Sullivan church of Christ – Sullivan, MO
Date: January 15, 2006
BEGOTTEN BY THE GOSPEL
Ben Justice
For a birth to take place, there must be two essential things present: (1) A
begetting and (2) a bringing forth. In order for the begetting to occur, there must
be seed. For example, in a physical birth, the child is begotten by the seed of
the father and later brought forth, or born, by the mother. When the child is
born he enters into a new physical existence. These same truths are found in
the spiritual birth.
In writing to the Corinthians, Paul stated, “For though ye have ten thousand
instructors in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers: for in Christ Jesus I have begotten
you through the gospel” (I Cor. 4:15). The meaning is this: While it is true that
the Corinthians’ had many teachers, they had only one spiritual father — that
spiritual father was Paul. He had begotten them through the gospel. [NOTE:
Paul was not their spiritual father in the same sense that some denominational
priests claim for themselves today. Jesus condemned this in Matt. 23:9. Paul
was their spiritual father only in the sense that he was the one who preached
the gospel to them and planted the seed — I Cor. 3:6.]
The Greek word translated “begotten” is gennao, meaning, “to beget, in the
passive voice, to be born.” It was by means of the gospel that the Corinthians’
were begotten, that is, they were born again.
Jesus said to Nicodemus in John 3:3, “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man
be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Nicodemus was confused over
the words of Jesus. He asked, “How can a man be born when he is old? can he
enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born” (V. 4)? Jesus clarified
the matter — “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the
Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom the God” (v. 5). Verse 3 contains the fact of
the new birth. However, v. 5 contains the details of the new birth. There is only
one birth composed of two elements — (1) water, and (2) Spirit. “Water” in this
passage is an obvious allusion to “baptism.” What does it mean to be born of
the “Spirit?” The Bible is its own best commentary. Very simply, it means to be
born of the Spirit’s words. The Spirit’s words is the spiritual “seed.” It is the
instrument in the begetting. The “seed” is the Word of God (Luke 8:11). Hence,
the Corinthians’ were begotten “through the gospel” — the gospel being the
seed. Acts 18:8 contains the record of their conversion. Luke penned, “And
Crispus, the chief ruler of the synagogue, believed on the Lord with all his house; and
many of the Corinthians hearing believed, and were baptized.”
The following scriptures show how people are begotten:
James 1:18 — “Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be
a kind of first fruits to his creatures.” God begets us through the “word of truth.”
I Pet. 1:23 — “Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the
word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.”
The Holy Spirit gave man the gospel (the Word of God) through inspired men (2
Pet. 1:20-21). Today, the NT is the inspired book which contains the gospel
message. Thus, the expression in John 3:5 to be born of the Spirit is equivalent
to being begotten through the gospel (I Cor. 4:15), begat he us with the word of
truth (James 1:18), and being born again by the word of God (I Pet. 1:23).
When the Corinthians’ heard the gospel, they accepted it and were baptized in
water. This is the second element of the new birth. Remember, there is only
one birth, consisting of two elements. Those who would be saved today, must be
born again. They must be born of the water (baptism) and Spirit (the Spirit’s
teachings contained in the NT).
Without being born again, one can’t enter the kingdom of God. Jesus used the
word “except” in John 3:3, 5. This word carries the force, “if and only if.” If and
only if one is born of water and the Spirit can he enter the kingdom of God. The
kingdom is one and the same as the church (Matt. 16:18-19). And, the church is
the place of the saved (Acts 2:47; Eph. 5:23). Have you been born again?
PRACTICAL POINTERS FOR PUBLIC PRAYER
Ben Justice
Prayer is truly one of the greatest blessings the child of God has. Prayer is
manifested privately and publicly. If one is not praying privately, then he should
seek to cultivate that. However, when it comes to public prayer, there are some
things that those who would pray publicly must take into consideration. Here
are some practical pointers:
1.) If you know ahead of time that you have to lead prayer, think about what you
want to say. This is especially helpful for those who have not had much time
and experience saying public prayers. Granted, there are those who can utter a
very good prayer at a moment’s notice, but if it helps, rehearse what you would
like to say. It may also be helpful to write the prayer out. This is not
irreverence, but just the opposite. One is showing respect and reverence for God
when he takes the time to think about what he wants to say. This will prevent
stumbling and stammering trying to figure out what to say. Certainly, praying in
private helps praying in public.
2.) Those who lead public prayers must speak loudly and clearly so that all can
hear. Some people have deeper voices than others. For those who don’t, you
may want to walk up to the front and face the audience. If not, then try to speak
loudly enough so all can hear. Understanding the words of the prayer is an
essential part of our worship (I Cor. 14:15-16).
3.) Seek to improve the quality of your prayers. In other words, don’t use the
exact same prayer every time. Granted, every prayer will contain some of the
same elements, such as thanksgivings, petitions, and intercessions. However,
one’s prayer life can be enhanced and enriched by seeking to develop and
improve it. Again, private prayer will help in this regard.
4.) Different occasions call for different prayers. A prayer giving thanks at the
Lord’s table should not be of the same nature as the opening prayer. A prayer
said at meal time would likewise not be of the same nature as a prayer said at
the Lord’s table or an opening prayer in a worship service.
Hopefully, these practical pointers for public prayer will help improve our prayers
in our worship to God.