Please pray for my family, that God would restore all that was lost in our past. Relationally, Spiritually, physically and financially. Specifically prayer for my daughters car repairs or replacement.
It appears that the brackets are used later revision rather than using the translators Italics of 1611.
So, it would be one or the other throughout the whole book that we each have, not a mixture of both.
Here is an example of whole verses in parentheses:
From the Textus Receptus (Stephanus 1550)
(As you can see, I could not post the Greek text)
2 Corinthians 6:2
Then I had to translate with Google translate, because I don't read Greek.
6:2 For he says, "In a time of acceptance I have heard you, and in a day of salvation I have helped you. Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation."
As you can see this is the verse from Greek into English, however the wording is slightly different from the KJV.
Why would this verse and many such verses be in parentheses?
Confidence in God's word is important to me and it would benefit many people to know what is the truth in our translations
Hi, you can ask around but I think italics and brackets are the same, just presentation style. I've never seen a Bible that has both, have you? Your mention of an entire verse in parenthesis- this is a different from brackets- which verse? If you research I'm sure you'll find a different explanation for that.
Also, I am not thinking anything nefarious or evil here. The King James Bible is a very special book and is the preserved perfect word of GOD.
Psalm 12:6 The words of the Lord are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.
However, let me be more precise and articulate in my quest for an answer to why are parentheses are in the KJV.
Italics and parentheses are two different things.
The examples that you provided, are in brackets, and in my KJV, they are in Italics;
So far, my study on this topic... Italics were first used in the original printing in 1611 AD by the translators to indicate words that were not in the original sources. But parentheses were not used.
I think by the final edition of the KJV in 1769 were parentheses used.
However, whole verses are in parentheses where the verse IS in the original sources.
I think that we all become Pharisees quite often. Aren't we Pharisees when we point out our brother's fault and judge them?Even gossip them? Why do we do that? Because we forget that we all do mistakes, maybe not the same but different mistakes. And if God were strict with us He would had already sent us to hell. So we feel free to judge others. But who's given us the right to judge that other person when at the same time we are in the same position of being under judgement? All that has to do with humility. A humble person always justifies their brother and judge strictly themselves. A prideful person always justifies themselves and judge strictly the others. And when I judge my brother and put the guilt on them (if something happened between us) and not on me, then this means that I dont repent. I always consider that the fault is the other person's fault, not mine. And I forget that I stand infront of God through His grace, not due to my good character. So does my brother.
And this is lack of love as well.. We can all see our brothers' fault, can't we? But if we put the lens of judgement in our eyes instead of the lens of love, then we actually see the mistake but with the intention to judge. In the opposite case we see again the same mistake but with the intention to help. So it is a matter of heart.
"Father forgive them because they don't know what they do", Jesus said on the cross. Question: Didn't they actually know what they were doing to Jesus? Of course they knew. They were nailing an innocent person on the cross. So why did Jesus say that? Because He wanted to justify His enemies, not judge them. This is what love is. And this is what humility is. God humbled Himself, He put Himself in a position lower than His creation. Why? Because He wanted to attract us through His love, not through fear and strict justice. These are Jesus' footprints for us to follow. Humble christians attract the grace of God. as well as love from their brothers and God.
Hello sir, from your words it sounds like you already decided what you believe before you look into it. You say interpreters added their own thoughts in italics and I wonder where does such an assumption come from? Sometimes articles like "the" or "a" are needed to complete the translation and they indicate that with brackets or italics. The fact that its being presented in the first place shows more transparency. Other Bibles don't indicate that. There is no word-for-word language translation, you end up missing words and would be incomplete and grammatically incorrect sentences. You can even do a Google Translate of basic words and you might input 4 words and get 3 words back, or vice versa. It doesn't mean there's a grand conspiracy to deceive you and it doesn't mean the devil is behind it. I would suggest studying any foreign language and you will learn more about how translations occur. I looked at the FAQ and saw this below. You can see in the examples "that" was used to complete the translation which is just following English rules, or "it was". I don't think the devil is behind a big conspiracy to make it grammatically correct and clear to readers. The fact that the translators were this transparent shows how careful and forthcoming they were. Also, all of this can be checked anytime against the original Greek/Hebrew so its not like anyone is able to get away with sneaking extra words in.
Q: What do the words in italics or [brackets] mean?
A: These are words the translators added from the Hebrew and Greek to make the English complete. It is also seen in italics in some Bibles.
Examples:
Genesis 1:10
And God called the dry [land] Earth; and the gathering together of
the waters called he Seas: and God saw that [it was] good.
Proverbs 30:11
[There is] a generation [that] curseth their father, and doth not bless
their mother.
Romans 6:5
For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall
Pray for my health and pray that God will continue to open doors for me with job positions. He has moved so much, and I know He is making a way where there seems to be no way. Also pray for our finances and that God helps us have wisdom on managing them. Thank you. God is good, prayers for all!
Prayer for protection from things trying to hinder my life. I ask for great protection from witchcraft and ask for a breakthrough in a dating relationship with a good, beautiful women. I ask that all things that are stagnating me are removed and I can move forward with my life. I ask for a great breakthrough in finances and ask for a divine covering over me and all of my family members I pray for daily and often. I ask for a breakthrough in owning a home soon and ask that my mom will have a home she can live in as soon as possible. I ask for full recovery for my mom and my little brother ever since the car accident so they are both fully recovered without any missing things that they may try to write off as nothing. I ask for a breakthrough in healing for me and all of my family members I pray for daily and often. I ask that the Blood of Lord Jesus cover me and all of us. I ask that all of these things are all in the Name of Lord Jesus and by the Blood of Lord Jesus Christ. I ask for prayer for protection of my prayer and that I will always pray correctly without mistakes now and the rest of my life led by Holy Ghost God in Lord Jesus Christ Name, amen. Thank you all for praying and Thank you Father God for listening. amen.
Please pray for me. I have made a very difficult decision of leaving my job of 34 years due to a toxic work environment. I feel the Lord will place me where I can better serve him. Please pray that doubts and fears don't get in the way of what I know I have to do. Blessings to all of you on this site!
I just reread your post and this passage struck me where fowls in mid-air do just what you describe. "The phrase "caught up together" is the Greek word HARPADZO which means to snatch up by force. It's used for a bird, like an owl that will swoop down and snatch up a mouse. And it's used for the Lord coming and snatching up His people. In fact, it's the same word in Latin (RAPTUS), which is where we get rapture from. It comes from the Latin Vulgate."
Now this passage " And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God;
18 That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great."Rev.19.17-18 Jesus also refers "For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
28 For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together." (Mt.24.27-28)
God set man's life on the basis of 120 years. (Gen.6.1) Gospel is tagged by 12 while the law of sin and death is 10. The Decalogue for example. Whereas man who is blessed in the Son has passed from condemnation. He is under the Law of the Spirit. so 12x12 helps us understand the word of God-'he who has the Son has the Father also. 1 Jn 2.23
The context in which God set the rule points to the war in heaven and the angelic revolt (Rev.12.7-8) They mingled with daughters of men. Thus the number 10 refers to life of man.
Why did God gave the Decalogue when the Law of the Spirit is expressed in sevens and the Gospel in 12? Man is created in our image. So the Word was with God gives us the word becoming flesh. This distinguishes between 12 for the Son of man while 7 is for the Word. This made clear in the multiplying of loaves. Twice Jesus does one in which the 12 baskets of left over and in the second seven baskets are kept as a testimony. The first instance is for God and his testimony is as that the Son. In the second it is as the word became flesh and testimony for the Law or the Word which was God.
While the Word was God, and the Law set seven days in the everlasting Covenant what was the need for the law of sin and death as the basis for the nation of Israel? As Jesus said, " But I said unto you, That ye also have seen me, and believe not.
37 All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.
38 For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.
39 And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day."( John 6.36-39)
"and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand," St John sees the Lamb,
God set 12x10 as a rule. "yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years." Gospel is tagged by the Spirit by 12 while the Law of the Spirit sets 7 as a rule. So judgment on the disobedient is set in seven angels with trumpets and seven vials etc.,
12x10 refers to man's life. For a believer it is 12x12. The reason is simple. He that has the Son has the Father as well. So he who is saved by the gospel of Christ has also the gospel of God. Thus 144 explains the saints redeemed from the earth and set in heavenly places. Correspondingly in our flesh and blood we represent them. 144x1000 explains our volume for the reason mentioned in my earlier post.
Volume of the holy city is 12000x12000x12000 (Rev.21.16) We are all members of the body of Christ.
I will pray for your health. May the Lord God strengthen your heart, remove any fluid that cause congestive heart problems, and repair damage that has occurred to your heart.
The "hoary head" is someone with gray, white or silver hair, just like the color of frost. Therefore, an elderly person is referred to as having "hoary hair".
Jesus did not come to those who are "well" but to those who need a "physician". Our sinfulness no one can cure for themselves, nor can any sinner, cure any other sinner. Only the Lord of all can do this work of changing us from enemies of God to children of God, from being hopeless, to being saved, from being full of false beliefs to knowing the truth that is in Jesus.
The Spirit uses each believer to help other believers. He works in and through us to bring about Christ-likeness and to corrects believers when we error.
Those who think they are "well" are Pharisees and corrupt in all of their being, as all persons are, but are deceived in thinking they are holy and blameless.
When we own that we are sinners by our own fault and choice, we realize we need to be "healed" and restored to God through Christ, confessing our sin and trusting He will forgive us because He bought us by His blood, that gives life to the dead.
Have a good evening (though it is day in your side of the world).
Just to add to this one. we also much remember that we have been bought with a price-the blood of our Savior, Jesus. Therefore, we are not our own (autonomous). Rather, we belong to Jesus ( 1 Cor. 6:20).
I think that it is easy for us to not want to be submissive to anyone, including God, in our sinful nature. We want to be our own boss, our own determiner of what we do or say, and ultimately, of what our destiny is for our future.
But we are to submit to God and His ways, we are to obey Him, and we are to act with the conviction that God owns us as His own, without being hypocritical.
When it really comes down to the question of who's will are we going to follow, we should ask the Holy Spirit to show us God's will and give us the strength and will to do His will. None of us can do this perfectly as Jesus did. But we can grow to become more like Jesus when we do obey God instead of our own self or other people's wills.
May we all learn to do this more and more each day for Jesus' sake and glory every time we obey.
If you love me you will obey my commandments ( John 14:15).
In light of yesterday's comments that I posted; surely this verse shows the works that are done with the proper attitude. Ephesians 2:10 describes works prepared for us from the Lord. In short it is His works done THROUGH us and His love should constrain us ( 2 Corinthians 14; also read verse 15). This passage read to verse 21 shows how we then evangelize to reconcile others toward God as we were.
Going back to the moment of salvation; it is rare to hear someone preach the fact these days that we are enemies of God ( Romans 5:10; Colossians 1:21 and many like passages). Someone coming to true faith should have some realization of this; but preaching about only the love of God (and that far short of what "Agape" means much of the time) naturally makes people hearing that message assume that we would fall head over heals for Him; especially if there are no "strings" attached. Being a slave of righteousness certainly isn't too popular either; or frankly the concept that His Spirit "possesses" us. I have emphasized that TRUST has to be there in our walk with Christ for it to be real. That is a crucial link to obedience because to really believe we assent that His Word can be trusted; AND council where the Lord is present is often how He ministers to us through discipleship. That of course assumes we are in a Biblically sound fellowship to begin with; and doesn't mean we aren't Bereans or always trust what any man can say. Nonetheless God has a purpose for the structure of His church and we should trust Him to lead us to such a fellowship and give us opportunities for wise counsel for ourselves as well as us toward others.
Of course we are commanded to love one another ( John 13:34-35). In the fellowship of the saints in particular we should see that if we offend our brothers and sisters we are doing it to the Lord. Sometimes if we don't love fellow saints we need to ask God to give us Agape.
If God ever took His grace off all people, believers or not believers, wouldn't we all be sinners? Less or more sinners, but definitely all sinners. And if we stand justified infront of God because of His grace and not because of our own justice and works what makes us think that we have the right to throw stones to our brethern and "kill" them? But one may say, "Hey I have never done what that brother has done". Yes but we have done other bad things, and if God ever took His grace off us, then we should had been stoned as well. Were those people who were ready to stone that woman accused of fornication unfaithful as well? No, but they realized that they were all sinners, no matter their specific sins, so they should had been condemned to be stoned as well. So they threw the stones away and left. When we realize that we stand in front of God through His grace only and not due to our good character, then our appetite to throw stones and kill our brethern stops. Because we know it is God's grace that guards us all, nothing for me to boast, nothing for me to judge. Because in doing so, I judge and condemn myself as well.
When we really understand that then we should turn our attention to ourselves, not to others. We are here to "cure" ourselves, let us leave others to God who had brought them here as well and saved them. He has plans for everybody. He acts ike an earthly father. He talks to his children, he teaches them, sometimes he gives them a price to get them going, other times he gives them some slaps, even some very strong slaps if needed. He knows what to do with any of us. It is only HIS task to change any one of us. The only thing that belongs to us is to help God with his work in our brethren's souls. How? By praying and crying for our brethern.
It is called humility. A humble person always justifies their brethren, they never judge them. Because they realize the worthlessness of themselves and recognize the power and grace of God in their lives.
What is a chuch? A church among others is a "hospital" that "cures" people's spirits. After our fall in Paradise, men's spirit has become "ill". God made people according to His likeness. But after our fall, that procedure stopped. Sin entered the human nature and a spiritual "illness" has been dominating our nature since then. We have become "ill", we have become sinful.
Through Jesus' sacrifice we are justified and aquire our so wanted salvation. But Jesus' task was not only to save us, but to "cure" our spirit, too. To make us spiritually "healthy" again, as we had been in Paradise in the beginning. To get us back to that "God's likeness".
How is this done? God gave us His commandements. His commandements' aim is to make us walk on Jesus' footprints. To do what He would had done in any case in this life. So to aquire His character. To become "healthy" again. To go back to the point that we rebelled against God. And to change our path and follow His footprints this time, not devil's.
So a church has mainly the aim to cure people's souls and spirits. By teaching the Word of God. With the power of the Holy Spirit. Because on our own we will not go far away. Who can claim that can love their enemy if the Spirit of God does not give them His grace?
The church is a place where we are called to "cure" our spirit, not our neighbors' spirit, not our brother's spirit, but our own spirit by the help of God. It is not us that have brought our brothers and sisters in the church. It is God who had done that. And it is God He who tries to change us according to His likeness and get us all the way to the end, to the gates of Heaven.
So who has given us the permission to judge our brethren? Is it our task to correct them and get them to the end? Or is this God's task? What makes us feel superior when we see a brother falling in a sin or do something wrong? Do we consider ourselves superior and thus we feel right to sit on a Judge's seat and judge?
David Allen, what ever that big decision is, I hope and pray that it's God's honor and glory in Christ Jesus.
We all have to make decisions in life. I like for my wife and I to make them together in Christ Jesus . We may fail, but God's right there. God know all our needs , it maybe physical or spiritual, but He knows everything.
I know it must be very serious what decision you're going to make. I pray to God in Heaven that it's God's way .
All my life, I've been searching, but didn't know what , until now , it's really about the gospel of grace all this time. God wanted me to know the gospel of grace.
May God bless you and you're family.
Ray, in Christ Jesus 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 The gospel of grace.....
Ebadawu, it is not hard to go back to God. God knows we are all sinners and that it's going to happen. Great Men in the Bible fell, but they came back to God
Please read Romans through Philemon for doctrine and Salvation and pray continually everyday for God to speak to you.
We have to stay in the word to stay out of trouble. Pray to God to help you understand His word and he will cleanse you by His word. The Holy Spirit will open your understanding to the word.
May God bless you and you're family in Christ Jesus.
Thank you so much for your kind and edifying message!
It appears that the brackets are used later revision rather than using the translators Italics of 1611.
So, it would be one or the other throughout the whole book that we each have, not a mixture of both.
Here is an example of whole verses in parentheses:
From the Textus Receptus (Stephanus 1550)
(As you can see, I could not post the Greek text)
2 Corinthians 6:2
Then I had to translate with Google translate, because I don't read Greek.
6:2 For he says, "In a time of acceptance I have heard you, and in a day of salvation I have helped you. Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation."
As you can see this is the verse from Greek into English, however the wording is slightly different from the KJV.
Why would this verse and many such verses be in parentheses?
Confidence in God's word is important to me and it would benefit many people to know what is the truth in our translations
Grace and peace to all,
I appreciate your input;
Also, I am not thinking anything nefarious or evil here. The King James Bible is a very special book and is the preserved perfect word of GOD.
Psalm 12:6 The words of the Lord are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.
However, let me be more precise and articulate in my quest for an answer to why are parentheses are in the KJV.
Italics and parentheses are two different things.
The examples that you provided, are in brackets, and in my KJV, they are in Italics;
So far, my study on this topic... Italics were first used in the original printing in 1611 AD by the translators to indicate words that were not in the original sources. But parentheses were not used.
I think by the final edition of the KJV in 1769 were parentheses used.
However, whole verses are in parentheses where the verse IS in the original sources.
So my question is...why the parentheses?
Thank you for the thoughtful reply.
I think that we all become Pharisees quite often. Aren't we Pharisees when we point out our brother's fault and judge them?Even gossip them? Why do we do that? Because we forget that we all do mistakes, maybe not the same but different mistakes. And if God were strict with us He would had already sent us to hell. So we feel free to judge others. But who's given us the right to judge that other person when at the same time we are in the same position of being under judgement? All that has to do with humility. A humble person always justifies their brother and judge strictly themselves. A prideful person always justifies themselves and judge strictly the others. And when I judge my brother and put the guilt on them (if something happened between us) and not on me, then this means that I dont repent. I always consider that the fault is the other person's fault, not mine. And I forget that I stand infront of God through His grace, not due to my good character. So does my brother.
And this is lack of love as well.. We can all see our brothers' fault, can't we? But if we put the lens of judgement in our eyes instead of the lens of love, then we actually see the mistake but with the intention to judge. In the opposite case we see again the same mistake but with the intention to help. So it is a matter of heart.
"Father forgive them because they don't know what they do", Jesus said on the cross. Question: Didn't they actually know what they were doing to Jesus? Of course they knew. They were nailing an innocent person on the cross. So why did Jesus say that? Because He wanted to justify His enemies, not judge them. This is what love is. And this is what humility is. God humbled Himself, He put Himself in a position lower than His creation. Why? Because He wanted to attract us through His love, not through fear and strict justice. These are Jesus' footprints for us to follow. Humble christians attract the grace of God. as well as love from their brothers and God.
Q: What do the words in italics or [brackets] mean?
A: These are words the translators added from the Hebrew and Greek to make the English complete. It is also seen in italics in some Bibles.
Examples:
Genesis 1:10
And God called the dry [land] Earth; and the gathering together of
the waters called he Seas: and God saw that [it was] good.
Proverbs 30:11
[There is] a generation [that] curseth their father, and doth not bless
their mother.
Romans 6:5
For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall
be also [in the likeness] of [his] resurrection:
Thank you for taking the time to respond to my post concerning parentheses in the King James Version.
The video suggestions were indeed intriguing, however, it did not reveal the answer to my question;
"Why are there parentheses in the KJV?"
Also, it was suggested to look in the FAQ of this site, Howbeit, the answer is not there.
So, If someone could please give a simple answer with some kind of verification, it would be much appreciated.
God bless as we worship in spirit and the truth.
I just reread your post and this passage struck me where fowls in mid-air do just what you describe. "The phrase "caught up together" is the Greek word HARPADZO which means to snatch up by force. It's used for a bird, like an owl that will swoop down and snatch up a mouse. And it's used for the Lord coming and snatching up His people. In fact, it's the same word in Latin (RAPTUS), which is where we get rapture from. It comes from the Latin Vulgate."
Now this passage " And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God;
18 That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great."Rev.19.17-18 Jesus also refers "For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
28 For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together." (Mt.24.27-28)
God set man's life on the basis of 120 years. (Gen.6.1) Gospel is tagged by 12 while the law of sin and death is 10. The Decalogue for example. Whereas man who is blessed in the Son has passed from condemnation. He is under the Law of the Spirit. so 12x12 helps us understand the word of God-'he who has the Son has the Father also. 1 Jn 2.23
The context in which God set the rule points to the war in heaven and the angelic revolt (Rev.12.7-8) They mingled with daughters of men. Thus the number 10 refers to life of man.
Why did God gave the Decalogue when the Law of the Spirit is expressed in sevens and the Gospel in 12? Man is created in our image. So the Word was with God gives us the word becoming flesh. This distinguishes between 12 for the Son of man while 7 is for the Word. This made clear in the multiplying of loaves. Twice Jesus does one in which the 12 baskets of left over and in the second seven baskets are kept as a testimony. The first instance is for God and his testimony is as that the Son. In the second it is as the word became flesh and testimony for the Law or the Word which was God.
While the Word was God, and the Law set seven days in the everlasting Covenant what was the need for the law of sin and death as the basis for the nation of Israel? As Jesus said, " But I said unto you, That ye also have seen me, and believe not.
37 All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.
38 For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.
39 And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day."( John 6.36-39)
"and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand," St John sees the Lamb,
God set 12x10 as a rule. "yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years." Gospel is tagged by the Spirit by 12 while the Law of the Spirit sets 7 as a rule. So judgment on the disobedient is set in seven angels with trumpets and seven vials etc.,
12x10 refers to man's life. For a believer it is 12x12. The reason is simple. He that has the Son has the Father as well. So he who is saved by the gospel of Christ has also the gospel of God. Thus 144 explains the saints redeemed from the earth and set in heavenly places. Correspondingly in our flesh and blood we represent them. 144x1000 explains our volume for the reason mentioned in my earlier post.
Volume of the holy city is 12000x12000x12000 (Rev.21.16) We are all members of the body of Christ.
Any news concerning help for Arthur? I continue to pray for you and your sons.
Again, thank you for the work you are doing in these posts. I am glad you are pursuing this study. may many be blessed by it, especially you!
I will pray for your health. May the Lord God strengthen your heart, remove any fluid that cause congestive heart problems, and repair damage that has occurred to your heart.
Here are some verses about the term "hoary"
Job 38:29; 41:32
Proverbs 16:31; 17:1
Isaiah 46:4
The "hoary head" is someone with gray, white or silver hair, just like the color of frost. Therefore, an elderly person is referred to as having "hoary hair".
Jesus did not come to those who are "well" but to those who need a "physician". Our sinfulness no one can cure for themselves, nor can any sinner, cure any other sinner. Only the Lord of all can do this work of changing us from enemies of God to children of God, from being hopeless, to being saved, from being full of false beliefs to knowing the truth that is in Jesus.
The Spirit uses each believer to help other believers. He works in and through us to bring about Christ-likeness and to corrects believers when we error.
Those who think they are "well" are Pharisees and corrupt in all of their being, as all persons are, but are deceived in thinking they are holy and blameless.
When we own that we are sinners by our own fault and choice, we realize we need to be "healed" and restored to God through Christ, confessing our sin and trusting He will forgive us because He bought us by His blood, that gives life to the dead.
Have a good evening (though it is day in your side of the world).
AS usual, I have enjoyed your postings.
Just to add to this one. we also much remember that we have been bought with a price-the blood of our Savior, Jesus. Therefore, we are not our own (autonomous). Rather, we belong to Jesus ( 1 Cor. 6:20).
I think that it is easy for us to not want to be submissive to anyone, including God, in our sinful nature. We want to be our own boss, our own determiner of what we do or say, and ultimately, of what our destiny is for our future.
But we are to submit to God and His ways, we are to obey Him, and we are to act with the conviction that God owns us as His own, without being hypocritical.
When it really comes down to the question of who's will are we going to follow, we should ask the Holy Spirit to show us God's will and give us the strength and will to do His will. None of us can do this perfectly as Jesus did. But we can grow to become more like Jesus when we do obey God instead of our own self or other people's wills.
May we all learn to do this more and more each day for Jesus' sake and glory every time we obey.
1. A Lamp In The Dark
2. Tares Among The Wheat
3. Bridges To Babylon
You should be able to find them on Youtube. The research done on the subject is extensive and a real eye opener.
In light of yesterday's comments that I posted; surely this verse shows the works that are done with the proper attitude. Ephesians 2:10 describes works prepared for us from the Lord. In short it is His works done THROUGH us and His love should constrain us ( 2 Corinthians 14; also read verse 15). This passage read to verse 21 shows how we then evangelize to reconcile others toward God as we were.
Going back to the moment of salvation; it is rare to hear someone preach the fact these days that we are enemies of God ( Romans 5:10; Colossians 1:21 and many like passages). Someone coming to true faith should have some realization of this; but preaching about only the love of God (and that far short of what "Agape" means much of the time) naturally makes people hearing that message assume that we would fall head over heals for Him; especially if there are no "strings" attached. Being a slave of righteousness certainly isn't too popular either; or frankly the concept that His Spirit "possesses" us. I have emphasized that TRUST has to be there in our walk with Christ for it to be real. That is a crucial link to obedience because to really believe we assent that His Word can be trusted; AND council where the Lord is present is often how He ministers to us through discipleship. That of course assumes we are in a Biblically sound fellowship to begin with; and doesn't mean we aren't Bereans or always trust what any man can say. Nonetheless God has a purpose for the structure of His church and we should trust Him to lead us to such a fellowship and give us opportunities for wise counsel for ourselves as well as us toward others.
Of course we are commanded to love one another ( John 13:34-35). In the fellowship of the saints in particular we should see that if we offend our brothers and sisters we are doing it to the Lord. Sometimes if we don't love fellow saints we need to ask God to give us Agape.
If God ever took His grace off all people, believers or not believers, wouldn't we all be sinners? Less or more sinners, but definitely all sinners. And if we stand justified infront of God because of His grace and not because of our own justice and works what makes us think that we have the right to throw stones to our brethern and "kill" them? But one may say, "Hey I have never done what that brother has done". Yes but we have done other bad things, and if God ever took His grace off us, then we should had been stoned as well. Were those people who were ready to stone that woman accused of fornication unfaithful as well? No, but they realized that they were all sinners, no matter their specific sins, so they should had been condemned to be stoned as well. So they threw the stones away and left. When we realize that we stand in front of God through His grace only and not due to our good character, then our appetite to throw stones and kill our brethern stops. Because we know it is God's grace that guards us all, nothing for me to boast, nothing for me to judge. Because in doing so, I judge and condemn myself as well.
When we really understand that then we should turn our attention to ourselves, not to others. We are here to "cure" ourselves, let us leave others to God who had brought them here as well and saved them. He has plans for everybody. He acts ike an earthly father. He talks to his children, he teaches them, sometimes he gives them a price to get them going, other times he gives them some slaps, even some very strong slaps if needed. He knows what to do with any of us. It is only HIS task to change any one of us. The only thing that belongs to us is to help God with his work in our brethren's souls. How? By praying and crying for our brethern.
It is called humility. A humble person always justifies their brethren, they never judge them. Because they realize the worthlessness of themselves and recognize the power and grace of God in their lives.
What is a chuch? A church among others is a "hospital" that "cures" people's spirits. After our fall in Paradise, men's spirit has become "ill". God made people according to His likeness. But after our fall, that procedure stopped. Sin entered the human nature and a spiritual "illness" has been dominating our nature since then. We have become "ill", we have become sinful.
Through Jesus' sacrifice we are justified and aquire our so wanted salvation. But Jesus' task was not only to save us, but to "cure" our spirit, too. To make us spiritually "healthy" again, as we had been in Paradise in the beginning. To get us back to that "God's likeness".
How is this done? God gave us His commandements. His commandements' aim is to make us walk on Jesus' footprints. To do what He would had done in any case in this life. So to aquire His character. To become "healthy" again. To go back to the point that we rebelled against God. And to change our path and follow His footprints this time, not devil's.
So a church has mainly the aim to cure people's souls and spirits. By teaching the Word of God. With the power of the Holy Spirit. Because on our own we will not go far away. Who can claim that can love their enemy if the Spirit of God does not give them His grace?
The church is a place where we are called to "cure" our spirit, not our neighbors' spirit, not our brother's spirit, but our own spirit by the help of God. It is not us that have brought our brothers and sisters in the church. It is God who had done that. And it is God He who tries to change us according to His likeness and get us all the way to the end, to the gates of Heaven.
So who has given us the permission to judge our brethren? Is it our task to correct them and get them to the end? Or is this God's task? What makes us feel superior when we see a brother falling in a sin or do something wrong? Do we consider ourselves superior and thus we feel right to sit on a Judge's seat and judge?
We all have to make decisions in life. I like for my wife and I to make them together in Christ Jesus . We may fail, but God's right there. God know all our needs , it maybe physical or spiritual, but He knows everything.
I know it must be very serious what decision you're going to make. I pray to God in Heaven that it's God's way .
All my life, I've been searching, but didn't know what , until now , it's really about the gospel of grace all this time. God wanted me to know the gospel of grace.
May God bless you and you're family.
Ray, in Christ Jesus 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 The gospel of grace.....
Please read Romans through Philemon for doctrine and Salvation and pray continually everyday for God to speak to you.
We have to stay in the word to stay out of trouble. Pray to God to help you understand His word and he will cleanse you by His word. The Holy Spirit will open your understanding to the word.
May God bless you and you're family in Christ Jesus.
Ray, in Christ Jesus 1 Corinthians 15:1-5
This gospel of grace saves today