What does this mean?

  • Christian Chat is a moderated online Christian community allowing Christians around the world to fellowship with each other in real time chat via webcam, voice, and text, with the Christian Chat app. You can also start or participate in a Bible-based discussion here in the Christian Chat Forums, where members can also share with each other their own videos, pictures, or favorite Christian music.

    If you are a Christian and need encouragement and fellowship, we're here for you! If you are not a Christian but interested in knowing more about Jesus our Lord, you're also welcome! Want to know what the Bible says, and how you can apply it to your life? Join us!

    To make new Christian friends now around the world, click here to join Christian Chat.
E

eternally-gratefull

Guest
#41
He chose the church
Paul is writing to a church of believers.
It does not say “chose us individually” - all can choose Jesus Christ and join.
His Foreknowledge is not our human version
He chose based on foreknowledge. He knew each induvidual before they were born, and knew who would be his, and who would reject him.
 

BillG

Senior Member
Feb 15, 2017
8,879
4,334
113
#42
but remember it is still as choise to believe. MAny are called but few are chosen, so God helps us , gives us some belief, he calls us . he forgives us.

All we need to do is say yes, then obey.
Obey what if I may ask?
What is some belief?
 

Lanolin

Well-known member
Dec 15, 2018
23,460
7,177
113
#43
Acts 13:48 (KJV)
48 And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed.
Wht do you mean what does it mean??

The gentiles got to believe. And they were glad! Remember The prophecy about Jesus that he was to be a light to the Gentiles.

It was all coming to pass.

They were probably jumping up and down with joy and shouting praises to God, in unknown tongues too. Everyone else probably thought they were mad. But these were GENTILES. The jews kinda wanted God just for themselves, they did not think the gentiles were special to God in any way. Well they were wrong!
 

posthuman

Senior Member
Jul 31, 2013
36,666
13,128
113
#44
Well the scriptures say before the foundation of the world::

Ephesians 1: KJV
4 "According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:"

So there was an eternity before the foundation of the world and there is an eternity after it.. So i guess the answer is God foreknew us when ever He Foreknow us.. Maybe He has foreknown us for an eternity? But it is probably impossible for our human minds to comprehend such a thing..

An eternity before we came into existence seems impossible to our human minds.. But with an Eternal God it must be so..
i figure, there is never a time in which He does not know everything; at all times, He knows all things.
 

preston39

Senior Member
Dec 18, 2017
1,675
240
63
#45
God has stated that only persons with specific characteristics will live forever.

The others will be destroyed.
????....explanation and example of ..."specific characteristics"...? Where does G-d state it?
 

TheDivineWatermark

Well-known member
Aug 3, 2018
10,214
1,980
113
#46
i figure, there is never a time in which He does not know everything; at all times, He knows all things.

Yes, but I believe there is another way that "know" is used, and that is, with regard to those who are [or, were at one time] in special relationship to Him (that is, in a certain place and time/-history), as in:

Amos 3 -

"3:1 Hear this word that the Lord hath spoken against you, O children of Israel, against the whole family which I brought up from the land of Egypt, saying,
2 You only have I known of all the families of the earth: therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities.


That ^ is who I believe Romans 11:2 is specifically referring to, with its "[His people] whom He foreknew" phrase (meaning, "to know before"... meaning, "before," as in, OT times that Amos 3:1-2 is pointing out). They were "His people," and then it was said unto them "ye are not My people" ['Lo ammi'], and again in the future they will be "My people Israel" [Rom9:26/Hos1:10; Ezek39:7; Isa26:16-21; etc...]
 

Robertt

Well-known member
May 22, 2019
898
318
63
Bahrain
#47
Obey what if I may ask?/quote] Jesus said to obey his commandments. Love God and Love your Neighbour. He shows how to do these with his life and the parables he told in New Testement.

What is some belief?
Some belief means an unknown quantity. I dont know how much you had, or how it compares to others. Faith the size of a mustard was needed to move a mount
Obey what if I may ask?
hope you are aware Christ asked us to follow his commandments which are summed up by two, Love the Lord your God with all your heart and Love Your brother/neighbour . Jesus showed this in his life and the stories he told.

What is some belief?
"some belief" is a measure, an unknown quantity. I dont know how much we all given but the Bible says it is a Gift of God. and we can build it be Hearing his Word.

Faith the size of a mustard can move a mountain , and yet Jesus said to his disciples a number of times that they lacked Belief.
 

Robertt

Well-known member
May 22, 2019
898
318
63
Bahrain
#48
Wht do you mean what does it mean??

The gentiles got to believe. And they were glad! Remember The prophecy about Jesus that he was to be a light to the Gentiles.

It was all coming to pass.

They were probably jumping up and down with joy and shouting praises to God, in unknown tongues too. Everyone else probably thought they were mad. But these were GENTILES. The jews kinda wanted God just for themselves, they did not think the gentiles were special to God in any way. Well they were wrong!
yes they were Ordained before birth and then believed.
 

Robertt

Well-known member
May 22, 2019
898
318
63
Bahrain
#49
“This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all people. This has now been witnessed to at the proper time.”
‭‭1 Timothy‬ ‭2:3-6‬ ‭NIV‬‬
yes so how do both scriptures align... one cannot contradict the other.
 

FollowHisSteps

Well-known member
Feb 15, 2019
3,674
1,201
113
#50
i figure, there is never a time in which He does not know everything; at all times, He knows all things.
I hope you do not mind, but a pedantic observation comes to mind.
An infinite non-repeating number like Pi, creates a knowledge problem.
One can work out the number at any point in this number, except there is no real point to know it
all, because that is impossible except as an approximation.

Because the number is infinite, there is no point where it is possible to know the whole number
because it never ends. It does though have a beginning.

So does the Lord know that which is needed to be known, approximately, but it is impossible to
know everything, because somethings are only ever known approximately.

Jesus knows judgement will come, but not when.

I am not saying the Lord does not know Pi outside this proposition, I am just putting a point about
our understanding of what knowing is, and what is relevant and what is not.

Our perception of what is important and what is not is often wrong. If you know God as God, you know
the beginning and end of all things, the most important foundation of everything.
 

Lanolin

Well-known member
Dec 15, 2018
23,460
7,177
113
#51
yes they were Ordained before birth and then believed.
No that scripture does not say BEFORE BIRTH. It just says as many were ordained to eternal life believed. Dont add extra words to scripture!

God plan was for all mankind and that includes gentiles. They did not have this before they heard about Jesus but it was always going to be as part of Gods plan through Jesus. The people i,e gentiles hearing the gospel for the first time. Capiche?
 

Robertt

Well-known member
May 22, 2019
898
318
63
Bahrain
#52
No that scripture does not say BEFORE BIRTH. It just says as many were ordained to eternal life believed. Dont add extra words to scripture!

God plan was for all mankind and that includes gentiles. They did not have this before they heard about Jesus but it was always going to be as part of Gods plan through Jesus. The people i,e gentiles hearing the gospel for the first time. Capiche?
it doesnt say they were only ordained from JEsus time. now you adding lol

All good, no one, not one will change a persons doctrine. people either beleive or they dont.
 

Noose

Senior Member
Apr 18, 2016
5,096
932
113
#53
1.God does not through His foreknowledge, elect certain individuals
2.And certain individuals do not also choose God at any point in time
3.It is God doing His work from the beginning to the end- It is creation

Ecc 3:9What do workers gain from their toil? 10I have seen the burden God has laid on the human race. 11He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet a no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.
 

Adstar

Senior Member
Jul 24, 2016
7,426
3,478
113
#54
He chose the church
Paul is writing to a church of believers.
It does not say “chose us individually” - all can choose Jesus Christ and join.
His Foreknowledge is not our human version
He chose us individually for sure.. He foreknew us from the foundation of the earth..
 

Adstar

Senior Member
Jul 24, 2016
7,426
3,478
113
#55
i figure, there is never a time in which He does not know everything; at all times, He knows all things.
Agreed.. Noting surprises Him .. That's why we can be assured that God has everything under control.. He eternal plan will come into fruition just as He wills it will be..
 
Mar 28, 2016
15,954
1,528
113
#57
Acts 13:48 (KJV)
48 And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed.
We must be careful in how we hear. You could say in the same way and it would not affect the understanding;. . .like if " when the unbelieving Jew heard the gospel they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord." The focus is on the gospel not the flesh.

It would appear the father of lies has a desire we focus on the flesh. . . as if believers did war after it.

That idea would seem to focus on the old name he named His people "Jacob" a "born deceiver" . . . before being untied in fellowship with the Spirit signified as the bride of Christ .In whom the Spirit of Christ came to Jacob in a vision . . . they did wrestle and a pledge was given between the two from the hollow of His bone. I think that parable could be a picture of bone of bone, flesh of flesh. He renamed Jacob. Israel. A word that defines a new union signified as Emanuel God in us with us. . . the unseen power. . . not of flesh and blood. .(thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed). the peace of God that surpasses flesh and blood understanding. It appears in the gospel parable below.


And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day. And when he saw that he prevailed not against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob's thigh was out of joint, as he wrestled with him. And he said, Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me. And he said unto him, What is thy name? And he said, Jacob. And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed. And Jacob asked him, and said, Tell me, I pray thee, thy name. And he said, Wherefore is it that thou dost ask after my name? And he blessed him there.And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved. And as he passed over Penuel the sun rose upon him, and he halted upon his thigh. Therefore the children of Israel eat not of the sinew which shrank, which is upon the hollow of the thigh, unto this day: because he touched the hollow of Jacob's thigh in the sinew that shrank. Genesis 32 :24-32

Penuel.....has a interesting meaning. In seeing the Face Of God, she turns To God. The bridal veil is lifted the glory reveled.
 

Lanolin

Well-known member
Dec 15, 2018
23,460
7,177
113
#58
it doesnt say they were only ordained from JEsus time. now you adding lol

All good, no one, not one will change a persons doctrine. people either beleive or they dont.
Do you know what ordained means?
Also do you know what WHEN the gentiles heard means. Lol

You cant believe something because your lack of reading comorehension skills, such as reading a sentence in order.

Sorry, i guess thats why you had to ask everyone what it meant, because you didnt know!

If you already knew, why would you need to ask us? Lol

Where you a christian believer before you even heard the gospel? How is that possible?
 

Lanolin

Well-known member
Dec 15, 2018
23,460
7,177
113
#59
Some people dont seem to understand cause and effect.
Look at the world around you. Are children adults before they are children? Nope.
Yes they are pretty much programmed to become adults, but this is on Gods timing. Eveything in its time.

Does every single child grow to become an adult? Well if they arent killed or die before their time, you cou,d say in general yes, but some actually dont grow up the same as what we expect.
 

TheDivineWatermark

Well-known member
Aug 3, 2018
10,214
1,980
113
#60
Where you a christian believer before you even heard the gospel? How is that possible?
Correct.

Romans 8:9b "Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his."

All of us start out life in this way, ^ having not the Spirit (of Christ). It's not that some are born with it and others are not. ALL of us (before trusting in Christ's finished work for salvation [1Cor15:1-4]) "have not the Spirit," thus (at that time) indeed "are none of His" ;)