Bible Study Christ's Rules & Guidelines

[Christ_empowered]

yeah...-sigh- everybody's got an agenda in education, it seems. colleges included, of course.

state schools were rough enough during my initial attempt at a degree. now...wow. just...not a good environment, and it seems that the economic rewards/incentive for going thru a 4 year program aren't as strong as they once were, either.

of course, my perspective-- as a 'severely mentally ill' individual who was considered 'riff raff' from day 1...i just lived in such a bubble that i didnt get it-- is somewhat unusual. now, at 34...looking at 35 in the not so distant future (and soon in the mirror, too)...

i kinda wonder if perhaps -in my own, individual case- its for the best that i didnt complete a degree from that school. 1st time i left...2nd time, coming back in my early 20s, i was basically driven out....

and things had changed, already. part of it was that i was no longer 17-19, of course. but...i remember, in this one class, they'd started having everyone work together, in groups...even on tests. i made higher grades than those in my group on the tests, because even tho i was sick and psychotic, etc...i (somehow) knew the material better, and i wasn't about to get 'group think"-ed into a lower grade. other thing...

there had been 'back to school' people in their 30s, even 40s, when i was there, 1st time around. nope. not 2nd time. at 23, i was regarded as 'too old,' already.

blah. just some experiences, thoughts, observations.

 

[GodsGrace]

yeah...-sigh- everybody's got an agenda in education, it seems. colleges included, of course.

state schools were rough enough during my initial attempt at a degree. now...wow. just...not a good environment, and it seems that the economic rewards/incentive for going thru a 4 year program aren't as strong as they once were, either.

of course, my perspective-- as a 'severely mentally ill' individual who was considered 'riff raff' from day 1...i just lived in such a bubble that i didnt get it-- is somewhat unusual. now, at 34...looking at 35 in the not so distant future (and soon in the mirror, too)...

i kinda wonder if perhaps -in my own, individual case- its for the best that i didnt complete a degree from that school. 1st time i left...2nd time, coming back in my early 20s, i was basically driven out....

and things had changed, already. part of it was that i was no longer 17-19, of course. but...i remember, in this one class, they'd started having everyone work together, in groups...even on tests. i made higher grades than those in my group on the tests, because even tho i was sick and psychotic, etc...i (somehow) knew the material better, and i wasn't about to get 'group think"-ed into a lower grade. other thing...

there had been 'back to school' people in their 30s, even 40s, when i was there, 1st time around. nope. not 2nd time. at 23, i was regarded as 'too old,' already.

blah. just some experiences, thoughts, observations.

You'll never know if you had been better off...
It's the road not taken.
But it looks like everything turned out alright!

 

[Dant02]

.

I believe Paul said it was permissible to eat any food. Correct?

Acts 15:22-29 relates how that Paul was tasked to carry a letter to the believers in Antioch in which were these instructions: "Abstain from things sacrificed to idols and from blood and from things strangled and from fornication; if you keep yourselves free from such things, you will do well. Farewell."

Had Paul opposed the dietary instructions in that letter; I seriously doubt he would've agreed to deliver it. In point of fact, Paul was reminded of those instructions some later in Acts 21:25, at which time he still had no objections.
_

 

[Dant02]

.

This sounds too much to me like OSAS

I think it's probably okay to state our individual positions in matters related to OSAS and OSNAS just so long as we don't get into quarrelling over it.

Seeing as management has already banned debating, arguing, and/or discussing this matter in the Theology area, then it's likely only a matter of time before it's banned here in this area too.

For now, I can only request that visitors please control their urge to get into running gun battles over this issue and thus poison a thread that has the potential to very useful to Christians of every experience level; newbies and old pros alike.

Pleasant Journey
_

 

[for_his_glory]

Laws, commandments, statutes and precepts are what He calls them.




JLB

When I hear rules and regulations it reminds me of the rules and regulations at home and in school when I was a teen and what teen wants to hear there are more rules and regulations.

 

[Christ_empowered]

When I hear rules and regulations it reminds me of the rules and regulations at home and in school when I was a teen and what teen wants to hear there are more rules and regulations.

im torn on this one. on the one hand....Christianity really -is- an ongoing relationship with Lord Jesus. that's true. and yet...

He has rules.

((obviously, evangelism is -not- my strong point...))

 

[for_his_glory]

.
Rom 12:2 . . Be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

Christianity, when taken seriously, can't help but radically change the way, the what, and the how we think about things in this life and in the next.

Personal Bible reading is a good place to begin with Rom 12:2; however, the will of God isn't meant to be self-taught; it's meant to be instructed by teachers empowered by God for that specific purpose. (Rom 12:4-8, 1Cor 12:1-30)

"Are all teachers?" (1Cor 12:29)

No, not all are teachers. Only some are teachers and the rest of Christ's believing followers are supposed to be students, i.e. disciples.

"And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: till we all come in the unity of the faith" (Eph 4:11-13"

According to that passage, the goal of God-given teaching is unity. Well, when Christians come together with differing perspectives-- debating and engaging in perpetual bull sessions that never get to the bottom of anything --we're in danger of becoming divided and taking sides as rivals and intolerant bigots instead of unified. Like it's said: Too many cooks spoil the soup.

Sermons and Sunday school classes are Christianity's traditional sources of teaching. But there's radio programs too, e.g. Thru The Bible with Dr. J. Vernon McGee. These days with radio, television, and the internet; God-given, Spirit-enabled teaching is wide-spread and readily available.

In centuries gone past, it was necessary to go where Christ's teachers were in order to hear them speak. Nowadays, they come to speak right where we are by means of electronic gadgets.
_

These are great places to help us learn, but yet we are to Spiritually discern what is being taught. All teachings only comes by the Holy Spirit either directly to the individual who reads and studies or through those that the Holy Spirit works through to teach us. There are many false prophets out there and we really need to be aware of the deceitful teachings that proceeds out of their mouths that can bring damnation upon us.

John 14:26; 1 John 2:18, 19; 4:1-6; 2 Peter Chapter 2

 

[for_his_glory]

6. Women are not allowed to take the position of pastors and elders, nor preach and teach within the assembly, nor take authority over the church.

"Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience, as also saith the law" (1 Corinthians 14:34).

"Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection. But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence" (1 Timothy 2:11-12).

In these verses, Paul cannot be addressing women who were in the ministry, but rather those in the congregation who were out of order. How do we know this? We have many such proofs, many from Paul himself. Here is a partial list of women who were all in influential positions of leadership in the early church.

Deborah (Judges 4:4-14; 5:1-31
Pheobe (Romans 16:1-2)
Priscilla (Acts 18:26)
Euodia and Syntyche (Philippians 4:2-3)
Junia (Romans 16:7)

But I digress as this is another topic. Just wanted to point this out as even God called me to be a teacher and I was a licensed Evangelist for a time and purpose of God using me in the Prison Ministry.

 

[Christ_empowered]

the early Christian church spread, in part, because of funding from well-heeled female converts. true story.

 

[for_his_glory]

I believe Paul said it was permissible to eat any food.
Correct?

Acts 15:20 But that we write unto them, that they abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood.
Pollution's means sacrifices made unto idols. Unclean meat is that which is strangled and bloody we are not to eat. Just like God told Moses in Egypt before the exodus that their lambs had to be cooked clear through and nothing raw.

Romans 14:14 I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that there is nothing unclean of itself: but to him that esteemeth any thing to be unclean, to him it is unclean. (Read 14-23 for the full context)

Other words do not offend another by doing things in front of them that defends them.

 

[for_his_glory]

I think it's probably okay to state our individual positions in matters related to OSAS and OSNAS just so long as we don't get into quarrelling over it.

Did you notice the scrolling notice on this at the top of the page:

No longer will OSAS vx OSNAS be allowed to be debated, argued, or discussed(mostly in the Theology Forum. Too much time is required to monitor and resources used to debate this subject which hasn't been definitively decided in 3000 years

 

[for_his_glory]

im torn on this one. on the one hand....Christianity really -is- an ongoing relationship with Lord Jesus. that's true. and yet...

He has rules.

((obviously, evangelism is -not- my strong point...))

They are called God's commandments and statures, not a list of do's or don't do's defined by man's rules and regulations you find in many churches.

There use to be a saying: People (Pharisees) say you have to clean the fish before you catch them, but Jesus says come as you are to me and I will clean what needs cleaning.

 

[Christ_empowered]

--valid point--

 

[JLB]

These gifts must be within the context of a local church and must be encouraged in that context.

Could you show us a scripture that uses the term “local church”, so we all know what your referring to?





JLB

 

[Nathan12]

Could you show us a scripture that uses the term “local church”, so we all know what your referring to?

All of Paul's epistles were written to local churches -- in each locality. So he did not need to say "local church". The letters to the seven churches in Asia Minor were written to local churches also. They were all identified by the cities in which they were located. So today it might be either your residential district or your city.

 

[Christ_empowered]

but...OK...

not to sound Holier than Thou...I'm not super-mega-Christian, but I am -a- Christian, and...

a lot of churches just aren't preaching The Good News. I don't mean just the left-wing/"progressive" ones, either; plenty of "ole time religion" churches distort The Gospel to suit their needs/outlook, too.

in this day and age...are Christians still required to get into a local assembly, you think?

 

[for_his_glory]

in this day and age...are Christians still required to get into a local assembly, you think?

If they can find one that meets their Spiritual needs. They are hard to find these days especially when you live in a small community like I do.

We might not be face to face here in CF, but I consider it my Church as we are the body of Christ in all the functions of what a Church is to be. We even have an offering plate if one is lead to help donate to help keep this site up and running.

 

[Dant02]

.
Rom 12:3 . . I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.

"soberly" is from the Greek word sophroneo (so-fron-eh'-o) which means to be of sound mind, i.e. sane, sensible, rational.

A popular saying going around is this: "You can be anything". No, you can't be anything, and it's unreasonable to think otherwise. Know your limits and stay within them; don't be setting impossible goals for yourself; especially in matters of faith and practice.

"Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given us.

. . . If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully." (Rom 12:4-8)

Some church managers have a really bad habit of recruiting people to teach Sunday school who don't have a gift for it in accordance with Rom 12:3-8, 1Cor 12:1-30, and Eph 4:7-12. Well; if teaching is not your spiritual specialty; then the sensible thing to do is turn them down. Stay within your limits like Rom 12:3 says, and don't let those managers pressure you into submission by making you feel guilty for refusing. Nobody gains points with Christ by going off-reservation.
_

 

[JLB]

All of Paul's epistles were written to local churches -- in each locality. So he did not need to say "local church". The letters to the seven churches in Asia Minor were written to local churches also. They were all identified by the cities in which they were located. So today it might be either your residential district or your city.

Now I agree that John wrote to seven Churches and that they were identified by the city in which they were in.


I believe this to be how Christ see’s His Church, in that, there is a “local Church” in each city, not 1000’s of local churches split into denominational sects based on their individual “beliefs”, in each city.


From what we see in scripture, there is as follows:

1. The individual person as a part of the Church.
2. The corporate Church in each city.
3. The universal Church of God’s kingdom on earth and in heaven.

House - Individual
City - made up of many houses (individuals)
Kingdom - The whole body of Christ


But Jesus knew their thoughts, and said to them: “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand.
Matthew 12:25




JLB

 

[GodsGrace]

Acts 15:20 But that we write unto them, that they abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood.
Pollution's means sacrifices made unto idols. Unclean meat is that which is strangled and bloody we are not to eat. Just like God told Moses in Egypt before the exodus that their lambs had to be cooked clear through and nothing raw.

Romans 14:14 I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that there is nothing unclean of itself: but to him that esteemeth any thing to be unclean, to him it is unclean. (Read 14-23 for the full context)

Other words do not offend another by doing things in front of them that defends them.

Thanks.
I was thinking of
1 Corinthians 10:23
All things are lawful, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful, but not all things edify.

It's speaking about eating food that is offered to idols, verse 19, but, yes, it's saying not to eat if it offends someone...