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One of the first rules of Bible interpretation is to whom is it addressed and what person or people group is being discussed. Paul tells us that the majority of the Jews, in his day, had been hardened against the gospel--did He do that or merely turn His back on them and refuse to soften their...

That's the easiest part--ask God for the truth and He will supply it. Ask Him to wipe away your doubts and He will.

As far as I can see, there were three groups of people who wore earrings in the past. Women for beautification and wealth storage. Men, to indicate their status as a slave. Male pirates and Romany for wealth storage. Are modern men trying to be more like women, slaves, pirates or gypsies? ;)

ALL true Christians believe that we are "saved by grace through faith". There are those who SAY they are Christians but who haven't a clue about the necessity of believing that the Bible is true. But that is only by the Holy Spirit that we are convinced of such things.

Only you have decided that what you do is good. God says, in His word that it is "worthless" (Gr. phaulon) to do works outside of faith. You may feed a beggar and save him from starvation, only to have him eventually die and be in hell for eternity. Christians have an obligation to 1) take...

You are bending Scripture to suit your purposes. The Matthew 18 passage is about disciplining a church member for BEHAVIOR which is sinful and brings discredit on the church. 1 Cor. 11:19 is much more pertinent to the discussion at hand. Have you? From the 1 Cor. 11:19 passage, as well as...

We are saved by the grace of God through the faith that He bestows on us, through the power of His Spirit. Our proper and humble response is to surrender to the overwhelming tide of love and grace. At that moment, we are justified. We then become "faithful" along with all the others of the...

You are putting words in my mouth. I did NOT say that faith "has always been within us". I said that faith comes by the power of God. It is the new birth from above. By the way, I also believe in OSAS.

see Revelation 20:6 Grace is from God's side, faith is from our side. FAITH IS NOT A WORK OF MAN--it just IS, by God's power. Hebrews 11:2 says "Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see." There is nothing in that...

You have done nothing in this post to dispel the opinion of many non-Calvinists that Calvinists are arrogant, presumptuous, disrespectful, revilers.

Yes. Faith is NOT something you DO--it just IS. A state of being, not something you can work toward. We say that we are IN the faith or even OF the faith, NOT that we DO the faith. Indeed, the Bible tells us that works done NOT in faith, are worthless.

No, I am not saying that. What I am saying is that God threw the banquet open to just anyone when the "invited guests" made excuses to avoid attending. (see Luke 14:16-24) Jesus was indicating that the "invited guests" were Judah/Israel and when they were too "busy" with the cares and worries...

Yes, the context is that Paul was speaking about Israel.

Romans 9:19 is about Israel. Paul doesn't get to Gentile believers until later in the chapter--in verse 25. God did harden Israel's heart temporarily. (Romans 11:7) but Romans 11 is all about the redemption of Israel at the End.

Actually, most, if not all translations say that the Lord opened her MIND to understand the Scriptures. There is a difference between mind and heart in ancient thought. Otherwise why did the Lord make the distinction between them? "You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all...

I see no warrant in Scripture for dividing the call of God into a "general call" and a "special call". No, "uncircumcised" referred to the heathen whether in Egypt or Canaan. "Circumcised" referred to those who were called and chosen by God--the "elect" (that is what "chosen" means) who were...

Now, I think we may be getting somewhere. God sends His merciful "rain" to soften the hard ground of our hearts to allow the "seed" of His word to take root. The Father calls and softens but we respond (or not) to the truth in His word, by the power of His Spirit, who "leads to all truth"--the...

Even when you are mocking others?

Juvenile.

I disagree. The best jokes are self-effacing.