Christ died for our sins, according to the Scriptures. 1 Cor 15:1-4.

 I realize it is not 1 Timothy chapter six, but it has been on my heart for several days. So I am going to work through this with you. The KJV, and probably most others, entitle this section, THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST, and certainly, that is a prominent aspect of the conversation, but it so much more.

It is the primary reason for our hope.

Here is the first part of the passage. I will break it down – as usual.

1 Corinthians 15:1-4 KJV Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; (2) By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. (3) For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; (4) And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:

Paul tells the readers, found in the church at Corinth, that, once again, this is the gospel which I preached to you. I am not sure how germane this information is to the passage, but I immediately found myself curious about what he preached and where he preached.

Corinth is in the southwestern area of what we now call Greece – it was formerly called Achaia. Athens is on the opposite and eastern coast of Greece. The letter was written from Ephesus, which is on the western coastline of Asia Minor, almost directly opposite of Athens. Immediately, this tells me that this was not a prison letter. Prison has a way of adding additional stress.

Paul's first missionary journey does not show him going to Corinth at all. The second missionary journey does have Paul going to Corinth and then almost directly to Ephesus. Mind you, while this stretch between Corinth and Ephesus seems short on paper, this was wind-powered vessels at best and may have taken months.

How long was Paul in Ephesus that he heard about an issue in Corinth that needed to be readdressed?

We have a time frame of two years for the entire journey.

Dr. J Vernon McGee observes, “You remember that when he came out on this second journey, the Spirit of God would not allow him to come down to Ephesus. Now, on his way back, he stops at Ephesus, but he does not stay there very long.”

For me, the statement – very long, is a comparative term, and without something to compare this to, it is hard to determine a time frame. It could have been a couple of weeks; if that was the case, it was a clear and powerful sermon about the good news of Jesus. Since we know that Paul was preaching to Jews (who are best a hard sell), it is hard to imagine that a message about Jesus and His death on the cross made its point in one sermon.

For those who wish to argue, thinking that the Bible was written for and about Gentiles, let me point something out in the scriptures. Paul, even when he was Saul, entered into the Synagogues at every opportunity. In Damascus, as a new believer, and one that had to deal with an open resistance because he, only days before this, was trying to get Christians killed, was now, with some of the disciples in Damascus, was proclaiming Jesus in the synagogues.

End page one.

Acts 9:17-20 NASB So Ananias departed and entered the house, and after laying his hands on him said, "Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road by which you were coming, has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit." (18) And immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he regained his sight, and he got up and was baptized; (19) and he took food and was strengthened. Now for several days, he was with the disciples who were at Damascus (20) and immediately he began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, saying, "He is the Son of God."

When they reached Salamis, they began to proclaim the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews.

Acts 13:4-5 NASB So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia, and from there they sailed to Cyprus. (5) When they reached Salamis, they began to proclaim the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews; and they also had John as their helper.

They arrived at Pisidian Antioch, and on the Sabbath day, they went into the synagogue.

Acts 13:13-16 NASB Now Paul and his companions put out to sea from Paphos and came to Perga in Pamphylia, but John left them and returned to Jerusalem. (14) But going on from Perga, they arrived at Pisidian Antioch, and on the Sabbath day, they went into the synagogue and sat down. (15) After the reading of the Law and the Prophets, the synagogue officials sent to them, saying, "Brethren, if you have any word of exhortation for the people, say it." (16) Paul stood up and motioning with his hand said, "Men of Israel, and you who fear God, listen:

While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was reasoning in the synagogue with the Jews. I will give you a heads up. The Bible translators added the word Gentiles. It may have been a logical assumption based on what we see in Acts 17:4 KJV, where it says,

“And some of them believed, and consorted with Paul and Silas, and of the devout Greeks a great multitude, and of the chief women, not a few.”

Acts 17:16-17 NASB Now, while Paul was waiting for them at Athens, his spirit was being provoked within him as he was observing the city full of idols. (17) So he was reasoning in the synagogue with the Jews and the God-fearing Gentiles and in the marketplace every day with those who happened to be present.

This last verse is odd, and even more so, I asked a Jewish convert if Gentiles were allowed in the synagogues. His answer was crisp and immediate NO. Now, this may not be the atmosphere these days, but considering how the Jews that did not appreciate Paul's message treated him, they would have run the Gentiles out of the synagogues.

Acts 18:2-4 NASB And he found a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, having recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to leave Rome. He came to them, (3) and because he was of the same trade, he stayed with them, and they were working, for by trade they were tent-makers. (4) And he was reasoning in the synagogue every Sabbath and trying to persuade Jews and Greeks.

We see in Acts 18 that Paul and Aquila – a Jew, worked together, making and selling tents. A place that would have had everybody mingling about, and Paul took every opportunity to advance the gospel of Jesus; and, yes, the Gentiles would have heard.

End page two.

Eugene Peterson's “The Message” has a different spin to it.

Friends, let me go over the Message with you one final time—this Message that I proclaimed and that you made your own; this Message on which you took your stand (1 Corinthians 15:1 MSG)

As for me, I have to remind myself, frequently, of what I believe should be solidly embedded within me.

• “Which also you have received.”

These people, even though they may have had Paul in their faces, are no different than you or I. We, in fact, have an advantage in that we have the written and this very letter that Paul wrote to this church.

So when we read, you have received, what is Paul saying?

Obviously, Paul is speaking to those who have received the gospel of and about Jesus. The word received can mean several things, from a casual hearing of the word to a full-blown life-changing event thanks to this relationship with Christ. The interlinear Greek indicates that in receiving this word, the hearers have come alongside.

But, alongside what?

Jesus, the salvation that He brings, and His message to the world.

• Another piece of information, which could seem vague, is this statement, “wherein you stand.”

Didn't I open this study in 1Corinthians 15:1-4, with my own acknowledgment? I occasionally have to be reminded of this hope, and even why it is believable. I have talked about this over the years, and many have expressed their scorn and surprise, as though I have made a choice to forget or ignore the goodness of God. Actually, it is quite the contrary, as the sudden and momentary realization that I am trying to control the world around me drives me staggering back to God, where I rehearse something similar to these verses here in 1 Corinthians 15: 1-4.

To use terminology like wherein you stand does not tell me much because sometimes I am NOT standing in the right place, or I inadvertently stepped in a mud puddle. I know I am being simplistic, but I am trying to make a point.

Some of us still have good brains capable of holding onto information; mine used to work like that. You would think that by my own efforts, I could make myself firm or become established in God's ways and heart toward us. The problem with that kind of thinking is that you can do nothing, outside of having faith in Jesus Christ and His sacrifice on the cross, to change my life. Oh, sure, some motivational speaker can make you think you are in charge, but that person on stage does not seem to know that we are all broken people, incapable of fixing ourselves, and that is why we needed a savior – Jesus. There is a strong sense that once you belong to Christ, He never lets you go, and that is true.

And this last statement takes us to verse two.

End page three.

It is not only the gospel message, but it is the fact that you came alongside Jesus with a conscious decision, but it is also the fact that the Father, who was waiting for you the entire time, establishes you and makes you firm. This word, very clearly, holds you fast. You know what many call this? Eternal Salvation. It is not that you can maintain a condition that holds you tight to Jesus; it is the Father who has engraved you upon His hand, that now holds you.

For me, a primary scripture that speaks to the fact that God will never let go of you comes from John's gospel.

John 10:27-30 NASB "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; (28), and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. (29) "My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. (30) "I and the Father are one."

Some will use 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 as an anchor for their eternal salvation. Don't get me wrong, we are eternally saved, but verse two, which says, “by which you are saved, if,” is a conditional conjunction; and, much like a computer logic flowchart, you have to determine if you have met the conditions that make the statement work. One sister in Christ who clings to the KJV of the Bible probably sees something like this.

1 Corinthians 15:2 MKJV by which you also are being kept safe, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you unless you believed in vain.

If I chose to accept the MKJV at face value, then it would be easy to apply the idea of eternal salvation if that was all it said. The problem is the minority of those that chose to interpret Paul's thought in this manner. My friend chooses to ignore the conditional “if” aspect of the verse. This “if” is NOT a negative interpretation, which we understand as we consider the verse's context. Should you look at a translation like the ISV, you will see that Paul is talking about an ongoing process in which we are in a continual state of being saved from the trials (tribulations) this world dishes out throughout our lives.

1 Corinthians 15:2 ISV "... by which you are also being saved if you hold firmly to the message I proclaimed to you—unless, of course, your faith was worthless."

Paul continues, as he emphasizes an aspect of the message he previously preached.

1 Corinthians 15:3-4 NASB (3) For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, (4) and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,

In giving US this information, he tells us that what he about to say was of the utmost importance.

• Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures.

End page four.

Romans 6:8-10 NASB Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, (9) knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, is never to die again; death no longer is master over Him. (10) For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God.

Romans 8:3 NLT, The law of Moses, was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature. So God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body, God declared an end to sin’s control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins.

2 Corinthians 5:21 NASB (21) He (God) made Him (Jesus) who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

Hebrews 9:25-28 NASB nor was it that He would offer Himself often, as the high priest enters the holy place year by year with blood that is not his own. (26) Otherwise, He would have needed to suffer often since the foundation of the world, but now once at the consummation of the ages, He has been manifested to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. (27) And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment, (28) so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him.

This one verse speaks to Christ dying for our sins; and, it answers the questions about His death and resurrection.

1 Peter 3:18 NASB For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit;

I do not know how much time we have left here on earth; the Church is about to be called back home to be with Jesus.

How do I know that I will be among them?

For the same reasons that you would, if you are a follower of Christ, because we came alongside Him and made a decision to ride this bus until it reaches the destination no matter how difficult the road gets. The faith that I applied, and it wasn't much in my eyes, caused me to be in Christ, and I am deemed a follower of Christ and a part of the church – the body of Christ.

Some would say, what about all the things you have done?

It doesn't matter to the Father anymore, as Jesus took it all to the cross with Him - past, present, and future sins. And, in case you are keeping score, all sins are covered, and I gave you scripture for that. Even if, as one might say, your sins are BIGGER and more freakish bizarre than mine; it doesn't matter, as they are all covered in that blood – blood that blankets all sins, including the sins of those deemed to be outside of God's grace; they, even if the rapture comes, are still entitled to the forgiveness of God, the only difference is that during the time of wrath after the church is gone, you will have to prove your dedication to God through your death.

If you have ever wondered why so many of us speak of such horrors, it is because we don't want you to have to endure the absolute hell that is coming upon the earth. It doesn't take but half a brain to see what is coming. These globalists are not on your side.

For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus. Romans 8:1

Romans chapter eight opens with this,

“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”
(Romans 8:1 NASB)

I am not good at English grammar, and so I pay to have my work edited to an acceptable and readable degree. I said all that to say, that I may make odd and rather apparent statements, such as, for Paul to open with the word, therefore, is indicative of a thought that needs to be continued; and, it demands that we understand what that previous thought was.

On that note, we ended our look at Romans chapter seven with this upbeat tone.

Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ, our Lord! So then, on the one hand, I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh the law of sin.
(Romans 7:24-25 NASB)

A small Bible study group I am involved in is studying the same section of scripture but leans heavily on Warren Wiersbe's commentary on Romans. Wiersbe says that this “gives the “therefore of no condemnation...” If that were all I had to go on, I would be scratching my head in bewilderment, but Wiersbe continues with - “a tremendous truth and the conclusion of a marvelous argument.” Well, yes it is, but suppose you had just joined the group that night, would you know what that argument was? Probably not.

In concise words, none of this would be possible if not for “Jesus Christ, our Lord.”

Assuming that you have been following my studies, the majority of you should realize by now, that until the day when this body gets changed, we are stuck with this body of death. In itself, that is a dismal proposition. Thank God Jesus went to the cross.

Here is where that change I spoke of, comes into play.

“in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.” (1 Corinthians 15:52 NASB)

As Paul stated in the NASB, “thanks be to God through Jesus Christ, our Lord, we are set free.”

If you operate on the principle that you died to this world and that dead people don't have a problem with lust, then you should make it through this journey with relative success (spiritually.)
Eugene Peterson's Message adds this commentary to Romans 7:25,

“He (Jesus Christ) acted to set things right in this life of contradictions where I want to serve God with all my heart and mind, but am pulled by the influence of sin to do something totally different.” The parenthesis is added by me.

And the NLT puts a slightly different spin on 7:25 by saying,
“Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ, our Lord. So you see how it is: In my mind, I really want to obey God’s law, but because of my sinful nature, I am a slave to sin.”

If it were not for Christ Jesus, we would be lost forever. Ah, but we are not lost, because the answer to this brokenness in us that pushes us to fulfill our desires, is wrapped up in our relationship with Jesus Christ.

Some, like Warren Wiersbe's commentary, will try to tell you that you were healed the day you accepted Christ. If you sat in meetings with me, where people try to own that idea, you would hear me say, “I wish that were true.”

As Paul said in chapter seven,
"But if I know that what I am doing is wrong, this shows that I agree that the law is good. So I am not the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it. And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. I want to do what is right, but I can’t. I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway. But if I do what I don’t want to do, I am not really the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it." (Romans 7:16-20 NLT)

I have learned that, for me, in this life, I need to lean heavily upon the Holy Spirit.

For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus

And with that, we move into Romans chapter eight.
The Complete Jewish Bible starts us off with the word, therefore, as do many other translations.

Therefore, there is no longer any condemnation awaiting those who are in union with the Messiah Yeshua. (Romans 8:1 CJB)

I often hear my spirit say, ARE YOU KIDDING ME as the majority of the condemnation that I have experienced in this Christian life has come from religious people. Need examples?

• The pastor who verbally accosted me and said that I am too edgy to teach Bible study; and yet, he allows others, who stand in defiance as they speak in opposition to accepted church Biblical values and doctrines.

• An individual whom I used to deem a friend, called me a firebrand (this is a person who provokes people,) and scolded me in public because I try to get people excited about the Word of God.

• And then, there is the brother in Christ who wanted to make himself look important by trying to argue me down in a home-group. The question was asked of the small group that night, how big was David when he fought Goliath. (Three hard pieces of Biblical evidence demonstrate his potential size, and it wasn't small.)

So what is Paul saying? Even if abuse or hardship comes, there is NO condemnation awaiting us on the part of Jesus or the Father, because we are in union with Jesus by our acceptance of Him and what He did for us.

The statement, "there is NO condemnation" is straight forward. You would think we should all have this established in our thinking. However, even in a small group that I am part of, a dear lady, who we assume to be knowledgeable in scripture, said, then what do we do with what Paul said about confessing our sin?
I responded, don't you see, the assumption is that:
a. God has just moved you over to the “burn this one in hell” list because of your “sin.”

b. That sin, (You would not expect the eighty-year-old church lady, to be committing grievous sins of the flesh.) has everything to do with raunchy fleshly desires. IT DOES NOT. Sin is merely missing the mark. Every day, we have marks we have to hit, such as loving the unlovable. How does that work out for you? Yeah, me too.
If this “sinning” stuff were the end-all, then NONE of us would go to heaven.

c. This idea of confessing, as though it was a continual act of slaughtering a lamb for your sins, does not change God's heart toward you.

The passage she was referring to is this.
1 John 1:9 NASB says, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

Obviously, John is talking about the God relationship, but the word confess is not what you think.

Confess is the Greek word homologeō and means to assent.
Assent, from Webster's dictionary, means “the act of the mind in admitting, or agreeing to, the truth of a proposal.”
A proposal? So your mind has been presented with a proposal, and in many cases, the enemy is the one doing the proposing. Another way to look at this is, Satan offers you a jump (off a cliff for all I know,) and even though you are NOT being pushed, you choose not to resist that nonsense and take the jump. IF you have done that and survived, and you are now confessing to a safe and sane believer - hopefully, how you bought into the lie of the enemy. Rejoice for you have done several positive things:

• You have just become open and honest about your sin - in which you missed the mark.

• You are at least, owning your actions, and the damage you may have created.

• Now you have the chance to make a change and potentially NOT do that again.

• And, our intercessor, Christ Jesus, is praying alongside you, for your healing and restoration to sanity.

Before I move on, I want to point something out.

We have many translations available for our usage. If you chose to use the KJV, for example, you would get this: "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit."

Pay attention to these words:
“who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.”

One version, the exeGeses ready research Bible, indicates that this line is NOT in the original manuscripts. Words added for clarity, such as “There is,” are most often italicized, but that did not happen here, and, to make our understanding more muddled, the KJV gives me Strong's numbers for the added line.

Confusing, absolutely, and it requires that we pay attention and dig a little more.

Now, what do I do with this dilemma that the added line creates?
For me, I run several tests on it, and I lean on the Holy Spirit.

If you are not filled with the Holy Spirit, then you need to ask the Father to fill you with that free gift. Scripture tells us that:

"But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak, and He will disclose to you what is to come. (John 16:13 NASB)

So, clearly, the Holy Spirit is a huge benefit, and He – being a persona of God, no less than Jesus is, will show you the truth and guide into the truth. Sorry, but you are just going to have to learn to trust Him, just as you trusted Christ Jesus to be your Lord.

If I choose not to use the KJV translation with the added words, am I losing some deep part of God's heart?

I did not pay much attention to this line before, as much of Romans was like muddy water. Today though, I find that the phrase most certainly implies the meeting of some conditional human standard. If that is the case, who set the standard because knowing that will influence how much effort I put into sorting this out?

Lacking an answer as to who set the standard, I move on to some other test. Now, I find myself asking, does what seem like God's word truly reflect God's nature and character; if so, how would I evaluate that?

Considering that God sent His only Son, to die a brutal death, for a world that did not know or love Him, why would He now put stipulations, on what, Paul pointed out, are impossible in our flesh to fulfill, back on us again? 

I can learn quite a bit about God's character just by looking at Jesus' life. He told us, “whatever I see the Father do, I do.” And, as Peter said, "Jesus went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed of the devil."

"You know of Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with power, and how He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.” (Acts 10:38 NASB)

What I understand about what happened here in Acts 10:38, is that there was no exclusion, as all were oppressed by the devil. Again, I am aware that religious folk will accost you for advocating how Jesus operated by saying, the devil is not hiding under every bush, and they would be right. But consider this, Satan took one-third of the angels with him in his fall. One-third of a countless quantity is an astronomical amount, and they are all most certainly helping Satan in his final attempts at destroying anything and anyone that looks like Jesus.

The bottom line for me, God would not, and has not made a conditional relationship with us.

Sadly, this very conversation became a point of contention in “Bible Study” one recent Thursday. Fortunately, I did my own personal study and then looked at the Wiersbe commentary and that is precisely what he found. I pointed this out to my critic and that person, for the moment, shut-up.

I must admit that having people walk according to the Spirit would be a better way of living for all of us, but we must learn to show people who are struggling, just as we do with the enemy's taunts, a little more grace.

I am going to throw in a verse that I was reminded of today before I started working on this study on Romans 8.

Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you. (Ephesians 4:31-32 NASB)


 I came upon this verse in Ephesians in my morning devotional. It is something a group of men I know, do every day. The writer of the devotional, Andy Stanley, asked the question, should we respond affirmatively to this merely because it is God's Word, or should we follow the advice, because Christ has forgiven us? In other words, act like Jesus. 

Released from the law, a fascinating thought. Romans 7:1-4.

The NASB entitles chapter seven:

Released from the Law

The translators opted to put the Bible into chapters; I suppose for the sake of clarity. The reality is, as most of you know, that Paul wrote this letter to the Church in Rome from Corinth. He never made it to Rome until he went in “chains.” (I am well aware that he may not have been in chains, but it makes a point, doesn't it?

The church in Rome was comprised of a group of Jewish followers of Christ, and, an unknown number of Gentile believers within their assembly and anyone with a simple understanding can start at the first chapter of Paul's letter pick up on the idea that this letter is centered around Jewish understanding, tradition, and culture issues.

Assuming that you for some reason decided to start in chapter seven, a chapter that opens with, “Or do you not know?” You, as the reader should be adequately lost, because you have entered mid-thought and have no idea what the conversation was about, nor do you know, who specifically he is talking to.

Or do you not know, brothers and sisters (for I am speaking to those who know the law), that the law is lord over a person as long as he lives?

(Romans 7:1 NET.)

• The phrase, “Or do you not know,” has no explanation without a context.

• There are a variety of translations and the NET version chose to refer to them as “brothers and sisters.” Language such as this is mere "church speak" for fellow believers, and obviously a mix of men and women. In reality, the translation is merely trying to not offend anyone by including women. However, Paul was a devout Jew and women, by tradition and earlier training, would not have been his focus in a conversation. So a version like the NASB, which simply says “brethren” leans more toward the Jewish attitude, and adds to the argument that his focus is on speaking to Jews who are having an attitude problem. (This attitude problem is spelled out in the earlier chapters of this letter. An example of Paul's attempt at addressing their bad attitude can be seen as Paul opens this letter with, “I Paul, a slave of Jesus Christ.” The Jews, on one occasion, screamed back at Jesus with, “we have NEVER been slaves to anyone.” Really? Did you merely throw four hundred years of history out with the trash? What happened there in Egypt? There is also an attempt, on Paul's part, to get these followers of Christ, to lay off the high minded attitude that you are better than the Gentile believers who have joined you.)

• Note how the verse above says, “for I am speaking to those who know the law,” this is further evidence that Paul is addressing a crowd with a Jewish emphasis. Do not think for a moment that this letter that Paul wrote to the church in Rome is not meant for us, it is. The letter had both an immediate context and an extended and intended impact on you and I. If you read the previous posts on Romans six, then you would have seen life-changing terminology such as We were joined with Christ; baptized into His death; Raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives; Crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives; We are no longer slaves to sin.

• The NET translation as used above ends with, “the law is lord over a person as long as he lives.” It would appear that we, especially since we are reading this, are quite alive. The obvious fact is that dead people don't have to worry about laws anymore; or do they? Now I have to consider, or understand that the soul is eternal – made in the image of God, (Genesis 1:26) and never dies. But what then is death? Eternal separation from God. The law is primarily a Jewish orientation. Thanks to Jesus and the cross, the law was satisfied, but we are still required to love God and treat people decent. (That is my short version of the law.) The NLT translation says, “those familiar with the law.” Again, that would have been the Jews. Doesn't that imply my exclusion? Sorry, but no, for the law, Paul argues, is written on our hearts.

Romans chapter six ends on this note: a transition, from slavery to sin, where your only reward is some form of death; to a life that is made holy because of, and through Christ.

I used several translations to build the paragraph below.

(Romans 6:20-23 ) In the past, you were slaves to sin, and you did not even think about doing right. (ERV)  Well, what did you gain then by it all? Nothing but what you are now ashamed of! The end of all that is death; (Moffatt ) However, now, freed from sin and enslaved to God, you do get the benefit—it consists of being made holy, set apart for God, and its end result is eternal life. (CJB) The payment for sin is death, but the gift that God freely gives is everlasting life found in Christ Jesus our Lord. (GW)

This new life has no payment, but it does have a gift - eternal life which is found in Christ Jesus. Having found and received this gift of eternal life, Paul poses the next question.

"Or do you not know, brethren (for I am speaking to those who know the law), that the law has jurisdiction over a person as long as he lives?" (Romans 7:1 NASB)

Why would Paul make such an apparent statement as “the law only has jurisdiction over a person as long as he lives?” This is what I talked about just moments ago when I asserted, “The obvious fact is that dead people don't have to worry about laws anymore.” But therein lies the problem. There are two kinds of death, but our heads only seem to focus on one of them – the cessation of breath.

To be dead here on earth is nowhere close to spiritual death, and that is what we were without Christ. Oh sure, the benefits of the cross, like forgiveness, were applied to the whole earth, but you still have to receive the gift, and the gift was and still is Jesus Christ.

Paul, knowing full well what the Jewish attitude is about divorce (God hates divorce,) speaks in a manner that Jewish believers would understand.

For example, a married woman is bound by Torah to her husband while he is alive; but if the husband dies, she is released from the part of the Torah that deals with husbands. (Romans 7:2 CJB)

It's not just the law she is bound to, it is the Torah. 

To simply say “the law,” as many translations do, pushes us to look at this statement through Gentile eyes. In the world I understand, you don't need a reason to get divorced anymore. You can simply be annoyed with the way they hold their toothbrush. So in my Gentile world, we are only bound by the law for as long some court document says we are. In the Jewish world, the man could merely abandon the woman. If he did that she would then be stuck between a rock and a hard place, but if he dies, then she is free to possibly remarry. Considering there was no social security or welfare, this was a brutal way to live.

Here is where the law makes the married couples' life complex.

"Therefore, while the husband is alive, she will be called an adulteress if she marries another man; but if the husband dies, she is free from that part of the Torah; so that if she marries another man, she is not an adulteress." (Romans 7:3 Complete Jewish Bible)

Fortunately, the story doesn't end here.

Thus, my brothers, you have been made dead with regard to the Torah through the Messiah's body, so that you may belong to someone else, namely, the one who has been raised from the dead, in order for us to bear fruit for God. (Romans 7:4 CJB)

And this statement, “you have been made dead with regard to the Torah through the Messiah's body,” is exactly the focus of Romans chapter six. We don't just get to be forgiven; we get to bear fruit for God. The saddest part of this is that many, learning of this freedom, will simply abuse it.

"For when we lived according to our human nature, the sinful desires stirred up by the Law were at work in our bodies, and all we did ended in death." (Romans 7:5 GNB)

If a Doctor were to look at your genetic chain, they would see a marker at some spot, just as they do in everyone else, and they would declare you, no matter the impact it has on you, to be normal. This concept is a little easier to comprehend if think about Adam's act of eating the fruit, as something that changed him genetically. Is that so impossible anymore? I don't think so, as most of what we eat is genetically modified. Therefore, if a man can do it, then so can God.

So, when Paul says something like, “For when we lived according to our human nature,” he is talking about a permanently broken human nature, that drives us to fulfill our lusts, and a few of Satan's as well. Now, as for that permanently broken aspect. Is that a hopeless cause for us? No, because there is something amazing that will happen to us.

"in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed." (1 Corinthians 15:52 NASB)

That piece that is broken, will be fixed. I know this because I have an assurance that I am spending eternity with my Father, and that He will let nothing that pollutes into His kingdom.

I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. And the city has no need of the sun or of the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God has illumined it, and its lamp is the Lamb. The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it. In the daytime (for there will be no night there) its gates will never be closed, and they will bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it; and nothing unclean, and no one who practices abomination and lying, shall ever come into it, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life. (Revelation 21:22-27 NASB)

Can you see why God had to have a plan in place from the very beginning?

But now we have been released from the law because we have died to what controlled us, so that we may serve in the new life of the Spirit and not under the old written code. (Romans 7:6 NET bible.)

Let's take Romans 7:6 apart backward, sort of.

• “Because we have died to what controlled us.”

I am jumping ahead, but only because I have a point to make. Paul had the same problem I am now having, I keep missing the mark (Missing the mark is a derivative from Medieval archery, where an archer would miss the bullseye or mark. Our life is filled with opportunities to hit the mark, the only problem is, that the target, mounted on a bail of hay, could be well over 91.44 meters away. At this point, the mark, or bullseye, may look the size of a very small coin.) 

How then do I come to understand that I have died to what controlled me? 

Since everything we do has to have some faith attached to it, let's start there. Symbolically, our understanding, and or, our act of putting ourselves in water before a crowd of people, demonstrate our faith in Jesus Christ. What did He do for us? He died for us so that we might live, and that association is our death along with Him. As I said earlier, dead people don't have desires, and so I have to remind myself occasionally, that I am dead. Keep in mind that we don't merely die, we live as well, but we live together with Him. And He is not bothered with sin in His condition either.

• “But now we have been released from the law.”

You want to know what you were released from? The bondage that the law brought with it. The law brought a fear of death, and, even worse, the law was only a temporary fix. 

Our relationship with Jesus Christ brought us the gift of God, which is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Let's focus on the term law for a moment. 

Jesus told us plainly, “Don’t misunderstand why I have come. I did not come to abolish the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to accomplish their purpose. I tell you the truth until heaven and earth disappear, not even the smallest detail of God’s law will disappear until its purpose is achieved.” (Matthew 5:17-18 NLT)

So the law, and it's practical side – civility will be with us until Jesus is finally seated on the throne in the New Jerusalem.

Another, possibly more restrictive alternative is already in place. 

When Paul opened his letter to the Romans, he introduced himself as a slave to Christ Jesus. Slaves have no rights and certainly no room or permission to an opinion. I suppose there are always exceptions to every rule, but in general, you do what you are told. So for Paul to make this statement about slavery was powerful, and it surely made a point to the Jewish readers.

In case you don't know, slavery at this point in time was so common, that one in four humans was a slave.

At least, as our twisted minds see it, we had more options under the law for we, supposedly, could ignore the law.

“Because of the weakness of your human nature, I am using the illustration of slavery to help you understand all this. Previously, you let yourselves be slaves to impurity and lawlessness, which led ever deeper into sin. Now you must give yourselves to be slaves to righteous living so that you will become holy.” (Romans 6:19 NLT)

• “so that we may serve in the new life of the Spirit and not under the old written code.”

Such a pleasant word, serve, unfortunately, it is the Greek word douleuō and means to be a slave, or, to be in bondage. Rewritten, the verse could easily read like this: “so that we may be in bondage to the new life of the Spirit.”

Do you still believe that you are not guided by the law? 

Certainly, we are not oppressed by the bondage and fear associated with the slavery of the law. But here, the law is written upon our hearts; it is a part of who we are now.

 And, we have the Holy Spirit to lead and guide us if we will listen to His voice.

Dead to sin, alive to God. Romans 6:1-9.

So here is how Romans chapter five closes:

God’s law was given so that all people could see how sinful they were. But as people sinned more and more, God’s wonderful grace became more abundant. So just as sin ruled over all people and brought them to death, now God’s wonderful grace rules instead, giving us right standing with God and resulting in eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 5:20-21 NLT)

God brings his law to “His people”, although they were not called Israel at this point, to show them how sinful they were.

Stop here and think about this for a moment. With little to guide them or show them a way to God, who were they?

By the time Moses, as a baby, comes on the scene, most were, for all intents and purposes, Egyptians.

What if the only remaining family, that still held to the oral history – a history that takes them back to, not just Abraham but creation itself, is the one that brought Moses into the world?

Do I know this for a fact, NO, but jump forward in time a bit, to where they have barely escaped with their lives from Egypt. Soon after setting up camp, Moses does not only the impractical but the impossible, as he goes up into the mountain without food and water. Gone for forty days the people effectively declare Moses dead.
Well, since God's man has to be dead, then it must be time for a return to what we know best, and they appoint Moses brother Aaron to make the god Molech for them. Didn't I just say Moses' own family may have been the only remaining link to the oral history of these people; and what do we see? Aaron gathers gold and fashions this half man – half calf altar; a hollow cavity with outstretched arms, that they used to sacrifice children.

Read through the account that Stephen gives to the Jewish council that is about to have him stoned to death.

“But our ancestors refused to listen to Moses. They rejected him and wanted to return to Egypt. They told Aaron, ‘Make us some gods who can lead us, for we don’t know what has become of this Moses, who brought us out of Egypt.’ So they made an idol shaped like a calf, and they sacrificed to it and celebrated over this thing they had made. Then God turned away from them and abandoned them to serve the stars of heaven as their gods! In the book of the prophets, it is written, ‘Was it to me you were bringing sacrifices and offerings during those forty years in the wilderness, Israel? No, you carried your pagan gods—the shrine of Molech, the star of your god Rephan, and the images you made to worship them. So I will send you into exile as far away as Babylon.’ (Acts 7:39-43 NLT)

In his speech, he says, “you carried your pagan god's – the shrine of Moloch, the star of your god Rephan, and the images you made. ..” No one on the Jewish council disputed with Stephen over these words.

We are told in Exodus 32:28, that about 3000 men, and who knows how many women, died that day. Now, how sinful was Israel in this case? Sinful enough for at least 3000 people to die by the sword.

While that paints an ugly picture, Romans 5:20,21 has a more pleasant side to it.

“ But as people sinned more and more, God’s wonderful grace became more abundant.”

That being said, let's look at Romans chapter six.

The NASB entitles this segment: Dead to Sin, Alive to God.

What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it? (Romans 6:1-2 NASB)

What a great question: “Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? Well, it makes sense; if sinning causes God's grace to become more abundant, shouldn't we just keep on sinning, maybe God will love us more? Don't be foolish; sin will get you killed, and then you are no use to anyone.

Paul answers his own question when he says,

“May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it?”

Did you catch that? We who are in Christ, have died to sin. If you have died to sin, then theoretically, sin no longer exists to you. Sadly, we all know sin does still exist to us, so what is Paul trying to say? If you treat sin (Sin is an old English word meaning to miss the bullseye on a target – I include this terminology because it puts this idea of sin on an everyday playing field. It is common to all of us.) as though it is dead, then perhaps you won't go out of the way to act out in sin. Try applying this concept to road rage, or having your own way – this also covers selfishness and showing mercy to others as Christ showed mercy to you.

Paul has more on this dying to sin.

Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; for he who has died is freed from sin. (Romans 6:3-7 NASB)

• “Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death?”
  My statement was, We who are in Christ have died to sin. Did that happen because we got baptized? I don't think so, besides, there are many who did not get baptized, and yet this idea of dying to sin applies to them as well. So then, it leans itself to a spiritual concept. Since many of us cannot seem to comprehend this from a spiritual point of view, then it has to be put it into words people can relate to, such as:
  • Christ's death on the cross.
  • His baptism in the Jordan, and in death; and that takes us to His burial.
  • Paul wrote in Galatians 2:20a. NASB "I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me;”
  • Having risen from the dead, Paul tells us in 1Corinthians 15:5-7, that Christ appeared to over 500 people. I point this out as it adds to the tangible evidence.
  • And although this is a little less tangible for most, His ascension into the heavens.
    Acts 1:11 is one of those places that speak of this.
    “They also said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven.”
  Sometimes, visualizing a concept causes it to become more of a reality to you.
• “Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.”
  Paul is using the Greek word baptízō here. It is a word that carries the meanings of to saturate, and to overwhelm, but you cannot escape the fact that the word also means to immerse, submerge, and baptize. Based on this information, it is safe to assume that Paul is associating water baptism with Christ's burial. In that case, it should prompt you to think more clearly about what you are doing when you get baptized. There is an old saying that goes a bit like this, “I am deadly serious.”
  The phrase is intended to shock your thinking, as there are beneficial things that can kill you, like tractors and the edged implements that attach to them. While baptism is not going to kill you, you are putting yourself in the substitutionary state to demonstrate that you are burying the past, and rising to a new life in Christ. This life, whether you get baptized in water, or not, can, if you will let it, change everything about your life; in the Apostle Paul's case and in the lives of all the Apostles but one, it was deadly serious.
• “ For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection,”
  This isn't just focused on death, Paul also focuses on Christ's resurrection. Our coming up out of the water represents such a moment of time. But here again, you probably did not grasp that concept the day you had your baptismal orientation.
  What happened that day that Jesus resurrected?
  The writer of the letter to the Hebrews goes into great detail how Christ Jesus:

• was restored to full Son-ship;
• made the heir of all things;
• now shines with the radiance of the Father;
• is the exact representation of the Father;
• upholds all things by the word of His power;
• as our high priest made purification of sins;
• has had all things put under his feet;
• and ever makes intercession for us.
• All this was done “so that we would no longer be slaves to sin.”
  Paul opened this letter to the church in Rome by introducing himself as a slave of Christ Jesus. Many years ago, the singer/entertainer Bob Dylan came out as a Christian and made an album. One of the songs went like this, you may serve the devil, or you may serve the Lord, but you are going to have to serve somebody. Just know that you don't have to be a slave to sin; however, if you are, it was most likely a choice you made.

Now, since we died with Christ, we shall also live with Him.

As we ended our last study on Romans with this:

“knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; (7) for he who has died is freed from sin.” (Romans 6:6-7 NASB)

My mind takes me to a time when I was about 12 years old. Some of the boys from church that I tried to hang out with, went down front to accept Jesus Christ as their savior, and so I joined them; however, I cannot remember a time when I did not know Him – thank you, Mom. So, let’s say that at my age currently, I have always known the Lord.

If that is the case, how did I have such a catastrophic moral failure at midlife?

Doesn’t Paul say, that he who has died is freed from sin?
He does, and so the unmistakable fact is, the prodding that we have to sin is ever-present with us. The easiest way to understand “sin” is that it is genetic, passed down from Adam, and we will NEVER, while we live in these mortal bodies, be free from the attraction of and to “sin.”

If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you. (Romans 8:10-11 NASB)

And if we are giving this an honest look, then we have to admit that Paul also struggled with this embedded sin.

For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not. For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want. (Romans 7:18-19 NASB)

Paul explains all this as we go, but let me try to follow my train of thought.

Since I can’t escape the sin that is a part of me – short of death, then my relationship with Christ must give me another solution, and it does.

Pay attention to the phrase, “for he who has died is freed from sin.” Obviously, I did not die, Christ did, but through His human activity that took place, and because of His death and resurrection, He eliminated all spiritual penalties associated with that sin; and, as the sacrificial lamb/scapegoat, He paid for and canceled all – past, present, and future compensation for sin – things that we habitually associate with God and punishment.

Note: this action on the part of Christ does not get you off the hook with local, state, and federal laws, although there have been instances where it has. The most significant impact Jesus’ death and resurrection has is when religious zealots want to try to put sin, and the guilt associated with that sin, back on you through manipulation. Hey, if you are going to a church that does that, GET OUT and find another church.

Moving on with Romans 6:8 – We shall also live with Him.

Romans 6:8-9 NASB Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, (9) knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, is never to die again; death no longer is master over Him.

Symbolically, we died with Christ when we got baptized or believed with understanding.

In using the terminology "now if," Paul may be trying to assuage some doubts, that he has, with relationship some have demonstrated in Christ.

In my own family circle, we have one who did all the right and religious things; however, it did not stop him from cheating on his wife (several times.) Based on his actions, his fruit dies on the vine far too frequently. The Apostle John said something similar.

The one who says, "I have come to know Him," and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him; (1 John 2:4 NASB)

And only a few paragraphs later, there is this cryptic passage.

Children, it is the last hour; and just as you heard that antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have appeared; from this, we know that it is the last hour. They went out from us, but they were not really of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but they went out so that it would be shown that they all are not of us. (1 John 2:18-19 NASB)

Obviously, there are those in our congregations that really are not of us. But here is the problem with that, as Jesus said, we city folk can't tell a stalk of wheat from Downy Brome. Try to pull out the weed that looks very similar to wheat, and we may pull a few good stalks of wheat in the process. The details of this parable are found in Matthew 13:24-30 and I will leave you to pursue that.

There is, however, a context to Paul's statement that he makes in Romans 6:8-9, as he is referring to what he had previously stated when he said, “he who has died is freed from sin.” Spiritually, in God's eyes and the record books, this is blatantly true; if I can accept that Christ died for me, and believe - another way of saying, have faith in all that He has done for me. (That is really quite a mouth full.)

What is it that gives first Paul, and now I, the understanding that we are now free from sin? Romans 6:9

“Knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, is never to die again; death is no longer is master over Him.”

Jesus Christ is never going back on the cross. The price He paid was enough; not the kind of enough that barely gets you through, but the kind that is seen as over-achievement.

Pay attention to the words “death is no longer master over Him.” While it is true that Jesus has conquered death and it is no longer master over Him, for the time being, death, and all its ramifications, still exist. Not only that, but humans continue to sustain injury and cease to breath; and, people still have the option of choosing spiritual death over life, this essentially brings about their separation from God. If death is no longer master over Him, then death means separation from God, and no longer has control over those of us who have chosen to follow after Him - Jesus Christ.

Paul makes this point about how our relationship is in Christ, repeatedly.

Romans 8:38-39 NASB For I am convinced that neither death nor life, ... will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

1 Corinthians 15:22 NASB (22) For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ, all will be made alive.

Ephesians 2:13 NASB But now in Christ Jesus, you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

I am of the belief that this information should be retaught frequently because we forget who we are, and who we belong to. Remember, YOU are in Christ and dead to this world. As one who struggles with anxiety and depression, then I am talking to me as well. 

Have you ever heard someone say, "Thanks, I needed that." Well, I needed to hear this again, and so do you.

Ezekiel 38 and 39, a detailed look at the prophecy against Gog. Part 1

I was asked by my pastor why I study eschatology (end times events.) Ignoring the negativity of a challenge like this, I find that "end times events" are tied in with almost everything I read in scripture. Ezekiel 38 and 39 is such an event, as it speaks of a horrific situation that may happen at any minute.

Try opening a conversation about what you find in Ezekiel 38 and 39 and the eyes of your audience will glaze over and you can watch them begin to look at their watches, wondering if there isn't somewhere else they need to go. There are reasons behind this lack of interest, and they stem from confusion; a lack of understanding; the inability of the speaker to put flesh and blood on the characters; and, the worst part is that there is a veil over the eyes and ears of the hearer so that they cannot comprehend. Along with those factors, there is a multitude of answers as to who the players are and when this event will take place. Ambiguity plays a role in the disinterest because an honest dissertation of an end-times scenario will typically put you in the ballpark, perhaps even provide the audience with the team name, but at this point, I am not sure we specifically say who the main characters are. Furthermore, two simple sentences can inspire books of commentary. I am going to try and condense but still give you an understanding of this prophecy.

An introduction to Ezekiel:

He was a priest, the son of a priest, and he was taken captive into Babylon. Already, you should be thinking, odds are not in his favor. Ezekiel was one of the few that give us precise dates.

According to Dr. John Gill's commentary, chapter 38 gives an account of "an enemy of the Jews, under the name of Gog, that shall invade their land, and disturb their peace after they are settled in it;"

J. Vernon McGee, in his commentary, demonstrates some classic old-school thinking as he tells us the theme of Ezekiel 38 is Russia's invasion of Israel. McGee is making his case for Gog to be Russia.

I happen to think McGee's assessment is wrong and we should not be focused on the Russian President Putin. You have to keep in mind what was going on in the world that would have inspired the McGee's particular emphasis on Russia in his commentary. For example, The United States was deeply entrenched in the Korean war; the Vietnam conflict, with the cold war with Russia waiting just around the corner. I too assumed that Russia would be one of the major players (and no doubt they are, but we are trying to think biblically while paying attention to the context.) as we lived with the verified threat of Russian missiles 90 miles off our coast in Cuba - a Russian ally, as children.

The Summarized Bible commentary conveys that “God does not only see those who are now the enemies of His people, but foresees those who will be so in the last days, and lets them know by His Word that He is against them, and will make their movements to serve His own purposes.”

I know, every generation has had those that have said, "we are in the last days," and I would tell you that they were right.

Now how would I come to the understanding that every generation comprehended that we are in the last days?

• Daniel chapter 9, spells out a seventy-week decree against Israel. Sixty-nine of those weeks have been fulfilled. The seventieth week of years (7years) has been on hold for over 2000 years. Therefore, we, the church, have been in the last days for over 2000 years.
• Peter, on the day of Pentecost, filled with Holy Spirit, preached to the thousands milling about the streets of Jerusalem that day. An aspect of what Peter said came from Joel chapter 2 which speaks about the time of God's wrath which the seventieth year portrays. However, within that period, people are acting out in the power of the Holy Spirit as the prophets of old did. Peter said this part of Joel's prophecy had been fulfilled in your hearing.

What did he say? We are living in the last days.

Since the last days seems to be very focused on the seven-years of wrath, are we, at the moment, living in the seventieth week? No, and that will not come until the church is removed from the earth. 2 Thessalonians 2:6-8

The NASB opens our look into Ezekiel 38 with:

Prophecy Against Gog

Ezekiel 38:1-2 NASB And the word of the LORD came to me saying, 2) "Son of man, set your face toward Gog of the land of Magog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him

Note how the passage provided has no appropriate punctuation at the end. That is because the thought continues and we will pursue that shortly. But for the moment let's dissect the verses.

• “Son of man,”
  Is there any question as to whom the Lord is talking? The answer is Ezekiel.
• “set your face toward Gog of the land of Magog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal, and prophesy against him,”

Okay, what just happened? Ezekiel was told to prophesy against two entities:

• Gog; this person also happens to be the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal.
• And, the land of Magog;

If Ezekiel is told to prophesy against him, and "him" includes the land, then we should be considering the possibility that this is:

• A nation?
• A people group?
• A demonic operation that controls a people group?

As I try to understand, I turn my attention to my concordances and look up the word Gog.

BDB Definition: Gog = “mountain” -

1. A Reubenite, the son of Shemaiah (1 Ch 5:4)
2. The prophetic prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal, and Magog (Read Ezekiel 32)

Strong's concordance merely adds Gog, the name of an Israelite. The KJC keeps us in Ezekiel with one exception:

1 Chronicles 5:1-4 MKJV And the sons of Reuben, the first-born of Israel (for he was the first-born; but since he defiled his father's bed, his birthright was given to the sons of Joseph the son of Israel, and the genealogy is not to be counted according to the birthright; 2) For Judah prevailed among his brothers, and from him came the chief ruler, but the birthright was Joseph's); 3) the sons of Reuben the first-born of Israel: Hanoch, and Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi. 4) The sons of Joel: Shemaiah his son, Gog his son, and Shimei, his son.

The dishonor carried by the family due to Reuben's indiscretion, which excluded them from any rights of birth, surely plays a role in all of this.

The Word Study Dictionary tells us this about Gog:

• He is pictured as a great enemy against God's people.
  Ezekiel 38:9 NASB "You will go up, you will come like a storm; you will be like a cloud covering the land, you and all your troops, and many peoples with you."
• He is from the land of Magog or possibly "from the land of Gog."
  Gog. i.e., mountain, in reference to the Caucasus mountains, the chief seat of the Scythian people. Note: Rather, "Gog (the prince) of the land of Magog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal." The Ultimate Cross-Reference Treasury
• The Lord sets Himself against Gog (Eze_38:2).
• Gog will lead a coalition of nations against God's people who are then dwelling securely in the land of Israel (Eze_38:14-16).
  With the addition of the words, God's people who are then dwelling securely in ...Israel. They have turned this so that we are looking at the church and not Israel, which is incorrect.
• But God, in fact, will bring Gog forth and will destroy him and his people.
  Ezekiel 39:1-2; Ezekiel 38:19-23
• The Lord spoke about this through other prophets (Eze_38:17-18).
  Ezekiel 38:17 MKJV So says the Lord Jehovah: Are you he of whom I have spoken in former days, by the hand of My servants the prophets of Israel, who prophesied in those days and years that I would bring you against them?
• The multitudes of Gog will be buried in the Valley of Hamon Gog, that is, "multitudes of Gog" (Eze_39:11),
  Ezekiel 39:11 CJB " 'When that day comes, I will give Gog a place there in Isra'el for graves, the Travelers' Valley, east of the sea; and it will block the travelers' passage. There they will bury Gog and all his horde, and they will rename it the Valley of Hamon-Gog [horde of Gog].

The Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature informs us that:

They are the name of a mixed race dwelling in the extreme north, comprehended by the Greeks under the name of the Scythians; (2.) to the center and representative of their race, i.e. their king (Ezekiel 38:39). Gog comes forth from the distant north (Eze_38:15-23; Eze_39:2), ... And, if you are stickler for history - Interpreters have given very different explanations of the terms Gog and Magog; but they have generally understood them as symbolical expressions for the heathen nations of Asia, or more particularly for the Scythians, a vague knowledge of whom seems to have reached the Jews in Palestine about that period. Thus Josephus (Ant. 1:6, 3) has dropped the Hebrew word Magog, and rendered it by Σκύθαι;

Classic Bible Maps

Of the maps, I looked at to better understand this ancient classic version shows me more and divergent details than any other map, as it points out Gog and Magog, and where they were located. I have also provided a link to Wikipedia which continues to fill in the blanks in understanding and prophecy with highly detailed information about the Scythians. Because of the quantity of information found there, which all seems important, I am only going to suggest that the interested pursue that there. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scythians]

As you read the information, consider where Gog might come from. It may help you to understand more clearly how the Turkish "president" Recep Tayyip Erdoğan might best fill the role of Gog.

Just for the fun of it, I searched the internet to find out if Genghis Khan could have been a Scythian. The Headline read, “Not Just Genghis Khan - Scythians Show Genetic Blending With Europe 2,000 Years Ago.” http://www.science20.com/news_articles/not_just_genghis_khan_scythians_show_genetic_blending_europe_2000_years_ago-96314

Here is was I gather so far.

Gog, from the disinherited family line of Reuben, moves North and becomes a nomadic, mounted, a warring nation known as the Scythians. They ranged into China, Siberia, Egypt, Asia Minor and as far south as the Northern African nations, however, they seem to be centrally located around Turkey and the Caspian Sea. They are heavily influenced and integrated by the surrounding nations such as Persia, Syria, and the Caucasus regions. They conquered Nineveh, the Assyrians, and the Medes. Having relations as violent as Genghis Khan one can assume that slaughter was their general theme. This is the people that God sees as one of Israel's few remaining thorns in the flesh.