> Testimonies / Prayer Requests / Fellowship
I don't know what to believe.
aqrinc:
Hi Lupac,
There is no such thing as The Bible; there are literally hundreds of Bible translations. I use over 40 different translations everyday, then still need The Spirit Of Truth to understand.
Bibles contain man's translations of The Scripture, each version with it own areas of editing, most times innocent mistakes, but sometimes deliberate attempts to deceive.
I pulled some Scripture out for you to take a careful look and read of, First bit of Information about fear.
2Ti 1:7 (Rotherham)
For God hath not given us a spirit of cowardice, but of power, and love, and correction.
2Ti 1:7 (CLV)
for God gives us, not a spirit of timidity, but of power and of love and of sanity."
2Ti 1:7-10 (CEV) Contemporary English Version
7 God's Spirit doesn't make cowards out of us. The Spirit gives us power, love, and self-control.
8 Don't be ashamed to speak for our Lord. And don't be ashamed of me, just because I am in jail for serving him. Use the power that comes from God and join with me in suffering for telling the good news.
9 God saved us and chose us to be his holy people. We did nothing to deserve this, but God planned it because he is so kind. Even before time began God planned for Christ Jesus to show kindness to us.
10 Now Christ Jesus has come to show us the kindness of God. Christ our Savior defeated death and brought us the good news. It shines like a light and offers life that never ends.
2Co 11: 13-15 (MKJV)
13 For such ones are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.
14 Did not even Satan marvelously transform himself into an angel of light?
15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves as ministers of righteousness, whose end shall be according to their works.
Verse 2 to 5 below is all one sentence, pay attention to what it says.
2Ti 3:1-9 (DRB)1899 Douay Rheims Bible
1 Know also this, that in the last days shall come dangerous times.
2 Men shall be lovers of themselves, covetous, haughty, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, wicked,
3 Without affection, without peace, slanderers, incontinent, unmerciful, without kindness,
4 Traitors, stubborn, puffed up, and lovers of pleasure more than of God:
5 Having an appearance indeed of godliness but denying the power thereof. Now these avoid.
6 For of these sort are they who creep into houses and lead captive silly women laden with sins, who are led away with divers desires:
7 Ever learning, and never attaining to the knowledge of the truth.
8 Now as Jannes and Mambres resisted Moses, so these also resist the truth, men corrupted in mind, reprobate concerning the faith.
9 But they shall proceed no farther: for their folly shall be manifest to all men, as theirs also was.
Again read carefully All the words below several times.
2Ti 3:16-17 (DRB)
All scripture, inspired of God, is profitable to teach, to reprove, to correct, to instruct in justice:
17 That the man of God may be perfect, furnished to every good work.
This was supposed to be short, sorry it is a bit longer than first intended.
george :).
Lupac:
Thank you all, I'll read your replies in the morning. I'm going to bed now. darren, it would take WAY to long, and would be teaching something Ray is not for, which is against the rules, why I believe what I do about the devil. Let's just leave it at that, okay? (All those scriptures are true, I believe. But I don't believe they're pointing to a literal entity called "Satan". They aren't to be taken literally.) Thanks again.
Deborah-Leigh:
You have already been given some heartfelt food for thought in this thread Lupac.
You are a very special young man. God has not put you into your circumstances for nothing. You are not the son of parents to whom God has not yet given the understanding of His truth to no plan or purpose. On the contrary.
It has to be very painful for you to feel so isolated. If I can just re-call for you that Elijah felt the same way and God assured him that he was not alone.
We are scattered. Your brethren are scattered. If I could put literal arms around you and help you to feel the warmth that you are loved, I would. So I put my spiritual arms around you through words of this post. God does the same, through the Word of His Son.
after the fire was a still, small voice.
1Ki 19:13 And it happened when Elijah heard, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out, and stood at the cave entrance. And behold, a voice came to him and said, What are you doing here, Elijah?
1Ki 19:14 And he said, I have been very zealous for Jehovah, the God of Hosts, because the sons of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, have thrown down Your altars, and have slain Your prophets with the sword. And I, I alone, am left. And they seek to take my life away.
2Co 5:2 For indeed in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed with our dwelling-place out of Heaven;
2Co 5:4 For we who are in this tabernacle groan, being burdened; inasmuch as we do not wish to be unclothed, but to be clothed, so that the mortal might be swallowed up by the life.
Rom 8:23 And not only so, but ourselves also, who have the firstfruit of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, awaiting adoption, the redemption of our body.
Arc
Lupac:
Okay, I've been thinking about what you guys have posted. I'm doing better, I just have to keep going. Here's a question, did Ray ever explain this verse? 1 Cor. 10:11
--- Quote --- Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.
--- End quote ---
The word for world there is "aions" ages. What does that mean? The way I've had it explained, is that Paul here was alluding to the Jewish apocryphal books, and he was saying there are no more ages for those in Christ. This, doesn't make a lot of sense to me. Thanks.
Kat:
Hi Lupac,
Here is an excerpt from the article 'Twelve Truths to Understanding His Word.'
http://bible-truths.com/twelve.htm ------
TRUTH NUMBER 8
[A] "Now ALL these things happened unto them for examples: and they are written for OUR ADMONITION [to reprove, caution, warn, remind of obligation or duty, etc.], upon whom the ends of the world [‘eons—ages’] are come" (I Cor. 10:11).
[B ] "Now these things were OUR EXAMPLES, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted" (I Cor. 10:6).
[C] "For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for OUR LEARNING…" (Rom. 15:4).
It is essential that we study the Old Testament Scriptures, for they are often the only key to the New Testament Scriptures. Paul used the Hebrew Scriptures to teach the foolish Galatians the New Covenant promises. Here’s but one great example:
"Tell me, you that desire to be under the law, do you not HEAR the law? For it is written [in Old Covenant Scriptures] that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman. But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the FLESH; but he of the freewoman was by PROMISE. Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which genders [gives birth] to bondage, which is Agar. For this Agar IS mount Sinai in Arabia, and answers to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children.
"But the Jerusalem which is above is free, which IS the mother of us all.
For it is written, ‘Rejoice, you barren that bear not; break forth and cry, you that travail not: for the desolate has many more children than she which has an husband. Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise. But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now.
"Nevertheless what saith the Scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman SHALL NOT be heir with the son of the freewoman. So then, brethren, we are not the children of the bondwoman, but of the free." (Gal. 4:21-31).
This is not only an allegory, but it is an allegory containing many metaphors as well. An allegory is when characters or events (such as Sarah and Agar and their children) represent abstract or spiritual ideas or principles. A metaphor is when one thing is said to be something else. (such as Agar actually being mount Sinai, which then represents or corresponds to Jerusalem in bondage). It may seem a little complicated at first, but once one sees all of the aspects of the allegory explained, this principle is quite easy to understand. Nevertheless, it does require the Spirit of God to believe it. It is this very fact (that the Church does not understand or believe this allegory) that the Church continues to believe that God’s true chosen people are STILL, "the children of the bondwoman"—"Jerusalem which NOW IS" over there in the State of Israel. Unbelievable.
This dear reader, is how the Old Covenant was written for "OUR admonition…"
Does anyone believe that this is the ONLY "allegory" in the Old Testament which is written for OUR admonition. Hardly—the Old Testament is FILLED with such allegories, but who has "ears to hear and eyes to see?" And "who will believe our report?" The whole book of Revelation is explained in the Old Testament Scriptures, but the theologians of this world do not and cannot discern it. They all teach that Revelation is a book of end-time, end-of-the-world eschatology. They have not a clue.
Paul constantly referred to the Old Testament Scriptures in his epistles, and he taught the whole plan of salvation from the Old Testament Scriptures, as they were the only Scriptures available during his ministry.
"And that from a child you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus" (II Tim. 3:15).
These same Scriptures were now able to make Timothy wise unto salvation, but not until he first learned about Jesus Christ in the Old Testament Scriptures. These were the Scriptures that Jesus caused His apostles to understand after His resurrection:
What Jesus taught from the Old Testament Scriptures during His ministry was not even the tip of the iceberg.
The Truth of God, "thou shall surely die," and the lie of the Devil, "you shall NOT surely die," is for "our admonition." The story of Cain and Able is for "our admonition." The story of the flood is for "our admonition." The story of Babel is for "our admonition." The promises to Abraham and the meaning of faith are for "our admonition." The entire story in every single detail of Joseph and his brothers is for "our admonition." Do you wear your "coat of many colors," or do you hide it in the closet? You say: "What coat of many colors?"
Forget it—ask you pastor why he has never taught you how to wear your coat of many colors?
If you cannot identify yourself, personally, with all the stories and accounts in the Old Testament, then you have not even begun to overcome all the carnality that you are.
v
v
Have you not read:
"Unto whom it was revealed, that NOT unto themselves, but unto US [‘Now ALL these things happened unto them for examples, and they are written for OUR admonition, upon whom the ends of the eons are come’ I Cor. 10:11] they did minister the things, which are now reported unto YOU by them that have preached the gospel unto YOU with the Holy Spirit sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into. Wherefore gird up the loins of YOUR mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the GRACE that is to be brought unto YOU [not ‘them’—they DIED not receiving the promises made to them] at the revelation of Jesus Christ" (I Pet. 1:12-13).
-----------------------------------------------
mercy, peace and love
Kat
Navigation
[0] Message Index
[#] Next page
[*] Previous page
Go to full version