Subject: need for a bible-anyone |
Bible Note: You wrote: "But is this person Peter speaks of really a Christian or an imposter?" Now that is the key question, isn't it? First of all, let's see who Peter is referring to in his own words: 'It has happened to them according to the true proverb, "A DOG RETURNS TO ITS OWN VOMIT," and, "A sow, after washing, returns to wallowing in the mire."' --2 Peter 2:22 We see that the false brethren were "dogs" and "sows" all along. For a time they acted otherwise, but their true natures came out in the end. Or do you think that the dog actually became a "non-dog" and then a dog again? The whole of the chapter refers to those who are BY nature not truly the children of God. Peter is right to warn them, as he does in the previous chapter, to make one's calling and election sure by obedience (not to EARN one's election, but to provide ASSURANCE of the already-present reality), because only those indwelt by the Spirit of God can truly obey Him (Romans 8:7-9). Our obedience and our suffering is affirmation of what God has already done. You wrote, regarding James: "It is pretty clear that God means to tell us that it is our brethren, Christians, who we must help turn back if they stray from the truth." Agreed. Is this a "falling away" or a straying, however? If they are indeed our brethren, they will be turned back to the truth from their straying. Regarding Hebrews, the visible church is made up of the elect and the non-elect, both who are partakers of grace, just as the nation of Israel was. The fact that some live in the covenant community of the church and continue to reject the truth brings greater condemnation upon them. Just as there was a "spiritual Israel" within the physical nation of Israel, there is also among the visible church both wheat and tares. Again, we do not have people changing from one "species of vegetation" to another, back and forth, over and over. We have both the elect and the reprobate among the visible church, and it is by their works that we come to find out what they were in the first place. Regarding Jude, did you miss this part? "For certain persons have crept in unnoticed, those who were long beforehand marked out for this condemnation, ungodly persons who turn the grace of our God into licentiousness and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ." These people: 1. Crept in unnoticed (from the outside) 2. Were marked our long beforehand for condemnation (i.e. not true Christians) 3. Ungodly (i.e. the reprobate -- false Christians) Romans 11 speaks of the unbelief of the non-elect Jews and the grafting in of the Gentiles. Just like all those who were part of Israel the nation were not the Israel of God (Romans 9:6), all of those among the Gentile covenant community will not show themselves to be true children of God. Obedience does not MAKE us children of God, but rather shows that we are. --Joe! |