Results 461 - 480 of 2277
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Results from: Answers On or After: Thu 12/31/70 Author: Hank Ordered by Date |
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Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
461 | I would like to know what purgatory is? | Bible general Archive 3 | Hank | 170892 | ||
Dear Forever: The term 'purgatory' derives from a Latin root word meaning 'to purge' and is defined as being an intermediate state after death for expiatory purification. According to Roman Catholic doctrine, purgatory is a place or state of punishment wherein the souls of those who die in God's grace may make satisfaction for past sins and so become fit for heaven. The term 'purgatory' does not appear in Scripture. But Hebrews 9:27 does. --Hank | ||||||
462 | words | Gen 24:9 | Hank | 170842 | ||
Dear hic: Your question brings to mind an anecdote about humorist James Thurber and a coquettish young woman he happened to meet at a social gathering. The young woman said to the humorist, "Mr. Thurber, I just adore your writing." And, in an obvious attempt to impress Thurber with her erudition, she added, "It's even funnier in the French." To which James Thurber responded, "Well, one must admit it does lose something in the original." ....... All of which serves to illustrate that apparently some modern translators take the ridiculous position -- which Thurber took with tongue in cheek in reference to his writings -- that Scripture "loses something in the original" and needs to be gussied up, to be monkeyed with, changed, edited, paraphrased, interpreted and otherwise compromised in order to render it in "smooth" English; or, as one version put it, to make it read like today's newspaper. Well, the Bible is not a newspaper; it is the word of God and who in his right mind wants to copy the pedestrian style of an ephemeral newspaper to convey the eternal message of God's truth? ....... Now to your specific question of whether they -- they being the ancient Greeks and Hebrews -- really spoke like that -- that being the example you gave in your question. Without going into great detail, I'll note simply that each language has its own peculiar syntax -- rules of grammar, word order, punctuaion, idioms, etc. For example, the Germans are particularly unkind to their verbs, usually placing them last in a sentence. In English we would say, "He forgot his hat" but the German would say, in German of course, what would be rendered literally, word for word, in English as "He his hat forgot." But this literal rendition, while natural in German, is not natural in English, and in more complex constructions, is not even comprehensible in English. So the Bible translator faces a dual task, that of rendering a translation that is faithful to the ancient manuscripts while at the same time being understandable and grammatically correct in the receptor language. No easy task, that. --Hank | ||||||
463 | Job 3:25 What is the thing Job feared? | Job 3:25 | Hank | 170825 | ||
Dear Curious: The context gives a clue to the thing Job greatly feared (Job 3:25). The beginning of Chapter 3 marks a change in Job's attitude from his patience shown in the discourse with his wife in Chapter 2. His wife, deriding him for holding on to his integrity, advised her husband to "Curse God and die!" (2:9). Job rebuked her, saying she spoke foolishness. As Chapter 3 opens, evidently Job has been suffering for a long time, although we don't know how long. Job's previous words of patience and trust are not evident in Chapter 3. Even though Job falls short of cursing God for his suffering and anguish, he nevertheless in this soliloquy is candid to admit his inntermost feelings, arguing that he would not have suffered so much had he not been conceived (3:3-10), or had he died at birth (3:11-19, or had he died immediately when his troubles began (3:20-26. ...... Job, plagued by suffering, now has come to view death as a deliverance from his misery. He leaves the reader with a strong implication that never being born is preferable to his wretched state which is -- so one may infer from Job's words -- one that Job conceives of as being forsaken by the Lord. Thus Job's fear does not center on a particular thing, but it is rather a more generic fear of prolonged suffering and anguish, of feeling forsaken, engendering the turmoil in his soul that he expresses vividly in 3:26: "I am not at ease, nor am I quiet; I have no rest, for trouble comes." --Hank | ||||||
464 | Bible before interpetation into English | Jer 27:6 | Hank | 170791 | ||
dnewland: To your question, "Is there any way to see what scripture said before it was interpreted into English?" I should like to note and comment as follows: ...... The act of rendering the Hebrew and Greek texts into their equivalents in English is properly called translation, not interpretation. ..... And, yes, there most certainly is a simple way of seeing what the Scripture says before its translation into English. Simple but not easy. Just become fluent in ancient Hebrew and Greek and you'll be able to read the texts for yourself. ...... Now a word about interpretation. To be able to read the ancient manuscripts in their original languages does not, and I repeat, does not, guarantee correct interpretation. You can make an interpretative blunder no matter what language you are reading the Bible in. For example, you are obviously reading Romans 13 in English, and it is clear that your peers on this thread are at odds with your interpretation, including this writer. ..... And this seems as good a place as any to insert a caveat. From where I sit here in the right-field bleachers viewing from afar, so to speak, this thread and your contributions thereto, it appears you're coming mighty close to the foul line. The foul line is a metaphor meaning that a player (Forum user) who is inches away from being called "out" on account of playing foul with a particular Forum guideline -- the one that strictly forbids the authority of Scripture to come under attack. --Hank | ||||||
465 | Getting to heaven part 1 | Matt 7:14 | Hank | 170713 | ||
NightJay: Here are two verses you might like to ponder. The first is "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved...(Acts 16:31; and the second, "And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?" (1 Peter 4:18). ...... The first quotation touches on your first question, and the second quotation on your second question. --Hank | ||||||
466 | How is this justified? | Ps 115:3 | Hank | 170593 | ||
Dear Blonde: BradK has posted a most excellent response to your question. I beg you to read and study it, for it is worthy of careful inspection. ..... Now I would like to address in a brief way what appears to be an anomaly in regard to the wording of your question, wherein a contrast is drawn between the attributes of the God of the Old Testament and the Christ of the New, or so it seems, at any rate. ..... But this is not to chastise, for this erroneous contrast is by no means peculiar to your post, but shares a commonality with many other posts and many other points of view that the God of the Old Testament was militant, vicious and had a mean streak, but that the Christ of the New was peaceful, gentle as a lamb and all-loving. ...... In other words, we find that the two views oppose one another and, what is more, pit God against His Son and Jesus against God. This cannot be. God the Father cannot and does not have attributes which are diametrically opposed to those of His Son, Christ Jesus. .... Jesus said, "Ye neither know me, nor my Father: if ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also" (John 8:19). ..... "I and my Father are one" (John 10:30 .... "He that hath seen me hath seen the Father" (John 14:9). ...... There is a sense conveyed when an attempt is made to compare the God of the Old Testament unfavorably with the God of the New Testament that there are two different deities involved, that, or that the attributes of God changed remarkably and dramatically from one covenant to the other. Scripture lends absolutely no support of either presumption. The Trinity, God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit is a unified and immutable whole, one God in three Persons. The Bible says that our Lord is the same yesterday, today, and forever. (See Hebrews 13:8). ..... Finally, on justification, no man has any authority whatever to proceed to "justify" God on any account. We should ever be thankful instead that God by grace extended to sinful man made possible by the gift of His one and only Son a way that we can be justified in His sight. --Hank | ||||||
467 | How is this justified? | Ps 115:3 | Hank | 170592 | ||
Dear Blonde: BradK has posted a most excellent response to your question. I beg you to read and study it, for it is worthy of careful inspection. ..... Now I would like to address in a brief way what appears to be an anomaly in regard to the wording of your question, wherein a contrast is drawn between the attributes of the God of the Old Testament and the Christ of the New, or so it seems, at any rate. ..... But this is not to chastise, for this erroneous contrast is by no means peculiar to your post, but shares a commonality with many other posts and many other points of view that the God of the Old Testament was militant, vicious and had a mean streak, but that the Christ of the New was peaceful, gentle as a lamb and all-loving. ...... In other words, we find that the two views oppose one another and, what is more, pit God against His Son and Jesus against God. This cannot be. God the Father cannot and does not have attributes which are diametrically opposed to those of His Son, Christ Jesus. .... Jesus said, "Ye neither know me, nor my Father: if ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also" (John 8:19). ..... "I and my Father are one" (John 10:30 .... "He that hath seen me hath seen the Father" (John 14:9). ...... There is a sense conveyed when an attempt is made to compare the God of the Old Testament unfavorably with the God of the New Testament that there are two different deities involved, that, or that the attributes of God changed remarkably and dramatically from one covenant to the other. Scripture lends absolutely no support of either presumption. The Trinity, God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit is a unified and immutable whole, one God in three Persons. The Bible says that our Lord is the same yesterday, today, and forever. (See Hebrews 13:8). ..... Finally, on justification, no man has any authority whatever to proceed to "justify" God on any account. We should ever be thankful instead that God by grace extended to sinful man made possible by the gift of His one and only Son a way that we can be justified in His sight. --Hank | ||||||
468 | How is this justified? | Ps 115:3 | Hank | 170591 | ||
Dear Blonde: BradK has posted a most excellent response to your question. I beg you to read and study it, for it is worthy of careful inspection. ..... Now I would like to address in a brief way what appears to be an anomaly in regard to the wording of your question, wherein a contrast is drawn between the attributes of the God of the Old Testament and the Christ of the New, or so it seems, at any rate. ..... But this is not to chastise, for this erroneous contrast is by no means peculiar to your post, but shares a commonality with many other posts and many other points of view that the God of the Old Testament was militant, vicious and had a mean streak, but that the Christ of the New was peaceful, gentle as a lamb and all-loving. ...... In other words, we find that the two views oppose one another and, what is more, pit God against His Son and Jesus against God. This cannot be. God the Father cannot and does not have attributes which are diametrically opposed to those of His Son, Christ Jesus. .... Jesus said, "Ye neither know me, nor my Father: if ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also" (John 8:19). ..... "I and my Father are one" (John 10:30 .... "He that hath seen me hath seen the Father" (John 14:9). ...... There is a sense conveyed when an attempt is made to compare the God of the Old Testament unfavorably with the God of the New Testament that there are two different deities involved, that, or that the attributes of God changed remarkably and dramatically from one covenant to the other. Scripture lends absolutely no support of either presumption. The Trinity, God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit is a unified and immutable whole, one God in three Persons. The Bible says that our Lord is the same yesterday, today, and forever. (See Hebrews 13:8). ..... Finally, on justification, no man has any authority whatever to proceed to "justify" God on any account. We should ever be thankful instead that God by grace extended to sinful man made possible by the gift of His one and only Son a way that we can be justified in His sight. --Hank | ||||||
469 | noah - blameless | Gen 6:9 | Hank | 170579 | ||
hic: Sorry that I did not get back to you promptly to address your question; esteemed colleague, Kalos, however has given a fine answer, of which you are aware and for which you have expressed your thanks and satisfaction. ...... There is another Old Testament character who is spoken of as being "perfect." His name was Job, and the book that bears his name begins as follows: "There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God and eschewed evil" ..... 'Perfect' in this context, as with Noah, is rendered 'blameless' in many modern translations and, of course, a synonym for 'eschewed' is 'shunned.' Job's life could not have been more exemplary. The Book of Job is, in addition to being a world-class literary masterpiece of the first rank, a unique piece of didactic poetry that is not made up from whole cloth, not the product of the poet's invention, but a divinely inspired account of an historical event. ..... Why am I bringing the Book of Job to the spotlight in connection with your question about Noah and the Flood? The two accounts share a commonality in that neither answers all our questions. We don't know everything there is to know about Noah's Flood, and likewise the Book of Job leaves questions unanswered. What can we learn from the Flood and from Job? Many things, but perhaps the most significant of all is the recognition and realization that there is something about divine freedom -- a mystery, if you will -- something which, while not in any manner contradicting God's goodness or sovereignty, remains elusive to man. The Book of Job demonstrates the woeful inadequacy of human reason to account for the suffering of the innocent, and it might also be observed that man comes swiftly to the end of his intellectual tether when he tries to put all the pieces of the Flood account together in a way that affords him perfect understanding of all the details of this colossal historical event. ..... Noah's Flood, the suffering of Job ... do they have a didactic purpose for God's people down through the ages until the present? I believe they do and the purpose is this: To teach man, the rebel since the Fall, to be resigned to an attitude of absolute trust and dependence on a sovereign God, a transcendent God, a good and holy God, whose workings man simply cannot fathom. --Hank | ||||||
470 | educated opinions | Gen 6:9 | Hank | 170577 | ||
Dear hic: Upon reflection I fear that my response to you was too abrupt and perhaps even harsh, for I believe that your motives were honest and pure and stemmed from a genunine desire to seek an answer to a question about which you are troubled. ...... In searching my thoughts for something to say to you about your question -- I cannot answer it, for frankly I don't know the answer to it -- I remembered something from a sermon delivered by my pastor some time ago. He spoke of keeping a mental list of questions -- to which he added from time to time -- questions which, when he goes to glory, he would like to ask God. But he readily admitted that once he met Jesus face to face in all His glory, all his questions likely would melt like snowflakes falling on a hot stove. ...... I believe that God has chosen to reveal as much of Himself to man as man needs to know and can absorb. God has perfect knowledge and understanding of all things. Man knows only in part. His vision is occluded; he sees through his glass darkly. (Please see 1 Cor. 13:12). ...... We who are redeemed by the blood of the Lamb walk by faith, not by sight (2 Cor. 5:7). ..... Job 35 points out that man is not God, and in Job 38 God exposes Job's ignorance. I like to read these passages from Job from time to time, especially at those times when I begin to suspect that I've waxed wise. Reading these lines from Job serves to remind me, when I get to feeling too self-assured and too full of myself, to "take heed lest I fall" (see 1 Cor. 10:12). ..... Please feel free to continue to ask questions, and by no means feel thwarted in your quest for God's truth as revealed in His blessed word. ...... "Now to him who is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, to the only wise God our Savior, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen" (Jude 24,25). --Hank | ||||||
471 | educated opinions | Gen 6:9 | Hank | 170559 | ||
hic, how can there possibly be an "educated opinion" on these matters in the absence of any biblical revelation about them? All that we can offer, and that without worth or merit of any kind, are hints, guesses, speculations and gossamer webs woven out of human imagination. Worthless drivel all, and not worth a penny to God or to His church. ...... "Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding" (Proverbs 3:5). ...... This seeking after that which God has not chosen to reveal is not unlike the occasion many centuries ago when the impetuous Peter tried to meddle in matters that were none of his business but the Lord's. And Jesus' response to Peter was: "If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? follow thou me" (John 21:22). ...... God handled the Flood in His way. And what is that to thee, or to me? Ours is not to question God; ours is to follow the Savior in humble submission, with, as the Scriptures say, "fear and trembling." --Hank | ||||||
472 | animals and the flood | Gen 6:9 | Hank | 170553 | ||
My dear hic: Through many years of the study of Scripture I've learned a number of things about God, three of which I list here, believing that they are germane to the topic being considered: (1) God is absolutely sovereign; (2) He is transcendent; and (3) He is under no obligation whatever to account to human beings for the reasons underlying His actions nor to seek the approbation of man for them. .... "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts" (Isaiah 55:8,9). --Hank | ||||||
473 | job 1-3 | Bible general Archive 3 | Hank | 170526 | ||
b50115: If this is intended to be a question, friend, pray tell us what it is. Are you saying -- for so it seems -- to go to a NASA web site for answers to Bible questions? Hmmm...when did NASA get in the theology business? --Hank | ||||||
474 | Psalm Chapter 88 - 6 | Gen 1:1 | Hank | 170511 | ||
b50115: Genesis 1:1 is the biblical version of the "big bang"! The age of the earth is not known. The Bible does not give us a grand total of "how many people was (sic) in the bible." The book of Revelation is a good place to begin a study of the end times. --Hank | ||||||
475 | the Resurrection of Christ | NT general Archive 1 | Hank | 170506 | ||
kang: So enormous is the volume of extra-biblical material available on the life of Jesus Christ, including His resurrection, that even to list a bibliography far exceeds the limits of a post on this Forum. The best I will try to do is refer you to two books. The first book is by Josh McDowell and is called "The New Evidence That Demands a Verdict." Section 9 of Part 1, called "The Resurrection -- Hoax or History?" contains much good material. The second book is one you doubtlessly have in your possession. When you pick up this book -- I'm referring you to the Bible -- you hold in your hands the most authoritative book ever written on the birth, life, death, burial, resurrection and ascension to glory of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. I've taught for many years and have come to the firm conviction that the attitude of the teacher toward the Word of God spills over into the hearts and minds of his students. If the teacher is firmly grounded in the faith and saturated in the word of God, his words have infinitely more power to convince that those of a namby-pamby teacher who himself is not sure whether what he is teaching is the truth. ....... There is such an abundance of internal evidence in Scripture of its authenticity that corroboration by secular sources is not only unnecessary but pales by comparison with what God says in His word. The Christian faith or lack of it should never be determined by what some historian says! ....... My advice to you as a Bible teacher myself is simple: teach the Bible. I've been a Christian for well over half a century, have taught Bible classes for half that time, and the longer I live the more convinced am I that in matters of Christian belief and practice, God's word alone is sufficient. It is the measuring rod, not secular history which, at best, is riddled with error and tarnished by man's biases, guesses, conjectures, propaganda and a host of other limitations. ...... A young seminary student once asked his professor to recommend a good book on the life of Christ. The professor responded, "Have you tried the one that Luke wrote?" So it is with the resurrection accounts: Have your students tried the ones that Matthew, Mark, Luke and John wrote? ..... I pray that God will bless your ministry. --Hank | ||||||
476 | noah and perfection | Gen 6:9 | Hank | 170505 | ||
hic: The KJV rendering of Gen. 6:9 is thus: "These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God." The word "perfect" in this verse carries the idea of completeness or being blameless, but this does not mean sinless, and it certainly does not mean that Noah was exempt from sin imputed to all men since the Fall in Eden (see Romans 5:12-14). Man's "perfection" in no wise justifies man; only, and again I say only, the blood of Christ shed on the cross can do that. Not man's righteousness or his "perfection" or his good works. ........ Perhaps you've sung these words of a beloved old hymn: "What can wash away my sins? Nothing but the blood of Jesus! What can make me whole again? Nothing but the blood of Jesus. O, precious is the flow that makes me white as snow! No other fount I know. Nothing but the blood of Jesus!" ....... "Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world" (John 1:29). ..... Thanks for the question, and God bless you. --Hank | ||||||
477 | explain john19:26/27 | John 19:26 | Hank | 170438 | ||
Dear "PASTOR" - In this passage, John 19:26,27, "the disciple standing by, whom He (Jesus) loved" has been identified in the NT as being the apostle John. Jesus, therefore, knowing his death was imminent, commended His mother Mary to the care of His beloved disciple, John. And John complied readily: "And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home" (John 19:27b). By the way, Jesus' usage of the term 'woman' in addressing His mother Mary, while it may seem somewhat harsh and even disrespectful to our modern ears, did not, according to scholars of the ancient times and tongues, denote any lack of respect by Jesus for His mother. Our Lord, even in His death as in His life, was ever mindful of the needs of others. --Hank | ||||||
478 | Isaiah prophet? | Is 4:1 | Hank | 170434 | ||
Aaron: Yes, Isaiah was a prophet, and a famous one of the first rank, standing, as he does, as a literary genius without equal among the prophets of Israel. His prophetic book which bears his name has long been considered a masterpiece of Jewish literature, and it is particularly noted for its prophecies regarding Immanuel and the Suffering Servant. It is not hard to see, after a careful reading of the 66 chapters of the Book of Isaiah, why Isaiah has been called "The Prince of Prophets." There are many moving passages in Isaiah, but none in my judgment more so than the incomparable Chapter 53. Thanks for your question; I hope the response is adequate. --Hank | ||||||
479 | Dead bury the dead? | Luke 9:60 | Hank | 170422 | ||
adnama: Thanks for the question. It is commonly believed by a number of expositors of this verse (Luke 9:60; see also Matthew 8:22) that Jesus' reference is to let the spiritually dead bury the physically dead, "but you (reference is to His followers) go and preach the kingdom of God." It is His rebuke of the double-mindedness of the man in verse 59, who heard Christ's call but wanted to take care of personal concerns first. The application is obvious: put Christ first. "Seek ye first the kingdom of God..." (See Matthew 6:33). --Hank | ||||||
480 | Getting closer to Jesus? | Matt 28:20 | Hank | 170236 | ||
Good evening, Jason (NightJay0044). It's been a while since I attempted to respond to one of your questions, and it pleases me to attempt to offer you something that, it is hoped, will be to your benefit in regard to this, your most recent question. ..... You say that you pray regularly and thank the Lord for each day, and that is good! Yet you speak of not feeling "fulfilled as a person who believes in Jesus should be." Dear young Christian, please allow me as your much older brother in Christ to assure you that the Christian faith does not hinge on feelings, for which we need offer continual thanks to the Lord! Feelings are fickle things, and human emotions run the gamut from the height of the loftiest peak to the depth of the dismal swamp. But praise be to God, we who have been regenerated in Christ Jesus have more, much more, to cling to than poor, fickle feelings. We have a hope, which is an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast (Hebrews 6:19). That glorious hope is built on nothing less than Jesus' blood and righteousness -- in Jesus Christ, the immutable Word (John 1:1); in Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, and today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8). ...... Draw near to God, Jason, and He will draw near to you (James 4:8). Saturate yourself in the word of God, young brother, for it is alive and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword (Hebrews 4:12), and it is a lamp unto your feet and a light unto your path (Psalm 119:105). ...... Read and meditate on the words of Jesus that appear throughout the Gospels and dwell on His iron-clad promise -- the promise of Jesus with which Matthew ended his Gospel -- that He is with His sheep always, even unto the end of the world (Matthew 28:20). Meditate on the Psalms. Commit the incomparable 23rd Psalm to memory so that you can carry it around with you always. Consider this line from Psalm 23: "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me (Psalm 23:4). Doesn't that help you to "feel closer to Jesus," Jason? ...... Young friend, read, mark, learn and inwardly digest the majestic words of Romans 8:31-39. These magnificant words, as are all words of Scripture, are without peer in all the world's literature, because they alone come from the very breath of God (2 Timothy 3:16). So, rejoice, Jason! "Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say, Rejoice" (Philippians 4:4) Why? Because as a regenerate follower of Christ, your name is recorded in heaven! (Philippians 4:3). ...... A parting word and a vital one: The church is the body of Christ. It is the community of believers. So do not forsake the assembly of the saints in worship (Hebrews 10:25; Colossians 3:12-17) -- continue "steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship and in breaking of bread and in prayers" (Acts 2:42) nor fail to extend to the saints the right hand of fellowship as they in turn extend it to you (Galatians 2:9). And by all means continue to pray -- "Pray without ceasing" (1 Thessalonians 5:17). God bless you, Jason. --Hank | ||||||
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