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To: impimp
1 Corinthians 4 is about being a servant of Christ:

We have no reason to be proud; all we have, or are, or do, that is good, is owing to the free and rich grace of God. A sinner snatched from destruction by sovereign grace alone, must be very absurd and inconsistent, if proud of the free gifts of God. St. Paul sets forth his own circumstances, ver. 9. Allusion is made to the cruel spectacles in the Roman games; where men were forced to cut one another to pieces, to divert the people; and where the victor did not escape with his life, though he should destroy his adversary, but was only kept for another combat, and must be killed at last. The thought that many eyes are upon believers, when struggling with difficulties or temptations, should encourage constancy and patience. "We are weak, but ye are strong." All Christians are not alike exposed. Some suffer greater hardships than others. The apostle enters into particulars of their sufferings. And how glorious the charity and devotion that carried them through all these hardships! They suffered in their persons and characters as the worst and vilest of men; as the very dirt of the world, that was to be swept away: nay, as the offscouring of all things, the dross of all things. And every one who would be faithful in Christ Jesus, must be prepared for poverty and contempt. Whatever the disciples of Christ suffer from men, they must follow the example, and fulfil the will and precepts of their Lord. They must be content, with him and for him, to be despised and abused. It is much better to be rejected, despised, and ill used, as St. Paul was, than to have the good opinion and favour of the world. Though cast off by the world as vile, yet we may be precious to God, gathered up with his own hand, and placed upon his throne.

But more than that, sarcasm and satire are different concepts. I am not saying that there are no examples of those in the Bible. "Mockers" abound. Read 1 and 2 Kings. The "Mockers" are generally not to be emulated as they turn out to be the villains.

None of that negates what Proverbs 26 says, does it?

23 posted on 11/03/2012 6:55:04 PM PDT by SkyPilot
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To: SkyPilot
I will give you serious . . .

Worse than a narrow and closed minded liberal is a supposed like minded individual who is narrow and closed minded. Its worse than rubbing nails on a chalkboard.

Like art, expression and articulation comes in many formats. Whether it is in good taste or effective is in the eye of the beholder. And like art, not all "get it." Which is fine, they usually walk away.

Do you stand in the museum and cry aloud how you do not like and how inappropriate the piece of work is? Do you even visit a museum and expand your horizons and enjoy God's incredible work expressed through man?

Surely not, for if you ever did, your mind would be as God intended. To see that which we "do not get" and learn to understand. Only with understanding comes wisdom!

24 posted on 11/03/2012 7:26:16 PM PDT by saywhatagain
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To: SkyPilot

Scripture doesn’t exactly negate scripture, but it must be viewed as one “unit” that doesn’t contradict itself. St. Paul’s sarcasm/satire, coupled with the humor and hyperbole that Jesus used, serve to show, IMO, that God is not opposed to the use of these things as a way to pointedly reveal truths. Proverbs 26 isn’t really explicitly opposed to all satire, sarcasm, etc. so it should be viewed in that context.


25 posted on 11/03/2012 7:29:27 PM PDT by impimp
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