Can anyone else define these terms as they are used in the Bible?

[Inquisitor]

I am not saying that context is irrelevant. But we must begin with what a particular text is saying, and not by asserting what we believe that text is teaching because we are looking at the text through a particular systematic lens.
What "For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you" says is "Because (Paul is giving a reason for something stated before this verse) the name of God is being denigrated among the Gentiles because of you (some group Paul is addressing.)"

Then we have some questions to answer from the context.
1. For what is this text a reason?
2. Who is the "you" referring to.

Now we go to the immediate context.
17 But if you call yourself a Jew and rely on the law and boast in God 18 and know his will and approve what is excellent, because you are instructed from the law; 19 and if you are sure that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, 20 an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of children, having in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth— 21 you then who teach others, do you not teach yourself? While you preach against stealing, do you steal? 22 You who say that one must not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? 23 You who boast in the law dishonor God by breaking the law. 24 For, as it is written, “The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.”

So, the answers to the questions raised by the first text are
1. The reason God is blasphemed among the Gentiles is that those boasting in the Mosaic Law are dishonouring God by breaking the Mosaic Law.
2. The "you" are those who call themselves Jews and rely on the Mosaic Law and boast in God. Therefore, they are Jews.

This is the correct way to read a text for comprehension.
What does it say?
What questions are raised by the text that the text itself does not answer, for which we need answers?Is there something in the immediate context that gives answers to those questions.

Very good reply and accurate.

 

[Inquisitor]

Very good reply and accurate.

Now have a look at chapter three of Romans.

Is Paul still directly talking to the Jews?

If so, then how do you understand the following verse in the given context?

31 Do we then nullify the Law through faith? Far from it! On the contrary, we establish the Law.

 

[PaulThomson]

Sorry it has taken me some time to get back I just have nor made the time to get back to many things going on at home. When I speak about reasoning when the bible, God, Jesus, interpret something that is what it means; or if you look up a word in the Strong's Hebrew or Greek use that definition. In Matthew 13
Matthew 13:36 Then Jesus sent the multitude away, and went into the house: and the disciples came unto him saying, Declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field.

The disciples did not understand the parable; So Jesus had to explain it to them (and us).

Verse 37. He answered and said unto them He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man; Who is the Son of man? Jesus. Jesus is the sower of the good seed. He gives us the seed to sow. In the parable He had helpers. Sharpen up because here comes on of those things we need to reason about but not fight over. Verse 38. The field is the world. [ Matthew 24:38 For in the days of the flood, people were eating, drinking, marrying and given in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark. 39. And they were oblivious, until the flood came and swept them all away. So will it be at the coming of the Son of Man. 40. Two men will be working in the field: one will be taken and the other left. 41. To women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left.
It was Noah and his family and every thing on the ark that were saved everyone else was lost. It is an example of the end times. Two men will be working in the field (the world) one will be taken; washed away as in the flood, this will be taken in not by the water but by Satan(as you can read in the parable of the wheat and the tares) The same with Verse 41 Two woman will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left.] Lets pick this back up in Matthew 13:38. The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one.
This should be easy to understand and there should be no disagreement; There are only 2 teams in the world Team Jesus and Team Satan, and there will be a lot of unhappy people.
39. The enemy that sowed them is the wicked one; (Satan sowed the evil seed. What did Jesus say to the religious rulers of His time? Ye are the father the Devil; the same would be said by Him today if He were here in the flesh. If [the biggest little word in the bible] you have eyes to see with and ears to hear with you can see what is going on and understand what is happening.]) THE HARVEST IS THE END OF THE WORLD; and the reapers are the angles. Verse 40. As therefore the tears are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of the world. 41. The Son of Man shall send forth His angles, and they shall gather out of the kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; 42 And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.43. THEN (not before this but after all this takes place) shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. WHO HATH EARS TO HEAR, LET HIM HEAR. Do you have ears to hear with and eyes to see with so you can understand the order of things.
Yes it is saying just what you thank it is saying. Satan and His children are taken first, and then the children of God are gathered together. Right here on earth
Zechariah14:4 And His foot shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives, shall cleave in the midst thereof, toward the east and the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half toward the south.
This is spoken of in Ezekiel and the valley will be 60 miles by 60 miles. This is where the millennium temple will be set up and where Jesus will rule for a thousand years before the thorn of God descends from Heaven and God sets in judgment opens the book and everyone is given their just rewards; some to eternal damnation and other to eternal glory each according to his or her works.
You can read of it in Ezekiel 40-48. There is more written about the millennium in these chapters than the entire book of Revelation.
This is what I mean about come let us reason together. This comes right from God's word. There are many other places that say the same type of thing, I am willing to discuss them if you have an open mind, I am open to being shown that I am misreading it.
In His Love Ken

The OP says -

Come, let us reason calmly together.

There are a lot of words thrown at our screens making claims about the following terms. It would seem wise to first of all settle on some biblical definitions of those terms before making bold unfounded assertions about them. Can anyone give biblically sound definitions of these terms with biblical texts to back up those definitions?

1. the will.
2. to will
3. a free will
4. a bound will
5. to be sovereign
6. to predetermine
7. elect

If anyone cannot offer a biblical definition of these, should that person be confidently spouting doctrine about them?

I don't see the relevance of you input to the thread topic. Could you explain how it is relevant.

If you want to start a thread on your topic, I will share my thoughts there. I don't want to derail this thread.

 

[oyster67]

Reading one's systematic assumptions into a text before understanding what the text is saying and not saying will not allow anyone to understand what the text is saying.

Understanding the context and having a firm grip on the rest of Scripture certainly will aid in "understanding what the text is saying and not saying." You seem to have a psychological need to reinvent the firmly established "wheels of the Word". I visualize you as stumbling around with eyes closed, fingers in ears, and loudly chanting "la-la-la-la-la..."

 

[Anton]

Come, let us reason calmly together.

There are a lot of words thrown at our screens making claims about the following terms. It would seem wise to first of all settle on some biblical definitions of those terms before making bold unfounded assertions about them. Can anyone give biblically sound definitions of these terms with biblical texts to back up those definitions?

1. the will.
2. to will
3. a free will
4. a bound will
5. to be sovereign
6. to predetermine
7. elect

If anyone cannot offer a biblical definition of these, should that person be confidently spouting doctrine about them?

Hello,
02307 (AbbottSmithStrongs)
θέλημα, ατος, τό thelema thel’-ay-mah
Noun neutral
What each person decided to do.
God's plan.
What God want's us to do.
Volonte,choice,inclination,desire.
Maybe this helps a bit.
Shalom

 

[Kenneth]

Thank you all for your input.

 

[PaulThomson]

Hello,
02307 (AbbottSmithStrongs)
θέλημα, ατος, τό thelema thel’-ay-mah
Noun neutral
What each person decided to do.
God's plan.
What God want's us to do.
Volonte,choice,inclination,desire.
Maybe this helps a bit.
Shalom

No, Anton, that does not answer to OP. Which scriptures support these as definitions? I'm looking for definitions that the Bible givesus for the terms; not definitions someone might like to read into the Bible.

 

[PaulThomson]

Understanding the context and having a firm grip on the rest of Scripture certainly will aid in "understanding what the text is saying and not saying." You seem to have a psychological need to reinvent the firmly established "wheels of the Word". I visualize you as stumbling around with eyes closed, fingers in ears, and loudly chanting "la-la-la-la-la..."

Being unable to live at peace with uncertainty is normal in children. but a pathology in mature adults.
Being so desperate to have certainty about what every scripture text means that I accept some opinion expressed by someone else, because they said it confidently, is to remain a spiritual child. What would you think of the maturity of a 40 year old man who was still following as divine decree every "rule" and "opinion" given to him by his parents?

A mature Christian wrestles in conversation with God over the meaning of scripture, and goes where their insight and conscience lead until God clarifies His meaning. It's a meandering exploratory path of growth, not a static table completely filled in with books read and propositions 100% verified. where our honest mistakes are covered by the grace of God.

Having to rely on some other finite mind to give me certainty about the meaning of scripture, is just replacing one sight-impaired guide with another. That provides no guarantee that the meaning affirmed is true.

 

[oyster67]

What would you think of the maturity of a 40 year old man who was still following as divine decree every "rule" and "opinion" given to him by his parents?

I would say that He is pretty wise if his Father happens to be the omniscient and perfect God. His "rules and opinions" ARE divine decree. God's "opinion" is perfect truth and binding law for all.

 

[PaulThomson]

I would say that He is pretty wise if his Father happens to be the omniscient and perfect God. His "rules and opinions" ARE divine decree. God's "opinion" is perfect truth and binding law for all.

According to
Calvin, every person's rules and opinions are divinely decreed and given them by God from before creation.

 

[oyster67]

According to
Calvin, every person's rules and opinions are divinely decreed and given them by God from before creation.

That would make God's plan of salvation a rather pointless endeavor.

 

[PaulThomson]

That would make God's plan of salvation a rather pointless endeavor.

It would.