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Results from: Answers On or After: Thu 12/31/70 Author: stjones Ordered by Verse |
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Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
1 | Do you seek God before you post? | Bible general Archive 2 | stjones | 103760 | ||
Hi, Kathy; The following was posted in response to one of Searcher's messages. I'm copying it because it does contain my (honest) answer to your original question: [reply to Searcher snipped] My answer is that sometimes I do indeed lean on my own understanding when I post. Other times, I seek God's will and have often re-written or simply skipped a message I had composed. The more curmudgeonly posts are mostly of my own devising. Peace and grace, Steve aka Indiana Jones |
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2 | Trinity Doctrine? | Bible general Archive 2 | stjones | 107650 | ||
Hi, Norm; I'm confused. You cited Matthew 28:19; what does this passage mean to you? If "the Father", "the Son", and "the Holy Ghost" are not the three persons who make up the Trinity, who are they? Thanks. Peace and grace, Steve aka Indiana Jones |
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3 | Was Adam and Eve's fall a good thing? | Bible general Archive 2 | stjones | 109046 | ||
Hi, dat; Paraclete has probably given you the Mormon spin. I don't know if his explanation accurately reflects Mormon teaching or not. Perhaps it will help you to understand your husband's error. It appears that your husband (like Paraclete) has been misled by Joseph Smith, who said of the Book of Mormon: "I told the brethren that the Book of Mormon was the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion, and a man would get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book." If your husband has fallen for this monstrous lie, I don't know if an explanation based on God's word will do much good. Your time might be better spent in prayer that God will release him from his bondage and open his eyes to the truth of the Bible. Peace and grace, Steve aka Indiana Jones |
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4 | What is a good bible version for study? | Bible general Archive 1 | stjones | 20246 | ||
Hi,Myra; Good for you. A translation that gets in the way of your understanding won't do much to enhance your study. Take some time to find a version that is readable and understandable - keeping in mind that some parts of the Bible are just plain hard to understand. For pure readability, I like the New Living Translation; for serious study, I always reach for my NIV Study Bible (lots of notes, maps, historical information and such). I keep a Good News (Today's English) handy and find myself checking the NKJV online. Maybe your best bet would be a parallel Bible. Personally, I would look for one with the NIV, NKJV, either Good News or New Living, and one other older version - RSV, ASV, something like that. I also find a "complete" concordance very helpful for tracking down verses when I remember some of the words but not the source. An "exhaustive" concordance indexes every single word in the Bible while a complete concordance leaves out articles, (a, an, the), pronouns and such. A "brief" concordance leaves out lots of other words too. Concordances are version-specific, so wait until you settle on the version you refer to most often. Then, of course, there are computer Bibles.... One other thought - you might try a "read through the Bible in a year" booklet. You can find one to guide you straight through from Genesis 1:1 to Revelation 22:21. The one I used listed the passages in chronological order. It took a lot more than a year (lack of commitment on my part), but I'm very glad I did it. Happy "re-entry"! Peace and grace, Steve |
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5 | name of lost book in Bible | Bible general Archive 1 | stjones | 21005 | ||
Hi, Skot; There are several "lost" books; the "Gospel of Thomas" is probably the most infamous. There is also a "Gospel of Peter", a "Gospel of Mary [Magdalen]", "Pistis Sophia", and a few others. There is also a hypothetical Gospel named "Q" which is not known to exist in any form. Copies of many of these were found in Egypt at Nag Hammadi in 1945. Liberal theologians are making a lot of noise about the "discovery" of these "lost" books despite that fact that most of them have been known and their authenticity and claims refuted for more than 100 years. The reason these books were "lost", of course, is that they espoused heretical views - mostly gnosticism - that the early church firmly rejected. They are now presented as equivalent or even superior to the NT, revealing "alternate Christianities". The appeal is obvious: if you don't want to be accountable to a Jesus who sits in judgment, just hang out with one who learned his stuff in India. If you are prepared to believe that Jesus was a Buddha (please say you're not!), you may enjoy them. I recommend "Hidden Gospels: How the Search for Jesus Lost Its Way" by Philip Jenkins (Oxford University Press, 2001). Hope you find this helpful. |
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6 | Are we to follow the old testament? | Bible general Archive 1 | stjones | 23762 | ||
Hi, Martha; Let me add a little to the three excellent answers you've already received: When Paul wrote to Timothy about scripture (2 Tim 3:16), the OT was the only scripture he knew. I suspect he had no idea that those words applied to his own words as well. The OT is the bible that Jesus taught from and quoted. The OT describes God the Father's direct, personal, active involvement with humnaity, not seen in the NT. The OT lays the historical and theological foundation for Jesus' mission and ministry. The OT deals with such things as the character of God, the nature of humanity, the origins of good and evil, the identity of Satan, and much more. The NT touches on these questions but does not delve deeply into them as the OT does. I've studied the OT and NT about equally, with maybe a little more time on the OT because there's more of it. The Bible is a single testament to Jesus and is best understood as a whole. As in so many things, a healthy balance is the key. Peace and grace, Steve |
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7 | unmarried couple kissing | Bible general Archive 1 | stjones | 23896 | ||
No. Some folks believe there's a substantial risk that kissing may lead to forbidden behavior. In that case, prudence, not the Bible, would probibit it. I don't know your situation, but I should mention that parents can probibit it. Obedience to one's parents is commanded by the Bible. I hope this is helpful. Peace and grace, Steve "Indy" Jones |
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8 | Is John 3:16 for real? | Bible general Archive 1 | stjones | 28432 | ||
Hi, Dan; God has made his existence and nature known to everyone: Romans 1:18-21 - The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities--his eternal power and divine nature--have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. He reveals himself to those who seek him: Jeremiah 29:13 - You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. And he will not reject anyone who calls upon him for salvation: Joel 2:32 - everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved (quoted by Peter in his Pentecost sermon in Acts 2 and by Paul in Romans 10) Thus God has opened a path to saving faith even to someone who has never heard the Gospel. The Old Testament faithful were in a similar situation: Hebrews 11:1-2 Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for. (39-40) These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised. God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect. John 3:16 is reliable and trustworthy. Hope this is useful. Peace and grace, Steve aka Indiana Jones |
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9 | Inspiration extent to every part | Bible general Archive 1 | stjones | 28695 | ||
Hi, moedee; Yes. I don't know. What do you suppose might have happened? Peace and grace, Steve aka Indiana Jones |
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10 | Where is "Go against the Flow" at? | Bible general Archive 1 | stjones | 29991 | ||
Hi, Brandyb; James Taylor recoreded a version of "Mockingbird" in the 60s that included the line "I'm gonna go with the flow and ride with the tide". I would guess that "go against the flow" might have been coined as a counter-example. Billy Graham isn't afraid to refer to the culture so he might well have originated it. At any rate, EdB is right on with his reference to Romans 2. Peace and grace, Steve aka Indiana Jones |
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11 | How is the end really going to happen? | Bible general Archive 1 | stjones | 34024 | ||
Greeting, poet; Not to put too fine a point on it, but who cares? God will get it right and I'm confident that we'll all be surprised one way or another. "Left Behind" is fiction; enjoy it for that. Jesus said to go and make disciples; he didn't tell anyone to sit around and speculate about how or when he would return. People who think they have it all figured are little scary. Peace and grace, Steve aka Indiana Jones |
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12 | Who can refute reasoning? | Bible general Archive 1 | stjones | 37077 | ||
Hi, CDBJ; I can't see that the passage you cite says anything about reasoning being the path to salvation. Taken in context, God is telling the people of Judah to think about their disobedience and its obvious consequences. Verse 19: '"If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the best from the land; but if you resist and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword." For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.' Your example of the thief on the cross is speculative. My own speculation is that, finding himself in a desparate situation, he grasped at the only hope left him - that the man next to him really was able to offer salvation of some kind. I doubt that he reasoned it out, but of course neither one of us knows. What we can know is that the consistent message throughout the entire Bible is that faith is the key to salvation. Reason may be a means to faith, but faith itself is a gift of God, not the product of reason. You may be able to cite a passage that, taken out of context, seems to suggest otherwise. The intellectual exercise of finding "one verse or another", however, can hardly disprove what the Bible as a whole makes clear. 'Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding' (Proverbs 3:5) I will lean instead on Paul's familiar assertion in Ephesians 2:8-9: 'For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God--not by works, so that no one can boast.' If I were able to reason myself to salvation - or even to faith - it would be of myself, something of which I could boast. Peace and grace Steve aka Indiana Jones |
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13 | JOE THROWS ONENESS INTO HERESY | Bible general Archive 1 | stjones | 49436 | ||
Hi, RevC; How do you account for the multiple refences that Jesus (1) makes to his father (2) and the Holy Spirit (3) in John 14-17? Is Jesus saying that he will ask himself to send himself? Is he saying to himself that he has lost none of those he gave himself? Who is he speaking to in John 17:3 ("Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.") and who sent whom? Call me dense; I just don't get it. Peace and grace, Steve aka Indiana Jones |
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14 | Why is killing enimies in the OT okay? | Bible general Archive 1 | stjones | 49934 | ||
Hi, jmartin; Just to add a little to (the other) Steve'e reply: The question is, whose enemies? The OT does not condone killing ones personal enemies. Does God sometimes tolerate it? Yes, just as he toleraties other kinds of misbehavior. I didn't kill my daughter when she got her tongue pierced (ouch!); that doesn't mean I approved or encouraged it. But God does condone killng his enemies. Death is the consistent penalty for disobedience. Whether God chooses the Israelites or fire and brimstone to do the job is purely his choice. Peace and grace, Steve aka Indiana Jones |
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15 | Mythology and the bible? | Bible general Archive 1 | stjones | 50796 | ||
Greetings, katagious2; Myths appeal to humans because they speak to the deepest needs and fears of our hearts. It is no surprise that man-made myths should bear a superficial resemblance to parts of the Bible. The Bible was inspired by one who knows those needs and fears better than anyone. None of these myths span the time, geography, or variety of authors that the Bible does. You won't find another story written by dozens of authors over the space 1500 years that holds together from beginning to end. And beware of junk mythology that is posted by revisionist mythologians. If you go to the original sources, you will find little that corresponds to the trash you find on the internet. Peace and grace, Steve aka Indiana Jones |
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16 | Jesus' existance | Bible general Archive 1 | stjones | 66463 | ||
Greetings, tetelestai46, Most modern historical scholars agree that there was, during the first century, a man named Jesus who was noteworthy or important. Secular history, however, is of little value in knowing or evaluating the claims that he made about himself, because the Bible is the only known source for this kind of information. While this makes it very convenient for skeptics to dismiss the evidence contained in the Bible, it makes sense. The early church made a conscious effort to gather, authenticate, and preserve accounts of Jesus' life (the Gospels) and letters written by those who knew him (the Epistles). That historical evidence became the New Testament. With all the interest in the ossuary recently revealed in Jerusalem and the story (in Popular Mechanics, of all places!) purporting to show what Jesus looked like, it shouldn't be hard to find references to some of the non-Biblical evidence. As inmyhart pointed out, this really isn't an appropriate forum for delving into such matters. Hope this is useful. Peace and grace, Steve aka Indiana Jones |
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17 | what is spiritual bondage | Bible general Archive 1 | stjones | 75299 | ||
Greetings, mellow; Let me offer a different perspective. We are all in bondage to someone or something - Satan, the Law, or Christ. Jesus just gave us a better alternative than the first two. Jesus said "Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." (Matthew 11:29-30) Paul referred to himself as "Paul, a prisoner of [not "for"] Christ Jesus" (Philemon 1:1) This title is consistent with Romans 6:17-19: "But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were entrusted. You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness. I put this in human terms because you are weak in your natural selves. Just as you used to offer the parts of your body in slavery to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer them in slavery to righteousness leading to holiness." I have heard prisoners (both believers and non-believers) talk about prison as a liberating experience. Prison is only prison if it deprives you of things that matter. The message from these men was that prison freed them from trivial daily concerns - where to sleep, what to eat, when to exercise, and so on. They were then completely free to focus their minds on things that mattered, typically prayer, meditation, study, or writing. So it is with the Christian. Freedom in Christ is not license; it is freedom from the grasp of sin, feedom that allows us to focus on what matters - Jesus. A life of perfect bondage to Christ would be a life of perfect freedom. Alas, I speak only from flawed experience; my own life falls somewhat short. Peace and grace, Steve aka Indiana Jones |
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18 | God not around sin how satan go to him | Bible general Archive 1 | stjones | 75300 | ||
Greetings, glazedoughnut; God probably does not enjoy being in the preseence of sin, but he is strong enough to tolerate it. Job 1 and 2 say that Satan appeared before God and that God spoke with him in a rather congenial way. That is sufficient evidence that God can be in the presence of sin. The rest of the Bible provides sufficient evidence that he doesn't like it much. Peace and grace, Steve aka Indiana Jones |
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19 | Does the Bible say protect Israel | Bible general Archive 1 | stjones | 79844 | ||
Greetings, LANAY; The modern state named Israel is not mentioned in the Bible. The Israel of the Bible was created by God; the modern state was created by the U.N. in 1948. The Israel of the Bible was a people, the descendants of Abraham, who were given the land of Canaan to occupy. Eventually, because of their disobedience, God allowed that land to be taken from them and the people of Israel to be dispersed. Israel ceased to be a nation in the political and geographical sense. In Jesus' time, the political and geographical entity know as Israel was simply a Roman province. I don't know of any reason to believe that the U.N. was acting on God's authority and command when it created the modern state it called Israel. The Jews, the ancient people known as "Israel" continue to play a part in God's plans. But I don't believe that the modern state, also known as "Israel" has any special Biblical importance. Peace and grace, Steve aka Indiana Jones |
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20 | Jesus battle w/devil for heaven | Bible general Archive 1 | stjones | 83745 | ||
Hi, Anna Marie; I think you'll find (if you read your Bible) that Jesus defeated Satan twice. The first time was in the wilderness when Jesus withstood Satan's temptations (and his company!) for 40 days. The second time was the resurrection when he took away the only real weapon Satan has - death. There is nothing in the Bible about a "battle" between Jesus and Satan. Jesus simply conformed to his Father's will, effectively ignoring Satan. He defeated Satan without firing a shot. Peace and grace, Steve aka Indiana Jones |
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