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NASB | Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is living and active and full of power [making it operative, energizing, and effective]. It is sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating as far as the division of the soul and spirit [the completeness of a person], and of both joints and marrow [the deepest parts of our nature], exposing and judging the very thoughts and intentions of the heart. |
Subject: The Doctrine of Dreams |
Bible Note: The Doctrine of Dreams: The Doctrine of Dreams in the Old Testament- Number of Dreams. There are sixteen dreams recorded in the Old Testament (Gen. 20:3, 6; Gen. 28:12; Gen. 31:10–11, 24; Gen. 37:5, 9; Gen. 40:5; Gen. 41:1, 5; Judg. 7:13; 1 Kings 3:5; Dan. 2:1; Dan. 4:5; Dan. 7:1). Purpose of dreams. In the Old Testament God often used dreams to reveal His will. God promised to show His will unto the prophets in dreams (Num. 12:6). Job said that “God speaketh…in a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falleth upon men, in slumberings upon the bed” (Job 22:14–15). In half of the Old Testament dreams the source of the dream is specifically stated to be God. Through these dreams God revealed His will to the dreamers. While God sometimes spoke in dreams, not all dreams were attributable to Him. Dreams whose contents did not accord with reality were obviously not from God. One of the tests of a true prophet was whether his dreams came true (Deut. 13:1–5). The Israelites were warned against false dreamers (Jer. 29:8; Zech. 10:2). Dreams were inferior in comparison to having God’s Word (Gen. 12:6–8; Jer. 23:28) The Doctrine of Dreams in the New Testament- There are two Greek words translated dream. One word, honar, occurs six times in the New Testament. It occurs only in Matthew. Each time it is translated “dream” in the King James Version. Another Greek word for dream, enupnion, found only in Acts 2:17. It is translated dream in the King James Version. The verbal form of enupnion (enupnioazo)occurs in Acts 2:17 and Jude 8. Dreams or dreamers are thus referred to in only three New Testament books: Matthew, Acts, and Jude. . Interestingly, Jesus never mentioned dreams. There is no symbology in New Testament dreams and therefore no need of an interpreter. In the New Testament there is one citation of an Old Testament passage dealing with the subject of dreams (Joel 2:28). In this citation Peter at Pentecost recites to the throng the prophecy concerning the activity of God’s outpouring of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:16–21). The Doctrine of Dreams Today- Scientific research has shown that everyone dreams every night. It has also shown that dreams can be caused by a variety of conditions such as poor blood circulation, improper ventilation, and uncomfortable sleeping position, or overeating. Sigmund Freud spoke of “those disagreeable dreams one has only when one’s stomach is upset.” Obviously dreams have a diverse etiology. As was seen in the foregoing discussion, in Biblical times some dreams were caused by God. However, does God give dreams to people today in post-Biblical times? Or are dreams today better explained by other conditions and causes? Thomas Aquinas is exemplary of those who believe that dreams in the Christian era sometimes come from God. He said that dreams are: “…sometimes referable to God, who reveals certain things to men in their dreams by the ministry of angels, according to Num. 12.5. …Accordingly we must say there is no lawful divination in making use of dreams for the foreknowledge of the future, so long as those dreams are due to divine revelation….” A. J. Gordon did not claim that extra-Biblical dreams reveal the future. Nevertheless, he did agree with Thomas Aqainas in allowing that dreams may come from God. He wrote of the effect of one of his dreams and then gave instances of other dreams which had proved potent factors in human affairs. “Those who are familiar with the history of Catherine of Siena know how repeated and striking were her visions by day and by night; and readers of the life of Richard Baxter will recall his marked experience, and vivid vision of lost opportunities which so quickened his afteractivity; Christmas Evans, also, that prince of Welsh preachers…always believed that…dreams were God’s messengers sent to communicate to him some of the mightiest impulses that swayed his life. Both Thomas Aquinas and A. J. Gordon believed that dreams in the post-Biblical era could come from God. However, it is doubtful that God has communicated with men by dreams since the close of the canon. Arthur B. Fowler says that God “could reveal his will in dreams today, but the written Word of God, and the indwelling Holy Spirit have made dreams of this sort unnecessary.” There is no Biblical evidence for the contention that God speaks today in dreams. God speaks today in His Word (2 Tim. 3:16–17). He has given the Holy Spirit to every Christian to lead him into the truth (John 16:13; 1 Cor. 6:19–20). With the Bible in his hand and the Holy Spirit in his heart, the Christian has ample provision for guidance into God’s perfect will. [The Doctrine of Dreams, Richard L. Ruble; Bibliotheca Sacra : A Quarterly Published by Dallas Theological Seminary., 364 (Dallas TX)] |
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Questions and/or Subjects for Heb 4:12 | Author | ||
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BradK | ||
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oyewole55@yahoo.com | ||
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ardmore |