I've been presumptive about choices...all things are for our learning. And I've found the scripture all things work together for good for those who love the Lord, who are called according to His purposes.
and these are some of my studie helps.
2 Corinthians 12:7 Lexicon: Because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, for this reason, to keep me from exalting myself, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me-- to keep me from exalting myself!
Strong's Greek: 5229. ὑπεραίρομαι (huperairó) -- to lift or raise over, mid. to uplift oneself
Strong's Greek: 5236. ὑπερβολή (huperbolé) -- a throwing beyond, excess, superiority
Strong's Greek: 2852. κολαφίζω (kolaphizó) -- to strike with the fist
Strong's Greek: 772. ἀσθενής (asthenés) -- without strength, weak
I hope you see how you have just contradicted both yourself and Scripture.Suffering is because of people persecuting those who stand up for God. Suffering is not getting a flat tire, it's not struggling with finances, suffering happens because we love those who don't love us. It has NOTHING to do with marital issues, sickness, or whatever else negative thing in people's life they think is "God's love for them". The only exception is if your spouse isn't a believer. Then you're suffering for the gospel!
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Mark 5:25 And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, 26and who had suffered much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was no better but rather grew worse.
This woman IN SCRIPTURE actually is shown to have suffered much....
I hope you see how you have just contradicted both yourself and Scripture.
Anything the enemy can do to deceive folks into thinking God won't do something, he'll do... this thread has Gods desire, will and power so watered down... faith comes by hearing.. since they auto tune all this out,well faith for it won't come... scripture after scripture of people sending for a Prophet or in the NT folks going to Jesus who were not the lost sheep of Israel... All got healing .....
When I read the posts in this thread. They grieve my heart horribly. I probably won't be able to convince those who have their mind made up, but the truth needs to be spoken.
The posts in this thread are completely wrong for a few reasons.
1. They assert that you don't need faith to be healed, but Scripture tells differently.
2. They assert that those who believe God will heal people are "scammers" and take people's money.
3. They assert that sickness is a sign that you're saved. Jesus didn't get sick, was He saved? He DID get persecuted, He did suffer for the GOSPEL. He didn't suffer to prove He was a Son. He suffered for the GOSPEL. Huge difference. His love lead Him to the cross. Not a sickbed.
Suffering is because of people persecuting those who stand up for God. Suffering is not getting a flat tire, it's not struggling with finances, suffering happens because we love those who don't love us. It has NOTHING to do with marital issues, sickness, or whatever else negative thing in people's life they think is "God's love for them". The only exception is if your spouse isn't a believer. Then you're suffering for the gospel!
The IDEA that God gives sickness is so wrong. Jesus healed people of sickness that God gave them? That gives you a divided Kingdom. Every GOOD gift is from God. You can't look at OT Scriptures to translate NT Scripture. That's just lack of understanding we are in a New Covenant.
Mark 5:25And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, 26and who had suffered much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was no better but rather grew worse.
This woman IN SCRIPTURE actually is shown to have suffered much and been made poor because she followed man's way and not God's way. And she didn't get better, she got worse. God bless doctors, but their bills are astronomical.
27She had heard the reports about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his garment. 28For she said, “If I touch even his garments, I will be made well.”
This woman had heard about Jesus, heard that people were being made well. So she BELIEVED in her heart that she would be made well. But it wasn't until she TOUCHED Him that she was made well.
Listen, Jesus didn't seek her out. She sought Him out.
29And immediately the flow of blood dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. 30And Jesus, perceiving in himself that power had gone out from him, immediately turned about in the crowd and said, “Who touched my garments?"
Jesus according to Scripture didn't even know she was being healed! Until He felt the power go out of His body. So it was HER faith not His that healed her. It was HER intention to be made well not His that according to Scripture.
31And his disciples said to him, “You see the crowd pressing around you, and yet you say,‘Who touched me?’” 32And he looked around to see who had done it.
Jesus had people TOUCHING Him. A whole crowd was pressed up against Him, but this woman touched Him in faith, believing she would be made well. It was her faith that connected her to the power in Christ. It was her seeking Him. It was her intentionality to touch Him with faith that made Him turn around and say who touched me?
33But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling and fell down before him and told him the whole truth. 34And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.”
This woman sought out Jesus, she believed in her heart she would be healed by Him, and she touched Him in faith while everyone else touched Him not recognizing the power in Him. Faith caught His attention. And like the Scripture says here, faith made her well and healed her of her disease.
The idea that faith isn't needed for healing is against Scripture. The posts in this thread are minimizing faith. They say if you don't receive it's because God doesn't want you to have it. But Jesus says different.
Matt 21:22 And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.
"On behalf of this man I will boast, but on my own behalf I will not boast, except of my weaknesses—6 though if I should wish to boast, I would not be a fool, for I would be speaking the truth; but I refrain from it, so that no one may think more of me than he sees in me or hears from me.7 So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited." 2 Cor. 12:5-7
Let's just look at one word at a time, and see what it means, in the verse and the context. This is what I keep trying to tell you about copy and paste Strong's. Some of it just isn't right, or it is selective. And the last one is not even in the verse you quote! It is two verses earlier. The word above is "weaknesses" or ἀσθενείαις. It is a plural adverb.
"ὑπὲρ τοῦ τοιούτου καυχήσομαι, ὑπὲρ δὲ ἐμαυτοῦ οὐ καυχήσομαι εἰ μὴ ἐν ταῖς ἀσθενείαις." 2 Cor. 12:5
"καὶ τῇ ὑπερβολῇ τῶν ἀποκαλύψεων. διὸ ἵνα μὴ ὑπεραίρωμαι, ἐδόθη μοι σκόλοψ τῇ σαρκί, ἄγγελος Σατανᾶ, ἵνα με κολαφίζῃ, ἵνα μὴ ὑπεραίρωμαι." 2 Cor. 12:7
Well, your definition of asthenes above, is not the whole story. Which I recognized the minute I saw it. In fact, it means SICKNESS, weakness. So, context tells the story. Bauer says of ἀσθενεία (asthenia):
1. A state of debilitating illness, sickness, disease. 2 Cor. 12:5 times of weakness, sickness.
2. incapacity for something, or experience of limitation (e.g.. 1 Cor. 15:43, 2 Cor. 11:34, etc.
3. lack of confidence, feeling of inadequacy. (eg1 Cor. 2:3, Romans 6:19, Romans 8:26)
So with of the above three definitions was Paul talking about? Incapacity or experience of limitation, lack of confidence, or feel of inadequacy? I have to doubt very much definitions 2 or 3 apply to Paul. He is talking about how God gave him something to keep him from being conceited, and it was not definitions 2 or 3.
The only one that really describes this definition, is #1. Paul had something wrong with him, and God really did allow it. And God had a purpose! And that Paul could "boast" in what God had done.
Sadly, this is very typical of cults. They take part of a definition or part of a verse, or exegete wrongly and twist it to say what it does not. Believe me, asthenes means sickness. And Paul definitely had a sickness, whether it was just eye problems or something else, the Bible does not say.
As for your wondering about what God uses, I will conclusively say the Bible says he uses ALL things for our good.
"And we know that ALL things work together for good to those who love God and are called according to his purpose." Romans 8:28
So glad I serve a God who does not fit in some cult's box. God is much greater than your shallow definitions, which misuse Scripture.
I do wish you would take some real classes on Greek, learn to read it, and stop playing with inadequate sources, and again, listing a bunch of Greek words and definitions and not commenting on them. What do you mean by using asthenes, and not quoting the right verse, nor understanding the full meaning? Do you know what you mean? If you do, then please follow it through. Just as I have done. Better to deal with one word well, than 4 words shallowly.
As for the other post, I am working on it. I'm just so busy with Christmas right now, and it requires a lot of refuting. However I do appreciate the way you reformatted it so it is easy to read. Thanks!
and last how could the clothing, the handkerchiefs of a constantly sick man heal the sick. you can't say it, you don't have the scriptural support no matter how hard you try and to twist it to another context.
…11God did extraordinary miracles through the hands of Paul, 12so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick, and the diseases and evil spirits left them.
Its not the man who heals, but God.
So the man does not have to be a healthy superman. God is doing the work, remember?
ok lets look at this one word then, and the context it is used in throughout the bible grammatically.
from my Thayer's Greek Lexicon
ἀσθενείαις
(from Herodotus down), want of strength, weakness, infirmity;
a. of Body; α. its native weakness and frailty: 1 Corinthians 15:43; 2 Corinthians 13:4. β. feebleness of health; sickness: John 5:5; John 11:4; Luke 13:11, 12; Galatians 4:13 (ἀσθένεια τῆς σαρκός); Hebrews 11:34; in plural: Matthew 8:17; Luke 5:15; Luke 8:2; Acts 28:9; 1 Timothy 5:23.
b. of Soul; want of the strength and capacity requisite α. to understand a thing: Romans 6:19 (where ἀσθένειαν τῆς σαρκός denotes the weakness of human nature). β. to do things great and glorious, as want of human wisdom, of skill in speaking, in the management of men: 1 Corinthians 2:3. γ. to restrain corrupt desires; proclivity to sin: Hebrews 5:2; Hebrews 7:28; plural the various kinds of this proclivity, Hebrews 4:15. δ. to bear trials and troubles: Romans 8:26 (where read τῇ ἀσθένεια for Rec. ταῖς ἀσθενείαις); 2 Corinthians 11:30; 2 Corinthians 12:9; plural the mental (?) states in which this weakness manifests itself: 2 Corinthians 12:5, 9f.
the grammatical and biblical written context is of bearing trials and persecution, not sickness. the is especially defined by the usage of the word in the context of it in the verses before. your definition even partially says this.
1. A state of debilitating illness, sickness, disease. 2 Cor. 12:5 times of weakness, sickness.
2. incapacity for something, or experience of limitation (e.g.. 1 Cor. 15:43, 2 Cor. 11:34, etc.
so the context here would be of weakness due to the trials and persecution. not sickness.
the part i highlighted in blue is where your fault lies, you assume by your understanding and not by what was written. and you can see if flawed because God never would do that. and there is no NT reference to God letting someone be tormented to keep them from pride. on the contrary, even if he allowed(God does not give you a messenger from satan, the devil does that, and thats some hellish thinking to think God would give you that.) the devil would not stop you from being conceited of prideful, he wants that, he wants you to live in self. what the devil was trying to suppress was the revelation, because by the revelation it brought paul beyond measure, or lifted him up. the revelation was pauls message of righteousness. and our right position or standing in God, that is our lifted up(beyond measure) in Him. the thorn was tho keep him down and to try and prevent that righteous revelation from spreading. so by the context of weakness due to persecution we seen the definition of the thorn is from a relational point, that means; human opposition and persecution that often followed Paul in his ministry. by extent physical responses; an disfigurement or disability from the beatings, stoning, and whip. or moral temptation that constantly plagued the apostle from the extremes he faced. thats why when he petitioned Christ his response was my good-will, loving-kindness, favor: that is the favor of Christ, assisting and strengthening his followers and ministers to bear their troubles. the written context of the whole passage clearly stats that it is not sickness that paul was effected but but, opposition to his message.
the context is trials and persecution. i am not saying paul never got sick, but he never suffered sickness the way you are trying to imply he did. there is no biblical context for that. and honestly you say its a cult twisting the word, on the contrary, its not that because this is truth. what is happening here is this notion of healing in Gods word brings offence to you through the face that you lost a loved one. and i am sorry, but know external event in any of our lifes change the words definitions, no matter how hard we seek to. what was written was clear, paul didn't suffer sickness, and you cant use the thorn to justify people suffering it to.
ok lets look at this one word then, and the context it is used in throughout the bible grammatically.
from my Thayer's Greek Lexicon
ἀσθενείαις
(from Herodotus down), want of strength, weakness, infirmity;
a. of Body; α. its native weakness and frailty: 1 Corinthians 15:43; 2 Corinthians 13:4. β. feebleness of health; sickness: John 5:5; John 11:4; Luke 13:11, 12; Galatians 4:13 (ἀσθένεια τῆς σαρκός); Hebrews 11:34; in plural: Matthew 8:17; Luke 5:15; Luke 8:2; Acts 28:9; 1 Timothy 5:23.
b. of Soul; want of the strength and capacity requisite α. to understand a thing: Romans 6:19 (where ἀσθένειαν τῆς σαρκός denotes the weakness of human nature). β. to do things great and glorious, as want of human wisdom, of skill in speaking, in the management of men: 1 Corinthians 2:3. γ. to restrain corrupt desires; proclivity to sin: Hebrews 5:2; Hebrews 7:28; plural the various kinds of this proclivity, Hebrews 4:15. δ. to bear trials and troubles: Romans 8:26 (where read τῇ ἀσθένεια for Rec. ταῖς ἀσθενείαις); 2 Corinthians 11:30; 2 Corinthians 12:9; plural the mental (?) states in which this weakness manifests itself: 2 Corinthians 12:5, 9f.
the grammatical and biblical written context is of bearing trials and persecution, not sickness. the is especially defined by the usage of the word in the context of it in the verses before. your definition even partially says this.
1. A state of debilitating illness, sickness, disease. 2 Cor. 12:5 times of weakness, sickness.
2. incapacity for something, or experience of limitation (e.g.. 1 Cor. 15:43, 2 Cor. 11:34, etc.
so the context here would be of weakness due to the trials and persecution. not sickness.
the part i highlighted in blue is where your fault lies, you assume by your understanding and not by what was written. and you can see if flawed because God never would do that. and there is no NT reference to God letting someone be tormented to keep them from pride. on the contrary, even if he allowed(God does not give you a messenger from satan, the devil does that, and thats some hellish thinking to think God would give you that.) the devil would not stop you from being conceited of prideful, he wants that, he wants you to live in self. what the devil was trying to suppress was the revelation, because by the revelation it brought paul beyond measure, or lifted him up. the revelation was pauls message of righteousness. and our right position or standing in God, that is our lifted up(beyond measure) in Him. the thorn was tho keep him down and to try and prevent that righteous revelation from spreading. so by the context of weakness due to persecution we seen the definition of the thorn is from a relational point, that means; human opposition and persecution that often followed Paul in his ministry. by extent physical responses; an disfigurement or disability from the beatings, stoning, and whip. or moral temptation that constantly plagued the apostle from the extremes he faced. thats why when he petitioned Christ his response was my good-will, loving-kindness, favor: that is the favor of Christ, assisting and strengthening his followers and ministers to bear their troubles. the written context of the whole passage clearly stats that it is not sickness that paul was effected but but, opposition to his message.
the context is trials and persecution. i am not saying paul never got sick, but he never suffered sickness the way you are trying to imply he did. there is no biblical context for that. and honestly you say its a cult twisting the word, on the contrary, its not that because this is truth. what is happening here is this notion of healing in Gods word brings offence to you through the face that you lost a loved one. and i am sorry, but know external event in any of our lifes change the words definitions, no matter how hard we seek to. what was written was clear, paul didn't suffer sickness, and you cant use the thorn to justify people suffering it to.
2. incapacity for something, or experience of limitation (e.g.. 1 Cor. 15:43, 2 Cor. 11:34, etc.
and are you using a bible with a 34th verse in 2 cor 11:34. or is that from bauer, or a typo, just trying to clarify, i just saw that.