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Unfortunately, while it might be easy to find the truth for both doctrines in the scripture if an unbiased search were to be made... who is unbiased? Someone has already decided what they will find in their search based on the past findings of _(fill in the blank)_!
You would be surprised how many people dont understand, never mind know their Messiah, not talking about Jews here.
But unbiased is never the way to go when interpreting Scripture. The attitude must be glory to God. What lifts Him up, that He may draw all men unto Himself! It is natural that some in the past have found the way. We are no better than they, are we? And if they have recorded it, some are bound to come across it.
Are you sure I would be surprised? From where do you get this idea? Are you saying there are more people than I imagine or less? How many more or less? Do you know me that well? What do you mean "never mind know their Messiah?"
Absolutely! In the scriptures we can, and people do, find support for almost any position a person might take on an issue. The correct interpretation is God's. If you say or I say that we have THE correct interpretation and were led to it by the Holy Spirit, they may say the same thing. God knows the truth of it, of course. There are, as I believe it, many people who are very deluded or in some measure in error. Who am I say to you or to anyone else that I am right and you/they are wrong? We are just about all of us right in our own eyes.
One could argue that it is not possible to know the truth of God. I ask, did Paul know the truth of God?....and Jesus disciples, did they know?
Doesn't it depend on the specific issue?
Aversion? Perhaps to error, but I have encountered some of God's Truth just about everyplace I have been a member for any period of time. When I first started my walk with God I did not know about following the Spirit or quenching the Spirit. If anyone knew about it they never said anything to me.... initially. I do believe according to my understanding of what is written in Eph 4:11-16. But... as I have learned, not all of those saying they have been given by God in those five named ministries really were given by Him... and some who were have gone astray from helping as they should be helping. I believe some of them do help some people some of the time, but there is usually a limit. How high can we go? I don't know, but certainly does.
The difficulty for me is not in mistrusting the scriptures, but then again as we see on this forum people using the same Bibles draw different conclusions from the same verses.
I agree!
I really don't expect people to be perfect for I certainly am not. Neither do I expect people to always agree with me on every doctrinal point. I have been wrong in the past and I have changed my beliefs. I am careful not to insist that my beliefs are fixed and unchangeable, but I do want them to be changed only as necessary as God sees the need.Doesn't it depend on the specific issue?
For example, a poster said that my church translates the word "Sheol" to "the grave" in the Bible as if that were unorthodox and we had our own version of the Bible. There is no Seventh-day Adventist version of the Bible (except for "The Clear Word" devotional--heavily paraphrased and not official in any capacity). The King James translators rendered the word "sheol" as "the grave" 31 out of the 65 times it occurs in the Old Testament. The Seventh-day Adventist church wasn't formed until 252 years after the KJV was produced. The guy is unequivocally wrong and borderline slanderous. People get on this forum and say some of the most outrageous things I've ever heard in my life and I've been around a little bit. Sometimes I get so upset I have to take a day or two off. I think there's a time for reproof and correction, and on this forum, it's often and constant. I guess I'm a little high-strung about people carelessly (and sometimes even intentionally) misrepresenting the truth, especially when it comes to the character of God. I'm sorry if I've disappointed you, but I mean no harm.
Adventist churches are certainly not immune to the usual "playing church" model. To be honest, I left my last church over much the same thing as you're describing, except in a more protracted manner. I was on the board and was the only one who would ever disagree with the pastor. Most of the members were from the same family and he ran a pretty taut ship. The COVID mess came up before I had a chance to get settled in a new church. I think most churches are in pretty bad shape spiritually, and it seems to go in cycles so if they aren't bad now, they soon will be. I suspect it will be like that until the Spirit is poured out in latter rain power. But I'd go tomorrow if the virus weren't afoot. "Forsake not the assembling of yourselves..." If you can't make it, you can't make it and I know it can be an ordeal, but I think it's all part of God's preparation of a people who will be ready to meet Him when He comes.
It was never up to us... Interpret scripture, thats what gets everyone into trouble, what all the arguments, and where religion comes from, to much reading not enough time with Christ.
More than you think..Thank you for your daily reminder that religion is evil.
I know that a lot of people read that "Forsake not the assembling of yourselves" as clear mandate to attend a church service somewhere regularly. I was there, but that was a long time ago. I continued to attend regularly for as long as I did because I believe God wanted me there in that place at that time to do His work. Not everyone has that calling.Adventist churches are certainly not immune to the usual "playing church" model. To be honest, I left my last church over much the same thing as you're describing, except in a more protracted manner. I was on the board and was the only one who would ever disagree with the pastor. Most of the members were from the same family and he ran a pretty taut ship. The COVID mess came up before I had a chance to get settled in a new church. I think most churches are in pretty bad shape spiritually, and it seems to go in cycles so if they aren't bad now, they soon will be. I suspect it will be like that until the Spirit is poured out in latter rain power. But I'd go tomorrow if the virus weren't afoot. "Forsake not the assembling of yourselves..." If you can't make it, you can't make it and I know it can be an ordeal, but I think it's all part of God's preparation of a people who will be ready to meet Him when He comes.
Only 1 other occurence:
