Why Do You Post On This Site?

[RedFan]

 

[Debp]

I don't like to argue so come for fellowship.

 

[Aunty Jane]

Not interested in arguments for the sake of it, but debating is educational….you get to find out what others believe and it prompts research, which either consolidates your own faith, or forces you to do some more study. I love to study and I enjoy a good research project…

I see the Bible as somewhat of a big jigsaw puzzle….you need the big picture on the box to see where all the pieces fit.

What about you @RedFan ? Do you have a “big picture”?

 

[RedFan]

Not interested in arguments for the sake of it, but debating is educational….you get to find out what others believe and it prompts research, which either consolidates your own faith, or forces you to do some more study. I love to study and I enjoy a good research project…

I see the Bible as somewhat of a big jigsaw puzzle….you need the big picture on the box to see where all the pieces fit.

What about you @RedFan ? Do you have a “big picture”?

I share your view, Aunty. And there are a few missing pieces in my box. (I'm a student of textual criticism for that reason.)

 

[PossibleThrowawayAccount]

I post here because I used to be a very strong Christian. A lot of things that happened in my life that changed it and now my faith is hanging on by a thread. I came here hoping to get back the faith I nearly lost.

 

[Naomanos]

For fellowship.

Right now, this is my church. Since I don't go to a brick and mortar church due to my ex- wife and her having final say of our kids' religious upbringing perour divorce decree. We disagree on my choice of denomination.

So, I do my fellowshiping here.

 

[rockytopva]

I believe the churches as seven...

1. Ephesus - Messianic - Beginning with the Apostle to the Circumcision, Peter
2. Smyrna - Martyr - Beginning with the Apostle to the Un-Circumcision, Paul
3. Pergamos - Orthodoxy formed in this time... Pergos is a tower... Needed in the dark ages
4. Thyatira -Catholicism formed in this time
5. Sardis - Protestantism formed in this time- A sardius is a gem - Elegant yet hard and rigid
6. Philadephia - The Great Awakening formed in this time - To be sanctioned is to acquire it with love.
7. Laodica - Rich, increased with goods, and have need of nothing?

And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon. - Revelation 5:4

As I am not worthy to open and read the book I cannot be sure of the exact boundaries. I believe the seals seal each movement (the candlestick) in which the stars are the ministers thereof. As a star can exist in a constellation I believe the possibility of millions of ministers within each movement.

I like to know how others are handling the changes I believe are befalling this the Laodicean Church Age.

 

[Lambano]

Why Do You Post On This Site?​

I've been asking myself the same question.

 

[Lambano]

Could you add the following options?

• "I'm a sociopath who can't get along with other Christians in real life"
• "I enjoy showing everybody how spiritual I am"
• "I need a platform to propagate my idiosyncratic theology"
• "I get a perverse kick out of pointing out where people are wrong and telling them they're gonna go to Hell"

 

[Aunty Jane]

I share your view, Aunty. And there are a few missing pieces in my box. (I'm a student of textual criticism for that reason.)

If there are pieces missing, as there was for me, the big picture helped me put them into place, not forcing them to fit, but moving them around to fit them in a different way….and the fit had to remain part of the big picture or it would have been obvious that it was out of place. The pieces have to fit comfortably.

What pieces are missing for you RF……and what shape is your big picture taking?

 

[Pierac]

I post here because I used to be a very strong Christian. A lot of things that happened in my life that changed it and now my faith is hanging on by a thread. I came here hoping to get back the faith I nearly lost.

You were never a very strong Christian... None of us were or are... Paul said 6 times.... "All things are of God"

You need to admit.... You were a very strong believer in what you were told by your Church! That has nothing to do with being a strong Christian.

You need to Seek it!!! Or others will tell you what to believe!!!

I hope you find the Truth...


BTY.... Faith is a Gift....

Eph 2:8-10 - "For it is by free grace (God's unmerited favor) that you are saved (delivered from judgment and made partakers of Christ's salvation) through [ the gift of] faith. And this [salvation] is not of yourselves, but it is the gift of God; Not because of works [not the fulfillment of the Law's demands], lest any man should boast. [It is not the result of what anyone can possibly do, so no one can pride himself in it or take glory to himself.] For we are God's [own] handiwork (His workmanship), recreated in Christ Jesus, [born anew] that we may do those good works which God predestined (planned beforehand) for us [taking paths which He prepared ahead of time], that we should walk in them [living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us to live].

 

[RedFan]

If there are pieces missing, as there was for me, the big picture helped me put them into place, not forcing them to fit, but moving them around to fit them in a different way….and the fit had to remain part of the big picture or it would have been obvious that it was out of place. The pieces have to fit comfortably.

What pieces are missing for you RF……and what shape is your big picture taking?

That would take me hours to explain! But the picture needs to hold together without pieces being forced into poorly fitting holes. Maybe an example would help explain what I mean:

In Matt. 28:19, Christ reportedly commissions his apostles to spread the gospel to “all the nations.” The Greek word ethnē translated as “nations” in these verses is universally interpreted to include Gentiles―making it a complete reversal of Christ’s earlier instruction to the apostles to reach out only to the Jews (Matt. 10:5-6) and of his prediction that the apostles won’t complete their mission to the Jews before his return (Matt. 10:23).

If Christ truly commissioned an outreach to the Gentiles, how are we to make sense of Acts 10 and 11? In these chapters Peter encounters Cornelius, a Gentile, and through a dream comes to the conclusion that the gospel is not to be restricted to Jews. He reports the dream and the conclusion to his Christian brethren in Jerusalem, who at first are quite critical of Peter, but then come to accept his explanation.

If Christ’s parting words to his disciples before His ascension instructed them to spread the gospel to the Gentiles, wouldn’t you think they’d remember it? Wouldn’t you think that Peter and the brethren in Jerusalem would have embraced rather than questioned the practice of reaching out to the Gentiles? Why, then, their surprise? It’s hard for me to make sense out of it if the Great Commission was given precisely as rendered.

 

[RedFan]

Could you add the following options?

• "I'm a sociopath who can't get along with other Christians in real life"
• "I enjoy showing everybody how spiritual I am"
• "I need a platform to propagate my idiosyncratic theology"
• "I get a perverse kick out of pointing out where people are wrong and telling them they're gonna go to Hell"

Yup, those would be appropriate options given the tripe I've been reading on this site recently. If everyone were honest, many would be picking one of these.

 

[Jericho]

I used to frequent another Christian forum for over 10 years until it was shut down. This has been my new home. I like conversing with like-minded people who have a Christian perspective. Also, it helps to pass the time at work when things are slow. Occasionally, I like to mix it up and get into a debate. Usually, those end up being an exercise in futility, and I grow tired of them very quickly.

 

[Aunty Jane]

That would take me hours to explain! But the picture needs to hold together without pieces being forced into poorly fitting holes.

That is true for me too….

Maybe an example would help explain what I mean:
In Matt. 28:19, Christ reportedly commissions his apostles to spread the gospel to “all the nations.” The Greek word ethnē translated as “nations” in these verses is universally interpreted to include Gentiles―making it a complete reversal of Christ’s earlier instruction to the apostles to reach out only to the Jews (Matt. 10:5-6) and of his prediction that the apostles won’t complete their mission to the Jews before his return (Matt. 10:23).

I see the dilemma…and I also see what the big picture has to offer by way of explanation….

I’ll start by going back to Abraham’s time and the covenant made with him after he was asked by God to offer up his precious son….after God held him back from completing the sacrifice, and provided a ram instead, Jehovah said….
“‘By myself I swear,’ declares Jehovah, ‘that because you have done this and you have not withheld your son, your only one, 17 I will surely bless you and I will surely multiply your offspring like the stars of the heavens and like the grains of sand on the seashore, and your offspring will take possession of the gate of his enemies. 18 And by means of your offspring all nations of the earth will obtain a blessing for themselves because you have listened to my voice.’”

We see in this declaration by God, a future hope for all mankind, (“all the nations”) not just the Jews.

Because his Messiah had to come into the world as a human being in order to redeem the whole sinful human race (not just the Jews) God chose his most faithful servant to be the one who, through his lineage, would produce the Messiah. It would be part of his credentials to be born, not just from Abraham’s line, but from a specific tribe, (Judah) at a specific time, (calculated by applying Daniel’s prophesy) and in a very specific place. (Bethlehem Ephrathah)

Once released from slavery in Egypt, Jehovah made a promised to the Jews, who by then were a numerous people….
Exodus 19: 3-8….
”Then Moses went up to the true God, and Jehovah called to him from the mountain, saying: “This is what you are to say to the house of Jacob and to tell the Israelites, 4 ‘You have seen for yourselves what I did to the Egyptians, in order to carry you on wings of eagles and bring you to myself. 5 Now if you will strictly obey my voice and keep my covenant, you will certainly become my special property out of all peoples, for the whole earth belongs to me. 6 You will become to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you are to say to the Israelites.”

7 So Moses went and summoned the elders of the people and declared to them all these words that Jehovah had commanded him. 8 After that all the people answered unanimously: “All that Jehovah has spoken, we are willing to do.”

Their promise to do “all that Jehovah has spoken” was hollow however, because they broke his covenant so many times in rebellious disobedience, yet despite his anger and punishments during Israel’s sad history, Jehovah kept his promise to Abraham….and produced their Messiah, right on time, and at the exact location, despite the fact that Mary and Joseph were not living in Bethlehem at the time when Jesus was due to be born….God took care of that.

He also carried out his promise to the Jews that they would make up the “kings and priests” in Messiah’s Kingdom…..but he prophesied that only a “remnant” would remain faithful (as it was in all their history, some always stayed true to their God). The majority were always led astray by bad leadership.…the very kings they had begged Jehovah to give them….to be like the nations….their biggest mistake was rejecting Jehovah as their King. (1 Sam 8:7)

Fast forward to Jesus’ day and he presented himself to John B for baptism. Here was their Messiah, but true to prophesy only a “remnant” of the fleshly Jews accepted him….these were not the Pharisees because Jesus said he was not sent to any but “the lost sheep of the house of Israel”. These “lost sheep” were the ones who accepted Jesus in spite of what their religious leaders were saying about him. Their efforts to shut them up and shut them down, failed even when they succeeded in silencing their leader…..they themselves had fulfilled prophesy, being responsible for their Messiah being “cut off after three and a half years” as Daniel had foretold.

So those Jews, to whom Jesus and his apostles originally preached to were not the only ones who would make up the “body of Christ”. Those of the fleshly nation got first option, (as God’s promise to Abraham indicated) but because only a remnant responded, and accepted Jesus as the Messiah, the time came for the Gentiles to be added to make up the foreordained number of “kings and priests“ in the heavenly kingdom. (Rev 20:6; Rev 7:4; Rev 14:1-5)

So according to my studies, the promise to make Israel “a kingdom of priests and a holy nation” was fulfilled when “God turned his attention to the nations to take out of them a people for his name” (Acts 15:14) But, in order to fulfill his covenant, God changed what it meant to be “Jewish”.

The apostle Paul, in arguing that the Jews were mistaken in their pride of fleshly descent as a “Jew,” and in relying on the works of the Law to find favor with God, said….
“For he is not a Jew who is one on the outside, nor is circumcision that which is on the outside upon the flesh. But he is a Jewwho is one on the inside, and his circumcision is that of the heart by spirit, and not by a written code. The praise of that one comes, not from men, but from God.” (Romans 2:28-29; Matt 3:9)

Paul also wrote…Romans 9:6-8….
”However, it is not as though the word of God has failed. For not all who descend from Israel are really “Israel.” 7 Neither are they all children because they are Abraham’s offspring; rather, “What will be called your offspring will be through Isaac.” 8 That is, the children in the flesh are not really the children of God, but the children by the promise are counted as the offspring.”

Spiritual “Israel” came into existence….made up of both Jewish and Gentile Christians….Paul called them “the Israel of God”. (Gal 6:16) So it makes sense to me that in changing the definition of what it meant to be a “Jew”, might have been a little difficult to comprehend at first, hence Peter’s vision was repeated three times to get the point across…..in being sent to Cornelius, he understood that those who were formerly, spiritually “unclean”, were now coming to God as Christ’s disciples, without the need to convert to Judaism.

It never was just about fleshly “Israel”…..by their own disobedience they disqualified themselves. (Matt23: 37-39)

Sorry this is so long, but I am a stickler for detail and without the detail the scriptures do not come to life.

Does this answer your question…..scripturally?

 

[Debp]

Yup, those would be appropriate options given the tripe I've been reading on this site recently. If everyone were honest, many would be picking one of these.

Now you understand why I post so many cat videos.... avoiding the quagmire.

 

[PossibleThrowawayAccount]

You were never a very strong Christian... None of us were or are... Paul said 6 times.... "All things are of God"

Excellent point. But I would like for my faith to be as strong as it once was.

 

[Bob Estey]

View attachment 41286

I post here because I enjoy discussing theology.

 

[ShineTheLight]

I don't like to argue so come for fellowship.

Oh there's a lot of that here. And on other forums.

 

[Debp]

Oh there's a lot of that here. And on other forums.

When I first went to a certain Christian forum, I was appalled at how some were talking to non-Christians. And when another gal and I spoke up about it in a gentle way, we were not liked for that!