Results 181 - 200 of 281
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Results from: Notes Author: Parable Ordered by Verse |
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Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
181 | How to show Christ is God? | John 14:6 | Parable | 44641 | ||
Yes. Without God, we are depraved and deserve death! | ||||||
182 | How to show Christ is God? | John 14:6 | Parable | 44642 | ||
I agree with both of you. We must not compromise Truth in an effort to get others to believe it. | ||||||
183 | How to explain Jesus' exclusive claim? | John 14:6 | Parable | 47744 | ||
Excellent response! Clearly, you have the kind of insight that comes from practical experience. We should highlight this response somehow for those who later do a search on this topic. Thank you! |
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184 | What then, is the meaning of John 15:2? | John 15:2 | Parable | 47512 | ||
I've not heard this interpretation before, i.e. the barren branch is really a dead branch. To a vinedresser, there is cleary a difference between a dead branch and a barren one. If John meant "dead branch", why didn't he just say that? This is hard for me to accept because in this metaphor Christ is the vine, the source of life for all the branches. To suggest that it is possible for a branch in Him to die is contrary to the idea of "everlasting" or "eternal" life. It seems we would then be forced to suggest that those branches that died were never really "in Christ", as your examples may be interpreted, yet the verse clearly describes them as being "in Christ". Alternatively, if we accept that "barren" really means "barren" and not "dead", and "takes away" means just that, then we are confronted with the notion that we must bear fruit to remain in Christ. For confirmation of this, we could appeal to James 2:26 "As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead", but I'm not sure this is appropriate. For James, deeds are in fact the fruit of faith, but he is talking about how we glorify God to others; faith alone is useless as even the demons have faith, v19. People are convinced by what they can see, faith in action. To me, John is speaking to theological issues, not the practicalities of daily living, so to take James remark to support this view of John seems like a stretch. However, the harmony of the Bible cannot be denied. To me, the best translation of "take away" is "lift up" and the best interpretation is that the vinedresser is working to bring the branch into fruition. I acknowledge this could just be wishful thinking on my part. Parable |
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185 | the barren branch never was a branch? | John 15:2 | Parable | 47658 | ||
I rather like Boice's view that "airo" means to "lift up" off the ground rather than "take away". To me, it is more consistent with the idea of branches actually being in Christ and His intention of making them fruitful. Otherwise, we must read into His words that some branches He referred to as "in Him" really were not or that barreness really means "dead", requiring us to explain how branches once alive in Him actually died or finally that He is expecting US, and not the Holy Spirit, to be the agent of our fruitfulness. Thanks for the commentary notes! Parable |
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186 | John 15:2, "cut off" or "lift up"? | John 15:2 | Parable | 47659 | ||
In v2, Jesus says "every branch of mine". In v6, He says "if a man does not abide in me". There seems to be a distinction between branches that are in Christ and those that are not. To me, it seems reasonable that they would not be treated in the same way. |
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187 | Christ and doctrines revealed to us? | John 15:16 | Parable | 46761 | ||
Yes, progressive revelation is the continuing truth of God to us, not revision or correction to what has already been shown. Perhaps Pauls has addressed your question about the origin of "different" denominational doctrines: Romans 12: 4-5 "4Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, 5so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others." But, he also exhorts us to be ONE body, not divided: 1Cor 1:10 "I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought." He explains the reasons we have these divisions: 1Cor 3:3 "You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere men? 4For when one says, "I follow Paul," and another, "I follow Apollos," are you not mere men?" And finally, what we can expect on the Day of the Lord, regardless our denomination: 1Cor3:10-11 "By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should be careful how he builds. 11For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ." 1Cor 3:13-15 "his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man's work. 14If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. 15If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames." To me, this means we should accept the role or function the Lord has assigned to us in His Body, including our relationships with the other parts, such that we not only understand our interdependence, but work together for His glory, and not try to glorify our doctrines. By this I do NOT mean that we should accept all religions or anything like that, but rather only in regard to the Body of Christ as recognized by His life in and through us as believers in Him. |
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188 | inmyheart, could Paul be sarcastic? | Acts | Parable | 49096 | ||
Yes, Paul is clear about the spiritual significance of tongues, i.e. tongues are a spiritual gift, and as such, he would that all recieve it, yet also that they would understand and exercise it judiciously, according to the functions and purposes he describes. He is especially concerned that tongues not be a stumbling block to faith for unbelievers or an end in itself for believers. I submit that even though Paul says tongues are the least of the spiritual gifts, his wish that all might receive it need not be sarcasm. Indeed, sarcasm would not be consistent with his own speaking in tongues "more than you all" 1Cor14:18 (unless he is being sarcastic here as well) and the fact speaking in tongues here implies being in the Spirit; Paul wishes for everyone to be in the Spirit. Parable |
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189 | when do I spake in tounges | Acts | Parable | 49097 | ||
If no gifts are bestowed on us today, how is it that the Holy Spirit works through us? That is, without spiritual gifts, of what utility are we in the service of the Lord? Parable |
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190 | what does baptism mean in each verse? | Acts | Parable | 49098 | ||
Jesus-is-God, I agree with what you have said, and yes, I agreee Jesus is the Son being referred to. My question for Grace-and-Truth is why G-a-T feels there is a difference between what happened in Acts and what happens today. Parable |
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191 | when do I spake in tounges | Acts | Parable | 49101 | ||
Not Paul, but rather Peter, John and/or Philip. 8:14 As I understand you, your point is that there is precedent for the idea that water baptism does not command, direct or trigger the Holy Spirit to enter a believer. I can accept this because I accept that there is nothing we can do to influence God to do anything. Everything He does related to us is grace and mercy. If I may attempt to exposit from this, a possible explanation for why the Holy Spirit did not enter the new believers upon baptism in this case is that He wished to confirm the authority of the Apostles by entering upon the laying on of hands. The point then is the indwelling of the Spirit as an act of grace, with baptism as personal act of faith demonstrating a willingness to receive Him and laying on of hands as an act of intercession on behalf of others and perhaps as a sign for us to be under the authority of church leaders. Regarding Acts 10:43-47, to give evidence that the Holy Spirit had been poured out upon the Gentiles, 10:46 says "For they were hearing them speaking with tongues and exalting God..." While it is possible that all were speaking in tongues and all were exalting God, it also can easily mean that SOME were doing each of these things. Hence, it does not follow that this verse implies a necessary cause-effect relationship between the outpouring of the Spirit and the gift of tongues for all. Perhaps this is similar to the situation with baptism and entry by the Holy Spirit, i.e. the Holy Spirit will impart tongues as He sees fit, not as a necessarily consequence of His presence. Parable |
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192 | when do I spake in tounges | Acts | Parable | 49106 | ||
In Mt 12:39, Jesus was rebuking the people for asking for proof on demand, which is contrary to faith. The only sign to be given was Jonah in the whale, which of course is a foreshadow of Christ in the tomb. This sign is fundamentally different from that requested of Him in that it demonstrated God's triumph over death, not Jesus ability to do wonderous deeds, which are subject to counterfeiting. Resurrection is totally in God's domain. James also speaks to this unbelief and the possible selfish perversion of God's blessings. "You do not have because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures." -- James 4:2-3 Finally, the acts you list are miracles, so by definition, I don't expect to see them very often. They are special, delivered to glorify God in a unique way. Miracles are different from the spiritual gifts that are bestowed upon believers for the daily, routine work to be done in the Lord's service. Such gifts are the fruit of faith, not the reason for it and are given that we can do the unique work God calls us to do. Finally, in regard to the gifts, Paul says "For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function..."-- Rom 12:4 and "Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise them accordingly..." -- Rom 12:6 Parable |
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193 | when do I spake in tounges | Acts | Parable | 49118 | ||
I agree we need the Word and the Spirit to teach us about our new life in Him. However, regarding the idea that we receive "all that the Spirit of God has", how do you then interpret Rom 12:6 "Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise them accordingly..."? Parable |
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194 | Why carry on like a playground dispute? | Acts 1:3 | Parable | 44448 | ||
I appreciate your concern and suggestion for the website, which I'll visit. However, I'm happy to say that Dr. Ross is definitely a Christian and he holds that Scripture is the Word of God. He was a pastor for approx. 15 years and is founder of REASONS TO BELIEVE, visit www.reasons.org While he is an accomplished scientist, he does not place science equal to or above the authority of scripture. |
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195 | A Christian View of Science | Acts 17:28 | Parable | 48413 | ||
This Christian's view of Science: There is no logical reason logic is valid, i.e. to use logic as a means of making decisions or deriving understanding, yet we seem to think that in many areas, logic is the best way to proceed. Obviously, there are things to which logic is not so quickly applied, e.g. art, music, culture, fashion, relationships. I hesitate to say this about faith, for we are called to love God with all our mind, meaning with the fullest conviction of our intellectual capabilities, and this no doubt includes that part of our mind that depends on logic. truth (small t) and falsehood are fundamental elements of logic, not derivable from the rules that govern analysis, synthesis, deduction and induction. They are assumed, not proven. Such is not the case for faith, except these basic elements are not merely assumed, with all the potential for error that assumption entails, but rather they are recognized when we encounter them. When God shows us Himself, through His Creation, His Word, His Incarnation as Jesus and His Presence as the Holy Spirit, He show us absolute Truth. Jesus said "I am the truth." Hence, it's only logical to conclude that if it's not of God, its not true. We need God to show Himself to us because we live in a fallen world that can be described thus: all experience is understood in terms of theory and all theory is derived from experience! Without God, there is no firm ground on which to stand, we are just vapors. Science is a human endeavor, a process based in experience, built with logic. Remarkably, it serves us well so long as we are mindful of its fundamental limitations, which are a direct consequence of our human condition. Science has only recently come to understand the profound implications of this. On its own, science is just as lost as we are without God. With God, we use science to reveal His Creation in ever more profound ways, and thereby glorify Him. That is this Christian's view of science. Parable |
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196 | A Christian View of Science | Acts 17:28 | Parable | 48432 | ||
"If you're not confused, you haven't been paying attention!" Forgive me if I have appeared to suggest that logic should be discarded or is in any way less than trustworthy. Indeed, I agree logic is a fundamental part of productive thought, as is imagination. Without imagination, "if" has no meaning. Rather, my point is that logic itself cannot be derived logically or logically proven to be valid. You said "To proceed rationally (i.e. logically) is the ONLY way to proceed." I disagree, we are to proceed by faith. "We live by faith, not by sight." -- 2 Corinthians 5:7 Let me "prove" my point: You presented the notion that any attempt to refute the fundamental laws of logic fails because that refutation makes use of them. I submit that in like manner, any attempt to establish those laws also fails because that derivation must also make use of them. What comforts me is knowing logic is a gift from God, yet it is surpassed by the peace of God. "And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." -- Philippians 4:7 |
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197 | A Christian View of Science | Acts 17:28 | Parable | 48796 | ||
I'm struggling to see where we disagree. You make excellent points. You asked "2 Cor 5:7, do you quote this verse to mean that Scripture teaches that faith is irrational?" Quite the contrary. I'm just suggesting that faith is the first premise in any line of reasoning, even if we are not aware of this crucial first step. My point is people depend on faith, in one form or another, even when they argue against it. I agree that our faith in things unseen is not irrational. For example, in science, we have faith in things unseen, such as magnetic fields, which are well established, but no one has or will ever see one directly, yet we see how they exert their influence. It is no different for our faith in Christ. He is well established and we who see and understand His influence have faith in Him. You said "Phil 4:7 says the peace of God transcends OUR understanding, not logic. It does not teach that God's peace transcends logic; it transcends the limits of our ability to understand it." As I read it, the verse says "all" understanding, not "our", but this is hardly the point and in fact I may agree with you. However, I'm not sure logic exists without us to think it, so I'm not sure what you have said makes any real sense. That is, if we can't understand logic at some point, it might as well be gibberish, so all we have at that point is faith in God's providence. You said "Logic is the structure of God's mind. God did not create it and then gift man with it. It is eternal because God is eternal." These statements seem like a good summary of your opinion. Clearly, you have strong faith in the divine nature and integrity of logic. I'm with you. "We are rational because we are created as the image of a rational God." That we are rational is debatable. :) Finally, the centurion's very logical request followed from His faith in Christ's authority. Parable. |
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198 | A Christian View of Science | Acts 17:28 | Parable | 48861 | ||
Lionstrong, perhaps this will clarify my meaning. Consider: 1. Something is true because I believe it. 2. I believe something because it is true. To me, #2 is the Christian world view. From what you have said, I think we agree. Yet, #1 is important to understand, for the world thinks this way. For believers, our faith confirms truth, and as a result, we make it the basis for our decisions and actions. Unbelievers lack faith because, in their estimation, there is nothing to believe in. As a result, they have no basis for their decisions, so instead, they live unto to themselves. After considering what you have said, I am drawn to Romans 10:17, which says "....faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ." Clearly, as you have said, without logic, we cannot understand the word and without this understanding, we cannot come to faith in Christ. I realize this sounds contrary to what I have tried to express, but I was not referring to faith in Christ. I was talking about faith in logic, e.g. without the belief that language carries meaning and meaning can be rightly understood through logic, logic becomes little more than an intellectual exercise with no bearing on our decisions. Parable |
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199 | Would his heart not be humbled? | Romans | Parable | 191904 | ||
a most excellent response! | ||||||
200 | What does "being a homosexual" mean? | Rom 1:19 | Parable | 91629 | ||
I concur and emphasize that "No one born of God makes a practice of sinning". You said "Since sin is the transgression of the Law and Jesus came to fulfill (not abolish) the Law, then how could he condone the breaking of the very Law that he came to fulfill?" Of course, Jesus never condones sin, but rather always convicts it. Once convicted, though, He always offers forgiveness to those who repent and turn to Him. He then empowers them by grace to endure the struggle with the flesh. The important point is that we must die to sin and be born again in Christ. If someone has not died to sin, they are still alive to sin and they cannot be born again. This is true of all sin, not just homosexuality. Parable |
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