Bible Discussion Replies PAGE 89

Thank you Chris,

According to dispensationalism, especially Mid-Acts Dispensationalism, Peter and the 11 apostles baptized because they were operating under the prophetic kingdom program meant for the nation of Israel. Water baptism was an essential component of their ministry during the dispensation of law and the offer of the kingdom.

Here's why Peter and the 11 baptized:

1. They Were Continuing Jesus' Earthly Ministry to Israel

Peter and the other apostles were commissioned to preach the gospel of the kingdom ( Matthew 10:5-7; Matthew 28:19). Water baptism was part of that message, following the pattern of John the Baptist and Jesus Himself.

Mark 1:4 - John preached "the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins."

Matthew 28:19 - Jesus commanded them to "go... baptizing them..."

They were sent specifically to Israel (see Matthew 10:5-6 and Galatians 2:7-9).

2. Baptism Was a Sign of Repentance and Covenant Cleansing

For Israel, water baptism symbolized repentance, cleansing, and identification with the coming kingdom and Messiah. It was a requirement for entering the prophesied kingdom on earth.

Acts 2:38 - Peter said, "Repent and be baptized every one of you... for the remission of sins."

This was in direct response to Israel's rejection and crucifixion of Jesus.

3. They Were Operating Under the Law and Prophecy

Peter and the 11 were still under the Old Covenant framework, even after Jesus' resurrection. Their ministry was not based on the mystery revealed to Paul but on fulfilling what was already foretold in the Scriptures ( Acts 3:19-21).

The kingdom had been promised to Israel and was still being offered ( Acts 1:6; Acts 3:25-26).

Water baptism was a required sign of repentance and national obedience, there is no evidence of it being required for the body of Christ.

page 2

Gen.2.5 "The Man" (1 of 2)

" And every plant of the field before it was in the earth, and every herb of the field before it grew: for the Lord God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was not a man to till the ground."

Vegetation was for man; rain similarly was to make his works fruitful. Jesus Christ was before all things and by him all things consist.(Col.1.17). The Holy Spirit explains the world made to appear has a body. This body has its context and frame of reference to the Word become flesh. So these terms given in the everlasting Covenant has to be established before we go into the glory of God. What does the Son signify? "Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power,"(Heb.1.3) In these series we are reviewing the book of Genesis in terms of the substance or the body 'which thou hast prepared me"

The Word was God is the Law of the Spirit. The Word which was with God undepins both voice of the Lord, a sound and the sign. Consequently when God says,"And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness." In our image explains the Father Son relationship. So from the Man component in this fellowship we call,'our Father which art in heaven." The seed in the fruit tree establishes the word which is here the proof: a sign. If the fruit has a form so has the Son when he became flesh. As son of man he was a tender plant (Isa.53.2) In the garden he set up the tree of life by the same line of reasoning. This life is the glory of God which the tree signified. " But God giveth it a body as it hath pleased him, and to every seed his own body./ All flesh is not the same flesh." and "It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body."(1 Cor.15.38-44) Substance, the body God prepared is glorious spiritual body as distinct from the body from the dust of the ground.

Gen.1,11 "Word was with God"

"And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so."

God framed the world with his word so a tree made to appear was part of the world the writer to the Hebrews refers. (Heb.11.3) The divine Will of the Father is an unseen world. His Power and Wisdom being such, how the world appears to our naked eye is not as simple as your rational faculties can decipher. Faith is what you require: "so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.."

As in the case of water which is in liguid state are made up of matter. H2O. What is the word? It can be written down, a sign for two atoms of Hydrogen and one atom of Oxygen. When God commands 'the fruit-bearing tree yielding fruit after his kind, it was there. God a Spirit is also the Word was God, the Law of the Spirit upholding all things by the word of his power.

The Word is both sound as well as a sign. It is thus out of the ground God caused tree, ' every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food,'to grow. Similarly the hinds hear the voice and the result? " The voice of the Lord maketh the hinds to calve." (Ps.29.9)The number of calves is a proof for us. Our faith is to work with God. He planted the trees as well we are planted by the same token by the word of God. The Word was God and the Word also was with God. So Isaiah refers to the Advent of his Son in terms of a plant. ('For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground,'- Isa.53.2) The key text states, 'whose seed is in itself' and it refers to the generations of Jesus Christ where the seed is not a simple seed,- a botanical term, but referring to the Word which was with God. Incorruptible seed and it is the holy family of God. (1 Pet.1.23). In the unseen word the earth was without form and void. The world made to appear is holy city of God.

Gen.2.9 "Two witnesses"

"And out of the ground made the Lord God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil."

'Out of the ground' explains the physiology of man was compatible with 'every tree'. Man requires oxygen so he breathes in air and he breathes out carbon di-oxide which the trees require and give out oxygen. Thus at biological level they are associates. In spiritual terms the roots hold the tree upright and yet there is no telling how far they may tap nutrients from, the hidden depths and as for the foliage soak up light and the air. Faith of man draws useful spiritual lessons from the vegetation. Sermon of Jesus on the lilies of the field, for example.

God set both tree of life and the tre of knowledge of good and evil as two witnesses. Obedience of man was called for. Nothing that God created was evil. Man sinned in disobeying God. Tree of life judged him.

Page 2. Gerald

When cultures are crossed, the message of the Gospel remains the same, but how it is presented is most important, if that message is to be received & believed.

If I might share quickly about a cultural no-no that I committed while sharing Christ in Pakistan in the 80s. I went into a small store where the owner and his daughter were serving customers. After the customers left, I offered my (Christian) books/Gospel to them & found them to be quite receptive. They spoke English well and so was able to speak of Christ's Life & Work plus the book that they were interested in. Having such a good reception in such a country brought me great joy & I shook the man's hand to thank him and wish him goodbye, and then automatically went to shake his daughter's hand. She took fright and withdrew, with her Dad quickly explaining to me that that sort of thing was not done in a Muslim country (i.e. to shake hands with any female). Now, I should have known better and I apologized profusely. If I had opposed them on such a strange practice, they would have become angry and probably thrown the book away & become more resistant to the Gospel. But I left on good terms, praying that the message in that little book would settle deep into their hearts and they would overlook my ignorance, rather consider the merits of the Savior.

So, I trust you can see what I meant by understanding where "the people were at in their culture", and not a comparison of "the culture of the world to the culture of Heaven", to which there is certainly no comparison. GBU.

Hello dear intercessor, thank you very much for your good help. I now say that I have understood that there has been extra help and motivation for me during this time. The intercession has given me strength to be happy.Because bacteria is a slow process in the summer months. Thank you very much for asking. I was not so foresightful that I wrote down your name. So I am glad that you got in touch. (The websites fly away and disappear in the perfectory). To answer your question, my breathing has become much better and I am almost normal as it can be with 3 diagonoses in the lungs. The throat bacteria is on the way back too, but I don't understand where I got it. I am so glad that you are standing up and saying this, it means a lot to me, most of the time I sit alone on that wall.But I rarely pray for my own well-being.There are certainly some days of despair, but usually you find out that it is from the various spirits who want to test a poor person in a sentence that has been said or a confession that has been made.That is how it should be. Perhaps there is a meaning in us praying for and with each other. Now that you have come forward, I will note your name, even though I thank for invisible intercessors every day.For there is no doubt in my soul.One experiences blessing from and prays for all Christians, and prays that all people on earth come to the knowledge of the truth.Because God wants everyone to be saved. We do not hold back, we deliver as best we can, right? And not only that but there is some care in the heart that says we should pray for Christians, or all people. I thank God every day for all the believers and all intercessors, because it is like construction workers and God is the Builder. The Lord saw something important for the church here, we may not see it, but we can truly feel it! Thank you again.As a new day dawns in Heaven, so do we reach out for what is to come.And find words for each day.Came across this beautiful word today 1 Cor 2:9-16 love u

Page 1.

Thanks again Gerald for what you have shared. Maybe, you misunderstood my reference to a person's cultural background. True, on its own, it could be considered a worldly, or non-spiritual aspect of a person's life & experience. But when it comes down to ministering the Gospel to that sinner, we must be aware (or at least, attempt to learn) of what their background is, the way they think, analyse, or comprehend words, any pre-conceived ideas/beliefs, family or religious leader pressures, and so on.

If you have been involved in any Christian mission work or listened to a missionary return home to share about his work, then you might have heard of the term, 'cross-cultural evangelism'. So, when a believer, being called and led of the Lord to serve 'across cultures', would do very well to learn all they can about their 'target' group. Certainly, not everything can be known, such as things confined to those who grow up in that family or group; but to minister effectively, not only should the pure Gospel be given, but given in a manner that would be meaningful to the listener's world.

You gave the example of Paul's letter to the Roman Church and the letter to the Hebrews, (commonly believed to be to the Jewish converts in Italy); and the differences in the content of these letters. But what if Paul spoke to those who were non-Jews, such as we see in Acts 17:16-34. We're not given much information about what Paul knew about these Athenians, except they were superstitious, idolaters, and Paul knew a little about one of their poets. There was probably much more that Paul knew about them and felt confident that he could share the Gospel in a way that they could receive & understand. As a result, some began to believe on the Lord (v34). Onto Page 2.

Thanks Gerald for sharing those thoughts & observations. Indeed, 1 John 2:27 along with Ephesians 4:11 are to be taken together. The Spirit has appointed teachers of the Word as He also ministers to each heart that belongs to the Lord. Together, they serve to build each one up and also to strengthen and edify the Church body. I see it as one complementing the other.

In John's epistle, the thought there is that the Holy Spirit will show us when erroneous teaching or doctrine is presented; that if we abide in Christ & follow the doctrines delivered to us, we will remain on track. And to help us along, the Church is blessed to have teachers to guide us in the Word & appropriate that Word in our lives. Maybe we should see them as God's instruments who, with the Holy Spirit, confirm to us the Word and help us increase in knowledge and faith, thereby baring more fruit to glorify our LORD.

Page 2.

Unfortunately, some believers do make water baptism necessary for salvation (and this would certainly be works added to faith). Whereas, if baptism was done correctly, as per NT teaching & practise, then the Church today would not be in a questionable position. I always observe in the NT, that believing & baptism went hand-in-hand: if you believed and confessed Jesus, you were taken to the water for baptism there and then. We can even take the case of Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch ( Acts 8:26-39) for an immediate baptism, for both should go together & not our lazy way today of baptising believers weeks, months & years after the event. Or, even as we often hear from the pulpit: 'there will be a baptism service in three weeks, so any considering this important step, please see me after today's service'. This to me is a great digression from what the Lord commanded & was practised in those early days.

So, I could never see baptism or even works following faith, as anything other than what is expected to be done as a result of turning to Christ & reception of the Holy Spirit. Again to state, this is exactly the same Gospel preached & practised by both Peter and Paul, and no doubt by the other apostles as they ventured into farther lands. GBU.

Page 1.

Thanks Lbooth1955 for your reply.

Re: Acts 2:38. I believe that the inclusion of baptism in his Gospel message, was simply Peter's obedience to the Lord's command given to him (as also given to the other apostles), shown in Matthew 28:20,21: 'to go, teach, baptize'. Anything less would have meant disobedience. And even Paul continued to follow this practise declaring in 1 Corinthians 1:14-16. It is true, that Paul stated that "Christ sent him not to baptise, but to preach.." and yet he baptized. So, it should be understood that baptizing believers was left to others (the Church?) to perform while Paul focussed himself more on preaching the Gospel. Probably similar to an evangelist (e.g. the late Billy Graham), who makes preaching his primary work and left the counseling and baptism of new believers to others.

And for James 2:17-26, it is understood that he didn't support faith + works required for salvation, rather his message here is from verse 14. He questions the authenticity of one's faith, where works resulting from that faith is absent. And he gives the example of a fellow-believer found in a destitute condition. Can a true believer lovingly tell that poor soul, 'God bless you brother - I will pray for you that God provide for your needs'? Rather, the saving faith that is in us, by the Holy Spirit, urges us to render all support necessary, being the very hands of compassion & provision to that needy one. So, the examples of Abraham & Rahab are valid, except their faith was not based on the Gospel, but their belief in God working out His purposes, resulting in their works revealing their faith in Him. Onto Page 2.

And now for a completely different angle.

Just thought I'd reach out in case there is any direction or specific questions I can answer. I have had a lot of time at my disposal; I'm not sure if that will continue as much in the near term with time at my rural retreat and if and when I start work again here in a couple weeks. I do have internet elsewhere that I can access but not WIFI and I haven't figured out how to write comments on my cell phone. I am still up in the air if I will stay more or less permanently up there once the electric is on and come back here occasionally or vice versa. I appreciate prayer on that; and am thankful there has been a delay of a week or so until things are ready so hopefully I can see what transpires in the world scene the next few days; although I'd rather not think about it. I am happy that I was able to spread what has been on my heart hopefully from the Lord and no matter what happens with the online availability let us meditate day and night ( Joshua 1:8). Let the Word be in our hearts to give the hope to others; in and out of season ( 2 Tim. 4:2).

There are some things which I am aware of in the spiritual dimension that I haven't shared fully or it is hard to put to words.

I pray that if anyone is lacking in discernment the Lord will give it. James promises wisdom to those who ask for it as well.

As I sit here I hear the tree frogs; such a relaxing sound and so much of nature is this way. All of nature groans and awaits the day of redemption ( Romans 8:22).

We are reminded of the family mentioned in the Sound of Music quoting Psalm 121

I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.

2 My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth.

The Von Trapp family was what the musical was based on and this song is attributed to their escape from the Nazis at the time.

God can preserve us in the wilderness or wherever He sends us.

Anyway; let's look forward to our soon joyful reunion

Some practical advice

I realize that there has been; to say the least an urgency on my part as to the impending doom and the need to get things out quickly; etc. I never heard of only one piece of well; you know stuff hitting the fan as opposed to the whole motherlode; but my idea that I'm trying to convey is it is more likely if He tarries that there will be short term issues that affect our lives in regard to power outages; martial law; food supply issues and the like. A limited event of whatever form needs to be something we prepare for.

In this segment I want to emphasize some things that indeed may tie into the Tribulation but have some reality this side of the Rapture. Namely; the verse that says if you live by the sword; you will die by the sword ( Matt. 26:52). We can see the same concept in Revelation 13:10 states in KJV He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints. Other translations seem to indicate we go by whatever fate we must endure but don't emphasize our actions leading to these countermeasures. Nonetheless; we need to be wise and realize that whenever possible we should live at peace with all men; and yes I would say there is some precedent even if an invading army takes over under certain circumstances. In terms of our own ruling establishment there are many who would want to refuse instruction should things get tough and I won't say that certain situations may arise when something fundamentally goes against what we believe or someone is simply out to arrest and kill us we shouldn't take some other recourse. Presumption here isn't wise; however and again our primary reason for being here is to be a witness to the world.

We need to show others our faithfulness as no doubt we may be assigned at that point to help others who we can as our government may be lacking. Let's entrust the Spirit to give us the words.

Amen Brother Ronald.

As born again children, we are to behave like children of God.

We can't take our father's name in vain!

God loves us and he chasteneth those he loves.

Hebrews 12:2-8 sums it up.

"Looking unto Jesus THE AUTHOR AND FINISHER OF OUR FAITH; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.

Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.

And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him:

FOR WHOM THE LORD LOVETH HE CHASTENING, AND SCOURGETHE EVERY SON WHOM HE RECEIVETH.

IF YE ENDURE CHASTENING, GOD DEALETH WITH YOU AS WITH SON'S; FOR WHAT SON IS HE WHOM THE FATHER CHASTENING NOT?

But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.

We know our Great Shepherd voice! The Lord keeps his sheep in line whether by chastening or even by death but he will never let us depart from him and he will never forsake us as we see in

1 Corinthians 5:5!

"To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, THAT THE SPIRIT MAY BE SAVED IN THE DAY OF THE LORD JESUS.

Also.

Man righteousness is as filthy rags!

Thank God for blood of the Lamb that made us righteousness before the eyes of our Father!

I couldn't grab hold of salvation with my filthy rags and I certainly cannot restore salvation with my filthy rags.

Praise God for this new heart of flesh that causes us to WALK in his statues and praise God for his rod when I don't!

Blessings!

"We do not want another committee, we have too many already. What we want is a man of sufficient stature to hold the allegiance of all people, and to lift us out of the economic morass into which we are sinking.

Send us such a man, and be he god or devil, we will receive him."

This comment was said by the Belgian foreign minister in the 1970s I believe at the UN. (Henri Spaak).

I guess not much more needs to be said on this matter. The power vacuum that has been endemic since the end of World War 2 with European dictators in the Western World was attempted to be filled once the UN began in 1948; then NATO has had it's leadership that today is trying to cobble together a force that can fight Russia which; well to avoid a geopolitical skew here I'll just say there are a lot of issues in regard to that plan and leave it at that.

We are; to a large extent the leader of this part of the globe but as with every civilization our days are numbered at the very least if we aren't mystery Babylon at least in terms of the economic interests. Of course the ultimate goal since the 1970s and 80s has been Peace in the Middle East and the obsessive "2 State Solution". i'll jus state here that it ain't going to work out too well but of course the covenant of Daniel 9:27 must be confirmed; and likely the framework already exists. Once the Rapture happens and the restrainer removed things will happen within a very short time frame to initiate the Tribulation possibly this fall on September 23 with the planned meeting on Rosh Hashanah. Now the Rapture could be any day now before or conceivably after this event; and if it doesn't happen this year we know the way things are going even more confusion is coming to the world. The signs are all around us; volcanoes and great earthquakes along with the wars; famines and persecution. There's no going back I'm sorry to say. Again I hope I can continue to post i get no pleasure with bad news but we all need to be awake.

Again thanks to Bible Hub; as their explanations apparently were tagged on to the verses and it summarizes exactly what I intended here. This should be "food for thought" as we as believers are Born Again and therefore have escaped the prison as it were of the summation of our existence being what we can perceive with our five senses and our interactions with it. Death of course or the Rapture is a merciful thing as someone recently brought up elsewhere if the Tree of Life were reached with Adam then he and Eve would have been alive in the sinful state forever.

Our transformation means that our real life is with those seated in heavenly places ( Eph. 2:6). Those who are in the faith but immature need a wake up call; hopefully before they pass away from this life that investing too much in this world isn't worth it for the wrong reasons. This is admittedly difficult; impossible of course in our own strength which we should be aware of by now if we profess to believe or we should test our faith to see if it is real. Those things that give us fullness of life ( John 10:10) surely are still present; albeit strained in this hour. Those simple things we can enjoy in the company of the saints and our families is enough if we have food and clothes on our back; the scriptures don't mention having a home to live in. That is a sobering thought; not that it is wrong but of course if we find ourselves as some here homeless we can still rejoice (and hopefully others will help when they can who are in the faith).

What the minds of unregenerate men come to who are blinded by the god of this world ( 2 Cor. 4:4) is truly alarming. A UFO landing certainly would be seen by men whose dwelling is on the earth as something fitting to the realm of the world and will be a hypnotic mesmerizing performance that likely would suck many in IF that is indeed what Satan uses. I also have postulated the opposite that WE are the aliens; New Agers believe we go to be reprogrammed

1. Revelation 3:10 : "Because you have kept My command to persevere, I will also keep you from the hour of testing that is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth." Here, "those who dwell on the earth" are contrasted with the faithful believers who are promised protection from the coming trials.

2. Revelation 6:10 : "And they cried out in a loud voice, 'How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You avenge our blood and judge those who dwell on the earth?'" This verse highlights the cry of the martyrs for justice against those who have persecuted them, indicating that "those who dwell on the earth" are often seen as persecutors of the faithful.

3. Revelation 8:13 : "Then I looked and heard an eagle flying in midair, calling out in a loud voice: 'Woe, woe, woe to those who dwell on the earth, because of the trumpet blasts about to be sounded by the remaining three angels!'" The woes pronounced upon "those who dwell on the earth" suggest impending judgment and calamity.

4. Revelation 11:10 : "And those who dwell on the earth will gloat over them and will celebrate and send each other gifts, because these two prophets had tormented them." This passage describes the reaction of "those who dwell on the earth" to the death of God's prophets, indicating their opposition to God's messengers.

5. Revelation 13:8 : "And all who dwell on the earth will worship the beast-all whose names have not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life belonging to the Lamb who was slain." This verse underscores the allegiance of "those who dwell on the earth" to the beast, contrasting them with those whose names are in the book of life.

Thanks to Bible hub I found all 5 of these references to those who dwell on the earth; again a strong indication of the Rapture but also indicative of the difference between those written in the Book of Life and those who are not. I'll delve into this more in the nest post.

Amen Brother Jesse!

Jesus said "when thou art converted!

There's no if there.

I've noticed that as well!

He does the something similar in Acts 1:8"But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: AND YE SHALL BE WITNESSES UNTO ME both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

And ye SHALL BE WITNESSES unto me.

I believe you shared this before.

The Lord done it all!

Blessings.

Brother Ronald,

It doesn't take long for some of the things we post to be gone. I like the way this site used to be, where you can look through several pages. Now, if you are unable to visit this site every single day, things that others have to share, you may never see.

There are some things I would like to respond to. I am in agreement with much of what you are saying, but I would like to just touch on a couple things. Please give me a little more time to read over your message again and time to gather my thoughts. I wish I could respond tonight but I have to go and pick my daughter and her family up from the airport soon, so I will get back with you tomorrow, Lord willing!

Blessing to you in Christ!

Brother Spencer,

Thank you! I believe Peter was sincere when he told Jesus he would never deny Him. But Jesus already knew what Peter would do despite what Peter said or convinced himself of. This was something that God planned and ordained for Peter to go through. Peter didn't fail Jesus by denying Him because Jesus already told Peter what he was going to do. This was all part of God's plan and Peter unknowingly followed along perfectly. There was no way that Peter was not going to deny Jesus because God ordained it to happen. Luke 22:31-32 that you shared is a great piece of scripture. Jesus says to Peter "when you are converted," which in the Greek text it is Aorist Tense which shows us that Jesus is not saying (if) you have enough faith to make it through this trial, then I will be able to use you. None of this was based on what Peter did or did not do or if Peter had enough faith or not. Jesus says when you are returned, not if you are returned based on what you do.

In that little phrase "that thy faith fail not," Jesus says 'thy faith," meaning Peter's faith, not the faith that's produced by God's Spirit. We know that God's Spirit had not been given yet. So, all Peter had was human faith. There are other places where Jesus says "O' ye of little faith." It's literally O' ye of no faith. They did not yet have the faith of God because they did not have the Holy Spirit yet.

I like what you said to Brother Ronald that "You can walk away from a fellowship but you can't change identity." How true is that! When applied to our relationship with Christ, we can walk away and break fellowship with Him, be we can never lose our Father/son relationship. That can never be broken!

God Bless!!!

Mark 10:34 in the King James Version (KJV) reads...

"And they shall mock him, and shall scourge him, and shall spit upon him, and shall kill him: and the third day he shall rise again."

You asked: Why does it say Christ will rise "the third day" rather than "after the third day"?

Understanding "the third day" vs. "after three days"

This confusion comes from how time was reckoned in Jewish culture during the first century. Here's a breakdown:

1. "The third day" means inclusive counting

In Jewish reckoning, any part of a day was counted as a full day.

So:

Day 1: Friday (crucified)

Day 2: Saturday (in the tomb)

Day 3: Sunday (rose early in the morning)

Thus, Jesus rose on the third day, according to their cultural understanding.

2. "After three days" is also used in Scripture

Some verses say "after three days" (e.g., Mark 8:31). This isn't a contradiction but a colloquial flexibility in ancient Jewish and Greek phrasing. "After three days" can still mean "on the third day" in that culture.

Examples:

Matthew 16:21 - "...and be raised again the third day."

Mark 8:31 - "...after three days rise again."

Luke 24:7 - "...and the third day rise again."

All of these refer to the same resurrection timing, just using different expressions.

Summary:

The phrase "the third day" in Mark 10:34 follows Jewish inclusive counting, where Friday (crucifixion), Saturday (burial), and Sunday (resurrection) count as three days. It does not mean "after three full 24-hour days." Different gospel writers used both phrases ("after three days" and "on the third day") interchangeably without contradiction based on how time was culturally understood.

Blessing Friend.

Dear Richard,

it is fine with me if we differ on our understanding of whether or not there will be a rapture prior to the second coming by some time frame. We will find out, won't we. If someone does not believe in a premillennial rapture but is a believer, this denial of the rapture would not exclude someone from being raptured if it does occur as premillennial dispensationalism promotes.

So, don't be sad. We will all end up with our Lord Jesus when our time on this earth is done.

Romans 15:19

"Through mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God; so that from Jerusalem, and round about unto Illyricum, I have fully preached the gospel of Christ."

Matthew 7:15

"Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves."

Matthew 7:16

"Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?"

Matthew 24:35

"Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away."

Blessings

Thank you, brother S Spencer.

That night after I replied to Jesse, I felt I had given a half-answer, and that is why I felt to apologize. I am thankful that you, Jesse, and others on this site are brothers and sisters who treat each other as such.

I agree that this subject is profound and deserving of study, and I also emphasize the importance of the power, role, and significance of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is our comforter, our teacher, and guides us to truth, and the Holy Spirit plays a vital role in our sanctification.

We should not overlook, and we should also question and study why there are so many warnings to stay faithful, discerning truth from falsehood, and remaining steadfast in the face of various temptations and challenges. We are to stay faithful, avoid sinful behaviors, and be vigilant against false teachings and influences. We must stay on the path of righteousness and remain faithful to God.

Just a question we should ask, pray, and study when we truly accept Jesus in faith, and we are justified to receive the Holy Spirit: why are there so many warnings? These warnings are addressed to us, for our benefit and encouragement, not to those who have not even read a Bible.

Thank you, brother. I agree that a study on the Holy Spirit would benefit us all.

God bless,

RLW

Brother Jesse, thank you. Wow, your reply is already off the discussion page. When I responded and said no, I will not walk away, I should have included that if I continue to abide in Christ as in John 15:6-7, then I am secure. You say a true believer will not fall away, and I agree, but to me, one who continues to abide in Christ is a true believer, and the Holy Spirit will strengthen them to endure until the end if we walk in the Spirit.

Should we ask what salvation truly is? Is it a one-time event, as it is often strongly preached today, 2 Timothy 4:3-4, or is it a lifelong journey? I see salvation as encompassing the past, present, and future. When we accept Jesus through faith, our past sins are forgiven, we are justified by faith, declared innocent of sin, and covered with a white garment, clean and pure.

We then begin a lifetime of sanctification, becoming more like Christ, and we must continually repent of our sins, walking in the Spirit to keep our garments spotless, as 1 John 1:9 states. I believe this is why there are so many warnings that we must endure, to overcome, and keep our garments spotless. We must maintain our garments, which signify a lifelong relationship with Jesus through the Holy Spirit on the way to our glorification when we are resurrected.

Our robes are made white not by us but, Revelation 7:14, unrepentant sin defiles, Revelation 3:4-5, staying steadfast in our faith, Revelation 16:15. This is lifelong; we are to be faithful until our death, Revelation 2:10, Revelation 12:11. There is a reason for these many warnings; we should at least ask why.

Thank you, brother.

God bless,

RLW

How does a ' voice' walk?

Invisible God lets his voice heard. In Ps.29 refers,' He makes the hinds calve' so these calves are the proof. Rom 10.17-18 Faith comes by hearing, hearing the word of God. Also something to meditate upon: Voice has been heard and understood so man and his creation has no excuse. (Rom.1.19-20)

More on friendships.

I have been in one church not that long ago which always had a plan for this or that community activity; which sometimes included helping members on a Saturday in a move. The best approach; of course is to work among friends in our congregation to help one another without prompting; and of course reaching out to those we don't know too well to help out so as to fulfill our duty and also keep the burdens of this type from being only in the hands of a few omitted brethren. I for one don't really want to always have to be told this is the time to pray; evangelize; help others as it may be God at the time either has my attention elsewhere; or I have other work or responsibilities; but in particular not to have what was known as "volunteer appreciation day".

I find it far better to recognize these attributes in one on one conversation to help to encourage and edify brothers and sisters personally as those truly in service don't need a pat on the back and public affirmation--maybe that's just me.

Sanza 3 from Michael W. Smith's "friends are friends forever"

And friends are friends forever

If the Lord's the Lord of them

And a friend will not say never

'Cause the welcome will not end

This song primarily seems to have a focus on a friend who has died or at least left the geographic place we live. Nonetheless friends stick closer than a brother; as it were ( Prov. 18:24).

I may have been blessed with more service oriented individuals in the past and in my current congregation than is the norm today. It is certainly a part of demonstrating Christian love; and by no means should it be held out just to other believers but all in need. Of course caution is needed and with a group of people it is less likely someone will take advantage of us which can be the case otherwise.

I would appreciate prayer on the friend I brought up as I am still torn between appreciating his fellowship and trying to avoid entanglement in a lifetime financial need.

Inviting God into the rest of our lives.

God; who created us body soul and spirit wants to be involved in every detail and aspect. How can we expect Him blessing parts of our lives we choose to be mutually exclusive or where He is estranged from? Yet we do this all the time.

There is therefore only one of two possibilities; that the Lord wants to remove a particular activity in our lives or He intends us to dedicate our efforts to the Lord and He guides our steps. It is hard to admit we want to do things that God doesn't approve; whether obvious sins or just other good things in itself that can be distractions to fulfilling our purpose and goals for the good works set forth for us as stated in Ephesians 2:10. The truth is our natural abilities are a reflection of being God's uniquely created being and no doubt ultimately all things in the end will be for His glory; even the destruction of the wicked. That is an interesting concept although I won't focus on it here.

For me one interest while I have had the time and some money to invest is coin collecting; in which I have been able to make a small profit buying as silver is rising and quickly reselling. I am testing a rarer coin I just bought to see if I finally can make some money there; often I have learned there are cleaning damage and other issues that thwart what seems like a deal too good to be true on the buying end. I think a lesson can be learned there; in regard to avoiding a get rich quick scheme. Shortcuts of anything show our lack of wisdom on an earthly sense; and no doubt always reflects spiritual lack of wisdom as well. One crucial point here is that I am in frequent communication with a friend on the subject who I trust so that I know she can pray for my success and I can be accountable as no doubt I can obsess on this hobby. She has helped me with a friend as well who I am heavily funding for now; where I need to be cautious of giving too much money to.

James 2:21

"Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?"

James 2:22

"Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?"

Blessings

Good relationships that thwart Satan's schemes

Just as things start of in a subtle form on the road to destruction; Godly wisdom is something not learned in a day but has a massive implication in our life story when we implement healthy fellowship as friends.

The principle also is applicable to the Great Commission in making disciples. A convert can be made in a day but is tested through time and sadly; "iron sharpening iron" ( Proverbs 27:27) is sorely lacking today. I think I can pretty dogmatically state this fact.

As the person who led me to counselling said (he has since passed) everything is a form of worship; and he brought up intimacy in marriage as an example. This is a man who was serious follower of Christ and at his funeral I found out he was preaching when Idi Amin was in Uganda and people were rounded up and possibly killed in the building next to him. For those who live in Western PA this man was fairly well known but for the sake of this page and not to put undo emphasis on the notoriety of a person I leave it anonymous. My point is that we tend to compartmentalize or "spiritualize" certain exercises and say "well this part of my day/week is worship; this time is for my family; for my kids; for me; etc. That is probably in accordance with the logic that "Christ is the center of our lives" which from what I am seeing online doesn't have a single source of origin.

Well; you may ask what is the problem with that? Well I may pose questions like this and not give the answer but I'm on a roll now and will say Christ IS our life-get it? He is either the Lord of all or nothing at all which I thought was a C.S. Lewis quote but can't find it. Anyway you get the point here. If God isn't involved with a part of our life we are at best ignorant or at worst defiant and selfishly want a part of our lives to ourselves. If not against God willfully we can think God is boring and not interested in our entertainment; hobbies and interest.

Question mark 10:34 why does it say that Christ will rise again after the third day?