Matthew
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Philippians 4:3
And I intreat thee also, true yokefellow, help those women which laboured with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and with other my fellowlabourers, whose names are in thebookoflife
Anyone that was not found in the book of life is in be trouble.
Revelation 20:15
And whosoever was not found written in thebookoflifewas cast into the lakeoffire.
There's only one way to Heaven and that's believing the gospel of grace in Apostle Paul's epistle 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 .
Jesus Christ warns us about Him and His word .
Matthew 10:33
But whosoever shalldenyme before men, him will I alsodenybefore my Father which is in heaven.
Apostle Paul warns us about denying Jesus Christ.
2 Timothy 2:12
If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if wedenyhim, he also willdenyus:
May God Almighty in the third Heaven have mercy on us .
Ray, in Christ Jesus 1 Corinthians 15:1-4
Denial of the gospel of grace is cruel.
Matthew 10:28
Andfearnot them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but ratherfearhim which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
We can learn from fearing God. God knows how much we can handle.
Proverbs 1:7
"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction."
Fuji, I know that you are a man of God, your kind words saids it all. There's no lies or hurt of words , it spreading the truth of the gospel.
Just maybe your hearing something different and don't understand. I keep showing the scriptures to back up what I say. Please go over it again and maybe you might see it make sense, just please think about.
Remember, I am only here to spread the good news that was given to Apostle Paul for the Gentiles.
Romans 12:3
For I say, through the gracegivenunto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.
May God brings peace and Love to us all for the gospel of grace .
Ray, in Christ Jesus 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 there is no fear in the gospel of grace, it's love in believing
Did Jesus Christ like Gentiles ? ? Part 1
Matthew 10:5
These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of theGentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not:
Did the Disciples kept Jesus Christ word to Jew only ?
Acts 11:19
Now they which were scattered abroad upon the persecution that arose about Stephen travelled as far as Phenice, and Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the word to nonebutunto theJewsonly.
The Jews did not want to listen to Apostle Paul's gospel of grace, so he went to the Gentiles.
Acts 13:46
Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said,It was necessary thattheword ofGod should first have been spokentoyou: but seeing ye putit from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turntotheGentiles.
I find this very interesting because Apostle Paul didn't baptize many people. " 1 Corinthians 1:17
For Christ sent me not tobaptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect. "
John 4:2
(Though Jesus himself baptized not, but his disciples,)
It amaze me that she claim Jacob as of her father and was not even a Jew herself. " Romans 2:29
But he is aJew, which is oneinwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God. "
John 4:12
Art thou greater than our fatherJacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle?
Because Jesus told her, she had five husbands, she believed the more. " Proverbs 15:3
The eyes of theLordare in every place, beholding theevilandthegood. "
John 4:18
For thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband: in that saidst thou truly
When God made Adam and Eve, they were both soul and spirit first. God made them at the same time. " Genesis 1:27
So God createdmanin his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. "
John 4:24
God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
Jesus had a command to the twelve: " Matthew 10:5
These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commandedthem, saying,GonotintothewayoftheGentiles, and into any cityoftheSamaritans enter yenot: "
John 4:27
And upon this came his disciples, and marvelled that he talked with the woman: yet no man said, What seekest thou? or, Why talkest thou with her?
John 4:42
And said unto the woman, Now we believe, not because of thy saying: for we have heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world.
The Bible is a great book and is alive ...
Therefore, if we had only John 3:16 to understand the afterlife (whether it exists or not), then we could well believe that 'perish' clearly means a complete cessation of life, as in someone (the body) who perishes in a house fire or perishes by drowning. But in relation to the Scriptures, we know that God has given us a spirit & that spirit is identifies who we are, given life by God, with an outer covering (a body) to house it, yet the spirit can never perish (die). Genesis 2:7; Zechariah 12:1; Job 32:8; 1 Corinthians 2:11; 1 Thessalonians 5:23; Ecclesiastes 3:21; Ecclesiastes 12:7.
And then we have the Judgement of God upon all, where those who belong in God's family, living a life consecrated to Him, are eternally secure from damnation, whereas all unbelievers (and their spirits can never be destroyed), suffer under God's condemnation. If only death was our final punishment for rejecting Christ, then we all still have to die as those in sinful, corrupt bodies; none can escape. This is a defective Gospel as most would prefer to cease to exist without any punishment & live life to the full, not answerable to God. But Christ's Sacrifice was to redeem lost sinful souls, not from death, but from God's eternal Punishment. Revelation 20:15; Revelation 21:8; Matthew 10:28; Matthew 13:49,50; Matthew 25:41,46; Mark 9:43; Luke 16:19-31; 2 Thessalonians 1:8,9.
Just a few Scriptures to show the Truth of an Eternal suffering in Hell & not simply disappearing forever in the grave. Every spirit (of man) is accountable to God.
I've always wondered why the apostle chose to speak of those who "do not love the Lord Jesus", in such a way. Given that Paul had a direct calling to minister the Gospel to unbelievers & doubtless had a burning passion for their salvation, as he did for his own people, it seemed hypocritical of him to then want them to be Anathema before God & His Salvation.
I remember the Lord Jesus spoke to His disciples about those who reject them & their message ( Matthew 10:14,15), which gives us some licence to step aside & depart from those who refuse to hear the Words of Life & Truth, but to treat them as 'Cursed' seemed quite strong & unpalatable.
The only way I could bring those thoughts together is that Paul was stating that if people continued to refuse to hear & obey, then their end was to be as Anathema by the Lord, for our Lord is soon coming & they will be righteously judged. But while there is time for all to hear & repent, we should endeavor to take every opportunity to share what Christ has done - that they be not forever cursed, but to be saved & as children of God, longingly look for His Coming. Would I be understanding this correctly, or any further thoughts? Blessings.
Matthew 10:8 Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils. Freely receive, freely give.
The word of God will divide a house!
Matthew 10:34-39.
1 John 2:19 is another one that I believe either you or Brother Chris has shared a while back.
"They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.
Thanks again Brother.
Romans 9:13 - As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.
What a serious statement to make! I have shared this in the past about these two words. The terms love and hate are called words of comparison. The words themselves don't mean He loves them, and He hates them.
The Greek word for hate, MISEO means to love less. It doesn't mean hostility. In Matthew 10:37, Jesus says, "He that loves father and mother more than me is not worthy of me, and he that loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me."
Jesus is talking about comparisons. He's saying that we must love Him so much that in comparison to everybody else, it looks like we hate them.
Romans 9:22 - What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction:
This word "fitted" is what's called the middle voice in Greek. That is, the vessel itself made itself a condition of a vessel for destruction. Nowhere in the text does it ever say God makes a good vessel for a vessel of destruction.
Just like Judas Iscariot, he didn't become evil and filled with Satan because God says, "You come here, I need to put Satan in you because I need somebody to be an evil disciple." The bible says he was evil already, and that Jesus literally chose, and that's what He said in John Chapter 6, "Haven't I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a demon." He needed somebody who was evil to fulfil the role of an evil disciple. But Judas was already evil.
So, a vessel fitted for destruction, and the word fitted means that the vessel conditions itself to be fitted for destruction. God doesn't do it! But once it's fitted for destruction, and it is a vessel of destruction, God uses it. He uses both honorable vessels and dishonorable vessels. He'll use them both for His glory and for His honor out of His choice.
Thank you for your reply, this is true, whatever this mark will be whether it is an electronic chip, a barcode, or whatever it is it will have to be shown. A first-class ticket to the lake of fire. The same as the Decian persecution in 250 AD done by Emperor Decius, many were killed or died in prison but the ones who apostatized had to show a certificate. As you said it will not be good, it will be a worldwide tribulation this world has not seen, Matthew 24:21.
We must be strong in our faith, many will be deceived and many will die, there is a verse I believe is about when this happens we will be given the strength to not take this mark, it is Revelation 3:10 Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth. Our strength is in Jesus we must put on the full armor of God Ephesians 6:10-18.
We must take to heart what Jesus said in Matthew 10:28 And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. this is what is coming, and many will fall away/apostatize.
God bless,
RLW
Thank you, brother, I know many have your understanding of this, and defining the difference between the soul and the spirit is difficult, in Scripture they seem to be interchangeable, at least it is for me. Salvation is not dependent on this, we know we are sealed and secure in Jesus regardless of what happens when we die.
In Genesis 2:7 Adam became a living being/soul the Hebrew word nephesh, in the New Testament it is the word psyche. My understanding this is who we are, our senses, desires, affections, appetites, intellect, and memories. The soul, who we are can be killed, Matthew 10:28. My understanding when we die is the soul/who we are, is asleep with our body in the grave, and is resurrected either to eternity with Jesus or is killed in the lake of fire.
Man cannot kill our soul all souls belong to God Ezekiel 18:4. God has offered a way of salvation for souls that are doomed to die, Hebrews 9:27. And we are told we can walk in the world or walk in the Spirit and Jesus told us the consequences, Matthew 16:26.
Spirit both the Hebrew word ruach and the Greek word pneuma translated as spirit have the concept of breath or wind at their roots. This part of us can be alive or dead Ephesians 2:4-5. The most enter part of us that connects or refuses to connect to God, like a radio receiver and it gives life to the body, Psalm 104:29 James 2:26.
This is what returns to God when we die, there is no more communication our fate is set after we die our soul is asleep in death until we are resurrected, Daniel 12:2. I know you said you do not know Plato, Greek philosophy, many in those days were influenced, the spirit or soul is immortal and the descriptions of an underworld. I believe Jesus took parts of these fables and used them as subject matter in this parable.
My understanding the spirit does not have a body it gives life to the body, and we are resurrected and given an eternal spirit.
Thanks again, God bless,
RLW
My comment on your post to the Giannis starts saying:Based in the Word of GOD(not mine), the Spirit of Truth speaks nothing from him himself- John 16:13,right? In my analyse,I saw Giannis was not receiving a true interpretation according the Spirit of Truth in Matthew 4:2 I quoted.
You said:"Scripture never says that Satan knew all about Jesus",it's you're saying.Scripture says he is full of wisdom,an anointed Cherub,GOD have set him so,he was upon the holy mountain of GOD walking in the midst of the STONES of fire,perfect from the day he was created,till iniquity was found in him-Ez.28.
THERE IS NO SECRET THAT THEY CAN HIDE FROM HIM-Ez.28:3,so he is the main Enemy of JESUS and believers in JESUS.
You said"Satan does not know what is in people's minds",but is this true?Satan did put in the mind of Eve-Gen.3:5-6-GOD doth know that eating fruit good and evil the eyes shall be opened,and shall be as gods(as angels)knowing good and evil. 6 When Eve saw that the tree(THE MESSAGE)was good for food,and it was pleasant to the eyes,and a tree(A MESSAGE)to be desired to make one wise,she took of the fruit(believed)and gave(commented)also unto her husband (both talked about things Satan had said,both believed in him);and Adam did eat(believed in the Devil),both believed in the things Satan did put in their mind.
How can you fight against Satan and his messengers- Revelation 12:7-,if you know not well Satan,neither his messengers?This is very danger,for we wrestle not against flesh and blood,but against principalities,and Powers,and the rulers of the darkness of this world,against spiritual wickedness in high places.
Finally you"think that I spiritualize Scripture to fit my mind",who did put this in your mind?now,the Word is GOD,GOD Himself,GOD is Spirit- John 4:24 combined with John 6:63-64, mainly Matthew 10:20, understand?take a look.
The letter kills,the Spirit gives life,you should post to Giannis by the Spirit, not by the letter, the letter kills the souls.
1 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in GOD, believe also in me.
2 In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
Matthew 25:31-34 and 41&46
31 When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:
32 And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:
33 And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.
34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
Get ready-> Acts 14:22
41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: 46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the RIGHTEOUS into life ETERNAL.( Romans 2:7-11.Take a look)
Revelation 20:4
4-And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them( Revelation 11:16-17), and Judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the Word of GOD, and which had not worshipped the Beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
The most important thing is to be with Him, no matter where or in what place, the problem is to be cast into the fire of hell.--> Matthew 10:28-take a look.
GOD BLESS
So, taking the whole passage (vv 49-53) into consideration, I see the Lord speaking of what His Coming means, to both Himself & those who are affected by it. By His coming at the Father's appointed time, both the Work of Salvation and also of Judgement had commenced. Of Salvation: that it was always the Divine Plan that He must go through the waters of suffering & death, so overwhelming in its force (not only of pain & horror to the Body, but of the weight of man's redemption in His Spirit & before the Father), that it also pressed & kept Him under till the Work was done. Could anyone else bear such a 'weight of responsibility', that only He could? As Jesus also spoke to the mother of Zebedee's children: "Ye know not what ye ask. Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? ( Matthew 20:22,23). The day would come when the sons would suffer as Jesus did, but only He could bear the sins of the World, which assured the Father's acceptance & forgiveness to all who came through His Son in faith.
Jesus' Coming not only initiated judgement (where sins would be brought to light, and the faithful & faithless separated), but His Death & Resurrection would also cause division, whether in households, friendships or by community rejection. As Jesus also said in Matthew 10:34-36, "I came not to send peace, but a sword". The Gospel is a Gospel of Peace for those justified by faith (Peace with God, Romans 5:1), but the Gospel can come as a sword, which sets the faithful at variance with those who deny Christ - for our love for Christ must wholly transcend the love shown towards man. If Jesus' 'baptism' through self-sacrifice was so compelling & complete, how should we now live in such Light & Redemption? Excuse these extra thoughts on these verses.
Matthew 8:26 - And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm.
Jesus gets up and He rebukes. He says to them, why are ye fearful? The word fearful in Greek is not the word for fear. It's a word that means to be without courage. This could be better translated, "Why are you without courage, O little faith ones?"
Matthew 9:17 - Neither do men put new wine into old bottles: else the bottles break, and the wine runneth out, and the bottles perish: but they put new wine into new bottles, and both are preserved.
The word bottle is the word skins. These are not bottles that we know.
Matthew 9:32 - As they went out, behold, they brought to him a dumb man possessed with a devil.
When He went out, they brought to him a dumb man (somebody who couldn't speak). The Greek word would be translated MUTE. His condition was that he was demonized. He was mute because of the demon.
Matthew 10:16 - Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.
The word "harmless" in the Greek means artless. It literally means don't use your own ingenuity. In other words, God is not impressed when we use our ideas to do His work. Be wise as serpents. How is the serpent wise? Well, he is very alert and he watches and doesn't make quick reactions. We are to observe and be artless as doves. Jesus said that's the kind of person I will use.
Matthew 12:20 - A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench, till he send forth judgment unto victory.
These are long stemmed reeds that are hollow on the inside, and they break really easy. So, when Jesus comes upon somebody that has a very frail weak condition like one of these weeds, He's not going to break them. He is going to help them.
A smoking flax is a wick of a lamp that is smoldering, but it's not lit.
This says he that has the key of David,he that opens,and no man shutteth;and shuts,and no man openeth;
The heavens and the earth,which are now(the 1st and 2nd heavens,the 3rd heaven will be established from now on),by the same Word(Word of GOD,the Word is GOD,GOD Himself,self-executing)are kept in store,reserved unto FIRE against this Day of Judgment and perdition of ungodly men,the heavens(the 1st and 2nd heavens,the 3rd will be established from now on)shall pass away with a great noise,and the elements shall melt with fervent heat,the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up- 2Peter 3:7and 10 and Matthew 10:28 combined with Isaiah 33:10-14,take a look.
So,our thinking can not be from a mere human perspective,but from GOD's perspective revealed in His Word,you know the Word is GOD, GOD Himself,self-executing.JESUS made it clear saying to the Jews:Mat.23:33-Ye serpents,ye generation of vipers,how can ye escape the damnation of hell?->the hell's fire,of course- Matthew 10:28.Take a look.
Matthew 25:31-34&41
31When the Son of man shall come in His glory,and all the holy angels with him,then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:
32And before him shall be gathered all nations:and he shall separate them one from another,as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:
33And he shall set the sheep on his right hand,but the goats on the left.
34Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand,Come,ye blessed of my Father,inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
41Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand,Depart from me,ye cursed,into everlasting fire,prepared for the Devil and his angels:->these shall go away into everlasting punishment.
To end the discussion, I'm glad you have repeated what I said and listed in my post. i.e. ''GOD did choose 24 men unto which He would reveal His Word-even He Himself-to write the books of the Old Testament, and 'They already are enthroned around GOD's Throne clothed in white raiment and they have on their heads CROWNS of gold. They're already crowned''. Yes, I work with the Word of GOD- Hebrews 4:12-13.
In the other hand, you said me I'm wrong and I do suppositions because I stated who are the 24 elders that are crowned, and you asked: ''is it for writing merely Old Testament?'' Now, now, the OT is NOT mere writings as you say, no, absolutely no, it is the Word of GOD, the Word is GOD, GOD Himself, GOD is Spirit, self-executing, understand? The Word of GOD is from everlasting to everlasting, not a MERELY writings as you have posted. Fear GOD.
No, 'I don't also make it sounds mechanical' as you said in your reply, your peculiar verbiage in the second, and third and fourth paragraph only sounds like metal, like mere tinkling bells, nothing more than a comment without form and void. Fear GOD- Matthew 10:28.
Part 2.
We should "always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect" ( 1 Peter 3:15). We prepare by studying God's Word for ourselves, listening to sound Bible teachers, and staying in close fellowship with Jesus. Those practices keep our own lives pure so that we are not hypocrites who preach one thing but do another Galatians 6:1.
Evangelism provides eternal benefits. Jesus encouraged His followers to "store up treasure in heaven" ( Matthew 6:19). That treasure consists of rewards for what we did on earth in His name and for His glory. It is not self-centered to make choices that will ensure eternal treasure for ourselves. Jesus told us to! Our service to Him can be as simple as offering a cup of cold water to one of His own ( Matthew 10:42). The parable of the unjust steward underscores the importance of doing whatever we can to bring people to faith in Christ ( Luke 16:1-13).
4. Evangelism is an overflow of the "hope that is within us" ( Hebrews 6:19; 1 Peter 3:15). When two people fall in love, they cannot help but let everyone around them know it. Joy shows on their faces; stars glitter in their eyes. They are eager to tell anyone who will listen about the wonderful person they love. So it is when we've fallen in love with Jesus. We cannot help but tell people about Him every chance we get. We think about Him all the time. We're drawn to His Word, to worship services, and to others who love Him. We look for opportunities to share His truth with someone who is far from Him. If Jesus is not at the forefront of our minds, we have a spiritual problem and need to address that first before we can share the "hope that is within us."
See part 3.
In general; prayer is often answered when it isn't a "no or later" situation through other means and individuals than we in our puny minds can comprehend. It seems from my experience there are those who are obsessed in wanting to meet the needs of others (i.e. a gift of service) and others (probably more like myself) who like to offer some thought provoking scriptural concept or parable like statement to make people think. What I mean is; in my inherant selfishness; I am not obsessed like those aforementioned gifted believers with a gift of service or helps to always meet people's needs up front and right away.
This isn't getting me out of the pit I'm digging for myself...but I'm making a point (I think). Sometimes at least I hope; there is some merit to being abstract in some regard at least in not always having to be the one to fix the problem. That leaves me with my own issues of having to push myself to be as giving as a lot of others but obviously that is my problem not that of the audience (I will presume innocent until proven otherwise in that regard).
Okay; enough of the "Pauline" sarcasm. In having wisdom and being wise as serpents; innocent as doves we wrestle out our existence. ( Matthew 10:16). With prayer of course we are to take appropriate action when we can so we don't be as the person in James 2:16 and not be an answered prayer OURSELVES to someone in their misery. We can't give away all our money in the same token unless it is our own volition and to fulfill the Great Commission unless it is for dire need or our family interests (even that with caution). All of this is to say that indeed we need as the Body of Christ not to be overly lazy or overly burdened to the extent that the individual in Phillippians 2:27 was who Paul mentioned.
Prayer usually involves a marathon effort but sometimes is answered as a sprint. Sometimes God works miracles without obvious prayer
The Pharisees; who derided Christ throughout His public ministry had this to say shortly before the crucifixion. Jesus shut them out; as well as remaining silent soon after during Pilate's interrogation. Self exaltation and justification wasn't necessary for Christ didn't seek to be served but to serve and give His life for a ransom for many. ( Mark 10:45) The fact is; the Pharisees and religious leaders should have known who He was; and therefore were operating in deliberate blindness; uniquely qualifying them to commit the unpardonable sin. (See Matthew 12:24).
Part of the concept of the verse on "casting pearls before swine" ( Matt. 7:6) relates to this. Jesus hid meanings of the Parables to others who were deliberately spiritually blind (see Matthew 13:34; and Matthew 13:15; Isaiah 42:19-20). John 9:39-41 shows the end of an entire chapter related to a blind man's healing; where Jesus explains how men are made blind to the truth; but the Pharisees after asking if that was the intention of what Jesus said were still left with the judgment for themselves because they could see and were responsible for their sin.
These are sobering reminders that man is not justified in any righteousness of their own and estranged from God from the womb ( Psalm 58:3); yet has a conscience given by God where men are judged more harshly that know the law ( Romans 2:15).
Jesus warned that judgment would be worse for those cities that rejected Him than for Sodom and Gomorrah ( Matthew 10:15).
This attitude led to the unpardonable sin; blasphemy of the Holy Spirit where Beelzebub was attributed to Christ's healing rather than God ( Matthew 12:22). The issue of forgiveness of sins was truly where the problem was; since the miracles were manifold.
Nonetheless; Jesus wouldn't use His power to save Himself on the cross or when unbelief was present (see Matthew 13:58).
I have in the past had disagreements with people that insist there is only one meaning of a given scripture. This is no doubt true to one extent; that is not reading spurious meanings into a text based on proper contextualization. When there are so many different types of writings in a given book such as Psalms (impreccatory; prophetic; Thanksgiving at a bunch of others) even from Psalms we can't nail down any one type as a "stand alone." The clearest example would be what some call "Royal" Psalms or something similar about David and the prophetic implications that are both for him and the future Christ. This shows that even David didn't know what he was saying as far as all these meanings. I have argued with some of the Reformed camp that such a statement on my part is wrong and that somehow he had to understand it under Divine guidance; but clearly if that were true we wouldn't see someone like Daniel fasting and praying for 3 weeks to understand his dreams and visions ( Daniel 10:2).
Reading the Bible of course in these circles is focused on worshipping the one true God. There are clearly other benefits to reading the Word such as insights into the hydrological cycle ( Job 36:27); that of the animal kingdom ( Psalm 104:21; etal); historical genealogies (from the first parents in Genesis to those in the beginning of Matthew and Luke). The history of scripture can also be used to verify archaelogical discoveries; and have practical points about wisdom along with the spiritual (which can't really be parceled out). This may be most clearly demonstrated with the admonition to be as "wise as serpents and innocent as doves." ( Matthew 10:16).
We should also keep in mind that the Old Testament and New Testament have different methods of approaching God; but the Lord never changes. The Lord created law as well as grace; which allows us to actually love God as David's admonition in Psalm 119.
Romans 8:7 states:
"For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die."
The next verse describes how we were yet sinners; or what Colossians 1:21 states in even harsher terms as "enemies of God."
Next time you hear someone talking about how loving we all should be ask them if they would be willing to die for their enemies who hate them. We hear a lot of talk these days about the love of God; usually reduced to some mushy sentimentality and hardly differentiated from human passions. First off; it is only a half truth to go around talking about God's love only when it happens to coincide with pleasant or pleasurable circumstances for people on earth. Yes God loved us when we were yet sinners but provided provision through the Son as His ONLY method to reconcile the enmity between us and Him due to indwelling sin. God cannot look upon sinful man and love Him in the state he is in but DESPITE the fact that he is in a lost state with a heart that is; according to Jeremiah 17:9 "desperately wicked". God's METHOD is by having the Son; for we either have the Son and therefore know God or we know neither (see 1 John 23:24). This involves the Father and Son coming to "dwell within us" ( John 14:23 which also implies the Holy Spirit sealing us until the day of redemption ( Eph. 4:30).
Those who would view Jesus as someone that is primarily promoting some sort of sentimental affection either is Biblically illiterate or willfully deceived. He talked about being a sword to divide families ( Matthew 10:34-36); rebuked the Pharisees harshly a number of times; destroyed the Temple moneychanger market at least twice; and challenged those who would feign to be His disciples but whose heart wasn't in it. He even rebuked His own disciples. This is demonstrating that true love in His own life was obeying God; and we are called to do the same for Christ ( John 14:23).
Part 3
I hope even though you may not agree, you can make sense of my replies. I would like to tell you I do not Have anything in common with JW or their translation of the bible.
My understanding we are mortal beings and no part of us is immortal. I see the spirit as our breath/life that goes back to God when we die, Ecclesiastes 11:7 and Scripture tell us the soul can die, Ezekiel 18:4 Matthew 10:28 Hebrew 9:27. Like Paul said of David being dead in the tomb and has not ascended to heaven, Acts 2:34. We do not put on immortality until the resurrection, 1 Corinthians 15:53-54.
Bear with me my Greek is kindergarten level, arche the beginning or origin I see it maybe a little differently I understand God the Father as the Creator as in Genesis 1:1 and Psalm 19:1. I believe in the plan of God Jesus was first and as in Romans 4:17 Jesus was in Gods eyes in the womb of Mary and then the angels and all the counsel of heaven then the earth and all that was to be.
In Genesis 17:5 when God renamed Abram to Abraham God said, "for the father of many nations I have made thee". It was not Abraham will become a father of many nations it was already done in the plan of God.
"Firstborn of every creature and the firstborn from the dead" Jesus was the firstborn, Jesus being the first in God's plan would make Him the firstborn, and Jesus is the firstborn of the dead. There were people brought back from the dead like in 2 Kings 13:21 the guy was thrown into Elisha's tomb and when his body touched Elisha's bone he came back to life and stood up, and we see the ones in the New Testament. No one who died before Jesus who came back to life died again Jesus was the first to overcome death.
Jesus is the firstborn of the dead because He had no sin and death could not hold Him and when Jesus rose He rose in a glorified body never to die again, Revelation 1:18. That is what we look forward to when we are resurrected.
See part 4 sorry I am slow.
Of course Franklin Roosevelt gave the quote "the only thing we have to fear is fear itself." That is true to some extent; because the enemy of our souls can only do what God allows; but of course the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; which is found in numerous scriptural passages as well. It has been said that the opposite of fear is faith; and of course true love casts out fear ( 1 John 4:18). This is something only the Lord can give; for Jesus Himself had martyrdom to face daily; and Revelation 2:10 is one example given for the church; as well as the verse where Christ said to not fear what can be done to the body but the one who can cast body and soul into hell. ( Matthew 10:28). The enemy also likes to remind us as the accuser of the brethern of our sins and our condemnation which Christ took at the cross for true believers. (see Revelation 12:10). The Lord will convict us when we grieve the Spirit but that is out of love. The power of sin is death ( 1 Cor. 15:56). Jesus overcame death and the grave and took our sins on Himself at Calvary. We need to be daily reminded of these basic Gospel truths as we can become hardened to it for various reasons.
There is hope for us after death and hope is for things yet unseen ( Hebrews 11:1). Surely with the world in the state it is today we need that future expectation for any joy to be maintained; whether emotionally or as a fruit of the Spirit. Being part of the BODY of Christ is imperitive as to our identity so that we may together strive for unity in fulfilling the Great Commission and prayer and fellowship with one another for strength.
Matthew 5:44 states:
"But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;"
The scriptures show multiple times such as Matthew 27:19 with Pilate's wife (who may or may not have come to saving faith) and with Paul in particular (with the jailor who he had a chance to bring to faith along with his whole family) in Acts 16:30-33. The jailor even showed compassion in washing the stripes from whipping of Paul that apparently occurred earlier. There were others who Paul was able to bring to faith who were often wives of important officials.
Jesus; of course knew what He was talking about since we ALL start out as enemies of God. This puts us on an even playing field so to speak; so that we cannot understand how God can change the heart of a serial killer but not of someone who always seems to be a "nice person" whether our family members or friends. It isn't so much important to browbeat someone as to their sinfulness to convince them to repent; ASSUMING that we are preaching about the sorry state of human souls in general with unregenerate hearts. This is how the Gospel was preached; those in authority were given general and very harsh rebukes by Christ as part of the general call. WE certainly need to clearly speak of how Jesus saved us from total depravity or however we want to describe our sorry state before salvation.
Matthew 10:28 shows what we should NOT fear (our death) and what our persecutors SHOULD fear (see also Philippians 1:28).
Easier said than done; actually not possible apart from the Spirit giving us the utterance (see Luke 12:12).
We must remember God determines when our last day is on earth not Satan or man. No doubt Satan desires 24/7 to destroy us so we must always be vigilant and not let our guard down. The same should be said in prayer for those suffering persecution today.
Again, dealing with your recent comments to me, now in one post, Shabbat Keeper. Firstly, Adam has written very well to Jema, so I won't bring up the matter of the definition of "eternal/eternity", which should alone convince us that physical death is not the end for anyone (believer or unbeliever).
If I'm correct from your first post to me, "what an icky thought it is, to stop existing", you believe in the total annihilation of the body at death (for the unbeliever). So, when the Bible speaks of man, his existence & his death, we are first reminded that man is a tripartite being (i.e. one whose composition is of body, soul & spirit: 1 Thessalonians 5:23). When the body dies, it decomposes back to the Earth, but those parts of man that cannot be killed ( Matthew 10:28) can never be destroyed. Unlike animals, man's spirit, given by God, returns to Him ( Ecclesiastes 3:21), whereas animals cease to exist - forever. Therefore, if man, made by God to reflect His Image & traits, is accountable to God, will never cease to exist (his spirit & soul cannot be destroyed, whether by death, fire, or whatever), & he will stand in judgement before God. For this reason, the Gospel is so vital for all to hear, to alert all people that death is not final - there remains an accountability & their final judgement will be based on what they have done with Jesus Who came for them.
You wrote, "Hell fire is the same thing as destruction" & you gave the example of a house on fire. A house is physical/material, a spirit is not - it can never be destroyed. The real Shabbat Keeper or myself are found in our spirits/souls - the body is simply the house in which we need to live in. So yes, this house is corrupt & temporal, but we who have Christ's Spirit in us, look to be clothed (endowed) with that "house which is from heaven" ( 2 Corinthians 5:1-6). Likewise, hell (not the grave), is the dwelling place of those who have spurned God's Love - spirits they are & in torment.
Firstly, on the name 'Gehenna', otherwise called the "Valley of Hinnom", the Encyclopaedia definition is quite correct about the purpose why that area was set aside. It was indeed a place for the burning of refuse & the dead. And yes, it meant that they were all annihilated - no more evidence except dust & ashes. So, it can mean 'annihilation', but Gehenna can also mean 'a place of burning where the fires are never quenched'. And we know that the body is disposed of there, but what about the immaterial parts of man that remains accountable to God? And you also referenced a verse I quoted in Matthew 10:28. Taken on its own, that verse could well support your belief of a complete extermination of body, soul & spirit.
But it was for that very reason that I gave you the other verses to look up & consider. Not only was Matthew 10:28 Jesus' Words, but also Matthew 5:22,29,30; Matthew 23:33; Mark 9:43; Luke 16:19-31; Revelation 20:10,11-15. You didn't take these into account. And we know, as I trust you are conversant, that when we deal with a topic or a doctrine from the Bible, we need to take in all the references that deal specifically with it. Unfortunately, our natural human instinct is to accept only those that we find palatable or in agreement with, thus distorting the teaching from the Word.
So, if you would care to look at those other verses & see how they affect your understanding of Matthew 10:28, I would be very interested. It's only when we consider all verses on a subject, can we get a fuller picture of it meaning & its implications. However, sometimes there aren't too many verses to help us learn about the subject - in such cases we can't force a teaching by them & just leave the subject open. Yet, not so with these important doctrines of the Deity of Christ & human existence & punishment after death.
Part 1
If I may add a few points to this subject, I know we have different understandings on this and I hope you will not be offended, these are questions I have asked myself. What does Scripture support, our soul is an immortal entity that consciously lives on after the death of the body or does it sleep in the grave until the resurrection? Is the definition of death a separation of the soul from the body or is it the end of life, a permanent cessation, and the grave is our home until we are resurrected?
John 3:15-16 Without the belief in Jesus we will perish the Greek word apollumi means destroy utterly, to put out of the way entirely, abolish as in Psalms 37:10 Psalms 92:7 Proverbs 10:28-29 Job 20:4-7 Malachi 4:1-3 2 Peter 2:12.
Matthew 10:28 we are to fear the one who can destroy the body and the soul in hell, the Greek word for destroy is apollumi same as perish, a permanent/absolute destruction. Hell, the Greek word is geenna the fire and smoke that goes up and burns forever that never goes out is a reference to the lake of fire. Job 17:13 the Hebrew word sheol is the same word translated as hell. Job 17:16 the word pit is the same Hebrew word.
Our first death is sleep, Psalms 13:3 Daniel 12:2 Acts 13:36 1 Cor. 15:51. If all souls are immortal which means they have eternal life, the question must be asked, what is the gift of eternal life we see in John 3:15 John 6:54 Romans 6:23 Titus 1:2 1 John 2:25 Jude 1:21? If our soul is immortal, why do we have to put immortality on as said in 1 Corinthians 15:51-58?
See part 2