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Well regretfully, it seems to me that Christianity is "all divided".
And that 'false prophets', whackjobs and fake religion abound.
The problem being that anyone who disagrees with "my" interpretation and conclusions has to be one of the above.
Regardless of whether it's the usual cultish targets like the JWs, Mormons, SDAs etc etc or a monolith like Catholicism.
And that 'false prophets', whackjobs and fake religion abound.
The problem being that anyone who disagrees with "my" interpretation and conclusions has to be one of the above.
Regardless of whether it's the usual cultish targets like the JWs, Mormons, SDAs etc etc or a monolith like Catholicism.
Then the answer is "through the mind of Christ given us".
Does the Spirit reveal all truths to us instantly? No. There is progressive revelation, as documented in Scripture, and as proven by a Beleiver's growth in Christ and progress toward maturity.
As we are still in bodies of flesh, much is not revealed to us...
and yet many form opinions about topics that are not revealed to mankind.
When people call "heresy" on these topics, I call them out on it.
But the basis of Truth, is what is revealed in Scripture, and unveiled by the Holy Spirit dwelling within the Believer.
The Spirit does not contradict itself, so in debates over theologies,
We must discern what is of Spirit, and what is of flesh,
What is useful, and what is philosophical,
What is concrete, and what is conjecture.
Sometimes, we have to just admit that God has not yet revealed certain things.
Other times, we have to refute those who twist the Word.
And yet more often, we have to edifying those who are misinformed of the Word, or who have misplaced zeal.
Does the Spirit reveal all truths to us instantly? No. There is progressive revelation, as documented in Scripture, and as proven by a Beleiver's growth in Christ and progress toward maturity.
As we are still in bodies of flesh, much is not revealed to us...
and yet many form opinions about topics that are not revealed to mankind.
When people call "heresy" on these topics, I call them out on it.
But the basis of Truth, is what is revealed in Scripture, and unveiled by the Holy Spirit dwelling within the Believer.
The Spirit does not contradict itself, so in debates over theologies,
We must discern what is of Spirit, and what is of flesh,
What is useful, and what is philosophical,
What is concrete, and what is conjecture.
Sometimes, we have to just admit that God has not yet revealed certain things.
Other times, we have to refute those who twist the Word.
And yet more often, we have to edifying those who are misinformed of the Word, or who have misplaced zeal.
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A
My husband (way before he was my husband) loaded for bear. He'd study the scripture enough to pull out all the places that looked like they contradicted themselves and used those as his bullets to attack Christians. It worked. It really did work on the young in Christ and the ethnically-Christian, but not spiritually-Christian. (Those born into a church but thinking they were saved simply because their parents were.) He drove many of them away from the Lord.
And then he met a woman who knew her Bible and knew God. Every night he went fully armed with his "contradictions." Every night she deflected them one by one. This went on for three weeks.
Would you invite him back to your house after the first night? How about after the second? I certainly would have kicked him out early that first night for "wasting my time." Thank God, Carol (that woman) isn't me. Three weeks later he went home so angry with her he was just about ready to kill her. And the next morning he woke up a believer.
Of course they don't listen! That doesn't negate God using the saint who can put up with that attitude over the long haul from saying what God would have them say so the deaf hear and believe.
I can't be that saint, because I still have the patience of Jonah. I can see why you can't be that person. You were gifted in three specific ways -- to listen well and to point out a pile of hooey when you hear it. And once there, you're the guy who knows what to do instead of relying on that pile of hooey. Isn't that pretty much the description of what you do in life?
But Sirk ain't us. I may be a toe. You may be an arm. Sirk may well be the finger that pulls out whatever is in their ears that they're listening too. That's why we're the body of Christ, each gifted differently. The whole thing needs doing, and together God uses all our gifts to get it done. (And a lot more done without us, but... you know. A different part of the story. lol)
I think Sirk is nuts, but in a good way. I don't have that talent he has, but we can still do something for him as he hangs in those front-lines -- pray. My prayer is going to be "God do this quickly, because that's got to hurt." (Toe. Gets stubbed a lot. What were you expecting me to think? lol) You pray what you think is necessary for Sirk too, and that's how the body works together.
And then he met a woman who knew her Bible and knew God. Every night he went fully armed with his "contradictions." Every night she deflected them one by one. This went on for three weeks.
Would you invite him back to your house after the first night? How about after the second? I certainly would have kicked him out early that first night for "wasting my time." Thank God, Carol (that woman) isn't me. Three weeks later he went home so angry with her he was just about ready to kill her. And the next morning he woke up a believer.
Of course they don't listen! That doesn't negate God using the saint who can put up with that attitude over the long haul from saying what God would have them say so the deaf hear and believe.
I can't be that saint, because I still have the patience of Jonah. I can see why you can't be that person. You were gifted in three specific ways -- to listen well and to point out a pile of hooey when you hear it. And once there, you're the guy who knows what to do instead of relying on that pile of hooey. Isn't that pretty much the description of what you do in life?
But Sirk ain't us. I may be a toe. You may be an arm. Sirk may well be the finger that pulls out whatever is in their ears that they're listening too. That's why we're the body of Christ, each gifted differently. The whole thing needs doing, and together God uses all our gifts to get it done. (And a lot more done without us, but... you know. A different part of the story. lol)
I think Sirk is nuts, but in a good way. I don't have that talent he has, but we can still do something for him as he hangs in those front-lines -- pray. My prayer is going to be "God do this quickly, because that's got to hurt." (Toe. Gets stubbed a lot. What were you expecting me to think? lol) You pray what you think is necessary for Sirk too, and that's how the body works together.
Yes but round and round we go, but interesting you mention that truth is not yet revealed to us instantly, progressive revelation i like the sound of that, i suppose people like me will have to wait and see what truth gets revealed, if ever?, it's almost like make your own truth or listen to your own truth?
Is this not what all Christians say though?
I'm off for a cup of tea, lol.
Is this not what all Christians say though?
I'm off for a cup of tea, lol.
Here's a hint:
2 Thessalonians 2:3
Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction,
One doesn't become an apostate in any unified area of belief without having first believed something in that area of belief.
2 Thessalonians 2:3
Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction,
One doesn't become an apostate in any unified area of belief without having first believed something in that area of belief.
A
Not really. It's the overall orthodoxy that took centuries of educated Christian scholars to define, not create.
The issue is "educated".
Be wary of the scribes.
Their definitions are exactly what cause the divisions.
If you ask a Lutheran about orthodoxy, you get a different set than from a Baptist, and a different set from the Pentacostal, and a different set from the Reformed theologian from the dispensationalist and from the traditionalist and from the Roots movement... etc
Be wary of the scribes.
Their definitions are exactly what cause the divisions.
If you ask a Lutheran about orthodoxy, you get a different set than from a Baptist, and a different set from the Pentacostal, and a different set from the Reformed theologian from the dispensationalist and from the traditionalist and from the Roots movement... etc
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