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Tag: God

Theology always Begins with GOD
Truly, theology always begins and ends with God.
Roger@TalkofJesus.com

Theology

EVERYONE studies God, whether they admit it or not.

Even the avowed atheist must create an anti–theos atheology AGAINST God – θεός (theos).

So what do YOU think about YOUR relationship to GOD?
- Has mortal man evolved a doctrine from dust and ashes theorizing a theology tolerant of common evil tailored for a Common Era?
IS GOD not immutable and Truth unchanging?

YES, of course; even IF humankind has evolved by definition and theory.

Yet some commonly deny both God and Truth.

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“WHAT IS DOCTRINE?”

Doctrine of God – θεός
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FACT: #God appears as a tag in 300+ posts on TalkofJESUS.com
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Who does God instruct to teach others about God?
- IF YOU teach others anything about God, then you might also like to reexamine the QUESTIONS of other ‘theologians‘ about our relationship with God.
- Our theology will most likely remain ‘on course’ and true by consideration of God by others.
A true doctrine of God will lead the humble created to the One truth revealed to living souls, mere mortal men blazing brief narrow paths from dust to the eternal.
Roger@TalkofJesus.com

Basic Questions About God

One of the most time-tested ways to approach theology is for the teacher to ASK a question of students (disciples, followers..) and have the class (family, church, etc.) memorize STANDARD doctrinally sound ANSWERS.

TODAY in this Common Era characterized by brevity of thinking and attention span, let’s look ONLY at QUESTIONS of GOD.
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I'll do my best to link to original sources for further study from previous doctrinal posts on TalkofJESUS.com - RH
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Creeds, Catechisms, Confessions & Christ – What do you believe?

Doctrines A.D. – definitions
- A Creed – Your stated faith, basically brief enough to reaffirm in a worship service (whether weekly or occasionally)
- Confession of Faith – A longer extension of a creed more suited for the study of the Doctrines behind our foundational Christian beliefs stated in a creed.
- So what is a Catechism?
  - Think of it as a class (really, classes – like going to school) covering what we ought to know about our beliefs.
    
    Source: What do you believe?
    
    Further study in church doctrine
*Baltimore Catechism

Who is God?

Why did God make you?

What is God?

Had God a beginning?

Where is God?

Does God see us?

Does God know all things?

Can God do all things?

Is God just, holy, and merciful?

Is there but one God?

Why can there be but one God?

How many Persons are there in God?
* source: Baltimore Catechism – link to site with ANSWERS
*READ disclaimer below.
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* Source: Wikipedia - A Catechism of Christian Doctrine.. or simply the Baltimore Catechism, was the national Catholic catechism for children in the United States, based on Robert Bellarmine's 1614 Small Catechism.. it was the standard Catholic school text in the country from [A.D.] 1885 to the late 1960s..
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* officially replaced by the United States Catholic Catechism for Adults in 2004 C.E.
- DISCLAIMER About Sacred-Texts
This site is .. about religion, mythology, legends and folklore, and occult and esoteric topics. [*note this aTheist approach] ‘This site has no particular agenda other than promoting religious tolerance and scholarship.’

Doctrines C.E.

Many Creeds, Confessions and catechisms clarifying the faith of Christians for centuries have succumbed to pluralities of culture, exchanging worship of God in Truth for multi-philosophic theory.

our secularly-redefined COMMON ERA

Acceptable Doctrines of the Common Era include a PAN-THEON poised in aTheist theory, pagan myth and stone-cold idols of every egregious god and any false prophet.
Roger@TalkofJesus.com

from What does your church teach? – Catechism

Heidelberg Catechism of 1563

Question 1. ‘What is thy only comfort in life and death?‘

Now BEFORE you answer (even if you happen to have some form of it memorized), THINK about it. AND

– Where does GOD fit into YOUR answer?

The teaching of this early Protestant Catechism contains a LONG and thought-provoking ANSWER.
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Do Christians of the Common Era ever take time for an important thought-provoking answer to ANY theological question?
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Here it is (in part). (Complete answer linked in post above.)

That I with body and soul, both in life and death am not my own.. that without the will of my heavenly Father, not a hair can fall from my head..

He also assures me of eternal life and makes me sincerely willing and ready, henceforth, to live unto him.
abridged answer to Question #1 of the Heidelberg Catechism
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As Christian doctrine ought, this teaching points first to Christ [God the Son]
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Westminster Shorter Catechism – A.D. 1647

Quest. 1. What is the chief end of man?

Quest. 2. What rule hath God given to direct us how we may glorify and enjoy him?

Quest. 4. What is God?
The Westminster Shorter Catechism

Book of Common Prayer A.D. 1662
* The 1662 Book of Common Prayer (still the official Prayer Book of the Church of England).. including many updates (A.D. 1928)
and 2019 of the Common Era.
- W H A T is your Name?
- Who gave you this Name?
- Answer: My Godfathers and Godmothers in my Baptism; wherein I was made a member of Christ, the child of God, and an inheritor of the kingdom of heaven.
- What did your Godfathers and Godmothers then for you?
ANSWER
- They did promise and vow three things in my Name.
  - First, that I should renounce the devil and all his works, the pomps [ostentatious] and vanity of this wicked world, and all the sinful lusts of the flesh:
  - Secondly, that I should believe all the articles of the Christian faith:
  - And thirdly, that I should keep God’s holy Will and Commandments, and walk in the same all the days of my life.
- Dost thou not think that thou art bound to believe, and to do, as they have promised for thee?
- Yes verily; and by God’s help So I will. And I heartily thank our heavenly Father, that he hath called me to this state of salvation, through Jesus Christ our Saviour. And I pray unto God to give me his grace, that I may continue in the same unto my life’s end.
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Common Era READERS must note the seriousness of these VOWS made by baptized Christians and their continuing public confession and confirmation of same. - RH
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New City Catechism – 2012 C.E.
- “Almost every denomination and tradition in church history has used some form of catechesis for the religious education of Christian children and adults:
- In 2012, The Gospel Coalition and Redeemer Presbyterian Church released the New City Catechism.
Source: TGC – 9 Things You Should Know About Catechisms
What is God?

How Many Persons Are There in God?

How and Why Did God Create Us?

What Else Did God Create?

How Can We Glorify God?
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ANSWERS TO THESE AND MANY MORE QUESTIONS ABOUT GOD AND JESUS CHRIST in The New City Catechism {see link}
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PART 1 God, Creation, The Fall, Law

2024 of the COMMON ERA DOCTRINE

DOCTRINE of the LORD GOD? or aTheology in the Common Error of humankind?

Although a remnant of Christ-followers and minority of churches continue in True Biblical Doctrine, the enemy of this world has divided and conquered (for now) an indecisive church, non-committal ‘christians‘ and sometime worshippers indifferent to Truth.

WHERE DO YOU STAND?

What do you believe AND what must you do?

ONLY Scripture – Sola Scriptura
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NEXT: DOCTRINE - WHO SAYS?
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Comment on Scripture – Share the Gospel
April 12, 2024
Thessalonians and the Righteous Judgment of God
Paul, and Silvanus, and Timotheus,

unto the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:

grace unto you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Second Epistle of Paul to the Thessalonians

WHY are the Thessalonians so special to Paul that the Apostle would write not one but TWO Epistles to their church from Athens?
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After all, hadn't Paul recorded that the Bereans were 'more noble than those in Thessalonica?' 

Actually, this much overstated passage from Acts of the Apostles 17 refers ONLY to the Jews.
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In addition to several Jews, including Jason who had been a leader of the local synagogue, the Church of the Thessalonians had many Macedonians (and perhaps Roman citizens as well.)

And some of them were persuaded, and consorted with Paul and Silas; and of the devout Greeks a great multitude, and of the chief women not a few.
Acts of the the Apostles 17:4 – Thessalonians during Second Missionary Journey ~ A.D. 50

ACTS 17:5 But the Jews which believed not, moved with envy, took unto them certain lewd fellows of the baser sort, and gathered a company, and set all the city on an uproar, and assaulted the house of Jason, and sought to bring them out to the people. 6 And when they found them not, they drew Jason and certain brethren unto the rulers of the city, crying,

These that have turned the world upside down are come hither also; 7 whom Jason hath received: and these all do contrary to the decrees of Cæsar, saying that there is another king, one Jesus. 8 And they troubled the people and the rulers of the city, when they heard these things. 9 And when they had taken security of Jason, and of the other, they let them go.

10 And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea..
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Jason and other Jews have undoubtedly continued in Christ as members of the church in Thessalonica.
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And they [Berean believers] that conducted Paul brought him unto Athens: and receiving a commandment unto Silas and Timotheus [who had remained in Berea] for to come to him with all speed, they departed.
Acts of the Apostles 17:15 AKJV

Paul’s unfinished encouragement of the Thessalonians

Paul writes to the Thessalonians from Athens

18 After these things Paul departed from Athens, and came to Corinth.. 5 And when Silas and Timotheus were come from Macedonia, Paul was pressed in the spirit, and testified to the Jews that Jesus was Christ.

How was our first epistle received?

PAUL, TIMOTHY, SILAS (Silvanus), Dionysius the Areopagite, and a woman named Damaris, and others [from Athens and other cities] COMMUNICATED with the Church in places where Paul and Silas had proclaimed the gospel of Jesus Christ. Timothy, Jason and others became part of church leadership in cities throughout Asia Minor, Macedonia and Achaia.

APOSTLES SENT EPISTLES TO COMMUNICATE WITH AND SUSTAIN THE CHURCHES in a similar fashion as when in about A.D. 50 the Council of Jerusalem had sent clarifications of the faith into all the world of their ROMAN provinces.

The Apostles must have sent AND RECEIVED letters and brief messages much more frequently than these exemplary New Testament Epistles record.

Paul’s Second Letter to the Thessalonians
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Once again PLEASE endure a most appropriate formality (17th c. King's English) of the KJV & Authorized KJV for this Apostolic Epistle. 
- RH
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~ A.D. 51 (a few months after Paul’s First Epistle)

.. we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure:
II Thessalonians 1:4b AKJV

Silas, Timothy, Jason and others had delivered first-hand or second-hand accounts of events in Thessalonica after Paul had escaped.

Paul knew that the Thessalonian believers were suffering. So the Apostle encourages the faithful:

5 which is a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God, that ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which ye also suffer:
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Skipping ahead in Paul's Second Epistle:
II Thessalonians 3:6 
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Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which he received of us. ..

11 For we hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly, working not at all, but are busybodies. 12 Now them that are such we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness they work, and eat their own bread.

HOW did Paul, Silas and Timothy know about these serious challenges to the Thessalonians?

COMMUNICATION between church leaders and the Apostles.

IF you are SUFFERING on account of your witness of the Lord JESUS Christ GOD has chosen you and GOD will repay those who trouble you.

BUT IF some in your church DO NOT OBEY the commands and example of the Apostles they DO NOT and SHOULD NOT represent Christ as a member of your church.

When the Lord Jesus shall be revealed!

Paul preaches clearly about the Judgment to come.

II THESSALONIANS 1:7-12 AKJV – Paul’s Points concerning Judgment
- .. and to you who are troubled rest with us,
- when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven
- taking vengeance on them
  - that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ
- who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord,
  - and from the glory of his power;
- when he (The Lord Christ JESUS] shall come to be glorified in his saints (all believers),
- and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day.
- with his mighty angels,
- in flaming fire
Let no man deceive you
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Paul continues in encouraging these faithful Thessalonians currently enduring persecution to look forward to THE DAY Christ will return and draw the saints unto Him in victory over death.
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.. by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ,

and by our gathering together unto him,

be not soon shaken

in mind,

or be troubled,

neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.
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Don't believe such things.
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.. for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first,

and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.
2 Thessalonians 2b-4 AKJV

ἄνομος ánomos – Wicked

And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
2 Thessalonians 2:8-10 AKJV

We can hardly overlook Paul’s warning of Satan’s deception which will precede the returning of Christ for those He has saved.

Persecuted Thessalonians would obey the Apostle – having received the Holy spirit AND to whom Paul had already written in his first epistle:
- He therefore that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God, who hath also given unto us his holy Spirit. – 1 Thessalonians 4:8
- Quench not the Spirit. – 1 Th 5:19
- And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. – 1 Th 5:23
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ONCE MORE PAUL ENCOURAGES BELIEVERS IN THE TRUTH OF THE RETURN AND JUDGMENT OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST.
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Pray that we might be delivered..
- .. pray for us
- ..that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men:
- for all men have not faith.
- But the Lord is faithful,
- .. and keep you from evil.
- And we have confidence in the Lord touching you, that ye both do and will do the things which we command you.
- And .. into the patient waiting for Christ.
Walk away from evil men
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I have already addressed [above] Paul's concern from evil influencers who claim to be 'christians' AND Paul's COMMAND to stay away from such men.
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But ye, brethren, be not weary in well doing.

And if any man obey not our word by this epistle, note that man, and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed. Yet count him not as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.
11 Thessalonians 3:13-15 AKJV

And so, my dear brother or sister in the Lord, WHY NOT respond to Paul’s Epistle by your COMMENT?

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

Comment on Scripture – Share the Gospel
February 29, 2024
Letters from Proselytes of Galatia to Paul
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Premise: The Apostle Paul likely received one or several letters to which the Apostle responds with Epistles to several churches and certain important persons.
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Who wrote to the Apostle Paul?

Think about this —

Paul and other Apostles come into your town or city, proclaim some Good News, build a church of Christ followers, establish some local leaders. AND then after some time these missionaries leave to go somewhere else into all the world.

ACTS of the Apostles details some of these encounters which occur after numerous encouraging visits of various apostles sent out to them.

Apostles Sent to the Gentiles with a Letter of the Council

Many apostles and letters communicate Good News of one faith in Christ for all the world.

Although we have no preserved documentation of any messages or letters delivered to the Apostle from the Gentiles, I suspect that Paul perceives a crisis of faith in the churches of Galatia — a crisis conveyed to him by faithful disciples of the risen Christ and perhaps even believers considering IF they should abandon The Way of the Lord for a more prevalent cultural Judaism.

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

The Apostles, including the Twelve and Paul, James and other church leaders communicate in person and by messenger by the Spirit who has sent them out into each mission.

Who are the Galatians?

In Paul’s day, the word Galatia had two distinct meanings. In a strict ethnic sense, Galatia was the region of central Asia Minor (modern Turkiye) .. a Celtic people who had migrated to that region from Gaul (modern France) .. (in) 25 B.C. when Galatia became a Roman province, incorporating some regions not inhabited by ethnic Galatians (e.g., parts of Lycaonia, Phrygia, and Pisidia). In a political sense, Galatia came to describe the entire Roman province, not merely the region inhabited by the ethnic Galatians.

Paul founded churches in the southern Galatian cities of Antioch, Iconium, Lystra, and Derbe (Acts 13:14–14:23).
Commentary of John MacArthur – BlueLetterBible.org
You will recognize these Galatian cities from Paul's early missions into all the world.
WHY did Paul write to the Galatians?

Regardless of who founded any of the Galatian cities in the A.D. first century Roman Empire, every town had an ethnic challenge common to all churches established by the apostles in every Roman province.

Proselytes – Judaizers fleeing Persecution for the Cross of Christ

The covenantal culture of the Jews opposed the pagan practices of peoples of other cultures. SO the Jews insisted on certain traditional identifications of Jewish men such as circumcision.
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Who are these proselytes?
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Even as Paul, Barnabas, Silas and other apostles had encountered opposition from Jews seeking their own disciples, so had the Lord Jesus.

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you travel around on sea and land to make one proselyte; and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves.
Gospel of Matthew 23: 15 LSB
The Lord Jesus Christ describes the culture of Judaizers rejecting their own Messiah

An Apostolic Urgency to Write to the Galatians

PAUL must urgently address the concerns of those men in Galatia struggling in the faith

AND like all Christians, pursued by the Jews.

TWO QUESTIONS HERE:
- WHO represents the earthly authority of GOD?
- IF it is CHRIST, what is PAUL’s authority over the JEW and non-Jew?
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Later, I will get to a Twenty-first century C.E. challenge
of this AUTHORITY in Christ which has now challenged the Church for some 500 years.
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How will the Apostle answer?

“Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.”
Galatians 5:1 KJV

Galatians 1 – Paul’s Authority
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The Apostle begins his Epistle to the Galatians by firmly establishing his authority and leadership of the churches.
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Paul, an apostle—not sent from men
- nor through man,
- but through Jesus Christ
- and God the Father, who raised Him from the dead—
- and all the brothers who are with me,
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Pretty convincing.

Paul opens fire against familiar enemies of Christ (Judaizers).
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6 I marvel that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ for a different gospel, which is really not another, only there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ.
- Paul clearly states that the Galatians must choose:
  - – between him as a representative of God the Father and Christ Jesus OR
  - – teachers of a false and distorted gospel
    
    (which is not good news but a Jewish tradition chained to the Law and regulations of the flesh).
Paul defends not only his credentials and calling by Christ, but once more presents his case of Christ’s freedom to these gentile believers caught between the Gospel and the yoke of the Judaizers.

2:17 But if, while seeking to be justified in Christ, we ourselves have also been found sinners, is Christ then a minister of sin? May it never be!

I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness comes through the Law, then Christ died needlessly.
Galatians 2:21 LSB
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PAUL goes straight to the QUESTION of deceitful men claiming a GOSPEL other than Christ crucified and risen -- Judaizers seeking to lure these Galatian Christ-followers back to a Law of social Judaism. 
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3 O foolish Galatians, who bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified?

THEN the Apostle clearly asks these men of the church a key QUESTION of their calling.

2 This is the only thing I want to learn from you:

Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the Law,

or by hearing with faith?

“The righteous shall live by faith.”

What does Paul seek to prove here refuting Judaizers requiring circumcision of gentile proselytes?

And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, proclaimed the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying,

“All the nations will be blessed in you.”
Galatians 3:8 LSB

The Apostle QUOTES Hebrew SCRIPTURE from BEFORE the LAW.

From Genesis 22:

22:18 וְהִתְבָּרֲכוּ בְזַרְעֲךָ כֹּל גּוֹיֵי הָאָרֶץ עֵקֶב אֲשֶׁר שָׁמַעְתָּ בְּקֹלִי׃
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 “By Myself I have sworn, declares Yahweh, because you have done this thing and have not spared your son, your only one, indeed I will greatly bless you, and I will greatly multiply your seed as the stars of the heavens and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your seed shall possess the gate of his enemies.

“In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have listened to My voice.”
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LATER comes THE LAW of Moses by which the Christ was crucified on a Cross as a redemptive Sacrifice for our sins. (It was NOT ONLY for the Jews, but for ALL the seed of Abraham — every sinner.

The Apostle makes further legal arguments and adds an allegory comparing:
- Ishmael & Isaac
- flesh & promise
- Hagar & Sarah,
- Jerusalem and Mount Sanai and slavery,
- Moses & Christ
- the Jerusalem above and freedom. (Study its juxtaposition if you like.)
The Apostle’s closing argument
1. 5:4 You have been severed from Christ, you who are being justified by law; you have fallen from grace!
2. For we through the Spirit, by faith, are eagerly waiting for the hope of righteousness.
3. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything, but faith working through love.
Faith Reformed in Fact

Jewish faith — to Christian faith — to Scriptural faith informed in the Good News of the Word of God…

Who has believed our message?

The Galatians and every other culture encountered by the Apostles —

~ ano Domini 49 – 50

~ A.D. 49 Paul has just written to the Galatians out of the Apostle’s concern for their failing faith being replaced by a false gospel.
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NEXT: Paul will also write to the THESSALONIANS out of his same love for the children of Christ Jesus the Apostles have led so far.
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WHERE could other gospels lead these Christian flocks of the Empires?

A fall of Rome, a division with an Orthodox New Rome (Constantinople) and Western father of Bishops and Princes competing for pawns of populace.

New temples built as CATHEDRALS for poor pilgrims to look up to God and well-mannered robed men who could actually READ the Holy Bible of God…

And then printing presses and challenges by Reformers pointing to Scripture in place of the yoke of Law and even Church law.

In my heart reigns this one article, faith in my dear Lord Christ, the beginning, middle and end of whatever spiritual and divine thoughts I may have, whether by day or by night.
From Luther’s Introduction, ano domini 1538

THEN what should happen in yet another 500 years once common men and women of the Common Era COULD (yet did not) actually READ the BIBLE?

a brief application …

My HOT reaction to a 1st. c. Hot Topic

Talk of JESUS . com

Comment on Scripture – Share the Gospel
January 26, 2024