Hello, friends. It's time for the second hour of Open Line with me. Michael. Right. This is Moody Radio's Bible study across America. And we're talking about the questions you have about the Bible, God and the spiritual life. As I said, my name is Michael Melnick. I'm academic dean. I'm professor of Jewish studies and Bible at Moody Bible Institute. And I'm so glad to be with you today right around the radio kitchen table. And if you'd like, give me a call right now with your question about the
Bible or God or the spiritual life. Here's the number. Now's the time to get your call in. It's always best at the beginning of the hour. 87754836758775483675. You know, if you call at the beginning of the program. That's the best time to get or the beginning of the hour. Usually that's the best time to get through. Otherwise, if you wait a little too long, it's tough to get through. So if you have a question, now's the time. Even Tricia can't get through by the middle of the program.
She has to interrupt, you know, jump in because she couldn't call. I'm just joking. But anyway, that's, uh. That's the best time to call right now. Uh, (877) 548-3675. Also, I wanted to let you know about our current resource. Uh, it is a really helpful book by, uh, Doctor Charles Ryrie. It's the everyday Bible commentary on the book of acts. And so often people miss out on what the book is about. They they will always tell me. Oh, it's about the signs and wonders. There's so much more to
acts than that. One of the things that I loved in my experience as a professor at Moody, one semester we had a professor that became ill, and I had to teach his course, and it was called New Testament Missions. And it was taking principles of outreach and missions from the New Testament. So I went to the professor and said, well, I have to teach it for you this semester. What what should I teach? He says, just teach the book of acts and draw missiological principles right from the book
of acts. And that was one of the most helpful, encouraging things I could have done. It's why I love the Book of Acts. Uh, it really helped me in terms of understanding outreach, reaching out to people in a cross-cultural way through the book of acts. And that's one of the reasons why I love this commentary. The everyday commentary on acts, everyday Bible commentary on Acts by Charles Ryrie. It really does give you an insight into the book of Acts as a missiological book, as a book that
brings the gospel from Jerusalem all the way to Rome. Uh, if you would like to give a gift of any size, we want to send you a copy of the Everyday Bible Commentary on Acts by Ryrie. Uh, just a terrific professor, a great commentary, uh, a gift of any size. Just remember to ask for it. Call (888) 644-7122. Uh, you can give your gift that way. Or go to open line radio.org. And when you give your gift, remember ask for the
everyday Bible commentary on Acts by Charles Ryrie. We're going to speak with Rick listening now in Tennessee on Wmhb. Welcome to Open Line. Rick. How can I help you?
Hi. Good morning. Thanks for taking my call. Can I make a brief comment about the previous caller? Um, he, the disciples and a whole lot of other people do fish on lakes in the dark. Yeah.
Yeah, that that was just a that was just an aside. I let it go, so.
Okay. Yeah. Um, yeah. Our question. My question is, um, we were looking at the word of faith and from the acts of Luke and talking to Jesus, saying, when I return, will I find will I find faith on the earth? But the teacher said that he only found the word English word faith in the Old Testament. One place in Habakkuk two four where the writer says, the righteous shall live by faith. And we were wondering, why was that English word faith only used one time in
the Old Testament. Where? Where is it used multiple times in the New Testament, or is that a. Yeah. You know, just a semantic thing? Do we not need to worry about it or is it worth.
You don't need to worry about it. Really important distinction. By the way, the word pisteuo faith in the New Testament is sometimes sometimes translated in the verb form of believe. Sometimes it's translated in the New Testament. Uh, sometimes it's translated trust. Uh, and then the same thing with the the noun emunah. Uh, in Hebrew, sometimes it's translated faith, but sometimes in the verb form, it's translated trust or believe. So, uh, you know, I did a quick search about faith, uh,
and it says in job 3912. Will you have faith in him? Uh, uh, it talks about God keeping faith with us, but then also, uh, you look at the word believe, which is the verb form of it. And, uh, Abraham believed God and it was counted to him for righteousness. Uh, it talks about the word trust. Uh, for example, in numbers. Uh, it's it's interesting, uh, that Moses and Aaron don't get to enter the promised Land because you did not trust me,
is what it says. So obviously it's a negative example, but the word trust is used their second Kings 1822. We trust in the Lord our God. Uh, that's, uh, second Kings. Uh, this is the word trust is used all over the place. Uh, there's, uh, Hezekiah. Thus you shall say to Hezekiah, king of Judah, this is do not let your God in whom you trust deceive you,
saying Jerusalem will not be given over. So it's talking about how the people believed what Hezekiah was saying about trusting him, and they were trying to get him not to trust the Lord. Uh, so, you know, it's one of the problems that we have when we limit ourselves to only the English word, Because it may have limited usage in the Old Testament. But when you take it, uh, as trust, believe, or faith, then all of a sudden the word explodes across the Old Testament. Okay.
Good. Good. Yeah. Yes. Yeah.
Uh, and, uh, you know, I think, of course, uh, in Romans four, uh, yeah. In Romans four, it talks about Abraham believed God. It was counted to him for righteousness. It talks about Genesis 15 six. Uh, and what he is saying is, listen, you may think that by teaching, justification by faith is what Paul says in Romans three that we're somehow contradicting the Old Testament. He says, no, we're upholding it. This is what the Torah teaches. Uh, and he goes back to Genesis 15, which is in
the Torah, that Abraham believed God. So he's using the word believe there as a synonym for faith. So. Okay.
Yeah. And James used that too. James used to. Yeah.
Okay.
Very good.
Thanks, Rick. Thanks for your call. Really appreciate it. Uh, we're going to talk next with Sylvester in Tampa, Florida, listening at k e s. Welcome to Open Line. How can I help you today?
Thank you very much. Um, I have a question. I just want to make a small comment that you made, um, with, uh, women in, um, leadership.
Well, you know what? I we don't have to go back over that if unless it's essential. So I'm not trying to.
No. I'm not. I what I'm saying is that's the best explanation I've heard ever with that, that, um, that controversy. And I just want to thank you for that.
Oh, good. I'm so glad. Thank you. Sylvester. It's just, you know, those controversial issues. I hate it when people just want to go back and argue. So thank you for not doing that, I appreciate it.
Yeah, I didn't want to do that.
I just I just wanted to know I loved your your your your your commentary. And you're going to make me go back and read it some more. Yeah. Good. But my question is, is, um, is with, uh, my question is why? Um, did Mark, who is a disciple of, um, Peter, why did his writings end up in the New Testament as opposed to like, people like, um, Ignatius, who was a disciple of John and um Clement, whose writings were read in the church and back in that time. Um, you mean, uh, explanation of that?
Yeah. I think the reason why Mark's writing ends up there is it wasn't just that he was a disciple of Peter, but his book was endorsed by Peter as authoritative. It had an apostolic seal on it. If you read the history of how and of course, it's early church and it's not inspired history, but it is history of how it is that Mark came to write Peter. The story is that Peter goes to Rome, gives a sermon. Mark takes notes on the sermon, which was about the
life of Jesus, and then he writes it down. And Peter endorses this book as this is what I was saying, this is what I want people all over the Roman Empire to know about Jesus. And and so it was it was like it was almost as if he was working as a ghostwriter for without being a ghost, but without, you know, being hidden. But he was writing down the words of Peter and and putting it together that way. So the, the result was that, Uh, it had apostolic endorsement.
It wasn't just, uh, that that Mark was a disciple of Peter, but that he actually was endorsed, uh, and his writings were endorsed. That makes does that make sense?
Oh, yeah, it makes a lot of sense. And the reason why I'm asking because my son, he's been going to a Catholic church, he's been going to Catholic schools, and he got a scholarship to play football at the Catholic college. So he's come back home now, he's graduated, and now he's having these, um, ideas, and he's been going to a Catholic church, but I think he's on a search because he would still listen to some of the podcasts and then send it to me and say, dad,
what you think? So I sense that he is searching even though he's, you know, kind of headstrong on going to the Catholic Church because he still referred to me. So I want to look, I want to find these information so I can present it to him without getting into an argument, it will be more of an intellectual, um. Intellectual conversation. Yeah.
You know what? There's a book by David Alan Black that I think he might enjoy, and it doesn't really address the issue of Clement or Ignatius, but it addresses how we got the four gospels and why Mark's gospel was accepted authoritatively. And so I would say, David, Alan Black, why four Gospels? Very easy to read, easy to understand. I strongly recommend it. Why four Gospels? David Alan Black. Okay, okay.
Yeah. So that should cover why like people like Clement and Ignatius know.
It covers more about why Mark was accepted not and by implication this is why Mark was accepted. And therefore we know why Ignatius and Clement were not. Uh, it shows more about why the mark was accepted. Okay.
Okay. Okay. Perfect. Well, just one small question. Um, about, um, Catholicism and indulgences, where I can find some very solid, um, information on that. Um, because I've heard, you know, I've heard about, um, you.
Know, what the best thing to do. Let's see if I can quick find it. Uh. Uh, a friend of mine has written a couple of books about this. He's, uh, adjunct professor at Moody. Uh, he's a pastor in the Chicago area, and he's a former student of mine. Uh, his name is Chris Castaldo. Uh, I want to find his books, uh, because all his books would really help with with understanding this other, uh, tradition. Uh, he's got
a book called, uh, talking with Catholics about the gospel. Uh, and then he's got another book called Holy Ground Walking with Jesus as a former Catholic. Uh, so those are a couple of books by Chris Castaldo. Uh, and that's where I would go. Uh, Castaldo. Trish can, uh, maybe post a link about that on our Facebook page. Thanks for your call, Sylvester. Really appreciate it. Uh, and we're going to take a break here. And when we come back, we're going to talk about your questions. Just give us
a call. (877) 548-3675. Uh, this is Michael Ray Dolnick. You're listening to Open Line, and we're going to come right back. We've got lots of great questions already lined up, so don't miss out. Stick with us. We're coming back at you. Welcome back to Open Line. I'm so grateful for all of you who listen regularly. You know, I often say that that we couldn't have the program unless you listened and called and sent in your questions. It makes it, uh,
possible with without it. How could we have a call in program without calls? And so I really appreciate people, but I'm always amazed that there are people who never call, but they listen every week and they're really, really committed to that. And I appreciate it so much. It's it's really remarkable the the partnership we have with our listeners. And I'm really grateful to you for it. And, uh, one of the other ways that we have a great
partnership is with our kitchen table partners. These are people who commit to give monthly to open line so we can be on the air every week answering people's questions. And, uh, we're really grateful for those monthly partners, those kitchen table partners that sit around the kitchen table with us and help, uh, by committing to the kitchen table and giving monthly. We're so grateful for you. And, uh, hoping actually, our our goal is to get to 1000 Kitchen table partners this year. That's. Wow.
I don't know if that's going to be possible, but, you know, God can raise up the people and that would be a great help to open line. And if you're listening and you think I'd like to become a kitchen table partner, the best way to do that is just go to our website, Open Line radio.org, or to call (888) 644-7122. And if you do become a kitchen table partner, we'll send you a Bible study moment every other week. It's an audio Bible study that get in the mail email,
click on it, listen to it. We're going through the covenants right now. The biblical covenants even and I, Eva and I it's kind of a fun Bible study as we go through and study them again. If you'd like to become a kitchen table partner, call (888) 644-7122 or go to open line radio.org. And we so appreciate those of you who do that and those of you who can't. But we still appreciate you. Uh, we're going to talk to Maggie in Wheaton, Illinois, listening on Wmbi. Welcome to
Open Line. So glad that you're called. How can I help you? Help you.
Good morning. Thanks for taking my call, Michael. I was talking to a coworker the other day, and she claims she can. It's basically speaking in tongues and then speaking the heavenly language and, um, having some extra portion of the Holy Spirit sounds like. And I said, when we're believers, we all have the Holy Spirit. I don't think there's different graduation, different levels. And also, I believe when there is a speaking in tongues biblically, there needs to be
a translator. I'm just really interested in this heavenly language because he didn't give me any verses to support that. But according to her and her pastors, there is such a thing as praying in heavenly language. Um, sure. So one take is on that.
So see if I can do this kind of quickly. Uh, Romans eight nine says, if we don't have the Spirit of Messiah, the Spirit of Christ, that's the Holy Spirit, we don't belong to him. In other words, every person who belongs to him fully has the Holy Spirit. And you say, well, maybe you can have more. But it says, it goes on to say in this same passage, uh, in verse 11, and if the spirit of him who
raised Jesus from the dead lives in you. In other words, if the the Holy Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead, if we have that much power, then he who raised Christ from the dead will also bring your mortal bodies to life through His Spirit who lives in you. In other words, we have the power that raised Jesus from the dead living within us. I don't think we need
more power. I think that's sufficient. Uh uh, the the problem is that the word tongues or glossa in the New Testament appears to be just another word for language. Like if we said men of every tongue, we don't mean some sort of heavenly language. We just mean language. Right? That's that's how it's it's used. If you look at acts two, the people who are there from all over the world, they heard them speaking in tongues. What did they hear? They heard them speaking in the languages that
they knew, their actual real languages. The problem is with the modern movement that began about 100 and some years ago of speaking in tongues. Again, they when linguists studied it, they didn't sound like real languages. They can't find any pattern of real language or structure of a real language.
It sounds like gibberish. So the result is that people went to first Corinthians 13 where it says, if I speak with the tongues of men or of angels, and they say of that verse, well, that means that there's a special angel speak angel language, heavenly language that's different and not categorized by earthly language structure. So that's where the idea of a heavenly language comes from. Although that's
just hyperbole, exaggeration. It's a literary device. Paul says in Galatians one, for example, if, uh, if I come to you with another gospel, or even an angel from heaven comes to you with another gospel, let him be anathema. Now, Paul's not going to come with another gospel, and an angel from heaven isn't going to come with another gospel. What is he doing there? He's using exaggeration hyperbole to make his case in the same way that he talks about.
If I could speak in any language in the universe, any more than men or angels, any language you can think of, uh, but don't have love. And so I don't think there's any kind of, uh, heavenly language that we can't comprehend. Uh, I think that the word tongue in the Bible just means language, and it's a real language. And the gift of tongues in the first century that we see in acts two, for example, was the ability to speak in a language that one had not learned.
It was a supernatural gift of God. And you're right. Uh, in first Corinthians 12 and 14, particularly chapter 14, it emphasizes that if you're going to speak in one of in this spiritual gift of of tongues, there must be a translation. It's we can't say amen to someone praying in a language that we don't understand. So it's really important that we have translation. Does that help at all? Maggie.
Yeah, that's that's great. And I think she made it sound like that. God requires that of us to have that, to speak to him. We need to be able to. And I really don't feel that. That's right.
Well, you know, it's where it talks about tongues in first Corinthians 14, it ends up by saying, uh, uh, it has all this list of gifts and it says, uh, are all apostles. And the answer according to the Greek grammar, the Greek grammar demands a no answer. Are all prophets no. Or all teachers? No. Do all speak? It goes on to say in verse 30. First Corinthians 1430, do all
speak in other languages or in tongues? And the answer is no. So it's a mistaken idea that we have to love and be careful to not repudiate people who may have this mistaken idea. It's a mistaken idea, but what we want to do is love them and encourage them and tell them that it's really important that we speak to God in a language that we understand as well. So okay.
Thank you so much. It really helps. Thank you. Yeah.
Great. Thanks for your call, Maggie. Uh, we're going to talk with Lori in Palatine, Illinois, listening on Wmbi. Welcome to Open Line. How can I help you?
Thank you. Doctor, I am a great fan of yours. And I have a question about the Nicene Creed. Uh, ah. I'm very hyper aware of how people or institutions change the language of things to try to get false doctrine going. And our church has started to use the Nicene Creed in a different way, where it says instead of I believe in one God or I believe in one Lord.
They are saying we believe like a collective and then they have changed, um, where it says who for us men and for our salvation, came down from heaven and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the Virgin Mary and became man. Well, they have taken men out of there. So it just says for us and for our salvation he came down from heaven, was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary, and became truly human. So
they're trying to take out the word man. So I don't know if at some point the Nicene Creed was ever changed. Is there can you be more liberal with these words or.
I mean, well, first of all, I've I've said the nice. Let me just say the Nicene Creed has changed over the years. If you look at the history of the Nicene Creed, one of the earliest forms of the Nicene Creed doesn't have the the phrase about descended to hell. You know, the passage that you read about that the Lord Jesus died descended to hell. Yes, that that's not in the earliest, uh, Nicene Creeds, just so you know. So it does change over the years. Uh, it does.
Change.
You learned that from me. Is that what you said? Yeah, yeah. So it does change. And the second thing I would say is the Nicene Creed is not Scripture, and so it can be adapted I think. So I to we is not a big deal. It's a collective saying we we believe this. And I think when it was translated earlier, the word man was used in the sense of human. It was a generic term. It didn't just mean male, it just meant he became a human. That's the idea.
And so I totally understand why they're if they want to update the nuance, it's that that and I still say he's the God man, you know? But the idea is when we talk about the Lord Jesus being the God man is that he's fully human and fully God. So, yeah, I wouldn't worry about it too much. Lori, I think they're they're just trying to make the Nicene Creed understandable for people today. And I think it's they're doing a pretty good job. So anyway, we're going to come right
back with the mailbag. So don't go away. This is open line.
With Michael Zelnick.
Welcome back to Open Line. So glad that you're listening. Uh, you know, you can always call with your question (877) 548-3675. Or you can send them in. Uh, one of the great ways we're going to do a mailbag question, uh, mailbag program in the next couple of weeks for the Labor Day weekend. And so what you do is go to Openline radio.org. There's a link there that says Ask Michael a question. Click on that and your question is posted.
And Trish puts it in the mailbag. We're going to do our best to get to all those mailbag questions on August 31st. So that's coming up. Be ready for that. Uh, again you can call (877) 548-3675 with your question right now. But joining us right now for the Febc mailbag is to hear Haynes and Tricia McMillan. So glad that they're here. You know, Febc partners with Moody to bring you Open Line. We're really grateful for Febc. Org. Uh, that's far Eastern
Broadcasting Company. They do great work in reaching people through media all across the globe, and they have people who are there to follow up and and touch people, person to person, not just through audio or media. It's a wonderful ministry, and I'd really recommend check out because that's their website and there's a link there to their podcast called Until All Have Heard. You can learn more about that there. And we're going to be joined right now
by Tricia McMillan. And to hear Haynes, you got your mailbag going there. How how heavy is it? You need two people to bring it in now? Yeah, it's very heavy.
Yeah. Many questions. Two of us. Yeah. Our first question, our first question is from Gary in Tennessee. Listens to Wmw. Joshua 1116 says, so Joshua took all this land, the hill country, all the Negev, all the land of Goshen, the foothills, the Arabah, and the hill country of Israel, with its foothills from Mount Halak, which ascends to Seir. I shouldn't have tried to read all this as far as Baal god and the valley of Lebanon at the foot of Mount Hermon, he captured all their kings and
struck them down, putting them to death. Is this so there's kind of two questions. Is this the same Goshen where Pharaoh settled Jacob, and then from whom did Joshua take Goshen? It says Kings. But who were these kings?
Well, no, it's not it's not Goshen in Egypt, okay. It's it's it's an area, uh, in Israel, current.
Present day Israel. Yeah. Okay.
Uh, and, uh, secondly, uh, when Joshua was involved in the conquest, each little town, each little city state, that's what they were, were city states. So Jericho, for example, had a king. Okay. And, uh, all the different, uh, towns had kings, and they were more like a governor or even better, a mayor of that city. But they were independent. There was no one king over them all. They were all independent city states. Okay, so those are the kings that it's talking about.
Okay.
They they weren't they weren't like emperors or, or kings that united a whole nation. Okay. Occasionally there'd be one of those kings that would have, uh, uh, more influence than the others. I'm looking up, uh, trying to remember who it was in Judges chapter four. Uh, uh, it says that Jabin was the king of Canaan. And so all the kings of the city states were sort of responsible to him. And, uh, uh, so although there were still city states that sometimes one king became dominant about
over them all. And that's what. What happened there? Uh, in judges four. So, you know, it's generally speaking, city. States. But uh, instead, uh, they can come like, uh, Jabin was in a town called Hatzor. Or Hazor.
Thank you.
Hatzor. And in Hatzor, he was the king over that city state. But because of his power, because he had chariots, he had influence over the whole area. And the other kings were sort of vassals to him, the other city states. Okay.
But in this particular situation, when Josh was going through the land and they're conquering and taking the promised land, they're just they were not like that. They were just little standalone city states where there just would have been like the governor over that little area. And so they would take that. Okay. Okay. All right. Thank you for that question, Gary. Our next question do you want to ask?
Yes. The next question is from Catherine in Alabama. She listens through WFMT. What is the remnant of Israel mentioned so many times in the Old Testament?
The word remnant in Hebrew, uh, is a small part of the whole. That's what it is. And of course, the nation of Israel chosen by God. All beneficiaries of the Abrahamic covenant. One of the things that you see is only a small part of the whole remained faithful. This is always how it is faithful. Uh uh. They need to be. They were to be faithful to the God of Israel. But the whole nation was supposed to be.
But of course, you know, you can see in the story of Elijah and and the prophets of Baal, that Elijah thought he was the only one left that was faithful to the God of Israel. And of course, in Romans 11 it talks about that story, and it says that there were 7000. You can read it in the Old Testament in First Kings 18 and 19, second Kings 18 and 19, I believe it is. Uh, I'm getting my kings confused. But anyway, the point is, uh, they they were uh, uh, there were 7000 who didn't bow
the knee to Baal. And so they were the remnant of Israel. And even today, Jewish followers of Jesus, according to Romans 11, are a remnant chosen according to God's gracious choice. And so the idea is that, uh, they're still a remnant today, a remnant of Israel. That's the faithful remnant, the Jewish believers today. So since I am Jewish, I am part of the remnant of Israel on the one hand. So there's all Israel, and I'm part of the remnant, the faithful remnant. And then, of course, there's
I'm part of the church. So I have a foot in Israel and a foot in the church. So that's it. So yeah, that's that's the idea. And its first Kings 18 and 19 that you have the whole story of Elijah, first Kings 18. Okay.
Thank you so much for that. Thank you.
All right. Our next question is from Joanne in Illinois listens to WNBA. What is the criteria for the canon of Scripture? Also, she loves Open Line. And whenever you're on with her with other programs like Carl and crew and and Janet Parshall and Chris Fabry with the other Michael. So good.
Good. You know what people usually say they really like Open Line when Eve is on. That's what they usually say. Not Joanne likes you. Yeah, yeah. It's like whenever Eve is on, it's like, oh, can't you have your wife on all the time? Because she really is the good one. And I agree.
We do love having Eva on.
Yeah, yeah. If I could only convince her to come on every week. But so, so far, I'm not succeeding. Uh, but she does listen every week, and and she can send me text messages with the answers, which she does. So. Okay. Uh, uh.
The criteria for the canon. Yeah.
The criteria for the canon. Well, this is going to sound simplistic or even circular, but I'm going to say that the books that were chosen to be in the canon were the ones that were inspired. So often we think that they were declared inspired because they were put in the canon. It's the opposite, because they were recognized as inspired. They were placed in the canon. So. So, for example, we have prophets like Elijah and Elisha. They I'm sure they wrote things, but none of the things
that they wrote ended up in the canon, right? Yeah. So just because a prophet wrote it didn't mean it went in the canon. We have the Apostle Paul. Other people say in the New Testament the test is apostolicity is it? Does it come from an apostle? But the Apostle Paul writes about two letters he wrote to the
Corinthians that didn't end up in the canon. Right? So if we found a grocery list that, you know, somehow it's got signed by Paul and, you know, he's going to the Safeway and, and it's, uh, we know that he actually wrote it wouldn't mean that it's in the canon because it's not inspired. So who wrote it isn't as important as the Holy Spirit working through superintending that
person to write holy or inspired scripture. What happened is when scriptures were written, they were immediately recognized as the Word of God, as inspired and placed within the canon. Now there are characteristics. They were uh, obviously it was more likely if a book written by an apostle or a prophet, that that would be the word that was recognized as inspired scripture because God spoke through apostles. God spoke through, uh, wrote through, uh, prophet through prophets and,
and people like that. But the test was inspiration and reception then by the people of God immediately as the word of God. That's what it was. It was reception by the people of God as the Word of God. So people say, well, why wasn't Ignatius accepted? Wasn't accepted as the Word of God by the people of God? Uh, they just didn't see it as having the marks of inspiration. So I would say that it's inspired text. That was the test of canonicity. It sounds circular, but that's what
I think. It was immediately received as the word of God.
Okay, okay. Thank you.
Yeah. Well let's see. Uh, do we have time for one more? No, I think yeah, I think what? We'll take a break here. All right. But by the way, I do want to, uh, recommend a book. It's called From God to Us. It was written by Norman Geisler and William Nix, and it's available in the Moody Publishers catalog. And it's, you know, isn't it true, Tricia? I always like old books. This book.
It is true.
Uh, because, you know, we keep trying to update things and make them much better. But, you know, they they this is a really standard textbook, easy to understand on how we got the Bible from God to us and easy to understand. And I really strongly recommend it. Uh, I studied that book when I was in college, and then I went to graduate school. And who did I have for my very first course in the doctrine of the Bible?
Norm Geisler.
Norm Geisler. Yeah, as we called him back then. He's with the Lord now, Stormin Norman Geisler. And, uh, he was a really great prof. And and I was so glad I had read that book, because then I understood what he was saying in class. Yeah, I'll put a.
Link to that on Facebook, too, for.
That. From God to us. Great book. So okay, we're going to take a break here. All right. And when we come back, we'll be going back and talking about your questions. You those of you who are calling in, we'll do phone calls. (877) 548-3675. That was Tricia McMillan to hear. Haynes. We'll be right back with more of your questions in just a moment. This is Open Line.
With Michael Reidel 19.
Welcome back to Open Line. You know, since the very first week we were on the air. Chosen People Ministries has partnered with Moody Radio to bring you Open Line. And I'm so grateful for their faithfulness. And they always offer our people a free gift every month. And this month's gift is very special. It is the Messianic Jewish
art calendar. It's all about God's faithfulness to Israel, how throughout Jewish history, God has remained faithful to his people and preserved and protected them even through the Holocaust, even through ten seven. It is a it's a really important lesson that we've learned about the covenant keeping God. He is faithful. And if you'd like a free chosen people ministries, Messianic Jewish art calendar, all you have to do is go to our website openline. radio.org. It's a beautiful calendar.
I think you'll really like it. Uh, go to openline radio.org. Scroll down till you see the link that says A free gift from Chosen People Ministries. Click on that. It'll take you to a page where you can get your sign up for a free Chosen People Messianic Jewish art catalog.
Another thing that you'll find when you go to the website, and this is sort of related to the idea of God's faithfulness and chosen People partnering Chosen People Ministries and Moody Bible Institute are partnering to present a one day conference. It's called The Summit Opposing anti-Semitism. There's a banner about it at our website, openline. radio.org. It's November 9th at Torrey Gray Auditorium in Chicago at Moody Bible Institute, and it's going to be a very important day with the
eruption of anti-Semitism once again all over the world. The oldest hatred is just shaking its ugly head out there. Again. We're going to talk about what does the Bible say about opposing anti-Semitism and, and try and, uh, mobilize the church, uh, mobilize believers to stand with God's people, Israel and the Jewish people all over the globe in opposing this, this satanic hatred of the Jewish people. So check out, uh, The Summit Opposing anti-Semitism in Chicago, November 9th, 2024. It's
on our website, Openline radio.org. There's the link. You can learn all about it. Well, we're going to talk to Denise right now in Ohio, listening on Wtxf. Welcome to Open Line, Denise. How can I help you today?
Good.
Good morning, Doctor Dolnick. I just want to say I listen to you almost every Saturday in the morning, and I really like your answers.
My question, thank you.
Is. Um, yes. My husband and I sometimes disagree on some explanation for, um, some, uh, some stuff that is in the Bible. This one is, um, him and I, we've been arguing since yesterday, he said. He said when Jesus said, carry your cross and follow me. What does it mean? My husband said, your cross is your faith. And I thought, our cross is the trials that we go through in life. What do you think?
I mean.
We're not going to fight. We're going to agree, okay?
Don't fight. That's good. Good. Denise. Okay. So in the first century, when Rome had someone they considered a rebel, they would then crucify that person, right? That's. And as you see in the gospel accounts of the crucifixion of Jesus, the Romans made people they were going to crucify, carry. They made them carry the cross to the crucifixion. And the reason the Romans did that is is well known was to say you are a rebel, but we are making you submit. And they would force people to submit.
And so to carry one's cross became an idiom for submission. And so when the Lord Jesus says that you're to take up your cross and follow him, it all it's saying is you are to submit to me and follow me wherever I lead you. That's what it means. It's referring to our submission to the Lord Jesus. Okay.
Thank you. Thank you. That's so wonderful.
Thank you. Good.
Okay. Thank you so much. Thanks for your question. Appreciate it. Denise. Uh, we're going to speak with Roland in Chicago, listening on Wmbi. Welcome to Open Line, Roland. How can I help you today?
Thank you. Just one. One comment. I've been listening to Open Line on and off since about 1971 anyway.
Um, I wasn't on then. That was, uh, that was Don Cole back then, right?
Yes. Yeah. Uh, I first Peter one one. Um, I want to know the use of the word elect to those who are elect exiles of the dispersion and any list of cities that they were. Um. Mhm.
Who do you think they are?
Um, first of all, I don't know if there's a common between, um, elect and exile. Uh, if that's exile, uh, indicating that there are special people that are, uh, in those cities. Um, and its dispersion or whether who are elect and they are exiles in the dispersion of uh, and Fox Glacier. Um, okay. That is.
Okay. So the word elect means chosen. I really like that my Bible doesn't use the word elect. It uses the word chosen in the hcsb. It says to the temporary residence dispersed. And the word dispersed is a technical term. It even has a footnote in my Bible. It says Jewish people scattered throughout Gentile lands who spoke Greek and were influenced by Greek culture. Uh, it's the diaspora, Jewish
people who are in the diaspora, the dispersion. So he's talking about temporary residence, Jewish people in the cities Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, Bithynia. Then it says, chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father and set apart by the spirit for obedience and for sprinkling with the blood of. For sprinkling with
the blood of Jesus the Messiah. So when it talks about being chosen, I don't think he's only talking about them being from the chosen people, but I think he's also talking about them being chosen by God to be followers of Jesus. Twice chosen, so to speak, Jewish believers in Jesus. Uh. Hope that helps. That's the program for the week. Can't believe it's over already. Fastest two hours of the week. Thanks, Tricia and Ryan and Tara. And
to tiara for making open line possible. Thanks for all of you who make it possible by calling or writing in. Really appreciate you. Keep in touch with us by checking out our website, Open Line radio.org. It's got all the links you're looking for right there, including how to become a kitchen table partner or get our current resource. Keep reading the Bible. We'll talk about it next week. Open line with Doctor Michael Melnick is a production of Moody Radio,
a ministry of Moody Bible Institute. See you next week.