Life's Inanities and Ironies

  The outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost (Acts 2) is where the modern conversation about tongues begins—and where a faithful, Bible-believing Christian must stay anchored. From a fundamentalist, conservative perspective that holds Scripture as the final, sufficient authority (2 Timothy 3:16-17), speaking in tongues is not a vague spiritual feeling or a required “second blessing.” It is a specific, miraculous gift given by the Holy Spirit for a clear purpose in the early Church. Let us examine what the Bible actually teaches and what that means for believers today.   What the Bible Says About Tongues The Greek word *glōssa* (tongue) in the New Testament refers to a real, intelligible language—never unintelligible ecstatic utterance disconnected from meaning. - **Acts 2:4-11** — On the Day of Pentecost, the 120 disciples “began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.” Devout Jews from every nation heard them declaring “the wonderful works of God” ...

  Pentecost was never a vague “spiritual experience” or the start of some new era detached from Scripture. It was the dramatic, prophesied fulfillment of God’s promise, exactly as a first-century Jew would have understood it—and it remains the same empowering reality for us today. What Pentecost Meant for the People of That Time For the Jews gathered in Jerusalem, Pentecost (Greek for “fiftieth”) was the ancient Feast of Weeks—Shavuot. Fifty days after Passover, they celebrated the firstfruits of the wheat harvest and remembered the giving of the Law at Mount Sinai. It was a time of thanksgiving, covenant renewal, and expectation. Then everything changed. In the upper room, 120 disciples were suddenly filled with the Holy Spirit. “Cloven tongues like as of fire” sat upon each of them (Acts 2:3). They spoke in real, intelligible languages—reversing the confusion of Babel—so that devout Jews from every nation under heaven heard the mighty works of God in their own tongue (Acts 2:5-11...

  The conversation we’ve been having about biblical truth—*emet* and *aletheia*, Jesus as “the Truth,” and the sobering warning of Proverbs 6:16-19 that God hates a lying tongue—does not exist in a vacuum. From the very beginning, the Church has been locked in battle over truth. False teachers, heresies, and cultural pressures have repeatedly tried to twist, dilute, or replace the clear teaching of Scripture. Conservative Christians today stand in a long line of faithful believers who refused to compromise on the absolute, objective truth revealed by God. These historical debates are not dusty relics; they are urgent warnings for our own day, especially when politicians (and sadly, some church leaders) treat truth as negotiable.  1. The Early Church: Truth vs. Gnostic Secret Knowledge (2nd Century) One of the first major assaults on truth came from Gnosticism, which claimed that salvation came through secret, hidden knowledge (*gnosis*) available only to the enlightened elite....

 In our last exploration we saw that Scripture defines truth as *emet* (faithfulness, certainty) in the Old Testament and *aletheia* (unconcealed reality) in the New—rooted entirely in the unchanging character of God. Jesus declared, “I am the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6). Truth is not abstract; it is personal, absolute, and divine. But what happens when we set this biblical view alongside the major philosophies of truth developed by human minds? The contrast is stark—and instructive—especially for conservative Christians who hold the Bible as the inerrant, sufficient Word of God. 1. Correspondence Theory (Aristotle, Aquinas, Modern Realism) This is the most intuitive philosophical view: a statement is true if it corresponds to reality—“The cat is on the mat” is true only if the cat really is on the mat. **Biblical alignment:** Scripture strongly affirms correspondence. God’s Word corresponds perfectly to reality because God Himself cannot lie (Titus 1:2; Hebrews 6:18)...

The Bible does not treat truth as a philosophical abstraction or personal preference. Instead, it presents **truth** as an unchanging, objective reality that flows directly from the character of God Himself. Truth is not something we invent; it is something we discover, obey, and embody because God *is* truth. Scripture uses two primary words for truth—one in the Old Testament and one in the New—that together paint a rich, multi-layered portrait.   1. Old Testament: *Emet* – Truth as Faithfulness and Certainty In Hebrew, the most common word translated “truth” is **emet** (אֱמֶת). It comes from the root *aman*, the same root as “amen” and “faith.” *Emet* carries the idea of firmness, reliability, trustworthiness, and what is solidly established. - ** God Himself is the source and standard of truth. **     “The LORD is the true God; he is the living God and the everlasting King” (Jeremiah 10:10, ESV).     His word and His promises never fail: “Thy word ...

I woke up this morning with a burden on my heart for the politicians in this country. Now I know that may seem at cross purposes, so to speak, but as I was reading Proverbs 6:16–19, I realized it could be directed directly at the politicians of our day in this country. And the fact that, not once but twice, God mentions how much He hates a liar—I didn’t misspeak; the actual word used is “hate.” I know for many of us it’s hard to think that God hates anyone, especially some of you folks who think, “Oh, God is always love and He wouldn’t do anything to anyone.” This thought and fallacy has sent more people to hell than any other. God makes it very clear what is needed to enter heaven. These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: a proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, an heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, a false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren....

“Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s; and unto God the things that are God’s.” — Matthew 22:21 (KJV) Fellow Bible-believing Christians, patriots, and defenders of the old-time faith—another April 15 has rolled around. Tax Day. For many of us who love limited government, fiscal responsibility, and constitutional liberty, it feels like a punch in the gut. We watch our hard-earned dollars funneled into bloated bureaucracies, ungodly programs, waste, fraud, and policies that mock the values we hold dear. Yet in the middle of the frustration, the Word of God speaks with crystal clarity. This is not a time for rebellion or creative accounting. It is a time to obey the Lord. Today we open the Scriptures to see exactly why every conservative Christian has a biblical duty to pay their taxes—honestly, completely, and without grumbling. 1. Jesus Himself Commanded It – Even Under a Pagan Government When the Pharisees tried to trap Him with a gotcha question about taxes, our ...