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Results from: Notes Author: Radioman2 Ordered by Date |
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Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
361 | THE MOST POWERFUL VERSE IN EVANGELISM | John 12:32 | Radioman2 | 88576 | ||
But He was saying this TO INDICATE THE KIND OF *DEATH* BY WHICH HE WAS TO *DIE*. My intent here is not to contradict anyone or prove anyone "wrong." I merely point out in what sense the Bible uses the phrase "lifted up" when speaking of Christ. So, please take no offense, because none is intended. If I understand you correctly, you imply that somehow Jesus is to "be lifted (by our words and actions)." But is that really what "lifted up" means according to the Bible? John 12:32-33 "And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself." But He was saying this to indicate the kind of death by which He was to die. (NASB) And I, if and when I am lifted up from the earth [on the cross], will draw and attract all men [Gentiles as well as Jews] to Myself. He said this to signify in what manner He would die. (Amplified) Do we really want to lift up Jesus again? "For in that he died, he died unto sin once." Romans 6:10 (KJV) According to Hebrews chapter 10 (Amplified New Testament), it was necessary that Jesus be LIFTED UP (that He die) only once. v. 10 And in accordance with this will [of God], we have been made holy (consecrated and sanctified) through *the offering made ONCE FOR ALL * of the body of Jesus Christ (the Anointed One). v. 12 Whereas this One [Christ], *after He had offered A SINGLE SACRIFICE for our sins [that shall avail] FOR ALL TIME*, sat down at the right hand of God, v. 14 For by A SINGLE OFFERING He has forever completely cleansed and perfected those who are consecrated and made holy. (Emphasis added in these verses.) In summary, when Jesus said "if I am lifted up [on the cross]," He was saying this to indicate the kind of death by which He was to die. And the Bible clearly says, "For in that he died, he died unto sin once" Romans 6:10 (KJV). Therefore, it is not necessary that He be "lifted up" again and again. |
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362 | Knowing God's will under short notice | Bible general Archive 1 | Radioman2 | 88288 | ||
How does God speak to us? 'I have to make clear what my point of view is so that it's not misunderstood. Let me capsulize it for you very quickly. My point of view is basically four quick points: 'First of all, learning to hear the voice of God is not taught as a Christian discipline that we must learn in order to live the optimal Christian life. This is the "hotline to God" view in which we get specialized and tailor-made instructions for our personal lives. That is not taught in Scripture. 'Secondly, God sometimes does give specialized instructions, so I'm not saying that God can't do that and I'm not putting God in a box. He does sometimes give specialized instructions. He did in Biblical times and He does in the present. But when we read in the Bible especially in the New Testament, which is what our discussion is about today when He has done it, such specialized instructions are clear first of all. They are not mumbled. They are not whispered. They are not nudged. And they are, almost without exception in the New Testament, a sovereign intrusion by God into the circumstances rather than something that is first sought by a Christian. 'Thirdly, God's intrusion in these cases is sometimes through special gifts in the body that I believe are in full operation today, but are by very nature individual. In other words, every person has his own gift and each person does not have every gift. So this working through gifts can't be a means of every Christian hearing from God. In other words, sometimes God intervenes with a prophetic word, but since prophetic words only come through those people who have the gift of prophecy, it's not the kind of thing we all have to cultivate, to learn to do. 'Finally, there are clearly workings of the Spirit in the area of teaching, conviction of sin and comforting of individual Christians. I admit that those workings are private, individual and tailored to individual people. Those kinds of things are not in question here. ____________________ Acts and the Voice of God by Gregory Koukl To read more go to: (www.str.org/free/commentaries/theology/actsvoic.htm) |
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363 | THE CROSS | John 3:16 | Radioman2 | 88067 | ||
Hank: Please come back to the Forum. Don't give up on it. Who knows? Maybe someday, using our free will, we shall elect to wake up and stop smelling the tulips -- or not. Or at least stop quarreling over them. In the meantime we can only hope that we won't fall from our good works and lose the salvation that, according to some, we can never have assurance of, since we can never know whether we've made it until we've held on and held out to the end. Radioman2 |
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364 | Don't be fooled - good advice | Rom 3:4 | Radioman2 | 88066 | ||
Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry (CARM) 'Don't be fooled by 'carm', they are an anti-cult group that are under the deception of the Adversary and they have fallen prey to Plato's philosophies, rather than read and understood God's inspired Word, the Bible. 'Grace to you all, 'The Good News Minister' - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - According to Good News Minister, the following are beliefs of "an anti-cult group that are under the deception of the Adversary", a group that bases its beliefs on Plato's philosophies, rather than the Bible. 'Statement of Faith of the Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry 'Biblical Inerrancy: The Bible is the Word of God, and that its original manuscripts are free from errors and contradictions. It is the one and only infallible, authoritative, and trustworthy rule for faith and life. (2 Peter. 1:21, 2 Tim. 3:16). The Catholic apocrypha is not inspired scripture. 'God: God is the only Supreme Being with no gods created before or after Him (Isaiah 43:10; 44:6; 44:8). He has always been God (Psalm 90:2). He is Holy (Rev. 4:8), Eternal (Isaiah 57:15), Omnipotent (Jer. 32:17,27), Omnipresent (Psalm 137-12), Omniscient (1 John 3:20); etc. He is Love (1 John 4:8, 16); Light (1 John 1:5); Spirit (John 4:24); Truth (Psalm 117:2); Creator (Isaiah 40:12,22,26), etc. He is to be worshiped (Gen. 24:26; Ex. 4:31; 2 Chron. 29:28; 1 Cor. 14:25; Rev. 7:11). He is to be served (Matt. 4:10;1 Cor. 6:19; Phil. 3:7; 1 Thess. 1:9; Heb. 9:14). He is to be proclaimed (Matt. 28:19f.; John 14:15f.; Acts 1:8). 'Trinity: There is one God in whom there are three eternal, simultaneous persons -- the Father, the Son (Jesus Christ), and the Holy Spirit. All three are the one God, coeternal, coequal, etc., yet there is only one God, not three, and not one person who took three modes, or forms. (Isaiah 44:6,8; 45:5; Gen. 1:26-27; 3:22; Matt. 3:17; 28:19; Luke 10:35; 2 Cor. 13:14). See also, The Trinity 'Jesus: Jesus Christ is the Word (God) who became a man. He added human nature to His divine nature. He is presently both human and divine, and, therefore, has two natures. Yet, He is one person, not two. He is not part God and part man. He is presently wholly God and wholly man. (Phil. 2:5-11; Col. 2:9; 1 Tim. 3:16; Heb. 1:5-13; John 1:1-3,14)' To read more go to: (http://www.carm.org/index/statement.htm) |
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365 | Does anyone have a good way to explain t | Bible general Archive 1 | Radioman2 | 87905 | ||
Hey, CurtMan, ["Let's get real about Proverbs 8:22." Amen! This posting is about as real as it gets. :-) This Note and my previous one DISAGREE with JWs on their interpretation of Proverbs 8.] 'IS JESUS WISDOM? 'One point that needs to made right at the start. There is no reference to Jesus in Proverbs 8:22 at all. This passage is speaking of Wisdom, and for those who teach this is Jesus the evidence is not there. (...) 'EXAMINING PROVERBS 8 IN CONTEXT' '...[See Proverbs 8:1-11 in ASV.] Looking at the beginning of the Chapter Wisdom is said to be crying out to those who will seek her. Wisdom is said to be a she speaking forth instruction, and those who receive her find understanding, and better than gold, silver, and rubies, for nothing compares to getting wisdom. Wisdom here is not Jesus, but as King Solomon is putting it, get wisdom from God, understanding, knowledge, and live by them for they are better than all desired things. (...) '[See Proverbs 8:12-21 ASV.] Wisdom is said to be understanding, knowledge, and Counsel of which kings, princes, and nobles decree justice. Wisdom is knowing what is right and wrong, and having understanding on how to apply things to life. Wisdom here is not a person at all of which Jehovah's Witnesses teach. Wisdom is that which people seek for walking in the way of righteousness, and receiving understanding, and nothing compares to having true wisdom in life. (...) '[See Proverbs 8:22-29 ASV.] Solomon continues stating wisdom was eternally with Jehovah God from everlasting. Jehovah God had wisdom from the beginning of His way, that is from everlasting wisdom was with Jehovah God. There was never a time when Jehovah God did not have wisdom. Jehovah God used wisdom in creating all things, and wisdom was before all things, for wisdom is knowledge, understanding, and Jehovah had this before the creation of the world, and all things. Wisdom here is not Jesus at all, but in fact speaking about the knowledge and understanding of Jehovah God, and that wisdom was there from the beginning. 'It is clear that the word 'qanah' means "possessed" in context of what King Solomon wrote in Proverbs 8. Jehovah God is Eternal, from everlasting, and Wisdom is said to be from everlasting, in the beginning of Jehovah's way. If Wisdom is Eternal, and Jehovah is Eternal, than Wisdom can not be created or made, for that would mean that Jehovah at one time did not have wisdom, and somehow created wisdom when He did not have any. That does not go with what the Bible teaches or with what the context of Proverbs 8 is teaching. Another thing is that Wisdom is not Jesus here because according to the Jehovah's Witnesses Jesus is a created angel known as Michael the archangel, and this wisdom is said to be with Jehovah from the beginning of His way, from everlasting. 'Many Jehovah's Witnesses point to Commentaries in support of their views in reference to Proverbs 8:22. Commentaries are good to use, but Commentaries are not 100 percent accurate. In reference to Christian Commentaries, Jehovah's Witnesses like to point out that some have stated Proverbs 8:22 is speaking about Jesus; however in those Commentaries they in no way state that Jesus was created by the Father, and in those Christian Commentaries throughout the Scriptures they clearly state that Jesus is God come in the flesh, the Second person of the Trinity. Jehovah's Witnesses work very hard to try to prove their views, but the bottom line is what is the context of Proverbs 8. What has been shared is that Proverbs 8 is not speaking of Jesus, but in fact about 'wisdom' in reference to getting understanding, knowledge, and direction. 'Another important point that needs to be addressed concerning what Jehovah's Witnesses teach on this subject. Looking at the book of Proverbs King Solomon wrote many things on Wisdom, and if Wisdom in Proverbs 8:22 is Jesus then what about the other references King Solomon wrote about? What is the purpose of the proverbs King Solomon wrote? [See Proverbs 1:1-6; 2:1-9; 4:1-9; 7:1-4 ASV] (...) '[See Proverbs 7:1-4 ASV] According to King Solomon, the one who wrote Proverbs, Wisdom is not Jesus at all. Wisdom is getting understanding in life, knowledge, and through wisdom we learn how to live lives according to righteousness, and to turn from evil. Wisdom is used in Hebrew poetry as a figure of speech as King Solomon spoke of wisdom many times as being a her, she, sister, kinswoman, worth more than gold and silver, and worth more than earthly goods. King Solomon did not write that Wisdom was a real person, but was to be sought out by those who seek the Lord and want true understanding and knowledge that comes from Jehovah God.' ____________________ This article has been edited solely due to space limitations. To read more go to: (http://www.apologeticsforchristians.homestead.com/JehovahsWitnessesProverbs8.html) |
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366 | Does anyone have a good way to explain t | Bible general Archive 1 | Radioman2 | 87858 | ||
'JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES AND PROVERBS 8:22 'IS JESUS WISDOM? 'According to Jehovah's Witnesses Jesus is wisdom in Proverbs 8:22. Is Proverbs 8:22 speaking about Jesus? Jehovah's Witnesses teach that Jesus is being spoken of in Proverbs 8:22 and was created by God before all other things were created. What is going to be shown here is what Jehovah's Witnesses believe, and teach others concerning Proverbs 8:22, and look at the context of Proverbs 8:22 to see what exactly this passage is saying. 'In the Jehovah's Witnesses brochure called "Should You Believe In The Trinity page 14" they say the following: "Notice how closely those references to the origin of Jesus correlate with expressions uttered by the figurative "Wisdom" in the Bible book of Proverbs: "Yahweh created me, first-fruits of his fashioning, before the oldest of his works. Before the mountains were settled, before the hills, I came to birth; before he had made the earth, the countryside, and the first elements of the world." (Proverbs 8:12, 22, 25, 26, NJB) While the term "Wisdom" is used to personify the one whom God created, most scholars agree that it is actually a figure of speech for Jesus as a spirit creature prior to his human existence." (Should You Believe In The Trinity page 14) Jehovah's Witnesses teach that Jesus is being spoken of in Proverbs 8:22 and that it teaches Wisdom (Jesus) was created. One point that needs to made right at the start. There is no reference to Jesus in Proverbs 8:22 at all. This passage is speaking of Wisdom, and for those who teach this is Jesus the evidence is not there. Another point is that the Jehovah's Witnesses believe that Jesus was God's first creation and therefore believe this to be speaking of Jesus and like to use different Bible Versions that would indicate that this Wisdom was created. There are Bible Versions that have Proverbs 8:22 with the words 'created, producted or made', however there are many Bible Versions that do not. 'BIBLE VERSIONS OF PROVERBS 8:22 THAT SUPPORT JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES '"Jehovah himself produced me as the beginning of his way, the earliest of his achievements of long ago." (New World Translation/ Official Jehovah's Witnesses Bible) '"The Lord created me first of all, the first of his works, long ago." (Todays English Bible) '"The Lord made me as the start of his way, the first of his works in the past." (The Bible In Basic English) 'BIBLE VERSIONS OF PROVERBS 8:22 THAT DO NOT SUPPORT JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES '"The LORD possessed me at the beginning of His way, Before His works of old." (New American Standard Bible) '"Jehovah possessed me in the beginning of his way, Before his works of old." (American Standard Version) '"Jehovah possessed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old." (Darby Bible) '"Jehovah possessed me--the beginning of His way, Before His works since then." (Youngs Literal Translation) '"The LORD already possessed me long ago, when his way began, before any of his works." (Gods Word Bible) '"Yahweh possessed me in the beginning of his work, Before his deeds of old." (World English Bible) '"The LORD possessed me at the beginning of His way, before His works of old." (Third Millennium Bible) 'Showing the comparison of different Bible Versions shows this is not an easy solution to Proverbs 8:22 and with it reading 'possessed' or 'create, made, produced'. What is the Hebrew word and what does it mean? The Hebrew word here is 'QANAH' and it means: "to own, to attain, buy-er, create possess(-or), purchase, c, recover, redeem, provoke to jealously." The Hebrew word 'qanah' has many different definitions and can be used differently depending on the context. The question is how should 'qanah' be used in Proverbs 8:22? In order to rightly interpret the Scriptures the context is the key to understanding what the word means or implies. If someone said they love cats would you think they had a personal relationship with them as human beings do with other human beings? The word love can be used in many different ways and it is understood by the context of how it is used. The standard for rightly interpreting the Scriptures is reading carefully and looking at what is being said, who is sayiing it, and examining it in light of what the Scriptures teach.' ____________________ To read more, including 'EXAMINING PROVERBS 8 IN CONTEXT', go to: (http://www.apologeticsforchristians.homestead.com/JehovahsWitnessesProverbs8.html) |
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367 | John 1:1---"a god"? !?!? | NT general Archive 1 | Radioman2 | 87764 | ||
'No one uses the NWT except the JW's. 'JW's on the other hand will use nothing else!' - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - JibbyJee: Jehovah's Witness doctrine by any other name is still Jehovah's Witness doctrine. Regarding the NWT which allegedly "by far is a superior translation" (ID# 87758): 'The NWT is so extremely biased and perverted, it is questionable if any Hebrew or Greek scholars worked on it. It is nothing more than a sectarian paraphrase, not a translation. 'No one uses the NWT except the JW's. 'JW's on the other hand will use nothing else! 'It has undergone many revisions. 'It is not a translation, but a corrupt sectarian paraphrase' (www.bible.ca/Jw-NWT.htm). Radioman2 |
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368 | Don't be fooled - good advice | Rom 3:4 | Radioman2 | 87744 | ||
'Don't be fooled by 'carm', they are an anti-cult group that are under the deception of the Adversary and they have fallen prey to Plato's philosophies, rather than read and understood God's inspired Word, the Bible. 'Grace to you all, 'The Good News Minister' - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - According to Good News Minister, the following are beliefs of "an anti-cult group that are under the deception of the Adversary", a group that bases its beliefs on Plato's philosophies, rather than the Bible. 'Statement of Faith of the Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry 'Biblical Inerrancy: The Bible is the Word of God, and that its original manuscripts are free from errors and contradictions. It is the one and only infallible, authoritative, and trustworthy rule for faith and life. (2 Peter. 1:21, 2 Tim. 3:16). The Catholic apocrypha is not inspired scripture. 'God: God is the only Supreme Being with no gods created before or after Him (Isaiah 43:10; 44:6; 44:8). He has always been God (Psalm 90:2). He is Holy (Rev. 4:8), Eternal (Isaiah 57:15), Omnipotent (Jer. 32:17,27), Omnipresent (Psalm 137-12), Omniscient (1 John 3:20); etc. He is Love (1 John 4:8, 16); Light (1 John 1:5); Spirit (John 4:24); Truth (Psalm 117:2); Creator (Isaiah 40:12,22,26), etc. He is to be worshiped (Gen. 24:26; Ex. 4:31; 2 Chron. 29:28; 1 Cor. 14:25; Rev. 7:11). He is to be served (Matt. 4:10;1 Cor. 6:19; Phil. 3:7; 1 Thess. 1:9; Heb. 9:14). He is to be proclaimed (Matt. 28:19f.; John 14:15f.; Acts 1:8). 'Trinity: There is one God in whom there are three eternal, simultaneous persons -- the Father, the Son (Jesus Christ), and the Holy Spirit. All three are the one God, coeternal, coequal, etc., yet there is only one God, not three, and not one person who took three modes, or forms. (Isaiah 44:6,8; 45:5; Gen. 1:26-27; 3:22; Matt. 3:17; 28:19; Luke 10:35; 2 Cor. 13:14). See also, The Trinity 'Jesus: Jesus Christ is the Word (God) who became a man. He added human nature to His divine nature. He is presently both human and divine, and, therefore, has two natures. Yet, He is one person, not two. He is not part God and part man. He is presently wholly God and wholly man. (Phil. 2:5-11; Col. 2:9; 1 Tim. 3:16; Heb. 1:5-13; John 1:1-3,14)' (http://www.carm.org/index/statement.htm) |
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369 | is december 25th the day christ was born | Gal 4:4 | Radioman2 | 87726 | ||
Is the Jehovah's Witness religion Christian? 'The answer to the question is, "No. It is not Christian." Like all non-Christian cults, the Jehovah's Witness organization distorts the essential doctrines of Christianity. It denies the deity of Christ, His physical resurrection, and salvation by grace. This alone makes it non-Christian. To support its erring doctrines, the Watchtower organization (which is the author and teacher of all official Jehovah's Witness theology), has even altered the Bible to make it agree with its changing and non-Christian teachings. 'Typical with cults that use the Bible to support its position is a host of interpretive errors: 'Taking verses out of their immediate context. 'Refusing to read verses in the entire biblical context. 'Inserting their theological presuppositions into the text. 'Altering the Biblical text to suit their needs. 'Latching onto one verse to interpret a host of others. 'Changing the meanings of words. 'Proclaiming some passages to be figurative when they contradict their doctrines. 'Adding to the Word of God. 'Additionally, the Jehovah's Witness organization requires of its members regular weekly attendance at their "Bible Study" meetings where they are repeatedly indoctrinated with anti-Christian teachings. This is done by reading the Watchtower magazine, following along with what it says, reading the questions it asks, and reciting the answers it gives. In other words, the Watchtower Organization carefully trains its members to let the Organization do their thinking for them. For confirmation of this, please read Does the Watchtower organization control the JW's thinking? (...) 'Primarily, the Jehovah's Witness organization is a mind control organization that uses its people to pass out literature and send in "donations" to the headquarters in Brooklyn, New York. '"Thus the Bible is an organizational book and belongs to the Christian congregation as an organization, not to individuals, regardless of how sincerely they may believe that they can interpret the Bible." The Watchtower, Oct. 1, 1967. p. 587. 'The Watchtower organization of the Jehovah's Witnesses is a non-Christian organization that uses its people to promulgate false doctrines, sell a multitudinous amount of literature, and expand its grip into the lives of its members and their families. 'It is a non-Christian cult.' To read more go to: (www.carm.org/jw/cult.htm) |
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370 | Jehovah's Witnesses, please read | Rom 3:4 | Radioman2 | 87723 | ||
If you are a Jehovah's Witness, please read this. [The following is quoted from (http://www.carm.org/jw/ifurjw.htm).] 'If you are a Jehovah's Witness please understand that I am not against you as an individual... 'As a Jehovah's Witness you have been taught from the Bible and the Watchtower organization. You’ve attended numerous meetings, and are convinced that what you believe is the truth. You also believe the Trinity is a demonic doctrine and that Christendom is an apostate group preaching a false gospel. Additionally, you are taught the Watchtower organization is the true channel of God’s revelation to His church on earth. You are taught that you are in "The Truth." 'But believing it does not make it so. I am sure you agree with this and respond by saying that your beliefs are in agreement with the Bible. After all, you study it deeply and often and have validated your beliefs with the word of God. I don’t deny that you study. But when you study, you study under the Watchtower's guidance and allow it to shape your understanding and thinking of the Bible and its doctrines. 'Please consider these quotes from the Watchtower Magazine that verify what I am saying: '"All who want to understand the Bible should appreciate that the "greatly diversified wisdom of God" can become known only through Jehovah's channel of communication, the faithful and discreet slave." (The Watchtower; 10/1/1994; p. 8.) '"Thus the Bible is an organizational book and belongs to the Christian congregation as an organization, not to individuals, regardless of how sincerely they may believe that they can interpret the Bible." The Watchtower, Oct. 1, 1967. p. 587. 'In short, you are led by what the Watchtower says the Bible says. But if the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society is from God, then... 'Why has it made false prophecies? Why has it altered the translation of the Bible? Why does the Watchtower say you will fall into apostasy if you read the Bible without the Watchtower? See their quotes Why are you not allowed to examine your own organization and its problems? Why does it tell you what to think and do? 'Have you checked the documentation from the Watchtower Magazine? How do you know that the Watchtower is correct? Because it says it is? 'Please don’t be offended by this. But when a group claims to be the prophet of God, yet mistranslates the Bible, takes verses out of context, makes false prophecies, and misquotes authorities all to make its position valid, its credibility is lost. It cannot be from God. 'But you will never know that unless you "examine ALL things." Unfortunately, as a Jehovah's Witness, you are only encouraged to study what the Watchtower and Awake magazines tell you to study. That means you can't really check up on its false prophecies on your own. Instead, you must trust what it tells you about its own false prophecies. In addition, you are instructed to not take any literature from "apostate Christendom." This way, you will have far less opportunity to be challenged, something the Watchtower organization doesn't want to happen. 'The Watchtower Magazine teaches by asking the questions and giving the answers. Sometimes it even uses a Bible reference (often times out of context) to back up what it says. It all looks good and sounds good from your perspective. But it is a false method of study. The Watchtower organization tells you what to think and what to do. If you say that is not true and that the Watchtower Organization is God's organization on earth, then you are simply repeating what the Watchtower tells you. 'The Bible alone is sufficient. But the Watchtower denies this: '"From time to time, there have arisen from among the ranks of Jehovah's people those, who, like the original Satan, have adopted an independent, faultfinding attitude...They say that it is sufficient to read the Bible exclusively, either alone or in small groups at home. But, strangely, through such 'Bible reading,' they have reverted right back to the apostate doctrines that commentaries by Christendom's clergy were teaching 100 years ago..." The Watchtower, August 15, 1981. (Emphasis added) 'What are the apostate doctrines: Trinity? Hell? Jesus is God? Funny thing is that, according to the Watchtower, if you study the Bible by itself, you will come to believe these things! Could it be that apart from the selected questions, answers, scripture quotes, and direction of the Watchtower teaching, that the Bible actually does teach these "apostate doctrines"? If you don't check for yourself, and only believe the Watchtower, you'll never know. 'Do you want to trust your eternal soul to the teachings of several men headquartered in Brooklyn, New York who claim to be the directors of God's organization on earth? Do you? Eternity is a long time to be wrong.' |
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371 | how to start reading the bible? | Bible general Archive 1 | Radioman2 | 87718 | ||
Annihilation and resurrection? "The Bible teaches us that we have an existence away from our bodies once we die. The Jehovah's Witnesses are incorrect. We continue on after death." - - - - - - - - - - - - - 'Does Annihilation and resurrection make sense? 'According to the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, when you die, you cease to exist: Let God be True, p. 59, 60, 67. On Judgment Day, only faithful Jehovah's Witnesses will be resurrected to life eternal on Paradise Earth. The rest of all mankind will be annihilated, wiped out, made to not exist with no eternal punishment in a fiery hell. 'There is a logical problem with this view. If a Jehovah's Witnesses believes that he ceases to exist when he dies and that he will be resurrected at the Judgment Day, then is he really being resurrected? In other words, if he was alive and then has ceased to exist, he is in the same state he was before he was created. That is, he isn't. He has no existence. He is gone. The only remnant of this person would be in the memory of God (not counting family and friends, etc.). Only God would know if this Jehovah's Witness was good enough for Paradise Earth. If he was, then the reward would be a new creation of someone in the exact image of the Jehovah's Witness who previously lived and did all the works mandated by the Watchtower Organization. But, it wouldn't be the exact same person, because that person ceased to exist and there is no continuity, no continuance of the person since he has ceased to be. 'Therefore, on Judgment day, how can he be resurrected? That is, how is he, as the same person, resurrected when he doesn't exist anymore? Is he the exact same person or has God make an exact copy of the person upon which to shower the blessings of Paradise Earth? 'It would seem that simple logic would contradict the idea of existence, non-existence, and then existence all being the same person. It also contradicts scripture which says, '"We are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord," (2 Cor. 5:8). I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago—whether in the body I do not know, or out of the body I do not know, God knows—such a man was caught up to the third heaven," (2 Cor. 12:2). 'The Bible teaches us that we have an existence away from our bodies once we die. The Jehovah's Witnesses are incorrect. We continue on after death." (www.carm.org/jw/annihilation.htm) |
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372 | John 1:1---"a god"? !?!? | NT general Archive 1 | Radioman2 | 87717 | ||
Part 2 JWs and John 1:1 (continued from Part 1) ' Why was Moses going to be "as God" to Pharaoh? Because Moses was given the authority and power to display powerful miracles that decimated much of Egypt. Was Moses really a god? Being "as God" in regards to power given to perform miracles over Egypt is not the same thing as being called "a god" that was in the beginning with God, (John 1:1). ' John was a strict Jew, a monotheist. Does the Jehovah's Witness really think that John would be saying that there was another God besides Jehovah, even if it were Jesus? Being raised a good Jew, the apostle John would never believe that there was more than one God in existence. Yet, he compared the word with God, said the word was God, and that the word became flesh (John 1:1,14). ' John 1:1 in a literal translation reads thus: "In beginning was the word, and the word was with the God, and God was the word." Notice that it says "God was the word." This is the actual word for word translation. It is not saying that "a god was the word." That wouldn't make sense. Let me break it down into three statements. '"In beginning was the word..." (en arche en ho logos) A very simple statement that the Word was in the beginning. "and the word was with the God..." (kai ho logos en pros ton theon) This same Word was with God. "and God was the word." -- Properly translated as "and the Word was God." (kai theos en ho logos) This same Word was God. ' Regarding statement 3 above, the correct English translation is "...and the Word was God," not "and God was the word." This is because if there is only one definite article ("ho"-"the") in a clause where two nouns are in the nominative ("subject") form ("theos" and "logos"), then the noun with the definite article ("ho"-"the") is the subject. In this case "ho logos" means that "the word" is the subject of the clause. Therefore, "...the Word was God" is the correct translation, not "God was the Word."1 But this does not negate the idea that John is speaking of only one God, not two, even though the Jehovah's Witnesses maintain that Jesus is "a god," or the "mighty god" as was addressed above. ' Is there suddenly a new god in the text of John 1:1? It is the same God that is being spoken of in part 2 as in part 3. How do the Jehovah's Witnesses maintain that the word had somehow become a god in this context, since there is only one God mentioned? Remember, the Jehovah's Witnesses teach that Jesus was Michael the Archangel. Therefore, is there any place in the Bible where an angel is called "a god," besides Satan being called the god of this world in 2 Cor. 4:3-4? 'John 20:28 - "Thomas answered and said to Him, 'My Lord and my God!'" ' In the Greek in John 20:28 Thomas said to Jesus, "ho kurios mou, kai ho theos mou," "The Lord of me, and the God of me." If Jesus was not God, but "a" god, then shouldn't Jesus have corrected Thomas? Shouldn't Jesus have said, "No Thomas, I am not the God. I am a god."? But Jesus did not. To do so would have been ludicrous. Nevertheless, the Jehovah's Witness will say that Thomas was so stunned by Jesus' appearance, that he swore. This is ridiculous because it means that Thomas, a devout man of God, swore in front of Jesus and used the Lord's name in vain in violation of Exodus 20:7. This is hardly the case since we find no New Testament equivalent of a disciple of Christ using God's name in vain. ' In conclusion, John 1:1 is best translated without the "a" inserted into the text. "The Word was God" is the best translation. This way, we do not run into the danger of polytheism, with Jesus being "a god." We do not have Thomas the disciple swearing and using God's name in vain. And, we do not have the problem of Jesus being a "mighty god" and yet not the God -- even though God Himself is called the Mighty God (Jeremiah 21:18; Isaiah 10:20).' __________________ 1. Chapman, B. (1994). Greek New Testament Insert. (2nd ed., revised.). Quakertown, PA: Stylus Publishing. Also, Louw, J. P. (1989; Published in electronic form by Logos Research Systems, 1996). Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament : Based on semantic domains (electronic edition of the 2nd ed.) (Page 592). New York: United Bible societies. (http://www.carm.org/jw/john1_1.htm) |
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373 | John 1:1---"a god"? !?!? | NT general Archive 1 | Radioman2 | 87716 | ||
Part 1 JWs and John 1:1 The Jehovah's Witnesses and John 1:1 'In [the] beginning the Word was, and the Word was with God, and the Word was a god." The New World Translation ' This is one of the most common verses of contention between the Jehovah's Witnesses and Christians. Their false assumption is that Jesus is not God in flesh, but Michael the archangel who became a man. Therefore, since they deny that Jesus is divine, they have altered the Bible in John 1:1 so that Jesus is not divine in nature. The New World Translation has added the word "a" to the verse so it says, "...and the Word was a god." The correct translation for this verse is "In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God." This is how it is rendered in the NASB, NIV, KJV, NKJV, ASV, RSV, etc. ' The New World translation is incorrect in its translation of this verse for several reasons. First of all, the Bible teaches a strict monotheism. To say that Jesus is "a god" is to suggest that there is another god besides YHWH, which is contrary to scripture (Isaiah 43:10; 44:6,8, etc.). Of course, the Jehovah's Witnesses will respond that Jesus is not the Almighty God, but a "lesser" kind of God. He is the "mighty God" as is referenced in Isaiah 9:6, "For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us, and the government will rest on His shoulders, and His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace." Therefore, they say that Jesus is the mighty god, but not the Almighty God. ' The immediate problem with this explanation is that YHWH is also called the Mighty God in Jeremiah 21:18 and Isaiah 10:20. In all three verses, including Isaiah 9:6, the Hebrew word for "mighty" (gibbor) is used. 'Isaiah 10:20-21, "Now it will come about in that day that the remnant of Israel, and those of the house of Jacob who have escaped, will never again rely on the one who struck them, but will truly rely on the LORD, the Holy One of Israel. 21A remnant will return, the remnant of Jacob, to the mighty God." 'Jer. 32:18, "who showest lovingkindness to thousands, but repayest the iniquity of fathers into the bosom of their children after them, O great and mighty God. the LORD of hosts is His name." ' We can see that the Jehovah's Witness explanation is not valid. Both the Son and God are called the Mighty God. ' Furthermore, how many actual gods are there in scripture? The obvious answer is that there is only one God in existence. Though there are others who have been falsely called gods (1 Cor. 8:5-6) or even said to be "as God" like Moses (Ex. 4:16; 7:1), there is only one real God (Gal. 4:8-9; Isaiah 44:6,8). If Jesus is "a god" that was "with God" in the beginning, then is Jesus a true god or a false god? ' But, the Jehovah's Witnesses often claim that Jesus is a god in the sense that Moses was called a god. But, Moses was not called a god. Rather, he would be "as God." '"Moreover, he shall speak for you to the people; and it shall come about that he shall be as a mouth for you, and you shall be as God to him, (Exodus 4:16). '"Then the Lord said to Moses, 'See, I make you as God to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron shall be your prophet,'" (Exodus 7:1).' (continues in Part 2) (http://www.carm.org/jw/john1_1.htm) |
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374 | should you have extra marital affairs? | Rom 13:9 | Radioman2 | 87656 | ||
Retxar: Welcome back! I've missed your postings. Good to have you back. Grace and peace, Radioman2 |
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375 | Divorce and the Pastor | John 6:37 | Radioman2 | 87604 | ||
Divorce and the Pastor 'Where does it say in God's Word that divorce disqualifies a man from God's service? We're not talking about infidelity here. We're not talking about adultery here. We are talking about two people whose marital difficulties have reached the point where, for one of them at least, staying married is no longer the option. 'I understand Paul's directions to Timothy were that a pastor must be the husband of one wife. But if [one] divorces, and if [he] does not remarry, how has he violated Paul's directives? 'Let's check the record. What does the Bible say about divorce? 'First, through Malachi, God said, "I hate divorce." That's pretty clear. 'Second, Jesus was confronted one day by the Pharisees about the question of divorce and remarriage. Please get that! The context of the passage, Matthew 19:3-9, the reason they continued to question Him, was not to learn whether or not a married couple could divorce. They already knew from God's declaration in Deuteronomy 24, the passage to which Jesus appealed, that they could. The Pharisees wanted to trap Jesus on the question of whether or not divorced couples could, according to Scripture, remarry. 'Jesus said, "God's original plan never included divorce, but because your hearts are hard, he permitted it on the grounds of adultery. If the marriage is dissolved because of adultery, the innocent party may remarry without jeopardy." 'Who initially and originally said a husband and wife should not get a divorce? God. Who initially and originally allowed a husband and wife to get a divorce? God. Is there a contradiction there? Yes, there is, and we need to understand what Jesus said. The contradiction is within us – you and me – not with Almighty God! 'Is divorce wrong? It is, unless Jesus lied. 'Does it disqualify an individual from ever entering Heaven. It does not, unless Jesus lied, because Jesus said, "Whoever comes to me in faith, I will never cast out.' 'But where does Scripture say that if a pastor becomes divorced, it disqualifies him from being a pastor? The disqualification comes from remarriage which contradicts the Bible's directives.' [Note: Neither this post nor this thread is about personalities. It's not about naming names. The purpose here is to discuss biblical principles. The day that readers start naming names will be the last day of this discussion.] ____________________ DIVORCE AND THE PASTOR by David Sisler (http://davidsisler.com/9-2.htm) |
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376 | Does anyone have a good way to explain t | Bible general Archive 1 | Radioman2 | 87534 | ||
John 17:3 and the Only True God "And this is eternal life, that they may know Thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom Thou hast sent," (John 17:3, NASB). 'The Jehovah's Witnesses, among others, cite John 17:3 as a proof text to deny the Trinity and claim that Jesus Christ is not God. They reason is that if Jesus were God, then He would not have called the Father, "the only true God." If the Father is the only true God, then it must require that Jesus cannot be God. 'First of all, it is not proper to make a theological doctrine out of one verse. Of this the Jehovah's Witnesses are sometimes guilty. Nevertheless, they do tend to take one or two verses on a subject and use them to interpret all the others. Instead of getting a balanced position, they arrive at an interpretation that is in agreement with their theological position. This is called "proof-texting" and is something the Jehovah's Witnesses do frequently. 'Second, the context of Jesus' comment was that He was speaking as a man to His God. Remember, Jesus is both God and man, second person of the Trinity, the word made flesh (John 1:1,14). Since He was both divine and man, as a man He would naturally, and properly say that His Father was the only True God. He was not denying His own divinity, but affirming the Trueness of God as was done in the OT: “And now, O Lord our God, deliver us from his hand that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that Thou alone, Lord, art God,” (Isaiah 37:20). The truth is that Jesus was a man made under the Law (Gal. 4:4) and as a man He would be subject to God. Only in this case, Jesus was subject to the Father. That is why Jesus called the Father the only true God. But it is not a phrase that excludes Christ for Christ Himself said "Before Abraham was, I am" (John 8:58) and did not deny being called God by Thomas in John 20:28. 'Third, John 17:3 must be examined in the light of the totality of scripture. We see that Jesus is called God in John 1:1,14; 8:58; 20:28; Col. 2:9; Heb. 1:8. Therefore, John 17:3 cannot be interpreted in a way that disagrees with other scriptures. Of course, some people simply state that John 17:3 cannot allow for Jesus being God. But the simple fact is that Jesus is called God by God and others. Therefore, the whole of scripture must be harmonized. 'Fourth, this verse reflects the sonship of Jesus. The Father and the Son have a unique relationship. Jesus is the eternal Son. The terms Father and Son denote a relationship which is why God is called the God of the Son in 2 Cor. 11:31. 'Fifth, if we are to be consistent using the Jehovah's Witness logic that the Father is the only true God, then the following verses present a problem -- if we use their logic. '"For certain persons have crept in unnoticed, those who were long beforehand marked out for this condemnation, ungodly persons who turn the grace of our God into licentiousness and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ," (Jude 4, NASB). 'Does this mean that the Father is not our Master and Lord? Of course not. Yet, Jesus is called our only Master and Lord. '"There was the true light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man. 10He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him," (John 1:9-10). 'Here we see Jesus being called the true light. Does this mean that the Father is not the true light? If not, then we have both the Son and the Father being the true light. '"And Jesus said to him, "Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone," (Mark 10:18, NASB). 'Does this verse mean that Jesus is not good? Jesus said only God was good. Then, if we use the Jehovah's Witness logic, Jesus is not good. Of course, that doesn't make any sense. '“I, even I, am the Lord [YHW]; And there is no savior besides Me," (Isaiah 43:11). 'We know that Jesus is the Savior. Again, according to Witness logic, Jesus could not be the Savior since the Bible tells us that YHWH is the only Savior. '"Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, and the one who formed you from the womb, “I, the Lord [YHWH], am the maker of all things, Stretching out the heavens by Myself, And spreading out the earth all alone,'" (Isaiah 44:24, NASB). 'According to John 1:3 and Col. 1:16-17 Jesus made all things. With JW logic would have a problem. 'Col. 1:16-17 says, "For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created by Him and for Him. 17And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together," (NASB). 'As we can see, we cannot simply make a doctrine out of one verse. To do so is to invite error and it only serves to use the Bible to validate preconceived ideas about doctrine.' (http://www.carm.org/jw/John17_3.htm) |
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377 | Does anyone have a good way to explain t | Bible general Archive 1 | Radioman2 | 87533 | ||
A shocking mistranslation - NWT John 1:1 The following quotes are taken from language scholars who study the Greek language of the New Testament and are offering their opinions as to the validity of John 1:1. "...the Word was a god." John 1:1 (New World Translation) Dr. Paul L. Kaufman of Portland, Oregon: "The Jehovah's Witnesses people evidence an abysmal ignorance of the basic tenets of Greek grammar in their mistranslation of John 1:1." Dr. Charles L. Feinberg of La Mirada, California: "I can assure you that the rendering which the Jehovah's Witnesses give John 1:1 is not held by any reputable Greek scholar." Dr. James L. Boyer of Winona Lake, Indiana: "I have never heard of, or read of any Greek Scholar who would have agreed to the interpretation of this verse insisted upon by the Jehovah's Witnesses...I have never encountered one of them who had any knowledge of the Greek language." Dr. Walter R. Martin (who does not teach Greek but has studied the language): "The translation...'a god' instead of 'God' is erroneous and unsupported by any good Greek scholarship, ancient or contemporary and is a translation rejected by all recognized scholars of the Greek language may of whom are not even Christians, and cannot fairly be said to be biased in favor of the orthodox contention." Dr. J. R. Mantey (who is quoted on pages 1158-1159 of the Witnesses own Kingdom interlinear Translation): "A shocking mistranslation." "Obsolete and incorrect." "It is neither scholarly nor reasonable to translate John 1:1 'The Word was a god.'" Dr. Bruce M. Metzger of Princeton (Professor of New Testament Language and Literature): "A frightful mistranslation." "Erroneous" and "pernicious" "reprehensible" "If the Jehovah's Witnesses take this translation seriously, they are polytheists." Dr. Samuel J. Mikolaski of Zurich, Switzerland: "This anarthrous (used without the article) construction does not mean what the indefinite article 'a' means in English. It is monstrous to translate the phrase 'the Word was a god.'" Dr. William Barclay of the University of Glasgow, Scotland: "The deliberate distortion of truth by this sect is seen in their New testament translations. John 1:1 is translated: '...the Word was a god, ' a translation which is grammatically impossible...It is abundantly clear that a sect which can translate the New Testament like that is intellectually dishonest." Dr. F. F. Bruce of the University of Manchester, England: "Much is made by Arian amateur grammarians of the omission of the definite article with 'God' in the phrase 'And the Word was God.' Such an omission is common with nouns in a predicative construction...'a god' would be totally indefensible." [Barclay and Bruce are generally regarded as Great Britain's leading Greek scholars. Both have New Testament translations in print!] Dr. Ernest C. Colwell of the University of Chicago: "A definite predicate nominative has the article when it follows the verb; it does not have the article when it precedes the verb...this statement cannot be regarded as strange in the prologue of the gospel which reaches its climax in the confession of Thomas. 'My Lord and my God.' - John 20:28" Dr. Phillip B. Harner of Heidelberg College: "The verb preceding an anarthrous predicate, would probably mean that the LOGOS was 'a god' or a divine being of some kind, belonging to the general category of THEOS but as a distinct being from HO THEOS. In the form that John actually uses, the word "THEOS" is places at the beginning for emphasis." Dr. J. Johnson of California State University, Long Beach: "No justification whatsoever for translating THEOS EN HO LOGOS as 'the Word was a god.' There is no syntactical parallel to Acts 28:6 where there is a statement in indirect discourse; John 1:1 is direct....I am neither a Christian nor a Trinitarian." (http://www.soulright.com/nwt.html) |
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378 | Heresy Hunting or Biblical Mandate? | Matt 24:11 | Radioman2 | 87496 | ||
Romans 16:17 '"Doctrine divides" has been the hue and cry. Yes, doctrine does divide - that’s its very purpose. It divides us from the Jehovah’s Witnesses and from those . . . who promote a distorted view of Christ and His atonement.' -- Paul R. Belli and G. Richard Fisher AMPLIFIED Romans 16:17 I appeal to you, brethren, to be on your guard concerning those who create dissensions and difficulties and cause divisions, in opposition to the doctrine (the teaching) which you have been taught. [I warn you to turn aside from them, to] avoid them. |
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379 | Justification for non-Christian Living?? | Gal 5:24 | Radioman2 | 87495 | ||
Jesus began to preach and to say, Repent Mt 4:17 From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Mr 1:14-15 Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel. Mr 6:12 And they went out, and preached that men should repent. Lu 13:3 I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. Lu 13:5 I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. |
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380 | Justification for non-Christian Living?? | Gal 5:24 | Radioman2 | 87476 | ||
Do not judge? When taken as a whole and diligently compared one to another, the Scriptures do NOT prohibit all types of judging. Do not judge??? Anyone? Anything? Ever? A careful reading of the NT and a study of the passages in which the English word "judge" appears may surprise you. You will find that Christians are to judge between dogs and swine. Also, according to the Scriptures (see below), Christians are to judge: all things, those who are inside the church, the world, angels, what is said or taught, and ourselves. So believers are to judge at least seven different things or groups of people. Do not judge and criticize and condemn others, so that you may not be judged and criticized and condemned yourselves. Matthew 7:1 Amplified New Testament "7:1 Judge not. As the context reveals, this does not prohibit all types of judging (v. 16). There is a righteous kind of judgment we are supposed to exercise with careful discernment (John 7:24). Censorious, hypocritical, self-righteous, or other kinds of unfair judgments are forbidden; but in order to fulfill the commandments that follow, it is necessary to discern dogs and swine (v. 6) from one's own brethren (vv. 3-5)" (1997, Word Publishing). Other Scriptural examples of Christians judging are presented below. (The following Scripture quotations are from the NKJV unless otherwise noted. Words in parentheses ( ) or brackets [ ] are from the text of the Amplified New Testament.) 1 Co 2:15 (ANT)But the spiritual man tries all things [he examines, investigates, inquires into questions, and discerns all things], yet is himself to be put on trial and judged by no one . . . 1 Co 5: 12 For what have I to do with judging those also who are outside? Do you not judge (pass disciplinary judgment [passing censuring sentence on them as the facts require]) those who are inside [the church]? 1 Co 6:2 Do you not know that the saints will judge (and govern) the world? And if the world will be judged by you, are you unworthy to judge (try) the smallest matters? 1 Co 6:3 Do you not know that we shall judge angels (and pronounce opinion between right and wrong [for them])? How much more, things that pertain to this life? 1 Co 6:5 I say this to your shame. Is it so, that there is not a wise man among you, not even one, who will be able to judge ( to decide [the private grievances, disputes, and quarrels]) between his brethren? 1 Co 10: 15 I speak as to wise men; judge (think over and make up your minds) for yourselves [about] what I say. 1 Co 11:31 For if we would judge (searchingly examine) ourselves [detecting our shortcomings and recognizing our own condition], we would not be judged. 1 Co 14:29 Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others judge (pay attention and weigh and discern what is said). 2 Co 13:5 (ANT) Examine and test and evaluate your own selves to see whether you are holding to your faith and showing the proper fruits of it. Test and prove yourselves . . . - - - - - - - - - - - - - NASB 1 Thessalonians 4:8 So, he who rejects this is not rejecting man but the God who gives His Holy Spirit to you. |
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