Results 1 - 20 of 253
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Results from: Answered Bible Questions, Unanswered Bible Questions Author: charis Ordered by Date |
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Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
1 | What is holiness? | Eph 4:24 | charis | 69540 | ||
Dear Saints and fellow forumers, Greetings in Jesus' name! What is holiness? Please use Scripture to describe a holy Christian. Just to preclude any Strong's definitions, I will post it here: Greek 3742 - hosiotes - from 3741; piety: holiness Greek 3741 - hosios - Of uncertain affinity; properly right (by intrinsic or divine character; thus distinguished from G1342, which refers rather to human statutes and relations; from G2413, which denotes formal consecration; and from G40, which relates to purity from defilement), that is, hallowed (pious, sacred, sure): - holy, mercy, shalt be. Blessings to all this wonderful season! Kurisumasu Omedetou! (Merry Christmas!) In Christ Jesus, charis |
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2 | To wine, or not to wine? | Bible general Archive 1 | charis | 69401 | ||
Dear Ed, Greetings in the name of Jesus! Well, the Lord said the first shall be last, and the last shall be first! :-) (I'm pretty certain it won't be the last!) My brother, please understand that this post is not 'aimed' at you personally. Because we were discussing this issue together, I just decide to re-start it here. It seems this thread has been resurrected, so I would like to make a further comment... The original question asked if Jesus made a mistake by turning water into wine. This evolved into a discussion as to what the word wine meant, i.e. was alcoholic content a necessary part of the meaning. Up to this point things were fine, and most agreed that the word wine itself did not 'necessarily' mean alcoholic. Then a schism occured between those that 'a little wine' was acceptable behavior, and those that either claimed alcohol in any amount is forbidden, or that 'admitting' alcohol consumption was unacceptable behavior, akin to 'promoting' intoxicants. So, without saying whether I drink or not, I simply say that careful exegesis of the Biblical account suggests that Jesus may well have made wine with some alcoholic content. It would follow that He also consumed wine with some alcoholic content. He could not have become drunk without breaking the Biblical commandment against drunkenness (Ephesians 5:18). The alternative is to declare that every reference of wine where Jesus was involved was totally non-alcoholic wine, and every instance of wine relating to drunkenness (as well as 'merry' and 'happy') meant alcoholic wine. I don't think that objective exegesis of Scripture could support this theory. Therefore, if we say that Jesus drank, made, or served wine with any alcoholic content at all, we must conclude that the consumption of alcoholic wine is acceptable behavior, as long as it is in temperance and never to the point of drunkenness or addiction. Please notice that I am very careful to say 'wine.' I do NOT see that Jesus ever drank or accepted 'strong drink.' The Bible (and common sense!) tells me that consuming more potent beverages is dangerous. The same common sense would apply to illicit drugs. The next argument cited is 'causing a brother to stumble.' There are so many things in this modern world, not spoken of in Scripture, that could be construed as 'stumble-inducung.' I drive a car. Some good folk think this is sin. I drive a motorcycle. Some consider this delinquency. I wear glasses. Some say I lack faith. I use a computer connected to the internet. To many, this is a step away from hell. I am 20 pounds overweight. Irresponsible gluttony. I have a Seiko. A Timex will do the job. I drove to church the other morning in the snow to clear the walk out front. I could have had an accident. I ate raw fish. (Yum!) I could get food poisoning! I gave my dog a bone. She could have choked to death. Many of the above actions are 'potentially' dangerous. Many are 'unacceptable behavior' to certain individuals. Many of these actions could hypothetically influence others to sin. I find it hard to please everyone, but sense by my testimony that I please God. The final point I will make is the 'example' issue. "I know a guy..." "So many have become..." Misapplication of statistics is an age-old ploy to sway listeners from the truth. Many Christian men have consumed wine for 2,000 years without becoming addicts, or causing those around them to fall to hell. I don't have any numbers, but I suspect it is the overwhelming majority. Friend (and friends), my two cents! (payable in Yen) I remain unconvinced that we are forbidden to drink any wine, and ask for clear Biblical reference to sway my opinion. Kurisumasu Omedetou! (Merry Christmas!) Blessings and peace in Christ Jesus, charis |
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3 | So what is YOUR excuse? | Exodus | charis | 68021 | ||
Dear Sister, Greetings in the name of Jesus! So what is YOUR excuse? In Christ Jesus, charis |
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4 | What explanation would you like? | Rom 1:18 | charis | 67539 | ||
Dear ateo, Greetings in the name of Jesus! Friend, what explanation would you like to hear? The 'line of reasoning' you deny is quite plausible. Many scholars for close to two thousand years have wrestled with the 'differences' in the Bible. The sum of their studies is: 1)The Bible IS the infallible word of God, the minor 'differences' are really a matter of vantage or incomplete knowlege, and their significance dims in the light of Truth; or 2)The Bible is just a story with little credibility. After studying the lives of these scholars (both kinds), I find that I much prefer the fruit borne of the believers. Now if we talk about 'normal' people, like you and me (unless you are abnormal! :-)), I also tend to look at the difference in fruit. From another post I gather you once believed, but now don't. And you seem bent on proclaiming the 'mistakes' of the Scriptures. Have you found peace and comfort in your quest for accuracy? Do you bear the fruit of joy and hope? Let me hazard a guess: Something (usually someone) hurt you, so you blame God, the Bible, and-or the church. I doubt seriously that you 'came to your senses' by the light of pure, analytical truth. If I am wrong, and you claim to enjoy the kind of good fruit promised in the Bible, then you are either a rare Gentile or living in denial. If I am right, then return to the Lord, ask for this fruit, and the Bible will again make sense. Blessings and peace in Christ Jesus, charis |
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5 | Hypothetical Question? | Matt 18:6 | charis | 66752 | ||
Dear Tim, Greetings in Jesus' name! I read this before, and I understand the concept and the motive. Out of curiosity, I must ask: If the age of accountability is fairly young, then does a child of six years old become culpable? (if he were as mature as you were at that age) Just to clarify this in my mind - a child could be saved until this age of culpability (i.e. six), then lose his salvation for six years until age twelve, then choose to 'accept' Jesus, and sing, "...I once was lost, but now am found, was blind, but now I see!"? From this point does this child have 'eternal security' as a believer, or is he succeptable to the temptation of the teen years? Brother, I am not being facetious. I really would like to know how this works. Blessings in Christ Jesus, charis |
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6 | Accountable for every commandment? | NT general Archive 1 | charis | 66387 | ||
Dear inmyheart, Greetings in the name of Jesus! As you probably know, I think that every believer should be baptized. I am curious, if baptism is commanded by God, therefore a requirement for salvation, how many other commandments must we obey in order to be saved? Trust me, I am not being facetious. The New Testament contains many, many commandments. If we say we are accountable to every one of these commandments, I assure you that not one person is saved! We are commanded to sin no more! We are commanded to be perfect! We are commanded to be humble! We are commanded to love our brother as ourselves! I have yet to meet a Christian that obeys every commandment of the Lord. So... I suggest that maybe "strongly recommend for our own good, for our sanctification, and in order to please God and earn the praise of our Master, 'Well done!'" as a more realistic rendering of the term. Perhaps we could shorten it to "command," and take away the connotation of "or else you are not saved." Just a thought... In Christ Jesus, charis |
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7 | Why Rabbi? | Eph 5:33 | charis | 66290 | ||
Dear Rabbi Mark, Greetings in Jesus' name! Jesus said, "Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven." Matthew 23:9 NASB Jesus also said, "But do not be called Rabbi; for One is your Teacher, and you are all brothers." Matthew 23:8 NASB Friend, you do not supply any information in your personal profile, so I don't know if you are a Jewish rabbi or a Christian wanting to call attention to your ministry of teacher. That is exactly why your (mis)quote of Jesus' words caught my attention. At the same time, I must say that though you claim no teaching authority, your posts (yea, even THIS post!) certainly SEEM to assert authority over others in this public online forum. Mark, I appreciate your Biblical commentary and personal opinion, but toning down the 'advice' portion of your posts would go a long way toward amicable discussion. :-) I hope to get to know you better, and a little 'bio' would help. Blessings upon you and yours. In Christ Jesus, charis |
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8 | Do you know Jesus? | Gen 1:26 | charis | 66023 | ||
Dear zerotheory, Blessings from Yokohama in the name of Jesus! While pondering your above post, I decided to read your posts to other forum members. I could not understand how a Bible-believing follower of Christ could place so much importance on such a pointless philosophical rigmarole. Seeing that you never capitalize the word Bible, that you do not mention the Lordship of Christ Jesus, that you refuse to answer about your true convictions, that you equate intellectual exercise with faith, that you continually use non-Christian interpretation of Scripture, and your relentless pursuit of 'zero,' I can only conclude that you do not trust the Bible as the holy word of God, and that you are not seeking Truth, but truth. After spending many wasted years seeking truth, I found that Truth apprehends the true worshipper, the humble 'needer' of God, rather than the other way round. My prayer for you is that you stop this arrogant, self-serving pursuit, admit your sin, and wait upon God. Calling upon the name of Jesus is the most intelligent thing you will ever do! In Christ Jesus, charis |
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9 | Quotes from where? | Gen 1:26 | charis | 65918 | ||
Dear zerotheory, Greetings in Jesus' name! You wrote: "... please understand that the "ZERO" theory is of the bible from the bible. Scripture can be quoted and logic can be used; Again, "USE YOUR MIND TO FIND ALL OF GODS GLORY AND USE YOUR HEART TO LOVE HIM WITH ALL OF YOUR GLORY". " Friend, there is no 'zero theory' in the Bible. Numerology is for astrology buffs and 'lovers of (personal) wisdom,' i.e philosophers. Please, where did you get the 'quote' above? ("Use your mind...") Is this something you wrote, or a quote from another? I know that no amount of thinking on my part will ever cause me to see God's glory, and I also know that 'all of my glory' is worth about 'zero.' (please, don't add this to your hypothesis! :-)) You also wrote: (in reference to John 1:23) "He is saying, I am the voice of a number from the wilderness of Sinai.[Num. 1:1] Why is he a number? He is a number because it was Gods will." Where in the Bible did you get this? No commentator I have ever read came up with this meaning, and no logic I can fathom leads me to this conclusion. Finally, all numbers do not come from '0.' Zero is simply a tool we use to express a point. A point has no dimension in the same way a line has no breadth. It just 'denotes the absence of all magnitude or quantity.' Focusing on zero will accomplish nil. Blessings and peace, and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ unto you! In Christ Jesus, charis |
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10 | So...what is your theory? | Gen 1:26 | charis | 65532 | ||
Dear zerotheory, Greetings in the name of Jesus! Friend, why don't you just let us in on your theory (zerotheory) before you ask rhetorical questions? :-) Mysticism makes a big deal of "mu." Been there, done that. The intense study of nothing amounts to nothing. It is much more important to study something, and for me, that begins, "in the beginning..." Before that is not yet revealed, but God is not 'nothing.' Blessings in Christ Jesus, charis |
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11 | Quoting equals judging? | Matt 7:1 | charis | 62880 | ||
Dear Saints, Greetings in the name of Jesus! If we quote this Scripture to a brother, are we guilty of judging? There is no doubt that Jesus had a purpose in speaking these words. The context is verses 1-5, wrapping up by speaking of hypocrisy. How can we acceptably quote this passage without being guilty of hypocrisy? Can anyone truly (totally and permanently) remove the log (or beam) that Jesus says is in our own eye? Just how big is that speck (mote) in our brother's eye? What is the importance of the comparison of a speck with a log? Peace and hope in Christ Jesus, charis |
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12 | Who is God talking to? | Acts 2:17 | charis | 61016 | ||
Dear Searcher, Greetings again in Jesus' name! Honestly, who cares who Peter was talking to? Regarding the Bible, who is God talking to? I am of the opinion that the Lord is addressing me (and YOU!), and all that call upon His name! To say that the Peter's sermon on the day of Pentecost is not for us today, and that his quote from the prophet Joel is only for a certain race of people is ludicrous. This is akin to saying that the words of Jesus were only for His audience at any particular time. For instance, only Pharisees, only the Twelve, only the Jewish multitude, only hypocrites, only lepers, etc. The entire Bible is for Christians, now, and until He returns. I cannot compartmentalize parts of books or prophecy or sermons to suit my doctrine, but must use the whole counsel of God to teach me His ways. Either the Spirit of God is, and always has been, active in the church, or He is not. We cannot deny the Spirit to suit our needs, or because some abuse His name. Again I ask, "Do you mean that Peter's sermon on the Day of Pentecost was only for those of Jewish descent?" This is much more important than which parts of Joel are for a specific situation. Blessings and peace in Christ Jesus, charis |
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13 | Only Israel? | Acts 2:17 | charis | 60991 | ||
Dear Searcher, Greetings in the name of Jesus! Friend, I am not sure what you mean here. Do you mean that Peter's sermon on the Day of Pentecost was only for those of Jewish descent? Or that Joel's prophecy was only for Israel, and Peter was telling the hundreds gathered around him that "this which you see and hear" is only for Jews of another era? I am under the impression that this sermon was for Christians, both Jew and Gentile, from that day forward. Please elaborate. While I'm asking, when do you see the fulfillment of this prophecy? Pre-Christ, the Day of Pentecost, today, or some future event? I believe we are seeing a portion of this now. In Christ Jesus, charis |
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14 | End justifies means? | 1 Cor 1:21 | charis | 45378 | ||
Dear saints, Blessings to all in Jesus' name! Does this verse mean that the 'end justifies the means' in the preaching of the Gospel? (I have heard such said in defense of preaching a 'fun' or 'cool' Gospel, or the 'Prosperity Message.' i.e. "Whatever brings 'em to Christ is OK!") In Christ, charis |
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15 | Too much grace? | Bible general Archive 1 | charis | 43297 | ||
Dear Scribe, Greetings in Jesus' name! Friend, I have a problem with your studious stance. At what point can we maintain the grace of God? We can never know the heart of man, that is God's soveriegn territory. Neither can we fathom the depths of God's grace. This too, is His alone to know. You seem to want to 'identify' porno addiction as an 'unforgivable sin.' Why not 'anger addiction' or 'untruth addiction?' How about 'self-righteousness addiction' or 'human-knowledge addiction?' Finally, what about 'speaking-for-God addiction?' I have witnessed these sins, perhaps even experienced them. I pray that He is still my Savior, full of grace! Heresy to preach too much grace? Hmmm. Imbalance, maybe; irresponsible, surely! But heresy? Hardly. Peace and grace to you, my fellow forumer. In Christ Jesus, charis |
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16 | Is not Jesus enough? | Heb 11:39 | charis | 43285 | ||
Dear TRU4GOD, Greetings in Jesus' name! I agree that the saints of old were searching for the Messiah, and that He is come. But are we indeed 'entitled' to physical blessings because He has come? I know this is a popular theme on the TV circus shows, but is this really the promise of the Gospel? As you quoted from Hebrews 11:13, "All these died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seen them and having welcomed them from a distance, and having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth." (NASB) Does this not still apply to the present-day church? Are we not still 'Strangers and Aliens in a strange land?' It seems to me that the 'blessings' (plural) that the world seeks are not holy in themselves, but they CAN be a by-product of faith in Christ. BUT, not necessarily! O saints in 'blessed lands' (such as America), do not be enamored with the promises (desires!) of the world! Is not Jesus enough? In Christ Jesus, charis |
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17 | All of the above? | Heb 11:39 | charis | 43279 | ||
Dear faithfolk, Blessings in the name of Jesus! So...All of the above? :-) Would you (then) go as far as to say that the New Testament promises to us just about anything we claim? Would receipt of desired blessings be 'proof' of faith? Or are we in a similar situation to the Old Testament saints, that it is faith in the promises that is blessing, not receipt thereof? Peace in Christ Jesus, charis |
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18 | Promise? | Heb 11:39 | charis | 43176 | ||
Saints, Greetings in the name of Jesus! What is the 'promise' in this verse? Is this promise for us today? Is it wealth? Abundant life? Gifts? Eternal life? The Promised Land? (i.e. geographic Israel) The New Testament 'equivalent?' Please provide Scriptural evidence. In Christ Jesus, charis |
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19 | Which point? | Bible general Archive 1 | charis | 39871 | ||
Dear Raven (Roy), Greetings in the name of Jesus! Friend, which point? You have made several, but two stand out. 1) Tongues do not save, and 2) Tongues have ceased. 1) I don't think you can say that I proved your point on this one, just that we agree that tongues do not save us. :-) However, your key assertion differs from mine. You use point 2) to 'prove' point 1), while I would prefer to state that the Biblical 'lowest common denominator' for salvation is faith toward God, specifically, saved by grace through faith. 2) Perhaps my morning coffee has not yet been in my system long enough to 'inspire' my understanding, but I fail to see how I could have proved this point! :-) Your entire argument pivots on exactly one portion of Scripture (1 Corinthians 13:8-10) which is speaking of the timelessness of God's love. If this is your way of saying you don't want to talk about it any longer, I will understand. I would like to reiterate one question, though. Have you been to every church, or at least a broad enough spectrum of tongue-speaking churches to make the rather bigoted statement that all are our of order? Or did you get your opinion about them from TV, or perhaps from the opinions of others? The reason I ask is that if you don't want to be involved in such churches, then do not. If you don't want to see silly TV churches, turn it off. If you are 'perfectly' satisfied with your present church experience, great! But if you are just 'against' tongues from limited experience, or because of a bad experience, then your motives and conclusions are not Biblical. You see, my friend, I have also seen the damage done by abusers of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. I have also seen a lot of 'dried up religious husks' of churches full of spite and bigotry from their zeal to deny the same gifts of the Holy Spirit. Both are terrible abuses of the abundant life that Jesus has given His people. MY point is that there are some balanced 'tongues' churches, and some balanced 'non-tongues' (NOT 'anti-tongues') churches. Which category might you fall into? I pray that you don't prove MY point! :-) Blessings and peace in Christ Jesus, charis |
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20 | Been to every church? | Bible general Archive 1 | charis | 39639 | ||
Dear Raven, Greetings in the name of Jesus! (you wrote) "And theres not a single one of these people that claim they have the gift of tongues keeps this verse." (end quote) Friend, have you been to every church in the world? I know of at least one church that meets the Biblical criteria for speaking in tongues and New Testament prophecy without resorting to the tomfoolery that has hardened your heart with bigotry. I would imagine that there are many more. Perhaps they are not famous (infamous?), or after numbers or money, therefore do not come to your attention. Please resist the temptation to say that if things are not done according to your method then the Bible is a fake, or we must throw it out the door. That is either mindless emotion or spiritual arrogance. (or a combination of the two :-)) Blessings and peace in Christ Jesus, charis |
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