Sunday, June 26, 2016

Poison Pill

We sang a very beautiful song in church this morning.

Forever.  Kari Jobe

The moon and stars they wept
The morning sun was dead
The Saviour of the world was fallen
His body on the cross
His blood poured out for us
The weight of every curse upon him
One final breath he gave
As heaven looked away
The son of God was laid in darkness
A battle in the grave
The war on death was waged
The power of hell forever broken
The ground began to shake
The stone was rolled away
His perfect love could not be overcome
Now death where is your sting?
Our resurrected King
Has rendered you defeated
Forever he is glorified
Forever he is lifted high
Forever he is risen
He is alive, He is alive!

It's beautiful song to listen to and worshipful to sing.
And right in the middle, unremarkable, is a phrase that poisons the entire song.
Worse, to the unsuspecting, nothing appears amiss, but some satanic heresy is introduced.
“A battle in the grave”

Our salvation was purchased on the cross, not in the grave.
Christ (Jesus) entered the grave victorious.
He went in to hell to set the prisoners free.
He went to proclaim the good news and take captivity captive.
Not to suffer further for our salvation.
Not to continue a battle He had already won.

There are a number of evangelists,  Kenneth Copeland for instance, who teach that Jesus had to suffer in hell (for three days) so we don'thave to.
This is a doctrine expressly contrary to scripture.
It comes from a book, From the Cross to the Throne, by E.W. Kenyon.
He claimed to have a revelation of that.

When I mentioned it to my pastor, he thought I was going to object to the "heaven turned it's back" line.
This is much more serious.
Songwriters are not theologians.
We will be changing the line to "Victory o'er the grave", or similar, I'm assured.

1 Corinthians 15:55
55 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?

That's the KJV. Grave is translated from a word that means hell or Hades.
I just discovered that all the new translations substitute death for grave.
I wonder why?
Have a blessed day.

Edit. Per Z:

10 comments:

  1. King James was all there was growing up. Made it easy.

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    Replies
    1. I have come to rely on it.
      Congratulations on your award.

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  2. That is a beautifully edifying song. And I agree with your response about " ... Jesus had to suffer in hell (for three days) ..." That's completely unscriptural. Good answer.
    Have a blessed day. ~:)

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  3. http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/mattmaher/christisrisen.html

    Those are terrific lyrics along the same line that I think you'll find scriptural.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IExdrZGQVeI Melody; it takes a few minutes to get into the song.
    ENJOY!!

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  4. I thought you would go with the "turned it's back" also, but I like what you did there.

    I sometimes feel like a particular reading or song was meant just for me at that exact time I needed it. Like yesterday with Paul's letter to the Galatians (or "FIVE GALATIANS, as some like to say)... But if you go on biting and devouring one another, beware that you are not consumed by one another.

    Brothers and sisters:
    For freedom Christ set us free;
    so stand firm and do not submit again to the yoke of slavery.

    For you were called for freedom, brothers and sisters.
    But do not use this freedom
    as an opportunity for the flesh;
    rather, serve one another through love.
    For the whole law is fulfilled in one statement,
    namely, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
    But if you go on biting and devouring one another,
    beware that you are not consumed by one another.

    I say, then: live by the Spirit
    and you will certainly not gratify the desire of the flesh.
    For the flesh has desires against the Spirit,
    and the Spirit against the flesh;
    these are opposed to each other,
    so that you may not do what you want.
    But if you are guided by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

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  5. Haha!! Just your favorite one.

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  6. I'll stick with King James, that's what I grew up with too...

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