Reading all of the Bible and Believing it (The Parable of the Sower).

[Bible Highlighter]

@JLB777

Lets look at the word "repent."

Luke 17:3 says, "Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him."

This doesn't make any sense if "repent" is to exclusively forsake sin or to submit to God. Yes, we are to forsake sin as a part of the fruits repentance but that comes later after repentance (Which is to ask God for forgiveness of our sin). For how can we reconcile with a brother if we do not say we are sorry vs. just going on about life as if we did nothing wrong?

In fact, lets quote the verse and leave the word "repent" blank.

Luke 17:3
"Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he ___________________ , forgive him."​

You say that "repent" means to "submit to God."

Luke 17:3
"Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he __submits to God [repents]__, forgive him."​

Okay, so if a brother trespasses against you, how would you rebuke him, how would you know if he submitted to God? What does "submitting to God" look like in this scenario?

What is the most natural way to read this?

Luke 17:3
""Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he ___seeks forgiveness with you [repents]__, forgive him."​

It makes more sense, that the word "repent" simply means "to seek forgiveness." We know in life that even amongst unbelievers, they can seek forgiveness over a wrong done between each other and they are able to sometimes reconcile with each other (as a result).

 

[Bible Highlighter]

@JLB777

Luke 15 includes a series of three parables that are very similar to each other in them. We see repentance is the topic of discussion in Luke 15 (Luke 15:6) (Luke 15:10); This is then followed up by the "Parable of the Prodigal Son" with the son desiring to be reconciled with his father. We learn the WAY the Prodigal Son desired to be reconciled with his father when he said,

"I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants." (Luke 15:18-19).​

This is a cry for forgiveness towards the Lord.
The father in the Parable of the Prodigal Son is a parallel of our "Everlasting Father" who is Jesus. For when believers are resurrected bodily by the power of Christ's resurrection, they will be of the same genetics of him physically and technically be their father in a physical way.

In other words, the Prodigal Son was seeking forgiveness. This ties into the point of repentance in Luke 15:6 and Luke 15:10 (in the other two parables beforehand). The rejoicing (or celebration) put forth by the father in the Parable of the Prodigal Son is similar to the rejoicing in Heaven when one sinner repents in the previous parables.

 

[Bible Highlighter]

@JLB777

Luke 10:13 says,
"Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works had been done in Tyre and Sidon, which have been done in you, they had a great while ago repented, sitting in sackcloth and ashes."​

This rules out the theory that repentance is exclusively forsaking sin or to submit to God by a means of obeying His commands and or putting away sin and doing good deeds (Which can take time for a believer to do over a period of time). Granted, forsaking sin always follow true repentance (Asking God for forgiveness of one's sins) but forsaking sin (or submitting to God in obeying His commands in a proactive way) is not repentance. The word "repented" here is describing a one time event because they "repented", sitting in sackcloth and ashes. This fits seeking forgiveness with Lord better than a general definition to obey God or to submit to Him.

In Jonah 3:6 we learn that the King of Nineveh sat in sackcloth and ashes. In Jonah 3:8, the King of Nineveh tells people to put on sackcloth, and cry mightily unto God (i.e. repentance): and then turn from their evil way (i.e. the fruits of repentance).

Side Note:

Again, I am not against obedience to God's commands as a part of salvation. We must do this for sure.

What we must do first is seek forgiveness with the Lord over our sins, and believe Christ died for our sins, He was buried, and He was risen three days later on our behalf for salvation. This is God's grace, and we need to do this first as a part of salvation. If we just try to obey God without being forgiven by His grace, we are putting the cart before the horse.

 

[JLB777]

All these words here are true in 1 Corinthians 15,

Amen. I agree

 

[JLB777]

@JLB777

Luke 15 includes a series of three parables that are very similar to each other in them. We see repentance is the topic of discussion in Luke 15 (Luke 15:6) (Luke 15:10); This is then followed up by the "Parable of the Prodigal Son" with the son desiring to be reconciled with his father. We learn the WAY the Prodigal Son desired to be reconciled with his father when he said,

"I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants." (Luke 15:18-19).​

This is a cry for forgiveness towards the Lord.
The father in the Parable of the Prodigal Son is a parallel of our "Everlasting Father" who is Jesus. For when believers are resurrected bodily by the power of Christ's resurrection, they will be of the same genetics of him physically and technically be their father in a physical way.

In other words, the Prodigal Son was seeking forgiveness. This ties into the point of repentance in Luke 15:6 and Luke 15:10 (in the other two parables beforehand). The rejoicing (or celebration) put forth by the father in the Parable of the Prodigal Son is similar to the rejoicing in Heaven when one sinner repents in the previous parables.

Amen.

God’s sons, His sheep, who wander away and become lost, are sinners in need of repentance and are lost.


JLB

 

[Jesse Johnson]

However, the parable of the Sower is about the Gospel message, not the Bible.

The Bible is the Gospel.
Joh 5:39 KJV Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.

 

[Jesse Johnson]

I love what you are saying here.


We all need the whole counsel of God, that’s for sure.

The whole counsel? Are you sure? Because a couple of forums over, you're not making a very good case for that.

 

[JLB777]

The Bible is the Gospel.
Joh 5:39 KJV Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.

The whole counsel? Are you sure? Because a couple of forums over, you're not making a very good case for that.

Do you believe the Church is required to keep the law of Moses, in order to be saved?




JLB

 

[Jesse Johnson]

Do you believe the Church is required to keep the law of Moses, in order to be saved?

Not unless "the law of Moses" is part of "the whole counsel of God."