Results 1 - 7 of 7
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Results from: Answered Bible Questions, Answers, Unanswered Bible Questions, Notes Ordered by Verse | ||||||
Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
1 | Where's the LOVE | Matt 12:34 | Morant61 | 82104 | ||
Greetings Asis! It most certainly true that we are to love one another, and that we ought to be very careful that our conversations are seasoned with grace. Part of the problem with the forum is simply one of perception. I do believe that most of us love one another. However, since so many of the conversations have to do with doctrine, it may not always seem that way! :-( It's like a pastor who thinks that everyone in the church is upset with him because all he ever hears are the complaints, but he never hears from the vast majority who are happy. ;-) There are three statements which you made though which I think need some clarification. 1) You wrote: "The Bibles I read are very clear that God does speak to His people." It is absolutely true that God speaks to His people. However, the only source of authority for us as believes must be His written Word. Does that mean that God cannot or does not speak to us personally? No! But, everything He says to me will either be in accordance with His written word or at least not in contradiction with it. So, someone can't simply come forward and say, "God told me that it is okay for me to practice homosexuality!". This would be a clear violation of God's written word. Not everything is directly mentioned in Scripture. For instance, it doesn't tell me what local church I should pastor. So, I have to seek God's will concerning that issue. The problem is that many teach a view of 'revelation knowledge' which advocates that God will 'add' to the Bible. New knowledge can be added to the Bible, they claim. And, this new knowledge is just as authoritative as the Bible. This is a problem. 2) You also wrote: "The things of God are not figured out by reason. They are things of the heart. Big discussion about study, reason, use your mind but what does God say. 1 Cor. 2:14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." You make a good point here, but it needs to be focused a little more. The contrast in 1 Cor. 2 is not between spiritual and wise. It is between the wisdom of the world and the wisdom of God. God is not opposed to us using our minds. Consider 2 Tim. 2:4, where Timothy is told to study and to rightly divide the Word of God. God is opposed to those who would exalt their own 'wisdom' over that of God. True spirituality does not involve a lack of knowledge or education, but an obedient acceptence of what God has revealed. Even if what He has revealed in His Word does not mean sense to us humans. :-) My concern is that too many are willing to avoid education, falsly believing that doing so makes them more spiritual. We are not more spiritual if we ignore the hard work of learning God's word and rightly dividing it. We are just lazy! :-) 3) You wrote: "Last time I LOOKED my mind was part of my natural man." I'm not exactly sure what you meant by this line, but consider the following verses: 1 Cor. 2:16 - "'For who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct him?' But we have the mind of Christ." Rom. 12:2 - "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God?s will is?his good, pleasing and perfect will." Phil. 4:7 - "And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." The minds of Christians are renewed in Christ. Finally, while we are caught to love one another, we are also commanded to confront false doctrine. Two of the 'uses' of Scripture mentioned by Paul are rebuking (correction of actions) and correction (correction of doctrine) (2 Tim. 3:16). However, we should always remember to do so in love. Your Brother in Christ, Tim Moran |
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2 | Where's the LOVE | Matt 12:34 | Asis | 82168 | ||
Tim here is Part 2 I have never heard that Kenneth Copeland or any other “Faith” preachers have attacked the doctrine of Tim Moran. Nor have I every heard or read any of the “Faith” preachers say they have the answer and all else is wrong. You may be confusing preaching with authority with exalting your own wisdom. Don’t you preach or teach with authority? Here is something to think about. You referred to 2 Tim 3:16. The scripture referred to is the Old Testament because there was no New Testament yet. Those who do not feel the need to be in the word are in need of conversion. I am mentoring a few men. One came to me because He wanted more of God in his life. He was under conviction that he was not doing what God wanted him to do. My role became to open the scriptures to him to encourage him to read them and ask the Holy Spirit to instruct him as to the true meaning not just what I say and to show him how to apply them to his life. It was his choice to seek after what God has for Him. If he wasn’t after him there is nothing we can do. I once had another man ask me to mentor him (actually it was his wife who wanted it) and I asked him to read the bible 10 minutes a day. We met once a week for over a month and he never did read the bible for even ten minutes a day. His choice. One man we can disciple and the other we can encourage. It is between God and the second man I cannot change the second man. God changed the first. I am encouraged by the tone of your answer. I think we need to keep in mind when questions of doctrine come up we should explain the doctrine of our denomination and let God show the questioner the correctness. After all we are told not to be of Appolos or Paul or Cephas. We are of Christ, you and me and all the others. Let us then call Him Lord, Lord and do what He says. |
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3 | Where's the LOVE | Matt 12:34 | Morant61 | 82174 | ||
Greetings Asis! I preach or teach with authority only as long as what I preach or teach is in line with God's Word. If I depart from it, or add to it, I cease to have authority. Concerning 2 Tim. 3:16, Paul did not say OT or NT. Rather, he said 'all Scripture'. Notice that Peter calls Paul's writings Scripture: 2 Peter 3:15 - "Bear in mind that our Lord?s patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him. 16 He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction." Obviously, no one can force anyone to believe anything. Those who believe false doctrine may be shown the truth, but it is their responsibility to search Scripture and to believe the truth. However, it is our responsibility to love them enough to show them the truth. To ignore false doctrine is not a sign of love! :-) Keep encouraging people to read the Bible! I would advise though that you also learn to equip those you mentor with the tools they need to understand Scripture. An excellent little book on this subject is 'Reading the Bible for All It's Worth', by Gordon Fee. It deals with some of the common sense things that we need to know to read Scripture correctly. One of the great failings of the Church, and of the public education system, is that so many today do not understand even the basic principles of grammar or intepretation. Your Brother in Christ, Tim Moran |
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4 | Where's the LOVE | Matt 12:34 | Asis | 82186 | ||
At the time it was written all scripture was the Old Testament. It was not until Peter wrote as you have rightly quoted that Paul's writings could be look at as Scripture. We must remember that the Bible is an Middle eastern book, written by middle eastern men. To understand it we must understand them and how they thought. It is dangerous to take the context and transpose it into the way we think today. Take the word fammine. When a fammine came upon the land in the Bible it meant an economic collapse. So to look at any prophecy that may be being fulfilled today we need to look at "fammine" as fammine and economic collapse. Just an example, not an explaination of some particular scripture. We need to understande grammar, yes sirree. I have often expressed woe that I do not remember how to diagram sentences to help me understand what I am reading. All this (education)is important and even essential to being a disciple of Jesus. However, (here is where I contradict myself)when the church was formed at Pentecost how many of the those 3000 that were saved do you think could read. How many of the apostles could read. Did everyone who met on the day after Pentecost have their bibles tucked under their arm? Scrolls of scripture were kept in the Synagogue. Most towns were lucky to have even a portion of the Torah. How were these trained up in the Lord. I wonder if we don't have too much and it causes us to become spiritually constipated. Thank you Tim for your insight every time I read a response It causes me to reflect on just what I believe and teach. I enjoy reading your notes. IN CHRIST Jeff |
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5 | Where's the LOVE | Matt 12:34 | Morant61 | 82193 | ||
Greetings Jeff! We have an article in our local newspaper that I really enjoy. It is an article about grammar and proper usage of the English language. Now, I am by no means an expert on this issue. I will humbly bow before Hank on matters of English grammar and usage! ;-) But, I can say that many (alas, not all) false doctrines could be dealt with by simply understanding grammar. Why do I say this? The problem isn't what Scripture says, it is that so many go beyond what Scripture says. Identifying the subject of a sentence, understanding the tense or voice of a verb, understanding pronouns and their antecedents, each of these can greatly aid in proper exegesis and interpretation. So, maybe we all should break out the old English grammars and relearn how to diagram a sentence! ;-) By the way, thanks for the kind words! Your Brother in Christ, Tim Moran |
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6 | Where's the LOVE | Matt 12:34 | Asis | 82229 | ||
Tim I would like to find a tenth grade english book from 40 years ago or a website where I can reaquaint myself with the English Language. I should let you know I tend to talk in colloquialisms and over use the comma. We need to lighten up and smile occasionally. Jesus is a happy man. Now don't get down on me because I said Jesus was a man and not God/man. You either Hank |
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7 | Where's the LOVE | Matt 12:34 | Morant61 | 82236 | ||
Greetings Jeff! I had a tendency to end my sentences in prepositions. I really didn't overcome that tendency until I started reading my own posts on this forum. Once I started doing that, I realized at poorly constructed some of my sentences sounded. :-( I'm not sure about a website, but I would recommend "Hodges' Harbrace College Handbook'. It covers English grammar in a more concise form than most grammars. Most of us simply need to brush up on the rules. I actually keep it on my desk and consult it occasionally. p.s. - I smile quite a bit! ;-) Your Brother in Christ, Tim Moran |
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