Things that people mistake as being in the Bible

[IamachildofGod4 ever]

You cannot serve God and Mammon.

 

[IamachildofGod4 ever]

Matthew 6:24
It’s not the money that is bad… It is how we use or misuse it. We must be good stewards of what God has given us.

 

[Jonathan_Gale]

Matthew 6:24
It’s not the money that is bad… It is how we use or misuse it. We must be good stewards of what God has given us.

And it's sad, also kind of ridiculous that money has somehow become a taboo topic. You can ask a friend about a lot of supposedly private matters, including sex and politics, but how much they earn and what they spend it on are strictly off limit!

 

[watertolive]

Matthew 15:32
And said he unto them, therefore every scribe which is instructed to the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is a householder, which bringeth forth out of his treasure things NEW and old.

New
If you will revolve your life around Jesus, the very being of who you are;
He will revolve around your life, and become your very being. Amen

All praise, glory and honor be unto God.

 

[complete]

@IamachildofGod4 ever,

Thank you for an interesting post.

 

[complete]

@IamachildofGod4 ever said:-
"In the last days, you will not be able to know the seasons except by the changing of the leaves."
Even a thorough Google search will not reveal the origin of this saying, but it is not found in the Bible. Matthew 24:32-33 uses the budding of leaves heralding the coming of summer as a metaphor for the signs that Christ will return. But nowhere does the Bible mention that seasons will be so altered that only the changing leaves will identify them.

'While the earth remaineth,
.. seedtime and harvest,
.... and cold and heat,
...... and summer and winter,
........ and day and night shall not cease.'
(Gen 8:22)

Hello there,
I have very little memory of my Mother, for she died when I was a teenager, but I do remember overhearing a discussion between herself and an old friend on this subject. The one saying that in the last days, the seasons will become unidentifiable and the other disagreeing on the basis of Genesis 8:22, I don't think it ever got resolved, and I have not given the time to finding out the answer either. Perhaps I should.

What has remained with me from that discussion, is the knowledge that a friend, who is also a brother or sister in Christ, is beyond price.

Thank you
In Christ Jesus
Chris

 

[complete]

And it's sad, also kind of ridiculous that money has somehow become a taboo topic. You can ask a friend about a lot of supposedly private matters, including sex and politics, but how much they earn and what they spend it on are strictly off limit!

'Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain,
The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy?
(Jas 4:5)

Hi @Jonathan_Gale,

I think it is sensible to keep the knowledge of what you earn to yourself, be it little or much. For the Scripture tells us that mankind is subject to envy. I also think of the parable of the labourers in the vineyard (Matthew 20:1-16) .

Within the love of Christ our Saviour,
our Lord and Head.
Chris

 

[IamachildofGod4 ever]

@IamachildofGod4 ever,

Thank you for an interesting post.

Chris,
I am blessed to have found this forum and to be among brothers and sisters in Christ who love the Lord !!! Glad you enjoyed the post and all glory to God!!!

 

[Butch5]

Paul also taught that our body is a temple of Holy Spirit, how could our physical being be absent from the Lord if His spirit dwells within us? The context of 2 Corinthians 5:8 is death and resurrection, it's about the next life, so beware of abusing this verse to promote escapism or gnosticism.

Firstly, I didn't quote the verse. I merely pointed out that the word "is" is not in the sentence. I agree the passage is about death and Resurrection. It's not about what happens between the two. However, when you say, "His spirit dwells within us", are referring to the individual or the church? From your question it appears you're referring to the individual. However, Paul uses the plural. He is addressing the Corinthian church and the "your" is the Corinthian Church. When he says, your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, he uses a plural pronoun indicating the group, the church, not the individual If he meant the individual, he would have had to use bodies, plural.

It is interesting though that you mention Gnosticism. Are you aware that the Gnostics believed that the "real man" continued to live on after the body died? They believed that the spirit was the "real man" and that the body was just a trap to be escaped from. Does that sound familiar? It's what much of Christendom believes today

 

[Jonathan_Gale]

Firstly, I didn't quote the verse. I merely pointed out that the word "is" is not in the sentence. I agree the passage is about death and Resurrection. It's not about what happens between the two. However, when you say, "His spirit dwells within us", are referring to the individual or the church? From your question it appears you're referring to the individual. However, Paul uses the plural. He is addressing the Corinthian church and the "your" is the Corinthian Church. When he says, your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, he uses a plural pronoun indicating the group, the church, not the individual If he meant the individual, he would have had to use bodies, plural.

Yes, the church is the body of Christ, and each individual is a member thereof. If the Holy Spirit dwells within the body, he must dwell within each member as well, any member without the Holy Spirit would be like a necrotic tissue with no life in it. Also, in the context where the analogy of the body being a temple for the Holy Spirit is found in 1 Cor. 6:12-20, Paul was warning about sexual immorality, that was the prevailing culture in Corinthian at the time, also a challenge for each individual Christian, so what’s applicable to the group is also applicable to each individual.

It is interesting though that you mention Gnosticism. Are you aware that the Gnostics believed that the "real man" continued to live on after the body died? They believed that the spirit was the "real man" and that the body was just a trap to be escaped from. Does that sound familiar? It's what much of Christendom believes today

This is a false dichotomy that is debunked in 1 Cor. 15:35-49. The purpose of resurrection is to receive a new, incorruptible body. If it’s a trap, then why would God prepare a permanent one to entrap us for eternity?

Actually, there were these spiritual beings known as the “sons of God”, they were envious of us for having a physical body. They used to be the Nephelim giants, after they were exterminated by the Israelites they became disembodied spirits seeking to possess hosts. Yeshua performed a lot of exorcism to cast them out, which is often overlooked. Therefore, physical body is a temple built to honor the Holy Spirit, not to entrap it. It’s like software and hardware of a device, you know, designed as one package, one cannot function without another.

 

[complete]

Firstly, I didn't quote the verse. I merely pointed out that the word "is" is not in the sentence. I agree the passage is about death and Resurrection. It's not about what happens between the two. However, when you say, "His spirit dwells within us", are referring to the individual or the church? From your question it appears you're referring to the individual. However, Paul uses the plural. He is addressing the Corinthian church and the "your" is the Corinthian Church. When he says, your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, he uses a plural pronoun indicating the group, the church, not the individual If he meant the individual, he would have had to use bodies, plural.

It is interesting though that you mention Gnosticism. Are you aware that the Gnostics believed that the "real man" continued to live on after the body died? They believed that the spirit was the "real man" and that the body was just a trap to be escaped from. Does that sound familiar? It's what much of Christendom believes today

'Flee fornication.
Every sin that a man doeth is without the body;
but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body.
.. What? know ye not
.... that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost
...... which is in you,
........ which ye have of God,
.......... and ye are not your own?
For ye are bought with a price:
therefore glorify God in your body,
and in your spirit,
which are God's.'
(1Cor. 6:18-20)

Hello @Butch5,

I would be grateful if you would clarify what Scripture you are referring to, when you say that Paul is addressing the Corinthian Church corporately and not individually when he says, 'your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost': Is it 1 Corinthians 6:19 (quoted above)? If so, the context does not appear to substantiate that.

Thank you
In Christ Jesus
Chris

 

[B-A-C]

Matthew 15:32
And said he unto them, therefore every scribe which is instructed to the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is a householder, which bringeth forth out of his treasure things NEW and old.

I suspect this is really Matt 13:52; instead of Matt 15:32; - since we are talking about mistaken things in the Bible

 

[Butch5]

'Flee fornication.
Every sin that a man doeth is without the body;
but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body.
.. What? know ye not
.... that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost
...... which is in you,
........ which ye have of God,
.......... and ye are not your own?
For ye are bought with a price:
therefore glorify God in your body,
and in your spirit,
which are God's.'
(1Cor. 6:18-20)

Hello @Butch5,

I would be grateful if you would clarify what Scripture you are referring to, when you say that Paul is addressing the Corinthian Church corporately and not individually when he says, 'your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost': Is it 1 Corinthians 6:19 (quoted above)? If so, the context does not appear to substantiate that.

Thank you
In Christ Jesus
Chris

Hi Chris,

That's the passage. When Paul uses the word translated "your", he uses a plural pronoun. Thus he is not referring to an individual, but a group. If he was referring to them individually, he would have needed to say, your bodies, plural, are the temple of the Holy Spirit. By using the plural, your, and the singular, body, he is speaking of multiple individuals who make up one group. Paul often refers to the church as the body of Christ. The body in this passage is the Corinthian church.

 

[Butch5]

Yes, the church is the body of Christ, and each individual is a member thereof. If the Holy Spirit dwells within the body, he must dwell within each member as well, any member without the Holy Spirit would be like a necrotic tissue with no life in it. Also, in the context where the analogy of the body being a temple for the Holy Spirit is found in 1 Cor. 6:12-20, Paul was warning about sexual immorality, that was the prevailing culture in Corinthian at the time, also a challenge for each individual Christian, so what’s applicable to the group is also applicable to each individual.

You can claim that, however, Paul's grammar indicates otherwise. His use of the plural your and singular body, shows clearly that he was speaking of the Corinthian Church as the temple of the Holy Spirit. At the very least this passage doesn't support the claim that the individual is the temple. That argument has to be made from some other passage.

This is a false dichotomy that is debunked in 1 Cor. 15:35-49. The purpose of resurrection is to receive a new, incorruptible body. If it’s a trap, then why would God prepare a permanent one to entrap us for eternity?

Actually, there were these spiritual beings known as the “sons of God”, they were envious of us for having a physical body. They used to be the Nephelim giants, after they were exterminated by the Israelites they became disembodied spirits seeking to possess hosts. Yeshua performed a lot of exorcism to cast them out, which is often overlooked. Therefore, physical body is a temple built to honor the Holy Spirit, not to entrap it. It’s like software and hardware of a device, you know, designed as one package, one cannot function without another.

Where's the false dichotomy? I think you're misunderstanding the "sons of God". I also don't believe that the idea of spiritual beings being envious of humans having bodies can be shown from Scripture. The idea that sons of God were spiritual being who mated with human women and produced giants is an extrabiblical idea. Regarding the Gnostics, it was their belief that the flesh, the body, was inherently evil and that the goal was to escape the body and ascend into the heavens. Plato, a Greek philosopher, not a Gnostic, said that the body was the prison of the soul. It was his thinking that the spirit had to escape the body because it was evil. Gnosticism is the combining of Greek philosophy and Christianity.

 

[Jonathan_Gale]

You can claim that, however, Paul's grammar indicates otherwise. His use of the plural your and singular body, shows clearly that he was speaking of the Corinthian Church as the temple of the Holy Spirit. At the very least this passage doesn't support the claim that the individual is the temple. That argument has to be made from some other passage.

The individual is held as accountable as the church, If you're implying that only the collective "church" is a temple for the Holy Spirit, then that'll immediately be used to justify the free reign of sinning for the individuals outside the church from Monday to Saturday, it's only the pastor's and deacon's job to maintain the holy spirit, while we the congregation are just fans cheering for Christ instead of partakers of Christ. Isn't that exactly what has been happening that has stripped the church of its power and influence?

Where's the false dichotomy? I think you're misunderstanding the "sons of God". I also don't believe that the idea of spiritual beings being envious of humans having bodies can be shown from Scripture. The idea that sons of God were spiritual being who mated with human women and produced giants is an extrabiblical idea. Regarding the Gnostics, it was their belief that the flesh, the body, was inherently evil and that the goal was to escape the body and ascend into the heavens. Plato, a Greek philosopher, not a Gnostic, said that the body was the prison of the soul. It was his thinking that the spirit had to escape the body because it was evil. Gnosticism is the combining of Greek philosophy and Christianity.

First of all, those spiritual beings are real, they are the "powers" and "principalities" of darkness, this is the setting or the narrative of the entire bible, there's a supernatural element in the bible. Those giants are also real, the ten spies saw them, David battled with one of them, that, in essence, was a spiritual warfare between the Lord God and those "sons of God", and we're equipped with the full armor of God and the sword of the spirit to do the same. Unless you understand this perspective, all of these seemingly supernatural elements are just dismissed as a myth.

Second, for the Corinthians, Gnosticism was used as an excuse to do whatever they like, including but not limited to sexual pleasure. Since the body is "inherently evil" with a mind of its own, then it's just human nature, and it doesn't affect the spirit. The modern equivalent would be like blaming it all on the hormones, or "it's just boys being boys". That was not biblical, and it was refuted by Paul in 1 Cor. 6:12-20.

 

[complete]

Hi Chris,

That's the passage. When Paul uses the word translated "your", he uses a plural pronoun. Thus he is not referring to an individual, but a group. If he was referring to them individually, he would have needed to say, your bodies, plural, are the temple of the Holy Spirit. By using the plural, your, and the singular, body, he is speaking of multiple individuals who make up one group. Paul often refers to the church as the body of Christ. The body in this passage is the Corinthian church.

Thank you, @Butch5.

 

[B-A-C]

I also don't believe that the idea of spiritual beings being envious of humans having bodies can be shown from Scripture.

Well, I don't know about physical bodies.

1Pet 1:12; It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves, but you, in these things which now have been announced to you through those who preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven—things into which angels long to look.

.. but it appears the Holy Spirit reveals things to humans, that the angels don't know about.

Gen 19:10; But the men reached out their hands and brought Lot into the house with them, and shut the door.

"the men" in this verse are angels. It appears they had the ability to physically "reach out their hands and" pull Lot into the house with them. Some angels at least, have the ability to physically manifest.

 

[B-A-C]

The idea that sons of God were spiritual being who mated with human women and produced giants is an extrabiblical idea.

Gen 6:4; The Nephilim were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of men, and they bore children to them. Those were the mighty men who were of old, men of renown.

The sons of "God".. the daughters of "men". Why the difference? Surely there are many places in the Bible where human men are called "the sons of men". (Over 40 times in my Bible)

Jude 1:6; And the angels who did not keep their proper domain, but left their own abode, He has reserved in everlasting chains under darkness for the judgment of the great day;
Jude 1:7; as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities around them in a similar manner to these, having given themselves over to sexual immorality and gone after strange flesh, are set forth as an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.

What was the sexual immorality that these angels committed? Who was the "strange flesh" they committed the sexual acts with?

 

[B-A-C]

That's the passage. When Paul uses the word translated "your", he uses a plural pronoun. Thus he is not referring to an individual, but a group. If he was referring to them individually, he would have needed to say, your bodies, plural,

{NASB}
1Cor 6:15; Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a harlot? Certainly not!
1Cor 6:16; Or do you not know that he who is joined to a harlot is one body with her? For "THE TWO," He says, "SHALL BECOME ONE FLESH."

Interesting it says "bodies" (plural) in verse 15. Also in Verse 16, He says "the two", not the "two hundred".

1Cor 6:17; But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him.
1Cor 6:18; Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body.

"a" man, is not all the men. His "own" body, is not all the bodies. It certainly isn't the body of the church, as that doesn't belong to "a man", but to Jesus.

1Cor 6:19; Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?
1Cor 6:20; For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's.

The church wasn't corporately bought with a price, it was bought individually, one by one.
Sometimes, the "body" is the corporate church, but sometimes.. it's your individual body.

 

[Butch5]

{NASB}
1Cor 6:15; Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a harlot? Certainly not!
1Cor 6:16; Or do you not know that he who is joined to a harlot is one body with her? For "THE TWO," He says, "SHALL BECOME ONE FLESH."

Interesting it says "bodies" (plural) in verse 15. Also in Verse 16, He says "the two", not the "two hundred".

1Cor 6:17; But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him.
1Cor 6:18; Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body.

"a" man, is not all the men. His "own" body, is not all the bodies. It certainly isn't the body of the church, as that doesn't belong to "a man", but to Jesus.

1Cor 6:19; Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?
1Cor 6:20; For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's.

The church wasn't corporately bought with a price, it was bought individually, one by one.
Sometimes, the "body" is the corporate church, but sometimes.. it's your individual body.

I'm not sure what you're doing here. The grammar is the grammar. It's not something that's up for debate. Paul chose the words he chose. Actually, it was Isrsek that was bought. The church partakes of that by being in Christ. So, actually, it is corporate.