1 Corinthians 1:8 - Who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Concerning Christ, who shall also confirm (Again, the word establish). He will establish you unto the end, because God is faithful! So not only are you established now in Christ, but this same Jesus is going to establish you all the way to the end. Paul is giving them a promise. He will establish you unto the end because God is faithful. He keeps his word.
Romans 1:21 - For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.
For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching. Literally, the Greek word isn't preaching. It's the preached message. It pleased God that through the foolishness of the gospel message to save them that believe. How can words on a page be used to save anybody? God's Spirit uses it. That's His designed plan!
1 Corinthians 1:24 - But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.
Notice the two things. Greeks seek wisdom, and the Jews seek a sign. Christ is the power, and Christ is the wisdom to everybody who believes!
1 Corinthians 1:26 - For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:
The word noble means wellborn, born into nobility. I can't recall where I read this, but Queen Elizabeth, several years ago when she visited Canada, she was asked if she's a Christian. She said yes. And she said this was her favorite verse, 1 Corinthians 1:26. She says my favorite letter in the alphabet is the letter "M." She says not many noble. She said if the "M" wasn't there, it would be not any noble. So, she says not many. She said I was born into nobility and I believe!
Romans 1:31 - Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:
Without understanding. The Greek word means spiritual understanding. They have no spiritual understanding anymore.
Romans 1:32 - Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.
Not only do they do the same things while they know judgment is coming, as far as death, but they have pleasure in them that do them. The word pleasure in the Greek means to applaud. They cheer on the other people who are doing the same thing!
Romans 2:2 - But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things.
There are four principles given in Chapter 2 Verses 2 through 16 that start with the word KATA in the Greek. KATA is a preposition, and it means according to. God judges according to the truth. We see in Romans 2:11 that God is no respecter of persons. He doesn't look at somebody and say "Oh, you're Jewishno problem! Oh, you're a Gentileget out of here!" God judges according to the facts with every single person no matter who they are.
Romans 2:5 - But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God;
But after the hardness and your impenitent heart, and the word hardness is where we get our word callousness from. You know how when you go out and work in the yard, and you haven't done it in a long time, you get blisters. But after you been out there a while, you build up callouses because it continues to rub one time after another and after another until it builds up a resistance to it.
Some people are like that spiritually. God's Spirit continues to minister to them, and they keep rejecting it and they keep suppressing the truth to where their heart becomes calloused against the Lord.
The book of Romans (Constitution of the Christian faith)
(Romans Part 6):
Romans 1:24 - Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:
It says that God gave them up. Literally, God gave them over. Again, that is a judicial term that means to hand down a sentence to somebody. It is their punishment and their sentence. God gave them over, and watch this: To uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: God gave them over. It's judgment! "You want to worship man? I'll give you some people to worship!"
Romans 1:28 - And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;
And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, and you see, He's already there, but they don't want Him to be there! God gave them over. There it is a third time. That's to impress us with the fact that God's wrath is being revealed from heaven right now.
God gave them over to a reprobate mind. I love some of these words in the King James. The word reprobate means to reject. God gave them a mind to reject the truth. Why? Because they rejected the truth on their own. He gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; which in our language means not right!
Romans 1:29 - Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,
This word "whisperers" is basically a person who gossips, but secretly behind person's backs.
Romans 1:30 - Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,
Inventors of evil things in the Greek basically means "Find a new way to do the old sin."
Thanks brother Jesse for your further clarification. I guess 1 Timothy 4:14 was at the back of my mind when I read Romans 1:11; i.e. as Timothy received 'the gift' by the laying of hands upon him, so Paul was planning to do likewise to those believers in Rome. Yet, it seems more reasonable to believe that Paul wanted them to grow in Christ, maturing both in faith (as you mentioned: of being fully persuaded in their mind & spirit) & of course, their usefulness in the Church & living victoriously in a pagan society. Off in a few days & thanks for your prayers. May the Lord enable you in your studies in Romans & sharing the Word with us.
You are very welcome and thank you for following along in these studies. I've always been impressed with your knowledge and understanding of scripture so anytime I share something you find to be an "eye-opener," it means a lot to me. For a long time, I was unsure of the meaning of Romans 1:11. I used to think Paul was going there to present or give them some kind of gift. The following verses in the chapter didn't clear anything up for me. I have since come to learn that this word "gift" used here didn't have anything to do with something that was given to someone.
I think there's a lot of confusion today in the body of Christ about all the so-called "gifts of the Spirit." According to scripture, the only gift we are given is the gift of the Holy Spirit. We find this in Acts 2:38 where that Greek word for gift actually means a gift that is given to someone. Other places where we see the word gift, it is the word CHARISMA, and that is not a gift given but an expression of grace. We are given the gift of the Holy Spirit, and it is the Holy Spirit that has the ability and capacity to do all the things we call "gifts of the Spirit."
You touched a little on ministry and I agree with what you are saying. In fact, I understand this whole section of scripture ( Romans 1:8-15) as Paul's plan for ministry. I believe it was Paul's desire for them to see how God was working in his life, his faith (Persuasion) and that they might also share in the same persuasion, but not for Paul to boast of anything.
I hope you have a great time on your vacation and if you're traveling, I pray for safe travels. God bless!!!
Thanks brother Jesse for taking on this task with this wonderful meaty letter of Paul to the Romans. I'm sure that this too will be to us very profitable. Just to your Romans 1:11: your explanation here was an eye-opener for me. I've always taken this verse to mean that Paul, as he fellowshiped with the saints there, would by the Holy Spirit impart (or, administer) a lacking spiritual gift (grace) to the church there, for their establishment & maturing. However, the way I understand what you've shared, it seems that Paul would exercise the gifts (graces) with them that he had been blessed with for his life & ministry, so that believers might be strengthened and matured as they sat under such a Spirit-empowered ministry. I trust that I've understood it correctly, as this does make better sense for the reason of his going there.
I will continue to follow your work in this Book Jesse as often as I can, though I will be on vacation for nearly a month, & will not always have acces to spare time or the internet. But I will definitely make it a point to keep up with yours & other's postings here. Blessings to you & all others.
Romans 1:14 - I am debtor both to the Greeks, and to the Barbarians; both to the wise, and to the unwise.
The word barbarian is a reference to anybody that cannot speak Greek because to the Greeks, any language other than Greek, you were saying "Bar-Bar." You were saying a bunch of nothing, something that a newborn might begin to say when they start talking, "Bar-Bar!"
But they named anybody that was not experienced in Greek culture and Greek language a barbarian. Paul says, I am a debtor. I am in debt. Those in ministry are in debt to God's people. They have a commission by God to fulfil. Paul says that I am debtor both to the Greeks, and to the Barbarians; both to the wise, and to the unwise, or unperceptive!
Romans 1:20 - For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:
Please notice the conclusion. It says, "so that they are without excuse:" The word excuse APOLOGEA, is we get our word apologetics from it. It is a legal term that means defense. People have no defense whatsoever. Not one human being is ever going to be able to stand before God and say, "I didn't know!"
Romans 1:22 - Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,
So, they said "I'm intelligent. Don't tell me there's a God. I got a brain." And they became fools! The word fools in the Greek is where we get our English word moron from. They became fools (Morons)!
Romans 1:11 - For I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift, to the end ye may be established;
Now this is the only place in scripture where the bible literally says spiritual gift. All the other places, you'll notice that it will say gift, but the word spiritual will be italicized. This is the only place where it is found. And the term gift, he's emphasizing spiritual.
The word gift in the Greek text does not mean a gift that is given to somebody. The word gift is the word CHARISMA. Sound familiar? Charismatic comes from this, except this Greek word means expression of grace. That's all it means! CHARIS is the word for grace. CHARISMA is the word for expression of grace.
He says, I want to come so that there would be some spiritual expression of God's grace to you from me.
Romans 1:12 - That is, that I may be comforted together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me.
The word faith, PISTIS, means persuasion in Greek. And it is a word that describes the Holy Spirit's persuasion over us when He ministers to us, and His persuasion through us when He ministers through us. And the early church says, and like Paul said, your faith is known throughout the world. He wasn't talking about their human practice of faith. He was talking about God's Spirit through you is being spoken of throughout the whole world.
The bible never says that faith is of man. It always tells us, and we are going to learn this in the book of Romans, that faith is a gift from God. It is not something that man produces; it's something that man is given.
It is a word that describes the presence and activity of God's Spirit in a believer's life. It is the presence and the activity. In the book of Acts, they used to call the Christians those people "Of the faith." They are of a certain persuasion that you can't see. They call Him Jesus Christ, but you can never see Him! That's why we are of the faith, of the persuasion of God.
Romans 1:5 - By whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among all nations, for his name:
By whom, or through whom, and this would be Jesus, we have received. We receive from God that which we need as He fulfils His purpose in us.
Next, the compliance: It says, "For obedience to the faith." I don't know if you caught it but listen to this. We get it all the way through Romans, and it may change your whole view in understanding about what faith is. It won't be religious faith. It will be Spiritual faith. God gives us the grace for obedience to the faith. We have no ability or capacity to obey the faith of Christ!
And then we have the circumstances: For Paul, it's among all nations. The word nations is the word Gentiles. And lastly, the cause for this is for His name. Literally, upon the basis of His name. If I represent Christ, He's going to give me the grace to do what He wants me to do because it represents Him. He made the promise to me.
I go out and I share the gospel of Jesus Christ. Those aren't empty religious words. I go knowing and believing by faith that God promised. To all of those who will believe, He will give them His Spirit. They will be saved. That's a promise!
Romans 1:7 - To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.
The word beloved means the object of love. We are the object of God's love. We are beloved of God. God's love is always directed in our direction and is always in ministry and care over us. Not only are we the beloved of God, but we're called saints. Notice again the words "to be" are not in the Greek text. We are saints by calling.
A saint doesn't mean holy in the sense of pure. That's a totally different Greek word. This word holy or saint means to be set apart. When the Spirit of Christ came into my spirit, came into my heart, He set me apart for Christ and for the Lord's purposes.
Romans 1:4 - And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:
And declared to be the Son of God with power. I've shared this before and I know not everyone agrees, but I will share this again. The Greek text takes the term "Son of God" and it's just a title. Declared to be Son of God.
Without getting into too much detail, in the Greek the word Son doesn't mean somebody that has been born. There are different words in Greek that's translated son. Son is actually a legal position, an inheritor of all of his father's things. It is called a HUIOS, a son. Jesus Christ is presented as the inheritor of all things of the Father in heaven. He is the rightful owner. He purchased us. He purchased the earth. Everybody will answer to Him.
But please notice the categories for His deity. It says with power, literally in power. All three of these things describe the same act. In power, according to the spirit of holiness, and by (or out of) the resurrection from the dead:
God in heaven gave approval as to who Jesus Christ is when He raised Jesus from the dead. That was the finishing point. He died for our sins on the cross, but had He not been raised from the dead, that sacrifice would have meant nothing. It's God's approval to raise Him from the dead.
This makes Jesus Christ all human and all God, all at the same time when He came, 100% human and 100% God.
The book of Romans (Constitution of the Christian faith)
(Romans Part 1):
Romans 1:1 - Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God,
The word servant is actually the word slave. And without getting into detail about the DULOS (the slave), when one serves Christ and is a slave or servant, it is not an 8 to 5 job. It is 24 hours a day, totally the servant and slave of Christ. Paul is not the servant of people. He's the servant of Jesus Christ. Therefore, he represents Christ in service to Christ.
Something else I would like to share; our English text says that Paul is called to be an apostle. The words "to be" are added to the text. If you notice in your bible, the words "to be" are in italics. It literally reads a called apostle, not called to be an apostle, but a called apostle. It tells us what kind of apostle he is. He's called by God. He's not appointed by man. It's not even his own choosing or ambition. But he's an apostle of Jesus Christ by calling.
Also, about his consecration. Paul was separated unto the gospel of God. God separated him for a purpose just like He does all believers. Not all believers are separated and set apart to be an apostle, but every believer is somebody who has responded to the calling. It is not something that we decided to do. We responded to His call.
We also have been separated. Every believer has a function in the body of Christ. We're not just saved by Jesus in order to go to heaven and have our sins forgiven, but we actually have a function.
Gen. 2-3 Gives the account of God creating Adam and Eve, the garden, tree of life and tree of knowledge of good and evil. It says that when God created Adam and Eve He said they were very good (not perfect, not redeemed, nor incapable of sinning).
Gen. 3:7-10 tells us that after Adam and Eve sinned, they hid from God when they heard speaking while walking in the Garden. They felt ashamed and were afraid of God and tried to hide their nakedness with fig leaves.
Gen. 3:21 tells of how God killed an animal and used the skin to make coverings for Adam and Eve.
Gen. 3:15 is God's gospel promise of a Savior to Adam and Eve.
In this chapter of Genesis, God did not kill Adam and Eve physically as soon as they sinned. He was gracious to them and gave them both long lives and may children to populate the earth. But they died spiritually and also, the dying process began in their bodies.
FALLEN MAN
Gen. 6:3 says that man is continually evil and all of his thoughts and actions are wicked.
Romans 1:18-21, 25, 28 says that mankind freely chooses to substitute idols for the true God. And that man has exchanged to truth of God for a lie. That they did not choose to retain God in their knowledge so God gave them over to a reprobate mind. And vs 29-32 list the ways mankind freely gives themselves over to sinful living with pleasure in doing so.
Romans 3:9-19 , says that both Jew and Gentile are all under sin. That there are none righteous, there are none that understand or seek after God, none that do good and do not fear God and that all of humanity is guilty before God
Romans 3:23 says that all humans have sin and fall short of God's glory (His perfection and expectations for man to live an obedient life of service and worship of God without exception).
Romans 6:2 says that we are dead in sin
Romans 6:23 says that death comes as a wage for our sinfulness.
Your posts are helpful, I understand how long it would be on this site with 2000 characters to go verse by verse, but what you do should inspire us to study all the verses around what you post. The conscience: I understand what you are saying but I understand it a little differently. I understand our conscience which is sometimes called our heart, Proverbs 4:23, is a gift God gave us to help us overcome the curse that we received when Adam and Eve ate that fruit of the knowledge of good and evil.
The law and sacrifices could not cleanse our conscience, and we have been told to guard our conscience. When we repent and are born again our conscience is cleaned Hebrews 9:13-14, Hebrews 10:22 and when we slip, we are given confidence if we repent it is cleaned by the blood of Christ, 1 John 1:9. Our conscience and our mind are separate, Titus 1:15.
Our subconscious mind learns from experiences without us being aware of it. It processes information and makes connections effortlessly. We operate 80 to 90 percent with this part of our mind. This kind of learning affects our actions and choices without us consciously realizing it. My thoughts, this is the part of us that is attracted by the world, the part of our flesh that is tempted.
Our conscience can be weak and defiled 1 Corinthians 8:7 and seared like in 1 Timothy 4:1-2 and our minds can become so corrupt 2 Timothy 3:8, that God can turn us over to a reprobate mind Romans 1:28. I feel people can get to a point where their conscience is dead, and they live on the instinct of their subconscious mind for just survival in this earthly world. But there is always hope, I have seen where people have been restored and their conscience cleansed and made alive again, Jesus's blood can wash away all sins.
This is just me, but I believe our conscience is the spirit of man, Zechariah 12:11 Corinthians 2:11.
You did not come across as saying a Jew had to stop being a Jew or a Gentile had to become a Jew. I guess I was not clear on this, At Pentecost when the Holy Spirit was sent as promised it was only the Jews who first received it and the beginning of the Church was all Jewish. To the Jew first, and also to the Greek, Romans 1:16. Being Jewish after they accepted Jesus as the promised Messiah and received the Holy Spirit, they continued in Jewish ways keeping the feasts and the Sabbaths and worship at the temple, even Paul after Jesus called him.
After Jesus called Paul to be the apostle to the Gentiles there were contentions as we see in Galatians 2 between Peter, James, and Paul and it continued. Maybe I am looking too deep but I do not hear this discussed, is this part of making the Jews jealous, Romans 11:11. I feel some things are overlooked that could help when talking to a Jewish person about Jesus.
One thing we know for certain is that every single person one day will stand before God. Will they have an excuse? Will God accept "I never heard?"
Romans 1:20 tells us, "For the invisible things of him (God) from the creation of the world (from the time of creation up till now), the invisible things of God, and please notice the clarity, are CLEARLY seen. So, there's no confusion! And then we see the comprehension: "being understood by the things that are made (referring to creation). Verse 20 ends by saying that "they are without excuse."
Not a single person will ever stand before God and say, "I didn't know," or "no one ever told me." Through creation, God testifies to man that there is a God. No one will have an excuse!
Psalm 19:1-4 says, "The heavens declare the glory of God. And the firmament shows His handywork. Day unto day utters speech and night unto night shows knowledge. There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard." So, we know that there's no language or speech that God's creation cannot reach.
God has His testimony draped over us every night as well as the sun beating down on us during the day, and it is all a testimony. Somebody had to create that, someone so powerful that they created the entire universe. Even the psalmist says that there is a testimony in the heavens that God is using to illuminate a person's spirit and their conscience to make them consciously aware that there is a God. They might not know His name, but He's out there!
John 1:9 tells us that every person born into this world is enlightened. Again, no one will have an excuse. God's Spirit is able to reach every person that comes into this world one way or another. If never hearing about Jesus or the gospel message could be used as an excuse, and God accepts that excuse and grants salvation, wouldn't it be beneficial is no one ever heard?
I am sure we all have thought about that, but it is hard to answer. We have a loving and just God wanting all to come to Him and be saved because He gave His only Son for the redemption of sins. Some may say no since the only way to the Father is through the Son but what about those who never had the opportunity to hear the gospel of Jesus?
All of us have a conscience and the knowledge of good and evil, some get to a point of no return and God gives them over to a reprobate mind, Romans 1:28. Some go so far into evil that their conscience is seared with a hot iron, 1 Timothy 4:2, they do not know good from evil. I do not know if you have ever met someone like that, but you can see cold darkness in their eyes.
If we read Romans 1-16 it is not the hearers of the law but the doers of the law for they, have it written in their heart and their conscience bears witness. Our conscience records all we have ever done or thought. I believe this is about those who have heard the gospel and those who did not have a chance to hear it.
Many take the great white throne judgment as for the lost only, but I believe this is for those who are not in the first resurrection, Revelation 20:4-6. My understanding is the great white throne judgment goes with Daniel 12:2John 5:28-29Matthew 25:31-46 and Revelation 20:11-15.
As it says in Revelation 20:15 all that was not found in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire. So, to me, this is all the rest of the dead Revelation 20:5 if some were not found, some are found in the Book of Life. Some who lived before Jesus first came and some after Jesus came who never heard the gospel, their conscience bearing witness, will be found in the Book of Life. As we see in John 8:9Acts 24:16Romans 9:12 Corinthians 1:121 Timothy 3:9Hebrews 13:18.
Another way that God's transcendence is expressed is in His royal and exalted glory and power.
Ps. 57:5, 97:9 speak of God being exalted above all else. He always is in the most high position from creation.
Deut. 4:39; Eccl. 5:2 speaks of God dwelling in heaven above, even the highest heavens. ) Ps 8:1, 57:5) None of us CAN go up to heaven to check Him out in His sovereign majesty. God had to come down to us in the Son for us to know what God s like. John 3 :13.
Ps. 113:5 says that He Himself is the most high ( Ps. 97:9)
So the term 'transcendence" s a convenient term to use to summarize these ways in which God is "above us"; in majesty, holiness, sovereignty, exaltation, glory, perfection, etc.
God is ontologically different and distinct from us that we can only describe Him adequately with our human language (this is called "ineffable). But in His immanence, He has revealed Himself in human terms, both verbally and in Jesus, the Son so that we can be redeemed and have fellowship with Him both now and forever. Jesus said, "This is eternal life, to know the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom He has sent." ( John 17:3)
Though God is transcendent, He has spoken clearly and in language that we can understand with certainty His nature and actions. Romans 1:18-22 says this and that therefore no one can be blameless from ignorance.
Romans 11:33-36 does speak of His mystery, incomprehensibility, ineffability, and "deep things of God" that no man can know.
We can also understand God's transcendence as referring to his Lordship over all that is, to His power and right as the King of everything He has made in all of creation, to His sovereignty and authority over all creatures and in all of His will. This speaks to His omnipotence, omniscience, and omni-presence. ( Ps. 2:47; 93:1; 96:10-13; 97:4; 99:1)
His authority is His control over the moral sphere, over all things that happen in time, all circumstances, and all that w happen.
We all have inside us, a sinful nature from the first Adam, we also have a conscience, the knowledge of good and evil, and the knowledge of God. We first see this when Adam and Eve hid themselves because they were naked. We see some go so far into the darkness that their conscience can be seared, the conscience no longer tells them good from evil, 1 Timothy 4:2. There is a point where God turns them over to a reprobate mind, Romans 1:28-32.
I believe there will be those who enter eternity who have never heard the gospel, and those who lived before Jesus first came because we have a loving and just God.
Romans 2:11-16 For there is no respect of persons with God. 12 For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law; 13 (For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified. 14 For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves: 15 Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;) 16 In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.
My understanding is this will happen at the great white throne judgment, Revelation 20:11-15, in this it says, "And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire". If some were not found in the Book of Life means some were found in it. I know many may not agree but if we consider verses like Daniel 12:2Matthew 25:31-46John 5:28-29 to me these also point to this white throne judgment.
I am sure our loving and just God communicates with those who have not had a chance to read or hear Scripture, I believe the blood of Christ will cover them as well.
I guess we differ on when regeneration happens. I believe one needs to be regenerated (which God does in one by grace alone) in which one is )given the capacity to believe. I believe that without God regenerating a person, that person cannot believe because they are dead in sin and depraved and not inclined to seek Him or obey Him.
As to the people you mentioned. It is true that ma y who have been baptized as infants fall away from their belief in the gospel which they have heard at least in the readings during church services. Just because someone has been baptized does not equate to them being regenerated. They are to separate works, one is what God (regenerate) and the other is what a person chooses (baptism). In churches that baptize infants, children, and adults it is common to speak the gospel over the person before they are baptized because it is the power of God for salvation ( Romans 1:16) and your quote from 1 Peter..
As parents we cannot know of God's work of regeneration in our children, whether they are baptized as infants or as older teens at that time. We will know by fruitful living over time that demonstrate this has occurred in the past. Baptism does not save a person, but it is a sign and a seal that places one into the body of believers. So Christian parents baptize infants and children because they are holy due to the believing faith of their parents and therefore covenantal members of God's people.
We cannot know if one is elect or not. That is God's determination. Churches are full of both those who are elect and those who are not. It can be hard to tell one from another.
And it is true that many who were baptized, whether as infants, children, teens or adults, who stray from faith in Jesus and live lives that are in opposition to God despite being baptized by their parents' choice or their own. This is quite evident. And as long as they are alive, there is still hope that they will come to Jesus in faith. So we pray.
16 I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of GOD unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
17 For therein is the righteousness of GOD revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.
18 For the wrath of GOD is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the Truth in unrighteousness;
Sorry for the delay. I searched to interpret the nuances of your answer to the question I made for you, i.e. why did JESUS send not a letter to the Church of Rome, that was developed by Paul Apostle ( Romans 1:7-13, written around 57AD), when He sent the seven letters to the Churches of Asia? My focus was: what would you say about this? It was just curiousity.
Of my part, trying to search an explanation for the omission or exclusion of the Church of Rome of the list of our Lord JESUS, only for to report or to clarify my point, I would say that when was revelead the Apocalypse to John, the Church of the Lord in Rome had already apostatised completely, and had turned itself the embryo and the birthplace, or the cradle, of the antiChrist, linking to the Roman Empire -the iron-, and remains still until today an apostate Church in the hands of Devil ( 1John 2:18-21).
When the false messiah of the JEWS- John 5:43-47 combined with Revelation(Apocalypse)13:11- manifest himself in Israel (probably this year or next?), both Beasts -(Catholicism-the Papacy, and the esoteric and kabbalistic Judasm) will make a deal to establish a religious and satanic kingdom(the feet and 10 toes of the Nebuchadnezzar's statue- Daniel 2:44-45 combined with Revelation 13:2), and there will be a WAR between GOD x SATAN- Revelation 13:3 and !3:14 combined with Revelation 12.
Well,the Word is GOD,self-executing,He had a Plan:to save the mankind from the power of Devil.To execute it He needed to incarnate Himself,and He did so at the turn from the fourth to the fifth Day,so He was made flesh around 2000 years ago- Hebrews 1:1-3,He introduce Himself in the world of Devil by the name of JESUS,a LITERAL IMAGE of GOD,His Plan was to make man in His image and likeness in the SIXTH Day-Gen.1:26-Let us make man in our image,after our likeness.GOD's Plan for salvation was to preach the Gospel of His Kingdom,but by whom?Only by He Himself.
JESUS was born after week 69th,i.e.after a period of 483 years.His birth was something around 7to3BC,as this is known.
That said,GOD, now called JESUS,the stone which is become the head of the corner,He was set at nought of the builders of the OT, even the prophets which had the Spirit of Christ were killed by the builders- Matthew 23:29-35.Paul wrote:The Gospel of Christ is the power of GOD unto salvation to every one that believes;to the Jew and also to the Greek.For therein is the righteousness of GOD revealed from faith to faith: Romans 1:16-17.
Acts 4:12 reveals:Neither is there salvation in any other:for there is none other NAME under heaven given among men,whereby we must be saved.It still was the beginning of the fifth Day.
JESUS himself began to be about thirty years of age,He started His Ministry,saying:The time is fulfilled,and the Kingdom of GOD is at hand:repent ye,and believe the gospel- Mark 1:15.JESUS said to the Jews:My Father works hitherto,and I work-Jo.5:17.
JESUS said to the Father:I have glorified thee on the earth:I have finished the work which thou gave me to do.The validity of His sacrifice for salvation already last around 2000 years,more than 730.000 days,in days to come the false messiah of the Jews- John 5:43-47,Re.13:11,will enthrone himself in Jerusalem,the Abomination of desolation is established,the daily sacrifice is taken out,the Dispensation of Grace gets to the END.
Allow me to bring an interesting question about Revelation 1, object of your post, regarding to the seven Churches of the Lord. The question is: Why did JESUS send not a letter to the Church of Rome, developed by Paul Apostle? Romans 1:7-13,witten around 57AD. Was there a reason? what would you say about this?
There was a Day when the sons of GOD came to present themselves before the Lord,and Satan came also among them- Job 1:6.
Now another Day arrived,the Lord's Day,seventh and last Day, seventh and last millennium,again Satan is also among the current sons of GOD( John 1:11-12),but strongly structured,more than in the time of Job,i.e. now he is with 7 heads,10 horns and a terrible TAIL- REVELATION 12:3-4-,it's a world religious MONSTER whose satanic system is established through a false Christianity in seven Continents-Europe,Asia,Africa,Oceania(Australia),North America, America Central and South America(7 regions of the Earth-7 heads of the dragon).His main partner is Catholicism ruled by the MAN Beast of sea,the current guide and leader/ruler of the Roman Catholic Church which rides upon the Beast, followed by Orthodox, and Anglicanism and Protestantism and their respective divisions called denominations and sects and movements gospel.Total adherents to Christianity are currently around 2.5 billion,but Scriptures warned:The Spirit speaks expressly,that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith,giving heed to seducing spirits,and doctrines of devils;Speaking lies in hypocrisy;having their conscience seared with a hot iron; 1Timothy 4:1-2combined with Romans 1:18-25.This is the devilish scenary of the 7 heads of the Devil,the red Dragon.
But there is also the religious esoteric,and kabbalistic,and spiritist Judaism, practiced in Israel,represented by ten tribes of the ancient Kingdom of Israel and its 10 Princes,one from each tribe.The MAN of sin,son of perdition,is from one of the 10 tribes,he should be of the tribe of Dan,and he is the little horn,the ileventh horn,which will manifest himself as Messiah,AN IMPOSTER- John 5:43-47 combined with Re.13:11,and will enthrone himself in Jerusalem. The next Pope to be elected in this current year, he will sit in the throne of the Messiah in Jerusalem-Re.13:2-first half of the last week,week 70th Dan.9:24-27
Do you believe that the will of the Father and the will of the Son are always the same or different?
Jesus was obedient to the Father, Jesus said many times it is not His will but the will of the Father who sent Him, the same as we are to do, John 4:34John 5:30Mark 3:35.
Do you believe that a human being can truly save all men from sin and death by a perfect life in their own will?
First, I will have to say it was the will of the Father, Jesus at the end even asked His father if there was another way but not Jesus's will but the will of His Father, Matthew 26:39Luke 22:42. We are told this is the foundation of our faith, Jesus' sacrificial death. God cannot die God is Spirit He has no blood to shed for sin it had to be a man, His Son, born of a woman.
John 3:16 God gave His Son not Himself 1 John 2:221 John 4:32 John 1:7Romans 5:82 Corinthians 5:21, God cannot be made sin, 1 Corinthians 15:17 Jesus died, and God raised Him from the dead, the first man to live a perfect life, the first fruits of those who sleep in death. 1 Corinthians 15:14 as said if Jesus was not a man who lived a perfect life and died and was raised from the dead all is vain.
The first Adam was the first man Jesus was the last Adam and the second man, 1 Corinthians 15:45-47. 1 Corinthians 15:21 For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. The law had to be fulfilled by a man.
How would a human being know that they are the Messiah from birth and thus know not to ever sin?
As we see Luke 2:51-52 Jesus grew up increasing in wisdom and stature in favor with God and man. Jesus was twelve years old and He knew His father was God, but it doesn't say Jesus knew then He was to be the Messiah. God also said He would raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, Deuteronomy 18:15, Isaiah 11:1-5Isaiah 61:1-2 confirmed in Luke 4:18-21. Romans 1:1-4 2 Timothy 2:8.
Did Jesus exist before creation? Did the Holy Spirit exist before creation?
Jesus existed in God's plan, Jesus is the beginning of creation Rev. 3:14 and by Him were all things created Col. 1:16 my understanding is Jesus, was the first in God's plan of creation and everything was created by God, in and through the plan and purpose of Jesus. My understanding Jesus did not physically exist until the fullness of time. Ephesians 1:10 He was born of Mary the Son of God. the seed of woman. Genesis 3:15Matthew 1:20
My understanding is the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God, not a person, Genesis 1:2. We see all the greetings are from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 1:71 Corinthians 1:32 Corinthians 1:2Galatians 1:3Ephesians 1:2Ephesians 6:23Philippians 1:2Colossians 1:2 and 6 more. The Holy Spirit not being included is a good clue the Holy Spirit was not considered a person by Paul and others at that time.
If so, who were they in relation to the Father?
I believe the above answers this.
How did the Father, the Son, and the Spirit all create all that is, seen or unseen?
My understanding is God the Father created all, Genesis 1:1Genesis 1:31Proverbs 16:4Isaiah 45:18Nehemiah 9:6.
Does Scripture teach that God is only one person who manifests in three forms, but all these manifestations are only one person?
Scripture does not support Modalism I have never considered this and do not know anything about it.
For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. Romans 1:16.
The gospel is power!
Good advice is not worth the snap of the fingers unless there is power to see it through.
There is three steps to our Salvation.
Justification.
Sanctification.
Glorification
Justification is "an act of God whereby He pronounces a sinner to be righteous because of that sinner's faith in Christ." We are justified, or declared righteous, at the moment of our salvation.
Sanctification is "the process by which Christians are set apart for God from the rest of the world, or the process by which Christians are made holy." Progressive, or experiential, sanctification, as it is sometimes called, is the effect of obedience to the Word of God in one's life. It is the same as growing in the Lord ( 2 Peter 3:18) or spiritual maturity.
Glorification is "God's final removal of sin from the life of the saints so that they stand faultless before Him in glory in eternity"
As Christians, we were justified when we confessed Christ and believed ( Romans 10:9), we are sanctified as we grow in holiness through the work of the Spirit.
Ephesians 4:11-32; Galatians 5:16-24, and we will someday be glorified when we are resurrected into eternal life ( Colossians 3:4).
Justification is a one-time event, sanctification is a process, and glorification is a future event.
If you are a Christian, you are guaranteed all three steps.
2Co.5:10:We must ALL appear before the Judgment Seat of Christ;that every one receive the things done in his body,according to that he hath done,whether it be good or bad. -GET READY-
Re.1:20-The seven stars are the angels of the seven Churches(ANGELS?OR DOGS?):and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven Churches.(What we can see by the letters sent to the Churches of Asia is that several angels of the Churches unfortunately failed.By the way,around 65 years after His ascension,at that time the CHURCH OF ROME had completely apostatized( ROMANS 1:21-28),it was no longer part of the body of Christ,reason by which my Lord JESUS directed messages only to the seven Churches in Asia,they were also greatly threatened by the growth of apostasy and idolatry,but my Lord JESUS was watching Satan's movement against His Church,against His body here on earth.The church of Rome would have been the eighth if it had not apostatized as a whole)
Is.56:10-11
10His watchmen are blind:they are all ignorant,they are all dumb DOGS,they cannot bark;sleeping,lying down,loving to slumber.
11Yea,they are greedy DOGS which can never have enough,and they are SHEPHERDS(PASTORS)that cannot understand:they all look to their own way,every one for his gain,from his quarter.
OTOH,the prophet(the preachers of the Word of GOD)that teacheth lies,he is the TAIL-Is.9:15-,yeah,the TAIL of the Red Dragon- Revelation 12:3-4)
1Pe.4:17-18
17The time is come that Judgment must begin at the house of GOD:and if it first begin at us,what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of GOD?(Compare with 1Corinthians 6:1-3 and Re.22:15)
18 And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?
Celebration of the Lamb's marriage?ONLY AFTER THE JUDGMENT of BABYLON
John 10:34- seems to be a popular verse here. People want to believe they are a god, is that what's happening here? That would be a gross misinterpretation. You know this is a quote with a question mark at the end, right? Let's be honest about it. Here's the commentary for that:
Christ's argument is: If your law calls judges gods, why should I be held guilty of blasphemy for saying that I am the Son of God?
As per the other argument trying to discredit the word "one" sounds like your argument is that one doesn't really mean one, because Jesus used it to describe believers being one. I don't see how being one in unity as Christ's body somehow means that all the Bible verses about Jesus being God and divine suddenly don't apply? The verse about the Father and Son being one is only one of MANY verses competing the picture. The Bible already says Jesus the Word is God so how can you disregard that?
God: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." John 1:1 KJV
You: Word was "NOT" God?
"Then said they unto him, Where is thy Father? Jesus answered, Ye neither know me, nor my Father: if ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also." John 8:19 KJV
Have you thought about how your belief reconciles with verses like this above?
Isaiah 7:14 -
Yes, Jesus is called Immanuel which means "God with us". People called Jesus "God". He's King of King and Lord of Lords. Alpha and Omega, first and last. Do you believe Jesus is Lord? I believe that is a requirement for even being a Christian. A Christ follower should know who Christ is.
1 John 5:7-8
John 10:30
John 8:19
Genesis 1:26
Genesis 11:6-7 (plural "us" which includes Jesus, as per John 1:1)
1 Corinthians 1:8 - Who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Concerning Christ, who shall also confirm (Again, the word establish). He will establish you unto the end, because God is faithful! So not only are you established now in Christ, but this same Jesus is going to establish you all the way to the end. Paul is giving them a promise. He will establish you unto the end because God is faithful. He keeps his word.
Romans 1:21 - For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.
For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching. Literally, the Greek word isn't preaching. It's the preached message. It pleased God that through the foolishness of the gospel message to save them that believe. How can words on a page be used to save anybody? God's Spirit uses it. That's His designed plan!
1 Corinthians 1:24 - But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.
Notice the two things. Greeks seek wisdom, and the Jews seek a sign. Christ is the power, and Christ is the wisdom to everybody who believes!
1 Corinthians 1:26 - For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:
The word noble means wellborn, born into nobility. I can't recall where I read this, but Queen Elizabeth, several years ago when she visited Canada, she was asked if she's a Christian. She said yes. And she said this was her favorite verse, 1 Corinthians 1:26. She says my favorite letter in the alphabet is the letter "M." She says not many noble. She said if the "M" wasn't there, it would be not any noble. So, she says not many. She said I was born into nobility and I believe!
Romans 1:31 - Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:
Without understanding. The Greek word means spiritual understanding. They have no spiritual understanding anymore.
Romans 1:32 - Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.
Not only do they do the same things while they know judgment is coming, as far as death, but they have pleasure in them that do them. The word pleasure in the Greek means to applaud. They cheer on the other people who are doing the same thing!
Romans 2:2 - But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things.
There are four principles given in Chapter 2 Verses 2 through 16 that start with the word KATA in the Greek. KATA is a preposition, and it means according to. God judges according to the truth. We see in Romans 2:11 that God is no respecter of persons. He doesn't look at somebody and say "Oh, you're Jewishno problem! Oh, you're a Gentileget out of here!" God judges according to the facts with every single person no matter who they are.
Romans 2:5 - But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God;
But after the hardness and your impenitent heart, and the word hardness is where we get our word callousness from. You know how when you go out and work in the yard, and you haven't done it in a long time, you get blisters. But after you been out there a while, you build up callouses because it continues to rub one time after another and after another until it builds up a resistance to it.
Some people are like that spiritually. God's Spirit continues to minister to them, and they keep rejecting it and they keep suppressing the truth to where their heart becomes calloused against the Lord.
(Romans Part 6):
Romans 1:24 - Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:
It says that God gave them up. Literally, God gave them over. Again, that is a judicial term that means to hand down a sentence to somebody. It is their punishment and their sentence. God gave them over, and watch this: To uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: God gave them over. It's judgment! "You want to worship man? I'll give you some people to worship!"
Romans 1:28 - And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;
And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, and you see, He's already there, but they don't want Him to be there! God gave them over. There it is a third time. That's to impress us with the fact that God's wrath is being revealed from heaven right now.
God gave them over to a reprobate mind. I love some of these words in the King James. The word reprobate means to reject. God gave them a mind to reject the truth. Why? Because they rejected the truth on their own. He gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; which in our language means not right!
Romans 1:29 - Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,
This word "whisperers" is basically a person who gossips, but secretly behind person's backs.
Romans 1:30 - Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,
Inventors of evil things in the Greek basically means "Find a new way to do the old sin."
You are very welcome and thank you for following along in these studies. I've always been impressed with your knowledge and understanding of scripture so anytime I share something you find to be an "eye-opener," it means a lot to me. For a long time, I was unsure of the meaning of Romans 1:11. I used to think Paul was going there to present or give them some kind of gift. The following verses in the chapter didn't clear anything up for me. I have since come to learn that this word "gift" used here didn't have anything to do with something that was given to someone.
I think there's a lot of confusion today in the body of Christ about all the so-called "gifts of the Spirit." According to scripture, the only gift we are given is the gift of the Holy Spirit. We find this in Acts 2:38 where that Greek word for gift actually means a gift that is given to someone. Other places where we see the word gift, it is the word CHARISMA, and that is not a gift given but an expression of grace. We are given the gift of the Holy Spirit, and it is the Holy Spirit that has the ability and capacity to do all the things we call "gifts of the Spirit."
You touched a little on ministry and I agree with what you are saying. In fact, I understand this whole section of scripture ( Romans 1:8-15) as Paul's plan for ministry. I believe it was Paul's desire for them to see how God was working in his life, his faith (Persuasion) and that they might also share in the same persuasion, but not for Paul to boast of anything.
I hope you have a great time on your vacation and if you're traveling, I pray for safe travels. God bless!!!
I will continue to follow your work in this Book Jesse as often as I can, though I will be on vacation for nearly a month, & will not always have acces to spare time or the internet. But I will definitely make it a point to keep up with yours & other's postings here. Blessings to you & all others.
Romans 1:14 - I am debtor both to the Greeks, and to the Barbarians; both to the wise, and to the unwise.
The word barbarian is a reference to anybody that cannot speak Greek because to the Greeks, any language other than Greek, you were saying "Bar-Bar." You were saying a bunch of nothing, something that a newborn might begin to say when they start talking, "Bar-Bar!"
But they named anybody that was not experienced in Greek culture and Greek language a barbarian. Paul says, I am a debtor. I am in debt. Those in ministry are in debt to God's people. They have a commission by God to fulfil. Paul says that I am debtor both to the Greeks, and to the Barbarians; both to the wise, and to the unwise, or unperceptive!
Romans 1:20 - For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:
Please notice the conclusion. It says, "so that they are without excuse:" The word excuse APOLOGEA, is we get our word apologetics from it. It is a legal term that means defense. People have no defense whatsoever. Not one human being is ever going to be able to stand before God and say, "I didn't know!"
Romans 1:22 - Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,
So, they said "I'm intelligent. Don't tell me there's a God. I got a brain." And they became fools! The word fools in the Greek is where we get our English word moron from. They became fools (Morons)!
Romans 1:11 - For I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift, to the end ye may be established;
Now this is the only place in scripture where the bible literally says spiritual gift. All the other places, you'll notice that it will say gift, but the word spiritual will be italicized. This is the only place where it is found. And the term gift, he's emphasizing spiritual.
The word gift in the Greek text does not mean a gift that is given to somebody. The word gift is the word CHARISMA. Sound familiar? Charismatic comes from this, except this Greek word means expression of grace. That's all it means! CHARIS is the word for grace. CHARISMA is the word for expression of grace.
He says, I want to come so that there would be some spiritual expression of God's grace to you from me.
Romans 1:12 - That is, that I may be comforted together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me.
The word faith, PISTIS, means persuasion in Greek. And it is a word that describes the Holy Spirit's persuasion over us when He ministers to us, and His persuasion through us when He ministers through us. And the early church says, and like Paul said, your faith is known throughout the world. He wasn't talking about their human practice of faith. He was talking about God's Spirit through you is being spoken of throughout the whole world.
The bible never says that faith is of man. It always tells us, and we are going to learn this in the book of Romans, that faith is a gift from God. It is not something that man produces; it's something that man is given.
It is a word that describes the presence and activity of God's Spirit in a believer's life. It is the presence and the activity. In the book of Acts, they used to call the Christians those people "Of the faith." They are of a certain persuasion that you can't see. They call Him Jesus Christ, but you can never see Him! That's why we are of the faith, of the persuasion of God.
Romans 1:5 - By whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among all nations, for his name:
By whom, or through whom, and this would be Jesus, we have received. We receive from God that which we need as He fulfils His purpose in us.
Next, the compliance: It says, "For obedience to the faith." I don't know if you caught it but listen to this. We get it all the way through Romans, and it may change your whole view in understanding about what faith is. It won't be religious faith. It will be Spiritual faith. God gives us the grace for obedience to the faith. We have no ability or capacity to obey the faith of Christ!
And then we have the circumstances: For Paul, it's among all nations. The word nations is the word Gentiles. And lastly, the cause for this is for His name. Literally, upon the basis of His name. If I represent Christ, He's going to give me the grace to do what He wants me to do because it represents Him. He made the promise to me.
I go out and I share the gospel of Jesus Christ. Those aren't empty religious words. I go knowing and believing by faith that God promised. To all of those who will believe, He will give them His Spirit. They will be saved. That's a promise!
Romans 1:7 - To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.
The word beloved means the object of love. We are the object of God's love. We are beloved of God. God's love is always directed in our direction and is always in ministry and care over us. Not only are we the beloved of God, but we're called saints. Notice again the words "to be" are not in the Greek text. We are saints by calling.
A saint doesn't mean holy in the sense of pure. That's a totally different Greek word. This word holy or saint means to be set apart. When the Spirit of Christ came into my spirit, came into my heart, He set me apart for Christ and for the Lord's purposes.
Romans 1:4 - And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:
And declared to be the Son of God with power. I've shared this before and I know not everyone agrees, but I will share this again. The Greek text takes the term "Son of God" and it's just a title. Declared to be Son of God.
Without getting into too much detail, in the Greek the word Son doesn't mean somebody that has been born. There are different words in Greek that's translated son. Son is actually a legal position, an inheritor of all of his father's things. It is called a HUIOS, a son. Jesus Christ is presented as the inheritor of all things of the Father in heaven. He is the rightful owner. He purchased us. He purchased the earth. Everybody will answer to Him.
But please notice the categories for His deity. It says with power, literally in power. All three of these things describe the same act. In power, according to the spirit of holiness, and by (or out of) the resurrection from the dead:
God in heaven gave approval as to who Jesus Christ is when He raised Jesus from the dead. That was the finishing point. He died for our sins on the cross, but had He not been raised from the dead, that sacrifice would have meant nothing. It's God's approval to raise Him from the dead.
This makes Jesus Christ all human and all God, all at the same time when He came, 100% human and 100% God.
The book of Romans (Constitution of the Christian faith)
(Romans Part 1):
Romans 1:1 - Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God,
The word servant is actually the word slave. And without getting into detail about the DULOS (the slave), when one serves Christ and is a slave or servant, it is not an 8 to 5 job. It is 24 hours a day, totally the servant and slave of Christ. Paul is not the servant of people. He's the servant of Jesus Christ. Therefore, he represents Christ in service to Christ.
Something else I would like to share; our English text says that Paul is called to be an apostle. The words "to be" are added to the text. If you notice in your bible, the words "to be" are in italics. It literally reads a called apostle, not called to be an apostle, but a called apostle. It tells us what kind of apostle he is. He's called by God. He's not appointed by man. It's not even his own choosing or ambition. But he's an apostle of Jesus Christ by calling.
Also, about his consecration. Paul was separated unto the gospel of God. God separated him for a purpose just like He does all believers. Not all believers are separated and set apart to be an apostle, but every believer is somebody who has responded to the calling. It is not something that we decided to do. We responded to His call.
We also have been separated. Every believer has a function in the body of Christ. We're not just saved by Jesus in order to go to heaven and have our sins forgiven, but we actually have a function.
Gen. 2-3 Gives the account of God creating Adam and Eve, the garden, tree of life and tree of knowledge of good and evil. It says that when God created Adam and Eve He said they were very good (not perfect, not redeemed, nor incapable of sinning).
Gen. 3:7-10 tells us that after Adam and Eve sinned, they hid from God when they heard speaking while walking in the Garden. They felt ashamed and were afraid of God and tried to hide their nakedness with fig leaves.
Gen. 3:21 tells of how God killed an animal and used the skin to make coverings for Adam and Eve.
Gen. 3:15 is God's gospel promise of a Savior to Adam and Eve.
In this chapter of Genesis, God did not kill Adam and Eve physically as soon as they sinned. He was gracious to them and gave them both long lives and may children to populate the earth. But they died spiritually and also, the dying process began in their bodies.
FALLEN MAN
Gen. 6:3 says that man is continually evil and all of his thoughts and actions are wicked.
Romans 1:18-21, 25, 28 says that mankind freely chooses to substitute idols for the true God. And that man has exchanged to truth of God for a lie. That they did not choose to retain God in their knowledge so God gave them over to a reprobate mind. And vs 29-32 list the ways mankind freely gives themselves over to sinful living with pleasure in doing so.
Romans 3:9-19 , says that both Jew and Gentile are all under sin. That there are none righteous, there are none that understand or seek after God, none that do good and do not fear God and that all of humanity is guilty before God
Romans 3:23 says that all humans have sin and fall short of God's glory (His perfection and expectations for man to live an obedient life of service and worship of God without exception).
Romans 6:2 says that we are dead in sin
Romans 6:23 says that death comes as a wage for our sinfulness.
I hope you don't mind brother.
Your posts are helpful, I understand how long it would be on this site with 2000 characters to go verse by verse, but what you do should inspire us to study all the verses around what you post. The conscience: I understand what you are saying but I understand it a little differently. I understand our conscience which is sometimes called our heart, Proverbs 4:23, is a gift God gave us to help us overcome the curse that we received when Adam and Eve ate that fruit of the knowledge of good and evil.
The law and sacrifices could not cleanse our conscience, and we have been told to guard our conscience. When we repent and are born again our conscience is cleaned Hebrews 9:13-14, Hebrews 10:22 and when we slip, we are given confidence if we repent it is cleaned by the blood of Christ, 1 John 1:9. Our conscience and our mind are separate, Titus 1:15.
Our subconscious mind learns from experiences without us being aware of it. It processes information and makes connections effortlessly. We operate 80 to 90 percent with this part of our mind. This kind of learning affects our actions and choices without us consciously realizing it. My thoughts, this is the part of us that is attracted by the world, the part of our flesh that is tempted.
Our conscience can be weak and defiled 1 Corinthians 8:7 and seared like in 1 Timothy 4:1-2 and our minds can become so corrupt 2 Timothy 3:8, that God can turn us over to a reprobate mind Romans 1:28. I feel people can get to a point where their conscience is dead, and they live on the instinct of their subconscious mind for just survival in this earthly world. But there is always hope, I have seen where people have been restored and their conscience cleansed and made alive again, Jesus's blood can wash away all sins.
This is just me, but I believe our conscience is the spirit of man, Zechariah 12:1 1 Corinthians 2:11.
Keep up the good work and God bless,
RLW
You did not come across as saying a Jew had to stop being a Jew or a Gentile had to become a Jew. I guess I was not clear on this, At Pentecost when the Holy Spirit was sent as promised it was only the Jews who first received it and the beginning of the Church was all Jewish. To the Jew first, and also to the Greek, Romans 1:16. Being Jewish after they accepted Jesus as the promised Messiah and received the Holy Spirit, they continued in Jewish ways keeping the feasts and the Sabbaths and worship at the temple, even Paul after Jesus called him.
After Jesus called Paul to be the apostle to the Gentiles there were contentions as we see in Galatians 2 between Peter, James, and Paul and it continued. Maybe I am looking too deep but I do not hear this discussed, is this part of making the Jews jealous, Romans 11:11. I feel some things are overlooked that could help when talking to a Jewish person about Jesus.
I hope this makes sense.
God bless,
RLW
One thing we know for certain is that every single person one day will stand before God. Will they have an excuse? Will God accept "I never heard?"
Romans 1:20 tells us, "For the invisible things of him (God) from the creation of the world (from the time of creation up till now), the invisible things of God, and please notice the clarity, are CLEARLY seen. So, there's no confusion! And then we see the comprehension: "being understood by the things that are made (referring to creation). Verse 20 ends by saying that "they are without excuse."
Not a single person will ever stand before God and say, "I didn't know," or "no one ever told me." Through creation, God testifies to man that there is a God. No one will have an excuse!
Psalm 19:1-4 says, "The heavens declare the glory of God. And the firmament shows His handywork. Day unto day utters speech and night unto night shows knowledge. There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard." So, we know that there's no language or speech that God's creation cannot reach.
God has His testimony draped over us every night as well as the sun beating down on us during the day, and it is all a testimony. Somebody had to create that, someone so powerful that they created the entire universe. Even the psalmist says that there is a testimony in the heavens that God is using to illuminate a person's spirit and their conscience to make them consciously aware that there is a God. They might not know His name, but He's out there!
John 1:9 tells us that every person born into this world is enlightened. Again, no one will have an excuse. God's Spirit is able to reach every person that comes into this world one way or another. If never hearing about Jesus or the gospel message could be used as an excuse, and God accepts that excuse and grants salvation, wouldn't it be beneficial is no one ever heard?
Just my thoughts!
I am sure we all have thought about that, but it is hard to answer. We have a loving and just God wanting all to come to Him and be saved because He gave His only Son for the redemption of sins. Some may say no since the only way to the Father is through the Son but what about those who never had the opportunity to hear the gospel of Jesus?
All of us have a conscience and the knowledge of good and evil, some get to a point of no return and God gives them over to a reprobate mind, Romans 1:28. Some go so far into evil that their conscience is seared with a hot iron, 1 Timothy 4:2, they do not know good from evil. I do not know if you have ever met someone like that, but you can see cold darkness in their eyes.
If we read Romans 1-16 it is not the hearers of the law but the doers of the law for they, have it written in their heart and their conscience bears witness. Our conscience records all we have ever done or thought. I believe this is about those who have heard the gospel and those who did not have a chance to hear it.
Many take the great white throne judgment as for the lost only, but I believe this is for those who are not in the first resurrection, Revelation 20:4-6. My understanding is the great white throne judgment goes with Daniel 12:2 John 5:28-29 Matthew 25:31-46 and Revelation 20:11-15.
As it says in Revelation 20:15 all that was not found in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire. So, to me, this is all the rest of the dead Revelation 20:5 if some were not found, some are found in the Book of Life. Some who lived before Jesus first came and some after Jesus came who never heard the gospel, their conscience bearing witness, will be found in the Book of Life. As we see in John 8:9 Acts 24:16 Romans 9:1 2 Corinthians 1:12 1 Timothy 3:9 Hebrews 13:18.
This is my understanding.
God bless,
RLW
PT. 3
Another way that God's transcendence is expressed is in His royal and exalted glory and power.
Ps. 57:5, 97:9 speak of God being exalted above all else. He always is in the most high position from creation.
Deut. 4:39; Eccl. 5:2 speaks of God dwelling in heaven above, even the highest heavens. ) Ps 8:1, 57:5) None of us CAN go up to heaven to check Him out in His sovereign majesty. God had to come down to us in the Son for us to know what God s like. John 3 :13.
Ps. 113:5 says that He Himself is the most high ( Ps. 97:9)
So the term 'transcendence" s a convenient term to use to summarize these ways in which God is "above us"; in majesty, holiness, sovereignty, exaltation, glory, perfection, etc.
God is ontologically different and distinct from us that we can only describe Him adequately with our human language (this is called "ineffable). But in His immanence, He has revealed Himself in human terms, both verbally and in Jesus, the Son so that we can be redeemed and have fellowship with Him both now and forever. Jesus said, "This is eternal life, to know the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom He has sent." ( John 17:3)
Though God is transcendent, He has spoken clearly and in language that we can understand with certainty His nature and actions. Romans 1:18-22 says this and that therefore no one can be blameless from ignorance.
Romans 11:33-36 does speak of His mystery, incomprehensibility, ineffability, and "deep things of God" that no man can know.
We can also understand God's transcendence as referring to his Lordship over all that is, to His power and right as the King of everything He has made in all of creation, to His sovereignty and authority over all creatures and in all of His will. This speaks to His omnipotence, omniscience, and omni-presence. ( Ps. 2:47; 93:1; 96:10-13; 97:4; 99:1)
His authority is His control over the moral sphere, over all things that happen in time, all circumstances, and all that w happen.
As S Spencer said we may not know for sure.
We all have inside us, a sinful nature from the first Adam, we also have a conscience, the knowledge of good and evil, and the knowledge of God. We first see this when Adam and Eve hid themselves because they were naked. We see some go so far into the darkness that their conscience can be seared, the conscience no longer tells them good from evil, 1 Timothy 4:2. There is a point where God turns them over to a reprobate mind, Romans 1:28-32.
I believe there will be those who enter eternity who have never heard the gospel, and those who lived before Jesus first came because we have a loving and just God.
Romans 2:11-16 For there is no respect of persons with God. 12 For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law; 13 (For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified. 14 For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves: 15 Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;) 16 In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.
My understanding is this will happen at the great white throne judgment, Revelation 20:11-15, in this it says, "And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire". If some were not found in the Book of Life means some were found in it. I know many may not agree but if we consider verses like Daniel 12:2 Matthew 25:31-46 John 5:28-29 to me these also point to this white throne judgment.
I am sure our loving and just God communicates with those who have not had a chance to read or hear Scripture, I believe the blood of Christ will cover them as well.
God bless,
RLW
I guess we differ on when regeneration happens. I believe one needs to be regenerated (which God does in one by grace alone) in which one is )given the capacity to believe. I believe that without God regenerating a person, that person cannot believe because they are dead in sin and depraved and not inclined to seek Him or obey Him.
As to the people you mentioned. It is true that ma y who have been baptized as infants fall away from their belief in the gospel which they have heard at least in the readings during church services. Just because someone has been baptized does not equate to them being regenerated. They are to separate works, one is what God (regenerate) and the other is what a person chooses (baptism). In churches that baptize infants, children, and adults it is common to speak the gospel over the person before they are baptized because it is the power of God for salvation ( Romans 1:16) and your quote from 1 Peter..
As parents we cannot know of God's work of regeneration in our children, whether they are baptized as infants or as older teens at that time. We will know by fruitful living over time that demonstrate this has occurred in the past. Baptism does not save a person, but it is a sign and a seal that places one into the body of believers. So Christian parents baptize infants and children because they are holy due to the believing faith of their parents and therefore covenantal members of God's people.
We cannot know if one is elect or not. That is God's determination. Churches are full of both those who are elect and those who are not. It can be hard to tell one from another.
And it is true that many who were baptized, whether as infants, children, teens or adults, who stray from faith in Jesus and live lives that are in opposition to God despite being baptized by their parents' choice or their own. This is quite evident. And as long as they are alive, there is still hope that they will come to Jesus in faith. So we pray.
May our Lord GOD hear your petition.
Romans 1:16-18
16 I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of GOD unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
17 For therein is the righteousness of GOD revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.
18 For the wrath of GOD is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the Truth in unrighteousness;
May the Lord GOD bless you and your family
Sorry for the delay. I searched to interpret the nuances of your answer to the question I made for you, i.e. why did JESUS send not a letter to the Church of Rome, that was developed by Paul Apostle ( Romans 1:7-13, written around 57AD), when He sent the seven letters to the Churches of Asia? My focus was: what would you say about this? It was just curiousity.
Of my part, trying to search an explanation for the omission or exclusion of the Church of Rome of the list of our Lord JESUS, only for to report or to clarify my point, I would say that when was revelead the Apocalypse to John, the Church of the Lord in Rome had already apostatised completely, and had turned itself the embryo and the birthplace, or the cradle, of the antiChrist, linking to the Roman Empire -the iron-, and remains still until today an apostate Church in the hands of Devil ( 1John 2:18-21).
When the false messiah of the JEWS- John 5:43-47 combined with Revelation(Apocalypse)13:11- manifest himself in Israel (probably this year or next?), both Beasts -(Catholicism-the Papacy, and the esoteric and kabbalistic Judasm) will make a deal to establish a religious and satanic kingdom(the feet and 10 toes of the Nebuchadnezzar's statue- Daniel 2:44-45 combined with Revelation 13:2), and there will be a WAR between GOD x SATAN- Revelation 13:3 and !3:14 combined with Revelation 12.
Get ready
Well,the Word is GOD,self-executing,He had a Plan:to save the mankind from the power of Devil.To execute it He needed to incarnate Himself,and He did so at the turn from the fourth to the fifth Day,so He was made flesh around 2000 years ago- Hebrews 1:1-3,He introduce Himself in the world of Devil by the name of JESUS,a LITERAL IMAGE of GOD,His Plan was to make man in His image and likeness in the SIXTH Day-Gen.1:26-Let us make man in our image,after our likeness.GOD's Plan for salvation was to preach the Gospel of His Kingdom,but by whom?Only by He Himself.
JESUS was born after week 69th,i.e.after a period of 483 years.His birth was something around 7to3BC,as this is known.
That said,GOD, now called JESUS,the stone which is become the head of the corner,He was set at nought of the builders of the OT, even the prophets which had the Spirit of Christ were killed by the builders- Matthew 23:29-35.Paul wrote:The Gospel of Christ is the power of GOD unto salvation to every one that believes;to the Jew and also to the Greek.For therein is the righteousness of GOD revealed from faith to faith: Romans 1:16-17.
Acts 4:12 reveals:Neither is there salvation in any other:for there is none other NAME under heaven given among men,whereby we must be saved.It still was the beginning of the fifth Day.
JESUS himself began to be about thirty years of age,He started His Ministry,saying:The time is fulfilled,and the Kingdom of GOD is at hand:repent ye,and believe the gospel- Mark 1:15.JESUS said to the Jews:My Father works hitherto,and I work-Jo.5:17.
JESUS said to the Father:I have glorified thee on the earth:I have finished the work which thou gave me to do.The validity of His sacrifice for salvation already last around 2000 years,more than 730.000 days,in days to come the false messiah of the Jews- John 5:43-47,Re.13:11,will enthrone himself in Jerusalem,the Abomination of desolation is established,the daily sacrifice is taken out,the Dispensation of Grace gets to the END.
Allow me to bring an interesting question about Revelation 1, object of your post, regarding to the seven Churches of the Lord. The question is: Why did JESUS send not a letter to the Church of Rome, developed by Paul Apostle? Romans 1:7-13,witten around 57AD. Was there a reason? what would you say about this?
Now another Day arrived,the Lord's Day,seventh and last Day, seventh and last millennium,again Satan is also among the current sons of GOD( John 1:11-12),but strongly structured,more than in the time of Job,i.e. now he is with 7 heads,10 horns and a terrible TAIL- REVELATION 12:3-4-,it's a world religious MONSTER whose satanic system is established through a false Christianity in seven Continents-Europe,Asia,Africa,Oceania(Australia),North America, America Central and South America(7 regions of the Earth-7 heads of the dragon).His main partner is Catholicism ruled by the MAN Beast of sea,the current guide and leader/ruler of the Roman Catholic Church which rides upon the Beast, followed by Orthodox, and Anglicanism and Protestantism and their respective divisions called denominations and sects and movements gospel.Total adherents to Christianity are currently around 2.5 billion,but Scriptures warned:The Spirit speaks expressly,that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith,giving heed to seducing spirits,and doctrines of devils;Speaking lies in hypocrisy;having their conscience seared with a hot iron; 1Timothy 4:1-2combined with Romans 1:18-25.This is the devilish scenary of the 7 heads of the Devil,the red Dragon.
But there is also the religious esoteric,and kabbalistic,and spiritist Judaism, practiced in Israel,represented by ten tribes of the ancient Kingdom of Israel and its 10 Princes,one from each tribe.The MAN of sin,son of perdition,is from one of the 10 tribes,he should be of the tribe of Dan,and he is the little horn,the ileventh horn,which will manifest himself as Messiah,AN IMPOSTER- John 5:43-47 combined with Re.13:11,and will enthrone himself in Jerusalem. The next Pope to be elected in this current year, he will sit in the throne of the Messiah in Jerusalem-Re.13:2-first half of the last week,week 70th Dan.9:24-27
Get ready
Part 4 Trinity discussion.
Do you believe that the will of the Father and the will of the Son are always the same or different?
Jesus was obedient to the Father, Jesus said many times it is not His will but the will of the Father who sent Him, the same as we are to do, John 4:34 John 5:30 Mark 3:35.
Do you believe that a human being can truly save all men from sin and death by a perfect life in their own will?
First, I will have to say it was the will of the Father, Jesus at the end even asked His father if there was another way but not Jesus's will but the will of His Father, Matthew 26:39 Luke 22:42. We are told this is the foundation of our faith, Jesus' sacrificial death. God cannot die God is Spirit He has no blood to shed for sin it had to be a man, His Son, born of a woman.
John 3:16 God gave His Son not Himself 1 John 2:22 1 John 4:3 2 John 1:7 Romans 5:8 2 Corinthians 5:21, God cannot be made sin, 1 Corinthians 15:17 Jesus died, and God raised Him from the dead, the first man to live a perfect life, the first fruits of those who sleep in death. 1 Corinthians 15:14 as said if Jesus was not a man who lived a perfect life and died and was raised from the dead all is vain.
The first Adam was the first man Jesus was the last Adam and the second man, 1 Corinthians 15:45-47. 1 Corinthians 15:21 For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. The law had to be fulfilled by a man.
How would a human being know that they are the Messiah from birth and thus know not to ever sin?
As we see Luke 2:51-52 Jesus grew up increasing in wisdom and stature in favor with God and man. Jesus was twelve years old and He knew His father was God, but it doesn't say Jesus knew then He was to be the Messiah. God also said He would raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, Deuteronomy 18:15, Isaiah 11:1-5 Isaiah 61:1-2 confirmed in Luke 4:18-21. Romans 1:1-4 2 Timothy 2:8.
See part 5
Part 2 Trinity discussion
Did Jesus exist before creation? Did the Holy Spirit exist before creation?
Jesus existed in God's plan, Jesus is the beginning of creation Rev. 3:14 and by Him were all things created Col. 1:16 my understanding is Jesus, was the first in God's plan of creation and everything was created by God, in and through the plan and purpose of Jesus. My understanding Jesus did not physically exist until the fullness of time. Ephesians 1:10 He was born of Mary the Son of God. the seed of woman. Genesis 3:15 Matthew 1:20
My understanding is the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God, not a person, Genesis 1:2. We see all the greetings are from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 1:7 1 Corinthians 1:3 2 Corinthians 1:2 Galatians 1:3 Ephesians 1:2 Ephesians 6:23 Philippians 1:2 Colossians 1:2 and 6 more. The Holy Spirit not being included is a good clue the Holy Spirit was not considered a person by Paul and others at that time.
If so, who were they in relation to the Father?
I believe the above answers this.
How did the Father, the Son, and the Spirit all create all that is, seen or unseen?
My understanding is God the Father created all, Genesis 1:1 Genesis 1:31 Proverbs 16:4 Isaiah 45:18 Nehemiah 9:6.
Does Scripture teach that God is only one person who manifests in three forms, but all these manifestations are only one person?
Scripture does not support Modalism I have never considered this and do not know anything about it.
See part 3.
The gospel is not good advice.
However, the gospel is much more than good news!!
The gospel is "the power of God UNTO salvation".
For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. Romans 1:16.
The gospel is power!
Good advice is not worth the snap of the fingers unless there is power to see it through.
There is three steps to our Salvation.
Justification.
Sanctification.
Glorification
Justification is "an act of God whereby He pronounces a sinner to be righteous because of that sinner's faith in Christ." We are justified, or declared righteous, at the moment of our salvation.
Sanctification is "the process by which Christians are set apart for God from the rest of the world, or the process by which Christians are made holy." Progressive, or experiential, sanctification, as it is sometimes called, is the effect of obedience to the Word of God in one's life. It is the same as growing in the Lord ( 2 Peter 3:18) or spiritual maturity.
Glorification is "God's final removal of sin from the life of the saints so that they stand faultless before Him in glory in eternity"
As Christians, we were justified when we confessed Christ and believed ( Romans 10:9), we are sanctified as we grow in holiness through the work of the Spirit.
Ephesians 4:11-32; Galatians 5:16-24, and we will someday be glorified when we are resurrected into eternal life ( Colossians 3:4).
Justification is a one-time event, sanctification is a process, and glorification is a future event.
If you are a Christian, you are guaranteed all three steps.
THE GOSPEL IS "THE POWER OF GOD UNTO SALVATION!
God bless.
2Co.5:10:We must ALL appear before the Judgment Seat of Christ;that every one receive the things done in his body,according to that he hath done,whether it be good or bad. -GET READY-
Re.1:20-The seven stars are the angels of the seven Churches(ANGELS?OR DOGS?):and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven Churches.(What we can see by the letters sent to the Churches of Asia is that several angels of the Churches unfortunately failed.By the way,around 65 years after His ascension,at that time the CHURCH OF ROME had completely apostatized( ROMANS 1:21-28),it was no longer part of the body of Christ,reason by which my Lord JESUS directed messages only to the seven Churches in Asia,they were also greatly threatened by the growth of apostasy and idolatry,but my Lord JESUS was watching Satan's movement against His Church,against His body here on earth.The church of Rome would have been the eighth if it had not apostatized as a whole)
Is.56:10-11
10His watchmen are blind:they are all ignorant,they are all dumb DOGS,they cannot bark;sleeping,lying down,loving to slumber.
11Yea,they are greedy DOGS which can never have enough,and they are SHEPHERDS(PASTORS)that cannot understand:they all look to their own way,every one for his gain,from his quarter.
OTOH,the prophet(the preachers of the Word of GOD)that teacheth lies,he is the TAIL-Is.9:15-,yeah,the TAIL of the Red Dragon- Revelation 12:3-4)
1Pe.4:17-18
17The time is come that Judgment must begin at the house of GOD:and if it first begin at us,what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of GOD?(Compare with 1Corinthians 6:1-3 and Re.22:15)
18 And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?
Celebration of the Lamb's marriage?ONLY AFTER THE JUDGMENT of BABYLON
Christ's argument is: If your law calls judges gods, why should I be held guilty of blasphemy for saying that I am the Son of God?
As per the other argument trying to discredit the word "one" sounds like your argument is that one doesn't really mean one, because Jesus used it to describe believers being one. I don't see how being one in unity as Christ's body somehow means that all the Bible verses about Jesus being God and divine suddenly don't apply? The verse about the Father and Son being one is only one of MANY verses competing the picture. The Bible already says Jesus the Word is God so how can you disregard that?
God: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." John 1:1 KJV
You: Word was "NOT" God?
"Then said they unto him, Where is thy Father? Jesus answered, Ye neither know me, nor my Father: if ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also." John 8:19 KJV
Have you thought about how your belief reconciles with verses like this above?
Isaiah 7:14 -
Yes, Jesus is called Immanuel which means "God with us". People called Jesus "God". He's King of King and Lord of Lords. Alpha and Omega, first and last. Do you believe Jesus is Lord? I believe that is a requirement for even being a Christian. A Christ follower should know who Christ is.
1 John 5:7-8
John 10:30
John 8:19
Genesis 1:26
Genesis 11:6-7 (plural "us" which includes Jesus, as per John 1:1)
Philippians 2:5-8
2 Corinthians 5:19
John 1:3
Matthew 28:19
1 Peter 1:2
2 Corinthians 13:14
Deuteronomy 6:4
John 14:10
John 20:28
1 John 2:22-24
Matthew 1:23-25
Colossians 2:9
Acts 17:29
Romans 1:20
Isaiah 7:14
Hebrews 1:8
Isaiah 44:6
Isaiah 43:11