Results 141 - 160 of 281
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Results from: Notes Author: Parable Ordered by Verse |
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Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
141 | forgiveness | Matt 18:1 | Parable | 191340 | ||
I agree that forgiveness is not optional for those who wish to be obedient. My point was to put it in specific terms that show God's wisdom in demanding this from us. As for references that support my definition, virtually every verse related to forgiveness demonstrates that it is a form of letting go and letting God. As for your second concern, to surrender one's RIGHT to see justice done does not imply that one abandons one's responsibilities to society by refusing to help the civic authorities in their duty to deliver justice as ordained by God. The difference between what I am talking about, i.e. forgiveness in one's heart, and what you are talking about, i.e. duty to society, is that personal forgiveness is within one's own authority while what you describe falls under the authority of the civic institutions ordained by God for such matters. Just out of curiosity, what is your operational definition of forgiveness? Be clear and specific, please. |
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142 | forgiveness | Matt 18:1 | Parable | 191355 | ||
Cheri, you have the gist of what I meant. Forgiveness relates to vengeance as well as justice. I feel like my "definition" is being scrutinized from a legalistic perspective, rather than from one of grace. For people who have been wronged, and there was nothing illegal about what was done, there is still a sense of wanting to make things "right", to fix things, or to have the other person get their just desserts. My application of forgiveness to others is entirely consistent with my understanding of what the Lord has done for me. That is, God could have exacted justice from me, yet chose to surrender that to the cross of his only son. p.s. I am male :) |
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143 | forgiveness | Matt 18:1 | Parable | 191356 | ||
I do not recognize the "levels" of forgiveness that you have described as being fundamentally different, because all require the person to let go of their right to justice for the wrongs that were committed against them. Perhaps I need to clarify that a right is another way of saying entitlement. I can demand an entitlement, but with forgiveness, by grace I release my claim on that. This doesn't mean I act foolishly or irresponsibly. | ||||||
144 | forgiveness | Matt 18:1 | Parable | 191358 | ||
No need to apologize! You complimented me, in the nicest way, by suggesting I was like you :) | ||||||
145 | forgiveness | Matt 18:1 | Parable | 191361 | ||
Hank, In your first reply, you said "Are Christians duty bound to look the other way while a murderer, robber, rapist or terrrorist goes free and unpunished for his heinous crimes? That's the message I get from your post, and to substantiate it, friend, you will need to show wherein the Bible teaches Christians to behave in this manner." My post implies nothing of the kind, and we both know there are no scriptures to support such a silly view. One of the reasons I attempted to define forgiveness is because the bible does not, yet people in pain need to know in practical terms what it means. The bible describes instances in which forgiveness is granted, but it never actually tells us precisely what it is we are to do in order to forgive, or how we can know that we have actually done it. Other than your attempt to reduce my view to the absurd, what do you find so objectionable about my "definition" of forgiveness? Perhaps you can answer by providing one of your own, based on scripture of course, or better yet, list one from scripture, i.e. a DEFINITION per se, that I missed. I look forward to your clarification. |
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146 | forgiveness | Matt 18:1 | Parable | 191362 | ||
Here's another definition, from http://www.12ordinarymen.com/dictionary.htm "Forgiveness is canceling a debt; no longer liable for an account. The Lord Jesus has fully discharged all our obligations so that there is no legal ground for charges to be pressed against us anymore. Moreover He has given us a perfect standing before God so that we are fully acceptable in His sight." Comparing my view to this one, justice is a debt. Debts are entitlements. Surrendering one's right to justice is cancelling a debt that one is entitled to. Forgiveness on our part is possible only through the same grace that brought it to us. Clearly, the demands of justice have been met by Jesus on the cross, and that includes our individual demands for justice from others. So when we forgive someone, we really aren't doing anything accept agreeing with God that Jesus' sacrifice is sufficient for the debts we hold against others, as well as the debts we owe to God. Are you cool with that? |
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147 | forgiveness | Matt 18:1 | Parable | 191372 | ||
Jer 31:34b "For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more." Forgiveness here is associated with forgetting by the conjuction "and". So, Hank,are you suggesting that the definition of "to forgive" is "to forget"? I would not, because as I read this, not remembering is at best a consequence of forgiveness, not forgiveness itself. This is because the grammatical function of a conjunction is to associate two different things. Heb 8:12 and 10:17 are references to Jer 31:34, so these add nothing new to the discussion. |
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148 | forgiveness | Matt 18:1 | Parable | 191373 | ||
Steve, thank you for your thoughtful replies. Perhaps you take a risk and attempt a summary of all the verses you have cited, in the form of a definition of "to forgive"? This forum is an exercise in exposition, which necessarily implies interpretation. Since you say the definition falls short, please explain how, or define the ideal by which you are measuring. |
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149 | forgiveness | Matt 18:1 | Parable | 191374 | ||
I don't disagree with the differences you describe, but those are not related to the quality of the forgiveness, but rather are consequences of the decision by the transgressor not to seek that forgiveness. Forgiveness is unilateral and not dependent upon anything done or not done by the transgressor. As I said in another post, forgiving does not necessarily imply not seeking justice, but rather releasing one's claim of entitlement to it. I agree completely that vengeance is contrary to forgiveness, for vengeance is driven by the idea that vengeance belongs to onself, and clearly it belongs only to God. |
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150 | forgiveness | Matt 18:1 | Parable | 191426 | ||
So you are saying that scripture teaches that to forgive is to "not remember"? I don't disagree, yet also note that this "not remembering" means much the same as what I proposed, does it not? |
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151 | for what reason can a man divoce his wif | Matt 19:9 | Parable | 191375 | ||
My point with "lust equals adultery" reference was to show that strict interpretation in a legalistic manner quickly leads to an appreciation of just how high God's standard for marriage really is. that you have interpreted my post as diminishing that standard is remarkable to me. i regret that I must sign off for now as I am headed out of town, but I will consider your post and followup later. |
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152 | access to the tomb? | Matt 27:62 | Parable | 78326 | ||
Greetings Tim, This point IS important because it is ALWAYS raised by those who challenge the idea that the sealed tomb and posted guard preclude the possibility that someone, e.g. the disciples, could have stolen the body from the tomb. As I see it, our faith in the resurrection is based on the totality of the evidence, which I believe is sufficient. However, if we gloss over this detail, we appear insincere to those we witness to, especially when they discover it for themselves in scripture. In my opinion, that scripture has this "vulnerability" only reinforces my faith that it is true. That is, if you were making up a story, you would not have the risen Lord appear to women, who were considered unreliable witnesses in those days, and you would not provide a possible opportunity for the tomb to be raided. Answers that ignore this circumstance or suggest it is not relevant are not credible and do not help those who are seeking the truth of the resurrection. Regarding the idea that the guards would have opened the tomb to confirm the body was still there, this is conjecture. It can be likewise argued that they would not have opened the tomb before placing the seal on it. Parable |
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153 | access to the tomb? | Matt 27:62 | Parable | 78378 | ||
As always, no offense taken, Tim. I happen to agree it is reasonable to think the guard would confirm their charge was in their possession. However, scripture does not tell us this, and it is important to distinguish what scripture says vs what we assume or infer. I also agree that scripture creates a window of time in which Pilate was petitioned and the guard was posted. Depending on the meaning of the word "day" in "next day", it could mean that the window opens at sundown on Friday. In this case, the tomb could have been unguarded for a very short time, if any. Or, it could mean the "next day" began at sunrise on Saturday, in which case the tomb could have been unguarded throughout the night and even into the morning or afternoon, depending on when Pilate was petitioned. In any case, given that this situation was so politically charged, it is reasonable to think that Pilate was consulted as soon as someone thought to do so. Clearly, the window closes at sundown on Saturday, but this seems inconsistent with the urgent desire to prevent the disciples from coming "by night and steal him away". Peace, Parable |
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154 | Searching for the truth | Matt 28:19 | Parable | 76633 | ||
Of course, the needs of each congregation vary. At my church, we have about 30 min of praise and worship, i.e. music and song to get people to open up to the Lord, then 45 to 60 minutes for the message and any drama or dance that support the message. Also, the words to the songs and any scripture verses presented are shown on a projection screen to facilitate easy following. Finally, the message follows a handout that has blanks for the congregation to fill in at the right time. This fill-in sheet requires prior preparation and serves as a way for the pastor to stay on track, then provides something for the members to take with them, talk about at home, build their own knowledge base, etc. You might also consider an alternative experience for people who don't like the traditional sunday morning service, either on Sat night or Sun eve. Taize prayer (chanting verses) during the week is yet another way to reach people. |
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155 | I'm writing a book, need to know | Mark 14:16 | Parable | 48952 | ||
If you are writing a novelization, I suggest you review two others that I consider significant contributions. The first is an example of what not to do, while the second brings the story to life through descriptive detail and cultural insight. This one is not faithful to the scriptures: "The Gospel According to the Son" by Norman Mailer. In the introduction, Mailer slanders the authority of Scripture by having Jesus say that the gospels contain things He never said or do things He never did, and excuses this by saying the authors hearts' were in the right place. The other, which I consider to be faithful to what we believe, is "The Master: A Life of Jesus", by John Charles Pollock. The writing is smooth and easy to read, the settings are rich with impact and the narrative expands upon what is in the Bible in a way that does not offend. Parable |
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156 | Who was at the Last Supper? | Mark 14:16 | Parable | 48955 | ||
1 Cor 4:6 exhorts us not to become followers of disciples or apostles by remaining true to Christ alone. I believe Paul's instruction here applies to teachings that distract from the centrality of Christ and lead to divisions in the church. So long as the novel does not diminish the primacy of Jesus or undermine the authority of the Word, and the story is understood to be an exposition of faith as told from the perspective of one close to Him, I suspect Paul might even endorse the effort as a way to deliver the gospel to those otherwise hard to reach. "To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some." -- 1 Cor 9:22 |
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157 | Who was at the Last Supper? | Mark 14:16 | Parable | 49025 | ||
Be sure to let us know when you have finished the book. Perhaps some of us would be willing to review it for you. | ||||||
158 | Mary | Luke 1:28 | Parable | 81433 | ||
It is tragically ironic that one so blessed should inspire so much controversy within the Body of Christ. Parable |
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159 | can u b forgivn if you once turned away? | Luke 15:32 | Parable | 43774 | ||
I like your answer! | ||||||
160 | ON JESUS, by Groothuis | Luke 24:27 | Parable | 181295 | ||
I have always wanted to know what Jesus said in his presentation to Cleopas and the other disciple. And by asking the popular question WWJD? (What Would Jesus Do?), people want to know more about what Jesus himself has said and how it relates to the OT teachings about himself, the kingdom of God, our world and how we should live. Well, I have recently discovered an excellent reference that presents a cogent, rigorous analysis of what Jesus' own words mean about his identity, worldview, his method of teaching and debate and his ethics. It is a relatively new volume (2002) in the Wadsworth Philosophers Series called "ON JESUS" by Dr. Dough Groothuis (pronouned "grote-ice"), a professor of religion and ethics at Denver Seminary. This short book is an excellent overview of Jesus through the eyes of an academic philosopher who is also a mature committed christian. Groothuis demonstrates that Jesus rightly stands in the ranks of the most influential minds in history. This is a book that shows what Jesus meant when he said we are to love God with all our mind and its a wonderful witness to Jesus' authority over truth. |
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