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NASB | Ephesians 3:6 to be specific, that the Gentiles are fellow heirs and fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel, |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Ephesians 3:6 [it is this:] that the Gentiles are now joint heirs [with the Jews] and members of the same body, and joint partakers [sharing] in the [same divine] promise in Christ Jesus through [their faith in] the good news [of salvation]. |
Subject: Lionstrong, this is not universalism. |
Bible Note: Bill: I never meant to imply that the resurrection was not an essential component of the gospel message. I apologize if I led you to believe that I held such a view. The point Paul makes is in 1 Corinthians 15 is that if ther is no resurrection at all (the view he was challenging), then even Christ is not raised, making Paul and other evangelists false witnesses. Therefore, Christ would be a false Savior and there would be no resurrection for the believer at the end of the age. Note that the future PHYSICAL resurrection of the believer is the central idea that Paul is putting forward, not the indwelling life of the Holy Spirit. Reading the whole chapter makes that clear and puts 15:17 in its context. Now what does Paul mean when he says in Galatians 2:20 that "I no longer live, but Christ lives in me." One thing that it cannot mean is that he is stepping aside and letting Christ work through him as some kind of cosmic puppeteer. The rest of that verse makes it clear that he is still living his own life: "I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and THE LIFE WHICH I NOW LIVE in the flesh I LIVE by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me." Countless other passages in the epistles, via specific commandments to holy living in the believer, make it plain that being a Christian is not sitting back and watching/allowing Christ to live out His life though our bodies, but rather conforming ourselves to His will (Romans 12:1-2) and obeying Him (Hebrews 5:8). It is the Holy Spirit who works the changes in our spirits to please God, and He who gives us the power to live the Christian life, but the Bible also says that we strive and labor and walk and work and buffet our bodies and discipline ourselves and even suffer for His sake. Thanks again for your comments. I look forward to your reply. --Joe! |