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The "title deed" to the earth...

[Insert Acts Pun Here] Posts: 14803 **1/2/17 10:34 am**

We had a little "drama" in Sunday school yesterday. It can be interesting when a particular person is there, who, to put it delicately, operates on a different plane of reality than the rest of us. I'll call him Jim (not his real name) to protect his identity.
During the discussion, people were weighing in on how some people prosper in this life despite not living in God's will. One commenter was explaining that the devil rules the world because man turned over the title deed by his disobedience in the garden. He noted that the devil is called "the god of this world" (alluding to 2 Corinthians 4:4).
At about that point, our dear friend Jim jumped up from his seat exclaiming that Jesus had prayed to God, "Lord of heaven and earth" (alluding to Matthew 11:25) and did we mean to tell him that we didn't have dominion over the devil and that "I'm not going to sit here listening to these lies." Then he left the room.

Now, my question is how accurate is it to say that man "turned over the title deed of the earth to the devil"? How did Christ's death and resurrection affect that? What precisely is changing in Revelation 11:15 when "[t]he kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ..."?

[Insert Acts Pun Here] Posts: 12817 **1/2/17 12:02 pm**

Great subject! Satan has indeed been given a lot of influence in the world by sinful mankind, so much so that 1 John 5:19 NKJV says, "We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one." This obviously refers only to those who are willingly subject to his power. The Son of God is seated at the right hand of the Father, waiting until His enemies be made his footstool (Ps. 110:1, Mk 12:36, Heb 10:12-13, etc.). Nowhere in Scripture do we see anything to indicate that Satan is now in possession of "the title deed" to the world. The Adversary is always an outlaw, a thief, and a trespasser, and never a rightful legal owner.

In truth, the earth is the Lord's and everything in it, and all that dwell therein, according to both the Old and New Testament Scriptures.

1 Corinthians 10:26
for, "The earth is the Lord's, and the fullness thereof."

Genesis 14:22
Abram said to the king of Sodom, "I have sworn to the LORD God Most High, possessor of heaven and earth,

Exodus 9:29
Moses said to him, "As soon as I go out of the city, I will spread out my hands to the LORD; the thunder will cease and there will be hail no longer, that you may know that the earth is the LORD'S.

Deuteronomy 10:14
"Behold, to the LORD your God belong heaven and the highest heavens, the earth and all that is in it.

Job 41:11
"Who has given to Me that I should repay him? Whatever is under the whole heaven is Mine.

Psalm 50:12
"If I were hungry I would not tell you, For the world is Mine, and all it contains.

Psalm 89:11
The heavens are Yours, the earth also is Yours; The world and all it contains, You have founded them.

Even the current fallen condition of the created order was caused by God, according to scripture:

For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. Rom 8:20-21 NASB

Heb 2:8 Expresses quite well the dynamic tension between the present age and the age to come:

YOU HAVE PUT ALL THINGS IN SUBJECTION UNDER HIS FEET.”
For in subjecting all things to him, He left nothing that is not subject to him. But now we do not yet see all things subjected to him. NASB

[Insert Acts Pun Here] Posts: 12817 **1/2/17 2:10 pm**

[Insert Acts Pun Here] Posts: 14803 **1/2/17 7:25 pm**

simply put...

Golf Cart Mafia Associate Posts: 2109 **1/2/17 10:10 pm**

no, man never had title deed to the earth. as amply illustrated, the earth is the Lord's and the fulness thereof.

Man was placed in the garden for the purpose of cultivating and to keep guard over (Gen 2.15).

In essence he was a co-laborer, along with the woman, with God.

Paul later uses this analogy in 1 Cor 3.1f.

Finally, as Jesus told Pilate he had no authority over Him unless it had been given him (John 19:11), then it stands to reason the prince and power of the air, the god and ruler of this world can only do so because he/she/it has been given such authority and power.
_________________
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[Insert Acts Pun Here] Posts: 12817 **1/2/17 10:24 pm**

[Insert Acts Pun Here] Posts: 12817 **1/3/17 10:15 am**

Matt. 11:25At that time Jesus said, “I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and have revealed them to infants. 26“Yes, Father, for this way was well-pleasing in Your sight. 27“All things have been handed over to Me by My Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father; nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.

Thayer's Lexicon says the following about the word translated, "Lord," in Matt. 11:25:

κύριος, κυρίου, ὁ (properly, an adjective κύριος, κυρία, κύριον, also of two term.; properly equivalent to ὁ ἔχων κῦρος, having power or authority) (from Pindar down), he to whom a person or thing belongs, about which he has the power of deciding; master, lord; used a. universally, of the possessor and disposer of a thing, the owner (the Sept. for אָדון, בַּעַל): with the genitive of the thing, as τοῦ ἀμπελῶνος, Matthew 20:8; Matthew 21:40; Mark 12:9; Luke 20:15; τοῦ θερισμοῦ, Matthew 9:38; Luke 10:2; τῆς οἰκίας, the master, Mark 13:35 (Judges 19:12); τοῦ πωλου, Luke 19:33; τοῦ σαββάτου, possessed of the power to determine what is suitable to the sabbath, and of releasing himself and others from its obligations, Matthew 12:8; Mark 2:28; Luke 6:5. with the genitive of a person, one who has control of the person, the master (A. V. lord); in the household: δούλου, παιδίσκης, οἰκονόμου, Matthew 10:24; Luke 12:46; Luke 14:21; Luke 16:3, 5; Acts 16:16, 19, etc.; absolutely, opposed to οἱ δοῦλοι, Ephesians 6:5, 9; Colossians 4:1, etc.; in the state, the sovereign, prince, chief: the Roman emperor ((on this use of κύριος see at length Woolsey in Bib. Sacr. for July 1861, pp. 595-608)), Acts 25:26; once angels are called κύριοι, as those to whom, in the administration of the universe, departments are intrusted by God (see ἄγγελος, 2): 1 Corinthians 8:5.

http://biblehub.com/greek/2962.htm

[Insert Acts Pun Here] Posts: 12817 **1/3/17 10:20 am**

While I am not familiar with everything on the following website, and can't vouch for everything they say, I found the following article to be a good summary of the rulership of Satan in this world: https://www.gotquestions.org/Satan-god-world.html

[Insert Acts Pun Here] Posts: 12817 **1/3/17 10:46 am**

Tom,

According to Thayer, in the specific passages which you cited, the ruler ("Archon" in Gk) of this world refers to "the ruler of the irreligious mass of mankind."

Why doth I protest so much, one may ask? I see no upside at all (and massive downsides, actually) in ascribing to Satan some kind of legitimate authority/rulership or "title deed" over mankind.

Acts-pert Poster Posts: 16646 **1/3/17 12:00 pm**

Acts-pert Poster Posts: 15570 **1/3/17 3:22 pm**

Miss Bonnie, this "title deed" foolishness is simply one component of the WOF house of cards. No validity at all.

[Insert Acts Pun Here] Posts: 14803 **1/3/17 3:28 pm**

You aren't "Jim," are you? Shocked

[Insert Acts Pun Here] Posts: 14803 **1/3/17 3:39 pm**

[Insert Acts Pun Here] Posts: 12817 **1/3/17 6:58 pm**

Saying Satan has been granted some rule by the Father is basically to affirm determinism, in my view. He is a thief, murderer, a liar and a robber, none of which things have ever or could ever be sanctioned by a holy and righteous God. It is to set God against Himself.

[Insert Acts Pun Here] Posts: 12817 **1/3/17 7:04 pm**

I also never have denied that the Devil has rule in some way. I have simply sought to maintain that any rule he has is, as Thayer says it, rulership over the irreligious (I.e., ungodly) mass of mankind. But his rule is never legitimate, any more than any other murderous, thieving, lying tyrant's rule has ever been legitimate, and it is not the case that the ungodly are anything less than willing slaves of his.

Acts Enthusiast Posts: 1449 **1/3/17 7:33 pm**

Miss Bonnie, I pray the love of God will prevail in your Sunday School Class if people in your class are more important than who's right or wrong in scripture interpretation.

Churches have split with less than you have witnessed.

[Insert Acts Pun Here] Posts: 12817 **1/3/17 8:28 pm**

bonnie

Golf Cart Mafia Associate Posts: 2109 **1/3/17 8:28 pm**

[Insert Acts Pun Here] Posts: 14803 **1/3/17 9:13 pm**

We actually have a very small class with some wonderful people. I think everyone took it in a stride. The guy who walked out is a very unique person, and I think everyone takes that into account. And I could elaborate on that, but this is the internet for all to see, so I'll just leave it at that. Thanks for the prayer.

[Insert Acts Pun Here] Posts: 14803 **1/4/17 9:15 am**