Results 61 - 80 of 975
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Results from: Answered Bible Questions, Answers, Unanswered Bible Questions, Notes Author: Aixen7z4 Ordered by Date |
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Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
61 | Why can we not just be Christians? | 1 Pet 1:2 | Aixen7z4 | 151850 | ||
I should have known. No wonder God resorted to words such as “I call upon you“, “I am pleading with you“, “I beseech you”, “I exhort you“, I'll put it as urgently as I can“, and “I beg you”. He even invokes the name of the one we profess to love, our Lord Jesus Christ. He knew it would not be easy to get through to us. He knew we would resort to “quotations” and pats on the back from others who were equally defiant. He knew we would not obey. Wherefore he is grieved with this generation, and says, “They do always err in their heart; and they have not known my ways“. But, come to think of it, it is a wonder. How Gracious! How patient! How merciful! How wonderful our God is! |
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62 | Why can we not just be Christians? | 1 Pet 1:2 | Aixen7z4 | 151799 | ||
Are we not obligated to obey God? Does he not command (1 Corinthians 1:10) that we speak the same thing? Should we not then seek to do that? We do a grave wrong, and harm, by disregarding that command. I have come to see that. And I stand ready to fight, with (not against, but together, on the same side) to work on it, with anyone who wants to right that wrong. I would have hoped that someone would be interested in finding ways for us to do it, to speak the same thing. But strangely, we seem to take delight, and pride, in saying, “I disagree”. One of these days, I hope that we will stop that, and decide to do what God says. He says we should speak the same thing. And may I say, the context indicates he does mean that we should all say, “I disagree”. O that we would focus on the nugget of truth in what our brother or sister is saying, and magnify that! We could contend for the faith (Jude). We could stand in defense of the Gospel (Philippians 1). We could fight the good fight of faith (1 Timothy 6), together (2 Timothy 4:14). Our house will stand (Matthew 16) because God is able to make it stand. But it is yet his will that we stand fast in one spirit, with one mind, striving together for the faith. Anyone can disagree with that, and they can attach scripture to support their disagreement. Someone will say we cannot let false doctrine go unchallenged. But the challenge before us is to find the part that we agree on, and focus on that. Finally, my brother, whatsoever things are true, think on these things. |
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63 | Why can we not just be Christians? | 1 Pet 1:2 | Aixen7z4 | 151668 | ||
What does it mean to “just be Christian”? This may be only wishful thinking. They say a man often hears what he wants to hear. But think I hear you saying that you wish we could all be simply Christians, saying the same thing, instead of a number of camps within the church, each claiming to have found the truth. I would fight with you for unity, to find a way for us to say the same thing. I do believe there is a command to that effect in 1 Corinthians 1 and elsewhere: I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. But I fear I may be wrong, and more, that I will be disappointed. You have chosen the topic of Election, one that is noted for the disagreements that it engenders. Besides, you have illustrated the disagreement. One says, “Election is the act of God whereby in eternity past He chose those who will be saved”. You say, “I simply do not read the words of scripture as making such a statement as is noted above.” This starts another round of the endless debate that leaves us with, “I am right” and “No, I am right”. How then can we “just be Christians”? I do believe there is a way for us as followers of Christ to all say the same thing, as in 1 Corinthians 1:10, and I‘d be glad to explore it with you from the Scriptures. Is that what you are seeking at this time? Is that what you mean by “just be Christian”? If not, I will leave this discussion at this point and plan to start another at some point. I guess I am looking for some genuine interest in the topic, but I would like to know from you personally. if your post is a call for oneness of mind among Christians. |
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64 | Word of Christ? | Rom 10:17 | Aixen7z4 | 151458 | ||
Christ is the Word of God (John 1, Revelation 19:13, etc.). That, like everything else that you have said, is true. It is fully documented with scripture. What then is the word of Christ? Shall we say that the word of Christ is the word of the Word of God? I fear that we are making an obfuscation out of a simple statement, though profound. The word of Christ is the word of God. He did not speak by himself; but the Father which sent him, he gave him a commandment, what he should say, and what he should speak (John 12:49). He gave them the words which the Father had given him (John 17:8). Any way you look at it, the word of Christ is the word of God. There are a thousand things we can say about the word of Christ, what it is like and what it does. But there is no difficulty in understanding what it is. The word of Christ is the word of God. |
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65 | Word of Christ? | Rom 10:17 | Aixen7z4 | 151450 | ||
“What is the word of Christ?”? This forum is really a blessing because, as people share, one is forced to think of things that one would probably not have thought of otherwise. The phrase “word of Christ” appears only one time in Scripture, that I am aware of, and it is in Colossians 3:16. There: “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom”. I would have assumed that “the word of Christ” refers to all that Jesus said, just as “the word of God” refers to all that God has said, that is, to all of the Bible. Is there some other meaning? And I suppose we should keep it simple (2 Corinthians 11:3). “For our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity …”; that is the way that Paul and Timothy had spoken to them (2 Corinthians 1:12). “Can we say that the word of Christ enables us to hear?” Enables. Does it give us the ability? Does it wake us up? Does it force its way into our consciousness? I suppose the word of Christ does have that power. For God commanded the light to shine out of darkness, and he has shined in our hearts (1 Corinthians 4). When Jesus spoke, dead Lazarus heard. He speaks with a voice that wakes the dead, and makes the people hear. The word of Christ is alive and powerful (Hebrews 4). It is a hammer breaking rocks (Jeremiah 23). It is a fire that gets into the bones (Jeremiah 20). It is a sword that pricks (Acts 2) and pierces Hebrews 4). To hear. Certainly we can say it enables us to hear the Gospel, for in the word of Christ is the message of the Gospel. Faith comes by hearing. But surely it does no refer to hearing without specifying the stimulus. It does not refer to hearing birds sing or to hearing the thunder roar. The hearing that is required requires that the word of God be preached (Romans 10). Hearing comes by the word of God. Does the word of Christ cause us to hear? To really hear? To hear at a deep level? With the heart and not just the ear? To hear and understand? For that we need not only the word of Christ but also the agency of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 2). Jesus said, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear”. It suggests a certain predisposition, as in John 7:17. We must be wanting to know the truth, to respond to it in obedience (1 Peter 4). “What is the word of Christ?” What is the summary of it? What is the gist of the message? This is the message we have heard from him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanses us from all sin. |
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66 | Who are the lost sheep of israel? | Luke 19:10 | Aixen7z4 | 151313 | ||
All in God’s time, my friend. The Gospel was to go to the Jew first (Romans 1:16; 2:9,10, etc.). See the words of Paul and Barnabas (Acts 13:46). They said: “It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles”. You may also want to read Romans 11. You are correct, of course, that the Gospel is for everyone. And there are lost sheep in Israel (the Jews). And there are other sheep (John 10). And it was always God’s plan that there be one fold and one shepherd (Ephesians 2). But it was also in God’s plan that the Jews would have first dibs. Interesting (Isn’t it?) that they will have last dibs as well, after the Gentiles have had their chance. |
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67 | Mom, grandma, sister all in Satans hands | Bible general Archive 2 | Aixen7z4 | 151306 | ||
Hi: We understand, and we're with you. You have already had some good advice. I trust you will also find the following comments helpful. It is one of the heaviest burdens that we bear, I think, and the saddest, to see our loved ones on the road to hell. Sometimes a person will ask, “Why do you care so much for your family, and not so much for other folks?” But God has put them in our lives, and we know them well; so we have a special love for them. That gives us a special responsibility. It is expected that we should be concerned about them, and do what we can to witness to them with our lives and with our words, both reflecting the word of God. Paul set the example for us when he said (Romans 9): “I'm telling you the truth. I'm not lying. My conscience bothers me about this as it is stirred by the Holy Spirit, that I have deep sorrow and continuous heartache when I think about my relatives. I cold almost wish that I could be condemned and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh”. Those are strong words. And it is likely that most believers with unsaved relatives have strong feelings like that. I hope it is comforting to you to know that God wants them to be saved even more than you do, and he will do all that is necessary to draw them to him and to let them know the truth (1 Timothy 2:4). So we can pray for that. They will have a chance to be saved, that‘s for sure. But it is the message of the Gospel that God uses, and we have the privilege of working along with God in bringing them the Good News. You can rest in the fact that the Gospel has its own power (Romans 1:16) and it will get through to them without our having to force it. If you have already given them the Gospel, then it is in them and doing its work. If not, then you can do it, or the Lord will use someone else to talk to them. It will help a lot if you, as a believer, will live a consistent life of faith and obedience to God. A bad testimony or an inconsistent life on our part can be a hindrance to the gospel (2 Peter 2). It will make it harder for them to hear and it will take longer for them to see the truth. Settle that in your own mind, and commit yourself to God for this (1 Peter 3:15). All in all I hope you realize that many of us are in the same situation as you, and we understand how you feel. So you can believe it when we say we are praying with that your relatives will be saved. |
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68 | Any advice to stop sexual immorality? | 2 Cor 6:14 | Aixen7z4 | 151132 | ||
Hi: I admire your willingness to listen to what the Lord says, and 1 Corinthians 7 is a good place to start. I think it applies to your situation in many ways. But you are thinking and praying. Think about this. Does the passage mean that a thief should continue stealing? (See Ephesians 4:28). Likewise, the fornication must stop. Yet the Lord wants your friend to be saved. And he may have a future for your relationship. Please pray about that. You have had a lot of advice. Please consider this. Think about your salvation. Thank God for it. It is the most important thing that could have happened in your life. Think about your boyfriend. It is the most important thing for him, that he gets saved. Please think about him. Please witness to him. Please urge him to repent and trust in Christ. Show him what repentance means by stopping the sin you commit with him. Show him what it means to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ by trusting the Lord yourself with your friendships and your future. To do that last part it will be necessary for you to stop seeing him in situations where sex can occur. Do that, regardless of how he might respond. But care about his salvation above all, and tell him that, and show him that. Do not give him any promise that your relationship will continue as is after he gets saved. Your sexual relationship cannot continue unless you get married (1 Thessalonians 4:3). And now comes something that I have heard about, called “Missionary Dating”. If I understand what it means, that you use a romantic relationship to try to win someone to Christ, I would suggest that you not try to do that. Focus for now on his needs, not your own (1 Corinthians 13). And his need is for salvation. Be willing to make a sacrifice. Jesus did (Titus 2:14) and this case may benefit from your sacrifice as well (as in Colossians 1:24). Many of us will be suspicious about any profession of faith your friend may make under these conditions. But I would suggest to you that this time is a golden opportunity. Tell him that you care about his salvation more than anything (as in Romans 10). Urge him to turn to the Lord. If he is not willing to do that, you will naturally grow apart. Even if it hurts, you will understand why you have to let it happen. If he is willing, you should help him to understand the faith and the need to refrain from sin. I would just like to encourage you that there have been cases like yours that have led to marriage and a happy life and service for the Lord in partnership with your friend. Though you have not mentioned the possibility of a marriage coming out of this, it is one possible outcome that the Lord may have for you. See 1 Corinthians 7. So, while I agree with what others have said to you here, and what you have said, there is also that possibility you might consider. Consider what I say, and may the Lord direct you. |
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69 | Psalms 22 -awsome and confusing..... | 2 Sam 23:2 | Aixen7z4 | 151127 | ||
David was a prophet (Acts 2:32) and he was prophesying there. You note, correctly, that those words were written before Christ was born. That is the way it is with prophecy. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Ghost (2 Peter 1). So the Spirit of the Lord spoke by David. How do we know when a prophet has been prophesying? Sometimes he tells us in advance. At other times, as in Psalm 22, he does not come out and say so. But someone with authority, such as the Lord Jesus Christ or one of the Apostles may let us know. Thus Jesus often said, “It is written”. Sometimes he would engage in an action so that a prophecy might be fulfilled. See, for example, Matthew 1:22; 2:15; 2:17; 4:14. Sometimes, as in the case of Psalm 22:1, it seems hardly necessary to say; Jesus utters the exact same words in Matthew 27:46. Sometimes, it is left unambiguous: “Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, saith, ‘I thirst‘“ ( John 19:28). We need to be careful not to spiritualize without authority. But sometimes it is clear that a passage such as Psalm 22 is a prophecy. It was a song that came to David, but it was the Holy Spirit who was inspiring him. And the song was about Jesus. |
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70 | And can we accept this challenge? | Bible general Archive 2 | Aixen7z4 | 151123 | ||
Some of us accepted that challenge, and we were humbled and sobered by it. But it seems to me that the greater challenge still remains. The challenge is to help a brother. I hope that one is allowed to ask that when one’s heart goes out to a brother. The brother may not accept that he needs help, but it is my considered opinion that a person does need help when he seems to have become fixated. I hope this is not judged to be ad hominem, or an attack, because it comes out of a desire to help, to help all of us. Quite often a person becomes stuck, or overtaken with a fault, as in Galatians 6:1. Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. It is my observation that our brother is stuck in a box and apparently unable to think outside of it. Well meaning attempts to get him out may result in his become more firmly stuck; like pulling someone down through a funnel, if you understand what I mean. So the question is: How do you help such a brother? It is probably difficult for any of us to change our minds. There is something called perseverance that we may confuse with obstinacy. It would not be bothersome if someone had some idiosyncrasy, such as saying “Amen” to everything or “Praise the Lord” before everything. We get into habits. And I suppose that the need to capitalize all pronouns that refer to deity is a harmless habit. But when a fascination with capitalization leads one of us to propose that there is a holy spirit to go along with the Holy Spirit, then we may think that the brother needs help. If he does not admit it, he may think that he has a valid point that he needs to hold on to, or even teach. Then we may conclude that he needs help. So the question, and the challenge, must be faced, I think. And this writer has this habit of saying, “I think”, “It seems to me”, and suchlike. It is a habit developed in training; “It is my impression” is better than “I am sure”, etc. But I suppose it should not matter if one’s supposition is based on scripture. And I suppose we should seek to help because of passages such as Galatians 6:1. Then there is Galatians 2 where Paul helped Peter, and Romans 15 where the weak are to help the strong, and Hebrews 12 where we are to make straight paths for our feet lest the lame be turned away, and James 5 where one of us, hypothetically, errs from the truth, and one converts him. and learns that he who converts the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins. We are told that we are to restore such an one. The challenge is to find the way to do it. |
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71 | Can we not ask God to forgive another? | John | Aixen7z4 | 150988 | ||
My Brother Hank: It is easy to say, “You are wrong”. It is more difficult, but more rewarding, to try to understand why the person says what he’s said. Usually, there is some kernel of truth in it. Your scenario leaves us with only one option: Forgive, forgive, forgive. Is that what you would do to the man who punches you repeatedly? Jesus gives us another option: help him to the point of repentance. Thus, we do not simply forgive the brother who is living in sin. There are steps that we take (See 1 Corinthians 5). We cause him sorrow, not by insulting him or threatening him, but by entreating him, by withdrawing fellowship from him if he does not respond. If he repents you forgive him. If he does not repent, you disfellowship him. That loss of fellowship with God’s people will eat at one of God’s people. It is reflecting a lack of fellowship with God. That will cause sorrow, godly sorrow, and repentance, and restoration. I am afraid that unconditional forgiveness, if there is such a thing, will not accomplish that goal. God knows that the constant offer of such forgiveness often fails to accomplish that goal. For thus saith the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel, “In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength: and ye would not” (Isaiah 30:15). But God does not change his requirement. God still commands all men everywhere to repent. And he tells us in Luke 17 to require it. But why do we assume that a passage with additional information must be diluted because another passage does not have the information? God says, “Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Romans 10). He does not tell us there that they must repent, but don’t we know it? Don’t we have that information in other passages? We do not go for the least common denominator. We add the factors. We do not discard the additional information. We add it. Matthew 18 does not tell us that the brother must repent, but Luke 17 does. 1 Corinthians 5 does. Luke 13 does. Ezekiel 33 does. Do we then delete the requirement of repentance from Luke 17, or do we add it to Matthew 18? It seems to me (and I do not use that phrase to disregard the forum guidelines but to avoid any appearance of evil arrogance and dogmatism) it seems to me that forgiveness has no meaning without repentance. God requires it of us, and he asks us to look for it in others. If there could be restoration without repentance then I suppose anyone could be granted a place in heaven. But Jesus linked the two when he said, “repentance and remission of sins” should be preached in his name (Luke 24:47). God loves the world, and he is not willing that any should perish. But “unless you repent, you will all likewise perish”. Without repentance from the offending person, forgiveness is not possible. You may wink at a person’s transgression, and you may overlook it. But that is not my understanding of what the word Forgiveness means. Forgiveness is a relieving of the person of his sense of guilt and culpability. If he has no such sense, then you cannot relieve him of it. There may be consequences that he does not have to pay, but that fellowship will not be restored in the absence of repentance. If you “forgive” a person who has not repented, then you have done him no favor. You may have relieved yourself of a burden, but you have not helped the brother. Why does God require repentance? Why does he insist of it? My words are ended now, but I trust we can think on it. |
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72 | Can we not ask God to forgive another? | John | Aixen7z4 | 150985 | ||
Doc: I hate to say it this way, but I think you are perfectly correct. Your analysis is borne out by the order of events in the story of the king and the two servants in Matthew 18. The question is: “Should you not also have had compassion on your fellowservant, even as I had pity on you?” (Verse 33). As to the Jonathan Edwards quote, what can we say? It is a sad fact of human nature that we hate those we are supposed to love more than we would a stranger. Men kill their wives, etc. But a person who is saved should stop and think. Since God has forgiven me all my wickedness, all my stupidity, all my ignorance, and the mistake I made in resisting him, then I should be willing to forgive anyone anything. God has commanded us to love one another, as brethren, and we should be wary of any sign in us that we would do the opposite. We should be wary of any tendency to withhold forgiveness, because that causes our brother to suffer. One difficulty, as I see it still, is that we want the other person to change (1 John 5:16). We want to see him repent and change direction, so that any future offence is an anomalous mistake and not deliberate annoying act. We really want that, I think, for ourselves and for him. The mistake we make is in thinking that in rejecting him we are purifying the church or ourselves. God’s desire is always restoration (Compare 1 Corinthians 5 with 2 Corinthians 2). I am thinking of the havoc wrought by an unforgiving spirit, but we should not get into that. I should not in any way diminish or becloud the point you have made, that we should appreciate how much God has forgiven us and be willing to forgive our brother. |
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73 | Can we not ask God to forgive another? | John | Aixen7z4 | 150982 | ||
That is a wonderful statement, but it seems to me that, important as it is, it is not related to the need for repentance on the part of the one needing forgiveness. Above, when someone asked what happens to the person we refuse to forgive, we might have mentioned this. Jesus says, “It is impossible but that offences will come” (Luke 17) and James says, “In many things we offend all“ (James 3). “If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man“. The Lord knows we are human (Psalm 103:14), that we make mistakes. We may offend one person as many as seven times in one day. The antidote is forgiveness, and if that antidote is not applied, then a poison remains. With it, a root of bitterness may spring up and defile us (Hebrews 12). We are to follow peace with all men, but God knows that we often fail to do that, and we need forgiveness for that as well. I must be willing to repent, and when I do, I must tell you so that you can forgive me. If you refuse to forgive your brother, then he is not forgiven, and he can be overwhelmed with sorrow (2 Corinthians 2). It would be nice if we could link this with what has been said already about the fact an offence against your brother is an offense against God. God cares about all of us and he does not want any of us to be overwhelmed with sorrow. In fact, he says that he only sends us sorrow in order to lead us to repentance. That repentance, (Do we need to repeat it?) it prepares us to receive forgiveness, and beyond that, restoration of fellowship, and restoration of joy. It is God’s desire that we have good ongoing open fellowship with him and with each other. Let us make it simple and say that for that, we need forgiveness from each other and from him. |
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74 | Can we not ask God to forgive another? | John | Aixen7z4 | 150971 | ||
It seems to me that Jesus is saying (in Luke 17:4, which has been referenced already in this conversation) "If he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him". Jesus is not teaching falsely when he says, “After this manner pray ye … ‘Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors" or “If you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you." We are to assume he is being consistent, and that what he said to Peter in Luke 17, he is saying to us all, that forgiveness presupposes repentance. I sincerely regret giving the impression that the conditions for forgiveness are my idea. It seems to be they are Jesus', and I got that impression from reading Ezekiel 33, Luke 13, Luke 17, Luke 24, Acts 17, 2 Peret 3, Revelation 2, etc. I do not assume that everyone is familiar with all of those passages, but I thought they might have read my previous posts within the thread and seen some of them before coming to that impression. |
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75 | Order of Worship | 1 Cor 14:26 | Aixen7z4 | 150970 | ||
I was well prepared to thank you for showing me other things involved in worship. But I was not expecting to hear you say that there are other things we do besides worship. Of course there are other thing we do. “Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve“. Besides worshipping God, we must serve him. But I do not see that service is the same as worship. True, “There are other actions that are commanded in Ps. 95“. But are they all worship? Is singing worship? It can be. We can worship the Lord with a song. But it would be reckless to say that all singing is worship. We can sing to the Lord (Psalm 33). But we can also sing to ourselves (Colossians 3). We can sing to each other and I can sing to myself. We can sing songs of thanksgiving (Psalm 40) and songs of praise (Psalm 100). We can combine then, as we are encouraged to in both those psalms, but I submit to you that neither thanksgiving nor praise is worship. There are times when a conjunction may render two things equal, and that is the case with “worship and bow down” in Psalm 95:6. But that is not the case with “worship … and … serve” in Matthew 4:10. Likewise, the word “neither” in Psalm 17 is a separator for two distinct things. God does not dwell in temples made with hands … and, by the way, he is not worshipped with men’s hands either. He could do one without the other, but he does neither. You said, “There is a… word … 'to serve'“, and “This word is often translated as 'worship' as well“. I wish you would review that and reconsider it. With all of my searching, I have not found that to be the case. The two are different words, different concepts. I find that service can grow out of worship, but the two are quite distinct. But now I think we have gone somewhat off track, and deeper into this particular subject than the originator of this thread intended. In asking about order in a worship service, I think the person was asking about the ordering of items in a meeting, and not about the nature of worship. Let us say that worship is one of the things we do at a meeting of the church. It would be nice if we did that, and communion too, whenever the church met. But there are other things we do, and I think we are discussing the simpler question, whether there is scripture to guide us in organizing the activities (singing, praying, preaching, etc.). If you say that everything we do at a particular meeting is worship, then we must leave it at that. I think we agree that there is scriptural guidance on the way those items are to unfold. |
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76 | Order of Worship | 1 Cor 14:26 | Aixen7z4 | 150969 | ||
I was well prepared to thank you for showing me other things involved in worship. But I was not expecting to hear you say that there are other things we do besides worship. Of course there are other thing we do. “Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve“. Besides worshipping God, we must serve him. But I do not see that service is the same as worship. True, “There are other actions that are commanded in Ps. 95“. But are they all worship? Is singing worship? It can be. We can worship the Lord with a song. But it would be reckless to say that all singing is worship. We can sing to the Lord (Psalm 33). But we can also sing to ourselves (Colossians 3). We can sing to each other and I can sing to myself. We can sing songs of thanksgiving (Psalm 40) and songs of praise (Psalm 100). We can combine then, as we are encouraged to in both those psalms, but I submit to you that neither thanksgiving nor praise is worship. There are times when a conjunction may render two things equal, and that is the case with “worship and bow down” in Psalm 95:6. But that is not the case with “worship … and … serve” in Matthew 4:10. Likewise, the word “neither” in Psalm 17 is a separator for two distinct things. God does not dwell in temples made with hands … and, by the way, he is not worshipped with men’s hands either. He could do one without the other, but he does neither. You said, “There is a… word … 'to serve'“, and “This word is often translated as 'worship' as well“. I wish you would review that and reconsider it. With all of my searching, I have not found that to be the case. The two are different words, different concepts. I find that service can grow out of worship, but the two are quite distinct. But now I think we have gone somewhat off track, and deeper into this particular subject than the originator of this thread intended. In asking about order in a worship service, I think the person was asking about the ordering of items in a meeting, and not about the nature of worship. Let us say that worship is one of the things we do at a meeting of the church. It would be nice if we did that, and communion too, whenever the church met. But there are other things we do, and I think we are discussing the simpler question, whether there is scripture to guide us in organizing the activities (singing, praying, preaching, etc.). If you say that everything we do at a particular meeting is worship, then we must leave it at that. I think we agree that there is scriptural guidance on the way those items are to unfold. |
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77 | Can we not ask God to forgive another? | John | Aixen7z4 | 150963 | ||
When I sin against my brother or sister, I am at the same time sinning against God. Thus David, having done some considerable wickedness to Bathsheba and Uriah said, “Against you, you only, have I sinned (Psalm 51). And Jesus said to Saul, as he was persecuting the church, “Why are you persecuting me?” Saul asked, "Who are you?" The Lord replied, "I'm Jesus, the one you're persecuting. Think of that. When I think that someone has offended me, it is useful to think that they have actually offended God. God is the one who says, “Love one another” and when we break that rule, we are offending God. God sometimes says that I am the apple of his eye. Did you hear that? I am the apple of his eye. So when you stab me, you are poking God’s eye (Zechariah 2:8). God sometimes says, “Touch not my anointed, and do my prophets no harm“ Psalm 105). It sounds like a warning to me. And we have to cross God to get to our brother. All in all, then, I am not so sure the two things are entirely separate. In fact, it seems there only limited circumstances where we can sin against God without having harmed a person. A person can sin against his own body (1 Corinthians 6) and there are sins directly against God (It seems good not to mention them). But most sins involve harm to other people. When we hurt people, and especially our brethren, we are at the same time, and in the process, and in many ways, offending God. It seems to me that we are not able to forgive someone who has not repented. God also cannot forgive someone who has not repented. By definition, forgiveness implies repentance. But also, when we have forgiven someone, we must realize that, although they must seek it themselves, they also need forgiveness from God. |
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78 | Can we not ask God to forgive another? | John | Aixen7z4 | 150950 | ||
Hi: I agree that forgiveness is an accomplished fact (Colossians 2:13, etc.). Yet, strangely, God speaks of forgiveness as something he will do, or not do, depending on whether we meet certain conditions (Matthew 6:15; 1 John 1:9, etc.). It seems there is some appropriation to be done, somehow. All sin has been forgiven, and yet forgiveness is a part of salvation. And we do not believe in universal salvation, do we? It may be a matter of sanctification as well. We have been forgiven for all our sins, but we need forgiveness for our daily sins. We have been bathed, but we need our feet washed (John 13). I agree too, that we are to pray the offender recognizes his offense and chooses to respond with repentance. I suppose that is what we are really praying for when we ask God to forgive them. We tell him the results we would like, but that is his way of bringing it about. I agree as well, that it is good and necessary that the offender be confronted with his offence. But overall, there is too little information, too few facts about this case. We do not know what either person has done. Nor do we know what the capability of each one is. That is why I suppose we would want to put this in God’s hand. It does seem that these people may need professional counseling, but even if they do, the wise counselor will know the need to put it, and them, in God’s hand. |
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79 | Order of Worship | 1 Cor 14:26 | Aixen7z4 | 150949 | ||
Hello Tim: On question 1: Is giving worship? I am sure it depends on one’s definition of worship. In common parlance, worship has come to mean “The reverent love and devotion accorded a deity, an idol, or a sacred object”, “The ceremonies, prayers, or other religious forms by which this love is expressed”, “Ardent devotion; adoration“, etc. As I understand it, the essence of true worship to God is to bow down before him (Psalm 95, etc.). Yet some feel it is appropriate to bring a gift as we do so. The wise men certainly did (Matthew 2). Paul was teaching, as Isaiah had (chapter 66) that giving to God is not acceptable worship. The reason he gives immediately; God does not need anything. This, of course, we learn from Psalm 50. If we do bring a gift, then God is looking for a humble and contrite heart (Psalm 51) submission to his word (Isaiah 66) and the fruit of our lips (Hebrews 13:15). On question 2: Is 1 Corinthians 14:26 proscriptive, or descriptive (or prescriptive)? That is the key, isn’t it? Is he saying, “How is it that you do that?” or “Here‘s what you have been doing“ or “Here’s what you should do.” Most translations leave the matter ambiguous, while some, with brackets and italics, show a bias one way or the other. As always, I believe the meaning is in the context. There is no indication that they were coming prepared with those things. But according to Romans 12, 1 Corinthians 12, Ephesians 4, Colossians 3, they should have. Contrariwise, they seemed to be coming with only one thing, namely, speaking in tongues. Paul seemed to be calling for variety, for diversity, for a contribution from many. They should come prepared. But they should control themselves. They should share only that which edifies. They should take turns. They should make sure that all was done in an orderly manner. There is much in 1 Corinthians that Paul was correcting, but there is no evidence that he was against variety in the meeting. But are you certain that “Scripture goes out of it's way to not proscribe (prescribe?) a certain manner and order of worship“? It seems to me that the Old Testament prescribed in minute detail the manner in which God was to be viewed (Exodus 20, etc.) and approached (Exodus 24, Exodus 25, Leviticus 17, etc.). God’s anger and punishment was severe against those who violated those procedures (Leviticus 10). As time went on and things deteriorated, God considered their ceremonies to be at best a waste of time and at worst an affront to him (Isaiah 1:13; Malachi 1:7, etc). Would God who is a God of order leave that order up to man‘s ingenuity? It seems to me that God has prescribed an order, and men either disregard it and develop their own liturgies, or they allow the meeting of the church to descend into apparent chaos and disorder. But there are some who find guidelines in passages such as 1 Corinthians 14, the grounds for them having been laid in chapters 10, 11, 12, and 13. It might be good to look for those guidelines and principles. Otherwise we will tend to justify what we presently do. |
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80 | Can we not ask God to forgive another? | John | Aixen7z4 | 150946 | ||
We do have clear instruction from the Lord to pray for those who hurt us (Matthew 5:44). Please say what you think we should pray for in such cases. I must say I am surprised to hear that we are not authorized to pray that God would forgive them. It is true that we do not have the position of our Lord Jesus Christ; he is God. But was Jesus not acting in his humanity when he made his petition? After all, he did not grant the forgiveness in this situation, but asked the Father to do it. Did not Stephen do the same thing (Acts 7:60) when he prayed, “Lord, lay not this sin to their charge”? And wasn’t Paul expressing the same desire, (in 2 Timothy 4:16) that God would forgive those who would not stand with him during his trial? It seems quite admirable that this person wants to encourage a resolution of the matter at hand, and since the original questioner is having difficulty, it seems appropriate that they be encouraged to pray. But again, what should they pray for? They could have prayed for vengeance. That is preferable to taking it themselves (Romans 12:19) since God has said that is his job (Deuteronomy 32, etc.). Paul prayed for a just recompense for Alexander (2 Timothy 4) and certainly there is a lot in the Psalms of asking God to punish the enemies. It seems the more humane and loving thing to do, to pray that the person would find forgiveness. We are asked to forgive those who trespass against us (Matthew 6) but there is also the requirement that the person repent and ask for that forgiveness (Luke 17). One may say, then, that there is no such thing as forgiveness in the absence of repentance. And who can grant repentance. It is only God, as far as I know (Acts 11:18). I would assume that the one who asks God to forgive someone else is implying a request that God grant that person repentance, without which not even God can forgive that person (Luke 13). It may be said that it in some sense it is not our forgiveness that a person needs, but God’s. A person may trespass against us, and we should forgive them if they repent, but all sin is really against God (Psalm 51) and it is God’s forgiveness that the person really needs. If we really care about the person, and I assume that this person cares about their father, they would desire that God find a way to forgive him of his sins. We do not know what the offense is in this case, but the questioner is having difficulty to forgive the offender. Is it because he has not repented? Is it because the person feels they have been hurt too deeply? Is it because they fear it might happen again? It seems impossible to even suggest a solution when there is such a dearth of information. But it does seem appropriate to ask the person to pray. Not only Jesus, but also Stephen and Paul prayed that God would forgive another, and I am inclined to believe that we can as well. |
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