What if a candidate for elder has an adopted child that was a believer(?) but is denouncing God and his christian belief. Does this disqualify this candidate?
Hi Zeti; I don't understand your mentioning of Martin Luther and the Pope, in relation to your first point about money? But as far as the creation and use of money; God has put the world's business into the hands of men. From the first pronouncement of dominion over all things to the naming of the animals to tending and tilling the ground; so too the knowledge and working of Government of society.
"behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth." Vs 15. Some have said the catholic church meets this verse...They are wrong. It must be the pillar and the ground of the truth, that determines what the church is. It is not for the church, never has been for the church, to determine what constitutes the pillar and ground of the truth.
God gave Paul a mystery. 1 Timothy 3:16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory. No body new anything about manifest in the flesh until Paul wrote it in his epistles. Paul also started churches with Bishop and Deacons. Amen to .
My favorite verse is 3-16. When I had been down as low as a man can get, I started looking for God. I had to sink to my lowest depth. I could not understand, had always been my own man doing what I was big enough to do. Reading this verse so how opened my eyes to the truth that I was not my own man, I was a child of God and He loved me when no one else did. I am thankful for what He has done.
Doreen: My Heavenly Father did not make money that came from the desires of man. Man placed value on Salt,Livestock,Slaves,food and Their Trade. What ever they thought had value they used to trade and barter with to have what they wanted. Today it is precious metals,coins,paper money. Some do anything to get money.Greedy pastors preach name it and claim it.Send Me 100$ you will be a "Millionaire"
'lucre' (money) BECOMES, not 'is', filthy when we use it ALL for ourselves and not honoring God with the tithe of ten percent - which is His even before taxes; ten per cent of the GROSS amt. Mal. 3:8-11; " ... and PROVE me now ... "; v. 11; "And I WILL rebuke the devourer ... "; Ps. 37:25, "I was YOUNG, but now am OLD, ..... nor have I seen His seed begging bread." Tit. 1:2, God that cannot lie."
So who condemned money to be filthy lucre and why did my FATHER The CREATOR The INFINITE made such a GOOD thing for us HIS Children HIS Offspring HIS Creations to use!! Would You as a Parent give Your child a toy that would hurt Your child to play with? Money is Good. YOUR Thoughts Words and Actions are very Powerful. Whatever You think and speak You will receive.
The way a Christian man cares for his family must be considered in determining whether he qualifies to assume the heavier responsibility of sherpherding the congregation as verses 4 and 5 show.
Mari, Thank-You - so much. I am staying strong with Him, but we all do have His trials He gives us - Pro.12:25; BUT - then I look to Paul - 2 Cor. 11:24-27, and I know I can make it. I am the only one in my fam. of several that is with Him, and I have a lot of pain at 75. The fam. is good to me.
Wayne - You are so kind on here; I can feel your gentleness - Thank-you. About 'Father' and 'Holy Ghost' - Yes, He is very alive in my life (not 'they'). All I can give you to explain this is - again - 1 Tim. 3:16; " ..... GOD was ....."
V. 16 - And WITHOUT controversy .................. GOD was .....................; hmmm; I thought JESUS was ... ? I see here that God is telling me - His name is Jesus; and whatsoever ye do in word or deed (water baptism is done in both) do ALL in the NAME of - Jesus.
Irene123, Christ stated in the name of and listed all three. He didn't state in the name of for each one, which would b redundant. Common sense tells us that. Hope this helps you in your scriptural reasoning.
Pitshou's comment, 6 25 '14 "I think we need to believe only, not to reason the word of God." First of all - there is that "I think" again God, who IS His Word, does not care what you think. He WANTS us to 'reason' out His word, not argue over it - Isa. 1:18.
Thank-YOU, Mari - for your encouragement. We don't get very much, do we, but that's good - keeps us humble. And, no - to others that see this , I am not boasting of my humbleness. I've learned some from being on this site from y'all.
To BJ - Matt. 28:19 to Acts 2:38. Baptist churches are trinitarian; Matt. 28:19 is a oneness scripture: "..... baptizing them in the NAME of....."; this is what Peter did in Acts 2:38. Ex. 6:4 and many oneness verses from Isa. ch. 43 - 45,46. They are scattered thru theses chapters; you need to, with fervent prayer, seeking for his truth, read them.
The Bible standard is the same everywhere, for whosoever, no matter the position and title, and it is unequivocally clear in scriptures that in heaven there is no title nor is there anything like bishop, priest because it is the same (common)salvation: repentance from sin and faith towards God that allow one to get into that Holy city, New Jerusalem.
Martin Luther identified the pope