Results 141 - 160 of 361
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Results from: Answered Bible Questions, Answers, Unanswered Bible Questions, Notes Author: Bill Mc Ordered by Date |
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Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
141 | Lionstrong, maybe this will clarify... | 2 Chr 7:14 | Bill Mc | 17672 | ||
Lionstrong, I'm glad we can respectfully disagree. But I must clarify something that you are alleging that I think. I DO NOT see the church as an after thought or parenthesis in the plan of God. Eph 1:4 says that we were chosen in Him before the foundation of the world. You are correct that God has, spiritually, one people. God either sees you 'in Adam' or 'in Christ'. You are either dead to God or alive to God. From this viewpoint, if you are in Christ, then there is no Jew, no Gentile, no male, no female, etc. The same is true if you are 'in Adam.' The church is made up of regenerated believers in Christ from every nation, tribe and tongue (i.e. Jews and Gentiles). One day the nation of Israel (the physical people of God) will claim Jesus as their Lord and enter into His 'one people', - the eklesia - the church (the spiritual people of God). I hope and trust that you see this distinction. Blessed in Christ, Bill Mc |
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142 | Lionstrong, maybe this will clarify... | 2 Chr 7:14 | Bill Mc | 17649 | ||
Dear Lionstrong, please don't take this as a confrontation, brother. But I do not believe that the church is the New Testament Israel. I know that some Christians do. That's OK. But from what I have studied, I feel that Israel is primarily a nation and believers are Christ's body. Yes, the Jews were (and still are) God's chosen people. God chose them as the only nation in the pagan world to proclaim Him and His righteousness as the one true God. And, yes, believers are a holy, chosen people. Are their similarities between Israel and the church? Yes. But there are also major differences. Though Israel was God's chosen nation, on a personal level, theirs is a story of human failure to keep God's commandments and follow Him. We, as believers, are all members of Christ's body and are no longer under the Mosaic law. We are under the agape law of love in Christ. Some people believe that every promise that God made to Israel as a nation has a NT counterpart to the Christian. I, personally, do not believe that. Hebrews says that we have 'better' promises. God is no longer building a nation. God is building His bride. God did not dwell in the average Irsaelite. God does dwell in us. And God is not finished with the nation of Israel. The day will come when Israel, as a nation, recognizes and turns to Jesus Christ as her true Messiah. Lionstrong, if you'd like to discuss this indepth, then click on my profile and email me. But I do not see the church as a modern Israel. Israel's story is one of turning away from God time and again (so would I except for His grace) and she tried to establish her own righteousness through the flesh. She eventually crucified her own Savior. So I don't believe that she should be a pattern for the church. We already have a pattern - His name is Jesus Christ and we are His body and bride. To answer your question directly: No, I do not believe that this verse directly applies to the church. Why? Because, as the true church, in order to come to Christ we must humble ourselves (Jesus said 'as children'). We DO pray, we do not need to seek His face (He is inside us). We have turned from our wicked and unbelieving ways. And God did hear and answer our prayers. In the fullness of time God sent His Son to take away our sins. He accomplished this on the cross. He HAS FORGIVEN our sins. It is finished! It is not faith to pray for something that God has already accomplished. Faith is saying, "Thank You!" Peace, Bill Mc |
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143 | Lionstrong, maybe this will clarify... | 2 Chr 7:14 | Bill Mc | 17624 | ||
Dear Lionstrong, I am not sure that I understand your statement. Yes, the whole of Scripture (the Bible) is inspired. Do I believe that that inspiration extends down to the verse level and word level? Yes, I do. But, per my prior post, not every verse is given for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness. Everything that we need is contained in the Bible (but is actually found in Jesus Christ - 2 Pet 1:3 'seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.') Permit me to illustrate. (Illustrations are not scripture but sometimes they are helpful.) Let's say that I hire you as a modern-day scribe. I am going to dictate to you an owner's manual for my 1990 Ford Aerostar van. You transcribe everything that I tell you on your word-processor. When I am done dictating, I say, "Lionstrong, I trust that you wrote down everything that I told you. Whoever uses this manual will find it useful for vehicle orientation, operation, scheduled maintenance, repair, and servicing of this vehicle." Now, if you did your job correctly, what you wrote down is 'inspired' by me. (As a said, don't take this illustration too far. The writers of the Scripture did not dictate as such. They were not robots merely transcribing.) But the manual has divisions in it. You would not consult the 'Operation' section to find out where the nearest service center is. You would not look in the 'Repair and Servicing' section to see how to turn on the windshield wipers. You would not search through the 'Scheduled Maintenance' section to find out how to change a tire. The entire manual would be 'inspired' by me but I would have organized it into sections to make it user-friendly for the owners. This is all I am saying. All of the Scripture is inspired by God but He has organized it to make it 'user-friendly' for us. (Obviously, if we don't read it, it won't do us much good.) But we need to use the right scriptures for the right application. This is something that I believe the Holy Spirit and study will enable us to do. Lionstrong, does this help explain the reason for my post? Complete in Him, Bill Mc |
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144 | God's people's land? | 2 Chr 7:14 | Bill Mc | 17563 | ||
Fellow Christians, please let me interject a principle here that I believe is helpful and applies. We often quote 2 Tim 3:16 - "All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness;" Then we say things like "I looked up the word "All" in Greek. It means "all." Well ,yes, 'all' does mean all. But 'all' means the WHOLE of scripture. It means that the whole, the summation, of scripture is profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness. It means that we can go to God's Word and find that some portion of God's Word will address these areas and any other area of our lives. It DOES NOT mean that every verse of scripture is profitable for teaching. The verse itself can be taught but that does not mean that for every verse there is an underlying doctrine that needs to be taught. It DOES NOT mean that every verse of scripture is profitable for reproof. Some verses are excellent for reproof, but not EVERY verse is a verse of reproof. It DOES NOT mean that every verse of scripture is a verse for correction. It DOES NOT mean that every verse of scripture is a verse for training in righteousness. Verses, passages, chapters and books in the Bible frequently fall into what we call literary styles, i.e. history, poetry, doctrine, prophecy, etc. Would you use a verse of poetry, "The Lord is my Shepherd" to teach prophecy? Would you use genealogies to reprove people? Would you use passages from OT sacrifices as instruction and tell the world around us to sacrifice animals? I hope and pray not. Fellow believers, we MUST learn to correctly discern the scriptures. That is one of the blessings of this forum. But people will quote 2 Tim 3:16 and then say that all the OT applies directly to Christians. This is NOT correctly dividing the Word of Truth. Generally speaking, the Word is already 'correctly divided' into Old Covenant and New Covenant. God has blesses us with the ability to reason from the scriptures. The Holy Spirit illumines the scripture and He will reveal its meaning, but He uses our spirits and brains to do that. Let's learn to 'accurately handle the word of truth.' - 2 Tim 3:15. In His grace, Bill Mc |
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145 | Tim, what is your understanding of this? | Luke 23:34 | Bill Mc | 17476 | ||
Tim, very well explained! Thank you. If you have time, share your thoughts on my original forgiveness question at the top of this thread. Redeemed, Bill Mc |
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146 | soul and spirit | Bible general Archive 1 | Bill Mc | 17412 | ||
Tim, I though you might find this interesting. This is a slightly different view of Gen 2:7: "When God the Creator created man, He "formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man become a living soul" (Gen. 2:7). This reiterative record of man's creation is loaded with insights into man's constitution and intended function. The body of man was "formed of dust from the ground," into which God breathed the breath (or spirit) of life, and man became a behaviorally functional soul (nephesh). Man was created with the capacity for spiritual life-function so that the very presence of the Spirit of God might dwell within the spirit of man in order to activate the character of God within the behavioral life-function of man's soul and allow such to be expressed in man's external behavior of the body unto the glory of God. As the highest order of creation, mankind was designed with the capacity to incorporate the spiritual life of God within his spirit, and express God's character of love, joy, peace, patience, etc. in his behavior, as no other part of the created order is capable of doing." - Jerry Fowler I'm not real good with big theological terms but he seems to be saying the God created us so that He could live through us. Or as my friend, Bob George says, "Jesus gave His life for us, so that He could give His life to us, so that He could live His life through us." We were designed as vessels, houses, temples for the God of the universe to live in and through - 2 Cor 4:7, 2 Cor 5:1, 1 Cor 6:19. What a privelege! My temple is starting to get wrinkly and gray, though. (I've heard His got another imperishable one in the wings for me, though.) Grow in grace, Bill Mc |
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147 | Tim, what do you think of Rev 6:9; 20:4? | Bible general Archive 1 | Bill Mc | 17401 | ||
Greetings Tim! Thanks for your kind comments! You know me well enough to know that I usually dig myself into holes that I can't get out of :). Thank God for His grace! Your supposition is interesting. I am ALWAYS interested in hearing other's points of view. And the scripture you cited seems to fit with the NT verse (don't remember where it is) that Adam became a living soul but Christ has become, for us, a life-giving spirit. That being said :) let me LOVINGLY challenge it. :) Permit to ask you about two verses that came to my mind when you mentioned your view. One is found in Rev 6:9 where there are slain souls under the altar. They appear to be 'unclothed' i.e. without bodies. God tells them to wait a little longer until their number is complete. He then gives them white robes to wear. The next passage is similar. It is in Rev 20:4,5. John sees the souls of those beheaded by AntiChrist. I am not sure if these are the same group or different groups. I'm inclined to think that they are the same. Again, it appears that they do not have bodies because John says that after he saw the souls, they 'came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.' He then calls their 'coming to life' the first resurrection and says how blessed they are. If my supposition is correct, then these souls do not have there resurrected bodies yet. What do you think? As always, In Christ, Bill Mc |
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148 | soul and spirit | Bible general Archive 1 | Bill Mc | 17381 | ||
Dear Clausius, unfortunately the Bible does not make a crystal clear distinction between the soul and spirit. And it never defines them as such. I personally believe that there is a distinction because of 1 Thess 5:23 and Heb 4:12. But in many places in scripture they are used interchangeably. So, Clausius, the best (and most fun) thing to do is a word study throughout the Bible of the words 'soul' and 'spirit' and, relying always upon the Holy Spirit to lead you into truth, draw your own conclusions from your study. The tripartite view of man makes some things a little easier to understand but that, in itself, does not mean it is true. Here is my view (it is ONLY a view, an opinion): The spirit is the essence, the true identity, the nature (if you will) of the human being. It is the seat of life and death. It is the part of man that relates to the eternal and, most importantly, to God. The soul is mainly the mind, will, and emotions - what some would call the personality. The spirit can influence and control the soul. The soul can influence and control the body (most of the time, we hope). I believe that humans are primarily spirit beings (created to be eternal) who have souls (personalities), that inhabit bodies (by God's design). God did not create us to be purely spirit like He is. There are places in the OT where God mentions His soul. (Interesting) I don't know if this helps or not. Like I said, the best thing to do is to first study the scriptures, then, when you at least know what the scriptures say, consult commentaries, other Christians, study Bibles, etc. BTW, welcome to the forum! Have fun! In Christ, Bill Mc |
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149 | Tim, what is your understanding of this? | Luke 23:34 | Bill Mc | 17372 | ||
Dear Tim, what is your understanding of these passages? John 1:29; Rom 3:25; Heb 9:26; Heb 10:4,11; 1 John 3:5. These all speak of Christ taking away sin (or sins). Hebrews especially makes a point that the blood of bulls and goats could never take away sins but that Christ alone has done this. Obviously, Christ's blood has done something concerning sins that animal blood could not do. If you get time, could you share your understanding of the 'taking away' of sins? How is it different from the atonement that OT sacrifices executed? Also, my interlinear says that the literal translation of 1 Pet 2:24 is: 'who the sins of us himself carried up in the body of him onto the tree' It still seems to suggest that His sacrifice had something to do with our sins carried, bore, sacrificed IN HIS BODY. Isaiah 53:6 says that 'the LORD has caused the iniquities of us all to fall on Him.' Isaiah 53:11 says 'as He will bear their iniquities.' And Isaiah 53:12 says that 'He Himself bore the sin of many.' Scripture still seems to support that Jesus Christ was indeed 'to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.' - 2 Cor 5:21. Gal 3:13 says that Christ became a curse for us. These are all pretty strong statements that seem to imply more than just that God pretended to see Jesus as sin. My NASB Study Bible says that Paul seems to teach that Christ's HUMAN (not divine) nature became sin. I don't know about that. I will have to study it more. But if Jesus did not actually bear our sins in His body, then why did He die have to die? Couldn't God just have 'imputed' death to Him without it literally happening? Please be patient with me. I am trying to understand. In Him (and always curious), Bill Mc |
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150 | How did the imputation of sins happen? | Luke 23:34 | Bill Mc | 17351 | ||
Dear Tim, thanks again for your input! Once again you've given me something to look into and, if neccessary, adjust my theology to. Regardless, I don't believe that Christ's nature, as you called it, was ever made sin. And I agree with you that He was never a sinner. Your conclusion, 'He simply took our place and paid our debt,' may be simple (good for my level of understanding) but what a profound thing He did! Bless you, Tim. Bill (the lesser) Mc |
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151 | Should this be taken only personally? | Matt 6:33 | Bill Mc | 17336 | ||
Good explanation, Nolan. I like what you said about 'relationships based on love.' I don't want to digress too much from your subject but you have hit upon an important concept. One commentator (not on this forum) said that the Sermon on the Mount in many ways reflects how people will treat each other as the are led by the Spirit of Christ in them. This echoes the truth that you stated about letting our relationships be ruled by love instead of by loving rules. Here is an analogy that helps me. BTW, I AM NOT calling you a legalist, brother. I am drawing an illustration :). Jesus says, 'If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.' - John 14:15. A legalist (I used to be one, still being set free) looks at this verse and sees, "If I really love God, then I had better keep His commandments. If I don't keep them, then I must not love God." His motivation is based on rules - if this...then this. Period. A 'gracer' looks at this same verse and sees, "As I abide in the love of God (because He loved me first) and reflect that love back to Him and to others, I will keep His commandments." His motivation is based upon relationship - "Since God has done this...I can, through Christ, do this..." Jesus' new commandments are to love God and to love others. All men will know we are His disciples not because of the rules we keep, but because of His love that we exhibit. We don't even have to try to drum up the love that we think God 'requires.' What God wants from us, He Himself supplies: Rom 5:5 and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us. The love of God HAS BEEN poured out within our hearts through the Spirit. So even what God desires from us, He first gives us. What grace! Sorry to digress...(Ok, not really) Lord bless you, Bill Mc |
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152 | Should this be taken only personally? | Matt 6:33 | Bill Mc | 17315 | ||
Dear Nolan, I don't think that very many people take the Sermon of the Mount literally. Why? How many people have you seen with only a left eye or a left hand? (No offense to the physically challenged here.) If we took what Jesus said literally, I myself would be blind and handless many times over. So would the whole Christian world. I am not trying to be funny. I am trying to say that we pick and choose what we want to believe and what we think requires obedience. I have already stated elsewhere that I believe that the Sermon on the Mount was primarily spoken to unregenerate people under the Mosaic law. What application it has for the Christian is, obviously, debatable. But the fact remains that Jesus was trying to demonstrate that NO ONE is righteous enough to enter God's kingdom by His works. Christ said, "You want to get into the kingdom of God? Good. Then be as perfect as God, and you can walk right in." He buried us under, not just the Mosaic law, but God's righteous character law so that we could see that we all need HIM. In Him, Bill Mc |
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153 | How did the imputation of sins happen? | Luke 23:34 | Bill Mc | 17314 | ||
Hi Tim! Great to hear from you! To your questions! First, let me say that I don't know or understand everything about how God carried out the sacrificial work of Christ on the cross. What my mind cannot understand and figure out, I have to accept by faith. I'm not saying that as a copout, I'm just saying that I'm limited. 1 Pet 2:24 - and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed. Heb 10:5,10 - "SACRIFICE AND OFFERING YOU HAVE NOT DESIRED, BUT A BODY YOU HAVE PREPARED FOR ME;" By this will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. This is what scripture says. 'He bore our sins in (not on) His body.' I don't know exactly how this happened, anymore than I understand completely how, at the cross, I was crucified, buried and risen with Christ. I am not trying to sound stupid here but, just because I cannot explain it, does not invalidate it. I agree, Tim, that 'sins' are not physical things as such. But they are thoughts, feelings and acts that DO exhibit themselves many times physically. So how did our Lord bear these thoughts, feelings, and acts in His body? I don't know. (There I go, sounding stupid again.) But we do know that it happened and that His body was the sacrifice for ours. We do know that He was made to be sin so that we could be made righteous in Him. How was my 'old man', my old nature, crucifed there with Christ? I wasn't even born yet! But Paul says it was. He says that, through this act, we have been crucified with Christ, and are dead to sin. Nevertheless, I was trying to make the point that however you want to define 'bore our sins in His body,' that it was His body that became sin, not His divinity. Paul says that we have indwelling sin in us. But he makes the distinction that it is not us. Paul says, "I don't do it, but sin which dwells in me, does it" - Rom 7:20. Some of these things are hard to understand. Some of these questions will probably not be answered until we get home. How did Christ bear my sins in His body? I don't know? But I believe He did because that is what it says. Can you shed any more light here? Note 1: I do believe that these sins where imputed (credited) to Christ and His righteousness is imputed (credited) to us. But I don't believe that this is a 'pretend' or 'positional' truth. If you have no money in your back account and I impute 10,000 dollars to your account, it is not a pretend thing. You can, if you so desire, make actual withdrawals from that account. In other words, I can't say, "Tim, I've imputed 10,000 dollars in your account but its not really there. I've only written the deposit amount in your checkbook but I never really made the deposit." What good with that be? I would be lying to you. If I've actually imputed 10,000 dollars to you, then you HAVE it. It's yours. And it wouldn't make much sense for me to say, "Well, Tim, it's there but you can't use it until you die." You would have no need of it then. Note 2: Speaking of money, I checked on those reference materials I asked you about concerning Greek grammar, etc. Could you impute about 2,000 dollars to my bank account so that I can buy them? Thanks. I appreciate it. ;) Note 3: How did we ever get on this rabbit trail? My question was concerning who was Christ requesting forgiveness for? Now, we are over in 2 Imputations chapter 3 verse 12. ??? In Christ, Bill Mc |
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154 | Christian-alcohol and smoking is it ok? | 1 Tim 5:23 | Bill Mc | 17307 | ||
Another aspect of this question is this: Both alcohol and nicotine are physically addictive. Paul lays down a good principle in Rom 6:16. He says that whatever you present your body to, you become a servant of. Granted, he is talking of sins here, and whether drinking and smoking are sins is debatable (Charis' answer was very good). But I think the principle still applies. Paul said that everything was permissable but not everything was profitable or beneficial. So, regardless of whether drinking and smoking is a sin or not, we still run the risk of not only death, but physical addition. This principle exist whether the issue is smoking, drinking, drugs, overeating, pornography, etc. Some things, if we practice them, will enslave us. As Bob Dylan says, 'Ya gotta serve somebody :). That is why Paul says to first present your body as a living sacrifice to God so that He can live in and live out of it - Rom 12:1. Paul urges us in Rom 7 that we have been set free from sin so we don't need to serve it anymore. We still can sin and there is still consequences that we reap if we do so. I hope this helps. In Christ, Bill Mc |
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155 | Steve, Christ bore sins in His body. | Luke 23:34 | Bill Mc | 17290 | ||
Steve, I'm glad that you understand my side. However, I'm disappointed that you take the attitude of 'this has been debated by people with more study time than either of us. So let us leave it alone.' You're saying, 'My mind is made up, don't confuse me with scripture.' That is obviously your choice. Christianity has been debated for 2000 years and that is more time than either of us have. However, the Holy Spirit, through revelation of the scripture, is who enlightens us, not the amount of study time. You demonstrate much ignorance when your answer to a question is a flippant, 'Read your Bible.' The Pharisees knew their 'Bible' inside and out and Jesus called them sons of hell. Knowing scripture will not save you. Knowing the God of scripture does. The Holy Spirit ALONE knows the mind of God and He will reveal many things as we seek to understand the 'things that we are freely given in Christ.' I do respect your opinion and your right to have it. But your unwillingness to submit it to the truth of scripture demonstrates an unteachable spirit. I do not respect the answers that you have given me such as 'leave it alone, read your Bible, I'm done with you.' If that is your opinion, brother, then please follow your own statement and do not respond to my questions. I hold nothing against you but it is not edifying to anyone to give short, curt answers on this forum. Many people on this forum have challenged my beliefs and my understanding of scripture with a Christ-like attitude, in meekness and love. You would do well to learn from them. In Christ, Bill Mc |
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156 | What do you think? | Luke 23:34 | Bill Mc | 17244 | ||
Dear kalos, please see my subsequent post to Steve. I don't agree with MacArthur here (John does write many good explanations, though). Christ DID bear all our sins in His body - 1 Pet 2:24, Heb 10:5,10. I respectfully submit that God is truth and He does not see something that is not there or not see something that is there. Scripture says that Christ bore our sins IN HIS BODY. I agree, Jesus was not a sinner. But to think that God just 'treats' people one way or another presupposes that God is pretending. I.e. God pretended to make Christ our sin sacrifice and God pretends to make us Christ's righteousness. Brother, I don't see it that way. Christ literally bore all my sins in His body and my spirit has, literally, been created in righteousness - Eph 4:24. My body is still unredeemed but my spirit has been baptized INTO Christ and therefore 'the one who joins himself to the Lord is one spirit with Him.' - 1 Cor 6:17. Christ is righteous, alive, and eternal and so is my spirit. In Him, Bill Mc |
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157 | Steve, Christ bore sins in His body. | Luke 23:34 | Bill Mc | 17242 | ||
Dear Steve, please read all of this post and judge for yourself if what I write has merit and stands up to scripture. Please reply and let me know what you think. I do agree that, on the surface, it appears that there would be a big problem with Jesus (being God) bearing sin and dying. This is because, as you have said, God is perfect - without sin and He is immortal. But we do know that Jesus was fully God and fully man. Here is what I believe: 1. Man is, similar to God, a tri-part being. We have a spirit, a soul, and a body -1 Thess 5:23 - 'Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.' Your true identity, who you are at the deepest level, is your spirit. Your soul is your mind, will, and emotions (personality) and your body houses your spirit and soul. You are a spirit who has a soul who lives in a body. We are not human beings with spiritual experiences. We are spiritual beings with human experiences. 2. Jesus, being fully man, had a spirit, soul, and body. References for His human spirit - Matt 27:50; Luke 23:46; John 19:30. References for His human soul - Matt 26:38; Mark 14:34; John 12:27. I won't list references for His physical body. Most people accept that (unless they are Gnostics). 3. This verse is KEY to understanding how Christ bore our sins: 1 Pet 2:24 'and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed.' He bore our sins in His BODY, not in His spirit or soul. Under the OT sacrifices, the animal being offered bore the sins in it's body (Animals don't have spirits but they do have souls). This is where, as you have stated, 2 Cor 5:21 says that He became sins for us. Want further proof? Heb 10:5,10 - 'Therefore, when He (Christ) comes into the world (incarnation), He says...a BODY You (God) have prepared for Me...By this will we have been sanctified through the offering of the BODY of Jesus Christ once for all.' Christ bore our sins in His BODY, but His spirit, who He really was, and soul, His personality, DID NOT become sin. 4. Therefore, I don't believe that He stopped being God just because He bore our sins in His body. Paul says almost the same thing of the Christian in Rom chapter 7. There is a power of sin in the members of his body (vs.18,23), but it is not him, who he is (vs. 17,20,21). 5. Christ chose when to give up His human Spirit and, when He did, He died - Matt 27:50; Luke 23:46; John 19:30. 6. At the resurecction, Christ became a life-giving Spirit - 1 Cor 15:45 'So also it is written, "The first MAN, Adam, BECAME A LIVING SOUL." The last Adam became a life-giving spirit.' Why? Because He came to give His physical life to bear our sins. And He now gives us His eternal spiritual life through the impartation of the Holy Spirit. Life begets life. Of course, He has His resurrected body now, too. Well, there's my take. I don't feel that it is necessary to strip Christ of His deity in order to have Him bear our sins in His body. What do you think, brother? In Him, Bill Mc |
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158 | What do you think? | Luke 23:34 | Bill Mc | 17194 | ||
Thanks, Steve. You write, 'Jesus never called on His Father to forgive sins.' But here in this passage (Luke 23:34) He does. So what did you mean? In the instances that you cited where Jesus forgave sins, do you think that He forgave just because He was God (Mark 2:7)? Or do you think He forgave the sins because He knew that He came to be the sacrifice for all sins for all time (Heb 9:15 says that His sacrifice even forgave the sins committed under the first covenant (Law)? | ||||||
159 | Who was Jesus asking God to forgive? | Luke 23:34 | Bill Mc | 17189 | ||
Who was Jesus beseeching the Father to forgive? The context seems to suggest that it could be either the people casting lots for Christ's garments or the 'crucifixion party' consisting of the Romans who performed the act, the Jews who demanded it, the onlookers, and the even the sympathetics. There is no record of anyone asking for forgiveness at the crucifixion so why did Christ ask the Father to forgive? Did the Father answer this request? If so, how? Not even the thief asked for forgiveness. He only requested that Christ remember him when the Lord came into His kingdom. So who was forgiven? Is it possible that this was Christ's pronouncement that forgiveness for all mankind was provided for at the cross by His shed blood - Heb 9:22? If so, not everyone has accepted this forgiveness because not everyone 'comes' to the cross. Would this passage and the rest of the Bible support this view? |
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160 | Definitions - God? | Bible general Archive 1 | Bill Mc | 17163 | ||
Dear charis, This is not so much an answer to your question but an encouragement for you. It's thrilling to hear that you are putting together a primer on the Life that Christ offers us. Many Christians think that the only barrier between God and man is that man sins (thinks, feels, and acts contrary to the law of God). But, as you know, man's core problem is that he is born spiritually dead. We are born dead in trespasses and sins Rom 5:12; Eph 2:1. This spiritual death, separation from God, is the root of the branches (sins we commit). Many times evangelical Christianity offers altar calls to come forward and get sins forgiven but we leave people in the dark as to the fact that they were dead 'in Adam' and Christ came to give 'life', spiritual union with God. When I first heard this message (and verified it through the scriptures) I had been a Christian for 29 years! I went back and read the gospels (especially John) and LIFE popped out at me from everywhere! I saw that my need was not only for forgiveness but for LIFE. I just thought that Jesus wanted into MY life. I didn't understand that He IS my life Gal 2:20. A forgiven dead man is still dead. Christ raises us to new spiritual life Rom 8:2 and forgives the sin that killed us so that we will never die again. In fact, that is one of the analogies I use when explaining the gospel. If a man dies from cancer and you resurrect him, but don't cure what killed him (cancer), he will just die again. If you just cure his cancer, but leave him dead, you have not helped him. You must do 2 things. Cure his cancer (what killed him) and raise him to life. Only then have you truly restored life to Him. What a wondrous thing Christ has done for and in us! He raises us to eternal life in Christ and forgives what killed us! Anyway, growing up in the U.S., I don't have much insight into Eastern culture or thinking. But I would probably start with the concept of God as creator. Every culture looks at creation, sees the beauty and design there, and wonders who made it. Creation teaches us that God exists but it doesn't tell us much about what God is like. That is where Christ comes in. He is the exact representation of the Father. In fact, eventually you can go to John chapter 1 to demonstrate that Christ Himself was the Creator. The Trinity is a difficult concept for Americans, I don't know how open the Japanese are to it. But it must be spiritually understood and accepted be faith in the long run anyway. I pray that God will bless you and guide you as you endeavor to share the message of 'Christ in you, the hope of glory.' You may want to repost your question in the queue, brother so that others will see it. Blessings in Christ, Bill Mc |
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