Hi Studyman, thanks for sharing, I like reading your posts. I see God is guiding your study of His Word and I feel blessed by Jesus to see those that know His Word here. Thank you. May I ask a favor? Can you re-post your post on following the tradition of man " We be Abrahams seed and not in bondage to any man" post? that would be interesting to discuss there in this thread I think. Only if you have time of course.
God bless you always as you continue in His Words
Here it is LGF,
It's a long one, which disqualifies it by several on this forum.
I have carefully read and studied the Bible for many years, yet have come to very different conclusions than yourself. What is the way out of the alleged deception if not careful reading and studying the Bible?
Very good question. How is it LGF and others, including myself, can read the same Book you do, and come to a different conclusion.
The very same question could be asked by the Pharisees of Jesus and Paul and Peter's time, yes?
I mean here are the Mainstream preachers of Christ's time claiming to be Children of God, Children of Abraham.
John 8:
33 They answered him, We be Abraham's seed,
and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free?
They claimed belief on the God of Abraham, they claimed to be in bondage to no man. But what did Jesus tell them?
34 Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.
39 They answered and said unto him,
Abraham is our father. Jesus saith unto them,
If ye were Abraham's children, ye would do the works of Abraham.
40 But now ye seek to kill me,
a man that hath told you the truth, which I have heard of God:
this did not Abraham.41 Ye do the deeds of your father. Then said they to him, We be not born of fornication;
we have one Father, even God.
44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.
45 And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not.
There is more on this engagement between Jesus and the Mainstream God of Abraham preachers of His time in John 8.
Certainly the Pharisees studied the bible as it existed then. AS did Jesus.
Luke 24:
27 And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.
Yet these two factions, Jesus and the Mainstream preachers of His time had almost opposite understandings of the Bible.
It is fair to say not all Jews of that time had the same understanding as the Mainstream Preachers.
Luke 1:
5 There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judaea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia: and his wife
was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name
was Elisabeth.
6 And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.
So there seems to be a trend here.
The Mainstream Preachers claimed to be God's people, they read God's Words, yet they "Transgressed the Commandments of God by their own doctrines and traditions."
There is no indication that Zacharias or Jesus did this.
So we have one example of understanding that was gained by study in obedience to the instruction, ( Zacharias and Jesus)
And another example of study in disobedience to the instruction. (Mainstream preachers of that time)
There were more than just Zacharias.
Matt. 2:
1 Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,
2 Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.
Here is another example of people who had a completely different understanding than the Mainstream preachers of that time. Is it wrong to assume that they, like Zacharias, also studied in obedience to the instruction?
And Peter, which side of this topic did he fall on?
Acts 5:
32 And we are his witnesses of these things; and
so is also the Holy Ghost,
whom God hath given to them that obey him.
33 When they heard
that,
they were cut to the heart, and took counsel to slay them.
I have carefully read and studied the Bible for many years, yet have come to very different conclusions than yourself. What is the way out of the alleged deception if not careful reading and studying the Bible?
T
here is only one difference between the examples in the Bible who understood God, and those who did not.
And it was because one example refused to obey the instruction of God, and created their own instructions, and the other example did not.
So fast forward to today. WE have a Mainstream Christian teaching that "Transgresses the Commandments of God by their own traditions and doctrines."
This is not a judgment, rather, a simple fact.
It is Mainstream Christian Tradition to transgress God's Sabbath Commandment and replace it with the Catholic Sabbath.
It is Mainstream Christian tradition to transgress God's Holy Days and replace them with Catholic high days.
It is Mainstream Christian Tradition to create images of God in the likeness of some long haired men's shampoo model, transgressing the first and greatest commandment.
It is Mainstream Christian Tradition to transgress God's Food Laws, and create their own definition of clean and unclean.
So it seems that even today, if a person studies in obedience to God's simple instructions he see's the scripture one way.
If a person studies scripture in transgression to God's simple instructions, he sees the scripture in another way.
I believe what Peter taught, that the Holy Spirit (Spirit of Truth) is given to those who do not "Transgress the Commandments of God by their own religious doctrines and traditions, and it seems LGF believes the same.
But I also know from Peter and Jesus that this belief will infuriate "many" who come in Christ's/God's name.
"When they heard
that,
they were cut to the heart, and took counsel to slay them."
"
22
And ye shall be hated of all
men for my name's sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved."
My hope is that you might consider these words and understand.
John 3:
19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world,
and men loved darkness rather than light,
because their deeds were evil. (Is it evil or righteous to transgress the commandments of God by doctrines and traditions of men?)
20 For every one that doeth evil(Transgress God's Commandments by their own Traditions)
hateth the light, neither cometh to the light,
lest his deeds should be reproved.
Is this why the Mainstream preachers of Peters time set about to kill or silence Peter, so he wouldn't expose their transgression of God's Commandments?
21 But he that
doeth truth cometh to the light, that
his deeds may be made manifest,.(let your light shine)
that they are wrought in God.
So a circle complete once again. Those who live a doctrine created (wrought) by God have a different understanding than those who live a doctrine created by man.
Very honest, bold question you asked Dan. Not many would dare to ask such a question fearing the answer.
I hope you might consider my take on this good question.