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"And, behold, there are last which shall be first, and there are first which shall be last."
Blessings
The heavens are thine, the earth also is thine: as for the world and the fulness thereof, thou hast founded them"
In what ways this verse differs from 'In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth?" The difference is enumerated in the entire psalm where David is set forth 'after our image". It is thus the everlasting Covenant is made the fountation. "I have made a covenant with my chosen, I have sworn unto David my servant,/Thy seed will I establish for ever, and build up thy throne to all generations." (vv.3-4) David is after my own heart and serves as a double for his Son. The earth abides for ever for the same reason: it is founded 'after our likeness.'(Eccle.1.4) The earth framed by the word, to be precise.
The fulness thereof is the world where David is set forth as 'my servant' who is after the likeness of Jesus Christ the servant-king. "Thy seed will I establish for ever, and build up thy throne to all generations." They have faith. "Gather my saints together unto me; those that have made a covenant with me by sacrifice./And the heavens shall declare his righteousness: for God is judge himself."(Ps.50.5-6)
Heavens are tagged by the command number Three. The heaven is tagged by Christ because 'the firmament sheweth his handywork.'This is the Word become flesh, a sign. Command number is Four. Fulness of the earth for the chosen accordingly has a volume made by 4x3=12.x12 All his heavenly blessings in his Son has 144 as a tag. With regards to David 4x10 gives legitimacy that it was as double for Christ the king, on earth as servant-king and as the Great King in Zion. "David was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years." He ruled from Hebron and it is revelatory. " In Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years and six months: and in Jerusalem he reigned thirty and three years over all Israel and Judah."(2 Sam.5.4-5) However God did not allow him to build his House since His house is founded in his Son
God has called and set apart his sanctified ones but they shall make election sure by abiding in Christ. Mount Sion is different from mount Zion as the latter is not the same as mountain of the congregation is on the sides of notth. (Isa.14.13) Volume of the elect each shall be tagged by 12x12:144. This number refers to the gospel work.
"For their vine is of the vine of Sodom, and of the fields of Gomorrah: their grapes are grapes of gall, their clusters are bitter." This denunciation of Mose comes towards his end and he speaks from the bitterness of his soul. "Because all those men which have seen my glory, and my miracles, which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have tempted me now these ten times, and have not hearkened to my voice;" (Num.14.22). The number 10 is used as a amatter of designation. This is set against the true Vine and it is frame of reference that the Law or the Word has set. It is called everlasting Covenant. On third day we have the tree planted by God "and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good." The tree of life is emblematic of His Son.This emblem never changes its quality so branches of tree shall show the same quality. It is what Jesus referred with 'Abide in me and I in you. Against this what has the nation of Israel to show? In deed they brought forth grapes of gall, 'their clusters are bitter.' They were imported as the gods they worshipped," They sacrificed unto devils, not to God; to gods whom they knew not,"(32.17,19 ) And "And when the Lord saw it, he abhorred them." The word 'abhor' is pretty steep, is it not?
In this context let us consider St Paul's words," For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee./Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness ."( Rom 11.21-22) God does not spare the natural branches and it is not to Israel it is intended. Devil shall cast forth 'sanctified ones', "And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth." The book of life and of the Lamb shows the actual number so 144 is merely a tag indicating the souls redeemed by gospel work. How interpretations shift without holding on to the Covenant? 'Abide in me.'
"And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself."
The lawyer who tempted Jesus was referring to the Decalogue which is 10. Jesus instead define the Fellowship of God with Man and it is the everlasting Covenant. First four days referred to the heaven and the other three day applied to the man blessed of God. "On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets."(v.40)
"And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it:" Subdue it did not mean make the history of man into a dog-eat-dog transaction where art of the deal meant the crooked as they come are called to make a deal they give. How can they enter into the day Seven that God sanctified? God is love. By loving fellowman as thyself one is articulating holiness of God in deed even as Christ did. The Spirt for this reason uses command numbers to designate spiritual values. Thus Number 10 designates by setting two digits side by side as 10 where God or heavens is 1. Sons of perdition are fools who say there is no God. They are estranged from the womb(Ps.58.3) their souls are of little worth. So moses compares the nation of Israel to the vine of Sodom. In short the lawyer whose whole life is in interpreting the law did not have a clue the heart of the matter.
The Law of the Spirit gives day Two for the Son. " And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day."(Gen.1.8) Heaven declares the glory while the firmament sheweth his handiwork. It is thus Gospel works, Fellowship of God with man to which Jesus Christ is the Mediator. It also has two digits set side by side. 12 is a Command number that determines his volume for which 4x3 is an alternative way of. In the vision of Ezekiel the city in the outer darkness carried a volume of 6x6x6x1000 (Ezek.48.35)
By rejecting the Son the nation chose their own path. Only a remnant shall find grace to be saved.
I'm looking at chronological study Bibles, I would like to read/study the Bible in a timeline manner.
Would anybody(s) have suggestions on chronological Bibles or guides to study by in this manner. Personally I prefer King James or Life application version but I am open to suggestions.
Thanks
I was reading Revelation 14 today. I'm deeply glad to read your text. I realized something very important: the 144,000 sealed are exactly those who follow the Lamb wherever He goes ( Rev. 14:4), that is, they live in continuous fellowship with Him. They have His name and the name of the Father written on their foreheads - a sign of identity, ownership, and union.
I feel obligated to reply to this discussion perhaps over the weekend.
God bless.
1 Peter 3:10 - For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile:
For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and there's the word RAH in Hebrew, and his lips that they speak no deceit:
In other words, what was your tongue created by God to do? It was created to praise God, and to proclaim Him and His love to people. But we use it to slander other people. We use it to deceive. And that is evil!
1 Peter 3:11 - Let him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and ensue it.
Let him eschew evil, and the word eschew means to turn aside from evil, again RAH. And do the good, AGATHOS in the Greek, TOV in Hebrew;
So, turn away when you're in situations that are tempting you and pulling you to function in a way that God did not create you to function, and function as it is in line with God. Let him seek peace, and ensue it.
Now if you think that's pretty harsh, Verses 21 through 25 is the submission example. Guess who that might be?
1 Peter 3:8 - Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous:
Finally, or in summary, be ye all of one mind, and that's the word PHRONEO. It's a word that has to do with the frame of mind. All of you have the same attitude and approach to these issues of life. Having compassion one of another, and that's the word sympathy (SUMPATHEIS).
Love as brethren, and that's the word PHILADELPHIA, brotherly love. Love as a family. Be pitiful, and I would fit right in there, but that's not what it means! This is the word EUSPLAGCHNOI, and it means to be tenderhearted. Have a soft heart for people. Be courteous: And the term courteous means friendly. Have a friendly frame of mind.
1 Peter 3:9 - Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing.
Not rendering evil for evil, or insult for insult: but contrariwise a blessing; that's the word EULOGEO for eulogy, and it means to have a favorable response to them, even though they're speaking abusively to you.
Knowing that you are thereunto called, that you should inherit a blessing, and that God should deal with me and have a favorable response to me because I did not return the favor, and I stayed in His order, functioning in the way He created me to be.
Here you said
"It is Paul's Kinsman in the flesh that was blinded. I believe it is easier to understand it worded as such rather than saying he blinded the Jews."
So, when I read this I thought you were saying that it was not God who blinded them.
But Romans 11:8 clears that up.
Otherwise, I don't feel a need to add anything more to our conversation here. It is always good to discuss the Word with you.
1 Peter 2:19 - For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully.
For this is thankworthy, and the word thankworthy is kind of interesting, it's the word CHARIS for grace. For this is grace, if a man for conscience toward God endures grief, suffering wrongfully, or unjustly.
1 Peter 2:20 - For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God.
For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted, literally beaten with fists, for your faults, and the word faults is the word sin. And you take it patiently? That is, you endure a beating because you have sinned. But if, when ye do well, and here we get into the TOV and the RAH again. If you function in a way in God's administration, the way He has created you to function, and you suffer for it, and you take it patiently, that is, you endure under it, this is acceptable with God.
The word acceptable is the word grace. God identifies Himself and His grace with the lowly, with those who need His grace, which is why we're told three times in the New Testament that God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble. So, this is grace, that because of your conscience towards God, and notice that.
Again, as we get into understanding about submission, my master is abusive, but because of my conscience toward God, because of my personal relationship with Christ, I'm not going to fight for my rights. I'm not going to protest the injustice. But I'm going to submit myself to God. And what does God do? His grace ministers to, and is sufficient.
1 Peter 2:17 - Honour all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the king.
Honor all men. The word honor means put a value on them. Value all people. If you have to look at all people as being ones for whom Christ died, they have value!
Then we have three commands that are Present Imperatives, showing continuous action. Continually love the brotherhood (the family of God), continually love the family of God. Continually fear God. That's what it says. Is it right to fear God? Yes, it is right. In fact, just by studying the social habits of man, do you know that we make decisions based on who we fear the most, and who we love the most? And we sometimes compromise with our walk with the Lord because we fear how other people are going to react to us if we obey the Lord. We fear them. We fear rejection. We fear their response.
1 Peter 2:18 - Servants, be subject to your masters with all fear; not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward.
But here we have Peter saying, servants be subject, or in submission to your masters with all fear. Now the word servants, you would think it would be DULOS, which is a slave, but it isn't. This word means household servant. These are servants that lived in the household, and they were like part of the family. They lived in the household, and they served among the family members.
The word for masters is not the word Lord like it usually is in the text. This one is DESPOT, the owner. So, we have household servants. They are to be in submission to their owners in all fear. Not only to the good and gentle, but also to the forward (SKOLIOIS). This is where we get our word scoliosis from, the crooked. Fear them too! Some translations use the word harsh or abusive.
So, whether it's to a master who is good and gentle, or someone who is harsh and abusive, they are to be in an orderly relationship to their masters in all fear.
1 Peter 2:16 - As free, and not using your liberty for a cloke of maliciousness, but as the servants of God.
But do it as free men. There's another paradox. Do it as free. That's the opposite of slave. And not using your liberty for a cloak of maliciousness, and that's the word RAH in Hebrew, KAKOS in Greek. You see, I'm free. Christ has set me free. I'm no longer a slave to sin, but I am a slave to Christ. It's one or the other.
So, I've been set free to serve Christ, but I'm not to use that freedom for a cloak to function in a way that I was not created to function, but rather as slaves of God. Many don't understand what true freedom is. A person is either a slave to sin, or a slave of Christ. That's it! We have been set free from being a slave to sin in order to serve Christ and be a slave to Him.
Some might say that's not freedom. Oh yes, it is. It's not freedom for me to do my own thing. In fact, in 1 Corinthians Chapter 6, Paul laid out the principles of freedom. Paul basically was saying freedom to do whatever you want to do is not freedom. You know you are free when you are free not to do things.
So, if nothing in this earthly world, this material world that we live in, if nothing means that much to you, it's not a problem. But I can get addicted, obsessed with anything, video games, sports, gambling, anything, and it will bring me under its power. You see, I can say I'm free to do that if I wanted to. Well, then I'm not free. I'm not free unless I can stop doing anything for the sake of other people, and their walk with Christ. To me, that's freedom!
Thanks for responding.
I've read them all but I haven't freed up some time to reply.
I would like to quickly respond to your last post.
Your quote,' Romans 11:8
does say that is God who gave the Jews their blindness (stupor) so that they will not see, nor will they be able to hear and understand the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
So, I think this clears up this discrepency..
End quote.
Gigi there's no discrepency there at all!
I always said God blinded "Israel"
I have always said it was part of his plan referencing Romans 11:25-26.
BTW Romans 1 doesn't have any connection to this.
We'll talk later.
God bless you.
Romans 11:8 does say that is God who gave the Jews their blindness (stupor) so that they will not see, nor will they be able to hear and understand the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
So, I think this clears up this discrepency between us. God gave people over to their unbelief and rebellion as Romans 1 speaks to. I think it is important to understand that nothing happens that God does not ordain to occur. He may not directly cause some things, such as sin, but in His plan for creation, as the Absolute Sovereign over all. Nothing happens that He did not always know and allow to occur. But at times, He does directly cause things. to occur, and in this case, Scripture does say that God caused the stupor so that the Jews would not see and believe.
Paul, before he was martyred, saw this occur among his brethren and it grieved him very much ( Romans 9:1-5). God did reveal to Paul why this happened as we read in Romans 11. I think it is difficult for any of us to understand or even approve of God hardening some for His purposes as Romans 9 tells us, "I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy and I will harden whom I will harden." As believers, we need to humble ourselves to the truth of what Scriptures teach us even when what is taught disagrees with our human sense of justice, right and wrong, and moral sensibilities.
For the record here, I believe that there has always been just one people of God-those who believe on Him and trust in Him, whether, Noah, Abraham, David, the prophets, John the Baptist, the apostles and all Christian believers through time. It is the believing Jews from all time along with the believing Gentiles (such as Rahab, Ruth) from the beginning of creation to the end of time that are God's people. You will read in the epistle of Peter and in Revelation where those who believe in Jesus are a kingdom of kings and priests, a holy nation, royal people, just as the O.T. speaks of Israel in the same way.
"When the Most High divided to the nations their inheritance, when he separated the sons of Adam, he set the bounds of the people according to the number of the children of Israel."
The kings dream gives us the number which is ten. "And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever."(Dan.2.44) It is not names of kingdoms which are ever in a flux but according to the everlasting Covenant. There are only two nations and the Law is clear:"And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness." In the Covenant is Day one. The nation of light has a source which is Day Two. "And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day."(Gen.1.4,8) It is thus Covenant counts Fellowship of God with Man. The same measurement we may put it as 12. "Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD; And the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance. The LORD looketh from heaven; he beholdeth all the sons of men.."(Ps.33.12-15)
God fashioned all hearts alike but how come the wicked go bad? "The wicked are estranged from the womb: they go astray as soon as they be born, speaking lies." They are under the same Law: 10 is the tag for Law of sin and death. What is decalogue but God's condemnation that they are condmned? They are not branches of true Vine. "For their vine is of the vine of Sodom, and of the fields of Gomorrah: their grapes are grapes of gall, their clusters are bitter." Deut.32.1, 32) These are the testimonies of Moses and Isaiah, "Give ear, O ye heavens, and I will speak; and hear, O earth, the words of my mouth.""Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth: for the Lord hath spoken."(Isa.1.2) They rejected the sign which was their sign, Christ. "We have no king but Caesar."( Jn 19.15)
We have the privilege of the bible being translated into our own language, the literacy to read and learn from it for ourselves, and the gift of preachers and teachers from the past and present to learn from since the internet allows us to access such teachings. We are not limited to the preaching of our local pastor nor do we live in isolation from the church abroad. We have been give great gifts in our time, but we still need to be like the Bereans and take every thought, teaching, and doctrine captive to the Word of God.
I believe that all of Scripture is for us as believers. We are instructed in Hebrews to learn from the experience of the Israelites in the wilderness and Paul teaches us in this chapter of Romans to not be like the blinded Jews, but to be humble and continue in our walk with our Lord unwaveringly, as he says Abraham did in Romans 8, I believe.
Hope this helps answer your questions to me.
As to the relation of Romans 11 and it's relation to election, there is not a conflict with what Paul warns Gentiles concerning being proud or boastful over the Jews who are blinded. Just as those Jews who strayed from God and became blinded to the truth of the Gospel, some of them are elect ad will be brought to faith, having their blindness lifted and being re-grafted into the tree (which I believe is Jesus, the True Israel of God), I believe that believers can lapse in faith when facing doubt and trials, but being elect, will be wooed back to faith by God and restored to the life of the tree, as the Prodigal Son parable shows us. An elected person who lapses in faith does not lose their election, just as every elected Jew does not lose their election when blinded. Each and every elected person will be brought to true faith. But as Paul said, not every one born a Jew is a true Jew, just those that are part of the elect, the "remnant" AND not everyone who says they are a Christian is truly elect and born again by the Spirit. But those who are part of the elected remnant of the Jews and those who have been regenerated by the Holy Spirit, though they may lapse in faith, as Paul calls it "falls", these will inevitably be returned to Christ in time, whether Jew of Gentile. Also, I do not believe that every ethnic Jew will be saved, just the remnant, as Paul says.
As to the relation of dispensational doctrine to Peter writing to the diaspora Jews, I do not adhere to the dispensational doctrine that Scripture that us directed to the Jews is not for Gentile Christians. This is not a historic doctrine of the Christian faith. It is a recent creation of Darby who invented dispensationalism in the 1800's. It is not found anywhere in the Bible. I believe that all of God's Word is for us as believers in Christ. We who have lived since the invention of the printing press in the 1400's are blessed. See part 2
Thanks for expanding your thinking here. I agree with your conclusion as Romans 11 states the purpose for the blinding of Israel so that the Gentiles may be grafted into the tree.
My thinking is that since the Jews as a population were small in number at the time of Jesus, and that a small remnant at the time believed the gospel, as Paul spoke about in Romans 9-11, then as the remnant of the Jews came to believe in that time, the make up of the church changed as the gospel spread across the known world during that time, which was made up overwhelmingly of Gentiles. With Paul's three missionary journeys, the ministries of Timothy and Titus who stayed with their congregations for a time, John's ministry in Asia Minor and surrounding areas where he appointed bishops, Apollo's ministry, Clement's in Rome, and many others who had the gift of preaching and evangelizing, I am pretty confident that by the writing of Romans, there were many more Gentiles in the church and that the Jews were much less of a percentage than in the first two decades. Romans 11 does say that the blinding of the Jews and the breaking off of those who are blinded was to make room for the ingrafting of Gentiles from every tribe, tongue, and nation. This is the fulfillment of God's promise to Abraham that all nations will be blessed in Him because Jesus is the promised Seed who has brought many sons to glory.
I am praying for you.
"Abide in me, and I in you"-In the building of God this arrangement is insisted upon so the spiritual body of the believer is a perfect fit. "For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven." This basis unit is a single measurement., "And he measured the wall thereof, an hundred and forty and four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of the angel."(Rev.21.7) The angel signifies the spiritual ancillary to the soul. The angel has 'my name in him.'Thus the soul is a sign as the heaven or firmament is for Christ. " Behold, I send an Angel before thee, to keep thee in the way, and to bring thee into the place which I have prepared./Beware of him, and obey his voice, provoke him not; for he will not pardon your transgressions: for my name is in him."(Exod.23.21) The Spirit uses 'Behold' to indicate the Law of the Spirit to warn the consequence of neglecting the everlasting Covenant. The seven days specified therein gives him the volume. Thus first four days refer to the heavenly blessing and the last three refers to blessings in the Son.(Eph.1.3)So volume works out to 4x3x12 =144. In the holy city of God multiples of 1000.
Those who refuse to enter into the rest of God is tagged with 6. It is thus the Lord sent to mark the city of Jerusalem. The Lord commands, "Cause them that have charge over the city to draw near, even every man with his destroying weapon in his hand./ And, behold, six men came from the way of the higher gate, which lieth toward the north, and every man a slaughter weapon in his hand; and one man among them was clothed with linen, with a writer's inkhorn by his side. " (Ezek.9.1-2) Six are destroyers and the one clothed in linen in whom, 'my name is in him' together represent the Law. The volume of a believer is 12 where Christ is part and parcel so he abides in Christ and Christ in him. Without this covenant how can one make sense of the Word?
I'm sorry, I thought it was covered.
You stated "By the time of Paul and Peter's deaths, the church was primarily Gentiles"
Gigi, I've never heard that before. You gave me your perspective but not a breakdown on why you believe that. So decided to pass on it.
You stated, So, when you read Peter, you are aware that he is speaking to Jewish believers. However, unlike dispensationalism.
I was not sure where you were going with that. You have made it clear on feel about dispensationalism, so I passed on it as well.
Now here is a quote you made that puzzles me. "As gentile believers we are to be wise as to the errors of the Jews and to stay strong in the face of doubt and trials so that we, too, are not blinded. End quote.
Gigi how does that co-exist with your beliefs on God's elect the way you describe it?
How do God's elect that is chosen before the foundation of the world "that has nothing to do with the foreknowledge of God according to you" become blind and slip out of God's hands? Have not God opened the eyes to only his elect?
The Nation is blinded.
It is Paul's Kinsman in the flesh that was blinded. I believe it is easier to understand it worded as such rather than saying he blinded the Jews.
It's the Nation of Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises; that is blinded so that righteousness and purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth.
God never intended for salvation to be brought in by the law.
I believe Israel was blinded so that God could carry out his plan laid out in Romans 11:30-32
For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief:
Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy.
For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.
God bless
1 Peter 2:12 - Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation.
Having your conversation, that is, lifestyle, honest among the Gentiles:
They really have trouble with the words good and bad. The word honest is the word KALOS for TOV, the Hebrew word we went over earlier. It literally says have your manner of life functioning in the purpose for which it was made among the Gentiles. In order that (Purpose Clause), whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, again KALOS, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation.
So, you function in the way that God meant you to function. That's having a good lifestyle. We make mistakes and we sin, but he's talking about function. Before I received Christ, I was not functioning according to the purpose that I was created for. So, what God has done, He has saved me, and I am now involved in His administration system, not the worlds. We've got the world's administration, and the Lord's administration functioning together, two different administrations.
So, what am I to do with that other system out there? I have to live in it and not be of it. What he's saying is, function in the Lord according to the purpose for which He created you. And if they speak evil of you for it, then they're going to glorify God when He comes back because they're going to know that it was all of the Lord.
1 Peter 2:15 - For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men:
For so is the will of God, that with well doing you may silence the ignorance of foolish men: The "well doing" is TOV in Hebrew. You're functioning in the way that God has created you to function in a dysfunctional world. One day, the ignorance of foolish men will be silenced.
1 Peter 2:11 - Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;
He says dearly beloved, or literally beloved. It is interesting that as soon as you get into submission, you call your readers beloved. The word beloved is AGAPETOI, which means people who are the objects of God's love. So, he's reminding them. He says those who are the objects of God's love, I appeal to you. That's what beseech means.
He says I appeal to you as to strangers and pilgrims. I mean, they were literally strangers and pilgrims. They were living in countries that were not their own. They knew humanly what it meant to be a stranger and a pilgrim spiritually.
This Greek word for stranger (PAROIKOUS) means to live alongside of. And you might say don't we live alongside of each other? What this literally means is that it's showing a separation. It's coming and living alongside of people who are already living there.
I know I'm throwing out a lot of terms here, but I share these things in order to set things up when we get to Revelation. I know this has been long and some of you might be saying please hurry up and get this over with. But the book of Revelation says that there are only two kinds of people. There are people who belong to Christ, and the other people are called earth dwellers.
So, we're living alongside of earth dwellers. But we're just passing through. We're strangers here and we're pilgrims. And that's the word for traveler. I might be alongside of them, but I'm not of them. I'm passing through. I'm a pilgrim!
He says abstain from fleshly lusts, which are warring, and notice the translation, are warring against the soul; The word war is a Present Participle. It is continuously warring. The believer is continuously in a war. His fleshly desires are continually warring against the soul, constantly!
The word soul is PSUECHE, your psyche, the arena of your mind.
1 Peter 2:9 - But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light:
In this verse, we see a lot of Jewish terms. You are a chosen generation. The word generation in this verse (GENOS) means race. The Jews are God's chosen race. He says you are a royal priesthood. And that's not for Gentiles. That's for Jews. You are a holy nation. You are a peculiar people. Sometimes I think this could apply to us because I've come across some pretty peculiar people that are not Jews!
But the word peculiar (PERIPOIESIN) means people of a possession. That you should shew forth the praises of him who has called you out of the darkness into his marvelous light: So, he's bringing up this stone of salvation.
1 Peter 2:8 Continued
To the ones stumbling at the word, being disobedient: again, refusing to be persuaded, and to which also they were appointed, that is, to stumble because of their disobedience. Now it's interesting about this stone. We've seen PETROS, we've seen Petra, and we've seen LETHOS as we have here. But it's interesting what Jesus said in His public ministry using LETHOS.
When Jesus saw them, beheld them, He said what is this then that is written, the stone, the LETHOS, which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner. He's quoting from the same Isaiah Chapter 28 text. Whosoever shall fall upon this stone shall be broken. But on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder. So, a person only has one of two choices. You voluntarily fall on the stone, which is Christ, and be broken, or if you reject Him, He will fall on you and grind you to powder.
Is it A, or is it B? That's basically the Lord's presentation. There was no C, or none of the above. And for every person's life, those are the two choices. Lay down your life, surrender to Christ to be broken. Or if not, He will fall on you and grind you to powder in the great judgment.
1 Peter 2:7 - Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner,
Unto you therefore who believe he is precious: but to them which be disobedient, and it's interesting that it's one Greek word (APEITHOUSIN) that means refuse to be persuaded. Disobedient is somebody who refuses to be persuaded by God's Spirit. The stone which the builders rejected, this same stone became the head of the corner.
1 Peter 2:8 - And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed.
A stone of stumbling, and a PETRA of offence, a rock of offence. The way they built their buildings in those times, they took a cornerstone and put it in the corner of where the building was going to go and then used other stones and built off from that in order to make the house.
So, the cornerstone was the head focus of how that building was put together, so that when Christ came, He came as the chief cornerstone, and that all of His people, the ones who believe upon Him, are being built up in Him into this spiritual house. But for those who disbelieve, He is not the chief cornerstone, He is the stumbling stone, and a rock of offence. Interesting that Peter is writing this and he calls Jesus Petra. He's not calling himself that!
Thank you for the question, and no, I don't mind you asking at all. Your message was very kind, and I am glad to hear that you have been blessed by some of the things I have shared. I had to think on this one for a bit and I'm not sure that I have a perfect answer to give you. The best I can come up with, and I'm sure that most would agree, is that it is God's Spirit that reveals the truth of His word to us no matter what language we read and understand.
The original languages, whether it be Hebrew or Greek, are only tools that are available to anyone who desires to learn those languages and how they might enhance or bring further clarification to what our English text is actually saying. Learning Koine Greek has been a blessing for me in my studies, and I love sharing what I've learned, and it is my hope that others, even if just one, might be blessed by the things I share.
Again, thank you for your kind and encouraging message. I am glad to hear that I have helped you in some way. May the Lord continue to bless you abundantly through the study of His word.
God Bless!!!