Results 881 - 900 of 1309
|
||||||
Results from: Answered Bible Questions, Answers, Unanswered Bible Questions, Notes Author: Radioman2 Ordered by Date |
||||||
Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
881 | What is the "Force of Faith"? | Bible general Archive 1 | Radioman2 | 82166 | ||
Explaining Away Teachings of Copeland An observation Here on the Forum some of the disciples of Copeland apparently have been well trained by their WOF master. As Copeland is often attempting to explain away what the Bible actually says and means, so his disciples here are attempting to explain away what Copeland actually said, quoted here in HIS OWN WORDS. |
||||||
882 | What is the "Force of Faith"? | Bible general Archive 1 | Radioman2 | 82163 | ||
Amen and Amen! Excellent! Well said. Thanks, Tim. Thank you for un-distorting Scripture that had been distorted. |
||||||
883 | 4. A GOD OF HUMAN PROPORTIONS? | Bible general Archive 1 | Radioman2 | 82162 | ||
4. A GOD OF HUMAN PROPORTIONS? - - - - - - - - - - - - - 'Copeland's deflation of God is best exemplified by his comment that "the biggest failure in the Bible...is God."* (*Kenneth Copeland, Praise-a-Thon, TBN, 1988. Copeland has, in another instance, stated that God "is not a failure" (Kenneth Copeland, The Troublemaker [Fort Worth, TX: Kenneth Copeland Publications, n.d.], 23).) - - - - - - - - - - - - - 4. 'A GOD OF HUMAN PROPORTIONS: The Teachings of Kenneth Copeland [Note: Numbers within or at the end of sentences are footnote numbers. To read the footnotes providing reference sources for this article, go to: (www.equip.org/free/DC755-2.htm)] 'Copeland's view of God fares no better biblically than his understanding of faith. He describes God as someone "very much like you and me....A being that stands somewhere around 6'2," 6'3," that weighs somewhere in the neighborhood of a couple of hundred pounds, little better, [and] has a [hand]span nine inches across."22 'Copeland's statement is based on his hyperliteral reading of Isaiah 40:12 ("Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, marked off the heavens with a [nine inch] span,..." [AV]). Yet following the same line of interpretation, one would also have to conclude that God literally held a basket full of dust and weighed mountains on a gigantic set of scales (v. 12b) - an absurd proposition ruled out by the context of the passage. The fact is that Isaiah 40 makes extensive use of figurative language to underscore the vast difference between the Creator and His creation. 'Giving a literal spin on verses that figuratively describe God in humanlike (anthropomorphic) terms, Copeland makes God out to be a "spirit-being with a body, complete with eyes, and eyelids, ears, nostrils, a mouth, hands and fingers, and feet."23 However, the Bible never intended to convey the notion that God has physical features like His human creation. Anthropomorphic descriptions were simply meant to help us understand and relate to our Maker. Jesus declared, "God is spirit" (John 4:24), not a spirit-being with a body (cf. Deut. 4:12). The Creator is, after all, "God, and not man" (Hos. 11:9). 'The idea of God possessing a body (physical or spirit) implies the unbiblical view that the Trinity is actually composed of three separate beings. Moreover, a God who has a body with definite, measurable dimensions cannot truly be omnipresent, unlike the God of Scripture who is present everywhere in all His fullness (Jer. 23:23-24). (It is true that in His human nature Christ has a body and is localized in space and time. But in His divine nature He remains nonphysical and omnipresent, sharing this immutable nature with the Father and Holy Spirit.) Copeland's deflation of God is best exemplified by his comment that "the biggest failure in the Bible...is God."24 In stark contrast, the biblical God is an all-powerful being (Dan. 4:35) whose plans cannot be thwarted (Job 42:2) and who considers nothing too difficult (Jer. 32:17; Luke 1:37). 'Copeland's diminished view of God is further amplified by a correspondingly inflated view of the universe in general and man in particular. He claims that the earth is "a copy of the mother planet [i.e., heaven] where God lives."25 Exactly how Copeland could "squeeze" God on any planet is difficult to fathom, especially since Solomon pointed out that heaven itself cannot contain God (1 Kings 8:27).' ____________________ The Teachings of Kenneth Copeland. To read more, including extensive footnotes, go to: (www.equip.org/free/DC755-2.htm) |
||||||
884 | What is the "Force of Faith"? | Bible general Archive 1 | Radioman2 | 82146 | ||
What is the "Force of Faith"? 3. 'THE FORCE OF FAITH: The Teachings of Kenneth Copeland [Note: Numbers within or at the end of sentences are footnote numbers. To read the footnotes providing reference sources for this article, go to: (www.equip.org/free/DC755-2.htm)] 'THE FORCE OF FAITH 'Of the multiple views of faith held by Faith teachers,10 Copeland focuses primarily on an understanding of faith as a force. "Faith is a power force," he claims. "It is a tangible force. It is a conductive force."11 Moreover, "faith is a spiritual force....It is substance. Faith has the ability to effect natural substance."12 As "the force of gravity...makes the law of gravity work...this force of faith...makes the laws of the spirit world function."13 'Copeland affirms that "God cannot do anything for you apart or separate from faith,"14 for "faith is God's source of power" (emphasis in original).15 Moreover, "everything that you're able to see or touch, anything that you can feel, anything that's perceptive to the five physical senses, was originally the faith of God, and was born in the substance of God's faith."16 In other words, "faith was the raw material substance that the Spirit of God used to form the universe."17 'Copeland adds that "God used words when He created the heaven and the earth....Each time God spoke, He released His faith - the creative power to bring His words to pass."18 For "words are spiritual containers,"19 and the "force of faith is released by words."20 'Copeland derives his definition of faith from Hebrews 11:1: "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen" (KJV). He interprets the word "substance" as some transcendent, primary element that makes up the universe; it was and is activated by spoken words at the onset of creation (both God's original creation of the world and all subsequent creations, whether by God or man). 'Contrary to Copeland's view, the word translated "substance" in the King James Version is the Greek word hypostasis which, in the context of Hebrews 11:1, means "an assured impression, a mental realizing."21 Far from being some tangible material or energetic force, faith is a channel of living trust stretching from man to God. It is an assurance that God's promises never fail, even if sometimes we do not experience their fulfillment during our mortal existence. Other translations render hypostasis more precisely as "being sure" (NIV), "to be sure" (TEV), and "assurance" (NASB). 'Neither the original Greek text nor any of the modern translations support Copeland's understanding of faith. The same holds true for his understanding of spoken words. Besides, the idea of words functioning as faith-filled containers makes no sense if there is no such thing as a "force of faith" (requiring packaging and transportation) in the first place. ____________________ The Teachings of Kenneth Copeland. To read more, including extensive footnotes, go to: (www.equip.org/free/DC755-2.htm) |
||||||
885 | Interpret this verse. | Hos 6:2 | Radioman2 | 82116 | ||
To God a day is *AS* a thousand years; but a day *IS* evening and morning -- 24 hours. A day is the time of light between one night and the next; the period of rotation of a planet (as earth) or a moon on its axis; the mean solar day of 24 hours beginning at mean midnight. 2 Peter 3:8 (ESV) But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. Psalm 90:4 (ESV) For a thousand years in your sight are but as yesterday when it is past, or as a watch in the night. Genesis 1:5 (ESV) God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day. The concept of one day as a thousand years has been misused to justify all kinds of nutty and false teaching regarding creation and other subjects in which time is a factor. |
||||||
886 | Are Reason and Obedience opposites? | Bible general Archive 1 | Radioman2 | 82114 | ||
Does God offend the mind to reveal the heart? Earnest: "Cognitive vs. Experiential Knowledge." We never prove the Bible by our own personal experiences; instead we prove experience by the Bible. If an experience does not line up with the Word of God, then it is not a valid source of truth. You write: "Don't we have to apply 'reason' to His Word in order to properly understand it? My answer is ABSOLUTELY NOT! Reason is the cause for the chaos in Word Study." You write: "TRUTH is always received in our spirit first, and then revealed to our heart (head/ reason/ thinking)!" My reply: 'Offending the Mind* 'Whether in the ashrams of cultists or at the altars of churches, the objective of achieving an altered state of consciousness is always the same: to dull the critical thinking process because the mind is seen as the obstacle to enlightenment. As John Wimber and John Arnott put it, "God offends the mind to reveal the heart."20 'Counterfeit Revival guru Rodney Howard-Browne explains that "you can’t understand what God is doing in these meetings with an analytical mind. The only way you’re going to understand what God is doing is with your heart."21 Thus, while Howard-Browne allows his subjects to make nonsensical sounds, he has often prohibited them from praying. On one occasion, as a woman was about to lapse into an altered state of consciousness, she became apprehensive and called out to God in prayer. Immediately Howard-Browne commanded her to cease. "Would you listen to me?" he shouted indignantly. "If your praying had helped, it would’ve helped you; now get laughing."22 'Even while people are lined up waiting to receive his touch, Howard-Browne commands them not to pray: "Now people in the lines, wait for me to come and lay hands on you, and don’t pray, please don’t pray." He addresses those who insist on praying as "stubborn people," adding, "People come trying to be all serious and praying. No! This is not the time to pray. This is not a prayer meeting; get in the joy; you can pray on the way home."23 'Like Rodney Howard-Browne and leaders of the Counterfeit Revival, the late Indian guru Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh denigrated the mind, going so far as to say that the "goal is to create a new man, one who is happily mindless."24 Rajneesh’s experiences "on the road to enlightenment produced temporary insanity, possession, and almost killed him."25' _______________ *Offending the Mind. Numbers within or at the end of sentences are footnote numbers. To read the footnotes providing reference sources for this quote, go to: (www.equip.org/free/DP244-4.htm) Radioman2 |
||||||
887 | What about so-called revelation knowledg | Bible general Archive 1 | Radioman2 | 82109 | ||
Earnest: You write: "The EVIDENCE is in the fact that they are walking by faith... and bringing forth fruit!" Matthew 7:22-23 (ESV) On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?' [23] And then will I declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.' You write: "The TBN Network in itself is a TESTIMONY in the face of the world!!! They may not dress right in the eyes of many, but WOW! Does the testimony of their faith ever resound from mountain tops the world over!!!" The TBN Network in itself is a TESTIMONY? 'Paul Crouch* 'Paul Crouch and his wife, Jan, are the founders of the Trinity Broadcasting Network, which today has an estimated net worth of half a billion dollars. As Crouch himself puts it, "God has, indeed, given us the MOST POWERFUL VOICE in the history of the WORLD."65 Unfortunately, this voice is being used to promote teachings straight from the kingdom of the cults. Crouch's influence has become so vast that he can now raise as much as 50 million dollars during a single "Praise-a-Thon." What many of the well-intentioned Christians who support TBN do not know, however, is that part of this money goes to promoting cultic groups and individuals who not only deny the Trinity but claim that this essential of Christianity is a pagan doctrine.66 It is indeed ironic that a broadcasting network called "Trinity" would promote anti-Trinitarian doctrine. 'To those who would speak out against the false teachings proliferated on his network, Crouch has this to say: "I think they're damned and on their way to hell; and I don't think there's any redemption for them."67 Shortly after I met with Crouch to prove that the Faith movement compromises essential Christian doctrine, Crouch looked into the lens of the television camera and angrily declared, "If you want to criticize Ken Copeland for his preaching on faith, or Dad Hagin, get out of my life! I don't even want to talk to you or hear you. I don't want to see your ugly face. Get out of my face, in Jesus' name."68' _______________ *Paul Crouch. Numbers within or at the end of sentences are footnote numbers. To read the footnotes providing reference sources for this quote, go to: (www.equip.org/free/DC755-1.htm) Radioman2 |
||||||
888 | HUNGER OR THIRST MATTHEW 5:6 | Matt 5:6 | Radioman2 | 82106 | ||
Righteousness defined. In the Bible righteousness simply means uprightness and right standing with God; conforming to God's will in purpose, thought, and action. AMPLIFIED Matthew 5:6 Blessed and fortunate and happy and spiritually prosperous (in that state in which the born-again child of God enjoys His favor and salvation) are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness (uprightness and right standing with God), for they shall be completely satisfied! [Isa. 55:1, 2.] AMPLIFIED 1 John 3:10 By this it is made clear who take their nature from God and are His children and who take their nature from the devil and are his children: no one who does not practice righteousness [who does not conform to God’s will in purpose, thought, and action] is of God; neither is anyone who does not love his brother (his fellow believer in Christ). |
||||||
889 | Who is "the disciple whom Jesus loved"? | John 21:20 | Radioman2 | 82100 | ||
EdB: You write: "What I meant by exclusivity was this, John didn’t use this expression to establish himself as the only disciple Jesus loved." I agree with you 100 percent. Having read your post, now I understand what you meant and I must agree with you. Grace and peace, Radioman2 |
||||||
890 | Is sinless perfectionism Bible doctrine? | 1 John 1:8 | Radioman2 | 82055 | ||
Is sinless perfectionism biblical doctrine? 'THE ERROR OF PERFECTIONISM 'Some people actually claim that they have reached a state in the Christian life where they just don't sin anymore. Wait a minute, doesn't the Bible say that if we actually think something like this we are deceiving ourselves and are, in fact, calling God a liar? 'Sinless perfectionism is not biblical doctrine. 1 John 1:8 clearly states: 'If we claim to be without sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us.' While willful sin ought not to characterize our life, sin will remain a part of human experience until we lay aside our physical body at death (Rom. 7). In fact, the wisest man who ever lived (Solomon) said: 'Who can say, I have kept my heart pure; I am clean and without sin?'' To read more go to: (www.equip.org/free/CP0609.pdf) |
||||||
891 | are we born with sin? | Ps 51:5 | Radioman2 | 82051 | ||
"they go astray as soon as they are born" King James Version Ps 58:3 The wicked are estranged from the womb: they go astray as soon as they be born, speaking lies. NASB Psalm 58:3 The wicked are estranged from the womb; These who speak lies go astray from birth. AMPLIFIED Psalm 58:3 The ungodly are perverse and estranged from the womb; they go astray as soon as they are born, speaking lies. NLT Psalm 58:3 These wicked people are born sinners; even from birth they have lied and gone their own way. |
||||||
892 | did cain marry his sister? | Genesis | Radioman2 | 82049 | ||
What are the alternatives? | ||||||
893 | What about so-called revelation knowledg | Bible general Archive 1 | Radioman2 | 82041 | ||
3. 'THE FORCE OF FAITH: The Teachings of Kenneth Copeland [Note: Numbers within or at the end of sentences are footnote numbers. To read the footnotes providing reference sources for this article, go to: (www.equip.org/free/DC755-2.htm)] 'THE FORCE OF FAITH 'Of the multiple views of faith held by Faith teachers,10 Copeland focuses primarily on an understanding of faith as a force. "Faith is a power force," he claims. "It is a tangible force. It is a conductive force."11 Moreover, "faith is a spiritual force....It is substance. Faith has the ability to effect natural substance."12 As "the force of gravity...makes the law of gravity work...this force of faith...makes the laws of the spirit world function."13 'Copeland affirms that "God cannot do anything for you apart or separate from faith,"14 for "faith is God's source of power" (emphasis in original).15 Moreover, "everything that you're able to see or touch, anything that you can feel, anything that's perceptive to the five physical senses, was originally the faith of God, and was born in the substance of God's faith."16 In other words, "faith was the raw material substance that the Spirit of God used to form the universe."17 'Copeland adds that "God used words when He created the heaven and the earth....Each time God spoke, He released His faith - the creative power to bring His words to pass."18 For "words are spiritual containers,"19 and the "force of faith is released by words."20 'Copeland derives his definition of faith from Hebrews 11:1: "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen" (KJV). He interprets the word "substance" as some transcendent, primary element that makes up the universe; it was and is activated by spoken words at the onset of creation (both God's original creation of the world and all subsequent creations, whether by God or man). 'Contrary to Copeland's view, the word translated "substance" in the King James Version is the Greek word hypostasis which, in the context of Hebrews 11:1, means "an assured impression, a mental realizing."21 Far from being some tangible material or energetic force, faith is a channel of living trust stretching from man to God. It is an assurance that God's promises never fail, even if sometimes we do not experience their fulfillment during our mortal existence. Other translations render hypostasis more precisely as "being sure" (NIV), "to be sure" (TEV), and "assurance" (NASB). 'Neither the original Greek text nor any of the modern translations support Copeland's understanding of faith. The same holds true for his understanding of spoken words. Besides, the idea of words functioning as faith-filled containers makes no sense if there is no such thing as a "force of faith" (requiring packaging and transportation) in the first place. ____________________ The Teachings of Kenneth Copeland. To read more, including extensive footnotes, go to: (www.equip.org/free/DC755-2.htm) |
||||||
894 | pagan influence? | Bible general Archive 1 | Radioman2 | 82023 | ||
"Christ, who is God over all." . Romans 9:5 NIV Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them is traced the human ancestry of Christ, who is God over all, forever praised! Amen. "Christ, who is God over all." . Romans 9:5 NLT Their ancestors were great people of God, and Christ himself was a Jew as far as his human nature is concerned. And he is God, who rules over everything and is worthy of eternal praise! Amen. "Christ himself was a Jew...And he is God." . Romans 9:5 HCSB The forefathers are theirs, and from them, by physical descent, came the Messiah, who is God over all, blessed forever. Amen. "Messiah, who is God over all." . Romans 9:5 NET Bible To them belong the patriarchs, and from them, by human descent, came the Christ, who is God over all, blessed forever! Amen. "Christ, who is God over all" |
||||||
895 | pagan influence? | Bible general Archive 1 | Radioman2 | 82017 | ||
"It is the way of the cults to reduce biblical truth to make God comprehensible and understandable by their minds. To this end, they subject God's word to their own reasoning and end in error." - - - - - - - - - - - - What is the Trinity? [The following article is a direct quote. For the source of the quote, see the end of this post.] The word "trinity" is a term used to denote the Christian doctrine that God exists as a unity of three distinct persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Each of the persons is distinct from the other, yet related in essence. Each is divine in nature, but each is not the totality of the Godhead. Each has a will, loves, and says "I", and "You" when speaking. The Father is not the same person as the Son who is not the same person as the Holy Spirit who is not the same person as the Father. Each is divine, yet there are not three gods, but one God. There are three persons individual subsistences, or persons. The word "subsistence" means something that has a real existence. The word "person" denotes individuality and self awareness. The Trinity is three of these, though the latter term has become the dominant one used to describe the individual aspects of God known as the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Included in the doctrine of the Trinity is a strict monotheism which is the teaching that there exists in all the universe a single being known as God who is self-existent and unchangeable (Isaiah 43:10; 44:6,8). Therefore, it is important to note that the doctrine of the trinity is not polytheistic as some of its critics proclaim. Trinitarianism is monotheistic by definition and those who claim it is polytheistic demonstrate a lack of understanding of what it really is. The Trinity God is three persons Each person is divine There is only one God. Many theologians admit that the term "person" is not a perfect word to describe the three individual aspects/foci found in God. When we normally use the word person, we understand it to mean physical individuals who exist as separate beings from other individuals. But in God there are not three entities, nor three beings. God, is a trinity of persons consisting of one substance and one essence. God is numerically one. Yet, within the single divine essence are three individual subsistences that we call persons. Each of the three persons is completely divine in nature though each is not the totality of the Godhead. Each of the three persons is not the other two persons. Each of the three persons is related to the other two, but are distinct from them. The word "trinity" is not found in the Bible. But this does not mean that the concept is not taught there. The word "bible" is not found in the Bible either, but we use it anyway. Likewise, the words "omniscience," which means "all knowing," "omnipotence," which means "all powerful," and "omnipresence," which means "present everywhere," are not found in the Bible either. But we use these words to describe the attributes of God. So, to say that the Trinity isn't true because the word isn't in the Bible is an invalid argument. Is there subordination in the Trinity? There is, apparently, a subordination within the Trinity in regard to order but not substance or essence. We can see that the Father is first, the Son is second, and the Holy Spirit is third. The Father is not begotten, but the Son is (John 3:16). The Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father (John 5:26). The Father sent the Son (1 John 4:10). The Son and the Father send the Holy Spirit (John 14:26; 15:26). The Father creates (Isaiah 44:24), the Son redeems (Gal. 3:13), and the Holy Spirit sanctifies (Rom. 15:16). This subordination of order does not mean that each of the members of the Godhead are not equal or divine. For example, we see that the Father sent the Son. But this does not mean that the Son is not equal to the Father in essence and divine nature. A wife is to be subject to her husband but this does not negate her humanity, essence, or equality. By further analogy, a king and his servant both share human nature. Yet, the king sends the servant to do his will. Jesus said, "For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me" (John 6:38). Does this mean that the one sent must, therefore, be of different nature than the one who sent him? Of course not. To read more go to: (www.carm.org/doctrine/whatisthetrinity.htm) |
||||||
896 | pagan influence? | Bible general Archive 1 | Radioman2 | 82016 | ||
Yeah, God was influenced by pagan mythology. Before that He was not sure who He was or what He should do. NOT! This and all your other questions have been repeatedly asked and answered. Use the forum Search function to look it up. |
||||||
897 | John 17:3 | Bible general Archive 1 | Radioman2 | 82014 | ||
This and all your other questions have been repeatedly asked and answered. Use the forum Search function to look it up. | ||||||
898 | John 20:17 | Bible general Archive 1 | Radioman2 | 82012 | ||
No, it does not make 2 gods. It makes one God. One God, three Persons. Not one God, one Person. And not two or three gods. This and all your other questions have been repeatedly asked and answered. Use the forum Search function to look it up. |
||||||
899 | The exaltation of Jesus | Bible general Archive 1 | Radioman2 | 82010 | ||
Stuff and nonsense! This and all your other questions have been repeatedly asked and answered. Use the forum Search function to look it up. |
||||||
900 | John 20:17 | Bible general Archive 1 | Radioman2 | 82008 | ||
No, it does not make 2 gods. It makes one God. One God, three Persons. Not one God, one Person. And not two or three gods. This and all your other questions have been repeatedly asked and answered. Use the forum Search function to look it up. |
||||||
Result pages: << First < Prev [ 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 ] Next > Last [66] >> |