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To: Jim 0216

Many Christians use Paul as their first vocal point when reading and interpreting Scripture. I think that a large part of the problem is that when you interpret Scripture all Scripture needs to first be understood and interpreted from the perspective of what Jesus said and did. Many Christians put Paul etc. above Jesus Christ and interpret Scripture from them before they come from the perspective of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ was, is and always will be perfect. He had, while he was here, a full measure of The Spirit. He was/is and always will be full of grace and truth. It is he that we worship and follow.

Paul, for instance, wrote absolutely inspired words that came directly from God. But when we read, for instance, that he left someone somewhere sick it is a truthful, accurate description of what happened. It should not be used to form doctrine, especially doctrine that contradict the doctrine that Christ laid down. We do not know the happenstance around why he left someone somewhere sick. Also, Paul said that he looked through a glass as dimly. Christ did not, for he saw clearly. Paul said that he hadn’t already attained, but we know that Christ always was LORD and in a position of having attained.

We also know that the Books of Peter are inspired books of God. But Peter wasn’t always perfect. It is truthfully and rightfully recorded that he and Paul had controversies over Peter’s actions concerning being off in his interpretation of how the Jews and the gentiles were to relate to each other. Paul was right and Peter was rebuked because he was in error.

The point being is that we must be careful to not interpret events around the anointed such as Paul and Peter to necessarily be considered to reflect exact doctrine, but rather to be a perfect, truthful rendition of what took place. We interpret all events according the words, actions and doctrines of Jesus Christ himself. When He is always the vocal point then Scripture comes into clear view and is rightly divided.

Phl 3:12 Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.
Phl 3:13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,
3:14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.


209 posted on 05/30/2016 6:12:27 PM PDT by Bellflower
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To: Bellflower
Not sure why you're saying all of this. Of course Paul and those in the Gospels and Acts other than Jesus himself were imperfect, just as those in the OT. What the apostles did are not necessarily doctrine, but the accounts of their doings in Acts, as well as the whole NT, are written by the Holy Spirit for our instruction. The Epistles which Paul wrote a majority, certainly are doctrine (2 Tim 3:16).

Jesus said, "As the Father has sent me, so send I you" and the Acts are a demonstration of the same grace and power of the Holy Spirit through believers that Jesus had.

So we get the doctrine of the gospel of grace from the epistles, Romans being the most detailed explanation of the gospel of grace and Hebrews being the most detailed explanation of the gospel of the new covenant. Acts is a demonstration of the resurrection power of Jesus Christ in the life of believers and Acts is the only book without an "Amen" so that same life and power is available to us today.

The Gospels reveal Jesus Christ in the flesh, but remember, the New Covenant began AFTER the death and resurrection of Jesus, so the correct understanding and interpretation of the life of Jesus is found in what Jesus said AFTER his death and resurrection and in the epistles. That is why Peter said,

"even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him has written unto you; As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction." 1 Peter 3:15-16.

God bless.

210 posted on 05/31/2016 8:11:03 AM PDT by Jim W N
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To: Bellflower
We interpret all events according the words, actions and doctrines of Jesus Christ himself. When He is always the vocal point then Scripture comes into clear view and is rightly divided.

That's where you get into trouble...Jesus is always the vocal point whether he said something himself or he picked someone else to say it for him...New and changing doctrine was given to Paul by Jesus Christ to reveal the Gentile church and to reveal to the Gentile church...

'Doctrinally', when Jesus was on the earth, what he taught the Jewish people was forbidden to be taken to the Gentiles...The 'Great Commission' was only for the Jewish people, NOT the Gentiles...

What Jesus was teaching these people was the details about the coming Jewish Kingdom on earth with Jesus as the Messiah sitting on the Throne of David in Jerusalem...(That's the reason the world is determined to get Israel out of Jerusalem, at any cost)...

When Jesus comes back he will set up this physical Kingdom...Most of the Old Testament speaks prophetically of this time in the physical Kingdom which is to come...

The 'church' is a spiritual kingdom...We will have a role in this physical kingdom but it is not the same as those who will live during this physical kingdom...

After the Jews rejected their Messiah Jesus created the Gentile church...Jesus came up with different rules for the Gentile church that he revealed to the apostle Paul...Those rules are not exactly the same as those given to the Jews (and others) who will go on into the physical kingdom...

213 posted on 06/07/2016 7:53:18 AM PDT by Iscool
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