Results 1 - 16 of 16
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Results from: Answered Bible Questions, Answers, Unanswered Bible Questions, Notes Ordered by Verse | ||||||
Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
1 | What does Matthew 24: 28 mean? | Matt 24:28 | kalos | 23444 | ||
Ross: I would agree with you in that for the Christians you quote, the meaning of those verses is "neither apparent to the senses nor obvious to the intelligence." Sincerely I thank you for sharing what all those different churches had to say. To me that is truly fascinating. The reason is that while I have read different denominational views, especially here on the forum, I have not actually visited the services of that many denominations. I'm rather limited in first hand knowledge of what is actually taught in various churches at the local level. I don't know how to ask this. I mean absolutely no offense here. I am not implying anything. But I am curious: do you balance visiting other churches with your own personal Bible study? I.e., do you search the Scriptures after you've visited a church so that you can determine whether the things you heard are so? The reason I ask is that I have half a dozen study Bibles. The notes in those study Bibles are not inspired -- I know, I know. Yet I do not find in them a half dozen different interpretations of those two verses in Matthew 24. In each case the authors/editors of these study notes do what we all should do -- they follow the principle that we know what the Bible means by what it says. As a result, there is a general agreement among them on what those two verses mean. Again, please don't misunderstand. I am not implying that you do not do your own independent Bible study. I have no way of knowing that. You obviously have a keen interest in the Word of God and have given much thought to it. Grace to you, kalos |
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2 | What does Matthew 24: 28 mean? | Matt 24:28 | rosscamp@home.com | 23449 | ||
Dear Kalos, you wrote: "I.e., do you search the Scriptures after you've visited a church so that you can determine whether the things you heard are so?" In Hebrews chapter six the Bible writer exhorts Christians to "...press on to maturity, not laying a foundation again,..." of the "primary" or "elementary" things. Then the writer, probably Paul, goes on to mention six 'elementary' things, including faith toward God and repentance from dead works. In all of the Christian churches which I have visited I have found only discussions and messages related to those very same "elementary things" concerning which Paul exhorted Christions not to be "laying a foundation again". Thus there is never anything concerning which I need to "determine whether the things...are so", by searching for them in the Bible. Furthermore, recorded at Luke 6:40, His Holiness the Christ stated: "A pupil is not above his teacher, but everyone perfectly instructed (or fully trained)will be like his teacher." I routinely encounter men and women who have been attending the same denomination for 5, 10, 20, 30, 40 or more years, and yet after all those years, he's still 'up there' and they are still 'down here'. They never become like their teachers. Where do the Words of His Holiness the Christ recorded at Luke 6:40 find their fulfillment? Most certainly not in Christian churches. Cordially, Ross |
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3 | What does Matthew 24: 28 mean? | Matt 24:28 | kalos | 23451 | ||
Ross: My sincere thanks to you for your reply. I'm not looking for an argument nor do I imply that you are looking for one. I am merely trying to clarify a few things in my mind in order to know where you are coming from. I must say, with all respect, that your previous post tells me everything, but explains nothing that I wanted to know. You write: "Thus there is never anything concerning which I need to "determine whether the things...are so", by searching for them in the Bible." Does that mean the meaning of the two verses in Matthew is not anything that you need to determine for yourself? I don't understand how that can be if you get dozens and dozens of interpretations of the same two verses. Grace to you, kalos |
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4 | What does Matthew 24: 28 mean? | Matt 24:28 | rosscamp@home.com | 23463 | ||
Dear Kalos, When I said that the messages which I hear in Christian churches always deal with those same six "elementary things" which Paul spoke of as a "foundation" which Christians ought not to lay again, and again and again, but rather that they should "press on to maturity", I was saying that there is nothing in those messages about the elementary things which I would need to examine in my Bible at home. The examination of the Holy Prophecy of verses 27 and 28 of Matthew is always a theme which I present to church members, not something about which they have prepared any discussion or message. I also ask church members to explain for me their understanding of Isaiah 22:22-25 and Isaiah 19:18-25, which are also Holy Prophecies concerning which no Christian on Earth is able to provide the accurate explanation of their fulfillment, in the same manner that no Christian could provide the accurate explanation of the fulfillment of Mat.24:27,28. The group of Christians who were the forerunners of the Seventh Day Adventists were knocking on the door of the true understanding in the early 1840's, however they faltered and ceased knocking, thus the door never opened for them. His Holiness the Christ exhorted: "Keep on asking, and it will be given you; keep on seeking and you will find; keep on knocking and it will be opened to you." (Mat.7:7) Only don't ask clergypersons, because they don't know. If they did know, they would step down and cease to be clergypersons. It is time for them to step down now, and to desist from permitting their flocks to place their trust in them. When I ask questions of church members in churches, almost 10 times out of 10, the first thing I am told is "you should go and ask the Pastor". Churchgoers display the attitude that if there were anything which they need to understand, surely the Pastor would have explained it to them. They have not been taught the principle of "independent investigation of Truth". When I ask questions to Christians in churches I am attempting to stimulate their consciousness of their spiritual need. His Holiness the Christ spoke: "Happy are those conscious of their spiritual need, since the kingdom of the Heavens belongs to them." I am very well aware that Christians are incapable of providing the correct answers to those questions. Yet they fancy themselves to be spiritually rich even as the Laodiceans of whom The Lord Christ said as recorded in Rev.3: "...you do not know you are miserable and pitiable and poor and blind and naked." They did not know. Cordially, Ross |
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5 | What does Matthew 24: 28 mean? | Matt 24:28 | Morant61 | 23509 | ||
Greetings Ross! I am going to be blunt here, but I hope you don't take my question in the wrong way! Are you a follower of the Baha'i cult? The reason I ask is that this is a Bible Study forum. Anyone is welcome, but we try to be open about where we are coming from. So, if you are, it would be the curteous thing to do in letting us know. In Christ, Tim Moran |
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6 | What does Matthew 24: 28 mean? | Matt 24:28 | rosscamp@home.com | 23597 | ||
Dear Tim, I am not sure what you mean by your expression "cult". My present understanding of the term is that for a system of worship or a religion to be classified as a 'cult' it would have to have a charismatic person as its Earthly leader. I do not perceive how you could apply that definition to the Baha'i Faith, not even the largest body of Baha'is (about 6 million Earthwide) which broke away and did indeed follow a small group of men and women, mostly Persians. I'm not sure I would classify any of those individuals as charismatic except perhaps Ruhiyyih Khanum, whose words were certainly given an excessive amount of attention by the vast number of Baha'is. She passed on about a year or so ago. I belong to the Orthodox Baha'i Faith, a very small group at present, which continues to recognize the Guardianship of the Baha'i Faith as delineated in the Will and Testament of 'Abdu'l-Baha' as contrasted with the large body of Bahai's, the heterodox Baha'is, which has no Guardian and thus no interpreter of Baha'i Holy Writ. Cordially, Ross |
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7 | What does Matthew 24: 28 mean? | Matt 24:28 | Morant61 | 23607 | ||
Greetings Ross! Thanks for the reply and the honesty! From the Christian perspective, the word cult does apply to Baha'i for several reasons. 1) You have a very unorthodox theology! 2) You have another Scripture apart from the Bible! 3) You have another Christ (in our view)! I do appreciate your sharing your affilation with us! In Christ, Tim Moran |
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8 | What does Matthew 24: 28 mean? | Matt 24:28 | rosscamp@home.com | 23621 | ||
Dear Tim, religious leaders considered His Holiness the Christ to be 'unorthodox'. Prophecies were being fulfilled all around them during His Ministry, yet they saw those fulfillments as 'unorthodox'. Examples: turning over the tables of the money-changers in the Temple and chasing them out of the Temple with a whip. The Holy Bible records that event as a fulfillment of Holy Prophecy. After that event, how many Jewish leaders do you suppose stood up and said: 'Surely this One must be the Messiah!' No doubt they viewed Him as a vandal, not the Messiah, and certainly unorthodox. You and I well know that He was orthodox, however. Some were suggesting or stating that He was the Messiah, yet the Priests were responding with the teaching that "Elijah must come first." Those Priests spoke the truth with respect to that prophecy of course. They viewed Him therefore as 'unorthodox'. Yet neither they nor the disciples of the Lord had discerned that 'Elijah' had in fact already come in the person of John the immerser. In fact, not any person on Earth knew that Truth except the Lord Himself, until the day He revealed that Truth to His disciples after descending from the mount of Transfiguration. Most Jews alive during His Ministry died believing that He was 'unorthodox' in the manner of His appearance, because they continued to believe until their death that Elijah had not come first. They believed that the Messiah would establish His Kingdom at His appearance. They believed that it was 'unorthodox' for Him to die on a cross 'instead', apparently having accomplished little or nothing towards establishing an Administration over the Earth. They believed it was 'unorthodox' for Him to heal on the sabbath, and to permit His disciples to pick corn on the sabbath. He had not passed through their schools of Divinity, so as to receive the approval of their 'scholars' and yet He was teaching with Authority--very 'unorthodox' from their viewpoint. His disciples were mostly illiterate fishermen and the like, many with the very despised accent of the Nazarenes, a very 'unorthodox' manner to usher in a new Revelation from the viewpoint of Jewish leaders and 'scholars'. Later on, the chosen vessel, Paul, continued that apparently 'unorthodox' approach, evident by the fact that he was whipped six times forty lashes less one because of the message He was carrying into Jewish synagogues. Most or all of the apostles of the Lord and many other disciples were martyred because they were viewed as 'unorthodox'. Concerning Holy Scripture outside of the Bible, the Holy Bible itself often refers to Scripture outside of itself. The Book of Jude quotes from Holy Scripture outside of the Bible. How did the Zoroastrian Priests know to follow the star, a journey of months over desolate, rugged terrain? How did they know that it was "His star" as they are recorded to mention in the Holy Bible? How did they know that He would be born "King of the Jews"? How did they know to take the specific and very significantly symbolic gifts of gold, frankinsence and myyrh? Gold--the Truth He would teach, frankinsence--His life of prayer, myrrh, the embalming fluid to signify His sacrificial death. They identified Him as the Messiah--the Promised One of their Holy Scriptures also, by the gifts which they left for Him. They wer faithfully waiting for that star, and their Holy Writings told them exactly what to do when they saw it. They did so, and the Holy Bible records the fulfillment. That the Holy Spirit would descend in the form of a dove upon Him is not prophesied in the Bible. The fullfilment is recorded in the Bible. It is prophesied in the Zoroastrian Scriptures and its fulfillment was an important sign for them to identify their Promised One. Why do you think they rejoiced so much when they saw the star? They very well knew that they were experiencing the privelege of specifically sharing in the fulfillment of Holy Prophecy, that is why they rejoiced. There were likely a number of caravans in convoy, or laden camels, perhaps with wives and children, perhaps even armed guards for the journey, because they caught the attention of the border guards and ended up uin Herod's Palace. The Romans governing Israel at that time had just experienced a few armed uprisings by false Messiahs, such as Judas of Galilee, as mentioned in the Book of Acts, so they would be alert. we know of course that Herod attempted to trick them into betraying the child, and an angel from God warned them to return by another route on their way back to Persia. They doubtless returned rejoicing that they had fully accomplished their small share in identifying the Messiah and fulfilling Holy Prophecy. That alone is an immense eternal reward. No-one can take it from them. Our Christ is the Same One from Almighty God's viewpoint, as explained in the Kitab-i-Iqan (The Book of Certitude) Cordially, Ross |
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9 | Who is Jesus? | Matt 24:28 | Morant61 | 23652 | ||
Greetings Ross! The point I made was simply that the word "cult" depends upon your perspective. Here is the ultimate test of a cult: Who do you say Jesus is? Is He God? Is He eternal? Is He the only way to salvation? Is He just one among many prophets or imans? Your answer to these questions will make it perfectly clear if Baha'i is a cult or not! Your Brother in Christ, Tim Moran |
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10 | Who is Jesus? | Matt 24:28 | LisaMarie | 23699 | ||
That is entirely unfair, Tim. You can't define a cult based on Christian terms. Many non Christians believe US to be a cult. Yes many cults have charismatic leaders but that is NOT what defines them. Cults are defined by "separatism" and extreme faith. Obsessive beliefs. Separatism meaning they withdraw from the world as a whole. Communal living as a way to protect their fragile and fanatical belief systems from external influence which may poke holes in their faith. Jim Jones founded a cult and he LOVED God. The Hale Bop people were a cult. Separatism, castration and suicide. You can't label people a cult because they don't believe Jesus is Lord. Remember Christians are still being killed today. Martyred for Christ. Not by cults. By governmental fanatic, by religious fanatics and even by each other. Please, just let it go. Lisa |
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11 | Who is Jesus? | Matt 24:28 | Morant61 | 23700 | ||
Greetings Lisa! 1 John 2:22 says, "Who is the liar? It is the man who denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a man is the antichrist—he denies the Father and the Son." Any group which claims to be a Christian but rejects the Lordship of Christ is by definition a cult! Cults usually have strange leaders and they usually have other scriptures, but these are not the defining marks of a cult. The defining mark is who they say Jesus is! The Baha'i cult sprang out of Islam. It rejects that Christ is God. It says that he was only one of many prophets or imans. The current iman, Baha'u'llah, is the newest source of revelation. They reject the Trinity, the Diety of Christ, the bodily resurrection of Christ, the future return of Christ, salvation through Christ alone, and just about every other major Christian doctrine. In all seriousness, if we left the labeling to the groups themselves there would be NO CULTS! So, no I won't let it go! People who are in cults are lost and need Christ, who is the Only Way to salvation. Your Brother in Christ, Tim Moran |
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12 | Who is Jesus? | Matt 24:28 | LisaMarie | 23702 | ||
I never said to leave the labeling to the supposed cult. I said you can't define a cult by belief in Jesus Christ as the Son of God. Get your dictionary, lambie. Look up the definition of cult. No use of Jesus there. However, the following CULTS are completely 100 percent devoted ENTIRELY to a life with Christ: Masons Eastern Stars Scottish Rites Bodies DeMolay Rainbow Girls Job's Daughters Muslims are not cultish. Taliban is cultish. Fanatical Muslims. Buddhists are not cultish. Soka Gakkai International is cultish. Fanatical Buddhists. Christians are not cultish but the above mentioned fanatics are. What are you trying to accomplish? This guy is here. On a bible study message board. Rather than riducule why can't we show him OUR shining example of a life with Christ? Lisa |
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13 | Who is Jesus? | Matt 24:28 | srbaegon | 23703 | ||
Real life example........................... My wife was in Rainbow. She can tell you from first-hand experience, it has nothing to do with Christ except to borrow a name. Steve |
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14 | Who is Jesus? | Matt 24:28 | LisaMarie | 23707 | ||
My brother was a DeMolay. My grandmother and Eastern Star, my grandfather a mason. His father was at one time a seminarian in Spain. All very Christ driven. When my brother was "inducted" they had an altar, a chalice a bible, came out in capes just like the original Knights and asked each of the boys "Do you believe in God and accept the Lord Jesus Christ as your savior?" Each boy answered yes and that was that. The Masons are a surviving faction of the Knights Templar, who, at the time of their persecution were lead by Jacques DeMolay. They were the original knights of Christ. They gained too much power and had to be stopped. During their persecution, surviving members escaped to Scotland where they became Masons and Scottish Rites Bodies. It's rumored that they have the ark. Supposedly found during excavation in Jerusalem way back in the beginning when there were only a handful of them. Unhealthy cults to be sure. Not exactly an uplifting Thanksgiving chat we're having, eh? Hugs, Lisa |
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15 | Who is Jesus? | Matt 24:28 | Reformer Joe | 23825 | ||
Then please explain to me Hindu and Buddhist and Muslim Masonic Lodges, where instead of the Bible we see the Baghavad Gita and the Qu'ran. These people are considered "brothers" because they all view the "Great Architect of the Universe" in their own way. They do exist, Lisa. Are they Christians? By the way, I would not label Freemasonry as a cult because I do believe that it is possible to be a Christian and a Mason. You just have to be pretty confused about the Masonic Lodge and/or a lot of the Bible to do so. And, yes, Freemasonry is spiritually unhealthy, since the heart of its teachings is not our unworthiness before a holy God and our need for forgiveness by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. While some Masons may hold to that truth, it is not a truth taught by the lodge. --Joe! |
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16 | Who is Jesus? | Matt 24:28 | LisaMarie | 24209 | ||
Hi again Joe! I can't explain the variations on Masonic Lodges. Very interesting! No, I don't believe they are Christian at all since they don't hold Christ as their savior. Buddhists don't read the B. Gita or the Quran. They read the sutras (of which there isn't one book). What would they have in place of it? Can you recommend a book on it? The masonic variations I mean. Curiouser and Curiouser, Lisa |
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