Results 1 - 11 of 11
|
|
|||||
Results from: Answered Bible Questions, Answers, Unanswered Bible Questions, Notes Author: Mark108 Ordered by Date |
||||||
Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
1 | Must we be Baptized to enter Heaven | John 4:14 | Mark108 | 102996 | ||
Hi Justme, No, I do not see baptism as a salvational issue. Clearly some have gone to heaven without being baptised. I do see it as a command so if we confess Jesus to be our Lord we should obey that command. Salvation is not through works lest anyone should boast. Baptism is a work. Regards, Mark. |
||||||
2 | Must we be Baptized to enter Heaven | John 4:14 | Mark108 | 102941 | ||
Hi, I take "Born of water" to mean natural birth which is accompanied by water (actually amniotic fliuid). But the person who was crucified with Jesus was told that he would be with Jesus in paradise and yet he had no chance to be baptised. Salvation does not depend on works (not even baptism). If salvation were not possible without baptism then Satan could stop people from being saved by preventing them from being baptised. There is a big gap between "he who believes and is baptised will be saved" and "he who does not believe ..." In that gap is God's discretion. We are commanded to be baptised and we should obey but it is not a salvational issue. |
||||||
3 | Are we supposed to observe the Sabbath? | Bible general Archive 2 | Mark108 | 102939 | ||
Hi, I believe that we should worship on the Sabbath and all the scriptures that I can think of support this except the one about some see one day as more special than another and some see all days as the same. From what I have read the practice of Sunday worship started in Rome soon after the fall of Jerusalem (AD 70). The Christians were being executed as Jews because they worshiped on the Sabbath and celebrated Passover. They wrote to the church in Asia Minor asking what they should do and the answer was that we should not be dying over days. Later Bishop Victor of Rome (now considered a Pope) attempted to excommunicate the whole of the church in Asia Minor for not worshiping on the same day as Rome. But what now? I do not feel that the Holy Spirit is calling me to worship on the Saturday. I was led to the church where I now worship and although I have asked my minister to have a sabbath day service he strongly oposes the idea. I do not feel that it is right either to leave or to make this an issue. There are far more important issues that we need to work together on. I have considered this prayerfully and I really believe that if God was calling us to worship on a sabbath he would quicken our hearts on this subject. Regards, Mark. |
||||||
4 | God's love | Hebrews | Mark108 | 102500 | ||
I feel that I am supposed to answer your question because I was preaching on this topic yesterday. Love is not something that we can create. It is a gift from God so we can't keep the commandment unless God enables us to do so. We need to admit that our righteousness is as filthy rags, that we are incapable of sincerely loving God unless he enables us and that we deserve the death penalty for our sins. This is not popular these days and no self-righteous person can ever keep this commandment. Somewhere Paul says: "What do you you have that you were not given and if you were given it why do you boast about it as if you were not?" (my own rough paraphrase). We can't create love but we can choose to nurture or neglect the love that God has given us. Five things that I asked of my congregation yesterday were: to love God's people and meet with them regularly to love God's word (the bible) and read it often and eagerly to love God's work and to serve him whereever and whenever you can to love to spend time with God in prayer and to love to spend time with God in worship. From what you say you need to start with the first one. I know that so many Christians are not easy to love but get used to it - you are going to spend eternity with them! Again it is Paul who says: "Who are we to criticise another man's servant? It is to God that he stands or Falls and Stand he will because God is able to make him stand." (again my poor paraphrase) As you love the unlovely christians that God brings accross your path and as you realise that from God's perspective you are just as unlovely (there is no difference in God's sight) you start to see how much God has given you and that will help you to love the God who loves unlovely people like us. God Bless, Mark. |
||||||
5 | Paul's word pictures | 1 Thess 4:4 | Mark108 | 102361 | ||
I had a good hard look at 1 Thes 4:4 and none of the translations seemed to fit. The key word being "skeuos" (literally "vessel") and whether it should be translated "wife" or "body". One of the commentaries I read said that skeuos could also be a nautical term implying the mast and sail. Could it be that the word "ktasthai" (to posess)could also be a nautical term? Is Paul using a word picture here? Is he telling us to trim our sails and set our course towards holiness and honour? In 2 Thes 3:6 he uses the military term "ataktos" for laziness so it appears that he does use such word pictures but my commentaries do not seem to detect it. Is there any reference that would alert me to specialist meanings of Greek words and phrases? I suspect that Paul uses more visual imagery than most any translation I have yet seen considers. |
||||||
6 | Features of best possible study Bible | John 5:39 | Mark108 | 102042 | ||
Thanks, My daughter requested a good study bible because she is in a bible study group which is dominated by a couple of people with head knowledge not heart knowledge. She wants an accurate translation so that when she makes a point they will not be too quick to dismiss it. We have a NLB which is much better than the original Living Bible but not really suitable as a study bible. Besides the NLB only cost about eight dollars and she could pick up one for herself if she wanted to. I could have bought her a bookman (after all it is a 21st present) but I agree with you that a bible is to be read not used for proof texts at 20 paces. My hope is that I have taught her well and that she will use the bible as an aid to support the less confident when they are right and provide another voice of reason within her study group. Regards, Mark. |
||||||
7 | Features of best possible study Bible | John 5:39 | Mark108 | 102041 | ||
Thanks, My daughter requested a good study bible because she is in a bible study group which is dominated by a couple of people with head knowledge not heart knowledge. She wants an accurate translation so that when she makes a point they will not be too quick to dismiss it. We have a NLB which is much better than the original Living Bible but not really suitable as a study bible. Besides the NLB only cost about eight dollars and she could pick up one for herself if she wanted to. I could have bought her a bookman (after all it is a 21st present) but I agree with you that a bible is to be read not used for proof texts at 20 paces. My hope is that I have taught her well and that she will use the bible as an aid to support the less confident when they are right and provide another voice of reason within her study group. Regards, Mark. |
||||||
8 | Features of best possible study Bible | John 5:39 | Mark108 | 102038 | ||
Thanks, you have given me a new lead to follow! God bless, Mark. |
||||||
9 | Where is it written that Jesus said it? | Acts 10:46 | Mark108 | 101819 | ||
Jesus said: Matt 28:19 - go and make disciples of all nations Matt 25:32 - all the nations will be gathered before him. John 10:16 other sheep I have that are not of this pasture. There are others but I am out of time to look them up. "If I be lifted up from the world I will draw all men unto me" and "On that day men will come from the east and from the west as sit down with Abraham and ??? but the children of the kingdom will be cast out." If I recall my greek correctly the word "ethnos" is variously rendered "gentiles" and "Nations". It is a mistake to place some scriptures as more important than others because ALL scripture is inspired by God. and also Men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God - if every word of God was in red then the whole bible would be in red. If you accept the trinity why single out the words of Jesus as if they were different from the words of God and the Holy Spirit? It is also a mistake to play one verse off against another. Scholars for the last 2,000 years (almost) have had the scriptures to compare and probably did so more diligently than anyone today and yet the wisest have believed in the infalibility of the whole bible. When we find an apparent contradiction we reveal the limitation of our own intellect not the limitation of scripture. |
||||||
10 | Features of best possible study Bible | Not Specified | Mark108 | 101749 | ||
What features would the best possible study bible have? I have been looking for a study bible to give to my daughter as a 21st birthday present and I can't find what I am looking for. I wanted one in NASB with a good referencing system (preferably a concordance). I had a look at the Zondervan one but I was not impressed but the question on the best study bible recommended the McArthur Study Bible so I will go back to the shops and look for this one. It occurred to me that since this site is sponsored by a bible translator I would like to put a wish list of what I would like to see in a study bible that others could add to. (Note to the moderator. If you feel that this would be best directed to some contact within the Lockman Foundation you are welcome to send it on and not include it for answers on this site.) In a study bible I want to be able to understand what God's word is saying so word for word accuracy is essential (hence the NASB). Thomas Nelson put out a version with "read along" aids where a superscripted "a" or "t" indicated respectively an alternate or literal translation of the word indicated which was placed at the end of the verse. (I have contacted Thomas Nelson and they no longer publish this version.) This version was excellent and took the NASB to a new height where we could understand multiple meanings and shades of the words being used. What would be even better would be footnotes giving the "thought for thought" translation(s) where they were not immediately apparent. I would like to be able to distinguish the received text from the more modern Greek texts as the later tend to lean heavily upon two particular manuscripts which have a gnostic influence. Besides if these two manuscripts contained information necessary for our salvation why would God allow them to be lost for so long? Another item on my wish list is a topical concordance in the back keyed to the verses somehow. I had thought that the key words in the concordance should be underlined where they appear in the verses but that might be too disruptive and perhaps just having them bolded or italicised would be better. While the concordance could have some commentary on the word (e.g. greek and hebrew of the underlying word and a brief overview of the concept) the key value would be that the student would be "comparing scripture with scripture" rather than scripture with the word of man. The concordance would reduce the need for cross referencing verses and enable the user to research a topic as well as follow a lead from a verse. Other than that there are the normal aids like introductions to books, maps, weights and measures etc. I have a thing against "Words of Christ in red" as sometimes it is a matter of interpretation which were Jesus' very words. Besides it makes for a multi-level bible where some verses have more authority than others. Still, I can ignore it if others find it valuable. What do others think? Thanks, Mark. |
||||||
11 | Features of best possible study Bible | John 5:39 | Mark108 | 101756 | ||
What features would the best possible study bible have? I have been looking for a study bible to give to my daughter as a 21st birthday present and I can't find what I am looking for. I wanted one in NASB with a good referencing system (preferably a concordance). I had a look at the Zondervan one but I was not impressed but the question on the best study bible recommended the McArthur Study Bible so I will go back to the shops and look for this one. It occurred to me that since this site is sponsored by a bible translator I would like to put a wish list of what I would like to see in a study bible that others could add to. (Note to the moderator. If you feel that this would be best directed to some contact within the Lockman Foundation you are welcome to send it on and not include it for answers on this site.) In a study bible I want to be able to understand what God's word is saying so word for word accuracy is essential (hence the NASB). Thomas Nelson put out a version with "read along" aids where a superscripted "a" or "t" indicated respectively an alternate or literal translation of the word indicated which was placed at the end of the verse. (I have contacted Thomas Nelson and they no longer publish this version.) This version was excellent and took the NASB to a new height where we could understand multiple meanings and shades of the words being used. What would be even better would be footnotes giving the "thought for thought" translation(s) where they were not immediately apparent. I would like to be able to distinguish the received text from the more modern Greek texts as the later tend to lean heavily upon two particular manuscripts which have a gnostic influence. Besides if these two manuscripts contained information necessary for our salvation why would God allow them to be lost for so long? Another item on my wish list is a topical concordance in the back keyed to the verses somehow. I had thought that the key words in the concordance should be underlined where they appear in the verses but that might be too disruptive and perhaps just having them bolded or italicised would be better. While the concordance could have some commentary on the word (e.g. greek and hebrew of the underlying word and a brief overview of the concept) the key value would be that the student would be "comparing scripture with scripture" rather than scripture with the word of man. The concordance would reduce the need for cross referencing verses and enable the user to research a topic as well as follow a lead from a verse. Other than that there are the normal aids like introductions to books, maps, weights and measures etc. I have a thing against "Words of Christ in red" as sometimes it is a matter of interpretation which were Jesus' very words. Besides it makes for a multi-level bible where some verses have more authority than others. Still, I can ignore it if others find it valuable. What do others think? Thanks, Mark. |
||||||