Bible Questions & Discussion PAGE 206

INTRODUCTION TO 2 CORINTHIANS (Part 3):

So basically, what they did was they came into town, and they said, "We've come to know the Lord and we've been taught by the apostle Paul." So, the false teachers would say "Well, he might be the apostle Paul, but we are the super apostles!" They put themselves above Paul. And they are the ones that came in with the "health and wealth" doctrine.

That's kind of interesting because Paul sacrificed himself to make tents so that he would not have to take money from the people. But as soon as the false teachers came in, they said "Oh, he never taught you how to give."

And so, they gave what they had to these teachers and set them up pretty good, good housing, and good material things. And when Paul found out about it, he says "I sacrifice myself to not take your money. Forgive me for this wrong." You turn around and give it to false teachers, and I sacrifice so that you can hear the gospel and not be burdened down with finances. So false teachers had come into Corinth, and corrupted the church itself, addressed by 1 Corinthians.

And then we have the corruption of leadership addressed in 2 Corinthians. Everything in 2 Corinthians, all 13 chapters, has to do with ministry. Not ministers, but ministry. It is one of the greatest books in the bible if not the greatest book in the bible that teaches believers what those in the ministry are supposed to be doing, what their motive is, and what it's like to serve Christ.

But it is the blueprint of all ministry.

And as Paul is presenting it, it's not just for people who call themselves ministers, but every believer has a ministry. This is the blueprint for ministry as Paul compares himself with the false teachers, both in what they're teaching, and how they conduct their life and their motive for what they do. It is a tremendous book. Every believer should be held accountable, not only for what they do, but why they do it!

INTRODUCTION TO 2 CORINTHIANS (Part 2):

II: WHEN IT WAS WRITTEN:

It was written around 56 A.D. So, it's about a year after what we know was the first letter. And it was written from somewhere in Macedonia. We don't know exactly where. Tradition says it might be Philippi, but it's somewhere in Macedonia where Paul is traveling.

Now you should know that we have what is known as 1st and 2nd Corinthians because we only have two letters. We know that there were at least three. According to 1 Corinthians 5:9, Paul makes reference to another letter that he had sent to them, which apparently is lost.

Some even believe that right before Paul wrote what we call 2 Corinthians that there was a third letter written, taken by Titus, and that Paul was waiting for him, and when Titus came back and gave Paul word that the people were scoffing at some of Paul's teachings, then he wrote what we call 2 Corinthians.

But we only have two of the letters. Whether there were three or four, or more, we only have two.

III: WHY IT WAS WRITTEN:

First of all, about Corinth itself, Paul evangelized Corinth during his second missionary journey in Acts 18:1-18. He was there for about a year and a half. Paul wrote 1 Corinthians after being visited by some of the house of Chloe. Paul was in Ephesus.

1 Corinthians was a letter of correction. Paul wrote 1 Corinthians to address the corruption in the church.

The city of Corinth was so corrupt that any immoral person within the Roman Empire was called a Corinthianized person. 2 Corinthians was written about a year later than 1 Corinthians. It was written to counter false teachers that had come into Corinth.

So not only was Paul battling with the believers of their disobedience to the truth, and their rebellion against his authority, but now false teachers had come into Corinth, and they too were attacking Paul's teaching. Paul calls them "super apostles" in Chapter 11.

INTRODUCTION TO 2 CORINTIANS (Part 1):

2 Corinthians 10:4-6 is one of my favorite verses in scripture. Paul says the tools of our warfare are not fleshly, but powerful with God for the pulling down of strongholds.

Here's what he means by strongholds. Pulling down reasonings, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God. Notice that. That exalts itself against the knowledge of God. We are living in the day where people do put down the knowledge of God. They say you need to forget the bible, and the bible is so divisive, and people can't agree on what it says so you need to stay away from it.

But Paul says pulling down every reasoning and every high thing exalting itself against the knowledge of God and taking captive every thought into the obedience of Christ. So not only was Paul concerned about the salvation of people, but he was concerned after they were saved about their thoughts, and bringing their thoughts into the obedience of Christ, and captive to Him, having in readiness that we should avenge all disobedience whenever your obedience should be fulfilled.



So, he says it starts with you Corinthians. First is to get you to be obedient. And then we come in and we will avenge and correct all other disobedience as we find when we come there to Corinth.

I: ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Paul is the writer. His inscription is on all 13 of his letters. In 1 Corinthians, it was Sosthenes that was also co-author with Paul. In this letter, it is Timothy. Timothy has become Paul's assistant. In fact, something Paul said in Philippians was that Timothy was like-minded. And so, Timothy was raised as a Christian around Paul and now is his assistant. Timothy would eventually pastor in Ephesus. And that's a very important church as far as the history of the church goes.

Hi Jema and brother Spencer, For me, it is hard to look at one verse alone sometimes. I like the thought of the rest and hope that can renewed in us by the promise since the beginning was made. Later in the next chapters it is clear that this hope and rest was renewed by the Son for a good purpose, a peculiar people, by grace in the Hope or Rest and by the Mercy of God for peaceable good works towards mankind until the reappearing of Jesus Christ. It is a good conversation!

If a believer has the Holy Spirit living inside of them, how does one distinguish between their soul, their spirit and the Holy Spirit. Which one is asking this question? Or which one is worshipping God? Or which is trying to made new friends by spending time with them?

Hi Jema.

Titus 1:2 In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began.

This Idea here is to rest upon.

We can rest upon eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began.

Greek, "elpis"

which is a primary word (to anticipate usually with pleasure);

expectation (abstract or concrete) or confidence: - faith

We use the word hope in a different way.

I hope this helps. "Catch my drift?

God bless.

Can anyone shed some light on Titus chapter 1 verse 2 ?

continued...

Jesus was the only being worthy enough to be given as an offering. No other human, nor any amount of animal sacrifices is worth as much as the Son is to the Father. God can always cause animals and people to be born to replace the ones that die, but the Son, being eternal is the only Son begotten of the Father who is eternally Divine as the Father is. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit were all willing for the Son, one of themselves in the Godhead, to become human and die a human death for the sin of man. Oh, the love of God for us! We are undeserving of His love, but Jesus is infinitely worthy of the love within and between the Godhead. Jesus is the most costly offering ever made, and He was an offering made by God, not by man. How precious is He!

May we always remember these things when we partake of communion and reflect on his death and resurrection. We have been given such an unspeakable gift in the salvation in Christ that transforms us from sinful enemies of God into righteous children of God made clean from sin and able to have fellowship with the Godhead always and forever more. Praise to our Almighty God who has wrought such a complete, thorough, and eternal salvation for us He has called to Him.!

in both chapter 28 and 29 YHWH speaks through Moses concerning feast days that are to be celebrated and the Israelites are to be assembled. This is why at Passover, Pentecost, Trumpets, Atonement Jews came to Jerusalem. It was required that they do by this Mosaic law.

In both Passover time and at the seventh month feasts many more animals are offered and sacrificed. A sin offering is offered each day.

A few things I am thinking about after reading these two chapters:

One is that these offerings and sacrifices indicate that YHWH must be appeased due to the overwhelming immensity of our sin and sinfulness and His infinite and uncompromising holiness. Thinking of the great number of animals offered throughout the time of the Israelites in the wilderness and up to the destruction of the temple in A,D, 70, how costly the price for us to come into fellowship with God. Being a people who raised flocks and herds and grew grains and trees for oil as a livelihood, the nation's debt to God for their corrupt state was truly impossible to be paid by the blood of animals and day to day and year to year the debt was never fully satisfied this way.

The second thought I have is that the completed payment of this debt for our sin was thus unattainable by. But our Lord was able to satisfy this debt and the wrath of our God for sin fully once and for all. Therefore, there was no longer any need of all these sacrifices anymore after the cross. God ended these ordinances once and for all in 70 A.D., just as Jesus had said in the Olivet discourse. Christ alone was what was needed to fulfill all the purposes for all of these OT sacrifices.

the last thought I have is that the sheer number of animals slain which could not blot out our sins shows us the infinite worth of Jesus to His Father. Jesus, being the most valuable person to the Father was given for us. This was the greatest act of God in all of history. The Son, whom He loved eternally, was given to expiate our sins,.. cont

This chapter teaches the new generation of Israelites the sacrificial ordinances goven to Israel on Mt. Ainai. One difference I notice was that of pouring of strong wine on the animals sacrificed. Immediately it reminded me of the blood of Jesus poured out for the remission of sins. It is likely that these Israelites had grown up with these sacrifices being done daily by Aaron and now Eleazar.

But YHWH deemed it necessary for this generation to hear from Him through Moses comcerning these offerings/sacrifices again.

We, too, should remind ourselves of what Jesus said at the Last supper concerning the communion. We should be glad to participate in communion as often as we can. It seems in the early church that many met daily ro share this meal to commemorate Jesus' death and resurrection. And others who gathered on the Lord's Day-the first day of the week-for worship and communion. This can be found int he book of Acts.

It is too bad that many churches have relegated communion to a once a month or every other week occurrence. It is a solemn observation and as believers a cherished one.

The whole of Num. 28 reminds us of our sinfulness before God and how much we need a permanent once and for all sacrifice for sin that covers us all day every day. Jesus did this-sacrificing Himself once and for all, thus eliminating the ordinances of Nu. 28 because He is the One Sacrifice all of these daily, Sabbath, holy day sacrifices were a shadow of His all sufficient offering of Himself to the Father as an acceptable offering. The Father received the offerings of the Israelites if they were done in faith and in observance of all that He commanded of the priest to do for the people. Jesus not only is the one perfect sacrifice for us but also our perpetual High Priest who intercedes for us before the Father. Therefore there is no longer any need for the sacrifices

delineated in this chapter nor for the Aaronic priesthood or temple. Christ is the fulfillment of all these.

"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." John 14:6 KJV

"So I'd say "watchers" fell before Eden"

I see no reason to dispute that.

Whenever it was that they rebelled against The Most High, it seems that they are still on the job of deceiving the nations.

Please come quickly Lord Jesus! And soon!

An evening meditation.

"The Lord sent a word into Jacob, and it hath lighted upon Israel." Isaiah 9:8 KJV

The Love of God is the gathering of His People in His Son. He is our government, our peace and our hope. Our burden must be yoked to Him.

Thanks Brother Jesse.

That explains something that puzzled me for years.

John the Baptist was put in prison, he sent his disciples to Jesus and says are you the coming one, or do we look for another?

THE WORD "ANOTHER" IN GREEK MEANS ANOTHER OF THE SAME KIND. So, he figures this must be the suffering Messiah. Are we expecting the next one to come too?

I believe there are 2 words in the Greek for another.

One is another of the same kind,

allos

The other is another of a different kind. heteros

I believe that word is used in Acts 7:18. "suggesting this Pharoah may have not been Egyptian".

I never applied this to John's questioning.

I just to the popular view, that he was beginning to have doubts.

I never fully believed or understood that being the case.

God bless

S. Spencer,

understood

Thanks for the thoughts, Richard.

Godly, God chosen leaders are a real need in the body of Christ today. As you say, so many who are popular today are not truly as "anointed" as most people perceive. There is so much false doctrine being fed to so many believers and so much extravagance in lifestyle of so many leaders. They have become weakened by their acquisition of wealth and prestige which compromises the very purpose for which they are appointed to be a leader.

We must continue to pray for God to raise up leaders along the lines of Moses and Joshua.

Pondering your posting today. I wonder how many are purposely handing the baton so to speak to future leaders in the next generation today? First off there aren't that many who are great examples today; a few but of course many who have large ministries have slid off the doctrinal rails a while ago. So much is done today as well with those who are trained a certain way or sometimes those in families that have attended church for a long time as members which can be perfectly fine. Seeking those God has called for the job first of all means weeding out those who AREN'T qualified for the job despite how popular they may be in social circles. Also God in scripture chooses who He will; oftentimes not the biggest; badest and boldest as the world likes to choose. To find someone with a real heart for the Lord I can't help but wonder how rare that is today.

Of course some want to have an attitude that they are larger than life; or just won't think about the inevitable; in terms of their inheritance much as Paul chose Timothy. It is certainly rare for established Pastors to be humble enough to admit when the Lord has chastised them or in fact have the same transparency and accountability as they ask from other members of a church. This in fact makes them like the Pope or some other person with an exalted title or position who doesn't have anyone they can confess to above them (except God of course). It certainly helps future leaders to learn of mistakes made much as David taught Solomon. He eventually; of course wrote Ecclesiastes but had to learn many hard lessons after failing to be obedient to God as well as the advice from his parents.

Prayer of course is important; perhaps some of this occurs with Pastors and Deacons or elders under them as for future missions although I haven't seen much of it personally. Such things seem hidden from the rest of the laypersons in congregations.

Anyway as always I appreciate your commentary.

Agape; Rich P

Thank you Sister Star1964 for your reply & I can understand the difficulty in sometimes understanding the Scriptures & how they all fit together. These were the words given to Israel, often words of warning & impending suffering & judgement, but also words of hope & consolation if they should repent of their wickedness & unfaithfulness and they turn their hearts back to the LORD. When we partition this Book of Ezekiel (as also with other Bible books), we can see the picture more clearly & this will help us understand the times, the people, the judgements, & the promises.

The chapter you were reading (chap 19), is just a small section of Ezekiel's prophecies against Judah & Jerusalem (actually from chapter 4 to chapter 24), & it is understood that Ezekiel gave these prophetical warnings (in these chapters) prior to the fall of Jerusalem, reminding his fellow captives (even as Ezekiel was one of them) that God's Judgement on the city & Temple was certain.

When you get to chapters 25 to 32, Ezekiel prophesies against the Gentile nations, that God's Judgement was also coming upon them; but there was still hope for Israel (chapters 33 to 38) & of course this newly revived Israel's role in the coming Millennial Kingdom of their Messiah (chapters 40 to 48). This is just a very brief outline to help you divide the Book & see to whom God is speaking to and of God's Promise that God will "save my flock...will set up one shepherd over them...even my servant David...And I the LORD will be their God, and my servant David a prince among them; I the LORD have spoken it" ( Ezekiel 34:22-24; referring to their coming Messiah Jesus, son of David (a term that some Jews knew of the Messiah referred to in the Old Testament, Matthew 21:15 & others).

So, when you write, "...it says that we are looking at it is happening today", I'm unsure what you are supposed to be reading in that chapter or the book that indicates this - maybe the problem lies here in that message.

Scriptural mistake, Matt 19:9

Dear Star1964 , Ezekiel is one of the hardest books to understand , probably the hardest in the old testament , for me anyway :) . The best advice I can give you regarding the old testament would be , to start at the beginning and just read through it as it is presented . I think you said that you read this chapter three times ? I have read the entire Bible many many times and I'm still learning new things every time I read it . It's a lifelong commitment and , it's a lifelong friend . And like any other friendship , the more time and energy you put into it , the stronger that bond with your friend will get :) . It's not a race , relax and enjoy getting to know your God , I would defo advise to start at Genesis and just keep going .

I was saved after growing up Catholic. Being challenged by my father for leaving the one true church and reading a Bible a king wrote I studied hard to know the truth. I only will attend an independent Baptist church. They line up the most with the Bible. I just started attending gospel light Baptist church in Walkertown North Carolina/ look it up on YouTube. I'm 100% sure rapture is real. He just finished Sunday school lessons explaining revelation verse by verse. 100% dependable! Pastor Matthew Morrison. God bless you on your journey!

pg. 2

God is ONLY Love, ONLY Spirit, ONLY Light, and ONLY Holy, i.e. a Pure Mind. They are One and cannot be separated. God cannot change like shifting shadows and take upon His Self any fear, or make flesh His reality, or produce darkness which is evil. He cannot oppose Himself or be divided; His Mind is eternally pure.

if God is not anything but One in our mind, but divided, we are hopeless, stuck in space and time, remaining faithful to a split mind; a split allegiance. This is a state which literally keeps us from truly recognizing and experiencing God's perfect Love, healing, and ETERNAL patience. God is not limited to the ephemeral.

Be grateful there is NO power that will contaminate the Holy Mind of God. Thou shalt have no other gods before Him, because there are no other gods! Nothing except God is real. Unweakened power with NO opposite is what Creation is, because our Creator Is.

God Is

Peace

Blessings,

pg 1

1 John 4:7-8 . Because this represents truth, and if I desire to know and experience the Source of this Perfect Love, I should probably focus 100% on this Love. I should endeavor to weed out ALL that is not love in order to recognize clearly without interference, the purity of God's Love. In this, I should truly be thankful and glad that the weeds and vines which do not produce good fruit are tossed out and thrown into the fire. Good fruit is the effect of God's perfect Love and in turn extends God's Will and perfect Love; this is how we join in Creation. To recognize means to know again, implying that I knew before.

"God is Love" AND "God is NOT fear/hate" do not conflict, just as "Satan is not love" AND "Satan is fear" do not conflict. Both pairs of statements together contain the same meaning; both statements together are true.

"God is fear/hate" AND "God is not love" do not conflict, just as "Satan is love" AND "Satan is not fear" do not conflict. Both pairs of statements together contain the same meaning. In and of itself , they can and will appear to be true to a mind who is unaware of the first set of statements; or he is aware of them, but he wavers in belief the first set as truth.

The first group above is the opposite of the second. Obviously, ONLY one group can only be true, leaving the other as false.

A thought system accepting ALL the above together, having ANY possibility of coexisting, i.e. ALL being true; and maintain any hope of a unified mind, may want to pause to consider that a divided mind will never be at peace, because a divided mind is a confused mind. Peace and understanding ALWAYS go together and can never be found alone. I must first remove my FAITH in opposites.

The Mind of God is a pure fresh water spring which cannot produce anything but pure, fresh water. If It were to become contaminated with fear which we actually believe can actually oppose Love, it would produce impure, not so fresh water.

see pg. 2

I do, thank you, it seems so simple for you. and it rounded it up with few words

Sister in Christ Star

Thank you for the time to explain, at times it is hard for me to understand. I read the chapter over and over, and it didn't stick. I am in this book because it says that we are looking at it is happening today. But have a hard time to see it. The days of Noah explain as it is today, is so much easier to comprehend. That I understand fully. I have read the New Testament long ago, but only read a couple of books in the old. I have a bible that reads itself audio.... maybe that's the way I should go?

Sister in Christ, Star

Mr. Spencer,

I must also add that I believe Israel ceased to be God's corporate representation of His Kingdom on earth at the Cross. And the New Testament Church ceases to be God's corporate representation of His Kingdom and custodian of the True Gospel at the beginning of the Great Tribulation.

And I believe that we are currently living in the Great Tribulation period which will end when Christ returns to complete His Salvation and Judgement Program with the Resurrection and Rapture and creation of New Heavens and New Earth.

As to those comments and posts I read during first Corinthians chapter 4 concerning the stewards of the mysteries of God the apostle Paul says though you have 10,000 instructors in Christ one father there is no confusion if you truly understand second Timothy 2:15 rightly dividing the word of Truth is the key to unlock all the scriptures with the Holy Spirit praying from the wisdom from above which is freely given one needs to rightly divide from the earthly Kingdom that's promised Israel and the New Jerusalem which is for his bride the body of Christ the church of Jesus Christ one Lord one faith one body...

This is why the apostle Paul in that same chapter 1st Corinthians 4 when he says be followers of me very clearly he is the apostle to the gentiles so the scriptures are time sensitive and proprietary the gospel of the Kingdom is promised to Israel everywhere in the scriptures Daniel is clear and Jesus is clear on the prayer The Lord's prayer is that we would become one in him when he prayed to the father about the glory we share but the prayer about the kingdom of God coming to Earth that is only for a thousand years it's only a sojourn but we look for new heavens and a new Earth were dwelleth righteousness hallelujah... In the end the two witnesses Elijah and that prophet Moses wrote about these two olive trees Revelations chapter 11 will unify the gospel of the Kingdom on Earth and the New testament prophet no other one qualifies except and eyewitness that's why they're called the two witnesses my two witnesses Jesus said in Revelations chapter 11 it can only be the apostle John it was an eyewitness at the cross he was the only apostle there when Jesus our savior was breathing his last cried out to God the Father to receive his spirit but before he did that he said father forgive them for they know not what they're doing so the sins of ignorance were included in the atonement hallelujah again bless his holy name the church is born after Christ is raised Alive.

Mr. Spencer,

I do not agree with your definition of the "Church" nor your definition of the "rock".

God speaks of the Church and Israel both in a corporate sense (God's organizational representation of His Kingdom on this earth) and in a Spiritual or Eternal sense (All True Believers throughout history). And we must look at both the immediate context and the context of the entire Bible to determine which is in view. Sometimes it can be both.

The "rock" is Christ Himself. It is not what you describe.

What we are discussing really boils down to our view of the Bible itself. Is the Bible truly the Word of God where God is the ONE AND ONLY AUTHOR of the ENTIRE Bible and every word, every phrase in the Bible is from the Mouth of God Himself. Or is it a collection of writings by Men inspired by God that merely "contains" the Word of God.

If it is the former, which indeed it is, and not the latter then the Bible is its own dictionary and its own interpreter. And we must compare scripture with scripture throughout the ENTIRE Bible to come to any Truth using the principles that God lays down for us in the Bible. And this includes the principle that "Christ spoke in parables and without a parable spoke He not".

Furthermore, we read in Rev13:8 that Christ was "the Lamb slain from before the foundation of the World." So the efficacy of Christ's payment for the sins of His Elect (the Eternal Church) extends throughout time.

There is one and only one Judgment and Salvation Program for Mankind throughout time. And that Program, the Gospel, is circumscribed by the Bible Alone and in its Entirety.

There is no doubt that God has allowed fallen angels to rule over nations as the book of Daniel makes clear regarding Persia and Greece specifically; with the angel Michael.

My question specifically would be WHEN these angels fell. The story of the watchers is in extrabiblical literature. I would tend more to think that they were part of the spiritual order and society that existed sometime AFTER Lucifer fell and took the angels with him; which clearly happened BEFORE Adam fell after the serpent incident in Genesis. The period between Genesis 1:1 and 1:2 where the ORIGINAL creation occurred and then in verse 2 it was void and in a chaotic state probably was when there was an original flood or disaster in the earth because of the trade with violence; etc mentioned in Ezekiel 28.

Satan himself has been given the role as a usurper; temporarily squatting as it were on territory that originally was to be under God's total rule and delegated to man in the garden to take care of. Apparently it is in the Divine plan to allow him and his henchmen to control nations and regions concurrently and to ultimately bring about the Messiah and end in Armageddon where the appointed time and judgment occurs.

As for reasoning here it is likely to test men; to see if they will follow their own judgments and imaginations and continue therefore in spiritual blindness or believe through a supernatural move of the Spirit the Gospel truth which is revealed only to those predetermined in His plan ( Deut 29:29). Overcoming therefore is the flesh; world and the Devil; all three are conquered through Christ's atonement. Some things in the interim before Christ comes back are delegated to the church in this time period and to those of faith previous to that and in the Tribulation. Prayer is a major key in holding back evil and the Lord temporarily holds back judgment until the fullness of times; as Romans states regarding the Gentiles.

So I'd say "watchers" fell before Eden

Hi Jesse , with regard to them not believing that Peter was at the door , maybe they didn't believe because it was a woman who was telling them :) . I have noticed just how many times men do not believe women in the Bible :) . Then I think of the Samaritan woman at the well . Jesus actually tells her , face to face , that he is the expected Messiah . How many other people did Jesus say that to ? It's an awesome encounter and worthy of careful study I think . There again I could say that about most verses in the Bible :) .