Results 1 - 20 of 221
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Results from: Notes Author: Jesusman Ordered by Date |
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Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
1 | sharing our faith to unbelievers so hard | 1 Cor 1:18 | Jesusman | 199796 | ||
Scripture is the sole authority in God's revelation to man. God reveals his will to us through the proper interpretation and understanding of Scripture. However, to fully understand and interpret scripture, it is also important to understand the events, culture, history, and people that influenced the Bible. There are subtleties and changes in meaning with the words and phrases that have taken place over the centuries. There are phrases and idioms in the Bible that would normally make sense only to the intended original audience. Studying the history and science behind the scripture helps shine light on these meanings. The Bible was inspired by God, but it was human hands that transcribed it. It's not enough to ask "What does the Scripture mean to me?" and "What is God trying to say to me?" You need to also ask "What was God trying to say to them?", "What did the Scripture mean to the ones who first read it?" and "What did the Scripture mean to the one who first transcribed it?" There is more to scripture than just the message to you. Jesusman |
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2 | sharing our faith to unbelievers so hard | 1 Cor 1:18 | Jesusman | 199789 | ||
Is there some huge falicy in supporting what you teach others? Is it some giant sin that I'm not aware of? In the course of this discussion, I've been accused of throwing the Bible away, speaking for God, not trusting God, even so far as not having Faith in God, and worse. Quite frankly, I'm tired of it. What happened to research and study? What happened with trying to pull out every ounce of understanding from a passage of scripture? This is a "STUDY" Bible forum isn't it? Or have I been going to the wrong place for the past few years? Studying the Bible involves more than reading a text from the bible and praying about it. Hermaneutics is the study into the background of the Bible. Exegesis is a study into the context and language of the text and pulling out the meaning. Apologetics is defending the faith against other religions and beliefs. All of these areas involve not simply reading the text of scripture, but also involves the history and culture of the land and time surrounding and pertaining to the text of scripture. My entire original point at the start of this mess was to simply incorporate that level of study into your witness. Adding in some additional truths and support that may not be found in the Bible, but will help support the Bible isn't wrong. You're not speaking for God, throwing the Bible away, or anything of the sort. So where's the Big huge sin???? Jesusman |
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3 | sharing our faith to unbelievers so hard | 1 Cor 1:18 | Jesusman | 199738 | ||
Greetings, I do forgive you, John. I take my faith very seriously. I also strive very hard to not cloud my views of the Bible with anything beyond what the original writers intended. I try very hard to put myself into their shoes and understand the Bible from their perspective. History, archeology, and science aid in that. When I teach others about the Bible, I share with them what history, apart from the Bible says about christ, as well as offer up resources they can research as well. Let me close by asking this. In college, high school, and graduate studies, and even beyond, any form of research paper, report, or type written study requires a bibliography, or a works sited page. It is a sheet that lists all the books and resources referred to during the course of writting the Paper. If every person who persues such an assignment is required such documentation of their research, why should we, as christians, be exempt from also providing such resources? We aren't dealing with a simple 3 page report for a teacher in school, but the eternal existance of a person's soul. I would rather give them the information they need about God and the Bible and even too much information, than to have them walk away with questions and not enough information about God and the Bible. Jesusman |
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4 | sharing our faith to unbelievers so hard | 1 Cor 1:18 | Jesusman | 199461 | ||
Fine .. I guess I am a false prophet I have tried hard to teach others to resist. Good bye. You won't see me on here again. | ||||||
5 | sharing our faith to unbelievers so hard | 1 Cor 1:18 | Jesusman | 199454 | ||
Wait a minute?! What's this? An eyewitness account of what happened? Isn't this .. oh .. what's the word I'm looking for?? PROOF?!?!?! Hasn't it sunk in yet what I am trying to say?? I believe the Bible inerrant and 100 percent true. I have a saving Faith in Christ Jesus and loving relationship with God the Father. I was saved at the young age of 5 years old before I knew what witnessing or apologetics or any of that ever meant. But the first time a person came to me and asked me if Jesus was real. I said yes .. there was no doubt at all in my mind. He was a high school classmate, son of a Baptist minister, and was then a devout muslim. He said prove it. I showed him the Bible. He asked me to prove the Bible was true. What was I supposed to do then? Pray for him? I did. Tell him to have faith in God? I did. Recommend him to a pastor? I did. I couldn't help but feel that no matter how knowledgable I was about the matters of faith and God's word and teachings, I had no answers for their questions about if this was real or not. He wasn't the first. Every single person I have witnessed to has asked me questions not about putting faith in God, but if what we believe is real. People like Lee Strobbel, Hank Henegraff, Bruce Metzger and Ravi Zacharias are almost heros to me. If you want further info about my training and background, fine. I have a BA in Biblical Languages from Missiouri Baptist University. My Father is a pastor, my mother was a sunday school teacher for years. I have read the Bible backwards and forwards several times over. I have studied nearly every passage in it's pages, and continue to do so daily. Each time I open it I learn something I didn't know before. So please .. with all due respect .. don't tell me what I see and don't see. I'm not speaking out of my butt. I'm not making claims without one iota of support. I can support everything I say either through research or personal experience. Jesusman |
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6 | sharing our faith to unbelievers so hard | 1 Cor 1:18 | Jesusman | 199451 | ||
So .. what we believe has no basis in fact. Very well. Have it your way. Jesusman |
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7 | sharing our faith to unbelievers so hard | 1 Cor 1:18 | Jesusman | 199448 | ||
With out the overwhelming historical, scientific, and archeological evidence to support the Bible's claims, we might as well tell the unbelieving to believe in Santa Claus, Roudolph, and the Easter Bunny. On top of that, I point you to the Great Commission and ask you a similar question that you asked me. Who are we to speak for God? Why does God need our help in revealing himself? Apparently there is something we contribute when witnessing to an unbeliever because we are commanded to "Go" and "Teach". Now, in the sources your mentioned, it is a communication between Christians. But look at Paul's message on Mar's hill. Where does he begin? He begins with using a altar attributed to "An unknown god" as his starting point. He used a secular religious Icon to witness. In every instance of the Bible where a believer is witnessing, the Believer begins and often uses terms and phrases the person being witnessed to will understand. I am not saying we should shelve the Bible, and ignore God. I'm saying that those we witness to will need proof. Turning to history, science, archeology helps provide that proof. Look at many of the experiences in the Bible and what do you see? Proof being given. Pentacost? Everyone of different languages heard the message in their native language. The Jailor? An earthquake that freed the Apostles but they remained. Who are the ones speaking in those instances? Eyewitesses to the events of Jesus's life. They were proof in and of themselves. We don't have that luxury. 2000 years have passed, long enough for such things to be counted as myth. In the secular world, the Bible is little more than myth. What do you suggest that we do? Tell the unbelievers to have faith in what they think is a myth, and give them a book they might think of as no more credible than an edition of Snow White? How about we tell them that Jesus was a real person? That people other than the Biblical Writers told his story? How about we even go so far as point them in the direction where they can look at the proof for themselves? I have never said and will never say that we should take God out of the equasion. I am saying that we reinforce our claims with the proof and evidence that God has provided. We have this evidence. What is the huge sin in using it? Jesusman |
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8 | sharing our faith to unbelievers so hard | 1 Cor 1:18 | Jesusman | 199418 | ||
I think you are misunderstanding what I'm trying to say. I'm not saying that you should put the Bible on the shelf and leave it alone, but rather use Secular terminology. Let me walk you through some examples where churchese language was used. One example is where a christian told a lawyer "You need to be born again". The lawyer replied, "How can I enter my mother's womb a second time when I'm an old man?" Another example is where a christian was speaking to a doctor. "You need to take Jesus into your heart." The Doctor replied, "is this an elective surgery or is it covered by my medical insurance." I'm not making these up, these are actual conversations. We, as christians, are going to be facing people who do NOT understand how on earth we could ... "believe in something so idiotic as an all powerful being. It's like thinking Yoda was a real person." Another quote from someone I witnessed to once. However, when I went through and actually answered his questions about the Bible, many of which were supposed contradictions and concerns about the inerancy of the Bible, and that I used actual things he could research on his own, he came back and we started talking about the Spiritual teachings of the Bible. Now, he's going to church in St. Louis, MO and last I knew, he was teaching a sunday school class at his church. No where did I or will I say that we should put the Bible on the shelf and ignore it. Rather we should support it. The Bible is a book of facts. Many facts are hard to accept. Some, many people believe these facts were added later than we say it was. Our credibility is on the line everytime we begin to witness. We are talking about something that modern science hasn't been able to prove exists. Why do you think we have a manual that has been proven 100 percent true time and time again? It's not only to guide us, but to help give us credibility. I'll close this with another question that was asked to me by someone I was witnessing to. "How can I put my faith in something totally rediculous and unprovable if the documents you support your faith with aren't true?" Having faith is a good thing. Its the most important thing. But it needs help sometimes. Using facts and evidence is not hindering Faith, but helping it along. Jesusman. |
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9 | Life span, why not in the 100's now? | Rom 6:23 | Jesusman | 198447 | ||
Far be it for me to disagree with a commentary writter, but .. um .. no. Given that after this declaration that the lifespan of man kind went from 700 years plus to about 100 plus years, I give more credit to it referring to the length of man's life. Now it could be also in reference to a length of time that man has to repent, but you can't deny the first interpretation unless you totally ignore the context. Jesusman |
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10 | Rev 20:10 | NT general | Jesusman | 195787 | ||
Did the Prophets resort to name calling and flimsy insults? No, they didn't. They proclaimed God's message, reguardless of what danger it put them into. They also knew it was from God because they prayed, studied, and were diligent to God's revealed will in his Word. None of us are saying your visions weren't real. We're saying that in order to be sure of their validity, you need to examine God's word, pray, and compare the vision you recieved against the word of God. Remember John's words in 1 John 4:1. Beloved, Do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. Jesus Loves you, Jesusman |
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11 | Rev 20:10 | NT general | Jesusman | 195782 | ||
Then you'll be waiting for a very very long time, cause Elijah has come and gone. Jesus already told us who Elijah returned was. Read the Gospels again, especially where Jesus said that John the Baptist was Elijah. Jesusman |
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12 | Rev 20:10 | NT general | Jesusman | 195774 | ||
Greetings Wanna, I am greatly disturbed by what you have written so far. Let me see if I have an understanding of how you view God. Please correct me if I am wrong about this. According to what you have stated so far, God is one to be afraid of. God isn't eternal and all powerful because he doesn't use force to save someone from judgement. God is also vain, jealous, and selfish because someone doesn't love him. Am I correct so far? God is all powerful. However, he also fair and compassionate. Let me ask you this. In today's society, how is it viewed by others when someone is grabbed, pushed down onto his knees, and forced to obey another? It's called slavery. Correct? Do you want a slaver for a God? Something else. Why are you afraid of God? Are you afraid he'll snuff you out of existance with a thought? I have a fear of God, but not one of trembling and terror, but one of respect and reverence. God is a father. He's our Holy Father. Like any father, he loves his children and cares for them. I like how John phrased it in his first letter. "Beloved, how wonderous it is that 'WE' are called the 'Sons of God'." Paul tells us that God adopted us, that we can call him "Abba". Know what that means? It means "Daddy". The close and personal term a child calls his parent. We have full right to call him "Daddy". God is Love. He also merciful and gracious. Those he punishes have been given chance after chance after chance, time and time again through out their lives to come to love and obey God. Paul makes this abundantly clear in Romans chapter 1. There comes a time when God has no choice but to give them exactly what they asked for, separation from him. The thing is, that also includes being punished for continued disobedience. There is one factor that seems to be evading your thoughts. There is more going on than your supposed concept of God acting like a spoiled brat not getting his way. You also have Satan decieving and corrupting the thoughts and minds of people, spreading lies. In closing, Your contempt and disregard for God's word is the reason why you believe what you do. I strongly .. very very strongly .. recommend that you sit down, open your Bible, and start reading it. Look up these verses and passages that we are providing. Read them thuroughly, over and over. Pray to God before reading the Bible and afterwards. Pray for Knowledge, guidence, love, and forgiveness. Study God's word. That's why it's there. Jesus Loves you, Jesusman |
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13 | Rev 20:10 | NT general | Jesusman | 195773 | ||
Greetings Doc. God will place them on trial. He will judge fairly and accurately. He will pronounce judgement, and follow through accordingly. The original post lead one to believe that God or one of his agents will be down there in hell adding in additional punishment, cracking a whip and such. The Bible doesn't say that. After the judgement, God establishes his eternal kingdom in the new heaven and new earth, void of evil. This judgement is self-imposed. Romans 1:18-32 describes exactly that. God reveals his wrath again unrighteousness. The unrighteous continue in their evil. There is no excuse that can be made. Their continued disobedience is done so on their own volition. God made it known what will happen if they continue. They continue anyways. Paul makes it crystal clear that any punishment brought on by sin is due to the sinner's own willfull sins. It's not because God forced it on them. So the torture or torment that happens to the Unrighteous in hell after the judgement is done so because the Unrighteous broght it upon themselves. Jesusman |
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14 | during the 3 days? | Matthew | Jesusman | 195427 | ||
Let me clarify what I am saying with something that happened to a friend of mine. I had a friend that worked at a bank for several years. Most of the time, he was a teller, handling money. One day, he was invited by the Bank manager to go to the local federal reserve to count money all day. All he did during the period was count money that was fresh off the printers. He did this for a week straight, 8 hours a day. Over and over again. When he got back to the bank the next week, he began counting out money for a customer and stopped. He set a bill aside and pulled another out to replace it. He took the bill he set aside to his bank manage and told him it was a counterfit bill. The bank manager asked how he knew. My friend told him that he had counted the real thing over and over for a week straight. He knew it was counterfit because it didn't feel like the others. A christian who has been faithfull in his walk with christ will be studying and praying continuously. He won't have to study and pray further because as soon as a false teaching comes to him, he'll know it instantly. It doesn't matter who presenting the false teaching. I don't care if it is the Pope himself. If what they are teaching is contrary to the Bible, and if I have a means to communicate with them, I will tell them. I will also show them why their teaching is wrong with scriptural support. If I don't have a means to communicate with them, but can do so to the ones listening to the false teachings, I will counter with the true and scriptural message. Jesusman |
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15 | during the 3 days? | Matthew | Jesusman | 195409 | ||
Its becoming clear that the best we can do is to agree to disagree. When I hear or see false doctrine being taught, I am greatly offended. Why? Because I have devoted my life to the studying and understanding of the Bible. If I have a means of speaking out against false teachers, I do. If I have a means to correct the false teaching, I do just that. Taking no action is as much of a sin in my eyes as teaching these falsehoods myself. If no action is taken, then these false teachings will pass onto others, and will spread wildly. If anyone has problems with what I teach, then by all means, grab a Bible and let's talk it out. jesusman |
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16 | during the 3 days? | Matthew | Jesusman | 195405 | ||
Greetings Tron613, We commanded by John in 1 john 4:1 to not believe everyone who claims to be of God, but to put them to the test. Paul told Timothy to study. in Acts 17:11, Paul and Silas were at the church in Berea, and the congregation was comparing what they were taught against the scriptures. We are under the mandate to make sure that everything we teach in God's name and from God's word is done so truthfully and accurately. Jesus himself even said that if we witness a brother sinning, then to confront that brother. In this case, scripture was being taken out of context, and false doctrine was being taught. It is the duty of every Christian to ensure that the Bible is taught with the utmost accuracy. Now, in reguard to my comment about "butchering" the Scripture, the WoF leaders, such as Hagee, Hinn, Copeland, and others do just that. This morning, I watched a portion of Hagee's sermons on the TV before I went to church. In the time span of only 5 minutes, he misquoted the Bible 4 times. After that, I changed the channel. This is supposed to be a trained biblical scholar, and he got the story of Adam and Eve totally backwards. So .. Yes, we do have the authority to question any teaching that is supposed to be about the Bible, and to test it against scripture. Yes, we do have the authority to correct the false teachers. If they correct their ways, then Jesus tells us to welcome them. If they refuse, then ultimately, they are to be shunned. I have no problems with any questionable or controversal teaching, so long as it can be accurately supported by scripture. I also have beliefs that some concider controversal. I also strive to accurately support every belief with scripture, not resorting to taking scripture out of context to support any of my claims. Jesusman |
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17 | during the 3 days? | Matthew | Jesusman | 195366 | ||
Scofield more so than Ryrie, but Ryrie was dispensational. As for the different opinions, if you look at them closely, many of them are arguing the same point, just from different perspectives. Jesusman |
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18 | during the 3 days? | Matthew | Jesusman | 195361 | ||
This teaching is also prevalent among dispensationalists as well. Scofield and Ryrie both spread the idea that Jesus went to hell and fought Satan over these keys. A Closer look at the verses you sited reveals that Paul is talking about the power of Jesus's crucifixion, and the authority in Christ. On a side note, people like Copeland, Hagin, and Hinn have about as much biblical truth in their teachings as the Sunday Morning newspaper. Their butchering of the scriptural context is horrible. Jesusman |
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19 | during the 3 days? | Matthew | Jesusman | 195359 | ||
What Jesus told Mary still doesn't imply that Jesus went to hell to fight Satan over a set of house keys. Jesus is implying that what time he has left here will be short. He's trying to get Mary to stop clinging to him and gather his followers and friends together. Remember, Jesus promised to send someone to be their comforter. It wouldn't be him, but the Holy Spirit. Jesus had a few final lessons and commands to issue in order to prepare the flegling church for the arrival of the Holy Spirit. Jesusman |
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20 | during the 3 days? | Matthew | Jesusman | 195348 | ||
Sorry, I'll have to disagree here. Jesus tells us very clearly where he will be during the period between his death and resurrection. Luke 23:43 And he said to him (the criminal with him), "Truly I say to you, Today you shall be with Me in Paradise." Jesus tells the thief on the cross that both he and Jesus will be in paradise. Why would he lie and go to hell instead? The verses stated above by the previous contributor no more supports the idea of Jesus going to hell and facing off against Satan for the keys of hell, than it supports Bush for president. The idea that Jesus went to hell and faught satan for the keys during the three days before the resurrection can't be fully supported by Scripture. The resurrection of Jesus solidifed his power over death and life both. Matthew 12:40, specifically 12:38-45, is a passage about Jesus foretelling his death. However, he says nothing or eludes to nothing to indicate that he will head to hell and face off against Satan for a set of keys. In fact, the first honest mention about any keys over hell is in Revelation 1:18. There is nothing mentioned in scripture to indicate that anyone except God ever had possession of them. From the time Jesus died and was buried until the time he rose from the grave, his body was in the tomb and his spirit was in Paradise. There is nothing mentioned to state otherwise. Jesusman |
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