Part 1 / Section 2

THE FOUNDATIONAL TRUTHS

It is most frightening to have to acknowledge the fact that new testament theology has slipped and gone the way of modern society itself. To make such a statement, one must look at the make-up of new testament theology. First of all, theology is defined as the study of God, His nature and attributes, and His relations with man and the universe. The "New Testament" is the name given to the second half of the English Bible, which literally means "The New Covenant". The word covenant meant an arrangement made by one party which the other party involved could accept or reject but could not alter. The Old Testament primarily records God's dealings with Israel on the basis of the covenant given to Moses at Mt. Sinai, while the New Testament describes the new arrangement of God with men through Christ on the basis of the New Covenant. The Old Covenant revealed the holiness of God in the righteous standard of the Law and promised a coming Redeemer; The New Covenant shows the holiness of God in His righteous Son. The New Testament, then, contains those writings which reveal the content of this New Covenant.

The message of the New Testament centers around (1) The Person who gave Himself for the remission of sins and (2) the people (the church) who have received His salvation. Thus, the central theme of the New Testament is salvation. The Gospels introduce the Savior. The book called the Acts of the Apostles describes the spread of the good news about His salvation through a large part of the Mediterranean world of the first century A.D. The epistles give details of the blessings of that salvation, and Revelation previews the culmination of salvation. Therefore, New Testament Theology is the study of God in conjunction with the New Covenant. The Foundational Truths are those precepts of the New Covenant established by God.

Again, it is most alarming to be aware that the foundational truths of new testament theology are often watered down in the modern church of today. Let's break this statement down a bit differently to see if there might be a basis of change.

Foundational truths / of / new testament theology.

We know that the foundational truths are those precepts of the new covenant, and we know that new testament theology is the study of God in conjunction with the new covenant. But, what about / of / ? One would be led to believe that the / of / has become subjective, rather than objective as it should be. The word new suggests a change from the old, so, if one would now read this statement ' new testament theology' or 'new testament study' or 'new study', it now suggests that foundational truths are subjective to new testament theology, or new testament study or new study. You see, as our modern day society continues to progress at such faster paces, we tend to summarize or even abbreviate for the sake of time. But, while doing this, the true meaning or purpose is lost or missed or watered down. Foundational truths are not subject to new testament study. They were established by God in the old testament or old covenant and are explained in the new testament by way of a new arrangement of the new covenant. No new study of the new testament can change this fact. 2 Timothy 2:19, Nevertheless, the firm foundation of God stands, having this seal, 'The Lord knows those who are His,' and, 'Let everyone who names the name of the Lord abstain from wickedness.' The foundation of God, is, "the foundation laid by God", not the church (which is not a foundation), not new testament study, and not modern society reasoning (neither which are a foundation) but, Christ Himself is the foundation, upon whom the saints are built.

MESSIAHSHIP

Recognizing that Jesus Christ Himself is the foundation, is also recognizing and accepting that Jesus was and is the Messiah. In the 16th chapter of the Gospel According to Matthew, beginning at the 13th verse: Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, He began asking His disciples, saying, "Who do people say that the Son of Man is?" And they said, "Some say John the Baptist; and others Elijah; but still others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets." Jesus said to them, "But who do you say that I am?"" And Simon Peter answered and said, "thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God." And Jesus answered and said to him," Blessed are you Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.

So, here we have, Jesus, acknowledging the confession of Simon Peter, and stating that human influence could not produce this confession, only through divine revelation could he receive this insight, and that being from God the Father who is in heaven. Furthermore, Jesus states that he is truly blessed because he had received this insight.

Continuing on with verse 18: "And I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of Hades shall not overpower it."

Here again, Jesus acknowledges Peters confession, and refers to it as a rock, as being a solid confession. After all, it must be solid, for his confession was upon divine revelation and a profession of faith in Christ. Peter did not confess his faith merely because that was the thing to do. At the first discovery of this truth in the dawning of the gospel day, it was a mighty thing to believe it; all men did not have this knowledge, nor  did they have this faith. So, it took the insight of divine revelation allowing this faith to advance alone, but knowing that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of the living God. It does not take faith to say that I believe that you are the Christ, anymore than it takes to say that you are John the Baptist or you are a prophet. Yet, it did take faith of Peter to correlate the words and actions of Jesus and know that he was the Christ, and not only that, but the Son of the living God. Thus making reference not of a token God, or dead idol as such a God, but to a true God, a real live, living God. And to be aware of this, and to know from within, takes faith, and this faith comes from heaven, as a divine revelation.

"Now", saith Christ, "This is that great truth upon which I will build my church". Take away this truth itself, and the universal church falls to the ground. If Christ be not the Son of God, Christianity is a cheat, our preaching is vain, your faith is vain and you are yet in your sins, 1 Cor.15: 14-17. Take away the faith and confession of this truth from any particular church, and it ceases to be a part of Christ church and relapses to the state and character of infidelity. Therefore, Christ is both the founder and its' foundation of the church; He draws souls, and draws them to Himself; to Him they are united, and on Him they rest and have a constant dependence.

ATONEMENT

There are two special passages relating to the Day of Atonement or the annual fast of the people of Israel, Leviticus 16 and 23: 26-32. Additional particulars are given in Exodus 30:10 and Numbers 29:7-11. Leviticus 16:3-10 describes the general ceremonial; 11-34 gives the details; Numbers 29:7-11 describes the victims; Leviticus 23:26-32 delineates how the people were to act. It signifies the day of expiation (or propitiation, as it is referred in the new testament) that is, the day on which the high priest offered a bullock for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering; and he offered for himself and his priestly family, two additional goats and another ram for a burnt offering. They were an offering for the people. The one goat "for Jehovah" was sacrificed as a sin offering and its blood sprinkled on ( that is, in the front of) the mercy seat ( as with the bullocks). The other goat was "for Azazel", the scapegoat. On his head the high priest laid his hands, confessing over it the sins of the people. Then the goat was led by a chosen man into the wilderness (a land uninhabited) and there let loose. On that day, and that day only, the high priest entered four times into the holy of holies, spoken of as "once" in Hebrews 9:7.

This day was appointed as a day of national humiliation, a day of affliction, a sabbath, a day of rest, but not like other sabbaths--days of joy-- for on this day the sin of the nation was brought to remembrance. The day was the tenth of Tishri the seventh month (corresponding to September - October ), five days before the Feast of Tabernacles. The command to the people to afflict their souls involved strict abstinence from food and drink, thus indicating their self-humiliation in the sight of God.

PROPITIATION

Propitiation was used amongst the Greeks with the significance to make the Gods propitious, to appease, propitiate, inasmuch as their good will was not conceived as their natural attitude, but something to be earned first. This use of the word is foreign to the Greek Bible, with respect to God, whether in the Septuagint or the New Testament. It is never used of any act whereby man brings God into a favorable attitude or gracious disposition. It is God who propitiated by the vindication of His holy and righteous character, whereby, through the provision He has made in the vicarious sacrifice of Christ, He has so dealt with sin that He can show mercy to the believing sinner in the removal of his guilt and the remission of his sins. Through the propitiatory sacrifice of Christ, he who believes upon Him is by God's own act delivered from justly deserved wrath and comes under the covenant of grace. Never is God said to be reconciled, a fact itself indicative that the enmity exists on man's part alone, and that it is man who needs to be reconciled to God, and not God to man. God is always the same and, since He is Himself immutable, His relative attitude does not change towards those who change. He can act differently towards those who come to Him in faith, and solely on the ground of the propitiatory sacrifice of Christ, not because He has changed, but because He ever acts according to His unchanging righteousness. The expiatory work of the Cross is therefore the means whereby the barrier which sin interposes between God and man is broken down. By giving up His sinless life sacrificially, Christ annuls the power of sin to separate between God and the believer.

Matthew 16:21-23 begins the revealing to the disciples by Jesus, of the future events, thus moving out from under the Law to being under God's Grace, with the death of Himself in the fulfilling of His mission. vs.21-From that time Jesus Christ began to show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and raised up on the third day. And Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, "God forbid it, Lord! This shall never happen to you." But He turned and said to Peter, "Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on God's interests, but man's." Peter had to be sharply rebuked for aligning himself with Satan's plan to deter Jesus from fulfilling His mission. The harshness of the rebuke stems from Christs' fierce realism about the principal purpose of His coming to earth, which was to die.

DISCIPLESHIP

Matthew 16:24-28, Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone wishes to come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.. For whoever wishes to save his life shall lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake shall find it. For what will a man be profited, if he gains the whole world, and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angles; and will then recompense every man according to his deeds. Truly I say to you, there are some who are standing here who shall not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in His Kingdom.

Thus, Jesus gives four commands that one must do to be saved and become a disciple, after being born again.

1. Continue willingly to follow after Him.

2. Deny himself daily; Renounce all self dependence, interests and self pursuits.

3. Take up his cross, daily.

4. Follow Christ daily, not just for awhile

Additionally, Jesus poses questions that relate to the means by which each new believer (born again) can have the opportunity to look at the costs of being a disciple. Or, allows each believer to peruse the benefits of becoming a disciple.

ESCHATOLOGY