Results 101 - 120 of 645
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Results from: Notes Author: JCrichton Ordered by Verse |
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Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
101 | What is the Holy Ghost? | NT general Archive 1 | JCrichton | 106616 | ||
BradK, Hi! You are so correct. I do not understand how people can read the Bible redifine all meaning, select a single passage on which to base their argument, and then quote someone who has the same distorted views as though that makes it so (right). And if you quote a passage like Hebrews 1:8 they either pretend it is not in the Bible or attempt to explain with interpretational language babble. There is only one Alpha and Omega, one King of Israel (corporal and Spiritual), one Lord, One God! I have a vivid recolection of a couple of believers that when we departed I commented "May the Holy Spirit guide your journey (or path)." They asked me to repeat myself and the look they gave me was that of someone speaking to them in a very foreign tongue. Paul was right!: speaking in tongue is a sign for the believers not the unbelievers! God Bless! |
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102 | What is the Holy Ghost? | NT general Archive 1 | JCrichton | 106618 | ||
Hi, Leox! When you conclude your study (Logos being the first created being), please post your findings. I am a believer that God does not lie and I am interested in the findings of someone that could prove Him wrong! Maran atha! |
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103 | What is the Holy Ghost? | NT general Archive 1 | JCrichton | 106619 | ||
Hi, Makarios! I hope that some of the guests who are still searching for the Truth read your post and that of the others who base their arguments on the Bible and not on third party's interpretation. God Bless! |
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104 | Christmas-Is It Christian? | NT general Archive 1 | JCrichton | 106764 | ||
Hello, Tim Moran! Thanks for your post. I also read the other posts you logged... It is interesting that we, as Christians, spend so much time in futility (searching out Scriptures not in the wisdom os the Holy Spirit but, as the Greeks, in man's wisdom; how we boast or attempt to degrade others for not seeing or understanding what we perceive as God's message; how we go out of our way to find points of divergence thus ignorign Christ's command to be ONE...). AO posted 1 Corinthians 1:10-13: it is evident that such problems have existed in the Church and will always exist (till the Lord's Second Coming). As Christians, shouldn't we be searching ways to unite the Church instead of reaping her apart? CHRISTmas can be an excellent axis point. And though it is true that the date Dec 25 is not of Biblical importance, Jesus' birth should be to everyone that calls him/herself a Christian. This brings me to a choice point. Did Christ tell the apostles to call themselves Christians? No! Our Lord said that the Paraclete would teach, counsel, remind... So the Spirit of Christ whispered to someone down the road and viola: we are Christians. Now, is there a specific person that has been atributed with calling the apostles Christians? No! While at Antioch, Barnabas and Saul, they were called Christians--pehaps by a Gentile(s) or the believers that gathered there (Acts 11:26). Keep up the good work, brother Tim. In Christ, Angel (aka JCrichton) |
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105 | Was there herding on/about December? | NT general Archive 1 | JCrichton | 106897 | ||
Taleb, hi! You are missing my point. Your previous example sets the date to Nov-Dec; I have always thought that it could be possible to get at least close approximation to Christ's birth date. But there are too many conflicting thoughts in the matter, so I gave it up. Your post perked up my interest. So I wondered what the climate would've been in that region around Jesus' birth. I thought perhaps you had some info on it. I still believe that a Dec date could be possible because we have experienced many mild Winters (Eastern region) in the US, and I conclude that it could have been such an experience for the shepherds and their herds! God Bless! |
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106 | Was there herding on/about December? | NT general Archive 1 | JCrichton | 106898 | ||
Thanks for the info, Taleb! I too believe that in this plane of existance we may not acquire the answers to all of our Biblical queries. What is important is how and what we do about the Bible's teachings. Jesus made it clear in so many ways (be glad not that you are able to do... but that your names be found in the Book of Life... paraphrase). Paul expounded this theme (I do not know... but then I will know Him as He knows me...) including the metamorphosis that we are to achieve! So it would be fantastic to discover all the hidden massages in the Bible, but what is truly important to Jesus is that we stand! (Luke 18:8) Merry Christmas! |
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107 | Was there herding on/about December? | NT general Archive 1 | JCrichton | 106901 | ||
Taleb, thanks again for the info. And as you quoted, had the celebration of the birth of the Immanuel been seen as evil by God, would the Holy Spirit not have made it general knowledge amongst all Christians? God Bless! Merry CHRISTmas! |
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108 | Matthew talked about JC as a Jew - why? | NT general Archive 1 | JCrichton | 108783 | ||
Hi, clinzey! It is difficult in today's society to take things seriously--specially those trying to stay young (with it). But guess what?, respect is not an option when it comes to God. And while we may trivialize and argue back and forth over the definitions of words and their origins... know this: we are not called to be budds with Christ Jesus! Though you display some knowledge of Biblical background, you seem to lack respect for that which you claim to be searching after. I am pretty sure that, if employed, you would not go to your boss in an overly familiar fashion or show up in shorts and t-shirt for a company meeting. And if you own your own business, would you tolerate lack of respect from your subordinates and your suppliers? Jesus was very "cool" as a Teacher and He even showed profound compasion for His followers; but, with all His Power, He never disrespected them! Jude spoke about just such situation in Jude 1:8-11. And he pronounced a terrible end for those being chastised. Please do not take offense: if you truely are seeking wisdom don't forget to go to God in humble obedience! (1 Corinthians 1:19-31) God Bless! |
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109 | Did Jesus actually go to Hell? | NT general Archive 1 | JCrichton | 117938 | ||
Hi, Medchill! The problem we have, as believers, is that we seek to find God in our terms (ie: Jehovah Witnesses forever stripping Christ of His Divinity, yet, simultaneously, calling themselves Christians--a clear contradiction in terms!). What the Bible say and what we wish to interprete (whether we read the great theologians or not) are not necessarily congruent. We cannot limit God by our finite abilities and understanding! Did Peter say that Jesus spent three days in hell? No! Did Peter say that the Holy Spirit preached to the spirits of those during Noah's time? No! Preaching about the Kingdom of God was introduced by Christ Jesus and so was the Divine intervention for our sins (all of our sins: for Christ's contemporaries, for Christ's predecessors, and for those who would follow Christ's death!). Are there errors in the Bible in reference to WHERE, WHO, HOW, WHEN Christ did or did not do something? No! We just simply choose to see one thing or another! Think about this: God is OMNIPRESENT, OMNISCIENT, ETERNAL, ALMIGHTY! Jesus is God! Everything is possible to God! If Jesus tells you that He ascended into Heaven when He died on the cross, would you believe Him? He said it! If Jesus tells you that He descended into the world of the dead (be it hades, hell or death), would you believe Him? He said it! If Jesus were to tell you not to touch Him because He had not yet ascended to the Father, would you believe Him? He told you! The Word is God and His Word is Truth: He taught the disciples the Truth, but He did not reveal all of the Truth. He promised that there would be another, the Paraclete, who would reveal all Truth, who would guide us, and dwell among and in us! The Holy Spirit did not inspire only the Old Testament books; He inspired all of the books in the Bible. So if Christ appeared to several or hundreds of disciples and He chose to appear to them individually or simultaneously... He has the power to do so! In the Spirit, the Word preached to those who were dead hundreds of years before He became incarnated, suffered, and was crucified (for them, for the Son of man's contemporaries, and for us--the rest of humanity). Remember, anybody can choose to interprete any passage(s) his/her own way... those who choose to limit God to their level of wisdom and understanding are only short-changing themselves! True, there are confusing statements made by Jesus... if we turn to the Jew for enlightenment we would find ourselves still waiting for a sign; if we turn to the Greek (Gentiles) for enlightenment, we would be waiting on science to open the gates of Heaven and transpose our bodies there! If we listen to Christ, we would hear the words: "everything is possible, to God! God Bless! Angel |
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110 | Jesus on cross | NT general Archive 1 | JCrichton | 117993 | ||
"I think this implies that Jesus did not go to the heaven impediately after his crusification but only after defeating Satan in Hell." Hi, Four Square! When you express it as the quote above I have no problems with it! True Mt 12:40 talks about Jesus spending three days and three nights (which were more like 2 nights and 2 days) buried... and yes, Jn 20:17 tells us that Jesus told Mary that He had not yet ascended to the Father... and though I agree with you that there is a passage that suggests that Jesus did not go immediately to the Father after His crucifixion, to my knowledge there is no passage(s) that states that Jesus spent three days and nights preaching to the spirits and defeting Satan, in Hell. The book of Revelation, which is prophetic, talks about the demise of Satan (Rev 20:1-10); these passages do not reflect back to Jesus' tomb nor to His preaching in the Spirit (1 Peter 3:18-22). Many times, the problem we have with the Scriptures is that we jump at discovering a clear cut answer... many times we only use our human instincts and wisdom... we lose the true meaning and teaching of the Scriptures. The Pharisees and Sadducees are clear examples of men who lived and breathed the Scriptures only to miss God's teachings! I hope not to cause confusion... Have you ever wonder why the Jehovah Witnesses keep hoping to find proof in the Bible that they are right about the Christ? These people and their disciples have grasped on to the fallacy that Christ is a sub-level god and refuse to accept, even the Scriptures, as proof that they are wrong! Now, was Jesus trying to trip the people when He spoke or was He revealing just enough Truth to get us to think and find our way to His Divinity? Check this example: I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep those you have given me true to your name, so that they may be one like us. While I was with them, I kept those you had given me true to your name... (John 17:11-12) Now, according to the above Scriptures, was Jesus in Heaven, with the Father, before He died and was buried? Certainly that is what is suggested by these two verses (no longer in the world; while I was with them)... Again, this is not meant as some sort of test of your abilities... I pointed this out to demonstrate that there are things written in the Bible that are quite clear while there are other things written that are not so readily absorbed! We need to confide in the Holy Spirit and allow His guidance to bring us to the Truth! God Bless! Angel |
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111 | Did Jesus actually go to Hell? | NT general Archive 1 | JCrichton | 117995 | ||
"Matthew 3:1-2 In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand" Hi, Norm! This is technically true! The only problem is that had Jesus not come into the world (...The Word became flesh, he lived among us... John 1:1-15), why would John be announcing the coming of the Kingdom? Perhaps I should have expressed it differently: the proclamation of the Kingdom of God and the rescue of all of humanity from our unrighteousness did not come into effect until, Christ Jesus, our Lord and Savior came into the world in the likeness of our own flesh and blood... (or something to that effect). Thank you for your assistance! God Bless! Angel |
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112 | what is worship,what is praise | NT general Archive 1 | JCrichton | 120849 | ||
Hi, Searcher! You have clarified the situation... There are differences between worship and service--though service could be done to serve God, in itself it is not necessarily worship. But they do go together as they both testify to our submission to God! Thanks for the info! God Bless! Angel |
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113 | Can you loose your salvation? | NT general Archive 1 | JCrichton | 123035 | ||
"for their salvation to be lost they would have to repeat their sin to the extent that they move further and further away from Christ until eventually "they' break relationship with Him." Hi, EdB! This is precisely my point! Though Salvation is a Gift from God... we have free will and through our actions we will either choose to Abide in Christ and accept the Gift or become so overly confident that we sin and refuse to repent both from our sins and from our sinful behavior claiming "Jesus already paid the price, so I'm totally saved!" Who was Jesus referint to if not believers in Matthews 7?: When the day comes many will say to me, "Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, drive out demons in your name, work many miracles in your name?" Then I shall tell them to their faces: I have never known you; away from me, all evil doers! (Matthew 7:22-23) Every single act that Jesus has mentioned in Matthew 7:22-23 implies knowledge of Christ; every single act also implies a powerful ability.. only those who are convinced that they know Christ (and perhaps think that they know Him waaay better than most) could perform duties/miracles in Jesus' Name! But Jesus' preceding words in Matthew 7:21 gives us the reason for Jesus' rejection of those who, though very well intentioned, "performed" in His Name: 'It is not anyone who says to me, "Lord, Lord," who will enter the kingdom of Heaven, but the person who does the will of my Father in heaven. Salvation is not a right, it is a gift; but, just as the last-minute wedding guest (Matthew 22:10-14), we have to receive Salvation as God has intended and not in a waterdown "come as you please" manner! I think that part of the confusion is that people think that if we quote from the Bible God is obligated to grant us Salvation... Did not the people of Israel receive an Eternal Promise? But as Paul says, not all who are born of Abraham are children of God: It is not that God's promise has failed. Not all born Israelites belong to Israel, and not all the descendants of Abraham count as his children... (Romans 9:6-7) So if God's Promise is not all inclusive in regards to the children of Israel, how can we expect God's gift to be all inclusive in regards to the gentiles? How could Yahweh reject His people for not Abiding in Him and Jesus grant Salvation to all, even those who would not Abide in Him? Those who demand to see a Biblical passage that precludes anyone from Salvation, be it Jew or Gentile, will never find it; but I caution them to take heed to Jesus' words: 'Why do you call me, "Lord, Lord" and not do what I say? (Luke 6:46) God Bless! Angel |
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114 | Can you loose your salvation? | NT general Archive 1 | JCrichton | 123058 | ||
Hi, EdB! Thank you for your comments! "and I fail to understand in light of "ALL" scripture how others do not hold a similar position." I keep praying that the Holy Spirit enlighten us all... it is as if we were reliving Jesus' encounters with the Masters of the Law, Sadducees, and Pharisees... I mean they were experts in the Scripture, both the oral and written traditions, yet they could not reason beyond their preconcieved doctrinal teachings--even when Jesus check them (Matthew 23:13, 15, 23, 25, 27)they refused to listen and obey! Conversely, those who came to Jesus in humility, as the Samaritan woman, accepted His Word and were transformed! God Bless! Angel |
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115 | Can you loose your salvation? | NT general Archive 1 | JCrichton | 123062 | ||
Hi, JonCohen! True these people are nothing but false prophets, that is why Jesus rejects them. But they also know enough about the Truth to be able to preach Jesus and produce signs that would be seen as that of the genuine disciples. Yet, they have failed to listen to Christ's command: they have failed to remain in Him. They simply apropriated what they thought they needed and some how, in some way, circumvented Jesus! I based this on Jesus' reply to John (and the rest of the disciples) when they forbade those who were not part of Jesus discipleship from casting out devils in Jesus' name (Luke 9:49-50): had these people simple been off on their own celebrating Christ and preaching Christ, why would Jesus reject them? But if they picked and chose what they would believe and follow... that is totally a different matter! Further, these people (Matthew 7:22-23) were expecting to receive Jesus' aproval and eternal salvation--they were not simply users, as Simon the machician (Acts 8:9-21), these people were erroneously convinced that they had been living in God's grace! Many of us today are convinced that we are not just God's children and coheirs with Christ but that we have some how been granted complete absulotion from all our present and future infractions; that we do not need to repent nor ask God for forgiveness; that we can, if we chose to do so, hold back even the thought of remorse and die in the certainty of "salvation-no-matter-what!" Somehow they have twisted the Scriptures to hold Christ accountable to all their past, present, and future transgressions and believe that Christ will obediently and automatically grant them full exoneration whenever they choose to sin. It is as though the Creator must concede to the creature and humbly allow full passage into the Heavenly Kingdom! But I caution, not even the children of Israel were granted unconditional Salvation by the Promise: It is not that God's promise has failed. Not all born Israelites belong to Israel, and not all the descendants of Abraham count as his children, for Isaac is the one through whom your Name will be carried on. That is, it is not by being children through physical descent that people become children of God; it is the children of the promise that are counted as the heirs. (Romans 9:6-9) The Promise to Israel is eternal and so is God's Gift of Salvation to the rest of humanity, but on both God has placed a conditon of merit: Tell them, "Yahweh, God of Israel, says this: Cursed be anyone who will not listen to the terms of this covenant which I ordained for your ancestors when I brought them out of Egypt, out of that iron-foundry. Listen to my voice, I told them, carry out all my orders, then you will be my people and I shall be your God, (Jeremiah 11:3-4) Anyone who does not remain in me is thrown away like a branch --and withers; these branches are collected and thrown on the fire and are burnt. (John 15:6) Then he said to me, 'It has already happened. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give water from the well of life free to anybody who is thirsty; anyone who proves victorious will inherit these things; and I will be his God and he will be my son. But the legacy for cowards, for those who break their word, or worship obscenities, for murderers and the sexually immoral, and for sorcerers, worshippers of false gods or any other sort of liars, is the second death in the burning lake of sulphur. (Revelation 21:6-8) It sure sounds nice to say that a loving God will not cast anyone to hell (which He does not) and it sure sounds nice to say that once saved always saved (no matter how we transgress or reject Christ)... but Salvation came at too high a price for "Christians" to circumvent God by setting their own conditions on how we are saved! God Bless! Angel |
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116 | Can you loose your salvation? | NT general Archive 1 | JCrichton | 123141 | ||
Hi, JonCohen! The point I was trying to make is that Christ did not forbid His Name to be used by those particular people in Luke 9:49-50 because, as He is God, He was able to see that in their hearts these people truly believed in Him. It is like the centurion who asked for assistance from Christ. He understood Jesus' Power far more clearer then even the disciples at that particular time of their development. He trusted Jesus to do what was needed to be done, in the Spirit! This man, who by definition of his title was an enemy of Israel, could not have been too welcomed in the Jewish synagogues so his faith had to be a product of the Holy Spirit's direct intervension: though not part of the fold he was keenly aware of Jesus and his faith in Him was evident in how he trusted Jesus! The disciples could not see into the heart of the centurion nor could they see into the heart of those in Luke 9:49-50... with only human intuition guiding them, the disciples became zealously alarmed and saught only to refrain them from using Christ's Name. I liken this passage (Luke 9:49-50) to Acts 10:44-48, where through Peter's preaching the Holy Spirit comes upon the Gentiles and a mini-Pentecost is revealed! When we abide in Christ we are able to do God's Will, even if we are unlearned, illiterate, or just iniciated!: it is not a matter of human wisdom but a matter of God's Will: But at work in all these is one and the same Spirit, distributing them at will to each individual. (1 Corinthians 12:11) Because of that, I want to make it quite clear to you that no one who says 'A curse on Jesus' can be speaking in the Spirit of God, and nobody is able to say, 'Jesus is Lord' except in the Holy Spirit. (1 Corinthians 12:3) This latter passage is of course a spiritual reference where God cannot be fooled by pretense and empty praises! God Bless! Angel |
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117 | Where does membership come from? | NT general Archive 1 | JCrichton | 123178 | ||
Hi, Jal! What do you understand by "community"? Can one person be a community? Can you forgive yourself so that your Father in Heaven forgive you? Can you bring yourself to Christ? Can you preach Christ to yourself? If Christ did not mean for us to form His Community why would He make such a fuss when speaking to Peter and the other disciples?: So I now say to you: You are Peter and on this rock I will build my community. And the gates of the underworld can never overpower it. (Matthew 16:18) And in John 21, was Jesus worried about the family's sheeps that He would be leaving behind and could only entrust Peter to make sure that they were fed or was He using a metaphor commanding Peter to tend to His Spiritual Flock?: When they had eaten, Jesus said to Simon Peter, 'Simon son of John, do you love me more than these others do?' He answered, 'Yes, Lord, you know I love you.' Jesus said to him, 'Feed my lambs.' A second time he said to him, 'Simon son of John, do you love me?' He replied, 'Yes, Lord, you know I love you.' Jesus said to him, 'Look after my sheep. Then he said to him a third time, 'Simon son of John, do you love me?' Peter was hurt that he asked him a third time, 'Do you love me?' and said, 'Lord, you know everything; you know love you.' Jesus said to him, 'Feed my sheep. (John 21:15-17) If Christ did not want us to be part of a body, why would He introduce the idea of unity--and don't think that He was speaking only in a spiritual sense! When the promise of the Holy Spirit was to be fulfilled, did everyone just simply go to their own individual homes and awaited for their personal seal into the "spiritual" community? They were instructed by Christ to remain together!: With one heart all these joined constantly in prayer, together with some women, including Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers. (Acts 1:4) Whe Pentecost day came round, they had all met together, (Acts 2:1) Then Peter stood up with the Eleven and addressed them in a loud voice... (Acts 2:14) They accepted what he said and were baptised. That very day about three thousand were added to their number. (Acts 2:41) These remained faithful to the teaching of the apostles, to the brotherhood, to the breaking of bread and to the prayers. (Acst 2:42) they praised God and were looked up to by everyone. Day by day the Lord added to their community those destined to be saved. (Acst 2:47) But many of those who had listened to their message became believers; the total number of men had now risen to something like five thousand. (Acts 4:4) As soon as they were released they went to the community and told them everything the chief priests and elders had said to them. (Acts 4:23) So the Twelve called a full meeting of the disciples and addressed them, 'It would not be right for us to neglect the word fo God so as to give out food; (Acts 6:2) ...Here we all are, assembled in front of you to hear all the instructions God has given you.' (Acts 10:33) ...And it happened that they stayed together in that church a whole year, instructing a large number of people... (Acts 11:26) There are many other Biblical passages which talk about the Chruch of Christ: Acts 13:1-2; 14:23, 27; 15:2-3, 4, 22, 30-31; 16:5; 20:17 Romans 16:1, 4, 5, 16, 23 1 Corinthians 1:2; 4:17; 6:4; 7:17; 10:32; 11:16, 18, 22; 12:28, 14:4, 5, 12, 19, 23, 28, 33, 34, 35; 15:9; 16:1, 19; 2 Corinthians 1:1; 8:1, 18, 19, 23, 24; 11:8, 28; 12:13 Galatians 1:2, 13, 22 Ephisians 1:22; 3:10, 21; 5:24, 25, 27, 29, 32 Philippians 3:6; 4:15 Colossians 1;18, 24; 4:15, 16 1 Thessalonians 1:1; 2:14 2 Thessalonians 1:1, 4 1 Timothy 3:5, 15; 5:16 Philemon 1:2 Hebrews 2:12, 23 James 5;14 1 Peter 5:13 3 John 1:6, 9 Revelation 1:4, 11, 20; 2:1, 7, 8, 11, 12, 17, 18, 23, 29; 3:1, 6, 7, 13, 14, 22; 22:16 If Jesus did not mean to establish the Church as an extension of Himself, for the communion of His disciples, why so much ado? When we read the entire Bible we find that God chose a people on to Himself and, though made up of individuals, the community cannot come to God in an individual, "I stand alone," basis! Still not convinced, lets revisit Acts 2:47: they praised God and were looked up to by everyone. DAY BY BY THE LORD ADDED TO THEIR COMMUNITY THOSE DESTINED TO BE SAVED. If the Church was a tool of the past, then we are all damned for those who were destined to be saved had been added to that community; if the community ceases to exist than we are the remainder of the world who would not be able to enter into the Kingdom of God! (Revelation 20:15) God Bless! Angel |
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118 | Where does membership come from? | NT general Archive 1 | JCrichton | 123284 | ||
Hi, jalanlambert! I respect you opinion... still it is my obligation to counsel you to rethink your position. True, we are in the world. But we are not meant to be of the world. The Church was established by Christ and it is our duty as Christians to nourish and maintain the Body of Christ--not the Spiritual Body, in which we have no authority nor means to influence as we are only made in God's image--and not God. But the physical Body of which Jesus Christ is the Head and the Foundation. Instead of looking at man and his limitations, we should seek the Lord and labor to correct the errors found in the Church: we should'nt strive to dismantle the Church since God has ordained her!: since, as Christ is head of the Church and saves the whole body, so is a husband the head of his wife; and as the Chruch is subject to Christ, so should wives be to their husbands, in everythig. husbands should love their wives, just as Christ loved the Church and sacrificed himself for her to make her holy by washing her in cleansing water with a form of words, so that when he took the Church to himself she would be glorious, with no speck or wrinkle or anything like that, but holy and faultless. In the same way, husbans must love their wives as they love their own bodies; for a man to love his wife is for him to love himself. A man never hates his own body, but he feeds it and looks after it; and that is the way Christ treats the Church, because we are parts of his Body. This is why a man leaves his father and mother and becomes attached to his wife, and the two become one flesh. This mystery has great significance, but I am applying it to Christ and the Church. (Ephesians 5:23-32) God Bless! Angel |
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119 | Where does membership come from? | NT general Archive 1 | JCrichton | 123700 | ||
Hi, Jal! I understand exactly what you are saying… part of the problem is that the Church has become a place of congregation, as common as the mall or any other public environment: a place where people show up, drop their tithes, do some sing-a-long, throw in some Amens, meet their acquaintances, get some “feel-good” emotions and… viola, they have fulfilled their daily/weekly/monthly Christian obligations! What we do individually matters to God--not what others do or do not do. Christ command to Peter was a general command to all disciples: “build my Church!”--paraphrased. Our task, as Christians, is not to sample every thing there is and accept certain things while rejecting others… Our task is to be faithful to Christ! Part of that fidelity can be demonstrated by enlightening the Church, correcting the errors that it may have, and uniting the Church--all of these task require love, humility and patience. Wondering from place to place will not accomplish this! Falling for whatever new doctrine that emerges will only accomplish more schism of the Body! It is your task, as that of every single Christian, not to find and point out the faults in the Church, but to work to eradicate them once found! And, to just dismantle the Church is definitely not the answer! Do not worry about you giving a thousand percent when others seem to just be parasites and leeches… our calling is to give a thousand percent, or 10 percent if that is all we are able to give (time, labor, financial support…), to the Lord without regards to anyone else’s offerings (check out the parable of the laborers and the vineyard--Matthew 20:1-16). Labor to build the Church and do not allow Satan to use the weaknesses of others to rob you of the beauty of serving our Lord, Jesus Christ. Maran atha! Angel |
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120 | Because he betrayed Jesus? | NT general Archive 1 | JCrichton | 127816 | ||
"his "infamous" ways" Hi, new Christian! I have felt this approach to Peter in various forums and in live exchange... I can only imagine that it is because of the emphasis placed on him by the Catholic Church... ...unlike the rest of the disciples, Peter was quick to follow Jesus at every opportunity... he did not consider himself better than the rest, he simply took on to the Lord! Was he perfect? No! But he was singled out by God from amongst the Eleven! (Matthew 16:17, 18, 19; Matthew 26:34; John 21:15, 16, 17). Did he speak out of turn? No! Did he speak without weighing the full consequence of his words? Yes! Did he betray Jesus? No! There was only one betrayer: Judas. It is notable to read what transpired with the Eleven between the time of Jesus' arrest and His death on the cross: a) One of them draw a sword and attempted to repel those who came to imprison Jesus--it was Peter. b) Once Jesus admonished Peter all of the disciples had no recourse but to flee (fearing the same treatment from those who came to take Jesus away). c) They all fled Jesus' side only hours, perhaps minutes after they had stated that they would stay with Him till the end... they all failed! d) Only two of Jesus' disciples followed Him through the ordeal--well till one of them was discovered: Peter and another disciple stayed within sight of Jesus. Sadly, Peter was recognized as one of His disciples and, out of pure fear, he denied knowing the Master. It would seem that only the other disciple was firm in his conviction to stay at Jesus' side... but when the event is scrutinized, we find that this particular disciple was a familiar face in this establishment--clearly they would not suspect as a disciple or a sympathizer someone who was known to them! Had Peter had the favor that this disciple had, he would surely had stayed with Jesus till the end! When assessing Peter's character and conviction we forget that the other disciples followed his lead--it was the younger disciple that made it to the empty tomb... but he stayed at the entrance, and only after Peter went in did he too do the same... There's a passage of Scripture where Paul admonishes Peter for living a duality (separating himself from the Gentiles when receiving representatives from Jerusalem), but Paul did not say that Peter continued this behavior after his admonishion... Still, this is not an indication that Peter was infamous... after all, was it not Peter who protected the right of the Gentiles (Acts 10:44 through 11:18 and 15:1-12)? They say that hindsight is always 20/20... but if we are prejudicial in our hearts our retrospection will be contaminated by our prejudice! Let us place ourselves in the experience of the Eleven before we conclude that some were cowards or less righteous than others or even than ourselves! God Bless! Angel |
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