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Results from: Answered Bible Questions, Answers, Unanswered Bible Questions, Notes Ordered by Verse | ||||||
Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
1 | Praying for the 'World'. | Matt 5:44 | Sonlit | 163668 | ||
Thank you for your response. I do so appreciate your taking the time to share. Like I said in an earlier post, I feel so very insignificant, even reading the different responses to my question, because my theological knowledge is limited, at best. I was content to accept the viewpoint of the learned, the Biblical scholar, bacause I was of the conviction that if they are being taught by the Holy Spirit, than who am I to question. But, the more I read, the more I find there are different viewpoints, different intrepretations that seem to contradict each other. You said "To change the meaning or interpret "any" to refer to "The chosen" is totally unwarranted in the text". John Macarthur has been my resource in regard to my question. He wrote, "The 'any' must refer to those whom the Lord has chosen and will call to complete the redeemed, i.e., the 'us'. Since the whole passage is about God's destroying the wicked, his patience is not so He can save all of them, but so that He can receive all His own. He can't be waiting for everyone to be saved, since the emphasis is that He will destroy the world and the ungodly. Those wo do perish and go to hell, go because they are depraved and worthy only of hell and have rejected the only remedy, Jesus Christ, not because they were created for hell and predetermined to go there. The path to damnation is the path of a non-repentant heart; it is the path of one who rejects the person and provision of Jesus Christ and holds on to sin. Even in this one paragraph I realize that John Macarthur is contradicting some of what I have read from John Piper. Do you see my dilema? I want to know the truth...how can I be sure what intrepretation is the right one. How can I be sure what I feel the Holy Spirit is teaching me is correct? Ever seeking, Sonlit |
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2 | Praying for the 'World'. | Matt 5:44 | Morant61 | 163670 | ||
Greetings Sonlit! Even though you did not address me in your question, I feel compelled to respond. :-) The best advice I can give you is to only rely on commentators as a secondary source. Go to the text of Scripture itself first and primarily. My general rule of thumb is that I am highly suspicious of any attempt to explain to me why the text doesn't really mean what it says. Use the search feature on this site and look up the following words: world, save, perish, savior, love, salvation, reconcile, sacrifice, atoning, ect... See what Scripture has to say about these words and go from there. Your Brother in Christ, Tim Moran |
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3 | Praying for the 'World'. | Matt 5:44 | Sonlit | 163677 | ||
Thank you, Tim, this does help. Again, though, I think I'm becoming paranoid in the thought that I may be misquoting, taking something out of context, and reading into something that isn't there. I guess I've relied on other Saints for answers because I am so unsure of myself. Even when I feel I have studied a portion of Scripture and that the Holy Spirit has revealed truth to me, there have been many times when I am told that I misunderstood what is really being said. Makes me long for His return....sometimes Heaven looks so good! I do get weary! | ||||||
4 | Praying for the 'World'. | Matt 5:44 | Morant61 | 163683 | ||
Greetings Sonlit! Amen! We all long for His return! :-) Fortunately, understanding Scripture isn't as difficult as most people make it seem. Sure, there may be fine points of theology that can be debated and refined, but most of Scripture is quite clear. We only muddle it up when we try to ignore it. :-( I remember when I was in Ohio, a pastor got on the radio and proceeded to inform his listeners that Scripture didn't really mean that 'no one would know the hour of His return'. He really only meant that it would not be common knowledge. Funny, the verse actually said 'no one' would know. :-) I certainly don't want to downplay the value of the learning that so many of gained over the years, but the ultimate authority on Scripture is Scripture itself. Read it! Mediate upon it! Memorize it! Live it! If you find yourself believing something that absolutely no one else sees in Scripture, take a step back and re-evalute it. But, trust God's Spirit to teach you as well. Your Brother in Christ, Tim Moran |
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