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NASB | John 18:38 Pilate *said to Him, "What is truth?" ¶ And when he had said this, he went out again to the Jews and *said to them, "I find no guilt in Him. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | John 18:38 Pilate said to Him [scornfully], "What is truth?" And when he had said this, he went out to the Jews again and told them, "I find no guilt in Him [no crime, no cause for an accusation]. |
Subject: The "awful" Truth? |
Bible Note: "You think Christians only had "influence"? They had POWER ... ABSOLUTE power... the rawest of power....for over 1500 years!!! Influence might just be a tad of an understatement. " You are equivocating here. Are you speaking of the Roman Catholic Church as a sociological entity and a magesterium, or are you speaking of all Christians? First of all, history clearly shows that while the RCC wielded a lot of influence (or "power"), it was far from absolute. There was at various and extended points in history rulers who balked at the influence of the Pope. Secondly, as I stated in my previous post, I was not addressing thinly veiled political maneuverings. The conquest of the New World, for example, was anything but a true evangelistic effort on the part of the conquistadors or the king of Spain. The atrocities that occurred here at their hand is not in keeping in the slightest with the commandments of Christ. Therefore, the problem was not people adhering to the absolutism of Christianity, but using "Christianity" as a false front for their greed and avarice. You wrote: 'Don't know much about history (wasn't that a song) but progress for the Western world and the Muslin World in the Arts and Sciences was the same until the "age of enlightenment" in the 18th centry. ' Is that so? While I certainly am aware of the achievements of the Islamic world prior to the 1500s. please show me the Muslim Renaissance, the great Muslim universities which attract individuals from all over the world, the great Muslim charitable relief agencies, and the great Muslim hospitals that adorn the Middle East. You wrote: 'The enlightenment freed the West from "religious" control of cultural and intellectual life. Science was not burden by theology .' You certainly aren't suggesting that science was hampered by Christianity, are you? In the words of Philip Graham Ryken, "It should be emphasized that Christianity is not opposed to science. In fact, Christianity played a major role in its development. By clearly distinguishing between the Creator and his creation and by insisting that the universe is the product of intelligent design, the Bible provided the principles that make scientific investigation possible." You wrote: 'I do trust God and I have faith in his promises and his truths. But I don't trust Zealots of any kind....even Christians...they're still human...too much room for error, ego and pride. " Zealots of ANY kind? So I should ignore passages like these: "Who is there to harm you if you prove zealous for what is good?" --1 Peter 3:13 "Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; therefore be zealous and repent." (Jesus' words) --Revelation 3:19 "So also you, since you are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek to abound for the edification of the church." --1 Corinthians 14:12 "For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds." --Titus 2:11-14 Gee, God seems to think that properly directed zeal is a GOOD thing! Of course there is room for error, ego, and pride. Christianity condemns these things. However (once again), being a zealot in itself is not the problem. Being zealous for the wrong things is. And that is Wilson's point. You wrote: 'I don't understand why Mr Wilson thinks he shouldn't be challenge if he saids he has a monopoly on the truth. What does he expect people to do when they hear such a provocative statement, genuflect?' Well, since he is a Reformed theologian, I doubt if genuflection is what he has in mind. However, you once again are showing a misunderstanding. Where did he say that he has a "monopoly on the truth"? What he asserts is what every believer in the Bible says: that Jesus is the Truth (John 14:6) and that the word of the God of the Bible is truth (John 17:17). Being a Christian does not make one infallible (a brief perusal of Wilson's magazine shows at least as much criticism of modern evangelicalism). However, it does mean that one has embraced a real, benign, absolute TRUTH. --Joe! |