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SOUL AND SPIRIT |
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James 2:26
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In 1 Thessalonians 5:23 God's word tells us that man has a body a soul and a spirit. The spirit is the part of us that makes the difference between us and animals. It enables us to have a relationship with God, who is spirit. (John 4:24) This verse further states He must be worshiped in spirit and in truth. The spirit is what enables us to reason and know. It is the intellectual part. It is this part that makes us responsible for responding to God's provision of salvation in Jesus.
The soul is what makes the difference physical life and death. The soul is the seat of our emotions, feelings and wants or desires.
Humans have 3 parts: body, soul and spirit.
Angels are spirits and animals have body and soul only.
My understanding of this subject has been deepened by WHAT THE BIBLE TEACHES which is an Emmaus Bible commentary Published by Emmaus Bible College is Dubuque, Iowa. |
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Aren't pictures wrong? |
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Acts 17:29
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Romans 3:23 applies. I'm not even sure if it is the first account in the Bible, but consider the golden calf in Exodus. It appears that it may have been cast as an object used for worship of the true God, but it was wrong! To do so today, with pictures, statues and icons is no less wrong. The ten commandments also cover this issue. |
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holy kiss |
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1 Thess 5:26
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The holy kiss (Rom 16:16; 1 Cor 16:20; 2 Cor 13:12; 1 Thess 5:26) was adopted as a formal greeting among believers. The holy kiss showed love and charity. I would not like to think of the opposite. ..........
But, kisses were shown to be used in different ways in the Bible too, I'll list some of the negatives here: An act of worship toward heathen gods (1 Kings 19:18, 20; Job 31:27; Hos 13:2). To lure illicit love (Prov 7:13). Judas kissed Jesus to betray Him (Matt 26:48-49; Mark 14:44-45; Luke 22:47-48). ................... I hope this helps. |
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Was Pharaoh responsible? |
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Rom 9:17
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There is certainly room for disagreement on how much control God exercised over Pharaoh's heart and decisions at this time, but I think Romans 9:19-23 laves no question that Pharaoh was held guilty for the attitude that he had toward the Lord and his people. -- -- I am not of a Beza-Calvinist position that would suggest deliberate control over a person's final responsiveness to the Holy Spirit's conviction. Immediately before this exposition of God's control is the sequence of Romans 8:28-30, where God's foreknowledge of his people is followed by predestination to conform us to his image, then calling, justification and glorification in respective sequence. -- -- I assert that Pharaoh's heart was against God and his people. However, even a king who refused to worship God and love his people would be expected to exercise wisdom through temporary repentance. It is this temporary repentance that God prevented. His objective was not to have his people go into the desert, worship him, and return to slavery under a pagan king; his objective was to lead his people into a new life free from slavery and under willing submission to Himself as Lord and Savior. God controlled circumstances and even intervened in Pharaoh's heart and plans to accomplish this purpose and to bring himself glory. -- -- God does not choose to crush the wicked (whom he foreknows) before they are born but endures them despite his knowledge that their creation will result only in rebellion and destruction. However, he intervenes as he wishes in order to reveal Himself and to keep his plans for the righteous on course. -- -- I don't know whether the totality of what Pharaoh saw finally convicted him -- bringing him to repentance -- or whether he went the route of (most of) the Pharisees in blaspheming the Spirit in the face of unquestionable demonstration of God's power and authority in the world. His part in the Bible story ends at the Red Sea, but there is no indication in the history that I know that either Pharaoh or the Egypt of Pharaoh's time turned from their idols to God. Instead, those who turned to God apparently left with the Israelites as part of the "mixed multitude" (Ex.12:38). |
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Take Your Holy Spirit from me? |
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Ps 51:11
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A dear friend once admonished me to be careful when leading people (in worship) with the popular worship song "Create in me a clean heart". Can someone give me a good explanation that I might use regarding the idea (in this context) of God "taking His Spirit away"? |
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Is this |
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Rom 6:3
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No, you do not need to be "water" baptized to be saved. The word translated "baptized" (in most texts) literally translates as "immersed" which is to "completely dip, plunge under".
The 1 Peter 3:21 here equates “baptism now saves you” to “but an appeal to God for a good conscience - through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.”. This word appeal is the action word in the phrase and has nothing to do with “water baptism (immersion)”. Baptism here is the same as the Romans 6 comments below.
Some Jews of that day "water baptized (immersed)" themselves as an act of spiritual cleansing, purification. This was a normal thing for a religious person to do. Sometimes this was done more than once a day. Note that the Ethiopian is likely Jewish: for he worships at Jerusalem. Nothing is said in the Acts passage that “water baptism” is required for salvation. This was not the message Philip preached. The Ethiopian requests to be baptized. Baptism was something a repentant person did, so this is completely normal for the day.
As for Romans chapter 6: This speaks about believers being "buried with Him through baptism into death". One needs to read the context of this passage to understand what Paul meant by this. I think it is clear that believers are alive in Christ through His death and through His death we are saved. The baptism or immersion here is a reference to being immersed in His death, not a water baptism. Reason being that if we are in Him, we will also be raised up from the dead just as He was. Paul is using a logical argument in this chapter speaking about the believer and sin. Notice how Paul connects the points of his argument throughout the whole chapter, too.
Also note that, in the gospels, John baptized with (in) water but Jesus baptized with the Spirit. See: Matt. 3:11-12; John 1:32-34; Luke 3:16.
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Is Passover celebrated by Messianic Jews |
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NT general
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I would say that it would be all right to appreciate the rich Christological symbolism of the Passover. But if one actually "celebrates" Passover, it is like ignoring the work of Christ because Christ IS our Passover. Passover is the shadow; Christ is the substance. Christ is the Real and Glorious and Beautiful. To actually "celebrate" Passover would be to turn from the worship of the Real and to be enamored with the picture of the Real, to look at the picture more than the object of the picture.
"For Christ our Passover also has been sacrificed"
(1 Cor 5:7b) |
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Would you please give scripture evidence |
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1 Cor 13:12
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I do not think any verses really address this. However, it is a reasonable assumption that our loved ones who are saved will be recognizable to us. We all have our same bodies, although they will be glorified. It is not a stretch to believe we will be able to recognize one another; but, frankly, I think we will be more interested in the recognition and worship of Christ. |
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Predetermined or Free Will |
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Luke 8:13
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I have a couple questions with what you stated.
1: Where does it say that Jesus is omnipotent? Jesus says in Mat 24:36 "No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven nor the Son, but only the Father." If Jesus were omnipotent as you say, He would have known the day and hour.
2: God has predetermined that his plan of salvation will be carried out. This does not mean that he has predetermined who will and will not be saved. God wants everyone to be saved (If you need several versus to back this up, let me know). He provided the means for that to happen through the death and ressurection of Jesus. It is our choice whether to accept his Gift or not. From the very beginning, Adam and Eve made the choice to eat from the tree of knowledge even after God told them not to. In Josh 24:15, "But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve... In 1 Kings 18:21, the worshippers at Mt. Carmel were invited to choose that day whom they would serve, either Baal or God. In Isaiah 5:20, the people were certainly capable of choosing between good and evil. Why are we given the warning in Matt 7:15 ("Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.") if we were predestined to be saved or not? Matt 7:21 says that only the people that choose to do the will of God will enter Heaven. Luke 13:3 tells us that unless we repent (our choice), we will perish. Matt 19:23-24 says that it is harder for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God. If we were predetermined, then wouldn't it be just as easy (or hard)? John 3:16 ...whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. In John 7: 17-18, If anyone chooses to do God's will, he will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own. He who speaks on his own does so to gain honor for himself... In Romans 1:17-32 is clear that man has chosen evil and is not predetermined to do so. Heb 9:27-28 tells us that we are to face judgment when we die. What would be the need of a judgment if we were predetermined. There are many more versus that talk about our choice which I will post if needed.
3: To renounce your salvation would be to turn your back on God, to no longer believe or accept his Gift. To no longer follow the teachings of Christ. Granted, you could always say that person wasn't really saved then. But then what would you say would have happened to that person if they died prior to that drastic change? And if you say that the person must not have been chosen by God to be saved and was only fooling themselves when they truely believed in Christ and thought they were saved then can you say for sure that anyone is saved? Did Jesus die for everyone or just for a select few? I can show you several versus that show that He died for all, can you show one that says otherwise? Then if Jesus did die for all, how could there be some that God predetermined not to be save?
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Who were the son's of God in Job? |
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Gen 6:4
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The "sons of God" who were the descendants of Seth were righteous people. The "sons of God" in Job 1:6 also refers to righteous people (people who worshiped God.) Job may have been among "the sons of God" who came to present themselves before Him since God asks Satan about Job in the context of this passage. The word translated son in verse 6 is the same word that is used in reference to Job's sons in verse 5. The NIV's rendering is not a literal translation. If the word is to be translated "angels" in verse 6, why not in verse 5? The NRSV renders it "heavenly beings" but the ASV, NKJV and KJV render it literally as "sons." The NRSV's rendering is not a literal translation either. I see no reason to translate this word with "angels" or "heavenly beings." The NIV NRSV's rendering seems to be another example of an "interpretation" (what the translator thought the context required) rather than a translation. Do you know of any other passage than those in Job where the NIV translates this word other than "children" or "sons"? As to the "giants" or Nephilim, the word literally means "a bully or tyrant" according to Strong's dictionary. I can see no reason to believe that the "sons of God" in Job 1:6 have anything to do with the "Nephilim" in Gen. 6:4. |
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Sabbath laws....do? or don't? |
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Col 2:16
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Are the Sabbath laws binding on Christians today?
. . . We believe the Old Testament regulations governing Sabbath observances are ceremonial, not moral, aspects of the law. As such, they are no longer in force, but have passed away along with the sacrificial system, the Levitical priesthood, and all other aspects of Moses' law that prefigured Christ. . . . Here are the reasons we hold this view.
. . . In Colossians 2:16-17, Paul explicitly refers to the Sabbath as a shadow of Christ, which is no longer binding since the substance (Christ) has come. It is quite clear in those verses that the weekly Sabbath is in view. The phrase "a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day" refers to the annual, monthly, and weekly holy days of the Jewish calendar (cf. 1 Chronicles 23:31; 2 Chronicles 2:4; 31:3; Ezekiel 45:17; Hosea 2:11). If Paul were referring to special ceremonial dates of rest in that passage, why would he have used the word "Sabbath?" He had already mentioned the ceremonial dates when he spoke of festivals and new moons.
. . . The Sabbath was the sign to Israel of the Mosaic Covenant (Exodus 31:16-17; Ezekiel 20:12; Nehemiah 9:14). Since we are now under the New Covenant (Hebrews 8), we are no longer required to observe the sign of the Mosaic Covenant.
. . . The New Testament never commands Christians to observe the Sabbath.
. . . In our only glimpse of an early church worship service in the New Testament, the church met on the first day of the week (Acts 20:7).
. . . Nowhere in the Old Testament are the Gentile nations commanded to observe the Sabbath or condemned for failing to do so. That is certainly strange if Sabbath observance were meant to be an eternal moral principle.
. . . There is no evidence in the Bible of anyone keeping the Sabbath before the time of Moses, nor are there any commands in the Bible to keep the Sabbath before the giving of the law at Mt. Sinai.
. . . When the Apostles met at the Jerusalem council (Acts 15), they did not impose Sabbath keeping on the Gentile believers.
. . . The apostle Paul warned the Gentiles about many different sins in his epistles, but breaking the Sabbath was never one of them.
. . . In Galatians 4:10-11, Paul rebukes the Galatians for thinking God expected them to observe special days (including the Sabbath).
. . . In Romans 14:5, Paul forbids those who observe the Sabbath (these were no doubt Jewish believers) to condemn those who do not (Gentile believers).
. . . The early church fathers, from Ignatius to Augustine, taught that the Old Testament Sabbath had been abolished and that the first day of the week (Sunday) was the day when Christians should meet for worship (contrary to the claim of many seventh-day sabbatarians who claim that Sunday worship was not instituted until the fourth century).
. . . Sunday has not replaced Saturday as the Sabbath. Rather the Lord's Day is a time when believers gather to commemorate His resurrection, which occurred on the first day of the week. Every day to the believer is one of Sabbath rest, since we have ceased from our spiritual labor and are resting in the salvation of the Lord (Hebrews 4:9-11).
. . . So while we still follow the pattern of designating one day of the week a day for the Lord's people to gather in worship, we do not refer to this as "the Sabbath."
. . . (www.gty.org Click on Issues and Answers. Click on Previous Topics) |
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Is inter-racial marriage biblical? |
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Deut 7:3
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I agree totally. God was trying to protect the israelites from being seduced by Idol worship. He didn't want them to marry the ones who did not believe in thier God,(Solomon and Queen of Sheba). |
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Predetermined or Free Will |
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Luke 8:13
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I see that you are the typical brainwashed person that only believes what he has been told and is afraid to examine the evidence for yourself. If you'd bother to check the previous postings you would find that I did in fact answer your questions and showed you how your took your passages out of context to twist them to your way of thinking. I also noticed that you completely disregarded most of my questions and passages that talk very explicitly about "free will". You say that you answered my verses (actually there God's verses) by arguing that mere verses are insufficient and must be accompanied by the use of Scripture as a whole in context. I showed you your verses in context and how they have nothing to do with what you pretend to be accurate. You however have not shown me A SINGLE interpretation of one of the verses I listed about how God wants all to be saved, how it's our choice to accept the Gift of Grace that God offered, how it could be possible to renounce your salvation.
And as far as you saying that I have not thought much about the issues you raised could not be farther from the truth. That's the problem. I have thought a lot about the Calvinistic issues and have found that if you ignore the majority of the bible, then it holds up.
Calvinists seem to think that since the Bible doesn't use the term "Free Will" then it must not exist. Unfortunatly, you also miss all the examples (new and old testiment) that talk about it as our choice. God didn't put puppets here on earth, he put living, breathing, thinking humans here that would by their own human will choose to worship Him. You would have us believe that God created us and decided who would worship him. I'm sorry, I just don't see it that way when I read the Bible and all the things it says. Of course, my bible is more than just a few verses from Ephesians and Romans.
May God open your eyes and heart so that you may continue to grow.
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Commentary on Luke 4:1-13 |
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Luke
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Part 3 - Matthew 4:7-11
Matthew 4:7
Jesus now has Satan in a bad position, exchanging Scripture to back up their views. He responds here with a personal application of a plural command as found in (Deuteronomy 6:16). Here is a lesson for us to learn - while the Scriptures are written for all men, they are only efectual in the lives of men one at a time. Their truths must be applied personally, not to others, not even to a group which we are a member of, but right to our own heart. It is so easy to apply the Bible to other's lives, it is not so easy to apply it to our own.
Where does standing on the promises of God become presumption? Matthew Henry once agains speaks clearly when he says:
If we expect that because God has promised not to forsake us, therefore he should follow us out of the way of our duty; that because he has promised to supply our wants, therefore he should humour us, and please our fancies; that because he has promised to keep us, we may wilfully thrust ourselves into danger, and may expect the desired end, without using the appointed means; this is presumption, this is tempting God. And it is an aggravation of the sin, that he is the Lord our God; it is an abuse of the privilege we enjoy, in having him for our God; he has thereby encouraged us to trust him, but we are very ungrateful, if therefore we tempt him; it is contrary to our duty to him as our God. This is to affront him whom we ought to honour. Note, We must never promise ourselves any more than God has promised us.
Henry, Matthew, Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Bible, (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers) 1991.
Matthew 4:8
Satan's last attempt to tempt Jesus to sin is to appeal to the pride of men which desires to by in charge, to control, to rule. To do so, Satan shows Jesus the kingdoms of the world, as if he was showing Him something He was not imtimately familiar with. After all, did not Jesus create the world? Put in place all rule and authority?
Matthew 4:9
Satan was within his power to offer this, since he is the ruler of this world (2 Cor4 :4).
He was only giving to Christ that which was already promised to Him. This teaches us that we must not accept even those things which are promises of God from the hand of Satan.
Look at the condition which Satan sets forth for his deliverance of the kingdoms, Christ worshiping him! How vile, how ludicrous. How could Satan even begin to think that the one who created him and everything around him would fall down and worship that which he created. Satan here shows convincingly that he is no match for the God of the Universe. He displays a weakness which seems even silly for men, that of worshipping that which they themsleves have made. Satan is truly an inferior creature as compared to a magnificent, omnipresent, omnipotent God!
Matthew 4:10
Jesus response here to Satan is harsh and forceful. He is offended at the very thought of worshipping other than His Father and he immediately stands to defend Him. While Satan's other attempts were against Jesus and His character, this one is against God the Father and Jesus puts a quick stop to it. We should treat affronts to the divinity and sovereignty of our God in similar fashion. We should abhor the very thought.
Jesus clearly states that worship is for God and God alone. Considering the harshness of His rebuke, and His strong conviction for His Father, it makes a very great case that Jesus was in fact God in that He readily accepted worship of Himself while He was on the earth.
Jesus then commands Satan to begone.
Matthew 4:11
Satan MUST obey the command of Jesus. He has no choice and Jesus has endured enough of his ignorance. We need to recognize Christ's power over Satan. Jesus is already victorious and since His Spirit dwells in believers, we in a sense are victorious as well. Let us never forget that Satan cannot defeat us if we stand firm in our relationship to God the Father, through Jesus the Son, empowered by the Holy Spirit. Satan need not be feared! |
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God, Satan, and Job's sons discuss dad? |
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Gen 6:4
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Verse 5 uses the word too, in reference to Job's sons. Verse 6 and verses 4 and 5 use the word "ben" which means sons. Do we not "stand before" God when we worship Him? You misunderstood. I did not interpret the "sons of God" in verse 6 to mean Job's sons, although if they were worshipers of God they may have been there too. In worship, God is the audience since it is He whom we worship. We literally "stand before" Him to offer our worship to Him. Thus, your objection doesn't seem reasonable.
You well stated the reason I object to the NIV. It is a "thought for thought" translation rather than a word for word translation. Of course, I believe in verbal inspiration. By that I mean that each word placed in the original manuscripts originated with God. Or, to be more exact, every word placed in the Bible was placed there by God through inspired men (2 Peter 2:21; 1 Corinthians 2:13). If this is so (as I firmly believe) then a "thought for thought" translation injects man's words into the text and is unreliable. In fact, it is not a translation at all. It is a paraphrase of what the person "thinks" the writer is thinking. If you translate "word for word" at least you have the words the Holy Spirit gave. There are very few words in the Bible where there is debate as to what English word(s) is to be used to give an exact meaning of the original word. "ben" means son and the phrase in verse 6 means "sons of God." Why not translate it like that and then let the reader figure out what it means from the context, rather than injecting man's word in it by using the word "angels" or the phrase "heavenly beings"? Also, we need to let the Bible interpret itself. Look the word (phrase) up and see how it is used in other passages. That will help in determining how the Bible uses it in general and may help interpret what it means in the context you are studying. |
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God, Satan, and Job's sons discuss dad? |
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Gen 6:4
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Verse 5 uses the word too, in reference to Job's sons. Verse 6 and verses 4 and 5 use the word "ben" which means sons. Do we not "stand before" God when we worship Him? You misunderstood. I did not interpret the "sons of God" in verse 6 to mean Job's sons, although if they were worshipers of God they may have been there too. In worship, God is the audience since it is He whom we worship. We literally "stand before" Him to offer our worship to Him. Thus, your objection doesn't seem reasonable.
You well stated the reason I object to the NIV. It is a "thought for thought" translation rather than a word for word translation. Of course, I believe in verbal inspiration. By that I mean that each word placed in the original manuscripts originated with God. Or, to be more exact, every word placed in the Bible was placed there by God through inspired men (2 Peter 2:21; 1 Corinthians 2:13). If this is so (as I firmly believe) then a "thought for thought" translation injects man's words into the text and is unreliable. In fact, it is not a translation at all. It is a paraphrase of what the person "thinks" the writer is thinking. If you translate "word for word" at least you have the words the Holy Spirit gave. There are very few words in the Bible where there is debate as to what English word(s) is to be used to give an exact meaning of the original word. "ben" means son and the phrase in verse 6 means "sons of God." Why not translate it like that and then let the reader figure out what it means from the context, rather than injecting man's word in it by using the word "angels" or the phrase "heavenly beings"? Also, we need to let the Bible interpret itself. Look the word (phrase) up and see how it is used in other passages. That will help in determining how the Bible uses it in general and may help interpret what it means in the context you are studying. |
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Are the unevangelized people really lost |
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Rom 2:15
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Are the unevangelized people really lost?
. . . Yes, they are. How shall they believe? "...believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved..." (Acts 16:31) It follows then that not to believe is not to be saved. "...And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard?..." (Rom 10:14 NKJV).
Is God's judgment upon the unevanglized a just judgment?
. . . Yes, it is. Romans 2:2 "But we know that the judgment of God is according to truth against those who practice such things."
. . . What have the unevangelized done to deserve such condemnation?
. . . "God punishes them, because what can be known about God is plain to them" (Rom 1:19 TEV)
. . . Today's English Version Romans 1:18-32
. . . God's anger is revealed from heaven against all the sin and evil of the people whose evil ways prevent the truth from being known. God punishes them, because what can be known about God is plain to them, for God himself made it plain. Ever since God created the world, his invisible qualities, both his eternal power and his divine nature, have been clearly seen; they are perceived in the things that God has made. So those people have no excuse at all! They know God, but they do not give him the honor that belongs to him, nor do they thank him. Instead, their thoughts have become complete nonsense, and their empty minds are filled with darkness. They say they are wise, but they are fools; instead of worshiping the immortal God, they worship images made to look like mortals or birds or animals or reptiles.
. . . And so God has given those people over to do the filthy things their hearts desire, and they do shameful things with each other. They exchange the truth about God for a lie; they worship and serve what God has created instead of the Creator himself, who is to be praised forever! Amen. Because they do this, God has given them over to shameful passions. Even the women pervert the natural use of their sex by unnatural acts. In the same way the men give up natural sexual relations with women and burn with passion for each other. Men do shameful things with each other, and as a result they bring upon themselves the punishment they deserve for their wrongdoing.
. . .
Because those people refuse to keep in mind the true knowledge about God, he has given them over to corrupted minds, so that they do the things that they should not do. They are filled with all kinds of wickedness, evil, greed, and vice; they are full of jealousy, murder, fighting, deceit, and malice. They gossip and speak evil of one another; they are hateful to God, insolent, proud, and boastful; they think of more ways to do evil; they disobey their parents; they have no conscience; they do not keep their promises, and they show no kindness or pity for others. They know that God's law says that people who live in this way deserve death. Yet, not only do they continue to do these very things, but they even approve of others who do them.
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That's an interesting belief. |
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Luke 23:43
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Thanks. You and June bring up good points. I've always been about 60 to 40 in favor of the possiblity of renouncing one's salvation (although I admit I have no idea why one would) but now I think I'm starting to lean the other way. I'll do some more reading into what you wrote and talking with others and maybe I'll swing even farther to the once saved always saved.
On the otherhand though, I do believe that we have the choice whether or not to accept Gods gift of salvation. Not because of any pridefull thing or power trip, but because I believe that God would rather have us make the decision to worship Him rather than force us to. Consider for example if you had the power to make someone love you. Would you use it or would you rather have them choose to love you? |
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God will not erase names of Christians. |
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NT general
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Rev 3:5 "Book of Life." A divine journal records the names of all those whom God has chosen to save and who, therefore, are to possess eternal life ( Rev 13:8; 17:8; 20:12, 15; 21:27,: 22:19; compare Dan 12:1; Luke 10:20). Under no circumstances will He erase those names . . . , as city officials often did of undesirable people on their roles. (MacArthur Study Bible, p. 1996)
. . . Phil 4:3. "Book of Life." In eternity past, God registered all the names of His elect in that book which identifies those inheritors of eternal life . . . (MacArthur Study Bible, p. 1828).
. . . When were our names written in the book of life? "From the foundation of the world." Before the first man was ever born, the names of the elect were written in the book of life.
. . . Rev 17:8 NASB
"The beast that you saw was, and is not, and is about to come up out of the abyss and go to destruction. And those who dwell on the earth, whose name has not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, will wonder when they see the beast, that he was and is not and will come."
. . . 13:8 (NASB)
All who dwell on the earth will worship him, everyone whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who has been slain.
. . . "Lamb slain". The Lord Jesus who died to purchase the salvation of those whom God had chosen was fulfilling an eternal plan.
. . . "from the foundation of the world". According to God's eternal, electing purpose before creation, the death of Christ seals the redemption of the elect forever (compare Acts 2:23; 4:27, 28). Antichrist can never take away the salvation of the elect. The eternal registry of the elect will never be altered, nor will the saved in the Antichrist's day worship him. (MacArthur Study Bible, p. 2010) |
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BOOK OF LIFE |
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NT general
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Rev 3:5 "Book of Life." A divine journal records the names of all those whom God has chosen to save and who, therefore, are to possess eternal life ( Rev 13:8; 17:8; 20:12, 15; 21:27,: 22:19; compare Dan 12:1; Luke 10:20). Under no circumstances will He erase those names . . . , as city officials often did of undesirable people on their roles. (MacArthur Study Bible, p. 1996) . . . Phil 4:3. "Book of Life." In eternity past, God registered all the names of His elect in that book which identifies those inheritors of eternal life . . . (MacArthur Study Bible, p. 1828). . . . When were our names written in the book of life? "From the foundation of the world." Before the first man was ever born, the names of the elect were written in the book of life. . . . Rev 17:8 NASB "The beast that you saw was, and is not, and is about to come up out of the abyss and go to destruction. And those who dwell on the earth, whose name has not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, will wonder when they see the beast, that he was and is not and will come." . . . 13:8 (NASB) All who dwell on the earth will worship him, everyone whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who has been slain. . . . "Lamb slain". The Lord Jesus who died to purchase the salvation of those whom God had chosen was fulfilling an eternal plan. . . . "from the foundation of the world". According to God's eternal, electing purpose before creation, the death of Christ seals the redemption of the elect forever (compare Acts 2:23; 4:27, 28). Antichrist can never take away the salvation of the elect. The eternal registry of the elect will never be altered, nor will the saved in the Antichrist's day worship him. (MacArthur Study Bible, p. 2010) |
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Why did God put us on earth with satin? |
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Genesis
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This is more of a combination of a note and question that may or may not directly belong here. Quick bio of Lucifer (Satan) for those that don't know: Satan was one of the angels in heaven (and in charge of worship and music (this is a different topic for another time)) before he was struck down by God to earth for his attempts to usurp the praise that God so richly deserved (and deserves). Satan was able to bring down a third of the angels with him, convincing them to praise him and not God. Knowing this, Satan desires to have himself exaulted, and therefore hates anything that loves God.
God made man to have dominion over the earth (Gen 1:26) and it is known that God also created man to praise Him (I'm not sure where this is....please, someone remind me?). Satan would much rather us be destroyed (remember, we were created in God's image (Gen 1:27), and Satan hates God) than to praise the Lord, and the way to destroy us is to separate us from God's love and grace through sin and evil. Know that as long as we are for God and follow His word, then He (and we) will prevail. It won't be easy, and our trials are designed to test our faith (1 Peter 1:7), but He has promised that we will prevail. |
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That's an interesting belief. |
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Luke 23:43
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Please don't swing to once saved always saved because they disagreed with your scriptures. The holy spirit is a gentleman he does not make you do anything (we are led by the spirit Rom. 8:14). This means that if we want to denounce God and tell him that we don't want to go to heaven he is not going to make us. Matt. 12:31,32 says that we can denounce God and Jesus and be forgiven(when we ask). But if we denounce the Holy Spirit we can not be forgiven-if you cannot be forgiven then you lose your salvation. Only a believer can blaspheme the Holy Spirit because we are the only ones who can worship in spirit and in truth. We know the Spirit of Truth so only we can deny him and in doing so we lose our salvation. These are two ways you can lose salvation: Tell GOd you just don't want his salvation anymore (which can be forgiven), and to blaspheme the Holy Spirit (no forgiveness for this). All in all unless you are thinking about trying it to prove your point,don't worry about losing your salvation, worry about getting others where you are. |
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Who are the 24 elders in this verse? |
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Rev 19:4
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Since the 24 elders are neither named nor identified, then we do not know their identity with any certainty. The 24 elders are "representative of either the whole company of believers in heaven or an exalted angelic order worshiping and serving God there . . . The number 24 is often understood to reflect the 12 Israelite tribes of the OT and the 12 apostles of the NT." (Zondervan NASB Study Bible, p. 1854) |
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sins of father repaid by son? |
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Genesis
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Exodus 20:5 You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, 6 but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments. (NAS)
"punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me" notice the words at the end of this read: "of those who hate me".
The full formula includes the important qualifier "of those who hate me."
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Blue marbles roll faster than red ones |
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Rev 19:4
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Thank you for your opinion and judgment about me. Jusus came to show us the way to the Father. Worship God becasue Jesus Christ is the spirit of prophesy (Rev. 19). Thank you for putting me down so you can build yourself up. Yes, the Scriptures are man-made. However, the words of Jesus that are printed in The Bible are accurate and true. In the beginning was The Word. And The Word was made Jesus and lived with us. The Word was not made "book". Jesus is The Word. And the words that Jesus said are true. I live my life by the words that Jesus said that are reported by the four Gospel writers. If I live my life according to the teachings of Jesus and only Jesus, I do not think I will wind up in Hell. Do you agree? |
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Questions for my Calvinists friends. |
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Not Specified
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I'm having problems seeing the Calvinist viewpoint on Election. I've read the verses and studied documents and have found too many problems with the interpretations. I'll discuss these verses again if requested but a couple things that I don't see how they fit are:
1) If God pre-chose only some individuals that were to be saved, why did he destroy them in the flood? I guess you could always say the Noah and family were the only ones he chose but why then go to all the trouble of populating the world and wipe it out with a flood?
2) If God had his "Elect" already in mind and knew they were going to be saved because the could not resist God, why then did Jesus have to die?
3) Why would it be harder for a rich man to enter the Kindgom of Heaven?
My view on this is that God wants us all to be saved and has provided (initiated, given us, predestined, etc...) the way to salvation through his son.
1) In the time of Noah, the people "went away" from God and the only way at that time to get them back on track was to "start over".
2) In Jesus' time, the people were getting too lost in all their laws and was losing the true meaning of God (Love) and sent Jesus, as a final statement, to show us the path.
3) Because God wants us to chose to worship him and believe in his son and to not follow the "ways of the world", then it would be harder for a rich man because there is greater temptations to sway him away.
Although I do believe we have "Free Will" to choose, I also believe that our Will can be overriden by God, if necessary, for his plan to be fulfilled. I also believe that there could not have been anything we could have done to enter Heaven, but fortunately, he invited everyone free of charge with only one string attached -- you must believe. |
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Questions for my Calvinists friends. |
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Job 38:1
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I'm having problems seeing the Calvinist viewpoint on Election. I've read the verses and studied documents and have found too many problems with the interpretations. I'll discuss these verses again if requested but a couple things that I don't see how they fit are:
1) If God pre-chose only some individuals that were to be saved, why did he destroy them in the flood? I guess you could always say the Noah and family were the only ones he chose but why then go to all the trouble of populating the world and wipe it out with a flood?
2) If God had his "Elect" already in mind and knew they were going to be saved because the could not resist God, why then did Jesus have to die?
3) Why would it be harder for a rich man to enter the Kindgom of Heaven?
My view on this is that God wants us all to be saved and has provided (initiated, given us, predestined, etc...) the way to salvation through his son.
1) In the time of Noah, the people "went away" from God and the only way at that time to get them back on track was to "start over".
2) In Jesus' time, the people were getting too lost in all their laws and was losing the true meaning of God (Love) and sent Jesus, as a final statement, to show us the path.
3) Because God wants us to chose to worship him and believe in his son and to not follow the "ways of the world", then it would be harder for a rich man because there is greater temptations to sway him away.
Although I do believe we have "Free Will" to choose, I also believe that our Will can be overriden by God, if necessary, for his plan to be fulfilled. I also believe that there could not have been anything we could have done to enter Heaven, but fortunately, he invited everyone free of charge with only one string attached -- you must believe. |
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Questions for my Calvinists friends. |
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Job 38:1
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Just for a moment, forget Calvinism. Many people have a problem accepting the Bible doctrine of election because they do not understand it -- every last little ramification and detail of it. You ask "Why? . . . Why? . . . Why?"
To those who must know the WHY of a thing before they can accept or believe it, often the only answer they will get is the one Job was given.
. . . Job 38:1 (NASB) Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind and said,
2 "Who is this that darkens counsel
By words without knowledge?
3 "Now gird up your loins like a man,
And I will ask you, and you instruct Me!
4 "Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?
Tell Me, if you have understanding,
5 Who set its measurements? Since you know.
Or who stretched the line on it?
6 "On what were its bases sunk? Or who laid its cornerstone?
. . . My point? Isa 55:8 "For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways," declares the LORD.
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In Jesus' name...except baptism? |
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Col 3:17
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Let me add another thought. In Mat 28 the focus is the entire world, a group of people that needed to be taught that there is one God, and He exists in three persons. In Acts 2 Peter is speaking to those who worshipped the one true God. If someone who was already convinced that God is one, is ready to or just has received His Son as savior, they have already come to the understanding that God is a Trinity. Therefore Peter only needs to say "in the name of Jesus". Whereas Matthew was echoing a greater statement than just baptize them, he was saying disciple them in the fullness of the truth of who God is. That encompasses the Father, Son and Holy Spririt. I also don't see how with the limited revelation that we have that we can presume any formula to be exclusive. Baptism is a picture, a testimony of what already happened, so the words that accompany it are a testimony as well. As you can tell from the Gospels the truth can be told from different views and still be the truth. God warns us about "controversial questions and disputes about words" in 1 Tim 6. Here He is talking about depraved minds which I am convinced none of you have, but we should watch so that our desire to understand doesn't end up paralleling those with depraved minds, always searching but never coming to know the truth, because we think we need a level of revelation that isn't available. I still say that if one baptizes in the name of Jesus or in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit it is one and the same. |
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