Call-In Classic Christianity Radio – Bob George P438 (5-09-19)
Bob addressed several questions often asked by people even today. Is tithing for today? What about Melchizedek? Does the example of Abraham “tithing” to Melchizedek mean that we should tithe today? If I committed adultery that resulted in divorce, is it okay for me to marry again? Should we celebrate certain Jewish holidays, such as the feast of first fruits, or Pentecost? What should we do about certain things that are not clear in scripture, such as certain topics that do not really have sufficient information and tend toward speculation? Should women serve in the military? Can a woman be a pastor? What is the role of men and women in the home? Are their roles different? What does it mean for a woman to submit to her husband?
Erwin from Vancouver, British Columbia
Erwin called about the importance of Pentecost and asked when we should be celebrating it.
Pentecost occurred fifty days after the resurrection of Christ Jesus. Pente means fifty. So fifty days following the the resurrection of Christ Jesus. This would fall in April. For the birth of Christ, there is some speculation. But the resurrection lines up with the feasts. The first fruits celebrated by the Jews of old is a foreshadowing of the future resurrection of Jesus Christ. At the feast of First Fruits, a smaller harvest occurs. In Matthew 27:50-53, it is recorded that the bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life and after the resurrection of Jesus they entered the holy city and appeared to many people.
Matthew 27:50-53
50 And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit. 51 At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split 52 and the tombs broke open. The bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. 53 They came out of the tombs after Jesus’ resurrection and went into the holy city and appeared to many people.
At the feast of Pentecost, a summer harvest, a larger harvest occurred. The Holy Spirit came like a rushing wind to come to dwell in men.
Acts 2:1-4
When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.
Jesus had instructed his disciples to wait in the city for that event so they could receive the Holy Spirit.
Luke 24:48
48 You are witnesses of these things. 49 I am going to send you what my Father has promised [Holy Spirit]; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.”
Today, when a person becomes born again, the Holy Spirit resides in him immediately. Passover (crucifixion), Feast of Unleavened Bread, First Fruits (resurrection), and Shavuot (Pentecost) have been fulfilled, and Jesus will fulfill the feast of Trumpets and Sukkot when he returns for his bride.
In Leviticus is much detail concerning Jewish feasts. Here in Leviticus you read about counting off 50 days to calculate the day of Pentecost.
Leviticus 23:15-16
15 “‘From the day after the Sabbath, the day you brought the sheaf of the wave offering, count off seven full weeks. 16 Count off fifty days up to the day after the seventh Sabbath, and then present an offering of new grain to the Lord.
Could the sheaf of the wave offering be the same as the waving of palm branches when Jesus was riding on a donkey in Jerusalem? How long was Jesus trial, ending with Pontius Pilate?
The New Testament, for the studious, is where feasts are explained in terms of their spiritual significance. For example, in 1 Corinthians 15:22-23, Jesus Christ is identified as the First Fruits.
1 Corinthians 15:22-23
22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. 23 But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ.
We also have a comparison of unleavened bread to sin in Leviticus 23:6 and the revelation of spiritual truth for us today in 1 Corinthians 5:8.
1 Corinthians 5:8
8 Therefore let us keep the Festival, not with the old bread leavened with malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
Here is an excerpt from an article “First Fruits and The Seven Feasts of Israel” by Zola Levitt:
“The second feast, Unleavened Bread, demonstrates a holy walk — “And on the fifteenth day of the same month as the feast of unleavened bread unto the Lord: seven days ye must eat unleavened bread” (Lev. 23:6). Leaven, in the Bible, is sin, and the God of Israel asked for a week of eating “sinless” bread. As we walk in Christ, “the Bread of Life,” we demonstrate a continuous keeping of this feast, which is exactly our instruction from the Apostle Paul: “Therefore, let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth” (I Cor. 5:8).”
This verse also explains the picture Jesus used of eating the bread at the Lord’s supper as a symbol of the Holy Spirit living in you, who is the bread of life.
He was crucified on Passover, answering to the Blood of the Lamb, which had gotten the chosen people out of slavery [in the land of Egypt] to begin with; He was buried on Unleavened Bread (“This bread is my body”) — a case of a dead man arranging his own burial at the appropriate time. [Recall in Exodus where the blood of a lamb was put on doorposts so the Jews would not be destroyed by the death angel and then followed was the eating of unleavened bread in haste]. And He was raised on First Fruits, as a demonstration of the future resurrection of the church. [Recall that many holy men of God were raised and walked on the earth after Jesus resurrection (Matthew 27:50-53).] That wasn’t the end of the Lord’s ministry on earth, even though we assume He was inactive after that. As a matter of fact, He continued, regarding His promise to the disciples in John 14, to send the Holy Spirit. The fourth feast, Pentecost, occurs 50 days after First Fruits (Lev. 23:15–16), and on that very day, the Holy Spirit attended the Pentecost festivities at the Temple site “like a rushing, mighty wind.” Pentecost represents the summer harvest, a larger harvest than First Fruits, but not so large as the fall crops, and the Holy Spirit harvested 3,000 people (Acts 2:41). On the occasion when the Law came, Israel had made a golden calf, and by God’s direction, 3,000 were killed (Ex. 32:28). And now, on Pentecost, the same number were returned to the Chosen People, “The letter kills, the Spirit gives life.”
When I think about church life as a lost person and even as a saved person, people are scared of discussing about the Holy Spirit. It is an over-reaction from the charismatic movement. People get uneasy and say, “Oh, we can talk about the Holy Spirit, but let’s not go crazy on it”. Due to the influence of the charismatic movement, now people are afraid to even talk about the Holy Spirit at all. It is a shame really and that results from taking something more than what it really is, which is permanently taking away the cause of death, which is sin, so new life of the Holy Spirit can be given and placed in you. Yet, we have all this nonsense of being slain in the Spirit and the need of a second baptism or filling of the Holy Spirit and other erroneous teaching, much of which came from the Pentecostal or charismatic movement. Before the finished work of Jesus Christ, through his death, burial and resurrection, the Holy Spirit came upon people for service and would depart due to a person’s failure in obedience. That is why David prayed, “Don’t take the Holy Spirit from me.” We certainly would not pray that today.
Psalm 51:11
Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me.
You can celebrate any time but if you go fifty days from the time of First Fruits, or the resurrection. Our calendars are clear on it. You know you are in that vicinity and that is all that really matters.
Erwin asked, “Do you have any more information on the office of the Holy Spirit? Do you have any materials or topics on that? Without the Holy Spirit you cannot understand the things of God.” Bob said he would provide information to address that subject of the Holy Spirit. There is no separation between Christ and the Holy Spirit. The Spirit of Christ is what has been placed in our hearts, at the moment you are born again.
Colossians 1:27
And this is the secret: Christ in your hearts is your only hope of glory.
May 27 is when the local body of believers with Bob George celebrated Pentecost.
In regards to what you decide to celebrate, we have much freedom in Christ. Think about this instruction.
Romans 14:5
5 One person considers one day more sacred than another; another considers every day alike. Each of them should be fully convinced in their own mind. 6 Whoever regards one day as special does so to the Lord.
Colossians 2:16
16 Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. 17 These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ.
William from California
Can you explain the biblical basis for man being the head of the household and the ramifications when he is not?
First, we need to understand that in Christ there is no male, female, slave or free. God has made us all equal.
1 Corinthians 12:13
For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.
Colossians 3:11
Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.
Just because man and woman are equal does not mean they do not have different assignments God has given. The same thing is true with the Trinity, where the Father, the son and the Holy Spirit are equal and one God. The Son and the Holy Spirit are answerable to the Father. That does not mean the Father is greater than the Son or the Holy Spirit. There is a leadership role. In the family, God made the man to be the leader of the household.
Ephesians 5:23
23 For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior.
The same way in the church. God made man to be the leader of the local assembly of a church, with Christ being the head of the church.
1 Timothy 2:11-14
11 A woman should learn in quietness and full submission. 12 I do not permit a woman to teach or to assume authority over a man; she must be quiet. 13 For Adam was formed first, then Eve. 14 And Adam was not the one deceived; it was the woman who was deceived and became a sinner.
A woman is not supposed to serve as a pastor of a church, a local assembly of believers. That is a leadership role that woman are not supposed to be under. God designed that for a purpose. That is why the twelve apostles were men that were selected and there is a reason they were all men. There is a role. I do not believe women should be put on a battlefield. There are certain places men do not belong and certain places women do not belong. You cannot force a man to have a child for he was not created to have children.
The role of leadership in the home is to be a servant. A True leader is a servant.
Mark 9:34-35
34 But they kept quiet because on the way they had argued about who was the greatest.
35 Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, “Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all.”
You have that in business when a man becomes a leader of a corporation becomes leader of corporation. He first learned to be a follower. If you and I have never been a good follower then you will never be a good leader.
In the home, the man is to be the final decision maker. Decisions should be discussed with a trust between the two of you, as husband and wife. It is not, “My way or the highway?” That is not biblical. We are to be in submission to one another.
Ephesians 5:21-32
21 Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. 22 Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. 24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything. 25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26 to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, 27 and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. 28 In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church— 30 for we are members of his body. 31 “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.” 32 This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church. 33 However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.
In the final analysis, something is discussed, and someone has to make a final decision, that this is what we are going to do, and that person is the man. The man makes the final decision and the woman is to be submissive to that. If she has a husband walking in the Lord that should be a simple decision. But that is not natural. Neither is it natural to love one another as Christ loved the church. The woman is to trust the leadership of the man in her life. That is not natural. That is something we draw on the power of God to carry out. It is not something we can do in the energy of the flesh. Whenever a relatively important decision is to be made, if Amy and I are not on board, then we do not do it. To make something work, then we need to be together on it. Then it always seems to be the right thing that should have been done. Submit to one another with your opinions, but in the final analysis, the man makes the final decision. When you do that, you have unity in the home.
William then asked, “The woman needs to feel security and the man needs to be respected. So is it true that the man’s greatest need is to be respected and the woman’s greatest need to be loved?”
Ephesians 5:33
33 However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.
Those things have to be earned. You cannot expect your wife to respect you when you are acting like a jerk. All these instructions, on how to get along as man and wife, are predicated on two people depending on Christ Jesus, walking in the Spirit. If that is not the desire of man and woman, it will not work just by trying to grind it out in the energy of the flesh. In Christ Jesus, Jesus Christ is my head and I forgive as Christ forgave me. I will draw upon God to give judgment in how to lead and how to make proper decisions. But I do not do so unless my wife is in agreement with what I am doing. That is what causes unity in the family.
William then asked, “Is it a source of depression in a man when the man is not respected and not regarded as the leader in the home?” Absolutely. A wife has to grant that leadership. If she does not grant that leadership to you as a man what choice do you have? You can beat her up, divorce her, or become a wimp, or be a dominant factor that she does not appreciate. If she does not submit to your leadership, and I do not mean to be tramped on, then she needs to have this attitude that says, “We discussed these things, we talked about it and now it is your decision, and I will go by your decision.” If that attitude is not there and she insists on her own way, you do not have much option as a man. It is both ways. You have choose to love your wife and she has to choose to submit to her husband’s authority.
Carl from Atlanta, GA
He has question on tithe. He acknowledged that the tithe is not under the New Covenant. But he was talking to a preacher that gave him scripture to read on Matthew 5:9. He felt a little uncomfortable trying to address this subject with this preacher. He mentioned that the tithe is connected to the Old Covenant. He asked Bob, “What is your take on that?”
We are under a New Covenant, a covenant of grace. Paul tells us to excel in the grace of giving, not the law of giving, a taxation so to speak. It is not under tithing. If it was he would not have spent two chapters on the attitude of free will giving (2 Corinthians 8-9). Why did Jesus say this to the Pharisees?
Matthew 23:23
“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former.
Jesus told them they should not neglect the former, the requirement to tithe under the law. Why? He was still under the Levitical priesthood, and so that regulation had not yet been set aside. It was set aside at his death and he had not died yet.
Hebrews 7:18-19
18 The former regulation is set aside because it was weak and useless 19 (for the law made nothing perfect), and a better hope is introduced, by which we draw near to God.
20 And it was not without an oath! Others became priests without any oath, 21 but he became a priest with an oath when God said to him:
“The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind: ‘You are a priest forever.’” 22 Because of this oath, Jesus has become the guarantor of a better covenant. 23 Now there have been many of those priests, since death prevented them from continuing in office; 24 but because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. 25 Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.
It is interesting to note that under the old covenant, a priest could not continue because he would die. Many priest were necessary because death prevented them from continuing in office. Jesus lives forever so he has a permanent priesthood.
Yet these church leaders go back to Melchizedek to justify their tithing. In Hebrews 7, the only reason to mention Melchizedek was to prove someone greater than Abraham. To the Jews, Abraham was the father of the nation, the greatest of the greatest and a substitute for the teaching of Jesus. The only reason to mention Melchizedek was to prove that Abraham knew there was someone greater than him otherwise he would not have given him ten percent of the plunder. His tithe was the plundering of riches from war with kings and giving a part of the spoils of war to Melchizedek. So I guess if they want us to rob a department store, and tithe from it, then maybe that is what we should do? How nonsensical is that! So too is tithing today.
Tithe is not mentioned in the New Covenant. We give joyfully, hilariously, in accordance with what we do have and not what we do not have.
2 Corinthians 9:7
7 Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
2 Corinthians 8:12
For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what one does not have.
It is a shame to think we have to stoop to Old Testament principles that is evidently greater than Jesus living in us, turning to a law as better than letting the Spirit guide you into all truth. Is the tithe better than having Jesus tell you to give over here? Consider the example of Jesus when he told this parable of the good Samaritan in Luke 10 to the religious leaders in his day.
Luke 10:29-37
29 But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” 30 In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. 31 A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. 32 So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. 34 He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35 The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’ 36 “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” 37 The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.” Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”
Jesus would not even be looking at the tithe to the storehouse but rather he was looking to helping your neighbor. He is about helping the man who was robbed on the road and left for dead. Jesus gave example of the priest who passed him by, presumably rushing so as to go pay his tithe. Yet, a Samaritan, despised by the Jews as a half-breed, stopped and gave lavishly until the man was completely well. He bandaged his wounds, put him on his donkey, took him to what would be a hospital today and paid all his expenses, and even gave extra to reimburse any extra expenses that may arise when he returns to check up on him. He had mercy on him and gave lavishly. That is the attitude of giving.
So leaders who try to convince you to tithe, are distorting the scripture about Melchizedek to convince you to tithe today. Hypocrisy and pride are primary reasons, such as wanting to keep their financial position and an unwillingness to trust people to give in accordance with the Holy Spirit to lead them in giving. There is no one greater than Moses. No one greater than Abraham. In Bob’s opinion, Melchizedek would never even be mentioned in either the Old Covenant or the New Covenant unless God in His foreknowledge knew that the Jews would be hanging onto Abraham and Moses and rejecting the message of Christ. You can try to share this to church leaders but they will not listen. Tithing is a convenience to them. It is a way of putting people on guilt trips while remaining in hypocrisy. Why can’t we trust Jesus to walk in the hearts of people to give hilariously, joyously, in accordance with what they have and not in accordance what thy do not have. Bob says he does not understand it and does not appreciate it one bit.
Bob from Marina, CA
Bob stated that 2 Corinthians 9 gives some indications that Paul in Tarsus was one time married. He was once a Pharisee. If he is a member of the Sanhedrin, then he had to be married. Bob replied, “I do not think it is stated he was ever married. If he was, he did not think it is important. Speculation is all it is. Either some thing could be true or not be true. Bob does not know if he was a member of the Sanhedrin or not. If something is speculation then just say “could be or could not be and let us move on”. All we know from scripture is that he was a Pharisee.
Becky from Detroit MI
Becky shared that the last few years she has been divorced. She admitted she was the cause of it by her unfaithfulness of adultery. She had a question on adultery. She asked Bob, “Is it okay for me to be married?” She is a believer who gave into the flesh and sinned by committing adultery.
You committed adultery. Was the sin of adultery placed on the cross of Christ? Was the sin of divorce placed on the cross of Christ? Are you sure? She is about ready to cry. All sin has been placed on the cross 2000 years ago, never to be remembered anymore by God.
2 Corinthians 5:19
God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.
That was for the entire world but that was not salvation. That is what God had to do to prepare us for salvation. Salvation is being saved from the consequences of sin, which is death, by the gift of God, which is the resurrected life of Christ Jesus. He was the only one who could give life and the only one who had life to give us. If you are truly born again then forgiveness provided on the cross had been received in his resurrection.
Ephesians 1:7
In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace
Where is that forgiveness received? In him. When was that redemption done? 2000 years ago when Jesus shed his blood on a cross. That is why there is no condemnation for the law of the spirit of life set us free from the law of sin and death.
Romans 8:1-3
Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 2 because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you[a] free from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in the flesh
You had to be saved from the consequences of sin, which is death, by the gift of God, which is life. The reason you have eternal life is because of the eternal consequences of the cross. If he had not taken away every sin back from Adam forward to eternity, having forgotten but one, then the next time you sinned you would die after receiving life. The reason you have life eternal is because of the eternal consequences of the cross. So Paul says in Corinthians, that if you are widowed or unmarried, were married and are no longer married, it is better for you if you can, to stay single as I am, but if burn in passion, then just get married. Nothing spiritual about that, just pulling wall paper off the walls. But if you have passion and enjoyed sexual activities and lost your partner, then you are capable of burning with lust. If so, then it would be better to be married.
1 Corinthians 7:8-9
8 Now to the unmarried and the widows I say: It is good for them to stay unmarried, as I do. 9 But if they cannot control themselves, they should marry, for it is better to marry than to burn with passion.
So that is the instruction to be married. Besides what happened before then there are no consequences of it. There may be natural consequences but from God’s vantage point those sins have been placed on the back of God never to be remembered anymore. There is no condemnation for you in Christ Jesus.
