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NASB | Romans 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Romans 3:23 since all have sinned and continually fall short of the glory of God, |
Subject: Can a toddler go to heaven? |
Bible Note: Hi John, this response is very much appreciated. The only issue I differ with from the first paragraph is where you say, "Paul's asessment of the spiritual condition of the saints at Corinth does not agree with his asessment of the spiritual condition of "natural man" in 2:14." I disagree because Paul’s assessment of the Corinthian church is dire. As you point out, there is division in the church. This division is a carnal, fleshly activity. The splintering along party lines [I'm not sure that the division was only over baptismal formula, i.e whose name was pronounced, etc] was caused by not following the Word of God. In chapter 4:6, Paul says he only figuratively used his and Apollos' name (in chapter 1 and 3:22,23) to show that the word of God should not be exceeded. I would make the case that people who are 'templess of the Holy Spirit' [and much evidence shows that the spirit indwells] are quite capable of defiling the temple [chapter five points to the ‘man who had his father’s wife.’ It was really happening, but he action by Paul and the church seems to have brought the man to repentance. See 2 Corinthians 2:6; 7:10,11). Paul wrote in his first epistle, "Or do you not know that the one who joins himself to a prostitute is one body with her?...But the one who joins himself to the Lord is one spirit with Him....Or do you not knnow that your body is a temple of the Holy spirit who is in your, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body." This is all connected. The family of God has gone to seed. It has turned back to the world and is in serious spiritual trouble. Chapter Six begins with a chastizement over their going to court: brother against brother. His rebuke: "I say this to your shame. Is it so, that there is not among you one wise man who will be able to decide between his brethren,..." The church looks really bad at this point. With your final paragraph, I have no problem, except for a clarification. In fact, I might say the very same words as your have them there, but I might mean something slightly different. Semanatics are a scary endeavor, so hopefully what I'm about to say will be well grounded in truth. Salvation in Jesus Christ is the result of the all powerful choice of God, as you stated. 1 Corinthians 1:30 is an excellent verse. I have no doubt that the Corinthians who were reading this epistle were Christians [some might be in danger of losing their salvation; I know, that one may send our conversation off in the wrong direction], but, they need to repent. Let me put it like this: it is the all powerful will of God that Christians live holy, sanctified lives ('for this is the will of God, your sanctification' 1 Thes.4:3), but rather than forcing Christians into this mold, He pokes, prods, pricks, exhorts, chastizes, appeals, and warns. His children in Corinth need to heed the warnings of the past: 1 Cor 10:1-6 "For I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that our fathers were all under the cloud and all passed through the sea; and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea; and all ate the same spiritual food; and all drank the same spiritual drink, for they were drinking from a spiritual rock which followed them; and the rock was Christ. Nevertheless, with most of them God was not well-pleased; for they were laid low in the wilderness. Now these things happened as examples for us, so that we would not crave evil things as they also craved." There is an implied, if not explicit, message that the Corinthians really need to turn their ship around. May God bless you, Disciplerami |