- Jul 15, 2014
- 11,489
- 12,552
- 41
- Country
- United States
- Gender
- Male
- Faith
- Christian
- Marital Status
- Single
Upvote
0
-
Starting today August 7th, 2024, in order to post in the Married Couples, Courting Couples, or Singles forums, you will not be allowed to post if you have your Marital status designated as private. Announcements will be made in the respective forums as well but please note that if yours is currently listed as Private, you will need to submit a ticket in the Support Area to have yours changed.
Bible Read Thread
- Thread starter SarahsKnight
- Start date
- Jul 15, 2014
- 11,489
- 12,552
- 41
- Country
- United States
- Gender
- Male
- Faith
- Christian
- Marital Status
- Single
Upvote
0
- Jul 15, 2014
- 11,489
- 12,552
- 41
- Country
- United States
- Gender
- Male
- Faith
- Christian
- Marital Status
- Single
Upvote
0
- Jul 15, 2014
- 11,489
- 12,552
- 41
- Country
- United States
- Gender
- Male
- Faith
- Christian
- Marital Status
- Single
Upvote
0
- Jul 15, 2014
- 11,489
- 12,552
- 41
- Country
- United States
- Gender
- Male
- Faith
- Christian
- Marital Status
- Single
Wednesday: Psalms
Psalms 119
__________________
I wanted to comment that I kind of looked at the first part of Hebrews 6 from the other day in a new light with my most recent reading through it =>
6 Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, 2 Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.
3 And this will we do, if God permit.
4 For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, 5 And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, 6 If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.
I'll be honest; I remember reading Hebrews a lot during the time of my sickness with religious OCD a few years ago because it contained at least two passages - the one above and Hebrews 10:26 and 27 - that taken by themselves could easily be interpreted as a threat that a believer could not only lose his faith, but then never be able to recover it if he has done so even once and be doomed to death, as though he'd never believed in Christ at all. Proof passages for the soteriological thought that salvation can be lost, if you will. So naturally at that time the passages worried me greatly. Of course, I realize now that it would awfully strange for a man to be genuinely frightened that God has considered him to have walked away from Christ and thus permanently branded as a hopeless case even though that man wishes desperately to believe in nothing but Christ and throws himself upon God's mercy, and yet it actually be true that God has that man condemned anyway. Those who seek forgiveness and mercy shall find it, after all, and God is certainly no tyrant who denies that forgiveness.
Now, I for one believe in once-saved-always-saved in a general sense, but I must admit the above passage is still intriguing. After reading through it again this last time, I see it in a new light, however, basically taking into account the seeming direction of the entire book of Hebrews rather than isolating this passage (we're all guilty of "proof-texting" in order to back up a certain theological stance without consideration of any Scripture that may say otherwise, let's be honest, so please understand that I point no fingers here in what I am about to say). Considering what the writer was saying immediately before Hebrews 6:1 through 6 =>
11 Concerning him we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. 12For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food. 13For everyone who partakes only of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he is an infant. 14But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil.
I see this now as more of a possible, further admonishment that new believers really need to get past the basics of believing in Christ and coming to salvation and on to matters of maturing their faith, rather than remaining "babes" in Christ by knowing just His salvation and scarcely anything more. Coming to the faith is just the beginning; it may secure your place as a child of God and inheritor of eternal life, but why stop there, the writer seems to ask. There is so much more. Now that you are a friend of God through Christ, it is time to start becoming a disciple. Now, granted, I may not be using the best choice of words here for those who have a more thorough Biblical understanding than I and may be able to point out how being a disciple is a part of the salvation instead of the maturing and serving, but I hope that you see the point I am trying to make.
I would put forth that Paul (assuming he is the writer, of course; I recognize that some may have reason to believe otherwise, and I make no definite opinion either way), in the context of the majority of Hebrews being about Christ as the ultimate authority on forgiveness of sins as the "perfect high priest", suggesting final and eternal, Godly salvation, is perhaps saying something like this to the Hebrew readers who he was addressing: You can't renew again to repentance int he first place because Christ has already done it all; it makes no sense to crucify Him afresh because He has already done it once for all time. If you could fall away from genuine faith, there would be no hope, because Christ said it is finished and meant it so; you would be putting Him to shame in thinking you must lay down the foundation of belief and repentance in Christ once more.
Paul may also addressing Hebrews 6:4-6 as just another example of new believers thinking in the way of mere infants in Christ, not mature disciples, that initial faith and salvation can be reversed or lost, and he is saying to them, "Well, you can go on thinking this way, but you are only still mulling over the milk of Scripture if you do, not understanding that Christ is the perfect priest and propitiation for all of our sins, while the rest of us move on to the meat and focus on discipleship. You need to move forward from the simplicity of the Gospel itself and get to the meat."
Perhaps in thinking that we can go back to being enemies of God after turning to Christ in faith and repentance, we only reduce Christ to a priest no more effective, no more substantial, than the priests of Israelite tradition in the Old Testament who could only offer up sacrifices for temporary propitiation?
Again, just my thoughts on this one. ^-^
Psalms 119
__________________
I wanted to comment that I kind of looked at the first part of Hebrews 6 from the other day in a new light with my most recent reading through it =>
6 Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, 2 Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.
3 And this will we do, if God permit.
4 For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, 5 And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, 6 If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.
I'll be honest; I remember reading Hebrews a lot during the time of my sickness with religious OCD a few years ago because it contained at least two passages - the one above and Hebrews 10:26 and 27 - that taken by themselves could easily be interpreted as a threat that a believer could not only lose his faith, but then never be able to recover it if he has done so even once and be doomed to death, as though he'd never believed in Christ at all. Proof passages for the soteriological thought that salvation can be lost, if you will. So naturally at that time the passages worried me greatly. Of course, I realize now that it would awfully strange for a man to be genuinely frightened that God has considered him to have walked away from Christ and thus permanently branded as a hopeless case even though that man wishes desperately to believe in nothing but Christ and throws himself upon God's mercy, and yet it actually be true that God has that man condemned anyway. Those who seek forgiveness and mercy shall find it, after all, and God is certainly no tyrant who denies that forgiveness.
Now, I for one believe in once-saved-always-saved in a general sense, but I must admit the above passage is still intriguing. After reading through it again this last time, I see it in a new light, however, basically taking into account the seeming direction of the entire book of Hebrews rather than isolating this passage (we're all guilty of "proof-texting" in order to back up a certain theological stance without consideration of any Scripture that may say otherwise, let's be honest, so please understand that I point no fingers here in what I am about to say). Considering what the writer was saying immediately before Hebrews 6:1 through 6 =>
11 Concerning him we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. 12For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food. 13For everyone who partakes only of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he is an infant. 14But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil.
I see this now as more of a possible, further admonishment that new believers really need to get past the basics of believing in Christ and coming to salvation and on to matters of maturing their faith, rather than remaining "babes" in Christ by knowing just His salvation and scarcely anything more. Coming to the faith is just the beginning; it may secure your place as a child of God and inheritor of eternal life, but why stop there, the writer seems to ask. There is so much more. Now that you are a friend of God through Christ, it is time to start becoming a disciple. Now, granted, I may not be using the best choice of words here for those who have a more thorough Biblical understanding than I and may be able to point out how being a disciple is a part of the salvation instead of the maturing and serving, but I hope that you see the point I am trying to make.
I would put forth that Paul (assuming he is the writer, of course; I recognize that some may have reason to believe otherwise, and I make no definite opinion either way), in the context of the majority of Hebrews being about Christ as the ultimate authority on forgiveness of sins as the "perfect high priest", suggesting final and eternal, Godly salvation, is perhaps saying something like this to the Hebrew readers who he was addressing: You can't renew again to repentance int he first place because Christ has already done it all; it makes no sense to crucify Him afresh because He has already done it once for all time. If you could fall away from genuine faith, there would be no hope, because Christ said it is finished and meant it so; you would be putting Him to shame in thinking you must lay down the foundation of belief and repentance in Christ once more.
Paul may also addressing Hebrews 6:4-6 as just another example of new believers thinking in the way of mere infants in Christ, not mature disciples, that initial faith and salvation can be reversed or lost, and he is saying to them, "Well, you can go on thinking this way, but you are only still mulling over the milk of Scripture if you do, not understanding that Christ is the perfect priest and propitiation for all of our sins, while the rest of us move on to the meat and focus on discipleship. You need to move forward from the simplicity of the Gospel itself and get to the meat."
Perhaps in thinking that we can go back to being enemies of God after turning to Christ in faith and repentance, we only reduce Christ to a priest no more effective, no more substantial, than the priests of Israelite tradition in the Old Testament who could only offer up sacrifices for temporary propitiation?
Again, just my thoughts on this one. ^-^
Upvote
0
- Jul 15, 2014
- 11,489
- 12,552
- 41
- Country
- United States
- Gender
- Male
- Faith
- Christian
- Marital Status
- Single
Upvote
0
- Jul 15, 2014
- 11,489
- 12,552
- 41
- Country
- United States
- Gender
- Male
- Faith
- Christian
- Marital Status
- Single
Upvote
0
- Jul 15, 2014
- 11,489
- 12,552
- 41
- Country
- United States
- Gender
- Male
- Faith
- Christian
- Marital Status
- Single
Upvote
0
- Jul 15, 2014
- 11,489
- 12,552
- 41
- Country
- United States
- Gender
- Male
- Faith
- Christian
- Marital Status
- Single
Upvote
0
- Jul 15, 2014
- 11,489
- 12,552
- 41
- Country
- United States
- Gender
- Male
- Faith
- Christian
- Marital Status
- Single
Upvote
0
- Jul 15, 2014
- 11,489
- 12,552
- 41
- Country
- United States
- Gender
- Male
- Faith
- Christian
- Marital Status
- Single
Tuesday: History
2 Chronicles 21 through 24
______________
A passage that stood out to me from last Friday's reading, in Micah 7, whereupon as with all of the other prophetic books in the Bible, it seems to always return to God's mercy and willing restoration of His wayward children, even after many prophesies of destruction
:
18 Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy.
19 He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.
20 Thou wilt perform the truth to Jacob, and the mercy to Abraham, which thou hast sworn unto our fathers from the days of old.
2 Chronicles 21 through 24
______________
A passage that stood out to me from last Friday's reading, in Micah 7, whereupon as with all of the other prophetic books in the Bible, it seems to always return to God's mercy and willing restoration of His wayward children, even after many prophesies of destruction
:18 Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy.
19 He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.
20 Thou wilt perform the truth to Jacob, and the mercy to Abraham, which thou hast sworn unto our fathers from the days of old.
Upvote
0
- Jul 15, 2014
- 11,489
- 12,552
- 41
- Country
- United States
- Gender
- Male
- Faith
- Christian
- Marital Status
- Single
Upvote
0
- Jul 15, 2014
- 11,489
- 12,552
- 41
- Country
- United States
- Gender
- Male
- Faith
- Christian
- Marital Status
- Single
Thursday: Poetry
Perhaps the most well-known chapter of the book, Proverbs 31. ^-^
Perhaps the most well-known chapter of the book, Proverbs 31. ^-^
Upvote
0
- Jul 15, 2014
- 11,489
- 12,552
- 41
- Country
- United States
- Gender
- Male
- Faith
- Christian
- Marital Status
- Single
Upvote
0
- Jul 15, 2014
- 11,489
- 12,552
- 41
- Country
- United States
- Gender
- Male
- Faith
- Christian
- Marital Status
- Single
Upvote
0
- Jul 15, 2014
- 11,489
- 12,552
- 41
- Country
- United States
- Gender
- Male
- Faith
- Christian
- Marital Status
- Single
Upvote
0
- Jul 15, 2014
- 11,489
- 12,552
- 41
- Country
- United States
- Gender
- Male
- Faith
- Christian
- Marital Status
- Single
Upvote
0
- Jul 15, 2014
- 11,489
- 12,552
- 41
- Country
- United States
- Gender
- Male
- Faith
- Christian
- Marital Status
- Single
Upvote
0
- Jul 15, 2014
- 11,489
- 12,552
- 41
- Country
- United States
- Gender
- Male
- Faith
- Christian
- Marital Status
- Single
Upvote
0
- Jul 15, 2014
- 11,489
- 12,552
- 41
- Country
- United States
- Gender
- Male
- Faith
- Christian
- Marital Status
- Single
A happy Thanksgiving to you all.
For this morning, we begin a new book of poetry with Ecclesiastes 1 and 2.
A bit of a more depressing mood than normal in the reading of Ecclesiastes, with all the talk of how short, frail, and insignificant human life ultimately is in the grand scheme of things, but, with Jesus Christ, you can now have hope of a life beyond this one. It doesn't have to end once and for all at the grave.
For this morning, we begin a new book of poetry with Ecclesiastes 1 and 2.
A bit of a more depressing mood than normal in the reading of Ecclesiastes, with all the talk of how short, frail, and insignificant human life ultimately is in the grand scheme of things, but, with Jesus Christ, you can now have hope of a life beyond this one. It doesn't have to end once and for all at the grave.
Upvote
0
Similar threads
