How To Love (Sam FranjiONE)
Love will never end.
It never quits,
It Never loses hope,
Love never stops trusting.
Love never gives up on people.
Love is always happy with the truth.
It is never happy when others do wrong,
But Love does not remember wrongs done against it.
Love cannot be made angry easily.
It is not selfish. Love is not rude.
It does not brag. Love is not jealous.
Instead, Love is patient and kind.
If I don’t have love, I gain nothing by doing all this:
I may give away everything I have to help others, and
I may even give my body as an offering to be burned.
But even with all this, if I don’t have love, I am nothing.
1 Corinthians 13:8->3 (ERV)
... And they'll know we are Christians by our love.
Don't take that lightly.
Each and every day we have opportunities to be Jesus to others.
Showing posts with label Bible. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bible. Show all posts
Eggs in a Basket
Music : Aaron Tomberlin - It is Enough
Ecclesiasties 11:6-2
7 [Consider:] The light is sweet, and it is good for the eyes to see the sun.
6 So begin planting early in the morning, and don’t stop working until evening.
You don’t know what might make you rich. Maybe everything you do will be successful.
5 God made everything, and you can no more understand what he does than you understand how new life begins in a pregnant woman.
4 He who is watching the wind will not get the seed planted, and he who is looking at the clouds will not get in the grain.
3 If the clouds are full of rain, they will empty themselves on the earth,
and whether a tree falls to the south or to the north, the tree will lie wherever it falls.
[So,]
2 Invest what you have in several different things. You don’t know what bad things might happen on earth.
Sources
7 AB (Apostle's Bible)
6 ERV
5 TEV
4 BBE
3 NET
2 ERV
Remember in your sowing that it is God's plan that you have more than one egg basket to keep.
Ecclesiasties 11:6-2
7 [Consider:] The light is sweet, and it is good for the eyes to see the sun.
6 So begin planting early in the morning, and don’t stop working until evening.
You don’t know what might make you rich. Maybe everything you do will be successful.
5 God made everything, and you can no more understand what he does than you understand how new life begins in a pregnant woman.
4 He who is watching the wind will not get the seed planted, and he who is looking at the clouds will not get in the grain.
3 If the clouds are full of rain, they will empty themselves on the earth,
and whether a tree falls to the south or to the north, the tree will lie wherever it falls.
[So,]
2 Invest what you have in several different things. You don’t know what bad things might happen on earth.
Sources
7 AB (Apostle's Bible)
6 ERV
5 TEV
4 BBE
3 NET
2 ERV
Remember in your sowing that it is God's plan that you have more than one egg basket to keep.
Can't Buy Me Love
Music : The Beatles - Can't Buy Me Love
Simon saw that the Spirit was given to the Samaritans when the apostles placed their hands on them. So he offered Peter and John money and said, "Give me this power so that anyone I place my hands on will receive the Holy Spirit." Peter told Simon, "May your money be destroyed with you because you thought you could buy God's gift.
Acts 8:18-20 (God's Word to the Nations)
Giving (MONEY) with expectation is not giving. God cannot be mocked or fooled, what you 'sow' is exactly what you will reap. (Galations 6:6 paraphrased) If you're able to give cash into the kingdom, that's wonderful. If putting cash into the kingdom is you're idea of 'sowing' (planting seeds with the expectation of returns of the same kind... ) you may reap cash, but the price of that cash is quite high. If you keep books on God, then you haven't 'given' at all, and fall into the same category as Simon above, trying to buy your stairway.
Me? I'll keep sowing God's Word with the expectation that it (God's Word) takes root in the souls God places in my path. My harvest will be joy at the resurrection for the souls that stay out of the lake of fire.
If you can give out of worship and thanks, and most especially without any expectations on returns or later benefits: you've got it. Live with the spirit "give, and it will be given to you"--understanding that "to give" means to let go completely. No expectations of great returns or rewards or rank or crowns. Give means to let go.
Please, let go.
Simon saw that the Spirit was given to the Samaritans when the apostles placed their hands on them. So he offered Peter and John money and said, "Give me this power so that anyone I place my hands on will receive the Holy Spirit." Peter told Simon, "May your money be destroyed with you because you thought you could buy God's gift.
Acts 8:18-20 (God's Word to the Nations)
Giving (MONEY) with expectation is not giving. God cannot be mocked or fooled, what you 'sow' is exactly what you will reap. (Galations 6:6 paraphrased) If you're able to give cash into the kingdom, that's wonderful. If putting cash into the kingdom is you're idea of 'sowing' (planting seeds with the expectation of returns of the same kind... ) you may reap cash, but the price of that cash is quite high. If you keep books on God, then you haven't 'given' at all, and fall into the same category as Simon above, trying to buy your stairway.
Me? I'll keep sowing God's Word with the expectation that it (God's Word) takes root in the souls God places in my path. My harvest will be joy at the resurrection for the souls that stay out of the lake of fire.
If you can give out of worship and thanks, and most especially without any expectations on returns or later benefits: you've got it. Live with the spirit "give, and it will be given to you"--understanding that "to give" means to let go completely. No expectations of great returns or rewards or rank or crowns. Give means to let go.
Please, let go.
Saving Grace
Music: InterTwind - Save Me
Psalm 119:94-89 .ל (Lamed)
94 Save me, because I belong to you.
93 Because you give me new life, I won't ever forget your teachings.
92 I would have died from my sufferings if I had not loved your teachings.
91 All [the whole universe] are Your servants; therefore they continue this day according to Your ordinances.
90 You have set earth in order, and it stands. To generation after generation your faithfulness lasts.
89 LORD, thy Word dwells in Heaven without end. (Lord, thi word dwellith in heuene; with outen ende.)
Verse List:
94 New International Readers Version
93 Contemporary English Version
92 New Century Version
91 The Amplified Bible
90 The Bible in Living English
89 The John Purvey revision of the Wycliffe Bible
Psalm 119:94-89 .ל (Lamed)
94 Save me, because I belong to you.
93 Because you give me new life, I won't ever forget your teachings.
92 I would have died from my sufferings if I had not loved your teachings.
91 All [the whole universe] are Your servants; therefore they continue this day according to Your ordinances.
90 You have set earth in order, and it stands. To generation after generation your faithfulness lasts.
89 LORD, thy Word dwells in Heaven without end. (Lord, thi word dwellith in heuene; with outen ende.)
Verse List:
94 New International Readers Version
93 Contemporary English Version
92 New Century Version
91 The Amplified Bible
90 The Bible in Living English
89 The John Purvey revision of the Wycliffe Bible
Sowing the Light
Music: Chris Rice - Go Light Your World
Galations 6:10-->4 from various versions
Verse list:
10 New Century Version
9 The Message
8 New International Reader's Version
7 God's Word to the Nations
6 The Clear Word for Children
5 The Living Bible, Paraphrased
4 The Message
Sowing is what you make of your life. If you set the right goals, you'll reach the right goals.
Galations 6:10-->4 from various versions
10 When we have the opportunity to help anyone, we should do it. But we should give special attention to those who are in the family of believers
9b At the right time we will harvest a good crop if we don't give up, or quit.
9a So let's not allow ourselves to get fatigued doing good.
8b [Some people] plant to please the Holy Spirit. From the Spirit they will harvest eternal life.
8a [Other] people plant to please their sinful nature. From that nature they will harvest death.
8b {T}he one who plants in response to God, letting God's Spirit do the growth work in him, harvests a crop of real life, eternal life.
7c Whatever you plant is what you'll harvest.
7b You can never make a fool out of God.
7a Make no mistake about this:
6 Those who have been taught the gospel should help their teacher spread the good news
5b For none of us is perfect!
5a Each of us must bear some faults and burdens of his own.
4c Don't compare yourself with others.
4b Don't be impressed with yourself.
4a Make a careful exploration of who you are and the work you have been given, and then sink yourself into that.
Verse list:
10 New Century Version
9 The Message
8 New International Reader's Version
7 God's Word to the Nations
6 The Clear Word for Children
5 The Living Bible, Paraphrased
4 The Message
Sowing is what you make of your life. If you set the right goals, you'll reach the right goals.
Dawn
Music: Phil Wickham - Shining (lyrics)
Romans 13:11-14
. . . [T]he day is near. Let us then lay aside the works of darkness and put on the armor of light . . .
When company is coming, you don't prepare by getting drunk, do you?
So, if the 'prophets' are to be believed, and the time is coming, there is less time for revelry than ever. Clean out your house now, before your guest arrives.
At my place of employment we had a saying about cleaning: "a place for everything, and everything in it's place." This philosophy went so far as to use tape to mark out locations on the floor for everything. Even a mop and mop bucket had a 'home location' marked with yellow tape in a closet somewhere. It made it easy to see what was out of place, and what had no place at all.
This way of cleaning means more today than ever. Take note of what belongs in your 'house' and mark a spot for it on the 'floor'. If you notice things in your house that are out of place, put them back in their home location. If you notice things that have no place in your house, what are they there for?
Image from dailyencouragement.net
Romans 13:11-14
. . . [T]he day is near. Let us then lay aside the works of darkness and put on the armor of light . . .
When company is coming, you don't prepare by getting drunk, do you?
So, if the 'prophets' are to be believed, and the time is coming, there is less time for revelry than ever. Clean out your house now, before your guest arrives.
At my place of employment we had a saying about cleaning: "a place for everything, and everything in it's place." This philosophy went so far as to use tape to mark out locations on the floor for everything. Even a mop and mop bucket had a 'home location' marked with yellow tape in a closet somewhere. It made it easy to see what was out of place, and what had no place at all.
This way of cleaning means more today than ever. Take note of what belongs in your 'house' and mark a spot for it on the 'floor'. If you notice things in your house that are out of place, put them back in their home location. If you notice things that have no place in your house, what are they there for?
Image from dailyencouragement.net
Paul On Shining
Music: Newsboys - Shine (lyrics)
when you let it shine
you will inspire
the kind of entire turnaround
that would make a bouncer take ballet
Romans 12:21->1
Don't let evil conquer you, but conquer evil with good. Instead, as the scripture says: "If your enemies are hungry, feed them; if they are thirsty, give them a drink; for by doing this you will make them burn with shame."
Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord. Do your best to live in peace with everyone. Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Try to do what is honorable in everyone's eyes. Be friendly with everyone. Don't be proud and feel that you know more than others. Make friends with ordinary people. Laugh with your happy friends when they're happy; share tears when they're down. Bless those who persecute (you), bless and do not curse them.
When God's people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality. Have hope and be cheerful. Be patient in trials and pray constantly. Never be lazy, but be diligent. Burn with spirituality. Always slave for the Master. Love each other as much as brothers should, and have a profound respect for each other. Let love be genuine. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.
Is [your gift] telling others how they should live? Then tell them.
Is it giving to those who are in need? Then give freely.
Is it being a leader? Then work hard at it.
Is it showing mercy? Then do it cheerfully.
[He whose gift is] practical service, let him give himself to serving;
he who teaches, to his teaching;
God has given different gifts to each of us because he is so very kind to us. God gives a gift to some people so that they are able to speak his messages. So, those people should believe God when they speak his messages. And they should speak the messages that God has told to them. So collectively we form one body in Christ, while individually we are linked to one another as its members. For, even as in one body we have many members, but the members don’t all have the same function,
But I say to every one of you, through the grace given to me, not to have an over-high opinion of himself, but to have wise thoughts, as God has given to every one a measure of faith. You must not adopt the customs of this world but by your new attitude of mind be transformed so that you can find out what God's will is—what is good, pleasing, and perfect. I entreat you, then, Brothers, by the mercies of God, to offer your bodies as a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, for this is your rational worship.
-- Romans 12:21 (God's Word to the Nations)
-- 20 (Good News Translation: Today's English Version)
-- 19 (Today's New International Version)
-- 18 (New Century Version)
-- 17 (Christian Standard Bible)
-- 16 (Contemporary English Version)
-- 15 (The Message)
-- 14 (New American Bible)
-- 13 (New Living Translation)
-- 12 (Christian Community Bible)
-- 11 (21st Century Version of the Christian Scriptures)
-- 10 (Jerusalem Bible)
-- 9 (The Common Edition: New Testament)
-- 8 (New International Reader's Version)
-- 7 (Amplified Bible)
-- 6 (Easy English Bible)
-- 5 (The New Testament in Modern Speech)
-- 4 (The Sacred Scriptures: The Concordant Version)
-- 3 (The Basic Bible)
-- 2 (An American Translation)
-- 1 (Twentieth Century New Testament)
when you let it shine
you will inspire
the kind of entire turnaround
that would make a bouncer take ballet
Don't let evil conquer you, but conquer evil with good. Instead, as the scripture says: "If your enemies are hungry, feed them; if they are thirsty, give them a drink; for by doing this you will make them burn with shame."
Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord. Do your best to live in peace with everyone. Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Try to do what is honorable in everyone's eyes. Be friendly with everyone. Don't be proud and feel that you know more than others. Make friends with ordinary people. Laugh with your happy friends when they're happy; share tears when they're down. Bless those who persecute (you), bless and do not curse them.
When God's people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality. Have hope and be cheerful. Be patient in trials and pray constantly. Never be lazy, but be diligent. Burn with spirituality. Always slave for the Master. Love each other as much as brothers should, and have a profound respect for each other. Let love be genuine. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.
Is [your gift] telling others how they should live? Then tell them.
Is it giving to those who are in need? Then give freely.
Is it being a leader? Then work hard at it.
Is it showing mercy? Then do it cheerfully.
[He whose gift is] practical service, let him give himself to serving;
he who teaches, to his teaching;
God has given different gifts to each of us because he is so very kind to us. God gives a gift to some people so that they are able to speak his messages. So, those people should believe God when they speak his messages. And they should speak the messages that God has told to them. So collectively we form one body in Christ, while individually we are linked to one another as its members. For, even as in one body we have many members, but the members don’t all have the same function,
But I say to every one of you, through the grace given to me, not to have an over-high opinion of himself, but to have wise thoughts, as God has given to every one a measure of faith. You must not adopt the customs of this world but by your new attitude of mind be transformed so that you can find out what God's will is—what is good, pleasing, and perfect. I entreat you, then, Brothers, by the mercies of God, to offer your bodies as a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, for this is your rational worship.
-- Romans 12:21 (God's Word to the Nations)
-- 20 (Good News Translation: Today's English Version)
-- 19 (Today's New International Version)
-- 18 (New Century Version)
-- 17 (Christian Standard Bible)
-- 16 (Contemporary English Version)
-- 15 (The Message)
-- 14 (New American Bible)
-- 13 (New Living Translation)
-- 12 (Christian Community Bible)
-- 11 (21st Century Version of the Christian Scriptures)
-- 10 (Jerusalem Bible)
-- 9 (The Common Edition: New Testament)
-- 8 (New International Reader's Version)
-- 7 (Amplified Bible)
-- 6 (Easy English Bible)
-- 5 (The New Testament in Modern Speech)
-- 4 (The Sacred Scriptures: The Concordant Version)
-- 3 (The Basic Bible)
-- 2 (An American Translation)
-- 1 (Twentieth Century New Testament)
Light vs. Pride
16 Take a strong hold on the Word of Life.
15 In that way, you can prove yourselves to be without blame. You are God's children and no one can talk against you, even in a sin-loving and sin-sick world. You are to shine as lights among the sinful people of this world.
14 Be glad you can do the things you should be doing. Do all things without arguing and talking about how you wish you did not have to do them.
13 He is working in you. God is helping you obey Him. God is doing what He wants done in you.
12 My Christian friends, you have obeyed me when I was with you. You have obeyed even more when I have been away. You must keep on working to show you have been saved from the punishment of sin. Be afraid that you may not please God.
11 And every tongue will say Jesus Christ is Lord. Everyone will give honor to God the Father.
10 So when the name of Jesus is spoken, everyone in heaven and on earth and under the earth will bow down before Him.
9 Because of this, God lifted Jesus high above everything else. He gave Him a name that is greater than any other name.
8 After He became a man, He gave up His important place and obeyed by dying on a cross.
7 He put aside everything that belonged to Him and made Himself the same as a servant who is owned by someone. He became human by being born as a man.
6 Jesus has always been as God is. But He did not hold to His rights as God.
5 Think as Christ Jesus thought.
4 Do not always be thinking about your own plans only. Be happy to know what other people are doing.
3 Nothing should be done because of pride or thinking about yourself. Think of other people as more important than yourself.
2 Then give me true joy by thinking the same thoughts. Keep having the same love. Be as one in thoughts and actions.
1 Are you strong because you belong to Christ? Does His love comfort you? Do you have joy by being as one in sharing the Holy Spirit? Do you have loving-kindness and pity for each other?
-- Philippians 2:15->1 (NCV)
Normally I have something to write after a Word reversal to explain or expand the meaning to the current point of view. This time I don't. Pride puts out your light.
Read this passage forward and then reversed and ask yourself "Are you strong because..?"
In this reversal, there are a few points that the meanings seem slightly impaired by the reversal. This is a draft version, and likely to change. for now these notes should be taken carefully with the reversal.
1. In verse 15, the words "In that way" should still be highlighting verse 13-15, not verse 16. It is misleading to have these specific words present as they imply verse 16 (reading the Bible) is "that way" instead of 'shining' and letting God work in you.
2. In verse 9, the 'Because of this' refers to vs 5-8 and not 12-10.
I eventually will have to repost this with various versions due to specific copyright rules on percentages of content (this post is over 50% NCV at the moment..) but the words here are so much clearer than a rehash, I'm compelled to leave this draft viewable.
Built on the Rock
Music: Power FM
Matt 4:24-5:2
News about (Jesus) spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed, and he healed them. Large crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea and the region across the Jordan followed him. Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them saying " . . .
| | | |
Matt 7:24-29
" THEREFORE:
Everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.
BUT:
Everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash."
When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.
(NIV)
Maybe I'm over-simplifying the Gospel of Christ here, but to me... for me, any ministry that represents Jesus Christ must (at it's minimum) represent these three chapters of Matthew. If I want to spread the Gospel of Christ, I need to read the Mountain Message as a to do list and make the verbs action verbs. Any ministry that takes the core message contained here and starts explaining it with old testament history and radical interpretations of epistles is risking being in group 'I-never-knew-you' at the last day.
Matt 4:24-5:2
News about (Jesus) spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed, and he healed them. Large crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea and the region across the Jordan followed him. Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them saying " . . .
| | | |
Matt 7:24-29
" THEREFORE:
Everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.
BUT:
Everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash."
When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.
(NIV)
Maybe I'm over-simplifying the Gospel of Christ here, but to me... for me, any ministry that represents Jesus Christ must (at it's minimum) represent these three chapters of Matthew. If I want to spread the Gospel of Christ, I need to read the Mountain Message as a to do list and make the verbs action verbs. Any ministry that takes the core message contained here and starts explaining it with old testament history and radical interpretations of epistles is risking being in group 'I-never-knew-you' at the last day.
The Deadly Sin
Music : Push - Till We Meet Again (Original Mix) (lyrics)
Luke 12:10
Everyone who says something against the Son of Man will be forgiven. But the person who dishonors the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. : (God's Word to the Nations 1995)
"If you bad-mouth the Son of Man out of misunderstanding or ignorance, that can be overlooked. But if you're knowingly attacking God himself, taking aim at the Holy Spirit, that won't be overlooked. (The Message 2003)
Yet those who speak against the Son of Man may be forgiven, but anyone who speaks blasphemies against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven. (New Living Testament)
Sometimes, The Gospels make more sense to me when I take the paragraphs and read them backwards. I find sometimes Jesus embeds (thats a geek term for hide) the meaning up front, then supports it afterward. I'm dyslexic in a way, so to get the point that the supporting statements support and not the obvious (mis)leading statement all by itself, I'll read backward when I hit a 'what?' moment.
I'm not "learned" but I am confident biblical Greek grammar supports construct as normal. This way of leading with a conclusion then following with the reasons. If you read all the reasons though, the conclusion seems different than the leading statement by itself.
This paragraph (Luke 12:2-12) seems to be a good example of "read it backward to understand better." First, read the MSG forward, then the backward version below. Note that I've reversed each 'thought' like I do when I hit a moment where the supports seem to topple the first statement.
Luke 12:12-2
12b The Holy Spirit will give you the right words when the time comes.
12a The right words will be there.
11 When they drag you into their meeting places, or into police courts and before judges, don't worry about defending yourselves--what you'll say or how you'll say it.
10b If you're knowingly attacking God himself, taking aim at the Holy Spirit, that won't be overlooked.
10a But If you bad-mouth the Son of Man out of misunderstanding or ignorance, that can be overlooked.
9 But if you pretend you don't know me, do you think I'll defend you before God's angels?
8 "Stand up for me among the people you meet and the Son of Man will stand up for you before all God's angels.
7b So don't be intimidated by all this bully talk. You're worth more than a million canaries.
7a And he pays even greater attention to you, down to the last detail--even numbering the hairs on your head!
6 What's the price of two or three pet canaries? Some loose change, right? But God never overlooks a single one.
5 Save your fear for God, who holds your entire life--body and soul--in his hands.
4d There's nothing "they" can do to your soul, your core being.
4c True, they can kill you, but then what can they do?
4b Don't be bluffed into silence or insincerity by the threats of religious bullies.
4a I'm speaking to you as dear friends.
3 You can't whisper one thing in private and preach the opposite in public; the day's coming when those whispers will be repeated all over town.
2c You can't hide behind a religious mask forever; sooner or later the mask will slip and your true face will be known.
2b before long you'll be exposed.
2a You can't keep your true self hidden forever;
(The Message)
When Jesus starts this lesson, it appears the ones hiding behind masks are the pharisees, but when you get to the bottom, it more or less says that the spirit will guide you when and what to say, so don't try to hold in the words. Reading it backward (for me who just gets it slow) Speak out if the spirit says to, if you are sure it's the spirit.
Holding in a word will 1. Get you on the B list (unless your out to replace Christ himself, or something like that...) 2. not work anyway... if someone's out to point fingers, your mouth open or closed is not going to help one bit.
Now that we talked about the big picture, we now look at the subject of this blog. Specifically, the words within this paragraph that say most things are forgiven except the "blasphemy against the Holy Ghost" (Luke 12:10 King James Version). This subject of the unforgivable sin brings up questions about "blasphemy" and "holy ghost" and "against" that consume volumes and still don't answer convincingly exactly what is the unforgivable sin. Did Nicodemus commit such a sin when he seemed to imply that Jesus 'second birth' involved reentering a womb for a second time?
If I name my wireless router 'John-3-8', am I being too irreverent? I pray this will be seen as evangelism, not blasphemy. Maybe someone without internet searching for a free ride will get curious what the verse refers to and look it up. I change the name of my router from time to time (on purpose) to various related verses as a tool of evangelism.
Back to blasphemy of the Holy Ghost: I don't think Nicodemus in his ignorance was condemned eternally just and only because of that impious statement which seems to be irreverent against the Holy Ghost. The passage in The Message above includes the word 'intentionally' in the verse 12 which, whether or not has basis in the original greek, does seem to fit the cause. Just about all non-believers are blaspheming against the spirit if irreverence counts for them. So, to be unforgivable, the perpetrator should be first Christian, or at least understand Christianity well enough to know what crime he is committing. But even then, I don't think that taking the Spirit lightly or using it in ways that are not pious is unforgivable. Maybe I should do more homework tho, to make sure my use of John 3:8 isn't unforgivable.
So, lets look at the other types of blasphemy to try to understand what the 'unforgivable sin' is:
blas⋅phe⋅my (ˈblæsfəmi ; [blas-fuh-mee])
–noun, plural -mies.
1. impious utterance or action concerning God or sacred things.
2a. (in Judaism) an act of cursing or reviling God.
2b. (in Judaism) pronunciation of the Tetragrammaton (YHVH) in the original, now forbidden manner instead of using a substitute pronunciation such as Adonai.
3. (in Theology) the crime of assuming to oneself the rights or qualities of God.
4. irreverent behavior toward anything held sacred, priceless, etc.: He uttered blasphemies against life itself.
(Dictionary.com)
We've covered the 1st definition and some aspects of the 4th definition (but I will discuss the non-GOD aspects of the 4th definition.
So, the 2nd form of blasphemy defined by dictionary.com are the Blasphemies of Judaism (old testament?): the act of cursing or reviling God, and the pronunciation of the tetragrammaton (YHVH). Are they unforgivable sins? the 2nd one is definitely not, since it by definition is a sin against the Father, not the spirit. Likewise cursing God or Jesus would be forgivable sins since they do not invoke the spirit. However, the form of blasphemy that includes trying to curse the spirit itself doesn't by definition exclude itself, and to curse the spirit, one must have enough knowledge of the trinity to know about the Spirit. I'm no judge, but I'd steer clear of making curses against or about the Spirit.
The next form of blasphemy, according to the dictionary, is Theological Blasphemy: Trying to take the rights or qualities of God. In this form of Blasphemy is it only speaking of God the father? Investigating further, it would seem that you could commit blasphemy against each part of the trinity or the trinity itself by taking the rights or qualities of them. And again, the sin of claiming to be God the father or son could be forgiven, but claiming the rights or qualities of the spirit is dangerous ground. Ignorance may provide some covering. If I claim to have the authority of God, I would likely be blaspheeming, but not unforgivably. (The better way to say something like this would be to declare my actions by the authority of God and Jesus. That is, there are leaders (people who DO things in the name of Christ) on Earth, but all authority (respect, fear, worship) belongs to Christ and God. If I claimed to be able to heal people because I have the authority of the spirit, that might be an unforgivable sin (The better way to say something like that is that the spirit heals through believers, but never take the credit from the spirit.)
The last form of blasphemy listed at the website is the blasphemy of irreverent behavior. This form of blasphemy is similar to the first and overlaps considerably, but it is much broader in that the 'sacred traditions' need not be divinely inspired. While attending a megachurch last year, my phone range 3.1 minutes into the live televised sermon. It was very clear I had blasphemed the traditions in place there (obey the silence). I consider having your cellphone with you in church a distraction (and therefore something like a 2nd master). Normally I leave my phone in the car, but on this day I had ridden with a friend and I do believe I have committed blasphemy that day, but not against God or the spirit or Jesus, but against those who believe that perfect silence is required while taping is in progress. That is, this was an offront to others, but no sin was committed.
Luke 12:10
Everyone who says something against the Son of Man will be forgiven. But the person who dishonors the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. : (God's Word to the Nations 1995)
"If you bad-mouth the Son of Man out of misunderstanding or ignorance, that can be overlooked. But if you're knowingly attacking God himself, taking aim at the Holy Spirit, that won't be overlooked. (The Message 2003)
Yet those who speak against the Son of Man may be forgiven, but anyone who speaks blasphemies against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven. (New Living Testament)
Sometimes, The Gospels make more sense to me when I take the paragraphs and read them backwards. I find sometimes Jesus embeds (thats a geek term for hide) the meaning up front, then supports it afterward. I'm dyslexic in a way, so to get the point that the supporting statements support and not the obvious (mis)leading statement all by itself, I'll read backward when I hit a 'what?' moment.
I'm not "learned" but I am confident biblical Greek grammar supports construct as normal. This way of leading with a conclusion then following with the reasons. If you read all the reasons though, the conclusion seems different than the leading statement by itself.
This paragraph (Luke 12:2-12) seems to be a good example of "read it backward to understand better." First, read the MSG forward, then the backward version below. Note that I've reversed each 'thought' like I do when I hit a moment where the supports seem to topple the first statement.
Luke 12:12-2
12b The Holy Spirit will give you the right words when the time comes.
12a The right words will be there.
11 When they drag you into their meeting places, or into police courts and before judges, don't worry about defending yourselves--what you'll say or how you'll say it.
10b If you're knowingly attacking God himself, taking aim at the Holy Spirit, that won't be overlooked.
10a But If you bad-mouth the Son of Man out of misunderstanding or ignorance, that can be overlooked.
9 But if you pretend you don't know me, do you think I'll defend you before God's angels?
8 "Stand up for me among the people you meet and the Son of Man will stand up for you before all God's angels.
7b So don't be intimidated by all this bully talk. You're worth more than a million canaries.
7a And he pays even greater attention to you, down to the last detail--even numbering the hairs on your head!
6 What's the price of two or three pet canaries? Some loose change, right? But God never overlooks a single one.
5 Save your fear for God, who holds your entire life--body and soul--in his hands.
4d There's nothing "they" can do to your soul, your core being.
4c True, they can kill you, but then what can they do?
4b Don't be bluffed into silence or insincerity by the threats of religious bullies.
4a I'm speaking to you as dear friends.
3 You can't whisper one thing in private and preach the opposite in public; the day's coming when those whispers will be repeated all over town.
2c You can't hide behind a religious mask forever; sooner or later the mask will slip and your true face will be known.
2b before long you'll be exposed.
2a You can't keep your true self hidden forever;
(The Message)
When Jesus starts this lesson, it appears the ones hiding behind masks are the pharisees, but when you get to the bottom, it more or less says that the spirit will guide you when and what to say, so don't try to hold in the words. Reading it backward (for me who just gets it slow) Speak out if the spirit says to, if you are sure it's the spirit.
Holding in a word will 1. Get you on the B list (unless your out to replace Christ himself, or something like that...) 2. not work anyway... if someone's out to point fingers, your mouth open or closed is not going to help one bit.
Now that we talked about the big picture, we now look at the subject of this blog. Specifically, the words within this paragraph that say most things are forgiven except the "blasphemy against the Holy Ghost" (Luke 12:10 King James Version). This subject of the unforgivable sin brings up questions about "blasphemy" and "holy ghost" and "against" that consume volumes and still don't answer convincingly exactly what is the unforgivable sin. Did Nicodemus commit such a sin when he seemed to imply that Jesus 'second birth' involved reentering a womb for a second time?
If I name my wireless router 'John-3-8', am I being too irreverent? I pray this will be seen as evangelism, not blasphemy. Maybe someone without internet searching for a free ride will get curious what the verse refers to and look it up. I change the name of my router from time to time (on purpose) to various related verses as a tool of evangelism.
Back to blasphemy of the Holy Ghost: I don't think Nicodemus in his ignorance was condemned eternally just and only because of that impious statement which seems to be irreverent against the Holy Ghost. The passage in The Message above includes the word 'intentionally' in the verse 12 which, whether or not has basis in the original greek, does seem to fit the cause. Just about all non-believers are blaspheming against the spirit if irreverence counts for them. So, to be unforgivable, the perpetrator should be first Christian, or at least understand Christianity well enough to know what crime he is committing. But even then, I don't think that taking the Spirit lightly or using it in ways that are not pious is unforgivable. Maybe I should do more homework tho, to make sure my use of John 3:8 isn't unforgivable.
So, lets look at the other types of blasphemy to try to understand what the 'unforgivable sin' is:
blas⋅phe⋅my (ˈblæsfəmi ; [blas-fuh-mee])
–noun, plural -mies.
1. impious utterance or action concerning God or sacred things.
2a. (in Judaism) an act of cursing or reviling God.
2b. (in Judaism) pronunciation of the Tetragrammaton (YHVH) in the original, now forbidden manner instead of using a substitute pronunciation such as Adonai.
3. (in Theology) the crime of assuming to oneself the rights or qualities of God.
4. irreverent behavior toward anything held sacred, priceless, etc.: He uttered blasphemies against life itself.
(Dictionary.com)
We've covered the 1st definition and some aspects of the 4th definition (but I will discuss the non-GOD aspects of the 4th definition.
So, the 2nd form of blasphemy defined by dictionary.com are the Blasphemies of Judaism (old testament?): the act of cursing or reviling God, and the pronunciation of the tetragrammaton (YHVH). Are they unforgivable sins? the 2nd one is definitely not, since it by definition is a sin against the Father, not the spirit. Likewise cursing God or Jesus would be forgivable sins since they do not invoke the spirit. However, the form of blasphemy that includes trying to curse the spirit itself doesn't by definition exclude itself, and to curse the spirit, one must have enough knowledge of the trinity to know about the Spirit. I'm no judge, but I'd steer clear of making curses against or about the Spirit.
The next form of blasphemy, according to the dictionary, is Theological Blasphemy: Trying to take the rights or qualities of God. In this form of Blasphemy is it only speaking of God the father? Investigating further, it would seem that you could commit blasphemy against each part of the trinity or the trinity itself by taking the rights or qualities of them. And again, the sin of claiming to be God the father or son could be forgiven, but claiming the rights or qualities of the spirit is dangerous ground. Ignorance may provide some covering. If I claim to have the authority of God, I would likely be blaspheeming, but not unforgivably. (The better way to say something like this would be to declare my actions by the authority of God and Jesus. That is, there are leaders (people who DO things in the name of Christ) on Earth, but all authority (respect, fear, worship) belongs to Christ and God. If I claimed to be able to heal people because I have the authority of the spirit, that might be an unforgivable sin (The better way to say something like that is that the spirit heals through believers, but never take the credit from the spirit.)
The last form of blasphemy listed at the website is the blasphemy of irreverent behavior. This form of blasphemy is similar to the first and overlaps considerably, but it is much broader in that the 'sacred traditions' need not be divinely inspired. While attending a megachurch last year, my phone range 3.1 minutes into the live televised sermon. It was very clear I had blasphemed the traditions in place there (obey the silence). I consider having your cellphone with you in church a distraction (and therefore something like a 2nd master). Normally I leave my phone in the car, but on this day I had ridden with a friend and I do believe I have committed blasphemy that day, but not against God or the spirit or Jesus, but against those who believe that perfect silence is required while taping is in progress. That is, this was an offront to others, but no sin was committed.
Audio Bible
Audio: Twentieth Century New Testament in Audio (Librivox)
Re: Twentieth Century New Testament, The : A Translation Into Modern English, Revised Edition
Today, I plan to clean my room for my son who is arriving for a couple days after Christmas. I wanted something to listen too, and discovered an (almost?) complete rendition of the Twentieth Century New Testament in Audio. While this work lacks the Revelation, the books that are includedread listen easier than most of the more modern english versions.
If you are interested in an audio, 'what-does-it-mean' version of the bible, I recommend this audio book.
Note: I'm currently snagging the pieces and part of romans is giving me trouble. I'll update if it can be obtained, but not at the link above.
Re: Twentieth Century New Testament, The : A Translation Into Modern English, Revised Edition
Today, I plan to clean my room for my son who is arriving for a couple days after Christmas. I wanted something to listen too, and discovered an (almost?) complete rendition of the Twentieth Century New Testament in Audio. While this work lacks the Revelation, the books that are included
If you are interested in an audio, 'what-does-it-mean' version of the bible, I recommend this audio book.
Note: I'm currently snagging the pieces and part of romans is giving me trouble. I'll update if it can be obtained, but not at the link above.
Wikipedia Bible articles
If you look at Wikipedia's list of English Bibles, you'll notice several translations now have red links. I've been trying to chase down who or what is deleting reference to scripture like that and it's muddy water. After an hour or so of chasing vapor trails, it seems that some editors are deciding that many versions of the Bible have no relevancy... including some versions that sold in the tens of thousands of copies.
For a site that has 3,000,000 articles, most of them on topics like current engineering students at University of Texas, or 70's music albums that sold <3000>, I see this as systematic censorship.
For a site that has 3,000,000 articles, most of them on topics like current engineering students at University of Texas, or 70's music albums that sold <3000>, I see this as systematic censorship.
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