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Here is a paragraph from a cessationist I highly admire. Again, though I would not classify myself as a strict cessationist, I agree with the general principles here.

I think God answers prayer and heals in that way. The "gift" of healing is another thing altogether. I dont God gives this gift just for a particular scenario where someone is petitioning for a sick child. The "gift" of healing was a sign that was prevalent among Apostles and other such...

Oh? My mistake. I thought for sure I had seen you post that you were a JW on another thread. My apologies!

Oz, Yes, I understand that seeing the resurrection as a merely symbolic act is prevalent among some liberals. I think that is what would make our conversation on the topic so encouraging as I am sure we would all reject such nonsense. I think Paul addresses this question about as directly and...

Phoneman777, While we might agree on some things in regards to eschatology and OSAS, I think they are merely coincidental as there is a large and sad gap between our views on the most important themes of Scripture due to your JW background.

Marilyn, Yes, I agree with you. This is why I view apocalyptic literature the way that I do. Not only does it speak to the author's actual intent historically, but it gives us powerful applications for every age. For instance, the two beasts in Revelation point primarily to the Roman...

I disagree with this statement. The Holy Spirit gives gifts "as he will." Not all believers have all the same gifts. Thus, it is possible that I have been given the gift to teach or administrate and you have not. I do disagree with charismatics who want to argue that all Christians should be...

Yes, Jesus preached and we preach. Our preaching has the capacity to bring forgiveness of sins and everlasting righteousness through faith in Jesus. We both preach but ours has greater impact because of the work of the Spirit and the Gospel that is now possible by the cross and resurrection...

I was just going off the OP. Seems like the thought behind this thread was to discussing things that are common Christian beliefs. I assume we all believe in the resurrection of Jesus and future resurrection of the just and unjust. Just thought we could pick through the implications of that...

KingJ, I understand what you are trying to say, I just dont think you often communicate it very clearly. For instance, you said the following: Thus, it comes across that the difference between magic and signs in your mind is the intent of feeding hungry people vs. giving a sign. The fact is...

Jun2u, Thanks for your response. The point I am making, is that the "interpretation" cannot be validated if the language is entirely unintelligible by all of humanity. So, I think my point still stands. The gift remains impossible to validate since there can be no objective way to determine...

KingJ, no. I have heard you comment on it before and try to explain your rationale for the word "magic." Its just not how the word is used or understood so your arguments have made little sense to me. I really dislike these kinds of statements. As a matter of definition, babies and gravity...

I think it would be interesting to discuss our common belief in the physical resurrection of the dead (starting with Christ) and how that impacts our theology, daily lives and eschatology.

KingJ, I am not sure what exactly you are arguing, but it comes across pretty poorly. It sounds like you are saying that the miraculous works of the Bible were almost illegitimate and at least inferior to mere social works that any person (including the non-Christian) can do. I agree with you...

Ahh, that is sad. Oh well, never hurts to try :).

In my estimation (and considering the broader context of Galatians), Paul is confronting the Judiazers who are trying to convince Christians that they cannot be saved apart from observing the law (i.e. circumcision). Paul is saying that if you strive to seek justification through law, you...

Thanks for the info Oz. Good stuff. Yes, that is why I would push for Barnabas. There are a few early church people that point to Clement and to me the writing sounds somewhat similar to 1 Clement (whose authorship is another thread altogether!), but for the above noted reasons, Barnabas...

Marilyn, I agree with you. That has been my point. Yes, we can take the application of a text and apply it to our lives today. However, we must find the meaning before we can draw applications. The meaning is found through the author's original intent. The original intent of Daniel with...

Yes, as we know that because Scripture tells us so and God's inspired authors connect those dots. Moreover, the OT is full of typology pointing us to Jesus. This isnt license for us to start throwing whatever ideas we want into various OT or NT verses. If you understand the typology of the OT...

Marylin, I disagree. Yes, the Bible speaks to all people of all ages. However, it's message is understood by seeing it in its original context. We can understand what the Bible means to us ONLY after we have understood what it meant to them. If we disregard the author, context and audience...