Chinese words confirm the biblical truths

#先 - first
#生 - born
#先生 - firstborn

~~ by Brother Joe Chin

先生？(xian sheng)

Ever wonder why Chinese women call their husband 先生 (read as xian sheng)? This is worth pondering.

Wife addresses her husband as 先生。

When addressing a gentleman in Chinese, the salutation 先生 is used.

When visiting a traditional medicine doctor, he would be addressed as  先生 or Sin Seh (pronounced in Hokkien dialect), especially in Penang. This is true for teachers as well.

Japanese and Korean used the same honorific title to address their teacher or master as SenSei (先生）。

The word 先生 literally meant first-born or born first. Traditional Chinese words have meanings derived from the bible, ie. Blessedness 福 (One man in the garden with God)

Righteousness 義 （A lamb over me - a sacrificial lamb over me)

Boat 船 (A vessel with 8 people on board - referring to Noah's ark in Gen 6)

It crossed my mind when Pastor spoke of firstborn, just like Adam was 'formed' before Eve.

"For Adam was first formed, then Eve." 1 Timothy 2:13

Henceforth, women since ancient times would esteem their husbands as 先生 (first-born).

It also makes sense that a person who is born first, would have attained higher knowledge and mastery, that the firstborn should be called a teacher.

Perhaps Adam taught Eve the names of the animals and plants. However, he did not stop his wife from entertaining the devil; well that's another topic for another day.

I hope the word 先生 is more meaningful to you.

Saving faith is not faith that saves

#savingfaith

What is saving faith?

Saving faith is not faith that saves; it is the faith that is an effect of salvation already freely bestowed by God. Saving faith is not the instrument to obtain salvation; it is evidence of that salvation.

Saving faith is the faith that receives and rests in Christ Jesus and His righteousness and blood as the only ground and hope for eternal salvation.

Saving faith is distinguished from historical faith; the latter acknowledges and believes that Jesus was a historical figure who lived and died in the first century. The devil has faith but it is not saving faith.

One is constrained by historical facts; it is only a fool who denies historical facts; the other is a fruit of the salvation freely bestowed by God, in Jesus Christ.

Saving faith is a grace, one of many, worked in the heart of a child of God by the indwelling Spirit, one who is already born of God. It is one of the fruits worked by the indwelling Spirit in the born-again man.

That faith worked in the heart makes possible the believing of the truth of the salvation ALREADY bestowed by God's free and sovereign grace; it is believing what is ALREADY true, not to make it come true.

(Believing the gospel of Jesus Christ does save; it saves from ignorance, lies, superstition, fables, etc.; receiving and resting in Christ enables one to experience the blessedness of his righteousness in Christ, assurance, hope, etc. These are temporal salvation, relating to his well-being as a child of God.) See less

Inquiry on theological education.

A little conversation with Ben Askar*

1.57AM Thu
Ben Askar: Hi

8:47PM Thu
sing: Hi Ben.

BA
Hi, Beloved Brother. How are you? Brother, is there any Bible College that gives free distance education you knew. I like to learn the word of God

sing
To a self-learning man, bible colleges and seminaries are now irrelevant. There are lots of theological writings online. The most important thing is to pick trustworthy sources.

Otherwise, you learn....

I know of an excellent website where I learn and teach myself the word of God. Visit www...

(Check out John Gill's works also - his Body of Doctrinal and Practical Divinity as well as his commentary on the whole Bible.)

Have you ever asked the question, "Does a bible college have a biblical mandate?" What does the Bible say about the theological training of men?

2 Timothy 2:2 KJV — And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.

(To be self-teaching, you need to learn to ask endless relevant questions when you study the Scriptures. One needs a thinking mind to ask apt questions.)

BA
Great. Thank you; this will be great help for me. Yes, I'm going through the website.

sing:
Otherwise you...* learn heresies, damnable heresies.

2 Peter 2:1 KJV — But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.

BA
That's I have afraid

sing
What do you mean?

BA
I may learn damnable heresies

sing
Why do you say that? Unless one has been taught and learned the truth, he wouldn't have a clue that he had imbibed damnable heresies.

BA
Because we are in India. You know now trolling is covid sent by God. All the Christians say.

sing
On what basis do they say that? COVID is caused by man's sin. God didn't send it; God permitted it to happen and let it spread to humble the proud and haughty men who fear not God.

=====

*Ben Askar (son of a soldier) is not his real name; the exchanges are real.

Mr and Mrs Askar (pictured) send their warmest greetings.

Be such a sanctifying spouse. Amen

[08/08/2022 21:16] JinXing Sir, what is the interpretation of 1 Corinthians 7:16? "For what knowest thou, O wife, whether thou shalt save thy husband? or how knowest thou, O man, whether thou shalt save thy wife?

Q. What is the wife or husband save from?

[09/08/2022 00:36] Sing Lau
The context is honouring the marriage bond despite being unequally yoked - a spouse is converted post-marriage. "... let him not put her away... let her not leave him." v12-13.

v14 speaks of the sanctifying effect a believing spouse has upon the unbelieving spouse - the godly life of the believing spouse has a restraining effect, both positively (promoting righteous living) and negatively (denying ungodliness) - upon the unbelieving spouse, and their children too.

Verse 16: If the believing man sends away his unbelieving wife or an believing wife leaves the unbelieving husband, then the opportunities of godly influence and testimony to the unbelieving spouse are absent.

The life and testimony of a godly spouse is an instrument for the conversion of the unbelieving spouse.

So, honouring the marriage bond in an unequally yoked marriage - as a result of post-marriage conversion of one spouse - may be the very means God is pleased to bless for the conversion of the unbelieving spouse.

Preserve and cherish the marriage bond; let a candle burn brightly in a home... the Lord may be pleased to bless such testimony to save the unbelieving spouse.

[09/08/2022 12:09] Sing Lau:
1 Corinthians 7:14 KJT — For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband: else were your children unclean; but now are they holy.

Unclean and holy are used as opposites here; 'unclean' is illegitimate, 'holy' is legitimate. The offspring of any lawful marriage, between a man and a woman, is clean, is legitimate. It's not holy in any spiritual sense - only baby sprinklers (paedobaptists) imagine so. That which born of the flesh is flesh. John 3 :6


[09/08/2022 12:09] Sing Lau:
I'm wondering the whole morning to myself - why did two good men ask the same question: "How is the unbelieving spouse sanctified by the believing spouse? - maybe our gracious Lord wants us to note an important lesson that is overlooked and be such a spouse.
IF an unbelieving spouse is sanctified by the believing spouse, THEN how much more so a believing spouse is sanctified by his/her believing spouse. Be such a sanctifying spouse. Amen
A godly spouse is one special blessing of God to a man/woman: his/her godly life is capable of making a little heaven on earth. Think carefully about it; be such a spouse.
An ungodly Christian spouse - and there are not a few of them - can cause hell on earth. 

They have addicted themselves to the ministry of the saints

1 Cor 16:15 “I beseech you, brethren, (ye know the house of Stephanas, that it is the firstfruits of Achaia, and that they have addicted themselves to the ministry of the saints,)
Q1. How should we interpret this verse?
Q2. How should we apply it to our earthly pilgrimage?

======= 

Verse 15 is half a sentence; it needs to be read together with verse 16. They make a two-verse paragraph. This two-verse paragraph is closely connected with the next two-verse paragraph. The two paragraphs are on the same subject.

1Co 16:15-16
¶ I beseech you, brethren, (ye know the house of Stephanas, that it is the firstfruits of Achaia, and that they have addicted themselves to the ministry of the saints,) that ye submit yourselves unto such, and to every one that helpeth with us, and laboureth.

Note the words in brackets; leave them out first, and the two verses read, “I beseech you, brethren, that ye submit yourselves unto such, and to every one that helpeth with us, and laboureth.”

Put this way, Paul’s main message in the paragraph becomes clear – exhorting the proud, self-absorbed, and aloof Corinthian believers to submit to those men who help and labour with the Apostle Paul. Stephanas was such a man. Apostle Paul provides more information about him, powerful information that should convict and move any reasonable men to comply with Paul’s beseechment, “… submit yourselves unto such…”

The words in brackets give a concrete example of the men the Apostle Paul is speaking about; Stephanas was such a man, a man most useful to Apostle Paul and his ministry, such “that helpeth with us, and laboureth.” In addition to that, Stephanas and his household have addicted themselves to the ministry of the saints, something most appreciated by the Apostle Paul; it complements well with Paul’s ministry. To be addicted is to be devoted to it, heartily and with diligence; they cheerfully and voluntary give themselves to minister to the saints, likely needy saints. Such good and useful men deserve the respect and honour from believers.

Q2. How should we apply it to our earthly pilgrimage?

- Lead the whole household to imitate him… support the work your pastor is doing; be fellow labourers.
- Don’t be like the Corinthian believers.