Hi Jordan,
John 6:45
It is written in the Prophets: 'They will all be taught by God.' Everyone who has heard the Father and learned from him comes to me.
1 John 2:27
As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit--just as it has taught you, remain in him.
God teaches and not man is what I'm seeing from these verses. So the foolishness of preaching from men contradicts? Its says no man says know the Lord to another man?
When the Spirit is indwelling you have divine influence on the heart, for the elect now and the rest of the world later. That's what Ray had spoken about in his 'Saved By Grace Through Faith' article.
http://forums.bible-truths.com/index.php/topic,5417.msg43145.html#msg43145 --
1 Cor 15: 10 “But by the grace of God I am what I am: and His grace (divine influence on the heart) which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all (labored): yet not I (labored), but the grace of God (labored) which was with me (labored).”
There it is, the grace of God… labors.
In the Lake of Fire series I showed that grace is a verb. We learn that when we are judged we are chastened of the Lord, 1 Cor 11: 32. Chastening defines how God judges us. Now we are about to learn something very profound here, if we can get it.
Titus 2:11 “For the grace of God that brings salvation hath appeared to all men,
v. 12 Teaching us….”
What is doing the teaching? Grace is doing the teaching. It’s laboring - it’s teachings - it’s the divine influence of God on our heart, it‘s teaching us. So it’s...
v. 12 ...TEACHING us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world (eon - age);
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Hebrews 8: 11
11 No longer will they teach their neighbor,
or say to one another, ‘Know the Lord,’
because they will all know me,
from the least of them to the greatest.
This verse is to be considered with what was said in the verses before it. I think this chapter must be speaking to the ancient Israelites of the OT, "the house of Israel and with the house of Judah." This make be speaking to the manner in which they learned Scripture in those days... they did not have a church on every corner with a preacher ready with his version of truth.
Heb 8:8 For He finds fault with them when He says: "Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will establish a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah,
v. 9 not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt. For they did not continue in My covenant, and so I showed no concern for them, declares the Lord.
v. 10 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my laws into their minds, and write them on their hearts, and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.
So what verse 11 would seem to be speaking of the next age, when the whole world will be brought to righteousness (Isa 26:9). Just like the Spirit is indwelling the elect now and confirms in our hearts what is truth, so will it be for the rest of the world in the next age...
If you think About it, we should be very thankful that it was through the Apostles preaching that we have the NT.
Acts 8:25 So when they (Peter and John) had testified and preached the word of the Lord, they returned to Jerusalem, preaching the gospel in many villages of the Samaritans.
Acts 8:35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning at this Scripture, preached Jesus to him.
2Cor 1:19 For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us; by me (Paul) and Silas and Timothy; was not yes and no, but in Him was, yes!
Php 1:18 What then? Nevertheless, in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is preached. And I rejoice in this. Yet, also I will rejoice.
1Peter 1:24 for "All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls,
v. 25 but the word of the Lord remains forever." And this word is the good news that was preached to you.
And finally an email from Ray on "the foolishness of preaching"...
http://bible-truths.com/email17.htm ------------------------
And once again on your other point: If it IS NECESSARY to send ministers into the world to 'save a few,' by what insane logic does it become 'UN-NECESSARY' to send ministers into the world to "SAVE ALL?"
Listen closely. God uses the "foolishness of preaching" as a vehicle to bring the gospel to the people. THAT IS HOW God does it. He could do it Himself, supernaturally, but He chooses to use the foolishness of preaching to accomplish it. And whether He is saving just a few at this time and more later and still more even yet later, He chooses His own creatures to spread the good news.
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mercy, peace and love
Kat