Veteran wrote: " There's nothing skewed about God's Holy Writ. It's simple, "
Vet, I did nto say nor claim I thought there was anyting in God's Word skewed, To put this undera different light... My claim is man can skew God's Word for their intrepetational desires but that does not make that perception correct.
Yes, I know you did not intend to infer God's Word is skewed, but man's understanding. You made the following statement that I cannot agree with that I was responding to...
In the ideals of a firm steely opinion of a Godly fact one must remember always that the Word of God is a living word and though it is unchanging its understanding for us must be flexible if we really desire to know truth.
It's that underlined part I cannot agree with, at least not what that statement expresses the way it's written. You may not have meant it the way I interpret it at all. How I understand you is that God's Word is unchanging, though It is The Living Word, which I agree. But It's understanding FOR us being flexible does not mean to me to allow the varioius doctrines of men to get involved, which can only confuse the understanding God intended.
It's our growth towards rightly understanding God's Word that should be flexible, and that simply means pieces are continually revealed in stages until we've got the whole. Each piece will be a solid piece we can rely on not to change. If that were not so, then The Gospel links in the OT prophets would no longer have meaning when the New Covenant came.
Vet, you also wrote: " Clearly, at some point with those, it may involve a rebuke in tough love. "
To this I should inform you of a couple of things...
one, many profoundly learnered men were unable to recognize the first coming of Christ. They were too profoundly mis-guidedly estute for their own good. An entire nation of Jews still do not recognizee Christ! Can one become so engrossed in what they think ffits the way they want that they beocme blind? yes!!! And this is the reason humility takes presidence!
The Ezek.28 example is not the depth of what I'm talking about with false prophets who come along to try and remove God's Truth out of one's mind. We could get into the various theories of men like pre-trib, pre-wrath, preterism, historicism to see how some purposefully try to change what's actually written. And for one who is wary of the leaven doctrines of men our Lord Jesus warned of us, it's not that difficult to disprove them by what's actually written. This idea is actually from Christ, not me; He covered it in the parable of the sower...
Matt 13:19
19 When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side.
(KJV)
A faithful believer that heeds God's Word as written will be less swayed by men's doctrines and not like a reed shaking in the wind changing with the various doctrines of men, which is to never come to God's Truth. So with a lot of God's Holy Writ, one CAN be certain of It's intent and meaning. If that were not so then the very foundation of God's Truth would fall, which is what Satan's false prophets are trying to do today. So it should be obvious that being learned by the world's standards is one thing, while being learned in God's Word with His help is another entirely. The two should not be compared, even though an education can still be an advantage; afterall, Daniel was elevated by the king of Babylon because of his knowledge over Babylon's own prophets of the day.
two, no matter if you think my understanding of scripture, history or language, in part or in its entireity is lacking. I assure you this vessel will be sufficiently filled if that has not already been accomplished. Tough love through rebuke? Only God or Jesus should do that and since we are in God's Grace thanks to Jesus... humble persuassion should be the method a Christian uses even if they are a prophet, unless they are one of the two witnesses... for it is them to use the harsh methods for the rest of you it is to reside on foregiveness. Did David use prophets? Do you think those prophets rebuked David or used humility? Be thou as David's prophets.
I wasn't specifically pointing to your understanding, but speaking in general about the subject. If we care about brethren that are deceived, we are not going to want them to continue in that, and at times depending on the unruliness they exhibit, it may require a rebuke, which is what Paul was teaching here...
Titus 1:8-14
8 But a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate;
9 Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.
10 For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision:
11 Whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre's sake.
12 One of themselves, even a prophet of their own, said, "The Cretians are alway liars, evil beasts, slow bellies."
13 This witness is true. Wherefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith;
14 Not giving heed to Jewish fables, and commandments of men, that turn from the truth.
(KJV)
Being hospitable, temperate, sober, holy, just, etc., is always first, I agree. But when dealing with the unruly tongues of 'gainsayers', that is not always possible. The rebuke is to try to turn them back to the right way in Christ. Look in Matthew at John the Baptist's rebuke of the scribes and Pharisees just for showing up where John was baptizing, even before they had even said one word. Are there no Christians on earth today able to be certain of falseness enough to give a rebuke in Christ Jesus? It would appear so with the many pacifist style doctrines being fed to congregations today. Those congregations are beginning to suffer what for holding those political correctness attitudes? Many of them are now heeding the false prophet's attempts to limit what they can and cannot preach in their pulpits.
Remembr always every Christian here is seeking a righteous understanding. would it not be best if you understanding came through with love instead of a self-elevated position? Onee of Christ's greatest lessons was humility and the power it possesses.
Every 'true' Christian I would add. I do not believe everyone that comes here is a Christian believer. Sorry, I'm not that naive as to how Satan's devices work in this present world.
If some take offense by the way I come across, like I'm trying to elevate myself, then they're not really concentrating on what I cover from God's Word then are they? Those show they instead are here more to honor position and status, and not really after understanding. Or maybe you haven't noticed the old ploy very often used by Satan's false prophets to try and attack one's credibility in order to turn people's minds away to something else? I get that a lot after I've offerred a Scripture those gainsayers cannot refute lest it makes them look silly.
Which is dumber, and why?.... A Bag of Hmmers, a Sack of Sones or a Box of Rocks?
A sack of stones for it was a box of rocks that was too dumb to move out of the way of the bag of hammers.
Some of the greatest minds of today will easily succumb to Satan. Many of the richest and most powerful people with an entorage of researchers and advisers will fall into Satan's traps. These people will be oh so sure they are doing the right thing and their people, advisers and the like will be oh so sure they have done proper research and yet be wrong. I applaud the time you invested in discovery to obtain truth, now is the time to assist others in your understandings, but do this with humility, always.
and God Bless You.
I do try to be humble, as much as the other person I converse with allows. But I don't confuse their mocking with humility.
