Results 361 - 380 of 494
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Results from: Notes Author: stjones Ordered by Date |
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Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
361 | Explain million year old dinosaurs. | Job | stjones | 30234 | ||
Hi, Hank; You and I disagree on how to interpret Genesis 1 and I don't want to get that started again. But what you say of atheists and most evolutionists is right on. I have engaged in many discussions with atheists and Darwinians and tried to show them that they start with a leap of faith far more breathtaking than mine. Eventually, they are reduced to the meaningless assertion that I can't prove to their staisfaction that God exists. Duh. Peace and grace, Steve aka Indiana Jones |
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362 | The Sons of God in Genesis 6:1-4 | Genesis | stjones | 30147 | ||
Hi, Jesusman; You've presented some interesting and thought-provoking ideas in this thread. I'm not sure if I agree or disagree with all of it, so I'll just comment on three things: (1) I liked your observations about Hebrews 1. (2) Psalm 8:4-5 differentiates between "man" and the "son of man" (although that may be a poetic device) and says that man is a little lower than (pick one based on the translation you like) "God", "the angels", or "the heavenly beings". My conclusion based on this brief example and looking at your passages in different translations is that we're not always certain to whom the original words and phrases refer. (3) I think the difficulty above extends to the audience in Job 1 and 2. It seems to me that this was a physical assemblage with God, Satan, and others (they are indeed "angels" in several translations). The only worship attributed to Job is offering sacrifices; there's no sign of any kind of corporate worship similar to Christian worship. To me, God's challenge to Satan is much more meaningful and dramatic (and risky, in a sense) in front of a large audience. Job isn't just the story of the title character's faith in God. It's also the story of God's faith in Job, writ large across the heavens. Just my USD .02 worth. Peace and grace, Steve aka Indiana Jones |
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363 | Judas went to hell? | NT general Archive 1 | stjones | 29995 | ||
Hi, Ray; You are obviously a person of wisdom and discernment, but where were you when I needed you? ;-) Peace and grace, Steve aka Indiana Jones |
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364 | Judas went to hell? | NT general Archive 1 | stjones | 29994 | ||
Hi, Radioman; I hate to get this all stirred up yet again by replying at this late date, but I said I would.... In John 17:12, Jesus is praying in his disciples' (and our) hearing. I think it is possible that Jesus is referring to the Judas that the disciples have seen and will see - his actions and even his motives. I don't know that he is adressing Judas' heart and eventual fate. Judas was "lost" in the sense that, in contrast to the others, he abandoned (and, yes, betrayed) Jesus. But as I've said before, Jesus came to seek and save the "lost". We can certainly agree that Judas was not the subject of his prayer. I just cannot find in all the passages that have been provided proof that Judas went to hell. I appreciate the effort and thought that have gone into showing me the error of my ways. I know I look pig-headed, but if I can't see it, I can't see it. I agree there is a strong likelihood that Judas went to hell; certainly that is what he deserved. But then, so do I. Someone once said that when we get to Heaven, we'll all be shocked to see who's there and who isn't. I won't be surprised if Judas isn't. But if he is ... well, I just hope there's a big first-aid tent. ;-) Peace and grace, Steve aka Indiana Jones |
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365 | Is coveting with a pure heart Godly? | James 4:3 | stjones | 29990 | ||
Greetings, Nolan, my friend; To "desire" God's blessings is not necessarily to "covet" them. Somewhere I read/heard that to "covet" is to not only the desire to posess something but to posess it at someone else's expense, i.e. to covet one's neighbor's wife. A quick word search in the NIV seems to support this notion. "Covet" is always used in the sense of desiring what someone else already posesses. It's a zero-sum game. If I'm to win, someone else has to lose. This is not true with God's blessings; they are limitless. I remember explaining to our older daughter when her little sister arrived that we wouldn't love her any less. We had a box of love and until then she had gotten the whole thing. She wouldn't get less now because when we got her sister, we got another box too. They would both get the whole thing. So it is with God's blessings. Had I been a Christian then, I'd have known what I was talking about! ;-) Peace and grace, Steve aka Indiana Jones |
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366 | Homosexuality and Christianity? | Leviticus | stjones | 29224 | ||
Hi, gpaulturner; I assume that you are referring to the friendship between David and Jonathan and the adoptive mother/daughter friendship of Ruth and Naomi as two of the "great expressive love stories". I also assume that the one you say is fictional is Adam and Eve. Am I correct? If so, have you evidence that the story of Adam and Eve is fictional? I assume you are referring to 1 Samuel 18:4 to support your claim that Jonathan "stripped naked". Could you explain how you know that he was wearing only a robe, tunic, and belt? How do you know that this was a sexual advance by Jonoathan and that David reciprocated? Finally, if one were to agree (even in the absence of a compelling Scriptural basis) that there was a sexual dimension to their friendship, what would that prove? What evidence have you that the behavior of David, who was a monumental sinner at times, is in any way an example of acceptable behavior? Should heterosexual men assume that the Bible endorses spying on and seducing neighbors' wives? The word in Ruth 1:13 is indeed the same word that is used in Genesis 2:24 with respect to husband and wife (no mention of homosexual relationships there). It is also translated in Genesis 31:23 as pursue. Are you suggesting that Laban pursued Jacob to have sex with him? Forgive me if this note reads like an interrogation. Those who would throw out 2000 years of translation, interpretation, and teaching have a very heavy load to carry. Peace and grace, Steve aka Indiana Jones |
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367 | Homosexuality and Christianity? | Leviticus | stjones | 29182 | ||
Hello, Jaylin; "Accepted" is vague - does it refer to the person or the behavior? Accepted by whom and for what reason? As Tim said, the genetic question is largely irrelevant but there is no credible scientific evidence that homosexuality is "caused" by genetics in any way. An excellent book on the subject is "Homsexuality and the Politics of Truth" by Jeffrey Satinover (Baker Books). In fact, we do have access to the mind of God: 'The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man's spirit within him? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us. This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words. The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. The spiritual man makes judgments about all things, but he himself is not subject to any man's judgment: "For who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct him?" But we have the mind of Christ.' (1 Corinthians 2:10-16) The mind of God is revealed in Scripture which he authored. The Bible is unequivocal: Every single mention of homosexual behvior of any kind is negative; evey positive (normative) mention of sexual behavior is heterosexual and monogamous. There are no exceptions. God does indeed accept all who seek him and confess their sins. How many well-meaning Christians are condemning practicing homosexuals to eternal damnation by telling them God approces of their behavior and they have no sin to confess? Peace and grace, Steve aka Indiana Jones |
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368 | When was the Bible written origionally? | Bible general Archive 1 | stjones | 28634 | ||
Thanks, Nolan; Age-wise, I'm somewhere between Indy and Henry. But with the same good looks, of course. ;-) I once preached a sermon that dealt with reasons for believing the Bible is God's inspired word quite apart from any claims it makes for itself. I didn't write any of it down (God gave it to me whole) but if I ever do, I'll post it on the web. Happy New Year. Peace and grace, Steve aka Indiana Jones |
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369 | Judas went to hell? | NT general Archive 1 | stjones | 28629 | ||
Thanks very much; I can say the same. About you, I mean. ;-) I'm still mulling over John 17:12; I'll get back to you soon. Peace and grace, Steve aka Indiana Jones |
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370 | Judas went to hell? | NT general Archive 1 | stjones | 28599 | ||
And again; I wrongfully accused Nolan of trying to "bludgeon" me into submission. Are you trying to spam me into submission? ;-) Peace and grace, Steve aka Indiana Jones |
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371 | Judas went to hell? | NT general Archive 1 | stjones | 28598 | ||
Thanks again, Radioman; Many commentators offer their opinion that he went to hell; other commentators are less presumptuous. Commentator's opinions are often helpful but they are not inspired and they are not Scripture. Peace and grace, Steve aka Indiana Jones |
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372 | Judas went to hell? | NT general Archive 1 | stjones | 28596 | ||
Thanks, Radioman; Conspicuously absent from these translations is the word "hell" or any word denoting hell. What they say is that he was not in Jerusalem with the other disciples; he was somewhere else. Where? The text says "his place" - which might refer to hell or it could refer to the field he bought or the rocks he fell on. Peace and grace, Steve aka Indiana Jones |
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373 | assurance of salvation | Matt 7:21 | stjones | 28591 | ||
Hi, Lanny; Yup. And missing the target sometimes. Peace and grace, Steve aka Indiana Jones |
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374 | Judas went to hell? | NT general Archive 1 | stjones | 28589 | ||
Hi, Radioman; There are people who grow up believing that the Bible says God helps those who help themselves. ;-) Don't you suppose that if God wanted us to know Judas' fate he would have revealed it in unequivocal language? Instead the Bible says (1) it was Satan acting in Judas and (2) Judas repented (or felt remorse, depending on the translation). This is the message of the plain text. There is no passage anywhere in the Bible that says with similar clarity "Judas was condemned" or "Judas didn't really repent" or "Judas went to hell". I appeal to everyone weighing in on this question to consider Augustine's admonition "In Essentials, unity. In non-essentials, liberty. In all things, love." If knowledge of Judas' fate were essential in God's eyes, I am confident that he would have come right out and said it through one of the NT writers. There is room for sincere Christians who study and believe the Bible to disagree on this. There is no point in choosing up sides and beating each other up or insulting one another over this. Peace and grace, Steve aka Indiana Jones |
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375 | Is John 3:16 for real? | Bible general Archive 1 | stjones | 28583 | ||
Thanks again, Dan; You're right; it's not Christianity 101. It's where the rubber meets the road. Author Dallas Willard once said that "God lives at the end of your rope". I have always found that when I get there, God was there waiting. Sometimes I'm so busy trying to climb back up on my own that I forget to notice him there. Dumb me. Peace and grace, Steve aka Indiana Jones |
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376 | When was the Bible written origionally? | Bible general Archive 1 | stjones | 28582 | ||
Greetings, Nolan; This answer is one of the reasons that the Bible on its own merits is different from all other "holy books" and entirely believable. The Book of Mormon and the Qu'ran, for example, are pure prophecy (messages alleged to be from God). The Hindu and Buddhist writings are collected sayings or books by human authors claiming no inspiration. Only the Bible reveals God as an agent in recorded human history. Only the Bible contains prophecies that can be independently verified. And only the Bible ties the work of so many authors, separated by geography and time, into a single, consistent message. As a believer, I find the Bible believable because it is an inspired testimony to Jesus. To a non-believer, these facts might be persuasive. Peace and grace, Steve aka Indiana Jones |
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377 | assurance of salvation | Matt 7:21 | stjones | 28575 | ||
Hi, Lanny; It seems to me that you have to add a lot of opinion or personal belief to the plain meaning of these passages and many others to get the before-and-after qualification. For example, John clearly acknowledged (2:1-2) the possibility that "anyone" might sin in which case Jesus speaks to Father on that person's behalf and the sin has been atoned for. If he were speaking only to non-believers, he surely would have said "when" not "if" because 1:8 and 1:10 would certainly have applied to them. Also, why would John say "we" and not "you"? He applied the present tense to himself as well as to the recipients of his letter. If I understand your idea correctly, Jesus' death only atoned for your sins up until you were saved. From that point on, you started earning your way into Heaven by living a sinless life. But how do you know it is sinless? How do you know that every deed, every word, every thought, and every nuance of behavior is in conformance with God's will? If you follow John's admonition to walk as Jesus walked then I assume you must keep every jot and tittle of the Law as he did. Since the sacrificial system is done away with, if you slip up just once, will you go to hell? As for giving Satan credit, I am indeed giving the devil his due. He is the prince of this world; I am by nature a sinner. It is in the next world where, by faith in Christ, I will be made perfect. My job in this world is not to suddenly become perfect but by the indwelling Spirit to become different - salt and light - and to become a witness for Christ. My job is to grow toward perfection and to do it boldly, not fearing failure but confident that every failure is covered by the blood of Jesus. And yes, I do give my children commands that I know they can't do. For example, I tell them to always do their best, without exception. I tell them this knowing that sometimes, due to fatigue, inattention, peer pressure, or simple teenage rebellion, they won't. They in turn know that when their very best effort falls short of achieving its goal, their father will still love them and commend them for giving it their best shot. That's something I learned from my Heavenly Father. Peace and grace, Steve aka Indiana Jones |
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378 | Genesis 1:26-27 | Genesis | stjones | 28492 | ||
Hi, Jesusman; "I Am" with a capital "A" could not have been self-referential so your question is out of order. ;-) Is there an award for the most useless thread with five or more posts all begun with only two words? If there is, hollyh has to be the hands-down winner. I know I'm proud to have been a part of it. |
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379 | Translation | Rom 1:1 | stjones | 28491 | ||
Hi, dr; To quote that great Bible scholar Mary Poppins, "a spoonful of sugar makes the medicine go down, the medicine go down, the medicine go down". ;-) Peace and grace, Steve aka Indiana Jones who confesses to a violation of rule 1 |
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380 | Present tense | Col 2:17 | stjones | 28490 | ||
Hi, dr; Thanks for the reply. Given your take on v. 16, what you say makes sense. Peace and grace, Steve aka Indiana Jones |
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