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To: BenKenobi
"If he had nothing to do with them, why was he writing them a pastoral letter?"

According to the letter, he noticed some strife amongst the Jewish and non-Jewish believers, part of which arose due to a misunderstanding of the deterministic character of the Gospel. Jews often had a residual self-righteous attitude derived from years of thinking they were pleasing God by their actions under the Mosaic Law. Paul goes to great lengths to correct this misunderstanding and remind them that no one sought God, no one obeyed, none were righteous.

He then went on to explain grace was a non-transactional gift from God given to those whom He chose...not determined by the man himself. "So then, it does not depend upon the man who runs (acts) or upon the man who wills (chooses), but upon God...and He will have mercy upon whom He will and He will harden whom He will."

This kind of utter control by God is precisely why He does not need denominations or organizations to manage His congregations world wide. Those who are not enslaved to a particular organization simply gather per the clear, unambiguous instructions of the Scriptures.

And, I suspect God abhors abortion. But, what do you believe about obesity?

75 posted on 10/26/2011 2:52:54 PM PDT by Dutchboy88
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To: Dutchboy88

“According to the letter, he noticed some strife amongst the Jewish and non-Jewish believers”

But as you just said, he’d never been in Rome. So how did he notice that the church in Rome was having these problems?

And you never answered the question. If Paul had nothing to do with them, why did he write them a letter, and why would they listen to a letter written to them from Paul, a man they had never seen?

“This kind of utter control by God is precisely why He does not need denominations or organizations”

Unfortunately, scripture disagrees with you. Christ himself told Peter, that he was giving him authority to bind and loose, and whatever he bound in earth would be bound in heaven.

Upon this church...

“Those who are not enslaved to a particular organization simply gather per the clear, unambiguous instructions of the Scriptures.”

They are clear. However they are clear in affirming the contrary, that Christ himself built an organization to proclaim the Gospel worldwide.

“And, I suspect God abhors abortion. But, what do you believe about obesity?”

As Paul says, everything is to be taken in moderation, for even that which is good for us is harmful in excess.


78 posted on 10/26/2011 3:08:56 PM PDT by BenKenobi (Honkeys for Herman! 10 percent is enough for God; 9 percent is enough for government)
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