All Discussion PAGE 2941

Hi Cindy,

I do believe you when you claim that you cannot stop sinning, because you are a member of a sect that tells you that you can't stop sinning, and that furthermore, you are led to believe that it's not that serious if you do sin, because it won't affect your salvation, so you have no motivation to even try. However people who belong to sects where they are told that they can stop sinning and that sinning has terrible consequences, do stop sinning, because they remain vigilant and avoid occasions of sin as Matthew Henry suggests on the Commentary on this website. The truth is that sinning does have terrible consequences for other people's salvation, as they observe the sinful lives of some Christians and decide, not surprisingly, that Christianity simply does not work.

In John 16:10 Jesus himself said that after his ascension to heaven you cannot see him anymore, and he even warned us in Matthew not to believed if someone says that he is in the desert,....But once again here comes Paul saying that he saw Jesus on his way to Damascus, is Paul guilty of fabrication because of his lies?...

God brought down those commandments not exclusively for the Jews, so you don't need to be a jew to follow the commandments...If you read the book of Genesis when God commanded Abraham to circumcise his household it includes even his gentile servants so it means that the law is not exclusively for the jews

Have a look at these: Deut 32:1, 2; Prov 17:7; Songs 4:3 (though you'll need to apply it appropriately, if teaching on it); 2 Cor 2:1, 4; 3:12; Col 4:6; Tit 2:8. Hope something here is useful to you.

god is real

Yes, I do not argue that the Bible is an inspired word of God but the letter of Paul because it was his own opinion and most of it contradicts the teachings of Jesus,.....Like for instance, Jesus said in Matthew 5:17-19 that he doesn't come to destroy the law of the prophets, but here comes Paul saying that obeying the law of the prophets is no need just by faith ( Romans 3:28)

Hi Richard, you've touched on a portion of Scripture that I often recall with heaviness, especially in light of our modern judicial system. What you read there in Deut 19, was a wonderful law & provision to all caught up in a crime. It appears to me as one that was very fair & just, given the lack of forensic & other means of crime investigation that was available to them. The fact that both wilful & accidental deaths were dealt with, is noteworthy. And the need for two witnesses, with the caveat that if any gave a false witness, they too would receive similar punishment, is something our present system could well learn from.

But to your matter: I'm not familiar with the usage of this verse amongst the JWs, but I can see where they & any other religious group, could use it for their wicked ends. Or, even take the RC ruling of anonymity between clergy & laity, how this has been abused where the rule overrides the sin/crime being committed. What can one say, except when seeing or hearing of such tragedies, one can only wonder as to the type of 'religion' practised by those perpetrators of crime, whether there is any guilt at all, or more likely, believing that neither man nor God has observed their wickedness or has an interest in it. And you're right, how can a child in that situation, even if old enough, ever bring out two or three witnesses; fear itself would compel a child to not speak up. The bottom line is that our justice system has so deteriorated over the decades, that it now does little more than give a 'slap on the wrist' & this only to indicate that they view the act committed as a crime & that both the criminal & the victim are to be treated equally!! I could go on & on with this, but it only brings on more despair.

Yasser, you are correct in your understanding of Isaiah 66:16, 17 & it's true that the eating of swine & many other animals (as in Leviticus chapter 11) are also included. So the explanation to what you are seeing & understanding can be explained as follows:

The laws given for not eating unclean animals were God's direct command to His people, Israel. They were given because He said that these were an abomination to Him & possibly also for maintaining good health. When the Gospel came to the Gentiles, this law (as other Laws of God) could not be imposed as then it would mean that Gentiles would then first have to become Jews to then be saved (see Galatians 2:3, 4: which gives an example of Paul's refusal to have Titus circumcised, as some insisted on doing, to be able to become a Christian). As well, the keeping of Jewish laws nullified the work & results of Jesus' sacrifice for mankind's sins (i.e. one cannot mix the obedience to the Law with the gift of Grace).

So what is correct now? Well, the Jews still observe the Laws & of course, the one you mentioned, but the Gentiles have no such command. Does God then reject all those who eat unclean animals? He doesn't, because that requirement no longer has application in the New Covenant of Grace. Gentiles can still choose to refrain from pork, horse, dog, etc., but we are not judged by what we eat but what comes out of our heart ( Mt 15:17-20 gives a similar example of the Jews & eating with unwashen hands which was sin, like eating an unclean animal).

And briefly, about Paul's letters: Paul & the apostles wrote according to what they had heard from Jesus or from special revelation from Heaven (maybe, like you giving instructions to children about what you learnt from your forefathers). So those letters from them are considered true & valid as they don't contradict Christ's teaching. Even Mohammed & others claimed such authority in their teaching. So this can't be argued, it's just a question of truth of the word.

When I was a young Christian, someone told me they believed the Holy Spirit wrote the book of Hebrews. I guess no one knows?

It means we have know the power the light and the knowledge of God , but we are inside earthly vessel [body] Cast down as we are from the sons of god and the daughters of men ... a crossbreed . We are made in the image of our creator , we were given their knowledge . . . we have allowed our identity to be stolen . . . . Jesus taught mysterys , you wont understand . . .until you really do have faith .....enough to grow up , Your KJV was not even translated from original texts . . . . .Jesus did leave clearer messages in scriptures and accounts by people who actually knew him . . Read Nag Hamadi Codex

Genesis means "beginning". This book describes the creation of the universe, the origin of mankind, the sin and suffering of the world, and God's way of dealing with mankind. Genesis can be divided into two main parts.

1. chapters 1-11: Creation of the world and the first story of mankind.

2. chapters 12-50: The history of the ancestors of Israel.

It begins with the affirmation that God created the universe, and ends with a promise that God will continue to show his concern for his people.

To record the history of the faith of a nation and to keep this faith alive.

Excellent teaching Alex. I never saw that. I always wondered why God wouldn't allow David to build the Temple: said he was a man of blood.

Eternal Life - Salvation & Overcoming

Kenneth, I pray for much fruit for your labor. God bless you.

Tasha, Be encouraged. Nothing feels better than knowing you're a daughter of the King of Kings and that you are doing what is pleasing in His sight. God bless you.

Sakeeya, don't give up on Him and He won't give up on you. God bless you.

Karyn I'm praying with you for your mother's successful recovery and for strength and grace for you. I lead you to the Rock Christ Jesus that is higher than us both. He never fails. God bless you.

In Jonah 4:11, It says there were more than sixscore thousand saved. That is 120,000. I heard a song with a Billy Graham excerpt where he states it was the greatest revival in history, over 600,000 were saved. In my search for where this number came from, I have seen a few sites that use numbers similar. Some say 100,000 to 600,000. I even saw one that said there were anywhere from 600,000 to 1,000,000. Does anyone know where these numbers come from? If it were more than 140,000, wouldn't it have said more than seven score? Is there another scripture that gives evidence there were anywhere near 600,000?

Yasser Davin,

I beg to differ that Paul's letters are not the word of God. Paul said in Galatians Chapter 1 Verses 8 and 9, "But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. 9) As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.

If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that which Paul preached, Paul says let him be accursed.

How could Paul make such a bold claim by saying if any man does not receive the gospel he preached, let that man be accused? That sounds like a pretty bold claim to make, wouldn't you say? Except for the fact that we know where Paul received his teaching and doctrine from.

Paul gives us his credentials in Galatians 11 through 24. If you look at Verse 11, Paul says, "But I certify, or more literally, I make known to you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after, or according to man. So it's not of man as you claim.

In Verse 12, Paul says "For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ."

Paul spent three years alone out in the Arabian Desert receiving his teaching from Christ Himself. If you read through all the way down to Verse 24, you will see that. I hope you have a good understanding of who Jesus Christ is, and who He claimed to be. That would be a starter at understanding who Paul's teachings came from, God or man!

Pray we can go back to normal as a country and all take God seriously.

Hi Tom, thanks for your question & as you can imagine, different folk have their own interpretations on this chapter in Daniel 9. As well, I'm unsure whether you have grasped the whole context of the chapter in relation to Daniel & his encounter with the angel Gabriel & the vision. So, if I could briefly state here:

Daniel was aware of the prophet Jeremiah's prophecy on the coming desolation of Jerusalem ( Jer 25:11-12, 29:10-14) & Israel's return to Palestine. But there would be a time in the future when Jerusalem would be rebuilt, the Messiah would come & give His Life as prophesied, & after that (under Roman rule), in AD 70, Titus, the Emperor, would march into Jerusalem & destroy it & the Temple.

So verse 26, directly refers to this time of the destruction of Jerusalem, when "the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood (not water, but the appearance of a flood of warriors), and unto the end of the war (Jewish-Roman wars of AD 66 - 135), desolations are determined."

However, this reference to Titus & his army has its anti-type in the future Anti-Christ (possibly out of a rebuilt Roman Empire), as verse 27 implies (giving a description of Anti-Christ's behaviour with the Jews & his desecration of the rebuilt Temple). I have written briefly here, mindful that there are various interpretations to this passage from others who are better studied than me, & as well, I've not given the meaning & breakdown of the "weeks" of time mentioned in this passage as you may well be familiar with their meaning. I hope this helps in your understanding.

(Part 4)

Another place that I wondered about for a long time, was the bible tells us that Judas repented. I used to think that since he repented, he probably was saved. But again, the Greek gave me a better understanding of that. Judas didn't repent like we understand repentance to be, making a decision to turn from sin, receive Christ, and have Him change and transform us. Judas repented (METAMELOMAI), which means he was sorry. But he did not repent (METANOEO), true repentance, making a decision to change the direction of his life. There are so many places in scripture like this where we see an English word and in English we know what that word means, but it's not the same word used in the Greek text. There are places in my bible where I will cross through a word and put the correct word from the Greek text in its place. I'm not saying the translators of the KJV put together a bad translation, as I believe it's the most accurate translation we have, and it is my bible of choice. I am careful not to remove words or add words because I know we are not to do that. What I change are areas like areas like I just mentioned, where I would scratch through the word love and either put in its place the word PHILEO, or AGAPE. It has helped me a lot. We read our English bibles, and there are so many words that we understand what they mean from an English standpoint, but sometimes we miss the true meaning because the Greek text uses a different word. Sorry for being long-winded.

(Part 3)

I would like to spend more time talking about Greek, but this is becoming longer that I wanted it to be. I have found it to be of help to me when I get stuck in certain areas of scripture. For instance, I often wondered why Jesus asked Peter three times, do you love me? I couldn't figure that one out. But then Peter gives a completely different answer the third time Christ asks do you love me. I was like "what's that all about?" But when I went to the Greek, I saw that when Jesus said three times do you love me, he used a completely different word for love the third time. It brought so much clarity to me. I then realized that the first two times Jesus asked do you love me, the word he used for love (PHILEO) had to do with human love. The third time, Jesus used the word AGAPE, the love that can only be produced by God's Spirit. It made perfect sense why Peter gave a different answer the third time. Peter gave the proper response the third time. Peter said "Thou knowest!" That is the most proper response we can ever give the Lord, thou knowest. The Lord knows our hearts. He told Peter he would deny Him three times. Peter said he would never deny the Lord. So when Jesus asked Peter the third time, do you love me, do you AGAPE me, Peter wasn't going to make the same mistake again.

(Part 2)

Finally, I gave in, probably so he would get off my back. Other than receiving Christ 23 years ago, that was probably one of the best life choices I ever made. Not only was I attending every Tuesday night for the Greek Bible Study, but after a year of going to the Greek study, the pastor started teaching a Thursday night New Testament study, lecture-type study, which I was attending also. The pastor has two Doctorates Degrees in biblical studies. He taught and trained those who were going into the ministry. He taught both Greek and Hebrew at the Masters International School of Divinity. Anyways, to make a long story longer, I started to struggle keeping up with both the Tuesday night Greek class, and the Thursday night New Testament study. I had to make a choice which one to keep going to. I chose the N.T. study. That study went for almost 3 years. He told us that what we were getting was more than what many pastors get in Bible College. He said that in Bible College, people were only required to take certain electives, and many would get through without having to take the entire bible. I don't know if that's true. I never went to Bible College.

Now back to the Greek. We had a class of 23 people. One evening at the start of the class, the pastor handed out brand new in the box copies of the Textus Receptus to each one of us. I thought they were just for use in the class, but after he finished handing them out, he said that someone in the class purchased them all. There was no one to thank because to this day, only the pastor knows who bought them. The person did not wish to be known. Had it of been me, I would have raised my hand and said "Yea, I bought those for you all." It never really hit me until one day I was in Matthew Chapter 6, and I came to realize that anything the Lord leads me to do for someone, if I seek for recognition and praise from men, that's my reward right then and there. The Lord will not reward me for it later.

Hi Chris,

(Part 1)

First of all, thank you. And you're not intruding at all. I welcome you into any of my conversations, whether it's to add something I may have missed, or letting me know that I may be derailing from the track. Sometimes, when I stop and think about the things I share, it scares me more than you can imagine. For me, it's like what if the things I share cause a brother or sister in Christ to stumble. I've shared things with people in the past that I believed to be true, and later come to find out I shared some bad information. All I could do was pray that the Lord would find those people and show them that what I told them was wrong. Where I am as far as Greek goes, I would not say that I am proficient enough to teach it. I would say that I can teach someone how to read Greek, but there's so much more that goes with it that I am still learning myself. I do hope to get there in maybe a year or two, Lord willing. The Lord may have other plans for me, who knows? I began years ago by looking up Greek words while I was studying. Later on, I purchased an Interlinear Bible which had Greek, Hebrew, and English. I was never much interested in learning Hebrew, although I have learned some, but very little. Hebrew is also a general language, much like English. How I got started learning Greek almost never happened. A close friend of mine who fellowshipped at a small community church who's pastor taught Greek was holding a Tuesday night Greek Bible Study. His pastor was the one teaching, not my friend. But I had no desire to learn Greek and just the thought of it seemed nerve-racking to me. I do not consider myself to be the most intelligent guy on the block. I was invited multiple times to go, and each time I made up some excuse.

Chris, I understand your argument and definition of Perfection. But we don't get to choose how we define things. Perfection has a definition all its own and it doesn't depend on a person's perspective or sentiment. Christ came to bring perfection. If He came to bring Perfection, it means we never had it.

1 Peter 1:20, "Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you".

Acts 2:23, "Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain".

Isa 37:26, "Have you not heard? Long ago I ordained it; in days of old I planned it. Now I have brought it to pass, that you should crush fortified cities into piles of rubble."

Eph 1:3-5, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms. 4For He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless in His presence. In love 5He predestined us for adoption as His sons through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of His will".

2 Timothy 1:9, "He has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not because of our own works, but by His own purpose and by the grace He granted us in Christ Jesus before time eternal."

1 Peter 1:20, "Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you".

God Planned and Prepared a Perfect Kingdom for us, before the Foundation of the World. And if He prepared perfection for us, what does it mean but that we never had it. Adam and Eve didn't have it and neither do we. Perfection was not coming until after Christ. It didn't come before Him. Heb 11:40, "God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect." Heb 5:9, "And having been made perfect, He became the source of eternal salvation."

Only Christ was made Perfect. Adam and Eve were not.

So you don't like me? We're commanded to love one another, by Jesus.

Your objections are with My Advocate. He will decide this.

Nice story about building a mansion for your family. But if you build a house knowing it is going to be burned down by your neighbor and you purchase an insurance policy, knowing it will be burned down, so you can collect the insurance, I think that is called insurance fraud?

I wish you had made the story longer. I was really getting into it. You should publish a book of fiction. Unfortunately, I am asking for Scripture to support these arguments.

Finally, wouldn't it be wiser to just build the house where the enemy couldn't get to it? Or was that an impossibility? Was it an absolute necessity to build the house right smack in the middle of Satan's kingdom?

It means that it takes 2 witnesses to accuse and 3 witnesses to convict.

In our society it is a punishable offense as soon as investigation is documented for a court proceeding. With JW's I don't know? They handle things amongst themselves. But I would hope someone at school would intercede for the child.

what are the ten commandments