment. This judgment is the fulfillment of the second phase of Christ’s atoning work.

4. Assurance of salvation: Our standing before God rests in both the imputed and imparted righteousness of Christ; assurance of salvation before the judgment is overconfident. As Jesus, our example, showed us, perfect commandment keeping is possible.

overconfident. As Jesus, our example, showed us, perfect commandment keeping is possible.

5. The authority of Ellen G. White: The spirit of prophecy was manifest in the ministry of Ellen White as a sign of the remaining church. In life she had over 1000 visions. Her writings are inspired counsel from the Lord and authoritative in doctrinal matters.

Read Gal. 4:21-31

1. Paul asks a question (4:21)

“Do you Galatians who have been affected by the Judaizers hear the law?” (Paul here uses the word “law” to refer to the Old Testament. Paul is saying: “If you understood the Old Testament allegory concerning Abraham, his two wives and their two sons, you would never desire to place yourselves under the law.”

2. Paul explains an allegory (4:22–27, 29, 30)

History of Abraham

Long after God had promise him a son, Abraham was 86 and his wife was 76

Abraham feared that he would not have son and his inhertence would go to his Eliezer

Genesis 21:5 KJV 1900

And Abraham was an hundred years old, when his son Isaac was born unto him.

Eliezer

God reasures him he will have a son, but several years later still no son Sarah induced Abraham to father a child by her female slave, Hagar

induced Abraham to father a child by her female slave, Hagar

induced Abraham to father a child by her female slave, Hagar

His son name was Ishmael

When Abraham was 100 and wad 90 she conceived had a baby boy they called him Isaac

Ishmael

Genesis 21:5 KJV 1900

And Abraham was an hundred years old, when his son Isaac was born unto him.

a. Allegory: a comparison between two things, typically on the basis of their structure and for the purpose of explanation or clarification

a comparison between two things, typically on the basis of their structure and for the purpose of explanation or clarification

i. Using allegory to inturpt the scripture will lead to misinturptation of the scripture.

1) Allegory is a dangerous means of interpretation because allegory does not need to be based on fact, it is limited only by an interpreter’s imagination and is easily influenced by his personal opions and often leads to biased and often bizarre conclusions.

Allegory as such is a tenuous and dangerous means of interpretation. Because allegory does not need to be based on fact, it is limited only by an interpreter’s imagination and is easily influenced by his personal predispositions. It frequently leads to biased and often bizarre conclusions.

2) For example:

a) Pope Gregory the Great claimed that Job’s seven sons represented the twelve apostles, his friends represented heretics, his 7,000 sheep represented God’s faithful people, and his 3,000 camels represented depraved Gentiles!

3) Allegory inturpation says the Bible is not true...

4) The Holy Spirit directed Paul to use analogy on this occasion in order to show the Judaizers that God’s plan of redemption has always been by grace.

The Holy Spirit directed Paul to use analogy on this occasion in order to show the Judaizers that God’s plan of redemption has always been by grace.

b. The two wives of Abraham and their sons (4:24, 26)

a. The two wives of Abraham and their sons (4:24, 26)

a. The two wives of Abraham and their sons (4:24, 26)

i. Abraham had a bondmaid wife, Hagar, who bore him a son, Ishmael, through works of the flesh (through a natural process).

1) This slave-girl wife and her slave-born son typify the works (Mosaic) covenant given from Mt. Sinai and those who look to this covenant for salvation.

2) In Paul’s day, Jerusalem adhered to the works covenant and her citizens looked to this covenant for salvation).

ii. Abraham had a free-woman wife, Sarah, who bore him a son, Isaac, through faith in God’s promise (through a miraculous process).

1) This free-woman wife and her free-born son typify the faith (the heavenly Jerusalem, the church, adhers to the faith covenant and her children, the church’s members, look to this covenant for salvation).

3. The persecution of Isaac by Ishmael (4:29)

a. Just as Ishmael persecuted Isaac, even so do the children of the flesh (the unsaved) persecute the children of the Spirit (the saved).

i. The once-born always persecute the twice-born. Why? Because faith condemns legalism and a righteous life condemns an unrighteous life.

4. The triumph of the free-woman and her freeborn son (4:27, 30)

a. 14 years, Hagar and Ishmael were joined to Abraham while Sarah was barren. When the barren wife, Sarah, became fruitful, Hagar and Ishmael were cast out, leaving Isaac as Abraham’s heir.

b. All of this is typical:

i. For 1500 years the law covenant and its children were joined to God while the faith covenant was barren

ii. After the cross, the barren woman (the faith covenant) became fruitful (producing New Testament sons and giving sonship to her Old Testament children who had been looked at as minors)

iii. the bondwoman and her children (the works covenant and all who look to it for salvation) were cast out, leaving the children of the free-woman (the children of the faith covenant) as God’s heirs.

iv. After Christ came, the barren woman began to bear children and today the formerly barren woman (the faith covenant) has more children than does the slave woman (the works covenant).

v. In other words, today Abraham has more spiritual children (who are under grace) than he does natural children (who are under law).

5. Paul admonishes his readers (4:28, 31; 5:1)

(Note that Paul, a former Jew, and the Galatian Christians, former Gentiles, are now brothers, 4:31, all of them being through faith sons of the free-woman.)

“Since you are the children of the free-woman, stand fast in the liberty purchased for you by Christ, and stay clear of all forms of legalism (systems of bondage).”

Most of the 28 Fundamental Beliefs are similar to doctrines professed by evangelical Protestant denominations. The three main doctrines considered worng by evangelicals are 1. requried observance of the Sabbath, which they believe falls on Saturday, the gift of prophecy as “manifested in the ministry of Ellen G. White,” and the Sanctuary Doctrine.

6. The Sanctuary Doctrine is the most distinctive Adventist doctrine. SDAs believe that Christ entered the “sanctuary in heaven” and after a “prophetic period of 2,300 days” (ending in 1844) he entered the second and last phase of his atoning ministry, a work of “blotting out” sin. As Kenneth R. Samples explains,

From his ascension until 1844, Jesus had been applying the forgiveness he purchased on the cross in the first compartment of the sanctuary, but in 1844, he entered the second compartment and began to investigate the lives of those who had received forgiveness to see if they were worthy of eternal life. Only those who passed this judgment could be assured of being translated at his coming. This doctrine gave rise to what later became known as the sinless perfection teaching (perfect commandment-keeping in order to find acceptance in the judgment). Following the investigative judgment, Christ would come out of the heavenly sanctuary and return to earth bringing to every man his reward, and ushering in the great and terrible day of the Lord.

1. Righteousness by faith: Righteousness by faith included both justification and sanctification. Our standing before God rests both in the imputed and imparted righteousness of Christ (God's work for me and in me). Justification is for sins committed in the past only.

2. The human nature of Christ: Jesus Christ possessed a human nature that not only was weakened by sin, but had propensities toward sin itself. His nature was like that of Adam after the fall. Because of his success in overcoming sin, Jesus is primarily our example.

3. The events of 1844: Jesus entered into the second compartment of the heavenly sanctuary for the first time on October 22, 1844, and began an investigative judgment. This judgment is the fulfillment of the second phase of Christ’s atoning work.

4. Assurance of salvation: Our standing before God rests in both the imputed and imparted righteousness of Christ; assurance of salvation before the judgment is presumptuous. As Jesus, our example, showed us, perfect commandment keeping is possible.

5. The authority of Ellen G. White: The spirit of prophecy was manifest in the ministry of Ellen White as a sign of the remnant church. Her writings are inspired counsel from the Lord and authoritative in doctrinal matters.