I did not say descendent, nor did Paul. He uses the word "offspring" of God. Do you know what "offspring" means?
you are quite right, my mistake! what do you mean by direct offspring? I take offspring to mean children... that's what the nasb uses...
I did not say descendent, nor did Paul. He uses the word "offspring" of God. Do you know what "offspring" means?
thanks for the information!Read my post #452 and you will have a better understanding of our position.
You see most evangelicals think because Mormons esteem "good works" as an important part of our religion, then we must be following the Law of Moses, and not the gospel of Christ. It is not true, we follow the Law of Christ (who by the way did not use the word "grace" one time in any of his sayings.)
The term "good works" is a bad term to evangelicals, they avoid it like the plague. To them it is by "grace" that one is saved, not of works lest we boast. But they do believe that once you are saved you will go about to "produce fruit" for the Kingdom of God. The term "produce fruit" is ok to them, but I kind of think it is just a substitute for "good works". If one is not "producing fruit", then according to the evangelicals, they really didn't have the born-again experience and they were never really saved. So it gets kind of messy.
Mormons too believe that "grace" is the centerpiece of their religion. The sacrifice of Jesus was for the remission of our sins, if not for the "grace" of Jesus we would be lost to Satan. We try to do good works because we know that is what Jesus wants us to do, not because we are saved by good works. There is no amount of good works that can save you in the Kingdom of God. It is by "grace" that we are finally saved, after all that you can do. That is the true formula.
Posted by Dan_473
I can see your point...and I agree it's a possible interpretation...I take the Knew to mean intimate relationship...so Jesus is saying We were never really close,you and I...
OK "spirit children" may still be a challenge for you, but did you agree that there were "spirit beings" in heaven when God created the earth? Call them angels, or spirits, or the sons of God, there were more beings present before and as the world was created besides just Jesus, he was there for sure. Let me know.
In this sort-of parable, Jesus knew them. They pleaded their case to him. We could make a point that they may even have been eye-ball to eye-ball with Jesus as they plead. And then he told them, maybe in person, I never knew you.
Not that he actually never knew them, but at this point he is disowning them as if he never knew them.
This is not an anti-pre-existence scripture.
It is a scripture that is stressing the point that if you are not doing what Jesus tells us to do and how to do it, eventually he will have to disavow even knowing us or having ever known us.
OK, that's a good case...let's see what Daniel has to say...It is, and the scripture uses that relationship to confirm a spiritual truth for our understanding, not only the purpose of Christ and how we fit into this equation, but how the plan of salvation for the human race was established, and how it needed to be fulfilled.
1 Corinthians 15:47-49 relates directly with the understanding that Jesus gave to Nicodemus in John chapter 2 verses 6 thru 13. 1 Corinthians says, “The first man is of the earth, **earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven. As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly. And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.
The point is being made in scripture that there is a new life for the person while on earth through Christ Jesus. If the first were/is spiritual, then the new life would be an earthy one. The point being that the spiritual life in Christ comes second, not first.
Now continuing with John 3:6-13. “That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. The wind bloweth where it listeth , and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh , and whither it goeth : so is every one that is born of the Spirit. Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be ? Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things? *Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know , and testify that we have seen ; and ye receive not our witness. **If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe , if I tell you of heavenly things? And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.”
Jesus says in verse 11 *Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness. (John 3:11)
One can "testify" only what he has "seen", and what he knows.
Then He says in verse 12 **If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things? (John3:12)
Christ was qualified to testifyabout "heavenly things" because He has seen it, having come from there!
He said to a group of Jews elsewhere, Him being the Creator of Heaven and earth.
Ye are from beneath; I am from above: ye are of this world; I am not of this world. (John 8:23)
There is no one who can teach about Heaven like Christ because He was the only one that has come from Heaven! The prophets, who have seen Heaven, saw it only in visions. And if they had authority to speak about Heaven because of what they had seen, how much more Christ could speak about Heaven and spiritual things having been the only Person that came down from there!
In that context He told Nicodemus to confirm the truth about being born again.
And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven. (John 3:11-13)
"The Son of man which is in Heaven" (John 3:13) simply means Christ belongs to Heaven, He has come from Heaven, and is going to Heaven. That is His place, and as Jesus saw Nathaniel under the tree praying (John 1:48) proves He can be in more that one place at a time.
Nicodemus did not argue with Christ (as he did about being born again,) when Christ told him "No man has ascended to Heaven", because he knew what Christ meant. If we per chance were “spirit children” you could walk up to anyone and ask what heaven was like and they could tell you. Of course if I was once a “spirit child” I would already know. **Heavenly to earthly doesn't mix with being born again. Earthy to heavenly does. That's the plan from before heaven and earth were created.
“And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.” (John 17:5)
Posted by Dan_473
you are quite right, my mistake! what do you mean by direct offspring? I take offspring to mean children... that's what the nasb uses...
Having just traveled thru Utah, twice, and learning a few things about the state, I'm wondering how people here feel about the Mormon faith. One thing I found interesting is that their crime rate (and homelessness) is about double the national average. And that they really do target out-of-state license plates for "special consideration". What was it Jesus said about welcoming strangers, and removing the log before picking at others specks?
Posted by just-me
Referring to post 477 the original Greek text "never" means never once at any time meaning infinite i.e. even in the past. (neither pre-birth or post-birth) The word "never" is an absolute negative. If we were "spirit children" in the past, and Jesus knew us then, He would be revealing to us His character that presents false witness, which He is not, for the Bible says He is the same as He was in the past . "Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever." Hebrews 13:8
We are probably going to have to agree to disagree on this scripture, but let me ask you a couple of questions.
The question again is: did Jesus know any of these people that were pleading with him?
Postd by just-me
"Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me:
Posted by just-me
He knew their works, but had no loving relationship with them on a personal basis.
Posted by just-me
And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven. (John 3:11-13)
Posted by Dan_473
that's interesting... spirit children makes sense to me... we have spirits, we are children of God, we are spirit children...physical children, too, i think...
Jesus knows all men, and their works. Therefore for Jesus to say "I never knew you", it obviously means something entirely different than the interpretation you are trying to put on it.
This is the post that I gave the definition of "never" according to the original Greek in Matthew 7:23Referring to post 477 the original Greek text "never" means never once at any time meaning infinite i.e. even in the past. (neither pre-birth or post-birth)
I posted "one rebirth" to compare it with Matthew 7:23.The conversation Jesus had with Nicodemus makes it clear that there is only one rebirth defined in scripture, meaning that we have “never” been “spirit children.” The first would be a baby conceived in its mother's womb, and the second would be “born again” accordingly.I'm not sure why you would use this scripture to support your position. This scripture supports a pre-existence. If no man can go up to heaven unless he has come down from heaven, then all those who are in heaven were there once before. Even Jesus, who is in heaven. That concept supports my position.
If the scripture said, "no man hath ascended up to heaven except Jesus, because he was the only one that came down from heaven", then the scripture would support your position. But that is not what it says.
No man goes to heaven unless he came down from heaven, even Jesus who is in heaven was subject to that process. To me that is a good scripture to support the pre-existence of men.
This scripture can also be used to compare the conversation Jesus had with Nicodemus. Verse 14 is one that I took note of. Being “spirit children” we would have been led by the Spirit of God in order to be the sons of God. Verse 15 also would have been the relationship we “had” with God before were were born in the flesh. If that is a reoccurring relationship after being “born again” I cannot comprehend how the previous relationship would not have been remembered when we receive a new birth in Christ simply because verse 16 confirms to us that we are children of God. The entire chapter is a good read for greater explanation.There is no one who can teach about Heaven like Christ because He was the only one that has come from Heaven! The prophets, who have seen Heaven, saw it only in visions. And if they had authority to speak about Heaven because of what they had seen, how much more Christ could speak about Heaven and spiritual things having been the only Person that came down from there!
In that context He told Nicodemus to confirm the truth about being born again.
And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven. (John 3:13)
You are right. Now, are you an offspring of God in the flesh. The answer is no. Your flesh and bone body is an offspring of 2 mortals, your father and mother. So your "flesh and bone body" cannot be an offspring of God.
There is only 1 person whose flesh and bone body was an offspring of a mortal woman and God. That person was Jesus.
Because you are an offspring of God, as the scripture says, the only other possibility is that your "spirit body" is an offspring of God. Yes, that is the answer, you are a literally a "spirit child" of God.
well, I accept the term spirit children, i believe we are physical children, too...I haven't seen verses that lead me to believe we exist before birth...not saying they are or aren't there...Good going, we are spirit children of God and we were in the pre-existence with Him and His Son Jesus. At some point after conception of a mortal person, God breathes into that person the "breath of life" and it becomes a living soul. The phrase "breathes into the mortal person the breath of life" is a metaphorical phrase that is saying that God places this persons existing spirit into their new mortal body.
We go through life with a mortal body of flesh and bone and spirit. At some time, however, everyone dies. When we die, our spirit leaves the mortal body and where does it go? Do you know the answer to this question?
Good going, we are spirit children of God and we were in the pre-existence with Him and His Son Jesus. At some point after conception of a mortal person, God breathes into that person the "breath of life" and it becomes a living soul. The phrase "breathes into the mortal person the breath of life" is a metaphorical phrase that is saying that God places this persons existing spirit into their new mortal body.
We go through life with a mortal body of flesh and bone and spirit. At some time, however, everyone dies. When we die, our spirit leaves the mortal body and where does it go? Do you know the answer to this question?