Tag: christianity

What is Jesus’ Church in Matthew 16:18-19?

Dr Jito Vanualailai

Matthew 16:18-19 states (NKJV):

18 And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. 19 And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.

It is clear from verse 19 that Jesus, in giving the “keys of the kingdom of heaven to Peter”, approves of Peter in (1) proclaiming the gospel (opening the kingdom to believers), and (2) exercising discipline and judgment (forbidding and permitting practices and teachings).

One of the very first things that Peter taught was the definition of Jesus’ Church, describing it as a community of believers referred to as “living stones” being built into a spiritual house, with Christ as the cornerstone.

The Church as a Spiritual Building (1 Peter 2:4-8)

  • Peter writes:”As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him—you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood…” (1 Peter 2:4-5).

Peter emphasizes that Jesus is the “cornerstone” (1 Peter 2:6-8), the foundation upon which the Church is ultimately built.

6 For in Scripture it says:

“See, I lay a stone in Zion,
a chosen and precious cornerstone,
and the one who trusts in him
will never be put to shame.”

7 Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe,
“The stone the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone,”

8 and,
“A stone that causes people to stumble
and a rock that makes them fall.”

They stumble because they disobey the message—which is also what they were destined for.

The theme of The Church as a Spiritual Building in 1 Peter 2:4-8 aligns closely with Jesus’ teaching to the Samaritan woman at the well in John 4:21-24. Both passages emphasize the transition from worship tied to physical locations to a spiritual and faith-centered relationship with God.

Key Parallels Between 1 Peter 2:4-8 and John 4:21-24:

  1. Jesus’ Teaching to the Samaritan Woman:
    • John 4:21-24:“Believe me, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. … Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.”
    • Theme:
      • Jesus emphasizes that true worship is no longer tied to physical locations (e.g., Mount Gerizim or Jerusalem) but is based on worship “in Spirit and truth.”
      • The focus shifts to a spiritual relationship with God, accessible to all through faith.
  2. Peter’s Description of the Church as a Spiritual House:
    • 1 Peter 2:4-8:“… you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.”
    • Theme:
      • Believers are described as “living stones,” forming a “spiritual house” built on Christ, the cornerstone.
      • Worship becomes an offering of spiritual sacrifices, aligning with God’s will rather than physical rituals or temple-based worship.

“My Church”

From Matthew 16:18, it is clear that the expression “my church” is referring to Jesus Christ’s Church. The Greek expression for “Jesus Christ’s Church” is:

ἡ ἐκκλησία τοῦ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ
(hē ekklēsia tou Iēsou Christou)

The total value of this expression is 3440, as shown in the table below:

#GreekEnglishGreek ValueCumulative
1ἡ (hē)The88
2ἐκκλησία (ekklēsia)Church294302
3τοῦ (tou)of [the]7701072
4Ἰησοῦ (Iēsou)Jesus6881760
5Χριστοῦ (Christou)Christ16803440

It is astonishing that the that Carmichael Lambda function evaluated at 3440 is exactly 168, which is the identifier of the Lord’s Prayer in the Gospel of Luke. Indeed, the name “Christ” itself carries the number 168, given that the equivalent Greek word, Χριστοῦ, has the value 1680=168 x 10.

The implication is astounding. Jesus Christ named His very own Church after His prayer!

Conclusion: The Church of Jesus Christ, referred to in Matthew 16:18, is the spiritual body of believers (a visible, Spirit-filled community of believers), worshiping the Father in spirit and truth, and united by faith in Jesus Christ through the Lord’s Prayer (and by, extension, the Last Supper).

“I AM WHO I AM” is Jesus Christ: A Mathematical Argument

Dr Jito Vanualailai

In Exodus 3:14, we read:

14 And God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And He said, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’ ”

Theorem: “I AM WHO I AM” in Exodus 3:14 is Jesus Christ.

Proof: In Hebrew, the phrase “I AM WHO I AM” is אֶֽהְיֶ֖ה אֲשֶׁ֣ר אֶֽהְיֶ֑ה from the שמות 3:14 Hebrew OT: Westminster Leningrad Codex:

וַיֹּ֤אמֶר אֱלֹהִים֙ אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֔ה אֶֽהְיֶ֖ה אֲשֶׁ֣ר אֶֽהְיֶ֑ה וַיֹּ֗אמֶר כֹּ֤ה תֹאמַר֙ לִבְנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אֶֽהְיֶ֖ה שְׁלָחַ֥נִי אֲלֵיכֶֽם׃

Using the standard values of the Hebrew letters, we easily get the following values:

{
{“אהיה” I AM, 21},
{“אשר” WHO, 501},
{“אהיה” I AM, 21}
}

The sum is 543, which is the 442nd composite number. The 442nd even number is 884. But there are exactly 153 prime numbers less than or equal to 884. That is, the Prime Pi function evaluated at 884 is 153.

Since 153 refers to the Lord’s Prayer, which Jesus Christ taught us, we arrived at the conclusion of the theorem.

DISCUSSIONS

Outside of mathematics, we Christians can, of course, argue that the “I AM WHO I AM” statement in Exodus 3:14 refers to Jesus Christ based on several key theological and scriptural connections between the Old and New Testaments. Here are the main points supporting this argument.

The “I AM” Statement in Exodus 3:14

  1. Divine Self-Identification
    • In Exodus 3:14, God reveals Himself to Moses with the name “I AM WHO I AM” (Hebrew: “Ehyeh-Asher-Ehyeh”), which is understood to mean that God is self-existent, eternal, and unchanging. This name is central to God’s identity and His covenant relationship with Israel.

Jesus’ Use of “I AM” in the New Testament

  1. Jesus’ Explicit Claims
    • In the Gospel of John, Jesus uses the phrase “I AM” (Greek: “Ego Eimi”) multiple times in a way that echoes God’s self-revelation in Exodus. Notable instances include:
      • John 8:58: Jesus says, “Before Abraham was born, I am.” This statement caused a strong reaction from the Jewish leaders, who understood it as a claim to divinity, leading them to attempt to stone Him for blasphemy.
      • John 8:24: Jesus states, “For if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.”
      • John 18:5-6: When the soldiers come to arrest Jesus, He responds with “I am He,” and they fall to the ground, indicating a display of divine authority.
  2. “I AM” Statements and Divine Attributes
    • Throughout John’s Gospel, Jesus uses “I AM” in conjunction with metaphors that describe His divine role and mission:
      • John 6:35: “I am the bread of life.”
      • John 8:12: “I am the light of the world.”
      • John 10:11: “I am the good shepherd.”
      • John 11:25: “I am the resurrection and the life.”
      • John 14:6: “I am the way, the truth, and the life.”
      • John 15:1: “I am the true vine.”

Theological Implications

  1. Identification with Yahweh
    • By using the “I AM” formula, Jesus identifies Himself with Yahweh, the God of Israel. This is seen as a direct claim to be the same God who spoke to Moses at the burning bush.
  2. Divine Nature of Jesus
    • The early Christian church interpreted these statements as affirmations of Jesus’ divinity. They saw Jesus not just as a prophet or teacher, but as God incarnate, the second person of the Trinity.
  3. Fulfillment of Prophecy
    • Christians believe that Jesus fulfills the Old Testament prophecies about the coming of God in the flesh to save His people. The “I AM” statements reinforce this belief by directly linking Jesus to the God of Israel.

Scriptural Support

  1. Colossians 1:15-17
    • Paul describes Jesus as “the image of the invisible God,” affirming His divine nature and role in creation.
  2. Philippians 2:6-11
    • Paul speaks of Jesus, who “being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage,” further emphasizing Jesus’ divinity and pre-existence.
  3. Hebrews 1:3
    • The writer of Hebrews describes Jesus as “the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His being.”

By connecting Jesus’ “I AM” statements in the New Testament with God’s revelation to Moses in the Old Testament, we Christians understand and argue that Jesus is indeed the “I AM,” the eternal, self-existent God who has come in the flesh to reveal Himself fully and provide salvation.

Importance of Our Words and Their Impact on Others

Dr Jito Vanualailai

In Ephesians 4:29, we read:

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.

Since the Book of Ephesians is the 49th book of the Bible, the identifier for the verse is 49+4+29=82. The four divisors of 82 are in the set of divisors {1, 2, 41, 82}. Hence the arithmetic mean of the divisors is 126/4 = 31.5. This means that we can link Ephesians 4:29 with the Lord’s Prayer, particularly the petition “forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors” (Matthew 6:12). Both passages emphasize the importance of our words and their impact on others.

In Ephesians 4:29, Paul instructs believers to speak in a way that is beneficial and edifying to others, avoiding unwholesome talk. This aligns with the spirit of forgiveness and reconciliation found in the Lord’s Prayer. By asking for forgiveness and expressing our willingness to forgive others, we acknowledge the power of our words to hurt or heal and strive to use them in a way that builds up rather than tears down.

Additionally, the Lord’s Prayer teaches us to pray for God’s kingdom to come and His will to be done on earth as it is in heaven (Matthew 6:10). This includes praying for the transformation of our own hearts and the hearts of others, so that our words and actions reflect God’s love and grace.

Conclusion. Both Ephesians 4:29 and the Lord’s Prayer emphasize the importance of our words and the need to use them in a way that reflects God’s character of love, forgiveness, and grace.

The secret of the Lord is with Those who Fear Him (Psalm 25:14)

Dr Jito Vanualailai

There are two verses in the Bible that offer us incredible insights into God’s character and purposes; Psalm 25:14 and Proverbs 8:13.

The secret of the Lord is with those who fear Him. And He will show them His covenant. (Psalm 25:14, NKJV)

The fear of the Lord is to hate evil; Pride and arrogance and the evil way And the perverse mouth I hate. (Proverbs 8:13, NKJV)

Psalm 25:14 reveals that God shares His intimate counsel with those who revere Him, making His covenant known to them. This covenant signifies the special bond and promises that God extends to individual believers who honor Him and place their trust in His guidance. It encompasses God’s loving care, divine protection, abundant provision, and the privilege of intimate communion with those who faithfully obey His will. Proverbs 8:13 provides guidance on how to cultivate this reverent relationship with God to fully experience His covenant blessings. It emphasizes the importance of distancing ourselves from evil, rejecting pride, arrogance, and corrupt speech, as part of our commitment to honor and reverence the Lord.

In summary, both verses highlight the significance of fearing the Lord, which involves reverence, obedience, and a turning away from evil. They emphasize that those who fear the Lord are granted special privileges and insights into God’s character and purposes.

Next, we will show that mathematically Psalm 25:14 and Proverbs 8:13 are linked with the Lord’s Prayer. Indeed, the alphanumeric analysis of Psalm 25:14 gives the value 1142.

HebrewEnglishValue of Hebrew Word
ס֣וֹד
sō-wḏ		The secret70
יְ֭הוָה
Yah-weh		of Yahweh26
לִירֵאָ֑יו
lî-rê-’āw;		[is] with those who fear Him257
וּ֝בְרִית֗וֹ
ū-ḇə-rî-ṯōw,		and His covenant624
לְהוֹדִיעָֽם׃
lə-hō-w-ḏî-‘ām.		He will show them165
The sum of all the values of the words in Psalm 25:14 is 1142.

The number 1142 is the 952nd composite number. There are 16 divisors of 952, given in the set {1, 2, 4, 7, 8, 14, 17, 28, 34, 56, 68, 119, 136, 238, 476, 952}. The sum of the divisors is 2160; hence the arithmetic mean of the divisors is 2160/16 = 135.

Conclusion. Here we borrow an except from Oswald Chambers’ classic devotional My Utmost for His Highest:

The Secret of the Lord
The secret of the Lord is with those who fear Him… PSALM 25:14
What is the sign of a friend? Is it that he tells you his secret sorrows? No, it is that he tells you his secret joys. Many people will confide their secret sorrows to you, but the final mark of intimacy is when they share their secret joys with you. Have we ever let God tell us any of His joys? Or are we continually telling God our secrets, leaving Him no time to talk to us? At the beginning of our Christian life we are full of requests to God. But then we find that God wants to get us into an intimate relationship with Himself— to get us in touch with His purposes. Are we so intimately united to Jesus Christ’s idea of prayer— “Your will be done” (Matthew 6:10 )— that we catch the secrets of God? What makes God so dear to us is not so much His big blessings to us, but the tiny things, because they show His amazing intimacy with us— He knows every detail of each of our individual lives.

The Lord’s Prayer is Jesus’ Light and Truth

Dr Jito Vanualailai

In Psalm 43:3, we read (NKJV)

Oh, send out Your light and Your truth!
Let them lead me;
Let them bring me to Your holy hill
And to Your tabernacle.

Bible Hub gives us the following text analysis:

Strong’sHebrewEnglishMorphology
7971 [e]שְׁלַח־
šə-laḥ-		Oh send outV-Qal-Imp-ms
216 [e]אוֹרְךָ֣
’ō-wr-ḵā		Your lightN-csc | 2ms
571 [e]וַ֭אֲמִתְּךָ
wa-’ă-mit-tə-ḵā		and Your truthConj-w | N-fsc | 2ms
1992 [e]הֵ֣מָּה
hêm-māh		themPro-3mp
5148 [e]יַנְח֑וּנִי
yan-ḥū-nî;		let lead meV-Hifil-Imperf-3mp | 1cs
935 [e]יְבִיא֥וּנִי
yə-ḇî-’ū-nî		let them bring meV-Hifil-Imperf-3mp | 1cs
413 [e]אֶל־
’el-		toPrep
2022 [e]הַֽר־
har-		hillN-msc
6944 [e]קָ֝דְשְׁךָ֗
qāḏ-šə-ḵā		Your holyN-msc | 2ms
413 [e]וְאֶל־
wə-’el-		and toConj-w | Prep
4908 [e]מִשְׁכְּנוֹתֶֽיךָ׃
miš-kə-nō-w-ṯe-ḵā.		Your tabernacleN-mpc | 2ms

The alphanumeric analysis of of “Your Light” (שְׁלַח־) and “and Your Truth” (וַ֭אֲמִתְּךָ) gives the values 227 and 467, respectively. The sum is therefore 694, which is the 568th composite number. The divisors of 568 are in the set {1, 2, 4, 8, 71, 142, 284, 568}. Therefore, the sum of the divisors is 1080=135×8, and the arithmentic mean is 135.

Conclusion: The Lord’s Prayer is Jesus’s Light and Truth. In other words, when we pray the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus Christ shows us His Light and Truth to lead us to Him.

Discussions

The Lord’s Prayer and the concept of God’s light and truth in Psalm 43:3 share a deep connection in several ways:

  1. Guidance and Illumination: In the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus teaches His disciples to pray, “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10, NIV). This prayer expresses a desire for God’s kingdom to be established and His will to be followed, which aligns with the idea of seeking God’s guidance and illumination, represented by His light and truth in Psalm 43:3. Both the Lord’s Prayer and Psalm 43:3 emphasize the importance of seeking God’s direction and wisdom in life’s journey.
  2. Dependency on God’s Word: In the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus teaches His disciples to pray for their daily bread (Matthew 6:11), symbolizing their dependency on God for their physical sustenance. Similarly, Psalm 43:3 portrays the psalmist’s dependency on God’s truth, indicating reliance on His Word for spiritual sustenance and guidance. Both passages highlight the importance of trusting in God’s provision and seeking nourishment from His Word.
  3. Faithfulness and Trustworthiness of God: The Lord’s Prayer includes a petition for forgiveness, “And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors” (Matthew 6:12), emphasizing the faithfulness and trustworthiness of God to forgive those who repent and seek His mercy. This aligns with the concept of God’s truth in Psalm 43:3, which represents His reliability and faithfulness in fulfilling His promises. Both passages underscore the assurance of God’s steadfast love and forgiveness for those who turn to Him in repentance and faith.
  4. Seeking God’s Presence: The closing of the Lord’s Prayer includes the petition, “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one” (Matthew 6:13), expressing a desire for God’s presence and protection in the face of temptation and evil. Similarly, Psalm 43:3 speaks of seeking God’s light and truth as sources of guidance and assurance, signifying a desire for His presence to illuminate the path ahead and provide spiritual clarity and direction.

In summary, the Lord’s Prayer and the concept of God’s light and truth in Psalm 43:3 are interconnected in their emphasis on seeking God’s guidance, dependency on His Word, trust in His faithfulness, and desire for His presence in the believer’s life. They both reflect the foundational aspects of the believer’s relationship with God and underscore the importance of prayer, faith, and reliance on God’s promises.