Results 121 - 140 of 494
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Results from: Notes Author: stjones Ordered by Date |
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Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
121 | Debate Arminian/Calvinist views? | 2 Pet 3:9 | stjones | 82524 | ||
Hi, Ed; You raise some good questions. I have to wonder if Peter and Paul had disagreements with the wisdom and authority they posessed, how could we, 2000 years later, not? I agree with you about the labels. I'm an elder in a Presbyterian church, so I guess that makes me a Calvinist. But I'm just a teensy bit Arminian. Call me a Calvinist, call me an Arminian, as long as Jesus calls me his, I don't mind. Peace and grace, Steve aka Indiana Jones |
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122 | The tomb is empty! | Matt 28:6 | stjones | 81783 | ||
The tomb is empty! Blessings to all this joyous morning! We discuss many things on this forum and we sometimes disagree passionately. But let us all agree with greater passion this morning: Jesus Christ is risen; he is risen indeed! Peace and grace, Steve aka Indiana Jones |
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123 | Debate Arminian/Calvinist views? | 2 Pet 3:9 | stjones | 81782 | ||
Hi, Ed; I sometimes wonder if the unity that Christ referred to extends to unity of church organizations. God has been pretty consistent in organizing humans internally, not externally. The nation of Israel existed before and after there was a geopolitical entity by that name. Likewise the Kingdom of God is not now a physical entity. I don't think the body of Christ is an external organization either. Our identity as members of that body is internal. Every church has wolves in sheeps' clothing who on the outside appear to be members of the body but internally are not. I don't think God has a problem with denominations; I think God has a problem with denominations fighting among themselves. I think God has a problem with denominations that teach doctrines that contradict his Word, not with denominations that see differences in understanding what the Word says. I agree that it is wrong for denomination or doctrines to contradict the Word. But if there were just one possible way to understand the Bible, this forum wouldn't exist - or it would be very boring. Indeed, your assertion that "we believe in the literal acceptance of the Bible or not" is a statement of doctrine, one with which I disagree. I think we vary in the extent to which we interpret the Bible literally. Of course, you and I have disagreed on this in the past, so I don't suppose that we'll agree now. But here's something I know we agree on: the tomb is empty! As we'll sing in worship later this morning, "Christ the Lord is risen today. Allelujah!" Peace and grace, Steve aka Indiana Jones |
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124 | holy spirit guide men to write bible | 2 Tim 3:16 | stjones | 81781 | ||
Hi, Ray; Sorry for the long delay in responding. I am inclined to think that many instances of uncapitalized "spirit" are cases where the Holy Spirit is described but not named. For example, I may refer to Joe Pastor as the "pastor from First Presbyterian", or the "pastor from the church across the street", or "my pastor". They all refer to the same person but no capitalization is necessary in three of the cases. They are informal titles, not names. Likewise, I'm inclined to think that the "spirit of truth" and "God's spirit" are informal titles for the person whose name is the Holy Spirit. When Paul speaks of "a man's spirit within him", that is another case of a generic "spirit" not referring to a particular spirit by name. But I think that's just a general rule. Each case needs to be decided by the context - a good study, I would think. But that reaises another question. God is spirit. Is there a part of him that is not spirit? If so, it makes sense to refer to God's spirit apart from God himself. if God is pure spirit, then his spirit is himself with his many names. If God is pure spirit, then it seems "God's sprit" would refer to a spirit apart from God in some sense. I think the most like candidates (again determined by context) are (1) the Holy Spirit, who is both unified with and distinct from God the Father, and (2) the spirit that God gives to each person (Ecclesiastes 12:7) BTW, I have to disagree with your intrepretation of Luke 11:20. The word "finger" used in other contexts just means "finger" - i.e. Jesus writing with his finger in John 8:6, or criticizing lawyers in Luke 11:46 for not touching their own burdens with so much as a finger. I think Jesus was just saying that it takes very little effort for God to drive out a demon. This is an interesting discussion, but I am reminded that, in light of the event we are celebrating today, not life-changing. Hallelujah! He is risen! Peace and grace Steve aka Indiana Jones |
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125 | Debate Arminian/Calvinist views? | 2 Pet 3:9 | stjones | 81406 | ||
Hi, Ed; Sorry; probably shouldn't have jumped in the middle since I agree that any label beyond "Christian" should be superfluous. Unfortunately, there are lots of people who identify themselves as "Christians", naming themselves after a Christ not found in the Bible. I find myself having to identify myself as an "evangelical Christian" to distinguish myself from the Modernists who mold God and Jesus into their own likenesses. My point was just that doctrine is not necessarily a bad thing for the reasons I gave. Given that, I don't think denominations are necessarily a bad thing either. Disunity in the Body of Christ arises when people think their doctrine is the only doctrine or when they think their denomination is the Body. Of course, disunity also arises when evangelicals and modernists find themselves in the same denomination (mine, for example) discussing doctrine. But that can happen in a local house church too, so it's no condemnation of denominations. Peace and grace, Steve aka Indiana Jones who is a Presbyterian but not necessarily a Calvinist |
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126 | Debate Arminian/Calvinist views? | 2 Pet 3:9 | stjones | 81360 | ||
Hi, Ed; Since the Bible does not mention "dispensations", I assume you consider dispensationalism heretical as well. There are pre-millenialists, post-millenialists, and a-millenialists, all of them believing that they took the whole Word and rightly divided it. It seems that at least two groups must be heretical; maybe they all are. God did not give us a theological treatise. He gave us a story. Most doctrines (and most discussions on this forum) result from finite humans trying to understand the infinite mind behind the story. This isn't just an intellectual exercise. The Bible does not tell us how to behave in every situation. One of the reasons the Pharisees got into trouble was that instead of developing a theology - an organized set of principles that might guide people - they came up with rules. One problem with this approach is that every new situation requires a new rule. Grace makes it even harder - how am I to understand and apply the law of the new covenant that God has placed in my mind and written on my heart? (Jeremiah 31:33) Theology and doctrine simply try to organize the events and words of God's story into consistent principles. Luther, Calvin, Arminius, Knox, Wesley, all simply tried to find a way to organize the truth revealed in the Bible - organize it, not alter it. Calvin's TULIP doctrine is distasteful to many people but it is derived only from the Bible, not from any other source, and not from Calvin's imagination. Jesus told me to love my neighbor. That doesn't help me to choose between sacrificial love and tough love in a specific circumstance - Jesus exhibited both at various times. It's fine to disparage doctrine, but every time you offer a panhandler a meal instead of the dollar he asked for, you are applying doctrine of your own or someone else's making. If you tithe 10 percent because you believe that God commands it, you are applying doctrine. If you celebrate Easter or Christmas or sing a Fanny Crosby hymn in church, you are applying doctrine. With TULIP, Calvin did not change the gospel; he harmonized it with the rest of the Bible. I doubt he got it right, but it's not heresy. Much of what I see on Christian TV today comes a lot closer to heresy than Calvin did. Peace and grace, Steve aka Indiana Jones who got most of his doctrine from C. S. Lewis' "Mere Christianity" |
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127 | holy spirit guide men to write bible | 2 Tim 3:16 | stjones | 81002 | ||
Hi, Ray; Thanks for the Scripture references. I think your examples represent an interaction of Spirit and spirit. Just to stick with 1 Corinthians 2:12, I don't see it quite the same way because of v. 11: "The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man's spirit within him? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God". I agree that our spirit plays a part in the spiritual wisdom Paul is writing about - the Spirit of God, who knows "the deep things of God", informs our spirit. But what sets the saints apart is that our spirit is informed by God's Spirit while the non-believer's spirit is informed by the "spirit of this world" - Satan. Likewise, our spirit without the Holy Spirit wouldn't cast out many demons (Matthew 12:28). I think the key is the interaction or even the intermingling (if that's what it means to be indwelt) of God's own Spirit and our spirit given by God. But this isn't an argument that I would press because I don't think I can fully grasp the relationship among our minds and spirits and the Holy Spirit of God. It's entirely possible that, from God's perspective, we're like the two blind men who got hold of an elephant. You grabbed a leg and tell me it's like a tree; I grabbed the trunk and tell you it's like a big snake. In our finiteness, we can't see the whole thing, so we're both right but neither one of us has the complete picture. Or maybe you're right on the money and I'm completely wrong. It's happened once or twice before. ;-) Why do you suppose this thread is restricted from appearing on the home page? Peace and grace, Steve aka Indiana Jones |
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128 | holy spirit guide men to write bible | 2 Tim 3:16 | stjones | 80744 | ||
Hi, Ray; You're right; I missed it. Now that I see what you meant; it's a good thought. I think Paul makes a similar distinction in 1 Corinthians 2:11 - "For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man's spirit within him? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God." - spirit and Spirit, Spirit speaking to spirit. Peace and grace, Steve aka Indiana Jones |
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129 | Is 'Pneuma' really feminine? | Jer 7:18 | stjones | 80741 | ||
Hi, Hank; It's a struggle. But there are so many people who are being led astray and won't leave because they don't know it. Besides, the denomination owns and operates so many missions, clinics, hospitals where God's work is being faithfully done that it's worth fighting for. I joined the PC(USA) because of a faithful congregation that I have served as a Deacon and now serve as an Elder. I don't want to turn my back on them either. Prayers are always appreciated. Peace and grace, Steve aka Indiana Jones |
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130 | shekina glory | Jer 7:18 | stjones | 80676 | ||
Hi, Tim; "Reinvent" is the wrong word. The centerpiece of this pagan philosophy (one can hardly call it "theology" since the Theos is so irrelevant) was the "Re-Imagining God" conference held in Minneapolis in 1993. The title tells you everything you need to know - since we imagined God to begin with, we are free to re-imagine him any way we wish. This link will give you some idea of what this appalling pagan celebration was all about: www.watchman.org/reltop/reimagin.htm Peace and grace, Steve aka Indiana Jones |
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131 | holy spirit guide men to write bible | 2 Tim 3:16 | stjones | 80672 | ||
Hi, Ray; Interesting question - one that causes me to wax philosophical, so be warned! I don't know how your thought works in Hebrew or Greek, but I think the idea is intriguing. Maybe it comes down to what it actually means to be indwelt by the Holy Spirit. If the Holy Spirit remains a separate entity who speaks to my mind and spirit, then I think it would be more accurate to say that the Holy Spirit does the breathing/inspiring. But if the Holy Spirit infuses my entire being and speaks directly through my words, then it would be more accurate to say, as you suggest, that the Holy Spirit is the breath/inspiration. I sort of incline toward the separate entity just because it seems it would be easier for my sinful nature to ignore him as it too often does. This may be more consistent with the struggle Paul describes in Romans 7:7-25. I know that the Holy Spirit has affected my words - when suddenly called upon to pray in public, for example, or when (against all odds) I say exactly the right thing in a difficult situation, or when (lay) preaching without notes. I say "affected" because I can't describe the process that caused the words and ideas to come out of my mouth. I can't say that I "heard a voice", but the mind is a mysterious thing. The Spirit could speak to my subconscious mind and cause his message to come out in my words. Does the Spirit relay words through our minds or assume control of our mouths or pens and deliver his message directly? Speaking in tongues might be an example of the Spirit assuming direct control, but, again, I don't really know. I think the truth is that both explanations are kind of right and kind of wrong. The older I get the more convinced I am that human language can't capture the complete picture of anything to do with God. One of my favorite passages is 1 Corinthians 2:6-16. It doesn't really answer the question but expresses a truth that is bigger than the question. Thanks for getting me started this morning thinking about "the deep things of God" instead of the war or paying bills. Peace and grace, Steve aka Indiana Jones |
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132 | Two questions on Daniel Chapter 5 | Dan 5:25 | stjones | 80621 | ||
Thanks for your reply. | ||||||
133 | Two questions on Daniel Chapter 5 | Dan 5:25 | stjones | 80535 | ||
Hi, J; You said: "I don't worry about picking to pieces scripture...the Bible tells us this is foolishness, debate for the sake of debate..It takes our hearts and minds off of what is really important in scripture." Others have asked your source for this claim; I'll just mention that the Bible gives the example of the more noble Berean Jews who searched the Scriptures daily. Besides, this is a forum for bible study, is it not? We aren't discussing Gemmorah or Talmud, only Scripture. Peace and grace, Steve aka Indiana Jones |
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134 | Did Jesus go to hell? | 1 Peter | stjones | 80530 | ||
Hi, Graceful; One of the key lessons of Job is that every bad thing that happens to us happens because God, in his sovereign will, permits it to happen. Nothing happens without God's assent. Another key lesson of Job is that it is wrong to assume, as Job's friends did, that bad things are evidence of sin or signs of God's disapproval. Indeed, Job's trials came as the result of God's high regard for him. "We’ve seen too many good Christians striving to 'believe' their sickness away, and finally collapsing into self-condemnation and utter discouragement over their 'lack of faith' or the 'sin' in their lives." The sad irony of this is that they are committing the same error Job's friends did, but in their error, they are condemning themselves. Of course, we don't always correctly identify the good and bad things. Paul eventually recognized that, contrary to all human judgment, the thorn in his side was actually a good thing. Peace and grace, Steve aka Indiana Jones |
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135 | Living with the world's hatred?? | John 17:14 | stjones | 80241 | ||
Greetings, REV GRANT 111; Funny how God works - I had long forgotten that answer. Your note led me back to it just when I needed to be reminded. Thanks. Peace and grace, Steve aka Indiana Jones |
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136 | Searching for the truth | Mark 13:32 | stjones | 79921 | ||
Good answer. You may be interested in my observations concerning the prophecy industry in message #79212. Or you may not. ;-) Peace and grace, Steve aka Indiana Jones |
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137 | Does the Bible say protect Israel | Bible general Archive 1 | stjones | 79918 | ||
Hi, Truthfinder; I don't know if "common knowledge" is historically accurate or not, but God knows who Abraham's descendants are. It's not necessary that we know. Whatever role Israel (the people, not the modern state, IMHO) has yet to play in the fulfillment of prophecy will be played. Peace and grace, Steve aka Indiana Jones |
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138 | Does the Bible say protect Israel | Bible general Archive 1 | stjones | 79863 | ||
Hi, Searcher; I agree that there are many people people living in the geopolitical entity named Israel who are also part of the people named Israel. I think the the key is to distinguish between the people and the state. (I know you know the history of Israel, I'm just summarizing to explain my point. Besides other reader may be less familiar with it.) The people get the name Israel from their ancestor Jacob, whom God renamed Israel. They are heirs to the promise made to Abraham, Jacob's grandfather. Thus the people named Israel existed before they, with God's help, subdued Canaan and established a state named for them - Israel. The authority of that state lay in the Law of Moses. That state had boundaries set by God and was ruled by a king - first God himself, later Saul, David, and Solomon. After Solomon, the state named Israel split in two and eventually disappeared. But the people named Israel, while dispersed, were still the descendants of Abraham, still heirs, still chosen by God. For roughly 2500 years, there was a people named Israel but no state by that name - no king, no fixed boundaries, nothing that makes a state. Then, in 1948, in response to the horror of the Holocaust, the U.N. created a new state to be a safe haven for the people still known as Israel. There was no Moses, no Joshua. The U.N., not God, established the boundaries. The U.N., not God, established the government. The U.N., not God, helped subdue the inhabitants. The U.N., not God, chose the name. The authority of this new state lies in a man-made constitution, not in the Law of Moses. That was the long answer - my favorite kind, I guess. :-) The short answer is that I think the Biblical prophecies concerning Israel speak of the people named Israel, created and set aside by God. Peace and grace, Steve aka Indiana Jones |
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139 | Women and hair | 1 Cor 11:5 | stjones | 79461 | ||
Hi, Hank; Based on a similar response from Radioman2, I seem not to have written very clearly. I assure you I have not abandoned my Reformed tradition or my high view of Scripture. I should have said there is an "apparent" paradox between Paul's consistent message of grace and freedom and what he says about women in church. If Paul were indeed setting down rules that were binding on all believing women in all places, he would be Saul again, knowing, observing, and enforcing the law. But this is Paul, the inspired apostle who set down the theology of grace, forgiveness, unity, and freedom in Christ. Unlike Saul, Paul was not in the business of imposing dead rules on people. So I can't find any way to harmonize the theology of the New Testament with a new law for women only. I am left to conclude that Paul was addressing particular situations in particular churches and being obedient to the Holy Spirit in doing so. I also conclude that it is an error in interpretation to assert that his instructions to those churches at that time were normative for all Christians at all times. In short, my belief is that those who find God contradictory are those who find a new law for women in the midst of grace. Peace and grace, Steve aka Indiana Jones |
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140 | Women and hair | 1 Cor 11:5 | stjones | 79457 | ||
Greetings, Radioman2; You asked: "are you saying that the apostle Paul, writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, contradicts himself? Are you saying that God, the Holy Spirit, contradicts Himself?" No. It appears to me that those who say God contradicts himself are the very ones who interpret these passages to mean that God desires to put women under a new law. I don't believe that God contradicts himself. I believe that the grace, unity, and freedom of Christ extend to all believers in all places. That is what the Bible teaches and it is what Paul wrote in most of his epistles. Do you greet your brothers and sisters in Christ with a holy kiss? (2 Corinthians 13:12) If not, you are just as guilty as a woman who speaks up in church. Unless, of course, Paul wrote some things that are not requirements but suggestions. Peace and grace, Steve aka Indiana Jones |
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