DONE!

it was more like the devil was loose and had room to maneuver

been put back in his box now though I hope

you didn't miss a thing. I had to use eyebleach after the fact ( dude posting obscene photos in every thread)

I think you are a guy, so Mr. Lightskin, you just stepped on the landline. Gotta watch. They are planted everywhere.

seems a decent guy. let's be nice to him

Seven, you may make a few dead roll in their grave and a few living want to tear their hair (and yours) out, but you make me laugh.

Land mine land mine. Not a phone. Lol

should have seen me as a kid

like a little tumbleweed blowing all over

boom baby boom

Gold 2 cents.

Obviously, I am still behind, but I want to respond to this. I was just thinking that the blood of Jesus is incorruptible, without death, and of another source than this fallen earth. It speaks mercy to all the world on the mercy seat before Father in heaven, and to add anything of man, yet of this earth physically would be a terrible affront to Father.

We are created anew for good works. Not for our salvation but because we are saved.

And if judgement has passed away for all who are saved by His mercy alone, then we have no rights judging each other’s life.

My favorite verse in the OT is rejoice not against me O mine enemy, for when I fall, I shall arise. When I sit in darkness the Lord Himself will be my Light.

In Deut 33, it says we are held up by the everlasting arms. This was said by Israel before Messiah came. How much more we who are joined to the very body of Jesus Christ can say these things for it’s truth. God loves!

It is Holy Spirit who will search our hearts and shine His Light on ours to show us error. It’s not our job to do so about our own heart, nor is it our duty to try to correct another.

And believe me, this will drive another Christian weak in the faith away from the lord.

Until then if you are connected to Him, and you aren’t rebellious, rest. Let Him take care. If you know of obvious sin, then yes, deal with it. But nit picking at one another over doctrine needs the Word only to debate.

For it is truth that unifies, and sets men free.

And leastamongothers...

Think of this what it might mean.

Luk 23:26 And as they led him away, they laid hold upon one Simon, a Cyrenian, coming out of the country, and on him they laid the cross, that he might bear it after Jesus.

Luk 23:27 And there followed him a great company of people, and of women, which also bewailed and lamented him.

Luk 23:28 But Jesus turning unto them said, Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me, but weep for yourselves, and for your children.

Luk 23:29 For, behold, the days are coming, in the which they shall say, Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bare, and the paps which never gave suck.

Luk 23:30 Then shall they begin to say to the mountains, Fall on us; and to the hills, Cover us.

Luk 23:31 For if they do these things in a green tree, what shall be done in the dry?

I understand what you mean - and what you say is based on the dictionary definition of "truth" - I am defining truth as it is defined when Jesus said, I am the way, the truth, and the life."

By the definition of truth = Jesus, then to make a factual statement while acting like a jerk is not giving Jesus (truth) to another person.
What we convey when we speak is only about 10% the actual words we say and about 90% how we say it, our facial expressions, etc.

Try this on your dog sometime: In an adorable, loving, quiet, tone with a big smile talk about all the nasty things you are going to do to him - He will come up to you wagging his tail!

Th
Hi Stonesoffire. Blessings to you always 🙏. Yes, I am a guy, and I am one of them old-school guys who feminists despise. Thanks for looking out for me regarding the landmines. I wish only to correspond with those landmines on a cordial basis and will not get baited into an argument. 😊

Uh..good luck. Though I don’t believe in luck...so be blessed. 😉. Keep your 🔥

Yea books are good.
Although I found the Brontes a bit more exciting than Austen. They were a whole family of writers which is a bit unusual but had fascinating stories to tell. A good one for OP if she was wanting some biblio therapy is Jane Eyre. Although...apprently it was attacked by some as being anti christian cos said heroine didnt want to marry a missionary and be a missionaries wife. SPOILER a house does burn down in the book.

Equivocation


What you're doing, quite unintentionally, is called equivocation.

We commonly use words in different ways.
If I say I'm "cool", that could either mean I'm cold, or that I think I'm a stud, all depending on the context.
Words commonly have different definitions that fit different contexts.

This is a normal thing we understand, and use, on a daily basis.
We use words in different ways to mean different things.

The word "truth", like many words, can be used in different contexts to refer to different things.

When Jesus said he was the truth, what did he mean?
Did that mean he was a propositional statement?
Did that mean, as we normally use the word truth, that he was "a propositional statement which is correct because it corresponds to reality"?

No.

This isn't the way Jesus was using the word truth.

He meant something else by it.

So whatever Jesus was saying, he wasn't claiming to be a proposition, so it wasn't about propositional statements.
Therefore, Jesus was NOT claiming to be the correct answer to all propositional statements.
Therefore, when someone is talking about "true propositions", you cannot just remove the word "true", and insert the word "God".

That's called equivocation.

Jesus did not say he was "truth" in the sense of being a propositional statement.
Therefore, when people ARE talking about propositional truths, you cannot just remove the worth "truth", and insert the word "God."

Example:
This would be like me coming to you house on a cold day, and saying "I'm really cool", hoping you'll give me a jacket.
But you misunderstand me, assuming the word "cool" means I'm claiming to be a stud, so instead of handing me a jacket, you tell me to keep away from your sister.
Bro... I just wanted a jacket!!!

In Brief:
1. When Jesus stated he was "truth", he wasn't claiming to be a propositional statement.
2. Therefore, the word "God" is not the answer to all propositional statements.
3. Therefore, ANY TRUE PROPOSITION is STILL A TRUE PROPOSITION, regardless of how you feel about God or anything else.


We need to be careful of equivocation, it's easy to do, and we've all done it.
If we aren't careful, it can get us into theological problems.

God Bless.
.

Chester, one more thing:

The Bible does discuss this issue you raise, about witnessing to people with love.

But the Bible keeps the two issues distinct.
The Bible does not make it complicated, and it does not swerve into any equivocation or confusion.

The Bible keeps these 2 issues separate, distinct, and simple... it keeps them parallel, but still distinct.. it does not melt them into a single concept.

The Bible says to speak the truth, and it says to do that in love.
God keeps these issue separate, distinct, and simple.

These are separate ideas, and God keeps them separated.

You'll find these same separations and distinctions throughout scripture.

To say a true thing is to say a true thing.
To say it well, or say it lovingly, is always a critical but DISTINCT matter.

..
Going one step further -> Love and Truth:

1. You CANNOT speak in "love" without also speaking truth... because to lie intrinsically means to fail at the "loving"
You could make an argument about little white lies, like "No honey, you look fine with purple hair."
But as a general rule, to be loving requires, inherently, the inclusion of truth.
2. You CAN however speak truth without speaking in "love", because true propositions are not contingent on love for their existence.
A true proposition is still true even if you don't speak it all, so it doesn't depend on your being "loving", it doesn't depend on you at all. A true statement doesn't depend on you being loving... it doesn't depend on you at all. A true statement is still true even if you disappear.
3. Please keep in mind, God always refers to these two things as separate and distinct.
They are both important, and they usually run parallel, but they are separate and distinct.
4. If God views them as separate and distinct, then so should we.

.

And your not.....talk about rude and crude.....I'm sure you have all the answers d the harmony in this thread says it all....end of story.

Just recently got here, thank you for making me smile and laugh. Good info here

So, FollowHisSteps, are we in agreement concerning what was posted here: