Victory in Christ

Steven Dunn

April 20, 2023 1:30 pm

Bible Study with Steven and Emily Polls

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Steven Dunn

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Steven Smith

November 18, 2022 2:55 pm

Sermon: Judas' death and its timing. The purpose of this sermon is to examine the timing of Judas’ death. When did Judas’ death happen? The traditional view places his death around the time of cruci... View MoreSermon: Judas' death and its timing. The purpose of this sermon is to examine the timing of Judas’ death. When did Judas’ death happen? The traditional view places his death around the time of crucifixion and definitely before the resurrection. But 1 Corinthians 15:3-5 speaks about an appearance to the twelve: 1 Corinthians 15:3-5 "For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that he was buried, and that he was raised again the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve......." For many, this scripture has been a stumbling block since, according to tradition, Judas’ death happened before the crucifixion and therefore, if this tradition was right, then here the Word of God should have written "eleven" instead of "twelve". The purpose of this article is, among others, to throw light to this misunderstood, due to traditional beliefs, scripture. The investigation below starts by confirming that the "twelve" of the above passage are the well known "twelve" that included Judas. After that, we continue with a detailed analysis of the gospel records that refer to the post-resurrection appearance of Jesus that happened at the evening of the "first day of the week". Though this appearance is not the appearance to the twelve, it is very important to examine it since, as we will see, Judas was there when it happened. Apart from this, the examination of this appearance is necessary for a good understanding of the gospel record of the appearance to the twelve. After that, the investigation will continue with the examination of the traditional view concerning the timing of Judas’ death and the passage of Matthew 27:3-5 that is used to support it. As we will see from our investigation Judas’s death did not happen at the time that tradition puts it. Instead Judas was alive and saw the resurrected Lord, only to commit suicide sometime after this. 1. "The twelve" of 1 Corinthians 15:5 According to the above given passage of 1 Corinthians 15, the resurrected Christ appeared to the twelve. To reconcile this reference with the tradition according to which Judas’ death happened before the crucifixion, it has been suggested that the twelve here are the old eleven disciples plus Matthias that substituted Judas in Acts 1:26. However, a conjecture like this is not supported neither from the references of the Word of God regarding the time that Matthias was counted as one of the twelve nor from the passages of the gospels that refer to some of the post- resurrection appearances of Jesus Christ. But let's examine this issue more analytically. It is evident that there is no change in a specific group of people if there is no change in its composition. The original composition of the group of the "twelve" disciples is given in Matthew 10:1-4 as well as in Mark 3:14-18 and in Luke 6:13-16. Luke 6 for example tells us: Luke 6:13-16 "And when it was day he called his disciples to himself; and from them he chose twelve whom he also named apostles: Simon, whom he also named Peter, and Andrew his brother; James and John; Philip and Bartholomew; Matthew and Thomas; James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon called the Zealot; Judas the brother of James, and Judas Iscariot, who also became a traitor." As it is evident from this passage, the original composition of the group of the twelve included Judas Iscariot. Thus, whenever we read "twelve" we should understand it as a term that denotes the group of the above twelve people, except if there is a change in the composition of this group. In this later case, when the reference is to events before the change the number "twelve" should be understood as the group of the above twelve men, while when the reference is to events after the change, the meaning has to be adjusted correspondingly. In our case, the event that the Word of God speaks about in 1 Corinthians 15:5 is the resurrection of Jesus Christ and his appearances that followed it. Therefore, the simple question that has to be asked is what was the composition of the group of the twelve at the time of the resurrection? Was Matthias numbered with the eleven at that time? The exact time and the process that was followed for the inclusion of Matthias in the group of the remaining eleven disciples is given in Acts 1:15-26. From this record we learn that sometime between the ascension and the day of Pentecost, Peter proposed the substitution of Judas by someone else. The candidates were two: the one was "Joseph called Barsabas" and the other was Matthias. How the choice was made and who was chosen is described in Acts 1:24-26 Acts 1:24-26 "And they prayed and said, "You, O Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which of these two You have chosen to take part in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas by transgression fell ["by transgression fell" = Greek: parabaino = "transgressed". So also in Matthew 15:2, 3 and II John 9] that he might go to his own place." And they cast their lots, and the lot fell on Matthias. AND he was NUMBERED with the eleven apostles" Now, since only at that point Matthias was numbered with the eleven, this obviously means that he wasn't numbered before. Therefore, whenever we meet the expression the "twelve" and the reference is to events that happened before Acts 1:26 what is meant is the twelve of Luke 6:13 that included Judas. On the other hand, when this expression refers to events that happened after the inclusion of Matthias then what is meant is the new composition of the group that excluded Judas and included Matthias. Bearing this in mind we should not have any problem to understand who are the twelve of 1 Corinthians 15. The corresponding passage refers to the appearance that happened before "Matthias was numbered with the eleven. Therefore, since at that time Matthias was not yet one of the twelve, the expression "by the twelve" of 1 Corinthians 15 refers to the usual twelve of Luke 6:13 that included Judas. Furthermore this places the timing of Judas’ death after the resurrection and after he had seen the raised Lord. Further evidence regarding the presence of Judas after the resurrection is given by the gospel records of two of the post-resurrection appearances of Jesus. 2. Jesus’ appearance "at the evening of the first day of the week" This appearance is described in three out of four gospels. For a complete picture it is needed to examine each of these records carefully and to start with let's go to John. 2.1. The witness of John The witness of John to this appearance is given in John 20:19: John 20:19 "Then, the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them "peace be with you" Though this verse does not specifically state who of the disciples were present at this appearance, verse 24 of the same chapter tells us who was not present: John 20:24 "Now Thomas, called the twin, one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came." So from the above record we can conclude that in the appearance that happened at the "evening of the first day of the week" (i.e. at the evening of what we call "Easter Sunday") Thomas was certainly not there. This information has vital significance for the right understanding of the corresponding records of Mark and Luke and thus we should keep it in mind. 2.2. The witness of Luke Having examined the witness of John, let's examine the witness of Luke about the same appearance. The four gospels complement each other and to have a complete picture of something we should examine all the available records making sure that all of them refer to the same event. One of the most frequent reasons of errors in rightly dividing the Word of God, that is especially relevant in the gospels, is the confusion of similar things as identical. Indeed, it is not at all necessary, because two records are similar (the healing of a blind man for example) these records to refer to one and the same event. Whether they do so or not is something that has to be determined after a careful examination of the context of the corresponding records. Returning to our topic, the witness of Luke to the post-resurrection appearance that occurred at "the evening of the first day of the week" is given in chapter 24. Verse 1 informs us that the day is "the first day of the week". Then verse 13 tells us that two of the disciples "were travelling THAT SAME DAY [i.e. the first day of the week] to a village called Emmaus which was seven miles from Jerusalem". Somewhere in this journey Jesus joined them and verses 15-31 give a description of the wonderful fellowship they had together and how at the end "their eyes were opened and they knew him; and he vanished from their sight" (verse 31). When these disciples arrived at Emmaus was "towards evening" as verse 29 says. After they recognized Jesus these two disciples "rose up that very hour and returned to Jerusalem, and found the ELEVEN and those who were with them gathered together". Bearing in mind that Emmaus was no more than just 7 miles from Jerusalem and that when they arrived at Emmaus was "TOWARDS evening", but not evening, we can conclude that by the time they arrived at Jerusalem it was already evening, "the evening of the first day of the week". What happened at that evening is given in verses 33-36: Luke 24:33-36 "So they [the two disciples that had just arrived at Emmaus] rose up that very hour and returned to Jerusalem, and found the ELEVEN and those who were with them gathered together, saying the Lord is risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!" And they told about the things that had happened on the road, and how he was known to them in the breaking of bread. Now as they said these things, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and said to them, "peace to you" Since this appearance happened at the evening of the first day of the week, it is therefore the same with the one that John speaks about. Thus, the events described by John and Luke are not only similar BUT ALSO identical. However, while John tells us that Thomas was not there, without telling us who was there, Luke adds to our knowledge that present at this appearance were "THE ELEVEN and those who were with them". For many years, I used to read this passage and to think that the reason that the text speaks for eleven was because, as tradition teaches, Judas’ death had already happened. However, the record of John shows very clearly that the disciple that was absent in this appearance was not Judas BUT THOMAS. In turn, this means that Judas was present at this appearance and saw the resurrected Jesus. This also confirms the record of 1 Corinthians 15 according to which Judas was alive after the resurrection. 2.3. The witness of Mark The witness of Mark to the post-resurrection appearance that occurred "at the evening of the first day of the week" confirms the conclusions drawn from the combined examination of John and Luke. Mark 16:9-13 "Now when Jesus was risen early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had cast seven demons. She went and told those who had been with him, as they mourned and wept. And when they heard that he was alive and had been seen by her, they did not believe. After that, he appeared in another form to two of them as they walked and went into the country" These 'two of them" are the two disciples that were on their way to Emmaus. The phrase "in another form" shows the variability of the resurrected body of Jesus. Mark 16:14 "Later he appeared to the ELEVEN as they sat at the table; and he rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who had seen him after he was risen" This record that again refers to the appearance at the evening of the first day of the week speaks again for ELEVEN. Knowing that the absent one was Thomas, it is clear that Judas was there. From all the above it is clear that Judas was alive and saw the resurrected Jesus. It is therefore not strange that 1 Corinthians speak for an appearance to the twelve. Even if 1 Corinthians 15 did not say anything about an appearance to the twelve, an examination of the gospel records could very easily prove that Judas’ death did not happen but only after the resurrection and after he had seen the resurrected Lord. 3. Jesus’ appearance to the twelve After all this, the reader may ask where is the appearance to the twelve? Though there is no reason to have a gospel record for every post-resurrection appearance that the Word of God enumerates in 1 Corinthians 15, the appearance to the twelve is also described in one of the gospels, namely in John's gospel. John 20:24 "Now Thomas, called the Twin, one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came" This "them" refers to the disciples that were present at the appearance that happened at the evening of the first day of the week [John 20:19] and which Thomas missed. According to the other gospel records, we know that except of Thomas all the other eleven disciples were there. John 20:25-26 "The other disciples therefore said to him, "we have seen the Lord." So he said to them, "Unless I see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe" And after eight days his disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, "peace to you" Who were the disciples that were present at this appearance? They were the eleven plus Thomas i.e. "the twelve". Evidently, it is this appearance that the Word of God speaks about in 1 Corinthians. Having confirmed from the above the appearance to the twelve and that Judas was there when it happened, we will now continue with the examination of the passage the misunderstanding of which is responsible for the tradition that supports that Judas’s death happened before the crucifixion. 4. Judas’ death as described Matthew 27:3-5 The passage that is traditionally used to support that the death of Judas happened before the crucifixion is in Matthew 27 where, starting from verse 1, we read: Matthew 27:1-8, 11 "When morning came, all the chief priests and elders of the people plotted against Jesus to put him to death. And when they had bound him, they led him away and delivered him to Pontius Pilate the governor. Then Judas his betrayer, seeing that he had been condemned, was remorseful and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, saying "I have sinned by betraying innocent blood". And they said, "What is that to us? You see to it!" Then he threw down the pieces of silver in the temple and departed, and went and hanged himself. But the chief priests took the silver pieces and said, "It is not lawful to put them into the treasury, because they are the price of blood." And they consulted together and bought with them the potter’s field, to bury strangers in . Therefore that field has been called the field of blood to this day....... Now Jesus stood before the governor and the governor asked him saying........" Far too often we read this passage with the preconceived idea that the link that connects the above events is time i.e. we assume that this happened first, then this happened second, third etc. However, a time link is only one of the many ways by which we can connect various events. In fact, it is very usual when we describe something very important, instead of making continuous references to other events of minor importance, to describe them by opening brief parentheses. By this way we avoid the continuous detraction of the attention from what we consider as the most important person or event of the story. This is exactly what happens in our passage as well. The great topic of Matthew 27 is not Judas and his story but Jesus Christ and his passion. This is what the Word of God wants to point out and it is this description that is made in a time sequence. Consequently, apart from the story of the person on whom the Word of God focus i.e. Jesus Christ, the stories of other persons or events have necessarily to be restricted to brief parentheses. That is exactly what happens with Judas. Verses 1 and 2 tells us that Jesus was delivered to the governor. Then verse 3 opens a parenthesis to tell us what happened to Judas. This parenthesis continues up to verse 5. Thus we learn that Judas when he saw that Jesus was condemned, he repented and brought back the thirty pieces of silver. Because the chief priests and the elders did not accept them, he threw them down and he left. Finally he committed suicide. Though these events are described in a time sequence relative to what happened to Judas [i.e. first he regretted, then he returned the silver pieces and then he committed suicide], they are not described in a time sequence relative to what happened to Jesus. They are a parenthesis that explains what happened to Judas. We are not told WHEN it happened but WHAT happened. This is more evident from verses 6-10: these consist another parenthesis that tells us what happened to the thirty pieces of silver. Thus, we are told that the chief priests took these thirty pieces and after they consulted together, they bought with them the potter's field. Evidently, to end up buying the field, it means that after they consulted together, they went to the market, they found someone willing to sell a field, they visited the field to see if it was the one that they wanted, they reached a decision whether they will buy it or not, they agreed on the price and finally they made the relative contracts. Those who have any idea of the time that it is usually needed to only find the appropriate property know that this requires several days, weeks and sometimes months. If we were to read this parenthetical passage as many of us read the one that precede it about Judas i.e. by taking everything in a time sequence, then we would conclude that while Jesus was before the governor (verses 1-2) Judas returned the money and hanged himself, the priests took the money, consulted together, found someone that was selling a field, saw the field, reached an agreement about it and made the contracts. All these are simply impossible to happen when Jesus was standing before the governor and in fact without any progress in his investigation. Moreover, an interpretation like this would contradict all that we have seen from the other gospels and from 1 Corinthians that suggest that Judas was alive after the resurrection. However, the things are not like this. The great topic that the Word of God describes in Matthew 27 is Jesus Christ and his passion. Thus, it has to discuss other things in brief parentheses. Verses 1-2 tell us that Jesus was brought to the governor. Then, verses 3-5 open a parenthesis where we learn very briefly what happened to Judas. We are not told WHEN Judas’ death happened but WHAT Judas did. Then a new parenthesis is opened in verse 6 that continues till verse 10 where it is described again very briefly what happened to the thirty pieces of silver. Again the topic is not WHEN these events happened but WHAT happened. Then, verse 11 takes us back to the point where verse 2 stopped i.e. to the investigation of Jesus by Pilate. The parenthetical character of verses 3-10 and the fact that what is described there is not given in a time sequence relative to the great topic of the chapter: the passion of Jesus, is evident by just reading the passage without verses 3-10: Matthew 27:1-2, 11 "When morning came, all the chief priests and elders of the people plotted against Jesus to put him to death. And when they had bound him, they led him away and delivered him to Pontius Pilate the governor.......Now Jesus stood before the governor. And the governor asked him, saying, "are you the king of the Jews?" Jesus said: "You say" As it is obvious the omission of verses 3-10 does not cause any lack in our understanding of the great topic of the passage, and exactly this was the purpose of God when He put these verses as a parenthesis. To conclude therefore the focus of Matthew’s record is not when Judas’ death happened but what Judas did. To learn the WHEN, the timing of Judas’ death, we need to consult the other records as well, to see what they say. With the evidence that we have collected so far we know that Judas saw the resurrected Christ and in fact we know that he was alive at least eight days (John 20:26) after the first appearance to the eleven. On the other hand, Peter in a speech given sometime between the ascension and the day of Pentecost (Acts 1:15-22) said that Judas was dead. This means that the death of Judas, his suicide, happened sometime between eight days after the resurrection and the day that Peter spoke. 5. What's the difference if Judas’ death happened before or after the resurrection? For those who will ask this question, it has to be said that here we did not simply try to find the exact time at which Judas’ death happened. This alone might have minor significance IF it didn’t cause any perceived issue with the accuracy of the Word of God. Surely, I would have no problem if Judas’ death happened before the crucifixion IF the Word told me so. In contrast, I would have many problems if in one place the Word, as tradition thinks, tells me that he is dead before the crucifixion and in another I am told that he is alive after the resurrection. Then, the examination is no longer a simple examination of the timing of Judas’ death but an examination of the accuracy of the Word of God. The timing therefore of Judas’ death does make a difference, and in fact a very big difference: the difference between an unerring Word of God, as indeed the Bible is, and a word that has errors as tradition makes the Bible to look like.

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Steven Smith

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🤍G.R.E.A.T.E.R🤍 💠 "Greater works than these you shall do!" 💠The 'good old days' is a useless cliché to the serious believer!... View More🤍G.R.E.A.T.E.R🤍 💠 "Greater works than these you shall do!" 💠The 'good old days' is a useless cliché to the serious believer! 💠For us, the latest is better. Prophecy is more glorious than history. 💠Jesus promised a greater legacy for everyone who would follow Him. 💠The mystery of redemption amplifies the work of God's generals. 💠He has saved the best for the last. The latter glory excels in every way. 💠Adam named animals; Noah domiciled them! 💠Abraham tithed to Melchizedek; Jacob instituted tithing! 💠Isaac got two sons; Jacob got 12! 💠Abraham was looking for a city; David founded one! 💠He who comes after you must become greater. 💠Progress demands greater people and better results. 💠He who is mentored by you must produce greater and better results than you! 💠Redemption does not envy the products of its discipleship. It celebrates excellence in those it passes the button! 💠Shamgar killed 100 with a stick; Samson killed 1,000 with a jawbone! 💠Crowds went to see John in the wilderness; crowds followed Jesus! 💠Elijah ran faster than horses; Elisha travelled at the speed of thought! 💠Moses conquered one nation; Joshua conquered seven! 💠Moses' cloud at Sinai was dark & terrible; Jesus cloud at the transfiguration was bright! 💠At the mountain of Moses' law, people fled; at the transfiguration, Peter said, "It's good we're here!" 💠When people saw the glory of Moses, they ran way from him and he had to cover his face; when people saw Jesus from the transfiguration, they ran towards him! 💠At Sinai, people told Moses, "Hear him!" At the transfiguration, God told them, "Hear him!" 💠The latter covenant is better than the former. Grace is better than the law! 💠Grace has better Promises. Better Priesthood. Better Covenant. Better Sacrifice. Better Blood. Better terms. Better Results! 💠Blood of bulls & goats couldn't fully satisfy God's standards; Jesus' blood fulfilled God's demands! 💠The latter glory excels in every way! 💠David slew one giant; his mighty men slew four! 💠Moses plagued Egypt for deliverance of jews; Jesus ran to Egypt for deliverance of the world! 💠Moses made a way through the sea; Jesus walked on the sea! 💠Moses was led by cloud & fire through the desert but never came out alive; 💠Jesus was led into the wilderness by the Holy Spirit and came out victoriously! 💠Elijah performed eight miracles; Elisha wrought double! 💠Moses died secretly; Jesus died publicly! 💠Moses promised a Land he never reached; Jesus promised the Holy Spirit after demonstrating the reality! 💠Only the face of Moses shone with the glory of the law; Jesus' entire body shone at the transfiguration! 💠Jesus turned Israel upside down; His apostles changed the world! 💠Grace isn't just impartation; it's transformation! 💠Leadership isn't just example; it's impartation! 💠Impartation isn’t duplication. Its multiplication! 💠Discipleship isn't just progress; it's development! 💠Mentorship isn't inspiration; it’s demonstrating God in action! 💠It's not over till you win!

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Steven Smith

August 5, 2022 5:21 pm

God Knows your Address. He visited Lazarus in the grave. He visited Gadite at the tombs. He visited Zacchaeus up a tree.... View More

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Steven Smith

August 20, 2022 1:36 pm

What is Old Testament theology? Old Testament theology is the study of what God has revealed about Himself in the Old Testament. The system of Old Testament theology takes the various truths that the... View MoreWhat is Old Testament theology? Old Testament theology is the study of what God has revealed about Himself in the Old Testament. The system of Old Testament theology takes the various truths that the Old Testament books teach us about God and presents them in an organized fashion. God's revelation of Himself begins in Genesis 1:1: "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." The presupposition of God and His creative work is something that all believers accept by faith and is emphasized throughout Scripture from Genesis to Revelation. Old Testament theology is a rich and rewarding study of what God revealed of Himself, His character, His attributes, etc., in the Old Testament. The Old Testament focuses primarily on God's relationship with the Jews, starting with His call of Abraham in Genesis 12. He chose Israel and covenanted with them for the purpose of relaying His message to the world and ultimately bringing the Messiah to save us from our sin. Through His relationship with the Jews, God blessed the entire world (Genesis 12:3). The Old Testament chronicles God's progressive revelation of Himself, specifically to His chosen people but also to those of Gentile heritage, in order that we might learn who He is and His plan in the world. Into the very heart of the Old Testament is woven the idea of a covenant between God and man: the first was made with Adam and others with Noah, Abraham, the nation of Israel, and David. Old Testament theology is foundational to our understanding of God and His purposes in the world. The seeds of the doctrines of substitutionary atonement, salvation, election, holiness, mercy, judgment, and forgiveness are all found in the Old Testament. A study of Old Testament theology includes a look at theology proper, anthropology, and eschatology, among other vital subjects. What is New Testament theology? New Testament theology is the study of what God has revealed about Himself in the New Testament. The system of New Testament theology takes the various truths that the New Testament books teach us about God and presents them in an organized fashion. The New Testament discloses the coming of the Messiah predicted in the Old Testament (Isaiah 9), the rejection of the Messiah by Israel, the fulfillment of the Law, the birth of the New Testament church (the body of Christ), the church age, the gospel of Jesus Christ, and instructions for believers in Jesus Christ. The phrase new covenant (or new testament) was spoken by Christ at the Last Supper (Luke 22:20). Paul cited the new covenant as the substance of the ministry to which he was called (2 Corinthians 3:6). The Old Testament is the record of the calling and history of the Jewish nation, and it contains the Mosaic Law, the Old Covenant to which Israel was bound for many years. The New Testament deals with the history and application of the Christ’s redemption from the Law (Galatians 4:4–5), a redemption He provided through His death on the cross (Ephesians 1:7). Being the New Covenant, it supersedes the Old (Hebrews 8:6, 13). Theology is the study of the doctrines of the Bible, following the progressive revelation that God made to man from the beginning of time to the end of the book of Revelation. New Testament theology primarily deals with the study of Christology, ecclesiology, and soteriology. Plus, it furthers our understanding of eschatology, pneumatology, angelology, hamartiology, and other fields of doctrine.

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My ministry and church live this Bible verse. I even had a magnet made up with this Scripture on it for the back of my car

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