Designs, you're right about Jews and original sin. It seems that the jews are waiting for a political leader that restores worship at the temple. They do not believe he will deliver then from sin since he will not be supernatural in origin. It seems that the Jews now are expecting what the Jews then were. Both were and will be disappointed. Until the events of revelation occur and a great number of Jews (144,000) accept Jesus Christ as savior.
Christ Alone
JoinedPosts by Christ Alone
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36
Did Jesus ever claim he had to die for our sins?
by Cagefighter inso for those that have been keeping up: i have recently become fascinated with the lost gospels as well as the history of the four cannon gospels (matthew, mark, luke, and john) and as some may say the "historical jesus".. i am fascinated by the variations in who jesus was and what he did according to different traditions and texts.
one thing that provoked me the other day is that the coptics/gnostics do not believe jesus "died for our sins".
which explains why an i have never been accosted infront of my favorite drinking hole my a glassy eyed 20 year old with a pamphlet in their hand asking if i am "saved".. so this got me thinking..... i don't recall jesus ever claiming to have to die for our sins in matthew, mark, luke or john either?
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317
Does God's foreknowledge take away from free will?
by Christ Alone injust by knowing what will happen, that doesn't mean that we can prevent or cause something to happen.
my knowing that does not prevent them the free will of making the choice.. it's the same with god.
if god is not restricted to existence in the present, then the future is known by god because god indwells the future as well as the present and the past.
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Christ Alone
If God chose not to know something, would he be God?
Me: Will I choose to go to Safeway or Frys?
God: I don't know...
Nope, it doesn't work. Saying that He chooses not to know is taking away His being God. Can God know all choices and all possible choices and the implications of each one while allowing us to choose? I think this is closer to the truth. It's slippery ground to say that God chooses not to know certain things. Why would he CHOOSE not to know?
Some don't like the idea of God's omniscience. But that doesn't change if He is or not.
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64
more abuse in today's watchtower study
by solomon intoday's study picks on the most vulnerable among us.
the mentally ill. .
the watchtower apparently hasn't learned that depression and mental illness are that a medical condition.
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Christ Alone
I hate it when you post that, moshe. I catch myself watching it for way too long...
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64
more abuse in today's watchtower study
by solomon intoday's study picks on the most vulnerable among us.
the mentally ill. .
the watchtower apparently hasn't learned that depression and mental illness are that a medical condition.
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Christ Alone
Is it chemical---is it thinking patterns---does one cause the other---these are difficult questions to answer, and I'm pretty sure the balance varies from person to person----
You're right, it varies from person to person. But the fact remains, if it IS chemical, no amount of positive thinking is going to fix it. You can't will a chemical imbalance to correct itself.
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64
more abuse in today's watchtower study
by solomon intoday's study picks on the most vulnerable among us.
the mentally ill. .
the watchtower apparently hasn't learned that depression and mental illness are that a medical condition.
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Christ Alone
I think this was the most damaging part of the article:
Medical researchers have long
recognized the curative value of positive
thinking. Many patients given sugar
pills (placebos) have experienced relief
of symptoms simply because they
thought they were getting help. The opposite,
called the nocebo effect, has also
been demonstrated. Patients’ health deteriorated
simply because theywere told
that a drug would have negative effects.
Constantly dwelling on situations we
cannot change may only tear us down.
On the positive side, Jehovah does
not give us “sugar pills.” Rather, even
in times of disaster, he gives real help
through the encouragement found in his
Word, our supportive brotherhood, and
the strength provided by holy spirit. Focusing
on these things will lift us up. Instead
of dwelling on negative events, do
what is practical to cope with each problem
and focus on the positive aspects of
your life.—Prov. 17:22.Obviously they are trying to tear down the idea of needing REAL anti depressants, not sugar pills. A person suffering from clinical depression is NOT given sugar pills, because their problem is NOT negative thinking. They still don't seem to understand that mental illness is a CHEMICAL imbalance. If you have a chemical imbalance, you can do all the positive thinkiing that you want! But it's not going to do a bit of good. The chemicals that control mood like serotonin and endorphins can fluctuate, causing extreme mood swings. It has nothing to do with how much you are praying and how much bible reading you are doing. It's CHEMICAL.
But to infer that depression is caused purely by negative thinking and a lack of a spiritual life is dangerous and wrong. Depression CAN be situational. But this is usually not the kind of depression that people suffer from. I think we see, in this article, one of the major reasons why suicide is so high in the Watchtower. It's so sad.
Best quote: Jehovah doesn't give us sugar pills.
he gives real help
through the encouragement found in his
Word, our supportive brotherhood, and
the strength provided by holy spirit. Focusing
on these things will lift us up.
No...not if it's a chemical imbalance. I guess you really can't fix stupid.
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36
Did Jesus ever claim he had to die for our sins?
by Cagefighter inso for those that have been keeping up: i have recently become fascinated with the lost gospels as well as the history of the four cannon gospels (matthew, mark, luke, and john) and as some may say the "historical jesus".. i am fascinated by the variations in who jesus was and what he did according to different traditions and texts.
one thing that provoked me the other day is that the coptics/gnostics do not believe jesus "died for our sins".
which explains why an i have never been accosted infront of my favorite drinking hole my a glassy eyed 20 year old with a pamphlet in their hand asking if i am "saved".. so this got me thinking..... i don't recall jesus ever claiming to have to die for our sins in matthew, mark, luke or john either?
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Christ Alone
Sorry, I haven't been able to respond since yesterday. Cofty is right in the context of Jesus being a Jew. We cannot understand the NT unless we really understand Judaism. 1st century Judaism, especially. We cannot understand Jesus either, until we understand His Jewishness (if that's a word...)
Matthew 5:17-20 is specifically about this. It says: " Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven."
The problem in interpreting why we are not still under the mosaic law is discussed and set to rest in Hebrews. Hebrews 10 specifically address the difference between the animal sacrifices and Jesus' eternal once for all time sacrifice. The Law was always meant to be a temporary arrangement until Jesus came to be the fulfillment of it. No matter how many sacrifices were made, they could not sufficiently cover all sin for all time. The animal sacrifices were the Father's symbolic picture of Jesus' death for our sins. He gave us the law to help us see that we are sinners and that the sacrifice of animals was not sufficient to cover all sins for all time. Hebrews 10 discusses this in detail.
Galatians 3:19-25 asks "Why then was the law given at all?", and then answers the question in detail. vs 23 - 25 says: "Before the coming of this faith, we were held in custody under the law, locked up until the faith that was to come would be revealed. So the law was our guardian until Christ came that we might be justified by faith. Now that this faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian."
The law prepared the Jews for Jesus. Without the Law, Jews would not know that they were sinners. They would not have known that covetousness or envy was wrong unless the Law told them it was wrong. But when that which was complete came - Jesus - this law was to be written on their hearts and there would no longer be a need for anyone to teach them that it was wrong.
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36
Did Jesus ever claim he had to die for our sins?
by Cagefighter inso for those that have been keeping up: i have recently become fascinated with the lost gospels as well as the history of the four cannon gospels (matthew, mark, luke, and john) and as some may say the "historical jesus".. i am fascinated by the variations in who jesus was and what he did according to different traditions and texts.
one thing that provoked me the other day is that the coptics/gnostics do not believe jesus "died for our sins".
which explains why an i have never been accosted infront of my favorite drinking hole my a glassy eyed 20 year old with a pamphlet in their hand asking if i am "saved".. so this got me thinking..... i don't recall jesus ever claiming to have to die for our sins in matthew, mark, luke or john either?
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Christ Alone
Jesus comes along claiming to be God and says 'no I was wrong before and now I've got it right, new plan!'
I am constantly surprised by exJWs that show they don't understand the gospel. I really don't care if they don't believe it, but to show that they have no clue of what the gospel teaches continues to surprise me. No understanding of the book of Hebrews, apparently. And no knowledge that Jesus never said the Law was wrong, and that He did not say that He came to now get it right. Surprising. At least understand the gospel that you are rejecting...
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45
If there is a creator, will an expanding universe ever become bigger than he?
by prologos inthe bible has expressions like: "--god walked in the garden at the breezy part of the day--" .
but more realisticly, speaking in today's lingo:.
if, as accepted by consensus, the universe was "smaller" in the past, expanding out of a zero size singularity, it was "smaller" than the "creator"* at that point in time.
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Christ Alone
I assume some of the scriptures would be apparent because nearly all of you were JWs at one time. John 4:24 tells us that God the Father is a spirit. The verse I gave you in 1Kings shows that the physical heavens cannot (and do not) contain God.
You can also think about it philosophically. If God created the physical universe, then He existed outside of it. If He existed before the physical universe, where did He live?
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45
If there is a creator, will an expanding universe ever become bigger than he?
by prologos inthe bible has expressions like: "--god walked in the garden at the breezy part of the day--" .
but more realisticly, speaking in today's lingo:.
if, as accepted by consensus, the universe was "smaller" in the past, expanding out of a zero size singularity, it was "smaller" than the "creator"* at that point in time.
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Christ Alone
We've discussed it on other threads, but God does not exist in the physical universe. When parents ask their kids where God is and they point up, that's wrong. That referrs to a physical location. 1Kings 8:27 says "But will God really dwell on earth? The heavens, even the highest heaven, cannot contain you. How much less this temple I have built!"
There are 2 natures. The physical nature and the spiritual nature. God is a spirit and exists not in physical, but a spiritual reality.
So no, the universe (or the heavens of the heavens) will not outgrow Him because He is not bound by physical laws anyway.
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229
Should We Worship Jesus?
by Perry inthere is one lord, one faith, one baptism.. jehovah and jesus are also both spoken of as savior.
this is true because even though there are two personalities, and jesus also possesses a human body, they both also share the same substance or essence of god.
this is similar to my son who shares 50% of my essence in dna.
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Christ Alone
Boy CA you know how Wt. that sounds like don't you- someday God will bring Armageddon.
Where did I say that? The Bible (not the WT) says that Jesus will reveal himself physically. Is a physical body necessary for Jesus? I don't think so. But that doesn't change the fact that when he was resurrected he retained the marks of the nails in his hands. It doesn't change the fact that the Bible says he ATE with the disciples after he was resurrected.
Like I've already said, I don't know exactly why. Except perhaps because when Jesus came to earth he was now God AND man, and could be a perfect mediator in that way.