Bible Questions & Discussion PAGE 421

Ephesians 1:14. The concept of the Kinsman-Redeemer was in the Book of Ruth; as to Boaz obtaining Ruth as part of his inheritance; or you could say "property". The concept of ownership is foreign in today's culture in terms of slavery; however we should look at verses such as Luke 17:10 on us being "unworthy servants" when we do what we are told. With the story of Ruth she was from a Gentile origin; and her sister Orpha decided to abandon Naomi when she told her to go back to her people (the Moabites). Apparently Ruth's first husband was an Israelite but he had died. Ruth hanging on despite Naomi asking her to go back reminds me somewhat of the tenacity of the Gentile woman asking for healing in Matthew 15:26. The colloquialism Christ used was of the dogs; yet she was commended for her faith.

Obviously; Christ redeemed us as His bride from among all mankind according to the Ephesians quote and this is mentioned in many other verses (Google search is always very helpful). As Boaz brought value to Ruth by marrying her and continuing the lineage of Naomi's family we are adopted as sons ( Romans 8:14-17). God took us; worthless sinners hopelessly lost and His enemies and took on our sin defeating it with His blood sacrifice once and for all at the Cross. He purchased us and it even pleased God to crush Him to accomplish this ( Isaiah 53:10). God's love therefore transcends our own as we would scarcely die for a righteous man let alone a wicked one (according to human standards) according to Romans 5:7.

Now that we are part of His family; we also will recieve crowns as a reward for faithfulness ( James 1:12 etc). We shall rule and reign with Him ( Matthew 19:28-29) but notice the caviat; "if we suffer for Him". We are warned in Revelation 3:11 about losing our reward; that is not a salvation issue. However; we need to make sure that we are producing fruit "meet of repentance" ( Acts 26:20). If He lives within us we are transformed and a new man.

It's not in the Bible . Do not worry too much about this, God is all powerful and is able to do anything that He wants to with any part of His creation .

Beautiful comment Gerald. This is what I believe as well.

But you wrote "Those who are saved after the millennium reign of Christ are the gleanings". What makes you think that people are going to be saved after (or at the end) of the millenium?

Hello Gerald. I would put it as:

We need to read the Word of God so to know how to behave in every situation in our life. But often we can't do what God asks us to do. Here is where the Spirit of God comes in. He gives us the strength to do what we have learnt (and still learning) what to do by reading or hearing the Word of God. So we know, for example, that we must love pur enemies, but we cannot do that without receiving God's grace. GBU

Yes, Giannis,

We often don't enhance our understanding of doctrines we learned when young. But when we do dig deeper as we age and our brain and faculties mature, the Holy Spirit uses these to help us have a more robust understanding of spiritual teachings.

And, yes, it is true that in this life we see oh so darkly. But in heaven we will know more fully! Can't wait!

Well said, brother Gerald.

Sorry, I meant brother Spencer.

Hello Gerald'

You wrote "A true born child of God of the Word and the Spirit have righteous works that will be rewarded . " For He will not forget our labour of love" nor is God any man's debtor." How true this is! We often think (wrongly) that God owes to us for obeying Him, something like a wage for our obedience. And we forget that we are servants who ought to do what their master orders us to do. It is God's love and mercy (and justice) that gives us what we ask for. In my life I got things from God even when I had no faith at all. Is this possible, doesn't the Word say that without faith we will not get anything from God? Yes it does, but God doesn't have a list of requirements for giving and if we don't fulfil all of them, then we are not eligible for getting our requests. God loves us, His children, and often He ignores our weaknesses. So it is always God's Love...

And by the way, when we obey God it is useful for us, God has nothing to win from that. GBU

Unclean meat was only in the Old Testament. The NEW Testament is Jesus. A New Covenant.

From what I learned, the books of the Bible had to coincide with the other books printed.



There are at least four 'different' men in the Bible named Enoch ( Genesis 4:17; 5:18; 25:4; 46:9). We should note that, in Genesis 25:4 and Genesis 46:9, the NIV gives the name "Hanok," while some other translations, such as the Darby translation, give the name "Enoch" instead. In both verses, the name "Hanok" is from the same Hebrew word translated "Enoch" in Genesis 4:17 and Genesis 5:18. Other translations say "Hanoch" or "Henoch." The only difference is one of English spelling.

Hebrews 11:5 gives a little more detail: "By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death: 'He could not be found, because God had taken him away.' For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God." This being "taken away" is what Enoch is most famous for. Only two people in the Bible are said to have been chosen by God to escape death, Enoch and Elijah. Enoch appears to have been given this privilege due to being a man who walked faithfully with God ( Genesis 5:24) and pleased God ( Hebrews 11:5).

For what purpose was Enoch taken away? The Bible does not specifically say. The most common assumption is so that he could serve as one of the two witnesses, alongside Elijah, in the end times. Jude 14.

Yes, you are right dear Gigi, well said about Jesus humbling Himself. The Almighty God who made the vast universe from nothing with just His Word became a poor man, was born between animals, was humiliated by people and at the end He died a horrible death. This is what perfect love is. We are born in christian countries so we become familiarized with these things since childhood and they don't impress us any more. But if you think about them...

About Jesus' conception in Mary I wouldn't try to explain it, there is much we don't understand, we have to wait until we go to Heaven, then we will aquire the perfect and complete knowledge of everything. GBU

I'm with Jesus, He wasn't cremated. Jesus also rose in three days. I looked up a few verses about 'burial' and it talks alot of burials of people. I believe what the Bible says about our bodies being a home/shell for the Holy Ghost. Amen.

Part 2.

Now one may think, "if I devote myself to a mission then I don't have to work, the church should provide for me and my family". Is this right? What does the Bible says about that?

It is true that God gives to people who are missioners for Him the right not to work but live with what the church provides for them, so that they are not distracted from their mission, it is not possible to go travelling and work at the same time, it is very hard to work and supervise a church at the same time. There is hardly enough time for both. Paul deals with that extensively in 1 Corinthians 9:1-14.

But through ages a major problem has been created in Christianity. A right that was given by God to His people to help them to work for Him, has been taken advantage of by many to make it a profession and live from it. There are a lot of people who choose it as a profession. There are also many that they make millions from that. They often claim that God provides them with plenty of money for their mission to become easier. And they don't stop asking from believers persistently even by using/twisting God's Word, the tiths, which tiths are not valid now in New Testament.

The same problem seems to have occured in Paul's time. So what Paul decided to do was to deny that right and work with His own hands for him and his accompanions, 1 Cor 9:15-18. He also suggests that to the elders in Ephessus, Acts 20:32-35. But it also seems that many times he accepted help from churches, since it wasn't always easy to find a job in those places he travelled to. And many times he was left hungry and thirsty... 1 Cor 4:11-12.

GBU

Gerald,

First, let me say thank you for taking the time to share your understanding of the word faith. You have shared some things that I fully agree with.

It looks to me from reading through your 3-part post, that you believe there are two types of faith. I also believe there are two types of faith, human faith which everyone has, both believer and non-believer alike. And then there's the faith that the Bible speaks of. Every one has human faith. But not everyone has biblical faith.

I believe I have a strong understanding of biblical faith, as you also believe you do. I will keep this as short as I can, but will try and further share why I believe the way I do.

But please know that I am only sharing my understanding the same way you shared yours. I am not looking for an argument on the word faith, just sharing what I firmly believe.

First of all, the word faith in Greek is PISTIS. It is from the word PEITHO which means to persuade. If you're into the study of Greek culture or Greek mythology, you know that Peithos was the goddess of persuasion.

But Peitho is the root word for the word faith. The verb form of Pistis is the word that means to believe.

In Greek, not so much English, but in Greek, how a Hellenist or Greek speaking person would understand faith, he or she would understand it as persuasion.

People hear the word faith and they go in all different directions as to what faith is. But faith is Pistis. And it means persuasion.

There are two kinds of faith because there are two sources of faith. And remember that every time we say faith, we are making reference to persuasion. But there are two kinds of faith, and two sources of faith. One is human, and one is from God as a source.

The human kind of faith is when the human being persuades himself or herself to believe. That's not biblical faith.

I am going to need a little more space so please bear with me!

It does exist in Christ in a nondualistic way, that means that the masculine and feminine qualities is united in a sacred marriage within Him. Without division in two separate outer forms . That is the reason why we do not marry in heaven as is often seen on earth.

Part 1

Hello Spencer.

You are right about that, I wrote it the other way around.

Now my opinion (and how I have been tought) about those 3 times that Jesus asked Peter if he loved Him is: After Jesus' resurrection and reappearence to the apostles Peter suggests to the other apostles to go fishing, and so they do. They still haven't understood well what their mission (in grk "apostole") is. Their mission is to go to Israel and the other nations to preach the gospel, not go back to their old lives and proffesions. Jesus miracusely provides them with plenty of fish, showing that from now on it is God who is going to take care of their life, there is no need for them to go back, there is something else for them to do. The apostles seem not to have understood well what their life is going to be from now on (after Pentecost they did). So Jesus asks Peter if He loves Him. Peter says "yes", so Jesus tells him to "feed His ship"(this is what he oughts to do now, not go fishing). It seems that Peter still haven't understoond what his mission was, so Jesus repeats what he said before since He knows that Peter is not really aware what is Jesus trying to tell him. The answer is the same, but Jesus asks him for a third time. Peter is sad but now he got the message, Jesus was not in a need to say it again for a fourth time. It is like we often do with our children, sometimes we repeat many times the same order/suggestion to them when we see that they dodn't get what we want to tell them.

In the begining of their dialogue Jesus asks Peter if he loves Him more than "these". Who are "these"? Many say He meant the rest of the disciples present. I don't think God ever asks anybody if they love Him more than somebody else, it wouldn't be nice and fair for that other person, especially when they are present. The "these" is the ship, the fish, the fishing, the material things. People who devote their lives to missions must not be invlolved in the affairs of this life, Timothy 2:14.

Thank you, Gerald, for this response and for its clarity.

Thank you Giannis!

Hello Jesse.

Sorry for my delayed answer. About "genea" brother Chris said it right. If you have a look at Matthew 1:17 it says "So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; and from David until the carrying away into Babylon are fourteen generations; and from the carrying away into Babylon unto Christ are fourteen generations." The grk for "generations" here in the grk text is "geneai" (plural for genea). In anc grk it also means race, nationality, place of birth, descent, etc. GBU

What is the scripture and purpose of the redeeming value of the purchase possession

Did sarah have any knowledge of his request

I beg to differ . For not only did Jesus say to some " the kingdom of God is within you " is it not also written if you are a true born child of God you have been " translated from the kingdom of darkness into the Kingdom of Gods dear Son.

For every kingdom has a King and every kingdom has citizens .and each kingdom has laws .

The kingdom of darkness is of the law of sin and death .

The kingdom of God is of Life and Jesus Christ .

I am already in the kingdom of God and will enter into its fullness anon .

But when Jesus said to pray Thy kingdom come Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven .

Let the kingdom of God that is in you be manifested in your life . Or in other words ,Be not conformed to this world and the kingdom of darkness but walk in the light as He is in the light and we will have fellowship with Him and with each other and the blood of Jesus Christ will cleanse you and me ad a are in the body ( continually) from all sin "

For even as the natural body has blood that circulates the body and protects it from infection etc and cleanses the body . So too the spiritual body.

For we are are we not? Members of the one body ,He being the head and king of the body .

"If any man says he has no sin the truth is not in him "

For this mortal body is still subject to the law of sin and death . Thus the reason to not only confess our sin but the blood of Jesus Christ not only cleanses us from any particular sin but that sin that still lurks in our mortal bodies .

Let not sin REIGN in your mortal bodies says the scriptures .

Rule ,govern a kingdom if you will of sin .

But let Christ reign in your mortal body . Who or what rules in your ' kingdom'?

That which you speak of in revelation is another matter that time and space and indeed full understanding of will not allow .

The analogy of the bus was simply used to show that all men have this faith according to what it IS and exercise it every day .

The definition of what faith IS is therefore still upheld by Hebrews . " Now with is.."

Thus we must have a clear understanding of what faith IS before can go on .

And for that matter what it is not! So we don't get sidetracked .

For the record the Kingdom of God has been in existence since God created the heaven and earth .

God has not once relinquished His throne and still reigns and rules even as He has from the beginning .

That mankind have become rebels and relinquished their dominion over the earth to the devil is another matter entirely . But not without the foreknowledge of God .

Before anything was created visible or invisible there was only God or rather there is only God .

When God created both heaven and earth . That creation was not incorruptible ,for only God is incorruptible .

With every action there is a reaction . So "sin must come but woe to him by whom it comes"

Wisdom then dictated two trees in the midst of the garden . The tree of life and the other tree.

Note in all that followed Genesis 1:1, God still ruled and worked everything according to His own council and will .

The devil rebelled in heaven , he was cast out of heaven to the earth his power "in the air"

The Lord is coming to the air . he is vast down to the earth . The Lord will step on the earth . he is cast down the pit .

" If I by the finger of God do cast out demons ,know ye that the kingdom of God has drawn nigh you.

The kingdom of God is within you it is also written .

I think your confusing two very different subjects ." He that doeth the will of God are my ( true) mother "

And what faith IS . Time and space will not allow me to say much else . But I hope and pray what has been said helps. GB

Dear Karla, I will pray for you.

Dear heavenly Father, we come to You in the name of Jesus and ask that You cause Karla to respond well to this medication for anxiety/depression. We ask that You bring healing to her mind's chemical functioning and to her thought patterns so that she will dwell on what is good and helpful. May her mind be stayed upon Jesus and we ask that You bring her peace of mind and a soundness in her mind. We ask that You will cause Karla's heart to beat normally without palpitations caused by anxious thoughts and that You will continually remind her that You are in control of all things and will take care of all that is concerning her. Father, remove from Karla all debilitating effects of this condition. Allow Karla to be free of worry, fear, discouragement, and physical manifestations of anxiety. Draw Karla deeper into Your word and remind her of Your great promises. Thank you Father for all of the good things You will bring to Karla because she is asking You for blessing and help. Amen.

Richard, well said.

I see nothing in the scriptures to suggest faith is some ' spiritual pregnancy'.

For faith in of and by itself can do nothing .

It all depends on where you have put your faith .

Faith in God comes by hearing and understanding the living Word of God .in what it says and promises to them that believe .

It is the fulfilment of the Word of God and promises that produces something r " The seed is the Word of God".

We benefit when we sow in faith believing God . Understanding that what we do we reap .

Faith is that measure which if it is in God pleases God . For without faith it is impossible to please God "

For we honour God first by believing Him and then as in all real belief acting upon what we understand on the one hand and in the goodness of God and will keep His Word .

Even the measure of faith we have is a gift of God ,so all the glory belongs to God . But we have also the satisfaction of our faith being rewarded and pleasing God.

alex1939...Gerald I love your analogy of the bus but we are not hoping for a bus we live in hope of the Kingdom of God...When we pray we say thy kingdom come thy will be done...Thats y he has to know us that when that good seed the living word is sown in our hearts initiating a spiritual pregnancy FAITH... John 16 :21...Jesus said b/c i have spoken these words which are his seeds sorrows has filled your hearts...A woman when she is in travail she has sorrows but soon as the Child comes her sorrows are turn into joy...Her Child is the H.G. the very Kingdom of God....Unless ya receive the Kingdom of God as a lil Child via a Heavenly Birth you will in no wise enter there in...The H.G.is that Child of Promise that we so desperetly hope for...This Woman in Rev 12 is the best example of Real faith...And she was impregnated by the words of Jesus...They don't call him the bridegroom for nothin...She had the substance of things hoped for the evidence of things not seen...which was the manchild the H.G..the Kingdom comes after the woman gived birth to the baby..The spirit of truth.

....Thats y I always say Faith under this new Covenant is a Spritual pregnancy...Under the O.T. faith yielded lil Issac Abrahams son...But under the N.T Faith forms Christ in us by hearing his words which are his good seeds..When he breathe on them he was propagating very God the H.G..His breath was his words his seeds...They were impregnated by his breath which are his words his seeds etc...Thats what hearing the gospel is supposed to do form Christ in us sinners which leads to a heavenly birth of Christ in us...But as Jesus said i am the light of the world but the night comes when NO MAN can work...That great falling away, satan is now standing in the pulpits & TV...Saying blessed are the wombs that never bare and the paps that neva give suck...Kill em in the womb..I'm just trying to turn the hearts of the fathers to Jesus Children...The H.G...There is a Child in your future...The H.G....K GBU.

Life is short (Part 2).

Today; we seem to think little on the next generation; hence kids have found that there isn't much value in their existence. With so many cut off before birth it is no wonder that kids would feel unvalued today and with such poor parenting skills undisciplined themselves. Hosea 4:6 indicates that because of a lack of knowledge people are perishing. Life is as a vapor as several scriptures indicate ( James 4:14). Not only are things accelerated today ( Daniel 12:4) but as I said in the last piece the value of everything has diminished. There will be no suffering loss; I assure you for cell phones; computers and other high tech entertainment sources NOT being present in heaven. We need to be careful in earthly treasures as well (See Luke 16:11); such behaviors show what is really in our hearts as to our conduct in this world.

In light of these facts; do we consider how great it is that we are saved from having to be in an unregenerate state for all eternity? Isaiah 66:4 describes how God "chooses their delusions" and later on at the end of that chapter a vivid description of hell is given. Phillipians 1:21 states that Paul said "to live is Christ; to die is gain." and other verses show that it is better to be in the house of mourning rather than mindless happiness ( Ecclesiastes 7:2).

In light of all this; we do well to see how we approach the House of Worship but also how we live out the rest of the week. It is sad today how many people insist on having beepers and other cell phone distractions interrupt the services. Personally; I feel a need to have a cell phone only in case my elderly parents have an emergency at home. That was the original use of "beepers". For every moment here on earth there are eternal ramifications; we need to focus on working while it is yet day ( John 9:4). As for Christ it is also for us in that respect our time to serve here is short and we need to focus on the Great Commission.

To anyone reading my post, I mistakenly typed Hebrews 1:1. Please disregard as I am speaking about Hebrews 11:1.

Good to hear .

You could add ,listen to what the Spirit says to the church es

" Behold I stand at the door and knock . If any inside have ears to hear and open the door ,to THEM " is the promise given .