Results 381 - 400 of 568
|
||||||
Results from: Answered Bible Questions, Answers, Unanswered Bible Questions, Notes Author: MJH Ordered by Date |
||||||
Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
381 | Does the warning against tattoos apply | Lev 19:28 | MJH | 157232 | ||
Kalos, Have you heard the Midrash (story) about Solomon changing the law about Kings having many wives by removing the Hebrew letter Yod from the text? It’s a wonderful legend begun by Rabbis that pre-date Jesus. (At least that is the belief since Jesus seems to allude to it in Matt 5.) In sort (it’s a long story) the story goes like this: 1) Solomon is copying the text per the Law that Kings write a copy of the Law. 2) He comes to the offending law which says he can not have many wives otherwise his heart would turn away from the LORD. 3) He thinks, “I know the purpose of this law, and I will not turn from God, so it doesn’t have to apply to me. I will obey the ‘spirit’ of the law.” 4) He removes the letter “yod”. 5) The letter “yod” ascends on high to the throne of God, prostates itself and says, “Look what Solomon has done, if you allow this, then soon a whole word will be removed, and then whole commands, and your law will be meaningless.” 6) To this, God says, “Do not worry, Solomon and thousands like him will come and go, but not so much as a ‘yod’ will be removed from My Law until heaven and earth disappear.” The Rabbis used this story to teach that one must not think he knows more than God, and therefore think he can disregard one of his commands because he thinks he knows why it was put there. I really like this parable or legend, because it has helped me to stop justifying certain actions that in my heart I know violate God’s commands. Solomon had a good reason to think he knew why God put the command there, since the text says why it is there. But at the end of his life the text says that Solomon multiplied wives and his heart turned toward other gods and away from the Lord. (1 Kings 11:4) It is also said that it would have been better for Solomon to have cleaned latrines his whole life than for that sentence to have been written about him. In relation to the current topic, it is my personal belief that the command still stands. We may think we know why God gave this command and therefore rationalize why we do not have to obey it. But this is my opinion, and I hold no real judgments against those who arrive at a different conclusion. Just my two sense worth. MJH |
||||||
382 | Is it mt 26:60-61 happening today? | 1 John 4:2 | MJH | 157156 | ||
Possibly the book, "Velvet Elvis : Repainting the Christian Faith" by Rob Bell would be a worth while read. MJH |
||||||
383 | Feasts and Sabbath - still observe? | Col 2:17 | MJH | 157062 | ||
Are the feasts and the Sabbath a shadow of Jesus, and therefore good at showing/helping us to know Him? (ie. Jesus is the body that casts the shadow.) OR, are we to understand (as the NASB adds the word "mere") that the feasts and Sabbath are unnecessary and done away with since Jesus came, He now replaces the feasts and Sabbath because He is our Sabbath rest? I have been searching for some years on the relationship we have with the Law of God given through Moses. Recently I feel I am arriving at a new understanding that contradicts my upbringing. I eagerly desire to understand God’s Word correctly, and therefore I am asking for help in this. Since the topic is far to big to discuss as a whole, I thought asking this one question would at least help me in this one area. Thanks for the help. MJH |
||||||
384 | Was Jesus married? | John 1:38 | MJH | 156778 | ||
If I am right, Jewish oral law said that a member of the Sanhedrin had to be married with children. (Or latter to be a "judge" of the Law.)(1) I do not know of a tradition that stated a Rabbi had to be married. Is there one? and if so when did such a tradition begin? and if there was one at the time of Jesus, why does this not come up in the Gospels? Even Jesus' detractors called him "Rabbi." (1) - Mishnah Fourth Division: Nezikin, Horayoth I. 4. |
||||||
385 | Does the Mosaic Law apply to gentiles? | Leviticus | MJH | 156680 | ||
Doc, Thanks for the chastisement of sorts. You are right that my comment did little...okay, did no help in answering the question. Your note does raise some interesting issues, however. "Antinomianism" I am sorry to say, I had to look that one up, and no no no no I am not that in the least. If anything, I tend to side on the opposite. I have been asking these questions of myself (and others that will discuss them) for about 4 years now. What of the Mosaic Law applies today....to Israel and/or to Gentiles. (I do think there is a distinction.) Where I am today (and may not be tomorrow) is that I believe that none of the Mosaic Law is abandoned, but parts are altered after the Resurrection. Example: I believe that Mark 7 does NOT say that Jesus declared all animals clean, nor does Peter's Acts vision mean to say that there are no longer "unclean" foods. The Levitical sacrificial system has been altered, but I am unable to clearly state how and why at this time. See the book of Hebrews. Galatians is speaking of “works of the Law†not the Law itself. To me, this is a way of saying “legalistic acts of the Law†(see David Stern). Also, the whole argument was “What do the Gentiles have to do?†and never “What do the Jews have to do?†(See Acts 21-22.) I do not buy the argument that, "If the New Testament restates the Old Testament command, then it is still in effect, but otherwise it is not." (My brother’s favorite comment) That to me is a copout. Some in my study group think all of the Mosaic Law applies to Gentiles today, including circumcision, tassels, etc… (I remind them that until they wear tassels, they don’t believe it, because to believe it is to do it.) Now we are actually going over the 613 laws listed by the Jewish scholar in, I believe, the 1200’s one at a time and asking, does this apply to us now? Am I dispensational? I never thought I was. I was raised in the Christian Reformed Church, but have not been in it since 1995. I do not have any significant negative issues with the church that helped raise me in the faith. They did a wonderful job. They were Covenant Theology and Replacement Theology of which I no longer am. I also do not baptize my children as babies. Now I attend a church that recently has hit the church news wires with various pro’s and con’s concerning the Pastor, so I will remain anonymous in that, suffice it to say I am in a non-denominational church. I long to spend time with those who really know the Text and have lived it for decades. If they are willing to be authentic with relating their journey, I would soak it up. (I am 34 now.) I hesitate to relate this information because I have found that once you do so, people tend to peg you into a certain group of thought and assume you are coming from a certain point of view. It hinders honest communication. A recent Pastor I served with knew my background and no matter how hard I tried, he always argued with me from the assumption that I was in lock step with the reformed church. You said, “You respond asking if the Mosaic law is applicable Christians, more specifically Gentile Christians. (An extra distinction that is, perhaps, telling, but I will not delve into at this time.)†Please delve into this….. MJH (PS - I hope this is helpful in knowing where I come from and why I ask certain questions.) |
||||||
386 | were the Ninevites fish god worshippers? | Bible general Archive 2 | MJH | 156678 | ||
Correct me if I am wrong, but wasn't Nineveh land locked? I mean miles from any sea or ocean? MJH |
||||||
387 | Does the Mosaic Law apply to gentiles? | Leviticus | MJH | 156059 | ||
wordoer, Is the Mosaic Law still in effect? If so, is it just for the Jew, or for the Gentile also? Are Gentile christians subject to the Mosaic Law? Before we can quote Lev. 19:28 as a standard, one must know if such law is meant to apply to us now. MJH |
||||||
388 | Be fruitful, multiply or God's guidance | Rom 14:23 | MJH | 155990 | ||
My wife and I spent a good amount of time looking into this very question. Read a lot of books and of course sought out the Bible and guidance in prayer. We ended up in a place I never thought I would. Even when we agree to look into this very question, I had my mind pre-made up. But.... Now we will have the children God blesses us with. There are sub-questions we ask, such as "Should we do Natural Family Planning until the new baby is old enough to wean in case my wife's milk supply dries up if she becomes pregnant?" (Believe it or not, the ancient Jews had discussed this very question, and said that “[Natural Family Planning] was expected lest the baby wean too early and die.†That was a discussion prior to 200 AD.) Like I said, I didn't expect to end up here, but I am glad I did. Now I bite my lip when I listen to people's discussion about how many babies they will allow God to bless them with. Good question, and regardless of what your conclusion, keep asking and seeking answer to questions. If you want resources, I'll be glad to dig them up, at least the ones we used. MJH |
||||||
389 | Can you prove 'a' god exists? | Bible general Archive 2 | MJH | 154820 | ||
see my post further up this thread. ID# 154819 Evidence is not proof. It is support of a possible truth, but as any court case showes, there is evidence on both sides, yet only one side can be true. If you show you evidence contrary to God's existance, that does not prove that God does not exist. Either he does or he does not. Both can not be true. So evidence builds your case, but does not proof it as I attempted to do in post ID# 154819. MJH |
||||||
390 | Proof of 'a' God. Your thoughts? | Bible general Archive 2 | MJH | 154819 | ||
Doc (and others) It seems that my days are far too busy to sit and articulate this well, so here is an off the cuff thought on rationally proving that 'a' god or higher power beyond the material world HAS to exist. ------------- Time may be infinite in the future. That makes sense rationally. But time can not exist infinitely in the past. There is no possibility of such an idea, because infinity past would mean that the present time we are in would never arrive. (If you can't get your mind around this idea....or others that follow, let me know and I will try to articulate them more fully.) Second. If you have material you must have time. It is impossible for material to exist without the existence of time. Material is dependant upon time. Third. Time cannot exist apart from a material substance (not as easy to understand why...but true). If there is no material world then time has no meaning nor purpose. It is non-existent by its own definition. (If you don’t grasp #3, then keep going because it may not matter.) Fourth. If there can be no possibility of infinity past and therefore time had to have a beginning, then matter or material too had to have a beginning, a start from true nothingness. Any other thought is illogical. It just can not be any other way. The mathematics would not work otherwise. Therefore; how it all happened would still be up in the air. When it all began would still be up in the air. But some non-material being HAD TO HAVE STATED IT. Some being not bound by the material world and therefore not bound by that confining fourth dimension, had to create the material out of nothing. Thought had to bring the material into being...... This leads to any number of conversations, but there it is, my premise that proves if nothing else, that at least some non-material being (a spirit being) had to start matter from nothing and begin time as we know it. My conclusions are that YHVH is that One True God and that Yeshua (Jesus) is the Messiah that further proves by his resurrection that YHVH is who He says he is. YOUR THOUGHTS? MJH |
||||||
391 | Can you prove 'a' god exists? | Bible general Archive 2 | MJH | 154796 | ||
That is evidence, not proof. GOOD evidence, but this is not what I mean. MJH |
||||||
392 | Can you prove 'a' god exists? | Bible general Archive 2 | MJH | 154594 | ||
Do you believe that it is possible to prove the existence of God? I do..... Well, at least to prove the existence of some being that is not bound by time and therefore is "spirit." I have been working on an argument along these lines for some time and would love some feedback on it. But while I am attempting to post such an argument that fits this forums space limits and is articulate, I'd love your (and anyone else’s) feedback on the question, is it possible to prove that some higher power/being exists or not. MJH |
||||||
393 | Will there be a partial rapture? | 1 Thess 4:17 | MJH | 154013 | ||
Are you saying then, that Paul intentionally misleads the Jerusalem believers in Acts 21-22 to save his own skin? Did James know this? It was he who came up with the idea. It is obvious that their plan was to show that Paul was following the Law and not teaching Jews to stop following it. If Paul's actions in Acts 21-22 are contrary to what he taught, then how could he speak boldly against Peter when Peter did the same thing? (Gal 2:11) I personally can not come to the conclusion of your Bible professor in this regard. Being all things to all people does not mean lying to them or deceiving them. In Acts 15, Paul did not shrink back in the face of controversy in Jerusalem. Even James was a part of the Acts 15 statement about what the Gentiles were to do, so why would he participate in trying to convince Jewish Believers in Jerusalem that Paul was following the Law? I do appreciate your reply, however, and hope to continue the conversation. MJH |
||||||
394 | Will there be a partial rapture? | 1 Thess 4:17 | MJH | 153996 | ||
Thanks for the reply. Phil 3:3-7 is a good verse to use. Paul found no righteousness of his own in following the Law, which was legalism, but he did remain observant to the Law (Torah), but it was the Messiah who brought him salvation. His attempts at salvation through the law were worthless (not the Law) Rom 7. But it was because of Jesus' faithfullness that he too could be declaired righteous. And yes, those were my words. I spent some time developing an outline of which only a part is written in the post, but I want to know if I am correct in my understanding. Thanks again for the reply. MJH |
||||||
395 | Paul the Torah observant Jew? | Not Specified | MJH | 153989 | ||
Doc, Kalos, Wild Olive Shoot, Anyone . . . Seeking comments on two notes I posted to Jeff, but have not recevied a reply to. I am eager to get feed back on these two posts if possible. They are things I am disdussing in real life at a Bible study.... Post # 153873 and #153874 Thanks, MJH |
||||||
396 | Paul the Torah observant Jew? | Phil 3:7 | MJH | 154015 | ||
Doc, Kalos, Wild Olive Shoot, Anyone . . . Seeking comments on two notes I posted to Jeff, but have not recevied a reply to. I am eager to get feed back on these two posts if possible. They are things I am disdussing in real life at a Bible study.... Post # 153873 and #153874 Thanks, MJH |
||||||
397 | Will there be a partial rapture? | 1 Thess 4:17 | MJH | 153874 | ||
A couple things about your post separate from my other reply. Rev. 11:12 refers to the two witnesses going to be with the Lord, not the rapture as we usually think of it. This is not unlike Enoch, Elijah, and Jesus. These cases do show people “going up to be with the Lord.” But this is for a time until Jesus returns. I was just thinking, depending on your view of the way the end times will occur, you might see the rapture as very similar to Enoch, Elijah, and the two witnesses. Next: Paul had “certain people” in mind…. It is true that the Holy Spirit knew that this letter would be read by all generations in all places, but Paul didn’t know this, nor, I am quite certain, did he even contemplate the possibility. However, good interpretation, if I can go back to my college classes for a moment, says that you need to know what a text meant in the “then and there” before you can know what it means in the “hear and now.” Or even better, “The text can never mean what it never meant.” So if 1 Thess 4:17 meant to the original hearers that Jesus would return and stay, then it can’t mean that Jesus would return and then go back to heaven with the righteous to us. Not only that, but it contradicts what Revelations 21:1-3 says and the basic picture of God dwelling with mankind from Gen. 2 – Revelations 22. Galatians 4:9-11 I am going to quote David Stern here because he says it better than I could. “…But when Gentiles observe these Jewish holidays neither out of joy in sharing what God has given the Jewish people nor out of spiritual identification with them, but out of fear induced by Judaizers who have convinced them that unless they do these things, God will not accept them, then they are not obeying the Torah but subjugating themselves to legalism; and legalism is just another species of those weak and miserable elemental demonic spirits, no better than the idols left behind. (An alternative interpretation, however, is that the “days, months, seasons, and years” of this passage …refer…to pagan Gentile feasts, naturally and directly reflecting “those weak and miserable elemental spirits.”)” ---end David Stern quote. One way we can know that Paul was not telling the Galatians (and Jews like himself in particular) to not celebrate the Jewish holidays, is because they kept doing so themselves. Even the Gentiles celebrated Passover as can be seen in Eusebius’s Church History. Book 5 # 23 from Paul Maier’s translation, “At that time (180’s AD), no small controversy erupted because all of the Asian dioceses thought the savior’s paschal (Passover) festival should be observed, according to ancient tradition, on the 14th day of the moon, on which the Jews had been commanded to sacrifice the lamb.” The story goes on to say that two groups, both celebrating the Passover as Gentile Christians, thought the fast should end on a different day. However, they all celebrated the Passover. Also by Eusebius, Book 6 #22, “…Hippolytus…wrote “The Paschal Festival”, a chronology offering a sixteen year cycle of dates for the Passover . . .” Those Historians out there may feel free to dispute my understanding of this, since my only source here is a translation of Eusebius. Also the following texts show Paul celebrating the feasts after he wrote Galatians: Act 18:21 But bade them farewell, saying, I must by all means keep this feast that cometh in Jerusalem: but I will return again unto you, if God will. And he sailed from Ephesus. Act 20:16 For Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus, so that he might not have to spend time in Asia, for he was hastening to be at Jerusalem, if possible, on the day of Pentecost. 1Co 5:8 Let us therefore celebrate the festival . . . Here in 1 Cor 5:8, David Stern says, “I question [the common thought that this is figurative language]. I see no compelling reason in the context to excise the plain sense (p’shat) from the phrase, ‘Let us celebrate the Seder.’ Instead, it seems that the early believers, Gentiles included, observed the Jewish feast Pesach (Passover). As we will see, their service combined traditional Jewish Passover symbolism with the new symbolism relating to Jesus the Messiah’s central role in Jewish and world history. Evidently the Corinthian congregation observed Passover without supposing that, as many of today’s Christians might think, they were “going back under the law.” End quote. MJH |
||||||
398 | Will there be a partial rapture? | 1 Thess 4:17 | MJH | 153873 | ||
Paul the Torah observant Jew. It’s hard to post on this subject in such a short space, but I shall try. The primary place in scripture to find proof that Paul always saw himself as obedient to the Law of Moses is by reading Acts 21 – 22. (Acts 21:24,26) Here we find Paul just arriving in Jerusalem and James says there are thousands of Jewish believers in Jesus as Messiah who are all zealous for the law [of Moses] and they think Paul is not zealous for the Law and is teaching “JEWS” to ignore the Law [of Moses]. Paul sets out to PROVE to them that he is Torah observant by participating in the Nazarite Vows that some poor members of the community had taken. Paul could have “said” he was observant, but much better he can “show” it by his actions. (see post 152288 and replies for more on this) Paul always held the Torah up in high regard. The argument among the first century Jewish Christians was concerning what the Gentiles had to do. Paul again and again says the Gentiles do not need to convert to Judaism to be saved. There were two types of Gentile believers BEFORE Jesus came. 1) A “God fearer” who believed in the One true God and His word revealed in the Old Testament but who did NOT get circumcised nor follow all of the Mosaic Law. They were expected to follow the Noah Covenant (see post 150100) (which is what Acts 15 mentions as well). 2) A proselytite was a Gentile who became circumcised and became Jewish, following the whole Mosaic Law. The first group came to the temple and had to stay in the “court of the Gentiles” (which was filled with Jews trading and selling so the “God fearers” did not have anyplace to go, thus Jesus and his whip and his “house of prayer for ALL nations” quote.) The second group, the converts, could go into the Jewish sections, they were ritually clean. All this is important to understanding Paul’s view of Gentile Christians. He said they could basically be “God Fearers” who accept Jesus as the Messiah to be saved and be a complete member of the community (not divided by the dividing wall). To Paul there was no longer any difference between Jew and Gentile in the eyes of God in relation to salvation. The book of Ezekiel also predicts the wall of separation would be taken away in the days of the Messiah. Paul did not tell Jews to stop following the Law of Moses (he circumcised Timothy after all). He DID preach against legalism among Jews as did Jesus. Legalism is the idea that salvation is by following commandments (so a person following commandments is not a legalist unless he believes that his ability to do so earns him salvation.) The Old Testament NEVER teaches this idea (even if many 1st century Jewish Rabbis did.) The Old Testament is a grace based religion. God did not change. The Passover is a celebration of this grace based salvation which came before the commandments. So Paul did not require Gentiles to follow the “Law of Moses” to be saved, but he did not tell Jews to stop following the Law of Moses (Acts 21:20-21). Paul followed all of the Law according to both his and Jesus interpretation. He did not follow the law according to the interpretation of some rabbis of his time which was a legalistic or works based faith that was contrary to the Law itself. I really had to cut this short….I had an outline that was simply too long for a forum. I assume that this simple post will not be enough to make my point, but I’ll see what you think of this first. It’s a real joy to discuss…. MJH |
||||||
399 | When babies die? | Bible general Archive 2 | MJH | 153853 | ||
Get the book, "I'll Hold You in Heaven" by Jack Hayford. ISBN 0830732594 Book Description (From Amazon.com) For those who have lost a child to death, Jack Hayford provides compassionate answers to troubling questions such as, What happened to my baby after it died? Will I ever see my baby again-and will I recognize him? what happens if I've had an abortion? Does God have a reason for letting my child die? God's Word shines with hope in the dark night of human pain. God showed his tenderness when David lost the child he had with Bathsheba shortly after its birth. In his pain and grief, David spoke the word of revelation-reassuring word of God's truth-saying, "I will go to (my child) but he will not return to me" (2 Samuel 12:19-23). The freeing truth of the Word of God promises that, like David, you will hold your child again in heaven. |
||||||
400 | Will there be a partial rapture? | 1 Thess 4:17 | MJH | 153667 | ||
Woops. Did I do that? Contridict myself in the same thread? Wow! I suppose that I always assumed that "most people" viewed the rapture as I did, but I do not actually know what "most people" think in a scientific sense. As for the discussion on Paul and his attitude toward the Jewish faith in our other discussion, I will get back to you when I have more than just a few minutes.... looking forward to more thoughtfull dialogue. MJH |
||||||
Result pages: << First < Prev [ 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 ] Next > Last [29] >> |