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

陳鴿:基督人性受造論正確嗎?

       近來,劉志雄長老與康來昌牧師(注1)所提倡的【基督人性受造論】,給華人教會帶來了一場極大的風波與爭論。首先,我要表明對這兩位主內弟兄的尊重,然而,我更要表明對他們所認同的【基督人性受造論】的堅決反對。原因如下:

一、聖經從來沒提及基督的人性是‘受造的’。

二、基督是完全的人,又是完全的神,但他只有一個位格。他不能既是創造主,又是受造者;他獨一的位格是不能分割的。

三、基督是神(創造主),取了人(受造者)的形象(腓2:7),但他仍然是創造萬有的(西1:15-17)。

四、基督是聖潔的,“成為罪身的形狀”(羅8:3),但他仍然是無罪的(林後5:21)。

五、基督是永恆的,“親自成了血肉之體”(來2:14)“為人人嘗了死味” (來2:9),但他仍然是永活的(太16:16)。

 

永生的神能死嗎?聖潔的神能“成為罪身的形狀”嗎?創造的神能穿上人(受造者)的形象嗎

       這實在是莫大的奧秘,正如(提前3:16)說的,“大哉,敬虔的奧秘!無人不以為然:就是神在肉身顯現……。”

       讓我們都謙卑的相信,更俯伏敬拜這位甘心從天而降,為我們的罪死在十字架上、又從死里復活、升上高天、如今坐在父神寶座右邊的“神的羔羊”(約1:29):我們的救主耶穌基督。惟他是配!阿門!阿門!

腓 2:5-8 你們當以基督耶穌的心為心:他本有神的形像,不以自己與神同等為強奪的;反倒虛己,取了奴僕的形像,成為人的樣式;既有人的樣子,就自己卑微,存心順服,以至於死,且死在十字架上。

西 1:15 愛子是那不能看見之神的像,是首生的,在一切被造的以先。因為萬有都是靠他造的,無論是天上的,地上的;能看見的,不能看見的;或是有位的,主治的,執政的,掌權的;一概都是藉著他造的,又是為他造的。他在萬有之先;萬有也靠他而立。

羅 8:3 律法既因肉體軟弱,有所不能行的,神就差遣自己的兒子,成為罪身的形狀,作了贖罪祭,在肉體中定了罪案。

來 2:14-15 兒女既同有血肉之體,他也照樣親自成了血肉之體,特要藉著死敗壞那掌死權的,就是魔鬼,並要釋放那些一生因怕死而為奴僕的人。

來 2:9 惟獨見那成為比天使小一點的耶穌;因為受死的苦,就得了尊貴榮耀為冠冕,叫他因著神的恩,為人人嘗了死味。

太 16:16 西門彼得回答說:「你是基督,是永生神的兒子。」

林後 5:21 神使那無罪(無罪:原文作不知罪)的,替我們成為罪,好叫我們在他裡面成為神的義。

 

附:唐崇榮牧師駁【基督人性受造論】

問:主耶穌既是完全的神,又是完全的人;道成肉身,神性穿上人性。可見主耶穌有分於受造的人性,甚至他復活的肉身也是會朽壞的。若因此下結論;主耶穌不但是創造者,也是受造的,有分於受造的,這樣的結論有沒有問題?

       答:大有問題!耶穌是創造者。如果他的身體是被造的,那麼他整個身體是自己造的,他進去他自己造的裡面;那他到底有分於受造的部份,或是受造的部份有分於他呢?你把它顛倒過來了!是 道成肉身,不是道進到被造肉身之中,是道成肉身;換句話說,道經過一個過程以後,就在肉身中間顯現。聖經從來沒有提到,耶穌有受造的一部份,這個是亞流的異端、是諾斯底主義的異端、是李常受的異端來毒害教會。

       耶穌基督裡面沒有受造的一部份,他是創造者,他是配受敬拜和永恆歌頌的。羅馬書九章5節:『列祖就是他們的祖宗,按肉體說,基督也是從他們出來的;他是在萬有之上,永遠可稱頌的上帝。阿門。』他是永遠被歌頌、領受敬拜的創造者,他不是被造的。

       至於《啟示錄三章 14節》所提到的:[你要寫信給老底嘉教會的使者,說:那個阿門的,為誠信真實見證的,在上帝創造萬物之上為元首的說。]那一位在創造界中為元首的,有的人用希臘文把它翻譯為 “在創造中間最先的”,或 “The first created one”,或 “The first born of the creatures”。我們應當怎樣翻譯才合乎全本聖經的思想呢?在被造中間成為阿拉法的、最原先的、做領導的、做領袖的、首先的那一位,他是阿拉法、俄梅戛。所以耶穌基督不是受造的,在基督的位格裡面,沒有受造的成分;連他的人性、肉身中間,還是神自已以他無窮的大能在肉身的範圍中間向人顯現,他才是我們的救主。

 

【注1】康來昌:“基督的人性是被造的嗎?”