Posted on 01/18/2015 1:45:26 PM PST by Faith Presses On
There are many passages of Scripture that seem to be commonly brought up in the Church today. Just for one example, Romans 8:28. It is a particularly important passage, but considering the time we live in, where the powerful worldly culture encourages people to feel entitled to nothing but good things, and to blame or deny God if something bad happens, then it can be expected that we might have more need to hear Romans 8:28 today.
Then it seems that there a lot of Scripture passages that aren't heard that much in the Church today. Here are a few that come to my mind:
19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:
20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:
21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. (Matthew 6)
How important this message is, since it instructs us to put the spiritual first in every part of our lives, a belief which our world today is especially rejecting, but it's not very often brought up.
11 And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment:
12 And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless.
13 Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness, there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
14 For many are called, but few are chosen. (Matthew 22)
I used to wonder about this part of the parable, until I eventually read that the wedding guests were provided clothing by the king. That made a lot of sense. I've never heard this discussed in church. For a couple of commentaries on the parable:
http://www.gotquestions.org/parable-wedding-feast.html http://www.spurgeon.org/sermons/0976.htm
42 Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.
43 But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up.
44 Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.
45 Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season?
46 Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.
47 Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods.
48 But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming;
49 And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken;
50 The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of,
51 And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. (Matthew 24)
A lot to consider here since the parable is about the lord's servants. I've never heard this parable talked about in church, either, though.
16 And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness;
17 And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word's sake, immediately they are offended.
18 And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word,
19 And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful. (Mark 4)
These are passages about two of the four different types of soil in the Parable of the Sower. The two not excerpted here deal with the person who hears God's Word but rejects, and the other is the person who is like good soil, bearing fruit. These two types of soil, though, aren't fruitful though the Word gets sown in them. The dangers here are being offended by the Gospel when troubles come, and allowing worldly concerns and pleasures to take the place of living by the Spirit.
35 Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection:
36 And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment:
37 They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented;
38 (Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.
39 And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise:
40 God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect. (Hebrews 11)
This is from the "Hall of Fame" chapter of Hebrews, and what I found particularly of interest to wonder about is what's said about these faithful people "obtaining a good report," and some "not accepting deliverance" so they could "obtain a better resurrection." While it's not hard to get a sense of what's meant in each case, not much seems to be in the Bible about either one. I wonder exactly whom they "obtained a good report" with, and what's meant by refusing deliverance and obaining a better resurrection.
9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.
11 Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,
12 Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? (2 Peter 3)
Another passage of Scripture, dealing with the Lord's return and the end of this world, that I've not heard talked about in Church.
I wonder, too, about passages from Scripture that other people find are frequently talked about, and why they believe they are, and others which they believe aren't talked about enough.
uh, how do you know this?
And I am bemused that most of the quotes are from the gospels.
Actually, Catholics have the gospel read at every mass...even in the days the mass was in Latin. So most Catholics are aware of these quotes.
Book of Hebrews? Not so much...
bump
It is amazing how many thing Jesus sais which are not mentioned in Church, especially the thing he told us to do.
I have heard all of the passages within the past few years, but maybe not the KJV. When our pastor writes his sermons, they are chronological as he does the entire book. He doesn’t skip around too much.
So do Orthodox Christians (and other liturgical churches). Our sermons are usually from the Gospel reading for the day from the lectionary.
That is the downside of the non-liturgical churches. The New Testament coverage usually centers on the pastor's preferences / interests / concerns. As a result, there is incomplete coverage of the Gospels.
and neither in the rcc is all scripture covered as shown on this board.
Actually, I attend an evangelical church. Have heard all but one of these passages within the last 18 months.
I guess it depends on the focus of the church.
The New American Standard Bible uses the word “release” instead of redemption only in verse 35 : “Women received back their dead by resurrection; and others were tortured, not accepting their release, so that they might obtain a better resurrection;” so I checked my concordance and the definition of redemption is “a release effected by payment of ransom.”
So these could have paid money but chose instead to be tortured so they could glorify God in a greater way at the throne. Why pay money to Satan? Also consider that Paul could have gotten out of appealing to Rome.
I have been studying the great tribulation, being a post-tribber, and those who are faithful until death are given the privilege of serving the King of kings day and night (even when there is no night).
Keep in mind in Revelation that there are 5 kings who have fallen mentioned in Revelation. I think that those who have been faithful during tribulation under those kings who have been under Satan are included in the group. Just my opinion.
In Hebrews I laugh when I read that they “accepted joyfully the seizure of your property, knowing that you have for yourselves a better possession and an abiding one” because we are so ingrained with our rights.
Yes, that’s another one.
34 And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares.
35 For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth.
36 Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.
I’m glad to hear that you’ve both heard these passages in your church recently. Are there any areas of Scripture that have seemed to you to be missing, though?
On my own experiences, I don’t have a car so I’ve been limited to more urban churches where I can use public transportation. These are conservative, Bible-believing churches, but their location is urban, and seemed to be more influenced by their overall pretty liberal areas.
And despite these passages not being looked at in services where I’ve been, there have been many other similarly challenging passages that have come up. But maybe what more seems to be missing to me is the sense that these types of passages are very important in both the minds and actions of many and most in the Church. Like, one thing is said but another is often done. Most churches today seem to pretty frequently criticize church if it’s entertainment, and things of that nature, yet the entertainment mindset goes on even in many of those same churches that bring up the subject.
On the Catholic Church and Scripture, I won’t spend the time repeating all the different things I’ve written about it here, but I’ll just say I’m aware that the claims and the reality don’t match, and Catholics as a whole know little of the Bible. Parts of it are read in mass, but that’s not enough for people to know it. You need study, which means either going over it on your own, or with others, and an applying of it to your life in every situation.
On what is taught and mentioned in churches, I’ve done my best to describe it here but it’s a difficult thing to do. As I mentioned to someone else, there are similar passages to these that I’ve heard in church. What concerns me more is a softening that seems to emphasize such points less than in the past, in response to society. And I’m not going to take the time to say more about it now, but it’s a softening that can be connected in many ways to the Catholic Church and those others with liturgies as well.
Many Catholics attend Bible Study. I’ve taught a lot from Genesis to Revelation.
Please don’t put all Catholics in the same bucket.
.
>> “Book of Hebrews? Not so much.” <<
.
Yep, Hebrews Ch 6 scares the bejeezus out of the OSAS crowd.
So does 2Peter 2:19-22.
.
“Yep, Hebrews Ch 6 scares the bejeezus out of the OSAS crowd.”
Why should it, since it’s summed up with
“But, beloved, we are convinced of better things concerning you, and things that accompany salvation, though we are speaking in this way.”
The entire book is a warrant for security and hope. Better promises, superior to Angels, once for all, by the power of an indestructible life, a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek, able to save to the uttermost, how much more will the blood of his Son cleanse your conscience from dead works, Today!, etc. (all from recent memory).
I encourage every believer to read Hebrews and revel in the supremacy of Jesus Christ and His ETERNAL salvation.
.
I myself never give any thought to the 30,000 plus Protestant sects. I don't care what they do.
I would say that most sermons tend to be from the New Testatment. Our pastor did run through the minor prophets a few years ago but I don’t think he has ever preached from Numbers or Chronicles, etc. So, not much Old Testament.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.