James - you have been a a source of encouragement to me.
I often wonder if anyone is capable of "listening" to reason.
It seems you present an argument and they run away coming back with yet another argument.
If you look at the response that Peter got when his Jewish brethren heard that he had eaten (fellowshipped) with the uncircumcised they came after him...
Acts 11:1 ¶ Now the Apostles and the brethren who were throughout Judaea heard that, the nations also, had welcomed the word of God.
2 And, when Peter came up unto Jerusalem, they of the circumcision began to find fault with him,
3 Saying—he went in unto men uncircumcised, and did eat with them.
The Jew had made laws against being with gentiles. Jesus was accused of being with sinners even though they were Jews.
Here Peter mentions this ungodly law:
Acts 10:28 And said unto the—Ye, well know, how unlawful it is, for, a Jew, to be joining himself or coming in unto one of another race. And yet, unto me, hath God pointed out that I should be calling no man, common or unclean.
It was also dangerous for a Roman General to adopt or appear to be adopting "jewish fables".
The point I am trying - so long windedly to make is that even though they at the first jumped on Peters case, Peter only needed to explain the situation but once to them. At that point we find their response:
Acts 11:18 And, having heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying—Hence, even unto the nations, God hath granted repentance unto life.
Scripture records two very different kinds of people:
Acts 17:10 ¶ And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Beroea: who when they were come thither went into the synagogue of the Jews.
11 and, these, were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they welcomed the word with all readiness of mind, daily, searching the Scriptures,—whether these things could be so.
What is surprising to me is that this verse teaches a 'group mentality' and that while the 'group' in Thessalonica were in large just plain contentious and unteachable, yet the 'majority' of those in Beroea were reasonable yet no fools as they relied upon the Word of God but did not stubbornly rest upon their own understanding and presumptions. They were teachable, showing forth a more "noble spirit".
I, James, have seen you change in many ways for the better but in the end you have always been aware of your own lowly estate. Whenever Christ talked to men about forgiveness He reminded them to remember that they themselves had been forgiven. When the disciples asked how long they should tolerate and forgive others Jesus reminds them of the weeks of Daniel - the 490 years of grace that was granted to them after the return from the Babylonian captivity:
Matthew 18:21 Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times?
22 Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.
It is also intimated in this statement:
Luke 12:48 but he that knew not, and did things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. And to whomsoever much is given, of him shall much be required: and to whom they commit much, of him will they ask the more.
Matthew 18:32 Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me:
33 Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee?
I find that the "group mentality" on SI is not that of the Noble Bereans but of the Thessalonicians. My problem is dealing with them with same grace that God has dealt with my own ignorance.
However, I will proclaim James, that you have shown yourself to me to be of that Noble Spirit that while you do not blindly accept any wind of doctrine that you yourself have not been hidden in a proud attitude of "knowing it all"
If I do not doubt any others salvation among those I have met here, I do not doubt yours and see ample evidence of God working within you.
You admit your short comings and weaknesses and yet you do all you can to defend with truth in an upright manner.
James, when I look at the two of us, I have no problem seeing who is the greater of the two. It is not me.
I am writing a paper right this minute entitled "Why I became a Preterist" in response to an E-mail asking me to explain Preterist thought. Perhaps I will post it here also for you to read but concerning the other post #34524 I must confess to having slopped that together in a hurry and did not put much effort into it. If you would like I can rewrite it in a much better form and then you could put it on your web page if you like it better. I am quite honored that you find it that interesting. As for today however, I am still writing that other paper. I have developed some serious problems with my neck and can not spend the kind of time at my computer as I used to. My neck seizes up and really hurts causing also headaches. It is like corporeal tunnel in the neck or something?
Thanks again for your encouraging letter James...
Brian |
