Quote:
Originally Posted by Jeffrey
colorful language. full of emotion, sharpness, harshness,
technically it means "vividly distinctive"
Paul's rebuke and words were sharper in no other letter he has ever written.
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Ah... okay. Now I understand what you were saying. I agree.
I recently did a "deep-dive" study of the book. In the study, I found that the letter to the Galatians is the ONLY letter Paul wrote to ANY of the churches where he didn't start off saying how he "gave thanks" or "was joyed at the remembrance" of them (you get the idea). He immediately opens the letter with a defense of his apostleship and moves right into his rebuke. Very interesting indeed.
Do you realize that there are apostolic preachers (I've heard them myself) who will not preach from any of Paul's epistles because they believe he was backslidden - he talked too much about grace, and he rebuked Peter openly for his legalistic tendencies.
My point of my initial post and starting this thread is solely for the purpose of reminding people who we are... that each of us are precious to God. If that is so, how can I tear down someone who is precious to God? How can I be so flippant in my mockery of someone's faith? How can I be so "in your face" disrespectful of the view of another just because I don't have the same view? Some just don't get it, or can't get it, or WON'T get it.
Quote:
Originally Posted by 1Corinth2v4
......for whosoever shall do the will of My Father ....., he is My brother, and sister..... Matthew 12: 46-50
Only they that do the will of my father....... |
What does this mean? I'm perceiving this to say that you think it's okay for us to judge whether someone else is our brother or sister based on OUR perception of the will of God. Am I correct in that perception? I don't want to have that perception. I'm giving the benefit of the doubt because I understand that intonations and non-verbal queues don't come through in typed text. So, I'm hoping that's not what you were saying. Because this is EXACTLY the attitude that breeds judgmentalism, division, strife, etc... EXACTLY what I'm trying to discourage in this thread.
But still... even if that IS what is being said, I will not engage in that fight. I heard a tremendous message that Bro. Robert Martin preached at ALJC General Conference 2008 - "I Will Not Fight My Brother." It was a call to repentance to the church and to the ministry, a call to put an end to maligning others, to put an end to political posturing and agendas... other than winning a lost world for Christ.
Whether you or anyone else thinks me to be your brother, I'm okay with that. I'm comfortable enough in my own walk with God to understand that I'm not where I was a year ago and not where I will be next year. I'm a work in progress.
Philippians 3
12 Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.
13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,
14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
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