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Sep 16, 2017 - Default    No Comments

Expository Preaching

Creation is enough to tell that there is a Creator. The reason that the Bible is written is for Salvation. 

When Paul says in 2 Corinthians 2:2, “For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.” He is saying, the gospel is the theme of the whole Bible. The gospel is the content of Expository Preaching, yet, Jesus is the content of the gospel. 

Expository mean to explain the biblical texts. Preaching means to proclaim the biblical gospel. Expository Preaching is to preach the gospel by explaining the texts. The gospel is not just information. The gospel calls to action. In Acts 2:36-37, after Peter had preached about Jesus, the people were “cut to the heart” and asked for what to do, Peter said to them, “Repent!”

“Without explanation it is not expository; without application it is not preaching.” — Steven Lawson

Sep 9, 2017 - Default    No Comments

Bible Statistics

There are:

8,674 different Hebrew words in the Bible,
12,143 different English words in the King James Version.

“There are 5,423 different Greek words in the New Testament. They occur a total of 138,167 times. But there are only 313 words (5.8% of the total number) that occur 50 times or more…or 79.92% of the total word count, almost four out of five (Mounce, BBG, p.16). 

 

BIBLE STATISTICS:
Number of books in the Bible: 66
Chapters: 1,189
Verses: 31,101
Words: 783,137
Letters: 3,566,480
Number of promises given in the Bible: 1,260
Commands: 6,468
Predictions: over 8,000
Fulfilled prophecy: 3,268 verses
Unfulfilled prophecy: 3,140
Number of questions: 3,294
Longest name: Mahershalalhashbaz (Isaiah 8:1)
Longest verse: Esther 8:9 (78 words)
Shortest verse: John 11:35 (2 words: “Jesus wept”).
Middle books: Micah and Nahum
Middle chapter: Psalm 117
Shortest chapter: Psalm 117
Longest book: Psalms (150 chapters)
Shortest book (by number of words): 3 John
Longest chapter: Psalm 119 (176 verses)
Number of times the word “God” appears: 3,358
Number of times the word “Lord” appears: 7,736
Number of different authors: 40
Number of languages translated: over 1,200

OLD TESTAMENT STATISTICS:
Number of books: 39
Chapters: 929
Verses: 23,114
Words: 602,585
Letters: 2,278,100
Middle book: Proverbs
Middle chapter: Job 20
Middle verses: 2 Chronicles 20:17,18
Smallest book: Obadiah
Shortest verse: 1 Chronicles 1:25
Longest verse: Esther 8:9 (78 words)
Longest chapter: Psalms 119
Largest book: Psalms

NEW TESTAMENT STATISTICS:
Number of books: 27
Chapters: 260
Verses: 7,957
Words: 180,552
Letters: 838,380
Middle book: 2 Thessalonians
Middle chapters: Romans 8, 9
Middle verse: Acts 27:17
Smallest book: 3 John
Shortest verse: John 11:35
Longest verse: Revelation 20:4 (68 words)
Longest chapter: Luke 1
Largest book: Luke

Based on the King James Version of the Holy Bible
• Written by Approximately 40 Authors
• Written over a period of 1,600 years
• Written over 40 generations
• Written in three languages: Hebrew, Greek and Aramaic
• Written on three continents: Europe, Asia and Africa
• Written in different locations: wilderness, dungeon, palace, prison, in exile, at home
• Written by men from all occupations: kings, peasants, doctors, fishermen, tax collectors, scholars, etc.
• Written in different times: war, peace, poverty, prosperity, freedom and slavery
• Written in different moods: heights of joy to the depths of despair
• Written in harmonious agreement on a widely diverse range of subjects and doctrines

10 Longest Books in the Bible
• Psalm – 150 chapters, 2,461 verses, 43,743 words
• Jeremiah – 52 chapters, 1,364 verses, 42,659 words
• Ezekiel – 48 chapters, 1,273 verses, 39,407 words
• Genesis – 50 chapters, 1,533 verses, 38,267 words
• Isaiah – 66 chapters, 1,292 verses, 37,044 words
• Numbers – 36 chapters, 1,288 verses, 32,902 words
• Exodus – 40 chapters, 1,213 verses, 32.602 words
• Deuteronomy – 34 chapters, 959 verses, 28,461 words
• 2 Chronicles – 36 chapters, 822 verses, 26,074 words
• Luke – 24 chapters, 1,151 verses, 25,944 words

10 Shortest Books in the Bible
• 3 John – 1 chapter, 14 verses, 299 words
• 2 John – 1 chapter, 13 verses, 303 words
• Philemon – 1 chapter, 25 verses, 445 words
• Jude – 1 chapter, 25 verses, 613 words
• Obadiah – 1 chapter, 21 verses, 670 words
• Titus – 3 chapters, 46 verses, 921 words
• 2 Thessalonians – 3 chapters, 47 verses, 1,042 words
• Haggai – 2 chapters, 38 verses, 1,131 words
• Nahum – 3 chapters, 47 verses, 1,285 words
• Jonah – 4 chapters, 48 verses, 1,321 words

http://www.unitedfellowshipoutreach.com/Biblestatistics.html

Sep 4, 2017 - Default    No Comments

陈鸽:基督人性受造论正确吗?

       近来,刘志雄长老与康来昌牧师(注1)所提倡的【基督人性受造论】,给华人教会带来了一场极大的风波与争论。首先,我要表明对这两位主内弟兄的尊重,然而,我更要表明对他们所认同的【基督人性受造论】的坚决反对。原因如下:

一、圣经从来没提及基督的人性是‘受造的’。

二、基督是完全的人,又是完全的神,但他只有一个位格。他不能既是创造主,又是受造者;他独一的位格是不能分割的。

三、基督是神(创造主),取了人(受造者)的形象(腓2:7),但他仍然是创造万有的(西1:15-17)。

四、基督是圣洁的,“成为罪身的形状”(罗8:3),但他仍然是无罪的(林后5:21)。

五、基督是永恒的,“亲自成了血肉之体”(来2:14)“为人人尝了死味” (来2:9),但他仍然是永活的(太16:16)。

 

永生的神能死吗?圣洁的神能“成为罪身的形状”吗?创造的神能穿上人(受造者)的形象吗

       这实在是莫大的奥秘,正如(提前3:16)说的,“大哉,敬虔的奥秘!无人不以为然:就是神在肉身显现……。”

       让我们都谦卑的相信,更俯伏敬拜这位甘心从天而降,为我们的罪死在十字架上、又从死里复活、升上高天、如今坐在父神宝座右边的“神的羔羊”(约1:29):我们的救主耶稣基督。惟他是配!阿门!阿门!

腓 2:5-8 你们当以基督耶稣的心为心:他本有神的形像,不以自己与神同等为强夺的;反倒虚己,取了奴仆的形像,成为人的样式;既有人的样子,就自己卑微,存心顺服,以至於死,且死在十字架上。

西 1:15 爱子是那不能看见之神的像,是首生的,在一切被造的以先。因为万有都是靠他造的,无论是天上的,地上的;能看见的,不能看见的;或是有位的,主治的,执政的,掌权的;一概都是藉著他造的,又是为他造的。他在万有之先;万有也靠他而立。

罗 8:3 律法既因肉体软弱,有所不能行的,神就差遣自己的儿子,成为罪身的形状,作了赎罪祭,在肉体中定了罪案。

来 2:14-15 儿女既同有血肉之体,他也照样亲自成了血肉之体,特要藉著死败坏那掌死权的,就是魔鬼,并要释放那些一生因怕死而为奴仆的人。

来 2:9 惟独见那成为比天使小一点的耶稣;因为受死的苦,就得了尊贵荣耀为冠冕,叫他因著神的恩,为人人尝了死味。

太 16:16 西门彼得回答说:「你是基督,是永生神的儿子。」

林后 5:21 神使那无罪(无罪:原文作不知罪)的,替我们成为罪,好叫我们在他里面成为神的义。

 

附:唐崇荣牧师驳【基督人性受造论】

问:主耶稣既是完全的神,又是完全的人;道成肉身,神性穿上人性。可见主耶稣有分于受造的人性,甚至他复活的肉身也是会朽坏的。若因此下结论;主耶稣不但是创造者,也是受造的,有分于受造的,这样的结论有没有问题?

       答:大有问题!耶稣是创造者。如果他的身体是被造的,那么他整个身体是自己造的,他进去他自己造的里面;那他到底有分于受造的部份,或是受造的部份有分于他呢?你把它颠倒过来了!是 道成肉身,不是道进到被造肉身之中,是道成肉身;换句话说,道经过一个过程以后,就在肉身中间显现。圣经从来没有提到,耶稣有受造的一部份,这个是亚流的异端、是诺斯底主义的异端、是李常受的异端来毒害教会。

       耶稣基督里面没有受造的一部份,他是创造者,他是配受敬拜和永恒歌颂的。罗马书九章5节:『列祖就是他们的祖宗,按肉体说,基督也是从他们出来的;他是在万有之上,永远可称颂的上帝。阿门。』他是永远被歌颂、领受敬拜的创造者,他不是被造的。

       至于《启示录三章 14节》所提到的:[你要写信给老底嘉教会的使者,说:那个阿门的,为诚信真实见证的,在上帝创造万物之上为元首的说。]那一位在创造界中为元首的,有的人用希腊文把它翻译为 “在创造中间最先的”,或 “The first created one”,或 “The first born of the creatures”。我们应当怎样翻译才合乎全本圣经的思想呢?在被造中间成为阿拉法的、最原先的、做领导的、做领袖的、首先的那一位,他是阿拉法、俄梅戛。所以耶稣基督不是受造的,在基督的位格里面,没有受造的成分;连他的人性、肉身中间,还是神自已以他无穷的大能在肉身的范围中间向人显现,他才是我们的救主。

 

【注1】康来昌:“基督的人性是被造的吗?”