Results 341 - 360 of 1928
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Results from: Notes Author: Reformer Joe Ordered by Verse |
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Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
341 | What are Calvins and Arminians? | Bible general Archive 1 | Reformer Joe | 68364 | ||
One of the best introductions/overviews of church history that I could recommend is called _Church History in Plain Language_ by Bruce Shelley. You can find or order it in most bookstores, and on all the usual online sources. If you want to get a good understanding of the history of our people, I encourage you (and everyone else) to get hold of a copy of this book. --Joe! |
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342 | What are Calvins and Arminians? | Bible general Archive 1 | Reformer Joe | 68366 | ||
One of the best introductions/overviews of church history that I could recommend is called _Church History in Plain Language_ by Bruce Shelley. You can find or order it in most bookstores, and on all the usual online sources. If you want to get a good understanding of the history of our people, I encourage you (and everyone else) to get hold of a copy of this book. --Joe! |
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343 | making wine.Did Jesus make a mistake. | Bible general Archive 1 | Reformer Joe | 68548 | ||
How do you determine whether a member of your congregation has committed gluttony or not? How much food crosses the line between enjoyment of God's food and gluttonous greed? Your favorite theological grenade-thrower, --Joe! |
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344 | making wine.Did Jesus make a mistake. | Bible general Archive 1 | Reformer Joe | 68605 | ||
"Reformer Joe and I have been around this pole a few times and each time I believe I?m able to prove what Jesus made at the wedding of Cana would not be considered wine by today?s standards." What you haven't been able to show me is how anyone could possibly get drunk off of New Testament wine as you portray it to be. If it is so harmless, how can the apostles be accused of being full of sweet wine when they start speaking in other tongues? Why does Ephesians 5:23 tell us not to be drunk with wine if the alcoholic content of wine was so close to nothing? And why would being addicted to much "grape juice" be a disqualification for an elder (1 Timothy 3:3; Titus 1:7)? Ed, I know your bad history with the stuff and praise God from delivering you from your association with it. And, trust me, I would completely be a Romans 14:21 kind of guy around you. I would hope that you would be a Romans 14:3 person toward me. --Joe! |
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345 | making wine.Did Jesus make a mistake. | Bible general Archive 1 | Reformer Joe | 68642 | ||
But the words "sweet" or "new" do not appear in any of the passages I cited except for the one in Acts 2. And the Greek word is different for that instance, anyway, so ruling that one out doesn't really change the meaning of "oinos," which is used quite frequently in the NT in the context of warning of its excesses. My main problem with the whole "non-alcoholic" wine argument centers around two issues: 1. Throughout the history of the church, until the nineteenth-century temperance movement spread like wildfire, all of Christendom used wine in its communion. There is no definitive historical record of anything else but regular alcohol-containing wine being used (no matter what the alcohol percentage may have been). If you are correct about the use of Eucharistic wine, then there was some unexpected "wrong turn" very, very close to the apostolic era, and I am very hesitant to step forward and say that something the church had been doing from almost the very beginning is in error. 2. The Jews still use wine in their Passover. It would be quite interesting to find out how the same alleged move from ultra-weak wine to the stronger stuff we can find today was mirrored by a group that has largely rejected its Messiah. Now, don't get me wrong: I am not asserting my "inalienable right" to drink wine. My freedom should not become a stumbling block for my brother, and it certainly is not a pass to enjoy licentiousness. However, when I get grief for having a thimble-full of the beverage I (along with most of the church throughout history) believe Jesus consecrated to signify His blood by which I was reconciled, I am a little less charitable. The point of Paul's messages on matters of conscience is two-way: the strong should not despise the weak in conscience, and the weaker brother should not judge the strong in these "gray areas." --Joe! |
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346 | making wine.Did Jesus make a mistake. | Bible general Archive 1 | Reformer Joe | 68648 | ||
"My counter grenade toss would be: Which verse specifically commands us not to be gluttons? :-)" It has been a long day on the old Forum, hasn't it? For those of you taking Tim seriously, please see Proverbs 23:20-21 for starters. It connects gluttony and drunkenness as "twin sins." You also wrote: "I tossed the questions out in both fun and seriousness though. Is .005 blood alcohol not a sin, but .006 is a sin? Is drunkeness a state of being or a process?" I wouldn't be legalistic enough to identify a blood alcohol level any more than to set a calorie ceiling for gluttony. The key in both is moderation (not seeing how close one can get to the line without crossing it); and as you pointed out, it is never a sin NOT to casually drink alcohol. I think that drunkenness is both a state and a habit. Lastly, you wrote: "But, as I said many times before, I count this as a personal conviction which I would never force on anyone else. I simply don't see any good in alcohol. It doesn't make me more Christ-like, nor more intelligent (I can't spare any brain cells), so I see no reason to do it and many possible reasons to avoid it." This is the same way I feel about lima beans! This discussion comes up again at an interesting time for me, as I have been studying Romans 14 in my personal devotions and have recently gone through 1 Corinthians 8-10 with my wife. I consider this issue to be one that falls pretty squarely in the "adiaphora" category, and these four chapters have a lot to say about the proper use of our freedom in Christ, and how love for our brethren actually should act as a self-constraint on our liberty. Concern for Christ's honor and our brother's welfare should always be the governing principle in these gray areas. One thing that we can all agree on, hopefully: "Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." --1 Corinthians 10:31 --Joe! |
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347 | making wine.Did Jesus make a mistake. | Bible general Archive 1 | Reformer Joe | 68683 | ||
I hope it wasn't his scientific scholarship which had him exiled to the nether reaches of Arkansas! :) --Joe! |
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348 | making wine.Did Jesus make a mistake. | Bible general Archive 1 | Reformer Joe | 68687 | ||
Wake up! I am not finished yet! :) "Do not be with heavy drinkers of wine, Or with gluttonous eaters of meat; For the heavy drinker and the glutton will come to poverty, And drowsiness will clothe one with rags." --Proverbs 23:21 "Therefore, to one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, to him it is sin." --James 4:17 You wrote: "So, I do believe my point is valid. What other 'sin' in the Bible is ambigious, or left to personal standards? Can some of us lie a little more than others and be okay, while others have less tolerance for it? ;-)" I would say that some sins mentioned in Scripture are sins by their very commission (such as lying), while others are sins by commission to excess, thereby being a violation to the commandment to exercise self-control. For example, praying for (and therefore desiring) one's daily bread is not a sin, but greed is. Rest is commanded, but laziness is forbidden. I don't think that I would go so far as to limit it merely to unbridled "personal standards." We are called to act with wisdom, and Christ-like wisdom always comes into play where there is not the clear command in Scripture. --Joe! |
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349 | word for wine in the original text? | Bible general Archive 1 | Reformer Joe | 68850 | ||
'"But" this view does not take into account the work of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer." (this is what you stated). That first word (But), in the recovery world is always viewed as a denial word, for me this is a red flag.' Does this "red flag" go up every time you see one of the apostles using the word "but" in Scripture, too? Please be sensible! " I have spent time talking with alcoholics who want to stop, but they have difficulty because it is a drug that is chemically addictive. Almost all of them say it's like a demon that has control of their lives. And because it is addictive, it becomes a self-inflicted disease. They simply cannot stop drinking, they say, even though they know it will destroy them and everyone around them. The compulsion to drink is so deep that they often resort to stealing, lying and cheating just to get a drink." And that is bondage to sin. I don't think John will diagree with that at all. It is not the alcohol that is the "demon," though. The "recovery model" that you seem to approve of makes the sinner out to be a "helpless victim," not the voluntary slave to sin that the Bible characterizes a drunkard to be. You wrote: 'The apostle Paul in Romans 14:21 tells us that we are to avoid doing things if it causes our brother to "stumble" or "is offended or is made weak," even if our conscience is O.K. on the matter.' No, what Paul tells us to avoid is putting our Christian freedom ON DISPLAY before the weaker brethren (look at the following verse). By the way, the same chapter tells the weaker in conscience not to judge the stronger one, as you did by implication in the first paragraph of your post. "I am convinced that the enemy of our souls wants to promote drunkenness as much as possible. He wants to keep many in a daze every moment of their lives so they never get serious with Jesus. The enemy has almost succeeded in doing this in some cultures around the world." I (and, I would assume, John also) agree completely. --Joe! |
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350 | word for wine in the original text? | Bible general Archive 1 | Reformer Joe | 68873 | ||
"No, actually it has the opposite meaning in scripture, more positive meaning..." Oh, sorry. I didn't know. I haven't purchased "The Recovery Study Bible" yet, so I can't glean from its intertextual wisdom! :) --Joe! |
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351 | making wine.Did Jesus make a mistake. | Bible general Archive 1 | Reformer Joe | 68994 | ||
"If you want to drink fine that is between you and God. Why does anyone feel it is necessary to justify their private actions on this forum?" I don't know. Why do you? :) For everyone saying that they want to terminate this already humongous thread, people on all sides certainly want THEIR word to be the last one. I think we understand the positions of our respective opponents, and how wrong they are. Time to put this aside. --Joe! |
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352 | word for wine in the original text? | Bible general Archive 1 | Reformer Joe | 69011 | ||
I wish I could say that the "Recovery Study Bible" was something I made up, but it really exists out there. --Joe! |
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353 | Why does God bet with Satan in Job? | Bible general Archive 1 | Reformer Joe | 71714 | ||
God did it to put His own glory on display, as well as Abraham's obedience (James 2). He also did it to prefigure what He would do with His own Son to benefit His people for His glory. "He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?" --Romans 8:32 --Joe! |
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354 | How do I pray for myself? | Bible general Archive 1 | Reformer Joe | 71721 | ||
You wrote: 'Personally I don't think a christian should pray for themselves. On the other hand Jesus told us how to pray and included in the Lord's Prayer is "give us this day our daily bread" etc. Matt. 6:9-13' I don't get it. If Jesus taught His disciples to pray for themselves, why do you personally think we shouldn't? Many of the Psalms are prayers to God for oneself. Praying for oneself is not just a good idea; it is commanded. "Q. 178. What is prayer? A. Prayer is an offering up of our desires unto God, in the name of Christ, by the help of his Spirit; with confession of our sins, and thankful acknowledgment of his mercies." --Westminster Larger Catechism Yes, God knows what we think, but that does not mean that our every thought is a prayer unto God. Prayer is a purposeful activity, an act of worship and acknowledged dependence on Him alone for our every need. --Joe! |
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355 | How do I pray for myself? | Bible general Archive 1 | Reformer Joe | 71753 | ||
"If God hears our thoughts then every thought we think should be to His glory." I agree wholeheartedly (Matthew 22:37), but the operative word here is "should." It is not something that we do in practice. So, while everything we do and say and think is before the face of God (Hebrews 4:13), everything we do and say and think is not prayer nor is it all worship. --Joe! |
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356 | Finding 'Act as though you have faith' | Bible general Archive 1 | Reformer Joe | 72075 | ||
"The original point to this thread was that faith is a granting. That you have to do nothing but belive. Jesus went to work. So must we. By your fruits (works) you are known." Yes, by our fruits we are known by MEN to be Christ's disciples: "So then, you will know them by their fruits." --Matthew 7:20 True Christians will work, but we do not become Christians by working or maintain a state of being a Christian by working. "The words of Jesus about the Roman Centurion says much. First you have to have faith in yourself , (that you have seen, heard and understand) what Jesus is saying about the Roman Centurion ( a man of responsibility) are in the words spoken by Jesus." I don't see believing in yourself mentioned at all here. I see a Genile, a Roman centurion, expressing his unworthiness to have Jesus come to his house (an understainding of his own sin) and faith that Jesus can heal the servant. When Jesus offers to go to his house, the centurion demonstrates a God-given, deeper faith by saying that just as he says the word and those subordinates follow his command, so Jesus has authority over the health and sickness of the centurion's servant, even from a great distance. Look at the comparison: The centurion merely gives the order, and it is done; likewise, Jesus just says the word, and it is done. He recognizes the sovereign authority Jesus Christ possesses. "Next Jesus says (in my understanding) that blind belief is not enough. You have to think, look at the proof and then judge if someone or something is good or evil, by their actions." What part of this passage gives you the impression that Jesus is saying that here in Matthew 8:5-13? You wrote: "Seems to me the children Jesus speaks of that are cast into darkness have not thought things out in the search for truth, or upon finding truth have done little to advance the truth. And yet at first they sit down with the families in the Kingdom." What we see in verses 11-12 is a contrast: "I say to you that many will come from east and west, and recline at the table with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven; but the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth." The first group Jesus describes are clearly the Gentiles (like the centurion), who will dwell in heaven with the patriarchs. By contrast, the sons of the kingdom most likely refers to the Jews, the physical sons and daughters of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The vast majority of Jews are still going to hell, having rejected their Messiah and dying in their sins. This makes sense both because this is a Gentile expressing such faith and because this statement immediately follows Jesus comment that "I have not found such great faith with anyone in Israel." --Joe! |
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357 | Finding 'Act as though you have faith' | Bible general Archive 1 | Reformer Joe | 72188 | ||
This is not a response to anything I said in my post. However, you wrote: "Joe - there are Whole Chapters in the Bible that are a SEALED work." You keep using that term. What do you mean when you say a chapter, passage, or book is "sealed" or "unsealed"? You wrote: "How can you reform Christianity when you do not know the mind or will of God on these matters?" I know the Bible. I am part of the church of Jesus Christ, with its 2000 years of apostolic revelation and subsequent interpretation. The Holy Spirit indwells me and teaches me. Not a bad combination for knowing God's will... You wrote: "Christians in the past have killed thousands in the name of reform." Examples of killing in the name of "reform"? Even if you could produce significant cases of such a phenomenon, the acts of misguided individuals does not mean that reformation of the church is not necessary. "You should raise your level of understaning. There is only one who speaks for Father (God) and that is the Son of God - Jesus." Really? So the OT and NT prophets did not speak for God? The inspired writers of the New Testament did not speak for God? The ones God appoints as teachers of His revealed word do not speak for God? We are in serious trouble if the only one who ever spoke for God ascended into heaven twenty centuries ago. Now, about what I said regarding Matthew 8....? --Joe! |
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358 | Finding 'Act as though you have faith' | Bible general Archive 1 | Reformer Joe | 72308 | ||
Aften1: What church/denomination do you belong to that teaches that Immanuel and Jesus refer to different persons? --Joe! |
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359 | Can a person lose salvation? | Bible general Archive 1 | Reformer Joe | 72381 | ||
New Creature: I think we have talked before about the mistake of lumping all advocates of eternal security (perseverance of the saints) into some generic, catch-all category. Please refrain from implying that all who believe that salvation is sure do so on the basis of a single "decision," or that all of us believe that antinomianism and licentiousness are irrelevant. --Joe! |
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360 | Pastor Preaching in a Mad way!!!!!! | Bible general Archive 1 | Reformer Joe | 72449 | ||
Look at the qualifications that Paul gives for an overseer: "It is a trustworthy statement: if any man aspires to the office of overseer, it is a fine work he desires to do. An overseer, then, must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, prudent, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not addicted to wine or pugnacious, but gentle, peaceable, free from the love of money. He must be one who manages his own household well, keeping his children under control with all dignity (but if a man does not know how to manage his own household, how will he take care of the church of God?), and NOT A NEW CONVERT, so that he will not become conceited and fall into the condemnation incurred by the devil." --1 Timothy 3:1-6 New converts should not be elders. Sounds like a great number of your church's problems come from not obeying God regarding leadership in the church. --Joe! |
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