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NASB | Ephesians 1:4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Ephesians 1:4 just as [in His love] He chose us in Christ [actually selected us for Himself as His own] before the foundation of the world, so that we would be holy [that is, consecrated, set apart for Him, purpose-driven] and blameless in His sight. In love |
Subject: Predestination |
Bible Note: Please...PARAGRAPHS! You write: "Yes I know the theolgical words for these concepts but why use them when only those that are Theological students would understand them." What "theological words" are you talking about? Justification? Atonement? Redemption? Sanctification? Elect? Predestined? Propitiation? Grace? All of these words are theological words that are right there in Scripture? Does God really want us "dumbing-down" His Word, or does he want the church to train all believers to understand these concepts? You wrote: "I am not saying a saint is sinning in going to a Theological University, but have you noticed that we have no biblical example of it in the New testament?" In the New Testament, we had the traditions of the apostles in the words of the apostles. And I am not talking about the New Testament books themselves, even though they faithfully reflect the apostolic tradition. But tell me, if there was no biblical example of the theology school, where did Timothy get his sound doctrine from? The NT wasn;t written yet, so where did his sound teaching come from? From sound TEACHERS (in his case, Paul). It was Paul's demand that Timothy himself be a sound TEACHER, so that he could TEACH others (2 Timothy 2:2), and so on. Nowhere in the New Testament do we get the idea of training in righteousness occurring apart from the church. So while there may not have been seminaries in the first few decades of the church, the good ones today serve a very biblical function. I will state wholeheartedly that the church needs to be teaching a lot more theology in its sermons and Sunday schools, rather than leaving it solely up to degreed institutions. You wrote: "The reason the church as a whole in America is weak in preaching in the pulpit is that the ministers do not pray and study the Bible as they should after graduation." I think that is ONE reason, but by no means the only reason. "I would dare say most ministers across denominational lines hold degrees and can argue their side of Calvin or Armenian and yet their preaching is aneamic." You might dare say that, but do you have any evidence to back that up? I have heard a great deal of anemic preaching in my day, and the Calvinist preaching that I sit under now is anything but anemic. It is thought-provoking, stimulating, convicting, Scripturally-accurate, and most definitely Spirit-filled. Have you actually been to a church closer in teaching and doctrine to the Puritans and the Protestant Reformation before, or are you just going by what someone has told you (such as because they do not have electric guitars and a drum kit and a "worship team" that the church is "dead")? You wrote: "They go on like this year after year and have no clue the reason their congregations are drying up is that the flock is hungry for a fresh WORD from God" Gee, I don't find God's Word that I have right now to be terribly stale. Perhaps if people would do the hard work of turning on their thinking caps and thinking God's thoughts after Him, rather than seeking the next spiritual high, our churches would be full of people rejoicing in God's sufficient and revealed truth instead of constantly seeking "new revelation." You wrote: "They are hungry for truths expounded upon in the Bible that will bring them more into the image of Christ and they are not afraid to be rebuked, they want it, they ask for it." I agree completely; but this is not something that is foreign to Reformed preaching. You wrote: "However the heart of the saint must be that they have total faith in the Anointing and that God can and will lead them into all truth." Please explain this anointing...what exactly is it, and where is the Scriptural support for your view of what it is? --Joe! |