If that's what that means then what does that mean for today?
Authority for The Priesthood of The Church to forgive sins.
Also From : Saint George Greek Orthodox Church
"Jesus gave the Apostles the power of the Holy Spirit to forgive and retain sins. In other words, the Apostles and the bishops and priests who succeeded them in the life of the Church, have been given the same grace as Jesus Himself had when dealing with sinners"
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Why only the apostles, bishops and priests? Who forgives them of their sins?
So, confessing is the way to be forgiven?
Confession is one of The Sacraments of The Church :
Understanding the Sacraments of the Orthodox Church - Introduction to Orthodoxy Articles - Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America
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Sorry for so many questions. Why do I need a middle man between me and Christ to have forgiveness of sins? Or why do I need to confess my sins to anyone other than Christ?
Agree. Better to die to self in this age rather than die to self in the next.I will bet good money that the souls who loved sin in their lives and are now being refined by the love of God and the scourging of that love are desperately wishing they could escape and between their howls of misery and pain, are wishing they had listened to the Christians instead of making fun of them. Regardless of the telos of our souls, i.e. that all are eventually redeemed to God and God becomes all in all, this is serious business and life is to be a serious quest to put down sin and seek God's mercy here and now before we suffer in the next life.
Agree. Better to die to self in this age rather than die to self in the next.
Indeed, the depth of God's mercy is unfathomable but He gives us a choice on how we are to obey Him either in this life or the next. God help us.Totally agree, and I think that's why some who kick against the Idea that all we will be saved in due time through Christ and the lake of fire fail to Grasp. When I say that all will be saved in due time and through the lake of fire. I'm not taking away the severity of it and play it off as some walk in the park. No one should say to themselves well were all saved in the end, so it doesn't matter what I believe. I don't wish anyone to go through that.
Matt 25:46 does not state that hell/lake of fire lasts forever.
Study the passage for yourself instead of just accepting what you were taught.
The context is the sheep-goat judgment of the nations - not the great white throne judgment - 2 different events.
The sheep are allowed to enter into the Millennial Kingdom while the goats are commanded to depart into the lake of fire. Millennium = 1,000 years.
Also, you apparently don't notice that your citation of 2 Thess 1:9 and Rev 14:9-11 contradict each other. How can "they suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might," when Rev 14:10 states that "he will be tormented with fire and sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb." ??
If that's what that means then what does that mean for today? Was it only for 12?
Sorry for so many questions. Why do I need a middle man between me and Christ to have forgiveness of sins? Or why do I need to confess my sins to anyone other than Christ?
The various positions among Christians as to the perpetuity or non-perpetuity of hell I have described in an analogy of professional Los Angeles sports teams.
LAKERS believe in ECT in a literal lake of fire.
CLIPPERS are Annihilationists, who think when the silver cord of Ecclesiastes is clipped, the damned just die when they die.
DODGERS believe in a non-perpetual hell.
So Christians as a whole are not in the same ball park on this, sometimes not even the same game.
I have a post on that and was just thinking of starting a thread on it...Bad? No.
Sinful? Debatable.
Inaccurate? Yes. The punishment of the wicked dead in hell is described throughout Scripture as “eternal fire” (Matthew 25:41), “unquenchable fire” (Matthew 3:12), “shame and everlasting contempt” (Daniel 12:2), a place where “the fire is not quenched” (Mark 9:44-49), a place of “torment” and “fire” (Luke 16:23-24), “everlasting destruction” (2 Thessalonians 1:9), a place where “the smoke of torment rises forever and ever” (Revelation 14:10-11), and a “lake of burning sulfur” where the wicked are “tormented day and night forever and ever” (Revelation 20:10).
Because God set up a community in which He placed His authority in certain people. Look at what happened to those who opposed Moses - not good!! Moses was God's friend and the leader (authority) of the covenant community.
A priest is an intermediary who represents the people to God and God to the people. Notice that that priesthood does not stop with the establishment of the New Covenant. In Revelation we are told that through Christ, we are made "kings and priests unto God." St. Peter says the same thing in one of his epistles.
Why do we need an intermediary. Because no created thing can deal directly with God nor see His face and live. And in this life, sinful people especially need an intermediary. It is the system which God Himself has established.
Yes, it does. The parallelism in the verse makes this unavoidably clear.
Yeah, I don't need fallen human being levitical priest as a representative to God on behalf of my sins so that I can be forgiven. I Jesus as my high priest. And now I can come to God's throne with boldness. you'll have to explain how Hebrews 4 fits into what you referenced. Heb 4:14Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. 15For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. 16Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
It should be noted that "torment" is the following word that originally meant something different than what in the English we think of concerning torment. Torment - (basanois) was "originally (from oriental origin) a touchstone; a 'Lydian stone' used for testing gold because pure gold rubbed on it left a peculiar mark. This is quite interesting because we also see sulfur. Which if the "Torment" is really basanois - Which means to test the purity of metals - which to me brings to light - the many scriptures concerning Gold tried in the fire. Then sulfur makes sense because sulfur is used to help purify metals including gold in metallurgy. In metallurgy its a delicate process, because you can destroy the Gold in the fire. And God does have the power to do so as stated in Matthew 10:28 28Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. None of this makes any sense if the words everlasting, forever and ever mean without end or eternal. It only makes sense for what the original means as is "For a Age, Age long/lasting, ages of the ages" not without end.
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