Category: Exegesis and Hermeneutics

The Atheist’s Inability To Comprehend God

~ Rob Robinson ~ Leave a comment

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Those Who Deny God, Cannot Understand Him

A human being is made up of three components; body, soul, and Spirit. When a person is born, the body is preeminent, it rules the life of the person. Whatever the body wants, it expresses through the desires of the flesh. The soul is the inhabitation of the emotions, where a person expresses their thoughts, feelings and emotions. The spirit, which is the only part of man that can know and understand God, is dead because of sin.[1]

When Jesus told Nicodemus, in John chapter 3, that “you must be “born again,” He was describing the spirit. In order for any person to understand God, or to comprehend His word, first his spirit must be born again, into a new relationship with God. Until our sins are dealt with and removed by God, it is impossible for us to have a relationship with God.[2]

Jesus death on the cross, paid for the sins of all people, for all time. All those who are willing to repent from their sins and come to Jesus for the forgiveness of their sins, are born again—into this new spiritual life.[3]

This is one of the preeminent differences between Biblical Christianity and religion. The religions of man ignore the spiritual side of man, regarding sin, repentance and the need to experience a new life in the spirit. Man’s religion requires conformance into a set of rules or conduct. The Bible reveals that there are no rules that any person can keep that will make them acceptable to God. It is by a reliance upon what Jesus has accomplish that God will accept any person.[4]

To those who do not know God, who have yet to experience this new birth of the spirit, these things are difficult to comprehend. Some even scoff at this possibility and find it impossible to believe. Nevertheless, this is what the text of the New Testament reveals. Continue reading “The Atheist’s Inability To Comprehend God” →

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How Messianic Prophecy is Determined

~ Rob Robinson ~ Leave a comment

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Upon a search of the internet for Messianic Prophecies, there are several sources that assert that the Bible does not contain prophecies that were fulfilled by Jesus Christ. Further, critics of Hebrew prophecy claim that none of the claimed prophecies of the scriptures were intended as prophetic during their writing.

These arguments are primarily asserted, due to a lack of knowledge in Biblical prophecy and Hermeneutic application. Continue reading “How Messianic Prophecy is Determined” →

The Three Servants of Isaiah

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Isaiah 49:6a Indeed He says, “It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant To raise up the tribes of Jacob, And to restore the preserved ones of Israel; I will also give You as a light to the Gentiles, That You should be My salvation to the ends of the earth.”

The question we should ask in this prophecy is: “Who is this servant?” At times, in the Book of Isaiah, it is difficult but not completely impossible to tell which servant Isaiah is speaking of.

There are three servants who are mentioned in the Book of Isaiah:

1. David-Isaiah 37:35
2. Israel-Isaiah 41:8-16, 42:18-20, 43:1, 44:1-8, 44:21-23, 45:4, 48:20
3. Messiah-Isaiah 42:1-12, chapter 49

There is also a section in Isaiah where the Messiah as the Servant restores Israel, the servant: 50:4-6, 52:13-15, 53:1-12

This particular prophecy is easier than many to identify who the servant is, because of the language Isaiah 42:5-7 uses. Here in verse 6, the Servant Messiah is to restore Israel, the servant of God.

You should be My Servant To raise up the tribes of Jacob, And to restore the preserved ones of Israel

The Messiah of Isaiah Chapter 49 will also be a light to the Gentiles (Prophecy 205), in that God will use the gospel of the Messiah to save people from every tribe, tongue, nation, and people. We see this completed work of the Messiah in the Book of Revelation, where the redeemed are all together before the throne of God, worshipping Him.

Revelation 5:9 And they sang a new song, saying: “You are worthy to take the scroll, And to open its seals; For You were slain, And have redeemed us to God by Your blood Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation…”

It was always the purpose of God to offer salvation to every person. First, this great work of redemption was offered to Israel who so often ignored, rejected and disobeyed God’s command. When Peter first brought the message of Jesus’ cross, he went to Israel. Upon their rejection of Jesus as their Messiah, God expanded His grace to all the nations and people of the earth.

Isaiah contains what has been called “The Servant Songs,” so named by Berhard Duhm in 1892.[1] Continue reading “The Three Servants of Isaiah” →

How Peter Knew the Birth of Jesus Church Was a Fulfillment of Prophecy

~ Rob Robinson ~ Leave a comment

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It was on the 50th day after Jesus was offered as the Passover Lamb that Pentecost was celebrated. Jesus waited until this specific time to pour out the Holy Spirit on His Church. It was this amazing power which came upon every person who had professed their faith in Jesus as their Messiah, which gave each believer the ability to live the life that Jesus had called them to.

Acts 1:5 “for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”

Acts 1:8 “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you…”

The mark of one who is truly saved is the Holy Spirit living within. Without the Holy Spirit, there is no salvation, there is no power, no spiritual life, no eternal life.

Romans 8:9 But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.

The Holy Spirit enables us to do things which are otherwise impossible for us to achieve. We can boldly stand before people and tell them about the wonderful things which Jesus has done in our life and have that message empowered by the Holy Spirit. When the Spirit is behind the words and actions of our life, what we say and do has amazing results in the lives of the people whom we come in contact with. Continue reading “How Peter Knew the Birth of Jesus Church Was a Fulfillment of Prophecy” →

The Two Servants of Isaiah

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In correctly interpreting the text of Isaiah, chapter 42, it is necessary to understand and pay close attention to the context. If we are diligent, we will notice a marked change in the language of verses 1-17 an verses 18-20. By a simple oversight in our understanding of these important verses from the text of Isaiah 42, we may miss one of the most important principles of Biblical interpretation: A correct Exegesis of the true purpose of Isaiah’s prophecy.

God is clearly demonstrating the difference between His Faithful Servant, the Messiah, and His earthly servant, the nation of Israel. When we combine these two sections of Isaiah 42 together and assume that God is speaking only to Israel, we miss important attributes of the Messiah and greatly distort other sections of the Old Testament prophecies of the Messiah. Continue reading “The Two Servants of Isaiah” →

How to Determine if an Old Testament Scripture is Prophetic

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What is the criteria that is considered in determining whether a particular Old Testament Scripture is prophetic in nature and a possible candidate for fulfillment by the Messiah? Many obscure verses of the Old Testament appear at first glance–to have little or no relevance to Messiah. It is interesting that Peter made use of a particular method of interpreting Old Testament references in light of what Jesus said and did–which has been used by Rabbi’s for thousands of years.

Exegetical principles

According to the second Midrashic exegetical rule, called the Middot, originated by Rabbi Hillel: where the same words or concepts appear in two separate scriptures, we are to give the same consideration in applying both scriptures to the same subject[2].

Continue reading “How to Determine if an Old Testament Scripture is Prophetic” →