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Results from: Answered Bible Questions, Answers, Unanswered Bible Questions, Notes Author: Maus Ordered by Date |
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Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
1 | How do I reconcil Ch 1 and Ch 2 of Gen? | Gen 1:27 | Maus | 240172 | ||
Doc: "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth (GAP) The earth was formless and empty ..." | ||||||
2 | belief in hell? | Rev 20:15 | Maus | 240166 | ||
CREEDS Apostles Creed: It says nothing about the divinity of the Holy Spirit, but the doctrine is considered by many to be implicit in it. Nicene Creed: “And in the Holy Ghost, the Lord and Giver of life, who proceedeth from the Father, who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified, who spake by the prophets.” Jesus is spoken of as begotten of the Father, not created, like the Angels, and being co-equal with the Father, existing alongside, at the Right-hand of the Father, working the will of the Father. The Spirit of God is spoken of as proceeding from the Father directly, and not begotten nor created. I believe that to worship the Holy Spirit, is to worship the Father Himself. I believe that the Holy Spirit is the Father, in His most personal presence, and not just His over-all being in all things, and all things being in Him. The Trinity doctrine, on its face, fails to make this fine distinction to the lay-man. Proceeding from the Father, is not the same as being begotten or created. So, while I do not believe in the Trinity, as the Holy Spirit being a third and independent person from the Godhead, I believe that the Holy Spirit is the Father, in His most personal “self”. The Holy Spirit is the Father … is Jesus, is Elohim, is YHWH. The scriptures speak of the Spirit of God, and also of the Spirit of Christ. Since there is not two Spirits, but only one, He, of necessity, must be the Spirit of which our Lord and the Father are Echad (one). As Jesus and the Father are two distinct “persons” of the same essence, so the Holy Spirit is that essence of sameness which binds them. A fine hair-splitting, to be sure, but a view which does no violence to the Trinity doctrine, since the net result is the same. I will concede that I should be more specific when I say that I do not believe in the Trinity. I commit the same abbreviation when I say that I do not believe in monotheism, for the Father and the Son are One. Chalcedonian Creed: That Jesus walked this earth in human form and weakness, and is also God, YHWH Eloheem, is well within anything that I have expressed. Cannons of the Council of Orange: It is all by the grace of God. |
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3 | WHATSOEVER YOU ASK THE FATHER | Bible general | Maus | 240156 | ||
SAQ: Allow me to add to what Jalek said ... God's main concern for us is that we grow in the Spirit, and that the fruits of the spirit reflect in our lives. So, we are not encouraged to ask for things out of selfish motives. But further, we often ask for things which, at face value, are not selfish, and seemingly in accordance with God's will. There, we run into spiritual warfare, resistance from the principalities and powers of this world. Spiritual warfare is only sort of taught in today's churches. Jesus constantly tried to teach the disciples about it, but they took a really long time to catch on. "Some things come only by fasting and prayer" in the Spirit. In the military of many countries, you have the ordinary conscripts, who perform the most common tasks; firing mortars, setting mines, hunkering down in fox-holes, and etc. Then you have "Special Forces", "Green Berets", "Spetznatz", "LURPS", and all of the other small, specialized, comprehensively trained troops. I suspect that our churches have become complacient, and have lost the vision of "Special Forces", those amongst us who are adapt, fully trained in spiritual warfare. Of course, it is God who calls us to that task, but perhaps there are not very many who percieve the need? Being too few who "volunteer" for that especially dangerous, demanding task? To each the gifts of the spirit, and ask for the greater gifts ... would being trained by the spirit in spiritual warfare be one of those gifts that some should be asking for? You are the one who brought up the question. Could it be that God brought your attention to it, so that you might think to ask God to train and equip you for just that very task? Or at least become a spokes-person to bring it to the attention of your church members? |
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4 | HOW CAN AN AGNOSTIC FULLY BELIEVE IN GOD | Bible general | Maus | 240146 | ||
gwood: I don't know if this will be helpful to you, but I went through a time in which I had to quit an apostate church, and had to figure out just where I stood with the concept of God. My reasoning was that if there is no God, no creator, then all that we know came into being by accident. That would mean that our conception, life, and death would be nothing but an accident. To me, accidents are an unpredictable unknown to be feared, since there can't be any sense of security, hope of expectations, or moral values. On the otherhand, if there is a God, then whatever happens, good or bad, is on purpose. Of course, which "God" becomes the question, as there are many "gods" to choose from. I had learned enough about our Father in heaven, and about Jesus, to have decided that I rather like them. A creator who takes a personal interest in my life, caring if I live or die, His being reasonable enough to give me opportunity to clean up my messy life, and learn how to become a decent person, sounds to me like a God which I would enjoy being around forever. There are a lot of "hard-liners", legalists, who would have you to doubt God's compassion, and reasonableness. But there are many more who hold to the simplicity of the Gospel, to the view that Jesus truly represented how the Father really is. The Old Testament has passages which seemingly portray God as harsh, unforgiving, even cruel at times, but you must consider that perhaps the people were so stubborn, so egocentric, that to be able to save even a few, God had no choice but to be harsh to the many who were constantly rebelling against every good thing that He was trying to do for them. Belief in God is a choice, but when you choose, let it be based upon the life and teachings of Jesus, as fully representative of the Father in heaven. While God doesn't allow anyone to take Him for a fool, He really is a kind, caring God, who will always give you the benefit of the doubt. |
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5 | belief in hell? | Rev 20:15 | Maus | 240125 | ||
Doc: You said in one thread "One of my theology professors ..." which indicates that you went to college. You said in another thread "You mentioned something about experts annoying one another." Does this indicate that you consider yourself an expert, and that you find offense with my remark? Academic types often use "questions" as a tool for "challenging" others credentials (or lack thereof), which is a difficult to prove form of personal attack. |
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6 | belief in hell? | Rev 20:15 | Maus | 240110 | ||
I was "born again" into a Pentecostal church when I was 17, and it took me 33 years to escape that. Since then I have been "gun shy" of associating with any denomination. My beliefs are still Protestant, and I have spent many years studying the Scriptures. I find "Bullingers Figures of Speech in the Bible" to be valuable, as well as the Aramaic English New Testament, the Hebraic Roots Bible, the King James Bible, Biblica Hebraica Stuttgartensia, and the New Living Translation, amongst many others. I found "Linguistics and Biblical Interpretation", by Peter Cotterell and Max Turner useful. BDB, Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament, Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge, pretty much almost all of the reference books which are used by mainstream Protestant denominations. I believe that Jesus' Hebrew name is Yehoshua the Mashiyach, but the Greek "Jesus the Savior" is just as good. The Jehova witnesses did much damage to Jesus' hebrew name, few Protestants wanting to have anything to do with anything sounding Jehova Witness. I believe that Jesus is YHWH of the Old Testament also, and the one who created the Heavens and the Earth; under the authority of, and by the power of the Father. I believe that Jesus and the Father are two distinct individuals, of the same substance and spirit, so as to be One ... as it is written YHWH, YHWH, Elohim. The name "Elohim" is a uniplural noun, of which we have no equivilance in English. Nowhere did any of the Apostles pray to anyone except Jesus and the Father in the heavens. In other words, I do not believe in the Trinity, nor Monotheism. I believe that the law (Torah) is instilled into our hearts upon conversion, so while we are under grace, we are led by the spirit of God to obey the precepts of Torah. It is written, in 1 Corinthians 2:11 that "No one can know a person's thoughts except that person's own spirit, and no one can know God's thoughts except God's own spirit. This leads me to believe that as a person's spirit is that person, living in an Earthly body, God's spirit is God, in His personal presence ... and not a separate entity. God is in all things, and all things are in God, but there is a presence of the Father by which He makes His personal "self" vulnerable to His "Children in Christ." I believe that Sunday is not the Sabbath, but if someone wants to rest on Sunday instead of the Sabbath, I find no fault, just as long as they don't call Sunday the Biblical Sabbath. |
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7 | belief in hell? | Rev 20:15 | Maus | 240106 | ||
Doc: Son? I am 68 years old, and nobody's "son." Don Holmes asked a question, which I was lead to believe that I could answer to the best of my ability. Matter of fact, my answers to him were the only ones to which he expressed satisfaction. One poster flat told him that he was not saved if he didn't believe in Hell. You admonished him for not following "the rules exactly." Sounds to me that this form is "Your way, or the highway!" It is written that man prepares his horse for battle, but God gives the victory. It is also a tenent of the faith that while man may act as agent for God, it is God Himself who does the persuading. We speak only what God gives us to speak, and the spirit of God moves upon the hearer's heart. There is a difference between "Chapter and verse" and the moving of the spirit. There is a difference between denominational tenents, and the simplicity of the Gospel. What is there that I said, that cannot be supported by Scripture? And you can't play dumb and interrogate me, when you should know the answers already. You do know the Scriptures, do you not? I did read the terms of use, and nowhere did it say that I had to conform to any denominational views or tenents. Lastly, I have noticed that there isn't a lot of repeat questioners. Perhaps one dose of this forum was enough? |
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8 | belief in hell? | Rev 20:15 | Maus | 240097 | ||
Doc: You are asking me to summarize something that is so widely known, because you want to vet me as being capable of answering questions on this forum? | ||||||
9 | belief in hell? | Bible general | Maus | 240095 | ||
Beja: You appear to have an enlightened understanding of the concept of Hell. I too believe that whatever punishment there is to come, is much more horrible than anything we can evision. My having never experienced the total absence of God's spirit in my life, I can only imagine how it would feel. The Bible says that God is a burning fire, and I suppose that is how people would meet Him on judgement day, if they are not covered (protected) by the blood of Christ's sacrifice. |
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10 | belief in hell? | Rev 20:15 | Maus | 240092 | ||
google Wikipedia "Hell" for starters. | ||||||
11 | belief in hell? | Bible general | Maus | 240091 | ||
The long answer is this: The OT word for our "Hell" is "Gehenna", which is a composit word that evolved from two Hebrew words. In Nehemiah 11:30 "Gehenna" refers to the "valley of Hinnom". The Hebrew word gey ("valley") was joined with hinnom and became geenna in Greek, then Gehenna in English. As we track the term Gehenna through the New Testament we discover that it has taken on pagen influence and interpretation. Second Peter 2:4 - For if Elohim did not spare the Messengers that sinned but cast them down into fiery regions in chains of darkness ..."This verse speaks of judgement on fallen angels. The Greek inserts "tartaroo," derived from Tartarus. In 400 BC Plato wrote that souls were judged after death and those who recieved punishment were sent to Tattarus, a mythical, deep, dark, underworld pit or abyss, a gloomy place and dungeon of torment, where god-sized suffering awaits "sinners." This helped morph mythological ideas about Hell into Christian culture. Regarding Gey'Hinnom (Gehenna), Isaiah 66:24 - "And on their way out they will see the corpses of those who rebelled against me; for their worm will never die nor their fire be put out, and they will be held in horror by all humanity." Gey'Hinnom is a physical place just outside of Jerusalem that reminds Israel of not returning to her worship of Moloch. Christo-pagen theologians use Gey'Hinnom (Gehenna) to teach that the mythological hell of Tartarus and Hades is equivalent to the Biblical concept of separation from God. That there is eternal punishment (or separation from God) for sin is not in question. Exactly what it may be is arguable. I'm of a mind that when the rich man asked for only a drop of water, that he was using a figure of speech for a drop of the presence of the spirit of God. All people living have that drop of the presence of God, for it is that presence which enables God to call us unto His salvation; but how many realize that it would be torment to their souls, "Hell," to be separated from that drop of the presence of God? |
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12 | belief in hell? | Bible general | Maus | 240090 | ||
The great majority of Christian denominations believe in Hell, but have difficulty defining it. Eternal punishment for rejecting salvation is a re-occuring theme throughout the Scriptures, and we are given glimpses of what it might entail ... but as the Apostle Paul said "we see, as in a polished metal mirror, faintly." It is this faint view of Godly things which trips up many people, who are not content unless they narrowly define everything. |
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13 | belief in hell? | Rev 20:15 | Maus | 240085 | ||
DOC: I believe that all of the Scriptures are capable of interpretation. | ||||||
14 | belief in hell? | Bible general | Maus | 240082 | ||
Don Holmes: I fully believe that Jesus has accepted you just as you are, and that He will eventually show you the truth of all matters which He deems important for you to understand correctly, much better than any person can. Nowhere in the Scriptures has God given any man perfect wisdom and understanding in all things. If God chooses that you do not believe in Hell, what is that to anyone else? It certainly cannot affect your salvation by faith, because we are commanded to believe that God is, and that He rewards all who seek Him. And that Jesus is the only name under the heavens whereby we may be saved. Nowhere does it say that believing in Hell is essential to our salvation. Perhaps someday God will clue you in, perhaps not, who is anyone else to judge between you and God? Meanwhile, when you ask questions of people, do not defend your position, but listen quietly; for if you can't help but to disagree with them, then you must ask the question of yourself; Did I ask a question in hopes of finding something out better, or only to provoke an argument? |
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15 | belief in hell? | Rev 20:15 | Maus | 240080 | ||
DOC: I believe that all Scripture is the inspired word of God. What I often don't believe is what someone may claim that any particular Scripture means. I also believe that all believers have to work out their own salvation, which includes reasoning for themselves, after reviewing all credible sources known to them, what they are to believe about any particular subject in the Scriptures. I also believe that there are way too many people holding the theology of the last person who spoke to them; people who can't or won't take any accountability for their own beliefs, depending on someone else to tell them what to believe. |
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16 | belief in hell? | Bible general | Maus | 240075 | ||
EdB: That the scriptures speak about Hell isn't in question. What is in question is what is Hell, and is it as we have imagined? Don Holmes inferred that he didn't believe in hell. Is it as Hell has been described, Hell as a concept, or does he dispute the scriptures veracity? We haven't taken the time to clarify his question in this respect. I would like for Holmes to clarify his question. | ||||||
17 | belief in hell? | Rev 20:15 | Maus | 240074 | ||
EdB: "... and not yet be consumed." doesn't take into account that while our earthly bodies can be consumed by physical fire, we have little understanding of our souls, or our spirits, or how they would react to spiritual fire. Your preposition that "Hell is firmly established by scripture" is not true simply because it is widely held to be true (ad Populum argument). Such assertive statements, "you can not be a Christian and ignore eternal damnation as being factual" can be a stumbling block to newer converts. Don Holmes professes to be Christian, and doesn't "believe" in Hell ... So, EdB, you are pre-mid-post Trib? You believe in the Trinity or not? Is the Earth thousands or millions of years old? Textus Receptus? What? No matter what you believe, there is a multitude of others who will disagree with you. Pick a subject. But how can someone elses beliefs detract from your salvation by faith? Faith transcends our intellect, and doesn't require any signs. How all of us struggle in the beginning with just the "milk" of the Gospel. The "meat" of the Gospel, subjects such as "Hell" is even harder. |
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18 | belief in hell? | Rev 20:15 | Maus | 240071 | ||
Rev. 20:15 - "Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire". This is probably one of the most familiar verses which hint at a fiery eternity for the wicked, however, there is much dispute as to what hell really is, and the duration of punishment actually inflicted. Hell appears as one of those subjects that lie outside our earthly understanding, as even the experts have differing view-points. I think that lay-men, such as us, should view such controversial subjects with "tongue in cheek". Our limited understanding of hell, or lack thereof, isn't critical to our salvation by faith. I prefer to let the experts annoy each other with the subject. |
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19 | Anyone take notes during Yashua's life? | NT general | Maus | 239865 | ||
Jalek: Thank you for your input. While I would have taken notes, and I suppose many did, I can't justify going beyond my supposition. I guess that I will simply have to wait for some ancient notes to be unearthed somewhere, that confirms my supposition. | ||||||
20 | time lapse between Gen 1:1 and G | Gen 1:1 | Maus | 239859 | ||
Hello Apostle: The Genesis accounts of creation are written in the form of songs, poetry, ballads ... and certainly not to be mistaken for technical thesis'. The "Old-Earth" and the "Young-Earth" factions have strewn mine-fields for the unwary. These passages have, more often than not, been wielded as weapons to demolish the opposition viewpoints. This ongoing conflict certainly does not edify new believers. View these passages as the word of Elohim, but often twisted to suit personal agendas. | ||||||
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