Hello friends. It's time for the second hour of Open Line with Doctor Michael Moody Radio's Bible Study Across America and the world. And we're talking about your questions about the Bible, God and the spiritual life. My name is Michael Ray. I'm professor of Jewish studies and Bible at Moody Bible Institute. So glad you're with me today. If you have a Bible question today, don't phone in. It's a special all mailbag, all the time edition of Open Line.
But you can write your question. Just go to our website, Open Line Radio.com, and you'll see a link there that says Ask Michael a question. You click on that and it will fill out. Bring up a form that you can fill out, and you can ask your question right there and then it will go into a future mailbag. But today we're trying to clear the spindle. Answer so many of the questions that have piled up. And so joining me today in studio is Eva Redlich. She's my
colleague on the faculty of Moody Bible Institute. She's a co-contributor to the Moody Bible Commentary and the Moody Handbook of Messianic Prophecy. She's also my wife. Uh, Memorial Day weekend. We got married way back, uh, at the dawn of time. And so I am so glad that we have been together answering Bible questions for each other for all these many years. And also joining me is our mailbag expert. Uh, she is the producer of Open Line. Her name is
Tricia McMillan. I'm so glad you're here, Tricia. Tricia is the, uh, every week you hear Tricia when she brings in the Febc mailbag. What is the Febc mailbag? Tricia.
Uh, it is the same mailbag, but now, uh, we have, um.
An underwriter.
An underwriter, friends who have come alongside and said, we want to make sure that we're helping to support Open Line.
And that those friends are Far East Broadcasting Company and, uh, we love them. And they are using technology to bring the good news all the way around the world. And they also have terrific follow up with radio and with not just with doing using radio and internet, but also with with real life people following up, bringing the gospel to people. And you can always go to. And you can learn all about them, pray for them. And also when you get there, uh, look for their podcast with
Ed Cannon to all have heard. And I think knowing about Febc is a great benefit of anyone to know how to pray for reaching people around the world. Uh, okay. We're going to go right back to the mailbag, though.
All right. We're going to dive in here. Rich Rodas, uh, listens on the website and says, I'm currently located in China and I love your show. I understand the concept of sin, but I don't understand evil. Uh, there are bad things that happen that, you know, awful things that happen, that just anguish and anger people, especially when it involves children.
How can these types of evil exist and not be swiftly taken care of by God, knowing the evildoers will land in hell or even be redeemed and forgiven seems unjust? The delay in swift justice nearly shakes the faith of the believers.
Yeah.
Yeah, I think, you know you can fill in the blank for whatever kind of evil that and horrible, heartbreaking things are happening that you see to your own family or just internationally in the news. But I think he's brought up an important link here when he says, I understand the concept of sin, but I don't understand evil. I think that evil is an outgrowth of sin.
Mhm. Yeah. And and of course, uh, he's not asking why do bad things happen to good people. Right. He's actually saying, why do good things happen to bad people? And why doesn't God judge them instantly? You know, we've all been in a situation when we hear someone say something blasphemous or you see someone doing something terrible, we want to say, let's step aside because we think a
bolt of lightning is coming out right now. Well, that's what the psalmist Asaph or Asaph was thinking of when he wrote Psalm 73, and he's struggling with the fact that God is not. Acting quickly to judge them. And listen, I just want you to hear a couple of things that he says.
This is Psalm 73.
Psalm 73, verse 15. He says, if I had decided to say these things aloud about all these doubts and worries and concerns that he had, I would have betrayed your people. When I tried to understand all this, it seemed hopeless until I entered God's sanctuary. Then I understood their destiny. Indeed. You have put them in slippery places. You make them fall into ruin. How suddenly they become a desolation. So the first thing he understands is when
he goes to worship. He says, you know what? It looks like they're not going to face judgment, but God will act there. Think about walking on ice. How suddenly, in those slippery places this has happened to me. You know, I let my dogs out the side and it's here, cold and snowy in Chicago, and the little pathway at the side of my house is turned to ice, and I'm walking along there, and next thing you know, I'm
flat on my back suddenly. And that's what this is talking about, that that's what the destiny that God has for the wicked, that there's going to be sudden judgment. And then another thing, he says, uh, that he was stupid, he was embittered. I was stupid and didn't understand. I was an unthinking animal toward you. That's verse 22. And I really pondered why it was that he says, I was an animal when I was only living in the moment and trying to figure out, why isn't God judging now?
Why does he wait? He's I think he says I was an animal before you because animals want instantaneous. They don't think about the future. They're only in the present. We used to have a dog that we wanted to put outside, and he didn't want to go outside when we were leaving. And so we would we would stand there on the deck, you know, step out. Come on, come on. He'd just look at us like, no, I'm not going out. And then every time I would take a little treat.
Little tiny dog biscuit.
Yeah. What would you do?
Toss it out. He'd run right out after that.
And then I closed the door and he'd like, oh, I totally forgot they were going to close the door because he was in the moment. He didn't have a sense of future. But we are eternal beings, and we recognize that there is a future and there will be a judgment for these things. And we shouldn't be beasts before God, but rather we should Understand that God has a purpose and a plan, and even though these evil things happen and he will judge. Uh, it's who knows
why it is that. He doesn't judge instantly, but their feet are in slippery places. He has a purpose and a plan, and he will fulfill it.
And this is you know, I think that all of us who love God and hate evil are struck with this question when we see things happen. And and I think another encouraging passage for all of us to take a look at is Habakkuk, because he begins the book and he says, how long, O Lord, will I call for help? And you will not hear? I cry out to you, violence, and yet you do not save. Why do you make me see iniquity and cause me to look on wickedness? And so and the whole book is
this kind of question. And at the end it resolves that he says, yet I trust God and know he's going to bring righteous judgment. So read Habakkuk, along with Psalm 73, to to look for encouragement to these heart breaking questions.
Okay, thank you for that encouragement. Thank you for your question, Rich. Peggy in Illinois listens to. Since witchcraft is mentioned in the Bible, what may be done today to address it? Are there any books that I could read or prayers for protection when I live next to a woman who practices witchcraft?
Well, you know, I think with in her question, there is a warning flag for anyone who is thinking along this way. Looking for a book to or prayer to say for protection is almost wandering into the realm of the occult itself.
Yeah. We don't.
We.
Don't want to run and get garlic or anything like that.
Hang up wolfbane or horseshoes or, you know, spit three times and turn around. Um, that's not what we need to do when we're confronted with any kind of evil or wickedness.
So whenever I think about witchcraft and demons and evil, I'm always drawn to Luke chapter ten when the 70 returned with joy, saying, Lord, this is verse 17. Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name. So Jesus sent out 70 of his followers, gave them authority to preach, and they were like, wow! We can cast out demons. And he said to them, I watched Satan fall from heaven like a lightning flash. In other words, Satan is a defeated foe. He was already cast out
of heaven. He was already judged at that point. He's going to be judged again at at the crucifixion of the Messiah when he crushes the, the, the head of the serpent, so to speak, from Genesis 315. He'll be cast ultimately into the abyss, not ultimately into the abyss. And then judge one more time, he'll be cast into the lake of fire. So Jesus is talking about Satan as a defeated foe. And then he says, look, I've given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and
over all the power of the enemy. Nothing will ever harm you. So that's what I would say to Peggy. Nothing's going to harm you. She can't do anything to you. She may try, but she can't. Uh, you are under the protection of the Holy Spirit. You are secure and safe. Then he says, uh. However, don't rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven. In other words, Jesus says, don't focus on the occult. Don't focus on demons. Don't focus on this stuff.
Focus on your own salvation. Focus on the fact that you know the Lord. So I think when I meet believers that are sort of consumed with the demonic world, with witchcraft, with with demonization and all these different things, I want to say Jesus said, that's not that's not our focus. Our focus ought to be on what God has provided for us, not what the enemy is trying to do to us.
Right? And I think we need to encourage ourselves by knowing, as it says in second Timothy one seven, God has not given us the spirit of fear, but power and love and a strong mind. And then he goes on to say in first John that greater is he who is in you than he who is in the world. So stop being afraid and instead refocus your mind on the Lord Jesus.
She talks about I did not read this part of the email, but she talks about specific things that this neighbor has.
Who cares?
Okay, I was going to say, how do you how do you when you see those sometimes the visible you can freak yourself out with those things, right? Because you start dwelling on them and thinking about them. So what could she do to intentionally focus on the salvation and to focus on not being fearful and these kinds of things, but memorizing the Scripture.
Here's a here's something that I think I'm sure you can find it on the internet. I know it's in Lewis Sperry Chafer, Systematic Theology 33 benefits of our salvation. Uh, if you look up Louis Barry Schaefer, maybe I'm speaking out of turn, but I'm guessing that if you googled chafer Lewis Sperry Chafer, 33 Benefits of Salvation. And he lists them, they're wonderful. Uh, and.
And these are things like.
Uh, security that we are safe in God's hands. Uh, that and you just go through those and then meditate on that. Don't think about what I'm saying is that's how we rejoice.
And and.
In our names being written in the book of life.
And these, uh, you know, statues or whatever she sees in her neighbor's yard. They're just like the idols that we see in the prophets that Isaiah and Jeremiah talked about. They are nothing. They are just plaster, and they have no power over her. So just avert your eyes and look back at Scripture.
Yeah. Focus on Scripture.
Yeah. Okay.
All right. Thanks for that question, Peggy. Did you want to go to the break?
Yeah. Oh, yeah. Let's go to a break. Thank you. Thank you. I'm so glad you're here, Tricia. I'm ready for more questions. Come on. We're going to go to a break now. We're so glad that you're listening in to Open Line with Tricia McMillan and me, Michael Radonich. We're going to be back with more of your questions on this all mailbag, all the time program of Open Line. So stay right there. We'll be back with more questions straight ahead. Welcome back to Open Line. I'm Michael Radonich
I'm so glad you're joining me today. And I'm here with my Bible answer partners. Eva Reed who is a professor at Moody Bible Institute and also the a contributor to the Moody Bible Commentary, the Moody Handbook of Messianic Prophecy and my partner in life. And also joining me right here is Tricia McMillan. She is the producer of Open Line. She's with me every week. You know her from the mailbag, the Febc mailbag portion that we do
on the program every week. Uh, but I'm grateful for other partners, the kitchen table partners, or the people who keep open Line on the air every week by giving their gift monthly. And, uh, now, Tricia, sometimes I wonder why in the world would someone be willing or want to even become a kitchen table partner with so many people have, and I'm so grateful for them. Uh, but you said you just got a really cool email from someone who became a kitchen table partner today.
Yes. Well, Diane emailed or sorry, gave a gift earlier this month and said I gave to Open Line because this program has helped me tremendously in having a better understanding of the scriptures, leading to my growing more in my walk and relationship with Jesus Christ.
Wow.
So I think that's why a lot of people give to support and join us around the radio kitchen table.
Yeah, I was so grateful for people who want to partner with us. It is. I can't even express how grateful I am, and I really this is, you know, my real hope. When I first started Open Line back in 1957. Was to help people in their walk with the Lord. To help them take their next step to grow. And even some people find the Lord through open lineups, which I'm so grateful for, and then continue to grow. And so by people becoming monthly partners, kitchen table partners,
they are helping that process continue. And I'm so grateful for it. And I'm so grateful that every other week I will send you a special Bible study designed exclusively for our kitchen table partners. Just a way to say thank you. And I'm so grateful that you give. And if you want to become a kitchen table partner, if you want to join in this, uh, this program in this way other than just listening. But by becoming a partner, all you have to do is call (888) 644-7122 or go
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All right. Our next question is from Lois in Indiana. Listens to since the angels who left their first estate and are chained up to wait for judgment. Who do you think the evil spirits are who are roaming about the earth? Because we always think of them as being like Satan fell with a third, and we think of them as just being the fallen angels. But it says that they're.
Well, the thing is, in first Peter chapter three, uh, I think is what they are talking about. It says, uh, he went and made proclamation to the spirits in prison And therefore this person is saying, these are the evil spirits in prison right there, chained up, waiting future judgment. But I don't think that those spirits in prison are referring to demons, unless there's another verse that Lois is
talking about. I think that's talking about, uh, that he made proclamation to the spirits who are now in prison. In other words, uh, in first Peter 319, it's talking about that Jesus preached through Noah to the people of Noah's day who rejected the message. And now they are spirits locked up in prison. Uh, is that.
Perhaps there's a there's a passage in, um, verse in second Peter.
Second Peter.
Two four that said, for if God didn't spare the angels who sinned, but threw them down into Tartarus and delivered them to be kept in chains of darkness until judgment.
Okay. Now, those, uh, there are some who are in the abyss. I believe in revelation. They are released in the tribulation period, and they ultimately will be judged and cast into the lake of fire. So there are some demons that have been not all, but some demons that are awaiting judgment. They're going to be released one more time from the abyss. Uh, and then they will again face judgement, final judgment, and be cast into the lake of fire. But I don't think it refers to all
fallen angels, some of the fallen angels. And I'm not sure why God chose those to go into the abyss and await that final day when they're going to be released for one last attack. And I'm not sure God knows. I don't know, you know, no one knows. But it doesn't mean that all demons were placed in bondage there. Uh, there's some obviously many that are still active trying to through through the work of Satan, which is he seeks. He. He is a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour.
So he goes about wanders the earth to do that, right?
So, um, yeah, in Jude six and seven also mentions, yeah, some of the the eternal chains and darkness.
Yeah.
And when we think about these things, though, don't you think we need to go back to a little bit of what we were saying about the woman who was concerned about witchcraft. We don't need to be focusing on this and being afraid of them.
Yeah. It's not. It's I don't think it's healthy. I think people really are too demon oriented at times when they when they think about it. I think we need to be salvation oriented. Not that we should be ignorant of it, but when you look at how do we deal with spiritual warfare? I think Ephesians six is don't go looking for it. Stand against it. Uh, you don't have to cast it out. You don't have to renounce it. What it says is resist. Stand against. That's what it means.
And and it says embody this lifestyle. And that's what the, the, the armor of God is. The armor of God is. It doesn't mean you pray it on. You live this lifestyle. So you know, you have the sword of the spirit, the Word of God, and read the word. You know, you have the breastplate of salvation. Focus on your salvation, which is our protection. Uh, if you have the if your feet are shod with the gospel of peace, that means go share the gospel. That's that's the lifestyle that
we need to resist. And and I think that's where our focus ought to be.
Okay. All right. Thanks for that question, Lois. Gary wrote us from Illinois, listens to WNBA. My wife and I were reading a devotional recently based on Luke 431 through 37. Um, which is Jesus going down and casting out, um, a man? Sorry. Casting out demons out of a man who had an
unclean spirit. A demonic spirit. Mhm. Um, and the writer of this devotional was a physician and says many doubt the accuracy of this diagnosis, saying it was more likely insanity or a seizure disorder, but certainly not demon possession. There's even a medical diagnosis for this called trance and possession disorders. Uh, Gary, who wrote in with the question, says I'm troubled by this. I looked it up in a Bible concordance, and the word demon is used 16
times in the Gospels. So I believe there's I'm fairly certain that demons were at work and are at work in the world and didn't see much in the commentary, the Moody Bible commentary. So I was wondering what you thought. Are these is this a delusion kind of thing, or is this are they demons? Like.
I think when the Bible talks about demon possession or actually the the most common phrases in the Bible are either demonization or demonized. That's the word that's used in Greek. It would really instead we we translated demon possession, but it should be demonized. He had a daughter who was demonized. The other thing is possessing a demon spirit. An evil spirit. That's another way it's described. Okay. And I think when
the Bible talks about it. Yes, that's true. I think that, uh, first of all, uh, there was a, I think a real upsurge at the time of the coming of the Messiah of Demons activity, getting involved in people's lives in this way. And that's why there was so much confrontation about it by the Lord Jesus. I think there are still today animistic, demon oriented pagan cultures where there's still a good deal of demonization in the lives of people. Uh, I don't think believers can be demonized, but I think
what happens and this is unfortunate. Just. We know this story, Eva. We had this friend who had, uh, psychological issues and was being treated by medicine. And someone told him, no, it's a demon. Stop taking the medicine. Uh, and it was a disaster.
Yeah.
So. Right. So, uh, they cast out, allegedly, the demon. And you're going to be fine. You don't need to take this medicine. But they actually did have a psychological issue. So I think in Luke four, we're dealing with a demonization issue. But today it's not always a demonization issue.
Sometimes it's a psychological issue. And, you know, so, uh, I think the best thing is to see if a person is dealing with these issues, a Christian psychiatrist would be able to determine whether it's a demonization issue or a psychological issue.
And and perhaps this devotional that they were talking about reading. There are some people who want to strip the, the, the, the, the New Testament of any sort of supernaturalism. And they say it's all it's only it was only medical. It's only natural. It's nothing supernatural. And that's not where we want to go when we look at the scriptures.
Yeah. Okay.
All right. Thank you for that. Thanks for that question, Gary. Autumn wrote us from Ohio listens to CRF going to Luke 15 now. Um, Jesus gives several parables. The first two, the lost sheep and the lost coin display. A shepherd or owner who seeks and finds the lost. The third is The Lost Son depicts the lost having to come back to the Master and Father, where the father is not seeking, he's just standing and watching and waiting. Can you explain the difference between these parables and how it
ties into salvation? Why was there no seeking in the third parable of the Lost Son?
I'm going to give a kind of a quick answer on this in parables. We have to ask, what is this about? This is not about how people come to salvation. It is about how much God values sinners, lost people just like the lost coin and the lost sheep and the lost son. In each of them it communicates how much God values the lost, how much he cares about the lost, and how much he wants them to be,
to be, to come home to him. And it also deals with the son, the older son who represents religious hypocrisy, people who don't care about the lost the way God does, but they just care about themselves and want to be kind of righteously legalistic, you know. And so it's not really explaining how people are saved. And yet I can say this the Bible teaches, Jesus said all that the father has given me will come to me. Uh, it says in Luke, in acts 13, all who were appointed
for eternal life believed. So the Bible teaches both that God appoints God draws people, and then also people must believe. And so what you see are both those things right there in those parables. Okay. We're going to be right back with more of your questions on this all mailbag day of open line. Stay right there. Ever been reading your Bible and come across an unfamiliar name, place, or
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another edition. You've sent so many emails, we thought that it'd be really good to to kind of clear the spindle with all the questions you've sent in. And so I'm here, Michael Ray. And joining me is Eva Ray Jelinek and Tricia McMillan and Tricia. Uh, let's continue with these questions. Let's try and answer as many as we can.
All right. I have another parable question from Luke 16. But before I get to that one, uh, a follow up to the previous question on Luke 15. Yeah. Um, from Autumn, she was asking about the three lost, the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the lost son parables that Jesus told us earlier in the program. You had said parables need to be read because they're standalone stories. And so how how are how does that statement apply to Luke 15 with these three parables that you kind of tied together?
Well, the reason I tied those together is that they all come together. It says all in Luke 15, all the tax collectors and sinners were approaching to listen to him and the religious leadership. The Pharisees and the scribes were complaining, this man welcomes sinners and eats with them. So he told them this parable. He tells the story of the the lost sheep. And then he says, or
what woman? And so he's continuing to address the same issue, uh, with, with those religious leadership, uh, by talking about the lost coin. And then in verse 11, he says, he also said, indicating he's still addressing the very same issue. So although these are three different parables, they're all addressing the same issue and they were told one after another, three stories in a row to address the issue that was raised about how can how can he care about these sinners?
So it's a time when our, our little, um, chapter, uh, our little, uh, division things within to tell you what the story is.
Our conjunctions help. Yes. Yeah.
Okay. All right. So Luke 16, it does say. He also said. But this is to the disciples now instead of to the leaders. Okay. Yeah. All right. So Alison in Illinois listens to WNBA and said in Luke 1609 talking about this is now the parable of the dishonest manager.
Mhm.
Um, it says, I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of the unrighteous money, so that when it fails they may welcome you into eternal dwellings.
Oh, you know what? I just want to say something. You just nailed something exactly right in verse six and 16 when it says it's like a shift. He also said to his disciples, and now I think he's addressing the same issue of God's concern for the lost. But now it's not to the religious leadership. Now it's what should you do about it, you disciples?
Yeah. These are people closer to him. His audience has shifted.
Yeah. And he's going to tell this other parable. Go ahead. Okay. Question.
So Alison wants to know, can friends in that verse that I read be interpreted souls for Christ? And if not, can you help me understand the meaning of this?
Yeah. Uh, in 1609, it says, make friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous money. Now, this is about the unrighteous steward. And of course, Eva, uh, people want to say, is Jesus teaching unrighteousness?
No, of course not. He's not saying be unrighteous like the steward was unrighteous. He's saying, use take that principle of wisdom, that he was wise in the ways of the world. You need to be wise in the ways of eternity.
Yeah, that we can use. Just like he used money to set himself up when he was getting in trouble, right? We can use filthy mammon, you know, filthy money, which we think is. Oh, that's always dirty. No, we can use it for the kingdom.
Money is neutral.
Yeah.
It's the love of money.
That's exactly.
It's not money itself.
And he says that just as he used money to set himself up, he's. Now he says that believers, his disciples, should also use money.
Yeah.
Uh, to advance the kingdom. And the way they do that is make friends for yourselves by means of the unrighteous money. So when it fails, they may welcome you into eternal dwellings. And I would just say that, uh, you know, even I we give to missionaries, you know, we're using our money for the kingdom. Yeah. And, uh, there's going to come a day when I go into the presence of the Lord when we enter the kingdom. Right?
They're going to be friends. I've made that. I don't even know about that when I. There'll be people there saying, you know, you gave money to Dave and Barbara or to Pete and Carol, and they brought the gospel to me in Irian Jaya or to.
South America.
In South America. And I came to the Lord through their ministry. And you have made we have a friend for eternity now, because I have in a sense, what I've been trying to do is make friends for yourselves, for eternity, for myself, for ourselves, by giving to the ministry and using money to advance the kingdom. And that's the principle there. Those are the friends, the people that will be one to the Lord through using the money for the kingdom.
So then it seems the answer would be yes. It could be interpreted souls for Christ. Yeah. Okay.
And using whatever money you have to to advance the work of God and it's, you know, it may not be soul winning. It may be providing for the poor who maybe already know the Lord. But they're destitute because it says in Proverbs, he who gives to the poor lends to the Lord. So use your money, because where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. I think it's related to all of that kingdom principle of of using your your money, your money to advance whatever God is doing on earth.
Okay. All right. Thank you. Um, Gerson in Florida listens to and wants to know about jealousy. Haha. Sort of. Galatians 520 and 21 talks about how jealousy is a sin. But in Exodus 3414 it says God is a jealous God. And actually you are never to bow down to another God, because Yahweh, being jealous by nature, is a jealous God. So someone asked Gerson if there's a contradiction in what's said in these two verses, and wasn't sure how to answer that.
Uh, well, jealousy is one of those things that we can have righteous jealousy or unrighteous jealousy.
So similar to anger.
Yeah.
Okay.
And so in a in a sense, we can say that God is a jealous God. That's righteous jealousy if we will ever go to idols. Right? That's that's righteous jealousy. Now, if what is unrighteous jealousy? I'll give you an example. Uh, since I have the most faithful wife that ever has lived on the earth. If my wife were not flirtatious and she were not in any way, uh, and she wasn't doing anything like that, and I still she happened
to be talking to some man. Uh, and I see it, and I become jealous, even though there's no cause that's unrighteous jealousy. And we all have heard about people who have unrighteous jealousy.
Now there are suspicious in their cruel because they think that their spouse is cheating on them when their spouse isn't.
Yeah.
Or or or even thinking of cheating on them. For example.
The, uh, you know, the the student that sees me, uh, having lunch with a student at Moody and says, I wanted to have lunch with him. Why isn't he having lunch with me? Well, I never asked, you know what I mean? And so as a result, they become jealous. Oh, he plays favorites. And, uh, the end result is that they they they actually can make trouble. And that's unrighteous jealousy. So the God's righteousness is seen in his jealousy. You know, just like a man ought to be jealous of his wife.
Were flirtatious. Right. On the other hand, God's not like that. But we can be unrighteously jealous.
And.
By projecting these kinds of false thoughts.
Right. And in the in the passage he points out in Galatians five, it really is a whole bunch of things that are that are bad immorality and impurity and sensuality and, um, all of these things all together. And so these are bad things. But yeah, but God's concern.
But it even has outbursts of anger. And yet in Ephesians, the very next book, it says, uh, be angry, yet do not sin. So what does it say? Anger isn't wrong. It's the outburst of anger.
But can we, as sinful humans, are we able to have righteous jealousy?
Yeah. Yeah, sure.
Okay. Like how? I mean, like I think about, yes, we could have righteous anger, but it's really hard, I think, to even know what that looks like on a sinful human, because it seems like it's such a fine line between what takes you over into, um, the unrighteous anger or the unrighteous jealousy. Like, so often, it's it's from a sinful, uh, place that that is kind of springing forth. And so how do you how can you tell if it's a righteous or unrighteous jealousy?
Okay, so I, I know of a woman that established a friendship with a man that was not her husband. They did not have an immoral relationship. But this woman had become really best friends with another man. And her husband had a righteous jealousy, and he didn't get angry and explode. But he sat down and said, listen, this ought not to be. I'm the primary male relationship. You ought to have. Not saying you can't be friends, but this person has displaced me. And she was penitent and restored.
But you see, that would be your righteous H's jealousy. Uh, when when that woman was involved with a person that she ought not to have as her primary relationship.
Okay.
A classic story of unrighteous jealousy is Othello by Shakespeare.
Yeah.
He was so jealous of his wife, and he was prodded on by this wicked man. Iago.
Iago? Yeah.
And it is a story of disaster. His wife was totally faithful to him, but his unrighteous jealousy led to tragedy. And it's one of the great tragedies of literature. And it's a great example of this.
Of unrighteous.
Unrighteous jealousy.
Okay. All right.
Thanks.
We're going to take a break again. Here we go. Uh, I keep waiting for you to ask me another question, but the time's up. We're going to be right back with more of your questions in just a moment. Uh, you're listening to Open Line with Michael Jelenic, Eva melnik, and Tricia McMillan. When we come back. we've got more of the mailbag coming up. So stay right there. We'll be right back. So many people have questions about Israel. That's why Chosen People Ministry is one of our partners
is offering a free booklet, Why Israel? This book explores the topic of Israel through the lens of Scripture, bringing clarity to a controversial topic. Has the church replaced Israel and the plan of God? Does ethnic Israel still have a future? What about Israel today? If you'd like answers to these questions, just go to our website openline. radio.org. Scroll down to the link that says Free Gift from
Chosen People Ministries. Click on that and you'll be able to sign up for your own copy of Why Israel? Welcome back to Open Line. So glad this has been just a great time. As we cleared the spindle for this Memorial Day weekend and all mailbag all the Time program. I'm so thankful that you've joined me today. And, uh, Tricia McMillan, my name is Michael Melnick. We're doing our best to answer the questions you've mailed in. And so, Tricia, let's see what else we can cover.
All right. Linda in Tennessee listens to WNBA. Says recently, I discovered that the word homosexual was not in the Bible until the 1950s. Can you please explain the Greek word Arsa arsenokoitai? Yes. That word and how you see the translation.
Uh, and, you know, she did a little second question there. Is this translated more toward molestation than homosexuality? Uh, which is what it is contended.
Okay.
Okay. Uh, this is, uh, let me just say, first of all, I think that that believers have sometimes made homosexuality the single worst sin. And God, you know, there's a lot of sins out there. And I'm not saying homosexuality isn't a sin. I believe that God never intended sexual relations between to be with same sex relationships. It's, um, but God didn't intend sexual relationships outside of marriage, even heterosexual relationships outside of marriage. And there are many things
that are an abomination to the Lord. In fact, slander is an abomination. So let's put this in perspective. I think God loves all people. For God so loved the world. We need to love our homosexual friends. Uh, we need to do our best to win them to the Lord. Uh, I, I just I want to really clarify how much we have to care about those people who have same sex
attraction and same sex relationships. All that said, though, the current advocacy for same sex relationships is saying this very thing that the word homosexual was not used in any Bible translation until 1946. And the answer to that is the word homosexual did not exist until about 1891 or 2. It was coined at that time. So the behavior of same sex relationship is spoken of in the Bible. Uh, but, uh, the that behavior, uh, was not called homosexuality. It's described.
It is not using that word because the word didn't exist when the Bible was translated, for example, into the King James Bible. It's only modern translations that use that. And for example, in First Corinthians six. It uses this word arsenokoitai. It is taken right out of the book of Leviticus, which was translated into Greek in Leviticus as describes same sex relationships and calls it a sinful. And then the Septuagint translates it and uses the word male
sexual relations. And that generally is the word that's used for the, uh, the, the male who is active in sexual relations. And then in first Corinthians six, there's another word, malakoi, uh, which, uh, in Eve is Bible. She. We were talking about this word recently. It's the word translated in the New American Standard as effeminate. Right. Yeah. And, uh, but I don't think it means effeminate. When I looked it up in the Greek lexicon, it was the passive recipient of a
male sexual relationship. The male receiving it has nothing to do with molestation. It doesn't have to do with pagan, uh, actions. What it's referring to are same sex relationships. And, uh, that's what Paul says ought not to be, as well as other issues. I mean, the very same passage he deals with stealing. Robbing. So, uh, I believe that he says that in first Corinthians six, uh, where he he says these things, uh, he says, don't be deceived. No
sexually immoral people, idolaters, adulterers. And then he uses that word, uh, malakoi and arsenokoitai, uh, sexual homosexual relationships.
People seem to be okay with that.
Yeah. And no thieves, no greedy people, drunkards, verbally abusive people or swindlers will inherit the God's kingdom. And so what happens is people want to make homosexuality something Thing worse than all these other things. These are all things that will separate us from God and and we we need. But it says and such were some of you used to be like this? We can be redeemed from that. So the Lord Jesus died for all our sins, including same sex relationship sins.
And rose again.
And then he rose again. He died for the sins, rose again, proving he's God. And he can redeem us if we'll trust in him.
Yeah, I like the end of the verse where you said, um, you used to be like this, but you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the spirit of our God.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
So we don't have to say, oh, that's that's what we are. And there's no hope. There's great hope.
Yeah.
Yeah. Thank you. Uh, next question is from Joanne in Florida. She says we usually say amen at the end of prayer. Does that mean so be it? Or is it giving reference to the sun god?
Uh, well, first of all, it's not giving reference to the sun god. Amenhotep has nothing to do with the word Amen. This is, you know, the internet's a wealth of bad information. And the word amen is, is we see it in Greek, but it actually comes from the Hebrew, from the same word. It's just a transliteration that came into Greek. And it means and it does mean truth or it is true, it and it is used in firm.
It actually literally means firm.
Firm. Yeah, it is firm. And uh, and it's interesting that where Jesus is called the Amen in revelation 314, it is really a reference, I think back to Isaiah 6516 where he talks about how God is truth. It's the same thing. He is called the Amen and the word. We read the New Testament and Jesus is teaching and he says, verily, verily, I say to you, it actually
is Amen, Amen, I say to you. He used it at the beginning of so many statements, where as we have come into the to the practice of when someone is praying, we say Amen. Meaning yes, we agree. May it be so. May it be so.
Yeah. Well, can you believe it? That's the program for this week. Thanks for listening, everyone. Especially those of you who sent in these really terrific questions. I really appreciate that. Uh, as always, I'm grateful to Tricia McMillan for putting this mailbag together and joining me and for for helping me answer these questions today and also Courtney. Courtney Young, our engineer, did a great job making this all flow together. Thank you so much for that. Uh, remember you can check
out our web page, Open Line radio.org. It's got all sorts of great links. You can see our current Bible study resource, how to become a Kitchen table Partner. You can see my own website. Keep reading the Bible. We'll talk about it next week. Open line with Doctor Michael Wright is a production of Moody Radio, a ministry of Moody Bible Institute. Have a great Memorial Day. Bye.