GCA's Website EXPLODES!

In our non-stop, ongoing efforts to make our website one of the best Sovereign Grace resources on the Internet, we have contracted for 100 gigabytes of space on a new server and we have been filling that space with years of our teaching mp3's (so far over 450 files!), as well as videos (yet to come) and even Sovereign Grace music.

Jeff Young, our erstwhile webmaster and devoted theological partner, is an Internet magician. The reason our website works so well, is so easily navigated, so readable, and so user-friendly is because Jeff works hard behind the scenes to make it that way. Consequently, you can link to the GCA Archive directly from our homepage. You don't need to type any new addresses or hunt for extra websites.

To check it out, just click here:

GCA Archive

But, that's not all! My book "By Grace Alone" is now available in published paperback format. I, for one, have a difficult time reading an entire book on my computer. I prefer something in my hands that I can carry from room to room. Plus, print on paper is much easier on the eyes than a computer monitor.

By Grace Alone is study in the doctrines of grace, including a brief history, along with an explanation and defense of each of the five points that form the theology of the Protestant Reformation. You can read more about it and find out how to order yours here:

By Grace Alone

And let me offer a word of thanks to all the folk who have supported GCA the last several years, allowing us to continue growing and expanding our Internet outreach, preaching and distributing the gospel of sovereign grace without charge. While many ministries require a contribution to download an mp3, GCA is committed to keeping our site free so that it reaches the widest possible audience of listeners. Without your commitment to this work, none of this would be possible.

So, from my heart, I thank you.

Handling Snakes and Drinking Poison

Sunday morning as were closing the book of Acts I compared Paul's snakebite to Jesus' words to His disciples concerning the divine protection that would accompany their missions. It's a dicey and very particular bit of theological detail. I expected questions and I started receiving them right away.

The following email exchange is demonstrative of the sort of concerns people voiced. So, I thought I'd post the question and my reply here on my blog in the hope of clearing up any consternation my perspective may have caused.

It's my constant purpose to be clear and I assume that every person who raises a question represents many more people with the same concern who didn't write or ask. So, I'm grateful for the question and the opportunity to follow-up on our Sunday morning discussion.

Here's the email --

Hi Jim,

I'm sitting here listening to your Sunday sermon and have a question. You seem to be stating that we are not (since it was only tossed at only the 11) supposed to be following the "Great Commision."

Mar 16:15 15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.

Or am I hearing you wrong?

Blessings,

C. D.

And my reply ---

Howdy,

I knew as I approached this passage in Acts and compared it to Jesus' statements concerning handling vipers it was going to take a fair bit of explaining. But, my position is not complicated. From a very simple, pragmatic point-of-view we must understand our Lord's statement "They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them" (Mark 16:18) one of two ways. Either (1) Jesus intended that every believer would be impervious to snakebites and poison or (2) those words contained an inherent limitation. Since even "snake handlers" die when bitten, it's hard to make the case for Christian invulnerability. Even as much faith as I have in Christ's finished work and God's sovereign mercy, I'm not ready to swig a glass of poison. So, I conclude that Jesus' words were meant to be understood in a limited fashion. And since he was talking to a particular group of people, I assume that His words were limited to His apostles.

Now, even as I talked of this on Sunday morning, Jennifer asked about the fact that other gifts mentioned in this same passage did manifest to the church-at-large, such as speaking in tongues and healing the sick. And she's right. But, those gifts are mentioned in later epistles written to the church as a body. So, I see no conflict from a textual standpoint. Some gifts were given to the apostles that were later also given to a larger body of believers -- such as tongues, healing, etc. But, other gifts given to the apostles -- such as taking up serpents or drinking deadly things -- are not mentioned beyond Jesus' initial impartation of power. So, inasmuch as they do not seem to be promised to the whole corpus of the Church, I conclude that it's a mishandling of Scripture (and a form of "tempting God") to assume those words have universal application and start flinging snakes around.

So, within that framework, I can address your question concerning the "Great Commission." It is true that Mark 16:15 is directed at Christ's apostles. That instruction was primarily theirs. However, as we read the epistles from Acts forward we find further instruction from those apostles adjuring believers to spread the gospel of God's grace. For instance, Paul's instruction to Timothy, "... do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry." (2 Tim. 4:5)

The necessity to teach and preach is passed on to the Church --

"Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men ... And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ." (Eph. 4:8-13)

So, it's biblically consistent to argue that certain aspects of Christ's instruction in Mark 16 were meant exclusively for those men standing in His presence as the words were spoken, whereas some of what He spoke was also expanded out into the Church body. That perspective solves the confusion caused by those who see every word uttered by Christ as applicable to every believer in every age under every circumstance. That's one reason I emphasized the contrast between Paul healing the residents of Malta while failing to heal Epaphroditus. We cannot argue that God's gifting of miracles is readily available to every person of faith to exercise at their discretion.

So, the long and short of this discussion is simply this: Jesus said certain things to His apostles exclusively and it is an error to usurp His words and apply them indiscriminately. However, certain commands and gifts that Christ gave His immediate disciples were also conveyed to "the body of Christ," His Church, by the Holy Spirit --- including the charismatic gifts and the necessity to preach the gospel of God's grace. And I am willing to preach both aspects of that equation.

I hope that helps to clear things up.

Thanks for writing! I'm sure you're not the only one who wrestled with that question.

Yours for His sake,

Jim Mc.

And the Milestones Keep Coming!

Today, June 7, 2007, is my daughter's 18th birthday. Wow! She was just a toddler and suddenly she's a young woman. So, as my tribute to this significant milestone (as well as her high school graduation) I made a little video postcard I called "Megan, So Far ..." You can watch it here.



Man ... 18. Where did the time go?