Author Archives: John Samson

The entire Bible is inspired, starting with Genesis

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God being absolute Truth, never lies and is incapable of lying. The Bible alone is the word of God. These twin truths have massive implications. Of all the books ever written, only the Bible is the breathed-out word of Almighty God. More than that, the entire Bible is the inspired, inerrant, infallible word of God, from the very first word in Genesis to the very last word in Revelation. Therefore, Genesis 1-11 is just as inspired as any other portion of Scripture. What we read about Creation (in six literal 24 hour days), man’s origins, his subsequent Fall in the garden, the worldwide Flood in Noah’s day and the dispersion of people and language groups at the Tower of Babel, reference true, historical events.

In light of this, I was encouraged today to read the updated Answers in Genesis statement of faith, both for its clarity and its commitment to Scripture.

https://answersingenesis.org/about/faith/

Weekly Communion

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Uriesou Brito, Senior Pastor at Providence Church (CREC) in Pensacola, FL writes:

Evangelicals like myself rooted in the Reformation came very late to the beauty of weekly communion. I was a sophomore in college before I realized that the vast stream of the Protestant tradition celebrated communion weekly. For most of my life, I assumed the table was reserved for special occasions like Easter or Christmas. In fact, I attended a Brethren congregation that did communion once a year. But as I broadened my theological interests, I understood the Supper’s function in the liturgy and in the theology of the church and it became unbearable to contemplate the absence of it during a worship service.Historically, our Reformed forefathers—including Luther and Calvin—desired communion to be weekly. In fact, the early centuries of the Church and the majority of Protestant Churches in the 16th century practiced weekly communion. It was only in the 19th century, and in particular, during the Prohibitionist movement, that weekly communion became mostly obsolete. Therefore, the infrequent practice of communion is rather new in the church. Now, this does not mean it’s wrong, but it should raise questions.

The Didache, one of the earliest records of the church after the Bible says the following: “On the Lord’s own day gather together and break bread and give thanks, having first confessed your sins so that your sacrifice may be pure.”

The Church believed that in celebrating the sacraments weekly we become a purer people. This is not because there is something magical in the bread and wine, but because God uses these means to communicate his presence and strength to us. Additionally, the Early Church believed that the Lord’s Supper made us a more thankful people. We don’t often associate communion with thankfulness, but the very term “Eucharist” is not some invention of men. It is the word Paul uses to refer to the Lord’s Supper. The word means “thanksgiving.” The Lord’s Supper is a Thanksgiving meal; a Eucharistic meal.

The Bible makes a clear case that every time the people of God gathered for worship, the Lord’s Supper was a regular part of that gathering. Acts 2:42 says: “And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.”

There is a definite article before bread, making the text read “the breaking of the bread” (τοῦ ἄρτου). This is not a generic reference to a household meal, but it is in reference to a particular kind of bread, the eucharistic bread used at the Lord’s Table. Acts 20:7 says: “And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of the bread and the prayers.”

Again, when the Early Church met, they always had the Lord’s Supper. In a time when persecution was rampant, the people needed to be comforted by and give thanks to God as they ate together with God’s people in worship. I had mentioned earlier that the Early Church up to the first thousand years and later the Reformation, firmly believed in weekly communion. But there came a time when the Church abandoned this practice. In fact, as Keith Mathison observes in his book “Given For You,” infrequent communion practice became the practice of the Roman Catholic Church in the 13th century and continued until the Reformation period. In those days, members could only partake of the sacraments once a year. It was against this background that “such men as John Calvin and Martin Bucer called for a return to the Apostolic Christian practice of weekly communion.”

We might say that part of the motive of the Reformation was to undo the Church’s practice of infrequent communion and return to the Early Church practice of weekly communion. Calvin writes in response to the common practices of the day: “The Lord’s Table should have been spread at least once a week for the assembly of Christians, and the promises declared in it should feed us spiritually.” Note Calvin’s use of the phrase “at least,” implying that there were other special occasions when the Supper was crucial in the formation of Church life besides the ordinariness of its practice on Sundays.

As Professor Michael Horton once observed, “Your view of the nature of the Lord’s Supper will determine the importance of it in the worship service.” It should come as no surprise then, that those who view the Lord’s Supper primarily as a matter of subjective mental recollection would see no need to celebrate it frequently. But when we begin to view the Lord’s Supper as a meal of joy and a means of grace to sustain and nourish us, then we quickly begin to expect each Lord’s Day to conclude with a meal just as our day ends with Supper. The Lord’s Supper is not a religious add-on to the regular worship service, it is an integral meal prepared for those who are called to minister to the world. The meal is a preparation for our tasks during the week.

The Word Of The Cross

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I had the privilege of preaching at Apologia Church on Sunday.

Passage: 1 Cor 1:18-2:5

The execution of an itinerant Jewish teacher on a Roman cross on a hill just outside Jerusalem in first century Palestine was the most important event in human history.

Really? THE most important? Doesn’t that sound just a little outlandish?… just a little “out there”?

Paul knew that what he had to preach would be considered an impossible hurdle for those with a Jewish background, and totally foolish to non-Jews. Yet he preached the message of the cross anyway, knowing only “the called” (among Jews and Gentiles) would see any value whatsoever in his message. In the cross of Christ, the very wisdom and power of God is put on display.

There’s A Road From Here To Jesus Christ

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“I believe that those sermons which are fullest of Christ are the most likely to be blessed to the conversion of the hearers. Let your sermons be full of Christ, from beginning to end crammed full of the gospel. As for myself, brethren, I cannot preach anything else but Christ and His cross, for I know nothing else, and long ago, like the apostle Paul, I determined not to know anything else save Jesus Christ and Him crucified. People have often asked me, “What is the secret of your success?” I always answer that I have no other secret but this, that I have preached the gospel,—not about the gospel, but the gospel,—the full, free, glorious gospel of the living Christ who is the incarnation of the good news. Preach Jesus Christ, brethren, always and everywhere; and every time you preach be sure to have much of Jesus Christ in the sermon.

You remember the story of the old minister who heard a sermon by a young man, and when he was asked by the preacher what he thought of it he was rather slow to answer, but at last he said, “If I must tell you, I did not like it at all; there was no Christ in your sermon.” “No,” answered the young man, “because I did not see that Christ was in the text.” “Oh!” said the old minister, “but do you not know that from every little town and village and tiny hamlet in England there is a road leading to London? Whenever I get hold of a text, I say to myself, ‘There is a road from here to Jesus Christ, and I mean to keep on His track till I get to Him.’” “Well,” said the young man, “but suppose you are preaching from a text that says nothing about Christ?” “Then I will go over hedge and ditch but what I will get at Him.” So must we do, brethren; we must have Christ in all our discourses, whatever else is in or not in them. There ought to be enough of the gospel in every sermon to save a soul. Take care that it is so when you are called to preach before Her Majesty the Queen, and if you have to preach to charwomen or chairmen, still always take care that there is the real gospel in every sermon.”

-CH Spurgeon, The Soul Winner.

The Book of Revelation & The Process Of Canonicity

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This article is by Michael J. Kruger, entitled “The Book of Revelation: How Difficult Was Its Journey into the Canon?” (original source – https://www.michaeljkruger.com/the-book-of-revelation-how-difficult-was-its-journey-into-the-canon/)

The story of the New Testament canon is a fascinating one, with many twists and turns.  There are books that were accepted very quickly, almost from the start (e.g., the four gospels), and there are other books that struggled to find a home (e.g., 2 Peter).

And then there is the book of Revelation. 

Few today would contest the claim that the book of Revelation stands as one of the most controversial, complicated, and esoteric books in the New Testament canon.  Perhaps it should come as no surprise, then, that its reception by the early church was equally complicated and controversial.

But, the story of the book of Revelation is not what one might expect. Other debated books tended to have a lukewarm reception at the earliest stages, only to gain more and more acceptance over time. Revelation, on the other hand, had nearly the opposite experience; it had a very early and positive reception in many parts of the church, only to run into serious challenges at a later point.

Lately, I have been doing a good bit of research on Revelation’s canonical history in preparation for writing an academic piece on the subject.  Here are a few highlights about Revelation’s journey:

1. Revelation’s early reception was Outstanding.  Perhaps as much as any other NT book, we have evidence for an early, widespread, and consistent reception of Revelation.  Our evidence goes back as early as Papias (c.125) and also includes Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, the Muratorian Fragment, Hippolytus, Clement of Alexandria, Tertullian, and Origen.  That is an impressive list.

In addition, it is worth noting that almost every one of these church fathers accepted the book of Revelation on the same grounds, namely the belief that the apostle John, the son of Zebedee was the author.

B.W. Bacon was so impressed with Revelation’s initial reception that he was able to say, “There is no book in the entire New Testament whose external attestation can compare with that of Revelation, in nearness, clearness, definiteness, and positiveness of statement” (The Making of the New Testament, 190).

2. Objections to Revelation were later and limited.  Our first evidence of any real objection to the book of Revelation comes from the person of Gaius in the early third century who rejects the book on the grounds that it was a forgery of the heretic Cerinthus.  Curiously, this is really the only specific objection were hear about from someone who rejected the book (most scholars agree that the so-called “Alogoi” mentioned later by Epiphanius is not a real group).

Dionysius of Alexandria, in the late third century, makes the argument that Revelation was written by another John besides the apostle. Eusebius appears to agree with him. But, it is worth noting that Dionysius does not reject the book on these grounds (despite the impression many give that he did), but still regards it as holy and inspired.

3. Objections to Revelation were Not Driven by Historical Matters.  As we noted above, the main (and to some extent, the only) person who offered specific objections to Revelation in the early church was Gaius who believed it was a forgery of Cerinthus. But, what led him to this conclusion?  It was not the historical merits of the book, but rather Gaius’ objection to chiliasm (the belief in a literal millennial reign of Christ).

Gaius opposed the chilastic teachings in the church, particularly the chiliasm he attributed to Cerinthus.  There is little doubt that the reference to a millennium in Revelation 20 led Gaius to erroneously presume that Revelation was a product of Cerinthus’ pen.

4. Objections to Revelation Were Eventually Resolved.  Even though Gaius is pretty much alone in his specific objections to Revelation, apparently it did have a negative affect in some quarters of the church.  Particularly in the East, there was a resurgence of doubt about the book in the fourth century and later.

However, there were also many who supported the book. It was affirmed by the synods of Hippo (c.393) and Carthage (c.397).  It was also received by Philastrius of Brescia (c.385), Rufinus of Aquileia (c.404), Jerome (c.414), and Augustine (c.426).  And the reason why these groups accepted the book was simple: it was an ancient book quoted by the early church fathers as authoritative. And for this reason, eventually their view prevailed.

In the end, the problematic canonical journey of Revelation reminds us that the development of the NT canon was not always a smooth, pristine affair.  However, it also remains that in the case of Revelation, the problems had little do with the historical merits of the book itself, but rather with the particular theological peccadillos of some in the early church.  When the actual history of the book is understood, its canonical status stands in little doubt.

Testimony: Converted to Christ (out of the RLDS)

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I was thrilled to receive the following email in my inbox on Tuesday afternoon.

Hi Pastor Samson,

My name is __________ (Name Withheld).

We met briefly years ago, and I just wanted to reach out and give my thanks. I hope it’s an encouragement to you.

Almost 6 years ago, you preached a sermon at Apologia Church on Sunday, August 2, 2015. 

I was visiting the church then, and the Lord used your preaching to convert me.

A little background on me. I grew up in Phoenix and was raised as a devout member of the RLDS (presently known as the Community of Christ). The church is the 2nd-largest Restoration branch after the LDS, and for quite some time was a formidable “rival” to the LDS. The history is that after Joseph Smith was killed, there was significant tension on who would lead the Restoration. Eventually, Brigham Young takes a sizable group out to Utah, and becomes the LDS. There were other off-shoots, but the 2nd largest group, after the followers of Brigham, were those that stayed behind and waited for Joseph Smith’s son to grow old enough to be prophet and lead the Restoration. That group became the RLDS, and is what I was raised in. It used to be quite large and even now is still worldwide, but it has since dwindled in numbers and become progressive and liberal. Yet, there’s still quite a spectrum within the church, and I was raised in one of the more traditional wings of the church– we grew up using the Book of Mormon, Doctrine & Covenants, viewing Joseph Smith as a prophet, etc. 

Late in high school, the Lord began drawing me unto him. I began questioning much of the beliefs I was raised with, but at the time saw no need to leave behind my church. I even ended up still going to the church University in Iowa. But during my freshman year of college, the Lord really began wrestling with me. Much of that year was spent in pursuit of what I hoped was salvation, but I still felt I just couldn’t grasp it. That summer after my freshman year of college, I came back home to Phoenix to work for the summer. and much of that summer was spent wrestling as well.

One night, the Lord brought me to intense conviction of my sin. You see, I had been exposed to and heard the Gospel by this point. I had heard that belief in the Lord Jesus would save my soul and make me right with God. I had heard, and in a sense I knew, that my works did not play a role. But I had been so engrained from childhood in this idea that I had to work to earn God’s favor, that I had to work to access and maintain the grace God was offering, that I never realized how significantly it had a hold on me. I had heard the Gospel, but I still didn’t grasp it. One day I would feel like I got it, like maybe I was saved, but then the next day I would feel God’s displeasure and would realize that I wasn’t saved–this salvation I was chasing, I knew about it, but it still felt so far away.

So one night, the Lord broke me and brought me to feel the weight and guilt of my sin. I realized how severe my condition was, how great my sins were, and that my stench reached up to heaven, as it were. I deeply felt God’s displeasure with me and my sin. And I realized, or felt, that there was nothing I could do about it. I would never be able to earn enough favor to outweigh my sins. I could never work my way to righteousness, and in that moment, I felt hopeless. As far as I knew and had understood, I had heard the Gospel, but I still felt this attachment and necessity of my works, so in the light of my great sins and the perfect judgement of God, I had nothing. I spent that night in tears. That night was Saturday, August 1, 2015. 

By that time, in my searching I had encountered plenty of broad-evangelical, Protestant, and even Reformed and Calvinistic thought. I knew of the Apologia church because of their work with Mormons, and for whatever reason, I decided to attend church there that next day. 

August 2, 2015 I attended Apologia’s afternoon service and you happened to be the guest-preacher. Your sermon was entitled “Justification by Faith Alone.” By God’s grace, and in His redeeming providence, it was exactly what I needed to hear, and just mere hours after I had been brought under real conviction of my sin, the Lord providentially provided the balm to my soul in your preaching. It all clicked. It was as if blinders were lifted off my eyes, and for the first time, I saw. For the first time, I heard. The Lord had given me ears to hear. I realized there was no way I could pay for my sins. But Christ has paid it, and He has done it once and for all. There is no sense of me working hard to earn what Christ has done, or working to keep it. It is finished. Christ’s righteousness, the pardon for my sins, is found in Christ, is found simply by faith in Him. It was during that sermon I truly, for the first time, placed all of my hope and trust in Christ; in what He had done and who He is. I rested upon Him, not myself, and during that sermon I was converted. 

So I wanted to reach out and thank you, and hopefully provide some encouragement. Of course, it is not man’s words in preaching that saves souls. But the Lord uses faithful preaching to convert men and women as He is pleased to, and the Lord used your faithful preaching to save my soul. 

I’ve thought of reaching out for years now, but never did, for whatever reason. Hopefully this email finds you well and encourages you in your ministry and service to the Lord. I’m not sure how much fruit the Lord has blessed you to see before your eyes from your ministry. I know His ways are mysterious, and that many faithful ministers don’t see much of the harvest for what work they sow. But you can indeed count me amongst those whom the Lord has added to His Kingdom through your service.

I currently live in (city name withheld) Ohio. I got married last year to a girl I went to college with, that was also raised RLDS/Community of Christ, and the Lord was pleased to save her too. It’s been a blessing to be married to someone from the same background that the Lord has also rescued. She’s from this area, so we moved here after we got married. But my family all still live in the Valley, so I get back there when I can. 

So thank you again for your service to the Lord and your faithful heralding of God’s Word. The Lord used you to save my soul, almost 6 years ago. I pray many others would be brought to know the Lord through your work, and that you would be blessed to see the fruit of such labors. May the Lord grant you joy in the work as you continue to help the Shepherd call His sheep.