It's strange how that works, isn't it?
Obama is a cynic wrapped in a hypocrite inside a bully.
Posted on 01/06/2010 3:32:48 AM PST by Gamecock
The bible teaches that natural man will never be able to understand its truth on his own; for only the Spirit of God, who understands the mind of God, can reveal the truths of God, which are in direct opposition to the wisdom of the world (1 Cor. 2:10-16; cf. Acts 8:30-31). However, when the bible is read or heard, the Spirit works as he chooses, giving understanding and producing faith in many who hear (Jn. 3:4-12; 16:7-14; cf. Acts 16:14). Therefore, it is of great benefit for anyone who so desires to study the bible, knowing that “faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17), and that God gives his wisdom liberally to all men who ask him in faith (James 1:5-6); indeed, no one who hungers and thirsts for God's truth will be turned away, if he cries out to the Savior and applies himself to study the bible, for Jesus has invited us all with these words, “If anyone thirst, let him come unto me and drink” (John 7:37).
For all true believers, who have come to Christ in faith, there is every reason to be confident in studying the bible, for the apostle Paul tells us that “we have the mind of Christ” (1 Cor. 2:16); and elsewhere, the apostle John tells us that we all have knowledge, and understand the truth, because the Spirit has given us an anointing so that we might not be deceived by the lies of the enemy (1 Jn. 2:20-27).
For Further Study
Interpretation: Christians Can Understand the Word of God by J.I. Packer
1 Tim 3:15 But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.
Considering the state of churches today, that may now be true. I attend a fantastic Bible study. And attend a meeting of believers once a month. It's an all day session of Scripture, discussion and food.
But let's not forget a couple things here. Our Lord said that to his Apostles--perhaps we can extrapolate that to all Christians, but that is going farther than the text explicitly says. And the "you" Christ uses is a plural one: "he will lead you all (ὑμᾶς) into all truth."
So does "you all" mean every single individual separately? Or does "you all" mean the entire Church, collectively, with the Apostles at its head? I rather think the latter--that the Church as a whole will be led into all truth by the Holy Ghost but that individual believers may or may not be. And I think Christian history bears that out--because certainly you and I know of people whose supposedly inspired thoughts produced some noxious heresy.
If there wasn't a priest on board toting a breviary and Missal, then I doubt anyone would have had a Bible on board. People back then would have been more concerned about being without the sacraments than without the Scripture.
Well that wasn’t true in 1738 as we have the family Bible that made the trip from Germany.
You’re right. 1738 was a different world. People were printing the Bible in American Indian languages already by the 1600s.
I was referring to the time before the printing press and the Reformation.
Would that be the written word, or THE Word?
Actually, I agree with everything you wrote. As I said earlier, I have personal experience of the truth of your last statement in particular.
As you say, God reveals Himself in many ways. The Bible is just one of them. Probably the major one at this particular period in history, certainly in the west anyway. What I was referring to in the statement that you commented on was that there are believers whose love for scripture is so great that they almost confine the Holy Spirit to its pages. In fact, the third person of the trinity is God and therefore sovereign and can operate in whatever way desired.
Claud, get rid of that technology and get yer footware right. Either barefoot or sandles or Roman boots.
No one in Bible times wore moccasins and neither should you.
You are putting the chariot in front of the horse.
Acts 8:30Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. “Do you understand what you are reading?” Philip asked.
31”How can I,” he said, “unless someone explains it to me?” So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.
He was not yet “saved.”
He was saved a few seconds down the road. According to the above premise at that time he was able to understand what he was reading.
Oh I see...unless you’re “saved” you have no idea what you’re reading. Got it.
It's strange how that works, isn't it?
Obama is a cynic wrapped in a hypocrite inside a bully.
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