Results 2261 - 2280 of 2452
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Results from: Answered Bible Questions, Answers, Unanswered Bible Questions, Notes Author: Reformer Joe Ordered by Date |
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Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
2261 | Which promises? | Bible general Archive 1 | Reformer Joe | 12667 | ||
Just as a side note, most people who view the Israel as the Old Testament church and the church as New-Testament Israel both embrace the blessings (in a spiritual sense) and the curses. I have not settled in my mind where I stand on this issue yet (having grown up in a thoroughly dispensational background), but to dismiss EVERYTHING said to Israel and even to individuals as automatically not applying to us is an oversimplification. Otherwise, we would have no need of reading the Old Testament at all. Sadly, I see this very practice all-too frequently in the church today. No, I am not holding out for my slice of the Gaza Strip. However, some promises by God to Israelites contain general truths that apply to the lives of all followers of the one, true God. I especially consider those that mention spiritual reward to be applicable to me as well. --Joe! |
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2262 | "seal of God" | Ex 1:1 | Reformer Joe | 12664 | ||
I always bristle when people say that "the law has no place in the life of a Christian." That is clearly an oversimplification of the message of the Bible. Following the law is not the BASIS of our salvation, since no one save One was ever capable of doing it. However, doing the good works of God is an inevitable RESULT of our regeneration. The law for the believer plays 3 main roles: 1. It points out what sin is, and therefore our sinfulness and need to rely completely upon Christ's vicarious, perfect fulfillment of God's righteous demands for us. 2. It points out what sin is, so it provides moral boundaries for us. 3. It points out what God loves and God hates, making all men more aware of God's character and His nature, which provides for a believer the clear goal of our striving for holiness in our sanctification. Those who claim that works and law have no necessity in the life of the believer need to read John 14:15, 1 peter 1:14-16, James 2, and practially all of 1 John, for starters. God's moral demands have not become "good suggestions" or "practical tips." God hates sin as much as He ever has, and the fact that Christ paid for mine 2000 years ago does not make him like it any more in my life. The law is good and is inspired and is important for our sanctifcation: "Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven. DO NOT THINK THAT I CAME TO ABOLISH THE LAW OR THE PROPHETS; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill. For truly I say to you, UNTIL HEAVEN AND EARTH PASS AWAY, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished. --Matthew 5:16-18 (emphasis mine) --Joe! |
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2263 | Prerequisite-infallibility? | 1 Cor 12:27 | Reformer Joe | 12662 | ||
Well, we have to remember that unity must be bsed on truth, and not just for unity's sake. While I agree with Catholics on many theological issues (the Trinitarian nature of God, for example), there is still much in Roman Catholicism itself which keeps its most faithful adherents out of the Kingdom of God. Any individual who is relying on God's grace plus their merit (Romans 3:10-18,23 pretty much rules this out), or faith plus works (Ephesians 2:8,9), or Christ plus Mary and their own works (1 Timothy 2:5), and Scripture's authority riding side-saddle with that of the Roman church (2 Timothy 3:16,17) are not getting the gospel right, and therefore are not our brothers and sisters in Christ. The Bible makes this so abundantly clear. I am not part of a denomination myself, but I am more than happy to fellowship with those in this forum and in my "real life" who adhere to the essentials of the gospel but differ with me on questions of baptism, divine election, church order, etc. However, we are not to extend the hand of Chritian fellowship to those who claim to be followers of Christ but who reject the truths of Scripture on what and how we are saved by Whom. I am all for fellowship and cooperation among different denominations, but not all groups claiming to be Christian congregations are truly part of the visible church. Biblical unity is always based on embracing and living out common TRUTHS. --Joe! |
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2264 | what's the difference in these two | Matt 10:5 | Reformer Joe | 12661 | ||
We, of course, need to be careful here not to say that Christ was preaching "Old Testament" until His death and resurrection. The moral dimension of the Law reflects God's demands of righteousness upon his creation, and this aspect was (and still is) applicable to all races as God has written it upon our hearts (Romans 2:11-16). In this way, Jesus "hard moral sayings" do have a place in the life of a Christian, and can be considered "law" (little "l"). These are God's moral demands upon us, causing us, as you said to fall upon Christ as our law-follower-by-proxy. However, the process of sancification by the Holy Spirit in the lives of those who truly believe gradually enable us to heed God's moral law. Because of this, I fear that too many believers are much too quick in dismissing Jesus' commandments as "pre-Christian" (John 14:15). God hasn't changed His mind on what He considers moral, nor does He consider it unimportant whether His children follow His moral guidelines or not. That includes what Jesus preached. "For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God." --Romans 8:14 --Joe! |
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2265 | what's the difference in these two | Matt 10:5 | Reformer Joe | 12659 | ||
I think that this is our first interaction, Mr. Chumley! My opinion on the matter is that the Bible must be read with common sense. Obviously, Jesus was not speaking to all individuals in Matthew 10, but rather he was giving specific instructions to the Twelve. However, the instructions were recorded in the Bible for the purpose of us reading them and learning from them. Verse 16 is an example of something he said to the diciples directly, but also could be considered a general truth for us as well. In other words, it is good advice for all followers of Christ, not only the ones to whom He was directly speaking at the time. We know that God does not forbid us from interacting with the Gentiles. Why? Because God has regenerated me and millions of other Gentiles throughout history, because so much of the New Testament (Acts, Romans, Galatians) makes it clear that the gospel is for Jews and Gentiles, and because verse 18 in this very chapter alludes to the fact that their persecution will be a testimony to the Gentiles as well. Therefore, discerning general truths from Scripture rather than applying specific situational instructions to our lives, and letting Scripture interpret Scripture are both excellent tools in wise interpretation and application of the word of God. --Joe! |
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2266 | Prerequisite-infallibility? | 1 Cor 12:27 | Reformer Joe | 12657 | ||
Charis: Before you start lauding Martin Luther as a type of apostle, perhaps you should read some of his commentaries on the Bible and his views on apostleship and whether it exists today. It wasn't even a debated point in the 16th century that the apostles were a first-century phenomenon. It is not until the 20th century (except in the case of the LDS and other "restorationist" cults of the 19th century) in which we see a sudden frenzy to identify "new apostles." He certainly never placed himself in any apostolic category, while the New testament figures did not hesitate to use the terms for themselves (read almost every salutation of Paul's epistles, for example). It is not a question of humility, because in many ways Luther was not a humble man. Rather, it is a recognition that he was in a completely separate category from those identified in the earlist church as apostles. Incidentally, there is a denomination named after Luther, as he did believe in the organized church as God's primary vehicle for glorifying Himself on earth (as did Calvin and all of the other Reformers, not to mention the apostle Peter in 1 Peter 2:1-10). As someone who attends a non-denominational Bible church myself, I will be the first to attest that while there is no central governing body over all "Bible churches," there certainly does exist a great deal of informal control that transcends particular congregations, almost as if a anti-denominational bias binds such congregations together and leads to rejection of cooperative efforts with denominational churches who are very much Christ-centered (such as the PCA or SBC). Such a mentality limits their mission as well to reach the lost for Christ. Almost seems at times as if there is a separate, "non-denominational denomination." --Joe! |
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2267 | Prerequisite-infallibility? | 1 Cor 12:27 | Reformer Joe | 12651 | ||
The office of apostle was a foundational one...people particularly used by God to initially establish the church. We see that the apostles were indeed "larger than life" in the sense that they possessed special gifts which were not displayed by other believers (e.g. healing)--we never see anyone but Jesus and those he specifically sent out displaying true "signs and wonders" in the NT. This is not saying that God does not miraculously heal today. However, He isn't doing it at the behest of the Benny Hinns of the world! Another thing that needs to be pointed out from church history (something that all believers should study to get themselves some perspective): this sudden "apostolic movement" is clearly a product of the 20th-century Pentecostal/Charismatic movement. Even those who claim to be apostles today do not say that the office of apostle has been occupied since the first century. Rather, they claim that the office is something that God has "re-established" for the last days. In other words, this "essential" office for the functioning of the church has gone unoccupied for centuries! Doesn't seem like our omnipotent, sovereign God would allow that if it was such a necessary office for the body of Christ to function. The apostles were mere men, but they were especially set apart by God for a particular purpose at a particular time. And the power that God manifested in them was so powerful that they often were feared by other believers (check out Acts 5 for a good example of why that was the case). Show me one individual legitimately displaying the kind of signs and wonders on the scale of the apostles of the Bible. On a side note, Martin Luther did not re-introduce grace. The Catholic church has always held that grace is necessary for salvation. What Luther and the Reformers contended was that salvation was by God's grace ALONE (no merit on our part), and that we are justified by faith ALONE (no works at all on our part). Therefore, it was not a "new" thing in any sense of the word. Martin Luther was indeed a man used by God, but he certainly did not consider himself to be an apostle. The contrasts between Luther and the present-day "super-apostles" demonstrate the difference between what the church needs today (Reformation) and what our over-stimulated American society selfishly craves (a "revival" complete with all the smoke and mirrors). The Holy Spirit is alive and well and working in His church! Let's do the studious work of discerning what is truly of Him and what is just fabricated nonsense. --Joe! |
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2268 | Question on spiritual covering? | Bible general Archive 1 | Reformer Joe | 12437 | ||
The last two verses of Isaiah 52 and the 53rd chapter of Isaiah speak of the Messiah, not Elijah. Jesus Christ is the "man of sorrows" who "sprinkled many nations." If you think that my interpretation here is "influenced by the world," then I guess Peter was as well. Compare 1 Peter 2:21-25 to Isaiah 53. The first few verses of the epistle also tell us that the followers of Christ were chosen to be "sprinkled" by His blood. It's perfectly clear from the New Testament who is the fulfillment of Isaiah's prophecy in the Old. When you carefully study Scripture, rather than inventing your own outlandish interpretations of passages, these are some of the wonderful discoveries you can make! Your exegesis of Scripture is so dreadfully poor. Just like the authors of the New World (mis)Translation, you twist Scripture to suit your own unsupported views. That is what we call heresy. --Joe! |
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2269 | "Who am I?" How important is it? | 1 Chr 17:16 | Reformer Joe | 12341 | ||
I think it is fairly simplistic to attribute denying God's deity to a simple use of capitals. What you seem to be saying is that capitalization of pronouns in reference to Him is a must. Again, I must point out that neither ancient Greek nor ancient Hebrew employed capital letters. By your logic, the original manuscripts of the Old and New Testaments dishonor God and deny His deity. We do have a correct translation of John 1:1. The deity of Christ doesn't hinge on that one verse, in any case. The Jehovah's Witnesses are not interested in truth, but rather they, like all other unregenerate human beings, suppress the truth and replace it with a lie (Romans 1:18-20). Commentaries now are helpful, but they are neither inspired nor absolutely essential in understanding the Word of God. Plenty of people have come to a saving knowledge of who God is and Christ's sacrifice by reading the text alone. That list includes such notable figures as Martin Luther. I did not say that God does not know mathematics, and the word "disciple" means "learner"; it has nothing to do with any specific field of knowledge. Human authors wrote the Scriptures; the Holy Spirit's inspiration was not some form of word-for-word dictation, because we can clearly see the different writing style of the human authors (Paul vs. Isaiah vs. Peter, for example). The Holy Spirit made sure that all His intended revelation of God was included, and kept the writers from theological error. Saying you "believe" that the disciples were given esoteric knowledge has no basis in Scripture, and therefore remains your unfounded opinion. Again, understanding the nature of God (as Father and Son and Holy Spirit), His holiness and justice and wrath and love and grace and mercy go far beyond whether we use a capital letter or not, and is spelled out very clearly without the need to resort to playing numerological games with the text itself. Such trivia only distracts from the content of what God does intend for us to meditate upon. --Joe! |
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2270 | Question on spiritual covering? | Bible general Archive 1 | Reformer Joe | 12307 | ||
And how are you discerning that what you hold to be true is a correct interpretation of Scripture, and not "worldly influence" or just plain lack of understanding? And Satan is not attacking the Watchtower. In fact, I am sure he is quite pleased with its manipulative control, false doctrine regarding the nature of God and the identity of Chirst and his purpose for becoming human, the organization's long history of FALSE PROPHECY regarding the date of the end of the world (i.e. 1914, 1918, 1945, 1975--check out Deuteronomy 18 for what God thinks of false prophets), etc. I can send you documentation from their very own publications which will prove the assertions that I am making here. Defensive or not, you are just plain wrong. I didn't "choose" Mantey's side; my point was that the Watchtower has repeatedly lied by citing him as a source who approves the New World Translation. It is simply not true. Anyone who takes the time to take the whole of Scripture into account cannot help but come up with a Trinitarian formulation. Many people have posted evidence for this, all of which goes unanswered by you. All we get from you is poorly-spelled accusations that we are seduced by the world and that you are somehow the bearer of truth. Well, stop speaking riddles, O prophet, and enlighten us on what Jehovah has to tell us through you. We are all ears! --Joe! |
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2271 | Question on spiritual covering? | Bible general Archive 1 | Reformer Joe | 12304 | ||
And He answered and said, "Elijah is coming and will restore all things; but I say to you that Elijah already came, and they did not recognize him, but did to him whatever they wished. So also the Son of Man is going to suffer at their hands." Then the disciples understood that He had spoken to them about John the Baptist. --Matthew 17:11-13 See what Scripture in context will reveal? Certainly you don't fancy YOURSELF to that end-times prophet, "Elijah"? --Joe! |
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2272 | "Who am I?" How important is it? | 1 Chr 17:16 | Reformer Joe | 12299 | ||
The pronouns are divisible by three. What is your point? That is not a terribly hard feat to accomplish. Every third number is divisible by three. Mathematically speaking, this is far from miraculous, Ray. In the case of the New World Translation, I think that the "translators" didn't know their Greek grammar and had a predisposition to deny the deity of Jesus of Nazareth. Nothing more. Again, God has revealed himself (or Himself, depending on your preference...) quite well without resorting to "hidden secret decoder messages." Why don't we spend more time focusing on what the text actually means, rather than searching in vain for some esoteric knowledge beyond the Scriptures themselves? --Joe! |
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2273 | "Who am I?" How important is it? | 1 Chr 17:16 | Reformer Joe | 12284 | ||
My answer is: "Not very." Instead of trying to find secret messages/codes/numerological minutiae somewhere hidden in Scripture, why don't you actually read and study the text itself. Want to show that God is Triune? You don't need some kind of crackpot way of doing it. Read the Gospel of John, Hebrews 1, Colossians 1, Philippians 2, Revelation 1 and 19 and 20 and a whole host of other passages. By the way, there is no capitalization in the original Hebrew, which has no copyrights, as far as I can tell. It is lunacy like this which lends to even greater lack of credibility of evangelical Christianity to the world... --Joe! |
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2274 | "Who am I?" How important is it? | 1 Chr 17:16 | Reformer Joe | 12282 | ||
My answer is: "Not very." Instead of trying to find secret messages/codes/numerological minutiae somewhere hidden in Scripture, why don't you actually read and study the text itself. Want to show that God is Triune? You don't need some kind of crackpot way of doing it. Read the Gospel of John, Hebrews 1, Colossians 1, Philippians 2, Revelation 1 and 19 and 20 and a whole host of other passages. By the way, there is no capitalization in the original Hebrew, which has no copyrights, as far as I can tell. It is lunacy like this which lends to even greater lack of credibility of evangelical Christianity to the world... --Joe! |
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2275 | Question on spiritual covering? | Bible general Archive 1 | Reformer Joe | 12261 | ||
Satan likes people pursuing false gods and accepting anything else but the truth. truth is found in Scripture. It takes more than ten seconds at a time to understand the word of God; it takes careful study. "And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment,...Only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or remain absent, I will hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel;" --Philippians 1:9,27 The only thing in which we are to have unity is in the TRUTH. Unity based on falsehood and lies and compromises of truth is NOT Christianity. --Joe! |
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2276 | Question on spiritual covering? | Bible general Archive 1 | Reformer Joe | 12260 | ||
What JVH0212 failed to mention is that despite Mantey's clear condemnation of the New World translation, the Watchtower society persists in lying by stating that Mantey supports its translation's accuracy. The truth is there for anyone with the will to examine it, Elijah. --Joe! |
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2277 | What about the savage? | Ps 51:5 | Reformer Joe | 12258 | ||
Just one follow-up question, hoping we don't get too far off-topic: Looking at your denomination's definition of depravity, how does it fit into its theology the "ignorant savage who never hears the name of Christ," or for that matter those here in the western world who never hear a clear gospel presentation? --Joe! |
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2278 | Does David bear part of the blame? | 2 Sam 6:7 | Reformer Joe | 11850 | ||
Well, he definitely shouldn't have had the ark on an oxcart...but Uzzah is the one who reached out his hand in pride thinking that he was worthy to touch the holiest of holies, no matter what the circumstances. | ||||||
2279 | Be perfect? | Matt 5:48 | Reformer Joe | 11727 | ||
To be perfect is to be sinless, like God is in His character, like the verse says. And that will be quite a day, I agree! --Joe! |
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2280 | Be perfect? | Matt 5:48 | Reformer Joe | 11713 | ||
In the Reformed tradition, there exists what is known as the law/gospel distinction. What is considered to be law is God's demands of righteousness from us. Since God demands complete obedience (i.e. complete holiness and righteousness), it should be evident that none of us ever measure up. The gospel is what God has done to compensate for our falling short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23), namely, the complete obedience of Jesus with regard to law and his substitutionary death and resurrection. The regenerating work of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer in Jesus Christ enables us to begin our approach to the goal of righteousness, and even to become more righteous in practice. However, complete perfection and righteousness will only come when we are completely sanctified at the resurrection. This statement of Jesus definitely falls under the "law" category, since it demonstrates God's standard of righteousness. In the life of the Christian, it causes us to throw ourselves upon Christ as our advocate and proxy fulfiller of the law, and to rely on the Holy Spirit as our helper/sanctifier. --Joe! |
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