Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Adult Sunday School Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/bb/bb20020707.htm

CHRIST'S SCRIPTURE PROPHECY ON CONTEMPORARY EVANGELICALISM
Part II: Christ's All-Sufficiency For Evangelicalism Presented
A. Christ's All-Sufficiency For Discipling The Godly
(Revelation 3:14b(a))
  1. Introduction
    1. If Christ has predicted our current Evangelical era of Church History, we should expect Him to comment on effective ministry to His godly believers in our Evangelical Church era with its unique needs.
    2. Revelation 3:14b(a) shows us Christ's All-Sufficiency for discipling the godly believer today as follows:
  2. Christ's All-Sufficiency For Discipling The Godly, Revelation 3:14b(a)
    1. In preparing to comment on today's Evangelical era, Jesus laid out a threefold description of Himself in Revelation 3:14b: He is "The Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, The Head of the Creation of God."
    2. The first description, "The Amen," shows Christ's All-Sufficiency in discipling today's godly believers:
      1. The words "the Amen" exist elsewhere only twice in the Greek N.T. -- once in 1 Cor. 14:16 and once again in 2 Cor. 1:20 (Moulton & Geden, A Concordance to the Greek Testament, p. 51-52).
      2. These passages in their contexts explain what is needed for the godly to elicit "the Amen" as opposed to the two major wings in Evangelicalism -- that of the Charismatic-Arminians and that of Calvinism:
        1. In 1 Cor. 14:(15-)16, Paul said for "the Amen" to occur, the speaker must use a known human tongue hearers logically discern in the mind (noi, UBS Grk. N.T., p. 609; T.D.N.T., IV, p. 959)!
        2. In 2 Cor. 1:18-20, Paul said "the Amen" occurs if the speaker is unambiguous (not "yes and no").
        3. Also, Paul in 2 Cor. 1:20 NIV taught the message Christ uses to elicit "the Amen" asserts Christ fulfilled God's Old Testament promises (B.K.C., N.T., p. 557). Paul elsewhere reveals if one holds this belief about Christ, he affirms (a) dispensationalism, (b) the end of the Law's jurisdiction for the Church and (c) living by the Spirit's power (Gal. 3:10-4:7; Eph. 2:11-3:6; Rom. 11:25-29).
    3. Applying this "the Amen" description to today's Evangelicals gives us Christ's commentary on them:
      1. First, we note two major errant belief systems exist regarding discipling the godly in Evangelicalism:
        1. Charismatic-Arminians try to proclaim God's message in "tongues" that are not known human languages or speak alleged prophetic utterances not agreeing with written Scripture or hold to illogic in beliefs or let ambiguous statements ["yes and no"] occur in the pastoral ministry that thus sabotages the hearing of "the Amen" from the godly (A. Mohler, Jr., "Evangelical: What's In A Name," p. 31-39 in John H. Armstrong, ed., The Coming Evangelical Crisis, reports on this problem in Evangelicalism); thus, they fail to edify the godly. Thus, claiming one can not know absolute truth is also in error, a problem also fueled by Arminians
        2. Also, failure by Calvinistic, Covenant Theology/Reformed Evangelicals to extol Christ's fulfillment of the Abrahamic promises has led to their failing to hold to dispensationalism (including a failure to hold to a consistent literal, grammatical, historical method of interpretation [cf. Charles C. Ryrie, Dispensationalism Today, p. 86-109; 177-191; J. D. Pentecost, Things To Come, p. 66]; as a result, rather than asserting the TRUTHS that Christ ended the principle of rule by law for Jew and Gentile at the Cross, and that He instituted the Church dispensation and offers a victorious spiritual life by grace for the believer who depends upon the Spirit's power, legalism has pervaded Evangelicalism!
      2. Christ causes the godly to say the "Amen" as the speaker does just the opposite (as itemized below)!
Lesson: (1) Christ shows Evangelicals often FAIL godly hearers via two main errant theologies: (a) Arminians have used false languages or illogic, or have held to pluralistic views or distrusted Scripture's inspiration or not expounded Scripture, and (b) Calvinists have opposed dispensationalism and promoted false legalism when they should have done the opposite! (2) As the solution, Christ will CAUSE the godly to give "the Amen" if the speaker (a) expounds written Scripture (b) as he himself trusts the written Bible to be God's (c) infallible, (d) verbally inerrant, (e) inspired Word, and (f) if he speaks its truth (g) in a known human language (h) that the hearer logically knows, (i) and he thus upholds Christ's fulfillment of the Old Testament promises (j) that assert dispensational truth ((k) so he also affirms the consistent literal, grammatical and historical interpretation method (l) so that he extols freedom from the Law and all false legalism, and (m) upholds victorious living by the Spirit's power!