Why I joined the Reformed Church

[John146]

if it's perfect why does the kjv say they were celebrating Ishtar in Acts 12:4?

since it's not perfect, what is God telling us by the fact there is not a English translation that is? it is apparently His perfect will that there not be. why?

Btw, I don't want to turn this into a KJV only thread. I was just simply replying to the OP.

 

[posthuman]

Ah, the old Easter argument...how many times do I have to answer this...but you will not accept any other answer than what?

If God did not preserve His words in the English language, why read, teach or preach from any of them?

um, you didn't answer it.

yes, let's not derail the thread lol.

 

[posthuman]

Btw, I don't want to turn this into a KJV only thread. I was just simply replying to the OP.

do you ever talk about anything other than kjv onlyism?
((i'm joking with you. or maybe I'm not haha))

lets talk about what's going on in the thread. someone thinks the only real Christians never go to churches. and that they are following a modern apostle.

isnt that a bit more important to address?

 

[John146]

do you ever talk about anything other than kjv onlyism?
((i'm joking with you. or maybe I'm not haha))

lets talk about what's going on in the thread. someone thinks the only real Christians never go to churches. and that they are following a modern apostle.

isnt that a bit more important to address?

Hey brother, I haven't brought up the subject in a long time. I only mentioned it to the OP concerning the creeds he posted. Most people may believe in these creeds but have no idea what they mean.

Yes, there are other points of emphasis as well as you pointed out and I happen to agree.

 

[posthuman]

Hey brother, I haven't brought up the subject in a long time. I only mentioned it to the OP concerning the creeds he posted. Most people may believe in these creeds but have no idea what they mean.

Yes, there are other points of emphasis as well as you pointed out and I happen to agree.

what good is being brothers if you can't poke at each other once in a while without it turning into a fight

 

[Nehemiah6]

if it's perfect why does the kjv say they were celebrating Ishtar in Acts 12:4?

By the 17th century Easter had nothing to do with Ishtar. And that is true to this day. It has been regarded as a Christian celebration for centuries.

So this is a straw man argument against the most faithful English translation since then.

 

[Locutus]

I prefer to call it deformed.

 

[posthuman]

By the 17th century Easter had nothing to do with Ishtar. And that is true to this day. It has been regarded as a Christian celebration for centuries.

So this is a straw man argument against the most faithful English translation since then.

the point is that in the 1st century... they were celebrating Passover. Acts 12 is not a text about 17th century events.
your counterargument might as well equally justify replacing Luke 2 with Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer, since by the 21st century Christ-mass ((which ought technically to be Gabriel-mass given the time of year anyway)) has nothing to do with Jesus.

but we're not talking about that

 

[Nehemiah6]

the point is that in the 1st century... they were celebrating Passover. Acts 12 is not a text about 17th century events.

But in the 17th century, "Easter" (from Pascha) covered BOTH the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread, as well as the Resurrection. Had they transliterated Pascha that would certainly have been better, but for Christians at that time the Easter festival, the Resurrection, and the two feasts of the Old Covenant were synonymous. Not one Christian would have thought about Ishtar or any such nonsense.

Here's the explanation from Thayer's Greek Lexicon
4. the paschal festival, the feast of Passover, extending from the fourteenth to the twentieth day of the month Nisan: Matthew 26:2; Mark 14:1;Luke 2:41; Luke 22:1; John 2:13, 23;John 6:4; John 11:55; John 12:1; John 13:1; John 18:39; John 19:14; Acts 12:4

 

[Slayer]

We use the King James Version, I don't believe that only one Bible is perfect. I'm sure there are many faithful translations, since we don't have the original texts.

If the KJV is perfect, then all others are not perfect since all others contain different words and even different truths. There can be only one that stands alone as the word of God.

"A faithful witness will not lie: but a false witness will utter lies."[/QUOTE]
I think there are only small differences in translation, but I'm sure the Gospel message is not lost in translation. The Gospel message is the most important message in the Bible, so that's all we need to understand to make us wise onto salvation. Of' course the rest of the Bible is important but not as important as the Gospel.

 

[fredoheaven]

So that... can you dig a little deeper and shed more light on what the Bible teaches that the church is made up of? Or that what is church to you? Accordingly Acts 2:41 says "Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls. " Are not those saved and baptized are really the one belonging to the church and not those only exercising faith and repentance?

Thanks,

You are talking about a miraculous event that happened 2000 years ago, of' course those 3000 who were converted would have gone away and exercised faith and repentance from the day until they died. We must repent many times every single day and we must live by faith all the time, these are not one of events and then we live happily ever after.

When a person is converted they enter into mortal combat against their flesh, and the battle rages for the rest of their life. We are not saved until the end, so we must remain faithful until the end. Those who fall away were never chosen by God, they never were predestined to be one of His elect.[/QUOTE]

I just don't understand what you mean we are not saved until the end, so we must be faithful until the end. Are you saying that in order a sinner to be saved one must have faith then repent as you are saying and remain faithful 'till the end?. Any Bible verse please especially remaining faithful 'till the end. Plus, what is that end, is it the end of your life, the end of the world, until Christ comes etc.

Thanks

 

[Slayer]

You are talking about a miraculous event that happened 2000 years ago, of' course those 3000 who were converted would have gone away and exercised faith and repentance from the day until they died. We must repent many times every single day and we must live by faith all the time, these are not one of events and then we live happily ever after.

When a person is converted they enter into mortal combat against their flesh, and the battle rages for the rest of their life. We are not saved until the end, so we must remain faithful until the end. Those who fall away were never chosen by God, they never were predestined to be one of His elect.

I just don't understand what you mean we are not saved until the end, so we must be faithful until the end. Are you saying that in order a sinner to be saved one must have faith then repent as you are saying and remain faithful 'till the end?. Any Bible verse please especially remaining faithful 'till the end. Plus, what is that end, is it the end of your life, the end of the world, until Christ comes etc.

Thanks[/QUOTE]

You are talking about a miraculous event that happened 2000 years ago, of' course those 3000 who were converted would have gone away and exercised faith and repentance from the day until they died. We must repent many times every single day and we must live by faith all the time, these are not one of events and then we live happily ever after.

When a person is converted they enter into mortal combat against their flesh, and the battle rages for the rest of their life. We are not saved until the end, so we must remain faithful until the end. Those who fall away were never chosen by God, they never were predestined to be one of His elect.

I just don't understand what you mean we are not saved until the end, so we must be faithful until the end. Are you saying that in order a sinner to be saved one must have faith then repent as you are saying and remain faithful 'till the end?. Any Bible verse please especially remaining faithful 'till the end. Plus, what is that end, is it the end of your life, the end of the world, until Christ comes etc.

Thanks[/QUOTE]
Matt: 24:13 But he that shall endure to the end, the same shall be saved.

This is describing true believers, a true believer will remain faithful to the end. The end refers to the end of the race, (life) those who fall away were never truly converted. They made a profession of faith but as soon as they encountered tribulation they abandoned their faith.

 

[fredoheaven]

Matt: 24:13 But he that shall endure to the end, the same shall be saved.

This is describing true believers, a true believer will remain faithful to the end. The end refers to the end of the race, (life) those who fall away were never truly converted. They made a profession of faith but as soon as they encountered tribulation they abandoned their faith.

So you are now saying that when “we are not saved until the end…” excludes you in the “we” for the reason Matthew 24:13 as according to you refers to the true believers. Am I being sensible with this?

I agree, however, that true believers must endure hardships/trials of this life/ suffer tribulation and not to abandoned their faith. Isn’t Matthew 24:13 is in reference to physical salvation until the coming of Christ and is not in reference to the lost souls that needs salvation with the gospel of Christ because souls are hell bound?

Thanks

 

[Slayer]

So you are now saying that when “we are not saved until the end…” excludes you in the “we” for the reason Matthew 24:13 as according to you refers to the true believers. Am I being sensible with this?

I agree, however, that true believers must endure hardships/trials of this life/ suffer tribulation and not to abandoned their faith. Isn’t Matthew 24:13 is in reference to physical salvation until the coming of Christ and is not in reference to the lost souls that needs salvation with the gospel of Christ because souls are hell bound?

Thanks

The verse is just making an observation, that those who endure to the end shall be saved. Only God and the true believer know that he is saved, no other person can possibly know for sure who is saved.

Only God and the actual believer know this, so as observers we can see true believers following Jesus but we don't know if they will remain faithful to the end. Again only God knows this and the true believer himself.

The vast majority, perhaps 90% will fall away and abandon their faith when they are faced with torture and death for their faith. Most professing Christians will be cast into the lake of fire, it's a very sobering reality.

It's very hard for me to see members of my family on their way to hell, I plead with them all the time but they don't feel the need to repent because they don't see themselves as being so bad to deserve hell. They compare themselves to the rest of the world and say surely God won't cast me into hell, I don't do anything wicked or bad. They think I became a Christian out of fear because I lived a wicked life of unrestrained sin before I was converted.

I was the worst sinner out of all my family, relatives and friends so they all think that I converted out of fear and they don't need to because they never done any of the things I did.

 

[pottersclay]

I think what's throwing off everyone is the o.p. of joining a church. Is there a membership? Dues? Secret hand shake?
I never joined a church persay...I fellowship where I'm led.
I've been in Baptist, Methodist, Calvary chaple, it's all about the saints and the Lord's leading for me.

 

[TheDivineWatermark]

I think what's throwing off everyone is the o.p. of joining a church. Is there a membership?

I took it to mean he has aligned himself with the doctrine [/teaching] of the reformed church [everywhere/anywhere it happens to be located; by this, I'm not suggesting he doesn't attend (and also be a member of) one specific location of it].

 

[pottersclay]

I took it to mean he has aligned himself with the doctrine [/teaching] of the reformed church [everywhere/anywhere it happens to be located; by this, I'm not suggesting he doesn't attend (and also be a member of) one specific location of it].

Unfortunately some do have a mebership of sorts. Or a certain elect class of people.

 

[Nehemiah6]

Doctrines of Grace:
Total depravity
Unconditional election
Limited atonement
Irresistible grace
Perseverance of the saints

These are NOT "doctrines of grace" at all, but quite the opposite.

God's grace offers eternal life to whosoever believes on Christ, but that is rejected by TULIP, and the Gospel is distorted.

 

[trofimus]

These are NOT "doctrines of grace" at all, but quite the opposite.

God's grace offers eternal life to whosoever believes on Christ, but that is rejected by TULIP, and the Gospel is distorted.

Its "all who believe" and it is not rejected by TULIP, because TULIP is about "how somebody believes", not against believing.

 

[Slayer]

These are NOT "doctrines of grace" at all, but quite the opposite.

God's grace offers eternal life to whosoever believes on Christ, but that is rejected by TULIP, and the Gospel is distorted.

The "whosoever" are not the reprobate, because totally depraved sinners will never come to believe. Only those who God draws to Himself will ever believe, the rest will never believe so it brings us back to predestination and election. Thank you