Results 321 - 340 of 465
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Results from: Answered Bible Questions, Answers, Unanswered Bible Questions, Notes Author: Parable Ordered by Date |
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Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
321 | what understanding DO animals have? | Job 12:7 | Parable | 51506 | ||
Mommapbs, Thanks for sharing. I can relate to both things you have learned from Creation and I agree with you that "all creation is a testimony to THE Creator." However, my question relates more to another remark you made, i.e. "but only man can KNOW God in the relational, intimate sense of the word." Do you have any biblical references that support this exclusivity of knowing? In terms of your remark, my question may be restated in two parts, "if Creation is a testimony to the Creator, to whom is this testimony directed?" and "if all creatures are witness to this, what does that imply about their awareness and/or relationship with the Creator?" The verses I cited seem to suggest that at least some kinds of animals know that God is responsible for Creation, e.g. "Who among all these (beasts, birds, earth, fish) does not know that the hand of the LORD has done this?" -- Job 12:10 What else does the Bible say about animals and God? Parable |
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322 | Do animals know God? | Job 12:7 | Parable | 51486 | ||
Given the following verses, what can be said about a) the awareness of God or b) the relationship with God that animals may have? Job 12:7-10 "But now ask the beasts, and let them teach you; And the birds of the heavens, and let them tell you. Or speak to the earth, and let it teach you; And let the fish of the sea declare to you. Who among all these does not know that the hand of the LORD has done this, in whose hand is the life of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind?" Col 1:23b "...the gospel that you have heard, which was proclaimed in all creation under heaven,..." Parable |
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323 | Greetings - (Jesus is Lord?)- instead of | John 4:38 | Parable | 51372 | ||
"Finding Common Ground" is by Tim Downs. | ||||||
324 | The Bible and Science, #2 | Job 26:7 | Parable | 51371 | ||
The Book of Job is thought to be the oldest book of the Bible, written perhaps 4000 years ago. Yet, in 26:7, it is clear that the author understood that the earth is floating in space. Other cultures at that time or since then thought the world was riding on the back of a giant cosmic turtle or otherwise supported by something solid underneath the entire world, e.g. Atlas. Parable |
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325 | Greetings - (Jesus is Lord?)- instead of | John 4:38 | Parable | 51370 | ||
It is important to remember that the Holy Spirit is the only one who brings anyone else to the Lord. With that said, I offer this as an answer to your question: Everywhere we go, we are to demonstrate our relationship with Christ by everything we do. Often that includes witnessing to others by sharing the Gospel with them. However, sometimes it is important for us to sow seeds of faith and cultivate the soil rather than attempt to reap a harvest before it is ready. In John 4:38, Jesus said to the disciples "I sent you to reap what you have not worked for. Others have done the hard work, and you have reaped the benefits of their labor." This implies that someone must do the hard work of sowing before the crop is ready for harvest. Hence, there are times we are called to prepare others to hear the Gospel so that when the evangelist comes, they will be ready to receive the message. Of course, we may indeed become the harvester, but not without first sowing and cultivating. Sometimes, it takes years before someone will be ready to listen to the Holy Spirit. For an excellent discussion of the importance of sowing, see "Finding Common Ground: How to communicate with those outside the Christian community, while we still can." Parable |
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326 | is homosexuality a sin? | Rom 1:27 | Parable | 49309 | ||
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 homosexuality a form of sexual immorality? The scriptures are clear, it is. As for masturbation, this issue has been debated at length on this forum, so much so that there was an appeal for the dialogue to stop, message 47652. My original opinion on masturbation may be read in message 41781, but be advised there are numerous others that offer a different understanding. To view those messages, click on "search" and go from there. Parable |
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327 | when do I spake in tounges | Acts | Parable | 49118 | ||
I agree we need the Word and the Spirit to teach us about our new life in Him. However, regarding the idea that we receive "all that the Spirit of God has", how do you then interpret Rom 12:6 "Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise them accordingly..."? Parable |
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328 | when do I spake in tounges | Acts | Parable | 49106 | ||
In Mt 12:39, Jesus was rebuking the people for asking for proof on demand, which is contrary to faith. The only sign to be given was Jonah in the whale, which of course is a foreshadow of Christ in the tomb. This sign is fundamentally different from that requested of Him in that it demonstrated God's triumph over death, not Jesus ability to do wonderous deeds, which are subject to counterfeiting. Resurrection is totally in God's domain. James also speaks to this unbelief and the possible selfish perversion of God's blessings. "You do not have because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures." -- James 4:2-3 Finally, the acts you list are miracles, so by definition, I don't expect to see them very often. They are special, delivered to glorify God in a unique way. Miracles are different from the spiritual gifts that are bestowed upon believers for the daily, routine work to be done in the Lord's service. Such gifts are the fruit of faith, not the reason for it and are given that we can do the unique work God calls us to do. Finally, in regard to the gifts, Paul says "For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function..."-- Rom 12:4 and "Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise them accordingly..." -- Rom 12:6 Parable |
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329 | when do I spake in tounges | Acts | Parable | 49101 | ||
Not Paul, but rather Peter, John and/or Philip. 8:14 As I understand you, your point is that there is precedent for the idea that water baptism does not command, direct or trigger the Holy Spirit to enter a believer. I can accept this because I accept that there is nothing we can do to influence God to do anything. Everything He does related to us is grace and mercy. If I may attempt to exposit from this, a possible explanation for why the Holy Spirit did not enter the new believers upon baptism in this case is that He wished to confirm the authority of the Apostles by entering upon the laying on of hands. The point then is the indwelling of the Spirit as an act of grace, with baptism as personal act of faith demonstrating a willingness to receive Him and laying on of hands as an act of intercession on behalf of others and perhaps as a sign for us to be under the authority of church leaders. Regarding Acts 10:43-47, to give evidence that the Holy Spirit had been poured out upon the Gentiles, 10:46 says "For they were hearing them speaking with tongues and exalting God..." While it is possible that all were speaking in tongues and all were exalting God, it also can easily mean that SOME were doing each of these things. Hence, it does not follow that this verse implies a necessary cause-effect relationship between the outpouring of the Spirit and the gift of tongues for all. Perhaps this is similar to the situation with baptism and entry by the Holy Spirit, i.e. the Holy Spirit will impart tongues as He sees fit, not as a necessarily consequence of His presence. Parable |
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330 | what does baptism mean in each verse? | Acts | Parable | 49098 | ||
Jesus-is-God, I agree with what you have said, and yes, I agreee Jesus is the Son being referred to. My question for Grace-and-Truth is why G-a-T feels there is a difference between what happened in Acts and what happens today. Parable |
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331 | when do I spake in tounges | Acts | Parable | 49097 | ||
If no gifts are bestowed on us today, how is it that the Holy Spirit works through us? That is, without spiritual gifts, of what utility are we in the service of the Lord? Parable |
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332 | inmyheart, could Paul be sarcastic? | Acts | Parable | 49096 | ||
Yes, Paul is clear about the spiritual significance of tongues, i.e. tongues are a spiritual gift, and as such, he would that all recieve it, yet also that they would understand and exercise it judiciously, according to the functions and purposes he describes. He is especially concerned that tongues not be a stumbling block to faith for unbelievers or an end in itself for believers. I submit that even though Paul says tongues are the least of the spiritual gifts, his wish that all might receive it need not be sarcasm. Indeed, sarcasm would not be consistent with his own speaking in tongues "more than you all" 1Cor14:18 (unless he is being sarcastic here as well) and the fact speaking in tongues here implies being in the Spirit; Paul wishes for everyone to be in the Spirit. Parable |
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333 | what does baptism mean in each verse? | Acts | Parable | 49050 | ||
Are you suggesting that the baptism of Eph 4:5 is different from the baptism of Mt 29:19? Eph 4:5 "one Lord, one faith, one baptism" Matt 28:19 "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit" |
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334 | inmyheart, could Paul be sarcastic? | Acts | Parable | 49032 | ||
My first inclination is to say that no, Paul is not being sarcastic. When written, sarcasm is often misunderstood, even by those readers who are intimately familiar with an author and the situation under consideration. In sarcasm, the meaning is opposite the literal interpretation of the text and is hard to identify without extra-textual information, such as tone of voice, facial expression, gestures, etc. Perhaps it would help to know if there are any cases in which it is generally accepted that a biblical author has used sarcasm. Do you have any other examples? Parable |
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335 | Who was at the Last Supper? | Mark 14:16 | Parable | 49025 | ||
Be sure to let us know when you have finished the book. Perhaps some of us would be willing to review it for you. | ||||||
336 | Who was at the Last Supper? | Mark 14:16 | Parable | 48955 | ||
1 Cor 4:6 exhorts us not to become followers of disciples or apostles by remaining true to Christ alone. I believe Paul's instruction here applies to teachings that distract from the centrality of Christ and lead to divisions in the church. So long as the novel does not diminish the primacy of Jesus or undermine the authority of the Word, and the story is understood to be an exposition of faith as told from the perspective of one close to Him, I suspect Paul might even endorse the effort as a way to deliver the gospel to those otherwise hard to reach. "To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some." -- 1 Cor 9:22 |
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337 | I'm writing a book, need to know | Mark 14:16 | Parable | 48952 | ||
If you are writing a novelization, I suggest you review two others that I consider significant contributions. The first is an example of what not to do, while the second brings the story to life through descriptive detail and cultural insight. This one is not faithful to the scriptures: "The Gospel According to the Son" by Norman Mailer. In the introduction, Mailer slanders the authority of Scripture by having Jesus say that the gospels contain things He never said or do things He never did, and excuses this by saying the authors hearts' were in the right place. The other, which I consider to be faithful to what we believe, is "The Master: A Life of Jesus", by John Charles Pollock. The writing is smooth and easy to read, the settings are rich with impact and the narrative expands upon what is in the Bible in a way that does not offend. Parable |
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338 | I'm writing a book, need to know | Mark 14:16 | Parable | 48944 | ||
People will be concerned if what you say: 1. contradicts Scripture, 2. does not follow from Scripture, 3. adds to Scripture, 4. takes away from Scripture, and 5. is not reasonable and/or likely in light of generally accepted scholarship about bible history, culture, archaeology, etc. On the other hand, the Bible does not provide exhaustive detail on every situation, but rather gives us what we need to know in order to receive God's message. If you speculate, be sure to clarify to your readers that what you are about to say is speculation and explain why you are doing this. So, why would you want people to consider the possibility that Mary was present at the Last Supper? Parable |
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339 | should a christian go into night club | 2 Cor 6:17 | Parable | 48941 | ||
I believe the answer to this question depends on the maturity of the Christian. New Christians have great enthusiasm to prosyletize, but often underestimate what they are up against. As a result, they sometimes rush in, thinking THEY will save the lost, when they should instead be mindful that it is the Holy Spirit who will do this miracle in them in His own time in His own way. The mature Christian, on the other hand, will follow the lead of the Holy Spirit, facilitating opportunities for Him to work through the interaction/relationship between the Christian and the other person. I'm not saying it is not possible to minister to people in a night club, in fact, I know a couple of pastors who have done this effectively. However, they worked together as a team, fully dressed in the armor of God, wary of the subtle ways the enemy works through the night club environment and able to discern who was open to the Spirit. I hope this helps. Parable |
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340 | should a christian go into night club | 2 Cor 6:17 | Parable | 48891 | ||
This question goes deeper than nightclubs. For a biblically-based hands-on approach to living in the world, but not being of the world, in order to sow the gospel everywhere, I suggest: "Finding Common Ground: How to communicate with those outside the Christian community, while we still can." by Tim Downs |
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