Results 961 - 975 of 975
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Results from: Answered Bible Questions, Answers, Unanswered Bible Questions, Notes Author: Aixen7z4 Ordered by Verse |
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Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
961 | How do we "contend for the faith"? | Jude 1:3 | Aixen7z4 | 97162 | ||
And is it not too late now? Jude seemed to be so concerned about the coming in of false doctrine, he put aside a discussion of salvation to deal with it. And even today it seems there are so many false doctrines to contend with, we hardly have time to talk about salvation. Can we effectively contend for the faith today? In that day it was the church to keep false dctrine out. But by this time it has taken root and infested and permeated the church. Is that stating it too strongly? Now it seems that anyone trying to root out false doctrine is, in a sense, on the outside, and reaching in. What many have tried to do is to start a new church and then to keep it pure. But what they are really starting is a new denomination and they are immediately infected with the sin of sectarianism. They are not able to keep the small group pure, and the larger church is left to go from bad to worse. Does Jude's exhortation apply to the church of today at all? Or is the church, as J.N. Darby says, beyond repair? Nevertheless, Paul says that Jesus has made provision "That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, that he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish". And Jude commits the church unto him that is able to keep us from falling, and to present us faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy. So let it be. |
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962 | What do we believe? | Jude 1:3 | Aixen7z4 | 116973 | ||
What do we believe? What does the Bible say that we believe? Now, this is an Aixen question, and it requires thought. Please think about it some before responding. Please do not judge the question, but try to answer it. Please do not stray into controversy, or personal attacks, but consider this, that scriptural answers to this question may be of help to someone. Having come to the church, it seems appropriate that one should enquire as to what we believe. One comes in, not to bring one’s own ideas, but to join in with the assembly and to identify with it’s beliefs. The question may be asked by one who belongs; especially by a new member. A visitor who is not a believer should ask, “What do you believe?” And then, those who answer should not be stating a personal opinion. Neither should he say that there is a variety, and that there are differences among us, in what we believe. There is one faith (Ephesians 4:5). There is something called “the faith” that we should contend for . Jude reminds us that it has been once for all delivered to the saints, and we should beware of certain ones who will creep in unawares to deny parts of it or otherwise to dilute it and corrupt it. You should understand, if you stop and think about it, that I am not talking about an earthly organization, where people follow an earthly leader, or where they decide in a democratic manner what they believe. It is not a situation where the majority opinion or the latest fad or the dictates of the strong prevails. This is the church of the living God and only his word prevails. The question then is, “What does the Bible say that we believe?” I pray that we can be specific here and not say simply, that we believe the Bible. The prophets and the apostles tell us in specifics, what it is that we believe. Here are one example: We believe and are sure that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God (John 6:69). We are borrowing the words of Peter here, but we see that he is speaking for all of us. We do believe that about Christ, and by “we” I mean all of us who are saved. For But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name (John 20:31) . The person who does not believe that Jesus is the Christ is not saved. He may not believe. But he is not allowed to come into an assembly and dilute what we believe. We believe what the word of God says, and it does not change. It is forever settled in heaven. It bears repeating, I hope, that we believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. We also believe that he is God. We believe that he is Lord. He is the head of the church. He is the mediator between God and man. Mostly, I should say, we believe in him. We believe many other things, but they are all in him. And I have chosen not to fill this paragraph with references, but some of us know what they are. I encourage us to join in to ask or to answer the question, and to search the scriptures for the answer. A visitor may be asking what it is that we believe. Can we tell them, in this thread? |
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963 | What do we believe? | Jude 1:3 | Aixen7z4 | 117084 | ||
We may know very well what we believe, but how do we express it? We would be correct to say that we believe whatever the Bible says, but what does that communicate? Creeds have been used as concise statements, used sometimes to aid the congregant, sometimes to communicate with outsiders, and sometimes to set the church apart from rising heresies. Statements such as “We believe whatever the Bible says” and “We speak where the Bible speaks and where the Bible is silent we are silent” serve a purpose. But what is the ideal statement? When we had to develop a statement of beliefs for our ministry, it was a challenge. We wanted to make it as brief as possible, and yet it had to encompass everything. It had to fit on the back of a business card. We wanted to make it as simple as possible without being simplistic. We had to use words that conveyed deep meaning. This is what it turned out to be. See http://www.hishows.bizland.com/Beliefs.html This is what we believe. And to this we are committed. 1. God gave us this life, and he is ruler over us. 2. There are two important things he asks of us: - to love him and obey him. - to love and help each other. 3. Since we have failed in both of these areas, he asks us to admit it, and to accept his forgiveness. 4. He can forgive us because Christ died for our sins, he was buried, and he rose again. 5. When we repent and trust in him, he gives us a new life, and with it, a new opportunity to do the tasks in #2. To get help, or to give help, please contact us. I wonder now if there was anything essential that was left out. We do believe that Jesus is the Son of God, that he was conceived of the Holy Ghost, and everything else the Bible teaches. We could make a long list of the truths that we adhere to. Where do we stop, between presenting the entire Bible and making a concise list of four or five points.? Some Gospel Halls have a statement on the back of their bulletin listing a set of beliefs. Of course, some have no such list, indeed, no bulletin at all. It would be interesting to see, if they were required to come up with a statement, what it would look like. In the end, though, it seems to matter little what we say with our lips or put on paper. It is our behavior that speaks for us. What do we practice, or try to, that we can support with scripture? That is our statement of beliefs. To paraphrase Paul, in 2 Corinthians 3, we are our own statement of beliefs, written in our hearts and lives, observed and read by all men. We are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered to us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in the fleshy tables of the heart. |
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964 | What do we believe? | Jude 1:3 | Aixen7z4 | 117085 | ||
This discussion of creeds is interesting. We are doubtless aware that over the centuries many have been developed and they are still in the process of being refined, expanded, combined, etc. See http://www.creeds.net. I believe that these things have their uses, and they may be helpful in circumstances. The “Apostles Creed” has been widely accepted, but it is not certain to what extent it captures or summarizes all that we believe. What I was suggesting is that we search, to see what scriptural statements spell out our beliefs, as Peter’s did in John 6:69. In keeping with this idea, it has been suggested that some of the following scripture passages may have been used by the Lord’s people and repeated on certain occasions as statements of their beliefs. To the list I found I have added some of the ones that I think might also fit. I would like to look for more and make a list of all of them. Deut. 6:4: Hear O Israel, the LORD is our God, the LORD alone. 1 Kings. 18:39: "The LORD, he is God; the LORD, he is God." Matt. 16:16: "Christ (is) the Son of the living God." Matt. 28:19: (We are to) go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. John 1:49: (Jesus is) the Son of God! Jesus is the King of Israel! John 6:68-69: We have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God. Joh 11:27 Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world. John 16:30 We believe that Jesus came forth from God. John 20:28: (Jesus is) "My Lord and my God!" Acts 8:36-37: "I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God“. Acts 16:31: "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household." Rom 6:8 Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him. Rom 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. 1 Cor. 8:6: For us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist. 1 Cor. 15:3-7: Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures. 2Co 5:1 If our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. Phil. 2:6-11: Though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. 1Th 4:14 We believe that Jesus died and rose again, (and that) them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. 1 Tim. 3:16: Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh, vindicated in the Spirit, seen by angels, preached among the nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory. Hebr. 6:1-2: The foundation is: repentance from dead works and of faith toward God. 1Jo 3:2 Now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. 1Jo 5:20 The Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life. |
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965 | What do we believe? | Jude 1:3 | Aixen7z4 | 117113 | ||
On the origin of the number 30000, see http://www.ntrmin.org/30000denominations.htm Whatever the number, it is clear that division in the church has run amok. There is also variation within a denomination, however it is defined, and discernable changes within a single church on the basic way that they do things. One is led to ask, “Is there anything to stop these people from doing whatever they want?” Maybe there is. On my journey today I found myself saying, “Thank God for the Bible“ and asking, “What would we do without it?” Without the Bible, I fear there would be even greater division, and there would really be chaos. I am not sure if the people had the Torah when Judges 17:6 was happening, but it is apparent that the book of the law was lost once. Hilkiah the high priest said unto Shaphan the scribe, I have found the book of the law in the house of the LORD. And Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan, and he read it. And Shaphan read it before the king. And when the king had heard the words of the book of the law, that he rent his clothes “because”, he said, “our fathers have not hearkened unto the words of this book, to do according unto all that which is written” (2 Kings 22). It is good that we have the book. And we all believe in the book. That there are so many differences in spite of the book is interesting because the book says there should be no schism in the body (1Corinthians 12:25). But again I would suggest that it is not up to us to say what we believe about the Bible, or what it is in the Bible that we believe. When we get saved we become a part of the church. It is the Bible, the prophets and the apostles, that should tell us what we believe. When we believe in Jesus, we believe in everything he says. This may seem a strange statement, but I hope we will give it some thought. |
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966 | What do we believe? | Jude 1:3 | Aixen7z4 | 117122 | ||
A great document! One can only imagine the amount of work that went into creating it and in obtaining agreement on the wording of it. This version is special because it includes those references. I counted 44 items and could only question two. One seems unnecessary (except perhaps for reasons of political correctness) and one is taken as a misconstruction of the reference. The rest seem to be solid Bible. One can understand why "The Nicean Creed is the most widely accepted and used brief statements of the Christian Faith". I understand that, it is said in liturgical churches every Sunday. "It is Common Ground to East Orthodox, Roman Catholics, Anglicans, Lutherans, Calvinists, and many other Christian groups. Many groups that do not have a tradition of using it in their services nevertheless are committed to the doctrines it teaches". It clearly serves a useful purpose in focusing on and clarifying many issues. |
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967 | What do we believe? | Jude 1:3 | Aixen7z4 | 117130 | ||
O, I don't know, kalos. Perheps you can tell why it was important to point out the role of Pontius Pilate. | ||||||
968 | What do we believe? | Jude 1:3 | Aixen7z4 | 117154 | ||
What can one say about a church's document? This one probably serves very well to let everyone know where they stand on key points of doctrine. I am especially happy to see item #6 which spells out the requirements for salvation, which are: repentance and faith. This seems to be missing in some of the prominent creeds. Some of us may not agree that there is healing in the atonement (#8). We may understand Isaiah to be referring to the sickness of the soul and think that James is calling for the elders respond to a call and to visit and pray for the sick in the home or hospital. Even there they should be careful to minister to the spiritual needs. I hope it is not a major point, or important enough to sidetrack this discussion. The other points are very well made and supported with scripture. Again, I do not know that it is the privilege of an outsider to critique a document of a local church. But the presentation seemed to invite comment and I trust one can be forgiven for trespassing. I am imagining that one who is considering joining that church needs to indicate agreement with the statements in it. I wonder if one can be a member of that church while holding reservations on any one of the points. As for the church universal, if you will, which is the body of Christ, it is my understanding that each of us becomes a member of it at the time that we get saved. We are baptized by the Holy Spirit into that body. We would have repented of our sins and we would have placed our trust in Christ. We therefore believe all that he says, about himself, about us, about everything. It is probably true that we do not know or understand all that we believe. More and more is revealed to us as we read the word of God. But blessed is the person who can say now, "I know whom I have believed". |
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969 | What do we believe? | Jude 1:3 | Aixen7z4 | 117268 | ||
Hello Sir: I was very much impressed. What a labor of love! It is obvious that you took some time and care to help in that situation, and I am glad to see that it was appreciated. And what a high caliber of discussion, the entire thread! Now I am challenged to think again. Perhaps a statement of what we believe can be simple and straightforward so as to be understood in every culture. I am challenged to review my own statement, which I will repeat here. But before I do, I will wonder aloud: Is it really necessary for a person to know what the words “sanctification” and “redemption” mean, before they come to Christ? The intellects and vocabularies of those who took part in that discussion (in 2001) are impressive, but that did not seem to facilitate a breakthrough at the university. Also, some people are simple and uneducated and cannot understand these words. Truth be told there are so many who can barely read. Should not the statement of our faith be made in such words as would be meaningful to them? I will not take the time now to think and answer my own question. I can only hope that someone with the charity of a charis will have a chance to answer. What if he did not talk to the Japanese about redemption or reconciliation? What if he simply said the following: This is what we believe. And to this we are committed. 1. God gave us this life, and he is ruler over us. 2. There are two important things he asks of us: - to love him and obey him. - to love and help each other. 3. Since we have failed in both of these areas, he asks us to admit it, and to accept his forgiveness. 4. He can forgive us because Christ died for our sins, he was buried, and he rose again. 5. When we repent and trust in him, he gives us a new life, and with it, a new opportunity to do the tasks in #2. We have a large Bible, with many technical terms. It also has many examples and explanations, and we may be learning from these throughout our lives. But is there not a simple message that our God is giving to the world? He is full of patience and he will tell us to avoid killing and stealing and prejudice and hatred and lust, but what he wants to tell us simply, is to love (Romans 13:9). It is perhaps true that anyone in any culture can understand that if he is willing to listen (look around, ponder, meditate, ask questions). But the point was made in that discussion, that we should be ready to answer questions. We should recognize, perhaps, that questions are a sign that a person is interested. They also indicate where they are in their search and what their next step might be. We should be careful, perhaps, that our preaching is geared to provide answers to their questions. If they have no questions for us, it may indicate they are not ready to hear from us. (Maybe our lifestyle does not prompt the questions). The suggestion is that we should have a simple statement of the faith. We should be able to summarize the message of the Bible. Then, or in the process, we should obey the word which says to “sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear”. |
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970 | What do we believe? | Jude 1:3 | Aixen7z4 | 117279 | ||
My experience tells me you’re correct. Only a small percent of Christians read the Bible. Many say, “The Bible says” and do not know what it says exactly, or where. It is sad, and frustrating, to try to share with someone who knows not, and knows not that he knows not, and is not willing to listen. Sadder still is the issue of salvation. Pastors tell me that they think 60 to 80 percent of the people in church are unsaved. But what can we do about it? We should preach the Gospel, in the church, but for many reasons, we’re afraid or disinclined to do that. One must often fear to put forth scriptures, even in this place. One who has not taken the time to read your statement, mush less the scriptures, can come on to opine and to oppose. But I suppose that is the way it has been, as I remember Paul’s experience. Acts 18:5,6: “Paul devoted all his time to teaching the word of God. He assured the Jews that Jesus is the Messiah. But they opposed him and insulted him”. Come to think of it, they also opposed and insulted the Messiah. What percentage of the Christian church has ever read the entire Bible? A small one. A small one. He said, “Do ye not therefore err, because ye know not the scriptures, neither the power of God?” (Mark 12:24). What percentage of the people are saved? A small one. There is no way to calculate, that I know of. The fact there are 4 different types of ground does not mean that each type gets an equal percentage. There are two ways, one narrow, one broad, and they are not equal in the numbers traveling them. The number of unsaved reading the Bible may be small because people who are not saved may not understand what they read. They may discontinue reading it, because they do not understand it (1 Corinthians 2:14). What can we do to change things? How can we encourage more people to be saved? To read the bible? To obey it? I was going to say that God knows, but I am thinking that not even God knows. What can he do, more than he has done? He has provided salvation, at tremendous cost. He has given us his Holy Spirit. He has given us his word. He has given us the privilege of sharing it. What more can he do? I believe it is incumbent on us to clarify in our own minds and clearly state what the Lord has given us to believe. We must not be satisfied to disagree. We must not be satisfied to believe what is right in our own eyes. We cannot repeat the error of doing what is right in our own eyes. We must think again, and read again before we speak. We must give a clear and unified message to the world. |
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971 | prist and king | Rev 1:6 | Aixen7z4 | 148240 | ||
That fact is revealed at least two times in the book of the Revelations. John says, “Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, and has made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen“. (Rev 1:5,6). And they sung a new song, saying, “You are worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for you were slain, and you have redeemed us to God by your blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; and you have made us kings and priests unto our God, and we shall reign on the earth” (Rev 5:10). |
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972 | What is this "open door?" | Rev 4:1 | Aixen7z4 | 133430 | ||
Hello: I found your question while looking for discussions in Revelation and wondered what further thoughts you might have had on the subject, the door, since 6/28/02. You noticed that there is a door in Revelation 3:18 and a door in Revelation 4:1 and wondered if they were the same. It was said the first door was an entrance into the kingdom or a door of opportunity, while the second was a view into heaven or an entrance into heaven in order to see certain things. Mention was made also to the door in John 10, which represents the Lord himself. It seemed to me significant that in all these cases it was a door and not a window. Surely a window could provide a view, but a door is the one we actually go through. As Jesus would say (John 10:9) “I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.” So it seems that a door is that which allows entrance and exit. Not that a window cannot be used for the same purpose, but Jesus referred to that in John 10:1. “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber”. He would go on to say that those who enter in that way come to kill and to steal and to destroy. It is evident that he was talking about false prophets who may come into the church. Interesting that Jesus himself enters through the door. This seems to say that he enters in the right way, legitimately, but also that someone lets him in. In John 10 it is the porter who opens the door, and it would seem that the Porter is usually the Holy Spirit. In Revelation 4:1, John heard a voice. Whose voice? It does not say. But in the next verse there is the influence of the Spirit leading him through the door and into heaven. In 1 Corinthians 12, it is the Holy Spirit who brings new believers into the church. Otherwise it may be a leader of the church or any believer in the church who can open the door, as in Revelation 3:20. I might note in passing that the door in this last instance is evidently the entryway into the church and not into the heart as is often supposed, though Ephesians 3 does picture him settling down in the heart. But then Jesus is himself the door into the fold, which I take as another reference to the church, the body of believers. It is through this door that we pass in and out (John 10:9). We go through that door, into the world, and one purpose is to find sheep that are lost and to bring them in. He did say that there are sheep who belong to him that are not yet in the fold. He might have been referring to the Gentiles at that time, but I take it there is a double meaning there and it applies still today. And all of this to say that a door is different from a window and it is more than a view that is in view. A door is to let people in and out, and there is a door to the church. We should let Jesus in and not the false prophet. They will enter anyway, but it is partly through their mode of entry that we will know them. A door is for us to go in and out of. It was used in Revelation 4 to let John into heaven. It remains a fixture in the church to let us go outside the church and to come back in, bringing something with us. Interesting that Jesus comes through the door, he is the door, and he is also the shepherd who leads us in and out the door. “When he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him” (John 10:4). Have you thought about these things? |
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973 | What's this about the Rapture? | Rev 4:1 | Aixen7z4 | 133434 | ||
Interesting. I take it that there is a Rapture, referred to in I Corinthians 15:51,52 and in 1 Thessalonians 4:16,17. I take it that the church is in heaven in Revelation 4, not because John is there (Revelation 4:1) but because the twenty-four elders are there (vv. 4,8; Revelation 5:6,8). I understand that in Matthew 24 Jesus is talking about the Jews and not the church, and in Revelation 6 John is seeing the Jews and not the church. The tribulation is the time of Jacob’s trouble. Jews will go through the Great tribulation and out of it some 144,000 will be saved, but during all of this the church is in heaven. I imagine that the subject of the rapture has been discussed elsewhere, but it seems appropriate that the post above be answered here. Meanwhile, I will look for other discussions on this topic. |
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974 | help | Rev 13:16 | Aixen7z4 | 149062 | ||
We looked at the passage in over twenty (20) translations and it always said the mark would be in one place or the other. We have not yet found one where it says the mark will be in both places. We would suppose that one saying so would be in error. But … It is evident that the location of the mark is not important. Also, from what follows, the mark and the name and the number are all the same. Interestingly, it is also apparent that even those who might have chosen to cut off their right hand (as in Matthew 5:30) would not escape the requirement. Isn’t that interesting? How much better to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ now and be included in the rapture! It will be a terrible time, and the beast will be a terrible creature! He will have power “to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations. And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world”. “If any man have an ear, let him hear”. |
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975 | Why not sentences | Rev 22:18 | Aixen7z4 | 97095 | ||
The original writings were, I assume, in the form of sentences. That is the way thoughts are expressed in every language. There is a question why the editors did not decide to assign one verse to each sentence. Some sentences are broken up into verses. John 13:2,3,4 are one sentence. Granted the sentence is long, but so is Ester 8;9, and it is left as one verse. The chapter divisions are also curious as there are very long ones (John 6) and very short ones (Malachi 4). Even more interesting is the fact that a chapter can end with a comma (Acts 21). That can be somewhat disconcerting, The idea of paragraphs seems to be a good one, but that makes it more difficult to locate the verse numbers. Bibles that have verses looking like paragraphs usually add a "¶" to indicate paragrahs transitions. We should be thankful for the people who do these things to help us. They are monumental tasks and I suppose the quirks may be due to phenomena such as fatigue and loss of concentration. If we can live with the locations of the letter keys on a QWERTY keyboard, I suppose we can live with quirky subdivisions of words. We should be aware that these divisions are not like the original writings especially in the fact that they were not inspired. The problem with quoting verses is that we may think that each one is a complete thought. It is not. Someone has pointed out that Philippians 2:5-8 is one sentence, and one thought. How many of us read read the passage and dote upon the fact that Jesus thought that way (humbly) and miss the point that we should do the same. That was the intent of the author, and the author, lest we forget, is the Holy Spirit. The original writings were, I assume, in sentences, and we would do well to read our Bibles that way. |
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