Results 1 - 20 of 55
|
||||||
Results from: Answered Bible Questions, Answers, Unanswered Bible Questions, Notes Author: goodnewsminister Ordered by Verse |
||||||
Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
1 | The Bible Definition of a soul is what? | Not Specified | goodnewsminister | 85408 | ||
Does the Bible teach what the majority of religions teach and what many people believe, namely, that humans have an immortal soul and that at death it moves on to another realm, the "hereafter," heaven, hell, or purgatory, or that it returns in a reincarnation? | ||||||
2 | Prove all things hold fast to the good.. | Not Specified | goodnewsminister | 85495 | ||
"Do You Believe the True Gospel?" Chapter 1 — A Message About the Messenger? Your eternity depends on your willingness to understand and believe the true Gospel! Yet the Apostle Paul warned the Christians of his day, "For if he who comes preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or if you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a DIFFERENT GOSPEL which you have not accepted; you may well put up with it!" (2 Corinthians 11:4). Frankly, millions of sincere men and women have put up with a false gospel. They have been deceived all right-far too easily deceived. Why? Because too many have failed to obey God's command to "prove all things" (1 Thessalonians 5:21, KJV). Jesus Christ said, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel" (Mark 1:15). Have you believed the same Gospel, which Jesus preached? You need to be sure! There are many, many "gospels" being preached in the world today! Have you ever heard something like this? "Just give your heart to the Lord. Jesus was born in the manger as the Christ, the Son of God, to save as many souls in this age as would accept Him into their hearts. When He grew up, He went around performing miracles and forgiving people. He kept God's harsh law for all of us before finally being nailed to the cross along with that old law. He rose from the dead on the third day and appeared to many witnesses. Then He returned to heaven and began to set up His Kingdom in the hearts of men. He'll forgive your sins and come into your heart-just as you are-if you'll only accept Him. Jesus saves! Just believe on Him, and you'll be saved-born again. And, when you die, you'll go to be with Him in heaven-forever!" But is that really the Gospel Jesus taught? If you have accepted, without question, the almost unanimous voice of mainstream Christianity in this regard, you probably think that it is. Yet consider what Mark Twain wrote: "In religion and politics, people's beliefs and convictions are in almost every case gotten at second-hand, and without examination, from authorities who have not themselves examined the questions at issue but have taken them at second-hand from other non-examiners, whose opinions about them were not worth a brass farthing" [Mark Twain's Autobiography, 1959]. Do you really know what constitutes the genuine Gospel that Jesus and His Apostles preached? Or have you made a careless assumption, following the crowd as Mark Twain noted, taking your beliefs from second-hand suppositions? Probably you were taught the mainstream understanding of "the Gospel" while growing up. Or maybe you learned it from the barrage of religious publications and broadcasts that exist in our modern world. In any case, you have, more than likely, not seen the need to question your beliefs. After all, most professing Christian authorities are in agreement here. Surely, they must be right. Or are they? In His famous Olivet Prophecy, Jesus Christ warned, "Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many" (Matthew 24:4-5, KJV). Many modern versions place quotations around "I am Christ," assuming that Christ was talking about individuals who would claim to actually be Christ themselves. However, there have not been "MANY" such people in recent centuries that have been taken seriously, much less deceived the "MANY." Another interpretation some have offered is that Jesus was referring to false "Savior" figures like Hitler and Mussolini. But this is really taking liberties with the text. Remember, Christ said, "Many shall come IN MY NAME." A clearer rendering of what Jesus meant would be: "Take care that no one leads you astray. Indeed, many will appear, making use of My name, saying that I am Christ, yet deceiving many." What an astounding warning! Christ was foretelling that MANY false preachers would talk about Him and that they would proclaim that He is the Christ, the expected Messiah. Yet even after acknowledging Jesus' Messiahship, the deceivers are prophesied to seduce the unwary from a correct understanding of Jesus' genuine Gospel! How about you? Might they have deceived you too? Do not make careless assumptions! Find out-prove-what is true. Then you will really know and nobody will be able to fool you! Amen, Brother Meredith, Amen! Taken from Dr. Meredith's booklet, "Do you believe the True Gospel?" at the following URL: http://www.lcg.org/files/booklets/btg/default.htm |
||||||
3 | The Rich Man and Lazarus... | Not Specified | goodnewsminister | 85498 | ||
Does the Parable of Lazarus and the Rich Man Prove Some Will Suffer in Hell? "There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day. But there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sores, who was laid at his gate, desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table. Moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. "So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham's bosom. The rich man also died and was buried. And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. Then he cried and said, 'Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.' "But Abraham said, 'Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented. And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us.' "Then he said, 'I beg you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father's house, for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, lest they also come to this place of torment.' "Abraham said to him, 'They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.' "And he said, 'No, father Abraham; but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.' "But he said to him, 'If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead' " (Luke 16:19-31). Allegorical account A consideration of the account of Lazarus and the rich man in view of other scriptures on the subject of death and the resurrection makes it clear that this is an allegory used to teach important spiritual lessons. It is not intended to be understood literally, nor is this a description of the actual events that take place after death or at the resurrection. The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia discusses the contemporary background of the allegory. "This parable follows a story common in Egyptian and Jewish thought, in which the wicked rich and the pious poor have their positions reversed in the afterlife. It is told from the point of view of the rich man . . . who speaks with Abraham from his place of torment . . . "The parable . . . warns the rich that their possessions do not guarantee their future state. The parable was apparently directed toward Sadducean satisfaction with this life, based upon the belief that there would be no life beyond. Thus, Abraham said that even one from the dead would not convince the living to repent" (Eerdmans, Grand Rapids, 1986, Vol. III, p. 94). Spiritual lesson Jesus took a familiar story of the day and pointed out a spiritual lesson to those of His day who identified with the law but did not keep it. The primary lesson of this account is simple: Eternal consequences depend on the choices we make and the kind of people we are. Lazarus is described as having an intimate relationship with Abraham (verse 22); that is, he is an heir to God's Kingdom through the promises made to Abraham. We know from other scriptures that Abraham has not yet received his promised inheritance (Acts 7:2-5; Hebrews 11:8-13). Therefore, neither could Lazarus have yet received any eternal inheritance. The rich man is said to have died. When resurrected from his grave (hades), the rich man learns that his fate is his destruction by fire. The torment he experiences (verses 23-24) is his mental anguish. He has lost everything by rejecting Jesus Christ and refusing to obey God. The "great gulf" between them (verse 26) represents their different rewards. Lazarus will receive eternal life, and the rich man will be destroyed in the lake of fire. Since there is no consciousness in death, the rich man would have had no awareness of the passing of time since his demise. The conversation with Abraham is not literal. It is a parable that allegorically teaches an important lesson. The rich man, facing eternal destruction because of the choices he made in life, urgently requests that at least his family members be warned so they can avoid his terrible fate (verses 27-31). This parable teaches us that choosing to reject God's instruction will bring disastrous consequences- everlasting destruction in a lake of fire. Taken from the following article on the following webpage: http://www.ucg.org/booklets/AD/sufferinhell.htm |
||||||
4 | The Bible Definition of a soul is what? | Bible general Archive 1 | goodnewsminister | 85417 | ||
Does the Bible teach what the majority of religions teach and what many people believe, namely, that humans have an immortal soul and that at death it moves on to another realm, the "hereafter," heaven, hell, or purgatory, or that it returns in a reincarnation? | ||||||
5 | No, the dead are still DEAD...not alive! | Bible general Archive 1 | goodnewsminister | 85432 | ||
Do Good People Really Go to Heaven When They Die? Most churchgoers believe that when they die they will go to heaven. But will they? If heaven truly is a place of such everlasting happiness, why do so many do all they can to postpone going there? The Bible reveals some astounding and little-understood truths about heaven, the mystery of life beyond the grave and God’s great plan and purpose for us. To comprehend what the Bible teaches about heaven, we first need to understand that there is more than one heaven. Often the Bible refers to heavens, plural. In fact, three distinct “heavens” are mentioned in the Bible. The first of these is simply the sky above us—earth’s atmosphere, containing the air we breathe. It is in this heaven that birds fly and clouds give rain and snow (2 Samuel 21:10; Job 35:11; Isaiah 55:10). The second biblical heaven is the realm beyond earth’s atmosphere, what we commonly call outer space. Here we find the Obviously the deceased, Christian or not, are not floating around unnoticed in the first two heavens. No one seriously believes they can be found drifting about the sky or in outer space. Therefore they must be in the third of these heavens, right? Many people assume so, but the whole argument about heaven being the reward of deceased Christians runs into a brick wall with these words from the apostle Peter’s first sermon: “Brothers, I can tell you confidently that the patriarch David died and was buried, and his tomb is here to this day . . . For David did not ascend to heaven . . .” (Acts 2:29, 34, David off to heaven. The only one who had ascended to heaven, said Peter, was Jesus Christ (Acts 2:29-35). Was Peter mistaken? Did he simply misspeak? We might assume so, but notice what the Gospel of John says: “No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man [Jesus Christ]” (John 3:13, NIV). Jesus never promised Christians heaven after they died. The New Testament plainly says that of the faithful men and women who had gone before—such spiritual giants as Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph and Moses, to name some of those listed in Hebrews 11—not one has ascended to heaven. In fact, says verse 39 of Hebrews 11, “These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised” (NIV). If they aren’t in heaven, where are they? And what was it they were promised, if it wasn’t heaven? |
||||||
6 | No, the dead are still DEAD...not alive! | Bible general Archive 1 | goodnewsminister | 85433 | ||
Do Good People Really Go to Heaven When They Die? Most churchgoers believe that when they die they will go to heaven. But will they? If heaven truly is a place of such everlasting happiness, why do so many do all they can to postpone going there? The Bible reveals some astounding and little-understood truths about heaven, the mystery of life beyond the grave and God’s great plan and purpose for us. To comprehend what the Bible teaches about heaven, we first need to understand that there is more than one heaven. Often the Bible refers to heavens, plural. In fact, three distinct “heavens” are mentioned in the Bible. The first of these is simply the sky above us—earth’s atmosphere, containing the air we breathe. It is in this heaven that birds fly and clouds give rain and snow (2 Samuel 21:10; Job 35:11; Isaiah 55:10). The second biblical heaven is the realm beyond earth’s atmosphere, what we commonly call outer space. Here we find the Obviously the deceased, Christian or not, are not floating around unnoticed in the first two heavens. No one seriously believes they can be found drifting about the sky or in outer space. Therefore they must be in the third of these heavens, right? Many people assume so, but the whole argument about heaven being the reward of deceased Christians runs into a brick wall with these words from the apostle Peter’s first sermon: “Brothers, I can tell you confidently that the patriarch David died and was buried, and his tomb is here to this day . . . For David did not ascend to heaven . . .” (Acts 2:29, 34, David off to heaven. The only one who had ascended to heaven, said Peter, was Jesus Christ (Acts 2:29-35). Was Peter mistaken? Did he simply misspeak? We might assume so, but notice what the Gospel of John says: “No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man [Jesus Christ]” (John 3:13, NIV). Jesus never promised Christians heaven after they died. The New Testament plainly says that of the faithful men and women who had gone before—such spiritual giants as Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph and Moses, to name some of those listed in Hebrews 11—not one has ascended to heaven. In fact, says verse 39 of Hebrews 11, “These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised” (NIV). If they aren’t in heaven, where are they? And what was it they were promised, if it wasn’t heaven? |
||||||
7 | No, the dead are still DEAD...not alive! | Bible general Archive 1 | goodnewsminister | 85484 | ||
No consciousness in the grave Many people are surprised to discover what the Bible really says about what happens to us when we die. Notice what God inspired King Solomon to write about the state of the dead: "For the living know that they will die; but the dead know nothing, and they have no more reward, for the memory of them is forgotten" (Ecclesiastes 9:5). Scripture clearly tells us that at death we cease to know anything. The dead are unconscious and unaware. All our emotions, thoughts, knowledge and feelings go to the grave with us. No consciousness continues living in another place or state. We do not have an immortal soul that goes on living somewhere else. In Ezekiel 18, verses 4 and 20, God plainly tells us that "the soul who sins shall die"—not continue living apart from the body. To teach otherwise is only to further the FIRST LIE of Satan to our Mother Eve, "YE SHALL NOT SURELY DIE"! Do you believe him, or the Lord? You must choose! The patriarch Job echoes Solomon's words. He writes: "Man dies and is laid away; indeed he breathes his last and where is he? As water disappears from the sea, and a river becomes parched and dries up, so man lies down and does not rise. Till the heavens are no more, they will not awake nor be roused from their sleep" (Job 14:10-12). Job goes on to ask the most crucial question about life after death: "If a man dies, shall he live again?" (verse 14). Death likened to sleep When Christians—or any others—die, they do not go directly to heaven or to any equivalent of heaven. Their bodies simply decay in the grave, returning to the dust from which they were made (Genesis 3:19). Solomon confirmed the fact that the dead are unconscious, knowing nothing. "Anyone who is among the living has hope—even a live dog is better off than a dead lion! For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing" (Ecclesiastes 9:4-5, NIV). The writers of the Bible describe our experience after death not as going to heaven or hell, but simply as sleep. Notice, for example, how Daniel refers to the state of the dead in this prophecy of the resurrection: "And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, some to shame and everlasting contempt" (Daniel 12:2). When an individual is in a deep sleep, he has absolutely no conscious awareness of the passing of time nor any knowledge of events that are occurring while he is asleep. Paul repeatedly compared death to sleep (1 Corinthians 11:30; 15:6, 18, 20, 51; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-15). Peter similarly writes of the patriarchs who "fell asleep" in death (2 Peter 3:4). Jesus Himself also spoke of death as sleep. Speaking of a deceased girl whom He intended to raise from the dead, He told the mourners, "Do not weep; she is not dead, but sleeping" (Luke 8:52; compare Matthew 9:24). Before He resurrected Lazarus, He told the disciples, "Our friend Lazarus sleeps, but I go that I may wake him up." The disciples misunderstood, thinking Lazarus was sleeping because he was ill. "However, Jesus spoke of his death, but they thought that He was speaking about taking rest in sleep" (John 11:11, 13). When will the dead be resurrected? We can see that the Bible clearly teaches that good people don't go to heaven at death; instead they sleep in the grave awaiting the resurrection of the dead. All of the dead —good and not so good alike—will eventually be resurrected, each in his own time (1 Corinthians 15:20-23). The dead in Christ will be resurrected to immortal life at Jesus Christ's return to earth, and those faithful servants who are still alive at that time will be changed from mortal to immortal. Specifically, this happens at the sounding of "the trumpet of God" (1 Thessalonians 4:15-17), called "the last trumpet" in 1 Corinthians 15:52 and corresponding to the seventh trumpet of Revelation 11:15. This event is called "the first resurrection" in Revelation 20:5. In John's vision of the future, those in this resurrection came to life and "reigned with Christ for a thousand years" (verse 4), during the period commonly known as the Millennium. Notice that they do not go to dwell in heaven—they live and reign with Jesus on earth, to which He has returned to establish God's Kingdom! Verse 6 goes on to explain: "Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power,but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years." Revelation 5:10 confirms that they will be "a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth" (NIV) Since Christ is coming back to earth (Zechariah 14:3-4), it makes good sense that that's where we will be. (John 14:3; compare Isaiah 11:1-9). Clearly, Jesus is coming back to earth and we will reign with Him here, not in or from heaven. |
||||||
8 | No, the dead are still DEAD...not alive! | Bible general Archive 1 | goodnewsminister | 85485 | ||
Dear Matt, I couldn't agree with you more, and I also wish for you to know that the Scriptures agree with you as well! Yes, the DEAD are truly dead, not alive in some other form, DEATH is our ENEMY, robbing us of conscieness and life, not a FRIEND or a DOOR to the next life...let us review some history here about this view: The History of the Immortal-soul Teaching Several times we have mentioned the words immortal soul, but the phrase is found nowhere in the Bible. Where did the idea of an immortal soul originate? The concept of the soul’s supposed immortality was first taught in ancient Egypt and Babylon. “The belief that the soul continues in existence after the dissolution of the body is . . . speculation . . . nowhere expressly taught in Holy Scripture . . . The belief in the immortality of the soul came to the Jews from contact with Greek thought and chiefly through the philosophy of Plato, its principal exponent, who was led to it through Orphic and Eleusinian mysteries in which Babylonian and Egyptian views were strangely blended” (Jewish Encyclopedia, Funk and Wagnalls, New York, 1941, Vol. VI, “Immortality of the Soul,” pp. 564, 566). Plato, the Greek philosopher who lived 428-348 B.C., as a student of Socrates taught that the body and an “immortal soul” separate at death. The International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia comments on ancient Israel’s view of the soul: “. . . We are influenced always more or less by the Greek, Platonic idea, that the body dies, yet the soul is immortal. Such an idea is utterly contrary to the Israelite consciousness, and it is nowhere found in the [Old Testament]” (Eerdmans, Grand Rapids, 1956, Vol. II, “Death,” p. 812). Early Christianity was influenced by Greek philosophies even as the gospel of Christ was preached to the Greek and Roman world. By A.D. 200 the doctrine of the immortality of the soul became a controversy in the established church. The Evangelical Dictionary of Theology notes how Origen, an early and influential church theologian, was influenced by Greek thinkers: “Speculation about the soul in the subapostolic church was heavily influenced by Greek philosophy. This is seen in Origen’s acceptance of Plato’s doctrine of the preexistence of the soul as pure mind (nous) originally, which, by reason of its fall from God, cooled down to soul (psyche) when it lost its participation in the divine fire by looking earthward” (Baker Book House, Grand Rapids, 1992, p. 1037, “Soul”). Secular history reveals that the concept of the immortality of the soul is an ancient belief embraced by many pagan religions. But it is not a biblical, Hebrew or apostolic teaching. For further information about this, I recommend you visit the following sites: http://www.ucg.org http://www.lcg.org Although these churches both are Sabbath-keeping churches, they have more truth than the vast majority of Churchianity that promotes such pagan ideas as immortal soul and eternal torment for the wicked. |
||||||
9 | What do you believe? | Bible general Archive 1 | goodnewsminister | 85492 | ||
See Rev 20:12-15. According to God's Word, man is an immortal being. Where he spends eternity is up to him. The Apostle Paul expressed what all Christians hope(this is not wishful thinking, but CONFIDENT EXPECTATION) "to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord." (Please read 2 Cor 5:1-8) Did the Apostle Paul Expect to Go to Heaven? "For I am hard pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better. Nevertheless to remain in the flesh is more needful for you" (Philippians 1:23-24). Is Paul saying in these verses that he wants to depart from earth and be with Christ in heaven? What did he mean when he expressed his desire to be with Christ? Before focusing on what this scripture says, let's notice what it does not say. It does not say when or where Paul would be with Christ if he departed. Nor is there any reference to heaven in these verses. To conclude otherwise is to read assumptions into Paul's words. When writing to the Philippians, Paul was struggling with two desires. He wanted to depart this life and be with Christ, but he also wanted to remain with God's people. In his second letter to Timothy he speaks dogmatically; he knows the end of his physical life is near, and he is ready to depart: "For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing" (2Timothy 4:6-8). Here we learn what Paul means by being "with Christ." He understood that he was not to receive his reward immediately at death. Instead, there was laid up for him a crown of righteousness that he would be given "on that Day" of Christ's appearing, at Jesus' second coming. As Paul noted, Jesus will bring Paul's reward with Him. Paul will receive it at that time, not before, along with all others who will be resurrected at Christ's return. "Behold, the Lord GOD shall come with a strong hand, and His arm shall rule for Him; behold, His reward is with Him, and His work before Him" (Isaiah 40:10; see also Revelation 22:12). Paul explained to the Corinthians: "Behold I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed-in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed" (1 Corinthians 15:51-52). Paul knew he would receive his reward at Christ's coming: "For we all must appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad" (2 Corinthians 5:10). The time from Paul's death until his resurrection will seem to him but a mere moment. He will be with Christ and will be a glorified son of God in the next moment of his consciousness. No wonder Paul, weary of his sufferings in this life, desired to depart and be with Christ. Jesus also assured that where He is, there we (Christ followers) will be also. (John 14:1-6) And since He'll rule here on the Earth, so shall we be with Him! What do you believe will happen to you when your body dies? Precisely what the Bible says will happen, namely, 'dust thou ART, and to dust thou shalt RETURN', you were nonexistence once, and you'll return to that state at death. Were it not for Christ being the FIRSTFRUITS of them that slept, we would have NO HOPE of a future anywhere! Genesis 2 7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. Dust of the ground plus breath of life equals LIVING SOUL LIVING SOUL minus BREATH OF LIFE equals DUST OF GROUND or a dead corspe. BREATH OF LIFE minus DUST OF GROUND equals A DEAD CORSPE. Accept God's Truth that we do indeed DIE, and stop being mislead by the devil's FIRST LIE TO EVE, namely, THOU SHALT NOT SURELY DIE. |
||||||
10 | No, the dead are still DEAD...not alive! | Bible general Archive 1 | goodnewsminister | 85493 | ||
No, I'm not Brother Aust, but I am sure he does not mind me using his writings to spread the Truth. We do not work for acknowledgement in all that we do, the Truth is FREE, we buy it and sell it for free. We work for the Lord and not for the acknowledgement of men. I will note where I quote from in the future, if this is your desire. |
||||||
11 | Biblical support for your statements | Bible general Archive 1 | goodnewsminister | 85501 | ||
Dear Prazn, I appreciate your thoughts. However, in order to understand the true meaning of the Scriptures, we must of a necessity know the historical aspects to the Scripture which we hold in our hands. I'll admit that my views are RADICALLY different than most on this board are, but that's okay. We all have LIBERTY in Christ Jesus to agree to disagree, agreeably. I do not believe in the doctrine of the Trinity, nor do I believe in the immortality of the human soul or the eternal torment of the wicked. What I do believe in is the Gospel of the Kingdom, which Jesus and the Apostles taught! The world is NOT condemned any more than we are, as the WRATH of God upon us all is the death penalty, for the 'wages of sin is DEATH' Romans 6:23 plainly states, not eternal LIFE in torments, but DEATH the opposite of life. However, the GIFT of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord! My heart PRAISES HIM each day for His marvelous LOVE that is boundless, His Wisdom that is wiser than us all, His power that is matchless and His Justice that WILL NOT exact a more stiffer penalty for sin than what is deserved. If Eternal Torment in Hell fire were the penalty for sin, then Jesus would still be roasting in flames and thus He would be for all eternity, as HE TOOK OUR PLACE IN DEATH, in Hades, the Bible grave. By believing in the Devil's lie that death is but a door to the next life, you open yourself up to all kinds of error and bondage to the 'god of this world who hath blinded the minds of them which believe NOT' the True Gospel of the Kingdom. Eternal Torment—Not Sin’s Penalty. Question (1977)—How do we know that the penalty of sin is not eternal torment? Answer.—The Bible plainly states that the penalty of sin is death (Rom. 6: 23). Consider well the fact that our Lord Jesus took the place of sinners under the first (Adam’s) condemnation for sin (Rom. 5: 12, 15-19). Had the penalty for sin been everlasting torment, He, in paying our penalty, would have been compelled to suffer whatever the sinners were condemned to suffer as sin’s penalty. It is written (Isa. 53: 6) that Jehovah “hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.” Jesus bore our sins in His own body on the tree (1 Pet. 2: 24). He died, “the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God” (1 Pet. 3: 18). Jesus “gave himself a ransom [a corresponding price] for all, to be testified in due time” (1 Tim. 2: 6)—for we were all in Adam’s loins when he sinned and brought upon himself and his race the death penalty (Gen. 2: 17; 3: 19; Rom. 6: 23; Ezek. 18: 4, 20). One perfect human life was thus lost and one perfect human life was laid down as a ransom, or corresponding price; for “the Word was made flesh” (John 1: 14) and Jesus said (John 6: 51): “The bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.” Thus in providing the ransom-price, the corresponding price, for Adam and the race that was in his loins when he sinned, Jesus, in paying the debt for sin, tasted death for every man (Heb. 2: 9). He “died for our sins” (1 Cor. 15: 3)—note carefully, He does not suffer everlasting torment for our sins. Hence if there were no other evidence on the subject, this alone would be sufficient to prove that “the wages of sin is death” and not everlasting torment. Those who like to think that the wages of sin is eternal life in torment (always for others, of course, but never for themselves!) will have a hard time explaining how they can themselves possibly escape such a fate, seeing that such a debt as the wages of sin has never been paid on their behalf! If the wages of sin is eternal life in torment, then Adam and all his race must suffer eternal torment, for Jesus never paid such a debt on our behalf! Furthermore, it is hard to understand how Christian people who claim to be civilized to such an extent that they would not tolerate parents roasting their children in an oven, or roasting or otherwise practicing cruelty to dumb animals, and who claim to have too much love in their own hearts to torture their own children in fire, no matter what the children would do, can truly worship, reverence and love a God who they claim is not even up to their own standards of civilization and love and compassion, and who they claim will eternally torture and torment the great bulk of His human creatures. ’77-87 |
||||||
12 | What do you believe? | Bible general Archive 1 | goodnewsminister | 85502 | ||
Amen Brother Matt as God calls things from His point of view and as He sees the end from the beginning, all those in their Memorial tombs shall come forth, as Jesus said in John 5:28,29 and thus they are very much alive in His mind. Matt, what church or fellowship group do you associate with? What are your thoughts on the Trinity? Here are mine: Jehovah—And Jesus, Two Separate Beings. Question (1972)—Some claim that Jesus is Jehovah, that they are the same person, or being, under two different names. Is this correct according to the Scriptures? Answer.—No. Many Scriptures teach to the contrary, and show clearly that Jehovah and Jesus are two separate and distinct persons, or beings. Note, for instance, Psa. 110: 1, which clearly demonstrates that Jesus is not Jehovah: “The Lord [the Tetragrammaton (JHVH, or YHWH), used here, refers to Jehovah] said unto my [David’s] Lord [Hebrew, adon, not Jehovah, but His Son], Sit thou at my [Jehovah’s] right hand, until I [Jehovah] make thine [Jesus’] enemies thy footstool.” Here they are clearly distinguished from each other, and our Lord Jesus is shown not to be Jehovah. Note also Isa. 6: 1, 3, 5, 8, 11, 12, which verses treat of our Lord Jesus and of Jehovah as separate and distinct beings. In vs. 1, 8 and 11, our Lord Jesus is referred to by the Hebrew designation Adonai, which is indicated to English readers as such, in the KJV, the RSV, etc., by it being translated by the title “Lord” written with only the initial letter capitalized. But in vs. 3, 5, 12, JHVH, or YHWH, i.e., Jehovah, is the Hebrew word, as indicated in the KJV, the RSV, etc., by its translation Lord written entirely in capitals. Both Jehovah and Jesus are in v. 8 indicated by the word “us” in the prehuman Jesus’ question, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” The fact that these two designations Adonai and JHVH are used in Isa. 6, the former to designate Jesus and the latter to designate Jehovah, clearly proves that Jesus is not Jehovah. Jesus is here shown to be Jehovah’s Vicegerent, not Jehovah Himself. In many other places Jesus is clearly distinguished from Jehovah, and is thus manifestly proven not to be Jehovah. For example: Jesus is the Servant of Jehovah, not Jehovah Himself (Isa. 42: 1, 6, 19; 52: 13; 53: 11). He is Jehovah’s Arm, Agent, not Jehovah Himself (Isa. 53: 1). He is Jehovah’s Son, not Jehovah Himself (Psa. 89: 27; 2: 7, 12, compare with Acts 13: 33; Heb. 1: 5; 5: 5). He is Jehovah’s Angel, not Jehovah Himself (Gen. 22: 11, 15; Ex. 3: 2; Num. 22: 22-27, 31, 34, 35; Psa. 34: 7). He is Jehovah’s Companion, not Jehovah Himself (Zech. 13: 7; Prov. 8: 30). The above Scriptures, together with many others, clearly prove that the name Jehovah belongs exclusively to the Most High God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, and should never be applied to Jesus, the Son of Jehovah. ’72-94; ’94-93 |
||||||
13 | Please answer my previous question | Bible general Archive 1 | goodnewsminister | 85503 | ||
Matt, If you need help, let me know, I am available to help you find the Scriptures for these, but I am sure you should be able to 'give an answer of the hope that is within you with fear and trembling' as we're commanded to 'always be READY' to give such an answer...just let me know. 1 Peter 3 14But even in case you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, [you are] blessed (happy, to be envied). Do not dread or be afraid of their threats, nor be disturbed [by their opposition]. 15But in your hearts set Christ apart as holy [and acknowledge Him] as Lord. Always be ready to give a LOGICAL defense to anyone who asks you to account for the hope that is in you, but do it courteously and respectfully.(1) 16[And see to it that] your conscience is entirely clear ([1] unimpaired), so that, when you are falsely accused as evildoers, those who threaten you abusively and revile your right behavior in Christ may come to be ashamed [of slandering your good lives]. Be ready to give a LOGICAL reason, as God invites us to us our human REASONING when discussing Him, as Isaiah 1:18 tells us, "Come NOW and let us REASON together..." Isaiah 1 18Come now, and let us reason together, says the Lord. Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be like wool. Your brother in the HOPE of the Resurrection, Goodnewsminister Formerly an Independent Fundamentalist Hell-Fire Damnationist preacher and an ordained Missionary Baptist preacher, who left ALL of that life, including the secure wages and the free housing to serve the True and Living God and to proclaim His love and the love of His Son to all who have a 'hearing ear' to hear 'what the Spirit saith unto the churches.' |
||||||
14 | how to start reading the bible? | Bible general Archive 1 | goodnewsminister | 87697 | ||
Dear Friend, I'd be more than happy to help you come to a clearer understanding of God's Infinite Word, the inexaustible storehouse of golden diadems and gems of Truth! I recommend a certain series of books entitled "Studies in the Scriptures" to get you started on your way, that is, if you wish to use them to learn from. Just let me know? Email me your mailing address and I'll send you the 1st volume of the set and if you like what you learn, you can order the remainder. These are the best reference books I can refer you too, I also recommend purchasing a Strong's Concordance. Some websites I recommend you visit, where you can even read these volumes online are: http://www.bibletoday.com http://www.bible411.com http://www.biblestudents.net May the Good News permeate your life in the near future and give you HOPE! In Him awaiting the Coming Kingdom I remain, The Good News Minister |
||||||
15 | how to start reading the bible? | Bible general Archive 1 | goodnewsminister | 87698 | ||
Dear Friend, I'd be more than happy to help you come to a clearer understanding of God's Infinite Word, the inexaustible storehouse of golden diadems and gems of Truth! I recommend a certain series of books entitled "Studies in the Scriptures" to get you started on your way, that is, if you wish to use them to learn from. Just let me know? Email me your mailing address and I'll send you the 1st volume of the set and if you like what you learn, you can order the remainder. These are the best reference books I can refer you too, I also recommend purchasing a Strong's Concordance. Some websites I recommend you visit, where you can even read these volumes online are: http://www.bibletoday.com http://www.bible411.com http://www.biblestudents.net May the Good News permeate your life in the near future and give you HOPE! In Him awaiting the Coming Kingdom I remain, The Good News Minister |
||||||
16 | how to start reading the bible? | Bible general Archive 1 | goodnewsminister | 87705 | ||
WHAT IS "HELL"? SHOCKING as it may seem, you may go to "hell"! Many of your loved ones are RIGHT NOW in "hell"! But don't be alarmed! You probably never heard the TRUTH about what "hell" really is -- and where all of YOUR ideas on the subject came from in the first place. You probably just accepted, WITHOUT QUESTION, this world's idea of a horrifying, nightmarish place of never-ending torture for lost sinners. It's time we QUIT "swallowing" the IDEAS and THEORIES of confused humanity, and begin STUDYING the truth for ourselves in GOD'S Word! The Common Idea of Hell FIRST, let's notice the generally accepted common belief in our Western world about hell. Here's the terse and brief summation of this popular belief, from the "Encyclopedia Americana": "... As generally understood, hell is the abode of evil spirits; the infernal regions ... whither lost and condemned souls go after death to suffer indescribable TORMENTS and ETERNAL punishment .... Some have thought of it as the place created by the Deity, where He punishes, with inconceivable severity, and through all eternity, the souls of those who through unbelief or through the worship of false gods have angered Him. It is the place of DIVINE REVENGE, untempered, NEVER ENDING. This has been the idea most generally held by Christians, Catholics, and Protestants alike. It is also the idea embodied in the Mohammedan's conception." From the Pagans Now where, and how, did this popular belief about hell ORIGINATE? The "Encyclopedia Americana" states: "The main features of hell as conceived by Hindu, Persian, Egyptian, Grecian, and Christian theologians ARE ESSENTIALLY THE SAME." The Western religious leaders through the Middle Ages borrowed the doctrine of eternal torture FROM THE PAGAN PHILOSOPHERS. Certain of these writers of the Middle Ages had such tremendous influence on the Christian-professing world, that their writings and teachings came to be generally accepted and believed, until it became the doctrine of the Christian-professing world. Among these influential writers were Augustine (345-430 A.D.), and Dante Alighieri (1265-1321 A.D.). Dante wrote a tremendously popular book titled, "The Divine Comedy", in three parts -- HELL, Purgatory, and Paradise. There is another book titled "Dante and His Inferno", which sums up the history of the Christian-professing doctrine of HELL. This factual history says that "of all poets of modern times, Dante Alighieri was, perhaps, the greatest educator. He possibly had a greater influence on the course of civilization than any other man since his day ... he wrote, in incomprehensible verse, an imaginative and lurid account of a dismal hell -- a long poem containing certain phrases which caught the attention of the world, such as, 'ALL HOPE ABANDON ... YE, WHO ENTER HERE!' This had a tremendous impression and influence on the popular Christian thought and teaching. His 'Inferno' was based on Virgil and Plato." DANTE is reported to have been so fascinated and enraptured by the ideas and philosophies of PLATO and VIRGIL, who were pagan philosophers, that he believed they were divinely inspired. Here is an article on Virgil, from the "Americana": "Virgil, pagan Roman poet, 70-19 B.C., belonged to the national school of pagan Roman thought, influenced by the Greek writers. Christians of the Middle Ages, including Dante, believed he had received some measure of divine inspiration." PLATO was a pagan Greek philosopher, born in Athens, 427 B.C., a student of Socrates. He wrote the famous book, "Phaedo", on the immortality of the soul, and THIS book is the real origin of the modern belief in the immortality of the soul. [To be continued...] |
||||||
17 | how to start reading the bible? | Bible general Archive 1 | goodnewsminister | 87711 | ||
[...continue from first part...]So the world's concept of "hell" is admittedly a product of centuries of MAN'S THINKING on the great problem of reward and punishment which man associates with human deeds. It did NOT COME AS A REVELATION FROM GOD, but is rather the product of MAN'S THINKING -- using HUMAN REASON to decide what ONLY GOD CAN REVEAL! What About the Millions of Heathen? Now, before we examine to see whether man's idea of hell is TRUE, let us consider where this concept of hell, if true, leads us! On this earth there are more than three billion people! The most populous lands are China, India, and other parts of Asia, and in spite of missionaries from the West, actually MORE THAN HALF of all the people on the earth have NEVER SO MUCH AS HEARD THE ONLY NAME BY WHICH MEN MAY BE SAVED -- the name of JESUS CHRIST! For your Bible says, "... there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved" (Acts 4:12). This means that BILLIONS of people here on this earth have lived, and DIED, without having known anything about Christian salvation -- without SAVING KNOWLEDGE -- neither having heard the ONLY name by which men may be saved! Now think what that means. If all UNsaved have gone immediately to hell at death -- the hell commonly believed in -- then more THAN HALF the people who have ever lived on this earth have been consigned there without ever having been given so much as a CHANCE to escape it! They are ETERNALLY LOST IN TORMENTING "HELL FIRE"! Can you really believe THAT IS the plan by which an all-wise, all-merciful, LOVING GOD IS working out His purpose here below? WHAT IS THE TRUTH? We face these alternatives: Either the Holy Bible is the INSPIRED Word of God, by which the Creator REVEALS the TRUTH on this subject, or else we must fling up our hands and confess we JUST DON'T KNOW -- we are IGNORANT on the question -- because no one has ever COME BACK from such a hell to tell us about it. We must believe what the Bible says, or we can believe NOTHING, if we are rational and honest! IS there even such a thing as "hell fire"? What does the BIBLE say about it? Didn't Jesus say something about "hell fire"? Yes, He did! We are about ready for the actual lesson. But first, read these instructions. Before You Begin Is your Bible in front of you? If not, go GET YOUR BIBLE -- or Bibles if you have more than one translation. Also have several sheets of paper, and a pen, pencil or typewriter so that you can MAKE NOTES to help you in remembering what you learn. Remember -- you must open your Bible to EVERY PASSAGE. Never say to yourself, "Oh, I think I know what the scripture is referring to" -- and then pass over it. You need to KEEP YOUR NOSE IN THE BIBLE, SO to speak. You must READ and REREAD and STUDY EVERY PASSAGE in your Bible. Don't forget, this is a BIBLE STUDY COURSE -- not just a study of these lessons we send you. This lesson is intended to DIRECT YOU to the Bible -- to help you LEARN the TRUTH of God's Word. Now with your Bible, a good dictionary, and concordance, if you have one, and your stationery all in front of you, here is the METHOD of study. Write down neatly on your paper the lesson TITLE. Next write down the lesson number. As you come to each question section, write down ITS HEADING. Then, at the lefthand margin, print the NUMBER OF EACH QUESTION as you come to it, and WRITE DOWN THE BIBLE ANSWERS, together with any PERTINENT IDEAS that may come to your mind. Be sure to WRITE OUT THE SCRIPTURE which answers each question. Writing the answers and any comments you wish to make as you go along WILL HELP YOU GREATLY IN REVIEWING AND REMEMBERING WHAT YOU LEARN. Now we are ready to begin this lesson. Awaiting your responce on whether you wish to continue this lesson or not...I surely hope you're sincere, as God desireth those that are such to worship Him... Yours for the Good News, The Good News Minister |
||||||
18 | how to start reading the bible? | Bible general Archive 1 | goodnewsminister | 87736 | ||
Dear Friends, The Bible does not teach that we exist away from our bodies once we die, Plato taught this, and he was a pagan. The Devil taught this to Mother Eve saying," Thou shalt NOT SURELY DIE." Death is the wages of sin as Romans 6:23 states, but the Gift of God- that we all need- is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Don't be fooled by 'carm', they are an anti-cult group that are under the deception of the Adversary and they have fallen prey to Plato's philosophies, rather than read and understood God's inspired Word, the Bible. Grace to you all, The Good News Minister |
||||||
19 | how to start reading the bible? | Bible general Archive 1 | goodnewsminister | 87739 | ||
Dear Justme, I am neither 7th day, nor JW, nor HWA follower, I am follower of Jesus Christ and I worship and bow my knee to Him and the Father, from whom all life flows. May I likewise pose you the same questions: What if you are wrong? And at the judgement, you've found out that you've blasphemed God's character and Good name all these years by your teaching? What do you think He'll do with you? I am thoroughly convinced and persuaded that the understanding I have of the Truth is not just some 'theology', but the very knowledge of God, His character attributes, which their are primarily four, Love-Justice-Wisdom-Power and all four of these operate harmoniously. I also know that God is not a hypocrite, He would not tell ancient Israel to not burn their children in the fire to the god Molech, yet at the same time have a plan for burning His own offspring in eternal fire. I do believe as Jesus said, no one gets into the Kingdom of God but BY HIM! Precisely! Acts 4:12, for there is NO OTHER NAME given among men wherebe we MUST be saved! I do not reject Jesus Christ, I do reject 'another Jesus', 'another gospel', and 'another spirit', a spirit of evil that caused countless non-trinitarians to be burned at the stake for rejecting the erroneous doctrine of the Triune God. Such great and noble men as Miguel Servetus, who wrote the book "Errors of the Trinity" who was burned at the stake by John Calvin during the Reformation years. Orthodox views come from the wild beast of Revelation, the Roman church who has names of blasphemy written all over her forehead, and from her came all the protestant denominations that exist today and although they are sincere people, and sincerely wrong, I do love them and pity them for the Lord's sake and I do what I can to love them to the Turth of the Word of God. I dislike or hate no one. These are my thoughts. However, what is important are His thoughts, and not mine. What does the Bible say? Read Genesis 2:7 that tells us what we are: "And the Lord God formed man out of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life and man BECAME a living soul." We BECAME living souls, the Bible does not say that we have souls, or that we were given souls, it clearly states that we BECAME souls or nephesh or living creature, air-breathing creatures. I wish you a clearer understanding of His word. May His peace be yours today is my prayer and may His Truth be yours thereby: The Good News Minister! Preaching against the BAD News that most 'angels of light' preach today and standing firmly upon the promises of God's word that in the coming age, the 'knowledge of the Lord shall cover the earth as the waters cover the sea'. |
||||||
20 | how to start reading the bible? | Bible general Archive 1 | goodnewsminister | 87742 | ||
You clearly have a misunderstanding of the three hells that the Bible speaks of, namely: Hades or Sheol- The grave Tartoros- The prison of fallen angels Gehenna- the Lake of Fire I will go into these in this study later, if you'll be patient and are willing to GET YOUR BIBLE OUT and look up all these reference that I am prepared to give, maybe, just maybe, God can teach you something through His Holy Word. In Him, The Good News Minister |
||||||
Result pages: [ 1 2 3 ] Next > Last [3] >> |