Friday, January 11, 2013

Teaching and Preaching Position

Dear Brethren,

As I am getting to the end of my Ph. D. studies, I am looking for the Lord's direction about a place where I can teach the Word of God at a college and/or seminary level, as well as preach, in a more full-time way than I am currently doing as an adjunct professor.  My main concern, by far, is that I am in a church where I can feel comfortable teaching and preaching all the truth without compromise--that is more important than, say, secondary issues such as whether I can get financially compensated.

I have posted my resume below;  I have removed my home address and listed my church address instead, as I do not really wish to have my personal information everywhere on the Internet.  You can get in touch with me through my church if you wish to discuss anything concerning this matter.

Even if, as a reader of this blog, you have nothing to offer concerning a church or a position, the resume below may give you a somewhat better idea of who it is that is posting on What is Truth every Friday.

I have also posted below the resume a doctrinal and practical position statement.


Thomas D. Ross
Mukwonago Baptist Church
1610 Honeywell Road
Mukwonago, WI 53149
(262) 363-4197
http://www.mukwonagobaptist.org/
http://faithsaves.net
http://sites.google.com/site/thross7
http://sites.google.com/site/faithalonesaves/salvation

• BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH:

Born into a non-Christian home
Born again in October 1995 during freshman year at college shortly before sixteenth birthday (a detailed testimony of conversion is available on my website), and subsequently baptized into the Faith Baptist Church of Great Barrington, MA.  Expelled from home by non-Christian family because of Christian convictions while a student at U. C. Berkeley.
Called to preach and teach the Word of God in full-time ministry in 1998.
Married in 2007 to Heather (Roberts) Ross

• EDUCATION:

Ph. D. Great Plains Baptist Divinity School (est. 2013—dissertation almost complete)
Th. M. Anchor Baptist Theological Seminary (2009)
M. Div. Great Plains Baptist Divinity School (2007)
M. A. Fairhaven Baptist College (2001)
B. A. University of California, Berkeley (1999)
A. A. Simon’s Rock College of Bard (1997)

     While seeking for theological degrees from institutions run by Baptist churches, since the church is the pillar and ground of the truth (1 Timothy 3:15), in connection with my degree programs, courses were also taken and studies pursued at the doctoral and master’s level at the following institutions:  Westminster Seminary, Calvary Baptist Theological Seminary, Baptist Bible Seminary, Emmanuel Baptist Theological Seminary, Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary, and the Institute of Theological Studies.  Courses at an undergraduate level were also taken at Lehigh Valley Baptist Bible Institute, Bethel Baptist Bible Institute, Laerhaus Judaica, Valparasio University, and City College of San Francisco.

• MINISTRY EXPERIENCE:

September 2007-present:[1]

Professor, Baptist College of Ministry and Theological Seminary, a ministry of Falls Baptist Church, Menomonee Falls, WI.  Adjunct professor teaching post-graduate, graduate, and undergraduate courses in Koiné Greek and classical Hebrew.  Starting in 2012, also a professor at the Mukwonago Baptist Bible Institute, a ministry of Mukwonago Baptist Church, teaching theological studies.

July 2006-present:

Member, Mukwonago Baptist Church, serving the Lord through preaching in church services and church ministries such as the Mukwonago Baptist Academy, teaching in settings including Bible Institute, Sunday School, Junior Church, Vacation Bible School, and Mukwonago Baptist Academy, evangelizing and making disciples through committed and regular house-to-house witnessing, tract distribution, evangelistic Bible studies, street preaching, youth ministry, hospitality in the home, personal contacts, and as many other ways of outreach as possible.  Helping to train new converts to observe “all things whatsoever” Christ has commanded and continuing that ministry with church members.  Engaging in writing ministry, completing the book Heaven Only for the Baptized?  The Gospel of Christ vs. Pardon through Baptism (El Sobrante, CA: Pillar & Ground, 2013; Kindle version, 2011) and a large number of pamphlets and tracts available at http://sites.google.com/site/thross7.  Also serving in vocal and instrumental music ministry and participating in a variety of other church functions, from serving on the membership committee to church work days.

August, 2003-June, 2006:

Teacher, Bethel Christian Academy, El Sobrante, CA.  Taught, in different years, 9th-12th English, 12th Physics, 11th Chemistry, 10th Biology, 7th-9th General Science, 7th-12th Bible, 9th-10th Math, 5th Math, 7th-12th Physical Education.  Also substituted for 3rd-8th grades as needed & provided preparation for standardized testing (S. A. T. & A. C. T.).

December 2001-July 2006:
     
Member,  Bethel Baptist Church.  Received training for the ministry through close personal work with Pastor Kent Brandenburg and Assistant Pastor David Sutton.  Engaged in preaching, teaching, discipleship, speaking engagements at various locations including public debates with members of the Church of Christ denomination, visitation, camp ministry, nursing home ministry, and music ministry.  Edited the books Thou Shalt Keep Them: A Biblical Theology of the Perfect Preservation of Scripture, Sound Music of Sounding Brass? and Fashion Statement: A Study of Biblical Apparel with Kent Brandenburg.  Licensed as a minister by Bethel Baptist Church.

September 2001-May 2003:

Member, Lehigh Valley Baptist Church, Emmaus, PA, while attending seminary.  Served in various ministry capacities, as also previously at Fairhaven Baptist Church in Chesterton, IN, and before that time at Heritage Baptist Church in Oakland, CA, Calvary Baptist Church in San Francisco, CA, and Faith Baptist Church in Great Barrington, MA.

• SELECTED PUBLICATIONS[2]

Scholarly:

*The Doctrine of Sanctification:  An Exegetical and Elenctic Examination, with Application, in Historic Baptist Perspective (Ph. D. diss., forthcoming; est. 1,000 pgs)

*Evangelical Modernism: A Comparison of Scriptural or Fundamentalist Analysis of the Synoptic Gospels with that of the Majority of Modern Evangelicalism

*The Longevity of the New Testament Autographs

*The Canonicity of the Received Bible Established From Baptist Confessions

*Are Accurate Copies and Translations of Scripture Inspired? A Study of 2 Timothy 3:16

*The Debate over the Inspiration of the Hebrew Vowel Points

*Evidences for the Inspiration of the Hebrew Vowel Points

*An Analysis of All the Variations Between the Textus Receptus and the Westcott-Hort Greek text in Matthew 1-10, Demonstrating the Theological and Literary Inferiority of the Critical Text to the Textus Receptus

*Thou Shalt Keep Them: A Biblical Theology of the Perfect Preservation of Scripture (ed. Thomas Ross; gen. ed. Kent Brandenburg)

*The Prologue to the Canonical Epistles by Jerome: Ancient Testimony to 1 John 5:7

*“They Pierced My Hands and My Feet”: the KJV reading of Psalm 22:16

*Is “God forbid” a Mistranslation in the KJV?

*The Worship of the Son of God in Scripture and the Earliest Christianity

*Objections to the Trinity Answered

*Did the Trinity come from Paganism?

*Spirit Baptism—The Historic Baptist View Expounded and Defended

*2 Corinthians 13:14, the “Communion of the Holy Ghost,” and the Related Question of the Legitimacy of Prayer Addressed Directly to the Person of the Holy Spirit

*A Study of the Biblical Doctrine of Abiding in Christ

*A Study of Ephesians 5:18: “And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit.”

*“As ye have received Christ . . . so walk ye in Him”—a proof text for sanctification by faith alone?

*An Exposition Of Romans 9, Including A Demonstration That The Chapter Does Not Teach Calvinism

*A Word Study Demonstrating the Meaning of the Word “Church,” Ekklesia, and consequently the Nature of the Church as a Local Assembly only, not a Universal, Invisible Entity

*The Great Commission in Scripture and History

*Thoughts On the Bride of Christ

*The Biblical Mandate for House to House Evangelism

*Images of the Church in 1 Clement

*What are “psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs”?

*A Critique of Rosenthal’s Pre-Wrath Rapture Theory

*Are there Seven Church Ages in Revelation 2-3?

*Were the Reformers Heretics? Their Theology of Baptism and Other Topics Analyzed

*Considerations on Revival in American History

*Psalm-Singing and the English Particular Baptists to 1700

*Cosmetics in Scripture and History

*Children of Obedient Parents Turning Out For God—Certainty or Mere Possibility?

*An Examination of Proverbs 22:6 and Related Texts

*The Bible and Divorce

*Isaiah 47 and the Biblical Length of Apparel

*Deuteronomy 22:5 and Gender Distinct Clothing

*Biblical Considerations on the Length of Clothing

*The Captain of the Hosts of the Lord: Joshua 5:13-6:2

*Syllabus for 2nd Year Greek

*Syntax, Exegetical, and Devotional Questions on Romans

Popular Level and Controversial:

*Heaven Only For the Baptized? The Gospel of Christ vs. Pardon Through Baptism

*Romans 10:9-14: Sinner’s Prayers for Salvation?

*Luke 23:43 and the Comma—Was the Thief in Paradise that Day?

*Do The Lost Really Suffer Torment Forever? A Study of the Greek words “for ever” and “everlasting/eternal.”

*Notes on Anti-Eternal Torment, Pro-Annihilationism “Proof Texts”

*A Declaration of My Own Position on the Inspiration and Preservation of Holy Scripture

*Is the Modern Critical Text of the New Testament Inerrant, like the Textus Receptus is Inerrant? With A Consideration of the Question of Which Edition of the Textus Receptus is Perfect

*Repentance Defended Against Antinomian Heresy: A Brief Defense of the Indubitable Biblical Fact and Historic Baptist Doctrine that Repentance is a Change of Mind that Always Results in a Change of Action

*Psalm 51:11 and Eternal Security

*Ezekiel 18 and Eternal Security

*The Book of Life and Eternal Security

*A Brief Statement on what the Bible Teaches on the Five Points of Calvinism (TULIP)

*A Brief Proof of the Invalidity of all non-Baptist Baptism

*Acts 20:7 and worship on the Lord’s Day

*1 Corinthians 16:2 and Church on the Lord’s Day

*Colossians 2:16-17 and the Sabbath

*Hebrews 4 and the Sabbath

*Why Sing the Psalms?

*Questions for Members of Reformed Denominations

*Notes on the Bible and Politics: An Exposition of 1 Samuel 8

*A Forgotten Abomination?

*A Chronology of the Books of the New Testament

*Light from the Old Testament on the Blood

*A Thematic Division of the Book of Proverbs

Evangelistic:

*Do You Know You Have Eternal Life?

*My Journey From Unbelief to the Truth: How I Became a Christian

*Evangelistic Bible Study #1: What Is The Bible?

*Evangelistic Bible Study #2: Who is God?

*Evangelistic Bible Study #3: What Does God Want From Me?

*Evangelistic Bible Study #4: How Can God Save Sinners?

*Evangelistic Bible Study #5: How Do I Receive The Gospel?

*Evangelistic Bible Study #6: The Christian: Security in Christ and Assurance of Salvation

*Evangelistic Bible Study #7: The Church of Jesus Christ

*The Book of Daniel: Proof that the Bible is the Word of God

*Prepare for Judgment

*The Passion of the Christ

*Bible Truths For Catholic Friends

*Bible Truths for Lutheran Friends

*The Truth of Salvation for Presbyterian and Reformed Friends

*A Letter to a Jewish Friend

*The Testimony of the Quran to the Bible

*Are You Worshipping Jehovah?

*Truth for Gay Friends

*Do You Want to Worship God? A Study for Evangelicals

*The Role of Government: Has God Spoken?

*God’s View of Abortion

OTHER CHARACTERISTICS

Regularly reads the Greek New Testament and Hebrew Old Testament as part of his devotional study; has read through the Greek New Testament, the Hebrew Torah, and the Aramaic portions of Scripture;  can translate at sight large portions of the Greek NT and much of the Hebrew OT.

Entered college at fifteen, and in association with collegiate studies was a National Merit Scholar, Martin Naumann Scholar, and Intercollegiate Studies Institute member and award winner.  Also was a member of the Center for Talented Youth, associated with Johns Hopkins University, after scoring, in seventh grade, higher than the average high school senior on the S. A. T.  Also was a finalist in the Leslie Sander Essay Contest and has published poetry with the National Poetry Competition.  Material has also been published in the community editorials of the Wall Street Journal and the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.

Passionate both for purity of Biblical doctrine and for holy living among the saints.  In preaching, teaching, and other avenues of ministry, recognizes the tremendous importance of not only filling the mind with truth, but filling the heart with burning and passionate love and zeal for the glory of God, love for the brethren, and love for the souls of the lost.  Intellectual knowledge without experiential fellowship with the Triune God through Jesus Christ is in vain.

• SAMPLE PREACHING AND TEACHING

http://www.mukwonagobaptist.org/sermons/?preacher=29

•      REFERENCES

    Pastor Rhon Roberts/ Mukwonago Baptist Church/ 1610 Honeywell Road/ Mukwonago, WI 53149/ (262) 363-1731

Pastor Kent Brandenburg/ Bethel Baptist Church and Christian Academy/ 4905 Appian Way/ El Sobrante, CA 94803/ (510) 223-9550

Pastor David Sutton/ Bethel Baptist Church and Christian Academy/ 4905 Appian Way/ El Sobrante, CA 94803/ (510) 223-9550

Dr. John Rinehart/Baptist College of Ministry and Theological Seminary/N69 W12703 Appleton Avenue/Menomonee Falls, WI 53051/ (262) 251-7051

Dr. James A. Qurollo/ Central Baptist Church/ 710 James Lee Rd./ Fort Walton Beach, FL 32547/ (850) 862-0615


A Brief Statement of My Views on Various Issues
Controverted Among Independent Baptists

The purpose of this statement is to clarify, with relative brevity, where I stand on a number of issues that are controversial among modern independent Baptists.  I will happily answer any questions, make any clarifications desired, and provide Scriptural support for my positions, upon being questioned personally.  On many of these issues, a more detailed exposition of what I believe is the Scriptural position, with my reasons for my conclusion, may be obtained on my website, http://faithsaves.net.

1.) In my Bibliology, I believe that the Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek words of the Old and New Testament Textus Receptus that underlie the English Authorized Version constitute the perfectly preserved Word of God.  I believe that English speaking churches should only use the King James Bible.  I do not criticize, but uphold, the KJV as a translation and as God’s Word intact in the English language.  I reject all theories of Ruckmanism, advanced revelation in the English language, inspiration of the KJV translators, and the like.  I believe that the study of the original languages of the Bible is valuable and profitable.  I reject all unbelieving higher criticism and textual criticism of the Bible.

2.) In my Theology proper, Trinitarianism, Christology, and Pneumatology, I hold to the classical view of God and of the Trinity as summarized in historic Christian creedal statements such as the Nicene, Chalcedonian, and Athanasian creeds.  God is one in essence, yet in three distinct and eternal Persons, sharing all the Divine attributes, and distinguished ontologically only in that the Son is eternally begotten of the Father, and the Holy Spirit eternally proceeds from the Father and the Son.  Jesus Christ, in His incarnation, united to Himself a true human nature, so that He is now, and forever will be, one Person with two distinct natures, Divine and human.  I accept the historic Baptist doctrine of Spirit baptism, recognizing that it was a first century phenomenon synonymous with Christ’s sending of the Spirit as Comforter.  The sign gifts ceased in the first century, and the allegedly restored charismatic and Pentecostal “gifts” are not of God.

3.) In my Anthropology, I believe that Adam was the first man, and all men sinned in him and were reckoned sinners by the immediate imputation of his sin and by the mediate receipt of a sinful nature through their parents.  Scripture teaches the recent creation of the human race, and evolution must be rejected.  The earth was created recently, not millions of years ago, the days of creation were literal, 24-hour periods with no gaps between them, there was no death before the Fall, and the Flood in Noah’s day was universal, not local.  I also believe that man is body, soul, and spirit, and soul and spirit are not absolutely synonymous within the spiritual side of human nature, so that I confess a moderate, but not an extreme, trichotomy.  Gender roles such as male headship in family, church, and society, are part of the created order, not a societal construct, so women are not to rule over their husbands at home nor lead the church as pastors or deacons.

4.) In my Hamartiology and Soteriology, I believe that a man is justified by repentant faith alone.  I reject both Calvinism and Arminianism, believing that man is pervasively and terribly depraved as a result of the Fall and unable to save himself, but God gives prevenient grace to enable unconverted men to respond positively to His grace.  Personal election is based upon Divine foreknowledge.  The Atonement is penal, substitutionary, and unlimited.  Christ’s literal blood-shedding was as necessary as His death for man’s salvation.  Irresistible grace is not a Biblical doctrine.  God will preserve His saints to the end, so that they are eternally secure.  Repentance is turning to God from sin, and always results in a change of life.  While believers can backslide, no true believer can ever be eternally lost or live in perpetual sin.  All believers are not progressively sanctified to the same extent, nor is sanctification automatic, but it is nonetheless certain, as is glorification.

5.) In my Ecclesiology, I recognize that the church is a local, visible assembly of immersed believers.  While all believers will one day assemble together in the New Jerusalem, the idea that all believers on earth are a universal, invisible church is false.  The local, visible church is Christ’s body.  Israel had the special closeness of the bride/wife relationship to God in the Old Testament, and the church does in the New Testament, while all in the New Jerusalem—the dwelling of all the redeemed of all dispensations—will enjoy that special closeness in the eternal state.  Both baptism and the Lord’s Supper are church ordinances.  Baptism requires a Scriptural subject, a believer;  a Scriptural purpose, to show forth Christ’s death, burial and resurrection;  a Scriptural mode, immersion;  and a Scriptural authority, a New Testament Baptist church—not a Catholic or Protestant religious organization.  The Lord’s Supper is likewise a church ordinance, and it is consequently a memorial celebrated by each of Christ’s churches for their own members.  Grape juice, not alcoholic wine, should be used at the Lord’s Supper, as total abstinence from alcohol is to be practiced by Christians.  Churches should practice congregational government underneath the leadership of a pastor or pastors, rather than rule by a deacon board or board of ruling and teaching elders.  The idea of a head pastor is Scriptural.  Churches that currently are called “Baptist” have existed in every century since Christ started His church during His earthly ministry and before Pentecost.  While there has been a real succession of Baptist churches from the days of Christ, their Founder, until today, each church is not obligated to trace its own succession link-by-link to prove that it is one of Christ’s true churches.  Since the local, visible church is the pillar and ground of the truth for this age, conventions, associations, boards, and all parachurch institutions are unnecessary.

6.) In my Eschatology, I believe in a pretribulational and premillenial Rapture.  I believe that prophecy is to be interpreted literally, and therefore accept dispensational distinctions and reject covenant theology.  The one-world “church” of Revelation 17 is centered in Rome, and modern Roman Catholicism is a partial fulfillment of the future one-world harlot “church.”  Israel and the church are distinct entities.  The lake of fire is a place where all the lost will suffer literal and conscious torment in fire and brimstone for all eternity.

7.) Concerning various controverted personal and ecclesiastical practices:
I believe that every Christian should be involved in aggressively seeking to reach every single person in his community with the gospel through practices such as house to house evangelism and literature distribution, while also supporting church planters to reach the rest of the world.  People who are saved, baptized, and faithfully serving as members of New Testament Baptist churches should be counted as converts, if one is going to count converts.  Those who merely repeat a sinner’s prayer and never give any evidence of a desire to serve the Lord should not be counted as converts.  God saves sinners who repent and believe in Christ, rather than all who say the sinner’s prayer or ask Jesus to come into their hearts.  Churches should follow the evangelistic methodology of the book of Acts and seek to boldly preach the gospel to everyone, rather than following the evangelistic methodology of the “seeker-sensitive” or “purpose-driven” or “emerging” movements by employing promotion and marketing techniques or worldliness to attract the lost.
I believe that in church and everywhere else Christians should reject all worldly, fleshly, and devilish music and listen only to sacred Christian music or classical music.  All jazz, blues, country-western, easy-listening, rock, and rap music is worldly, fleshly, and devilish.  The very highest standard of sacred music should be tenaciously held to and all of what is called Contemporary Christian Music rejected.  Churches should worship the Lord with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, rather than with songs that contain little Scriptural content.
I believe that Scripture teaches both modesty and gender distinction.  Clothing that does not cover at least to the knee is nakedness.  Modesty is more than simply not being naked.  In the Bible, clothing normally covers the entire body to the foot, although when necessary men were allowed to gird up their loins.  Wearing the clothing that pertains to the other gender is an abomination to God.  Pants are men’s apparel, while skirts and dresses are ladies’ apparel.  Men should have short hair and women should have long hair.  While the heart is more important than the outward appearance, God wants the entire believer, inwardly and outwardly, to be consecrated to Himself.
I believe that God hates all divorce, and that remarriage while one’s spouse is alive is adultery.  Pastors and other church leaders should not be divorced or remarried, nor should they be in the ministry if they cannot rule their own house and have ungodly children.  Courtship under parental authority rather than dating is the Scriptural pattern for obtaining one’s life’s partner.
I believe that part of a faithful and balanced ministry of preaching and teaching the whole Word of God in the church is pointed and specific warnings about false teachers and false teachings.  While providing the flock a steady diet of the exposited Word, the church must at times identify and reprove false teachers by name to protect the saints of God.  Every Baptist church should practice a militant separation from the world and zealous and whole-hearted separation unto God, as well as a consistent and clear separation from all unconverted false teachers, disobedient brethren, and ecclesiastical compromise, so that a separatist stance, rather than a neo-evangelical position, is maintained.



[1] During this entire period secular employment was also engaged in with USA Security Associates and the Securitas Corporation.  Further information will happily be provided upon request.

[2] Many of these works are available at http://sites.google.com/site/thross7.  Publications are listed in the general order in which they may be found on the website.  Weekly contributions are also made at the “What is Truth?” blog (http://www.kentbrandenburg.blogspot.com/)

20 comments:

d4v34x said...

Brother Ross,

Have you considered work in the Bible Translation field? Your linguistic abilities and the need for translators, combined with your specific Bibliology, naturally suggest that line as a good fit for you, at least to this HR Manager's eye.

Just a thought.

Jon Gleason said...

I had the same thought, but decided to mind my own business. But since Dave said so, I'll chime in.

What better task than to provide the Word to those who don't have it?

Unknown said...

Thomas,

As your brother-in-law, I have to say these men might be on to something. I don't know why I haven't suggested it before. I know of a number of languages that could use an accurate translation, not to mention the countless people groups without God's WORD at all. Maybe First Bible International would be something you would be comfortable with. Josh Roberts

Anonymous said...

Would you be willing to give a brief outline of your view of personal communion? Based on the initial statements I may have mpre detailed questions. Oftentimes this subject is overlooked, generally to the loss of the overlooker. I comsider it of greatest importance: so much so that I could not recommend anybody who does not have the right view (such a man would have nothing to offer in the ministry except pride in the Intellect)

KJB1611 said...

Dear Anonymous,

You are exactly right that personal communion is extremely important. If you call my church at (262) 363-4197 they can give you my home phone number and we can talk about it. (I don't want my home phone # on the Internet if I can avoid it.) I believe your comment was posted for a long time before I realized it was there. My preaching and teaching here:

http://www.mukwonagobaptist.org/sermons/?preacher=29

can also hopefully be of assistance in understanding my views. Thanks for the important question.

KJB1611 said...

I have also just made it so I'll see followup comments here.

The Preacher said...

Mr. Ross boasted and bragged about himself as though his educational accomplishments and writing and editing of books (there is no end to that madness!) made him spiritual and loved to give details of all these accomplishments, then he will not mind answering the following.


1> How many times have you read the Holy King James Bible from Genesis to Revelation?

2> How long do you communion with God every day praying and meditating upon the things of God?

And because of (1) and (2),

3> How often have you ministered to the body of Christ by visiting them and actually helped them by "working with your hands"?

4> How often have you went to a neighbors home and actually helped them by "working with your hands"?

5> How often have you gone "into the world" and preached in the open air concerning Jesus Christ command by the Spirit to "reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment" and call them to "repentance towards God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ"?

6> Have you ever left your home and gone to the poor of the world and ministered to them?

KJB1611 said...

Dear George,

Since you have already decided that I was boasting, bragging, mad, and wrote what I did because I love to promote myself, will it do much good for me to answer your questions here?

Furthermore, please note that the greatest commandment of all is to love God with all your heart, soul, and mind, and this commandment cannot be kept by an anti-Trinitarian. George, would you not do well to answer the questions I asked you here:

http://kentbrandenburg.blogspot.com/2013/11/the-anabaptists-did-not-get-trinity.html

or, if you cannot answer them, to turn from modalism and embrace the Trinity? Someone can do the things you mention without having any true Christian spirituality or love for God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost – and if we do not believe in the Trinity, we do not have any true Christian spirituality or love.

Nevertheless, I will answer your questions. For the glory of God and for your own soul's salvation, I hope you will answer mine.

1.) I have read it many times. I have not kept track of how many.

2.) Over the course of a week, I seek to spend six hours, at least, studying the Bible or doing biblical research. Of that six, I will spend at least two hours reading the Hebrew Bible. In addition to this, I read at least 40 verses of the Greek New Testament a week. In addition to this, I will spend at least an hour working through a book of the Bible with a commentary. In addition to this, I will read at least 425 verses a week in the King James Bible. I will also spend a minimum of half an hour a day in prayer. I will also spend at least 35 minutes a week memorizing Scripture. In the past, I've memorized the pastoral epistles, Romans, Ephesians, and other parts of the Bible in English. I am now memorizing the gospel of John in Greek. In total, I would say spend an average of two hours or more a day.

When I lead my family in family devotions, we spend some time studying a book of the Bible, sing praise to God (a morning, midday, and evening song, although they are not always sung at those specific times), and pray together. We also regularly quiz each other over the parts of the Bible we are memorizing. My wife and I have sung through the entire Psalter together, which is a tremendous blessing.

3-4.) I assist my church – the body of Christ – with physical work, and my fellow church members with physical work, on our church work days and other such settings.

5.) I love to preach on the street and do so when it makes sense to do so. The town we live in usually does not have large crowds of people on the street, so we do more door-to-door to reach everybody in the community. There are more opportunities to preach on the street in Milwaukee, especially in the summertime, and I enjoy taking those opportunities. Opportunities such as Summerfest and Pridefest are situations where street preaching can take place in our area.

6.) We do a variety of things to minister to the poor of the world biblically. I'm not going to get into detail because of Matthew 6:3.



KJB1611 said...

Let me add one more thing, one which is extremely important. If I were to receive what I deserve for the best thing I've ever done in my life, God would immediately thrust me into the depths of hell. My only hope, and my glory from now to eternity, is the death, blood, and righteousness of my Savior Jesus Christ. Only grace, grace exalted above the infinite depths, depravity, wretchedness, and wickedness of my sin, could ever have provided me the sure hope I find in Jesus Christ, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

Oh to know more, both intellectually and experientially, of the eternal love of the Father and the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, His eternal Son, through the communion of the Holy Spirit!

Andrew Tollefson said...

Dr. Ross,

Who are the people of God and do you consider yourself part of it?

KJB1611 said...

Dear Andrew,

The people of God are those who are in union with Jesus Christ because, through repentant faith in His death, burial, and resurrection on their behalf, their sins have been forgiven for Christ's sake and they stand perfectly righteous before God because of the Son's work on the cross.

John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

I rejoice that, by God's grace alone and for His glory alone, through faith alone I have been made one of the people of God. If you are interested in my conversion story, you can read it here:

faithsaves.net/unbelief-truth/

Thanks.

Andrew said...

Hi Dr. Ross,

I agree with you. I also came to be saved by the Lord in 2015. I had understood the points of the gospel and made statements of faith many years before that, but these were not backed by the conviction of the truth, and I now realize that I had previously been doing things and behaved in certain ways in the past not for God, but for others and myself. Needless to say, this does not last.

Then over process of time, I found out that a lot of the things I had been taught about the Bible growing up were not what they were made out to be. It had been suggested in the various circles I went through not to look too deeply into it, that there were errors and contradictions, and no clear way to settle it. As I was reading through the Book of John ch. 8 and 10, I came to see that God has left a way to find him. It says in John 8:47 that he that is of God heareth God's words. I came to believe this had to be true. It is possible for those whom God wants to reach to be able to hear his words. Then I finally believed in what Jesus said in John 12:48 which is that for all who reject the word that he has spoken, the same does judge them in the last day. That was the exact moment that I realized it all had to be true, I confessed and started doing things for God from then on. I thank God for always being there. I knew that the reason why Jesus Christ had to die was for my own sins and offenses toward God and man, but that he chose to do so and that He was willing to save me and even lead me to the place I now was. It all became real finally, only because I saw that the truth must be fulfilled in that all will be judged by the same standard conveyed in God's word. I started caring more about what my God thinks about things and what he wants than anything, such as what other people think. I started to believe that the truth does prevail over falsehoods, and even miraculously so against all opposition. Also that the truth is better than any one of us, and that every thing and being relies on truth. Lastly, I realized that I had secretly been wanting this to be true all along, that this was a prayer of mine but in God's timing was I brought into belief.

So thanks for your answer, Thomas.

KJB1611 said...

Thanks Andrew.

Maybe the Bible study videos at faithsaves.net/Bible-studies/ could help you with clarity on the gospel or even understanding your past history.

Thanks.

Andrew said...

Hi Dr. Ross,

I am sorry if I wasn't clear on anything in my previous post. I live in the states and I am also a member of a Baptist church not part of any conventions. We all believe in verbal plenary inspiration of the word of God and use the received text. That is part of the reason I found your site here (in fact my pastor recommended me here occasionally). Again though I understand your response if I was not clear before. I think you are doing the right thing (Hebrews 10:23-25) by being part of a Bible-believing church like I am.

But... this is actually a good moment to bring up the original reason I asked you this question here. I was glad to see you agreed with me about the one true people of God. I have been around churches a lot despite only becoming saved very recently. One of the points of false doctrine that I have Biblical reasons to refute is the idea that a Christ-rejecting people are the true people of God. This is a false doctrine that is very prevalent in our locale due to being found in many commentaries and footnotes used by the immediate former generation to ours. I noticed in your statement you stressed accepting "dispensational distinctions" there. And I was not sure to the extent you meant. That was the reason for my question, after all I have firm Scriptural grounding to overthrow any kind of false hyperdispensational ideas. I am glad to see that wasn't necessary here, so with that I will leave with a very warm approval of everything you said here. If you have anything to add, feel free. Since you gave your testimony (and I read it all) I felt it was appropriate to respond also rather than leave you in the dark, so to say. Thanks again, Dr. Ross.

KJB1611 said...

Dear Andrew,

Got it, thanks for the clarity.

All believers, regardless of the period of time, are the people of God in one very important sense. There is also a sense in which Israel as a nation is the physical people of God, but that certainly does not mean that they are all saved, don't need to believe, etc.

Pretribulational dispensationalism is Scriptural, but it is also true that some early dispensationalists made unclear statements on these topics, often as an overreaction to covenant theology.

Thanks again.

Andrew said...

Dr. Ross,

First of all, I want to apologize again for a misstatement I made earlier. When I said "approval", I meant agreement. John told us in 1 John 4 to try the spirits whether they be of God. It is good to confirm that we agree, right?

What you say about "physical people of God" makes absolutely no sense. I am a physical person. Are you saying there are non-physical people. Or are you suggesting some kind of non-physical community like an invisible church?

What exactly do you mean by this, please? Can you please describe for me what you mean? Where do you get this "physical" vs. "non-physical" and what Scripture reference are you using as a basis for that distinction? I would like very much to know so I can study it more if there is an actual Biblical reference for that doctrine that you can give me right now.

As far as Israel being saved, of course as Paul says in Romans 11, all Israel shall be saved. Some of those whom God foreknows to be part of his people may not be saved yet, but they will be. And, I can only thank the Lord God for providing that assurance. As it also says, He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob, which signifies the removal from the people of God of unbelievers. See Zechariah 14:21.

I cannot imagine how many people are turned away at the barrier of the idea that some ungodly, Christ-rejecting people are the true people of God. Like I said earlier, I have heard that false doctrine before; People use corrupt Bible versions like the NKJV to support it (see how it changes Genesis 22:17 from "his seed shall possess the gate of his enemies" to "their descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies" despite what Paul says while quoting it in Galatians 3:16). There have been many falsifications of doctrine to support such an innovation (as I mentioned in my previous post) regarding making God's people be Christ-rejectors. Are you also one of them? I know I was turned and confused by it, as well as the false Bible versions issue, which are also altered to support that false doctrine. But John said in 2 John v. 11, "he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds." He also said in 1 John 2:23 that "Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father." To pretend otherwise is disobedient.

I know that it brings in a lot of money to go with the popular new formula, especially here in America. But how can anyone exchange lost souls for material benefits? Can you even fathom that? How can we turn someone away by not telling them the truth that they can be made nigh to this by the blood of Christ, and instead take the title giving it to ungodly deceivers? As Christ says in Revelation 2:9, the synagogue of Satan themselves say that they are Jews, and are not. Their existence is a fulfillment of that very prophecy. If you bid them godspeed you become partaker of their evil deeds, as John says. How can someone let lost people like I was until very recently stay completely in the dark about this, I will never understand - except that the love of money really is the root of all evils. I just cannot stand the idea that lost people are turned away by this.

Andrew said...

Hi again,

It is unfortunate, I find, that Dr. Ross and others do not want to have a Scriptural discussion about this issue, despite being so outspoken about it in other circumstances. I know this is a busy season, but we should know what is important is to be able to provide an answer to every man that asks you a reason of the hope that is in you, and to be instant in season, out of season, to preach the word, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.

It is unfortunate that we apparently could not have that discussion. But what is the only thing you do when you see false doctrine, regardless of how it's defended; the sword of the word is the only offensive weapon in the armor of God. You take the sharp end and plunge it through. That is what I have done here. And this is true regardless of how it's reacted to.

Kent Brandenburg said...

Andrew,

Thomas doesn't usually duck things, so I don't think he did here. I would assume he just missed your comment. I haven't been keeping up with it, because it was between you and him, and I can't keep up with everything. I still haven't even answered the email you sent me awhile back, partly because it could turn into a very long involved conversation. I need to revisit it.

I've used the terminology, partly because it is in the KJV five times. In Hebrews 11:25, Moses chose rather to suffer affliction with the "people of God." But then you have "his people," such as Matthew 1:21, save "his people" from their sins. That's obviously directly related. Were "his people" always saved? People in their sins, who need to be saved, seem to still be "his people." In Ezekiel 18:4, God says, "all souls are mine," so if God says people are "his people," he can say that, and they are still not saved people. I think it must be taken in its context, this kind of language. In the Old Testament, when God says, "my people," are they always saved, Andrew? It's got to be interpreted in its context.

I would take Thomas's spiritual people versus physical people as distinguishing between Israel and the Israel of God. Aren't those two distinguished in the NT? The family of God, for instance, is a salvific distinction, not an ecclesiological one. Sure, every person has a human spirit, but he's called the natural man when he isn't saved, versus the spiritual man in 1 Corinthians. Have you noticed that? The church isn't universal, but the family of God is spread out all over the earth.

Andrew said...

Hi Pastor Brandenburg,

Appreciate your advice here. One of the instances which you mention is contained in 1 Peter 2:9-10, and I think this is central to the proper Biblical distinction, because Peter here makes a reference to an equivalent Old Testament passage, Hosea 2:23. I submit that plays an important part in understanding the true context of Paul in Romans 11, which is at the center of this.

Similarly, Paul makes a reference to a very similar, but not exactly the same, passage also in Hosea (Hos. 1:10) in the prelude to this over in Romans 9:24-26. So the dual references 1 Peter 2:9-10 and Romans 9:24-26 should each be taken as they related to Hosea 2:23 and Hosea 1:10 respectively. The people of God were not before but now are his people, according to all four of these. Yet, furthermore you have many instances where God, as it says, "Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done," speaks - in this case with respect to the election (Eph. 1). 2 Timothy 1:9 says "Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,"

Yet there is no signal of a distinction if you read Hosea 1:10, it simply says "the children of Israel." I think you know another passage somewhere in the middle of Jeremiah that also makes no distinctions. Similarly, Paul makes no distinction between either group in this case, in Romans 9:24-26, which is made even more explicit because he just got finished talking about his nation (according to the flesh) in verses 1-5. The genetics is very very important insofar as it relates to the genealogy of Christ, which we have in Matthew 1. Yet when it comes to receiving the inheritance... see Galatians 3 and 4. It is only his genetics actually, not anyone else's that has any bearing here. If it were otherwise, we would see criteria in the Bible to determine who is part of Israel or not. It is fulfilled that the wicked who ultimately deny Christ our Lord (see Isaiah 42:1, 44:1-5, 45:4) will not be counted as his people but actually named as gentiles, see the parallel between Isaiah 49:23, Revelation 3:9, (compare also Revelation 11:2 with Psalm 37:34).

"Were "his people" always saved?"
In Matthew 1:21 I am willing to grant this may be referring to the fact Christ came first to the Jews as this was part of his fulfillment of prophecy. That's the same people Paul referred to in Romans 9:1-5. I see nothing contradictory here; I just doubt that the people today calling themselves that have any special claim, since I have never seen where such a claim exists outside Christ (2 Cor. 6:18, Rev. 21:7, Galatians 4:7).

"In the Old Testament, when God says, "my people," are they always saved, Andrew?"
It may be referring to the institution of the nation of Israel as it existed up until Christ. It may also be referring to only God's foreknown saved people within that, and not to interlopers ("them that forsake the holy covenant", cf. Dan. 11:30).

"Aren't those two distinguished in the NT?"
Yes, such as in Romans 9:24-25 where they are mentioned as both being in his people. Also distinguished in a spiritual way in Galatians 4:28-31 as one being true and the other false. Is there a sort of succession of the spirit of Christ-denial that existed with the Pharisees? Yes, I would say so. I would say this is the spiritual succession that leads to the synagogue of Satan that exists today, but as far as God is concerned he calls them gentiles in his book even if the world may think otherwise.

Thanks for the questions, Pastor, I hope this helped. It is never a pleasant thing to go out all by myself like this but these words mean a lot to me and I want people to believe and obey what God said in 1 John 2:23 and 2 John v. 11, that is the truth.

KJB1611 said...

Hi Andrew,

Texts such as:


Psa. 81:11 But my people would not hearken to my voice; and Israel would none of me.
Is. 1:3 The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master’s crib: but Israel doth not know, my people doth not consider.
Is. 58:1 Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins.

and many others use "my people" for people who are physically descended from Jacob/Israel but are unconverted.

The Abrahamic covenant blessings are not personally appropriated by unbelieving physical descendants of Jacob but they pass them down, and oppressing physical Israel still brings judgment from God, even as in the OT He punished Assyria, Babylon, etc. for what they did to Israel even though they were His means of chastening them.

I don't have time right now to discuss the issue more, but on this topic a work such as Ryrie's book on dispensationalism is helpful, although it is not infallible.

Thank you.