Bible Study Seattle

“The sayings of King Lemuel—an inspired utterance his mother taught him.

I highly recommend “One God & One Lord” by Mark Graesser, John Lynn, and John Schoenheit.  It will questions many people’s assumptions in a good way.  It is good to know what you believe, even drilling down into very fine points.

The Racovian Catechism is a nontrinitarian statement of faith from the 16th century from the Polish Brethren.  Studying the nuances of various beliefs helps to nail down differences of opinion over selected scriptures.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Racovian_Catechism

Did Jesus exist prior to his birth in Bethlehem?  Some say no: http://www.christadelphia.org/archive/preexist.htm

Others say yes.  Those that say no use many convincing scriptures.  This is why it is so important to know the scriptures, all of them.  Just because someone can muster 25 verses in support of something doesn’t make it true.  There may be 43 other scriptures pointing in the other direction.

In the book ‘One God & One Lord’ an interesting point is made.  The boundary between Malachi and Matthew has a page titled, “The New Testament”.  The argument is made that the New Covenant should more properly be placed right before Pentecost.  That is when the holy Spirit was pored out on all believers.

Some people do short term, or medium or long term investing.  But the bible speaks of really long term investing; investing with a payout thousands of years out:

“Then Jesus said to his host, “When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or sisters, your relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid.  But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”  Luke 14:12-14

The trick to this investing is you have to actually believe there is going to be a real second life.  Most people don’t.  Most Christians view heaven or the afterlife in fairytale terms.

Isn’t it amazing how many relationships fester with unresolved conflict?  The guilty want to save face and are afraid the hurt will retaliate.  So nothing goes said.  These affairs often won’t be resolved until there’s a mediator.  In the second life.  An unbiased heavenly mediator.  Many people will be forced into mediation.  Jesus hints at this:

“As you are going with your adversary to the magistrate, try hard to be reconciled on the way, or your adversary may drag you off to the judge, and the judge turn you over to the officer, and the officer throw you into prison.”  Luke 12:58

Those relationships that are at a standstill might be settled as Job.  Notice how the judgment proceeds;  First, God settles with Job.  Then God settles directions with the guilty three ‘friends’.  Then God demands the friends and Job reconcile, with the friends asking forgiveness and Job praying for them.  Isn’t it interesting that the judgment begins with the righteous Job getting a talking-too?  Yes, “For it is time for judgment to begin with God’s household; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God?”  1 Peter 4:17

In the August 17, 2015 issue of Time magazine:

Fetal tissue is critical to scientific progress

“In recent weeks, antiabortion activists have leaked videos shot undercover at Planned Parenthood clinics in which staff members discuss providing fetal tissue for use in medical research.  The videos are edited to suggest that the practice is sinister and that Planned Parenthood may be profiting from it, which would be illegal.

Fetal-tissue research is legal under specific circumstances – Planned Parenthood has said repeatedly it has not violated the law – and has been done for decades at nearly every leading hospital and medical institution.  Still, the backlash has been swift, with some Republican leaders saying the group should be defunded and fetal research banned.  But this logic confuses the politics of abortion with the scientific merits of fetal-tissue research.  And the latter is indisputable.

The U.S. National Institutes of Health funded $76 million worth of research that uses fetal tissue in 2014, and for good reason.  Over the decades, this kind of research has contributed to lifesaving vaccines for polio, rubella and chicken pox as well as advances in stemcell research that could lead to treatment for degenerative diseases like Parkinson’s.  Historically, these achievements have been overshadowed by the primary source of fetal tissue: elective abortions.”

Wow!  So the ends justify the means?  By the way, babies could receive their own stem cells if the umbilical cord was allowed to pulse following delivery, but U.S. hospitals clamp the cord immediately.  God would never say we have to kill babies to advance science; science can advance without breaking His law.  And those ‘lifesaving’ vaccines are actually doing more harm than good.  Thousands of babies die each year of SIDS.  Conveniently, the medical establishment doesn’t know the cause.  The truth is that vaccines are probably responsible for half of SIDS deaths.

“…in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”  1 Timothy 2:3-4 NASB

A better translation is “to come to the complete knowledge of the truth.”

Isn’t that wonderful?  God wants everyone to know the full truth.  That way, those who reject the truth (and salvation) are completely without excuse.  As it is now, no one has a complete knowledge of the truth.  But Paul speaks of a day: “For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known.”  1 Corinthians 13:12

“As He was going along by the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew, the brother of Simon, casting a net in the sea; for they were fishermen.  And Jesus said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men.”  Immediately they left their nets and followed Him.  Going on a little farther, He saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who were also in the boat mending the nets.  Immediately He called them; and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants, and went away to follow Him.”  Mark 1:16-20

The first time you read this, it appears that Jesus just walks by and commands strangers to follow him like 60s groupies.  Of course, that’s not quite what happened.  We don’t have much context, but this appears to happen right after Joh the baptist is put in jail.  It’s very likely that these four were disciples of Joh the baptist.  John told all the people that he was merely preparing the way for one greater than him, whose sandals he was undfit to tie.  When Simon, Andrew, James, and John left there nets, it was probably just before the feast of Tabernacles.  Jesus may have already talked to their father about them following him.  After all, Jesus upheld the commandment to honor ones’ parents.  It is inconceivable that Jesus would have disciples abandon their parents.  Leaving for a set purpose is one thing, abandoning is another.

The other impression one can get is that the disciples didn’t work.  Not so.  There are many instances when they’re in a boat.  Could they be fishing?