As iron sharpens iron,
one person sharpens another. (Proverbs 27:17)
This thread is here to continue the rabbit trail that began in the thread about separating from KJVO churches.
My dear Bro. Karl asks: Is there a source or a link (audio or text) to your pastor’s last sermon from the book “Bel and the Dragon”? Or “1 Maccabees”?
The reference is to those Hebrews who had made a profession of Christ, but had not gone all the way to full faith. They had not yet begun the race, which starts with salvation. The writer has invited them to accept salvation in Christ and join the race.
Below is a selection from one of my unpublished novels. It is categorized as Christian Science Fiction. The main character, DeWitt Wynton hears the gospel clearly for the first time. ********************************************************************************************************************** Vitti had an almost impish sense of self-deprecation which was charming. I thought about that as I worked through the tea ritual. After taking a sip I spoke. “I should apologize for being unaware of your role in the church on Albicore.
Poll Results
What is your favorite Psalm and why?
I have had this article and thread on my mind ever since it was posted.
To everyone:
One of the most difficult aspects of coming to terms with Oneness Pentecostalism is
that these churches are culturally and sociologically evangelical. They have a high view
of Scripture‟s authority, a heart for worship, a passion for evangelizing, and a
commitment to living lives marked by holiness. Though they struggle with legalism,
they are often marked by grace, and they certainly say all the right things about salvation
Poll Results
Were Cornelius and Apollos regenerate before they believed in Jesus, in your opinion?
The church at Colosse apparently had come under the influence of the early stages of Gnosticism. Gnostics taught that certain individuals were privy to mystical sources of knowledge beyond the Scriptures. If one wanted to move on to maturity, according to the Gnostics, he had to tap into this extra-biblical knowledge through the methods that they taught. The Colossians, under this influence, were leaving behind the apostolic instruction concerning the Christian life (vv. 1-7) and were being deluded into adding at least five things to God’s Word.
Colossians 2:8-15 warns of the danger of being taken captive through philosophy and empty deception. “Philosophy” means the “love of wisdom” and the book of Proverbs tells us that the love of wisdom is a worthy pursuit (Proverbs 4:6). God does not oppose wisdom; He is against the wrong kind of wisdom. Paul warns of a pseudo-wisdom that can be identified by three characteristics:
• It is according to the traditions of men. That is, wisdom that comes from the mind of men, not the mind of God.
• It is according to the elementary principles of the world. This is likely a reference to the attempt to gain esoteric knowledge through mystical means, something the Gnostics loved (see v. 18).
• It is not according to Christ. True wisdom is found in Christ “in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (v. 3). The Colossians were searching in the wrong place for wisdom. What they were looking for was found in Christ, through the Word, not in the philosophies of men.
Discussion