May 28^th, 2017

9:30 am -------------------------------------------------------Christ, The Door – John 10:1-10

10:00 am ------------------------------------------------------Behold My Hands & My Feet – Luke 24

Wednesday: 7:30 pm --------------------------------------Christ, The Good Shepherd – John 10:11-30

The following article was written by William Tyndale, who was the first to translate the Scriptures into English. Roman Catholic leaders had him burned at the stake for doing so. He was martyred at the young age of 42. Thank God for William Tyndale. This is the first part of a two part article concerning God’s Word. It is evident this man knew the Truth.

A Pathway into the Holy Scripture – By William Tyndale

Seeing that it has pleased God to send unto our Englishmen, even to as many as unfeignedly desire it, the scripture in their mother tongue, considering that there are in every place false teachers and blind leaders; that ye should be deceived of no man, I supposed it very necessary to prepare this Pathway unto the Scripture for you, that ye might walk surely and ever know the true from the false. And above all, to put you in remembrance of certain points, which are, that ye well understand what these words mean: The old testament, the new testament; the law, the gospel; Moses, Christ; nature, grace; working and believing; deeds and faith. Lest we ascribe to the one that which belongs to the other and make of Christ Moses, of the gospel the law, despise grace and rob faith; and fall from meek learning into idle disputations, brawling and scolding about words.

The old testament is a book, wherein is written the law of God, and the deeds of those who fulfill them or of those who fulfill them not. The new testament is a book, wherein are contained the promises of God, and the deeds of those who believe them or believe them not.

Evangelism (or what we call the gospel) is a Greek word, and signifies good, glad, and joyful tidings, that make a man’s heart glad, and make him sing, dance, and leap for joy. As when David had killed Goliath the giant, glad tidings came unto the Jews, that their fearful and cruel enemy was slain, and they delivered out of all danger; for gladness whereof, they sang, danced, and were joyful. In like manner the gospel of God is joyful tidings; and, as some say, a good hearing, published by the apostles throughout the world, of Christ the right David, how He fought with sin, with death, and the devil, and overcame them. Whereby all men that were in bondage to sin, wounded with death, overcome of the devil, are, without their own merits or deservings, loosed, justified, restored to life and saved, brought to liberty and reconciled unto the favour of God, and set at one with him again; for which tidings, as many as believe, laud, praise, and thank God; are glad, sing and dance for joy.

This gospel (that is to say, such joyful tidings) is called the new testament. Because as a man, when he shall die, appoints his goods to be dealt and distributed after his death among those whom he names to be his heirs; even so Christ, before His death, commanded and appointed that such gospel, or tidings, should be declared throughout all the world, and therewith to give unto all that repent and believe, all His goods; that is to say, His life, wherewith He swallowed and devoured up death; His righteousness, wherewith He banished sin; His salvation, wherewith He overcame eternal damnation.

Now, the wretched man, that knows himself to be wrapped in sin, and in danger of death and hell, can hear nothing more joyous than such glad and comfortable tidings of Christ. So that he cannot but be glad and laugh from the bottom of his heart, if he believe that the tidings are true.

To strengthen such faith withal, God promised this His gospel in the old testament by the prophets, as Paul saith, (Rom. 1). How he was chosen out to preach God’s gospel, which he before had promised by the prophets in the scriptures, that treat of his Son who was born of the seed of David. In Gen. 3:15, God saith to the serpent, I will put hatred between thee and the woman, between thy seed and her seed, that same seed shall tread thy head under foot. Christ is the woman’s seed, He it is that hath trodden under foot the devil’s head, that is to say, sin, death, hell, and all his power. For without this seed can no man avoid sin, death, hell, and everlasting damnation.