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To: smvoice
I don’t have to “hope” since it is God’s Word that I quote, not my own. Bereans searched the Scriptures daily, to “see if those things are so”.

I see a common misconception about "The Bereans" often. The Jews living in Berea are simply contrasted with those in Thessaloniki, and were more noble than those in Thessaloniki, who behaved terribly, because 1) they received Paul's apostolic word with readiness of mind, and 2) searched the scriptures daily to confirm that word to themselves. Therefore many of them were able to come to faith in Jesus as Messiah. They in no way had authority to rule on whether what Paul taught about the Messiah was true or not. It was all true because Paul had that authority, not the Bereans.

500 posted on 04/21/2015 5:18:42 PM PDT by af_vet_1981 (The bus came by and I got on, That's when it all began.)
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To: af_vet_1981

I’m sorry, did I say the Bereans had any authority? No I did not. I said that they searched the scriptures daily to see if the things that were said authoritatively were in fact scriptural. Which is exactly what we are called to do. That way we don’t end up believing nonsense spewed from fallible men who are somehow believed to possess truth from outside God’s Word.


505 posted on 04/21/2015 5:31:15 PM PDT by smvoice (There are no prizes given for defending the indefensible.)
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To: af_vet_1981
They in no way had authority to rule on whether what Paul taught about the Messiah was true or not. It was all true because Paul had that authority, not the Bereans.

Unlike Catholics they knew they could check the scripture to see if Paul was telling the truth???

Authority??? What authority??? That's a false concept of Catholicism...We don't need authority to read and understand the scriptures...

That's another area where you guys fail...They've convinced you (and you try to convince others) that their phoney interpretation of scripture (in spite of what scripture clearly say) is the result of some perceived authority...

Eph 3:4 Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ)

Do you understand that verse...How has your religion perverted that verse to make you think you can't understand what Paul wrote???

605 posted on 04/21/2015 7:05:15 PM PDT by Iscool
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To: af_vet_1981; smvoice

Turning it around backwards is not going to help.

That puts the cart before the horse.

Paul wrote to the Bereans not from standpoint of claim for his own personal authority --- or else there would be no reason for the Bereans to search the Scriptures to see if what he said was true.

That is doubly false. First, in that the issue is not as to anyone having authority over another, and by "authority" be able to pronounce judgement over whether what they were being taught was true or not.

What Paul was telling them was true -- NOT because Paul himself was saying so, but more primarily because what he was telling them was true, and that could be well enough adduced by Scripture.

In yet another place Paul wrote to the Galatians indicating to them that it is the Gospel message itself which had been preached which should be trusted;

Galatians 1

6 I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, 7 which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. 9 As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed.

10 For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ.

Paul was not arguing for "authority of the Church" to then be able to go about altering, adding to, and attaching qualifiers to the gospel, but that such things be precluded. Even if it came from himself and the rest of the "church" of his own time or else an angel from heaven.(!)

I would encourage everyone to take Paul's advice and search the scriptures daily.

If Paul had authority to properly and correctly preach & teach, then that same is not nullified by the twisting and wresting of those who come along later trying to confuse people, and obscure and alter the gospel from what once had been preached.

I have standing to say these things, for I stand not on my own personal authority or claims of my own authority, but upon as it is written.

722 posted on 04/22/2015 9:54:39 AM PDT by BlueDragon (...slicing through the bologna like Belushi at a Samurai Delicatessen...)
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To: af_vet_1981
I see a common misconception about "The Bereans" often. The Jews living in Berea are simply contrasted with those in Thessaloniki, and were more noble than those in Thessaloniki, who behaved terribly, because 1) they received Paul's apostolic word with readiness of mind, and 2) searched the scriptures daily to confirm that word to themselves. Therefore many of them were able to come to faith in Jesus as Messiah. They in no way had authority to rule on whether what Paul taught about the Messiah was true or not. It was all true because Paul had that authority, not the Bereans.

Paul preached the Gospel and the Jews of Berea searched the scriptures to confirm his proclamations. Meaning, they used the infallible Word of God to see if Paul was preaching a truth. The text did not say that the Jews of Berea searched the scriptures to confirm Paul's apostolic authority. They leaned on the authority of God's Word to confirm the message spoken.

776 posted on 04/22/2015 2:12:43 PM PDT by redleghunter (1 Peter 1:3-5)
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