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NASB | 1 Corinthians 2:14 ¶ But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | 1 Corinthians 2:14 ¶ But the natural [unbelieving] man does not accept the things [the teachings and revelations] of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness [absurd and illogical] to him; and he is incapable of understanding them, because they are spiritually discerned and appreciated, [and he is unqualified to judge spiritual matters]. |
Subject: Romans 2:14-15 commonly mutilated? |
Bible Note: Steve, Tim and Hank: Blessings - Steve, I have to fully agree with your statements. You said: "Sadly, I have heard the same type of thing starting to come from my own faith tradition. To quote what is being said: "God will not condemn those who have not rejected the witness of Himself in creation." This was written by Dave Hunt in his book "Calvinism Debated". The same type of thing has been written by Dr. Tony Evans. It grieves me that these brothers are straying from the clear teaching of Scripture." - Tim, Since you ask, I sat myself at Willow Creek Community Church, in a large room of a hundred people, wherein the doctrine was taught to singles small group leaders, as per a regular series of answering tough theological questions. The teachings were pre-scheduled and authorized through Willow Creek authority, and delivered through paid ministry staff who were church-ordained. It was part of a four-week series addressing other tough theological questions as well, with the particular doctrine comprising one session. The crux of these messages was purposed to educate laypeople how to reach objectioning unbelievers with the Gospel, so they could invite them to church. The proof text that was utilized was Romans 2:14-15. I was instructed these things myself as a small group leader there. I've since heard the doctrine in a half dozen other mainstream megachurches in Illinois, directly through the pulpit. - Hank, I would have to agree that the doctrine is a blasphemous heresy. The doctrine is often used as a religious disclaimer concerning the aborigine in remote parts of Africa, which says that those who never hear the gospel, in their own native language, can still be saved with a clear enough conscience. Basically the idea is that sinners who never hear the Gospel are off the hook, and have a free ticket to heaven, because God or the church failed to reach them with the Gospel anyhow, and therefore they don't deserve to go to hell. Although the doctrine is not biblically based, it goes along the reasoning that God would never condemn people who didn't have an opportunity to hear the Gospel in this life. This doctrine likely originates from the identical notion that aborigines in remote Africa (where the New Testament hasn't yet been translated into their own native language) are accounted equal with unborn aborted babies who never get to choose Christ in this life. Also, we may include severely mentally-challenged people who can't discern right from wrong nor understand a verbally communicated Gospel message. (A few will even stretch this to religionists of non-Christian faiths.) Now, it is my personal view that all of these individuals (aborted babies, mentally-challenged people and distant aborigines) do not get an automatic free ticket into heaven, pending a clear enough conscience in this life. This is because I believe that all human beings (aborted babies included) are born as sinners, and are each eternally scheduled for hell, simply by way of default. Rather, I tend to go in the direction, that there will likely be opportunity, during Christ's millennial reign on earth, for these people to knowingly accept or reject the Gospel, from a clearer vantage point. Perhaps a common lack of eschatological fluency, amongst many of the larger megachurches, has led to extra-biblical notions on salvation, causing religious disclaimers to be made, when the church doesn't feel it's reached everyone with it's vital Gospel message. End-time eschatology has largely been scrapped among the larger megachurches (5000 plus members), insofar as it tends to confuse newer mass converts. - Mark 16 15 And He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. (NAS95) Matthew 28 19 "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, (NAS95) John 14 16 "I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; (NAS95) - Blessings, Reighnskye |