August 29, 2025 • 28 mins
On today’s Bible Answer Man broadcast (08/29/25), Hank answers the following questions:
Why did the early church doubt the canonicity of the book of Revelation? Darren - Des Moines, IA (0:49)
What is your opinion of tattoos and body piercing? Tom - Dallas, TX (4:10)
Is Jesus talking about the rapture in Matthew 24:36-41, when he says one will be taken and one will be left? Frank - Memphis, TN (6:35)
Can you explain why Jesus tells us to pray “lead us not into temptation” in Matthew 6:13? Joe - Cleveland, OH (15:11)
How can I break free from a besetting sin? Bob - Bowling Green, KY (19:53)
Should we as Christians support a business that endorses same-sex marriage? Brian - Richmond, VA (24:08)
Why did the early church doubt the canonicity of the book of Revelation? Darren - Des Moines, IA (0:49)
What is your opinion of tattoos and body piercing? Tom - Dallas, TX (4:10)
Is Jesus talking about the rapture in Matthew 24:36-41, when he says one will be taken and one will be left? Frank - Memphis, TN (6:35)
Can you explain why Jesus tells us to pray “lead us not into temptation” in Matthew 6:13? Joe - Cleveland, OH (15:11)
How can I break free from a besetting sin? Bob - Bowling Green, KY (19:53)
Should we as Christians support a business that endorses same-sex marriage? Brian - Richmond, VA (24:08)
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:07):
Broadcasting across the United States, Canada, and around the world.
This is the Bible answer Man Broadcast. Your host for
the program is Hank Cannagraph, president of the Christian Research Institute.
We're on the air because life and truth matter. For
more information resources or to donate to CRI, call eight
(00:29):
eight eight seven thousand CRI, or go online to equip
dot org. That's equip dot org. The following program was
pre recorded to start today's Bible answer Man Broadcast. Here's
your host, Hank Cantagraph.
Speaker 2 (00:46):
Thanks very much for anty, and we'll go in to
our phone callers. Darren listening in Des Moines, Iowa.
Speaker 3 (00:51):
Hi Darren, Hi, Hank, how are you doing good?
Speaker 2 (00:53):
Thank you?
Speaker 4 (00:54):
I think I would like to ask something that really
struck me as unusual. I'm a new Christian and just
wanted to say really quickly thank you for your views
on in Times prophecy, because that really helped me in
my selection of Christianity and my assessment of it. But
I would like to ask about the Book of Revelation.
(01:15):
I noticed in my tradition that the Book of Revelation
kind of has a status of not being widely read
on Greek Orthodox and I was reading the explanation for this,
and it said that the reason for this is because
the Book of Revelation had a hard time getting accepted
in the early Church as canonical. It did, but there
(01:38):
was a lot of disagreement over it, and it took
a while to catch on, so to speak. And I
was wondering, if you knew about this, if you could
comment on that, and maybe if this had perhaps something
to do with the pre millennial views going on at
the time and them being against it, maybe because it
actually spoke against pre millennialism.
Speaker 2 (01:57):
Yeah, exactly, bingo, And that's precisely what's going on on. Actually,
it was received by the churches early. And the reason
I can say that categorically is just read the Book
of Revelation itself. I mean, it's seven letters by the
apostle John to the seven churches in the province of
Asia who are in the epicenter of a Caesar cult.
(02:17):
They're commanded to say Caesar is Lord, and instead they
say Christ is Lord. And as a result, they suffer
every indignity that humanity can foist upon humanity. And yet
they were willing to do that because the Book of
Revelation was admonishing them, in the words of John, to
be faithful and fruitful. They're going to suffer for a
(02:38):
short time, but their vindication was going to be an
eternal vindication. But it wasn't until the monotonous in the
second century and their peculiar form of millennialism, which unfortunately
became associated with the Book of Revelation, caused some church
fathers to begin to question the Book of Revelation and
(02:59):
its autenity. And that controversy concerning Revelation, particularly on the
thousand years that you identify, continued on until the Council
of Carthage in three ninety seven. So in essence, the
problem was one of interpretation. It was never one of inspiration.
(03:20):
Once it was recognized that the problem with the Book
of Revelation was one of interpretation, and that the particular
form of millennialism that had become associated with it was
not what the book actually taught, the apostolic authority of
the book was vindicated. And that's why I mean it's
(03:40):
never in doubt. In common usage, there's no little note
beginning the Book of Revelation saying, you know, this book
is questionable. If that's left for any book in the
modern epic, it's probably song of Songs.
Speaker 4 (03:53):
Okay, Yeah, and that pretty much answers my question. Hey,
thank you so much.
Speaker 2 (03:58):
Hey, you got it. Good question. And again I've written
about the Book of Revelations, spent a lot of time
with it, the Apocalypse Code, find out what the Bible
really says about the end times and why it matters today.
Back to the phone lines, we'll talk next to Tom
in Dallas, Texas.
Speaker 5 (04:12):
Hi.
Speaker 2 (04:13):
Tom, Yes, Hey, how are you doing.
Speaker 6 (04:16):
I am doing good in yourself.
Speaker 2 (04:18):
Very well, thank you.
Speaker 6 (04:20):
I am trying to figure out everybody is wearing tattoos
in the church, and I'm just want to know what
your opinion is on tattoos, body pears and all that stuff.
Speaker 2 (04:32):
Well, you know, it's interesting if you look at the
Old Testament passage of Leviticus nineteen twenty eight, God forbids
the Israelites from wearing tattoos because they are to be
separated from the practices of the pagan culture around them.
So the reason behind forbidding tattoos was not because they're
(04:53):
intrinsically wrong, but because they were associated with paganism. And
quite frank that may be the case today. And therefore,
if a Christian is going to have a tattoo as
a case in point out of the litany of things
that you mentioned. That's really important for you to examine
your motivation for doing that. Is it to be a witness?
(05:14):
Is there some reason that brings glory to God? If not,
I probably wouldn't do it. But again in saying that,
there's nothing intrinsically wrong with it, but it is a
way of conforming to the culture as opposed to being
a change agent in the culture an ancient Israel, and
could very much be the same thing today.
Speaker 6 (05:33):
Right, Well, that's what I was looking at. But I'm
hearing people saying, well, you know, they got a picture
of Jesus Christ. I'll look at it like, come out
from emotion and be separate. And that's the reason why
God had that back then told him not to is
because you were being like them and He wanted us
to be separated. And that's how we bring glory and
(05:54):
honor to the Lord.
Speaker 2 (05:55):
Right. But remember in saying that, though, Tom, I'm not
disagreeing with your in whole, but in part. What I
want to again emphasize is that taking your illustration, let's see,
have a tattoo of Jesus on your forearm, and you say,
my rationale for doing this is the Lord really led
me to do this, not to be associated with paganism,
(06:18):
but because I live in a pagan culture, I now
have a point of identity to start a conversation. So
someone looks at it and says, oh, what's that? And
that becomes my opportunity to witness. So if that's the
motivation for getting it, far be it from me to
condemn the person that has it. Let's go back to
the phone lines. We'll talk next to Frank in Memphis, Tennessee.
(06:39):
Hi Frank, Hi, how are you good? Bless you good?
Thank you.
Speaker 3 (06:43):
I have a question. I had a conversation with a
friend of mine and I was discussing the rapture, and
I have taken the position that you have in regards
to that. You brought up a couple of passages he mentioned,
one with Enich was taken and could not be found.
But then the other passage that really had me thinking
was in Luke seventeen, where when Jesus was talking to
(07:07):
the disciples and he was talking about on that day
when the sun comes, there will be two people in bed.
One will be taken and the other one will be left.
I didn't really have anything to counter that with. I
was trying to understand the context of those passages.
Speaker 2 (07:23):
Yeah, well, again, this is a story that you find
in the words of Jesus in the Gospels in general.
So you could look at Luke or you look at Matthew,
but in essence, look at the context as you just indicated.
I think that's wise. What does Jesus say? He says
that as it was in the days of Noah, so
it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.
(07:44):
For the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking,
marrying and giving in marriage up to the day Noah
entered the ark, and they knew nothing about what would
happen until the flood came and took them all away.
Then says Jesus that what is how it will be
at the coming of the Son of Man. So he's
making a parallel between the days of Noah and the
(08:05):
coming of the Son of Man. Two men will be
in the field, one will be taken and the other left.
Two women will be grinding with a handmill. One will
be taken and the other left. Now, if you compare
this to what he just said with respect to Noah,
(08:26):
who were the ones taken there? Weren't the ones on
the ark, They're the ones taken in judgment. So this
hardly fits the rapture scenario. In fact, it runs directly
counter to the rapture scenario. So I am just amazed
that people who hold to a rapture perspective on end
times would actually point at this verse think of anything
(08:48):
they'd want to hope you wouldn't come across that verse.
But not only that, I mean, what is Jesus talking
about in terms of the timing. I mean, you look
at the context here, and he says, now, learn this
lesson from the fig tree. As soon as his twigs
get tender and as leaves come out, you know that
summer is here. Even so, when you see all these things,
you know that it is near right at the door.
I tell you the truth, This generation will certainly not
(09:10):
pass away until all these things have happened. Heaven and
earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.
So the context here, the coming of the Son of Man,
has nothing to do in a primary sense with the
second appearing of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. But
his coming in judgment on Jerusalem. And of course many
(09:30):
skeptics and infidels have looked at this passage and said
Jesus is a false apocalyptic prophet because he's suggesting that
he's going to return within a generation. But they do
that because unlike Christians who have read through the Bible,
they understand that coming has to do with coming in judgment,
doesn't have to do with his second appearing. So Jesus
(09:50):
is using the language of the Old Testament prophets. He's
the heir to the linguistic riches of the Old Testament prophets.
He's a greater prophet than them all, and he's now
using their language of coming on clouds, coming in judgment,
just as portrayed in the Old Testament and applying it
when he comes to judge Jerusalem in the temple and
(10:11):
he says all that will happen with the generation, and
that's precisely what did happen, Okay, So.
Speaker 3 (10:16):
That absolutely makes sense when you put in context with
the flood. So yeah, he really had a totally opposite
is the one that was taken was taking the judgment,
and one that was left is the one that's going
to be with the Lord.
Speaker 2 (10:27):
Yeah exactly, and I mean there's no other conclusion that
you can come too, because Jesus starts out saying, as
it was in the days of Noe, so it will
be at the coming of the Son of Man. For
in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking,
marrying and giving up to the day Noah entered the Ark,
and they knew nothing about what would happen until the
flood came and took them all away. So they're being
(10:48):
taken away in judgment.
Speaker 4 (10:49):
Ah. Perfect.
Speaker 3 (10:50):
Heck, thank you very much, and bless you and your
family and your ministry.
Speaker 2 (10:54):
I really appreciate it, because bless you as well. We
were right back in just a few moments with more
answers to your questions, So please don't touch that.
Speaker 1 (11:01):
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(11:24):
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Speaker 7 (12:01):
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here's Hank anagraph.
Speaker 2 (15:09):
Very much, Randian. Back to the phone lines. We'll talk
next to Joe in Cleveland, Ohio. He's listening on the
World Wide Web. Hi Joe, Hello, Hank, how are you good?
Thank you?
Speaker 8 (15:19):
Yes. My question has to do with the model prayer
that Jesus caused disciples.
Speaker 5 (15:26):
Yep.
Speaker 8 (15:26):
Towards the end, he teaches them to pray, do not
lead us into temptation and since we know that God
doesn't tempt any man, how are we to look at that?
Speaker 2 (15:37):
Well, a couple of things. You have to look at
the context. And of course Jesus makes other statements very
similar to this. I mean, remember where he says in
the ell of a discourse, then there'll be great distress,
unequalled from the beginning of the world until now, and
never to be equalled again. If those days had not
been cut short, no one would survive. But for the
(15:59):
sake of the those days will be shortened. So Jesus
is telling his disciples, we are in for a catastrophe.
The very institutions that gave you your spiritual and sociological
security are going to be shuddered and shattered, and there
(16:20):
is going to be the greatest of all tribulations. Jerusalem
is going to be destroyed, The Temple is going to
be destroyed. Not one stone here will be left on another.
Everyone will be thrown down. So Jesus is really speaking
in apocalyptic fashion, and he's telling his disciples, I mean,
pray that you will not be led into temptation, because
(16:46):
the evil One is going to be reeking unparalleled havoc.
That havoc being so great that if it were not
for a cutting short of this tribulation, not even the
elect would be spared. Now that doesn't mean they wouldn't
be saved, but spared the horrific holocaust of their social
(17:07):
and spiritual conditions, you could imagine, I mean put that
in our time. You know, sometimes empires or republics, democratic
republics even sometimes collapse under their own weight. And in
times it is a gradual collapse, but other times it's
very very sudden. In the case of Jerusalem is going
to be sudden and it's going to be scary. So
(17:31):
I think in that context, Jesus is telling his disciples,
you know, deliver us, lead us not into temptation, but
deliver us from the evil one.
Speaker 8 (17:39):
Okay, thank you so much. That leads me in the
right direction. Anyway, I'm going to do some more research
and look a little closer at it, and I think
I do have the right context now to read that prayer.
Speaker 2 (17:55):
Yeah, another way in which this has been contextualized, actually
by paraphrase, is bring us not into the great trial
or into the great tribulation, but rescue us from evil.
So just another way of saying the same thing. But
in my purer of Jesus' book as well. Just want
to make a couple of points. I point out that
when you pray lead us not into temptation, but deliver
(18:15):
us from the evil One, you should immediately remember to
put on the full armor of God so that you
can take your stand against the devil's schemes. And that,
of course means that you are not only intimately acquainted
with each piece of the armor described by Paul and
Ephesian six, but you understand what each piece represents. Secondly,
I would say this, when we pray lead us not
into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one, we're
(18:37):
acknowledging that God is sovereign over all things, including the
temptations of Satan. Augustine rightly referred to the evil one
as the ape of God, and Luther did something very similar.
He called the devil God's devil. So while our enemy,
the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for
someone to devour, he is, after all a lion on
(19:00):
a leash, the length of which is determined by the Lord.
And one final point I would make is this, when
we pray lead us not in temptation, but delivers from
the evil one. We're reminded to look forward to the
day when we will be completely set free from all temptations.
Of course, the very fact that Jesus withstood the temptations
(19:21):
in the wilderness is our guarantee that one day soon
the kingdom will be ours. The tempter will be thrown
into the lake of burning sulfur. Temptations such as those
depicted in the Book of Revelation or the all of
a discourse will.
Speaker 3 (19:37):
Be no more.
Speaker 2 (19:38):
We will enter the Golden City with divine assurance that
nothing impure will ever enter it, Nor will anyone who
does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose
names are written in the Lamb's Book of Life. Let's
go back to the phone lines. Talk next to Bob.
He's listening in Bowling Green, Kentucky.
Speaker 9 (19:58):
Hi, Bob, Hi, appreciate you taking my call. My question
is I've been a Christian for many years or I
say I have. I've asked the Lord to come into
my life and there but I have this There is
a sin that's in my life, that's been in my
life since I was a young man, and I keep
committing this sin even though I ask God Daisy to
(20:22):
change me that I don't want to commit this, but
it seems like I just can't resist it. How can
I deal with this?
Speaker 2 (20:31):
Well, you know, there are some practical guidelines. In fact,
there's a book by Joe Dallas. I get the title
of that in Just a Moment for you, but where
he gives you sort of an ongoing plan to deal
with besetting sins. It's called The Game Plan, The Men's
Thirty Day Strategy for Attaining Sexual Integrity. I think that
would be very, very helpful. That book is available through
(20:53):
the ministry of the Christian Research Institute. By the way,
I wrote an endorsement for the book because I think
it's just a stunning book. But do remember that if
we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and
the truth is not in us. And Paul, of course
talks about the powerful lure of sin in his own life,
so he's struggling with the powerful lure of sin as well,
and he wrote two thirds of the New Testament epistles.
(21:16):
What's important is that we confess our sins, and when
we do, he's faithful and just. He will forgive us
our sins and purify us. From all unrighteousness. If we
claim we have not sinned, we make him out to
be a liar, and his word has no place in
our lives. Now again, when the text tells us that
He's going to purify us from all unrighteousness, it doesn't
mean that sin is going to be eradicated from our lives. No,
(21:37):
we have a sin nature. We're covered by the righteousness
of Jesus Christ, but we are yet sinners, and we
will always struggle with the powerful lure of sin. We
can't take a fatalistic attitude towards it, though, and that
is precisely why I've recommended the book The game Plan.
I think it really talks about accountability, the importance of accountability,
because countless men's lives are being ruined by all kinds
(21:59):
of abiding sins, habitual sins, sexual sins et cetera. They corrupt,
They in fact, they devastate, They destroy relationships and families
and lives, and everywhere men turn there are these besetting
kinds of temptations that we have to fight against. And
that's why I think that if you follow the game Plan,
(22:24):
thirty days or more will change your life. And that's
not you know, a seven step program. It's not an
empty promise. I mean, this is a guy that really
knows what he's talking about, writes from firsthand experience it
with great compassion and integrity. This is what I say
in the book. No one understands this subject better than
Joe Dallas, And nowhere is there a more biblical and
user friendly game plan for Christian men committed to reclaiming
(22:47):
moral purity or resource no man should be without. So
I couldn't recommend a book more highly.
Speaker 9 (22:53):
Than that that helps a lot, Hank I. Just after
this sin has committed, I feel so so down and
so condemned. There's something that I always pray, and I
always ask God to forgive me and to cleanse me,
and I feel sure that he has, you know, because
I am forgiven. I've asked the Lord Jesus Christ many
(23:14):
years ago to come into my life. I was an
alcoholic and he delivered me from alcoholism, and I'm thankful
for that. But this one sin, like I said, just
keeps hanging on. So I will try that book.
Speaker 2 (23:28):
Yeah, I think it's been helpful to so many men.
This was something that I really urged Joe Dallas to write.
I went to bat for I'm talking to a publisher
to get it published and get it distributed widely, because
I was very, very interested in the help that Joe
gives through these kinds of writings.
Speaker 9 (23:45):
Well, I surely thank you, Hank, and I appreciate it.
I listened to you all time. I have to sit
in my vehicle listen to you. Don't have a radio
in a house, but I have to sit it in
my vehicle listen to you. But I sit in there
many many days and listen to you when you're on
the radio. So I appreciate you. I thank you for
your mastery. And God bless you.
Speaker 2 (24:05):
God bless you, Bob, and I'm humbled by your words.
Want to go back to the phone line. Souctor Brian, Richmond, Virginia.
Speaker 9 (24:10):
Hi, Brian, Hey, how you doing good?
Speaker 2 (24:13):
Thank you?
Speaker 5 (24:14):
I think I've been wrestling with something.
Speaker 9 (24:16):
Uh.
Speaker 5 (24:17):
You know, I do weddings for a living, and I
do my best to you know, keep marriage, you know.
Speaker 4 (24:22):
Alive and well.
Speaker 5 (24:24):
And the same sex issue, you know, I know that
we as Christians are not so to support same sex marriage,
but there's companies that we use on an everyday basis
that do support them, and we in turn are buying
their products and they use that money to support you know,
something that we don't stand for.
Speaker 9 (24:44):
What do we do well?
Speaker 2 (24:46):
I don't think we should foster a we a siege
mentality against the world. It's not us against them, man.
I don't think Boycott's and these kinds of things are
the right way of dealing with I think far better
that we as Christians really understand what the issues are
so that we can and communicate with intelligence and compassion.
That's how we really change things. This is one of
(25:06):
the reasons. In the Christian Research Journal we did an
article by Jay Richards to defend marriage. We should learn
a Lesson from Apologetics as the title, But in that
article he makes all of the sillient arguments that are
so important so that we can reach as opposed to repel.
Because look, Pagans are going to exercise their job description,
(25:27):
what else would they do? The real question now is
are Christians going to exercise their job description to be
salt and light in a lost and searching world. I'm
gonna have to leave it at that because I'm out
of time for this edition of the Bible answer Man broadcast.
But again, the article, I mean read this article, and wow,
this is really good stuff because the authors have the
(25:48):
ability to put the information in user friendly language, so
you can not only read it, but you can internalize
it and then use it. Now you have a reason
for the hope that lies within you with gentleness and
with respect as opposed to being a bigot. You know
where someone says there's just a bigot. I mean you
don't have a real reason. I mean you just have.
(26:09):
You just have bigotry going on. Get the journal on
the Worldwide Web at equipped dot org out here for today.
We'll see you next time with more of the show.
Speaker 1 (26:17):
You've been listening to the Bible answer Man Broadcast with
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Speaker 7 (27:01):
Hank Hannagraph has dedicated his life to defending truth because
truth matters. However, his life and ministry were radically transformed
by another three word phrase, Life matters more. Truth matters
because Christianity is rooted in history and evidence. Life matters
more because it is the experience of union with God.
The goal of Christian life is union with God. All
(27:24):
attempts to understand Christianity from a solely rational perspective put
us in danger of devolving into a transactional rather than
transformational relationship with God. Truth Matters, Life Matters More will
equip you to move beyond intellectually knowing about God to
experientially knowing Him in christ To receive your copy of
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Broadcasting across the United States, Canada, and around the world.
This is the Bible answer Man Broadcast. Your host for
the program is Hank Cannagraph, president of the Christian Research Institute.
We're on the air because life and truth matter. For
more information resources or to donate to CRI, call eight
(00:29):
eight eight seven thousand CRI, or go online to equip
dot org. That's equip dot org. The following program was
pre recorded to start today's Bible answer Man Broadcast. Here's
your host, Hank Cantagraph.
Speaker 2 (00:46):
Thanks very much for anty, and we'll go in to
our phone callers. Darren listening in Des Moines, Iowa.
Speaker 3 (00:51):
Hi Darren, Hi, Hank, how are you doing good?
Speaker 2 (00:53):
Thank you?
Speaker 4 (00:54):
I think I would like to ask something that really
struck me as unusual. I'm a new Christian and just
wanted to say really quickly thank you for your views
on in Times prophecy, because that really helped me in
my selection of Christianity and my assessment of it. But
I would like to ask about the Book of Revelation.
(01:15):
I noticed in my tradition that the Book of Revelation
kind of has a status of not being widely read
on Greek Orthodox and I was reading the explanation for this,
and it said that the reason for this is because
the Book of Revelation had a hard time getting accepted
in the early Church as canonical. It did, but there
(01:38):
was a lot of disagreement over it, and it took
a while to catch on, so to speak. And I
was wondering, if you knew about this, if you could
comment on that, and maybe if this had perhaps something
to do with the pre millennial views going on at
the time and them being against it, maybe because it
actually spoke against pre millennialism.
Speaker 2 (01:57):
Yeah, exactly, bingo, And that's precisely what's going on on. Actually,
it was received by the churches early. And the reason
I can say that categorically is just read the Book
of Revelation itself. I mean, it's seven letters by the
apostle John to the seven churches in the province of
Asia who are in the epicenter of a Caesar cult.
(02:17):
They're commanded to say Caesar is Lord, and instead they
say Christ is Lord. And as a result, they suffer
every indignity that humanity can foist upon humanity. And yet
they were willing to do that because the Book of
Revelation was admonishing them, in the words of John, to
be faithful and fruitful. They're going to suffer for a
(02:38):
short time, but their vindication was going to be an
eternal vindication. But it wasn't until the monotonous in the
second century and their peculiar form of millennialism, which unfortunately
became associated with the Book of Revelation, caused some church
fathers to begin to question the Book of Revelation and
(02:59):
its autenity. And that controversy concerning Revelation, particularly on the
thousand years that you identify, continued on until the Council
of Carthage in three ninety seven. So in essence, the
problem was one of interpretation. It was never one of inspiration.
(03:20):
Once it was recognized that the problem with the Book
of Revelation was one of interpretation, and that the particular
form of millennialism that had become associated with it was
not what the book actually taught, the apostolic authority of
the book was vindicated. And that's why I mean it's
(03:40):
never in doubt. In common usage, there's no little note
beginning the Book of Revelation saying, you know, this book
is questionable. If that's left for any book in the
modern epic, it's probably song of Songs.
Speaker 4 (03:53):
Okay, Yeah, and that pretty much answers my question. Hey,
thank you so much.
Speaker 2 (03:58):
Hey, you got it. Good question. And again I've written
about the Book of Revelations, spent a lot of time
with it, the Apocalypse Code, find out what the Bible
really says about the end times and why it matters today.
Back to the phone lines, we'll talk next to Tom
in Dallas, Texas.
Speaker 5 (04:12):
Hi.
Speaker 2 (04:13):
Tom, Yes, Hey, how are you doing.
Speaker 6 (04:16):
I am doing good in yourself.
Speaker 2 (04:18):
Very well, thank you.
Speaker 6 (04:20):
I am trying to figure out everybody is wearing tattoos
in the church, and I'm just want to know what
your opinion is on tattoos, body pears and all that stuff.
Speaker 2 (04:32):
Well, you know, it's interesting if you look at the
Old Testament passage of Leviticus nineteen twenty eight, God forbids
the Israelites from wearing tattoos because they are to be
separated from the practices of the pagan culture around them.
So the reason behind forbidding tattoos was not because they're
(04:53):
intrinsically wrong, but because they were associated with paganism. And
quite frank that may be the case today. And therefore,
if a Christian is going to have a tattoo as
a case in point out of the litany of things
that you mentioned. That's really important for you to examine
your motivation for doing that. Is it to be a witness?
(05:14):
Is there some reason that brings glory to God? If not,
I probably wouldn't do it. But again in saying that,
there's nothing intrinsically wrong with it, but it is a
way of conforming to the culture as opposed to being
a change agent in the culture an ancient Israel, and
could very much be the same thing today.
Speaker 6 (05:33):
Right, Well, that's what I was looking at. But I'm
hearing people saying, well, you know, they got a picture
of Jesus Christ. I'll look at it like, come out
from emotion and be separate. And that's the reason why
God had that back then told him not to is
because you were being like them and He wanted us
to be separated. And that's how we bring glory and
(05:54):
honor to the Lord.
Speaker 2 (05:55):
Right. But remember in saying that, though, Tom, I'm not
disagreeing with your in whole, but in part. What I
want to again emphasize is that taking your illustration, let's see,
have a tattoo of Jesus on your forearm, and you say,
my rationale for doing this is the Lord really led
me to do this, not to be associated with paganism,
(06:18):
but because I live in a pagan culture, I now
have a point of identity to start a conversation. So
someone looks at it and says, oh, what's that? And
that becomes my opportunity to witness. So if that's the
motivation for getting it, far be it from me to
condemn the person that has it. Let's go back to
the phone lines. We'll talk next to Frank in Memphis, Tennessee.
(06:39):
Hi Frank, Hi, how are you good? Bless you good?
Thank you.
Speaker 3 (06:43):
I have a question. I had a conversation with a
friend of mine and I was discussing the rapture, and
I have taken the position that you have in regards
to that. You brought up a couple of passages he mentioned,
one with Enich was taken and could not be found.
But then the other passage that really had me thinking
was in Luke seventeen, where when Jesus was talking to
(07:07):
the disciples and he was talking about on that day
when the sun comes, there will be two people in bed.
One will be taken and the other one will be left.
I didn't really have anything to counter that with. I
was trying to understand the context of those passages.
Speaker 2 (07:23):
Yeah, well, again, this is a story that you find
in the words of Jesus in the Gospels in general.
So you could look at Luke or you look at Matthew,
but in essence, look at the context as you just indicated.
I think that's wise. What does Jesus say? He says
that as it was in the days of Noah, so
it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.
(07:44):
For the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking,
marrying and giving in marriage up to the day Noah
entered the ark, and they knew nothing about what would
happen until the flood came and took them all away.
Then says Jesus that what is how it will be
at the coming of the Son of Man. So he's
making a parallel between the days of Noah and the
(08:05):
coming of the Son of Man. Two men will be
in the field, one will be taken and the other left.
Two women will be grinding with a handmill. One will
be taken and the other left. Now, if you compare
this to what he just said with respect to Noah,
(08:26):
who were the ones taken there? Weren't the ones on
the ark, They're the ones taken in judgment. So this
hardly fits the rapture scenario. In fact, it runs directly
counter to the rapture scenario. So I am just amazed
that people who hold to a rapture perspective on end
times would actually point at this verse think of anything
(08:48):
they'd want to hope you wouldn't come across that verse.
But not only that, I mean, what is Jesus talking
about in terms of the timing. I mean, you look
at the context here, and he says, now, learn this
lesson from the fig tree. As soon as his twigs
get tender and as leaves come out, you know that
summer is here. Even so, when you see all these things,
you know that it is near right at the door.
I tell you the truth, This generation will certainly not
(09:10):
pass away until all these things have happened. Heaven and
earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.
So the context here, the coming of the Son of Man,
has nothing to do in a primary sense with the
second appearing of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. But
his coming in judgment on Jerusalem. And of course many
(09:30):
skeptics and infidels have looked at this passage and said
Jesus is a false apocalyptic prophet because he's suggesting that
he's going to return within a generation. But they do
that because unlike Christians who have read through the Bible,
they understand that coming has to do with coming in judgment,
doesn't have to do with his second appearing. So Jesus
(09:50):
is using the language of the Old Testament prophets. He's
the heir to the linguistic riches of the Old Testament prophets.
He's a greater prophet than them all, and he's now
using their language of coming on clouds, coming in judgment,
just as portrayed in the Old Testament and applying it
when he comes to judge Jerusalem in the temple and
(10:11):
he says all that will happen with the generation, and
that's precisely what did happen, Okay, So.
Speaker 3 (10:16):
That absolutely makes sense when you put in context with
the flood. So yeah, he really had a totally opposite
is the one that was taken was taking the judgment,
and one that was left is the one that's going
to be with the Lord.
Speaker 2 (10:27):
Yeah exactly, and I mean there's no other conclusion that
you can come too, because Jesus starts out saying, as
it was in the days of Noe, so it will
be at the coming of the Son of Man. For
in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking,
marrying and giving up to the day Noah entered the Ark,
and they knew nothing about what would happen until the
flood came and took them all away. So they're being
(10:48):
taken away in judgment.
Speaker 4 (10:49):
Ah. Perfect.
Speaker 3 (10:50):
Heck, thank you very much, and bless you and your
family and your ministry.
Speaker 2 (10:54):
I really appreciate it, because bless you as well. We
were right back in just a few moments with more
answers to your questions, So please don't touch that.
Speaker 1 (11:01):
Pastor Martin Nimoler spent the last seven years of Nazi
rule in concentration camps. Reflecting on the camps where millions
would die, Nimoler said, first they came for the socialists,
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I did not speak out because I was not a
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(11:24):
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Don't tune out. Hankleby back after the break.
Speaker 7 (12:01):
For decades, Hank Hannograph has shared the truth of the
historic Christian faith by answering questions over the radio, defending
the faith through the written word, and preaching from pulpits
around the globe. Today, he is ready to share his
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(12:24):
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Speaker 1 (13:00):
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(13:45):
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(14:08):
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(14:31):
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(14:53):
CRII or visit us at EQUIP dot org. And now
here's Hank anagraph.
Speaker 2 (15:09):
Very much, Randian. Back to the phone lines. We'll talk
next to Joe in Cleveland, Ohio. He's listening on the
World Wide Web. Hi Joe, Hello, Hank, how are you good?
Thank you?
Speaker 8 (15:19):
Yes. My question has to do with the model prayer
that Jesus caused disciples.
Speaker 5 (15:26):
Yep.
Speaker 8 (15:26):
Towards the end, he teaches them to pray, do not
lead us into temptation and since we know that God
doesn't tempt any man, how are we to look at that?
Speaker 2 (15:37):
Well, a couple of things. You have to look at
the context. And of course Jesus makes other statements very
similar to this. I mean, remember where he says in
the ell of a discourse, then there'll be great distress,
unequalled from the beginning of the world until now, and
never to be equalled again. If those days had not
been cut short, no one would survive. But for the
(15:59):
sake of the those days will be shortened. So Jesus
is telling his disciples, we are in for a catastrophe.
The very institutions that gave you your spiritual and sociological
security are going to be shuddered and shattered, and there
(16:20):
is going to be the greatest of all tribulations. Jerusalem
is going to be destroyed, The Temple is going to
be destroyed. Not one stone here will be left on another.
Everyone will be thrown down. So Jesus is really speaking
in apocalyptic fashion, and he's telling his disciples, I mean,
pray that you will not be led into temptation, because
(16:46):
the evil One is going to be reeking unparalleled havoc.
That havoc being so great that if it were not
for a cutting short of this tribulation, not even the
elect would be spared. Now that doesn't mean they wouldn't
be saved, but spared the horrific holocaust of their social
(17:07):
and spiritual conditions, you could imagine, I mean put that
in our time. You know, sometimes empires or republics, democratic
republics even sometimes collapse under their own weight. And in
times it is a gradual collapse, but other times it's
very very sudden. In the case of Jerusalem is going
to be sudden and it's going to be scary. So
(17:31):
I think in that context, Jesus is telling his disciples,
you know, deliver us, lead us not into temptation, but
deliver us from the evil one.
Speaker 8 (17:39):
Okay, thank you so much. That leads me in the
right direction. Anyway, I'm going to do some more research
and look a little closer at it, and I think
I do have the right context now to read that prayer.
Speaker 2 (17:55):
Yeah, another way in which this has been contextualized, actually
by paraphrase, is bring us not into the great trial
or into the great tribulation, but rescue us from evil.
So just another way of saying the same thing. But
in my purer of Jesus' book as well. Just want
to make a couple of points. I point out that
when you pray lead us not into temptation, but deliver
(18:15):
us from the evil One, you should immediately remember to
put on the full armor of God so that you
can take your stand against the devil's schemes. And that,
of course means that you are not only intimately acquainted
with each piece of the armor described by Paul and
Ephesian six, but you understand what each piece represents. Secondly,
I would say this, when we pray lead us not
into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one, we're
(18:37):
acknowledging that God is sovereign over all things, including the
temptations of Satan. Augustine rightly referred to the evil one
as the ape of God, and Luther did something very similar.
He called the devil God's devil. So while our enemy,
the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for
someone to devour, he is, after all a lion on
(19:00):
a leash, the length of which is determined by the Lord.
And one final point I would make is this, when
we pray lead us not in temptation, but delivers from
the evil one. We're reminded to look forward to the
day when we will be completely set free from all temptations.
Of course, the very fact that Jesus withstood the temptations
(19:21):
in the wilderness is our guarantee that one day soon
the kingdom will be ours. The tempter will be thrown
into the lake of burning sulfur. Temptations such as those
depicted in the Book of Revelation or the all of
a discourse will.
Speaker 3 (19:37):
Be no more.
Speaker 2 (19:38):
We will enter the Golden City with divine assurance that
nothing impure will ever enter it, Nor will anyone who
does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose
names are written in the Lamb's Book of Life. Let's
go back to the phone lines. Talk next to Bob.
He's listening in Bowling Green, Kentucky.
Speaker 9 (19:58):
Hi, Bob, Hi, appreciate you taking my call. My question
is I've been a Christian for many years or I
say I have. I've asked the Lord to come into
my life and there but I have this There is
a sin that's in my life, that's been in my
life since I was a young man, and I keep
committing this sin even though I ask God Daisy to
(20:22):
change me that I don't want to commit this, but
it seems like I just can't resist it. How can
I deal with this?
Speaker 2 (20:31):
Well, you know, there are some practical guidelines. In fact,
there's a book by Joe Dallas. I get the title
of that in Just a Moment for you, but where
he gives you sort of an ongoing plan to deal
with besetting sins. It's called The Game Plan, The Men's
Thirty Day Strategy for Attaining Sexual Integrity. I think that
would be very, very helpful. That book is available through
(20:53):
the ministry of the Christian Research Institute. By the way,
I wrote an endorsement for the book because I think
it's just a stunning book. But do remember that if
we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and
the truth is not in us. And Paul, of course
talks about the powerful lure of sin in his own life,
so he's struggling with the powerful lure of sin as well,
and he wrote two thirds of the New Testament epistles.
(21:16):
What's important is that we confess our sins, and when
we do, he's faithful and just. He will forgive us
our sins and purify us. From all unrighteousness. If we
claim we have not sinned, we make him out to
be a liar, and his word has no place in
our lives. Now again, when the text tells us that
He's going to purify us from all unrighteousness, it doesn't
mean that sin is going to be eradicated from our lives. No,
(21:37):
we have a sin nature. We're covered by the righteousness
of Jesus Christ, but we are yet sinners, and we
will always struggle with the powerful lure of sin. We
can't take a fatalistic attitude towards it, though, and that
is precisely why I've recommended the book The game Plan.
I think it really talks about accountability, the importance of accountability,
because countless men's lives are being ruined by all kinds
(21:59):
of abiding sins, habitual sins, sexual sins et cetera. They corrupt,
They in fact, they devastate, They destroy relationships and families
and lives, and everywhere men turn there are these besetting
kinds of temptations that we have to fight against. And
that's why I think that if you follow the game Plan,
(22:24):
thirty days or more will change your life. And that's
not you know, a seven step program. It's not an
empty promise. I mean, this is a guy that really
knows what he's talking about, writes from firsthand experience it
with great compassion and integrity. This is what I say
in the book. No one understands this subject better than
Joe Dallas, And nowhere is there a more biblical and
user friendly game plan for Christian men committed to reclaiming
(22:47):
moral purity or resource no man should be without. So
I couldn't recommend a book more highly.
Speaker 9 (22:53):
Than that that helps a lot, Hank I. Just after
this sin has committed, I feel so so down and
so condemned. There's something that I always pray, and I
always ask God to forgive me and to cleanse me,
and I feel sure that he has, you know, because
I am forgiven. I've asked the Lord Jesus Christ many
(23:14):
years ago to come into my life. I was an
alcoholic and he delivered me from alcoholism, and I'm thankful
for that. But this one sin, like I said, just
keeps hanging on. So I will try that book.
Speaker 2 (23:28):
Yeah, I think it's been helpful to so many men.
This was something that I really urged Joe Dallas to write.
I went to bat for I'm talking to a publisher
to get it published and get it distributed widely, because
I was very, very interested in the help that Joe
gives through these kinds of writings.
Speaker 9 (23:45):
Well, I surely thank you, Hank, and I appreciate it.
I listened to you all time. I have to sit
in my vehicle listen to you. Don't have a radio
in a house, but I have to sit it in
my vehicle listen to you. But I sit in there
many many days and listen to you when you're on
the radio. So I appreciate you. I thank you for
your mastery. And God bless you.
Speaker 2 (24:05):
God bless you, Bob, and I'm humbled by your words.
Want to go back to the phone line. Souctor Brian, Richmond, Virginia.
Speaker 9 (24:10):
Hi, Brian, Hey, how you doing good?
Speaker 2 (24:13):
Thank you?
Speaker 5 (24:14):
I think I've been wrestling with something.
Speaker 9 (24:16):
Uh.
Speaker 5 (24:17):
You know, I do weddings for a living, and I
do my best to you know, keep marriage, you know.
Speaker 4 (24:22):
Alive and well.
Speaker 5 (24:24):
And the same sex issue, you know, I know that
we as Christians are not so to support same sex marriage,
but there's companies that we use on an everyday basis
that do support them, and we in turn are buying
their products and they use that money to support you know,
something that we don't stand for.
Speaker 9 (24:44):
What do we do well?
Speaker 2 (24:46):
I don't think we should foster a we a siege
mentality against the world. It's not us against them, man.
I don't think Boycott's and these kinds of things are
the right way of dealing with I think far better
that we as Christians really understand what the issues are
so that we can and communicate with intelligence and compassion.
That's how we really change things. This is one of
(25:06):
the reasons. In the Christian Research Journal we did an
article by Jay Richards to defend marriage. We should learn
a Lesson from Apologetics as the title, But in that
article he makes all of the sillient arguments that are
so important so that we can reach as opposed to repel.
Because look, Pagans are going to exercise their job description,
(25:27):
what else would they do? The real question now is
are Christians going to exercise their job description to be
salt and light in a lost and searching world. I'm
gonna have to leave it at that because I'm out
of time for this edition of the Bible answer Man broadcast.
But again, the article, I mean read this article, and wow,
this is really good stuff because the authors have the
(25:48):
ability to put the information in user friendly language, so
you can not only read it, but you can internalize
it and then use it. Now you have a reason
for the hope that lies within you with gentleness and
with respect as opposed to being a bigot. You know
where someone says there's just a bigot. I mean you
don't have a real reason. I mean you just have.
(26:09):
You just have bigotry going on. Get the journal on
the Worldwide Web at equipped dot org out here for today.
We'll see you next time with more of the show.
Speaker 1 (26:17):
You've been listening to the Bible answer Man Broadcast with
Hank Hannagraph. Our mailing address is PO box eighty five hundred, Charlotte,
North Carolina, zip code two eight two seven one. To
listen to the broadcast on the internet, visit equip dot org,
where you'll also find a wealth of information and resources
to equip you to talk to a resource consultant. Call
(26:39):
eight eight eight seven thousand CRII. That's eight eight eight
seven thousand, two seven four. The Bible answer Man Broadcast
is supported by listeners like you. We're on the air
because life and Truth matter.
Speaker 7 (27:01):
Hank Hannagraph has dedicated his life to defending truth because
truth matters. However, his life and ministry were radically transformed
by another three word phrase, Life matters more. Truth matters
because Christianity is rooted in history and evidence. Life matters
more because it is the experience of union with God.
The goal of Christian life is union with God. All
(27:24):
attempts to understand Christianity from a solely rational perspective put
us in danger of devolving into a transactional rather than
transformational relationship with God. Truth Matters, Life Matters More will
equip you to move beyond intellectually knowing about God to
experientially knowing Him in christ To receive your copy of
Truth Matters, Life Matters More called eight eight eight seven
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