H. B. London, vice president of ministry outreach/pastoral ministries for Focus on the Family of Colorado Springs, Colo., visited with a group of both current and potential pastors on the campus of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary Aug. 29 to discuss this and other problems presently facing the church.

London, co-author of "Pastors at Risk" and "The Heart of a Great Pastor," said the problems have to be addressed not only for the church to grow, but also for the church to survive at all.

Hundreds of pastors are dismissed by Southern Baptist churches each month just from people not wanting them there or for moral reasons, London said. The average pastor spends between 50 and 70 hours a week in ministry.

"A lot of them just get burned out."

Not only are pastors getting burned out, but London said many aren't getting renewed spiritually, either. "The average pastor spends less than 20 minutes a day in Bible study and prayer," he said.

Quoting from a "Survey of Pastors" by the Fuller Institute for Church Growth, London said 80 percent of pastors surveyed believed that pastoral ministry affected their family negatively, 90 percent felt they were inadequately trained to cope with ministry demands, 70 percent said they have lower self-esteem now than when they started out and 70 percent said they do not have someone they consider a close friend.

The rate of turnover and other concerns with both pastors and the church itself have left an indelible mark, London said.

According to recent studies, he said, there are less than half as many churches per capita in 1998 as there were in 1900. Of those, 85 percent of Protestant churches have either plateaued or are in decline, 14 percent are experiencing growth through people changing churches or children joining the church, and only 1 percent are growing through professions of faith in Christ. Protestants close 4,000 churches a year and roughly 3,500 people leave the church every day.

In addition, he said, the United States is now the second highest receiver of mission work in the world.

"The biggest problems in the Protestant church today are, first, the limited term of pastors and, second, the lack of respect for pastors," he said.

At least some of the problem, London said, is due to the role the church currently is playing in the world and how, in some cases, it has tried to reinvent itself at the cost of its own spirituality.

"The church mirrors society rather than society mirroring the world," London said. He added the church is changing its music to sound like secular radio, practicing more informality (in dress and such), letting its morality slip into a gray area where the church won't take a stand, accepting conflict in its congregations and letting sound biblical teaching be replaced with self-help, feel good sermons.

In such an environment, pastors have lost their identity and some have become what London calls the "CEO" or the leader who looks after the "business." In the process, he said, the church has lost the idea of the pastor as servant.

"A CEO is interested in style more than substance," he said. "A servant/shepherd is interested in the last, the least and the lonely. Within minutes, you'll be able to tell whether he's a CEO or a servant."

The pastor's ministry, London said, should be a "ministry of presence" in which the congregation truly believes that their pastor is caring for them, even though he can't be everywhere at all times.

"It's not that you're always there," he said, "but there's a sense that you would be if you could be."

London said it was the little things that made a ministry so effective, and later added, "Standing at the door. That's a lost art among churches today."

As for the state of the church, London said the church is going to have to alter its plans and present method to survive into the 21st century. He said the church will have to incorporate new methods to reach people and keep them. London said the question comes down to conserving people, who are looking to "mesh" with a church.

"The church is like an individual and has its own personality," he said, and until people find a church that meshes with their personality, they'll be aloof.

London said he wishes he could be on "the other side," namely, in the pulpit, during the present crisis.

When asked what he would do, London stared into the ceiling wistfully for a moment, smiled and said in a faraway voice, "If I could go back and do it again, I'd do it so differently.

"First, I'd try to simplify the church -- cut down on all these committees and such -- and then just train people to be like Jesus."

(Cave is a news writer in New Orleans Seminary's office of public relations.)
 

2 Timothy 3:16-17 "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works. "

I was saved in a little country Church called the Church of God of Prophecy.  When I joined that assembly I was given a handbook for Church members.  This handbook was leather bound, about a quarter as thick as a standard Bible.  All the doctrines of the Church were listed: from why we could not chew gum to why men could not swim in the same pool with a woman.  I took this book home, studied it, memorizing the laws of the Church.  I was in the Church of God of Prophecy about a year and a half before I seriously sought out the teachings of God's Word.  My eyes were soon opened and I left that assembly, though I still cherish the fact that I met my Savior there to this day.  I did not grow in the Lord until I sat down and began systematically studying His Holy Word.  Had I refused to read God's Word, studying it, and seeking out His teachings, I would still be a baby in Christ.  This is what the Timothy passages highlights:

All scripture , the Greek GRAPHE: Refers to The Document of Holy Writ

is given by inspiration of God , the Greek THEOPNEUSTOS: Means Divinely Breathed, God Breathed

The word of God is not a dead book, but a living creation from God.  The Word was created from the very mouth of God.  God told Adam that if he ate of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, then in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

Genesis 2:17  "But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die. "

When Adam ate of that tree he died, though his death was spiritual and not immediately physical. and the scripture teaches that all men are dead in their trespasses and sin,

Ephesians 2:1-2 "And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: "

.. but through Christ we are made alive.  Without the Bible, that precious Word of God, how would we have known Christ?  How would we have known God's Plan for us, know that Christ died on the tree for us?  Note in Genesis 2.7 that God formed man of the dust of the ground.  God took this shell of a body and breathed into it,  giving man life.  An analogy or parallel can be drawn here: as God breathed into Adam, causing him to become a living soul, God uses the Scripture to bring spiritual  life into those who are dead in sin.  The Bible is not a dead work, but is a living and vibrant creation.  Through the Scriptures God breathed into your dead soul and brought you salvation in Jesus Christ. This is the power of Scripture - to bring life to those who were dead so God might use them to His glory.

Of God, and is profitable: The Greek OPHELIMOS, meaning Helpful or serviceable, advantageous.

 For doctrine: DIDAKTOS, meaning That which is communicated by teaching, a system of belief.

It is advantageous and helpful to be taught from the Scriptures.  Quite naturally the conservative Christian gets his system of belief from the Bible.  Hopefully the doctrines you believe are taken from the Word of God, undiluted and pure, without adding to or taking away from it's content.  But what about your social doctrines?  Do you take these from the Scripture?  Do you love your neighbor as  yourself?  What about your business ethics?  Do you run your business the way the Scriptures teach?  This nation is one of the best on the earth.  The reason that America is so strong is because it was built upon the teachings of the Word of God.  The reason we have problems in America today is because we have undermined the foundation of the Word.  When Israel walked away from the teachings of God and began worshipping false gods (Baal, Molech), the Lord cast them into bondage with the heathen nations that surrounded them.  The message was plain: If you want to live like the heathen then I, God, will place you with the heathen.  America needs to come back to its foundation of God's Word.  Our departure from the teachings of His Scripture has led us into bondage with Satan.  It is advantageous to build on the Scripture, to live through it in our everyday lives.

For reproof: The Greek ELEGEHOS means Evidence, reproof, proof, or conviction.

For correction: The Greek EPANORTHOSIS, meaning Straightening up again, reformation.

If you have sin in your life and want to hang on to that sin, do not read the Scripture.  When you read the Bible it will convict you of sin, showing you it's evil, and convince you to repent.  The Scripture has the power to straighten you up again, bringing you back to a right relationship with God.  Those who study the Word of God and apply it's teachings will be strengthened in Christ.  They will be a house built not on sand but on a rock.  If you do not feel as close to God as you used to, if that special magic is gone, it is not because God has moved.  You have moved from God by following the world.  If you are not studying the Scripture on a regular basis you are accelerating your deviation into worldliness.  Study the Handbook of your soul!

 For instruction in righteousness: The Greek PAIDEIA means Tutelage, education or training, disciplinary correction or chastening.

Christians are progressively sanctified through the working of the Spirit of God. The Spirit uses the Bible as His tool in our sanctification, using it's message to bring us from babyhood to mature adult status. We need the Word on a daily basis, not just when we feel like it:

1 Peter 2:2  "As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby"

Before I was saved I used my Bible to prop up a short table leg.  Though most Christians would not think of doing this, they think nothing of picking up their Bible only on Sunday.  The Bible has become an ornament, a part of the Sunday "go to meeting" package.  When some Christians leave the Church they go home and put their Bibles on top of the television set, on the bookshelf, or in some other place where it will not be in the way but will look pretty.  This is the number one reason the Church in America has become, in most cases, weak and ineffectual.  In communist and totalitarian countries, Bibles are hard to come by.  More often than not an assembly of believers will have one Bible to share amongst all of the Christians present.  It is common practice in the Iron Curtain Churches to take a Bible, tear it apart, and distribute the pages throughout the congregation.  Each member will read and study his part of the Bible, periodically rotating what he has with other believers so that all can read the Scriptures.  During the Church service the Pastor of the congregation may be preaching from a text that he has to ask someone to get up and read, because he does not have a complete Bible himself.  Even though they have hard persecutions these Christians are all on fire for the Word. They are much closer to God than the average American Christian.  Why?  Because they study the Word of God.  In America if your Bible gets old, the binding cracks, or it just starts to wear a little, you can go to the nearest bookstore and pick up another.  The Iron Curtain Christians cannot do this. In spite of persecution they memorize and study that  Holy Text, storing It in their hearts.  Mom and Dad, the next time your children say they are hungry do not feed them.  Watch them as the effects of starvation set in.  Would you do this? Absolutely not! Few parents would ever think of failing to feed their children, or would even think of failing to feed themselves.  Yet why, when your Spirit cries for the Word of God, do you starve it?  Why let your soul grow pale, bloated, sluggish, farther and farther away from God.  A regular diet of the Bible is necessary for a close walk and a strong relationship with God.

That the man of God may be perfect: The Greek ARTIOS, meaning Fresh, complete, or mature.

This goes back to what we were speaking of before: you must have the meat of the Word of God to grow into a mature Christian.  It is necessary that you study the Scripture, apply what you learn, or else you will keep your spirit in bondage to the flesh.  You will never grow to be more than a babe in Christ if you do not study the Word of God.

Throughly furnished unto all good works: The Greek EXARTIZO means to finish out, to equip fully.

To go into battle with neither armor nor weapon is a terrible thing.  How many times have you been visited by the Jehovah's Witnesses or the Mormons?  When they come to your door do you invite them in, remembering the commission that Christ gave the Church (Matthew 28.19-20)?  Or do you tell them that you don't want talk, knowing in your heart that you are no match for their extensive though deluded knowledge of the Scripture?

Take for example the Doctrine of the Trinity as the Witnesses perceive it.  I quote from the Jehovah's Witness publication "The Watchtower":

"Satan is the originator of the Trinity doctrine.  That the Father is greater and older than the Son is reasonable, easy to understand, and what the Bible teaches ...  The fact that Christ was sent shows that He was not equal with God but was less than God the Father ...  Scriptural evidence indicates...  Michael (the archangel) is actually the Son of God...  The Logos (meaning Christ) is a god ...  Far from teaching equality with Jehovah, the Scriptures show that the Holy Spirit is not even a person ...  It is God's active force ...  His energy when projected out of Himself ... it may be likened to a radar beam ..."

We read in the Bible:

1 Corinthians 2:11-14 "For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. "

Jehovah's Witnesses are unsaved religionists.  They do not teach the atonement of sins by the blood which Christ shed on the Cross.  They are modern-day Pharisees.  Being unsaved they can not spiritually discern the teachings of the Word of God.  Because of this they take every Scripture out of context, using vain reasoning and philosophies to support that which they teach.  These people, however, are not playing some game.  They have been seriously deluded by Satan, an fully believe what they teach.  As Christians we have the stewardship of the Gospel and God's command to witness to all unsaved people regardless as to what cult they follow.  All who are unsaved are following some Satanic ideology, whether Jehovah's Witness, the flesh, or the world.  Could you witness the truth to the deluded?  The cornerstone of the Witness cult is the disbelief in the Triune Godhead.  If you are to witness effectively to these people, you must use the Word of God to remove their false foundation.  Only then will the Witness perhaps see the delusion of this ideology.

Deuteronomy 6:4  "Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD"

This is the first passage that the Witnesses turn to, as a majority of their belief system is based on this text.  Yet the Witnesses have not spiritually discerned this passage.  Look at the word one within its linguistic context.  In the Hebrew language there are two words used to denote the concept of one.  These are YACHID and ECHAD.  The word YACHID is used in reference to absolute oneness such as found in:

Genesis 22:2  "And he said, Take now thy son, thine only (YACHID) son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of. "

It is important to note that the Hebrew YACHID, referring to an absolute one, is never used in reference to the Godhead in the Old Testament.  God is never referred to as an absolute one.

The second Hebrew word for one is ECHAD.  We see this word used in several places throughout the Old Testament, which illustrates it's use:

Genesis 1:5  "And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first (ECHAD) day. "

Genesis 2:24  Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one (ECHAD) flesh.

ECHAD refers to a compound unity rather than an absolute one. ECHAD is employed in our Deuteronomy passage, which should be read with the understanding:

"Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one (a compound unity)LORD"

Even when the Old Testament does not clearly express the doctrine of the Trinity of the God, it is nevertheless declared.  Why wasn't the Doctrine of the Trinity more clearly expounded in the Old Testament?  To understand this, look at the historical context of the Old Testament.  The Israelites were a people in the midst of a land of heathen nations.  The heathen nations worshipped numerous gods such as the sun, the moon, star, fire and so on.  Israel was not ready for the Doctrine of the Trinity.  Had God given her this doctrine at that time then, rather than understanding that God was truly One in Three Persons Israel would have perhaps adopted the polygamous beliefs of the heathen nations around her.  After the coming and death of Christ, with the subsequent establishment of the Church and the permanent indwelling of the Spirit, God could now show His people the Doctrine of the Trinity.  This is why the Trinity is more clearly expounded in the new Testament than in the Old.  However the Trinity is still highlighted in the Old Testament:

Isaiah 48:12-16a "Hearken unto me, O Jacob and Israel, my called; I am he; I am the first, I also am the last. Mine hand also hath laid the foundation of the earth, and my right hand hath spanned the heavens: when I call unto them, they stand up together. All ye, assemble yourselves, and hear; which among them hath declared these things? The LORD hath loved him: he will do his pleasure on Babylon, and his arm shall be on the Chaldeans. I, even I, have spoken; yea, I have called him: I have brought him, and he shall make his way prosperous. Come ye near unto me, hear ye this; I have not spoken in secret from the beginning; from the time that it was, there am I"

Let us pause a moment and note that this is God who was speaking. He is  the first and the last.  God was there in the beginning, and will be there forever.  Note in verse 16b the context is not changed, nor does the Speaker change, yet notice what is said:

Isaiah 48:16b ".. and now the Lord GOD, and his Spirit, hath sent me .."

Notice that though Eternal God is speaking, he states that the Lord GOD, and his Spirit were the two separate entities that sent Him.  This is the clearest representation of the Trinity in the Old Testament.  There was a time when I was a Christian Monotheist, a belief very similar to the Witnesses.  The Christian Monotheist (Jesus Only) believes that there is only one God who represented Himself throughout history in three roles.  Monotheism believes that the one God's name is JESUS, His proper name for address and prayer.  Witnesses believe much the same with the difference that they believe the one God's name is properly JEHOVAH.  What brought me out of  Christian Monotheism was this verse in Isaiah that we just read.  I could not explain this away. This caused me to study the Scriptures systematically, letting Scripture interpret Scripture.  Only then was I brought to a solid belief that there is indeed truth in the doctrine of the Trinity.

The Bible is our spiritual meat and drink; without a daily dose of the Scripture we will not grow in Grace.  Daily?  Yes, for we never refuse physical food on a daily basis.  If not, then why would we refuse to feed our souls daily?  The Word of God is our spiritual tool for growth, witnessing, and  correction.  How do we use the Scripture?

Ephesians 6:13-17 "Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: "

The Scripture is your sword of defense in this world of unrighteousness.  What person other than a fool would go to war without a gun?  What will you, as Christians, do when Satan charges to the attack?  Our Lord, when attacked by Satan in the wilderness, did not attempt to fight the devil with vain reasoning.  Christ used  the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God to protect Himself and win the battle:

Matthew 4:3-4 "And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. "

Had Christ tried vain reasoning, circle logic, or self arguments He would have lost right then and there.  Satan is a master of logical thought and philosophy.  Rather than use vain philosophy Christ used the Word of God and through it's use defeated Satan in the first battle.

Matthew 4:5-7 "Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple, And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. "

Satan himself knows the Word of God, and often twists it to suit his own evil purposes. Reading and memorizing Scripture is not enough for the Christian who wants to be prepared: we need to apply the Scripture, personalize it to our lives. If you witness to a Jehovah's Witness, a Mormon, Christian Monotheist, member of the Worldwide Church of God, a member of the Way International, a Christian Scientist, a Universalist, or a member of Ba'Hai you will see how they twist the Scriptures to suit their errors. Sometimes deceptive: I had one young man write me to innocently ask "Could I prove from the Scripture that there is no longer any New Prophecy offered that is just as Scripturally binding in this current age?". I found out that this young man was a Mormon who wanted me to validate Joseph's Smith's claim of "A New Revelation from Jesus Christ". The Children of God are empowered by the Spirit to use the Word as He leads. The children of Satan are equally empowered, deceptive, ready to use the Word against God's purposes. If you are not consistently studying God's Word, applying it to your life, you will be unable to meet the attacks of the children of darkness. Though Satan can't take your soul he can delude you, or make you a walking casualty in the spiritual battle we all face daily.

When I was young in Christ no one disciplined me in the importance of studying God's Word daily. After I was saved I fell into the traps of first one cult then another. I fell to the Worldwide Church of God, listening to the golden voice of Garner Ted Armstrong on the radio. After the Lord led me from this deception I fell prey to the Way International, who taught that Christ was no more than a glorified Prophet. The Lord led me from this cult when I stopped heeding the dark children and studied the Word of God, pure and whole, without vain philosophies and systems. Unless you are familiar with the Sword of the Spirit, unless you really apply it in your life, Satan will take it out of your hands and stab you with it.

Satan tried to attack Jesus with the Word. What did our Lord do? Christ, who knew the Word, parried and defeated the devil. The devil and his children twist Scripture out of context: the Children of the King use it in context, to the glory of God.

Matthew 4:8-11 "Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him. "

Satan lost the final battle and the whole war. Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written !

First, you must be Saved:

1 Corinthians 2:12-14 "Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned."

If you are unsaved and own a Bible for "Sunday go to meeting" decoration, you might as well give it away for all the good it will do you. The unsaved are not indwelt by the Holy Spirit of God, and thus have no capacity to apply the doctrines of the Word. Remember, the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God. Before you can understand the things of God you must accept Christ as Savior and be accepted, by adoption, into the Family of God.

Second, you must be Humble:

1 Corinthians 1:26-29 "For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: That no flesh should glory in his presence. "

Have you ever really read this verse and applied what it is saying to your life?  The verse plainly teaches that God chose us because we were fools, not because we were superior to the other unbelievers.  God chose us because we are weak.  He picked us, the base things of the world and made us to be conformed to the image of His son so that He might be glorified.  Do you know what that makes us?  We were human garbage, the worst kind of trash.  If you apply this teaching to your heart as you read the Scriptures you may be less able to place words in the mouth of God.  We have no right to stand before God like the Pharisee, saying "I thank you, Lord, that I am not like that publican over there".  The fact is, we were all worse than many of the heathens roaming the world today.  Had it not been for the blood of Christ we might have been worst than the worse.  Humility.  Approach the study of the Word of God with humility, bearing in mind what our station was and what our station is right now.  We owe everything to God.  Don't attempt to pervert the Scripture which God created for your sake.

Third, Seek emptiness and the Filling.  We read:

2 Peter 1:20-21 "Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. "

If you were to go to Mexico for summer vacation you would do well to carry a bilingual dictionary.  If you get to a section of Mexico where English is not the common tongue you could rely on the dictionary to get what you want.  If you had no dictionary you might ask for bread and get gravel.  You might ask for a straw and get a snake.  If you were smart you would trust that dictionary, relying solely on it to communicate to the natives.  Trying to do it yourself might be disastrous.

When studying the Word of God you must, in a similar way, empty or surrender yourself to the Holy Spirit.  A full cup cannot be filled.  You must pour out traits of pride, "I know what that means" attitudes, and prejudices.  You must push out your own conceptions of what you think the Scripture says or what you want Scripture to say.  Rather than read the Scripture and say "I know what that means", look at it and say "Lord, what are you trying to tell me through this text".  Do this and God will feed you the meat of His Word.  Seek God's Word prayerfully, asking that He empty you and fill you with His Spirit;  to give you unlimited joy and intimate knowledge of the teachings of God's Word.

Fourth, Study The Context:  The first three principles are those which apply to your attitude and bearing as you study the Scripture. This last principle covers the technical aspects of "rightly dividing the Word of Truth".

John 10:34-35 "Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods? If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken; "

The Scripture is inerrant and totally pure in all it's parts: doctrinal, historical, numerical, and scientific. The Bible is true in all it affirms. To say that the Bible contradicts itself is to reflect judgment on it's Divine Author. As the scripture cannot be broken and does not contradict itself, we can expect any apparent teaching of one text to be supported by the rest of the Scripture. Scripture must interpret or affirm Scripture. Rather than quote one verse of Scripture and say, "This is what the Bible teaches on this subject", the wise Christian searches the Scriptures to see if the rest of the Work supports his interpretation.

What do we mean by the context of the Scripture? The context of Scripture is viewed in many parts. If you ignore any part of the context you'll may be guilty of adding to the Word of God.

The first and simplest context is the immediate context. We see this illustrated in:

Luke 12:10  And whosoever shall speak a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but unto him that blasphemeth against the Holy Ghost it shall not be forgiven.

Matthew 12:31-32 "Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men. And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come. "

Many holiness Churches (those who teach the saved-lost-saved ideology) use this verse as proof that the Christian has no assurance of salvation. They teach, "Here is a sin that there is no forgiveness for. If there's one sin which the Christian can commit that is unpardonable then there is no such thing as eternal security."

Can a Christian commit the unpardonable sin? We know the Bible teaches we can "sin unto death", that is, continue in habitual sin until God takes our life. But sinning unto death is not the same as committing the unpardonable sin. What does the Scripture teach? To understand these verses let's look at them in the light of their immediate context. In the Biblical contexts we read:

Luke 12:1  "In the mean time, when there were gathered together an innumerable multitude of people, insomuch that they trode one upon another, he began to say unto his disciples first of all, Beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. "

Matthew 12:2, 10-14, 22-24 "But when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto him, Behold, thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do upon the sabbath day. ...  And, behold, there was a man which had his hand withered. And they asked him, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath days? that they might accuse him. And he said unto them, What man shall there be among you, that shall have one sheep, and if it fall into a pit on the sabbath day, will he not lay hold on it, and lift it out? How much then is a man better than a sheep? Wherefore it is lawful to do well on the sabbath days. Then saith he to the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it forth; and it was restored whole, like as the other. Then the Pharisees went out, and held a council against him, how they might destroy him. ..... Then was brought unto him one possessed with a devil, blind, and dumb: and he healed him, insomuch that the blind and dumb both spake and saw. And all the people were amazed, and said, Is not this the son of David? But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This fellow doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils. "

One thing can be gathered from studying the immediate contexts of our unpardonable sin verses: Christ made his unpardonable sin comment to unsaved Pharisees who ridiculed and blasphemed each miracle which Christ performed. They claimed that these works of God, done by Jesus through the power of the Holy Spirit, to Satan. Look at the chapters around our central texts, paying particular attention to the events which led up to our Lord's declaration.

Luke 11:14-20 "And he was casting out a devil, and it was dumb. And it came to pass, when the devil was gone out, the dumb spake; and the people wondered. But some of them said, He casteth out devils through Beelzebub the chief of the devils. And others, tempting him, sought of him a sign from heaven. But he, knowing their thoughts, said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and a house divided against a house falleth. If Satan also be divided against himself, how shall his kingdom stand? because ye say that I cast out devils through Beelzebub. And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your sons cast them out? therefore shall they be your judges. But if I with the finger of God cast out devils, no doubt the kingdom of God is come upon you. "

Matthew 9:33-34 "And when the devil was cast out, the dumb spake: and the multitudes marveled, saying, It was never so seen in Israel. But the Pharisees said, He casteth out devils through the prince of the devils. "

We see that this was not the first time that Jesus was accused of casting out devils by the Prince of devils. This was not the first time that the Pharisees and Scribes made this ridiculous and blasphemous statement. Throughout His ministry Christ was continually harassed by these religious heathen. Though he performed many miracles through the power of the Holy Spirit (the finger of God), these unsaved Pharisees kept declaring that the power for these miracles came from Satan.

The Greek for said is ELEGON, which is in the Present Linear tense. Literally this means that the verbal action, though presently being committed, has been committed in past time with continuous action. In other words:

" .. the Pharisees [said, and kept on saying], He casteth out devils through the prince of the devils

This accusation and hard heartedness on the part of the Scribes and the Pharisees had been going on for a long time. Bearing all this in mind, what conclusion can be drawn? Since the statement was made to the unsaved rather than the saved, this is good evidence that the warning wasn't even applicable to the saved. If the warning wasn't applicable then the Christian cannot commit the unpardonable sin. The Scripture also teaches that without repentance there can be no forgiveness of sin.

Luke 13:2-5 "And Jesus answering said unto them, Suppose ye that these Galilaeans were sinners above all the Galilaeans, because they suffered such things? I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem?  I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. "

The Scripture also teaches that the Godhead is composed of three equal Beings, each equal in scope and power, each due the same honor and respect. Sin against one is just as evil and unpardonable as sin against another. We cannot actually say that blaspheme of the Holy Spirit is any more evil than blaspheme of the Father or the Son. Why would blasphemy of the Holy Spirit be considered unpardonable?

When Christ came to earth, He came in the flesh, as human as you or I yet free from the Old Sin Nature rampant in humanity.  Christ fulfilled His earthly ministry as a Man, and performed all of His miracles through the power of the Holy Spirit.  Through the Spirit Christ performed the miraculous as a sign to the believing that the kingdom of God is come upon.  The Holy Spirit's actions through Christ was a neon sign showing that Jesus Christ was the Messiah.  The miracles by the Spirit through Christ were the greatest and most powerful testimonies that God the Father could use to lead men to salvation.

The Pharisees had so hardened their hearts that they saw evil as good and good as evil.  They saw  the miracles which the Spirit performed through Christ. Yet the Scribes and Pharisees attributed these miracles to Satan and could not be persuaded to salvation.  The Pharisees blasphemed the Holy Spirit by ignoring the miracles.  They would not repent.  Their sins could never be forgiven because they refused to repent.  Without repentance there can be no remission of sin.  Blaspheme of the Holy Spirit is disbelief to such a degree that the unsaved person will never repent to God for his sins.  And if you will not repent, the sin becomes unpardonable because God will not forgive that which you will not repent.  The sin of the Pharisees and Scribes, blaspheme of the Holy Spirit, precluded forgiveness because it refused repentance.

As stated before, the context of Scripture is very important.  You must approach God's Word as a whole, believing it to be completely free of error in all its parts.  In order to study the Word you must allow Scripture to interpret Scripture.  You must follow the context of Scripture.  Does this seem like a lot of work?  It is.  Is it worth the trouble?  It is.  There is a great reward of spiritual growth when you study the Scripture.  If you put your Bible on a shelf for looks rather than study it, it will do you no good.  What will you do the next time Satan knocks on your door?  Will you rebuke him in the name of Jesus, fighting him off with God's Holy Word?  Or will you be helpless because you failed to read, study, and apply the Word when you could? The choice is up to you. God Bless you all!