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Gary Patton

Love Your Enemies & Don't Judge Them - Bible Gateway - 0 views

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bible scripture christian Jesus Yeshua

shared by Gary Patton on 23 May 12 - No Cached
  • Luke 6:27-38
  • I say to you who hear, (A)love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, (B)pray for those who [a]mistreat you
  • If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same.
  • ...1 more annotation...
  • love your enemies, and do good, and lend, [f]expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be (H)sons of (I)the Most High; for He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil men. 36 [g]Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.
  • Gary Patton on 23 May 12
     
    "Love Your Enemies & Don't Judge Them" Luke 6:27-38 contains one of the Bible's most caring, concise, and clearest statements by Jesus of the way He demands that His Followers must deal with those who dislike or hate them. gfp (2012-05-23)
Gary Patton

"God punishes Conscious Sin More Harshly" - Bible Gateway - 0 views

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bible scripture luke judgement

shared by Gary Patton on 22 Jan 13 - No Cached
  • Luke 12:47-48
  • The servant who knows the master’s will and does not get ready or does not do what the master wants will be beaten with many blows.
  • the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows.
  • Gary Patton on 22 Jan 13
     
    Luke 12:47-4 seems to confirm a Biblical principle of justice that the more knowledge we have that our action is wrong, the more guilty we are, and the more deserving of punishment. gfp 2012-01-22
Gary Patton

"Sin is Not Without Consequences for Christians" - Bible Gateway - 0 views

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bible scripture scripture interpretation luke sin condemnation

shared by Gary Patton on 04 Feb 13 - No Cached
  • Luke 12:47-49
  • 47 “That servant who knows his master’s will and does not get ready or does not do what his master wants will be beaten with many blows
  • From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.
  • Gary Patton on 04 Feb 13
     
    In Luke 12:47-49, Jesus clearly warns Christians thhat they will suffer severe consequences ...even in Christ... when we do not act on what we know to be right. Because Jesus died for our sins and rose from the grave to cover them as proof of His Father's acceptance of God the Son's sacrifice for our awful behaviour, does not mean He ignores our sin when we KNOW better.
Gary Patton

Liberal Christian Scholarship ...Redaction Criticism, and Islam (Part 1) - 0 views

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christianity Islam christians muslims religion bible scripture scripture interpretation

shared by Gary Patton on 27 Mar 12 - No Cached
  • Some Brief Thoughts Regarding Liberal Scholarship, Redaction Criticism, and Islam
    • Gary Patton
      Gary Patton on 27 Mar 12
       
      In this article, Dr. James White, of Alpha & Omega Ministries examines the dangers of "Redaction and Form Criticism" in Christian scholarship (sic) and the refusal by Muslim scholars to apply it to Islam while using it to attack Christians beliefs based on our Bible. gfp (2012-03-27)
  • the vast majority of those who embrace form and redaction criticism in all of its flavors and kinds do so out of tradition, not out of having examined the case set forth in defense of these methods.
  • I truly wondered why the Lord had closed all other doors and put me in that context, but, now I know) forced me to consider deeply why I could not in good conscience embrace the "status quo" of modern NT scholarship
  • ...18 more annotations...
  • I found, over and over again, the same kind of bald anti-supernaturalism at work, even amongst those who did not openly espouse such a view in their "religious life."
  • This kind of double-mindedness was epidemic in Christian theology then. It is still quite prevalent, but in the past decade more and more have shed the religious trappings and are seeking to be consistent, not even bothering with the religious garb any longer.
  • I would challenge (respectfully
  • saying the gospels were quite late, post AD 70, for example, I would ask why they would date them so late (and, as a result, deny the eyewitness authorship of, say, Matthew)
  • we would date them late because…of theories. Theories about how documents develop (in the natural world). Theories about how the early church developed (based upon, again, how such things happen in the natural world). And of course the big reason was…they had to have been written after AD 70 because, well, they couldn't have been written before otherwise they would contain…prophecy about the destruction of Jerusalem! And we all know prophecy doesn't really exist, so there!
  • I only learned later in seminary and after graduation how confident scholarship had been in the past in giving even later dates, German scholarship, for example, having dated John as late as AD 175, only to have those dates thrown to the wind by manuscript discoveries.
  • the "consensus of scholarship," especially in a day when humanism and naturalistic materialism has become the religious dogma of the society, and of higher education, is not an option for the faithful follower of the teachings of Jesus the Messiah.
  • For years Shabir Ally had been making a presentation wherein he presents the "snowball" argument. It is a basic anti-gospel argument based upon a rather simplistic viewpoint of the origination of the gospels.
  • Shabir thinks there is an over-riding impetus on the part of both Matthew and Luke to "grow" Jesus, assuming, of course, an evolution in the development of Christology (another assumption that is just accepted, never proven). So, Matthew and Luke are looking for ways to "improve" on Jesus---which puts them in the category of deceivers, really, at the very least from an Islamic viewpoint
    • Gary Patton
      Gary Patton on 27 Mar 12
       
      Muslims who, like Imam Ally have a minimal knowldge of the New Covenat and wish to feign politness, can use this "improvement" approach. It prevents them from having to use the blunt English word change when attacking Scriptures validity. During the debate, I heard a Muslim and a Christian in the seats immediately behind me discussing the semantical difference between these words. The Christian suspected, as do I, that Imam Ally was accusing the Apostles Mathew and Luke of being "liars".
  • examples of where Matthew was "growing" Jesus
    • Gary Patton
      Gary Patton on 27 Mar 12
       
      "Growing" is Dr. White's word. Imam Ally never used it. Instead, he stated candidly that Mathew and Luke intentionally "deified" a human Prophet which Muslims say Yeshua only was because "Allah doesn't begat" (Qur'an 23:88-91).
  • Shabir did not know that Mark used the Greek term κύριος (kurios) when he was making his presentations before 2006, but he does now. But still, in our debate in Toronto, he argued that in fact this is still an example supportive of his thesis, no matter what his understanding had been before, for "lord of the house" is still different from "Lord." He likewise cited a scholar who, writing on the "synoptic problem," likewise mentions this "change."
    • Gary Patton
      Gary Patton on 27 Mar 12
       
      In other words, Imam Ally has found an obfuscating, so-called, Christian author to justify what he now knows is a 'lie" that he wishes to still feed to his ignorant Muslim audience, knowing that they will believe him over Dr. White.
  • let's talk about how this text could be seen in a very different fashion.
  • Let's admit something: We do not know when any of the gospels were written. They have no date stamps on them. If we examine the internal material of the Synoptic gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke) without naturalistic biases, we would have to conclude they were written between 35 and about 65 AD (i.e., after the crucifixion but prior to the opening of hostilities leading to the destruction of Jerusalem by Titus in AD 70)
  • As Richard Bauckham has pointed out (and his role in our debate was most interesting, and again illustrated that I really do not believe Dr. Ally understands my point on this matter), the eyewitnesses to the events of the gospel continued in the church for many decades, forming a very important core element of the continuation of the gospel message.
  • The gospel story began to be proclaimed by the eyewitnesses and the first generation of believers immediately after Pentecost. It spread like wildfire, turning the world upside down. It spread both by zeal as well as by persecution. The oral tradition of the church was the context out of which the gospels themselves were written. The gospel writers were fully aware of that tradition. They were not seeking to supplant it, but to organize it and preserve it in yet another form.
    • Gary Patton
      Gary Patton on 28 Mar 12
       
      During the debate, I could not understand why Dr. White kept referring to the "oral tradition" as he does here without once making the powerful point that the Gospel writers were the originators of the tradition as the disciples of Jesus. They were writing about their eye witness accounts ...not recounting an oral tradion circulated first by others.
  • This oral tradition, something shared by the entire community, is the source out of which they drew their narrative.
    • Gary Patton
      Gary Patton on 27 Mar 12
       
      It is the source only to the extend that they, themselves, were the creaters of the so-called "oral tradition" as members of Jesus "inside group of disciples".
  • If we assume that Matthew and Mark are not liars, that they are not dishonest men, and that they are seeking to communicate a message faithfully, drawing from the tradition known to them, we conclude, upon examination of numerous texts such as the above, that
    • Gary Patton
      Gary Patton on 28 Mar 12
       
      Here Dr. White writes again like the Gospel accounts were repeated by the Apostles from what others said rather than them writing down the stories in which they, themselves, particiapted with Jesus. Dr. White's approach confuses me because, to me, it doesn't make the point regarding eye-witness testimony!
  • we can see that both are giving us perfectly proper renditions of the same incident and the same words, one in fuller form than the other, both seeking to communicate the same concept, though to two different audiences.
    • Gary Patton
      Gary Patton on 28 Mar 12
       
      Police and lawyer studies confirm this type of variiance is common between eye witness accounts when an event is seem from different perspectives through the experiences and mindset of unique people. I'm unclear why Dr. white doesn't state this fact which reinforces his hypothesis about Scripture's timeline and seeming contradictions.
Gary Patton

The Christmas Story - Bible Gateway - 0 views

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luke Jesus Yeshua birth bible Christmas

shared by Gary Patton on 01 Jan 12 - No Cached
  • Luke 2:1-20
    • Gary Patton
      Gary Patton on 01 Jan 12
       
      This passage expands on the story of the birth of Jesus as told in Matthew 2:1-12 at http://diigo.com/0m5rj from that Apostle's perspective. That account features the Wisemen's visit to Yeshua/Jesus from the Far East.
  • And she (E)gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a [d]manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
    • Gary Patton
      Gary Patton on 01 Jan 12
       
      This is the Bible's description of the first major event in Yeshua's/Jesus' earthly life ...his "cradle'. This is followed by His: 2. coaching 3. cross, & 4. coronation.
  • Gary Patton on 01 Jan 12
     
    Luke 2:1-20 in the NASB describes Yeshua's/Jesus' Birth in Bethlehem and the reason for the season Christians call Christmas.
Gary Patton

Was Jesus' Last Supper a Seder? - Biblical Archaeology Review - 0 views

www.bib-arch.org/...jesus-last-supper.asp

bible scripture interpretation Jesus judiasm christianity archaeology history

shared by Gary Patton on 07 Apr 12 - No Cached
    • Gary Patton
      Gary Patton on 07 Apr 12
       
      Why would two people, Matthew and Luke, who were the more consistent eye witnesses to the accounts that they report copy Mark? It makes no sense. Mark was a boy while Jesus walked Israel and did not travel about with Him. Mark also was not an original Disciple of Jesus and reported on most the events in his Gospel based on second hand information from the Disciples who did travel with jesus, one can assume. I feel the whole Mathew and Luke copied Mark plus Mark is based on some lost document called "Q" theory of many scholars is rooted in a desire by many to deny or ignore God's supernatural involvement in the documentation of His Son's incarnation and ignores the fact that Matthew and John were eye witnesses to all of what they wrote about. They had no need to copy but had their own perspective on what they heard and saw as do modern witnesses. Likewise, modern research indicates that the reports of most eye witnesses are highly unreliable. If God was not involved, one would have to question the accounts. If that one is not a Jesus Follower and without faith in the supernatural inerancy of the Biblical accounts of both the Old and New Covenants, that's another matter entirely.
  • Thus, in fact we don’t really have three independent sources here at all. What we have, rather, is one testimony (probably Mark), which was then copied twice (by Matthew and Luke).
  • Was Jesus’ Last Supper a Seder?
    • Gary Patton
      Gary Patton on 07 Apr 12
       
      This April 2012 article in BAR analyzes the similarities between the Jewish Seder and what Christians call Jesus' "Last Supper" and the timing of the event based on archaeological evidence. gfp (2012-04-07)
  • ...25 more annotations...
  • the Gospels—with their hatred of the Jewish authorities
    • Gary Patton
      Gary Patton on 07 Apr 12
       
      I wonder why the author construes an historical report of what the writer considered 'truth' and 'facts' as 'hatred'. The history of Christianity may be replete with antisemitism, especially some of the protestant Reformers of the Catholic Church, like Luther particulalrly. However, I feel the charge of hatred in the Gospel accounts of the Jewish involvement in the death of Jesus is an unfair one. The Roman authorities were jst as responsible for the crucifixion of Yeshua/Jesus. In fact the Bible seems to make clear that the sin nature and sins of every person who has ever or ever will live is the real reason for Jesus' death. We are ALL responsible ...not just the Jewish and Roman authorities!
  • John’s timing of events supports the Christian claim that Jesus himself was a sacrifice and that his death heralds a new redemption, just as the Passover offering recalls an old one. Even so, John’s claim that Jesus was killed just before Passover began is more plausible than the synoptics’ claim that Jesus was killed on Passover.
  • the Last Supper could not in fact have been a Passover Seder.
    • Gary Patton
      Gary Patton on 07 Apr 12
       
      Christian historical tradition labels "The Last Supper" a Seder ... not Jesus. He is recorded to have simply called it the "last time He would eat this bread and drink this wine until ...". It was "the time for passover". That Jesus duplicated many Seder rituals seems to be clear from the Gospel accounts ...even if the timing was off. What's the big deal? The REALLY important thing about the Easter events is that Jesus died for humankind's sin nature and sins. Plus, the other big historical event is His resurrection from the grave as proof that God accepted Jesus' sacrifice on behalf of "all who will believe" in Him and what He did for us!
  • That Christians celebrated the Eucharist on a daily or weekly basis (see Acts 2:46–47) underscores the fact that it was not viewed exclusively in a Passover context (otherwise, it would have been performed, like the Passover meal, on an annual basis).
    • Gary Patton
      Gary Patton on 07 Apr 12
       
      Jesus called us to "do this", i.e., celebrate His sacrifice by eating together as a community of Believers in and Followers of Him. He did not call us to celebrate Passover an eternal commandment for Jews only. Jesus claimed that he had come to fulfill "all the [requirements of the] law and the prophets"!
  • Moreover, while the narrative in the synoptics situates the Last Supper during Passover, the fact remains that the only foods we are told the disciples ate are bread and wine—the basic elements of any formal Jewish meal.
  • “Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed, and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, ‘Take, eat; this is my body.’ And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, ‘Drink of it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant’” (Matthew 26:26–28=Mark 14:22; see also Luke 22:19–20). Is this not a striking parallel to the ways in which Jews celebrating the Seder interpret, for example, the bitter herbs eaten with the Passover sacrifice as representing the bitter life the Israelites experienced as slaves in Egypt?
    • Gary Patton
      Gary Patton on 07 Apr 12
       
      I'd suggest it is more a replacement of, as I note above, rather than a parallel with a Seder!
  • For many Jews (especially non-Orthodox Jews), the process of development continues, and many modern editions of the Haggadah contain contemporary readings of one sort or another. Even many traditional Jews have, for instance, adapted the Haggadah so that mention can be made of the Holocaust.8
  • Almost everyone doing serious work on the early history of Passover traditions, including Joseph Tabory, Israel Yuval, Lawrence Hoffman, and the father-son team of Shmuel and Ze’ev Safrai, has rejected Finkelstein’s claims for the great antiquity of the bulk of the Passover Haggadah.
  • It’s not that rabbinic literature cannot be trusted to tell us about history in the first century of the Common Era. It’s that rabbinic literature—in the case of the Seder—does not even claim to be telling us how the Seder was performed before the destruction of the Temple.b
  • the Holy One, blessed be He
    • Gary Patton
      Gary Patton on 07 Apr 12
       
      Here may lie the roots of the similar Muslim practise regarding their reverance, not for God's holy name(s) but, for their human prophet Mohammud. Many Muslims are taught to rever their prophet at a level that approaches worship. The Judeo-Christian Bible reserves worship ONLY for Almighty God ...not the demonically inspired construct called Allah and certainly not a murderous Arab warrior from the 7th Century.
  • King of Kings, the Holy One Blessed be He
    • Gary Patton
      Gary Patton on 07 Apr 12
       
      As I wonder in the e-Sticky Note immediately above, here may lie the root of the similar Muslim practise regarding their reverance, not for God's holy name(s) but, for their human prophet Mohammud. Many Muslims are taught to rever their prophet at a level that approaches worship. The Judeo-Christian Bible reserves worship ONLY for Almighty God ...not the demonically inspired construct called Allah and certainly not a murderous Arab warrior from the 7th Century.
  • Might not Jesus be presenting a competing interpretation of these symbols? Possibly. But it really depends on when this Rabban Gamaliel lived. If he lived later than Jesus, then it would make no sense to view Jesus’ words as based on Rabban Gamaliel’s.
    • Gary Patton
      Gary Patton on 07 Apr 12
       
      Most Jesus Followers would work from the premise that Yeshua's/Jesus' words during his last Supper on earth, 'till His return at the end of times, were inspired by God's Holy Spirit ...like all His other recorded comments in the Scriptures.
  • Virtually all scholars working today believe that the Haggadah tradition attributing the words quoted above to Gamaliel refers to the grandson, Rabban Gamaliel the Younger, who lived long after Jesus had died.14 One piece of evidence for this appears in the text quoted above, in which Rabban Gamaliel is said to have spoken of the time “when the Temple was still standing”—as if that time had already passed.
    • Gary Patton
      Gary Patton on 07 Apr 12
       
      Like many scholars, including some Christian ones, statements like this one are often rooted in a disbelief of the supernatural plus a denial of the possibility that God gave Gamaliel, the Grandfather, a prophetic "word of knowledge"! Prophesy can place the words in the elder Gamaliel's mouth who did live at the time of Jesus who also prophesied the soon-coming (about 40 years later) destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem.
  • And presumably they would have engaged in conversation pertinent to the occasion. But we cannot know for sure.
    • Gary Patton
      Gary Patton on 07 Apr 12
       
      A Jesus Follower can know that s(he) knows by faith in the accuracy of our Scriptures. The Scriptures make clear, not 'presumably', that Jesus discussed His replacement of an Old Covenant commandment with a New Covenant. he explains clearly a NEW symbolism for the bread and wine as remembrances and tokens of His sacrificed body and blood on behalf of all who would believe ...NOT the Jews deliverance from Egypt but... all humankind's route to deliverance from the penalty of our sin nature and sins (Romans 3:23 & 6:23) through Him!
  • Having determined that the Last Supper was not a Seder and that it probably did not take place on Passover, I must try to account for why the synoptic Gospels portray the Last Supper as a Passover meal.
    • Gary Patton
      Gary Patton on 07 Apr 12
       
      The Last Supper being a Seder meal on the Day of Passover is NOT the key issue for a Jesus Follower as I mentioned in my e-Sticky Note above. The key on the cotrary is Who Jesus was as the God-man and what he was about to do for us on His cross on cavalry.
  • Another motive relates to a rather practical question: Within a few years after Jesus’ death, Christian communities (which at first consisted primarily of Jews) began to ask when, how and even whether they should celebrate or commemorate the Jewish Passover
  • The Quartodeciman custom of celebrating Easter beginning on the evening following the 14th day apparently began relatively early in Christian history and persisted at least into the fifth century C.E.
  • Early on, a number of Christians—Quartodecimans and others—felt that the appropriate way to mark the Jewish Passover was not with celebration, but with fasting.
    • Gary Patton
      Gary Patton on 07 Apr 12
       
      Interestingly, no where, that I can find in the Old or New Covenants, does God command or even suggest that His people should fast. I have not extensively researched the issue but, I suspect I'll discover that, this propably is a Jewish ritual that was carried on by early Christians, i.e., another man-made tradition. There is the reference in Matthew 6:16-18 where Jesus says: "When you fast ...." This is NOT a command but simply, in context, an observational reference to a practise that was common among religious Jews ...the group to whom Jesus was speaking. I comment further on this issue in e-Sticky Note on the Matthew 6 Scripture at http://diigo.com/0piw0 and in the article on fasting from Christianity today at http://diigo.com/0p9iv .
  • Thus, until Jesus’ kingdom is fulfilled, Christians should not celebrate at all during Passove
    • Gary Patton
      Gary Patton on 07 Apr 12
       
      here again, and depsite what Karl Kuhn says, the issue is not celebrating Passover, but Jesus' command to eat together as a group of his Followers whenever we can and "remember" him.
  • By calling the Last Supper a Passover meal, these Jewish-Christians were trying to limit Christian practice in three ways. Like the Passover sacrifice, the recollection of the Last Supper could only be celebrated in Jerusalem, at Passover time, and by Jews.c
    • Gary Patton
      Gary Patton on 07 Apr 12
       
      This heresy didn't last very long. Some Messianic Jews still today follow Old Covenant feast and other practises that other Christians do not.
  • there are various reasons why the early church would have tried to “Passoverize” the Last Supper tradition.
  • This too is a Passoverization of the Jesus tradition, but it is one that contradicts the identification of the Last Supper with the Seder or Passover meal.
  • Surely the depiction of the Last Supper as a Passover observance could play a part in this larger effort of arguing that Jesus’ death echoes the Exodus from Egypt
  • a widely popular Paschal sermon, which could well be called a “Christian Haggadah,” reflecting at great length on the various connections between the Exodus story and the life of Jesus
    • Gary Patton
      Gary Patton on 07 Apr 12
       
      Typology as some call it i.e., seeing Old Covenant people, practises and places as 'types' or 'shadows' pointing to or representing Jesus is common in some Christian circles and with some teachers.
  • Contrary to popular belief, the Catholic custom of using unleavened wafers in the Mass is medieval in origin. The Orthodox churches preserve the earlier custom of using leavened bread.23 Is it not possible to see the switch from using leavened to unleavened bread as a “Passoverization” of sorts?
    • Gary Patton
      Gary Patton on 07 Apr 12
       
      And regardless of leavened or unleavened bread or wafers, these kinds of issue are seen by many Jesus Followers as focusing on dead and deadly religious ritual, regalia and rules rather than on relationship, revelation and romance with a living God through Yeshua/Jesus the Messiah/Christ.
Gary Patton

Jesus Public Ministry And Gospel - Bible Gateway - 0 views

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scripture bible luke Jesus yeshua Isa gospel

shared by Gary Patton on 22 Dec 11 - No Cached
  • “(G)THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD IS UPON ME, BECAUSE HE ANOINTED ME TO PREACH THE GOSPEL TO THE POOR. HE HAS SENT ME TO PROCLAIM RELEASE TO THE CAPTIVES, AND RECOVERY OF SIGHT TO THE BLIND, TO SET FREE THOSE WHO ARE OPPRESSED, 19 (H)TO PROCLAIM THE FAVORABLE YEAR OF THE LORD.”
    • Gary Patton
      Gary Patton on 22 Dec 11
       
      The Gospel of Yeshua/Jesus is "Good News". But, it's not a book or a passage of Scripture. It's the person of God incarnate Himself! And salvation is a trusting relationship in & with Him by simply believing in Yeshua's payment on His cross of the full penalty God demands for our sin & sins and, then, deferring to Yeshua's lordship of every aspect of our lives by living in the power of His resurrection!" ~ gfp The word 'gospel' means 'good news' and Yeshua/Jesus, the Messiah, is the personification of "good news". Simply put, He is the gospel! For anyone who hears them, Yeshua/Jesus and His words are heart-piercing as you can discover in His 'Beatitudes' at . They are totally convicting because they demonstrate every hearers' total inability to behave as He commands. And, Jesus doesn't leave us hanging! Right now, He's making available to you His power. It's freely available to every man, woman and child ...despite what they may have done. He gives anyone who asks for it a "new life". Plus, He also gives us the power to live it, using His strength, when we believe His 'Gospel' ("Good News"/'Injeel'). This glorious News is that Yeshua/Jesus died to pay the full penalty that God's holiness and justice requires because of both our "sin nature" and our many 'sins'. As Deity incarnate, Yeshua/Jesus died so that His human creation could be forgiven by God and be reconciled to His heavenly Father and have peace with Him through Yeshua/Jesus's sacrifice and His subsequent resurrection from the grave. Yeshua/Jesus's death and resurrection guarantee real, eternal salvation instead by working for ones own salvation by trying to obey the law. Folks, Jesus is alive! He's living right now and praying for you at the right hand of our heavenly Father. When you respond to his pleading, He'll send his Holy Spirit to live inside you as a new, born-again Believer. "The Gospel" is the power in Jesus' words! "Stop trying ...and start tr
  • Gary Patton on 22 Dec 11
     
    Yeshua/Jesus clarified His Gospel first to the Jews and, then later, to all non-Jews through the ones who that became His Followers. He first did so using words of The Jewish Prophet, Isaiah, that Yeshua quoted from the Old Covenant (Muslim: Taurat) in this passage: 18 "(G)THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD IS UPON ME, BECAUSE HE ANOINTED ME TO PREACH THE GOSPEL TO THE POOR. HE HAS SENT ME TO PROCLAIM RELEASE TO THE CAPTIVES, AND RECOVERY OF SIGHT TO THE BLIND, TO SET FREE THOSE WHO ARE OPPRESSED, 19 (H)TO PROCLAIM THE FAVORABLE YEAR OF THE LORD."
Gary Patton

The Visit of the Magi - Now after Jesus - Bible Gateway - 0 views

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scripture bible matthew Yeshua Jesus Christmas lukem

shared by Gary Patton on 01 Jan 12 - No Cached
  • Matthew 2:1-12
    • Gary Patton
      Gary Patton on 01 Jan 12
       
      This passage expands on the story of the birth of Jesus in Luke 2:1-20 at http://diigo.com/0m5rh.
  • Gary Patton on 01 Jan 12
     
    Matthew 2:1-12 in the NASB expands on the story of the birth of Jesus in Luke 2:1-20 at http://diigo.com/0m5rh. It adds the event of the visit of the "Magi" or "Wisemen" from the far East to worship Yeshua/Jesus some time after His birth. This was probably in Nazareth before Joseph and Mary fled to Egypt to protect the child. This part of the story follows immediately after verse 12 in this passage.
Gary Patton

1 Corinthians 5:10-15 VOICE - "Who Says Christians Aren't Supposed To Judge?" - 0 views

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scripture scripture interpretation corinthians judging

shared by Gary Patton on 23 May 13 - No Cached
  • 12 Why would I ever attempt to judge those outside the church? Aren’t we called to judge those within the church?
    • Gary Patton
      Gary Patton on 05 Sep 13
       
      That most Christians believe that we are NOT supposed to judge, under any circumstances, is obviously contrary to what Paul, one of Jesus' Ambassadors, writes here. You'll not that Paul's question here is obviously rhetorical! The demonic myth, of Christian non-judgmentalism I believe, is Satan's attempt to short-circuit mutual accountability within the Body of Christ. Satan's myth also negates tough love which is just as crucial a part of Jesus' "Platinum Rule" ( http://diigo.com/0l8po ) as any other dimension of Body-commanded love. OK, you say, how do I relate Verse 12 here to Jesus' command in Matthew 7:1-6 ( https://diigo.com/0z6a1 ) where he says: "Judge not...!"? Good question! I believe our King's command in the prior Scripture does not conflict with what He inspired in Verse 12 here. Matthew 7:1-6 is meant to have us judge our Fellow Believers, NOT non-Followers, ONLY as led by His Spirit and VERY carefully. And to their face ...not slanderously behind their backs as He commands in Matthew 18:15-17! Because of this, I suggest that Christians forgo the use of the words 'judge', 'confront', and related, seemingly-harsh words, Please substitute the word 'carefront'. Carefront was coined by David Augsburger in his book: "Caring Enough To Confront". You can discover more about his book and read my review of it at http://goo.gl/oal37 . We cannot really love others in the Body without appropriately confronting them as we're led and commanded as noted above, plus further, in Luke 12:57 where our Master says: "Why don't you judge for yourselves what is right?" Again, in John 7:24 Jesus also says "Stop judging by mere appearances, but instead judge correctly." "Love and truth are "The Commanded Conjoined Twins" for Jesus Followers (https://diigo.com/0z69f); they must never be separated if we wish to obey Jesus' "Platinum Rule (http://diigo.com/0l8po)!" ~ gfp '42™ You can read more about this crucial subject in my S-M-A-R-T Briefing™ at http://goo.
  • 1 Corinthians 5:10-13
    • Gary Patton
      Gary Patton on 05 Sep 13
       
      These few verses clearly make a lie of the myth of the Christian, so-called "Doctrine of Non-Judgementalism" that so-many believe. Be blessed by my comments, please, and add your own in an e-Sticky Note window below any of my comments, pro or con. In The King, GaryFPatton
  • Gary Patton on 23 May 13
     
    These few verses clearly make a lie the myth of Christian so-called "Doctrine of Non-Judgementalism" that so-many believe. Enjoy my comments, please, and add your own in an e-Sticky Note window below any of my comments. In The King, GaryFPatton
Gary Patton

Guarding The Most Valuable Assets In Your Life - 0 views

www.cbmcint.org/...29

CBMC dis-stress stress freedom

shared by Gary Patton on 30 Nov 11 - No Cached
  • “Our most valuable asset sits 63 feet ahead” (referring to the driver of the truck).
  • really struggling with stress and not able to get everything accomplished that I wanted to get done. As a result, I had begun putting a lot of pressure on myself to become more productive.
  • I love progress and I love getting stuff done. However, what God showed me was that people and relationships are more important.
  • ...13 more annotations...
  • Perhaps my biggest problem was my lack of faith.
  • I was stunned. It occurred to me how often I do not demonstrate this in my own life, especially with my own fa
  • ily. My attitude so often is, “I can’t talk now. I’ve got something really important to get done!”
  • “The way I look at it, if I honor God in conversations like these, He will take care of what needs to get done on my task list.”
    • Gary Patton
      Gary Patton on 17 Apr 12
       
      Like the writer I suspect, I've totally bought into and trust Matthew 6:25-34 regarding how I work. I eschew frenzy and workaholism for revenue. Jesus has never once failed to keep His promise to meet ALL my family's needs since I committed to work only for Him in 1984 ...despite a sometimes bumpy road, since. Our wants, on the other hand ...not s omuch as we would have liked, though! As the expression from the depression goes: "Karen & I have everything we need except enough cash!"
  • “I figured that God is bringing this person into my life at this moment for a reason – either for them to speak into my life or for me to speak into theirs.
  • Reflection/Discussion Questions
  • Truth@Work
  • ), a ministry to people in the workplace.
  • www.christianroundtablegroups.com
  • Bleedership: Biblical First-Aid for Leaders.
    • Gary Patton
      Gary Patton on 30 Nov 11
       
      See what people say about Jim's book @ http://is.gd/tqIhNw gfp
  • online blog, www.5feet20.com
  • more faith in myself to get work done than I do in my Heavenly Father’s ability to empower me to accomplish what has to be done. Because of my displaced “faith,” I sometimes put tasks ahead of people.
  • Proverbs 17:17, 18:24, 27:23-27; Matthew 7:12; Luke 6:31; John 15:13; Ephesians 6:5-9
  • Gary Patton on 30 Nov 11
     
    Is work a 24/7 proposition for you? Has it become a depressing rather than fun activity? Do you not know where to turn to get off the treadmill? This short article by Jim Lang, of the Christian Business Men's Committee has some freedom-producing answers for you! gfp This
  • Gary Patton on 30 Nov 11
     
    Is work a 24/7 proposition for you? Has it become a depressing rather than fun activity? Do you not know where to turn to get off the treadmill? gfp
Gary Patton

"The Pre-Wrath Rapture of the Church" - Book Summary - 0 views

www.grandpappy.info/brapture.htm

bible scripture scripture interpretation rapture

shared by Gary Patton on 16 Jan 12 - No Cached
  • The following summary is based on Chapter Ten of Marvin Rosenthal's book, The Pre-Wrath Rapture of the Church.
    • Gary Patton
      Gary Patton on 19 Jan 12
       
      In his book, "The Pre-Wrath Rapture of the Church", Marvin Rosenthal, outlines a powerful, Biblical analysis of the Old and New Covenants regarding when the so-called "Rapture" of Jesus Followers takes place. Mr. Rosenthal concludes from his well-documented, clear, easy-to-understand and graphics-supported analysis that the commonly-believed "Pre-Tribulation Rapture" theological position of most North American Bible teachers is inaccurate and not supported by a careful Biblical analysis. This is an excellent summary of the key aspects of Mr. Rosenthal's thesis.
  • There is a debate going on among Christians
    • Gary Patton
      Gary Patton on 19 Jan 12
       
      The debate is because Jesus said: "Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect" (Luke 12:40). Please read 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11 at http://diigo.com/0mkzs . It clearly stated there that we cannot know for certain when Jesus will return for his Followers and the judge the earth. But we can be certain He will do so! Therefore, Jesus Followers are wise to live lives of faith, obeying Jesus in all things as we are commanded in 2 Peter 3:8-13 (Contemporary English Version (CEV)) 8 Dear friends, don't forget that for the Lord one day is the same as a thousand years, and a thousand years is the same as one day. 9 The Lord isn't slow about keeping his promises, as some people think he is. In fact, God is patient, because he wants everyone to turn from sin and no one to be lost. 10 The day of the Lord's return will surprise us like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a loud noise, and the heat will melt the whole universe. [a] Then the earth and everything on it will be seen for what they are. [b] 11 Everything will be destroyed. So you should serve and honor God by the way you live. 12 You should look forward to the day when God judges everyone, and you should try to make it come soon. [c] On that day the heavens will be destroyed by fire, and everything else will melt in the heat. 13 But God has promised us a new heaven and a new earth, where justice will rule. We are really looking forward to that! Footnotes: 2 Peter 3:10 the whole universe: Probably the sun, moon, and stars, or the elements that everything in the universe is made of. 2 Peter 3:10 will be seen for what they are: Some manuscripts have "will go up in flames." 2 Peter 3:12 and you should try to make it come soon: Or "and you should eagerly desire for that day to come."
  • The fact of the Rapture is not in question (at least not among Christians).
    • Gary Patton
      Gary Patton on 19 Jan 12
       
      Most Jesus Followers would agree that 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 describes what Christians call 'The rapture. This verse is included below in the discussion of the Scriptures re the "Sixth Seal" mention in the "Book of Revelation" in the Bible.
  • ...13 more annotations...
  • Most Christians believe it will occur immediately before the tribulation period begins. A few Christians believe it will occur either during the tribulation period, or near the very end of the tribulation period.
    • Gary Patton
      Gary Patton on 19 Jan 12
       
      As you'll discover, the latter belief, i.e., just before the end of the Tribulation, is Mr. Rosenthal's thesis.
  • Christians believe the entire Bible is the true and accurate Word of God, and it is without error.
  • The most logical way to address this issue is to see what the Holy Bible has to say about this event.
    • Gary Patton
      Gary Patton on 19 Jan 12
       
      Many Christian teachers would say the last statement here is too strongly put. They would say that "the Bible is infalabie" only in its original source documents ...none of which ave been found when I write this in 2012. Teachers, generally, are less dogmatic on the infalibility of current translations. They offer various positions on this issue.
  • Do not rely on footnotes added to your Bible. A biblical footnote is not the inspired Word of God, even though it is printed in your Bible. It is simply one person's interpretation of scripture.
    • Gary Patton
      Gary Patton on 19 Jan 12
       
      This is a valuable warning.
  • Robert Wayne Atkins, P.E.
    • Gary Patton
      Gary Patton on 19 Jan 12
       
      You'll find out about the background and expereice of the author of this article at http://is.gd/sAdEWE. Regrettably, "Grandpappy" his nickname, does not describe his background as a Christian.
  • Who, of their own accord, without the witness of a fellow Christian, would be willing to accept the Christian faith if that meant they would be immediately slain?
    • Gary Patton
      Gary Patton on 19 Jan 12
       
      I'm unsure that this argument proves anything! No one accepts Jesus as Saviour and Lord of their own accord before, during or, as noted here, after the so-called Rapture of "Believers in Jesus" that are still alive on the earth just before the opening of the "Sixth Seal". We are always and only saved by God's grace and even our faith, which is involved as it says in Ephesians 2:8-9, is a gift from Father God. Holy Spirit does the convicting and the saving of pre-believers. There is no Scripture that says Holy Spirit's presence EVER leaves the earth, that I've found.
  • In the book of Revelation, a great multitude of Christians, from all over the world, suddenly appear in heaven. For someone with an open mind, these two descriptions are almost identical to what we Christians call the Rapture of the saints. Notice also that this reference to the Rapture in the book of Revelation occurs right after the 144,000 Jews are ordained to spread the Gospel. God does not want anyone to perish, and he has provided a way for the Gospel to be carried forth after all the new testament Christians are Raptured.
  • Christians will be spared from that wrath.
    • Gary Patton
      Gary Patton on 19 Jan 12
       
      Most Jesus Followers would agree with this statement on the basis of the numerous Scritures you can find described at http://is.gd/3y1nV8 . I lean especially on 1 Thessalonians 5: 9 at http://diigo.com/0mkzs . I believe all the Scriptures at the above link clearly refer to Jesus Followers' salvation, in Christ, from an eternity separated from God. The latter seems to be what happens after the "Seventh Seal" is opened on those still remaining on the earth.
  • That is why they will be Raptured sometime between the opening of the 6th seal and the 7th seal.
    • Gary Patton
      Gary Patton on 19 Jan 12
       
      This is Mr. Rosenthal's thesis based on his anlysis of the Old and New Covenant Scriptures mention above by this author. Mr. Rosenthal includes more in his book which I recommend to you for prayerful consideration, study and meditation. gfp (2012-01-19)
  • The opening of the seventh seal begins God's Wrath on an unbelieving world (from which Christians are spared).
  • This is a poor choice of terms for Daniel's 70th week, because
  • My purpose was to provide you with more information upon which you can make an informed decision.
  • His book is not based on personal opinion. It is based on the Word of God
  • Gary Patton on 16 Jan 12
     
    This summary of Marvin Rosenthal's thesis in the book of the above title is by Robert Wayne Atkins, P.E.. He summarizes Rosenthal's Old and New Covenant Scripture analysis regarding the timing of the rapture of the Church.
Gary Patton

Reinterpreting the Great Commission - 0 views

www.boundless.org/...a0001678.cfm

bible scripture interpretation scripture evangelism great commission Jesus matthew mark luke john

shared by Gary Patton on 03 Mar 12 - Cached
  • Missional Discipleship: Reinterpreting the Great Commission
    • Gary Patton
      Gary Patton on 03 Mar 12
       
      Jonathan Dodson adds exciting new dimensions to the standard interpretations of Jesus' "Great Commission" in the article. It is the first of two parts. gfp (2012-03-03)
  • In evangelical subculture the ubiquity of the Great Commission is matched by the poverty of its interpretation.
    • Gary Patton
      Gary Patton on 03 Mar 12
       
      The only greater "poverty" is its lack of application in their lives by so-called Christians. In North America, a too-common and oft-heard phrase exchanged between so-called Christians is: "I'd din't know you were a Christian!" "Lord, please forgive us although we know what we're doing! gfp"
  • The OT commission, frequently referred to as the creation or cultural mandate, was issued by God before the Fall of humanity, emphasizing creative activity with the following verbs: be fruitful, multiply, rule, and subdue (Gen 1.27-28).2 By producing more creators who rule and subdue the elements of the earth,
  • ...30 more annotations...
  • A surface reading of these Old and New Testament texts places them at odds with one another.
  • These impoverished readings call for reinterpretation, one that that allows both Genesis and the Gospels to speak.
  • we will be challenged to understand and embrace discipleship as more that "spiritual disciplines" or an evangelistic program.
  • following after Jesus that requires redemptive engagement not just with souls but with creation and culture.
  • the command is to make disciples of all nations not from all nations.
  • The Great Commission is not about soul-extraction, to remove the disciple from his culture,
    • Gary Patton
      Gary Patton on 03 Mar 12
       
      To often in the past ...and still..., so-called Christian Missionaries who "went" and "go" into other cultures try to shape their disciples in the image of the Missionary's culture, i.e. they "clothed the naked", literally, instead of providing what's need in the moment by the individuals they encounter which is what Jesus meant. 
  • the many-splendored new humanity of Christ.
  • Where Matthew emphasizes the action of making distinctive disciples, Mark stresses the importance of preaching to all creation.
  • When Jesus used the word "preach" he did not mean converse. The Greek word for preach always carries a sense of urgency and gravity, as though what is to be proclaimed is of great importance
    • Gary Patton
      Gary Patton on 03 Mar 12
       
      A better translation of the Greek, that captures it's sense and is not intentionally designed by the translator to reinforce "Sunday morning church activity", is "herald"! 
  • Paul perceives himself as an announcer of a worldly Christ-centered gospel,
  • While this worldly gospel saves, it also condemns.
  • For some it brings life; for others it brings death, but all are to be given the opportunity to be written into the story of God's redemption of all creation.
    • Gary Patton
      Gary Patton on 03 Mar 12
       
      This is not a particularly "Calvinistic statement, i.e., those saved are pre-ordained (Romans 8:28) but probably accurate because we'll never know 'till we get to heaven whether Holy Spirit used us to touch the "right" people and bring them "one step closer to Jesus". 
  • Humanity was charged with the task of caring for the earth and creating culture, making the uninhabitable habitable.
  • Jesus preached a worldly gospel, a restorative message that put the creation project back on track. His glorified, resurrection body is clearly proof of the new creation to come.
  • Jesus told those who believe that they will be given power to heal the sick, restore the demon-possessed, and to speak new languages (Mk. 16:17-18). This worldly gospel is for the redemption and renewal of the earth, the body, the heart, the mind, and the cultures of the world. It is a saving message that rescues people from their unbelief, not their world,
  • we are called to preach "repentance and forgiveness of sins." A social gospel will not suffice.
    • Gary Patton
      Gary Patton on 03 Mar 12
       
      And a "social gospel" approach is also not excluded.
  • What does it mean to be "witnesses of all these things"? Well, at the very least it means sharing Jesus' self-sacrificing offer of forgiveness,
    • Gary Patton
      Gary Patton on 03 Mar 12
       
      And witnessing includes, I suggest, the practical and explanatory sharing of the blessings that have enriched the life of the witnesser as a result of their forgiveness and Jesus coming to live His life out through them by sharing what Christians call "their testimony". 
  • The problem with many of our stories is that they contain all spirit and very little flesh.
  • People want to touch redemption, which means they need to see resurrection power in our personal struggles.
  • The stories we tell should boast of Jesus' death and resurrection, of his forgiveness of sin and of his restoration of sinners — reconciled families and marriages, restored and housed homeless, renewed life among AIDS orphans, and so on.
    • Gary Patton
      Gary Patton on 03 Mar 12
       
      And make sure these resurrection-power stories, if not about yourself, are about other you KNOW personally ...otherwise they can be considered so much fluff!
  • Whereas the previous gospel writers emphasized Jesus' command to make distinctive disciples, preach a worldly gospel, and witness a fleshly Jesus, John stresses Jesus sending his disciples.
  • According to John Piper, we are either goers, senders, or disobedient, but according to Jesus we are all the sent.
    • Gary Patton
      Gary Patton on 03 Mar 12
       
      And I agree with Jesus. It's clear notwithstanding Mr. Piper's opinion, that Jesus clearly tells all his followers that we are to "go along", i.e., herald Jesus where He plants us". It's not wrong to help a Brother or Sister "go" somewhere else but Jesus never said or giving money to a so-called missionary could replace His Followers heralding Him where they are in the moment".
  • All followers of Jesus are called to live as missionaries in their culture
  • Our paradigm for living a sent life, a missionary life, is the sending of the Son by the Father.
  • So, within reason we should take on the trappings of our culture in order to contextually relate the gospel.
    • Gary Patton
      Gary Patton on 03 Mar 12
       
      And for this reason, it's not wrong to accompany your work colleagues after work for a "drink" at a local strip club ...just don't oggle the strippers or get drunk! We can only earn their trust so they'll "as the reason for the hope that is in us (1 Peter 3:15-17) when we're not the typical judgemental Christian or pushy Televangelist-type they have been warned to avoid by those judged by those folks.
  • It leads us to immerse ourselves into the humanity of our neighborhoods and cities in order relate the gospel to people and their needs.
    • Gary Patton
      Gary Patton on 03 Mar 12
       
      And this doesn't mean that we're more spiritual if we leave our middle-class lifestyle and neighbourhood and move into an inner-city slum or evangelize street people on weekends unless Holy Spirit makes clear that role is His will for you at that point in your life!
  • The power of missional living does not spring from cultural savvy or social sensitivity; it requires the otherworldly, utterly personal power of the Holy Spirit. Only the Spirit of God can make men new.
    • Gary Patton
      Gary Patton on 03 Mar 12
       
      Amen to that!! A Lone Ranger Christian carries a notch-less gun in his "heralding holster". 
  • The "good news" of Genesis 1-2 is that God created all things to be enjoyed, managed, cultivated, and recreated by humanity.
    • Gary Patton
      Gary Patton on 03 Mar 12
       
      And applying 1 Corinthians 6:12 is the wise person's context for ALL her/his behaviour... not just the limited ones involving "food" and "sex" mentioned by Paul in the immediately surrounding verses of this passage.
  • This fruitful multiplication continues both physically and spiritually through the reproducing ministry of missional disciples, who increase in number and good works (Acts 6:7; Col. 1:6, 10). These good works include ruling and subduing creation through the careful, creative arrangement of the elements of the earth into art, technology, infrastructure etc. for the flourishing of humanity.
  • Retaining the cultural impulse of Genesis, the Gospels call us to a missional discipleship that entails creation care, cultural engagement, social action, and gospel proclamation. Missional disciples will not content themselves by preaching a culturally irrelevant, creation indifferent, resurrection neglecting message.
Gary Patton

Q: What does the Bible teach about the Trinity? - 0 views

ebible.com/2872

shared by Gary Patton on 04 Nov 13 - No Cached
  • There is subordination within the Trinity.
    • Gary Patton
      Gary Patton on 04 Nov 13
       
      An argument can be made that at least Jesus and The Father are co-equal, some Christians say. I also hold this belief because the references to Jesus' subservience to His Father are made by the God-man. Jesus is fully God but also fully man. Jesus makes clear that His miracles all were performed by His Father or Holy spirt. Therefore I believe that until Jesus returned to Heaven, He operated on earth without His Godly powers which He'd left behind. As a special human, Jesus therefore, was truly subservient to the other dimensions of God. The passages seemingly ascribing Holy Spirit's alleged subservience to The Fater and Jesus, I suggest could also be described as 'deference' rather than 'subservience'.
  • An infinite God cannot be fully described by a finite illustration.
    • Gary Patton
      Gary Patton on 04 Nov 13
       
      While, I agree, of course, Michael does not mention what I feel is the best analogy, i.e., I am my Father's son, the husband of my wife, Karen, and the Father of my daughter, Shawna. These three dimensions are different aspects of the same, one being who is also a spirit in a temporary earth suit because I have the image of God Who is spirit. (Genesis 1:7)
  • The doctrine of the Trinity has been a divisive issue throughout the entire history of the Christian church.
    • Gary Patton
      Gary Patton on 04 Nov 13
       
      Contrary to what some might feel that Michael is writing here, The Trinity is NOT a divisive doctrine among those who Follow Jesus only among non-Followers. It's a "rock" on which most non-Followers of Jesus stumble" (Luke 7:22-23 at http://goo.gl/hNMmAV). The Trinity is a core belief of our faith in God, The Father (Genesis 1:1) and His salvation through God the Son's, Yeshuaoh's/Jesus', death and resurrection (Romans 10:8-12), plus our empowerment through God, The Holy Spirit, living in us (1 Corinthianss 6:19). As Followers of God, "The One & Only", Who is NOT Allah of the Muslims of Islam or the gods of the polytheistic religionists, we believe in the Trinity, as truth, "in faith" ..."being sure of what we hope for (Biblically: 'know') and certain of what we cannot see". (Hebrews 11:1 & 6) GaryFPatton (2013-11-04 gfp '42)
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