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An interesting and provocative goal for 2023 is soul-care.  What is it?  Soul-care is nurturing the spiritual aspect of our being (our soul) through sacred knowledge of God, Christ and the Holy Spirit and strengthening our fellowship with them through worship, Bible study, character development, and Christian service.
The First Step in Soul-Care
The first step in soul-care is the deliverance of the human soul from the penalty and practice of sin.  The experience of sinful attitudes and actions is universal.  “What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin (Rom. 3:9; Paul proved this in chapters one and two). “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23).  The practice of sin results in the penalty for sin which is spiritual death (Rom. 6:23).  If sin is not forgiven by God, the penalty is eternal punishment.  When we sin against God, our soul is in spiritual peril.  The only remedy is found in and through Jesus Christ.
Obedience to the Gospel
How do we obtain forgiveness of our sins?  This is the most important question that the human heart can ponder.  The first object in soul-care is our salvation from sin and God’s wrath.  “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him” (Rom. 5:8-9).  The blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from sin and we are forgiven and freed from the bondage of sin.  When does this occur?
Twice in the New Testament obedience to the gospel is referenced.  However, it is referenced in the negative.  In Rom. 10:16, God’s word declares, “But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report? So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Rom. 10:16-17).  The gospel is God’s power unto salvation (Rom. 1:16).  Obedience to the gospel is essential in order to obtain salvation.  The second passage of scripture is found in II Thess. 1:7-10, “And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power; When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day.”  Unbelief produces disobedience.  The gospel of Christ is the good news of the salvation accomplished through the redemptive work of Jesus.  Every person can avail themselves of this salvation.  The gospel of Christ contains: (1) facts about Jesus–His pre-existence, birth, life, ministry, teaching, miracles, death, burial, resurrection, ascension and coronation (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John); (2) Commands.  All of the commandments of Jesus (Matt. 28:18-20; Mark 16:15-16);  and (3) promises.  The promises of God relating to salvation and eternal life (Acts 2:39; Titus 1:2).  Certainly, the gospel is “good tidings of great joy” (Luke 2:10).
What are Some of the Commands Jesus Gave?
First, we must hear the word of God (Rom. 10:14).  We must come to know God and His will for our lives.  Faith comes by hearing God’s word (Rom. 10:17).  Knowing the truth and believing the truth are connected.  A person can know the truth and reject it thus manifesting unbelief.  But, you cannot believe if you do not know the truth.  Faith and love for God are connected.  Gal. 5:6, “For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love.” Faith is energized by love.  Faith is “taking God at His word.”  Love is the highest motivation for obedience to God’s will.  Jesus said, “If ye love me, keep my commandments” (John 14:15). “Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings…” (John 14:23-24).  Just like unbelief produces disobedience, so does lack of love for God.  Jesus also commands us to repent of our sins (Luke 13:3,5).  Repentance is a universal command of the gospel.  “And the times of this ignorance God winked at: but now commanders all men every where to repent” (Acts 17:30).  The gospel requires that people confess that Jesus is Lord.  “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believers unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation” (Rom. 10:9,10).  Confession of Christ is a pre-requisite to baptism.  Jesus said, “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned” (Mark 16:16).  Those who have never obeyed these commands of the gospel will be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of God and from the glory of his might (II Thess. 1:7-9).  If we die in our sins, we die without mercy.  If we die in our sins, we will be raised unforgiven in sin and thus raised to damnation (John 8:24 and 5:28,29).
Other Notable Passages on Obedience
In Rom. 6:16-17, Paul writes by inspiration and says that when we obey from the heart that form of doctrine we are made free from sin.  In Heb. 5:8-9, the sacred writer affirms that Jesus is the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him.  Jesus taught in Matt. 28:18-20 that we make disciples by teaching them the whole truth and baptizing them into the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.  Finally, Peter declares that we purify our souls in obeying the truth (I Pet. 1:21-22).
Blessed Are They That Do His Commandments
A special blessing belongs to those who are obedient to God.  “Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city” (Rev. 22:14).  Soul-care begins by obtaining the salvation which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.  We must obey the gospel in order to obtain forgiveness of our sins and change our spiritual status before God.  When we obey the gospel, we become the children of God (Gal. 3:26,27).

Undesigned coincidences are a part of the overall argument for the inspiration and veracity of the Scriptures. They are an internal proof. Lydia McGrew has revived this argument from undesigned coincidences in her book Hidden in Plain View.  McGrew draws upon the past works of: William Paley, Horae Paulinae, John Blunt, Undesigned Coincidences, J. S. Howson, Studies in the Life of St. Peter; T. R. Birks, Horae Apostolicae, T. R. Birks, Horae Evangelicae; Stephen Jenner, The Three Witnesses; and James McDonald, The Life and Writings of St. John.
An undesigned coincidence is: “a notable connection between two or more accounts or texts that doesn’t seem to have been planned by the person or people giving the accounts.  Despite their apparent independence, the items fit together like pieces of a puzzle” (McGrew, p. 12).  An undesigned coincidence is a coincidence, it is not contrived and it appears undesigned in that the authors did not collude in the details of the accounts.  All undesigned coincidences in the Bible show that there is really only One Author of the Bible and that is, God (II Tim. 3:16).  Undesigned coincidences are a way of expressing intertextuality, that is, the Scriptures interconnect and so we say that Scripture is the best interpreter of Scripture.  Intertextuality demonstrates the integrity of the Scriptures and refutes the notion that Scripture contradicts itself.  Undesigned coincidences refute modernism which denies the inspiration of the Scriptures and they refute the notion that the Scriptures are fictional or mythical tales.  The details of Scripture are flawlessly harmonized and depict historical reality rather than myth.
In this study, we will consider the sayings of Jesus and Peter regarding the defilement in eating meats.
The Parable On Defilement
In Mark 7:15, Jesus said, “There is nothing from without a man, that entering into him can defile him: but the things which come out of him, those are they that defile the man.”  These words were spoken by Jesus at Capernaum.  The Lord had come back from across the Sea of Galilee; and certain Pharisees, with some scribes from Jerusalem, visited Him, and found fault with His disciples for eating with unwashed hands.  This led Jesus to rebuke their hypocrisy by exposing that religion that consists of the observance of externals to the exclusion of internals.  Jesus then addressed the crowd and told them to hearken unto Him and understand.  “If any man hath ears to hear, let him hear.”
The Connection With Peter
Consider both Matthew 15:1-20 and Mark 7:1-23.  Both Matthew and Mark tell us the disciples afterward asked the meaning of the parable.  Mark 7:17 tells us that this conversation took place in the home of Simon and Andrew.  Peter asked the Lord to tell what the parable meant (Matt. 15:15).  Peter, as usual, was ready with his words and seems honestly eager for instruction.  Jesus said that what goes into a man’s mouth merely follows the physical laws and has no necessary effect on his character.  He further taught that evil thoughts and foul desires which come from the heart do defile morally and spiritually.  Only Mark adds the thought, “This he said, cleansing all meats,” (Mark 7:19).  Jesus taught that eating with unwashed hands does not defile a person.  In addition, he taught that all meats were clean (this would set aside Jewish dietary laws).  This actually did not take place until the Law of Moses was abrogated and a New Covenant was put into force at the death of Jesus (Col. 2:14) and the Law of Christ was probated by the apostles on the Day of Pentecost (Heb. 9:15-17).
Peter’s Vision in Acts 10
Now, let us move forward to the vision of Peter recorded in Acts 10.  Peter was in Joppa.  He went up on the housetop to pray about noon.  He became very hungry and would have eaten: but while they made ready, he fell into a trance.  He saw heaven open and a certain vessel descending unto him, as it had been a great sheet knit at the four corners and let down to the earth.  In the sheet were all manner of four footed beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air.  A voice commanded, “Rise, Peter, kill, and eat.”  But Peter said, “no Lord, for I have never eaten any thing that is common or unclean.”  The voice spake to him a second time, “What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common.” This was done three times and the vessel was received up again into heaven.  While Peter doubted in himself what the vision meant, three men sent from Cornelius in Caesarea to Joppa were at the gate of the house where Peter was staying.  In this text we have a lexical coincidence.  The same Greek word, katharizō found in Acts 10:15 was also used by Mark in Mark 7:19. Peter was instructed by an angel to go with the men from Cornelius to Caesarea “nothing doubting” (Acts 10:20).  Peter instructs Cornelius and his household in the gospel of Christ.  Cornelius and his household were Gentiles and this is the first time that the Gentiles were afforded the opportunity to hear the gospel of Christ, believe it and obey it and become New Testament Christians.  Peter’s words spoken later indicate that he understood the meaning of the vision which occurred at Joppa. “Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth, I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him” (Acts 10:34-35).  In Capernaum, Jesus rebuked His disciples for not understanding His words (Matt. 15:16-17).  Now, in Caesarea, Peter understands fully.  Jesus cleansed all meats (Mark 7:19).  Peter learns, “What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common,” (Acts 10:15).  The cleansing of meats removed a barrier between Jew and Gentile (established by the Law of Moses) that would indicate the universal intent of God to save all men through the gospel of Jesus Christ.  “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth;  to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.”  The change in the dietary laws marked a change in the covenants.  The New Covenant, the gospel of Christ, would be a universal law intended by God to free all people from the tyranny of sin (Matt. 28:18-20).
This link of connection between Capernaum and Caesarea, between a parable, at first obscure, and the broad import of the universal teaching of the gospel, is full of interest and deserves careful attention and thought.

In the Spiritual Sword, July, 1988, Thomas Warren was concerned about the Ecumenical Movement’s influences on the churches of Christ.  What is the Ecumenical Movement?  Why should we be concerned?
A Definition of Ecumenism
The word “ecumenical” is derived from the Greek word oikoumene which means “the whole inhabited world.”  The word was historically used of the Roman Empire.  The ecumenical vision comprises both the search for the visible unity of the Church (Eph. 4:3) and the “whole inhabited earth” (Matthew 24:14) as the concern of all Christians.  The word “Christian” is used in a very broad sense of anyone who claims to be a follower of Jesus Christ.  This is different from the Scriptural use of the word.  The name Christian is always used as a noun in the New Testament.  The word describes a person who is a disciple of Jesus Christ (Acts 11:26).  It denotes a person who is redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ (Acts 26:28) and a person who will suffer persecution for righteousness sake (I Peter 4:16).  A Christian is a person who has obeyed the Gospel (Rom. 10:16-17).  Not everyone who says Lord, Lord, obeys the Lord (Matt. 7:21-23; Luke 6:46).
Ecumenism refers to initiatives aimed at greater Christian unity or cooperation.  The word is used primarily by and with reference to Christian denominations and Christian churches who may be separated by doctrine, history and practice, but who seek to work together despite these differences.  These churches consider themselves to be in fellowship with each other as long as faith in Jesus Christ is expressed.  This distinguishes Ecumenism from interfaith pluralism that embraces all religions and approves of all religions as different pathways to God.
The Ecumenical Movement was initiated among Protestant denominations with the attempt to unify diverse religious bodies.  The World Council of Churches met for the first time in 1948.  The Council took place in Amsterdam.  The World Council of Churches is a fellowship of churches which confess the Lord Jesus Christ as God and Savior according to the Scriptures and seek to fulfill together their common calling to the glory of the one God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  The WCC brings together 349 churches, denominations, and church fellowships in more than 110 countries and territories throughout the world, representing over 560 million Christians (broad sense of the term Christian).  These churches include most of the world’s Orthodox churches, scores of Anglican, Baptist, Lutheran, Methodist, and Reformed churches, as well as many United and Independent churches.
Fundamental Errors of Ecumenism
First, Ecumenists practice “unity in diversity.”  They claim to be united in Christ even though they do not believe the same doctrines, have the same history, or practice the same things (practice is driven by doctrine).  One of the main problems is the basic understanding of what is required in obeying the Gospel.  Many Ecumenists believe that one is saved by grace alone through faith alone.  Consequently, they do not teach that baptism into Christ is essential for salvation.  Jesus taught, “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved, he that believeth not shall be damned” (Mark 16:16; Matt. 28:18-20).  Jesus taught that baptism is essential for salvation because of the design of baptism.  In baptism, a person dies to sin, is buried in water, and raised to walk in newness of life (Rom. 6:3-4).  When one is immersed into Christ, his/her sins are washed away (forgiven) (Acts 2:38, Acts 22:16).  Most individuals in the Ecumenical Movement do not believe this truth.  The reality emerges that two different “gospels” are proclaimed which of course is an impossibility because there is only one gospel (Gal. 1:8-9).
Second, Ecumenists affirm that one church is just as good as another, but this doctrine contradicts the teaching of the apostle Paul that there is one body (Eph. 4:4).  The one body is the church of our Lord Jesus Christ (Eph. 1:22-23; Col. 1:18).  Jesus built only one church (Matt. 16:18).  He is the head of the body (Eph. 5:23).  He is the savior of the body (Eph. 5:23).  Jesus saves those individuals who obey Him (Heb. 5:8-9).  He adds these individuals to His church (Acts 2:41, 47).  Modern denominations exist without biblical authority.  They arose as a result of the Reformation Movement and are now 500 years old or less.  The church of the New Testament was begun in the city of Jerusalem in the year 30 A.D.  just ten days after the ascension of Jesus into heaven (Acts 1 and 2).  Anyone can become a part of the New Testament church by obeying the one, true, Gospel of Christ (Rom. 1:16).
The Ecumenical Movement obscures two important truths concerning the true gospel of Jesus Christ and the true church of Jesus Christ.  On these two grounds, it must be rejected.

A recent article in Christianity Today (March, 2015, p. 17) related the success the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association has had with digital decisions.   In 2014, the BGEA shared the gospel with almost 9.5 million people around the world.  Of those, only about 180,000 were in a live audience at a crusade, while 7.5 million were reached through BGEA websites.  Of the 1.6 million people who told the BGEA they prayed “to accept Jesus Christ as (their) Savior” in 2014, less than 15,000 did so in person, while more than 1.5 million did so with the click of a mouse.  Since the BGEA launched its family of evangelistic websites–which include SearchForJesus.net and PeaceWithGod.net–less than 4 years ago, more than 5 million people have indicated a decision for Jesus.
Digital Decisions and the Sinner’s Prayer
The digital decisions referred to in the article in Christianity Today are possible because of the Sinner’s Prayer.  In September, 2012, an article in Christianity Today by David Neff  described the Sinner’s Prayer as a “work of genius” (p. 73).  The Sinner’s Prayer comes in many different forms, but generally, contains two elements:  repentance for sin and trust in Christ’s redemptive work at the Cross for forgiveness.  A sample Sinner’s prayer is:  “Lord Jesus, I need You.  Thank You for dying on the cross for my sins.  I open the door of my life and receive You as my Savior and Lord.  Thank You for forgiving my sins and giving me eternal life.  Take control of the throne of my life.  Make me the kind of person You want me to be.”  The prayer consists of three elements: (1) absolute dependence upon God’s grace; (2) trust in Christ’s lordship; and (3) union with Christ.  The majority of Evangelicals accept the Sinner’s Prayer as the gospel message.  Often, whenever someone says that they “got saved” they mean that they have said the Sinner’s Prayer. The basic concept is “grace only through faith only resulting in union with Christ.”
Obedience to the Gospel is Essential For Salvation
The Sinner’s Prayer leaves out an important part of obedience to God.  The grace of God is essential for salvation (Eph. 2:8-9).  The personal faith in Jesus Christ of the individual is essential for salvation (Rom. 5:1; Heb. 11:6).  Repentance of sin is essential for salvation (Acts 2:38, 17:30).  Confession of faith that Jesus is the Son of God is essential for salvation (Acts 8:37, Rom. 10:9,10). Love for God is essential for salvation (Matt. 22:36-39).  Faith works by love (Gal. 5:6).  No one has ever been saved by faith alone!  The reason is that love for God is the greatest commandment and love for God involves obedience to Jesus Christ (John 14:15).  No person can be saved without loving God and His Son.  The Sinner’s Prayer leaves out baptism.  Baptism is an  essential element of salvation.  Jesus said, “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved, he that believeth not shall be damned” (Mark 16:16).  This statement was made as a part of the Great Commission.  In Matthew’s account of the Great Commission (Matt. 28:18-20), Jesus teaches that individuals become disciples by being taught the Word of God and being baptized into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.  Baptism is essential to becoming a disciple of Jesus Christ.  Baptism is the new birth (John 3:3-5).  If and only if we are born again (born of water and of the Spirit) will we enter into the kingdom of God.  Jesus taught this to Nicodemus and made it a part of the gospel of Christ (Rom. 1:16).  If we leave out baptism, then there is no entrance into the kingdom of God.  If we leave out baptism, then there is no discipleship.  If we leave out baptism, then there is no remission of sins (Acts 2:38).
The Gospel of Jesus Christ
What is the gospel?  The gospel is the good news of our salvation from sin through the atoning power of the blood of Jesus Christ.  The gospel is the story of our redemption.  The gospel focuses on the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ (I Cor. 15:1-3).  The gospel consists of the facts about Jesus’ life, the commands that He has given through His word, and the promises that God has revealed to us.  There is only one gospel (Gal. 1:8-9).  An anathema (condemnation, judgment from God) is pronounced upon anyone that changes the gospel of Christ.  Paul doubled this statement for emphasis.  Don’t change the gospel!  The Sinner’s Prayer changes the gospel by omitting the command to be baptized into Christ (Gal. 3:26-27).
False Doctrine Produces a False Hope
If the Sinner’s Prayer is really not the gospel of Christ, then it gives a false hope to many who embrace it.  In Matt. 7:21-23, Jesus spoke of individuals who call him Lord, Lord, but that do not obey His commandments.  These individuals claim a relationship with the Lord.  They do many mighty works in his name.  But, he will renounce them with these words, “I never knew you, depart from me, ye that work iniquity.”  Jesus said, “Why call ye me Lord, Lord and do not the things which I say?” (Luke 6:46).  Disobedience to the teachings of Jesus is a manifestation of lovelessness.  When we do not love the Lord, then we reject His teachings.  Lovelessness produces lawlessness.
The Sinner’s Prayer omits baptism which is commanded by the Lord Jesus Christ.  It perverts the gospel of Christ and it gives a false hope.  As an evangelistic tool, it is a digital deception.

Ted Turnau has written a book titled, Popologetics.  Turnau develops a method for analyzing our current culture and evaluating it from a Christian Worldview.  He defines popologetics as the “use of the imagination and intellect to critically engage popular culture in order to open a way of worship of the true God.”  Turnau suggests five questions to ask about a piece of popular culture.  The goal is to be able to discern between the good and the evil present in popular culture and to hold to that which is good while rejecting the evil.  Here are the five questions.
What’s the Story?
Popular culture comes to us in many different stories.  What is the overall narrative?  If we were to ask this question about the Bible, we would be able to answer that the Bible is the story of the redemption of mankind through Jesus Christ.  Every book in the Bible relates some aspect of this story.  The overall narrative is called a metanarrative.  Politicians attempt to develop  a story or metanarrative about war, climate change, immigration, etc.  Fascination with celebrity lifestyles is driven by our addiction to story.  Movies, television shows, books, songs, etc. tell stories.  The object is the discover the overall story presented in these various forms of popculture.  In order to do this, we must break down the story into its constituent elements.  Summarize the plot.  Isolate the different elements that make up the story:  main characters, major conflicts, and plot points.  Look for the main theme.  Consider the main character.  Does he/she attain his/her goal?  Look for broad themes.  Look at the structure of the story: the setting, the narrator’s point of view, prominent symbols, and repeated motifs. The overall goal is to be able to give a solid interpretation of the story.
Where Am I?
Examine the world of the text.  The worlds depicted by popular culture are ways of seeing reality.  Popcultural texts proposition our imaginations, displaying to the imagination different ways of seeing the world and of seeing ourselves.  We interpret our own lives through the metanarratives that we come to accept.  So, our own worldview is shaped by them.  The story is shaped by style.  Style involves some type of medium: music (gets under your skin and haunts your memory); cinema (embraces us.  We are sucked into the story); novels (embraced in a different way–through imagination–we supply the images); television (intimate worlds and very personal); computer (interactive and immersive).  The story is guided by conventions.  Conventions are time-honored rules and expectations that guide how the story is told.  How fast and lose does the author play with the rules?  You can go against the rules or you can go with the rules.  Here are some questions to ask:  What counts as good or evil in this world?  What is beautiful in this world?  What makes relationships work or fail?  Where is God?  What is worshiped?  What makes life worth living?  We need to pay particular attention to the texture of the worldview.  It is here that our own worldview intersects with the worldview of the popular culture event.  Every experience shapes us in some way.
What is Good and True?
The third question focuses on what is good in the popular culture event.  There will be moments when good and beauty shine forth in popular culture.  Those who make culture also bear the image of God (are created by God in His image).  Some truth will come forth.  In the world of popular culture, there will always be a mixture of good and evil.  We may have to look hard to find what is good.
What is False and Evil?
The fourth question forces us to probe popular culture events and discover what is evil or idolatrous.  Where does popular culture lie about the truth?  A good knowledge of the truth/scriptures is indispensable to discovery of error or evil.  The Christian Worldview is established by God’s Word.  God’s Word gives us an objective means to analyze the different aspects of popular culture.  We must prove all things and hold fast to that which is good.  At the same time, we must abstain from every form of evil (I Thess. 5:21-22).  Satan transforms himself into an “angel of light” (II Cor. 11:14).  Can you detect the “angel of light” that is really Satan in disguise?  Some questions to ask:  What does “salvation” look like in this story?  Is it all about getting the girl?  or, getting rich?  What isn’t portrayed as sin that God says is sin?  Satan is a parasite.  He takes the good and distorts it. He represents the good and then lies about it.  This is the classic bait and switch.  Idolatry sells.  Idolatry seduces and tempts.  Idolatry appeals to the flesh.  Beauty and sex are both gifts from God, but Satan corrupts both through pornography.  Making money into a god that you live for will pierce you through with many sorrows.  Romance and sex without commitment and authentic love (agape) in marriage is another distortion.
How Does the Gospel Apply?
The final question focuses on the gospel.  The gospel of Christ is the power of God unto salvation (Rom. 1:16).  A biblical perspective responds to popular culture by providing exposure and giving answers.  True love, reconciliation, contentment, security, justice, family and forgiveness are defined by and found in the gospel.  Popculture may distort these and offer something else (an idol) instead of God.  The Christian Worldview is not a dry set of theological propositions.  It is rooted in the astounding reality of the gospel and touches on our deepest desires–desires for relationship, for truth, for forgiveness, for healing, for peace, for justice and much more.  The gospel is not small.  It is all-encompassing.