Course Spotlight: Healing

The subject of divine healing is a greatly neglected part of most people’s Christianity. It is rarely even discussed in “mainstream” churches.

Why? The primary reason for this neglect is that a very real Satan the Devil has blinded the vast majority of humanity—including most professing Christians!

Course Spotlight From The Life, Ministry, and Teachings of Jesus Christ: (Unit 2) The Galilean Ministry

Forum Summary: The Time for Passover

Author: Ryan Price | Student, Living Education – Charlotte, 2021-22


Estimated Reading Time: 5 min.

Timing is important to God, and it’s important that we keep His feasts at their appointed times.

However, every Passover season, some question whether God’s Church keeps Passover on the right day. Why does the Church keep Passover at the beginning of the fourteenth of Nisan, while the Jews keep it on the fifteenth? Wouldn’t the Jews know when the proper time for Passover is? For his forum, Mr. Michael Aviles aimed to answer these questions and explain to the Living Education—Charlotte students why this topic is important.

To find the source of this controversy, Mr. Aviles referred to Leviticus 23:5. According to Strong’s Concordance, the word twilight in this verse is translated from the Hebrew root word ereb. Later in verse 32, we find the word evening, which, according to Strong’s, also comes from ereb. It is used to describe the end of the ninth day, before the Day of Atonement begins on the tenth. This would lead one to believe that Passover begins at the end of the fourteenth day. Mr. Aviles explained that the reason for this lies in the fact that in verse 5, twilight is translated from the Hebrew phrase ben ha arbayam, which is commonly translated as “between the two evenings.” This phrase is not found in Strong’s, which Mr. Aviles explained cannot always be relied upon for an accurate translation. This is where the controversy begins, as there are many interpretations as to what period of time this refers to. Some Jewish scholars interpret this phrase to refer to the period between 1:00 PM and sundown. It is during this time that the Jews would have killed the Passover lamb, and then taken the Passover seder at the start of the fifteenth day. However, John 18:28 shows that the Jews kept Passover the day after Christ and His disciples did, which means that this interpretation can’t be correct—surely, if anyone would know the right time for Passover, it would be Jesus Christ! 

God is Never Late

So, how can we tell exactly when ben ha arbayam occurs and prove that Passover takes place at the start of the fourteenth day? Mr. Aviles referred back to Leviticus 23:32. Noting how ereb is used in this verse, he explained that “at evening” is translated from another phrase, ba erev. Most Bible scholars and Jewish translators agree that this phrase refers to the time between the sun touching the horizon and disappearing completely at sunset. So, with this frame of reference, we can figure out when ben ha arbayam occurs by finding a passage of scripture that uses both ben ha arbayam and ba erev

Exodus 16:12-13 is one such passage: “‘I have heard the complaints of the children of Israel. Speak to them, saying, “At twilight you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall be filled with bread. And you shall know that I am the LORD your God.”’ So it was that quail came up at evening and covered the camp….”

Both ben ha arbayam and ba erev appear in this verse as twilight and evening, respectively. Mr. Aviles noted that if ben ha arbayam occurs between 1:00 PM and sunset, as Jewish scholars profess, this would mean that God was late in delivering the quail. God acts precisely when He says He will, so that couldn’t have been the case—therefore, ben ha arbayam must occur after ba erev. Mr. Aviles then explained that the Church teaches that ben ha arbayam refers to the period between the sun disappearing below the horizon and complete darkness. This period of time, which lasts thirty to sixty minutes, is when Israel was to kill the lamb and take the Passover, and it is when the baptized members of God’s Church engage in the Passover service—the very beginning of the fourteenth day of Nisan. 

Jesus Set the Example

But how did the Jews lose this truth? Mr. Aviles explained that this may have occurred during the first Passover of King Hezekiah’s restoration found in 2 Chronicles 30. Due to the unique conditions surrounding this Passover, it was kept at the temple. It is theorized that due to the vast amount of people taking this Passover, the process of sacrificing the lambs may have gone on well into the night and ended that afternoon, thus causing the meal to be taken at the beginning of the fifteenth of Nisan, at sundown. This temple Passover was supposed to be a one-time affair, not a replacement for the domestic Passover, but the Jews continue to keep the temple Passover to this day. The Jewish historian Josephus confirmed this by stating that, during his time, there was both a domestic Passover and a temple Passover sacrifice. Jesus and the Apostles observed the domestic Passover at home, but the Pharisees still had yet to eat their Passover when Jesus was taken into the Praetorium—they were observing the temple Passover, eating it on the fifteenth.

God’s Holy Days occur when they do for a reason. As Mr. Aviles stressed, it’s incredibly important that we understand and can defend this fundamental Church doctrine so that we are not swept away in confusion. It is truly a blessing that God has granted His Church knowledge that so few have, so that we may properly observe the time for Passover!

Course Spotlight: The Resurrection – Lecture 5

This lesson focuses on the amazing account of the resurrection of Jesus Christ and the events that unfolded that day. Watch the lecture by Dr. Roderick C. Meredith covering the burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Course Spotlight From The Life, Ministry, and Teachings of Jesus Christ: (Unit 4) Passover to the Resurrection

Digging Deeper: Onesiphorus

Author: Mr. Kenneth Frank | Faculty in Theology, Living Education


Estimated reading time: 7 min.

Did you know that while Paul was in prison awaiting execution for the last time, brethren risked their lives to visit him?

In his final epistle, Paul remarked heartbrokenly that some had turned away from him, either fearful for their lives by associating with him or having turned against true doctrine by teaching falsehoods. Nonetheless, Paul purposefully thanked those who supported him and even endangered their lives to visit him in his final days. This Digging Deeper considers one such individual who risked everything for his beloved apostle.

Our focus verses mention Paul’s associate, Onesiphorus, in only two passages:

2 Timothy 1:16-18 KJV “The Lord give mercy unto the house of Onesiphorus; for he oft refreshed me, and was not ashamed of my chain: (17) But, when he was in Rome, he sought me out very diligently, and found me.  (18) The Lord grant unto him that he may find mercy of the Lord in that day: and in how many things he ministered unto me at Ephesus, thou knowest very well.”

2 Timothy 4:19 KJV “Salute Prisca and Aquila, and the household of Onesiphorus.”

Onesiphorus is not the only one Paul thanked for their loyal support. F.E. Marsh’s 1000 New Bible Readings prepared this list under the title “621. Paul’s Regard for His Brethren”:

“It is an interesting study to ponder Paul’s regard for those with whom he laboured.

  1. He was solicitous of Trophimus, who was sick—2Tim 4:20.
  2. He writes of prayerful Epaphras—Col 4:12.
  3. The Women who helped in the Gospel—Phil 4:3.
  4. The beloved Timothy—2Tim 1:2.
  5. Profitable Mark—2Tim 4:11.
  6. Refreshing Onesiphorus—2Tim 1:16.
  7. And Others—Romans 16.” (Bible Analyzer 5.4.1.22)

Who was Onesiphorus?

The biblical record offers extraordinarily little information about Onesiphorus. Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible declares: “He was evidently of Asia, and is the only one who is mentioned from that region who had showed the apostle kindness in his trials. He is mentioned only in this Epistle, and nothing more is known of him” (e-Sword 13.0.0).

Paul wrote this last epistle to his young protege, Timothy, during his second and last imprisonment in Rome, according to the biblical record. This time he was not under house arrest, as in his first Roman imprisonment, but was likely in a dank, dark, and frigid dungeon. 2 Timothy 1:16 declares that Onesiphorus was not ashamed of Paul’s chains. Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible describes Paul’s two Roman imprisonments: “Paul was bound with a chain when a prisoner at Rome; Philippians 1:13-14,16; Colossians 4:3,18; Philemon 1:10; see the notes at Acts 28:20” (e-Sword 13.0.0). Roman prisoners relied on family and friends for necessary supplies.

2 Timothy 1:18 says Onesiphorus had ministered to Paul beforehand in Ephesus, far from Rome. This may have been during Paul’s three-year ministry in Ephesus (Acts 19-20). The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia offers background: “It was to Paul that the church at Ephesus owed its origin, and it was to him therefore that Onesiphorus and the Christians there were indebted for all that they knew of Christ” (e-Sword 13.0.0).

A dangerous mission

Onesiphorus is contrasted to those, such as Phygellus and Hermogenes, who turned away from Paul (2 Timothy 1:15). He had to search everywhere to locate Paul in this huge capital city (2 Timothy 1:17). The NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible reports that “People were often ashamed to be associated with those in Roman custody, withdrawing from them … A benefactor from wealthy Ephesus could well have had means to visit Paul in Rome” (Tecarta Bible App).

Nonetheless, Onesiphorus risked his own life, as explained by the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia: “But to do this, though it was only his duty, involved much personal danger at that particular time. For the persecution, inaugurated by Nero against the Christians, had raged bitterly; its fury was not yet abated, and this made the profession of the Christian name a matter which involved very great risk of persecution and of death” (e-Sword 13.0.0).

The College Press Bible Study Textbook Series explains how dangerous a mission this was: “It was not easy for Onesiphorus to leave Ephesus and travel all the way to Rome; not when Rome was on fire with hatred against all Christians. Would the loved ones of Onesiphorus ever see him again? If they didn’t, they could find comfort in knowing his mission was accomplished. He did arrive in Rome; he did find Paul; he did live up to his name, Onesiphorus, which means ‘profit-bringer’” (e-Sword 13.0.0). An alternate definition is “help bringer.”

This source then describes the complications he faced: “When Onesiphorus arrived in Rome, it had been largely destroyed by fire. Christians were scattered and were living in constant fear of being arrested and taken to the Arena. When he inquired concerning the whereabouts of Paul, he had the greatest difficulty in finding those who would identify themselves as friends of a condemned criminal” (e-Sword 13.0.0).

His diligent search

Onesiphorus was not dissuaded from locating Paul. Arno Gaebelein’s Annotated Bible Old and New Testament notes: “There were many thousands of prisoners in Roman dungeons, and we may well imagine how day after day Onesiphorus sought for his beloved brother, going from dungeon to dungeon till he had located Paul” (e-Sword 13.0.0).

C.H. Spurgeon’s Expositions adds more detail: “You could not tell in Rome where a prisoner was. The registers were not open to investigation. You had to go from prison to prison, and fee the guards to get admission, or to be told who might be there, and Onesiphorus was determined to find out Paul. I suppose that he went to the Mamertine, a dungeon in which some of us have been — one dungeon under the bottom of another” (e-Sword 13.0.0). Many expositors believe Paul was confined to this Mamertine Prison before his execution.

Imagining his diligent search, Albert Barnes’ in his Notes on the Bible offers this contemporary lesson: “It is not everyone, even among professors of religion, who in a great and splendid city would be at the trouble to search out a Christian brother, or even a minister, who was a prisoner, and endeavor to relieve his sorrows. This man, so kind to the great apostle, will be among those to whom the Saviour will say, at the final judgment, ‘I was in prison, and ye came unto me;’ Matthew 25:36” (e-Sword 13.0.0).

Imagining Paul’s delight when Onesiphorus finally found him is provided by Peter Pett’s Commentary Series on the Bible: “And then into the bleakness of his experience came a shining light (Matthew 5:16; 25:36). For one day as he sat there in his cell, he heard the door grinding open, and into his cell strode Onesiphorus who explained that he was sorry that it had taken so long, but he had been looking for him diligently and had only just discovered in which prison he was. Only those who have gone through such an experience of darkness and aloneness would understand the joy that must have filled Paul’s soul” (e-Sword 13.0.0).

Closer than a brother

Because our two focus passages report Paul’s greeting of and praying for the house (family) of Onesiphorus, some have concluded that Onesiphorus had since died. Paul prayed that God would show him mercy “in that day” (2 Timothy 1:18) causing some to assume Paul offered prayers for the dead, which later became a major practice in some Christian denominations. However, the Fausset Bible Dictionary in its article on Onesiphorus refutes this: “Absence from Ephesus probably is the cause of the expression; he had not yet returned from his visit to Rome. If the master were dead the household would not be called after his name…Nowhere does Paul use prayers for the dead; Onesiphorus therefore was not dead” (e-Sword 13.0.0).

Another suggestion is that Onesiphorus had not yet returned home because he too was then confined, as explained by Rhoderick D. Ice in the College Press Explanatory Notes: “But he may also be in prison, waiting to be executed as was Paul. He had placed himself in danger by visiting Paul in prison and helping him” (e-Sword 13.0.0). At the time he wrote 2 Timothy, Paul may not have known what happened to his loyal friend after his visit.

Onesiphorus had risked his life to find his beloved teacher. Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible praises Onesiphorus and offers believers this lesson: “His affection for him [Paul] did not change when he became a prisoner. True friendship, and especially that which is based on religion, will live in all the vicissitudes of fortune, whether we are in prosperity or adversity; whether in a home of plenty, or in a prison” (e-Sword 13.0.0). Onesiphorus stuck closer to Paul than a brother (Proverbs 18:24).

Kenneth Frank headshot

Kenneth Frank was born and raised in New Jersey, USA, and attended Ambassador College, graduating in 1973. He served in the Canadian ministry from 1973-1999, after which he returned to the USA to pastor churches in Maryland, Virginia, and North Carolina for 15 years. Having earned a BA degree from Ambassador College he later earned a MA degree from Grand Canyon University before being assigned to the Charlotte office to teach at Living University, now Living Education. Currently, he teaches the Survey of the Bible course to the on-campus students and writes the Digging Deeper column for our online Bible study program. He is married, has four children, and seven grandchildren.

Assembly summary: The Foundation of All Knowledge

Author: Yolanda Watt | Student, Living Education – Charlotte, 2021-22


Estimated Reading Time: 3 min.

As an alumnus of Living University, Mr. Jacob Hall wanted to impress upon us a lesson that he’d learned as a student.

He asked the students what the phrase “The Bible is the foundation of all knowledge” meant to them. One student responded that the Bible is the starting point for learning, and another said that it is a guidebook. 

Mr. Hall then defined “knowledge” as facts, information, and skills acquired by a person through experience or education, and he defined “foundation” as an underlying basis or principle. If the Bible is the foundation of all knowledge, then it gives the correct starting point on which we can build information, facts, and skills related to any subject of study. We were then advised that whatever path we take, we will need to evaluate the information that we come across, thinking about what it is telling us and where it is coming from. Before we internalize any knowledge, we must be sure that our knowledge is built on the right foundation. Mr. Hall made two main points to illustrate this.

1. The Bible is relevant to our everyday lives

Mr. Hall emphasized that regardless of what the subject or topic is, the Bible is the foundation of all knowledge; we cannot assume that it is silent on any particular area of interest in our lives. Whether we’re learning about marriage, health, finances, or work habits, we need to know what the Bible says about it first. The Bible even teaches us how to interact with others—how to speak and how not to speak. Since God is the Creator of all, we can and should look to His word for guidance on whatever we’re trying to learn. Proverbs 2:1-6 demonstrates that from the mouth of God proceeds knowledge of the world.

2. Test all information against God’s word

The other point that Mr. Hall expounded on is that this world is full of the wrong type of knowledge. We are living in a world that pumps out more and more information for us to consume, and so much of it can lead us in a wrong direction. For example, each day there are approximately 500 hours of video content uploaded to YouTube every minute. We have to be careful about what we accept and take in, because much of the wealth of information that is available does not line up with God’s way of life. In 2 Peter 3:17-18, we are warned not to be “led away with the error of the wicked; but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”

As Mr. Hall made clear, growing in godly knowledge is especially important in the information age. We must study and implement practical judgment, adding the right type of knowledge to our faith and understanding that the right knowledge begins with God.

Digging Deeper: It is finished

Author: Mr. Kenneth Frank | Faculty in Theology, Living Education


Estimated reading time: 7 min.

Did you know that one of the last things Jesus spoke from the cross was that He had completed His God-assigned task of providing substitutionary atonement for those willing to accept it?

In this hectic world, people often feel at the end of the day they still have unfulfilled tasks. At His death, Jesus knew He had accomplished all God had appointed Him for His first coming. This Digging Deeper explores His declaration and its meaning for Christians as they draw near to their annual observance of Passover.

Our focus verse this week is: “When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost” (John 19:30 KJV throughout). This was the sixth of seven statements Jesus delivered from the cross that are recorded in the Four Gospels.

A duty fulfilled

Jesus came to earth with an assignment from His Heavenly Father. Early in His ministry: “Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work” (John 4:34). God had assigned Jesus this duty and Jesus had accepted it willingly before the world began (2 Timothy 1:9; Revelation 13:8). During his high priestly prayer before His arrest, Jesus prayed to the Father: “I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do” (John 17:4). He understood His soon-coming death was part of this work.

The ESV Study Bible explains His statement: “It is finished proclaims that all the work the Father had sent him to accomplish (cf. 4:34; 9:4) was now completed, particularly his work of bearing the penalty for sins. This means there was no more penalty left to be paid for sins, for all Jesus’ suffering was ‘finished’ (see Heb. 1:3; 9:11–12, 25–28)” (Tecarta Bible App).

The Greek word for “finished” in our focus verse is teleo. Greek words of that same family appear just two verses before it and are translated as “accomplished” and “fulfilled”: “After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst” (John 19:28). These words have the same Greek root. Jesus knew He was fulfilling many scriptural prophecies concerning his sacrificial death for sin.

This word finished had a historical significance in that culture, as Bob Utley’s You Can Understand the Bible explains: “John 19:30 ‘It is finished!’ This is a perfect passive indicative. From the Synoptic Gospels we learned that He shouted this with a loud cry (cf. Mark 15:37; Luke 23:46; Matthew 27:50). This refers to the finished work of redemption. This form of the term (telos) in the Egyptian papyri (Moulton and Milligan) was a commercial idiom for ‘paid in full'” (e-Sword 13.0.0). Peter Pett’s Commentary Series on the Bible describes it further: “Interestingly we know from papyri that tetelestai would be written across invoices to indicate ‘paid in full.’ He had given His life as a ransom for many (Mark 10:45)” (Ibid.).

What was finished

Joseph Benson’s Commentary of the Old and New Testaments details what was finished: “The important work of man’s redemption is accomplished. The demands of the law, and of divine justice, are satisfied, and my sufferings are now at an end. It appears from Matthew, Mark, and Luke, that in speaking these words he cried with an exceeding loud voice; probably to show that his strength was not exhausted, but that he was about to give up his life of his own accord” (e-Sword 13.0.0).

B.H. Carroll’s An Interpretation of the English Bible itemizes more of what Jesus accomplished: “Expiation for sin was made; the penal demands of the law were satisfied; the vicarious Substitute for sinners died in their behalf; and the claims of the law on the sinner that believes in Jesus Christ were fully met. Therefore, no man can ‘lay any charge to God’s elect.’ The debt, all of it, has been paid” (e-Sword 13.0.0).

Psalm 22 is known as the Crucifixion Psalm and was recited by Jesus, at least in part, during His hours on the cross, as explained by Peter Pett’s Commentary Series on the Bible: “As the final words in Psalms 22 tell us ‘He has done it’. God’s work had been accomplished, and Jesus had successfully completed His mission” (e-Sword 13.0.0). Imagine Jesus’ deep emotion as He recited David’s words that He was then experiencing. He was the One who had inspired David to write them as a prophecy of His own death.

He suffered God’s wrath, for us

To understand the horror Jesus faced in His last moments, David Guzik in his Enduring Word Commentary writes: “This was the cup – the cup of God’s righteous wrath – that He trembled at drinking (Luke 22:39-46, Psalm 75:8, Isaiah 51:17, Jeremiah 25:15). On the cross, Jesus became, as it were, an enemy of God who was judged and forced to drink the cup of the Father’s fury. He did it so we would not have to drink that cup” (e-Sword 13.0.0). Humanity deserved that wrath, but Jesus suffered it in their place. This explains His agony in Gethsemane before He was arrested. He was repulsed by sin, yet He would bear the sins of the world on the cross.

John the Baptist described Jesus at the beginning of His ministry: “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world (John 1:29).” They understood the significance of Jesus’ coming to earth to provide salvation from sin for humanity. Paul explained that God “…hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him” (2 Corinthians 5:21). Peter later wrote: “Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed” (1 Peter 2:24).

The victorious end

There was another work that Jesus finished before His sacrifice. He was the Creator in the Book of Genesis (John 1:3). Notice these words: “Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them” (Genesis 2:1). Jesus finished creation and redemption for His creatures. All that believers need for life and happiness has been supplied by the One who gave Himself for us (Romans 5:8; Ephesians 5:2). These are words to remember during the Passover and Days of Unleavened Bread: “Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us” (1 Corinthians 5:7). Paul wrote to primarily Gentile Christians at Corinth in the first century who were observing the spring festivals.

As tragic and heartbreaking as the words “It is finished” are, Jesus was victorious in His death, nonetheless. David Guzik’s Enduring Word Commentary explains: “It is finished! Jesus’ final word (tetelestai in the ancient Greek) is the cry of a winner. Jesus had finished the eternal purpose of the cross. It stands today as a finished work, the foundation of all Christian peace and faith, paying in full the debt we righteously owe to God” (e-Sword 13.0.0).

Jesus died victorious, even though it seemed He had lost it all. Satan was defeated (John 16:11; Colossians 2:15; Hebrews 2:14) and humanity’s reconciliation with God was accomplished. William Barclay’s Daily Study Bible provides a thought-provoking explanation: “‘It is finished’ is one word in Greek–tetelestai (G5055) –and Jesus died with a shout of triumph on his lips. He did not say, ‘It is finished,’ in weary defeat; he said it as one who shouts for joy because the victory is won. He seemed to be broken on the Cross, but he knew that his victory was won” (e-Sword 13.0.0). Because Jesus was victorious, believers can be too.

Kenneth Frank headshot

Kenneth Frank was born and raised in New Jersey, USA, and attended Ambassador College, graduating in 1973. He served in the Canadian ministry from 1973-1999, after which he returned to the USA to pastor churches in Maryland, Virginia, and North Carolina for 15 years. Having earned a BA degree from Ambassador College he later earned a MA degree from Grand Canyon University before being assigned to the Charlotte office to teach at Living University, now Living Education. Currently, he teaches the Survey of the Bible course to the on-campus students and writes the Digging Deeper column for our online Bible study program. He is married, has four children, and seven grandchildren.

Course Spotlight: “Foot Washing”, by Dexter Wakefield

When we perform the foot washing ceremony, there are two things that we need to be very aware of as we perform them. We wash, and we are washed. And both have important meanings—so important, in fact, that God has us act out these meanings as a constant, annual reminder.

Course Spotlight From God’s Feast Days: Passover

Forum Summary: Marxism and A New Kind of War

Author: Ryan Price | Student, Living Education – Charlotte, 2021-22


Estimated Reading Time: 5 min.

For his forum, Mr. Michael Brown warned the LivingEd students of the pervasive communist agenda in our world today and that we should be careful to not get caught up in it.

Mr. Brown examined the Communist Manifesto and looked at what exactly it promotes. 

What is Communism?

Communism was an idea conceived by Karl Marx and first put into practice in the Soviet Union in 1917. Now the western world has become the biggest promoter of this ideology. Mr. Armstrong commented on Communism back in 1956, explaining that proponents of this idea have engaged in a new kind of psychological war using propaganda, infiltration, and subversion. They target our minds and our moral and spiritual values. This is not a war against a single nation, but a “plainclothes army” of ordinary-looking citizens who promote Marxist ideas. This army has formed a political party that we would recognize today as the radical left. “Political Correctness”, revisionist history, the villainization of our economic system, “progressive” education, Hollywood, and the breakdown of the family are just some of the ways this party saps our societal strength and perverts our morals. Mr. Brown explained that Communism—or Marxism—is just one of the many ideologies that have threatened the Church in times past. This ideology is one of the reasons certain church programs have been banned from multiple TV stations. These ideas demand that everyone conform to them, or else face punishment.

2 Corinthians 2:11 tells us to not be ignorant of Satan’s devices, so, Mr. Brown read some points from the Communist Manifesto to examine what Marxism is. Karl Marx viewed the course of history as a struggle between the rich and poor. To usher in the perfect world, the poor would have to violently overthrow the rich. This first point suggests that we need to change the world through radical action. This is why we see so much anger and hatred from leftist thinkers in our society. The second point Mr. Brown highlighted was the Marxist idea of doing away with private property. 

Mr. Brown explained, as a third point of this ideology, that Marxism opposes the family structure. Marx viewed children as slaves to their parents and desired the abolition of the family. We can see how this idea has already affected the world we live in. Fourthly, Mr. Brown brought out that Marxism seeks to abolish countries and nationalities. Finally, he stressed that it is important to note that Marxism teaches the destruction of all religion, tradition, truth, and morality as a means to create a perfect “utopia”. This is one of the aims of Communism—not to coexist with us, but to get rid of God’s people and His truth.

What can we do?

Mr. Brown told us to be skeptical and to think critically about the things we hear and see in this society. He referred to Proverbs 18:17, explaining how things that may seem right on the surface often show their true colors upon further examination. Even movements that seemingly promote good purposes, such as women’s rights and social justice, upon closer examination we find that these ideologies often are connected to and promote truly terrible things. Using the “Women’s Rights” movement as an example, Mr. Brown explained that one major goal of the movement is to advocate for a government-sanctioned right to murder children through abortion. We therefore must be careful not to accept seemingly innocent ideas without deeper investigation.

Isaiah 59:14 speaks of a time when Truth has fallen in the streets. We could relate this scripture to Marxism today which aims to abolish truth in favor of its false narrative. To counteract this ideology, Mr. Brown stressed that if we spend our time doing the right things and learning from God’s word, we can resist the false narrative the world promotes, and develop skills and gain experience that will help us not only in this life but also in the life to come.

Practical lessons from self-examination

Student Responses | God’s Feast Days: The Biblical Passover

We have made changes to our student comments section of our online courses, and we invite you to join us in participating in this new forum!

This forum is designed to collect and share responses to the discussion questions in our online courses. Answer the question by leaving a response in the comments below!

Question:

In preparation for the Passover each year, as instructed by Paul in 1 Corinthians 11, Christians examine themselves before taking of the bread and wine. What is one practical lesson you have learned about self-examination in your experience preparing for the Passover?

Please leave your response in the comment box on this post below!

Course Spotlight: Passover – Easter Comparison by Mike Desimone

Many people think of Passover as a Jewish holiday and Easter as a Christian holiday. But are they right? Take a look at a helpful comparison of Passover and Easter by Mike Desimone!

Course Spotlight From God’s Feast Days: Passover