Results 21 - 40 of 55
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Results from: Answered Bible Questions, Answers, Unanswered Bible Questions, Notes Author: goodnewsminister Ordered by Date |
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Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
21 | is december 25th the day christ was born | Gal 4:4 | goodnewsminister | 87724 | ||
We may, therefore, consider the date of Luke 3:1 not merely the only one furnished in the New Testament, but an unequivocal one. There can be no doubt about it in the minds of any who have investigated it. Tiberius began to reign in A.D. 14. The fifteenth year of his reign, would therefore be the year A.D. 29, in which year, Luke states (3:1-3), John began his ministry. Since our Lord's thirtieth birthday and the beginning of his ministry were in October, and since John's birthday and the beginning of his ministry were just six months earlier, it follows that John began his ministry in the spring, about April first--just as soon as he was of age; for God's plans are always carried out on exact time. So, then, John was thirty years old in A.D. 29, about April first, consequently he was born B.C. 2, about April first. And Jesus' birth, six months later, must have been B.C. 2, about October first. Again, there is clear, strong evidence that Jesus was crucified on Friday, April 3rd, A.D. 33. The fact that his crucifixion occurred at the close of the fourteenth day of the month Nisan, and that this date rarely falls on Friday, but did so in the year A.D. 33, substantiates that date so thoroughly [B61] that even Usher, who adopted B.C. 4 as the date of Jesus' birth was forced to admit that his crucifixion was A.D. 33. Compare Usher's dates in the margin of the common version Bible at Luke 2:21 and Matt. 2:1 with those at Matthew 27 and Luke 23. The date of the crucifixion being A.D. 33, it follows that if Jesus had been born B.C. 4, he would have been 36 years old when he died; and his ministry from his thirtieth to his thirty-sixth year would have been six years. But it is clear that our Lord's ministry was three and a half years only. And this generally conceded fact is proved by Daniel's prophecy concerning Messiah's cutting off in the middle of the seventieth week of Israel's favor. Thus, it is again proven that Jesus' birth was about one year and three months before our common era, A.D. 1; for, his ministry ending when he was thirty-three and a half years old, April 3rd, A.D. 33, the date of his birth may be readily found by measuring backward to a date thirty-three and a half years prior to April 3rd, A.D. 33. Thirty-two years and three months before April A.D. 33 would be January 3rd, A.D. 1, and one year and three months further back would bring us to October 3rd, B.C. 2, as the date of our Lord's birth at Bethlehem. The difference between lunar time, used by the Jews, and solar time, now in common use, would be a few days, so that we could not be certain that the exact day might not be in September about the 27th, but October 1st, B.C. 2, is about correct. Nine months back of that date would bring us to about Christmas time, B.C. 3, as the date at which our Lord laid aside the glory which he had with the Father before the world was [made] and the taking of or changing to human nature began. It seems probable that this was the origin of the celebration of December 25th as Christmas Day. Some writers on Church history claim, even, that Christmas Day was originally celebrated as the date of the annunciation by Gabriel to the virgin Mary. (Luke 1:26) Certain it is that a midwinter date does not well agree with the declaration of Scripture, that at the time of our Lord's birth the shepherds were in the fields with their flocks. "Lift up your heads, desponding pilgrims; Give to the winds your needless fears; He who has died on Calvary's mountain Soon is to reign a thousand years. "A thousand years! earth's coming glory-- 'Tis the glad day so long foretold: 'Tis the bright morn of Zion's glory, Prophets foresaw in times of old. "Tell the whole world these blessed tidings; Speak of the time of rest that nears; Tell the oppressed of every nation, Jubilee lasts a thousand years. "What if the clouds do for a moment Hide the blue sky where morn appears? Soon the glad sun of promise given Rises to shine a thousand years." --Bonar I hope this answers your question, my friend, and may it be to His glory and not mine or yours or anyone elses! In Him, The Good News Minister! goodnewsminister@yahoo.com |
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22 | is december 25th the day christ was born | Gal 4:4 | goodnewsminister | 87722 | ||
We now proceed to offer the Scriptural evidence relating to this subject, which more nearly agrees with the common era, and shows that our Lord's birth occurred only one year and three months prior to January, A.D. 1. It is as follows: Our Lord's ministry lasted three and a half years. The sixty-nine symbolic weeks of years (Dan. 9:24-27) reached to his baptism and anointing as Messiah, and there the last or seventieth week (seven years) of Israel's favor began. He was cut off [in death] in the middle of that seventieth week-- three and a half years from the beginning of his ministry. He was crucified, we know, at the time of the Passover, about April 1st, whatever the year. The three and a half years of his ministry, which ended in April, must consequently have begun about October, whatever the year. And October of some year must have been the true month of his birth, because he delayed not to begin his ministry as soon as he was thirty, and could not, according to the Law (under which he was born and which he obeyed), begin before he was thirty. As we read, "Now when Jesus began to be about thirty years of age he cometh" etc. John the Baptist was six months older than our Lord (Luke 1:26,36), hence he was of age (thirty years, according to the Law--Num. 4:3; Luke 3:23, etc.) and began to preach six months before our Lord became of age and began his ministry. The date of the beginning of John's ministry is clearly stated to have been the "fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar," the third emperor of Rome. (Luke 3:1) This is a clearly fixed date of which there can be no reasonable doubt. Tiberius became emperor at the death of Augustus Caesar, in the year of Rome 767, which was the year A.D. 14. But those misled by the inaccurate statements of Josephus relative to Herod, and who place the birth of Jesus at B.C. 4, in order to harmonize with him, run across a difficulty in this clearly stated date given by Luke, and endeavor to make it also harmonize with their B.C. 4 theory. To accomplish this end they make the claim that Tiberius began to exercise authority some three or four years before Augustus died, and before he was fully constituted emperor. They claim that possibly his rule might have been reckoned from that date. But such suppositions will be found baseless, by any who will investigate the matter on the pages of history. It is true that Tiberius was exalted to a very important position by Augustus, but it was not four years before Augustus' death, as their theory would demand, but ten years before, in A.D. 4. But the power then conferred upon him was only such as had been enjoyed by others before his day. It was in no sense of the word imperial power, and in no sense of the word can his "reign" be said to have begun there: he was only the heir-apparent. Even in the most exaggerated use of language, his "reign" could not be said to have commenced before Augustus' death and his own investiture in office at the hands of the Roman Senate, A.D. 14. History says, "The Emperor, whose declining age needed an associate, adopted Tiberius A.D. 4, renewing his tribunian power." Article TIBERIUS, Rees' Cyclopedia. "He [Augustus] determined accordingly to devolve upon him [Tiberius] a share in the government....This formal investiture placed him on the same footing as that enjoyed by the veteran Agrippa during his later years, and there can be no doubt that it was universally regarded as an introduction to the first place in the empire....The programme for the succession was significantly shadowed out: Tiberius had been ordered to assume his place at the head of the Senate, the people, and the army....The adoption, which took place at the same time, is dated June 27 (A.U.C. 757)--A.D. 4." Merivale's History of the Romans (Appleton's), Vol. IV, pp. 220,221 Thus there is conclusive proof that the first year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar was not three or four years before Augustus died; and that the honors referred to as conferred during Augustus' reign were conferred ten, and not four, years before Augustus' death, and then were in no sense imperial honors. [to be continued...] |
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23 | is december 25th the day christ was born | Gal 4:4 | goodnewsminister | 87721 | ||
THE DATE OF OUR LORD'S BIRTH In the sixth century the Church began to reckon time from the birth of our Lord, and fixed the date A.D. as it now stands; namely, 536 years after the first year of Cyrus, king of Persia. Whether they placed it correctly or not does not affect the chronology as just given, which shows that the six thousand years from the creation of Adam ended with A.D. 1872; because it is eighteen hundred and seventy-two years since the year designated A.D., and the first year of Cyrus was five hundred and thirty-six years before that year (A.D.), whether it was the year of our Lord's birth or not. The year A.D. was fixed upon as early as the sixth century by Dionysius Exiguus, and other scholars of that period, though it did not come into general use until two centuries later. We cannot, perhaps, explain this better than by the time-worn illustration of a line with a star upon it--thus: B.C._____________________-____________________A.D. Let the line represent the six thousand years of earth's history from the creation of Adam to 1873 A.D.; and let the star represent the turning point between B.C. and A.D. To move that point either way would not alter the length of the entire period, though it would alter the names of the years. To move the A.D. point backward one year would make the B.C. period one year less, and the A.D. period one year more, but the sum of the B.C. and A.D. years would still be the same; for the amount taken from the one is always an addition to the other. Nevertheless, let us briefly examine the date of our Lord's birth, as it will be found useful in our subsequent studies. It has become customary among scholars to concede that our commonly accepted A.D. is incorrect to the amount of four years--that our Lord was born four years previous to the year designated A.D., that is, in the year B.C. 4. And this theory has been followed by the publishers of the common version of the Bible. We cannot agree that B.C. 4 was the true date of our Lord's birth. On the contrary, we find that he was born only one year and three months before our common era, A.D., namely, in October of B.C. 2. The general reason with most of those who claim that A.D. should have been placed four years earlier to correctly mark the Savior's birth, is a desire to harmonize it with certain statements of the Jewish historian Josephus, relative to the length of the reign of Herod the Great. According to one of his statements, it would appear that Herod died three years before the year reckoned A.D. If this were true,it would certainly prove that our Lord was born in the year B.C. 4; for it was this Herod, that issued the decree for the slaying of the babes of Bethlehem, from whom the infant Jesus was delivered. (Matt. 2:14-16) But is this statement of Josephus reliable? Is it true that Herod died four years before the year A.D.? No, we answer: Josephus alone is not sufficient authority for such a decision, as he is known and admitted to be inaccurate in his record of dates. [Part 1, to be continued] |
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24 | how to start reading the bible? | Bible general Archive 1 | goodnewsminister | 87711 | ||
[...continue from first part...]So the world's concept of "hell" is admittedly a product of centuries of MAN'S THINKING on the great problem of reward and punishment which man associates with human deeds. It did NOT COME AS A REVELATION FROM GOD, but is rather the product of MAN'S THINKING -- using HUMAN REASON to decide what ONLY GOD CAN REVEAL! What About the Millions of Heathen? Now, before we examine to see whether man's idea of hell is TRUE, let us consider where this concept of hell, if true, leads us! On this earth there are more than three billion people! The most populous lands are China, India, and other parts of Asia, and in spite of missionaries from the West, actually MORE THAN HALF of all the people on the earth have NEVER SO MUCH AS HEARD THE ONLY NAME BY WHICH MEN MAY BE SAVED -- the name of JESUS CHRIST! For your Bible says, "... there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved" (Acts 4:12). This means that BILLIONS of people here on this earth have lived, and DIED, without having known anything about Christian salvation -- without SAVING KNOWLEDGE -- neither having heard the ONLY name by which men may be saved! Now think what that means. If all UNsaved have gone immediately to hell at death -- the hell commonly believed in -- then more THAN HALF the people who have ever lived on this earth have been consigned there without ever having been given so much as a CHANCE to escape it! They are ETERNALLY LOST IN TORMENTING "HELL FIRE"! Can you really believe THAT IS the plan by which an all-wise, all-merciful, LOVING GOD IS working out His purpose here below? WHAT IS THE TRUTH? We face these alternatives: Either the Holy Bible is the INSPIRED Word of God, by which the Creator REVEALS the TRUTH on this subject, or else we must fling up our hands and confess we JUST DON'T KNOW -- we are IGNORANT on the question -- because no one has ever COME BACK from such a hell to tell us about it. We must believe what the Bible says, or we can believe NOTHING, if we are rational and honest! IS there even such a thing as "hell fire"? What does the BIBLE say about it? Didn't Jesus say something about "hell fire"? Yes, He did! We are about ready for the actual lesson. But first, read these instructions. Before You Begin Is your Bible in front of you? If not, go GET YOUR BIBLE -- or Bibles if you have more than one translation. Also have several sheets of paper, and a pen, pencil or typewriter so that you can MAKE NOTES to help you in remembering what you learn. Remember -- you must open your Bible to EVERY PASSAGE. Never say to yourself, "Oh, I think I know what the scripture is referring to" -- and then pass over it. You need to KEEP YOUR NOSE IN THE BIBLE, SO to speak. You must READ and REREAD and STUDY EVERY PASSAGE in your Bible. Don't forget, this is a BIBLE STUDY COURSE -- not just a study of these lessons we send you. This lesson is intended to DIRECT YOU to the Bible -- to help you LEARN the TRUTH of God's Word. Now with your Bible, a good dictionary, and concordance, if you have one, and your stationery all in front of you, here is the METHOD of study. Write down neatly on your paper the lesson TITLE. Next write down the lesson number. As you come to each question section, write down ITS HEADING. Then, at the lefthand margin, print the NUMBER OF EACH QUESTION as you come to it, and WRITE DOWN THE BIBLE ANSWERS, together with any PERTINENT IDEAS that may come to your mind. Be sure to WRITE OUT THE SCRIPTURE which answers each question. Writing the answers and any comments you wish to make as you go along WILL HELP YOU GREATLY IN REVIEWING AND REMEMBERING WHAT YOU LEARN. Now we are ready to begin this lesson. Awaiting your responce on whether you wish to continue this lesson or not...I surely hope you're sincere, as God desireth those that are such to worship Him... Yours for the Good News, The Good News Minister |
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25 | how to start reading the bible? | Bible general Archive 1 | goodnewsminister | 87705 | ||
WHAT IS "HELL"? SHOCKING as it may seem, you may go to "hell"! Many of your loved ones are RIGHT NOW in "hell"! But don't be alarmed! You probably never heard the TRUTH about what "hell" really is -- and where all of YOUR ideas on the subject came from in the first place. You probably just accepted, WITHOUT QUESTION, this world's idea of a horrifying, nightmarish place of never-ending torture for lost sinners. It's time we QUIT "swallowing" the IDEAS and THEORIES of confused humanity, and begin STUDYING the truth for ourselves in GOD'S Word! The Common Idea of Hell FIRST, let's notice the generally accepted common belief in our Western world about hell. Here's the terse and brief summation of this popular belief, from the "Encyclopedia Americana": "... As generally understood, hell is the abode of evil spirits; the infernal regions ... whither lost and condemned souls go after death to suffer indescribable TORMENTS and ETERNAL punishment .... Some have thought of it as the place created by the Deity, where He punishes, with inconceivable severity, and through all eternity, the souls of those who through unbelief or through the worship of false gods have angered Him. It is the place of DIVINE REVENGE, untempered, NEVER ENDING. This has been the idea most generally held by Christians, Catholics, and Protestants alike. It is also the idea embodied in the Mohammedan's conception." From the Pagans Now where, and how, did this popular belief about hell ORIGINATE? The "Encyclopedia Americana" states: "The main features of hell as conceived by Hindu, Persian, Egyptian, Grecian, and Christian theologians ARE ESSENTIALLY THE SAME." The Western religious leaders through the Middle Ages borrowed the doctrine of eternal torture FROM THE PAGAN PHILOSOPHERS. Certain of these writers of the Middle Ages had such tremendous influence on the Christian-professing world, that their writings and teachings came to be generally accepted and believed, until it became the doctrine of the Christian-professing world. Among these influential writers were Augustine (345-430 A.D.), and Dante Alighieri (1265-1321 A.D.). Dante wrote a tremendously popular book titled, "The Divine Comedy", in three parts -- HELL, Purgatory, and Paradise. There is another book titled "Dante and His Inferno", which sums up the history of the Christian-professing doctrine of HELL. This factual history says that "of all poets of modern times, Dante Alighieri was, perhaps, the greatest educator. He possibly had a greater influence on the course of civilization than any other man since his day ... he wrote, in incomprehensible verse, an imaginative and lurid account of a dismal hell -- a long poem containing certain phrases which caught the attention of the world, such as, 'ALL HOPE ABANDON ... YE, WHO ENTER HERE!' This had a tremendous impression and influence on the popular Christian thought and teaching. His 'Inferno' was based on Virgil and Plato." DANTE is reported to have been so fascinated and enraptured by the ideas and philosophies of PLATO and VIRGIL, who were pagan philosophers, that he believed they were divinely inspired. Here is an article on Virgil, from the "Americana": "Virgil, pagan Roman poet, 70-19 B.C., belonged to the national school of pagan Roman thought, influenced by the Greek writers. Christians of the Middle Ages, including Dante, believed he had received some measure of divine inspiration." PLATO was a pagan Greek philosopher, born in Athens, 427 B.C., a student of Socrates. He wrote the famous book, "Phaedo", on the immortality of the soul, and THIS book is the real origin of the modern belief in the immortality of the soul. [To be continued...] |
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26 | how to start reading the bible? | Bible general Archive 1 | goodnewsminister | 87698 | ||
Dear Friend, I'd be more than happy to help you come to a clearer understanding of God's Infinite Word, the inexaustible storehouse of golden diadems and gems of Truth! I recommend a certain series of books entitled "Studies in the Scriptures" to get you started on your way, that is, if you wish to use them to learn from. Just let me know? Email me your mailing address and I'll send you the 1st volume of the set and if you like what you learn, you can order the remainder. These are the best reference books I can refer you too, I also recommend purchasing a Strong's Concordance. Some websites I recommend you visit, where you can even read these volumes online are: http://www.bibletoday.com http://www.bible411.com http://www.biblestudents.net May the Good News permeate your life in the near future and give you HOPE! In Him awaiting the Coming Kingdom I remain, The Good News Minister |
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27 | how to start reading the bible? | Bible general Archive 1 | goodnewsminister | 87697 | ||
Dear Friend, I'd be more than happy to help you come to a clearer understanding of God's Infinite Word, the inexaustible storehouse of golden diadems and gems of Truth! I recommend a certain series of books entitled "Studies in the Scriptures" to get you started on your way, that is, if you wish to use them to learn from. Just let me know? Email me your mailing address and I'll send you the 1st volume of the set and if you like what you learn, you can order the remainder. These are the best reference books I can refer you too, I also recommend purchasing a Strong's Concordance. Some websites I recommend you visit, where you can even read these volumes online are: http://www.bibletoday.com http://www.bible411.com http://www.biblestudents.net May the Good News permeate your life in the near future and give you HOPE! In Him awaiting the Coming Kingdom I remain, The Good News Minister |
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28 | Prove all things hold fast to the good.. | 1 Cor 15:1 | goodnewsminister | 86467 | ||
Dear John, I understand and I appreciate your expressions of Christian love and concern for me. I have truly enjoyed our discussions together. Peace I leave you, His peace. In Him awaiting the Coming Kingdom, The GOOD NEWS MINISTER |
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29 | Prove all things hold fast to the good.. | 1 Cor 15:1 | goodnewsminister | 86465 | ||
Dear John, I understand and I appreciate your expressions of Christian love and concern for me. I have truly enjoyed our discussions together. Peace I leave you, His peace. In Him awaiting the Coming Kingdom, The GOOD NEWS MINISTER |
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30 | Prove all things hold fast to the good.. | 1 Cor 15:1 | goodnewsminister | 86246 | ||
Dear John Reformed, I thank you for your concern and for your kind, Christian comments. I truly LOVE all of you dear, precious people on this board, this is why I came here to proclaim the GOOD NEWS, in stark contrast to the BAD NEWS that many of you have been taught to believe by your churches. Let's proceed with an examination of your post. You start off saying,"The "good news" of the gospel begins with the bad news that mankind, apart from faith in Christ is doomed to hellfire!" Yes, in your very next breath, you quote a verse that is diametrically opposed to the point your just made, let us READ WHAT IT SAYS, Matt 10:28 "Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell." Yes, fear Him, God, Who IS ABLE, to DESTROY [not preserve alive, but to utterly destroy] BOTH soul [hum? I thought it was IMMORTAL? Guess not!] and body in HELL! Yes, God is ABLE to DO what you have been misTaught namely, He CAN and WILL DESTORY, not preserve alive, BOTH soul and body in HELL! The Greek word used here is Gehenna, the Jews to whom our Lord was speaking knew where this place was, as it was a reference to the Valley of Hinnom just outside of Jerusalem's walls where the dead carcasses of condemn criminals and the trash of the city was thrown and to which fire and brimstone were added to keep the flames burning and whatever the fire did not DESTROY, the maggot ate for food. They well knew that this represented UTTER and EVERLASTING DESTRUCTION, as the one's thrown there were UNFIT for a memorial tomb, symbolic of their not being worthy of a burial tomb because they were thought to be unworthy of a resurrection. Another verse that you quote brings up another subject: "I WILL HAVE MERCY ON WHOM I HAVE MERCY, AND I WILL HAVE COMPASSION ON WHOM I HAVE COMPASSION" - Precisely correct! Yes, this very verse that you quote shows us that "...He has mercy on whom He desires, and He hardens whom He desires." Yes, our loving God has mercy on those Whom He chooses to have mercy, and He HARDENS those whom he chooses to harden, for his Name sake! However, you're belief in a place of eternal torment, where people who do not KNOW GOD and/or reject His Son go to spend all of eternity when perhaps it was God HIMSELF who harden their hearts so that they WOULD NOT SEE! So you're beliefs blaspheme the very GOD you proclaim to worship by saying that HE HARDENS those whom He chooses just so HE can roast them in HELLFIRE for all eternity through NO FAULT of their own! Such is the SUM of blasphemy! Such fowl doctrine comes from only ONE PLACE, ONE SOURCE, ONE PERSONAGE, namely, Satan the Devil, the 'god of this world', 'who hath blinded the MINDS of them which believe NOT' lest the glorious gospel about Christ should shine unto them. Such is the sum of Calvinism, the damnable heresy of John Calvin the Reformer. Yes, such doctrines does not line up with other Scriptures that state that," 2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. Yes, our God desires that ALL come to repentence and faith in His dear Son, and that NONE should perish. I think you have not been able to comprehend 'election' and 'free grace', as there is a difference and the Bible does have the answer on how these exist harmoniously together. We worship not a demon-god, but the God of all Creation! Praise be to His Name! The GOOD NEWS MINISTER! |
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31 | Prove all things hold fast to the good.. | 1 Cor 15:1 | goodnewsminister | 86121 | ||
It's not a bad thing, but the Fear of God is the reverential fear, not the morbid fear of death or hellfire, for the Scriptures say that 'God hath not given us a Spirit of fear, but of a sound mind' and the fear of the Lord is the respect, honor and love of God, not fear in the worldly sense of the word. The Bible says that 'fear hath torment' and it is not God's desire to torment us mentally, nor physically. God bless, Good News Minister |
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32 | Prove all things hold fast to the good.. | 1 Cor 15:1 | goodnewsminister | 86028 | ||
No, I do not subscribe to all of his teachings, although he was faithful to the Gospel of the Kingdom, the same Gospel that Jesus preached and hence, in this, he was correct. I do not fault him for this stand. Where he did err was his insistance upon keeping all the old laws and celebration of the Old Testament, but he still had more truth than most of the churches today who teach a false gospel of 'Truth Jesus and be saved', this is NOT the Gospel that Paul preached, nor Peter nor Jesus or any of the others. Peace I leave with you, His peace. In Him, The Good News Minister |
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33 | Prove all things hold fast to the good.. | 1 Cor 15:1 | goodnewsminister | 86025 | ||
My friend, You are mistaken. I am NOT a Jehovah's Witness and nor do I preach their gospel, which limits the love of God much as does your own form of the 'gospel', the only difference between JW's and Churchianity- all the other nominal churches such as Baptist, Methodists, etc...is that they- like you- use FEAR to gain converts. Most churches use FEAR of eternal torment to gain converts, and they use FEAR of eternal DEATH as their way of coverting people, both of which produce tare-Christians, or false Christians, as they serve God out of FEAR and not out of LOVE for Him. I have NOT been using the New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures either, but primarly the Amplified Bible- as it brings out the full meaning hidden in the Hebrew and Greek Scriptures. May the Lord bless you today and always is my prayer for you. Christian Love, The Good News Minister |
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34 | The Rich Man and Lazarus... | Luke 16:23 | goodnewsminister | 85996 | ||
Dear Friend, What Paul is saying here is that God hath not cast away His people forever, but that Romans 11 24 For if thou wert cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and wert grafted contrary to nature into a good olive tree: how much more shall these, which be the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree? 25 For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. 26 And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: However, they were cast off as regards the Covenant, as Jesus hear indicates to us: Matthew 23:38 Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. (Whole Chapter: Matthew 23 In context: Matthew 23:37-39) Luke 13:35 Behold, your house is left unto you desolate: and verily I say unto you, Ye shall not see me, until the time come when ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord. Yes, ALL Israel shall be SAVED by the New Covenant, but they shall not be a part of the Church, but shall be saved BY THE CHURCH - the SEED of Abraham- in it's coming Glory! Acts 15 13 And after they had held their peace, James answered, saying, Men and brethren, hearken unto me: 14 Simeon hath declared how God at the first did visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name. 15 And to this agree the words of the prophets; as it is written, Matthew 21 42 Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes? 43 Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof. Yes, the Lord took the prize of the High Calling and gave it to the Gentile nations, who would 'bring forth the fruits thereof.' |
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35 | What could I possiblt do that's greater? | John 14:12 | goodnewsminister | 85980 | ||
The 'greater works' that we shall do, works that Jesus could not do while He was here with us in the flesh is to be 'ministers of the reconciliation', i.e., we'll lead people to a saving relationship with Jesus Christ by proclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom of God and 'teaching them ALL things whatsoever I have commanded you and, lo, I am with you til the end of the age'...Yes, while He was in the flesh the ransom had NOT been paid, now that it has been paid we have all become "MINISTERS OF THE GOOD NEWS", Yes, proclaiming the GOOD NEWS that the DEAD ARE INDEED DEAD and that NOT one person will be 'left behind', and that no one is burning in some 'hellfire' and that you should become a Christian because you LOVE HIM because HE FIRSTED LOVED YOU...and NOT because you're afraid of some 'eternal torment' or 'damnation.' Yes, the Call of the Christian is to become co-rulers with Christ in His coming Kingdom and to build the necessary character NOW, during this day of salvation for the Church, and then to rule with Him once we've proven faithful 'unto death'. 2 Corinthians 3:6 He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant–not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. |
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36 | The Rich Man and Lazarus... | Luke 16:23 | goodnewsminister | 85962 | ||
In answer to your questions, I provide the following: What is it teaching? It is teaching that the Jews- represented by the Rich Man- to whom were committed the 'oracles of God' has a special place in God's eyes, as Amos stated, "Thee and thee only have I known of all the nations of the earth." Israel had enjoyed special covenant favor from God for several centuries, hence the royalty attributed to the "Rich Man", also, the poor man, named Lazurus, signified the Gentile nations who were poor and were 'without hope and without God in the world'- This whole parable teaches us that a change was soon to come, soon, the End of Daniel's 70th week would come to an end in 36 A.D. and the Gospel, the New Covenant, would go to the Gentiles and the Jews- The Rich Man- would loose his covenant favor with God and Lazarus- the Gentile nations would then be in Abraham's Bosom, or under Covenant Favor- under the Great Abrahamic Covenant- 'in thee and THY SEED shall all the nations of the earth be blessed.' Jesus was speaking to the Pharisees and Sadducees as they were present, and we know this to be a parable, for it reads in Matthew 13 34 "These things all taken together Jesus said to the crowds in parables; indeed, without a parable He said nothing to them." Yes, and in Luke 16, the Pharisees are present and listening to Jesus' words as noted in these verses:14 Now the Pharisees, who were covetous and lovers of money, heard all these things [taken together], and they began to sneer at and ridicule and scoff at Him. 15But He said to them, You are the ones who declare yourselves just and upright before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is exalted and highly thought of among men is detestable and abhorrent (an abomination) in the sight of God. [I Sam. 16:7; Prov. 21:2.] Yes, this was a PARABLE, dealing with the forthcoming Pouring out of the Holy Spirit on the Gentiles and their subsequently being 'grafted into' the 'tree' or house of Israel under the Abrahamic covenant. This is a PARABLE, speaking of an actual event to follow, namely, Israel's house being 'left to her desolate' and the calling of the Church going to the Gentile nations at the end of Daniel's 70th week, which ended in 36 A.D. I hope this helps. God bless, Good News Minister If hell fire is false and if self-awareness after death is also false, then Jesus is using false doctrines to teach a truth. Parables illustrate truth. If it is a parable what does the consciousness after death symbolize? Also, what does the agony in flame symbolize? Are they not real? |
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37 | Please answer my previous question | Bible general Archive 1 | goodnewsminister | 85503 | ||
Matt, If you need help, let me know, I am available to help you find the Scriptures for these, but I am sure you should be able to 'give an answer of the hope that is within you with fear and trembling' as we're commanded to 'always be READY' to give such an answer...just let me know. 1 Peter 3 14But even in case you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, [you are] blessed (happy, to be envied). Do not dread or be afraid of their threats, nor be disturbed [by their opposition]. 15But in your hearts set Christ apart as holy [and acknowledge Him] as Lord. Always be ready to give a LOGICAL defense to anyone who asks you to account for the hope that is in you, but do it courteously and respectfully.(1) 16[And see to it that] your conscience is entirely clear ([1] unimpaired), so that, when you are falsely accused as evildoers, those who threaten you abusively and revile your right behavior in Christ may come to be ashamed [of slandering your good lives]. Be ready to give a LOGICAL reason, as God invites us to us our human REASONING when discussing Him, as Isaiah 1:18 tells us, "Come NOW and let us REASON together..." Isaiah 1 18Come now, and let us reason together, says the Lord. Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be like wool. Your brother in the HOPE of the Resurrection, Goodnewsminister Formerly an Independent Fundamentalist Hell-Fire Damnationist preacher and an ordained Missionary Baptist preacher, who left ALL of that life, including the secure wages and the free housing to serve the True and Living God and to proclaim His love and the love of His Son to all who have a 'hearing ear' to hear 'what the Spirit saith unto the churches.' |
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38 | What do you believe? | Bible general Archive 1 | goodnewsminister | 85502 | ||
Amen Brother Matt as God calls things from His point of view and as He sees the end from the beginning, all those in their Memorial tombs shall come forth, as Jesus said in John 5:28,29 and thus they are very much alive in His mind. Matt, what church or fellowship group do you associate with? What are your thoughts on the Trinity? Here are mine: Jehovah—And Jesus, Two Separate Beings. Question (1972)—Some claim that Jesus is Jehovah, that they are the same person, or being, under two different names. Is this correct according to the Scriptures? Answer.—No. Many Scriptures teach to the contrary, and show clearly that Jehovah and Jesus are two separate and distinct persons, or beings. Note, for instance, Psa. 110: 1, which clearly demonstrates that Jesus is not Jehovah: “The Lord [the Tetragrammaton (JHVH, or YHWH), used here, refers to Jehovah] said unto my [David’s] Lord [Hebrew, adon, not Jehovah, but His Son], Sit thou at my [Jehovah’s] right hand, until I [Jehovah] make thine [Jesus’] enemies thy footstool.” Here they are clearly distinguished from each other, and our Lord Jesus is shown not to be Jehovah. Note also Isa. 6: 1, 3, 5, 8, 11, 12, which verses treat of our Lord Jesus and of Jehovah as separate and distinct beings. In vs. 1, 8 and 11, our Lord Jesus is referred to by the Hebrew designation Adonai, which is indicated to English readers as such, in the KJV, the RSV, etc., by it being translated by the title “Lord” written with only the initial letter capitalized. But in vs. 3, 5, 12, JHVH, or YHWH, i.e., Jehovah, is the Hebrew word, as indicated in the KJV, the RSV, etc., by its translation Lord written entirely in capitals. Both Jehovah and Jesus are in v. 8 indicated by the word “us” in the prehuman Jesus’ question, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” The fact that these two designations Adonai and JHVH are used in Isa. 6, the former to designate Jesus and the latter to designate Jehovah, clearly proves that Jesus is not Jehovah. Jesus is here shown to be Jehovah’s Vicegerent, not Jehovah Himself. In many other places Jesus is clearly distinguished from Jehovah, and is thus manifestly proven not to be Jehovah. For example: Jesus is the Servant of Jehovah, not Jehovah Himself (Isa. 42: 1, 6, 19; 52: 13; 53: 11). He is Jehovah’s Arm, Agent, not Jehovah Himself (Isa. 53: 1). He is Jehovah’s Son, not Jehovah Himself (Psa. 89: 27; 2: 7, 12, compare with Acts 13: 33; Heb. 1: 5; 5: 5). He is Jehovah’s Angel, not Jehovah Himself (Gen. 22: 11, 15; Ex. 3: 2; Num. 22: 22-27, 31, 34, 35; Psa. 34: 7). He is Jehovah’s Companion, not Jehovah Himself (Zech. 13: 7; Prov. 8: 30). The above Scriptures, together with many others, clearly prove that the name Jehovah belongs exclusively to the Most High God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, and should never be applied to Jesus, the Son of Jehovah. ’72-94; ’94-93 |
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39 | Biblical support for your statements | Bible general Archive 1 | goodnewsminister | 85501 | ||
Dear Prazn, I appreciate your thoughts. However, in order to understand the true meaning of the Scriptures, we must of a necessity know the historical aspects to the Scripture which we hold in our hands. I'll admit that my views are RADICALLY different than most on this board are, but that's okay. We all have LIBERTY in Christ Jesus to agree to disagree, agreeably. I do not believe in the doctrine of the Trinity, nor do I believe in the immortality of the human soul or the eternal torment of the wicked. What I do believe in is the Gospel of the Kingdom, which Jesus and the Apostles taught! The world is NOT condemned any more than we are, as the WRATH of God upon us all is the death penalty, for the 'wages of sin is DEATH' Romans 6:23 plainly states, not eternal LIFE in torments, but DEATH the opposite of life. However, the GIFT of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord! My heart PRAISES HIM each day for His marvelous LOVE that is boundless, His Wisdom that is wiser than us all, His power that is matchless and His Justice that WILL NOT exact a more stiffer penalty for sin than what is deserved. If Eternal Torment in Hell fire were the penalty for sin, then Jesus would still be roasting in flames and thus He would be for all eternity, as HE TOOK OUR PLACE IN DEATH, in Hades, the Bible grave. By believing in the Devil's lie that death is but a door to the next life, you open yourself up to all kinds of error and bondage to the 'god of this world who hath blinded the minds of them which believe NOT' the True Gospel of the Kingdom. Eternal Torment—Not Sin’s Penalty. Question (1977)—How do we know that the penalty of sin is not eternal torment? Answer.—The Bible plainly states that the penalty of sin is death (Rom. 6: 23). Consider well the fact that our Lord Jesus took the place of sinners under the first (Adam’s) condemnation for sin (Rom. 5: 12, 15-19). Had the penalty for sin been everlasting torment, He, in paying our penalty, would have been compelled to suffer whatever the sinners were condemned to suffer as sin’s penalty. It is written (Isa. 53: 6) that Jehovah “hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.” Jesus bore our sins in His own body on the tree (1 Pet. 2: 24). He died, “the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God” (1 Pet. 3: 18). Jesus “gave himself a ransom [a corresponding price] for all, to be testified in due time” (1 Tim. 2: 6)—for we were all in Adam’s loins when he sinned and brought upon himself and his race the death penalty (Gen. 2: 17; 3: 19; Rom. 6: 23; Ezek. 18: 4, 20). One perfect human life was thus lost and one perfect human life was laid down as a ransom, or corresponding price; for “the Word was made flesh” (John 1: 14) and Jesus said (John 6: 51): “The bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.” Thus in providing the ransom-price, the corresponding price, for Adam and the race that was in his loins when he sinned, Jesus, in paying the debt for sin, tasted death for every man (Heb. 2: 9). He “died for our sins” (1 Cor. 15: 3)—note carefully, He does not suffer everlasting torment for our sins. Hence if there were no other evidence on the subject, this alone would be sufficient to prove that “the wages of sin is death” and not everlasting torment. Those who like to think that the wages of sin is eternal life in torment (always for others, of course, but never for themselves!) will have a hard time explaining how they can themselves possibly escape such a fate, seeing that such a debt as the wages of sin has never been paid on their behalf! If the wages of sin is eternal life in torment, then Adam and all his race must suffer eternal torment, for Jesus never paid such a debt on our behalf! Furthermore, it is hard to understand how Christian people who claim to be civilized to such an extent that they would not tolerate parents roasting their children in an oven, or roasting or otherwise practicing cruelty to dumb animals, and who claim to have too much love in their own hearts to torture their own children in fire, no matter what the children would do, can truly worship, reverence and love a God who they claim is not even up to their own standards of civilization and love and compassion, and who they claim will eternally torture and torment the great bulk of His human creatures. ’77-87 |
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40 | The Rich Man and Lazarus... | Not Specified | goodnewsminister | 85498 | ||
Does the Parable of Lazarus and the Rich Man Prove Some Will Suffer in Hell? "There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day. But there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sores, who was laid at his gate, desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table. Moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. "So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham's bosom. The rich man also died and was buried. And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. Then he cried and said, 'Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.' "But Abraham said, 'Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented. And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us.' "Then he said, 'I beg you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father's house, for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, lest they also come to this place of torment.' "Abraham said to him, 'They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.' "And he said, 'No, father Abraham; but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.' "But he said to him, 'If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead' " (Luke 16:19-31). Allegorical account A consideration of the account of Lazarus and the rich man in view of other scriptures on the subject of death and the resurrection makes it clear that this is an allegory used to teach important spiritual lessons. It is not intended to be understood literally, nor is this a description of the actual events that take place after death or at the resurrection. The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia discusses the contemporary background of the allegory. "This parable follows a story common in Egyptian and Jewish thought, in which the wicked rich and the pious poor have their positions reversed in the afterlife. It is told from the point of view of the rich man . . . who speaks with Abraham from his place of torment . . . "The parable . . . warns the rich that their possessions do not guarantee their future state. The parable was apparently directed toward Sadducean satisfaction with this life, based upon the belief that there would be no life beyond. Thus, Abraham said that even one from the dead would not convince the living to repent" (Eerdmans, Grand Rapids, 1986, Vol. III, p. 94). Spiritual lesson Jesus took a familiar story of the day and pointed out a spiritual lesson to those of His day who identified with the law but did not keep it. The primary lesson of this account is simple: Eternal consequences depend on the choices we make and the kind of people we are. Lazarus is described as having an intimate relationship with Abraham (verse 22); that is, he is an heir to God's Kingdom through the promises made to Abraham. We know from other scriptures that Abraham has not yet received his promised inheritance (Acts 7:2-5; Hebrews 11:8-13). Therefore, neither could Lazarus have yet received any eternal inheritance. The rich man is said to have died. When resurrected from his grave (hades), the rich man learns that his fate is his destruction by fire. The torment he experiences (verses 23-24) is his mental anguish. He has lost everything by rejecting Jesus Christ and refusing to obey God. The "great gulf" between them (verse 26) represents their different rewards. Lazarus will receive eternal life, and the rich man will be destroyed in the lake of fire. Since there is no consciousness in death, the rich man would have had no awareness of the passing of time since his demise. The conversation with Abraham is not literal. It is a parable that allegorically teaches an important lesson. The rich man, facing eternal destruction because of the choices he made in life, urgently requests that at least his family members be warned so they can avoid his terrible fate (verses 27-31). This parable teaches us that choosing to reject God's instruction will bring disastrous consequences- everlasting destruction in a lake of fire. Taken from the following article on the following webpage: http://www.ucg.org/booklets/AD/sufferinhell.htm |
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