Mat 7:15 "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. The word translated "false prophet" here is not referring to a Godly person who has a prophecy that fails. Instead it's referring to a person who pretends to be a Christian but in reality is not."
OK, about the only thing on the mark here by Douglas is yes, people can be "pseudo" (Greek for "false") in the image they project or living a pretense that is untrue. And "pseudo" is PART of the word here in Matthew 7:15.
Beyond that...ALL: Please beware of posters like this who try to change the plain meaning of words. If Douglas had wanted to talk more directly about true and false disciples, all he had to do was to slide down to Matthew 7:21-23 which discusses that topic directly. Instead he tries to fit Matt 7:21-23 as directly superimposed upon Matthew 7:15 -- false prophets.
The Greek word here is pseudoprophetes -- so it LITERALLY is "false prophets!" (Even though Douglas claims it somehow doesn't mean "false prophets")...
I mean, "Just, wow! Douglas! That's a NEW one I've yet to hear!"
To be a "pseudoprophet" IS to misrepresent God's Word...which is kind of ironic here when Douglas claims that the Greek word "prophetes" doesn't mean "prophets!"
Douglas: "These ravenous wolves exist in life. And they exist here in the religious forum of FreeRepublic...So the mark of a wolf in sheep’s clothing is whether they bear good fruit, or any."
The NEXT most obvious red flag is that Douglas, in citing Matthew 7:15-20, apparently contends here that somehow the entirety of a person's lifetime/life-"wide" fruit can supposedly be measured by the digital sliver of content they produce on one particular Web site.
(Boy, that's an interesting perspective)
We've seen plenty of FREEPERs attempt to psycho-analyze perfect strangers on this forum; I don't think we've seen people try to judge the ENTIRETY of a person's lifetime "fruit" based upon such a slim sliver of their life.
Let's say we were talking about FR's beloved founder, Jim Robinson. Now FR is a GREAT product of Jim's life, but it would quite faulty of me to even begin to suggest that any mere FREEPER could judge the entirety of Jim's "fruit" over his life -- and ALL of the dimensions of his life -- by FR.
That would be pure reductionism. Jim is more than FR. Jim has a loving family & relatives; he has friends beyond FR; he has military ties & career-based friends & contacts of which we know very little. And I've still said NOTHING about him spiritually, which is something he integrates into his life.
There's nothing wrong with Jesus' underlying teaching here. Ya better believe we've got to be on the lookout for false prophets!!!! Herbert W. Armstrong & Joseph Smith are TWO Great Examples!
Douglas then says: How do we deal with these wolves? These impostors? These fake Christians?
Well, Golly wee ghiz, Douglas...You've been citing Matthew 7:15-20...why depart from it now when you ask this question? V. 19 TELLS you, Douglas, what is supposed to be done with those CLEARLY id'd as "false prophets" ...(doesn't it, Douglas?):
I mean, I'm NOT exactly sure why Douglas cites Matthew 7:15, then 7:16, then 7:17, then 7:18, and then 7:20 -- skipping over v. 19 in the process. If you have concluded, Douglas, that a # of us are "false prophets," Jesus gives you the "remedy" right there in v. 19!
Here's Jesus: "19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire."
Douglas has assigned "false prophet" status to MANY FREEPERs based upon Jesus' Matthew 7:15-18 words...so why not apply Jesus' said consequence for false prophets, Douglas?
Douglas: Are you actually advocating that FREEPERs be "cut down" and "tossed in the fire?"
Douglas is whining to be tolerated. First they seek to be tolerated. Then, when they achieve sufficient power because they’ve been tolerated for too darn long, they demand that any opposition to their heresies be squelched. Douglas is whining for opposition to his heresies be squelched. Jim appears to have this one well and truly IDed.
I mean, I’m NOT exactly sure why Douglas cites Matthew 7:15, then 7:16, then 7:17, then 7:18, and then 7:20 — skipping over v. 19 in the process.
***You beat me to it. Good work.