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 Christianity Etc › Re: Yasir Quadhi: Problems With The Preservation Of The Quran by madegreatbygrace(m): 8:03am On Jul 12, 2020 |
quote author=AntiChristian post=91625857]Show me in the Bible where Jesus is said to be sinful. I'll show you two scriptures where He's said to be sinless. “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” II Corinthians 5:21 NKJV “For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.” Hebrews 4:15 NKJV |
| Christianity Etc › Re: Yasir Quadhi: Problems With The Preservation Of The Quran by madegreatbygrace(m): 2:15am On Jul 12, 2020*. Modified: 9:26pm On Jul 12, 2020 |
quote author=AntiChristian post=91623607]That made him a sinner, right? |
| Christianity Etc › Re: Yasir Quadhi: Problems With The Preservation Of The Quran by madegreatbygrace(m): 11:10pm On Jul 11, 2020*. Modified: 2:44am On Jul 12, 2020 |
[quote author=AntiChristian post=90548945]Who is Yasir Qadri being mentioned in the post? Yasir Qadhi is a Pakistani-American Muslim preacher calling to falsehood!Is it true that Muhammed prayed to Allah 70 times a day asking for the forgiveness of sins? |
| Christianity Etc › Re: Why Jesus Taught In Parables by madegreatbygrace(op): 9:42am On Jul 10, 2020 |
This is a brilliant rendition of Luke 8:9-10 by the Message Bible; “His disciples asked, “Why did you tell this story?” He said, “You’ve been given insight into God’s kingdom—you know how it works. There are others who need stories. But even with stories some of them aren’t going to get it: Their eyes are open but don’t see a thing, Their ears are open but don’t hear a thing.” Luke 8:9-10 MSG |
| Christianity Etc › Re: I'm Beginning To Reason With Jehovah Witness On Their Stand Concerning Trinity by madegreatbygrace(m): 9:18am On Jul 10, 2020 |
[ quote author=johnw47 post=91560006]@Johnw47, Thanks for sharing the site. It's an eye-opener to say the least. 1 Like |
| Christianity Etc › Re: Born Of Water And The Spirit And The "Kai" Connection by madegreatbygrace(op): 12:24am On Jul 09, 2020 |
[quote author=Kobojunkie post=91525894]An impossibility in the Bible is a figure of speech? No one?  Are you serious about that? I remember reading of monks inflicting such punishments on themselves back during the dark ages of the Church mind you. Of course, there were those who choose flagellation over mutilation Really? So then it makes sense to conclude that what John the Baptist did was meaningless? Remember, He preached repentance and the Baptism was a sign of that repentance- a cleansing of sorts from sin and filthyness Just listen to yourself. Is Jesus Christ a monk? |
| Christianity Etc › Re: Born Of Water And The Spirit And The "Kai" Connection by madegreatbygrace(op): 12:04am On Jul 09, 2020 |
So how did you arrive at the water mentioned even in Ezekiel being allegorical? I am trying to get a peak into your mind here is what.Whenever you see an impossibility in the Bible, a figure of speech is always intended. As an illustration, consider what Jesus says here: “If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.” Matthew 5:29 NKJV Surely, no one in their right mind will take the Lord's recommendation literally here, for it will be against His character to advise anyone to pluck out their eyes because of sin. So it's an impossible statement. It is an impossible statement, then it must be figurative. Likewise, in Ezekiel 36:25, “Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols.” We know that clean water can not cleanse anyone from sin or filthiness; Only the blood of Jesus does that. This is also an impossible statement and so a figure of speech is intended. |
| Christianity Etc › Re: Born Of Water And The Spirit And The "Kai" Connection by madegreatbygrace(op): 10:14pm On Jul 08, 2020 |
quote author=Kobojunkie post=91520057] The water is allegorical? Are you suggesting that the baptisms carried out by John the Baptist, using water mind you, were really unnecessary?Nothing in my post suggests that the baptism of John was unnecessary. Nevertheless, Its significance was to reveal the Messiah to John and then Israel, and also served as a typology of the new birth. |
| Christianity Etc › Re: Born Of Water And The Spirit And The "Kai" Connection by madegreatbygrace(op): 8:16pm On Jul 08, 2020 |
[ quote author=Kobojunkie post=91494592]This text in Ezekiel still affirms my point. The water in verse 25 is an allegory. The reality is in verses 25 and 26. |
| Christianity Etc › Re: What Does 1 Peter 3:19 Mean? by madegreatbygrace(op): 9:51am On Jul 04, 2020 |
Let's make this clear. Noah didn't preach to the spirits in prison, neither did Jesus. However, Noah preached to a whole lot of people on earth when the ark was being prepared. The souls of the disobedient ones in hades are referred to as "spirits in prison". |
| Christianity Etc › What Does 1 Peter 3:19 Mean? by madegreatbygrace(op): 10:22pm On Jul 03, 2020 |
18. "For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit, 19. by whom also He went and preached to the spirits in prison, 20.who formerly were disobedient, when once the Divine longsuffering waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water.” I Peter 3:18-20 Did Jesus actually preach to the spirits in Prison? Who are the spirits in Prison? Some scholars put up a theory that they are the souls of old testament saints in hades . The point is that Jesus went down below to proclaim His death and resurrection to these souls. But the question is why would Jesus preach to only the old testament saints? Some also theorized that Jesus went to hades to goad or further condemn His enemies. This doesn't make any sense at all. What would the Lord gain from preaching to condemned souls? Would that make them repent? Looking at these three verses above, it seems there's a syntax issue during translation. In v18, Peter writes about the resurrection of Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit. This is clear. But v19 is tricky. It seems the "he" refers to Jesus. It appears Jesus went to preach to the spirits in prison, especially when you read from the previous verse. This has already been disproved, however. The risen Jesus didn't have to preach to the spirits in prison. But somebody did. So who could this be. Well, looking at the three verses in context, the only person who could have done it would be Noah. Noah is called the preacher of righteousness (2 Peter 2:5) By that same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead, Noah went to preach during the time of the flood, when the ark was being prepared, in Genesis 6. Only eight souls were saved while the the disobedient perished. In other words, Noah went to preach when the ark was being prepared to those whose spirits are now in prison. 2 Likes 1 Share |
| Christianity Etc › Re: Born Of Water And The Spirit And The "Kai" Connection by madegreatbygrace(op): 9:58am On Jun 30, 2020*. Modified: 10:47am On Jun 30, 2020 |
quote author=Myer post=91169631]Some Christians are lazy to find out for themselves what they possess in Christ Jesus. This laziness then leads to ignorance. This is why Paul mostly wrote about knowing or knowledge in his epistles. “the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,” Ephesians 1:18 NKJV “Awake to righteousness, and do not sin; for some do not have the knowledge of God. I speak this to your shame.” I Corinthians 15:34 NKJV “I pray that the sharing of your faith may become effective and powerful because of your accurate knowledge of every good thing which is ours in Christ.” Philemon 1:6 AMP So it's clear that the problem of most Christians is lack of knowledge. We're not talking about head knowledge here, but revelational knowledge. Second, there's a quick fix syndrome ravaging this generation, which prevents the majority from pursuing God with the whole of their hearts. We want it fast and now. People don't want to tarry, so that godly character be built in them. They don't want to go deep in fellowship and knowledge of God. They have no desire to go deep down into the sea. Notice what the Psalmist says about them: “Those who go down to the sea in ships, Who do business on great waters, They see the works of the LORD, And His wonders in the deep.” Psalms 107:23-24 NKJV So the wonders of the Lord are in the deep. So the reason why The apostles experienced these wonders was because they invaded the deep without inhibition. This is what is missing in this generation. |
| Christianity Etc › Re: What Is The Doctrine Of The Trinity? by madegreatbygrace(m): 7:02pm On Jun 28, 2020 |
[ quote author=AntiChristian post=91119139]The term "Unitarian Christians" is an oxymoron. Therefore, it is non-existent! |
| Christianity Etc › Re: Born Of Water And The Spirit And The "Kai" Connection by madegreatbygrace(op): 4:49pm On Jun 28, 2020 |
[quote author=Myer post=91167648]This is how people fail exams.lolSecondly. How then do you know you are worshipping God in Spirit? You can make your point without being rude. Needless to say, I gave you a comprehensive answer to the best of my ability. Read through again and pay attention to the last paragraph/sentence. That's where your answer lies. |
| Christianity Etc › Re: Born Of Water And The Spirit And The "Kai" Connection by madegreatbygrace(op): 3:38pm On Jun 28, 2020 |
quote author=Myer post=91150544]What is worship? Worship is the act of attributing honour or reverence to God, through love and submission. A man that worships God believes that God is the Lord, that is, He has supreme authority and He's the owner of all. Worship is not limited to the slow songs the Choir sing in church or the act of bowing down, although these are acts of worship. Anything done to honour God is an act of worship. Prayer, giving, preaching the Gospel and studying the word of God are acts of worship especially when they are done to honour God in love. How does a man honour God? Through submission in love. For the believer, this submission or honour must be done through the Spirit, that is, carrying out the instructions of the Spirit and by the energy of the Spirit. For example, at the end of every month, and after receiving the salary, I should ask the Lord how much of the salary He wants me to give to the House of the Lord. This amount could be 10%, 20%, 50% or 100% , and not a fixed amount of 10% as most Christians do. So, the true worshippers are those that first search the heart of the Father and then carry out the desires of His Heart out of love and not compulsion. How do I worship God in prayer? Remember that there's no worship without honour, and there's no honour without submission in love. The believer can not submit to the Lord without being led. This is why he's called a son. “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.” Romans 8:14 NKJV Thus, a believer worships God in prayer when he prays the Father's heart. “Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.” Romans 8:26-27 NKJV So in prayer, he says only those that the Father through the Spirits want said. In other words, he prays the will of God with the aid of the Spirit. This is the highest honour in prayer, and this is true worship. So you worship God in the Spirit when you obey instructions given to you by the Spirit of God inside of you. It is not fulfilling the lust of the flesh but fulfilling the desires of the Spirit in love. |
| Christianity Etc › Re: Born Of Water And The Spirit And The "Kai" Connection by madegreatbygrace(op): 10:16pm On Jun 26, 2020*. Modified: 11:15pm On Jun 26, 2020 |
“Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. “Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’” The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”” John 3:3-8 NKJV In the Lord’s discuss with Nicodemus, there’s a vital point that must not be overlooked- the number of times Jesus used Spirit compared with the number of times He used water . Spirit appears three times as against water appearing once! He never used water again after verse 5. This is highly significant- The Spirit is the reality and water is just a shadow. He's saying the water is just an explanation for the Spirit. Once He made that point, He knew it was unnecessary to repeat it again. Water is not required for the new birth. The water doesn't refer to water baptism as some have erroneously preached or taught. Water baptism doesn't lead to salvation. “For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body— whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into one Spirit.” I Corinthians 12:13 NKJV “There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism;” Ephesians 4:4-5 NKJV And that baptism is by the Spirit and by the Spirit only. Some have also claimed that the water in John 3:5 refers to the word of God quoting 1 Peter 1:23 “having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever,” I Peter 1:23 NKJV This is fraudulent and illogical, as the word of God here refers to the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. A man becomes born again when he hears the Gospel which is the word of God. Once again, and for the sake of emphasis, the water in the third verse of John 3 is the Holy Spirit. |
| Christianity Etc › Re: Born Of Water And The Spirit And The "Kai" Connection by madegreatbygrace(op): 2:48pm On Jun 25, 2020 |
jamesid29:PS: I understand one or two languages well enough but greek is not one of them as I don't have any formal training in it. Everything I know is things I've picked up here and there. Just wanted to make that clear so I don't pass across the wrong impression.That's the spirit brother. I love you. 1 Like 1 Share |
| Christianity Etc › Re: Born Of Water And The Spirit And The "Kai" Connection by madegreatbygrace(op): 11:47am On Jun 25, 2020*. Modified: 2:52pm On Jun 25, 2020 |
“But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him.” John 4:23 NKJV The above is also often misapplied. Should one worship God in both Spirit and truth? Or should one worship God in Spirit only? Applying this rule, Jesus was basically saying to the woman at the well that, " God is a Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in Spirit which is the truth (reality)." This is even clearer when we consider context. The woman had a wrong mindset of what worship should be. “Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, and you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where one ought to worship.” John 4:20 NKJV According to her, the acceptability of worship is dependent on location. The real worshipper is the one that worships in a certain place- on this mountain. Here comes the refutal : “Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father.” John 4:21 NKJV That's nicely put, eh? So the time is coming- as a matter of fact, it has come- when what you're called will not matter and where you go to worship will not matter. Then the bombshell: “But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him.” John 4:23 NKJV Notice the "true worshippers". He gave a definition- those that worship God in Spirit. Then for the sake of emphasis, He repeats Himself, " those that worship the Father in Spirit are the real worshippers- they worship in truth. Mr. Op, are you now saying worship in the old testament was fake and unacceptable. Not really. Worship in the old testament was a shadow of what is obtainable under the new covenant because it was based on the old testament laws. It was indeed faulty and had to be jettisoned. “For if that first covenant had been faultless, then no place would have been sought for a second.” Hebrews 8:7 NKJV For God's utmost desire was for the temple to dwell in man. So here, the truth explains the Spirit. |
| Christianity Etc › Re: Born Of Water And The Spirit And The "Kai" Connection by madegreatbygrace(op): 7:40pm On Jun 24, 2020 |
[[]quote author=hoopernikao post=91030429] Lol. You will need to read again and again what you wrote, then hopefully someday you can correct it. The bible in your hand that you read is translated and interpreted by scholars. You said you dont seek the opinion of scholars when you read the bible. Truly, you cant and dont need to, because their opinion is already fused in what you are reading, their opinion is what is in your hands as English Bible. Can you see where you are wrong? The bible you read is an opinion of a translator who is a bible scholar who helped you bring the original language to your language premise. Your comprehension skill is already bounded by what the same scholar you dont seek his opinion wrote for you in English. So, you dont need to seek scholarly opinion, it is already in your hand. Sadly, when such scholar presents a wrong meaning of words and you read it, you may likely embrace it and say that is what God ministers to you.  . The earlier you get this the better Bro. This is not about forcing you or telling you wrong or right.And on the bold above in your post above, i hope when you read the bible, its like Shakespeare abi? not that you are studying it as the word of God, because if you do the later, then that is called bible study and that makes you a bible students (you study the bible). The earlier we stop creating contradiction in the face of trying to be different the better.[/b] To make it worse, scholars don't just translate the Bible, they also interpret. |
| Christianity Etc › Re: Born Of Water And The Spirit And The "Kai" Connection by madegreatbygrace(op): 1:15pm On Jun 24, 2020 |
[quote author=hoopernikao post=91015761]He doesnt have to mention a rule for it to be known. Bible student should know the premise of explanation of a subject. When you see a rule applied in literature or language, you should be able to know where it i s coming from. So, OP not stating the name doesnt change the fact that it is drawn from that rule.You nailed it bro. I should be learning from you. |
| Christianity Etc › Re: Born Of Water And The Spirit And The "Kai" Connection by madegreatbygrace(op): 7:16am On Jun 24, 2020 |
When does "kai" explain a preceding noun? We need a little bit of grammar to unravel the Granville Sharp rule, especially copulative conjunctions, which is also known as additive conjunctions. Copulative conjunctions are words that join other words and indicate the relation of an additional information. Examples are "and", moreover, and "also". Also, "the" is the only definite article in English language. The Granville Sharp rule states that when two singular common nouns are used to describe a person or thing, and those two nouns are joined by copulative conjunction, and the definite article precedes the first noun but not the second ( or the definite article precedes the second noun but not the first), then both nouns refer to the same thing or person. As an illustration, consider the sentence: Yesterday, I saw the founder and the sponsor of the city football club, Mr. Columbus. The definite article "the" is used twice, before both founder and sponsor. It's clear that Mr. Columbus is founder from the statement above, but the sponsor could be a different person. Thus, it is not certain if Mr. Columbus is both the founder and the sponsor of the football club. However, this uncertainty is eliminated in the following reconstruction: Yesterday, I saw the founder and sponsor of the city football club, Mr. Columbus. In this case, the definite article “the” is used once, before the first noun. Therefore, Mr. Columbus is both founder and sponsor of the city football club. In summary, The Granville Sharp rule can be stated as- Definite article + singular noun + copulative conjunction + singular noun= the same person or thing. Or in some cases- singular noun + copulative conjunction + definite article + singular noun = the same person or thing. We’ll now begin to apply this rule to some Bible verses that are often erroneously taught or understood. “John answered, saying unto them all, I indeed baptize you with water; but one mightier than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire:” Luke 3:16 KJV Notice here that the noun "fire" is not preceded by "the". Therefore, The Holy Ghost and fire mean the same thing. Fire is a figure of the purification of sin. 1 Like |
| Christianity Etc › Re: Born Of Water And The Spirit And The "Kai" Connection by madegreatbygrace(op): 4:30am On Jun 24, 2020 |
[quote author=hoopernikao post=91004003]What he was refering to is called Sharp rule of Greek lexicon by Granville Sharp, likely a bible scholar. It is a widely accepted rule in Greek language construction and usage. And among bible scholars. This has helped in revealing meaning behind many hard bible text due to word construction. You can do a search on it and read his research on bible text.I understand clearly the Sharp rule. It is also known as the TSKS rule. I wasn't in a rush either. It's just my writing style to present my points bit by bit. Thanks brother. |
| Christianity Etc › Re: Born Of Water And The Spirit And The "Kai" Connection by madegreatbygrace(op): 4:08am On Jun 24, 2020 |
quote author=Kobojunkie post=91003917Following your explanation above of the use of the Greek word 'kai', am I to conclude that everywhere else the word 'kai' is used, I can simply ignore the word following the conjunction in the English translation? For instance, . should instead read.... As we can see, water and Spirit are not considered the same here, as the Spirit is said to testify to Jesus Christ's coming, where the water does not seem to have that power to do the same. Oh, I understand. It's not in all cases that you ignore the word following anywhere the word "kai" is used. Generally, context, common sense, structural hint, and an overall sense of scripture and author's intent are the best guides. In the verse you quoted above, water and blood are not one and the same. The water refers to the Jesus's divinity or his "begotteness" while blood refers to his humanity or being born of a woman. I'll explain further in the coming days. Hope this helps. |
| Christianity Etc › Re: Born Of Water And The Spirit And The "Kai" Connection by madegreatbygrace(op): 3:07am On Jun 24, 2020*. Modified: 3:29am On Jun 24, 2020 |
Kobojunkie: And when you say water, you literally mean water, right? You mean wherever Jesus Christ referred to the Spirit of God living on the inside of us, He meant to say that water would live on the inside of us? When Jesus Christ said He would send a Helper who would comfort us, direct us, guide us, counsel us, lead us to all Truth, He, Jesus Christ, was simply saying that water would direct us, guide us, counsel us, and lead us to all Truth that is Jesus Christ? [b][/b][quote]Look up the meaning of typology in the English dictionary. 2 Likes |
| Christianity Etc › Born Of Water And The Spirit And The "Kai" Connection by madegreatbygrace(op): 9:45pm On Jun 23, 2020*. Modified: 7:50am On Jun 24, 2020 |
The English word "and" is a conjunction used as a connector between words, phrases, clauses and sentences. In English, "and" is relatively explicit, almost always joining two different things. The Greek word "Kai" is most often translated into English as "and", but its meaning in Greek goes way beyond that of our familiar English conjunction. In Greek, "Kai" is much more complex in usage, operating in ways that are foreign to English speakers. It could mean "that is", "which is", "namely", or "even". Due to the complexity of the word "Kai", English readers often misunderstand the meaning of some New Testament verses. One of these is John 3:5 ; “Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.” John 3:5 KJV In this verse, water and Spirit do not imply two different things. As a matter of fact, water and Spirit are one and the same! Yes, water is the same as the Spirit according to Jesus. How so? Jesus often used water as a typology for the Holy Spirit. In other words, water symbolises the Holy Spirit as one can observe in these verses ; “He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)” John 7:38-39 KJV “But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.” John 4:14 KJV With this understanding, John 3:5 can be rephrased thus : "Verily verily I say unto thee, except a man be born of water which is the Spirit, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God." When does "kai" explain a preceding noun? We need a little bit of grammar to unravel the Granville Sharp rule, especially copulative conjunctions, which is also known as additive conjunctions. Copulative conjunctions are words that join other words and indicate the relation of an additional information. Examples are "and", moreover, and "also". Also, "the" is the only definite article in English language. The Granville Sharp rule states that when two singular common nouns are used to describe a person or thing, and those two nouns are joined by copulative conjunction, and the definite article precedes the first noun but not the second ( or the definite article precedes the second noun but not the first), then both nouns refer to the same thing or person. As an illustration, consider the sentence: Yesterday, I saw the founder and the sponsor of the city football club, Mr. Columbus. The definite article "the" is used twice, before both founder and sponsor. It's clear that Mr. Columbus is founder from the statement above, but the sponsor could be a different person. Thus, it is not certain if Mr. Columbus is both the founder and the sponsor of the football club. However, this uncertainty is eliminated in the following reconstruction: Yesterday, I saw the founder and sponsor of the city football club, Mr. Columbus. In this case, the definite article “the” is used once, before the first noun. Therefore, Mr. Columbus is both founder and sponsor of the city football club. In summary, The Granville Sharp rule can be stated as- Definite article + singular noun + copulative conjunction + singular noun= the same person or thing. Or in some cases- singular noun + copulative conjunction + definite article + singular noun = the same person or thing. We’ll now begin to apply this rule to some Bible verses that are often erroneously taught or understood. “John answered, saying unto them all, I indeed baptize you with water; but one mightier than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire:” Luke 3:16 KJV Notice here that the noun "fire" is not preceded by "the". Therefore, The Holy Ghost and fire mean the same thing. Fire is a figure of the purification of sin. 1 Like |
| Christianity Etc › Re: Why Jesus Taught In Parables by madegreatbygrace(op): 8:30am On Jun 18, 2020 |
Jesus knew He was dealing with natural people that are geared towards their natural minds and He wanted them to reflect on spiritual things.To make them to see and comprehend the invisible world, He had to use everyday illustrations that the people can relate to, which will also provoke their thought life to think on spiritual things. |
| Christianity Etc › Re: Who Rain Down These Brimstone On Sodom And Gomorrah? by madegreatbygrace(m): 1:14pm On Jun 14, 2020 |
[quote author=OpenYourEyes1 post=75218068] "Then the LORD rained down burning sulfur on Sodom and Gomorrah--from the LORD out of the heavens. Thus he overthrew those cities and the entire plain, destroying all those living in the cities--and also the vegetation in the land." Genesis 19:24-25My brother, from this post i assume you believe God rained down sulfur on Sodom and Gomorrah. My question is, why did He do that? |
| Christianity Etc › Re: Why Jesus Taught In Parables by madegreatbygrace(op): 12:17pm On Jun 14, 2020 |
Then, Jesus continues : “Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. And in them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says: ‘Hearing you will hear and shall not understand, And seeing you will see and not perceive; For the hearts of this people have grown dull. Their ears are hard of hearing, And their eyes they have closed, Lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, So that I should heal them.’” Matthew 13:13-15 NKJV Notice Jesus says in v13, Therefore I speak to them in parables : because ........" He's making it clear that these people, in their present state, will not understand a single word about the Kingdom, even though they can hear the message, unless He creates a readiness in their hearts by using parables. In v14, He reveals that Isaiah had already prophesied about these people, but He's on earth to help them come out of their present condition . This way, they'll eventually understand His purpose on earth- His sufferings and glorification and the significance of all these to mankind. |
| Christianity Etc › Re: Why Jesus Taught In Parables by madegreatbygrace(op): 9:31pm On Jun 12, 2020 |
[quote author=iKingsley post=90568918]Any explanation that is not straight can mean so many things.  Let's start with Matthew 13:10-12: “And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables? He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.” Matthew 13:10-11 KJV The disciples were wondering why Jesus taught the people in parables instead of using plain speech just as He used to teach them in private. See how Jesus responded in v11- "Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given." Seems Jesus was saying, you have been chosen to understand the parables but the meaning of the parable is deliberately hidden from the people. No, not really. He was basically saying, Just because you're privileged to understand God's kingdom, and how it works, you must realize that it’s not everyone that has the insight. You’re privileged to know because I take time to expound the parables to you when alone with you. As a result, you’re way ahead of them because your mind is prepared or made ready. Because you have a ready mind for this, the insights and understanding flow easily. But they are not presented with the same opportunity, where they are taught in the secret. Thus, their heart is hardened and unresponsive. Then you’ll probably assume that they’re been punished in v12...... 12. “For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.” What do the disciples have which the people do not have? A ready heart! A heart that has been prepared to receive deeper truth. Since there is no readiness/ preparedness in the heart of the people, they lose any trace of receptivity. But the one that has , that is, has the readiness, such receives more insights and understanding. It’s just like a man that has gone on a 7-day fasting without food. This man is not expected to break his fast with pounded yam. He must break with something light, so that the system can digest something heavier later. So Jesus starts His teachings with the light food ( parables) so as to create an appetite or readiness for deeper understanding and insights. In essence, He taught the people in parables to create this readiness which will nudge the people toward receptive insight . 1 Like |
| Christianity Etc › Re: Why Jesus Taught In Parables by madegreatbygrace(op): 5:00pm On Jun 12, 2020 |
[quote author=liquidmetal post=90571313]Jesus spoke to them in parables because parables, just like your dreams, stick easily to the human mind more than a good long sermon. A parable was the simplest thing they could understand. Parables and dreams paint a picture of an idea in your mind, and both are different ways God speaks also. So the idea, I think, was to keep a picture in your mind, so that the Holy Spirit gives the meaning. Remember, He said His words are 'spirit and life. " Therefore only the Holy Spirit in you can "shine the light" or reveal the spiritual content of His spiritual words, which your natural self can't grasp. When Peter identified Him as Christ, He knew and said that only the Holy Spirit revealed it to a man like Peter. His disciples did not even understand some of the parables. So He promised them the Holy Ghost. So, I think He (Jesus) painted the picture or planted the seed of the word in their hearts as simple parables, so that the promised Holy Spirit will "remind" them(of His words/parables even after He had ascended to the Father), "reveal" to them all things, including the parables. You're right my brother. The means was to teach using parables, but the end was for the people to understand Him. |
| Christianity Etc › Why Jesus Taught In Parables by madegreatbygrace(op): 9:38pm On Jun 11, 2020 |
Parables are stories or illustrations designed to teach, especially those that are slow to understand. A parable is both an effective and memorable vehicle for the conveyance of divine truth. Needless to say, one major advantage that they have is that they are easily remembered. In Jesus' earthly ministry, He continuously taught in parables. Until recently, I've always believed the reason why Jesus taught in parables was to conceal truth and confound the unbelieving Jews. Many, just like me came to this wrong conclusion because of the way we read and interpret Matthew 13:10-15: “And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables? He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath. Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive: For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.” It appears from this rendition of the KJV that Jesus is deliberately hiding the mystery of God's kingdom from some set of people. However, this is not the case, as this translation, if not carefully read and understood, could be misleading. Come to think of it, Jesus is the Light of the world. Light symbolises knowledge. The utmost desire and drive of Light is to abundantly dispense knowledge without holding anything back. Obviously, the hearts of the people were already hardened. So, there's no sane reason why Jesus will teach them in parables to make the hearts more hardened. Clearly, Jesus's aim in teaching in parables was not to prevent the people from understanding Him, but to nudge the people toward receptive insight. 1 Like |
| Webmasters › Re: A - Z Of Nairaland Editor: How To Use All The Formatting Tools by madegreatbygrace(m): 11:55pm On Jun 02, 2020 |
[quote author=madegreatbygrace |
