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NASB | 2 Timothy 2:25 with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth, |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | 2 Timothy 2:25 He must correct those who are in opposition with courtesy and gentleness in the hope that God may grant that they will repent and be led to the knowledge of the truth [accurately understanding and welcoming it], |
Subject: SEARCHING FOR THE TRUTH |
Bible Note: Dear BradK, Web surfing is a term that is not in the Bible either, but it is something many of us do. If you do not like the term slain in the spirit, then it could be more accurately described as not being able to stand in the presence of the Glory of God which is indeed described in I Kings 8:10-11. It happened that when the priests came from the holy place, the cloud filled the house of the LORD, so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud, for the glory of the LORD filled the house of the LORD. Yes, experiences are a big part of who I am and help define my belief systems. But so does the lack of experiences frame the belief systems of many on the forum. Whether experienced or not, is not what dictates truth. Truth is gleaned from scripture. What I do is take my experiences and test them against scripture. When they line up, then they support my beliefs which are based on scripture. For example, I believe in divine healing. I have seen many people not get healed. I have also seen many people get healed. I am one of them. I see in scripture that God heals. Do I stop believing in healing because some don't get healed? No! I seek to understand why and then accept God's sovereignty when the why can't be answered. I also know that God uses many methods to heal, physical death being the ultimate healing. So my experiences of seeing people not get healed or get healed do not dictate my belief....scripture does. If you tell me that God doesn't do the things described in the Bible anymore, then I would not believe you, based on Heb 13:8. If I experience those things described in scripture, then that for me validates them, proves to me that scripture is true. If you haven't experienced these things, then instead of saying they must not be real, ask God to show you if they are real by allowing you to experience them. But do it from a pure heart of faith. Many are afraid to ask God to validate is word. But what God said in Rom. 8:38-39, 2 Tim. 1:12 and Jude 1:24 teaches us that God's ability to keep you from deception is greater than the devil's from deceiving you. I am sure that is why Paul wrote this to Timothy. The Pharisees and spiritual leaders were questioning the validity of their experences. I think I asked this before...show me in scripture where God says he no longer allows us to experience his Glory or speak to us personally. If someone has false beliefs based on experiences it is because that person did not test his experiences against scripture. Since God will not contradict himself, everything must be tested against scripture. Note: tested, not ignored. Hope this helps you understand my position better. Bows44 |