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Matt 21:21 and Mark 11:23

Friendly Face Posts: 116 **12/14/13 9:23 am**

"If you have faith.....you can say to this mountain..."

WHICH mountain? Jesus didn't say ANY mountain.

Read the context of both: he was on his way into the city of Jerusalem or already in the city of Jerusalem. He was standing in the shadow of the Temple mountain built by Herod which was the religious-political center of Jewish faith and controlled access to God. OT prophets used the fig tree to represent Israel.

Jesus was saying the least bit of faith in God gives direct access to God without the religious-political formality of Temple worship, sacrifices, and intermediaries. He was not saying you can consider every hardship, setback, sickness, or obstacle you face a personal "mountain" and command it to go away. That would be completely inconsistent with the apostles' practices. They endured hardship but did eventually left the dogmatic practices of temple worship.

Isaiah 54:17

Friendly Face Posts: 116 **12/14/13 9:33 am**

"No weapon formed against you will prosper"

This was written to Israel (or perhaps prophetically to the Church) collectively as a promise that God will sustain Israel (and perhaps the Church, if it is prophetically connected). It is often preached as a personal application.

The abuses of this passage are obvious if you consider that a whole range of weapons formed against individual disciples prospered against them: crosses, swords, spears, pick ax, fire, wild animals, etc.

Weapons formed against many believers have prospered against them individually throughout history. Yet despite the Holocaust numerous invading empires before that, Israel remains and the Church grows and will not be destroyed.

Re: Isaiah 54:17

Acts Enthusiast Posts: 1073 **12/14/13 12:07 pm**

Golf Cart Mafia Underboss Posts: 3944 **12/14/13 1:30 pm**

Brad, wouldn't you say that Gal 6:1 is referring to how the body of Christians is to deal with a fellow Christian who has been caught in sin?

The point I am going for is this: Our instruction to a person of the world who rejects Christ is to leave them alone, not attempt explanation or correction to them. Whereas our instructions for dealing with sin in the body of Christ is quite different.

Consider John the Baptist and Herod.

[Insert Acts Pun Here] Posts: 12817 **12/14/13 1:40 pm**

What Jesus warns against is hypocritical judgement of others. He says to first remove the beam from your own eye, and then you will be able to see well enough to help your brother with the speck that is in his. He also goes on to tell us to watch out for false prophets, and that by their fruit we would know them, which would be completely impossible if Matt 7:1 means what so many seem to think it means, that any criticism or pointing put of sin in another is a violation of the command to judge not.

Also, concerning the world, we are also commanded to warn both the wicked and the righteous of judgment to come. As Paul proclaimed the gospel on Mars Hill he said God now commands all men everywhere to repent. How shall they hear except a preacher preach?

Golf Cart Mafia Underboss Posts: 3944 **12/14/13 1:48 pm**

[Insert Acts Pun Here] Posts: 12817 **12/14/13 2:11 pm**

Paul did speak of God giving the heathen over to a reprobate mind, and in his missionary evangelism he said of one group that since they had judged themselves unworthy of eternal life by rejecting the gospel, Paul would now take the gospel to those who would hear. So obviously there comes a point at which we are to stop wasting precious time and energy trying to reach those who are steadfast in their refusal to hear. Such a decision must be something the Lord reveals to us at the time. I don't know of any other way to know whether someone has gone too far and rejected God past the point of no return.

Re: Romans 4:17

Acts-pert Poster Posts: 15570 **12/15/13 11:55 pm**

Re: Your Opinion: The most misused Scriptures

Acts-pert Poster Posts: 15570 **12/16/13 12:00 am**