Gary concludes his interview with Chris Arnzen on "Iron Sharpens Iron." Gary answers a question about 1 Thessalonians 4 and encourages Christians to be educated beyond "buzz words" that tend to shut down discussion, words like "Calvinism," "Arminianism," "Postmillennialism," "Hyper-Preterism," etc.
In this first part of two, Gary is interviewed by Chris Arnzen on the "Iron Sharpens Iron" radio program about biblical understanding and denominational traditions. Many modern Christians seem to believe only what they have heard, but rarely know what the Bible itself says. Gary points out that asking questions can be useful in getting people to think outside their traditions.
Political battles around the country are focusing on schools, the Bible, and prayer. Critics want the Bible and prayer removed from schools, yet also want other things added. Everyone has an agenda and seek to impose their view of the world on others. There is no neutrality.
Gary briefly discusses the four major interpretive approaches to the book of Revelation. Futurism, Historicism, Idealism, and Preterism have all been promoted—to greater and lesser degrees—throughout church history. What others have believed in the past should not determine how the Bible should be understood, but what the Bible itself actually says.
Gary begins a short lesson on the four views of the book of Revelation. He begins with the most popular: futurism. The vast majority of futurists are premillennial and dispensational as well. A recurring problem with this view is that the dependent pieces of the system are simply not found in the Bible; they're just not there.
Gary discusses recent news articles and events that have been flushed by the liberal media because they don't fit the narrative. It's not just a right-wing conspiracy anymore. The divide and the lack of objectivity in the mainstream media is becoming impossible to ignore... in their own words.
Gary begins to discuss the book of Revelation and points out important details that most modern Christians dismiss. Although the Bible is written FOR us, it wasn't written TO us. The vast majority of the New Testament is recording historical events and their significance. These past events still have great importance and meaning, especially for vindicating Jesus' authoritative claims about His identity.
Hermeneutics is the art and practice of interpretation. We use hermeneutics every day whether we realize it or not. We interpret not only the words people say, but how they say them and in what context. Understanding the Bible requires the same carefulness and deliberateness that we apply to the words and actions we encounter and interpret in our everyday lives.
Gary discusses a recent article written by Scott Lively on WorldNetDaily. In the article, Lively bolsters his political views about the Biden presidency by speculating about Russia, Ukraine, and sensational interpretations of Bible prophecy. Gary points out that Lively's political arguments can stand on their own and don't need—and aren't helped by—appealing to dispensational "end times" prophetic scenarios. Read the article here ....
God created the world and established its boundaries and rules for living in every area of life. The justice system we have today was at some time largely based on biblical law. The laws that are being overturned today for the most part are laws that Christians spent centuries implementing. The Christian worldview is comprehensive and speaks to every topic. It is as true and authoritative today as it was thousands of years ago.
Gary discusses 2 Timothy 3 and the full meaning of Paul's letter. Just as Jannes and Jambres are historical footnotes and the Church continues to exist, so shall today's enemies of the Gospel come to be forgotten and inconsequential. This is Part One of Two.
Gary summarizes more than a dozen common misunderstandings from his book, Myths, Lies, and Half-Truths . Christians and churches are often paralyzed into inactivity in political and cultural battles because they believe the Bible tells them not to be involved. God expects His people to bring truth to bear on every topic and activity in His world. Sin effects every area of life and needs the revelation of biblical truth....
Gary discusses Acts 16, where Paul appeals to his Roman citizenship to further his Gospel ministry. Being a Christian has real-world implications and we must be aware of these in order to be prepared in every situation. Gary wrote a book called Myths, Lies, and Half-Truths to combat the many excuses that Christians use to NOT be involved in modern controversies. In this first part of his talk, Gary begins defusing these excuses.
Gary answers questions from audience members about the Christian worldview. He begins by briefly discussing an article written in the Yale Law Review in 1979 by Arthur Leff. In the article, Leff laments the fact that his atheism can't account for moral absolutes. Leff puts his own anti-theistic beliefs to the test and this is exactly what Christians need to do when questioned about their own beliefs. NOTE: The electronic interference continues in parts of this talk
A materialistic worldview has limits. Matter isn't and can't be all that matters. Evolutionists and materialists will rarely admit to this intellectual, ethical, and moral failing in their assumptions, so in this talk, Gary points out the problems for them. NOTE: There is electronic interference in parts of the talk
Gary continues his talk on the Christian worldview. He discusses the concept of "borrowed capital," or how non-Christians steal morality and ethics from Christians in order to argue against them. Only Christianity provides the moral and ethical foundation for life; an evolutionary worldview can provide only an "everyone for themselves" approach to life. There is no love, equality, family, or compassion in a random chance world.
The Gospel of Jesus was "a stumbling block to the Jews and foolishness to the Gentiles" (1 Corinthians 1:23). Despite being in the cultural minority, the early church "turned the world upside down" (Acts 17:6). Gary discusses the Christian worldview, how we got where we are today, and how we get back to being world-changers.
Gary answers a listener question regarding Matthew 24:29-31. Did stars fall from the sky and did the angels gather the elect in AD 70? If so, how? When interpreting Scripture, we must not let the events change the time. If a particular event doesn't meet our expectations, we need to ask why according to the rest of the Bible, not our assumptions. The time texts constrain the events to a particular timeframe. "This generation," "immediately," "right at the door," and other phrases indicate the ti...
A new series of video podcasts are available from Darren Doane featuring much unused footage from the film, Collision . Doug Wilson and Christopher Hitchens debated the question "Is Christianity Good for the World" and the two keep it very entertaining (and educational) for the audience. Darren decided to begin releasing this behind the scenes footage as a video series, and the first season is now available. Gary discusses Collision , the lead up to the event, and these new videos on today's pod...
Gary completes his lessons on Mark 13. The audience and time context of the Olivet Discourse must not be ignored. The events described were set in a first century context and involve first century technologies. The cosmic language is describing judgment, just as cosmic language described judgment in the Old Testament.
In the second part of his lesson on Mark 13, Gary discusses the text of Mark 13 and Matthew 24 and compares them to events in the book of Acts. Everything Jesus said would happen in the Olivet Discourse did happen just as He said it would in the lead-up and the destruction of the temple in the first century.
Bernie Sanders is back in the news, this time decrying the super-yacht industry. Once again, his answer is to tax the rich even more. Forgetting all of the economic and employment advantages the luxury industry creates, Sanders relies on envy and emotion to make his socialistic claims of inequality. These rich and powerful philosopher kings living in gated communities and lavish homes have no idea what it actually takes to start and run a business.
Gary continues his first talk on Mark 13. If the events spoken of by Jesus in the Olivet Discourse (Mark 13, Matthew 24, Luke 21) have been fulfilled, does that mean they have no relevance to today? Does fulfilled prophecy have any significance after it has been fulfilled?
In this first part of a lesson Gary gave on Mark 13, he discusses the hermeneutics (the method of interpreting) of Bible prophecy. Too often, the Bible's plain language is said to mean something else and events spoken of as ancient events are said to point to modern events. This is not how we interpret and understand the Bible.
Gary answers a listener question about the manuscript differences on Revelation 13 and the "number of the beast." Why does it appear as 616 in some and 666 in others? Does this refer to Nero Caesar, or is it some other cryptic message about someone in our present or future?
Gary is interviewed by his friend Jerry Bowyer on his own podcast, Meeting of Minds. Jerry and Gary discuss presuppositional apologetics and Dr. Greg Bahnsen and the trio of his books recently published by American Vision. These three books are foundational to understanding the necessity of the Christian worldview. Logic and reason have no basis without first assuming the God of the Bible, His truth, and His moral declarations and definitions of reality. Get the Bahnsen Trilogy here: https://sto...
In this final part of his response to the Michael Brown debate, Gary discusses Jesus' parable of the wheat and the tares in Matthew 13. Who persecuted Jesus’ disciples in the book of Acts? Mostly the religious leaders. The Jews either did it directly or made false political charges like what the Jewish religious leaders did to Jesus to get Rome to execute Him.
What age or time-period was about to come to an end when Jesus’ disciples asked about "the end of the age" in Matthew 24:3? The end of the old covenant age was on the horizon with the ministry of Jesus. He was the ultimate temple (John 2:19), sacrifice (1:29), and mediator between God and men (1 Tim. 2:5). The physical temple was no longer needed. It was designed to be a placeholder for the True Temple.
This is the second part of Gary’s response to the online debate he had with Dr. Michael Brown about Matthew 24. What did Jesus mean when He said “This generation shall not pass away until all these things take place”? Futurists like Dr. Brown reinterpret this simple statement to basically mean “that generation,” meaning a generation far in the future from the one to whom Jesus was speaking in the first century. But this reinterpretation is fraught with problems and inconsistencies, as Gary point...
Gary recently debated Dr. Michael Brown online about Matthew 24. Since not every issue and point can be fully addressed in an hour-long debate, Gary decided to record several follow-up podcasts about the debate in general, and Matthew 24 specifically. In this first one, Gary discusses the "great tribulation" in Matthew 24:21. Was the destruction of AD70 Israel's greatest tribulation or does it need to be repeated with even worse consequences? You can watch the debate here: https://www.youtube.co...
