faith – Page 20

Reader Q&A: Can Wolves in Christianity Truly Be Saved? (Part 2)

Posted on April 10, 2025April 11, 2025 by elizabethprata

By Elizabeth Prata

Yesterday I wrote about a Q&A I’d had from a reader and promised to post the other questions and answers today. Here is yesterday’s part 1- Decoding False Teachers: Types of Wolves in Christianity- Reader Questions & Answers part 1

I love when I receive questions. It encourages me because the queries show me that there are women out there who care about discernment, about Jesus, and about the purity of their walk with Him. That’s all discernment is: a process of training one’s self to have an ever more pure walk with Jesus. To learn who and what to go toward and who and what to stay away from in order to attain a more clear view of Him.

Here are the other two questions and my answers. I certainly do not have a monopoly on answers or final knowledge of the Bible. How would you have replied? What is your stance on some of these things?

Can a wolf be saved? Is there a hope for them in terms of genuine repentance, and saving faith?

I’ve often wondered this. Quite a bit, actually. Not knowing the answer and only surmising as to some notions as you’ll see below, I still do pray for the false teachers the Lord burdens my heart with.

Now, God CAN save anyone. He saved Saul the persecutor and turned him into the most productive evangelist and missionary in the history of the world. Jesus pronounced woes and invectives upon the Pharisees, Sadducees, and Scribes (so did John the Baptist). But Sadducee Joseph of Arimathea and Pharisee Nicodemus were more than likely genuine believers by the end.

However … my personal feeling of the actual false teachers, the ones embedded in Christianity and profess to love Jesus, is no, they will not be saved. Here are my reasons:

First- Jude 1:4 seems to indicate that at least some of these false teachers were deliberately raised up for God’s reasons, and were always marked for condemnation. After all, “There must be heresies among you so that those who are approved might be made manifest” (1 Corinthians 11:19). 2 Peter 2:1 seems to indicate the same. 1 Timothy 4:1-2 says these hypocrites have a seared conscience.

At some point, Jesus turns the rebels over to their sin. (Romans 1:21). Of course, we do not know the point if and when it occurs in various individuals.

Secondly, as to the seared conscience and also remembering Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, these false teachers, if they actually had the Holy Spirit in them, they would not persist in their evil teaching ways. The Holy Spirit always points us toward truth. It might take weeks, months, or in some rare cases a year or so, but someone cannot and does not persist for 40 years as a false teacher and then suddenly repent.

Romans 1:25 says they know God, but they exchanged the truth of God for falsehood, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.

I’ve never seen a long-term, false professing Christian teacher repenting, and I’ve never heard of it. It is more likely that they are seared in conscience, hardened in heart, and being used by God as a judgment. Here is Paul Washer on false teachers. clip is 5 min, here is the beginning of it-

Washer transcript: “False teachers are God’s judgment on people who don’t want God, but in the name of religion plan on getting everything their carnal heart desires. That’s why a Joel Osteen is raised up. Those people who sit under him are not victims of him. He is the judgment of God upon them because they want exactly what he wants and it’s not God.”

God allows false teachers so that it may be manifest those who are true. There must be heresies among you so that those who are approved might be made manifest. (1 Corinthians 11:19).

Can a person truly be a wolf if they believe in and teach sound doctrine?

Let’s look at the word “believe”. The demons believed in Jesus. In fact in Mark it was demons who assigned to Jesus the highest praise name of all- the Holy One of God. Judas believed sound doctrine. The issue is, they did not submit to it. They are rebels. So we need to be careful using the term ‘believe in Jesus’.

Let’s look at the word “doctrine”: All false teachers mix truth with the false. They all twist doctrine in some way, some more skillfully and hidden and others more easily detected (Example, Beth Moore- skillfully twisting her doctrine to make it seem sound, Todd Bentley- false doctrine easily detected). So it depends on what is meant by ‘sound doctrine’. Also, new converts might believe Louie Giglio is sound or a Beth Moore but as they grow they realize their doctrine is not sound. So while soundness is soundness, our perception of it is a continuum.

No doubt, false teachers may be difficult to recognize in the moment. If we don’t have access to their personal lives, or their doctrinal compromises haven’t yet been manifest publicly in their behavior, we may find it difficult to know whether they are true. But time will tell. They will be known by their fruit — not the fruit of ministry quantity and numbers, but quality and endurance — and ultimately the quality of their own lives. ~Dave Mathis, The Surprising Truth about False Teachers

Rick Warren appeared to teach sound doctrine. So did David Platt. For a while. Billy Graham appeared to teach soundly for a long time but secretly held heretical beliefs. Ravi Zacharias appeared to teach sound doctrine, in fact was noted for it, but was living a grossly immoral secret life. Look at lifestyle as part of any assessment of a teacher of the Bible.

Apollos was a diligent student of scripture and knowledgeable, and he taught, but he did not have the full story of the new covenant, only John’s Baptism. Did his lack mean he was false? No, because his teachableness and humility when approached by Priscilla and Aquila were also indicators of his status as true teacher. He did not reject the fuller knowledge, in fact, he hastily absorbed it and went on in humility to become a noted true teacher of the Gospel.

Beth Moore knows the full story of the Bible but chooses NOT to teach it even when urged, reminded, alerted, and corrected. Romans 1:25 applies to her.

All in all, false teachers are bad. They should not be tolerated, even a little bit.

And in the Scripture they are never tolerated. They’re never tolerated as sort of partially right and needing to be helped along to the fullness of the truth, they are totally denounced, condemned to eternal damnation. ~John MacArthur, Portrait of False Teachers part 1

Conclusion

The best thing to do is to train in discernment and to:
–stay in the word frequently if not daily
–appeal to the Holy Spirit daily for help in interpreting it rightly
–pray for growth in discernment

The Lord will give these good gifts to His children, because they are aligned with HIS will.

Further Resources

Portrait of False Teachers part 1, MacArthur sermon

Lessons I’ve learned from False Teachers, Tim Challies, essay

How to Identify False Teachers if you Don’t Know the Truth, For the Gospel, Costi Hinn essay

False teachers, Just Thinking Podcast

Decoding False Teachers: Types of Wolves in Christianity- Reader Questions & Answers part 1 The End Time

theology

Decoding False Teachers: Types of Wolves in Christianity- Reader Questions & Answers

Posted on April 9, 2025April 11, 2025 by elizabethprata

By Elizabeth Prata

The other day I received some questions and after mulling for a day or so, I answered. I certainly do not have a monopoly in answers or final knowledge of the Bible. How would you have replied? What is your stance on some of these things?

There were 4 questions. I’ll answer 2 today and 2 tomorrow.

Are wolves pastor-teachers only or can they be lay people within the congregation?

We read of wolves in Matthew 7:15, Acts 20:29-30, and Luke 10:3 where that term is used.

The word wolf is used in reference to and sometimes synonymously with the terms false prophets, false teachers, deceitful workers, deceitful spirits… The Bible seems to emphasize that such people frequently appear in leadership roles – likely because that is where they can do the most damage – but they do not appear exclusively in that role. Galatians 2:4 indicates that false brothers were brought in further, the reason they came in- to spy and to enslave-

Yet it was a concern because of the false brothers secretly brought in, who had sneaked in to spy on our freedom which we have in Christ Jesus, in order to enslave us. (Galatians 2:4).

Paul recounted that one of his many dangers was from from false brothers, 2 Corinthians 11:26.

Paul said in Acts 20:29-30 “Even from your own number, men will rise up and distort the truth to draw away disciples after them.”

Jude 1:4 notes, For certain men have crept in among you unnoticed—ungodly ones…

As to the term used “false brothers” – quoted from the Greek Lexicon, “The term “pseudadelphos” refers to someone who pretends to be a brother in faith but is not genuine. It is used to describe individuals who infiltrate Christian communities with ulterior motives, often causing division or spreading false teachings. The term highlights the danger of deceit within the church and the need for discernment among believers.”

So while the wolves who appear as pastors present false doctrine to lead astray, the false brothers cause division and lead astray. Wolves have various roles and can and do appear anywhere.

Every New Testament book except Philemon warns of false teachers who appear in some form or another.

Matthew 13 describes the parable of the weeds (tares). “and the weeds are the sons of the evil one”; Satan sows deceitful workers. ALL hypocrites and unbelievers in the church are the work of Satan, whether they are called a wolf or any of the other names noted above. Thus, a wolf can describe any person, not just a teacher, seeking to undermine Jesus’ teaching, and we know from 2 Peter 2:3 their main motivation is greed or personal gain.

Do wolves come in varying degrees of “badness”? Are there are certain wolves that are worse than others?

In Matthew 7:15, the Greek term “harpax” is used in the verse when speaking of ravenous in ‘ravenous wolves’.

Quoting the Lexicon, “It’s used in the New Testament to describe individuals who are greedy, grasping, or who take by force. It conveys the idea of someone who is not only eager to possess more than they have but is willing to do so through unjust or violent means. This word is often used to characterize those who exploit others for personal gain.”

In Acts 20:29 Paul used the term “savage wolves”. In the Greek Lexicon savage “is used to describe something that is heavy or burdensome, both in a literal and metaphorical sense. It can refer to physical weight or to something that is difficult to bear, such as a severe trial or a grievous situation. In the New Testament, it often conveys the idea of something oppressive or hard to endure.”

Wolves are bad, we know this. But then the Apostles specifically warned that the wolves who come in are especially bad. Through and through. There is no such thing as a gentle wolf, a kind wolf, or a baby wolf cub so cute we don’t need a warning about handling them. Even in Song of Solomon 2:15 we read that even little foxes can ruin vineyards. (Commentary here).

cub fox, AI. Cute, eh? They’ll ruin your vineyard!

Some false teachers expose all their badness earlier while other false teachers hide it longer, but while outside they are whitewashed, inside they are all tombs. Professing false brothers, hypocrites, wolves, false teachers- which are all synonyms- are an abomination to Jesus. They are all bad all the time, no matter how ‘good’ they appear. They produce evil and garbage.

If you were presented with three casseroles at a potluck; one perfectly cooked, one with a little fecal matter in it, or one totally full of fecal matter, which would you eat? ALL wolves are bad and are bad for you. Their character is all the same, no matter what version they appear in (teacher, helper, student, disciple, etc). They are arrogant, immoral, promote immorality, and are propelled by greed. We read this characterization in both 2 Peter and Jude.

Remember, they MASQUERADE as sincere, helpful, kind people. (2 Corinthians 11:13-15). The undiscerning sometimes can’t see through that, OR they have helped in the heaping up of these wolves and don’t wish to see how bad the false teachers really are. (2 Timothy 4:3).

For some people it is hard for them to reconcile the vivid descriptions of false teachers in the Bible to the smiling, toothy visage of a Joel Osteen, or the excited energy of a seemingly friendly Beth Moore, or the longevity of a Charismatic Benny Hinn, but indeed, inside they are ravenous wolves. Remember the term “masquerade”.

Cultural and Historical Background: In the Greco-Roman world, the concept of changing one’s form or appearance was not uncommon, often associated with theatrical performances or philosophical ideas about the nature of reality and perception. The New Testament usage of ‘disguise’ reflects a deeper spiritual reality, emphasizing the contrast between genuine transformation in Christ and superficial or deceptive changes.

We are always at risk. We are sheep. False teacher wolves have been hunting believing sheep for millennia. They know how to trick, deceive, disguise, and play the cunning helper. It’s why we need the strength, wisdom, and word of God to protect us. Discernment is important.

theology

Prata Potpourri: Staying ‘Resolute’, Easter planning, Forming Friendships in Christ, the Nicest Show on TV, Busy-ness; More

Posted on April 5, 2025 by elizabethprata

By Elizabeth Prata

The Answers for Women conference at Ken Ham’s Ark Encounter concluded. I’ve seen the photos and videos of the fellowship among the leaders, and I was much encouraged. I see the crowd of hungry women who traveled far to attend in order to receive great teaching, and I’m encouraged.

I see the crowd and I wonder if Lori Alexander The Transformed Wife, who is against women ‘learning theology’ and against women ‘teaching theology’ and against women being out in the world, would see this many women being taught by other women and would say “They are all wrong and I am right” and “Ken Ham is wrong and I am right”. I muse on the deception of sin and the spiritual harm of pride.

Stay teachable, ladies.

Lori Alexander could have written this book…

Most false teachers like Lori quote scripture, but so did the devil – and to Jesus’ face no less. Sin is so deceptive. Lori could have written this book… Meanwhile I encourage you to go to Answers in Genesis TV when the video sessions are posted and view them. The topic was staying Resolute for Christ, and many sessions taught about discernment and false movements that destroy.

Virgil Walker wrote an essay titled Don’t Mistake Activity for Obedience: Why the Kingdom Isn’t Built on Busyness.

I remember years ago, a woman who was busy at church. She was busy-busy. She was on many committees, volunteered for everything, was there every time the doors opened (this was back when we had 2 Sunday services and Wednesday night prayer meeting). She was working full time and a married mom of two, but was so busy her second job seemed like it was church. She got tired, complaining, and burned out. She later separated from her husband, divorced for no biblical reason, resisted counseling, avoided church discipline, and was eventually excommunicated. Not that busy-ness necessarily leads to apostasy, but sometimes busy-ness covers for a lack of spiritual core that true repentance gives a person when they are saved. Read Virgil’s piece…

I listened to the first session of Susan Heck’s conference at Crossway Bible Church in Kansas. The topic was Forming Faithful Friendships in Christ. Her first session focused on what it means for US to be friends with Jesus, a great first session. Mrs. Heck laid a solid foundation. The sessions, all 4 plus a Q&A, are at the church’s website. It is listed on the Sermons page, which over time the Friendship sessions will get squashed down, so you may have to scroll a bit if you are reading this months from now.

Forming Faithful Friendships in Christ by Susan Heck.

Tim Challies wrote about “The most pleasant show on television”. If you’re wondering, it’s All Creatures Great and Small, the modern reboot. Usually when I see ‘modern reboot’ it means crassness, wokeness, sexual immorality, and other pollutions. Not this time. I saw the original show in the 1970s when it first came out and I think this reboot is even better. I agree with Challies, it’s just plain nice.

Challies concludes his essay saying, “I hope the show’s success helps the studios understand that if they keep out the raunch, hold back the politics, and simply tell good stories in a compelling way, they’ll have an audience eager to watch.”

The Most Pleasant Show on Television

Owen Strachan said the same thing a few months ago with his essay, The Enchanted Realism of “All Creatures Great and Small” : An Essay on Television’s Best Show.

A few short weeks ago I recommended the CBS show Elsbeth. But this week, I became very disappointed. I love the show and Carrie Preston’s skill at bringing the character to life. The episode ‘Tiny Town’ was so good! However, the latest episode featured lesbian kissing, a throuple, homosexual kissing. AND emphasis on ‘no judgment’. One person in a polyamory ‘marriage’ had been suspected of killing another in the threesome. The police captain said he could not get his head around the notion of a threesome in marriage. “I get all I need from my one love, Claudia. Maybe people would actually be happy if they focused on one person.” That was the comment he felt he needed to apologize for, since it was “insensitive” according to the show’s script.

Sad. I do JUDGE. Tekel: You, Elsbeth, have been weighed on the scales and found wanting.

Christian friends, there may be little on TV we care to consume, but there ARE a few here and there that allow for safe viewing and a pleasurable media experience. I hope All Creatures stays the course.

Mrs. Sharon Lareau at Chapter 3 Ministries has a good essay about Worry Less About Which Bible Reading Plan to Use and More About Which Bible, and she explains the Bible translations. Occasionally I see people on Twitter/X discussing their choice of translation, or a chat about their decision to change translations. I started with the NKJV because that was the Bible a friend gave me. Then I used the ESV for years, until I changed to the NASB. I use NASB and Legacy Standard Bible (LSB) interchangeably. My pastor preaches from the ESV.

The translation does matter and we should make an informed decision about which translation we read and study from. Sharon makes a recommendation and then explains the basis for her choice.

Post-Its and Bible study go together like Mac & cheese. EPrata photo

Marci Ferrell / Thankful Homemaker has some good resources ahead of Easter. She writes,

Easter is almost here, and as Christian women, we want to make sure our celebration is focused on Jesus.⁣ In today’s video, I’m sharing simple, heartfelt, and practical ways to plan a Christ-centered Easter at home—without feeling overwhelmed.⁣
⁣
Whether you have little ones, teens, or an all-adult household, I pray this episode encourages you to reflect on the beauty of the resurrection and gives you tools to point your family to Christ in meaningful ways.⁣
⁣
💌 Download My Free Christ-Focused Easter Planning Guide⁣
Includes meal prep timelines, Holy Week Scripture readings, discussion questions, and simple celebration ideas.⁣
⁣
📺 Watch Marci’s Easter video on YouTube

⁣It’s the weekend here as I write this. Green leaves are budding, birds are singing, and I have the next week off for Spring Break from school. Time to go outside and enjoy God’s green creation.

discernment, theology

The Importance of Spiritual Discernment for Believers

Posted on April 4, 2025 by elizabethprata

By Elizabeth Prata

Discernment is important.

Let me rephrase that.

Discernment is important.

Discernment is:

Discernment is the skill of understanding and applying God’s Word with the purpose of separating truth from error and right from wrong. ~Tim Challies

Charles Spurgeon drills down even further:

Discernment is not knowing the difference between right and wrong. It is knowing the difference between right and almost right.

Though ALL believers must train in discernment (Hebrews 5:14), some believers are given a heightened ability to discern by virtue of possessing a gift from the Spirit.

and to another the effecting of miracles, and to another prophecy, and to another the distinguishing of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, and to another the interpretation of tongues. (1 Corinthians 12:10, underline mine).

For spirit-gifted discerning believers AND all others, we must practice discernment in our walk. (1 John 4:1, Philippians 1:9-10, Romans 12:2). That means both identifying it AND acting on it. It’s non-negotiable.

Sheep, or Wolf? A Call to Discern
by Dr. Colin Eakin
Discernment: The Neglected Imperative

Where does God command believers to exercise spiritual discernment? Perhaps a better question is, where doesn’t He? The answer is Philemon. Of all the books in the New Testament, this letter of twenty-five verses is the only one in which there is no instruction for the believer to be on guard against falsehood. All remaining twenty-six books of the New Testament (and many of the Old Testament) exhort the believer, to a greater or lesser degree, to discern truth from falsehood and to act upon it.

Satan downplays the importance of discernment. How? He twists scriptures such as the ones under discussion today, two of the most abused scriptures in the Bible, plus one more-

Judge not, that ye be not judged. (Matthew 7:1)

And this one:

If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. (Matthew 18:15).

And this admonition based on nothing in the Bible but bandied about as if it was:

Be nice. Jesus ate with sinners, you know.

Sadly, when I write an essay discerning a false teacher, or speaking against a false doctrine, inevitably I receive a slew of comments from women who insist I perform one or the other of the verses above. This makes me sad, because I know from such comments these women are not operating at peak Christian condition. Their insistence that I employ one or both of these verses usually reveals two things about them:

— they hold to an errant understanding of the verses above
— they hypocritically have failed to follow their own advice and ‘come to me privately’, and to ‘judge not’.

Wise people treasure knowledge, but the babbling of a fool invites disaster. (Proverbs 10:14).

Here is my rebuttal to the commenters lobbing the most abused discernment verses:

Judge not, that ye be not judged. (Matthew 7:1).

‘Do not judge’ cannot mean ‘do not discern.’ There are calls to discern in every book of the New Testament except Philemon, and many of the Old. (1 John 4:1, Philippians 1:9-10, Hebrews 5:14, Romans 12:2, 1 Corinthians 2:14, 1 Kings 3:9, & etc.)

So, ‘Judge not’ can’t mean do not judge, because in John 7:24 we’re told to judge. Wisdom would suggest that rather than there being an inconsistency in the Bible, there is an inconsistency in our understanding.

So if Matthew 7:1 doesn’t mean not to discern and it doesn’t mean judge not, what does it actually mean? Well, first, read the verse in context. Here is Matthew 7:1-5,

Do not judge so that you will not be judged. For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you. Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ and behold, the log is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.

It means when we do have to judge something, as in test, discern, check, etc, do not do so hypocritically, harshly, or wrongly.

Resource here: GotQuestions- What does the Bible mean that we are not to judge others?

2. Have you gone to her privately?

In this one, commenters are referring to a section in Matthew 18, where the Bible outlines procedures for church discipline. Here is the passage:

If your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother. But if he does not listen to you, take one or two more with you, so that by the mouth of two or three witnesses every fact may be confirmed. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. (Matthew 18:15-17 NASB)

This verse is about church discipline, when one member of a local body has sinned against another person in the local body. It is a local, internal procedure. It is not referring to our response to book reviews or other public statements false teachers have made in public.

Phil Johnson explained here, in a 2006 blog essay:

It would be a serious mistake to imagine that a private meeting is always a mandatory prerequisite before any Christian can legitimately express public criticism of another believer’s published work or public behavior. On the contrary, sometimes—especially when we’re dealing with a public and scandalous transgression—open rebuke may be warranted as a first response (cf. Galatians 2:11-14). Matthew 18:15-17 outlines instructions for dealing with private sins and personal offenses. These are not guidelines for dealing with false teaching or public behavior that might cloud the truth of the gospel or besmirch the reputation of the whole church.

Here is a link to a pdf “Editorial on Abusing Matthew 18” by Don Carson

Here is Tim Challies with an easy button version of Don Carson’s essay on Matthew 18 abuse.

3. Jesus ate with Sinners

Strangely, in a third most abused verse in the discernment world, many of them say ‘Be nice. Don’t condemn. Jesus ate with sinners.’ What they are referring to is Mark 2:16.

And the scribes of the Pharisees, when they saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors, said to his disciples, “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?”

If you think about it, you realize how massively ridiculous their statement that one should not cry out against false teachers or false doctrine is.

The only sinless person who ever lived was Jesus. Of COURSE He ate with sinners. He ate with sinners every time He ate. Jesus eating with sinners verse was about the Pharisees complaining that Jesus was eating with tax collectors and prostitutes whom the Pharisees believed were “sinners”, outcasts unworthy to be in polite society, while at the same time believing that they themselves were NOT sinners and thus worthy to grace Jesus with their presence.

Jesus ate with sinners, having compassion on them, because they were lost sheep. However, He never expected them to remain in their sin. He told the adulteress to ‘go and sin no more,’ for example. He also was very harsh with many other sinners. He whipped up a fury against the merchant greed-mongers in the temple. He called the Pharisees blind guides, fools, wicked, and greedy.

Of course we (forgiven) sinners will eat with (unforgiven) sinners because we are to be in the world. But if we see a friend involved in a false doctrine, do we eat their food but leave them with a poison in their soul? No.

Jesus, Friend of Sinners: But How?
By Kevin DeYoung

As precious as this truth is—that Jesus is a friend of sinners—it, like every other precious truth in the Bible, needs to be safeguarded against doctrinal and ethical error. It is all too easy, and amazingly common, for Christians (or non-Christians) to take the general truth that Jesus was a friend of sinners and twist it all out of biblical recognition.

Jesus was a friend of sinners not because he winked at sin, ignored sin, or enjoyed light-hearted revelry with those engaged in immorality. Jesus was a friend of sinners in that he came to save sinners and was very pleased to welcome sinners who were open to the gospel, sorry for their sins, and on their way to putting their faith in Him.

Why is it significant that Jesus ate with sinners?

It’s the biggest problem.

People ask me this all the time, “What is the greatest need in the church today? What is the most compelling need? What do you see as the biggest problem in Christianity? The biggest problem in the church?

It’s simple for me to answer that. The biggest problem in the church today is the absence of discernment. It’s a lack of discernment. It’s the biggest problem with Christian people, they make bad choices. They accept the wrong thing. They accept the wrong theology. The are prone to the wrong teaching. They’re unwise in who they follow, what they listen to and what they read. ~John MacArthur, Principles for Discernment 2002.

You can enhance your discernment through constant training, (Hebrews 5:14), prayers for wisdom, (James 1:5) and staying in the word (Psalm 119:11). Then perhaps at some point you can help advise a sister and encourage her in her discernment walk. 🙂

theology

Will We Recognize Each Other in Heaven?

Posted on March 26, 2025 by elizabethprata

By Elizabeth Prata

I was speaking with a lady recently who seemed to think that the only person we will know in heaven will be Jesus. I thought about that for a while, then I did the usual thing: I consulted the scriptures. I came to the conclusion that no, we WILL know everyone in heaven. There will be no introductions, no name tags, no mnemonic devices to remember who is who. WE WILL KNOW.

Why do I think this? Well, let’s look at scripture and the biblical scenes which led me to this conclusion.

For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully, just as I also have been fully known. (1 Corinthians 13:12).

The verse less speaks to recognizing people than it does to our being freed from darkness and obscurity of knowledge; of God, of His ways, and wants. Matthew Henry says,

Now we can only discern things at a great distance, as through a telescope, and that involved in clouds and obscurity; but hereafter the things to be known will be near and obvious, open to our eyes; and our knowledge will be free from all obscurity and error. God is to be seen face to face; and we are to know him as we are known by him…We shall know how we are known, enter into all the mysteries of divine love and grace. Matthew Henry’s commentary on the whole Bible.

But … if we are freed from darkness and obscurity of the fuller knowledge of God and enter into the mysteries of the universe, and if we will see God ‘face to face’, then it stands to reason we will also know each other.

But more specifically, at the Mount of Transfiguration, Peter immediately recognized Moses and Elijah, even though both men had passed away long before Peter ever lived.

And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him. Peter responded and said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good that we are here. If You want, I will make three tabernacles here: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” (Matthew 17:3-4).

Though some interpret the scene of the Rich Man and Lazarus as a parable, others take it as actual. Either way, the scene involved the unnamed Rich Man and the beggar at his gate named Lazarus. They died. The Rich Man went to Hades, Lazarus went to Abraham’s bosom AKA Paradise. The Rich Man looked across the great gulf that is fixed, where none may cross from one side to the other, and he recognized Abraham.

John MacArthur says of recognizing people in heaven,

In the Old Testament, when a person died, the biblical writers said he was “gathered to his people” (cf. Gen. 25:8; 35:29; 49:29; Num. 20:24; Judg. 2:10). In 2 Samuel 12, when David’s infant child died, David confidently said, “I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me” (v. 23). David evidently expected to see the child again–not just a nameless, faceless soul without an identity, but that very child.

It will be a glorious day when we finally see our Savior in person. It will be wonderful to be reunited with loved ones we knew on earth. It will also be fabulous to sit with Moses, Paul, Rahab, Abigail, Dorcas…and all the other believers who are in heaven waiting for the Day of full completion.

theology

Little Known Bible Characters #7: Salome

Posted on March 25, 2025May 19, 2025 by elizabethprata

By Elizabeth Prata

Previous entries in the series:

Little Known Bible Characters #6: King Chedorlaomer
Little Known Bible Characters #5: Harbonah the Eunuch
Little Known Bible Characters #4: Eutychus
Little Known Bible Characters #3: Trophimus
Little Known Bible Characters #2: ‘The List of Offenders’
Little Known Bible Characters #1: Iddo

There are two Salomes in the Bible. Both are New Testament women, but have vastly different characters.

Salome #1 is not named in Matthew 14:6-11; Mark 6:22-28, but only says she was the “daughter of Herodius.” Josephus tells us her lineage and her name: Salome. Salome #1 danced for Herod and Herod was pleased. He promised her anything she asked for. She wanted the head of John the Baptist on a platter, and she got it.

The Salome #2 that I focus today on appears later in the New Testament. She IS named, and appears several times. —Matthew 20:20-24; 27:56; Mark 10:35-40; 15:40, 41; 16:1, 2. Mark tells us her name, and Matthew goes further and names her as the mother of Zebedee’s children. Zebedee was the prosperous fisherman who was mending his nets when Jesus came along and called his sons to discipleship. Who were these two sons? Mark 3:17 reveals their identity: James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James (to them He gave the name Boanerges, which means, ‘Sons of Thunder’).

So, the family is Zebedee, Salome, James, and John

Given that when Jesus called the sons away from their father and the father’s work, and Zebedee did not argue or restrain them, it seems likely that he had more than likely trained his boys (now men) in the admonition of the Lord. Salome, the mother, also seems to have been spiritually prepared to accept Jesus as Messiah. She began following Jesus as well. And in the end, she along with the other women, were present through His earthly ministry, the crucifixion, and after His death when even her two sons had fled.

Salome as any mother wanted the best for her sons. Having followed Jesus through His ministry, having identified Jesus as the Messiah, she boldly but reverently asked Jesus for something…

Christ Meeting Sons and Mother of Zebedee by Paolo Veronese, 1565

Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came to Jesus with her sons, bowing down and making a request of Him. And He said to her, “What do you desire?” She said to Him, “Say that in Your kingdom these two sons of mine shall sit, one at Your right, and one at Your left.” But Jesus replied, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink?” They said to Him, “We are able.” (Matthew 20:20-23).

Mark 10:35-40 has the same scene but Salome is omitted and it’s James and John asking. Warren Wiersbe says,

Before we criticize what they did, let’s notice some commendable features in this event. For one thing, they did believe in prayer, and they dared to believe the promise Jesus had given about sitting on thrones (Matt. 19:28). The word “regeneration” in that verse means “new birth,” and refers to the new world over which Jesus and His followers will reign when He returns to earth. It must have taken faith on their part to believe He would establish these thrones, because He had just told them that He was going to die.

Eastern Orthodox icon of the two Marys and Salome at the Tomb of Jesus (Kizhi, 18th century).

But there were several things wrong with the request, as well. Wiersbe again,

Little did Salome realize that the path to the throne is a difficult one. James was the first of the disciples to be martyred, and John had to endure hard days on the Isle of Patmos. These three believers wanted their will, not God’s will, and they wanted it their way. Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 1, p. 75). Victor Books.

Remember, these Bible people are human, just like us.

Most assume Salome was part of the crowd of women present, “who were mourning and grieving for Him” when Jesus turned to them and said “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not cry for me…” in Luke 23:28.

Crucifixion, from the Buhl Altarpiece, 1490s. Salome is one of the two leftmost women with a halo.
© Ralph Hammann – Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0

Salome was present at the crucifixion but a little far off as Mark records. But they were there.

Now there were also some women watching from a distance, among whom were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James the Less and Joses, and Salome. (Mark 15:40).

Lockyer says, “Salome, along with the other women “stood afar off,” probably because of the malicious crowd, the rough soldiers, and the horrors of the cross, all of which was sufficient to make them timid. They were full of love and sympathy, even though they stood afar off. With tear-filled eyes with which they had shown their devotion on the way to the cross (Luke 23:28), they still beheld Him as He hung there in death.”

Salome was faithful not only to the end, but afterwards:

The Resurrection – When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might come and anoint Him. (Mark 16:1).

Salome was faithful with her husband in raising their children and providing a model for worship and patience waiting for Messiah to come. Probably never did she believe it would happen to her in her lifetime. When it did, she was all-in. She must have been spiritually satisfied that her sons were following. She followed, she learned, and she loved Jesus. Her sorrow at His crucifixion was real and deep. Her dedication was evident when she bought the spices to anoint His body in the little time between His death and sunset when Sabbath began. It was evident again when she arrived at pre-dawn 3 days later to anoint His body.

Salome’s godly motherhood and worshipful model in following Christ is an example to us. James was the first apostolic martyr and John the last to pass into heaven. Even if Salome was not alive to endure that grief, as Lockyer said, “The mother sought earthly crowns for her sons, but through losing their lives for Christ’s sake, they gained greater honor in heaven. … Happy and grateful are those Christian parents who live to see their offspring wholly dedicated to the service of the Lord.“

Little Known Bible Characters #8: Tryphena and Tryphosa
Little Known Bible Characters #6: King Chedorlaomer
Little Known Bible Characters #5: Harbonah the Eunuch
Little Known Bible Characters #4: Eutychus
Little Known Bible Characters #3: Trophimus
Little Known Bible Characters #2: ‘The List of Offenders’
Little Known Bible Characters #1: Iddo

Uncategorized

The Power of Prayer: Connecting Earth and Heaven

Posted on March 21, 2025 by elizabethprata

This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. (1 John 5:14)

Andrew Bonar: “I have been endeavoring to keep up prayer…every hour of the day, stopping my occupation, whatever it is, to pray a little. I seek to keep my soul within the shadow of the throne of grace and Him that sits thereon.”

Isn’t that descriptive, keeping one’s soul in the shadow of the One who sits on the throne. Prayer does that for us. Spurgeon said,

Prayer meetings are the throbbing machinery of the church

Prayer straddles our lives both on earth and in heaven. I need to do better in my life, and I can’t imagine a Christian who doesn’t think they can do better at prayer either.

Spurgeon’s reference to machinery got me thinking of another of Spurgeon’s sermons, one called God’s Providence. (#3114). Spurgeon likened the cherubim’s acts near the throne and the wheels within wheels as described by Ezekiel as machinery of Providence. He described, hypothetically of course, the wheels going up and down and left and right in tandem as the machinery of Providence carrying out God’s will and decrees. It’s an interesting thought, and Spurgeon is vivid about his descriptions. Here are a few-

So in God’s Providence, there is an axle which never moves. Christian, here is a sweet thought for thee! Thy state is ever changing; sometimes thou art exalted, and sometimes depressed; yet there is an unmoving point in thy state. What is that axle? What is the pivot upon which all the machinery revolves? It is the axle of God’s everlasting love toward his covenant people. he exterior of the wheel is changing, but the center stands forever fixed. Other things may move; but God’s love never moves: it is the axle of the wheel; and this is another reason why Providence should be compared to a wheel.

My firm belief is, that angels are sent forth somehow or other to bring about the great purposes of God. The great wheel of Providence is turned by an angel.

That you will see by the text: “Behold one wheel upon the earth by the living creatures, with his four faces.” The wheel had “four faces.” I think that means one face to the north, another to the south, another to the east, and another to the west. There is a face to every quarter. Providence is universal, looking to every quarter of the globe.

And so on. Neat, huh?

In further imagining this ‘throbbing machinery’ of prayer, I created some scripture pictures of my interpretation of prayer machinery of heaven. I enjoy imagining how God works and thinking about what things look like in heaven, given the glimpses we have been given in scripture. My favorite doctrine is Providence. Combining that with the imagined ‘machinery’ of prayer is intriguing. This is one of the ways I mull over scripture and doctrinal concepts.

Please enjoy.

Further Reading

Let’s pray for the persecuted and the missionaries around the world. Read this story, I hope it moves you-

Banner of Truth Magazine: He Gave His Life So Another Might Live

The Spurgeon Center- Just as near to heaven, the death of Annie Dunn

The Master’s Academy International (TMAI) Prayer Guide

Voice of the Martyrs: Pray Today App (free)
Voice of the Martyrs: Global Prayer Guide (free)

encouragement, Uncategorized

The Connection Between Incense and Prayer

Posted on March 20, 2025 by elizabethprata

By Elizabeth Prata

The LORD told Jeremiah to tell the people that their sacrifices of incense were not going to be received, because of their sin. He was going to send judgment instead. There is a connection between incense and prayer, I’ll explore today.

First, let’s look at the Temple and the altar of incense, called the golden altar. (Exodus 39:38).

for the altar of incense made of refined gold, and its weight; also his plan for the golden chariot of the cherubim that spread their wings and covered the ark of the covenant of the LORD. (1 Chronicles 28:18–19).

The Lexham Bible Dictionary explains that pure incense was manufactured from equal parts of the following substances:

• stacte—oil of myrrh
• onycha—an extract from a Red Sea mollusk
• galbanum—thought to come from the gum of an umbelliferous plant
• frankincense

This mixture was seasoned with salt (Exodus 30:34–38). The LORD raised up perfumers whose job it was to produce the incense. (Exodus 30:34-38). One of the responsibilities of the priest was to keep incense burning on the altar daily. (2 Chronicles 13:11). Not to burn it was disobedience. (2 Chronicles 29:7-8).

There’s much more to the actual incense ingredients, blending, burning, and spiritual uses, but for now, let’s turn to the main idea for today- the connection between incense and prayers.

Now while he was serving as priest before God when his division was on duty, according to the custom of the priesthood, he was chosen by lot to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense. And the whole multitude of the people were praying outside at the hour of incense. And there appeared to him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. (Zechariah, in Luke 1:8-11)

John Owen in his commentary on Hebrews makes a distinction between the two times incense is used in the temple.

Whereas, therefore, there was a twofold use of the altar of incense; the one of the ordinary priests, to burn incense in the sanctuary every day; and the other of the high priest, to take incense from it when he entered into the most holy place, to fill it with a cloud of its smoke; the apostle intending a comparison peculiarly between the Lord Christ and the high priest only in this place, and not the other priests in the daily. discharge of their office

Incense both accompanies and symbolizes prayer. ( Psalm 141:2; Revelation 5:8; Revelation 8:3-4). The burning of incense as a sweet smelling offering before the Lord, indicated the worshiper’s duty to present prayers or offerings that were pleasing to God (1 Samuel 2:28).

When the New Covenant came, the new way of praying came. (Matthew 6:9). No longer needing a priest to intercede, no longer needing incense to symbolize types and shadows, we now have the Spirit in us to intercede, and the resurrected Jesus next to the right hand of the Father to intercede. We can ourselves go boldly before the throne of grace.

John Owen in his commentary on Hebrews lays out four ways incense is like prayer.

1.) In that it was beaten and pounded before it was used. So doth acceptable prayer proceed from “a broken and contrite heart,” Isaiah 51:17.

(2.) It was of no use until fire was put under it, and that taken from the altar. Nor is that prayer of any virtue or efficacy which is not kindled by the fire from above, the Holy Spirit of God; which we have from our altar, Christ Jesus.

(3.) It naturally ascended upwards towards heaven, as all offerings in the Hebrew are called “ascensions,” risings up. And this is the design of prayer, to ascend unto the throne of God: “I will direct unto thee, and will look up;” that is, pray, Psalms 5:3.

(4.) It yielded a sweet savor: which was one end of it in temple services, wherein there was so much burning of flesh and blood. So doth prayer yield a sweet savor unto God; a savor of rest, wherein he is well pleased.

Owen further observes:

We are always to reckon that the efficacy and prevalency of all our prayers depends on the incense which is in the hand of our merciful high priest. — It is offered with the prayers of the saints, Revelation 8:4. In themselves our prayers are weak and imperfect; it is hard to conceive how they should find acceptance with God. But the invaluable incense of the intercession of Christ gives them acceptance and prevalency.

What an inexpressible privilege it is to pray. The curtain is parted, we may boldly approach the throne of God. He not only hears our prayer, he Himself intercedes for us when we utter groanings too weak to understand. (Romans 8:26).

Do not neglect prayer, a sweet smell of our sacrifice of praise to our Lord who hears.

theology

Advancing the Kingdom: Our True Calling

Posted on March 18, 2025 by elizabethprata

By Elizabeth Prata

We’re human beings. We’re living on this planet, in a city or town, in a neighborhood. We have jobs, many of us, where we engage daily with corporate politics, personalities, infrastructure. We have hobbies and groups and clubs. We are involved.

Sometimes we get so busy and so involved, we become unwisely invested in the systems around us. It’s good to be involved, but not to the point that we become so embedded that we forget about the kingdom.

We are on this earth to advance the kingdom. We are supposed to be ambassadors for Christ. We’re supposed to reflect His likeness through our holy living, our kindness, our faith, our witness.

If we become SO involved in world systems we incorrectly focus on that and shunt to the side our real job, which is involvement in church and in spiritual practices.

Here is what my pastor had to say about the advancement of the kingdom in a recent sermon:

Well finally, it should go without saying but it needs saying. That the Kingdom of God advances only by His Gospel. The Kingdom of God advances only by the Gospel. That truth should be so obvious, but it is so frequently cast aside. The Kingdom of God is not advanced by any other means.

It does not advance by political power. Or by turning nations into theocracies. Or by winning elections. It does not advance by military might. Or coercion. Or a legal mandate. It does not advance by entertainment. Or by acquiescing biblical truth in order to find common ground with sinners. He does not advance by having more children, or by educational practices, or by withdrawing from society.

When Jesus said, My kingdom is not of this world, He meant just that. We cannot and must not use the world’s means to advance His kingdom. Many false teachers have come who exploit believers and pervert the mission of the church for selfish gain. Throughout the history of Christianity, wherever and whenever people have hijacked the church in order to advance their conception of the Kingdom of God by means of the world’s methods, it has not only failed, but it has soiled the name of Christ, produced an abundance of false converts, and wrecked the [local] church.

Where is the Christian nation today? Where are its holy leaders and humble people? It’s nowhere to be found because the kingdom of God will not be established as a government on this earth until the King returns. Jesus is the King, not us. It’s His kingdom, not ours. Therefore God’s people must use only God’s methods to spread God’s message in order to advance God’s kingdom while we wait for our King. And so let’s wait for our King. –end

When 12 year old Jesus stayed behind at the temple and his parents could not find Him, His reply to his mother as to why He had treated His parents that way, was,

And He said to them, “Why is it that you were looking for Me? Did you not know that I had to be in My Father’s house?” (Luke 2:49). NASB

Or as the NKJV says more familiarly, “Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?“

We must prioritize our charge on earth that we have been given. Not that we neglect the daily things we must do. I mean, dishes must be done, salaries must be earned, children must be tended to… but the priority of our lives is Jesus, and being about our Father’s business. We advance the kingdom in only that way.

theology

The Danger of Drifting: A Faith Shipwreck Warning

Posted on March 17, 2025March 17, 2025 by elizabethprata

By Elizabeth Prata

“Man without Christ is a shipwreck upon the rocks, rocked by every wave of temptation, with no anchor, with no hope. Death looms before him as a door to judgment, for the wages of sin is death,” says Dustin Benge in his Hearts Aflame episode of Puritan devotionals.

In the episode above, we meet Scottish late Puritan Thomas Boston. In Boston’s well-regarded classic, Human Nature in its Fourfold State, Benge explains that “Thomas Boston vividly portrays the fallen condition of humanity—alienated from God, enslaved to sin, and without hope apart from Christ. The depth of human ruin is sobering, yet it magnifies the glory of divine grace.”

Do you recognize the depth of your natural misery without Christ’s redemption?

The episode talked about man without Christ,

“Man without Christ is like a ship wrecked upon the rocks, tossed by every wave of temptation, with no anchor, no hope.”

This maritime metaphor is real to me. I have sailed about 15,000 nautical miles living in a sailboat upon the waters from Maine to Florida and across to the Bahamas and back, twice. I’ve sailed from Tampa Florida to the Dry Tortugas, and zoomed from Naples, Florida to Rhode Island in a 21 foot powerboat. I’ve crossed the Gulf Stream in calm, at night, and in a storm. Gone through the washing machine that is Hell’s Gate in New York City. I’ve been in the Storm of the Century 1993. I’ve been in Hurricane Bob. I know lighthouses, rocks, shoals, and shipwrecks (Charley’s Crab was lost in the storm of ’93, and another friend lost his boat in a different storm in the Caribbean). We came close to shipwreck ourselves, twice.

Shipwreck is a very bad thing.

Worse would be making a shipwreck of the faith.

Russian painter Ivan Aivazovsky (1817-1900) made a career out of painting maritime scenes, including shipwrecks. Like this one:

Without Christ, we can do nothing. Oh, I know the skeptic will say, ‘Doody-head, of course we do things! We live and breathe and work and have kids and play baseball and drive cars and all the things!” Correct. But the pagan without Christ can do nothing that pleases Him. Without Christ we cannot bear fruit for the kingdom, worship Him rightly, live for holiness, reflect His image, or do anything at all.

Paul advised Timothy to ‘fight the good fight’, keeping faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and suffered shipwreck in regard to their faith. (1 Timothy 1:19).

Jude wrote that the ungodly pretenders are unreasoning animals and warned that they “are the ones who are hidden reefs in your love feasts…“(Jude 1:12a). Do you know what hidden reefs do? Wreck your ship.

Hebrews 2:1 says For this reason we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away from it. Do you know what happens when you don’t pay attention? Your mooring becomes loose and you drift away from the dock or the mothership, and untethered, you soon lose sight of land. Shipwreck.

‘Drifting’ is the thing to be afraid of. Just as some boat, not made fast to the bank, certainly glides down stream so quietly and with so little friction that her passengers do not know that they are moving until they come up on deck, and see new fields around them, so the ‘things which we have heard,’ and to which we ought to be moored or anchored, we shall drift, drift, drift away from, and, in nine cases out of ten, shall not feel that we are moving, till we are roused by hearing the noise of the whirlpools and the falls close ahead of us; and look round and see a strange country. McLaren’s Expositions.

Now, if you are truly saved, you can never lose your salvation. Judas had the rejection inside of him all the while, he just pretended to be a disciple of Christ. He followed with his feet, but his heart could do nothing.

Matthew Henry says of 1 Timothy 1:19’s shipwreck,

As for those who had made shipwreck of the faith, he specifies two, Hymeneus and Alexander, who had made a profession of the Christian religion, but had quitted that profession; and Paul had delivered them to Satan. Matthew Henry’s commentary on the whole Bible: complete and unabridged in one volume (p. 2352).

Warren Wiersbe said, “Paul changed the illustration from army to navy (1 Tim. 1:19). He warned Timothy that the only way to succeed was to hold fast to “faith and a good conscience.” It is not enough to proclaim the faith with our lips; we must practice the faith in our daily lives“. Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 2, p. 213). Victor Books.

A good conscience is key to the verse. Shipwreck comes when one ignores the conscience, suppresses what is good, and eventually sears it so that he or she drifts, winds up on the rocks, and wrecks their faith.

As is said in the Hearts Aflame article, The depth of human ruin is sobering, yet it magnifies the glory of divine grace.” The wondrous mystery is that Jesus relieves us of our sin burden, erases it from the record books when we repent. Those who recognize the depth of our natural misery are deeply grateful for having this burden and misery removed. The Lord’s divine grace shines so brightly that the Christian never looks away but only grows in love and attachment to Him, and as a result, we are “keeping a pure conscience.”

Further Rescources

John MacArthur: The Vanishing Conscience (book)

The Conscience, by Richard Greenham (essay)

The Puritan Conscience by J. I. Packer (essay)