Results 181 - 200 of 657
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Results from: Answered Bible Questions, Answers, Unanswered Bible Questions, Notes Author: stjones Ordered by Date |
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Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
181 | 1 corinthians 14:34 | NT general Archive 1 | stjones | 81295 | ||
Greetings, krzyhors; Search on ID# 2988 (right side near the top) for a recent discussion of this topic. My opinion is that the only way to harmonize Paul's instructions regarding women in 1 Corinthians 11 and 14 with his overarching theology of grace, freedom, and unity in Christ is to assume that he was dealing with a specific situation, not laying down a new law for women. But there was plenty of disagreement. I hope you find the thread helpful. Peace and grace, Steve aka Indiana Jones |
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182 | 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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183 | 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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184 | 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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185 | 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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186 | 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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187 | holy spirit guide men to write bible | 2 Tim 3:16 | stjones | 80646 | ||
... from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. -- 2 Timothy 3:15-17 I don't recall if the Holy Spirit is explicitly named in another passage. Given the nature and work of the Holy Spirit, it certainly reasonable to assume that it was the Holy Spirit who did the "breathing" (inspiring). Peace and grace, Steve aka Indiana Jones |
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188 | Is 'Pneuma' really feminine? | Jer 7:18 | stjones | 80639 | ||
Hi, Tim; The Presbyterian Church (USA) has been struggling with this gross heresy for more than ten years. There is a fringe school of radical feminist theology that has been promoting the "goddess" Sophia and denigrating Jesus for a long time. Unfortunately, because some of our leaders are very "open-minded" and gullible, these folks find the dark corners of our denomination comfortable. In addition to their own novel interpretations of the Bible, they appeal to many other authorities - pagan religions, ancient heresies, bogus gospels such as Thomas and Mary, Enlightenment rationalism, sometimes just their own sexual urges - to challenge orthodox Christian belief. One of their leading lights (Rita Nakashima Bock, IIRC) once said of Jesus' atoning sacrifice "we don't need people hanging on trees and blood dripping and weird stuff". I don't know if gbennett76 is part of this crowd or not, though the mention of Sophia along with the rest of it is certainly suggestive. If he or she is an admirer of this stuff, no appeal to reputable scholarship, Christian tradition, or Biblical authority is likely to succeed. They have already abandoned those things. At a human level, I have never understood why they claim to be Christians and choose to infest Christian seminaries and churches. Then I consider that "our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." (Ephesians 6:12) and the driving force is clearly seen. Peace and grace, Steve aka Indiana Jones |
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189 | Judas Iscariot saved our not? | Rom 10:9 | stjones | 80624 | ||
Hi, Mike7; This is one of those questions that many of us would like to see all wrapped up nice and neat and tied with a bow. However, there are many suggestive passages in the Bible, but no definitive answer. Judas was seized with remorse (Matthew 27:4-7); did his remorse lead him to repent and call upon God to save him? The Bible does not say. Someone had to betray Jesus in order to fulfill prophecy. Was Judas like Joseph's brothers (Genesis 45:4-8) - what he meant for evil, God meant for good? It seems likely, but the Bible doesn't say so. Did Jesus include Judas in his call from the cross to "forgive them" (Luke 23:34)? and did God indeed forgive them? The Bible does not say. Judas committed a terrible sin. Was the sin bigger than God? No. Was it bigger than God's ability to forgive? No. Was God willing to forgive it? Maybe. I don't know where Judas wound up, but I do know this: God is sovereign and Judas is wherever God wants him to be. As Radioman2 said, some believe he was saved, some believe he was condemned. I believe that no one on Earth knows. Peace and grace, Steve aka Indiana Jones |
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190 | Two questions on Daniel Chapter 5 | Dan 5:25 | stjones | 80621 | ||
Thanks for your reply. | ||||||
191 | 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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192 | 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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193 | 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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194 | 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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195 | 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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196 | 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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197 | Does the Bible say protect Israel | Bible general Archive 1 | stjones | 79844 | ||
Greetings, LANAY; The modern state named Israel is not mentioned in the Bible. The Israel of the Bible was created by God; the modern state was created by the U.N. in 1948. The Israel of the Bible was a people, the descendants of Abraham, who were given the land of Canaan to occupy. Eventually, because of their disobedience, God allowed that land to be taken from them and the people of Israel to be dispersed. Israel ceased to be a nation in the political and geographical sense. In Jesus' time, the political and geographical entity know as Israel was simply a Roman province. I don't know of any reason to believe that the U.N. was acting on God's authority and command when it created the modern state it called Israel. The Jews, the ancient people known as "Israel" continue to play a part in God's plans. But I don't believe that the modern state, also known as "Israel" has any special Biblical importance. Peace and grace, Steve aka Indiana Jones |
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198 | 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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199 | 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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200 | Does most of the Gospel say women teach? | 1 Cor 11:5 | stjones | 79265 | ||
Hi, Searcher; As I said, I am satisfied to let your congregation silence women. In my congregation women speak because we find no reason to believe that grace, freedom, and unity in Christ are selectively cancelled in God's own house. I am content with that arrangement and have no desire to change your mind or get in a proof-texting war with you. Since you have not proposed any way to harmonize that overarching message of grace, unity, and freedom in Christ with Paul's remarks concerning what he "allows", I'll stick with I have learned through prayer, study, and many discussion with mature, wise Christians. I have explained my position and I respect your right as a Christian to disagree with it. I don't know whether you respect or even recognize my right to disagree with you. I hope you do; I have avoided this forum for a while because I tired of the shrill admonitions of people who think they have an exclusive franchise on God's truth and demand that everyone else agree with them. I hope that's not you. Peace and grace, Steve aka Indiana Jones |
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