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To: annalex

And I explained to you just how faulty your explanation was, and why. Ignoring what I said won't make it all go away.

The grammer? perhaps as exampled by the above use of "grammar"? It's to laugh.

In the preface (first sentence) of your last note to myself, you wrote there the Epistle was not addressed to me, giving that as one reason (among two) you gave for having changed the word "you" into a "them".

After having attempted to cut myself out of the picture (lest you cite a scripture passage that may indicate the Spirit working in me?) otherwise in your own presentation you did shift the entire sense of the scripture found in that chapter (considered in fuller context) from it being God who works in the "you" which Paul was writing to, to a "them" (inserted by substitution the word "them" into the text by your own hand) which you then indicated also were among those who should be prayed to. Whether those persons should be prayed to is a matter not contemplated (or even hinted at) in that portion of text, for it is as written there "God working in you His good pleasure" which yes, can be seen as a [them] which God was working within -- but not as you there employed it.

Though we must not hang our all on any particular isolated verses of scripture, we still must allow first what senses of meaning can be found more narrowly in them, in the contexts which they are found, holding fast to those concepts --- before otherwise reading into passages or verses, by importation of assumption and imposition, meanings not supported in those passages, particularly when to do so shifts the more fundamental meanings of the scripture passages themselves, at the same time.

Thus as I did explain, your overall efforts there, did come across as converting what otherwise could reasonably enough be seen as Paul speaking to them as to the working of the Holy Ghost within a person, even themselves (God working in them His own good pleasure) into something of a communal effort.

Which [again] you presented as supporting text for prayer to saints, with your own adroit shift of one word and focus both (in comparison to what the text could otherwise be seen to say) having also turned the concept found elsewhere in scripture "Hear Oh Israel, our God Is One" more into "Hear Oh World, Our God is a commune".

I understand well enough what you seem to wish for me to "get", but the scripture you brought at that one juncture I must say --- points quite strongly the other way.

In other words, please look elsewhere for support of prayer to saints, particularly when what is being spoken of is God working within a person.

Skipping over quoting you more directly as to what you say the Holy Ghost leads the "faithful" as you put it, "to pray", I will say as warning to you, that as scripture also abundantly enough indicates, one of the short-cuts (a most direct route) to seriously angering God Almighty, is for one to say "God sayeth" a such-and-such, when God said no such things.

Speaking of grammar [again -- you did bring that aspect into discussion], the statement

though possibly grammatical enough on it's own face (I don't otherwise ask for perfection -- if it can understand what ideas are being conveyed -- it is enough) I cannot but notice that in that sentence which you wrote; God is the one who is being "venerated", rather than a saint being "venerated", which latter is what is more usually spoken of, while otherwise in your sentence it is "any saint" who is being prayed to, rather than being spoken of as being "venerated".

I think we have found out some of the "how" as to communion of and with saints (and God) has gotten things a bit sideways... leading to confusion of identities. Which sort of blurring of identity --- was and is a major point of difference I been having with you, in more than one regard.

Do you get my drift?

I get yours

1,061 posted on 04/11/2014 12:57:22 AM PDT by BlueDragon (You can observe a lot just by watching. Yogi Berra)
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To: BlueDragon
as exampled by the above use of "grammar"?

Sorry; what I meant to write was 'I changed "you" to "them" to suit the grammar'. Which remains all there is to it.

Whether those persons should be prayed to is a matter not contemplated (or even hinted at) in that portion of text, for it is as written there "God working in you His good pleasure" which yes, can be seen as a [them] which God was working within -- but not as you there employed it.

Alleluia. So you understand that when Paul writes to the Philippians and writes "them", and I cite Paul making the reference to the same Philippians and am grammatically bound to change the reference in the citation from "you" to "them", this does not alter the meaning? So why was all the wringing of hands over my quoting scripture while talking to you?

You point is that Paul is not urging anyone to pray to the Philippians in that passage. True. Paul does however describe them as righteous people, and in fact as "saints" (Phil. 1:1) and he does say that God is working in them. "Them". "Them"! Feel better? What I said, however, is that if I were to know a saint from Philippi and if I were to pray to him or her, I would be by that act honoring and giving glory to God Who made that man a saint; in short, as one prays to a saint he worships God by the very act of prayer.

in that sentence which you wrote; God is the one who is being "venerated", rather than a saint being "venerated"

For the reader: my sentence in question is "a prayer to any saint venerates God who made His saints"; it appears in my post 1000.

Yes, that was written in haste. Should be:

a prayer to any saint worships God who made His saints

Now, that is not all it does. A prayer venerates a saint (for example, seeks his support, advice or intercession, or simply praises him) and it worships God because St,. Paul once said to a group of saints: "it is God who worketh in you, both to will and to accomplish, according to his good will" (Phil. 2:13).

1,134 posted on 04/11/2014 6:33:24 AM PDT by annalex (fear them not)
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