Good apologists

[face2face]

Hi f2f,

Thanks for joining in on the conversation.

Scripture makes it clear that Christ is the head of the church. Scripture also makes it clear that He appointed Apostles and in Luke 10:16 and John 20:23 He gave them authority that he didn't give to everyone of His disciples! Did that authority die when the last Apostle died? For the record; I don't think it did!

Respectfully....Mary

It's an opinion at best - Authority here.... 1 Corinthians 11:3

 

[Marymog]

It's an opinion at best - Authority here.... 1 Corinthians 11:3

Ummmm....ok!! I get it. What I put on the record was, in your estimation, an opinion. Would you care to answer my question: Did that authority die when the last Apostle died?

 

[Matthias]

Hello,

I am an odd one. I'm a philosophical theist. But I'd like to explore Christianity. Any recommendations for apologist vids, books, whatever, would we appreciated. Some people might say you can't come to faith in Christianity through arguments......fair enough, but I became a theist by reading philosophy so might as well try.

Thanks

I suggest and recommend reading the early Church Fathers; especially the Ante-Nicene Fathers who deal frequently with the ancient Greek philosophers.

 

[Karl Peters]

Not apostles no authority

Jesus Christ established the authority of peter and the apostles and their successors
The so called quote reformers had no authority and are not apostles or successors of the apostles

The apostles have authority from Christ to send other apostles until Christ returns Jn 20:21-23

matt 28:19-20 I am with you (apostles) until the end

Yes Christ is king dan 2:44 and Lk 1:32-33
But Christ ascended to heaven!
No king administers his own kingdom

they always have a prime minister who holds the keys under the king like Joseph under pharaoh
Or peter and his successors under Christ
Isa 22:21-22 Matt 16:18 jn 21:17

The problem with all the above posts is the fail to realize that the Kingdom of God is in our midst, and even a failure to understand what the Kingdom of God is and who the King is.

Jesus told Pilate that His Kingdom was not of this world - but the author of those posts don't realize that! He keeps thinking it is about people in the flesh who are in this world, and not in the Kingdom of God. Some might not be of this world, but even they are still in this world.

He fails to realize that the Kingdom of God is also in our midst!! It is around us at all times.

And this all points to what Paul had to explain to the Romans!

Rom 10: 6 But the righteousness based on faith speaks as follows: “DO NOT SAY IN YOUR HEART, ‘WHO WILL ASCEND INTO HEAVEN?’ (that is, to bring Christ down),

'theefaith' Is saying above that Jesus Christ is in some far-off place called 'heaven' - Again the Kingdom of God is in our midst!! And we should also know that God is omni-present!! Did we not read the Bible????

Heb 13:Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

Jesus Christ never leaves us!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

How does a person claim to know the Bible and miss this important fact???????

I can tell you how that happens - they don't actually seek Him and His voice, but they close off their spiritual ears least they hear from Him and be reproved by Him!!

Which is also explained in the Bible - and many times, so how do that miss that fact since they say they are following the Bible? They may read the Bible but they don't believe what they read!

Mat 13:15 FOR THE HEART OF THIS PEOPLE HAS BECOME DULL,
WITH THEIR EARS THEY SCARCELY HEAR,
AND THEY HAVE CLOSED THEIR EYES,
OTHERWISE THEY WOULD SEE WITH THEIR EYES,
HEAR WITH THEIR EARS,
AND UNDERSTAND WITH THEIR HEART AND RETURN,
AND I WOULD HEAL THEM.'

Act 28:27 FOR THE HEART OF THIS PEOPLE HAS BECOME DULL,
AND WITH THEIR EARS THEY SCARCELY HEAR,
AND THEY HAVE CLOSED THEIR EYES;
OTHERWISE THEY MIGHT SEE WITH THEIR EYES,
AND HEAR WITH THEIR EARS,
AND UNDERSTAND WITH THEIR HEART AND RETURN,
AND I WOULD HEAL THEM.”'

So over and over it is explained to them that they need to seek the Lord our God, Jesus Christ, and listen to Him, but they don't! Instead they make it about following me, and not God!!

And Jesus while in the flesh had to deal with those types of men who did not have His words abiding in them, so they pursued after religion and the things of God instead of the Lord our God Himself!

Jn 5: 38 -42 “You do not have His word abiding in you, for you do not believe Him whom He sent.
You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me; and you are unwilling to come to Me so that you may have life.
“I do not receive glory from men; but I know you, that you do not have the love of God in yourselves.

And that is why He told Isaiah:

Is 6:9,10 He said, “Go, and tell this people:
‘Keep on listening, but do not perceive;
Keep on looking, but do not understand.’
“Render the hearts of this people insensitive,
Their ears dull,
And their eyes dim,
Otherwise they might see with their eyes,
Hear with their ears,
Understand with their hearts,
And return and be healed.”

And Isaiah himself was sad to hear this so asked the Lord and got the answer

Is 3:11 Then I said, “Lord, how long?” And He answered,
“Until cities are devastated and without inhabitant,
Houses are without people
And the land is utterly desolate,

And if someone says that already happened, then why do we see Isaiah quoted twice in the New Testament and one of those times in Acts and thus after the cross?

People are still not willing to listen to Him and so their ears are still dull, and even those like Isaiah spoke and thus wrote in a manner to make those who do not actually love the Lord, to have ears that are dull and eyes that are dim. Yet if a person does indeed love the Lord they will seek Him and find Him, for He said:

Rev 3:19,20 ‘Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; therefore be zealous and repent.
‘Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me.

And yet to those who do not love Him it was written:

Is 30:9 For this is a rebellious people, false sons,
Sons who refuse to listen
To the instruction of the LORD;

and

Ps 81:15 “Those who hate the LORD would pretend obedience to Him,
And their time of punishment would be forever.

They say they follow the Apostilles and the Bible, because they don't follow the Lord by listening to His voice, and their own testimony stands against them.

Jn 10:4 “When he puts forth all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice.

They confess, but they don't understand it, that they are not following the voice of the Lord what they say!