Reprobate Mind - Pilate's question was never adequately answered, justice even in human terms did not matter in the least. The mob mentality and possible threat of their riotous reaction if action was done to the contrary was solely sufficient.
Reprobate - Mind, where else would this behavior be justified? How does the mind go from duty and responsibility to this as it often does. This is not just the behavior of a few distant Roman soldiers long ago, this is the mind set of many intellectuals and activist on our college campuses today, this is the direction of much political discourse. Slander, mocking, humiliation, for no other reason than self and mob exaltation.
Reprobate Mind - One man sees a miracle and suddenly sees his sinful nature before God. Other men see a miracle and become defensive and increasingly antagonistic. These men have constructed an expectation of a Messiah that helps them justify their growing hatred.
Notice that in both examples the treasure is lost and the shepherd/woman put aside all else to find it. In order to bring the treasure back though the treasure must repent. There is a rejoicing for each finding/repentance. The intellectual process of somehow figuring God out and finding our way back to Him is not at all discussed.
This is a very well known scripture. Many a sermon has been delivered on the prodigal son, the prodigal son's forgiving father, only brief mention of the son's brother. Who is being portrayed here as the son's brother however? One that did not leave, one who did what was expected, who had a poor reaction to the father's jubilant behavior, that receives a full inheritance in the end. I have thought perhaps the Angels, the Jews, those Christians raised un-rebelliously in religious homes. Who do you think?
I do not believe these to be in any chronological order. We know that Solomon was born to wife Bathsheba who has not entered our storyline yet. They may have all been mentioned together just to have them all recited in one place.
There is the teaching of Jesus' words, the teaching of His actions, the teachings of how people are responding around Him. Much can be learned by the way Jesus reacts to their responses. He responds to them once and they persecute Him and seek to kill Him all the more. He responds to that and delivers to us a most interesting revelation of how things work between He and the Father.
We have here a king that did right and yet the Lord smote him with leprosy. That the Lord is said to have done it may show a purpose or intent but, the verse does not state shat that might be. We can guess perhaps that not all the high places were removed and yet other kings had done the same. We could guess that maybe it was for the purpose of someone(s) other than the king. Or it may have been no purpose at all other than to develop him in a way different than other kings. The Lord's judgment is perfect and true whether we know why or not.
The reality of our situation is this: We have been chosen, we have been ordained, we have been empowered, for the purpose of bearing fruit, if we continue to abide. Abiding has everything to do with obeying, obeying everything to do with giving ourselves in love to one another. How quickly this all can get mis-construed if we fail to keep these facts in focus. Christianity then is not a play along at home board game. It is not a play along with only those few other Christians that you personally like and get along with. It is a fruit producing "doing all things for the Lord as He loved us" obedience.
Idolatry seems rather foolish when it is put this way. Perhaps the decision isn't so much what the new god represents to them but, what the old God has become to them in their rebellion, a constant reproof.
Not only are they facing an enemy without, they face an enemy within. Jewish lenders are charging contributors an interest rate and having them mortgage there physical holdings against the loan which is a violation of the Mosaic law. To take financial advantage and profit from those attending to God's purpose is an even more debase practice, just as likely to occur today.
We see here that it is proper to pray (even publicly) for the harm of those within that seek to gain personally from those contributing to the causes of God (even by financial usury).
The question then becomes, if they believed on the name of Jesus enough to even consider selling all that they had to give it, were they saved by their belief in their lying end? I would think it quiet possible, even though they were made an example of to the others in one regard to have been saved in the most important regard. If however, this lie is tantamount to the unpardonable sin - blasphemy against the Holy Spirit we are all in trouble. What have you held back or lied about to the brethren?
Paul identifies three "pillars" of the early church James (Jesus' brother), John, Peter kjv@Galatians:2:9. Modern Catholics identify only one: Peter. It is James here that delivers the group's verdict. John is either silent or absent. Paul is portrayed once again as serving the church under their authority (even when he has disagreement). I have no doubt that the Spirit was sought for this momentous decision but is not quoted. There is plenty of OT text regarding the inclusion of gentiles, but not mandatory circumcision of them. The decision is based then upon the consistency of the doctrine of saving grace.
The appeal to Caesar should be felt as a slap in the face of Festus. It is saying that there is no legal grounds for him to have made the judgment that he made, his motives are obvious and exposed, and that as a Roman citizen I have the right to appeal to a greater/wiser authority than you Festus. Thanks for wasting all this innocent citizen's precious time (my words not his).
The Law spoken of here is clearly the Mosaic Law. Without/before the Law sin was not imputed and yet all people died showing proof of a Adamic curse. One does not have to sin in the same form as Adam (freely choosing to eat from the tree of knowledge of good/evil) because his descendants are cut off from the tree of life. This condition causes all the descendants to unavoidably sin, the option of choice in this instance is totally removed. Our options now are in how we will sin. Now that the Law is imputed we fully know that our condition is one of sin as well as our available options. Though we seek to do godly right we can not do so knowing only what is right in our own eyes. In this sense Jesus has become the light in our darkness.
"And not to please ourselves". It is so easy even in the course of ministry to do the things we do for the sake of the ministry and not so much for the sake of the person whose infirmities we intend to bear. The person becomes another notch in our belt, a mark to our tally. Perhaps one of the greatest successes of Paul's ministry, his outreach to the Gentiles, was due to his attention to the individual person. This is why we hear of so many people coming to his aid and joining beside his ministry later. Paul encourages us that we are more than capable of doing the same.
Without any doubt the central core of the Gospel is that Christ died for our sins according to scriptures, buried and raised the third day according to scriptures, witnessed by many and ascended to where all things have been put under subjection to Him and He to the Father. It is not just that He did it, it is that the scriptures all along said that He was going to do it. Of this core in particular the resurrection can not be separated without voiding the remainder.
What does it mean to have understanding? It means to know to seek after knowledge. If we purse an issue thinking that we know everything about it from the start, this is not understanding. If we pursue thinking that simply by the strength of our own determination exerting force we will bend the issue to our favor, this is not understanding. Seeking knowledge means first seeking the fear of the Lord, humbling ourselves and our cause to His presence, listening for direction and knowing that it may well include correction and faithful obedience, this is understanding.
There are internet reports that the Moslim's believe lovely here to be a reference to Muhammad. They translate the Hebrew muhammadim as Pbuh (Muhammad). Strong's does not us muhammadim it uses machmâd and I am not sure of the correlation. Even so, 956bc usage of the word does not necessarily suggest that the word is accurately translated into 700ad counter-evangelical doctrine. It could have meant "lovely".
So what is the will of God concerning us? What is it that He is grooming in us no matter what our situation? Intelligence? Superior charm and tolerance? Personal mastery and the ability to channel His energy to achieve our many goals? No, thanks!
Peter's motivation by now should be clear. It should be our motivation as well. Peter considers himself a witness of Christs suffering and a partaker in the glory to be revealed. Peter is this in the truest sense perhaps like no other having been there with Him. Thanks in great part to His testimony/obedience we are/can be this as well. The sufferings of Christ are so crucial to our proclamation because they point to the hands of those for whom He willingly suffered for. The glory to be revealed is equally crucial because it tells us that this was no ordinary man that suffered these things on our behalf, it was the very son of God, the promised one of Israel, the name above all names, Jesus Christ and Savior the King of all kings. Those that are thus inspired and motivated will be partakers of both the sufferings of and later the Glory of.
Is this being gathered unto ones peoples a saying? or a biblical truth of death? I don't know kjv@STRING:gathered+unto+his and kjv@STRING:gathered+unto+thy . If so, would Ishmael's people be Abraham? The Egyptians? Who? Most likely, at least in the end, people of the same regenerate or non-regenerate spiritual heart. The fuller interpretation is that physically it simply means that they ended up in the same spot 'dust to dust' as all the loved ones who have gone before him. Spiritually however, added to 'giving up the ghost' it means dead in body (dust), the ghost yeilded, spiritually gathered to their just reward.
Jacob takes on the role of a proper spiritual father. He leads all of his children, as old as some may be, as a whole. He insists that they put away their strange gods, to be spiritually pure, to be circumspect in their dress and adornments. He became inclusive of them participating in the spiritual projects and worship that he himself was driven to accomplish. He set the tone and pace and they indeed followed along.
His name is being changed from Jacob (supplanter) to Israel (he will rule as God). It not only marks a change in the present perception but, in the goal or direction spiritually for him to follow. Name changes were more common in that day and notated the turning over of a new leaf.
Believers in Jesus 'are' this by no work of their own therefore they should continue to 'be' this. Should we abide in this (His completed work and grace) we will by nature produce worshipful works to His glory and praise, good works preordained that we should walk in. Should we step outside of that by again striving for selfish favor or personal salvation, though we 'are' salt our salt loses it's savor, though still light our light becomes hid. This is not a permanent situation if we repent and get back on course, it is a permanent situation only if we insist on trying to produce our own works towards salvation/favor.
2012 - pBiblx2 Field Wise Bible System Version 2.0.9d - GPL3
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