Glory in the highest heavens to God... - Spirit & Truth Fellowship ...

THE SOWER 

The Sower is the bimonthly magazine of Spirit & Truth Fellowship International 

® 

Nov/Dec 2007 | STFonline.org 

Glory in the highest 

heavens to God...

Letter from the President 

Nov/Dec 2007 

Letter from the President 

John W. Schoenheit 

The Holiday Season is here again, and in this 

issue of The Sower we are focusing on holiday 

themes. The holidays can be a time of excitement and 

joy as we spend extra time with family and friends. 

However, it can also be a time of increased pressure 

and anxiety, because some families are more like 

enemies than friends, and spending time together is 

very challenging. Also, some people have no family, 

or none available, and for them the holidays can be a 

lonely time. There is also the extra time pressure we 

face as we decorate our houses, go to parties, shop 

for presents, and do extra baking and cooking. Many 

of us are already squeezed for time in our “normal” 

schedule, and now we have to figure out how to find 

even more time. Added to all that is the extra financial 

pressure that comes with the holiday season as we 

buy gifts and holiday outfits, and pay for extra travel. 

The holiday season is a time when we need to let the 

peace of God rule in our hearts. 

It is appropriate, then, that several of the articles 

and letters in this issue of The Sower focus on peace. 

There is also an article on Mary, the mother of Jesus, 

who would likely have had a mental breakdown by 

her late teens had she not had the peace of God living 

in her heart. While I am on the subject of Mary, let 

me say that this issue of The Sower contains the first 

article I have ever written about her, and I have been 

writing on biblical subjects for more than 30 years. 

Frankly, I was amazed at the wonderful things that 

are revealed in the Word of God about Mary, no 

doubt more than I have written. As I studied about 

her, first for my own benefit, then to write and teach 

about her, I became aware that my knowledge of 

Mary was more about what she was not than what 

she was. I knew she was not “a perpetual virgin,” not 

“assumed bodily” into heaven, and that she does not 

accept and answer prayers, but I had never taken the 

time to do more than some surface study of who she 

was. It was an honor and privilege to meet her in the 

pages of the Bible in a new and deeper way. 

On the subject of peace during the holidays, 

it is a good idea to plan ahead to handle the extra 

pressure, and make sure that your personal prayer 

and meditation time, your personal time with your 

family, and your personal time for reading the 

Bible are not squeezed out of your life. Too often 

it is those things that get eliminated when we need 

extra time, but in the end that never works out well. 

Without peace we damage our health, do not seem 

loving or Christ-like to those around us, and, instead 

of enjoying the wonderful holiday season, we look 

back at the blur it was with relief that it is over. 

This time of year let’s make up our minds and 

position our hearts to have a wonderful time—with 

God and His Son, with our friends and families, and 

with ourselves. Let us allow the peace of God to 

reign in our hearts, and then let us spread that peace, 

and the Gospel of Peace, to the world around us that 

so desperately needs it. 

Have a Thankful Thanksgiving, a Merry 

Christmas, and a Happy and Hopeful New Year. 

John 

2 www.STFonline.org

Ta b l e o f Co n t e n t s 

Credits 

Publisher 

Spirit & Truth Fellowship 

International ® 

Executive Editor 


Production Editor 

John A. Lynn 

General & Style Editor 

Bob Maffit 

Graphic Design & Layout 

Ryan Maher 

Contents 

Volume 9 | Issue 6 | November/December 2007 

2 Letter from the President 

6 New Audio Teachings 

7 Spring Bible Study 

8 In Memorium 

14 Stocking Stuffers / Events 

19 Teaching of the Month 

20 Unwrap God’s Gift to you 

22 Figure of Speech 

26 Ministry Feedback 

Featured Article The Contender Partner Profile 

Staff Writers 


John A. Lynn 

Dan Gallagher 

Jeffrey W. Blackburn 

Matthew Johnson 

Ryan Maher 

Production Coordinators 

Jeffrey Blackburn 

Matthew Johnson 

Peace on 

Earth 

To whom is the 

Peace 

Alissa Wassung 

Research Websites 

TruthOrTradition.com 

Read hundreds of articles 

pertaining to many biblical 

issues. 

BiblicalUnitarian.com 

Explore an entire website 

dedicated to the truth of One 

God & One Lord. 

Home Office 

by John A. Lynn 

Page 4 

The Bible clearly says 

that there will be no 

“peace on earth” until the 

“Prince of Peace” comes 

back to earth & destroys 

all the enemies of God. 

by John W. Schoenheit 

Page 10 

Scripture never says that 

the ungodly or unsaved 

have peace with God. 

The peace we have with 

Him is due to... 

by Alissa Wassung 

Page 15 

Alissa explains why she 

is a partner with Spirit & 

Truth. 

2144 East 52nd Street 

Indianapolis, IN 46205 

888.255.6189 or 

317.255.6189 

M-F 8:30 to 5 (EST) 

Fax: 317.255.6249 

STF@STFonline.org 

www.STFonline.org 

Bonus Feature 

Fuel For the Fire 

New Online Store 

You may view the electronic 

version of this magazine at 

www.STFonline.org/sower 

All scripture quotations, unless otherwise 

indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, 

NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION ® . 

NIV ® . Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984 

by International Bible Society. Used 

by permission of Zondervan. All rights 

reserved. References taken from other 

translations or versions will be noted, e.g., 

King James Version=(KJV). In verses or 

quotations from other authors, the author 

has emphasized words by placing them in 

bold print. Words inside [brackets] have 

been added by the author. 

Mary, The 

Mother of Jesus 


Page 16 

Mary showed us that 

true greatness comes 

from placing your life in 

God’s hands and doing 

whatever He calls you 

to do. 

Treasure in 

Heaven & 

Peace on Earth 

by Joshua Anderson 

Page 24 

Imagine the 

embarrassment of 

standing before the Lord 

& being asked what you 

have to show for your life 

& you pull out a bag of 

fool’s gold 

A Special Thanks 

to our Travis 

Williams 

Page 9 & back cover 

Thank you Travis 

Williams for all your hard 

work and dedication! 

STFonline.org/store 

The Sower Nov/Dec 2007 3

PEACE 

on Earth 

by John A. Lynn 

 

Today “peace on earth” is available only to those who choose to become 

children of God and walk in fellowship with Him. 

As we enter this “holiday” season, during which 

we in the USA celebrate our national day of 

Thanksgiving and Christians around the world 

celebrate Christmas, one of the messages proclaimed by 

countless Christmas cards is “Peace on Earth.” And what 

an indescribably wonderful vision that is. Think about it: 

no warring between nations and no hurtful conflict between 

individual people. No wonder people dream of and long for 

such conditions. 

John Schoenheit’s excellent article in this issue (“To 

Whom is the Peace”) shows that today “peace on earth” is 

available only to those who choose to become children of 

God and walk in fellowship with Him. That is peace as God 

defines it, as opposed to the temporary “peacefulness” that 

some people attain by controlling their thoughts to shut out 

the negative aspects of life, which often is little more than 

denial of reality. In this article we will look at what is the 

peace of God and how, amidst the basic spiritual conflict 

raging around us, with all its ramifications in our personal 

lives, a Christian can maintain this “peace that passes 

understanding.” 

The Bible clearly says that there will be no “peace on 

earth” until the “Prince of Peace” (Isa. 9:6) comes back to 

earth and destroys all the enemies of God, which he will 

do. It also tells us that until then, things will get worse and 

worse as the majority of mankind turns their hearts away 

from God and His truth (e.g., 2 Tim. 3:13, 4:3 and 4). So 

where does that leave us now In a perpetual war zone. 

Though there will not be peace on earth until the Lord 

Jesus comes back here, there can be peace in earth now, 

so to speak. How so Because we Christians are “earthen 

vessels” (2 Cor. 4:7-KJV), and we can have internal peace, 

no matter what is going on around us. 

Peace With God 

Let us first define what peace is. The Greek word 

thus translated is eirene (from which we get the English 

name, “Irene”). Some of its definitions in Bible Works 1 are: 

“exemption from the rage and havoc of war; the tranquil 

state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and 

so fearing nothing from God.” 

In his Greek Lexicon, E. W. Bullinger writes that it 

is: “…the end or absence of strife; a state of untroubled, 

undisturbed well-being….” He also makes a monumentally 

important distinction: “The peace that is the result of 

forgiveness enjoyed must not be confused with the peace 

Christ has made by the blood of his cross.” 2 

That statement points up the truth that peace is a twosided 

coin. One side is the doctrinal aspect and the other is 

the practical aspect. The first is the peace we have with God 


Fe a t u r e Art i c l e 

because of what Jesus Christ did by living a perfect life 

and laying it down for us at the Cross. The second is the 

internal, mental “peace of God” that we must pursue and 

fight for. Cementing in our hearts the truth about our peace 

with God is the key to attaining the peace of God day by 

day. Look at the following verses, which show how and 

why we are forever in a state of peace with God: 

Romans 5:1 and 2 

(1) Therefore, since we have been justified 

through faith, we have peace with God through 

our Lord Jesus Christ, 

(2) through whom we have gained access by faith 

into this grace in which we now stand. And we 

rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. 

The hallmark of Christianity, as opposed to false 

systems of faith, is salvation by faith, not by works. 

Because of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, and our trusting 

in his work, you and I are justified in the sight of God. 

That is, our sins have been washed away, and we have a 

clean slate before him. God’s judgment has been passed, 

and we are forever “NOT GUILTY!” We stand in His 

grace, guaranteed of a glorious future at the appearing of 

His Son, our Lord Jesus. Doesn’t that just make you feel 

like taking a huge breath and letting it out with a giant 

“WHEW!” How liberating! 

Here is another verse along the same line: 

Colossians 1:20 

and through him [Jesus Christ] to reconcile to 

himself all things, whether things on earth or 

things in heaven, by making peace through his 

blood, shed on the cross. 

It required the very lifeblood of the Son of God to 

pay the price for the sin and sins of all mankind, and to 

reconcile us from a position of enmity with God back 

to a relationship of perpetual peace with Him. Because 

God made him genetically sinless like the first Adam, 

and because, unlike Adam, he chose to live a sinless life, 

all the way to the Cross, Jesus became the perfect and 

sufficient sacrifice. Now we who have made him our 

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That Proverbs 23:7 (NASB) says... 

“For as he thinks within himself, so he is.” 

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We often have no control over the 

external circumstances that beset us, 

but we do have control over our own 

thoughts about those circumstances. 

Lord are forever saved, sealed, and delivered in him. We 

are forever at peace with God. 

Fighting for Peace 

To live a fruitful Christian life, we must understand 

that though we have been delivered from the penalty of 

sin, we are not yet free from the power of sin, that sin 

which “dwells” within us (Rom. 7:18-NKJV). 3 We must 

do our best to live free from the presence of strife, and the 

only way to do that is by dispatching our internal enemy 

when he comes against us. The biblical principle is peace 

through strength. Think about it: If the neighborhood 

bully punches you and you proceed to pulverize him, how 

likely is he to hit you again Yes, if he is just downright 

mean, he may well do so, but if each time he does, you 

reduce him to rubble, chances are that he will back off. 

Likewise, we must fight for our peace. Who or what 

are we fighting against Satan, the thief who comes “… 

only to steal and kill and destroy…” (John 10:10). More 

specifically, we fight against the internal and external 

enemies bent on destroying our peace. We can’t destroy 

our sin nature, but we can destroy (put to death) its fruit 

in our lives. We often have no control over the external 

circumstances that beset us, but we do have control over 

our own thoughts about those circumstances. It is vital 

that we realize that truth and take up the sword of the 

spirit, the Word of God, to do battle in the arena of our 


Fe a t u r e Art i c l e 

There is no situation in your life too big or too small for your heavenly 

Father, and your Lord, to care about and want to get involved in. They 

have your back. 

mind. In terms of the quality of our lives, it is a matter of life 

and death. 

Romans 8:13 

For if you live according to the sinful nature, you 

will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the 

misdeeds of the body, you will live. 

Here we see that it is our responsibility to “put to death” 

the sinful thoughts that lead to sinful behavior. Hey, that 

sounds like war. That’s right, because the purpose of war is to 

break things and kill the enemy. The following verses show 

us quite a bit more about the battle we are in, the weapons we 

must use, and what we must demolish. 

2 Corinthians 10:3-5 

(3) For though we live in the world, we do not wage 

war as the world does. 

(4) The weapons we fight with are not the weapons 

of the world. On the contrary, they have divine 

power to demolish strongholds. 

(5) We demolish arguments and every pretension 

that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, 

and we take captive every thought to make it 

obedient to Christ. 

Like mine, your mind is an arena, in which it is the 

Christian (you) versus the lion. You must pay attention to the 

thoughts that are prowling around in the arena of your mind. 

If you spot a “lion,” or rather a “lyin’” (thought), you must 

realize that it is attacking you, and fight back with the sword 

of the spirit, the Word. 

Because of the sin that dwells within each of us, peace 

does not come naturally or easily to us. In fact, we must 

vigorously pursue it in our thoughts, our words, and our 

deeds. 

1 Peter 3:10-12 

(10) For, “Whoever would love life and see good 

days must keep his tongue from evil and his lips 

from deceitful speech. 

(11) He must turn from evil and do good; he must 

seek peace and pursue it. 

(12) For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous 

and his ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face 

of the Lord is against those who do evil.” 

Those verses exactly convey the truth of Luke 2:14 that 

John Schoenheit so eloquently exposited in his article: peace 

is only for those who humbly turn their hearts to God and 

receive what He gives. And God makes it clear to us how 

willing He is to help us have His peace. The following two 

verses show that just as Jesus promised peace to his disciples, 

so he is with us today via his spirit, and walks with us through 

the trials and tribulations of life to give us the same peace. 

John 14:27 

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not 

give to you as the world gives [a counterfeit peace 

based upon circumstances]. Do not let your hearts 

be troubled and do not be afraid. 

2 Thessalonians 3:16 

Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace 

at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all 

of you. 

The Peace of God 

Our everlasting peace with God is the basis of our living 

with peace in our hearts now. God tells us how to have and 

manifest His peace, the peace of God, also called the peace 

of Christ. It is important to note that the choice is yours, and 

that when you do your part, God most certainly will do His. 

Philippians 4:6-9 

(6) Do not be anxious about anything, but 

in everything, by prayer and petition, with 

thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 

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(7) And the peace of God, which transcends all 

understanding, will guard [as with a military guard] 

your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 

(8) Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is 

noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever 

is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything 

is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such 

things. 

(9) Whatever you have learned or received or heard 

from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And 

the God of peace will be with you. 

There is no situation in your life too big or too small 

for your heavenly Father, and your Lord, to care about and 

want to get involved in. They have your back. Your part in 

the reciprocal relationship with them is clear: do not freak 

out, come to them with your requests, think about godly 

things, practice the same. Of course, God would never ask 

you to do something you can’t. And all He asks is that you 

do what you can (Mark 14:8a). 4 When you do, the peace of 

God guards your heart, and the God of peace is with you. It 

doesn’t get any better than that. 

In light of this being the season of both Thanksgiving and 

Christmas, I think that in closing it is appropriate to examine 

what we just saw in Philippians 4:6, which I believe is the 

inseparable correlation between peace and thankfulness. 

Take a look at these fabulous verses: 

Colossians 3:15-17 

(15) Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, 

since as members of one body you were called to 

peace. And be thankful. 

(16) Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you 

teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, 

and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs 

with gratitude in your hearts to God. 

(17) And whatever you do, whether in word or 

deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving 

thanks to God the Father through him. 

In verse 15, the Greek word translated “rule” means “to 

be an umpire.” What is an umpire He is one who watches 

very closely to see if there is the slightest infraction of the 

rules, and when he sees one, he lets you know about it in 

no uncertain terms by loudly blowing his whistle! As we 

put “the word of Christ” in our hearts, it acts as an alarm 

system to warn us when we are having a thought that is not 

in keeping with “the rules.” Anxious, agitated, un-peaceful 

thoughts are “whistled dead,” so to speak. One big key to 

staying peaceful is to stay thankful. Thanksgiving focuses 

our hearts upon the Source of that for which we are thankful, 

and Isaiah 26:3 says that God will keep in perfect peace him 

whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in Him. Amen. 

The greater our individual peace, the more likely we will 

be to act in such a way so as to bring corporate peace in the 

Body of Christ. The more we pursue peace in our own heart, 

the more we will relate to others in a peaceful way, and, as 

per Ephesians 4:3, that is critical to the effective working of 

the Body. 

Ephesians 4:3-6 

(3) Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit 

through the bond of peace. 

(4) There is one body and one Spirit—just as you 

were called to one hope when you were called— 

(5) one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 

(6) one God and Father of all, who is over all and 

through all and in all. 


You will note that I included verses 4-6, and that is 

because they set forth “the magnificent seven,” that is, the 

seven primary doctrinal truths that Christians must properly 

understand from the Word and agree upon if we are to “… 

keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.” It 

is being likeminded on those basic truths that gives us the 

greatest possibility for true unity. I encourage you to consider 

how well you can articulate each of them, first for yourself 

and second for others. Spirit & Truth Fellowship has much 

teaching material on all of them. 

And finally, if we hold on to the peace of God, we can 

give it away to others, both by our words and our deeds. 

James 3:18 (NKJV) 

Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by 

those who make peace. 

Remember that Jesus is the reason for the season, and 

that HE is our peace (Eph. 2:14). As you live for him, each 

day can be a holy day, or, if you prefer, a “holiday.” All you 

need to do is start each morning with that giant “WHEW!” 

signifying your awareness of the truth that no matter what 

happens, you and God are at peace, 5 He loves you fervently, 

and you are guaranteed to live forever in Paradise with Him, 

the Lord, and lots of nice folks. Everything will be better than 

OK. So enjoy this holiday season. Give thanks, and walk in 

peace, reaching out in love to those in your world. Spread the 

peace to those on earth. 

Notes: 

1. BibleWorks Copyright © 1992-2005 BibleWorks, LLC. (P.O. Box 

6158, Norfolk, VA, 23508). All rights reserved. For more information 

on BibleWorks, visit STFonline.org/software or see page 11 of the 

enclosed price list. 

2. Bullinger, E.W. A Critical Lexicon and Concordance to the English 

and Greek New Testament. Samuel Bagster and Sons Ltd., London, 

Tenth Edition, 1971. 

3. Scripture quotations marked (NKJV) are taken from the New King 

James Version ® . © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. 

All rights reserved. 

4. You are the only you God has! - Visit TruthOrTradition.com/you 

5. Read “Righteousness: Every Christian’s Gift from God” at 

TruthOrTradition.com/righteousness 

In Memorium 

Michael Heron 

Dublin, Ireland 

Born December 6, 1943 

Died June 10, 2007 

Wendy J. Buchanan 

Bartlesville, Oklahoma 

Born January 20, 1949 

Died July 6, 2007 

Patrick Roberge 

Starksboro, Vermont 

Born February 6, 1956 

Died November 8, 2006 

Vincent John Pellegrini 

Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania 

Born April 11, 1960 

Died August 10, 2007 

George Benecke (husband of Shirley) 

Bellefonte, Pennsylvania 

Born August 1, 1941 

Died October 18, 2007 

TruthOrTradition.com / Over 800 articles and growing 

Articles of Interest 

• Are Angels real - TruthOrTradition.com/angels 

• What is an Apostle - TruthOrTradition.com/apostle 

• The Christian’s Hope: The Anchor of the Soul - TruthOrTradition.com/hope 

• What was Paul’s Thorn in the Flesh - TruthOrTradition.com/thorn 

• Articles on Biblical Love - TruthOrTradition.com/love 

• My God, My God, Why Have You Forsaken Me - TruthOrTradition.com/forsake 

• Articles about Jesus - TruthOrTradition.com/jesus 

• Articles on Evangelism - TruthOrTradition.com/evangelism 

• What is Hell - TruthOrTradition.com/hell 

• The Genealogy of Jesus Christ - TruthOrTradition.com/genealogy 

8 www.STFonline.org 

Check out our 86 page 

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THANK YOU!!! 

To our Home Office Staffer, Travis Williams, 

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THE CONTENDER 

“...I felt I had to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints” (Jude 3) 

To Whom 

is the 

Peace 


How many times in the history of 

the world has the multitude of 

the heavenly army appeared to 

people, speaking audibly and praising 

God 1 The only time Scripture records 

this as happening was at the birth of 

Jesus Christ, a singularly momentous 

event. Certainly we should want to 

know exactly what the angels said on 

that September night, 2 and what they 

meant, especially because there is some 

confusion about it. This confusion is 

evident in the four versions below, 

which are divided into two groups. 

Luke 2:14 (KJV) 

Glory to God in the highest, 

and on earth peace, good will 

toward men. 

Luke 2:14 (NKJV) 3 

“Glory to God in the highest, 

And on earth peace, goodwill 

toward men!” 

Luke 2:14 (NASB) 4 


And on earth peace among men 

with whom He is pleased.” 

Luke 2:14 (NIV) 


and on earth peace to men on 

whom his favor rests.” 

Why the difference 

The answer to that question lies in 

the way this verse was copied from one 

Greek manuscript to the next at some 

early date in history. The copying of 

one manuscript to another is referred 

to as the “transmission of the text,” 

and sometimes mistakes were made in 

copying, just as can happen today when 

someone copies something. Thankfully, 

due to the extensive number of early 

manuscripts available today, computer 

technology that allows very accurate 

comparison of the texts, and the hard 

work of scholars, the modern Greek 

text of the New Testament is very, very 

accurate. 

The problem in translating Luke 

2:14 has to do with the very last word 

in the Greek text of the verse, which 

in some manuscripts is eudokias (a 

genitive) and in others eudokia (a 

nominative). Debates raged hot and 

heavy for centuries as to which reading 

was original, with scholars on both 

sides arguing for their point of view. 

The debate continued through the early 

1900’s, subsided during the middle of 

that century, and today is considered 

settled by textual scholars. This is in 

part due to a better understanding of 

the development of the Greek text over 

time, in part due to the discovery and 

coordination of more texts, and even 

in part due to a discovery in the Dead 

Sea Scrolls (first discovered in 1947). 

Thus, the modern versions of the Bible, 

such as the English Standard Version, 5 

New Revised Standard Version Bible, 6 


Amplified Bible, 7 and more, all say something that parallels the NASB 

and NIV shown above. The reading eudokias, which is the genitive 

case, is clearly the original reading, and the variant, eudokia, was 

created when the “s” was dropped. 

If modern textual scholars agree concerning the reading of the 

Greek text, why, then, does the New King James Version, which is very 

recent, read like the King James and not like the rest of the modern 

versions The answer is that the NKJV was specifically designed to 

read like the KJV except for updating the English from that of 1611 to 

our modern use of words, such as changing “ye” to “you.” However, it 

is significant that in my NKJV study Bible, there is a text note on Luke 

2:14 indicating that the reading in the NKJV differs from the modern 

Greek text. 

This verse is saying that all through the 

heavens, even to the highest parts, there 

is glory given to God at the birth of the 

Messiah. 

Luke 2:14 is one verse that clearly demonstrates the need for 

research using up-to-date texts, versions, commentaries, and scholastic 

works. Older commentaries and research materials can often be very 

helpful, and there are many things in biblical research that have not 

changed in the last century, but many areas have changed, primarily 

due to the work of archaeologists and textual scholars. Thankfully, the 

modern work is often more readily available than the older material, 

so it is easy to study. It is a blessing and joy to know that we live in an 

age when so much is known about the Bible, the text of the Bible, and 

the culture of biblical times. 

Understanding the Text 

The issue of the correct reading of the Greek text being settled, 

it is now a matter of translating that text into English in the best 

way possible. The first phrase of the Greek text has only four words, 

and what they mean is not debated by scholars. Nevertheless, most 

modern versions say, “Glory to God in the highest,” which does not 

communicate well to the modern reader, and in fact can be confusing. 

Is it saying that there is glory given to God by those spiritual beings 

who dwell in the highest places, or is it saying that there is glory given 

to God who Himself dwells in the highest places 

Scholars agree that the idea of the verse is that it is the angels and 

spiritual beings who dwell in the highest places who give glory to God. 

The word “highest” is a common Greek word that means highest place 

or highest rank. In this verse it is an adjective, and thus in English it 

needs a noun to fully complete its sense. We would say, “Glory to God 

in the highest places,” using the italics like the KJV, NASB, and ASV, 8 

to show that “places” is not in the Greek text but added for clarity. 

I would translate the phrase as, “Glory to God in the highest 

heavens.” This is not to imply there is more than one heaven, but 

rather to use the word “heaven” in its biblical sense and help the reader 

get a better understanding of the biblical culture and use of words. 

The singular word “heaven” never occurs in the 

Hebrew text, which always reads “heavens.” 

Furthermore, the plural “heavens” occurs many 

times in the New Testament as well. We English 

readers do not get to see this, because the 

translators almost always say “heaven” no matter 

what the Hebrew or Greek says. 

Both the Hebrew and Greek texts indicate that 

“the heavens” are a vast realm, with higher and 

lower parts, which is what we see in part when we 

look up. We know the moon is “lower” than the 

sun, and the sun is “lower” than the stars, but even 

so we consider all of what is above us “heaven.” 

People in Bible times said, “the heavens.” Thus, 

the “highest places” or “highest heavens” refers 

to the highest places in the heavenly realm. 

This alludes to the fact that there is a hierarchy 

among spirits, with some being more powerful or 

prominent than others, something we see in other 

places in the Bible as well. This verse is saying 

that all through the heavens, even to the highest 

parts, there is glory given to God at the birth of 

the Messiah. 

To make English versions read more clearly 

that the glory comes to God from the spirits who 

dwell in heaven, let us move the prepositional 

phrase, “in the highest places” to after “glory” 

and before “God.” This makes the verse read, 

“Glory in the highest places to God.” Young’s 

Literal Translation 9 moves the prepositional 

phrase in that manner. Once we understand that 

it is the angels and spirits even in the highest 

places of heaven who gave glory to God at the 

birth of the Savior, we are able to see the contrast 

between heaven and earth with great clarity: “in” 

(the Greek reads “in”) heaven there is glory, and 

“upon” (the Greek reads “on” or “upon”) the 

earth, peace. 

Why would the angels be glorifying God 

at the birth of a human savior Because angels 

are godly and loving, and desire the salvation of 

mankind and the end of human suffering just as 

we do, but there is also another reason. Because of 

the fall of Lucifer and Adam, the whole universe 

is suffering pain and is in the bondage of decay 

(Rom. 8:21 and 22). The Savior, Jesus Christ, is 

not only the Savior of mankind, he is the Savior 

of the universe itself. Therefore, it is no wonder 

that at his birth the heavenly army appeared to the 

shepherds, saying, “Glory in the highest heavens 

to God.” 


Th e Co n t e n d e r 

Because of the fall of Lucifer and Adam, 

the whole universe is suffering pain and 

is in the bondage of decay. 

Along with the glory that the angels of heaven give to God, there 

is to be peace on earth. But to whom The Greek phrase is only 

three words, and is literally translated, “among men of goodwill.” 

The truth being communicated is there is peace from God to people 

with whom He has goodwill. Modern versions try to express this 

idea, with, in my opinion, varying degrees of success, but the point 

is that God’s peace is not to everyone; it is for those who have 

turned their hearts to Him. This fits perfectly with the Old Testament 

prophecies and predictions of the coming Messiah, who was foretold 

to be a warrior for God, delivering His people while destroying His 

enemies. 

The very first prophecy of the Redeemer, in Genesis 3:15, 

foretells him being in conflict with the Devil, and by extension, the 

ungodly. That prophecy was confirmed in Moses’ time when Balaam 

foretold that the Messiah would “…crush the foreheads of Moab, the 

skulls of all the sons of Sheth” (Num. 24:17b). David continued the 

picture of the Messiah as executing judgment on those who did not 

turn to God: 

Psalm 2:12 

Kiss the Son, lest he be angry and you be destroyed in your 

way, for his wrath can flare up in a moment. Blessed are all 

who take refuge in him. 

In the biblical culture, to kiss someone showed love, respect, 

honor, or homage. God and His Messiah deserve and demand love 

and respect, and those who refuse God will be destroyed, while those 

who take refuge in the Son will be blessed, just as the verse says. 

The message about the Messiah as an executor of God’s judgment 

continued through the prophetic books, and the last prophet, Malachi, 

wrote: 

DID YOU KNOW... 

That Genesis 3:15 contains the first prophetic 

words about the coming Savior, who we know 

will crush the head of Lucifer, God’s arch-enemy. 

THAT is something to praise God about !!! 

Malachi 3:1b-3a and 5a 

(1b) …the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the 

messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come,” 

says the Lo r d Almighty. 

(2) But who can endure the day of his coming Who can 

stand when he appears For he will be 

like a refiner’s fire or a launderer’s soap. 

(3a) He will sit as a refiner and purifier of 

silver… 

(5a) “So I will come near to you for 

judgment…. 

John the Baptist continued to portray the 

Messiah as one who would bless the people of 

God but execute judgment upon the ungodly. One 

way he expressed that was to compare the people 

of earth to a harvest. The evil people would be 

burned up like chaff, while the godly would be 

gathered into the barn (Matt. 3:12). Thus, the 

Messiah would bring peace, but he would bring it 

only to the people with whom God was pleased. 

Something else about the peace that people 

of God will enjoy is that it is clearly linked in 

prophecy to the destruction of those who oppose 

God. It is undeniable that the lives of everyone 

on earth would be more peaceful if there were no 

wicked people here. The people of God will enjoy 

peace in the future in part because Jesus Christ 

will destroy the wicked and unrepentant. 

Another aspect of the “peace” that would 

come to the people of God was that it would exist 

forever between God and His people due to Jesus’ 

offering himself as the “…Lamb of God, who 

takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29b). 10 

Despite our best efforts to obey and please God, 

our sin nature and seemingly overpowering 

desires cause us to sin against God on a regular 

basis. The Old Testament portrays the separation 

between God and men very clearly, and in those 

days people approached God with blood sacrifices 

to cover and atone for their sin. Leviticus reveals 

an important aspect of these offerings to God, an 

aspect that is usually not clearly presented in our 

English versions. 

Leviticus 1:9 

He [the sinner with the offering] is to wash 

the inner parts and the legs with water, and 

the priest is to burn all of it on the altar. 

It is a burnt offering, an offering made by 

fire, an aroma pleasing to the Lo r d. 

The NIV says that the burnt offering made an 

aroma “pleasing” to God, but the Hebrew word 

means more than that. The NASB is much closer 

when it says a “soothing” aroma. The Hebrew 

word, nichowach, means “soothing, quieting, 


Romans 5:1 says, “...we [Christians] have peace with God 

through our Lord Jesus Christ,” and not, “Everyone now 

has peace with God.” 

tranquilizing,” and then by extension, “pleasing.” The offering did 

please God, but it did so by soothing and quieting Him. The picture 

being painted for us in Leviticus is that God is agitated, even angered, 

by our sin, but He is soothed, quieted, and pleased by the sin offering. 

Via the offering, which quiets and pleases God, the offerer has peace 

with Him. 

Scripture never says that the ungodly or unsaved have peace with 

God. The peace we have with Him is due to the substitutionary sacrifice 

of Christ, which soothes and quiets God and keeps us from His wrath. 

That is why Romans 5:1 says, “…we [Christians] have peace with God 

through our Lord Jesus Christ,” and not, “Everyone now has peace 

with God.” The Church Epistles thus echo what the Old Testament and 

Gospels proclaim: that the peace of God is for those who have turned 

their hearts to Him. 

Once the Messiah was born, the promises of God were well on 

their way to being fulfilled. Heaven and earth, in bondage and pain, 

could be rescued, and mankind, seemingly ever displeasing to God, 

could once and for all be at peace with Him. Because Jesus walked out 

the path God set before him, all the way to the Cross, where with his 

dying breaths he said, “It is finished,” God’s plan of peace on earth will 

one day be fulfilled. Thus it was appropriate that on the day of Christ’s 

birth some 2,000 years ago, the angelic army of heaven descended to 

the earth and proclaimed to mankind, 

“Glory in the highest heavens to God, and 

on earth peace among men with whom he is 

well pleased” (Author’s translation). 

Notes: 

1. I say “heavenly army” while most translators say, “heavenly host.” The Greek 

is stratia, and it was a common word for an army or band of soldiers. Robertson 

(Word Pictures in the New Testament) writes: “A military term for a band of 

soldiers common in the ancient Greek.” 

2. We believe that Jesus was born in September, not December. Cp. Ernest L. 

Martin, The Star that Astonished the World (ASK Publications, 1991), Victor 

P. Wierwille, Jesus Christ Our Promised Seed (American Christian Press, 

New Knoxville, OH, 1982). For further study on when Jesus was born see 

TruthOrTradition.com/birth 

3. Scripture quotations marked (NKJV) are taken from the New King James 

Version®. © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights 

reserved. 

4. Scripture quotations marked (NASB) are taken from the New American 

Standard Bible®, © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977 by 

The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. 

5. The Holy Bible, English Standard Version © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a 

division of Good News Publishers. All rights reserved. 

6. New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian 

Education of the National Council of the Churches 

of Christ in the United States of America. Used by 

permission. All rights reserved. 

7. Amplified Bible, © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 

by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. 

8. The American Standard Version, 1901. 

9. Young’s Literal Translation, by Robert Young, 1898. 

10. For further study, visit TruthOrTradition.com/ 

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Pa r t n e r Pr o f i l e 

Alissa Wassung 

“ 

I support Spirit & Truth Fellowship because it upholds Reason itself. 

” 

My name is Alissa Wassung, and I 

recently moved from New York City, where 

I lived for ten years, to attend school at 

Yale University. In New York I worked as a 

professional ballet dancer with the American 

Ballet Theater, and also a costume designer. 

Both New York City and the arts are famous 

for questioning the mere existence of truth. 

There are, sadly, many people in bondage 

to ignorance and despair because they are 

ignorant of the whole truth. During my time 

in that great city, Spirit & Truth Fellowship 

International was a blessed resource for 

materials that stood for ultimate truth and 

our ability to know it. 

John 8:31 and 32 

(31) To the Jews who had believed 

him, Jesus said, “If you hold to 

my teaching, you are really my 

disciples. 

(32) Then you will know the truth, 

and the truth will set you free.” 

I firmly believe that God, by “fearfully and wonderfully” creating each 

individual, has placed in us the rational ability to know Him. Not just that He 

philosophically exists, but that the intricacies of His being and His declared 

will for mankind are fathomable by our human minds. 

Proverbs 25:2 

It is the glory of God to conceal a matter; to search out a matter is the 

glory of kings. 

Spirit & Truth Fellowship International is a group of believers who want 

to know more, and we believe that the “more” is knowable. With God, His 

Son, and this ministry, I continue to go on treasure hunts into the depths of 

Scripture, where my digging is always richly rewarded. 

We are in a battle to make known the unadulterated truth of God’s 

teachings, and we fight not only against our Enemy, but also, sad to say, 

against some of our fellow soldiers, who are blinded by the traditions of men. 

With great exultation in my heart, I have observed that the people of this 

ministry endeavor to be merciful and not pompous in the quest to keep the 

unity of the spirit in the bond of peace. As part of the extended vine, I have 

seen firsthand how the truth of God’s Word, coupled with the humility of this 

ministry’s people, is a healing balm to the hearts of many injured Christians 

and non-believers. 

The last part of this verse is often 

quoted without the first and most important 

part: “If you hold to my teachings...” These 

are God’s teachings, not man’s traditions. 

I serve God with this ministry because I 

believe the people of this ministry do their 

best to accurately set forth the Word of 

God. 

When I agreed to write this profile, I 

didn’t realize what a challenge it would be 

to condense into 500 words my motives 

for being a partner with this ministry! 

The principal tenets we pursue, and the 

wonderful communion of a local fellowship, 

are fantastic reasons, yet I have tried to 

distill my intention down to an essence. I 

support Spirit & Truth Fellowship because 

it upholds Reason itself. 

Happily, amidst the conflict there are victories, and many soldiers 

experience the joy of knowing Jesus, as we do, as he truly is. 

Alissa Wassung, Salem, CT 

PARTNER 

with Spirit & Truth Fellowship International 

To become a partner, go to 

STFonline.org/partnership 

or use the enclosed partnership form 

or call 1.888.255.6189 M-F 8:30-5 (EST) 


Defining True Greatness 

Mary 

The 

Mother 

of 

Jesus 


One of the truly great women of the Bible is Mary, the mother 

of Jesus. She was a woman of faith, courage, humility, 

praise, and prayer. She was a good wife and mother, and an 

exemplary disciple of Christ. Nevertheless, Mary often is not given 

the recognition she deserves, and that is primarily due to all the 

fanciful things that have been taught about her, such as that she 

was a “perpetual virgin,” or that she answers prayers and dispenses 

grace. These unbiblical things tend to make the average Protestant 

Christian avoid studying her life, which is too bad because she was 

an awesome believer. We can learn a lot from the woman who was 

chosen by God to bear His Son. 

A Woman with a Pedigree 

Mary’s family pedigree was exalted and spotless. She was 

born into spiritual royalty because she was a descendant of David 

through his son Solomon, and down through the kings of Judah, 

including such greats as Asa, Jehoshaphat, Hezekiah, and Josiah. 1 

Mary, of course, did not choose her family heritage, one that made 

it possible for her to bear the promised Messiah. Nevertheless, Old 

Testament Scripture made clear that the Christ would be from the 

line of David, and there is little doubt that the subject was discussed 

in her home, just as godly people today often speak of the Rapture 

and return of Jesus Christ. However, it is clear that Mary never 

thought of herself as better than others, and instead saw herself as 

an Israelite whose work was to be a good wife and mother, and to 

live her life in service to God. 

A Woman of Faith 

We do not know how cold, or perhaps even snowy, it was that 

December day in Galilee when the young woman we know as 

Mary was surprised by the angel Gabriel. 2 We do know that Mary 

would have been in her early teenage years, most likely twelve to 

16 www.STFonline.org 

fourteen years old. We can tell her age because she 

was engaged, but not yet married, to a man named 

Joseph, and yet was physically mature enough to 

both have and rear God’s Son, something she did 

for at least a couple of years without much family 

support. While twelve to fourteen may seem very 

young to us, it was common in biblical times for 

women to be married at that age, and much older 

than fourteen would have been uncharacteristically 

old for marriage in her culture. We can better 

understand the great courage and faith Mary had 

when we realize that she was not a middle-aged 

and experienced woman of the world, but rather a 

young woman of faith who accepted the call to be 

the mother of the Christ. 

When the angel Gabriel appeared to Mary, he 

said, …“Hail, favored one! The Lord is with you” 

(Luke 1:28b NASB). 3 The angel told Mary that she 

had “found favor with God” (Luke 1:30), and that 

she would be impregnated by God and give birth to 

the promised Messiah, whose “kingdom will never 

end” (v. 33). Although we do not know a lot of 

details about Mary’s life, we can tell from Scripture 

that even at her young age she was familiar with 

Scripture, and would have immediately understood 

some of the immensity of the task being asked of 

her. She also would have known, though only in 

part, the personal price she would have to pay to be 

the mother of the Messiah. 

Part of the price she paid was the doubt, 

suspicion, and rejection she encountered because

Mary believed what the angel Gabriel 

told her, but it had to occur to her that it 

would be difficult, and often impossible, 

to get people to believe what she would 

tell them. 

the sexual property of the owner, something that 

devastated many marriages in the ancient world. 

Mary did not think of herself as a servant who could 

leave if the employment was unfavorable or the pay 

was not good enough. No, she thought of herself as 

the slave of God, willing to do whatever he asked. A 

better example of faith could hardly be set by anyone 

at any time. 

A Woman of Character 

Very shortly after the angel told Mary she would 

be pregnant by God, she left Nazareth and went 

south into the hill country of Judea, to the house of a 

relative named Elizabeth, who was a descendant of 

Aaron, and married to Zechariah, who was also from 

Aaron (Luke 1:39-56). Scripture does not tell us why 

Mary went to visit Elizabeth, but we can quite safely 

assume that it was to prepare herself for the storm 

she knew would break when her pregnancy became 

known. 

of her virgin conception and birth. Neither Mary nor her fellow 

believers were expecting a virgin birth. Isaiah 7:14 is quoted in 

Matthew 1:23 (“The virgin will be with child and will give birth 

to a son…), and therefore Christians, with 20/20 hindsight, realize 

that Isaiah was at least in part foretelling a virgin birth. But in its 

context, the “son” in Isaiah 7 was born during the lifetime of Isaiah 

(Isa. 7:15-17), and there is no historical record that the Jews were 

expecting a virgin birth until it actually happened. 4 

On being told she would have a child, Mary herself said, “How 

will this be, since I am not knowing a man” (Author’s translation). 5 

Mary was confused about how she would get pregnant when she was 

not “knowing,” actively having sexual relations with, a man. The 

angel told her that she would be impregnated by God Himself (Luke 

1:35). Mary believed what the angel Gabriel told her, but it had to 

occur to her that it would be difficult, and often impossible, to get 

people to believe what she would tell them. Even so, in a statement 

of faith that has echoed through the ages and been an inspiration for 

millions of believers, she replied to the angel, “Behold!, the slavemaid 

of the Lord, may it be to me according to your word” (Luke 

1:38b - Author’s translation). 

Mary’s humility and faith shine brilliantly through her statement. 

She referred to herself as the “slave-maid” of the Lord, indicating 

that she completely submitted her will, her agenda, even her life, to 

God. The Greek word I translate “slave-maid” (following the wellknown 

biblical scholar, R. C. H. Lenski), is doule, the feminine 

form of the better-known masculine noun doulos, and it can refer 

either to a servant or a slave. In the biblical culture, servants were 

not owned, and thus were free to stay or leave as they wished, and 

they were paid for their work. Slaves, on the other hand, were owned 

and thus were not free to come and go, and they were seldom paid 

for any service. Also noteworthy in this context is that a slave was 

Scripture never tells us why she picked Elizabeth 

to go visit for three months. She may have prayed 

about it and gotten direction from God, or perhaps 

it was because Gabriel mentioned Elizabeth when 

he told Mary she would bear the promised Messiah. 

Scripture also never tells us to what degree she 

wrestled with concern, perhaps worry, perhaps even 

fear, of what would happen to her when her pregnancy 

became known. She may have even wrestled with 

how to tell Elizabeth, and whether Elizabeth would 

believe her. What a weight must have come off her 

shoulders when she went into the house of Elizabeth. 

She had barely said “Hello,” when Elizabeth loudly 

proclaimed that Mary and the child were blessed by 

God. 

Luke 1:42b-45 

(42b) …“Blessed are you among women, 

and blessed is the child you will bear! 

(43) But why am I so favored, that the 

mother of my Lord should come to me 

(44) As soon as the sound of your greeting 

reached my ears, the baby in my womb 

leaped for joy. 

(45) Blessed is she who has believed 

that what the Lord has said to her will be 

accomplished!” 

God revealed to Elizabeth via the holy spirit upon 

her what she could not have known by her senses; 

and her words provided comfort and assurance to 

Mary. Furthermore, like Mary, Elizabeth was also a 

woman of faith and humility. Herself pregnant by 

a miracle, Elizabeth nonetheless was honored to be 


She (Mary) was one of the few who loved God with her heart, soul, mind, 

and strength, and expressed that love in selfless service to Him. 

in the presence of the mother of the Messiah, and asked how it 

was that she was so favored. A humble heart is one of the great 

characteristics of a godly person, and Mary and Elizabeth stand as 

wonderful examples to us today. 

Mary responded to Elizabeth’s prophecy with a beautiful 

psalm. 6 If it came by revelation the text never says so, and even if 

it did, we know that what came from her mouth lived in her heart. 

Mary’s psalm reveals much about her. 

It reveals the praise for God that lived in her heart, that burning 

and upwelling love and thankfulness that expressed itself in praise 

and overshadowed any personal grief she would have from her 

service to God. She said, “My soul magnifies the Lord,” and it 

truly did. 

It revealed her knowledge of Scripture, because many things 

she said relate directly to verses in the Old Testament (cp. v. 46 

with Ps. 34:2; v. 47 with Isa. 61:10; v. 48 with Ps. 138:6; v. 49 

with Ps. 111:9; v. 50 with Exod. 20:6; v. 51 with Ps. 98:1; v. 52 

with 2 Sam. 22:28; and v. 53 with Ps. 107:9). Mary obviously paid 

attention when the scrolls were read in synagogue, and believed 

what she heard. 

It revealed her humility, for she again referred to herself as the 

slave-maid of God (v. 48). She was one of the few who loved God 

with her heart, soul, mind, and strength, and expressed that love in 

selfless service to Him. 

It revealed the inner strength in her soul and her keen insight 

into life. Surely the mother of the Messiah would be a woman 

with great inner strength, and it comes out in her psalm. She 

boldly proclaimed things that God had done and will do, including 

scattering those who are proud and bringing down rulers. The 

rulers in her world were men like Herod the Great, who would 

soon try to kill her son. Rather than being awed by their earthly 

power or the glitzy life they lived, she saw the evil in what they 

did and was quick to proclaim that God would deal with it, which 

she had to know would be in part through the agency of the child 

in her womb. 

It revealed her compassion for those who, in this life, have 

been downtrodden and abused. Mary proclaimed that the humble 

would be lifted up, the hungry would be filled with good things, 

and mercy would be extended to Abraham and his seed forever. 

It revealed that Mary believed in the Messianic Age, the coming 

kingdom that would be ruled by her son, when there would be no 

more hunger, disease, war, or political oppression. She knew God 

would be merciful to the seed of Abraham “forever,” even as he 

had said to the ancient fathers and had recorded in 

His Word. 

Mary and Elizabeth were both great women of 

faith, one very young, and one very old, and they 

spent three months together, talking and praying 

about what was to come. No doubt they did their 

best to prepare Mary for the joys and tribulations 

of being the mother of the Messiah. Little did 

Mary know that, even as her virgin pregnancy was 

unexpected, and a shock and stumblingblock to the 

Jews, so the path of peace and love that her son 

would take would be a shock and stumblingblock 

to her. 

A Woman of Courage 

After spending three months with Elizabeth, 

Mary went back to Nazareth, knowing that she was 

heading into a storm. The people of Nazareth would 

not be as Elizabeth was. No, they would be shocked, 

hurt, dismayed, doubtful, and express every other 

emotion that “nice” parents and relatives of “nice” 

girls usually express when a beloved daughter 

shows up pregnant. It is a testimony of the courage 

and faith of young Mary that she went home to face 

her relatives, knowing what the situation would be 

like. People today, who avoid conflict, lie to cover 

their actions, have a “victim mentality,” and make 

excuse after excuse, could learn a lot from Mary. 

We can imagine the scene. Mary’s pregnancy 

was discovered, likely because her expanding 

tummy showed a little after three months, and 

perhaps also her complexion had changed. No 

doubt there was shouting, endless questions, and 

many tears. The rabbi would have been called to 

see if there was anything about a virgin birth in 

the Old Testament. Eventually Joseph was told. He 

did not believe Mary’s story either. Can you blame 

him Who could have guessed But Joseph’s godly 

character showed itself in the situation. He was not 

a hard, vindictive man who wanted Mary publicly 

embarrassed, he was content to make the divorce 

a quiet family matter. No doubt Mary prayed for 

wisdom and peace, and God was good, showing 

Joseph in a dream that Mary really was pregnant 

by God. 

Knowing the truth about Mary, Joseph acted 

decisively and took Mary home as his wife (Matt. 


To send this article to a friend, visit TruthOrTradition.com/mary 

1:24). At this point Mary had a husband who was a husband indeed: 

a friend, ally, and confidant. Joseph was a godly man who valued 

truth over convenience. We know this because now Joseph would 

be included in the storm that raged around Mary and her soon-tobe 

born baby. Interestingly, it has been 2,000 years since Jesus was 

born, and there is still a storm that rages around the truth of who 

Jesus is, a storm that some people enter into for God’s sake and 

truth’s sake, and that others avoid, usually because they “don’t like 

conflict.” 

The storm of doubt, anger, and unbelief raging around Mary 

and Joseph was most likely the reason why they did not return 

to Nazareth after Jesus was born in Bethlehem. They stayed in 

Bethlehem for almost a year and a half, until the angel told them 

to flee to Egypt to save young Jesus’ life. For their part, Mary and 

Joseph had better things to do than try to explain their situation 

to unbelieving relatives in Nazareth. They needed to get started 

raising God’s Son, who was not only the Savior of the world, but 

their Savior as well. There is a lesson for us in how Joseph and 

Mary lived, because far too many people waste their lives trying to 

justify their actions to angry and unbelieving people who are never 

satisfied. Like Joseph and Mary, we need to get about doing the 

work of the Lord, and not be distracted by complainers. 

A Woman of Self-control 

Both Joseph and Mary recognized the tremendous significance 

of the birth and pedigree of the Messiah, and the gospel of Matthew 

makes it clear that they did not have sexual intercourse until after 

Jesus was born. 

Matthew 1:25 (KJV) 

And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn 

son: and he called his name JESUS. 

That Joseph did not “know” Mary before she gave birth to Jesus 

is a clear statement revealing that he did not have sexual intercourse 

with her until after Jesus was born. In today’s world, when it seems 

that a large percentage of Christians do not wait until marriage to 

have sexual intercourse with their partner, the discipline and focus 

of Mary and Joseph stands as a sterling example, showing that if 

we really want to, we can follow not only the Law of God, but the 

heart of God as well. After all, there was no law saying they could 

not have sexual intercourse after marriage, but 

both of them knew the obvious: if they had sexual 

intercourse, it would give place for others to doubt 

that Mary really had been impregnated by God. So 

they waited until Jesus was born before engaging 

in sex, so there was both a virgin conception and a 

virgin birth of the Son of God. 

A Woman of the Word 

Most Christians do not pay too much attention 

to the regulations in the Law of Moses that pertain 

to the birth of a firstborn son and the ritual cleansing 

and sacrifices that had to be offered afterward. 

However, to one who called herself the slave-maid 

of God, His Word and His regulations were the law 

she lived by. After all, how can you say you love 

God and then not do what He says Joseph and 

Mary diligently carried out all the regulations in the 

Law of Moses concerning the birth of a firstborn 

boy (Luke 2:21-24). 7 

A Woman of Meditation and Reflection 

Just as the world was taken by surprise at 

the virgin birth, Mary was herself surprised by 

much that happened in the life of her son. She 

developed the habit of keeping her own counsel, 

treasuring things in her heart, pondering them 

and no doubt praying about them. For example, 

imagine how surprised she was on the night she 

gave birth. She was spending time with her new 

family, unnoticed by the world around her that did 

not even care enough about her or her royal son 

to find them a room in the inn. Their peace was 

suddenly shattered by some shepherds who burst 

in to see the baby, excitedly telling what seemed to 

be a wild story about being frightened by a brilliant 

light and seeing the hillsides covered with God’s 

army of angels. 8 Very quickly the news spread, and 

the woman who had given birth in obscurity was 

now being spoken of all over town. Mary was no 

doubt surprised by all the commotion, but took in 

the things that were going on, treasuring them in 

TEACHING OF THE MONTH 

Mary, The Mother of Jesus: 

Defining True Greatness 

(November 2007) Also available on STFonline.org/podcast 



or call us toll free at 

888.255.6189 or 317.255.6189 


Ask for the November 2007 audio 

teaching of the month 



her heart and pondering them (Luke 2:19). 

She would still be treasuring those things in her heart 

twelve years later when she and her husband took their 

family to the Passover in Jerusalem (Luke 2:41-52) after 

which they went back home to Nazareth. By this time 

Mary’s family had grown considerably. Jesus was her 

firstborn son, but Scripture tells us she also had James, 

Joseph, Simon and Judas, and daughters as well (Matt. 

13:55 and 56). Thus, by the time Jesus was twelve, Mary 

was in her mid-twenties and would have been well on 

her way to having the at least eight children the Word 

of God indicates she had, which would not be unusual 

in her culture. 

Mary was busy with the younger children, so as they 

headed home, Jesus was trusted to stay with the family 

on his own. After all, he was almost as old as Mary 

herself had been when the angel told her she would bear 

the Messiah. But when Joseph and Mary rounded up the 

family that night, Jesus was nowhere to be found. The 

panic that arises in the heart of any mother whose child 

is missing is hard to describe, and Mary and Joseph 

hurried back to Jerusalem, only to find Jesus sitting in 

the Temple with the teachers of the Law. 

Upon being reproved for his inconsideration, Jesus 

asked Mary and Joseph why they did not know that 

he must be in his Father’s house. After that, however, 

Scripture tells us that, for his part, Jesus now stayed 

subject to his parents as he grew up, and it also lets us 

know that neither Mary nor Joseph understood what 

Jesus meant in the Temple that day. However, Mary 

once again treasured up these things in her heart (Luke 

2:50 and 51). 

A Woman of Understanding 

Parents understand that children must leave the nest, 

so to speak, and live on their own as adults, but parenting 

instincts do not just go away when a child reaches a 

certain age. Parents need understanding and maturity to 

let children live their own lives as they grow up. Children, 

who for years have needed seemingly constant care and 

attention, grow and mature, and may come to resent 

what they see as needless “mothering.” They want to be 

on their own, making their own decisions. For Mary and 

Jesus, that separation, in mind if not in living space, was 

unique for both of them. Mary not only had to let her 

son go, but also begin the relationship with him that was 

destined from his conception: that he was the Savior, 

and Mary, like the rest of us, was a sinner in need of 

salvation. For Jesus’ part, he had to walk in the fullness 

of his calling, realizing that there was much about him 

and his life that Mary, in spite of her love for him, would 

not fully comprehend. 

Been to a movie lately It cost you, 

didn’t it And even though you paid the 

required price, it may have greatly disappointed 

you. When it comes to movies, “you win some and you 

lose some.” Why did you go to the theater you did at the 

time you did Maybe because you saw that information in 

the newspaper or online, or because you called the theater 

and listened to the recorded announcement of the show 

times. 

Think about that. A strange voice on the phone, 

someone in whom you have no reason at all to trust, told 

you that Dracula vs. Godzilla started at that theater at 

7:00 pm, and you made whatever plans were necessary 

to get home from work at a certain time, eat dinner at 

a certain time, leave home at a certain time, and drive 

whatever distance it was to the theater. You then spent 

$9 on a worthless movie while eating 25 cents worth of 

popcorn for which you paid $6.50. 

1 John 5:9 

We accept man’s testimony, but God’s testimony 

is greater because it is the testimony of God, 

which he has given about his Son. 

Yes, we do accept man’s testimony—constantly, and 

often with disappointing results. But God’s testimony is 

truth, and it has stood the test of time. When it comes 

to all things that pertain to life and godliness, God says, 

“Take my Word for it.” Never has anyone done so without 

receiving God’s promise. His greatest promise is JESUS 

CHRIST. What is God’s testimony about His Son 

Romans 10:9 

That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is 

Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised 

him from the dead, you will be saved. 

Salvation, that is, everlasting life in Paradise, a life 

beyond our wildest dreams, is a FREE GIFT from God, 

because it was paid for by His Son, who gave his life so 

that you could live. The above verse tells you exactly how 

to “unwrap” and receive that precious gift. The choice is 

yours. If you take God’s Word for 

it, you won’t be disappointed. 

[For further study please read our booklet, 

Becoming a Christian: Why What How 

at TruthOrTradition.com/salvation] 

UNWRAP GOD’S 

GIFT TO YOU 


The mature relationships between 

mother and son, and sinner and Savior, 

no doubt took some time to develop. 

Their relationship was perhaps made 

more complex because, at some point 

before Jesus started his ministry, Joseph 

died. Although Scripture does not 

directly say that, Joseph’s conspicuous 

absence in the Gospel narratives during 

the years of Jesus’ ministry allows us 

to draw this conclusion with certainty. 

Thus, Mary, now the family matriarch, 

would tend to oversee the family more 

decisively than she otherwise may have 

done. One example of Mary still acting 

as his mother, and perhaps being a little 

pushy, occurred early in his ministry 

at the wedding at Cana (John 2:1-11). 

Mary pointed out that the host ran out 

of wine. Jesus answered her politely 

but firmly, addressing her as “woman.” 

It is much harsher in English than in 

Greek. It was a polite but appropriately 

distant way of addressing her, showing 

that Jesus had begun to define his life 

as Lord and Savior. He had faced the 

Devil himself in the wilderness of 

Judea, his ministry had begun, and 

it would be different than his mother 

imagined. Earthly relationships were 

being subjugated to divine mission. 

Perhaps Mary reminded herself 

of how surprised she was to learn 

from Gabriel that the Messiah would 

be born of a virgin. If she did, it no 

doubt helped her keep in perspective 

how surprised she was at the way the 

ministry of her son was playing out. 

She even got to the point of thinking 

that Jesus had lost his mind about his 

mission and purpose, and rounded 

up her other sons to bring him home 

(Matt. 12:46; Mark 3:21 and 31). Jesus 

was not trying to be rude to his family 

when he did not go out to greet them, 

but instead looked at those around him 

and said, “Who are my mother and my 

brothers Whoever does God’s will 

is my brother and sister and mother” 

(Mark 3:33a and 35). Jesus was trying 

to get his family to realize what they 

must come to know if they were to be 

saved, that they all had to become his 

followers and disciples, for he was the 

Messiah. 

A Disciple of Christ 

It is not surprising that the spunky, 

godly teenager who God picked to be 

the mother of His only Son would grow 

and mature to be an important member 

of the early Church. Nevertheless, there 

is no hint that she ever tried to throw 

her weight around as “the mother of 

Jesus.” The humility she showed in her 

teenage years, when she called herself 

the “slave-maid” of the Lord, was 

still present when, in her mid-forties, 

she stood at the foot of the cross and 

looked up at her son and Lord. There 

is no evidence that she understood 

more than the other disciples. Like 

the rest, it seems clear that she did 

not comprehend his substitutionary 

death for all mankind. Nevertheless, 

she quietly accepted his direction 

to go home with the Apostle John 

(John 19:25-27) and understood the 

appropriate distance in the relationship 

when Jesus again addressed her as 

“woman.” 

The last mention of Mary is in 

Acts 1:14, after her son ascended into 

heaven. The disciples had assembled 

in Jerusalem and she was counted 

among them. Her work as the mother 

of the only Son of God was done, 

and her place was in the Church, as 

a disciple. Many people today go to 

great lengths to be “someone great.” 

Mary showed us that true greatness 

comes from placing your life in God’s 

hands and doing whatever He calls you 

to do. She accepted the task that God 

assigned her in spite of its difficulty, 

and she lived with humility and great 

faith, even in becoming a disciple of 

her son, the Christ. You do not get any 

greater than that. 

Notes: 

1. The genealogy of Mary is recorded in 

Matthew 1:2-16. It is often thought that 

Matthew contains Joseph’s genealogy 

and Luke contains Mary’s, but this cannot 

be correct. For one thing, Mary is never 

mentioned in Luke, while Joseph is the last 

person in Luke’s genealogy. Furthermore, 

Mary is in the genealogy in Matthew 1:16, 

between Joseph (her father) and Jesus (her 

son). The reason for the confusion is that in 

almost all versions, Joseph is said to be the 

“husband” of Mary. Although the Greek 

word most versions translate “husband” is 

normally translated that way, it does not 

have to be, and in the Aramaic text, the 

word is more normally translated father, 

and a completely different word, meaning 

‘husband,” is used just three verses later 

in verse 19. When Joseph is counted as 

Mary’s father, and then Mary and Jesus 

are counted, there are indeed fourteen 

generations from the exile to Babylon 

to Jesus, just as Matthew 1:17 says. For 

further study, visit TruthOrTradition.com/ 

genealogy 

2. We believe Jesus was born in mid- 

September (Cp. Ernest Martin, The 

Star that Astonished the World; ASK 

Publications, Portland, OR, 1996, pp. 

67-102). That would mean that Mary was 

impregnated by God in December. For 

further study on when Jesus was actually 

born visit TruthOrTradition.com/birth 

3. Scripture quotations marked (NASB) 

are taken from the New American Standard 

Bible®, © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 

1972, 1973, 1975, 1977 by The Lockman 

Foundation. Used by permission. 

4. The Hebrew word that most English 

versions translate “virgin” (almah) 

does not have to be translated that way, 

and can refer to a young woman who 

is not necessarily a virgin, as many 

commentaries admit. This is especially 

important when we realize that there is 

a Hebrew word that more naturally does 

refer to a virgin (bethula). The Jewish 

Publication Societies Bible says “young 

woman,” as do some Christian Bibles 

such as the RSV*1, NRSV*2, and Moffatt 

Bible.*3 Furthermore, the future tense, 

“shall conceive” may be also translated 

“is pregnant,” as is represented in those 

same versions. Given the fact that Isaiah 

7:14 does not demand a virgin birth, but 

can refer to a natural pregnancy and birth, 

it is no wonder that the Jewish people 

thought the birth of the Messiah would be 

a natural childbirth, and that is especially 

true when we take into account that no 

other verse in the Old Testament clearly 

supports a virgin birth. The wonderful 

thing about the Hebrew text in Isaiah 7:14 

is that allows for, but does not demand, a 

virgin birth, so the text can readily apply 

to the virgin birth of Christ. *1 Scripture 

quotations marked (RSV) are taken from 

the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, 

© 1952, 1971 by the Division of Christian 

Education of the National Council of the 

Churches of Christ in the United States of 

America. All rights reserved. *2 Scripture 

(continued on page 26) 


Figures 

Keys to Effective Communication 

of 

Speech 

- Anacoluthon - 

The ability to communicate by words 

is one thing that sets apart mankind 

from all other creatures. God is the 

Author of language, and no one has ever 

used language as precisely as God does 

in the Bible, including His use of figures 

of speech. When most people say, “a 

figure of speech,” they are speaking in 

general terms of something that is not 

true to fact. However, genuine “figures 

of speech” are legitimate grammatical 

and lexical forms that add emphasis 

and feeling to what we say and write. 

Recognizing and properly interpreting 

the figures of speech in the Bible has 

many advantages. We can understand 

the true meaning of Scripture and be 

able to more fully enjoy the richness of 

the Word of God. It is important that 

we become at least somewhat familiar 

with the figures of speech in Scripture, 

of which there are more than 200 

varieties. 1 

The figure we are going to cover in 

this issue of The Sower is Anacoluthon. 

This is a figure of speech that we all 

use, and even sometimes get angry at 

ourselves or others for using, so it is 

very familiar to us. Nevertheless, most 

people use the figure accidentally, and 

without knowing its name. Have you 

ever started a new sentence before you 

finished the one you were speaking, or 

interrupted yourself and changed the 

subject If so, you have used the figure 

Anacoluthon. 

Merriam Webster’s Collegiate 

Dictionary (11 th edition) defines 

Anacoluthon as a: “syntactical 

inconsistency or incoherence within 

a sentence; especially a shift in an 

unfinished sentence from one syntactic 

construction to another (as in ‘you 

really ought—well, do it your own 

way’).” 

Anacoluthon comes from the Greek 

“a” or “an,” a negative prefix and 

akolouthos, “a following.” Thus it is a 

“not following,” or non-sequence, and 

it is most noticeable when one sentence 

is completely broken off and a new 

thought begins. However, much less 

noticeable Anacoluthons occur when the 

subject of a sentence changes abruptly 

from singular to plural, or vice versa, 

the gender changes from masculine to 

feminine, or vice versa, or even when 

the voice, mood, or tense in a sentence 

suddenly changes. These changes may 

leave the listener somewhat puzzled or 

confused as to the intent and meaning 

of the speaker or author. 

When we humans use Anacoluthon, 

we usually do so by accident. We start 

a sentence and then change our mind 

about what we are saying, or we get 

distracted and do not properly finish 

our thought, which is precisely why we 

tend to get annoyed with someone who 

uses a lot of Anacoluthons. However, 

God always uses Anacoluthon on 

purpose to catch our attention and/or 

bring emphasis to what He is saying. 

Christians can become confused by 

the Anacoluthons in the Bible, because 

although we are used to them in speech, 

we are not used to them in writing. After 

all, if we did not complete a sentence in 

an essay we were writing for English 

class, or if we changed the subject in 

the middle of a sentence, our teacher 

was sure to circle it in red and make a 

comment in the margin about how we 

should write in complete sentences. 

Most Anacoluthons in Scripture 

are hard to recognize for a couple of 

reasons. The presence of this figure can 

make the sentence read very roughly, 

and so some Bible versions translate 

it out of the English version so the 

text reads smoothly. Also, some of the 

Anacoluthons that occur in the Greek or 

Hebrew grammar do not transfer well 

into English. For example, in English 

the word “you” is both singular and 

plural, so a sentence containing both 

a singular and plural “you” would still 

read smoothly and seem unified even if 

the speaker meant to change the number 

of people he was addressing. However, 

in Greek, su is the singular “you,” 

while humeis is the plural “you” (or as 

we say in North Carolina, “you all,” 

pronounced “y’all”). Thus the change in 

Greek would be very noticeable. Let’s 

look at some examples of Anacoluthon 

in the Bible. 

In Mark 11:32 (ASV), 2 this 

Anacoluthon is an unfinished sentence, 

and to best see and understand it, we 

must understand the context. 

Mark 11:29-32 (ASV) 

(29) And Jesus said unto them, 

I will ask of you one question, 

and answer me, and I will tell 

you by what authority I do 

these things. 

(30) The baptism of John, was 

it from heaven, or from men 

Answer me. 

(31) And they reasoned with 

themselves, saying, If we shall 

say, From heaven; He will say, 

Why then did ye not believe 

him 

(32) But should we say, From 

men—they feared the people: 


For many more Figures of Speech visit TruthOrTradition.com/figures 

for all verily held John to be 

a prophet. 

The verses above speak of an 

event that unfolded in the Temple in 

Jerusalem just before the Passover 

on which Jesus was crucified. The 

religious leaders were trying to trap 

and arrest him, and they questioned 

him concerning his authority. He 

questioned them back, asking about 

the authority of John the Baptist. They 

knew they were trapped, and huddled 

together to discuss the situation. If they 

said John got his authority from God, 

the people would ask why they would 

not allow themselves to be baptized by 

him. But if they said John’s authority 

was not divine, but human…well, 

the consequences would be so dire 

that they could not even finish their 

sentence. The text lets us know why: 

they were afraid of the people. The 

Anacoluthon in this verse is one we 

can relate to easily. 

Galatians 2:6 (Author’s 

translation) 

But from those who seemed to 

be important (whatever they 

were at one time, it does not 

matter to me, God does not 

accept a man’s face)—before 

me, then, those seeming to be 

something placed nothing, 

This Anacoluthon is interrupted by 

the parenthesis. Take the parenthesis 

out and it shows up powerfully, but, as 

was stated above, it can be confusing 

to the student of the Bible. The first 

part of the sentence would logically 

be completed by something that Paul 

received, such as “I received nothing.” 

But that would hardly be true, for Paul 

certainly received some things from 

the leaders in Jerusalem. The Apostles 

acceptance of Paul is much more 

graciously expressed by changing the 

emphasis from what Paul received to 

what the Apostles did, which in this 

case was to recognize Paul’s ministry 

and calling and not place any burden 

on him, something they would readily 

have done if they felt that something 

was lacking in Paul’s ministry. 

Most versions are incorrect when 

they say such things as the Apostles 

“added nothing to me” (KJV, ESV 3 ) or 

“contributed nothing to me” (NASB 4 ). 

The Greek word many versions 

translate as “impart,” “add,” “or 

contribute” can also mean to lay 

before, or to place before, and that 

is its meaning here. I am sure the 

Apostles in Jerusalem contributed 

something to Paul, even if it was their 

encouragement and blessing, but 

they did not place any extra work or 

burden on him, realizing he had his 

own calling from the Lord to fulfill. 

Furthermore, although Paul was trying 

to establish his own credibility in this 

section of the book of Galatians, he 

would hardly have done so by pointing 

out that the Apostles in Jerusalem, who 

were men of standing in the Church, 

“added nothing” to Paul. By using the 

Anacoluthon, Paul makes the delicate 

point that his ministry was recognized 

by, and acceptable to, the Apostles 

in Jerusalem (so it should be to the 

Galatians, too!), without seeming to 

denigrate them in any way. 

Galatians 6:1 (KJV) 

Brethren, if a man be overtaken 

in a fault, ye [plural] which 

are spiritual, restore such an 

one in the spirit of meekness; 

considering thyself [singular], 

lest thou also be tempted. 

This is an example of an 

Anacoluthon in which the plural 

suddenly switches to a singular, 

which is hard to see in English, and 

some versions avoid the problem 

by translating the Anacoluthon out 

of the text. Everyone [plural: thus 

“ye”] pitches in together to help 

restore brothers in need, but each 

person [singular: therefore “thyself”] 

must personally watch out for 

temptations. Proper grammar without 

the Anacoluthon would be “…you 

[plural] who are spiritual…considering 

yourselves…. 

Mark 6:11 (Author’s 

translation) 

And whatever place does not 

receive you or listen to you, as 

you go forth from there, shake 

off the dust that is under your 

feet for a testimony against 

them. 

Here the singular “place,” referring 

to a town, suddenly changes at the end 

of the sentence to the plural, “them,” 

referring to people. Nevertheless, the 

Anacoluthon seems natural, because 

we automatically make the jump in 

logic from the fact that one walks into 

a “place,” but can be rejected by the 

people who live there. Proper grammar 

would end the sentence with “it.” 

There are many more examples of 

Anacoluthon in the Bible, and many 

of those can be found in Bullinger’s 

wonderful book, Figures of Speech 

Used in the Bible. 5 

Notes: 

1. E. W. Bullinger, Figures of Speech Used 

in the Bible (Baker Book House, Grand 

Rapids, MI, reprinted 1968). 

2. Scripture quotations marked (ASV) 

are taken from The American Standard 

Version, 1901. 

3. Scripture quotations marked (ESV) 

are taken from The Holy Bible, English 

Standard Version © 2001 by Crossway 

Bibles, a division of Good News 

Publishers. All rights reserved. 

4. Scripture quotations marked (NASB) 

are taken from the New American Standard 

Bible ® , © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 

1972, 1973, 1975, 1977 by The Lockman 

Foundation. Used by permission. 

5. Bullinger, op. cit., Figures of Speech 

Used in the Bible. 


Fuel for the Fire is written by the Teens and Twenties of Spirit & Truth Fellowship International. 

Treasure in Heaven & Peace on Earth 

by Joshua Anderson 

Although I personally believe that Christ was born in 

September of 3 b.c.—probably September 11 th to be 

exact 1 —I still think it’s great that our culture takes time to 

celebrate the Lord’s birth in this up-and-coming month of 

December. I’m thankful for anytime we spend celebrating 

Christ! Yet, as I’ve gotten older—old enough to take my 

eyes away from the presents under the tree and look around 

a bit—I can’t help but notice the rampant materialism and 

consumer mentality that is in the world today. It is especially 

noticeable at this time of year. 

I wonder how much of Christmas is really about 

celebrating the Lord, his birth, and all he stands for, and 

how much of it is really just about stuff we want. In our 

society we are constantly bombarded with images of what 

“we need,” what will “make us happy,” and how some new 

toy will finally fill that hole in our hearts for good this time. 

Yet, as many of us have experienced, once Christmas is 

over and the luster begins to fade, we are back in the same 

situation where we began—only with more toys. 

I don’t know if you have noticed, but America is 

experiencing another “Gold Rush.” Except this time you 

don’t have to scuttle off to the Wild West for the gold; just 

mosey on down to the local department store. Developers, 

marketers, and scientists have made the discovery this time, 

not “gold diggers,” and everyone is scrambling ahead to get 

their piece of the pie. iPods, laptops, flat-screen televisions, 

etc. There are literally thousands of neat little pieces of gold 

to lust over that didn’t exist just ten years ago. 

In stark contrast, the story of the birth of Christ is the 

antithesis of such a Gold Rush. Remember the Magi They 

were riding West to give their gold away! They laid their 

treasure at the feet of the king and worshiped him. How 

backwards is our society Everyone is rushing to get rich 

by buying fool’s gold from the world when the Lord is the 

one whom we should be rushing toward. He’s got the real 

gold. 

Revelation 3:17-19 (ESV) 2 

(17) For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I 

need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, 

pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. 

(18) I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by 

fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so 

that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your 

nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint 

your eyes, so that you may see. 

(19) Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, 

so be zealous and repent. 

Scripture speaks of those who think they’re rich but 

are not really: “One pretends to be rich, yet has nothing; 

another pretends to be poor, yet has great wealth” (Prov. 

13:7-ESV). So many people go through this life with their 

minds set more on acquiring riches than on pondering the 

path of their feet and storing up for themselves treasure in 

heaven. Can you imagine the embarrassment of standing 

before the Lord at the Judgment and being asked what you 

have to show for your life, and you proudly pull out a bag of 

fool’s gold Fools gold! It’s worthless! You wasted all that 

time mining and investing and all you have to show for it is 

some worthless fool’s gold. That would not be cool at all. 

But sadly, that is just what will happen to many people. 


Was Jesus really born on December 25th 

TruthOrTradition.com/birth 

as much new, cool stuff as possible and move it in No 

way. I’d probably be trying to mentally prepare myself to 

be as detached from my belongings as possible. Yet to what 

extent do I live my life with that attitude now Honestly, 

not anywhere near enough. 

Everyone is rushing to get rich by buying fool’s gold 

from the world when the Lord is the one whom we 

should be rushing toward. He’s got the real gold. 

The things of this world are only temporary, and God 

tells us that they are going up in smoke, along with all the 

so-called “riches” we acquire in this life. 

2 Peter 3:10-14 (ESV) 

(10) But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, 

and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, 

and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and 

dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done 

on it will be exposed. 

(11) Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, 

what sort of people ought you to be in lives of 

holiness and godliness, 

(12) waiting for and hastening the coming of the 

day of God, because of which the heavens will be 

set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies 

will melt as they burn! 

(13) But according to his promise we are waiting 

for new heavens and a new earth in which 

righteousness dwells. 

(14) Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for 

these, be diligent to be found by him without spot 

or blemish, and at peace. 

I love that question, “…what sort of people ought you 

to be…” If you knew your house were going to burn down 

next week, would you spend all your time trying to buy 

Now, to be sure, being a Christian doesn’t mean you 

can’t want or have nice things. But God makes it clear 

that He doesn’t want earthly riches to be our treasure 

(Matt. 6:19-21). In other words, God doesn’t mind if you 

have a treasure chest, just make sure it’s your Bible that’s 

in there. God’s Word is to be the joy and rejoicing of our 

hearts, and where our treasure is found. The Word of God 

is “More to be desired…than gold…” (Ps. 19:10-ESV). In 

it we find true meaning and freedom, and we are loosed 

from the chains of a materialistic culture that could never 

truly satisfy our hearts anyway. So let’s get out our Bibles 

and start gold digging! Looking anywhere else for truth and 

life is like panning for gold in a kitty litter box. You’re not 

going to find any because the world has “litter-ally” (pun 

intended!) nothing of any lasting value to offer. We must 

look beyond the world and start storing up our treasures 

in heaven where “…neither moth nor rust destroys and 

where thieves do not break in and steal” (Matt. 6:20-ESV). 

This is the only way we will ever have “peace on earth”— 

especially at this time of year. 

Notes: 

1. If you are interested in studying this, I recommend the following 

sources: TruthOrTradition.com/birth 

Versebyverse.org/doctrine/birthofchrist.html 

Martin, Ernest L. The Star That Astonished the World. Portland: 

ASK Publications, 1996. Wierwille, Victor P. Jesus Christ Our 

Promise Seed. New Knoxville: American Christian Press, 1982. 

Also, see our Free Indeed video, Tape 9, “The Birth of Christ, Part 

1-4” on page 6 of the enclosed price list. 

2. Scripture quotations marked (ESV) are taken from The Holy 

Bible, English Standard Version © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a 

division of Good News Publishers. All rights reserved. 

Teens and 20s needed! 

If you would like to write a short article for 

Fuel For the Fire, please contact us at 



Dear 

Sower... 

Ministry Feedback 

I want to share with you how your 

work in making known the truth of 

God’s Word has touched my life. My 

father passed away this past July 26 

from a brain tumor. We always had 

wonderful conversations as long as 

we did not discuss politics, money, or 

religion. Early in his illness I shared 

1 Thessalonians 4:13 with him. We had a 

wonderful cry and hug together, knowing 

that his impending death would be only 

a temporary pause along the way. We 

actually agreed on something. 

So he is on his deathbed in the 

hospital and I’m reading your book, 

Don’t Blame God, for the tenth time. A 

Roman Catholic nun walks in and asks 

what I am reading (I was raised in that 

Church). I told her and offered her the 

book, which at first she wouldn’t take. 

When I told her I have many other copies 

at home, she finally took it. I told her it 

would challenge her beliefs. My mother 

and brother were cringing as I asked 

her to challenge her beliefs. I never 

could have done that without knowing 

what I have learned from Spirit & Truth 

Fellowship. Witnessing to a nun was 

pretty cool. It was the right thing to do 

at the right time. 

Fast-forward a few hours. My dad 

had been struggling all day. I 

left for dinner and came back 

to find him resting peacefully. 

It was just he and I in the room. 

I pulled out my Bible to read 

quietly to him. I don’t know 

my Bible very well yet, so I just 

started turning and prayed to 

God to help me find something 

to read to my father. I stopped 

at 1 Corinthians 15:35 and 

began reading. A few verses 

later, I saw that my father had stopped breathing. Then I watched as his heart 

stopped. I finished that chapter as my father fell asleep. If it had been a movie, 

there would not have been a dry eye in the theater. 

Two days later, I witnessed to my brother and mother late at night over 

some wine. My brother is where I was many years ago—lots of questions and 

no answers. My mother is steeped in the same doctrine I was raised in with all 

of its trappings. We eventually got around to talking about salvation, and they 

both confessed Romans 10:9 and 10. What an incredible series of events in a 

few short days. I felt blessed to have taken part in all three. 

If you knew me, where I’ve been and what I’ve done, you would know 

that writing this is nothing but a living witness to Christ’s love and forgiveness. 

You would have never thought that I would be where I am today. Spirit & 

Truth Fellowship has had a great influence on my walk with God, and I am 

very thankful. I hope that puts a smile on your face today knowing how your 

work is helping people come to Christ. 

God bless you. 

Dan (and Dorothy) Allan 

McKinney, TX 

(continued from page 21) 

quotations marked (NRSV) are taken from the New Revised Standard 

Version Bible, © 1989, all other information the same as RSV, *3 

Moffatt Bible, Kregel Publications, Grand Rapids, MI, 1994. 

5. This is a very literal rendering of the Greek text. To “know” 

someone was an idiom in both Greek and Hebrew (and Latin as 

well) for having sexual intercourse with that person. It is interwoven 

into the very fabric of humanity that our self and our sexuality are 

inseparable, and the most intimate knowledge of a person comes 

through sexual relations. That is one reason why we feel so deeply 

violated when someone forces himself or herself on us sexually. In 

this verse, the word “know” is in the present tense, active voice, 

indicating that Mary was not currently ‘knowing” anyone, i.e., 

having intercourse with anyone. Given that, it is no wonder she was 

confused as to how she was going to get pregnant. 

6. In this psalm, or hymn, some of the words are moved forward for 

emphasis, so the text literally reads: “Magnify does my soul the Lord; 

Rejoiced has my spirit in God my Savior.” The opening word in the 

Latin versions is Magnificat, and so the psalm is known theologically 

Back row: Our Son Zachary, Dorothy, Dan. Front row: My Dad 

Bob Allan (fell asleep July 26th), my son Jimmy, my mother Sheila, 

and my daughter Grace. 

We would love to 

hear from you! 

Email us at 


by that name. 

7. These regulations provide convincing proof that the Magi did 

not come to Bethlehem the night of Jesus’ birth, but rather quite a 

bit later (we believe about 16 months later). Scripture is clear that 

Joseph took his wife and child and left for Egypt in the middle of the 

night after the Magi left his house. However, according to the Law 

of Moses (Lev. 12), a woman had to wait for 40 days after childbirth 

to bring the boy to the Temple, which Luke 2:22 said they did. Also, 

a woman was allowed to sacrifice only what Joseph and Mary did, 

doves or pigeons, if they could not afford a lamb (Lev. 12:8). Had the 

Magi visited Jesus on the night of his birth, Joseph and Mary would 

then have certainly been able to afford a lamb. 

8. In Scripture, angels almost never appeared in the sky, and when 

they did the text lets us know that. A quick study will show that 

angels regularly appeared on the ground, and there is no reason to 

suppose that this record would be different unless it specifically said 

so. For further study on the ministry of angels visit TruthOrTradition. 

com/angels 


Everyday we look at a program that shows us the location 

of the last 500 visitors to TruthOrTradition.com 

We thought you would be blessed to see what we get to see!!! 

Together, we are sowing the Gospel all over the globe! 

TruthOrTradition.com is daily being visited by people 

from every continent. Places like China, Korea, Russia, 

Iran, Iraq, Vietnam, and Thailand (just to name a few). 

Would you like to be a part of helping us 

continue to sow the Gospel all over the globe 

If so, please consider giving to our website marketing 

fund. $50.00 can help us reach as many as 200 

people searching for answers on the Internet! 


Our New Online Store 

Introducing our Brand New Online Store... 

- Create an account 

- Very easy to use, no software plug-ins required 

- Takes PayPal and all major credit cards 

- View order history 

- Receive confirmation of shipments 

Just in time for your holiday shopping: 


Non-Profit 

U.S. Postage 

PAID 

Permit #5677 

Indpls, IN 

2144 East 52nd Street 

Indianapolis, IN 46205 

888.255.6189 or 317.255.6189 

Hours: M-F 8:30 to 5 (EST) 


www.STFonline.org 

“Forwarding Service Requested” 

TIME SENSITIVE MATERIAL 

PLEASE EXPEDITE 

“ 

The new store looks great! Easy to Navigate. Clear. I just did about 60% of my Christmas Shopping in it. 

Thank you so much for all the work you’ve done! I know these books are going to be a great blessing 

and outreach to my family and friends. 

- Robyn Riddle, Niceville, FL

Glory in the highest heavens to God... - Spirit & Truth Fellowship ...

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