Several years ago, I was given a book that changed my entire perspective on dating and courtship. After reading it, I was convinced the current American dating model must be abandoned by Christians if we are going to save our children.
We have very few examples of dating in the Bible, and all of them are found in the Old Testament. One of the more notable accounts is found in the selection of Rebekah for Isaac.
And Abraham said unto his eldest servant of his house, that ruled over all that he had, “Put, I pray thee, thy hand under my thigh: And I will make thee swear by the Lord, the God of heaven, and the God of the earth, that thou shalt not take a wife unto my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell: But thou shalt go unto my country, and to my kindred, and take a wife unto my son Isaac” (Genesis 24:2-4 KJV).
Abraham was not going to allow chance and good fortune to determine whom his son married. His love for God and his son manifested itself in direct parental involvement in this monumental decision.
Furthermore, the New Testament sets forth principles to guide parents as they help their children find a mate. “Flee also youthful lusts…” (2 Timothy 2:22 KJV); “Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers…” (1 Timothy 4:12 KJV); “For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication” (1 Thessalonians 4:3 KJV); “Abstain from all appearance of evil” (1 Thessalonians 5:23 KJV); “Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honor preferring one another” (Romans 12:10 KJV).
Below are some suggestions for parents and teenagers on dating. I am certainly no expert in dating, but these common-sense, Biblical principles will help everyone deal with this consequential stage of life.
1.    Parents need to parent their teenagers in dating. We may let them choose between pepperoni or sausage on their pizzas, but when it comes to matters that affect their souls, parents must be clear and consistent. Parents have an obligation to make rules for dating that should be known and repeated to their children beginning in childhood. As with Abraham, parents need to look out for the “future” spiritual welfare of their children by helping them find godly mates.
2.    Parents should never, never allow their teenage son or daughter to be alone with a friend of the opposite sex. They should each never go into the other’s room, and they should never be left unsupervised anywhere. Cars, teens, and dating are not good combinations. It is far too easy to find a few minutes alone when there is no supervision. Young people, this is not a matter of trust, but an understanding and awareness of sexual attraction. Dads know how strong the male attraction is and therefore should take great care to protect their sons from sexual temptation. Moms can protect their daughters by teaching them the differences between male and female attraction.
3.    Teenagers, don’t date too early. Studies consistently show a link between early dating and teenage pregnancy. Thirteen-, fourteen-, fifteen-, and even sixteen-year-old teens are not ready or prepared for a serious boy/girl friend and steady dating. If a friend of the opposite sex wants to be your friend, he or she can find such friendship every Sunday and Wednesday during periods of Bible study and worship. Parents, don’t allow the world to sound the dating alarm clock too soon!
4.    Teenagers, date only those who will help you go to Heaven. If they are not interested in the Church, you should not be interested in them. Attendance at Bible study and worship is a good test of the heart. Too many brothers and sisters can share their struggles that stem from a marriage not formed out of a spiritual foundation.
5.    Teenagers, don’t date too often. The more time you spend with someone the more difficult it will be to remain pure and holy. If you are dating, limit your time together. Some who date spend more time together than husbands and wives do. If you act as though you are married, you may find yourself doing what only married people are authorized to do.
6.    Teenagers, never treat dating as a game. Dating helps us find a soul mate (someone who can help your soul go to Heaven). First, dating is not a social outlet. If you want a social outlet, go with a group, join an activity, or play a sport. Second, dating is not a popularity contest. You don’t have to date if you are in high school. In fact, it is probably better if you wait.
7.    Engaged couples, never forget that you are not married. In this stage of dating you should both agree upon rules for your relationship. Limit time you spend together and limit your physical contact. Be very clear on how far is too far. Remember, if you are not married, don’t act as if you are, or you will soon be married before you planned. The words of Solomon’s fiancé need to be rehearsed between every engaged couple, “I charge you, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, by the roes, and by the hinds of the field, that ye stir not up, nor awake my love, till he please” (Song of Solomon 3:5 KJV).
. An Indian preacher named Brother B. Ratnam was right when he expressed concerns about our American dating system. Indeed, it is dangerous! There are many lessons we can learn from the Bible to help both parents and teens with dating. We must re-evaluate our approach to and method of dating. We must throw out the Hollywood model and adopt the Holy Word’s examples and principles. Don’t wait until they are teens to talk to your children about dating. Parental failure in this area of life may have a consequential impact here and in eternity. As Abraham said, “Let us go into our country” to find mates for our children.
 

Having looked into the tearful eyes of parents whose children have abandoned the Faith, I have learned there are a million miles between our children “going through the motions” in reference to their spiritual lives versus our children possessing hearts that dictate their actions. In this column, I plan to share with you what I hope to instill in the hearts of my own children and those whom I love.

It used to be uncommon and unspoken. However, today divorce has reached epidemic proportions. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the ratio of marriages to divorces is 2 to 1. While a husband and wife may vow to love one another in sickness and in health, for richer and poorer, and for better and worse, the reality is that many individuals only stick around during times of wealth, health, and happiness. Many people can remember years ago, when parents in America would often have many children. Today children oftentimes have many parents. Sadly, the concept of commitment has been lost in our “disposable” and “instant gratification” world. There is no doubt that the tentacles of divorce reach deeply inside most—if not all—church families. And those tentacles have caused many problems throughout the body of Christ. While we don’t talk about it much for fear we may offend some, this topic desperately needs to be addressed in order to stem the epidemic.
Here’s what I intend on teaching my children about divorce.
A good marriage is one of the richest blessings you will ever know. It is an institution that was formed by God (Genesis 2:22-24). While we pray that you are able to experience it one day, we want each one of you to realize that you do not have to be married or be a parent to serve God faithfully. Consider for a moment all of the Biblical examples of faithful individuals who were single or barren/childless (e.g., Paul, Dorcas, King David’s wife Michal).
Believe it or not, your mother and I have been praying for you and your future spouses (and even their parents!) since before you were born. This topic is so crucial that we believe the time to start teaching you the importance of marriage and relationships is not when you are a teenager, but rather from your toddler years on up. Aside from your decision to be a Christian and your relationship with God, there is nothing more important on this planet. This special person will either  help or hinder your journey to Heaven. Our prayer is that your mate will be a strong Christian who can help you in your spiritual journey. We hope that as you grow and mature you will select someone with which to spend your life who has similar values and priorities..
Make no mistake about it, good marriages take a great deal of work. You won’t receive a “how-to” book along with your marriage certificate. This is one reason it is so important to keep your marriage God-centered. The relationship you see daily between your mom and me did not happen overnight. We have been together through good years and bad. We have had to learn how to communicate effectively with one another, how to fight fair, how to compromise, and how to let our words be reflected in our actions. With each happy memory and each trial, our relationship has deepened and grown. However, even after being married as long as we have, we still have to invest time and energy into our marriage. That is why we try to regularly have “date night” without any children present—to reconnect, rekindle, and grow our own relationship.
Your mother and I have a rule that divorce “is not even an option.” We made this pledge to one another very early in our marriage, and it has been comforting during times of trial. The Bible is clear that God hates divorce (Malachi 2:16). Never forget that God joins you together with your mate (Matthew 19:6), and His original intention was that man and woman remain married until death (Mark 10:2-9). Study carefully Matthew 19:8, where Jesus explains that while divorces were permitted because of the hardness of their hearts, but “from the beginning it was not so.”
Keep your marriage intact and avoid divorce! Invest time and energy in one another. If you feel things are spiraling out of control talk to your parents, preacher, elders, or godly friends. (Don’t confide problems to a friend of the opposite sex, as that can often lead to danger.) Find a happily married, faithful couple with whom you can spend time and glean wisdom. Take time to find activities that both you and your spouse enjoy, and do those. Be willing to compromise. And do your best to never take your spouse for granted. The Bible is the best source for how men are to love their wives (Ephesians 5:25) and how wives are to treat their husbands (Titus 2:4-5; Ephesians 22-23). That’s a whole different topic!
In Matthew 19, Jesus outlines the only allowance for divorce and remarriage—sexual immorality (verse 9). That’s it. Divorce and remarriage is not allowed simply for irreconcilable differences or because one party is no longer happy. Many people have tried to manipulate this passage to find exceptions or make loopholes. In fact, many men with advanced degrees have desperately tried to argue that they possess a “newfound wisdom” about what this Scripture actually means. But as we have taught you from childhood, you don’t need advanced degrees to understand the important matters of the Bible. God is able to effectively communicate His plan on marriage and divorce.
Never change your views on Biblical matters simply because it has become personal. Remember, God is immutable (Malachi 3:6)—He and His Word do not change. It is usually the case that those trying to conjure up “exceptions” to Jesus’ teaching on marriage have personal stakes involved. For instance, maybe their children, other relatives, or friends have divorced for reasons other than sexual immorality, and they want to find a way for them to remarry. But the Scriptures are clear.
Many try to offer excuses to justify divorce and remarriage such as, “One party was not baptized at the point of marriage,”, or “Children are involved,” or “The original intent was not for a biblical permanent marriage.” They use mental gymnastics to find loopholes between Matthew 19 and 1 Corinthians 7:10-13. Remember, these commands were written to believers and unbelievers, thus baptism does not alter an adulterous marriage. Notice that 1 Corinthians 7:10 clearly states: “Now to the married I command, yet not I but the Lord: A wife is not to depart from her husband. But even if she does depart, let her remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband. And a husband is not to divorce his wife.” The decision to marry is important and should not be entered into lightly, or because of temporal lust. Your mom and I agree that rather than jumping through hoops and rearranging the original intent looking for a “way out” years later, your time would be better invested in creating and building a healthy marriage that includes God.
This is why trust is so vital in a marriage. Go the extra mile and give your spouse information as to where you will be—don’t leave them wondering. Post a copy of your wedding picture or vows to your computer. Keep that golden band on your finger as a constant reminder.
On the day your mom and I said our wedding vows the man who baptized me read a poem that I want to share. It’s titled “Marriage Still Takes Three” (author unknown). I look forward to reading it at your wedding one day in the future.

I once thought marriage took
Just two to make a go,
But now I am convinced
It takes the Lord also.

And not one marriage fails
Where Christ is asked to enter,
As lovers come together
With Jesus at the center.

But marriage seldom thrives,
And homes are incomplete,
Till He is welcomed there
To help avoid defeat.

In homes where Christ is first,
It's obvious to see,
Those unions really work,
For marriage still takes three.

Love, Dad
P.S. While you may not welcome the idea, your mom and I really like the idea of “prearranged marriages,” so we are happily accepting applications from faithful parents of children your age.
 

Nicholas Kristof is ready to “step away from the anti-intellectualism that has long been a strain in American life.”  With a profound sense of relief, Kristof welcomes Obama as the first “open, out-of-the-closet, practicing intellectual” to occupy the Whitehouse since John F. Kennedy.
We’ve grown accustomed to reading this kind of drivel from the New York Times, with its stable of Harvard-trained, Rhodes Scholar, Pulitzer Prize-winning writers like Kristof. It serves only one purpose: to perpetuate the myth that liberals have all the smart people.
To make his point, Kristof goes on to bash President Bush for rejecting the advice of “reproductive health specialists.” Those are the same specialists, by the way, who want to create human life in the lab, destroy that life, and do it all at taxpayer expense. So far, only the executive orders of Clinton and Bush have held the murderous barbarians at bay. But decisions coming from just one man (or just one God) threaten liberalism’s commitment to radical self-autonomy. Consequently, in a very short space of time, we can expect to see those orders rescinded. The gates will be opened. The hordes will rush in. We’ll hand over the keys to the treasury. As long as the barbarians get to express themselves, that’s all that really matters. Tolerance demands no less. To protest the intrinsic value of all the city’s inhabitants, including its unborn children, is to betray a profound and cruel ignorance—or so we have been told.
This topsy-turvy morality reminds me of a scene in The Princess Bride. Bad guy Vizzini repeatedly uses the word “inconceivable” in totally inappropriate places. Inigo Montoya finally tells him, “You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.” Kristof is suffering under a similar delusion. Apparently, he doesn’t know that scientists, who represent a fair share of the world’s intellectual capital, have found a better way to create stem cells without destroying human embryos.  To push embryonic research at this juncture is not only a waste of life, it’s a waste of science. In Kristof’s lexicon, “anti-intellectual” becomes a code word for “pro-life” or, broadly speaking, anyone who reads his Bible and goes to church.
Just to emphasize the point, Kristof takes a swipe at national leaders who display excessive amounts of “moral clarity.” Perish the thought that presidents should know right from wrong. Partially delivering a baby, and then killing it in a most gruesome fashion is vaguely wrong, or vaguely right, or of no moral concern whatsoever. No one really knows anymore. If you think you do, you better not say it out loud.
Media elites revel in the moral ambiguity of popular culture, from movies like Million Dollar Baby to games like Grand Theft Auto. I don’t know what’s so nuanced in putting an injured boxer “out of her misery” (in the first case), or killing people in a senseless and disturbingly realistic crime spree (in the second case). The anti-hero becomes a sinner we admire. “Moral ambiguity” is code for “bad behavior.”
Unfortunately, there are times when we aid and abet the myth of Christian anti-intellectualism. One small congregation I know had one adult class, until they started a quarter on Christian evidences. Then, and only then, there had to be a “real Bible class.” With that kind of attitude, it’s no wonder our kids are losing their way in the spiritual wilderness of state universities. At the level of the local congregation, we are doing little to foster a healthy life of the mind and a healthy life of the soul. We need both.
In his far-ranging mission work, the apostle Paul became “all things to all men” (1 Corinthians 9:22). His sojourn in Athens is a great example (Acts 17:15-34). He visited the Jews in their synagogues, the average Athenian, and the educated elite atop the Areopagus. We can’t hope to match his gift of ministry, but we still need godly elders, preachers, and teachers who are ready to address the soul-destroying challenges of our current age. The liberals don’t have to have all the smart people.
 

“Truth is so obscure in these times and falsehood so established that unless one loves the truth, he cannot know it.”  --Blaise Pascal
Kenny Barfield

    As a former high school and collegiate debater, as well as a current coach of high school debate, I cherish the one thing separating humanity from the rest of the physical universe—the ability to reason and examine issues objectively and thoroughly.  I know the value of listening to all viewpoints and examining both the logic that undergirds them and the assumptions on which they are constructed before rendering decisions.  There is much truth in Proverbs 18:17: “The first to present his case seems right, till another comes forward and questions him.”
    American justice builds on this foundation of logic.  As Mittelberg explains, “When someone is on trial…the ultimate questions that matter are not related to theories, suspicions, or prejudices…but to the facts…that can be proven ‘beyond a reasonable doubt’.  These are established through information…eyewitnesses… evidence…written documents….” (135).
     The same is true regarding medicine.  We expect doctors, nurses, medical researchers, and technicians to base diagnoses and treatment on the most valid factual information.
    Yet, while demanding second and third opinions in medicine and appealing our cases in the justice system, we accept anything that comes along when approaching the point where history intersects with our worldviews and forms the philosophical basis by which we live our lives.  Personal biases, not reason, dictate our beliefs.  We become hypnotized by whatever is politically correct in academia and lack the courage to follow the evidence wherever it leads.
    Two centuries before Plato (Apology) attributed to Socrates the famous statement that “the unexamined life is not worth living,” the Old Testament prophet Isaiah (1:18) reported that God challenged His people to “come” and “reason.”  The law that Jesus said is the most important includes the command that we love God “with all [our] mind” (Matt. 22:37).  Even the biblical definition of “faith” hinges on “the evidence of things not seen” (Heb. 11:1). 
    So, let’s examine the evidence.
    First, unlike other religious books, the Bible asserts itself as a reliable historical record.  It claims to deal with real places, people and events.  John writes [I John 1:1] that New Testament authors give an account of people, places and events about “which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched….” Luke’s claim is identical:  “Many people have set out to write accounts about the events that have been fulfilled among us.  They used the eyewitness reports circulating among us from the early disciples.  Having carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I also have decided to write a careful account…so you can be certain of the truth of everything you were taught” (Luke 1:1-4).
Second, numerous “hard facts” (ancient documents, inscriptions, archaeological discoveries) are consistent with such claims.  Scores of books and articles, far in excess of the brevity demanded here, document such evidence.  This massive amount of material led Mittelberg to write: “Archaeological research has repeatedly reinforced and confirmed biblical claims from both the Old and New Testaments” (134), and Walter C. Kaiser Jr. (Distinguished Professor of Old Testament at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary) likewise noted “a growing list of correlations between the written record found in nonbiblical sources and those found in the Bible” (128). 
    Do the research yourself.
    You will find that many scholars refuse to connect biblical history with world history more because of personal biases and worldviews than because of contradictory facts (Kaiser 128).  They distrust everything except their own worldviews.  They claim that nothing is really “true” (which then must apply to their own philosophies as well). Consequently, “the vast findings of archaeology are either ignored or minimalized by some scholars who refuse to accept any kind of evidence” (Sala 99).
    Yet, research continues to document an amazing correlation between “hard facts” and artifacts of historical research and biblical history.  Two areas stand out.
    First, a plethora of materials correlate to what may be termed “the major stories of the Bible”:
    A. Geographical and historical evidence confirms most biblical locations.   The sites of biblical mountains (Ararat, Zion, Gerizim, Carmel, Ebal, to name a few) are easily identifiable.  Cities mentioned in the text either continue to exist (Tyre, Sidon, Damascus, Hebron, Jerusalem, Antioch, Corinth) or research has identified their ruins/remains (Jericho, Acco, Beth Zur, Babylon, Nineveh, Dothan, Gerar, Gibeon, Lystra, Shechem, Gaza, Ashkelon, Ashdod, Ephesus, Philippi, Berea, Thessalonica, Laodicea, Shiloh, Ur, Samaria).  Biblical rivers (Jordan, Nile) still run in the same channels while seas and lakes (Sea of Galilee, Mediterranean, Dead Sea, Red Sea) fill the same basins.  Tourists can still walk Hezekiah’s tunnel (II Kings 20:20).
    B. Biblical stories easily fit into the secular culture in which they are set.  Coins such as the widow’s mite, the denarius, the shekel and the talent may be found in museums around the world and are even bought and sold on eBay.  Rachel stole “teraphim” (household gods) from her father and hid them under her saddle (Genesis 31:19).  Ancient documents inform us that whoever possessed those images controlled the title deed to the family property. 
    C. Secular histories identify biblical people and nations.  Widely diverse kings from Egypt (Shishak, Hophra and Necho), Assyria (Sargon, Shalmaneser, Sennacherib, Tiglath-Pileser and Esarhaddon], Babylon [Nebuchadnezzar and Belshazzar) and Israel (Hezekiah, Menahem, Jehoiachin, Omri, Jehu, Uzziah) appear in other sources.  New Testament rulers (Gallio, Pontius Pilate, Herod, Sergius Paulus, Quirinius, Lysanias) and even leaders of small groups within Palestine (Sanballat, Tobiah) are well known.  Luke uses the term “politarch” in Acts 17:6 to describe the rulers of Thessalonica, a term basically unknown until archaeologists uncovered the Galerian Arch and found that  precise language identifying the city leaders.  Jeffrey (Grant 34) notes that “statements of the Bible reveal forty-one different kings of Israel and surrounding nations that are confirmed by contemporary inscriptions and documents.”  No other religious book even comes close.  Nations such as the Hittites, the Philistines, the Edomites and the Ammonites are among those reliably documented.
D. Evidence correlates with key biblical stories.  Research allows the reader to locate numerous facts that correlate with such accounts as the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, the crossing of the Red Sea and the forty years of wandering in the wilderness, and the fall of Jericho.  While too detailed to discuss in this article, the reader is encouraged to “check out” the available information.  (See the reference section below.)
Second, even more amazing are records that correlate with minor details in the text.  Jackson notes, “In the book of Acts, Luke mentions thirty-two countries, fifty-four cities, and nine Mediterranean islands.  He also lists ninety-five people by name, sixty-two of which are not named elsewhere in the New Testament…(and) is intimately familiar with the constantly-changing political conditions….Some early critics occasionally charged Luke with errors….The discoveries of archaeology, however, have vindicated him in every instance.”
Three example discoveries relating to relatively obscure Old Testament personalities are worthy of note.  First, an ancient clay seal uncovered in Jerusalem in 1975 belonged to Baruch, the scribe for Jeremiah (36:4).  Second, a seal from the ninth  century BCE confirms the existence of Queen Jezebel (I Kings 21).  Third, the British Museum confirmed last year that a small clay tablet mentioned the same Nebo-Sarsekim as did Jeremiah (39:3).  Confirming such a minor character led Dr. Irving Finkel to ask, “If Nebo-Sarsekim existed, which other lesser figures in the Old Testament existed?  A throw-away detail in the Old Testament turns out to be accurate and true.  I think that it means that the whole of the narrative [of Jeremiah] takes on a new kind of power.” (“Archaeology”).
I think so, too.

SUGGESTED RESOURCES:
“Archaeology: Babylonian Clay Tablet Mentions Biblical Name,”
    www.creationsafaris.com/crev200707.htm].

Baez-Cumargo, Gonzalo. Archaeological Commentary on the Bible. Garden City, NY:
     Doubleday, 1984.

Free, Joseph P.  Archaeology and Bible History Revised ed. by Howard F. Vos. Grand
     Rapids: Zondervan, 1992.

Fritz, Glen A. The Lost Sea of the Exodus. Doctoral Dissertation. Texas State University-
    San Marcos. 2006.

Grant, Jeffrey. The Signature of God. Toronto: Frontier Research, 1996.

Humphreys, Colin J. The Miracles of the Exodus. San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco,
    2003.

Jackson, Wayne. [“Bible Accuracy.” www.christiancourier.com/articles/575-bible-accuracy].

Kaiser, Walter C, Jr. The Old Testament Documents: Are They Reliable and Relevant?
    Downers Grove: InterVarsity, 2001.

Kitchen, K. A. On the Reliability of the Old Testament. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2003.
 

The apostle Paul wrote: “...but when the fullness of time came, God sent forth his Son...” (Galatians 4:4). The phrase “fullness of time” is extraordinary. It reflects the most ideal time in world history for the birth of Christ and the inauguration of Christianity. The commencement of the Christian religion was a turning point in world history (note the common B.C. / A.D. designations). Fundamental to an understanding of this event are the several centuries just prior to Jesus’ birth.

When Old Testament history closes, the Jewish people have resettled Palestine, after seventy years of captivity in Babylon. The final exile return occurred in 444 B.C. The Old Testament record ends, therefore, about four centuries before the birth of Christ.

These “four silent centuries” really are not silent at all. Secular history sheds considerable light on this period; and it is tremendously important. God’s providential activity (i.e., his orchestration of human events in a non-miraculous manner) was, in retrospect, both active[  and effective. This historical period should be considered from several vantage points.

Political
When the Old Testament regime ended, the Hebrews had been under Persian rule for about two centuries. In 332 B.C., Alexander the Great conquered the Persians, and the Jews yielded to Greek control. The brilliant military commander was reasonably tolerant of the Hebrews but sought to immerse the nation in Greek culture. When Alexander died (323 B.C.) without an heir, his empire fell into a brief state of disarray; ultimately, however, it was divided into four segments. The prophecies of these events in Daniel 8, written more than two centuries earlier, are stunning.

One of these powers, the Seleucids of Syria (especially a butcher named Antiochus Epiphanes), persecuted the Jews horribly, outlawing Judaism and attempting to eradicate all copies of the Hebrew Scriptures. This was the “midnight” hour of the interbiblical era. Eventually (167 B.C.) the Jews initiated a revolt. They struggled for more than forty years before gaining a measure of independence. That freedom was to be short-lived.

In 63 B.C., the Roman general Pompey swept through Syria and Palestine, annexing both territories to the empire; the “holy land” thus came under Roman rule. At the time of Jesus’ birth, Augustus (31 B.C. - A.D. 14) was on the imperial throne (Luke 2:1ff). In A.D. 66, the Jews rebelled against Rome; four years later Jerusalem was demolished, more than a million Hebrews were killed, and thousands were taken into slavery (Josephus, Wars 6.9). From about 37 B.C. to A.D. 6, the Jews were permitted to have their own “king” under Herod, and then his son, Archelaus (Matthew 2:1, 22). Afterward they were governed by procurators appointed by Rome, of whom Pontius Pilate was most notable.

Social Circumstances
The social environment in the time of Christ was different from that of the Old Testament. During the ministry of Jesus there was sharp hostility between the Jews and Samaritans (Luke 9:51-54; John 4:9). The Samaritans were a mongrel mixture of ancient Hebrews and foreigners (the Assyrians; cf. 2 Kings 15:29), and a people afflicted with paganism (2 Kings 17:29). By the permission of Alexander, the Samaritans built their own temple on Mt. Gerizim; this became a matter of contention between Jews and Samaritans (cf. John 4: 20). Remarkably, the Samaritans became a fertile field for gospel evangelism (cf. John 4:35, 39-41; Acts 8:5ff).

During his control of Palestine, Alexander vigorously sought to “Hellenize” the Hebrew people, i.e., immerse them in Greek culture. This process had strong advocates even among certain Jewish leaders. This influx of Greek influence began to weaken certain elements of Hebrew society (a Greek amphitheater was even built in Jerusalem), and tensions between the Gentile Greeks and the Jews flared. This explains some of the actions and reactions within the Gospel records — for instance, why the Jews washed their hands and all their vessels that potentially had been in contact with the “unclean” Gentiles, before meals (cf. Mark 7:1-4). There was even a strained relationship in the early church between Hebrews and Hellenists (Acts 6:1-6).

When the early Christians took the message of Christ throughout the antique world (cf. Acts 17:6b), they found Jewish communities almost everywhere they went. These scattered Hebrews were called the “Dispersion” (James 1:1; 1 Peter 1:1). Ptolemy I (322-285 B.C.) transported many Jews from Palestine to Egypt. Antiochus of Syria likewise dispersed some 2,000 Jews, who had remained in Babylon, to Lydia and Phrygia. Hundreds of Hebrews were taken to Rome following the fall of Jerusalem in A.D. 70. This widespread distribution of Judaism (with its monotheistic conviction of God, and its Scriptures containing the messianic prophecies) was tremendously instrumental in the success of Christianity in the days of its youth.

Greek and Roman Culture
A number of cultural developments in the inter-testament period were significant. Beginning about 300 B.C., the Koine (“common”) Greek tongue became the spoken/written language of the Roman world. Paul even wrote his letter to the Christians in Rome in Greek, not Latin! This amazing language was the most precise conveyance for human thought in the history of the world. Little wonder, in the providence of God, that it was the language in which the New Testament was composed. About three centuries after the death of Christ, it became a dead language, thus, in a manner of speaking, “embalming” the precious truths of the New Testament record without further linguistic development.

According to tradition, the Egyptian ruler Ptolemy II (285-246 B.C.) commissioned a translation of the Hebrew Scriptures into Greek. Known as the Septuagint (abbreviated as LXX); this allowed the Greek world access to the hundreds of Old Testament prophecies regarding Christ. These could be examined in preparation for the Lord’s arrival upon earth (cf. Luke 24:44; Acts 9:22).

The Romans also facilitated the advancement of Christianity in a number of important ways. (a) The Roman conquest unified the civilized world. From around 27 B.C. to A.D. 180, the empire was in a state of relative peace, known as the Pax Romano. This allowed early missionaries to travel freely with their message of salvation. (b) Roman highways laced the empire, providing easy land transportation. (c) The extension of Roman citizenship to many throughout the empire doubtless was an advantage to numerous gospel preachers (cf. Acts 22:25ff). (d) The Roman legal system of the first century was the finest of the ancient world. By this system Jesus Christ was put on trial for the false charges leveled against him. Three times he was judged innocent before Pilate (John 18:38; 19:4, 6), yet his “judgment” was taken away (Acts 8:33). This fact relates to his qualification, as an innocent victim, to die for sinful humanity, allowing God to remain “just,” yet justify those who obey him (Romans 8:26; 6:17-18).


Religion
When one enters the New Testament he is introduced to several Jewish sects. The Pharisees (about 6,000 in number) were an outgrowth of the Hebrew opposition to Greek influence. These were the “straitest” sect of Judaism (Acts 26:5), and Saul of Tarsus (later Paul the apostle) was of this group. The Sadducees developed out of the Jewish rebellion of this era. They were a blend of Greek-Jewish influences, significantly associated with the Hebrew priesthood. They were the religious “liberals” of Judaism (Acts 23:8). These sects were heavily involved in the prosecution of Jesus. The Zealots were fiercely supportive of attempts to overthrow Roman oppression by violence. They initiated several revolts. One of Christ’s apostles came out of this sect (Luke 6:15; Acts 1:13).

In 20 B.C., Herod the Great began a reconstruction project on the decaying Hebrew temple of the Persian era. The effort lasted until A.D. 64 — shortly before its destruction by the Romans,  which was a divine judgment upon a rebellious people (Matthew 22:7; 24:2ff). The temple complex embraced approximately thirty-five acres, and the large Court of the Gentiles could accommodate thousands.

It is not difficult to see how important the centuries of interbiblical history were. They are wonderful illustrations of divine oversight in world affairs.