@sonship saidPsst, it wasn't me speaking.
Rather than me work hard to figure out exactly what Ghost is saying, he can if he wants put more details on this GOTCHA! .
Again, you have taken it upon yourself to address every contradiction on the list. Nobody has asked you to do that.
@sonship saidPaul speaks of the "Lord of the dead and the living." (Romans 14:9.) But Jesus says "God is not the God of the dead but the living." (Luke 20:38.)
I think by now I have written something about all twenty seven "contradictions".
Flag me as missing one if you want.
@sonship saidThat was very wrong to delete it. Next time wait unitl I read it first. Anyway, I dont read all you posts so I dont know what you speaking about. All I do is skim through it so see if you are telling people about what Jesus said about eternal life and keeping the commandments. That is my only interest. So far I have found nothing. The day you start doing that I know that Christ is in you and you are a true disciple of Christ. Right now you are one of the Devils angels and your words are like the wind blowing.
Rajk999, I erased an unkind comment I wrote towards you.
I apologize.
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Paul speaks of the "Lord of the dead and the living." (Romans 14:9.) But Jesus says "God is not the God of the dead but the living." (Luke 20:38.)
I spoke to this. But I'll add more by bringing in the fuller context of the two verses.
The Luke 20 passage, actually from verse 27 - 38 has Jesus stressing that God is a God of RESURRECTION.
For neither can they die anymore, for they are equal to angels, and they are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection.
But that the dead are raised, even Moses disclosed in the section concerning the thorn-bush, when he calls the Lord the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.
Now He is not the God of the dead, but of the living, for to Him all men are living."
This is another way of Jesus assuring the religionists that Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob will be resurrected by their God. He made promises to them that each of them did not see FULLY fulfilled while they lived on earth. They each three DIED in faith. But God cannot fail to completely fulfill all of the promises He made to them. And they will be resurrected as God is on a relative scale MORE concerned with their resurrection then them being dead.
If God is totally not the God of the dead then how can He reach into the realm of death and with His power and authority raise them from the tomb? So in that sense of course He is the God of all men, living or dead.
Resurrection is MORE important to God. So Jesus draws that surpassing comparative relationship by saying "Now He is not the God of the dead, but of the living, for to Him all men live."
The Romans 14 passage has its fuller context in Paul's entire section from verse 1 through verse 9. The burden of the apostle is that the churching Christians be tolerant of one another, not judge one another, be loving and accommodating towards one another, not be eager to pass criticisms of others' practices.
In the local church differences of private practices are inevitable. But all the saints should live unto the Lord Jesus. They should live unto the Lord to the point that both their living AND their dying (should that happen) are dedicated and consecrated to the Lord Jesus.
In that atmosphere Paul writes what seems superficially to be a contradiction but really isn't imo.
"For none of us lives to himself, and none dies to himself; For whether we live, we live to the Lord, and whether we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore whether we live or die, we are the Lord's.
For Christ died and lived again for this, that He might be Lord both of the dead and of the living." (vs.7-9)
1.) God will conquer "the last enemy" death for the sake of His eternal purpose. He is not the God of the dead but of the death swallowing resurrection and eternal life.
2.) Abraham, Isaac. and Jacob will be raised. For they lived unto God in complete faith in consecration. God will be faithful to them though in some aspects they physically died in faith.
3.) In the church life whatever the believers live, do, refrain from doing, practice, observe should be unto the Lord Jesus. Even all their living should be unto Jesus. Even if they should physically die that too should be consecrated and dedicated unto the Lord Jesus. For He is the Lord of the living and the Lord of those who died and are awaiting resurrection.
I encourage anyone still with perplexity to go back now and read also what I originally wrote about these two passages.
I believe both and pay close attention to context, tone, intention, emphasis of the Lord Jesus and of His apostle.
David, in Psalm 139 said he could escape NOWHERE to be away from God. Even if he should die and be in Sheol he could not avoid God.
"Where shall I go, away from Your Spirit?
And where shall I flee from Your presence?
If I ascend into heaven, You are there.
If I make my bed in Sheol, there You are." (Ps. 139:7,8)
I'll trust both Luke 20 and Romans 14. "Amen" to both teachings.
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@sonship
I finally went over to this website.
https://www.jesuswordsonly.com/books/175-pauls-contradictions-of-jesus.html
It seems to be a Christian apologetic addressing such submitted contradictions.
I did not know that. I assumed it was otherwise.
I only read about half of the article on eating a free meal at a idol temple being an issue Paul had to deal with.
I also read some of the "Laxed or not" Pharisees issue.
@sonship saidIt certainly wasn't an atheist.
@sonship
I finally went over to this website.
https://www.jesuswordsonly.com/books/175-pauls-contradictions-of-jesus.html
It seems to be a Christian apologetic addressing such submitted contradictions.
I did not know that. I assumed it was otherwise.
I only read about half of the article on eating a free meal at a idol temple being an issue Paul had to deal with.
I also read some of the "Laxed or not" Pharisees issue.
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That was very wrong to delete it.
But I felt of the Lord to delete it. You want me to obey the commands of Jesus don't you?
Next time wait [until] I read it first.
But the Lord Jesus whom I serve convicted me that He did not want you or anyone to read it. You do want me to obey the commands of Jesus, do you not?
Isn't that what the New Testament teaches?
Anyway, I dont read all you posts so I dont know what you speaking about.
That is evident. And it is fine with me if you do not.
@sonship saidHow did He do that?
But the Lord Jesus whom I serve convicted me that He did not want you or anyone to read it. You do want me to obey the commands of Jesus, do you not?
@sonship saidNO. I think you misunderstand me. I want you as a professed believer and preacher of Christ to do Christ justice and to PREACH the things Jesus preached, particularly with regard to eternal life in the Kingdom of God. That is your duty [and mine too] as professed believers who choose to tell others about Christ. Whether you do these commandments or not, is not my concern. Whether or not I do these commandments is not yours either.
You want me to obey the commands of Jesus don't you?
So far you have failed.
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How did He do that?
You need some experience.
There is still time to learn and receive some experience for you.
But you would have to renounce atheism and confess to God your need for forgiveness and being born again.
Remember the verse about - unless you turn and humble yourself and become like a little child, you cannot enter into the kingdom of God?
But you are going to have to ask the Lord Jesus to regenerate your deadened human spirit.
Then by practice you can learn to be one spirit with the Lord.
"He who is joined to the Lord is one spirit" (1 Cor. 6:17)
You learn to play a good chess game by practice.
So we learn after being born again, to discern His leading and His voice and follow the sense of divine life in our spirit.
@sonship saidSounds very vague. Not everyone who professes faith is one Spirit with Christ. There are many 'Lord Lord' types that Christ out there and they are ignored.
There is still time to learn and receive some experience for you.
But you would have to renounce atheism and confess to God your need for forgiveness and being born again.
Here is a clearer passage : If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. (John 14:23 KJV)
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@Rajk999
That is a good passage also.
But the letter to the church in Ephesus in Revelation shows that it is possible to leave the first and best love for the Lord Himself, even though the Christian has zeal, and discernment and others things.
"I know your works and your labor and your endurance and that you cannot bear evil men; and you have tried those who call themselves apostles and are not, and have found them to be false.
And you have endurance and have borne all things because of My name and have not grown weary.
But I have one thing against you, that you have left your first love. Remember therefore where you have fallen from and repent and do the first works ... "(Rev. 2:2-5)
They had great dedication in a religious way. But they had left their first love for the Person of the Lord Himself.
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I could of course quote the entire letter. But I emphasize this - " ... you have left your first love ..." . I know there is more to the letter.
Jesus wanted them the remember the first love, the bridal love, the youthful love they had for Him. When He Himself had the first place was their best and first love. And they had fallen from their first love for Jesus Himself.
OH, they had such "obedience". OH they had such knowledge to tell false apostles. Oh they had such endurance. All very good. But Jesus had something against them. The best love, the love for the Lord Himself they had LEFT. They had become religiously zealous but had left their first LOVE for the Lord HIMSELF as a living available indwelling Person.
"Remember therefore where you have fallen from ..."
The beginning of degradation is with the loss of the FIRST LOVE for the Lord Jesus Himself. To come back from mere good looking dedication the Christians has to be careful to take care of the best love, the first love, the love which puts Jesus Himself as the first place in all things and in everything.
Good further ministry on leaving the first love is in Watchman Nee's book
"The Orthodoxy of the Church" on the letter to Ephesus.
What? Be ashamed to refer to Nee's messages ?? Not on your life you - regurgitation police.
https://www.ministrybooks.org/books.cfm?cid=3E
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Jesus told the believers in Ephesus that He was glad they could endure.
He was impressed that they hated the works of the Nicolaitans.
He was happy they could discern true and false apostles.
But He had this against them, they have left their best and topmost love of Jesus HIMSELF.
The poster asks how one can get God's leading and God's speaking. How can you if you do not love the Lord Jesus as the first and best One of all? Obey without the love of the Lord Himself? Cold, religious, deadening, eventually hypocritical and harmful, hurtful.
And how can you love the Lord Jesus when you don't believe in God? He is God. He is God-man.
To get this kind of fellowship and leading of the living Jesus you need to first love Him with the best love. He is the best One. He is the first love in your life.
Nothing can compete with or compare with Jesus the Son of God.
Ephesus had left their best love.
They were zealous, smart, enduring, could recognize false teaching, etc. But the Lord had against them that they had left loving Jesus Himself above their work and all else.
Often the Christian has to remember not to fall away from the best love of the Lord Himself as a living Person.