Results 21 - 40 of 115
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Results from: Answers On or After: Thu 12/31/70 Author: Parable Ordered by Date |
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Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
21 | Was the church embarassed? Come see. | Gal 2:11 | Parable | 115117 | ||
Here's a good explanation from John Piper in his book "The Passion of Jesus Christ: 50 reasons why jesus came to die", #44 To Destroy the Hostility Between the Races, p. 106: "Peter has been living in the freedom of Jesus Christ. In spite of the fact that he was a Jewish Christian, he was eating with non-Jewish Christians. The dividing wall had come down. The hostility had been overcome. This is what Christ died to achieve. But then some very conservative Jews came to Antioch. Cephas panicked. He feared their criticism. So he pulled back from his fellowship with Gentiles. The apostle Paul saw this happening. What would he do? Serve the status quo? Keep peace between the visiting conservatives and the more free Christian Jews in Antioch? The key to Paul's behavior is found in these words: "I saw that their conduct was not in step with the truth of the gospel" (Galations 2:14) This is a crucial statement. Racial and ethnic segregation is a gospel issue! Cephas' fear and withdrawl from fellowship across ethnic lines was "not in step with the truth of the gospel." Christ had died to tear down this wall. And Cephas was building it up again." Piper's explanation is consistent with what we know of Peter and of Paul, and it shows how Jesus is the foundation for understanding scripture, and that God can use any situation for his purposes. |
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22 | forgiving people who have hurt me | 2 Cor 5:17 | Parable | 114542 | ||
Anxiety is a form of fear, one that is general rather than specific. Anxiety is a natural reaction of being hurt by others. In order to be free of anxiety, let go of your fear of being hurt by others. To do this, let go of past hurts. To do this, forgive those who have hurt you. To do this, have compassion for them. To do this, see them for what they are through the eyes of Jesus. To do this, learn how Jesus sees you by accepting that you are a sinner and that He forgives all those who believe in Him and what He did on the cross for you. Read the bible, get with mature Christians and grow in faith. | ||||||
23 | Is the role of deacon limited? | Bible general Archive 2 | Parable | 114240 | ||
"Deacon" in biblical times may not have meant what it means today, i.e. grunt or peon. If your church is trying to apply biblical principals, it needs to get away from legalistic questions like this (which try to derive doctrine from one or two verses) and instead, address issues through meaningful fellowship, accountability, honesty, openness, trust, corrective discipline and proper lines of authority. In my church, there is a board of directors who oversee the senior pastor. In others, it might be that a bishop oversees the priests. In any case, matters of conscience and integrity must be addressed or the church will be infected and it will spread like leaven in the dough. | ||||||
24 | documented, biblical justification | Bible general Archive 2 | Parable | 114236 | ||
I guess it depends on your theory. What are you trying to establish? As for the example set by leaderss, see 1 Tim 3:2a "Now the overseer must be above reproach...", Titus 1:6 "An elder must be blameless..." As for what to do about sin in the church, see Matthew 18:15-17 "If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that 'every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.' If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector." The final step means to remove from the fellowship. Regarding legal action, because we are called to submit to the authority of the state, see Romans 13:1-7, especially verse 4, your suspicions of financial impropriety should be reported to the police or IRS. Does this help? |
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25 | how can we be more rich toward God? | Luke 12:21 | Parable | 114200 | ||
Forget ourselves, follow Christ. | ||||||
26 | Are Deacons limited to serving communion | Bible general Archive 2 | Parable | 114199 | ||
Every member of the church has an obligation to confront sin, especially when it threatens the community of believers and jeopardizes the witness of our faith to the world. | ||||||
27 | r u released from marriage if mistreated | 1 Cor 7:12 | Parable | 111654 | ||
Divorce is permitted as a concession to our hardness of heart, i.e. a recognition of that we do not live up to God's standards. Thus, most churches accept that abuse, adultery and abandonment are legitimate grounds for divorce. These factors indicate the marriage, as He intended, may be dead. While it is clear that God hates divorce, He does not want anyone to live a lie. I believe no one should divorce because of one incident or infidelity, but when those things become chronic patterns and serious, then one may give over that person to their choices, which reflect anything but a desire to be married. | ||||||
28 | Where is it written...? | 1 Cor 7:12 | Parable | 111652 | ||
The commandment is "You shall not murder" not "you shall not kill" -- Exodus 20:13. There is a difference between killing and murder. Not all killing is murder. Murder is the kind of killing that tears the fabric of society. If killing were the same as murder, all the prescriptions in scripture for execution would be prescriptions for murder. This relates to divorce in that divorce is permitted as a concession to our hardness of heart, i.e. a recognition of that we do not live up to God's standards. Thus, most churches accept that abuse, adultery and abandonment are legitimate grounds for divorce. These factors indicate the marriage, as He intended, may be dead. While it is clear that God hates divorce, He does not want anyone to live a lie. I believe no one should divorce because of one incident or infidelity, but when those things become chronic patterns and serious, then one may give over that person to their choices, which reflect anything but a desire to be married. |
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29 | Why should we obey God? | Psalm | Parable | 109522 | ||
We should obey God because we need to be under His authority. When we live according to our own will, we find only death. By accepting His lordship over us, we find life. We can trust Him to do the right thing for us, whereas we must beware our own desires, for they have been shown time and time again to be unreliable. | ||||||
30 | What exactly is this Unforgivable Sin? | Matt 12:32 | Parable | 109412 | ||
My understanding is that one cannot receive forgiveness from another, i.e. actually accept that forgiveness in order to be healed by it, unless you can recognize that other person, accept the fact you have wronged them and that they may by their grace nullify the debt you owe them because of your offense. If you see the work of God as that of the enemy, or vice versa, then it is not possible for you, on your own, to recognize your offense against God. This makes it impossible for you to recognize God as the one you owe and to recognize His grace in His forgiveness. It's not that God WON'T forgive you, but rather that you cannot accept His forgiveness because you are blinded by the hardness of your heart. At some point, God lets us be the way we want to be, and if we reject Him enough, He will respect that and let us die in our stubbornness. It is a question of how forgiveness works rather than whether God chooses to forgive everything except what is described as the unforgivable sin. It is unforgiveable because we reject that forgiveness, not because the forgiveness is not forthcoming. |
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31 | addicted to porn-help | Psalm | Parable | 109364 | ||
The issue with pornography is of course lust, which has at least two spiritual aspects. The most obvious is that indulging in pornography reduces others to physical objects that you use to gratify your carnal desires. This is not loving them. The other is a diminished understanding of yourself as a child of God and this is not loving God, in light of all He has done for you to make it possible for you to have a holy relationship with Him. The next time you are tempted, pray for God to show you the way out, which He promises to provide. You cannot escape on your own strength or willpower. You must depend on God to help you with this. I suggest also that you reflect on the people who have been used to produce the pornography, for they are loved by God as much as you are. Remember that they are people in need of Him and in need of your compassion, not your exploitation. Also, think about those who profit from this "industry". Your addiction supports all the wickedness that goes into producing porn, which leads others into greater and greater sin and financially rewards those who mock our Lord and use the creatures made in His image for their own selfish gain. |
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32 | How to love others as commanded | 1 John 3:11 | Parable | 108855 | ||
Love is a command, so think of it as something to be obeyed, which sometimes is not what you would choose to do on your own. Love is an action toward others that is guided by what you would want someone to do for you. Start out small, serve others without drawing attention to yourself. Give generously even when you aren't sure if you can afford it, yet remain a good steward of the wealth God has entrusted to you. Sometimes loving others unconditionally means accepting their indifference, rejection or hatred, allowing them to remain as they choose to be, however unjust, mistaken or tragic. Be grateful if you suffer for the love you give, as you are being blessed to suffer for the cause of Christ. | ||||||
33 | Is satan omni-present? | Job 1:1 | Parable | 100318 | ||
No. Satan is not omnipresent. In the beginning of Job, he is clearly presented as having been wandering the earth. This does not mean that the enemy does not have his agents stationed in many places nor that Satan cannot travel freely. However, Christ has defeated Satan and death, so the work of evil in the world is a last ditch effort to cause damage before the final closure of history when Jesus returns. Regarding our flesh, until we are resurrected, we will have to struggle with our carnal nature. |
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34 | What light was created on day one? | John 9:5 | Parable | 100266 | ||
The traditional reading of the creation account in Genesis presumes a cosmic perspective at the beginning of time. However, in his book "The Genesis Question", Dr. Hugh Ross interprets Genesis in the context of an earthly perspective some time after the cosmos was created. By doing so, he has been able to demonstrate that the Genesis account follows the order of events that are proposed by planetary geology and biology. In the past, I have taken heat for suggesting that Dr. Ross may be on to something here, but I mention it now because I believe it is important to be aware of all the sincere opinions about how our understanding of creation and scripture either do or do not compare. Parable |
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35 | What does "being a homosexual" mean? | Rom 1:19 | Parable | 91595 | ||
I have a problem with the statement "it is not possible for a homosexual to carry out God's will". Jesus said "...with God all things are possible." -- Matthew 19:26 Paul said "...in all things, God works for the good of those who love him." -- Romans 8:28 A person may be a homosexual and love God, even though their walk with him is hindered by their conduct, just as is true for anyone who struggles with sin, i.e. all of us, 1 John 1:8. Finally, God can use even the most hard-hearted person to further his purposes, "for I have hardened his heart....so that I may perform these miraculous signs of mine among them." Exodus 10:1 Peace, Parable |
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36 | Is this the opinion of most Christians? | Matt 5:39 | Parable | 89681 | ||
Yes, I agree that the command is for us to submit rather than demand justice. The OT prescriptions of "eye for eye, tooth for tooth" were to maintain social order, instead of promoting escalation, e.g. killing someone who insults your mother. Jesus, as usual, goes beyond the OT prescription, requiring that we address the contents of our hearts. Revenge starts in the heart as a desire for justice, but we err when we try to deliver justice ourselves instead of leaving that to God. Also, if we have no desire for justice for ourselves, we will never do anything that will provoke revenge by others. Ironically, to be peacemakers, we must work for justice, yet not for ourselves, but for others. Parable |
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37 | Is not God inside of each of us? | Bible general Archive 1 | Parable | 89479 | ||
Perhaps the answer may be found in this: its not that we neglect personal insight or revelation, but rather that we seek to confirm they are truth by comparing them with Scripture, which we hold to be the ultimate authority on matters of faith and practice. I note that not all Christian traditions hold this "high view" of scripture, e.g. the Quakers. The risk of holding to your own revelation is that you risk being in error, or worse, being deceived. There is no doubt that we are called to follow where the Spirit leads, and this necessarily implies direct personal revelation and experience. |
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38 | Adult Question young people please do no | Bible general Archive 1 | Parable | 89475 | ||
From the Song of Solomon.....I do not intend to put any particular interpretation on these verses, other than to note the PASSION that is so clearly expressed. Of course, this is love poetry, so imagery is not literal. LOVER: "You are a garden locked up, my sister, my bride; you are a spring enclosed, a sealed fountain." -- 4:12 BELOVED: "Let my lover come into his garden and taste its choice fruits." -- 4:16b LOVER: I have come into my garden, my sister, my bride; I have gathered my myrrh with my spice. I have eaten my honeycomb and my honey; I have drunk my wine and my milk." -- 5:1 BELOVED: My lover has gone down to his garden, to the beds of spices, to browse in the gardens and to gather lilies. I am my lover's and my lover is mine; he browses among the lilies. -- 6:2-3 Peace, Parable |
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39 | Adult Question young people please do no | Bible general Archive 1 | Parable | 89409 | ||
cherryappleberry, After all the biblical debate, which seems hard to resolve in this case, it eventually comes down to one thing, the very best thing, that Jesus commands us to do....love each other (John 15:17). Parable |
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40 | Adult Question young people please do no | Song of Solomon | Parable | 89367 | ||
I'll attempt to answer your question in general terms first. Where the bible speaks, we are firm and where the bible is silent, we are free to live according to the principles of Godly living. To my knowledge, the bible does not discuss in detail what is allowed and what is prohibited between husband and wife. In principle then... That which expresses passionate love and unbridled joy for both husband and wife, that which promotes spiritual intimacy, that which honors and respects each person, those are the behaviors that glorify God. Sex is His gift to us; we should cherish it. That which expresses selfishness or lust, that which denegrates or objectifies a person, that which injures, that which manipulates, that which does not honor the other person, etc, those are the behaviors that must be avoided. Second, sexual immorality is a sin. It has been suggested the original reason for this is sexual immorality is a form of idolatry, i.e. worshipping false gods or putting something before God. The basis for this suggestion is that in many pagan rituals in biblical times, sexual acts of all kinds, heterosexual, homosexual, bestial or involving children were common as part of the worship. However, the prohibition is not just against doing what pagans did, as if the intent behind the act were the only problem, but rather against the act itself because it is inherently immoral, like murder, etc. It then follows we are not to be sexually immoral so we can remain pure and holy before the Lord, with our bodies as a living sacrifice in faithful obedience. The question then becomes, is oral sex a form of sexual immorality? If one surveys the OT for instances in which sexually impure people are described (Gen19:5, Gen19:30-38, Gen34:1-2, Gen35:22, Gen38:9, Gen38:14-18, Num25:6-14, Judg16:1, 1Sam2:22, 2Sam11:4, 2Sam13:14, 2Sam16:22, Hos 1-2, John 4, John 8:1-11, Luke 7:36-39, 1Cor5:1, Rev2:20), you find the issues are homosexuality, incest, rape, adultery, refusal to father a child by the wife of a dead brother, fornication, sex in the tabernacle and in public, and leading others to sexual immorality. In a few instances, the term "sodomy" has been used to translate the original meaning, which is not described in detail. In other cases, the word "perverted" has been used. The origin of the word "sodomy" has to do with Sodom, a city known for its sexual immorality, especially its aggressive homosexual men. Given all this, I suggest that if there is sin attached to any sexual activity in marriage, it comes from the content of each person's heart, as Jesus taught. Of course, this does not give license to do just anything. I suggest Jesus' summation of the law applies here..."So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets." - Matthew 7:12 |
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