Posted on 11/26/2008 4:35:17 PM PST by NYer
Didn’t mean to. Apologies to XeniaSt if it came across that way. I used the information I found in his own profile.
And we all know that a significant and rudimentary part of the Church back then must have been Greeks and Greek speakers like Luke so that must have affected the topic at hand.
True believers pick and choose frequently. After we learn new Bible doctrine we are frequently tested to see if we remain in fellowship with Him by choosing and acting upon doctrine in our hearts, not merely our reason. There are deceivers who attempt to call their religious country clubs, 'The Church', demanding obedience to that counterfeit group acting independently of faith in Christ. The true believer picks and chooses what he discerns to be from God through faith in Christ.
The complete canon of Scripture is sufficient for every good work, not requiring extrabiblical tradition to perform good works.
Those who fail to pick and choose are still accountable for their cowardice and nonchalance, ignoring faith through Christ in favor of cultic assemblies and obedience to systems of idolatry.
And how does one recognize a "true" cherry-picking believer from an "untrue" one?
According to Mark (16:17), true believers will "cast out demons" with Jesus' name, and "speak with new tongues."
Likewise, there will be "signs" (16:18) of the believers to include picking up serpents, drinking any deadly poison without getting hurt, and curing the sick by laying hands on the them.
That sounds great, except (1) Mark's Great Commission does not even resemble Matthews' (who otherwise borrows from Mark not only verses but whole paragraphs verbatim!); when it comes to the Great Commission, the two are like night and day. (2) Many, more like all of them, who show these "signs" are clowns and impostors. And (3) that part of Mark's Gospel (16:9-20) where these verses are found is missing from all older manuscripts and is a latter-day addition to the "word of God."
I think it is a fair assumption to say that the Greek Church understood her own scripture, in her own language, like no one else.
Every believer is indeed a priest to God, through our intercessor and High Priest Christ Jesus.
***”A Christian cannot pick and choose. Either he follows the commands of Christ including instructions as to the Church or he does not.”
True believers pick and choose frequently.***
Then what sets you guys apart from the Reformers, the JWs, or the Christian Scientists? They pick and choose at will, and seemingly at random in order to come up innovative theologies.
***’The Church’, demanding obedience to that counterfeit group acting independently of faith in Christ. The true believer picks and chooses what he discerns to be from God through faith in Christ.***
Lord save us all from the whims of men. Either you believe in the canon or you do not. The measure of Christianity is the adherence to the canon and to the Church’s teachings. Picking and choosing results in the creations of theologies of men.
Cause and effect are reversed. Instead of man being made in the image of God, the Reformed (and now the Judaizers if I understand your position as posted) have created their own little pocket God that they keep on the hall stand and rub His head for luck when they walk by.
Scripture says that we are made in the image of God. If you pick and choose Scripture to create your own theology, you are making God in the image of yourself.
***The complete canon of Scripture is sufficient for every good work, not requiring extrabiblical tradition to perform good works.
Those who fail to pick and choose are still accountable for their cowardice and nonchalance, ignoring faith through Christ in favor of cultic assemblies and obedience to systems of idolatry.***
Those who pick and choose are deliberately jettisoning the word of God without authority. I believe that there is a verse in Revelation that addresses that.
***But the Gospels were written in Greek, most probably by Greeks, and definitely for Greeks.
I think it is a fair assumption to say that the Greek Church understood her own scripture, in her own language, like no one else. ***
That is something that the Judaizers (and indeed the children of the Reformation) have seemingly never understood. And any attempt to include the Septuagint (the OT of Jesus and the Apostles) which was written in Greek falls upon either deaf ears or hostile ones.
The Greeks were the receptors of the NT, just as the Jews were the receptors of the OT. Does that not seem as if God switched horses in mid stream?
Apologies; I meant to include Xenia.
2Ti 3:16-17
(16) All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
(17) That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.
I am aware of what those verses say. What they DON'T say is what is scriputre. Obviously, "scriputre" is many things to many people of different tradition.
Wrong. Jesus Christ never taught that.
You're a funny guy. Of course Christ didn't exalt Himself. God the Father anointed Him as the High Priest. he was also glorified as such by the Apostles. Peter did,
1Pe 2:3-7 (3) If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious. (4) To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious, (5) Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. (6) Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Zion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded. (7) Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner,
Also in Hebrews
Heb 5:1-6 (1) For every high priest taken from among men is ordained for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins: (2) Who can have compassion on the ignorant, and on them that are out of the way; for that he himself also is compassed with infirmity. (3) And by reason hereof he ought, as for the people, so also for himself, to offer for sins. (4) And no man taketh this honor unto himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron. (5) So also Christ glorified not himself to be made a high priest; but he that said unto him, Thou art my Son, today have I begotten thee. (6) As he saith also in another place, Thou art a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.
Heb 7:25 (25) Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.
People like Paul are called Hellenic Jews.
***Every believer is indeed a priest to God, through our intercessor and High Priest Christ Jesus
Wrong. Jesus Christ never taught that.
You’re a funny guy. Of course Christ didn’t exalt Himself. God the Father anointed Him as the High Priest. he was also glorified as such by the Apostles. ***
I believe that Kosta’s point is that not every man is called to be a priest. Certainly not every man is one. It is easy to misinterpret the Gospels unless you follow exactly who Jesus is talking to in the various verses.
***The Greeks were the receptors of the NT, just as the Jews were the receptors of the OT. Does that not seem as if God switched horses in mid stream?
People like Paul are called Hellenic Jews.***
Jews who became Hellenized, or Greek-like. Does it not strike you as odd that even though Hebrew was the ancient language of the Jews, Aramaic was the language of the day in the whole area around Jerusalem; the best OT we have is the Septuagint (written in Greek), even though the earliest texts were written in Hebrew, and even though the Apostles and most of the disciples were Jewish, the OT (except for the first draft of Matthew, which we do not currently possess) was written entirely in Greek.
I agree with Kolo; the Greeks became the next chosen people because Israel kept rejecting God throughout the OT and they sure rejected Jesus. That state of choice was certainly not of the level of Israel, but still, one must consider that the best earliest Scripture we have is in Greek.
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