Does the Church building need to be filled with the Spirit; when the believer already has the Spirit indwelling him or her?
I believe the Church "Building" has the Holyspirit in it if there's a born again believer in it.
Otherwise a Church Building is a place of worship for what ever religion decides to gather in it.
I believe the Holyspirit gathers and indwells the Church of Christ which we belongs to.
Paul says in Acts 17:24 "God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands;
The Holy Spirit's presence did dwell in the Holy of Holies in the Jewish temples that was fulfilled and ended at Jesus's death and resurrection that ended the Old Covenant, and the tearing of the temple veil symbolized that the separation between God and humanity was removed.
The Holy Spirit now dwells within believers, making them the "temple of the Holy Spirit"
COGIC ADULTS MENS SUNDAY SCHOOL BOOK November 23, 2025 Acts 17:1-4 ,10- 12, 22-25, 28 KJV
West Angeles Cogic Church Cathedral Los Angeles California
My COGIC WORSHIP: 1Corithians 15:3-4 KJV I Reverence the only God, King, Saviour, Holy Ghost. I Reverence God that is humility and ruler over everything. I Reverence God that is the voice and speech to hear.
I was thinking on your post last evening. You are right in that we all should be serious about purging idols from our lives.
This is what believers all over the world are to do, not just in the U.S.A.
Personally, I do not know of anyone who makes an idol of politics, or political leaders, a political party or the other ways you mentioned. But I and others are involved in our government as the Lord leads us to be. As a citizen of this country (U.S.A.), I believe that believers have a responsibility from God to engage in governmental affairs as far as our constitutional rights allow.
We have the means to know far more about what is happening in our local, state, and national governments than any generation before us, so our responsibility is greater because of this. We have access to our representatives via e-mail, texting, phone calls, and physical meeting with them. We should use these means to make known our desires on specific matters at hand. We have the opportunity to advise and influence how they vote and can inform them how certain actions by the government affect our lives directly or our communities as a whole.
Some people have more of a calling to be involved this way than others because the Holy Spirit leads them to gain knowledge of what is happening in government and to speak up, support candidates, or join in with groups who rally for specific causes.
All these things are not making an idol out of politics, government, or leaders. Rather, it is exercising the rights of being citizen of this country knowing that it was God who chose for us to be born here as citizens or to legally immigrate here and become a citizen. Acts 17:25-27 tells us that it is God who determines such things.
As for the matters discussed in the rest of your post, these concern me greatly and I pray for God to help those who are being abused, oppressed, and mistreated in many ways. We should be diligent in praying for our nation, leaders, communities.
A root of rebellion today; no doubt stems from salt and light lacking with conviction and adherence to the truth commanded in the Scriptures which should accompany a verbal proclamation of the Great Commission. Whether it is the sanctity of marriages or the way many churches today are run like corporations with excess and greed and lack of accountability no doubt many true allegations of hypocrisy abound. Ultimately it is up to the individual; if they are truly seeking Him to be as the Bereans searching the scriptures daily. ( Acts 17:11). It is true that one could accuse Protestants of committing many of the same errors that their Catholic counterparts do in that regard; either creating an audience that just wants to be spoon-fed every weekend with no further growth or who are encouraged NOT to do self examination; if anything to go under the radar in regard to excesses and indiscretions rampant among leadership. Thus; we are taught not to ruffle any feathers; only to encourage one another. This ignores this verse in particular Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. ( 2 Tim. 4:2).
In the above verse exhortation could be considered encouragement with a little more "umph"; the other part of this verse about rebuking and reproving seems to occur rarely; and sadly when it is it is due to legalistic control techniques to keep congregants "in their place" so to speak.
There are crowns given for faithfulness in our role if we persevere until the end; with warnings such as Revelation 3:11 that we can forfeit them as well. If we patiently await His coming there is a crown there as well as for martyrs who are dying at an accelerating pace and whose deaths are getting harder to conceal from the world. Judgment day is coming and begins with the house of God. Thankfully there is always a remnant present; let us remain as it were in that little flock.
"And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures,"
Acts 13:14
"But when they departed from Perga, they came to Antioch in Pisidia, and went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and sat down."
Exodus 20:10
"But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:"
Hello all dear brothers and sisters in the Lord, and if there are any outside, you are welcome in!
The world economy is in place, you know. We have different currencies in representative different countries. But now there is a kind of money that goes from the internet. That "currency" covers the whole world! Bitcoin there are so many different ones of this now. Many in connection with tax evasion and illegality. None of them entice me, I hope none of them entice you either. When it came I bought it for 1000 nok. but everything is long gone since I did not follow up with the code that will be endlessly long and further. So there you see, wasted for me, someone else took the access. Just cheating and deceit all together. And isn't that how we bite into anything new? Then we usually learn a lesson.
But I want to share something here at the same time today, as long as it's day.
Acts 17:22-34 Paul probably didn't think about what he did. But he just did it. Because he was filled with the Holy Spirit. So he went out into the middle of the city.
And here you will see you who have locked yourself in a matter you want to prosper in. Look around, look at the opportunities, what are your eyes fixed on. If you can see another possibility, be creative.
Paul sees in v. 23 that the people worshiped an unknown god. This is where the Holy Spirit came in and gave Paul what he needed to preach the gospel. At the end of the section you see that some came to believe. And others did not, they would wait. That's how it is dear with all of us. We go out in faith, and then not much happens. As we can see for ourselves. But when we see the opportunity that lies before us, we do what is right anyway. Because the Holy Spirit is with us, remember Jesus sayes: Mat 28:20 Be strong and willing and stand up for the Lord. He does not fail, neither should we. Love u all in Christ.
Hi RICHARD H PRIDAY and all other. In the 90s we remember well that there was talk of cip being transposed into bodies. It happens, even here many Christians want to hold back the development. The Antichrist now has world domination through Ai. Because many, many people use this tool. The wise stay away as much as they can, but freedom is threatened for them too. Those who see errors in the system. It is worse for those born in the 90s. Those who have practically grown up with a mobile phone in their hand, those who have a PC at home and at school and probably a lot more that my head cannot grasp. Since I am quite isolated from the newfangled things and things. I simply do not care about them, or should I say "I don't want to know everything". What we are born into like today's young people. What a hopeless situation it will be for them to say no and order pizza at the Hut or order car parts etc. Imagine if we end up having to order food from the store, delivered by drones. The system already exists.Then it is easier for us, even though many people today probably take advantage of this system. Unfortunately, it is here to stay. You cannot receive a package in the mail without the system being up and running. The phone The telephone syst. Tell family and friends, everyone we have a conversation with.Or do as Paul here in Acts 17:22-34 Simply stand UP go out. This comes so slowly and with several years in between. In the end, everyone is dependent on this "world ruler". This is where Christians must err. The future will also show that this will be a kind of "war". Because water that comes from the tap. Will not come automatically without Ai knowledge and codes. This is already the case when municipalities introduce systems that are Ai inspired. Rent can become difficult to pay because banks will introduce systems that "make it safer" against fraud, etc. There I would think the chip will come first, along with the health system. From birth to the crypt, unfortunately.
Amen, We pray this truly! And not only with you but everywhere where people gather around a Bible, inspired by God and the Holy Spirit. That preachers really speak truth from the Bible, the Word of God and nothing else. And that they have purified themselves in body, soul and body to be an instrument for the Lord, Always in Truth and in purity, Only in this way can the Word be revealed to people who hear. Amen in Jesus Christ's Holy Name.
e) Where does Scripture teach that Jesus would have gone on to establish His kingdom on earth if the Jews would have accepted Him as their Messiah?
This question of course is tied in with your next question: f) "If (the above question) is true, where does Jesus sacrifice for sin enter into such a history? Would it have been set aside if the Jews accepted Him as their Messiah prior to the cross?
Your first question is hypothetical, as it assumes that there may not have been a need for Christ's Sacrifice for sin if He was accepted by the Jews, thus He would then remain on Earth & establish His Kingdom rule. But we know that Christ had to suffer and die, even as Paul preached in Acts 17:1-3; there was no avoiding the Cross, even for the gathering in of the Gentiles. If the Cross was absent, then could sinners (of Jews, even maybe Gentiles) even figure in such a kingdom of Christ on Earth? To me, that would be absurd. As also, if only the Jews believed on Jesus while He was on Earth, then He died, rose from the dead, & needed to return to His Father. There would still need to be a gap where the Gospel would have to reach into all the world, for all sinners needed to hear of God's great Love and be saved.
So, I'm unsure whether these were the sort of answers you were looking for - maybe something else. In any case, will leave this with you.
Did the apostles receive the truth of the gospel from the risen Lord as did Paul?
I say yes because the apostles were taught by the risen Lord in the 50 days between His resurrection and ascension, such as on the road to Emmaus. Luke 24:13-17; 44-47, which is what Paul preached in 1 Cor. 15:3-4 and in His work recorded in acts Paul preached repentance and faith: ( Acts 17:30-31; 20:18-21; 26:19-20; Rom. 1:32-2:1-6 (this is concerning the Gentiles in ch.1:18-30); 2 Cor. 7:8-11; 12:20-21)
Paul was taught by the risen Jesus also when he retreated into the wilderness after His conversion, just as the apostles were taught by the risen Lord.
I contend that there was only one gospel that was preached by both the apostles and Paul, for Paul said that the glory of Christ is NOT to be divided among his servants and people in 1 Cor. 1:10-13. Here Paul is encouraging that all speak the same as to the gospel and of Christ Jesus and not divine the body with appealing to Paul, or Cephas, or Apollo as the one they follow.
In Matthew 112:25 Jesus preaches the truth that every 'kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand."
Paul in Cor. 13 is warning the Corinthian brethren to not cause divisions in the body of Christ.
It is Christ's will that His people stay in harmony and unity of doctrine and fellowship, all believing the one true gospel. Those who contend that Paul preached a gospel that differed from the apostles is such a doctrine that is divisive.
Lbooth, You have spoken at length criticizing believers, accusing them of bringing a bias to their interpretation of the Scripture, yet you are doing the very thing you criticize others for doing. Your teaching about two gospels comes from you being instructed in premillennial dispensationalism, which colors your view of the meaning of Scriptures.
We all come to the Scriptures with some preconceptions
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.
Many struggle with this, asking: Is this how Christians today are supposed to live? But by asking who Jesus was speaking to (Israel, under the law) and the purpose of His message (to reveal the heart of the law and the need for a Savior), we can appreciate this passage without misapplying it to the Church.
Water Baptism vs. Spiritual Baptism
Denominations often argue over the mode and necessity of water baptism. But Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 1:17, "Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel." He also teaches in 1 Corinthians 12:13 that believers are baptized spiritually by the Holy Spirit into one body.
By taking Scripture slowly and comparing passages, we see a distinction: Israel's program included ceremonial water baptism, while the Body of Christ is identified by a spiritual baptism that unites believers with Christ.
Spiritual Growth Through Personal Bible Study
Removing denominational blinders doesn't mean rejecting all church teaching-it means testing all things by Scripture ( Acts 17:11). It means valuing God's Word above tradition. When believers study independently, prayerfully, and slowly, they grow in spiritual maturity, discernment, and unity in the faith ( Ephesians 4:13-14).
Rather than being tossed around by conflicting doctrines, they become rooted and grounded in truth.
Conclusion: Letting Scripture Interpret Scripture
The Word of God is not contradictory-it is consistent, powerful, and alive. Apparent contradictions often arise when Scripture is taken out of context or forced to fit a denominational mold.
When we remove these blinders and let the Bible say what it says-word by word, verse by verse-we discover clarity that religion often clouds. The confusion created by mixing Israel's law-based program with the Church's grace-based calling is resolved by rightly dividing the word of truth and taking time to let the Scriptures speak for themselves.
The prophecy of Genesis 15:13 of 400 years of Egyptian captivity given to Abraham during God's cutting of the animals in his promise to Abraham way back then finally let to the beginning stages of the Jews entering the promised land. As it was with Abraham Moses wasn't exactly a quick study. Exacting justice in Exodus 2:11-15 at 40 years old led to ANOTHER 40 years before he could BEGIN to lead his people to the Promised Land with the initial phase of the release from Egyptian captivity and destruction of the Egyptian army and yet ANOTHER 40 years before finally getting out of the wilderness; only to be denied access to the Holy Land due to one particular transgression of splitting the rock in anger. So he died after seeing the land afar ( Deut 32:52). It would be Joshua and Caleb the ONLY survivors of the original generation and the children of those who came out of Egypt who would finally BEGIN to enter PART of the Promised Land; and centuries later until much of it was conqured although it would never totally be achieved and won't be until the Millennium.
Acts 17:30-31 states
30 And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:
31 Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.
The above verses demonstrate Paul's discourse with the men of Athens who worshipped an "unknown" god. It shows how all the world is still under His control and eventual judgment. When we see Israel reverting to pagan practices when they should know better such as Joshua 7 with the "accursed thing" stoning was the response. Worse; the rebellion of Korah in Numbers 16 brought a sudden punishment of hell with the earth opening up. This should serve as a sober warning to those giving allegiance to being a "Christian" today.
Genesis 3:15 - And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.
Genesis 12:3 - And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.
Genesis 22:18 - And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.
Jeremiah 31:33 - But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.
Mark 12:29-31 - And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord:
30, And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.
31, And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.
Acts 17:11 - These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.
1 Corinthians 13:13 - And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.
1 Corinthians 15:1-4 - Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;
2, By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.
3, For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;
4, And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:
As you know, Paul took the Gospel to Thessalonika on his second 'missionary' journey ( Acts 17:1-10). So, he expected to be with them, or at least be a part of that great gathering, at Christ's coming. If however, Paul died (or even ourselves die) before Jesus returns, then at His Coming, our bodies, with Paul's, would arise from the grave to be forever with the Lord.
But you ask, 'if we die first and are already in heaven with Jesus, why would there be a need for a hope to be with the Lord since we are with Him already?' A good question, where we don't get a definitive answer, except that believers' spirits go to be with the Lord at death & our bodies remain on the Earth awaiting the resurrection. Why this must be so, can only be speculative on our part; whether those departed spirits reconnect with their transformed bodies, for earthly or heavenly life, I can't say for certain; I don't believe the Scriptures confirm that specifically, except whether absent in the body, we are present with the Lord, or, if confined to this Earth, we can await the Lord's return with expectancy & joy.
Hi Gigi, do you have Scripture and verse for that? Also the fact that the angels that rebelled and those that did not, Choose freely to do so. They were never fallen under a Curse as mankind. Inclined to sin but not incapable of choosing not to. The Bible describes the Lord as referring to Lucifer as perfect Until iniquity was found in him Ezekiel 28:15. The Lord commands all men everywhere to repent Acts 17:30. If this were not possible on Calvinisms view than it would make God Almighty seem pretty evil, demanding something of His creation that His creation (Man) can not do, because he did not Elect them to do so.
Acts 17:19 - And they took him, and brought him unto Areopagus, saying, May we know what this new doctrine, whereof thou speakest, is?
Areopagus is Mars Hill. This is the place where the Areopagites, a whole council of people would listen to what people had to say and they would judge whether it is correct or not. So, they took him to Areopagus (Mars Hill), saying, May we know what this new teaching is, which you are speaking?
Acts 17:23 - For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you.
For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO AN UNKNOWN GOD.
Notice there is no "THE." It is to an unknown god." The translators are trying to make us think that they thought the unknown god is The God. They are just trying to cover all their bases. They go worship an unknown god in case they missed him, because with all these other statues and idols, they might have forgotten somebody. "You don't want to make one of these little guys angry, you know if you forget him?" Especially if you are superstitious!
Acts 17:28 - For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.
For in him we live, and move, and have our being;
That is from a Cretan poet. Epimenides said that "For in him we live, and move, and have our being." As also certain of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring. This comes from a Cilician poet by the name of Orothis who said that we are Gods offspring. So, Paul used those two quotes.
Acts 18:12 - And when Gallio was the deputy of Achaia, the Jews made insurrection with one accord against Paul, and brought him to the judgment seat,
This would be the Bema Seat. It is a big judgment seat that they would bring people to and the proconsul makes decisions.
Acts 17:5 - But the Jews which believed not, moved with envy, took unto them certain lewd fellows of the baser sort, and gathered a company, and set all the city on an uproar, and assaulted the house of Jason, and sought to bring them out to the people.
The term "believed not" is literally the disbelieving Jews, the literal translation of the Jews which believed not. That's its form, disbelieving. More exact, it is the rejecting the persuasion Jews. A person who disbelieves is a person who rejects the persuasion of God's Spirit when God's Spirit ministers to them.
There were some Jews who were refusing the persuasion of God's Spirit. Their motivation is they were moved with jealousy. They did several things. First of all, they took unto them certain lewd fellows of the baser sort.
You got to love the King James! I love that word; they consorted themselves with Paul and Silas. But it says that the first thing that they did was they took some certain lewd fellows.
In the Greek text it is literally the ones who are evil. They are evil men. And when it says, "of the baser sort," it is the word for the marketplace. Here are evil men that are hanging around down at the marketplace. They are unemployed. They are just idle, and they are there just to cause trouble. That's what they are. They are troublemakers.
Acts 17:7 - Whom Jason hath received: and these all do contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, one Jesus.
He says Whom Jason has received. Literally he welcomed them. The word "do," again is the word PRASSO that means practice. These all are practicing things contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king.
And the word "another" in the Greek is another of a different kind, not another of the same kind. So, they are really making an emphasis that here is a different king, totally altogether than Caesar is, and they say that this other king, whose name is Jesus, is
Acts 17:2 - And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures,
In Verse 2, it tells us that according to Paul's custom that he went in unto the Jews in the synagogue, and for three Sabbath days, he was reasoning with them.
The English text says "reasoned," but it is actually in the Imperfect Tense in the Greek. He continually reasoned with them from out of the scriptures.
Again, the scriptures are always emphasized for us that the ministry increased and prospered because of the ministry through God's word.
Acts 17:4 - And some of them believed, and consorted with Paul and Silas; and of the devout Greeks a great multitude, and of the chief women not a few.
It says some of them believed. Please allow me to share with you some technical points about the translation. It's not the normal word for believe. It is literally the word persuasion.
And some of them were persuaded, and consorted, or joined themselves with Paul and Silas;
So, Luke is emphasizing that Paul ministered from out of the Old Testament scriptures, and he was persuasive. He has persuaded them to believe, and they joined themselves with Paul and Silas;
and of the devout Greeks.
The word devout means worshipping, and it is another name for a Gentile who has joined up with a Jewish person, and they are worshipping together, a great multitude of devout Greeks, and of the chief women, chief meaning leaders of the women, not a few. That's the Greek way of saying many of them!
As S Spencer has said this is not about salvation, through Jesus we have the gift of eternal life. Please do not be confused, the truth is in the Scriptures with the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Many are looking to be taken to heaven before the great tribulation of Satan, the beast, and the false prophet.
We all will be judged Acts 17:31Hebrews 9:272 Corinthians 5:10
There will be two resurrections; the first is when Jesus returns, after Satan, the beast, and the false prophet have their 3.5 years of tribulation, Revelation 13:1-5Matthew 24:29-312 Thessalonians 2:1-5.
When Jesus returns with His angels, the first resurrection, the battle of Armageddon, the beast and the false prophet are cast into the lake of fire, Satan is locked in the bottomless pit and Jesus will set up the kingdom, and those chosen, and faithful who are first resurrected will rule with Jesus, Revelation 16, 17, 18, 19. After the battle, in Revelation 20:5 we see Thrones and judgment is given to them who were in the first resurrection and given the honor to reign with Jesus during the 1000 years.
We see in Revelation 20:5-6 the rest of the dead lived not until after the 1000 years and the blessing on those who will be priests of God who will reign with Jesus in the millennium on earth, not heaven. There will be different rewards for the saved who will live in eternity with God and Jesus.
In Daniel 12:2-3 we see some will shine greater than others and also, we see those in this resurrection, there will be those who will awake to everlasting life, and some who will awake to everlasting contempt. We also see in John 5:28-29 and Matthew 25:31-46 what we see in the white throne judgment, Revelation 20:11-15 the rest of the dead, some will go into eternal life and some who are not found in the book of life is cast into the lake of fire.
There is much more to study, you should study for your conscience, we must not be deceived Matthew 24:4.
Brother Chris and others gave you some sound info on purgatory.
This is a site where you can read the Bible and ask questions.
There's several people here who would love to help in any way we can.
What I believe Jaz is telling you is you must continue in your reading and studies from the Bible as your main source for spiritual growth.
We all ask questions and examine everything with the written word of God.
There's great sites and there are bad ones,
There are great teachers and there are false teachers on these sites and anywhere else you go.
In order so you won't be deceived you must pray, read your Bible for your self and study as a Berean as mentioned in Acts 17:11.These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.
Read, pray and trust in God's word and ask God questions about any and everything! Also ask others if need be. God will send your answers in diverse ways and he may tarry, He may want you to continue feeding so you can grow and mature to be able to receive such answers.
Don't be discouraged and may the Lord bless you I'm your studies.
This word means that something is "not near" or "not knowable" or "beyond our scope of experience"
So, in relation to God, He is in a unique realm of His own. He exists outside of time, space, and dimension. Before creation, He existed within Himself alone. He exists apart from and independent from anyone of anything else.
God is transcendent in His uncommunicable attributes of holiness, purity, sovereignty, infiniteness, limitlessness, omni-presence, omnipotence, omniscience, and perfection. No created being possesses these characteristics in the way God possesses them, which is infinitely and perfectly. He cannot give any creature these attributes because His divine nature is higher above and surpasses any created being. He is in a class of His own as God, as there is no other God but the God of Scriptures. ALL things are upheld by Him. ( Heb. 13), yet He is upheld by Himself alone. He is the only truly transcendent being
God is transcendent in that He is unknowable and remains unknown ( Acts 17:23) by creatures unless He reveals to creatures aspects of Himself, which is called "immanence". All we know about God s what He has revealed to us in creation, theophanies, words to and through His prophets, working of His power, miracles, and most truly and clearly in the incarnation of His eternal Son, Jesus who is "Immanuel", God with us and with the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in believers and in the Scriptures inspired by God. Being transcendent, God is the incomprehensible Creator, unsearchable those He created who exist in the realm of time and space and matter. Neither by an act of our will nor by our own reasoning can we possibly come to understand God or experience Him personally. But because He wills to us to know Him, He intersects our realm of time, space and matter to communicate to us what He is like, what His will is, and causes us to seek Him. Isaiah 55:8-9 and Romans 11:33-36 speaks to this.
Hello Momsage. If I might throw in my understanding to your first question to Richard (i.e."Do you believe God chooses some souls before they are born to be the elect destined for heaven and those who are not the elect destined for Hell?"). I believe that Romans 8:29,30 answers this:
"For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified."
To loosely transliterate/expand: God KNOWS all things beforehand, including those who would come to Him in faith through His Son (heaven bound) & those who would refuse Him (hell bound).
In His Foreknowledge, he predestined those (in verse 30) to increasingly bear the Image of His Son, thereby Jesus being truly the firstborn of God's children (firstborn, both as a forerunner & Chief Cornerstone of His Church ( Hebrews 12:23; Ephesians 2:20), as well as being the firstborn where both Deity & Humanity coexist together ( 1 Timothy 3:16; 1 Corinthians 3:16).
In fulfilment of His Predestination Plan to one day have those of His creation to bear His Son's Image & be filled with His Spirit, God, IN HIS FOREKNOWLEDGE, called (those He chose) to hear & receive the Gospel message. And these very ones who received the Word with all readiness of mind ( Acts 17:11) & joy, God justified ('declared as righteous', having our slates cleaned, as it were). And to those He justified, he glorified (Gk. edoxasen: 'God brings Christians to a heavenly dignity and condition').
Since, we as believers evangelising with the Gospel, have no idea of those who will be saved & those who will not (known to God alone), the Gospel seeds are scattered/sown that all might hear, particularly those to whom the Spirit leads us to. Sadly, most will refuse, but we can rest assured that all known of God will be saved - none lost.
30"Therefore, having overlooked the times of ignorance, GOD now commands all people everywhere to repent,
31because He has set a Day (Lord's Day, the seven and last Day, or seven and last millennium)when he is going to Judge the WORLD in righteousness by the man He has appointed.He has provided proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead."
John 1:10-13:
10He-JESUS-was in the WORLD,and the world was made by Him,and the WORLD knew Him not.
11He came unto His own,and His own received Him not.
12But as many as received Him,to them gave He power to become the sons of GOD,even to them that believe on His name:
13Which were born,not of blood,nor of the will of the flesh,nor of the will of man,but of GOD.
1John 3:1-15KJV
3Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of GOD:therefore the world knoweth us not,because it knew Him not.
2Beloved, NOW are we the sons of GOD,and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when He shall APPEAR, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is.
3And every man that hath this hope in Him purifieth himself, even as He is pure.
4Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.
5And ye know that He was manifested to take away our sins; and in Him is no sin.
6Whosoever abideth in Him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen Him, neither known Him.
7Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as He is righteous.
8He that committeth sin is of the Devil; for the Devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of GOD was manifested, that He might DESTROY the works of the Devil.
9Whosoever is born of GOD...His seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of GOD.
10In this the children of GOD are manifest, and the children of the Devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of GOD, neither he that loveth not his brother.
I agree with Jaz, You dont have to go into these collection of 66 books with understanding.
You go into these books with faith and searching for the truth.
It's God who reveals truth and opens up understanding.
So, you should relax and wait on God and pray for understanding as you go.
Read it for yourself and stay with a program.
Things will come together as read, you may not find the answer in the particular book you are reading but a may be revealed in another book.
As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: 1 Peter 2:2.
Get a good strongs concordance.
The 1st 5 books in the old testament and then the Gospels is probably a good start as Jaz said.
I would go into these books asking in prayer for guidance, (AND BELIEVE THAT GOD WILL GRANT IT)
Go into these books with CONFIDENCE IN GOD AS A LOVING FATHER READY TO TEACH.
Just know that understanding often comes later so don't loose faith.
If you decide to ask Questions, it's important to be as the berean in Acts 17:11 "they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.
Scripture interpretation: Primary and secondary applications Introduction
Introduction: An easy to understand analogy of proper vs improper scriptural application and comprehension is looking at the Word such as the 10 commandments spoken by God and written on the tablets that Moses brought forth from the mountain and eventually was placed in the Ark of the Covenant as compared to Satan's use of scripture which were clearly for his own diabolical purposes. Everything that lies in-between is subject to well..subjectivity and takes more careful analysis to determine if the context and subsequent interpretation holds any water or not. Of course there are those who would adhere to other religions who borrow from and utilize parts of scripture; or some aberrant mixture of truth and error so as to perpetuate whatever deception is being practiced. For now I am putting aside considerations of that camp and focusing on PRIMARY meanings of the Bible and its basic truths. Some of these things may; as our founding fathers said seem "self-evident"; but nonetheless it is possible that our own mind as well as local traditions and cultures may skew things unknowingly in a certain direction that the passage may or may not be saying. Hence; we are all to be "Bereans" (see Acts 17:11).
It may seem an absurd question to ask why do we read the Bible; particularly on this site. I need to look at myself; first and foremost when asking that question so if anything; I am not endlessly pontificating to glorify some intellectual prowess that I claim to possess and do nothing more than puff my pride ( 1 Cor. 8:1 and other passages). Again; on this subject I am not going to focus on the nonbeliever despite the fact it would seem this question is more appropriate for them.
Let us go back for a second to consider those in the early church who didn't have possession of much or any of the scrolls.
We only seee Jesus reading the scroll lonce in synagogue; otherwise orating.
"Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;"
1 Corinthians 1:23-24
23 But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness;
24 But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.
Going from the last discussion on Cathechisms; doctrine is at the core and essense of that topic. All commitments which we adhere to especially related to church membership in regard to doctrine in the Cathechism should be based on scriptural truth.
Clearly in today's churches we see many variations of interpretation and many are spurious. I am not here primarily to bash any particular denomination; but asking us to be Bereans in studying the Word to be approved before men and God ( Acts 17:11). It is noteable that the Bereans were said to be more noble than the Thessalonians especially since they came to quick understanding of deep prophetic texts. I am not aware that they were even an organized church; per se; maybe someone can shed light on that. In any event NO church hierarchy should dissuade careful study of scripture before any commitment is made; or any statement is said to be factual at least in terms of things that aren't core doctrines such as the life; burial and resurrection and bodily return of Christ. This stems back to my last post as well; because as I see it having kids memorize and study chatechisms before showing evidence of saving faith in Protestant circles is no different than those of Catholic churches which have ritual readings such as the "Hail Mary".
In any event; these verses quoted attempt to keep central teachings always in mind; as well as being careful for new interpretations and errant versions of the Bible. In brief if it appeals to the flesh it is to be avoided in worship.
Jesus the Messiah/Christ God's only begotten Son is the purpose, I do not know if I am reading your question correctly, may you and others have more or different understandings.
1 Corinthians 2:16 tells us we have the mind of Christ, but no one can know the mind of God. 2 Peter 3:18 tells us to grow in grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus. All began with Jesus; Jesus is the beginning of God's plan. Isaiah 45:18Isaiah 46:8-10 God and there is none like Him, He declared the end from the beginning His counsel (His purpose and plan by His will) shall stand and God will do all His pleasure, Psalms 33:11.
God is not in our time the end of His plan is as the beginning God's plan was completed when He made it, we have the Bible, and with the guidance of the Holy Spirit His plan is made known to us as our time comes to be, as in Ephesians 1:10-12 to be the praise and glory to God.
God declared from the very beginnings of history, Acts 17:24-26 there is but one human race, we all are of the same blood, and in Jesus Christ we become brothers and sisters. In God's plan, it is finished, nothing will change. In God, it is finished already to Him who is from everlasting to everlasting, Psalms 90:2 and how He can "calleth those things which be not as though they were." Romans 4:17-18.
Ephesians 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
Ephesians 1:3-4 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: 4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
Does the Church building need to be filled with the Spirit; when the believer already has the Spirit indwelling him or her?
I believe the Church "Building" has the Holyspirit in it if there's a born again believer in it.
Otherwise a Church Building is a place of worship for what ever religion decides to gather in it.
I believe the Holyspirit gathers and indwells the Church of Christ which we belongs to.
Paul says in Acts 17:24 "God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands;
The Holy Spirit's presence did dwell in the Holy of Holies in the Jewish temples that was fulfilled and ended at Jesus's death and resurrection that ended the Old Covenant, and the tearing of the temple veil symbolized that the separation between God and humanity was removed.
The Holy Spirit now dwells within believers, making them the "temple of the Holy Spirit"
Blessings.
West Angeles Cogic Church Cathedral Los Angeles California
My COGIC WORSHIP: 1Corithians 15:3-4 KJV I Reverence the only God, King, Saviour, Holy Ghost. I Reverence God that is humility and ruler over everything. I Reverence God that is the voice and speech to hear.
I was thinking on your post last evening. You are right in that we all should be serious about purging idols from our lives.
This is what believers all over the world are to do, not just in the U.S.A.
Personally, I do not know of anyone who makes an idol of politics, or political leaders, a political party or the other ways you mentioned. But I and others are involved in our government as the Lord leads us to be. As a citizen of this country (U.S.A.), I believe that believers have a responsibility from God to engage in governmental affairs as far as our constitutional rights allow.
We have the means to know far more about what is happening in our local, state, and national governments than any generation before us, so our responsibility is greater because of this. We have access to our representatives via e-mail, texting, phone calls, and physical meeting with them. We should use these means to make known our desires on specific matters at hand. We have the opportunity to advise and influence how they vote and can inform them how certain actions by the government affect our lives directly or our communities as a whole.
Some people have more of a calling to be involved this way than others because the Holy Spirit leads them to gain knowledge of what is happening in government and to speak up, support candidates, or join in with groups who rally for specific causes.
All these things are not making an idol out of politics, government, or leaders. Rather, it is exercising the rights of being citizen of this country knowing that it was God who chose for us to be born here as citizens or to legally immigrate here and become a citizen. Acts 17:25-27 tells us that it is God who determines such things.
As for the matters discussed in the rest of your post, these concern me greatly and I pray for God to help those who are being abused, oppressed, and mistreated in many ways. We should be diligent in praying for our nation, leaders, communities.
A root of rebellion today; no doubt stems from salt and light lacking with conviction and adherence to the truth commanded in the Scriptures which should accompany a verbal proclamation of the Great Commission. Whether it is the sanctity of marriages or the way many churches today are run like corporations with excess and greed and lack of accountability no doubt many true allegations of hypocrisy abound. Ultimately it is up to the individual; if they are truly seeking Him to be as the Bereans searching the scriptures daily. ( Acts 17:11). It is true that one could accuse Protestants of committing many of the same errors that their Catholic counterparts do in that regard; either creating an audience that just wants to be spoon-fed every weekend with no further growth or who are encouraged NOT to do self examination; if anything to go under the radar in regard to excesses and indiscretions rampant among leadership. Thus; we are taught not to ruffle any feathers; only to encourage one another. This ignores this verse in particular Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. ( 2 Tim. 4:2).
In the above verse exhortation could be considered encouragement with a little more "umph"; the other part of this verse about rebuking and reproving seems to occur rarely; and sadly when it is it is due to legalistic control techniques to keep congregants "in their place" so to speak.
There are crowns given for faithfulness in our role if we persevere until the end; with warnings such as Revelation 3:11 that we can forfeit them as well. If we patiently await His coming there is a crown there as well as for martyrs who are dying at an accelerating pace and whose deaths are getting harder to conceal from the world. Judgment day is coming and begins with the house of God. Thankfully there is always a remnant present; let us remain as it were in that little flock.
Acts 17:2
"And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures,"
Acts 13:14
"But when they departed from Perga, they came to Antioch in Pisidia, and went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and sat down."
Exodus 20:10
"But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:"
Blessings
The world economy is in place, you know. We have different currencies in representative different countries. But now there is a kind of money that goes from the internet. That "currency" covers the whole world! Bitcoin there are so many different ones of this now. Many in connection with tax evasion and illegality. None of them entice me, I hope none of them entice you either. When it came I bought it for 1000 nok. but everything is long gone since I did not follow up with the code that will be endlessly long and further. So there you see, wasted for me, someone else took the access. Just cheating and deceit all together. And isn't that how we bite into anything new? Then we usually learn a lesson.
But I want to share something here at the same time today, as long as it's day.
Acts 17:22-34 Paul probably didn't think about what he did. But he just did it. Because he was filled with the Holy Spirit. So he went out into the middle of the city.
And here you will see you who have locked yourself in a matter you want to prosper in. Look around, look at the opportunities, what are your eyes fixed on. If you can see another possibility, be creative.
Paul sees in v. 23 that the people worshiped an unknown god. This is where the Holy Spirit came in and gave Paul what he needed to preach the gospel. At the end of the section you see that some came to believe. And others did not, they would wait. That's how it is dear with all of us. We go out in faith, and then not much happens. As we can see for ourselves. But when we see the opportunity that lies before us, we do what is right anyway. Because the Holy Spirit is with us, remember Jesus sayes: Mat 28:20 Be strong and willing and stand up for the Lord. He does not fail, neither should we. Love u all in Christ.
Acts 17:22-34
e) Where does Scripture teach that Jesus would have gone on to establish His kingdom on earth if the Jews would have accepted Him as their Messiah?
This question of course is tied in with your next question: f) "If (the above question) is true, where does Jesus sacrifice for sin enter into such a history? Would it have been set aside if the Jews accepted Him as their Messiah prior to the cross?
Your first question is hypothetical, as it assumes that there may not have been a need for Christ's Sacrifice for sin if He was accepted by the Jews, thus He would then remain on Earth & establish His Kingdom rule. But we know that Christ had to suffer and die, even as Paul preached in Acts 17:1-3; there was no avoiding the Cross, even for the gathering in of the Gentiles. If the Cross was absent, then could sinners (of Jews, even maybe Gentiles) even figure in such a kingdom of Christ on Earth? To me, that would be absurd. As also, if only the Jews believed on Jesus while He was on Earth, then He died, rose from the dead, & needed to return to His Father. There would still need to be a gap where the Gospel would have to reach into all the world, for all sinners needed to hear of God's great Love and be saved.
So, I'm unsure whether these were the sort of answers you were looking for - maybe something else. In any case, will leave this with you.
I just wish to speak to this concept:
Did the apostles receive the truth of the gospel from the risen Lord as did Paul?
I say yes because the apostles were taught by the risen Lord in the 50 days between His resurrection and ascension, such as on the road to Emmaus. Luke 24:13-17; 44-47, which is what Paul preached in 1 Cor. 15:3-4 and in His work recorded in acts Paul preached repentance and faith: ( Acts 17:30-31; 20:18-21; 26:19-20; Rom. 1:32-2:1-6 (this is concerning the Gentiles in ch.1:18-30); 2 Cor. 7:8-11; 12:20-21)
Paul was taught by the risen Jesus also when he retreated into the wilderness after His conversion, just as the apostles were taught by the risen Lord.
I contend that there was only one gospel that was preached by both the apostles and Paul, for Paul said that the glory of Christ is NOT to be divided among his servants and people in 1 Cor. 1:10-13. Here Paul is encouraging that all speak the same as to the gospel and of Christ Jesus and not divine the body with appealing to Paul, or Cephas, or Apollo as the one they follow.
In Matthew 112:25 Jesus preaches the truth that every 'kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand."
Paul in Cor. 13 is warning the Corinthian brethren to not cause divisions in the body of Christ.
It is Christ's will that His people stay in harmony and unity of doctrine and fellowship, all believing the one true gospel. Those who contend that Paul preached a gospel that differed from the apostles is such a doctrine that is divisive.
Lbooth, You have spoken at length criticizing believers, accusing them of bringing a bias to their interpretation of the Scripture, yet you are doing the very thing you criticize others for doing. Your teaching about two gospels comes from you being instructed in premillennial dispensationalism, which colors your view of the meaning of Scriptures.
We all come to the Scriptures with some preconceptions
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.
Many struggle with this, asking: Is this how Christians today are supposed to live? But by asking who Jesus was speaking to (Israel, under the law) and the purpose of His message (to reveal the heart of the law and the need for a Savior), we can appreciate this passage without misapplying it to the Church.
Water Baptism vs. Spiritual Baptism
Denominations often argue over the mode and necessity of water baptism. But Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 1:17, "Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel." He also teaches in 1 Corinthians 12:13 that believers are baptized spiritually by the Holy Spirit into one body.
By taking Scripture slowly and comparing passages, we see a distinction: Israel's program included ceremonial water baptism, while the Body of Christ is identified by a spiritual baptism that unites believers with Christ.
Spiritual Growth Through Personal Bible Study
Removing denominational blinders doesn't mean rejecting all church teaching-it means testing all things by Scripture ( Acts 17:11). It means valuing God's Word above tradition. When believers study independently, prayerfully, and slowly, they grow in spiritual maturity, discernment, and unity in the faith ( Ephesians 4:13-14).
Rather than being tossed around by conflicting doctrines, they become rooted and grounded in truth.
Conclusion: Letting Scripture Interpret Scripture
The Word of God is not contradictory-it is consistent, powerful, and alive. Apparent contradictions often arise when Scripture is taken out of context or forced to fit a denominational mold.
When we remove these blinders and let the Bible say what it says-word by word, verse by verse-we discover clarity that religion often clouds. The confusion created by mixing Israel's law-based program with the Church's grace-based calling is resolved by rightly dividing the word of truth and taking time to let the Scriptures speak for themselves.
"That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us:"
Acts 17:28
"For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.
Blessings
The prophecy of Genesis 15:13 of 400 years of Egyptian captivity given to Abraham during God's cutting of the animals in his promise to Abraham way back then finally let to the beginning stages of the Jews entering the promised land. As it was with Abraham Moses wasn't exactly a quick study. Exacting justice in Exodus 2:11-15 at 40 years old led to ANOTHER 40 years before he could BEGIN to lead his people to the Promised Land with the initial phase of the release from Egyptian captivity and destruction of the Egyptian army and yet ANOTHER 40 years before finally getting out of the wilderness; only to be denied access to the Holy Land due to one particular transgression of splitting the rock in anger. So he died after seeing the land afar ( Deut 32:52). It would be Joshua and Caleb the ONLY survivors of the original generation and the children of those who came out of Egypt who would finally BEGIN to enter PART of the Promised Land; and centuries later until much of it was conqured although it would never totally be achieved and won't be until the Millennium.
Acts 17:30-31 states
30 And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:
31 Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.
The above verses demonstrate Paul's discourse with the men of Athens who worshipped an "unknown" god. It shows how all the world is still under His control and eventual judgment. When we see Israel reverting to pagan practices when they should know better such as Joshua 7 with the "accursed thing" stoning was the response. Worse; the rebellion of Korah in Numbers 16 brought a sudden punishment of hell with the earth opening up. This should serve as a sober warning to those giving allegiance to being a "Christian" today.
Acts 17:30
"And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:"
Matthew 18:3
"And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven."
Genesis 3:15 - And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.
Genesis 12:3 - And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.
Genesis 22:18 - And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.
Jeremiah 31:33 - But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.
Mark 12:29-31 - And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord:
30, And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.
31, And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.
Acts 17:11 - These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.
1 Corinthians 13:13 - And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.
1 Corinthians 15:1-4 - Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;
2, By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.
3, For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;
4, And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:
As you know, Paul took the Gospel to Thessalonika on his second 'missionary' journey ( Acts 17:1-10). So, he expected to be with them, or at least be a part of that great gathering, at Christ's coming. If however, Paul died (or even ourselves die) before Jesus returns, then at His Coming, our bodies, with Paul's, would arise from the grave to be forever with the Lord.
But you ask, 'if we die first and are already in heaven with Jesus, why would there be a need for a hope to be with the Lord since we are with Him already?' A good question, where we don't get a definitive answer, except that believers' spirits go to be with the Lord at death & our bodies remain on the Earth awaiting the resurrection. Why this must be so, can only be speculative on our part; whether those departed spirits reconnect with their transformed bodies, for earthly or heavenly life, I can't say for certain; I don't believe the Scriptures confirm that specifically, except whether absent in the body, we are present with the Lord, or, if confined to this Earth, we can await the Lord's return with expectancy & joy.
Acts 17:19 - And they took him, and brought him unto Areopagus, saying, May we know what this new doctrine, whereof thou speakest, is?
Areopagus is Mars Hill. This is the place where the Areopagites, a whole council of people would listen to what people had to say and they would judge whether it is correct or not. So, they took him to Areopagus (Mars Hill), saying, May we know what this new teaching is, which you are speaking?
Acts 17:23 - For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you.
For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO AN UNKNOWN GOD.
Notice there is no "THE." It is to an unknown god." The translators are trying to make us think that they thought the unknown god is The God. They are just trying to cover all their bases. They go worship an unknown god in case they missed him, because with all these other statues and idols, they might have forgotten somebody. "You don't want to make one of these little guys angry, you know if you forget him?" Especially if you are superstitious!
Acts 17:28 - For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.
For in him we live, and move, and have our being;
That is from a Cretan poet. Epimenides said that "For in him we live, and move, and have our being." As also certain of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring. This comes from a Cilician poet by the name of Orothis who said that we are Gods offspring. So, Paul used those two quotes.
Acts 18:12 - And when Gallio was the deputy of Achaia, the Jews made insurrection with one accord against Paul, and brought him to the judgment seat,
This would be the Bema Seat. It is a big judgment seat that they would bring people to and the proconsul makes decisions.
(Acts Part 41):
Acts 17:5 - But the Jews which believed not, moved with envy, took unto them certain lewd fellows of the baser sort, and gathered a company, and set all the city on an uproar, and assaulted the house of Jason, and sought to bring them out to the people.
The term "believed not" is literally the disbelieving Jews, the literal translation of the Jews which believed not. That's its form, disbelieving. More exact, it is the rejecting the persuasion Jews. A person who disbelieves is a person who rejects the persuasion of God's Spirit when God's Spirit ministers to them.
There were some Jews who were refusing the persuasion of God's Spirit. Their motivation is they were moved with jealousy. They did several things. First of all, they took unto them certain lewd fellows of the baser sort.
You got to love the King James! I love that word; they consorted themselves with Paul and Silas. But it says that the first thing that they did was they took some certain lewd fellows.
In the Greek text it is literally the ones who are evil. They are evil men. And when it says, "of the baser sort," it is the word for the marketplace. Here are evil men that are hanging around down at the marketplace. They are unemployed. They are just idle, and they are there just to cause trouble. That's what they are. They are troublemakers.
Acts 17:7 - Whom Jason hath received: and these all do contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, one Jesus.
He says Whom Jason has received. Literally he welcomed them. The word "do," again is the word PRASSO that means practice. These all are practicing things contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king.
And the word "another" in the Greek is another of a different kind, not another of the same kind. So, they are really making an emphasis that here is a different king, totally altogether than Caesar is, and they say that this other king, whose name is Jesus, is
Acts 17:2 - And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures,
In Verse 2, it tells us that according to Paul's custom that he went in unto the Jews in the synagogue, and for three Sabbath days, he was reasoning with them.
The English text says "reasoned," but it is actually in the Imperfect Tense in the Greek. He continually reasoned with them from out of the scriptures.
Again, the scriptures are always emphasized for us that the ministry increased and prospered because of the ministry through God's word.
Acts 17:4 - And some of them believed, and consorted with Paul and Silas; and of the devout Greeks a great multitude, and of the chief women not a few.
It says some of them believed. Please allow me to share with you some technical points about the translation. It's not the normal word for believe. It is literally the word persuasion.
And some of them were persuaded, and consorted, or joined themselves with Paul and Silas;
So, Luke is emphasizing that Paul ministered from out of the Old Testament scriptures, and he was persuasive. He has persuaded them to believe, and they joined themselves with Paul and Silas;
and of the devout Greeks.
The word devout means worshipping, and it is another name for a Gentile who has joined up with a Jewish person, and they are worshipping together, a great multitude of devout Greeks, and of the chief women, chief meaning leaders of the women, not a few. That's the Greek way of saying many of them!
As S Spencer has said this is not about salvation, through Jesus we have the gift of eternal life. Please do not be confused, the truth is in the Scriptures with the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Many are looking to be taken to heaven before the great tribulation of Satan, the beast, and the false prophet.
We all will be judged Acts 17:31 Hebrews 9:27 2 Corinthians 5:10
There will be two resurrections; the first is when Jesus returns, after Satan, the beast, and the false prophet have their 3.5 years of tribulation, Revelation 13:1-5 Matthew 24:29-31 2 Thessalonians 2:1-5.
When Jesus returns with His angels, the first resurrection, the battle of Armageddon, the beast and the false prophet are cast into the lake of fire, Satan is locked in the bottomless pit and Jesus will set up the kingdom, and those chosen, and faithful who are first resurrected will rule with Jesus, Revelation 16, 17, 18, 19. After the battle, in Revelation 20:5 we see Thrones and judgment is given to them who were in the first resurrection and given the honor to reign with Jesus during the 1000 years.
We see in Revelation 20:5-6 the rest of the dead lived not until after the 1000 years and the blessing on those who will be priests of God who will reign with Jesus in the millennium on earth, not heaven. There will be different rewards for the saved who will live in eternity with God and Jesus.
In Daniel 12:2-3 we see some will shine greater than others and also, we see those in this resurrection, there will be those who will awake to everlasting life, and some who will awake to everlasting contempt. We also see in John 5:28-29 and Matthew 25:31-46 what we see in the white throne judgment, Revelation 20:11-15 the rest of the dead, some will go into eternal life and some who are not found in the book of life is cast into the lake of fire.
There is much more to study, you should study for your conscience, we must not be deceived Matthew 24:4.
God bless,
RLW
Brother Chris and others gave you some sound info on purgatory.
This is a site where you can read the Bible and ask questions.
There's several people here who would love to help in any way we can.
What I believe Jaz is telling you is you must continue in your reading and studies from the Bible as your main source for spiritual growth.
We all ask questions and examine everything with the written word of God.
There's great sites and there are bad ones,
There are great teachers and there are false teachers on these sites and anywhere else you go.
In order so you won't be deceived you must pray, read your Bible for your self and study as a Berean as mentioned in Acts 17:11.These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.
Read, pray and trust in God's word and ask God questions about any and everything! Also ask others if need be. God will send your answers in diverse ways and he may tarry, He may want you to continue feeding so you can grow and mature to be able to receive such answers.
Don't be discouraged and may the Lord bless you I'm your studies.
When you ask a question
This word means that something is "not near" or "not knowable" or "beyond our scope of experience"
So, in relation to God, He is in a unique realm of His own. He exists outside of time, space, and dimension. Before creation, He existed within Himself alone. He exists apart from and independent from anyone of anything else.
God is transcendent in His uncommunicable attributes of holiness, purity, sovereignty, infiniteness, limitlessness, omni-presence, omnipotence, omniscience, and perfection. No created being possesses these characteristics in the way God possesses them, which is infinitely and perfectly. He cannot give any creature these attributes because His divine nature is higher above and surpasses any created being. He is in a class of His own as God, as there is no other God but the God of Scriptures. ALL things are upheld by Him. ( Heb. 13), yet He is upheld by Himself alone. He is the only truly transcendent being
God is transcendent in that He is unknowable and remains unknown ( Acts 17:23) by creatures unless He reveals to creatures aspects of Himself, which is called "immanence". All we know about God s what He has revealed to us in creation, theophanies, words to and through His prophets, working of His power, miracles, and most truly and clearly in the incarnation of His eternal Son, Jesus who is "Immanuel", God with us and with the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in believers and in the Scriptures inspired by God. Being transcendent, God is the incomprehensible Creator, unsearchable those He created who exist in the realm of time and space and matter. Neither by an act of our will nor by our own reasoning can we possibly come to understand God or experience Him personally. But because He wills to us to know Him, He intersects our realm of time, space and matter to communicate to us what He is like, what His will is, and causes us to seek Him. Isaiah 55:8-9 and Romans 11:33-36 speaks to this.
See part 2
"For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified."
To loosely transliterate/expand: God KNOWS all things beforehand, including those who would come to Him in faith through His Son (heaven bound) & those who would refuse Him (hell bound).
In His Foreknowledge, he predestined those (in verse 30) to increasingly bear the Image of His Son, thereby Jesus being truly the firstborn of God's children (firstborn, both as a forerunner & Chief Cornerstone of His Church ( Hebrews 12:23; Ephesians 2:20), as well as being the firstborn where both Deity & Humanity coexist together ( 1 Timothy 3:16; 1 Corinthians 3:16).
In fulfilment of His Predestination Plan to one day have those of His creation to bear His Son's Image & be filled with His Spirit, God, IN HIS FOREKNOWLEDGE, called (those He chose) to hear & receive the Gospel message. And these very ones who received the Word with all readiness of mind ( Acts 17:11) & joy, God justified ('declared as righteous', having our slates cleaned, as it were). And to those He justified, he glorified (Gk. edoxasen: 'God brings Christians to a heavenly dignity and condition').
Since, we as believers evangelising with the Gospel, have no idea of those who will be saved & those who will not (known to God alone), the Gospel seeds are scattered/sown that all might hear, particularly those to whom the Spirit leads us to. Sadly, most will refuse, but we can rest assured that all known of God will be saved - none lost.
30"Therefore, having overlooked the times of ignorance, GOD now commands all people everywhere to repent,
31because He has set a Day (Lord's Day, the seven and last Day, or seven and last millennium)when he is going to Judge the WORLD in righteousness by the man He has appointed.He has provided proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead."
John 1:10-13:
10He-JESUS-was in the WORLD,and the world was made by Him,and the WORLD knew Him not.
11He came unto His own,and His own received Him not.
12But as many as received Him,to them gave He power to become the sons of GOD,even to them that believe on His name:
13Which were born,not of blood,nor of the will of the flesh,nor of the will of man,but of GOD.
1John 3:1-15KJV
3Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of GOD:therefore the world knoweth us not,because it knew Him not.
2Beloved, NOW are we the sons of GOD,and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when He shall APPEAR, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is.
3And every man that hath this hope in Him purifieth himself, even as He is pure.
4Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.
5And ye know that He was manifested to take away our sins; and in Him is no sin.
6Whosoever abideth in Him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen Him, neither known Him.
7Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as He is righteous.
8He that committeth sin is of the Devil; for the Devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of GOD was manifested, that He might DESTROY the works of the Devil.
9Whosoever is born of GOD...His seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of GOD.
10In this the children of GOD are manifest, and the children of the Devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of GOD, neither he that loveth not his brother.
I agree with Jaz, You dont have to go into these collection of 66 books with understanding.
You go into these books with faith and searching for the truth.
It's God who reveals truth and opens up understanding.
So, you should relax and wait on God and pray for understanding as you go.
Read it for yourself and stay with a program.
Things will come together as read, you may not find the answer in the particular book you are reading but a may be revealed in another book.
As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: 1 Peter 2:2.
Get a good strongs concordance.
The 1st 5 books in the old testament and then the Gospels is probably a good start as Jaz said.
I would go into these books asking in prayer for guidance, (AND BELIEVE THAT GOD WILL GRANT IT)
Go into these books with CONFIDENCE IN GOD AS A LOVING FATHER READY TO TEACH.
Just know that understanding often comes later so don't loose faith.
If you decide to ask Questions, it's important to be as the berean in Acts 17:11 "they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.
Use proper hermeneutics as you grow.
I will explain that later.
God bless.
Introduction: An easy to understand analogy of proper vs improper scriptural application and comprehension is looking at the Word such as the 10 commandments spoken by God and written on the tablets that Moses brought forth from the mountain and eventually was placed in the Ark of the Covenant as compared to Satan's use of scripture which were clearly for his own diabolical purposes. Everything that lies in-between is subject to well..subjectivity and takes more careful analysis to determine if the context and subsequent interpretation holds any water or not. Of course there are those who would adhere to other religions who borrow from and utilize parts of scripture; or some aberrant mixture of truth and error so as to perpetuate whatever deception is being practiced. For now I am putting aside considerations of that camp and focusing on PRIMARY meanings of the Bible and its basic truths. Some of these things may; as our founding fathers said seem "self-evident"; but nonetheless it is possible that our own mind as well as local traditions and cultures may skew things unknowingly in a certain direction that the passage may or may not be saying. Hence; we are all to be "Bereans" (see Acts 17:11).
It may seem an absurd question to ask why do we read the Bible; particularly on this site. I need to look at myself; first and foremost when asking that question so if anything; I am not endlessly pontificating to glorify some intellectual prowess that I claim to possess and do nothing more than puff my pride ( 1 Cor. 8:1 and other passages). Again; on this subject I am not going to focus on the nonbeliever despite the fact it would seem this question is more appropriate for them.
Let us go back for a second to consider those in the early church who didn't have possession of much or any of the scrolls.
We only seee Jesus reading the scroll lonce in synagogue; otherwise orating.
1 Timothy 4:1
"Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;"
1 Corinthians 1:23-24
23 But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness;
24 But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.
Going from the last discussion on Cathechisms; doctrine is at the core and essense of that topic. All commitments which we adhere to especially related to church membership in regard to doctrine in the Cathechism should be based on scriptural truth.
Clearly in today's churches we see many variations of interpretation and many are spurious. I am not here primarily to bash any particular denomination; but asking us to be Bereans in studying the Word to be approved before men and God ( Acts 17:11). It is noteable that the Bereans were said to be more noble than the Thessalonians especially since they came to quick understanding of deep prophetic texts. I am not aware that they were even an organized church; per se; maybe someone can shed light on that. In any event NO church hierarchy should dissuade careful study of scripture before any commitment is made; or any statement is said to be factual at least in terms of things that aren't core doctrines such as the life; burial and resurrection and bodily return of Christ. This stems back to my last post as well; because as I see it having kids memorize and study chatechisms before showing evidence of saving faith in Protestant circles is no different than those of Catholic churches which have ritual readings such as the "Hail Mary".
In any event; these verses quoted attempt to keep central teachings always in mind; as well as being careful for new interpretations and errant versions of the Bible. In brief if it appeals to the flesh it is to be avoided in worship.
God's eternal purpose
Jesus the Messiah/Christ God's only begotten Son is the purpose, I do not know if I am reading your question correctly, may you and others have more or different understandings.
1 Corinthians 2:16 tells us we have the mind of Christ, but no one can know the mind of God. 2 Peter 3:18 tells us to grow in grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus. All began with Jesus; Jesus is the beginning of God's plan. Isaiah 45:18 Isaiah 46:8-10 God and there is none like Him, He declared the end from the beginning His counsel (His purpose and plan by His will) shall stand and God will do all His pleasure, Psalms 33:11.
God is not in our time the end of His plan is as the beginning God's plan was completed when He made it, we have the Bible, and with the guidance of the Holy Spirit His plan is made known to us as our time comes to be, as in Ephesians 1:10-12 to be the praise and glory to God.
God declared from the very beginnings of history, Acts 17:24-26 there is but one human race, we all are of the same blood, and in Jesus Christ we become brothers and sisters. In God's plan, it is finished, nothing will change. In God, it is finished already to Him who is from everlasting to everlasting, Psalms 90:2 and how He can "calleth those things which be not as though they were." Romans 4:17-18.
Ephesians 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
Ephesians 1:3-4 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: 4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
God bless,
RLW