Bible Read Thread

[Goodbook]

Notice only rahab, ruth and bathsheba are mentioned in the geneologies as mothers no other mothers except Mary are referred to in Jesus family tree.

 

[Goodbook]

In kjv the verse about Joseph is slightly different again from NASB and more obvious. It doesnt really need additonal commentary...

Then Joseph, her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily.

Privily meaning in private of course.

 

[SarahsKnight]

And at last on Sundays we have the Epistles reading.

Today we will be reading Romans chapters 1 and 2.

 

[Goodbook]

Yea a letter, i like receiving letters.

Although. I have read this one many times before, today what stood out for me is Paul is asking the saints in rome to bear fruit.

We know Romans were a lustful lot..you can still see it today in their art which is naked ppl everywhere. So the first part of the letter chapter one references homosexuality among romans. Many ignored God and went on living their 'lifestyle'.

 

[SarahsKnight]

It appears to me that we are not meant to gather a necessary conclusion on what the Apostle Paul is teaching here in Romans through any one or two chapters, but rather, we'd best wait and read through the entire book so that we may consider all the chapters together as to what Paul ultimately conveys as an Apostle on behalf of Christ. I have seen all too often that any one passage or even a few entire chapters of Romans will be used by people on both sides of the OSAS vs. salvation loss being possible debate to prove their view, or that homosexuality is singled out as a particularly offensive sin to God (if you read just Romans 1), or that Calvinism is flat-out taught by Romans 9 through 11 alone and no other points from anywhere else int he Bible could be sufficient to counter that. The mistake seems to be taking just a part of Romans to prove one's view of OSAS, salvation loss, and Calvinism's points of election and perseverance of the saints, and so forth rather than reading through all of Romans as a full teaching that Paul is intending to convey at the end of the book, that each chapter is continuing the same lesson, because at a glance it will appear that Paul is contradicting himself in one teaching by saying something the next chapter that seems to be the complete opposite of what he said in the previous.

For instance, in Romans 1:16-23, it sounds like Paul is placing an emphasis on belief as the requirements of salvation unto eternal life, to believe in the Gospel, which would help indicate the OSAS soteriological view. ... But wait! Shortly after that in the end of Romans 1 it appears Paul is claiming unbelievers to be so through all manner of wicked deeds (he even lists many specifically: greed, envy, murder, malice, and so on) rather than specifically not believing in God. So that would be a point for the side that believes salvation can be lost, right? And that one is not saved by faith alone. .... Then again, it could be that Paul is saying faith alone is what saves, yet also that one who is an unbeliever would be naturally characterized by the evil deeds he lists at the end of Romans 1, making a point simply that a believer would not be known by them if he has faith, for forgiveness of such evil deeds through the Gospel has been bestowed upon the believer, such that they would no longer have an affinity for committing those deeds. It really makes you think, doesn't it?

It would appear to me here in Romans 2:17-24 that Paul is also exhorting professed believers to be very careful in judgment of others' sins - very careful - as, if the believer is at all guilty of any one of the sins he has harshly admonished another for doing, then it may cause "God's name to be blasphemed among the Gentiles" (v.24). Due to that phrase in quotes and the wording of the beginning of this passage, where Paul says "if you call yourself a Jew", then it may be that Paul is specifically warning Jews who delight upholding in God's written law to be careful, then, to not fail at any point in the law, else the Gentiles will see hypocrisy and want nothing to do with believing in God, being mistakenly led to think of Him as some kind of joke. This is another, more subtle point for the OSAS crowd who believes that faith alone saves, and not following GOd's written law well enough to either gain salvation or keep it.

I also have always liked the wording here in Romans 2:29, where Paul appears to be calling one who believes the Gospel a "Jew", as he is circumcised not of the flesh but "of his heart by the Spirit", which I also believe to mean salvation upon belief in Christ, as the Spirit has come to you and "circumcised" you, so to speak.

This book really can be the center of great controversy among believers as it seems to go all over the place in consistency of teachings, but again, that's why I believe that Romans is a particular book in Scripture that needs to be read entirely first and considered as a continuous lesson - rather than Paul making a definitive point in any one passage or chapter or even two or more chapters together - before coming to a conclusion that it is teaching anything. It can really exercise the theological part of one's brain, can't it?

 

[Goodbook]

Well the letter is best read in its entirety i agree.
Some people get tripped up by romans. It contains a lot of theology and is very meaty, like the letter to Hebrews as well. But it is specifically a letter to the majority of Gentiles, just as hebrews was written for the jewish members of the church.

 

[Swan7]

I apologize a head of time that I cannot read everyone's posts today as it's far too busy a day for me to do so. I shall do the reading and will try to get a post up when home.
I need strength to endure, I'm so annoyed by some I work with today...

 

[SarahsKnight]

I apologize a head of time that I cannot read everyone's posts today as it's far too busy a day for me to do so. I shall do the reading and will try to get a post up when home.
I need strength to endure, I'm so annoyed by some I work with today...

It's cool, Sheena. Again, just come in when you can.

 

[TheGirlOnFire]

5 But according to your hardness and unrepentant heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath, revelation, and of the righteous judgment of God;

this really stuck me...

it's like when people think they are better than others that they then lord it over people, i think they become blinded by their own faults.

Also we are taught here not to judge because look at what we do. Judge someone for stealing, have you taken a pen from work, salt from a restaurant etc well that's still stealing you didn't pay for it.

I liked romans

 

[Swan7]

Romans reminded me of what happened both at work and in the threads. We constantly judge - even when we don't mean to!
Following God's ways is certainly learning how to live all over again.

 

[Goodbook]

Well the important thing is to judge righteously, or not judge at all because then we would be hypocrites. But we need to learn how to discern between right and wrong, with help from scripture and the holy spirit of course. That does come later in Romans, I am jumping ahead.

 

[Swan7]

Well the important thing is to judge righteously, or not judge at all because then we would be hypocrites. But we need to learn how to discern between right and wrong, with help from scripture and the holy spirit of course. That does come later in Romans, I am jumping ahead.

Yes, I seem to remember that.

 

[SarahsKnight]

Forgive me everyone as I must make this brief today.

Please pray for my uncle on my father's side, Bobby, as he ended up getting very sick during his travels and so happened to stop off here in Houston to go to the hospital. And I have been told my aunt Patricia who is with him is so upset at this that she needs someone to come to the hospital to sit with her, just to have the comfort of another presence at a time like this. So I must be there shortly.


Today we are back at the Law, so the reading will be Genesis chapters 4 through 7.

 

[Travelers.Soul]

I may back track and tackle Romans 1-2 as the book of Romans is my current Bible study but it will depend on if I have time. I am currently baby sitting my nephew so I may have to miss commenting on the Romans or Genesis passages.

Praying for you and your family, SK.

 

[MarkSB]

Sorry to hear that SK, I hope that he gets better soon.

 

[Swan7]

Forgive me everyone as I must make this brief today.

Please pray for my uncle on my father's side, Bobby, as he ended up getting very sick during his travels and so happened to stop off here in Houston to go to the hospital. And I have been told my aunt Patricia who is with him is so upset at this that she needs someone to come to the hospital to sit with her, just to have the comfort of another presence at a time like this. So I must be there shortly.


Today we are back at the Law, so the reading will be Genesis chapters 4 through 7.

 

[SarahsKnight]

Thank you, everyone. It turns out Uncle Bobby is fine for now, and may have just had a minor heart attack this morning while on the plane, brought on by vomiting so much earlier than that - possibly from food poisoning - that it overworked his heart. He is totally conscious and talking just fine right now with no physical pain but a small headache, and is staying overnight while having a cardiologist come and do some tests to ensure nothing further will happen. God willing this is not just the beginning of future heart complications.

It turns out I misunderstood my aunt in that she was actually not with him when he was on the plane from Tennessee and stopped off here upon getting sick, so she just wished for someone to come be with him for a while at the hospital so that he would not be totally alone.

 

[Goodbook]

Thats good to hear hes ok. Praying for uncles rest and recovery...

Bible reading.

Well. I this part of the bible I always had questions that there dont seem to be answers to so anyone is welcome to fill in my gaps of understanding.

1. Where did cain find his wife, and what woman would want to marry a murderer?
2. Why was Lamech to be avenged seventy fold what what happened exactly?
3. God decreed that man days would be 120 years after the flood but Noah still lived for a few hundreds of years after that, so I dont quite get that. Ive read of one theory that says God meant 120 generations until the end. It could be something lost in translation.

Other than that I always find the flood story compelling and its well known throughout all cultures as part of human history.

 

[SarahsKnight]

1. Where did cain find his wife, and what woman would want to marry a murderer?

I had always guessed that Adam and Eve had other children over the years between leaving Eden and the first murder (unless I have somehow just missed a part in Genesis all these many times I have read it that implies or plainly says that Adam and Eve had only two children, Abel and Cain), and they all went out to other faraway lands on Earth. Of course that would mean one of Cain's own sisters would become his wife, but, whatever. I doubt that under these circumstances incest would be discouraged at all costs. When you are literally the first humans on the planet, you have to procreate somehow, right?

Not the most pleasant thing to consider, of course, but again, this was also a time shortly after the first man and woman ran around all naked every day in a garden and totally did not care.

 

[Goodbook]

Hmm true and daughter dont seem to count or mentioned in the bible as much as the sons...although subsequent verses mention their offspring having sons and daughters...unless cains wife was made from his rib as well. I really dont know it doesnt say. Eve declares she has gotten a man from the Lord when she bears a son, but no mention of any daughters.