Participants: Bill Santos
Series Code: IIWC
Program Code: IIWC200902
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00:01 >>Bill: JOINING ME TODAY ON THE IT IS WRITTEN
00:02 TELECAST IS DR. GEORGE KNIGHT. HE GREW UP AN 00:04 AGNOSTIC BUT TODAY HE IS ONE THE MOST RESPECTED 00:08 THINKERS WITHIN THE ADVENTIST CHURCH 00:10 COMMUNITY. HE IS MY GUEST. 00:12 I KNOW THAT YOU WILL NOT WANT TO MISS THIS SPECIAL 00:13 INTERVIEW. IT IS WRITTEN BEGINS RIGHT NOW. 00:29 >>Announcer: IT HAS STOOD THE TEST OF TIME . . . 00:32 GOD'S BOOK, THE BIBLE. 00:36 STILL RELEVANT IN TODAY'S COMPLEX WORLD 00:40 IT IS WRITTEN, SPREADING MESSAGES OF 00:41 HOPE AROUND THE WORLD. 00:47 (MUSIC) 01:01 DR. KNIGHT, WELCOME TO THE IT IS WRITTEN PROGRAM. 01:02 >>Dr, Knight: THANKS BILL. 01:04 >>Bill: IT IS A THRILL TO HAVE YOU. YOU AND I SPOKE 01:05 ON THE PHONE THE OTHER DAY AND, I KNOW TECHNICALLY 01:08 YOU ARE RETIRED BUT YOU SEEM BUSIER NOW THAN WHEN 01:10 YOU WERE IN FULL-TIME EMPLOYMENT.>>DR. KNIGHT 01:11 WELL, I HAVEN'T FIGURED OUT WHAT RETIREMENT IS. 01:14 IT'S GOT 2 THINGS FOR ME. 01:15 I GET UP AT 4 O'CLOCK TO START WORK THE MORNING 01:17 INSTEAD OF SIX AND I GET PAID HALF AS MUCH. HOW'S 01:20 THAT. >>Bill: WELL WE APPRECIATE YOU FITTING US 01:21 INTO YOUR BUSY SCHEDULE AND >>Dr. Knight: IT'S 01:26 GOOD TO BE HERE. >>Bill: AS I SAID IN THE SHORT 01:29 INTRO, INTERESTINGLY ENOUGH, YOU GREW UP AS AN 01:30 AGNOSTIC, TODAY I THINK YOU ARE ONE OF THE MOST 01:34 RESPECTED THINKERS WE HAVE IN THE ADVENTIST CHURCH, 01:40 YOU'RE AN AUTHOR, I'VE READ A NUMBER OF YOUR 01:41 BOOKS. WE ARE GONNA GET A CHANCE TO TALK, 01:47 PARTICULARLY ABOUT YOUR COMMENTARY ON THE BOOK OF 01:49 HEBREWS, BUT, MAYBE FOR THE BENEFIT OF OUR VIEWERS 01:50 WE COULD START WITH A LITTLE HISTORY, OF WHO 01:53 GEORGE KNIGHT IS, MAYBE YOU COULD START WITH WHERE 01:57 YOU WERE BORN, WHERE YOU GREW UP. >>DR. KNIGHT: 01:58 OK. I WAS BORN IN NORTHERN CALIFORNIA AND, RAISED 02:01 THERE MY ENTIRE LIFE UNTIL I WENT TO SEMENARY BACK IN 02:07 MICHIGAN. BACK IN THE MID 1960'S. >>Bill: NOW 02:08 YOU SAID YOU GREW UP AN AGNOSTIC. >>Dr. Knight: 02:12 YES. I DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH FAITH TO BE AN ATHEIST. AN 02:17 AGNOSTIC SAYS WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH DATA; WE JUST 02:18 CAN'T MAKE A DECISION. AND MY DAD HAD TOLD ME, WELL, 02:24 YOU CAN'T BE A CHRISTIAN BECAUSE ALL CHRISTIANS ARE 02:28 HYPOCRITS. AND SO I THOUGHT, WELL, I CAN'T 02:29 GO THAT WAY. I COULDN'T BELIEVE SOME OF THE 02:34 STUFF THEY WERE TRYING TO TEACH ME IN SCHOOL ABOUT 02:37 EVOLUTION. I SAID, YOU KNOW, THAT DOESN'T WORK 02:38 NOTHING COMES OUT OF NOTHING. AND SO I 02:40 JUST, YOU MIGHT SAY PUT IN LIMBO. NO WAY TO TELL WHAT 02:44 THE MEANING OF LIFE IS, THEREFORE, EAT, DRINK, AND 02:45 BE MERRY. LIVE IT UP FOR TODAY BECAUSE WE DON'T 02:51 KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THE FUTURE. >>Bill: AND HOW 02:54 LONG WAS THAT, DID THAT THINKING CONTINUE 02:55 >>Dr.Knight: UNTIL I WAS ABOUT EIGHTEEN, , AND AT 02:58 THAT TIME I WAS IN THE ARMY AND I HAPPENED TO 03:04 COME HOME ONE WEEKEND AND I MET A YOUNG LADY WHO 03:05 WENT TO CHURCH. AND SHE WENT TO CHURCH ON SATURDAY 03:10 AND I THOUGHT THAT WAS KIND OF STRANGE. BUT, I 03:15 WANTED TO BE WITH HER SO I STARTED GOING TO CHURCH 03:16 AND WHENEVER I WAS ON LEAVE I STARTED GOING TO 03:20 CHURCH AND THIS WENT ON, AND THEN AFTER WE WERE 03:22 MARRIED, THEN I WAS BAPTIZED AND I WENT TO 03:23 AN EVANGELISTIC SERIES IN EUREKA, CALIFORNIA AND AT 03:29 THE AGE OF 19 WAS BAPTIZED INTO THE SEVENTH DAY 03:33 ADVENTIST CHURCH. >>Bill: AND THEN ALL YOUR PROBLEMS 03:34 WERE OVER. LIFE WAS A PIECE OF CAKE FROM THAT 03:39 POINT ON. >>Dr.Knight: NO, NO. >>Bill: NO 03:40 >>Dr.Knight: NEVER HAD ANOTHER PROBLEM. BUT YOU 03:41 KNOW BILL, I WAS LIKE, I SUPPOSE LIKE NEW CONVERTS 03:43 THE FIRST THING I BEGAN TO DO WAS LOOK AROUND AT YOU 03:50 PASTORS, LOOKED AROUND THE CHURCH MEMBERS AND I CAME 03:51 TO ONE CONCLUSION. WHAT A MESS! YOU PEOPLE REALLY 03:57 WEREN'T PERFECT. YOU HADN'T TRIED HARD ENOUGH. 04:04 AND BY THIS TIME I WAS WORKING HIGH CONSTRUCTION 04:06 STRUCTURAL STEEL OVER SAN FRANSICO BAY AND I STILL 04:11 REMEMBER ONE DAY, SWINGING THERE AROUND UP IN THAT 04:17 STEEL, I PROMISED GOD THAT I WOULD BE THE FIRST 04:18 PERFECT CHRISTIAN SINCE JESUS. >>Bill: WOW. >>Dr. 04:24 Knight: NO PROBLEM ALL YOU HAD TO DO WAS JUST TRY A 04:28 LITTLE HARDER.>>Bill: TRY HARDER. A LITTLE BIT MORE 04:29 EFFORT.>>Dr. Knight: I'D HAD 19 YEARS OF BEING BAD 04:31 AND THAT WASN'T HARD AND I FIGURED BEING GOOD IS JUST 04:36 HEADING IN ANOTHER DIRECTION. >>Bill: HOW DID 04:37 THAT, HOW DID THAT GO FOR YOU?>>Dr. Knight: WELL, 04:41 LET'S PUT IT THIS WAY. I WAS PRETTY DIFFICULT TO 04:46 LIVE WITH FOR AWHILE. 04:47 BECAUSE IF YOU ARE PERFECT BY DEFINITION EVERYBODY 04:49 ELSE IS.>>Bill: IMPERFECT.>>Dr. Knight 04:50 YEAH, IMPERFECT. AND IT CAME TO A BAD ENDING. 04:54 WELL, 8 YEARS LATER I WAS PASTORING DOWN IN 05:03 GALVESTON, TEXAS AND I WOKE UP ONE MORNING AND 05:05 I SAID THIS JUST DIDN'T WORK. I'M NOT PERFECT, 05:13 MY CHURCH IS MESSED UP, I'M OUT OF HERE. AND SO I 05:20 WROTE MY CONFERENCE PRESIDENT A LETTER AND 05:21 PUT IN MY MINISTERIAL CREDENTIALS AND RESIGNED 05:24 FROM THE SEVENTH DAY ADVENTIST MINISTRY. 05:26 >>Bill: WOW. >>Dr. Knight: I NO LONGER WANTED TO BE 05:28 AN ADVENTIST MINISTER, I DIDN'T WANT TO BE AN 05:31 ADVENTIST OF ANY SORT, DIDN'T WANT TO BE A 05:33 CHRISTIAN. I WAS GOING TO GO BACK TO THE HAPPY 05:34 HEDONISM THAT I WAS BORN IN. AND SO, MY CONFERENCE 05:36 PRESIDENT, HE THOUGHT I WAS A NICE GUY HE THOUGHT 05:42 I WAS HAVING A BAD DAY. 05:43 NO, NO. I WASN'T HAVING A BAD DAY I WAS HAVING A BAD 05:46 LIFE SO I SENT THE CREDENTIALS BACK AGAIN. 05:47 >>Bill: HOW MANY TIMES DID IT TAKE BEFORE HE ACTUALLY 05:53 REALIZED THAT THIS WAS THE DECISION THAT YOU MADE? 05:57 >>Dr. Knight: THREE.>>Bill: THREE 05:58 TIMES.>>Dr. Knight: BUT THE THIRD TIME I WROTE HIM 05:59 A PRETTY FIREBALL LETTER AND, I TOLD HIM EXACTLY 06:02 HOW THE COW EATS THE CABBAGE. MY FIRST LITERARY 06:03 SUCCESS. I NEVER SAW MY CREDENTIALS AGAIN.>>Bill: 06:09 WOW. SO WHERE DID YOU GO?>>Dr. Knight: WELL, 06:13 THAT WAS A BIG PROBLEM. 06:14 WHAT SHOULD I DO WITH MY LIFE? I HAD 3 DEGREES IN 06:19 THEOLOGY, I NEEDED TO RE-TOOL, WELL I THOUGHT I 06:21 SHOULD GO BACK TO SCHOOL. 06:24 SHOULD I BECOME THIS, SHOULD I BECOME A 06:25 HISTORIAN, WHAT SHOULD I DO? ONE THING I KNEW 06:26 I WOULDN'T BE WAS A THEOLOGIAN. AND SO 06:30 ACTUALLY I STUDIED PHILOSOPHY. I WAS 06:31 STILL LOOKING FOR THE ANSWER.>>Bill: WELL, 06:35 IF YOU COULDN'T FIND IT HERE THEN IT HAD TO BE 06:39 SOMEPLACE ELSE. 06:40 THE EAST WAS PROBABLY THE PLACE.>>Dr. Knight: WELL, 06:44 I TRIED THE EASTERN RELIGIONS. I TRIED JUST 06:45 ABOUT EVERYTHING. FOR 6 YEARS I DIDN'T READ 06:47 MY BIBLE. FOR 6 YEARS I DIDN'T PRAY. AND AT THE 06:54 END OF 6 YEARS SOMETHING TERRIBLE HAPPENED. I CAME 06:55 TO THE CONCLUSION THAT PHILOSOPHY DID NOT HOLD 06:59 ANY ULTIMATE ANSWERS TO THE MEANING OF LIFE. I 07:06 WENT THROUGH A CRISIS SECOND TO NONE. WHAT 07:07 DO YOU DO NOW? IS THERE MEANING ANYWHERE. AND 07:12 ABOUT THAT TIME I HAD A VISIT FROM A MAN I NEVER 07:21 WANTED TO SEE AGAIN. HE HAD BEEN MY FIRST BIBLE 07:22 TEACHER. HE KNEW MY PROBLEM. HE SPENT THE DAY 07:33 WITH MY WIFE AND MYSELF HE NEVER ONCE TALKED ABOUT 07:38 MY PROBLEM, HE JUST EXUDED THE LOVE OF JESUS. HE JUST 07:39 EXUDED A CONFIDENCE AND WHEN HE LEFT I LOOKED OVER 07:43 TO MY WIFE AND SAID, HE HAS WHAT I NEED. THAT DAY 07:55 I MET JESUS IN ANOTHER PERSON. AND THAT LEAD TO A 07:56 SERIES OF EVENTS IN WHICH I FOUND CHRIST AS MY 08:03 PERSONAL SAVIOUR IN A WAY THAT I DIDN'T KNOW HIM 08:08 BEFORE. MY FIRST CONVERSION WHICH I THINK 08:09 FOR MYSELF WAS A NECESSARY STEP. AND THAT IS THAT 08:12 CHRISTIANITY IS RIGHT, THAT GOD HAS A SYSTEM OF 08:17 DOCTORINE. THAT WAS ALL GREAT. THAT WAS DOCTORINAL 08:19 CONVERSION.>>Bill: YES, THAT'S RIGHT. >>Dr. 08:25 Knight: BUT WAS 14 YEARS LATER I MET CHRIST AS MY 08:27 SAVIOUR AND MY ADVENTISM GOT BAPTIZED.>>Bill: NOW, 08:28 HAD YOUR WIFE ALSO GONE THROUGH THE SIMILAR 08:35 EXPERIENCE?>>Dr. Knight SHE WAS IN A SIMILAR 08:37 EXPERIENCE, YES.>>Bill: WOW. >>Dr. Knight: IT WAS 08:38 A DIFFICULT TIME TO LIVE THROUGH. BUT YOU KNOW, 08:43 BILL,SOMETIMES WE HAVE TO GO THROUGH DIFFICULT 08:47 THINGS BECAUSE WHEN WE GET LOW ENOUGH OUR EARS GET 08:48 BETTER AND WE CAN HEAR GOD SPEAK MORE PLAINLY. 08:54 >>Bill: SO THEN YOU BEGIN TO TRANSITION BACK. WHAT 08:57 WAS THAT LIKE TO STEP BACK INTO AN ADVENTIST CHURCH 08:58 AFTER 6 YEARS? >>Dr. 09:06 Knight: WELL, ACTUALLY, TO TELL YOU THE TRUTH, I 09:07 WAS STILL A CHURCH MEMBER. 09:11 IT'S AN INTERESTING THING, THE WAY PEOPLE APPROACH, 09:12 APOSTITIZED. I DIDN'T HAVE ANY SPIRITUAL LIFE, YOU 09:18 KNOW, I WAS MOVING DOWN THE TRACK TOWARD, YOU 09:26 KNOW, HAVING NOTHING TO DO WITH POST-ADVENTIST AS 09:27 A CULTURE. SO I STILL HAD ONE, YOU SAY, ONE FOOT IN. 09:32 AND THE LORD LED, ONE STEP AFTER ANOTHER. I NEVER 09:39 WENT BACK INTO PASTORAL MINISTRY AGAIN. I DID GO 09:40 BACK INTO TEACHING IN AN ADVENTIST ELEMENTARY 09:44 SCHOOL. AND BY THIS TIME I HAD A DOCTORITE IN THE 09:49 PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION. 09:50 AND AT THAT POINT I GOT A CALL FROM ANDREWS 09:55 UNIVERSITY TO TEACH A CHRISTIAN APPROACH TO 09:56 EDUCATION. AND I SPENT 9 YEARS DOING THAT AND IT 10:01 WAS IN A GRADUATE PROGRAM AND AS A RESULT MANY OF MY 10:08 STUDENTS WHO DID THEIR PHD'S DID THEIR 10:09 DISERTATION IN ADVENTIST EDUCATIONAL HISTORY.>> 10:13 Bill: INTERESTING. >>Dr. 10:14 Knight: SO WHEN THE ADVENTIST THEOLOGICAL 10:17 SEMENARY OPENED UP AN PHD PROGRAM IN ADVENTIST 10:20 STUDIES IN 1985, I DIRECTED THAT PROAM FOR 10:21 THE NEXT 30 YEARS, NEXT 27 YEARS.>> Bill: WELL, 10:28 WHAT AN INTERESTING EXPERIENCE.>>Dr. Knight: 10:34 WELL, BILL, IT'S NOT A LIFE THAT I WOULD EVER 10:35 WANT TO LIVE THROUGH AGAIN. BUT I'M GONNA TELL 10:37 YOU SOMETHING. I'D NEVER CHOOSE TO LIFE ANOTHER 10:38 ONE. GOD GROWS US EACH A LITTLE DIFFERENT.>>Bill: I 10:39 SAID THAT, I THINK YOU ARE ONE OF THE MOST RESPECTED 10:47 THEOLOGIANS WE HAVE IN THE CHURCH. YOU'RE PROBABLY, 10:50 MAYBE, ALMOST PROVOCATIVE ONES BECAUSE I THINK 10:51 YOU HAVE AN INTERESTING PERSPECTIVE ON CHURCH LIFE 10:56 AND THE WHOLE CHRISTIAN, OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH 11:05 JESUS CHRIST. >>Dr. 11:06 Knight: WELL YOU KNOW BILL, MOST PEOPLE HAVE A 11:11 HARD TIME TELLING WHAT KIND OF A THEOLOGICAL 11:12 ANIMAL I AM. SOME PEOPLE THINK THAT GUY 11:18 IS ULTRACONSERVATIVE, NO, THAT GUYS AT THE OTHER END 11:21 OF THE SPECTRUM. I'LL TELL YOU WHAT, I AM NOT 11:22 CONCERNED ABOUT WHAT PEOPLE THINK. I'M 11:25 CONCERNED BY THAT WHAT GOD THINKS. AND, REALLY, WHEN 11:32 I BECAME A SEVENTH- DAY ADVENTIST CHRISTIAN I LOST 11:33 MY FRIENDS, I LOST MY JOB, I LOST EVERYTHING. I EVEN 11:39 LOST MY FAMILY. IT WAS A VERY DIFFICULT TIME. BUT 11:45 FOR ME BECOMING A CHRISTIAN IS A RADICAL 11:46 THING YOU LEAVE OFF THE PAST AND MOVE INTO THE 11:51 FUTURE. BY THE WAY, THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF 11:54 HEALING SINCE THAT TIME. 11:55 BUT YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU ARE RAISED IN A PARTICULAR 11:58 CONTEXT AND YOU GO AGAINST THE WISHES OF YOUR 11:59 PARENTS, THAT'S NOT ALWAYS AN EASY, AN EASY ROAD. 12:03 >>Bill: ABSOLUTELY.>>Dr. 12:04 Knight: AND SO BASICALLY THIS BOOK HAS BEEN 12:08 MY GUIDE. AND WHEREVER THE BOOK LEADS TO THAT'S WHERE 12:14 I, WITH GOD'S BLESSING AND GOD'S ENABLING, SEEK TO 12:15 GO. SO, YEAH, I HAVE SOME PRETTY RADICAL IDEAS AT 12:22 TIMES. SOMETIMES I SCARE PEOPLE. BUT I THINK THAT 12:25 JESUS DID TOO.>>Bill: I WOULD AGREE. >>Dr. Knight 12:26 YOU KNOW, WHAT I CALL JESUS IS A RADICAL 12:30 CONSERVATIVE. WELL, WHAT DO I MEAN BY THAT? WELL, 12:34 HE WAS TRYING ON CONSERVE THE OLD VALUES BUT HE 12:35 DIDN'T MIND BREAKING UP SOME OLD WINE SKINS IN THE 12:40 PROCESS.>>Bill: YES. >>Dr. 12:41 Knight: HE WAS A WINE SKIN SMASHING CONSERVATIVE. 12:45 BUT HE WASN'T A TRADITIONALIST. HE SAID, 12:52 YOU'VE HEARD IT SAID, BUT I SAY UNTO YOU, THEN 12:53 HE BROUGHT US BACK TO THE CORE OF THE MEANING OF 12:58 SCRIPTURE. AND, I'VE REALLY TRIED TO MAKE 13:02 CHRIST THE MODEL FOR MY LIFE. AND I THINK THAT 13:03 MOST PEOPLE AS CHRISTIANS DO HAVE THAT GOAL. BUT, 13:08 SOME OF US GET INVOLVED WITH THIS PARTY, OR THIS 13:13 CLUB, OR THIS ORIENTATION, I REALLY THINK THAT WHAT 13:14 WE REALLY NEED TO DO IS GET INVOLVED WITH THIS 13:19 ORIENTATION.>>Bill: YES. 13:20 ABSOLUTELY. ONE OF THE MOST INTERESTING THAT I 13:24 READ THAT YOU WROTE WAS A NUMBER OF YEARS AGO I 13:32 GUESS AT THE WORLD GATHERING OF THE 13:33 SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH IN 2000. YOU GAVE 13:37 A LECTURE, I DIDN'T ATTEND THAT, I READ IT LATER, 13:42 ENTITLED "IF I WERE THE DEVIL." AND, I HAVE TO 13:43 TELL YOU THAT IS ONE OF THE MOST INTERESTING 13:48 PIECES OF LITERARY WORK I HAVE EVER READ. IN FACT, I 13:53 QUOTE YOU IN THAT ALL TIME. I WAS WONDERING IF 13:54 YOU COULD, SORT OF, TALK TO US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT 13:58 WHAT WAS THE THINKING BEHIND THAT AND SHARE A 14:00 LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT THAT IS FOR THE BENEFIT OF OUR 14:02 VIEWERS THAT HAVEN'T HAD THE BENEFIT OF READING 14:03 THAT OR HEARING THAT.>>Dr Knight: WELL, I WAS 14:05 INVITED ABOUT 2 WEEKS BEFORE THE GENERAL 14:06 CONFERENCE SESSION. THEY SAID WE HAVE FOUR OPEN 14:12 SLOTS. WE WANT PEOPLE TO COME WITH PROVOCATIVE 14:18 IDEAS THAT WILL WAKE UP THE SAINTS. THEY SAID, 14:19 WE ARE PUTTING YOU IN THE FIRST ONE AND WE DON'T 14:23 WANT ANYBODY TO FALL ASLEEP. WELL, THAT SCARED 14:27 THE WITS OUT OF ME. 14:29 THE GENERAL CONFERENCE SESSION, A LITERARY 14:32 APPOINTMENT IS NOT SOMETHING YOU TAKE LIGHTLY 14:33 AND SO I THOUGHT WHAT IN THE WORLD AM I GONNA DO. 14:41 AND, I TAKE LONG WALKS EVERY DAY AND OFTEN THE 14:48 MOST FRUITFUL THOUGHTS COME OUT OF MY WALKING, AS 14:49 I'M MEDITATING, AS I LET MY HEAD SPIN. AND I PLAYED 14:54 A GAME FOR YEARS WITH MY STUDENTS, IT WAS JUST AN 15:01 OFF-HANDED SORT OF THING, IF I WERE THE DEVIL 15:02 HOW WOULD I CREATE THE GOVERNMENT? HOW WOULD 15:06 I CREATE, YOU KNOW, HOW WOULD I MESS THINGS UP? 15:12 SO, THAT'S THE BASIC IDEA. IF I WERE THE DEVIL 15:13 WHAT WOULD I DO, IN THIS PARTICULAR CASE, TO THE 15:19 CHURCH? WELL, I'D GET THEM TO BE DEAF TO THEIR YOUNG 15:25 PEOPLE. YOU KNOW, LET'S FACE IT, YOU SEE THE 15:26 COLOR OF MY HAIR, IN FACT, THERE'S NOT MUCH THERE. 15:31 IT'S THE KIND OF GUYS WITH MY STYLE OF HAIR-DO THAT 15:35 GENERALLY RUN MOST RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATIONS. 15:36 I WOULD SHUT THE YOUNG PEOPLE OUT. I WOULDN'T 15:39 LISTEN TO THEM, I WOULD, YOU KNOW, IF YOU WANT TO 15:44 KILL A CHURCH THAT'S A WONDERFUL WAY TO DO IT. IF 15:45 YOU WANT TO KILL A CHURCH YOU JUST HAVE IT FORGET 15:48 WHAT IT STANDS FOR. WHAT IT'S DISTINCTIVE TEACHINGS 15:54 ARE, YOU DOWN PLAY THOSE THINGS. AND I WENT 15:55 THROUGH 10 OR 15, 10 OR 12 DIFFERENT THINGS THAT I 16:02 WOULD DO IF I WERE THE DEVIL. AND THEN IN THE 16:06 CONCLUSION, A SHORT PART, IF I WERE GOD. THE 16:08 SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEMS OF THE CHURCH. GOD HAS A 16:18 WAY. HE WANTS TO REACH OUT HE WANTS TO TOUCH US. BUT 16:24 SOMETIMES WE NEED TO BE AWAKENED. WE NEED TO KNOW 16:25 WHERE WE'RE HURTING. WE NEED TO KNOW WHAT OUR SORE 16:35 SPOTS ARE AND WHAT THE PATHWAY IS TO THE FUTURE. 16:39 SO ACTUALLY, WHAT I DID IS I USED THAT FRAMEWORK, 16:40 IF I WERE THE DEVIL, TO REALLY DO AN ANALYSIS 16:47 OF THE CHURCH. BUT I MUST ADMIT, A NEGATIVE ANALYSIS 16:52 IS NOT GOOD ENOUGH. WHEN YOU ARE DEALING WITH A 16:53 NEGATIVE, YOU MUST ALWAYS COME UP WITH THE POSITIVE. 17:00 WHAT ARE THE SOLUTIONS? 17:01 AND SO, THAT SPEECH TURNED OUT, PROBABLY, TO BE ONE 17:06 OF THE MORE CONTROVERSIAL THINGS I'VE DONE. 17:11 ACTUALLY, I WAS SCARED.>>Bill: WHY?>> Dr. 17:13 Knight: I WAS SCARED TO PRESENT IT BECAUSE OF THE 17:21 SOME OF THE THINGS I FELT I HAD TO SAY. AND SO I 17:25 WENT TO THE VICE PRESIDENT OF THE GENERAL CONFERENCE, 17:26 WHO INVITED ME TO MAKE THE PRESENTATION, THE NIGHT 17:35 BEFORE AND I SAID YOU MAY WANT TO READ THIS BEFORE 17:41 TOMORROW. HE SAID, NO GEORGE, HE SAYS I'M NOT 17:42 GOING TO READ IT. HE SAYS, BUT I DO WANT YOU TO KNOW 17:44 ONE THING. HE SAYS, THOSE OF US IN THE PRESIDENTAL 17:48 CIRCLE DON'T ALWAYS APPRECIATE WHAT YOU 17:49 SAY BUT WE KNOW YOU'RE RIGHT.>>Bill: WOW.>>Dr. 17:53 Knight: AND WITH THAT AFFIRMATION.>>Bill: 17:56 ABSOLUTELY. >>Dr. Knight: THEN I WENT BEFORE THAT 17:57 LARGE AUDIENCE THE NEXT DAY. AND WAS SOMEWHAT 18:00 ASTOUNDED AT THE RESPONSE IT WAS IMMEDIATE.>>Bill: 18:11 WE DON'T HAVE A WHOLE LOT OF TIME AND I WANT TO 18:12 TRANSITION INTO THE.>>Dr. 18:15 Knight: I RECENTLY PUBLISHED A BOOK CALLED IF 18:16 I WERE THE DEVIL.>>Bill: YES.>>Dr. Knight: AND 18:19 THAT FIRST CHAPTER OF THAT BOOK IS AN EXCERP OF THAT 18:22 SPEECH.>>Bill: AND WE'LL HAVE, A LINK ON OUR 18:23 WEBSITE FOR ANY OF OUR VIEWERS WHO ARE INTERESTED 18:28 IN AQUIRING ANY OF DR. 18:29 KNIGHT'S BOOKS. YOU CAN VISIT OUR WEBSITE IIW.CA, 18:31 IT IS WRITTEN.CA AND THERE WILL A LINK THERE TO GET 18:34 THOSE. I WANT TO TRANSITION IN A MINUTE 18:36 OR SO INTO THE BOOK OF HEBREWS BECAUSE I'VE 18:40 READ THIS COMMENTARY ON HEBREWS. I THINK IT'S, YOU 18:47 MAKE REFERENCE THAT IT'S PROBABLY NOT THE MOST 18:48 POPULAR BOOK IN THE NEW TESTIMENT BUT MAYBE ONE OF 18:50 THE MOST RELEVANT, IF NOT THE MOST RELEVANT FOR OUR 18:53 SOCIETY TODAY. WE WANT TO TALK ABOUT THAT AND THAT'S 18:54 WHAT OUR SERIES IS GOING TO BE ABOUT HERE. BUT 18:57 IN A NUTSHELL, IN YOUR ASSESSMENT, WHAT WOULD BE 19:00 THE NUMBER ONE ISSUE THAT'S PLAGUING THE CHURCH 19:01 TODAY? >>Dr. Knight: NOW THAT IS A HARD QUESTION. 19:04 BUT I WOULD SAY THAT THE CHURCH IS STILL ON EARTH 19:10 THAT'S THE BIGGEST PROBLEM THAT WE FACE. ALL OTHER 19:11 PROBLEMS FOLLOW THAT ONE. 19:16 NOW, IF YOU WANT ME TO GET A LITTLE MORE SPECIFIC, 19:17 AND THAT IS THAT PEOPLE TOO OFTEN DON'T REALLY 19:20 UNDERSTAND WHERE THE CENTER OF THE FAITH IS. 19:26 THEY MIGHT BELIEVE THE SABBATH, OR WHAT HAPPENS 19:27 TO A PERSON WHEN THEY DIE, BUT, I'M TELLING YOU 19:31 RIGHT NOW BILL, IT'S A RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS 19:35 CHRIST, AS LORD AND SAVIOUR. ONCE YOU HAVE 19:36 THAT RELATIONSHIP, EVERYTHING ELSE FALLS INTO 19:38 PLACE. IN FACT, SOME THE DIFFICULTIES WE SEE IN OUR 19:44 LOCAL CHURCH COMMUNITY, WHERE PEOPLE DON'T ALWAYS 19:46 GET ALONG SO WELL. THESE KINDS OF PROBLEMS ARE 19:50 SOLVED ONCE JESUS IS AT THE CENTER WE SEE HOW HE 19:53 RELATED TO PEOPLE. JESUS AS SAVIOUR, JESUS AS LORD, 19:54 THAT IS THE MODEL FOR MY LIFE.>>Bill: THAT'S 20:03 WONDERFUL. WELL, THANK YOU FOR GIVING US A BIT OF 20:07 THAT CONTEXT INTO YOUR LIFE AND SOME OF YOUR 20:08 THINKING. I'D LIKE TO BEGIN TO TRANSITION INTO 20:10 THE DISCUSSION THAT WILL, SORT OF, FORM THE THEME OF 20:15 A COUPLE, YOU'VE AGREED TO BE HERE WITH US FOR A FEW 20:16 WEEKS LOOKING A THE BOOK OF HEBREWS AND SOME THE 20:19 INTERESTING, MAYBE WE COULD TRANSITION TO THAT 20:23 AT THIS POINT. WHAT IS IT ABOUT, I'LL TELL YA, I'VE 20:24 READ THE BOOK OF HEBREWS, I'VE READ YOUR COMMENTARY, 20:31 IT'S DEFINITELY NOT THE MOST EXCITING READS IN THE 20:34 NEW TESTAMENT.>>Dr. 20:35 Knight: WELL, IT DEPENDS ON WHERE YOU ARE. FOR MOST 20:38 OF US IT'S NOT BUT DON'T YOU EVER ASK WHAT'S JESUS 20:39 BEEN DOING FOR THESE 2000 YEARS? HEBREWS IS THE BOOK 20:44 THAT ANSWERS THAT.>>Bill WHEN WAS THE BOOK OF 20:49 HEBREWS WRITTEN? >>Dr. 20:50 Knight: WELL, IT DOESN'T TELL US IN THE TEXT, BUT 20:59 THE BEST EVIDENCE IS IT WAS BEFORE THE YEAR AD. 21:00 70. NOW, WHY AD. 70? 21:08 BECAUSE THE JEWISH TEMPLE WAS DESTROYED IN THAT YEAR 21:09 BY THE LEGIONS OF ROME. 21:15 COMPLETELY FLATTENED OUT TO THE GROUND. AND HEBREWS 21:16 ACTS AS IF THE TEMPLE IS STILL THERE. OTHERWISE, 21:23 THERE WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN A BOOK OF HEBREWS. BECAUSE 21:28 THESE PEOPLE WERE A LITTLE DISCOURAGED, THERE WAS 21:29 THIS BIG TEMPLE, WHAT HAVE WE GOT? SO THE WHOLE 21:35 BASIS OF HEBREWS ASSUMES A STANDING TEMPLE. THAT 21:40 WOULD MEAN THAT HEBREWS WAS PROBABLY WRITTEN 21:41 IN THE LATE 60'S OF THE CHRISTIAN ERA.>>Bill: 21:46 THERE'S SOME QUESTION AS TO AUTHORSHIP ALSO. >>Dr. 21:52 Knight: WELL THAT IS AN INTERESTING ONE BECAUSE NO 21:53 WHERE IN THE ENTIRE BOOK DOES IT MENTION AN AUTHOR. 21:59 NOR ANY NAMES, NOR ANY PLACE NAMES. YOU KNOW, YOU 22:09 TAKE GALATIONS FIRST SENTENCE COMES FROM THE 22:10 APOSTLE PAUL. MOST, IN FACT, THAT'S THE WAY 22:16 PEOPLE WROTE LETTERS. JOHN IS SPEAKING. NOW JUDE SAYS 22:24 HE'S JUST A BROTHER OF THE LORD THE WAY YOU TRACK 22:25 DOWN THOSE THINGS, YOU KNOW. HE'S A BROTHER 22:29 JAMES, WHO'S A BROTHER OF THE LORD. BUT NEARLY 22:33 EVERYBODY GIVES HINTS. 22:34 HEBREWS GIVES NO HINTS AS TO AUTHORSHIP. 22:39 TRADITIONALLY PEOPLE HAVE FELT THE BEST CANDIDATE IS 22:40 THE APOSTLE PAUL, BUT THEN THERE HAVE BEEN PEOPLE WHO 22:43 HAVE DONE ALL THESE WORD ANALYSIS AND EVERYTHING 22:47 ELSE AND THEY SAID THAT THIS DOESN'T SOUND LIKE 22:48 PAUL, WELL, IT DOES AND IT DOESN'T BUT HE DOES USE 22:53 SOME DIFFERENT WORDS BUT HE'S SPEAKING ABOUT A 22:55 DIFFERENT TOPIC. IF ONE WANTS TO BE COMPLETELY 22:56 SAFE, AND ACCORDING TO THE BIBLE ITSELF YOU JUST SAY 23:04 THE AUTHOR OF HEBREWS AND THAT LEAVES THE SITUATION 23:08 OPEN. NOW THE GOOD NEWS, BILL, IS THAT 23:09 THEOLOGICALLY SPEAKING IT DOESN'T MAKE ANY 23:16 DIFFERENCE. THE MESSAGE IS CLEAR. THERE ARE NOT 23:22 CONTEXTUAL ISSUES THAT WOULD BE PROBLEMATIC IF IT 23:23 WAS APOLOS AS OPPOSED TO PAUL, FOR EXAMPLE. 23:30 SO, YEAH, IT'S A QUESTION THAT CAN'T BE SETTLED FROM 23:34 SCRIPTURE ITSELF BUT ON THE OTHER HAND THE MESSAGE 23:35 IS NOT CHANGED. >>Bill: WHAT WOULD BE THAT CORE 23:39 MESSAGE, THAT MAJOR THEME OF THE BOOK OF HEBREWS? 23:42 >>Dr. Knight: JESUS. YOU KNOW ONE OF THESE DAYS 23:43 WE'LL SIT DOWN AND WE'LL DO A LITTLE OUTLINE OF, 23:49 WE CAN DO THAT NOW IF YOU WANT.>>Bill: WELL, WE ONLY 23:52 HAVE A COUPLE OF MINUTES LEFT. >>Dr. Knight: WELL, 23:53 WE CAN DO IT NOW OR AT THE BEGINNING OF ANOTHER 23:55 PROGRAM. >>Bill: WHY DON'T WE DO THAT. SO JESUS IS 23:58 THE THEME, SO THAT'S THE .>>Dr. Knight: LET ME PUT 23:59 IT IN A DIFFERENT WAY. I CAN OUTLINE IT WHEN I'VE 24:03 GOT A LITTLE MORE TIME BUT LET ME PUT IT IN A 24:06 DIFFERENT WAY. MANY OF US, ALL OF US AS CHRISTIANS 24:07 UNDERSTAND WHAT PAUL SAID. 24:13 THAT JESUS DIED FOR US, THAT'S THE GOSPEL. BUT 24:14 YOU KNOW WHAT BILL, A DEAD SAVIOUR WON'T DO YOU ANY 24:21 GOOD. THEREFORE, PART OF THE GOSPEL IS THAT HE ROSE 24:26 AGAIN ON THE THIRD DAY. 24:27 GOSPEL IS THE CROSS AND THE RESURRECTION, BUT YOU 24:34 KNOW BILL, THAT WAS 2000 YEARS AGO AND BABIES ARE 24:35 STILL DYING FROM CANCER, PEOPLE ARE STILL GETTING 24:42 OLD. THIS IS NOT THE KINGDOM. WHEN JESUS CAME 24:48 IT WAS THE BEGINNING OF THE KINGDOM. WELL, THE 24:49 LAST PART OF THE GOSPEL IS THAT JESUS IS COMING 24:54 AGAIN. NOW, WE'VE GOT 2000 YEARS BETWEEN THE 25:00 RESURRECTION AND THE SECOND ADVENT.>>Bill 25:01 YEAH, YEAH. >>Dr. Knight: NOW, WHAT IS JESUS DOING? 25:06 AND WHAT DOES THAT MEAN FOR MY LIFE? THERE'S ONLY 25:12 ONE BOOK IN THE BIBLE THAT REALLY GOES INTO DETAIL 25:13 ABOUT WHAT CHRIST IS DOING AND THAT IS THE BOOK OF 25:19 HEBREWS. PROBABLY, WELL, OF THE LARGER BOOKS OF THE 25:25 NEW TESTAMENT, ONE OF THOSE THAT IS MOST 25:26 NEGLECTED. >>Bill: I THINK THAT YOU HAVE JUST 25:29 ARTICULATED THE PERFECT CLIFFHANGER. I HOPE OUR 25:34 VIEWERS WILL JOIN US NEXT WEEK AS WE GO INTO THE 25:35 BOOK OF HEBREWS AND FIND OUT EXACTLY WHAT JESUS 25:39 HAS BEEN DOING SINCE HE ASCENDED. LET'S PRAY. 25:45 FATHER IN HEAVEN, THANK YOU FOR THIS PRECIOUS TIME 25:46 WE HAD TOGETHER IN YOUR WORD. WE THANK YOU FOR A 25:50 MAN LIKE DR. KNIGHT THAT YOU HAVE CALLED, THAT YOU 25:54 HAVE USED AS AN INSTRUMENT. MAY YOU 25:55 CONTINUE TO STRENGTHEN HIM AND ENLIGHTEN HIM THAT HE 25:58 MAY CONTINUE TO PROCLAIM YOUR TRUTH AND LIVES MAY 26:01 BE CHANGED. WE THINK OF OUR VIEWERS LISTENING AND 26:02 WATCHING US TODAY. MAY YOUR HAND BE UPON THEM, 26:08 BLESS THEM MIGHTILY WE PRAY IN JESUS NAME. AMEN. 26:11 >>Dr. Knight: AMEN. 26:18 Bill: WELL, OUR SPECIAL OFFER FOR YOU THIS WEEK IS 26:19 SHAWN BOONSTRA'S BOOK "OH, JERUSALEM, JERUSALEM." A 26:22 VERY INTERESTING BOOK THAT COVERS MANY OF THE TOPICS 26:28 THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE TALKING ABOUT IN THIS 26:29 SERIES. IT IS OUR GIFT TO YOU. HERE'S THE 26:31 INFORMATION YOU NEED TO AQUIRE YOUR COPY. 27:02 WELL, WE'VE COME TO THE END OF ANOTHER IT IS 27:04 WRITTEN EPISODE. I WANT TO THANK OUR VIEWERS FOR 27:06 BEING WITH US. I WANT TO THANK DR. KNIGHT. MAYBE 27:08 BEFORE WE LEAVE DR. 27:09 KNIGHT YOU COULD TALK TO US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THIS 27:11 SERIES OF COMMENTARIES THAT YOU HAVE, WHICH THE 27:12 BOOK OF HEBREWS IS ONE OF THEM.>>Dr. Knight: AS 27:16 I THOUGHT ABOUT THINGS, BILL, I SAID TO MYSELF, 27:18 YOU KNOW, PEOPLE REALLY NEED A SIMPLE WAY OF 27:19 GETTING INTO SCRIPTURE. 27:23 SOMETIMES IT'S NOT OH, IT'S EASY TO UNDERSTAND. 27:24 SO, I STARTED A SERIES OF WHICH THE 6TH ONE IS 27:28 NOW IN PRESS, EXPLORING HEBREWS, EXPLORING MARK, 27:30 EXPLORING GALATIANS AND EPHESIANS, EXPLORING 27:31 ECCLESIASTES AND THE SONG OF SOLOMON, EXPLORING THE 27:35 LETTERS OF JOHN AND JUDE, AND JUST NOW, SENT IN 27:39 EXPLORING ROMANS. BITE SIZED PORTIONS, THREE OR 27:40 FOUR PAGES EACH ON EACH SECTION OF SCRIPTURE TO 27:44 HELP PEOPLE GET IN TO EXPLORE THE WORD MORE 27:48 THOROUGHLY.>>Bill: THERE'S A LINK TO THESE ON 27:49 OUR WEBSITE AT IIW.CA AND UNTIL NEXT WEEK REMEMBER, 27:52 IT IS WRITTEN MAN SHALL NOT LIVE BY BREAD ALONE 27:59 BUT BY EVERY WORD THAT PROCEEDS FROM 28:00 THE MOUTH OF GOD. 28:06 $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ |
Revised 2014-12-17