Pastor Ralph Posted August 7, 2014 Report Share Posted August 7, 2014 Q5. (John 5:39-40) What should be the role of the Scriptures in our lives? How is it possible for a person to be a great student of the Bible, but so lacking in spiritual discernment and lifestyle? How can we keep our churches orthodox but not legalistic and judgmental? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JanMary Posted November 12, 2014 Report Share Posted November 12, 2014 Q5. (John 5:39-40) What should be the role of the Scriptures in our lives? Jesus said in speaking to the religious leaders, that His Word should live in our hearts. His Word is alive and active...a double edged sword (cutting away with one edge and healing with the other) It's His revelation of Himself to us. It is the final authority. The early Berean church hungrily searched to see if what was being taught was true...we ought to do the same. We are encouraged in scripture to meditate on His Word and to know His Word. Having been deceived at one time due to ignorance of God's Word, I believe in reading every day. Not in a religious, legalistic way, or formula (did that for too many years), but as the Spirit leads and directs as I spend time with Him in the early morning. When the formula caused the Word to become a stale duty, I put it down and asked the Lord to give me a hunger for His Word...and He did. Now it's my joy and delight...my daily bread and comfort, my guidance and instruction each day. Always fresh and new! How is it possible for a person to be a great student of the Bible, but so lacking in spiritual discernment and lifestyle? Some read the Bible simply for knowledge...want to know what it says, but with unbelief. The Holy Spirit breathes the words into life for us...without Him indwelling I suppose the Bible is like reading the dictionary...just lots of words on a page. How can we keep our churches orthodox but not legalistic and judgmental? Ironically it was from a challenge at church that I started to read the Bible through in a year which led to legalism for me.....not a good plan! Grace preaching inspires and encourages.....the law or a mixture of law and grace demands and leads to legalism and judgment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clarence Posted November 13, 2014 Report Share Posted November 13, 2014 (John 5:39-40) What should be the role of the Scriptures in our lives? The bible says: Colossians 3:16Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. It is about knowing the written Word of God and obeying it- putting it into practice (Luke 6:46, 49a). Is it possible for a person to be a great student of the Bible, but so lacking in spiritual discernment and lifestyle? There are and have been academics who know the bible well, as well as other writings such as the Koran or other 'religious' writings. So the bible sits alongside other writings of this ilk with no special significance. How can we keep our churches orthodox but not legalistic and judgmental? It is important to adhere to the principles of scripture. Paul said if we do not have love we have, or gain nothing (1Corinthians 13). Having a legalistic and judgmental attitude is not love. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gerbrand van Schalkwyk Posted November 13, 2014 Report Share Posted November 13, 2014 Q5. (John 5:39-40) What should be the role of the Scriptures in our lives? The most important role of the Scriptures is to lead us to Christ, so that we can have a way to the Father. The whole OT points to Jesus. 2nd the Scriptures teach us Who is God, so that we don't serve a imaging god but the real Living Almighty God. 3rd the scriptures teach us how to serve God, how to seek God and how to form that very wonderful important relationship with Him How is it possible for a person to be a great student of the Bible, but so lacking in spiritual discernment and lifestyle? The Bible say "My people die because of a lack of knowledge" yet it also said " knowledge puffs up" With a lack of knowledge of the Bible we will never know who God is and gown to serve Him. But we must be very careful that we don't fall in the knowledge judgement trap. Yes we must discern between truth and false, right and wrong, but it is sooo easy to judge everything and loose too much of the love God sends our way How can we keep our churches orthodox but not legalistic and judgmental? By living true to the lead of the Holy Spirit. By seeking His Kingdom 1st. By combining the Love of God with the Fear of the Lord. By not just focusing on the Righteous God but also to worship the Lord of mercy By recognizing that God is a God of discipline and a God of Grace To know forgiveness and sanctification are both needed for my being a new person. I am full of sin but because of Him I am free, so how can i judge others. Rather praise God and leave the judgements to Him (except for teaching, don't believe all funny stuff) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
haar Posted November 13, 2014 Report Share Posted November 13, 2014 Q5. (John 5:39-40) What should be the role of the Scriptures in our lives? How is it possible for a person to be a great student of the Bible, but so lacking in spiritual discernment and lifestyle? How can we keep our churches orthodox but not legalistic and judgmental? The scriptures should influence our lives by being a lamp to our feet and a light to our path that guide us so that we will not stumble and fall. They should make us become more and more like Christ as we read and apply them in our lives. But if we do not eternalise them ie do not apply them then we will be great students but lacking in spiritual discernment and life style. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hanks Posted November 14, 2014 Report Share Posted November 14, 2014 Q5. (John 5:39-40) What should be the role of the Scriptures in our lives? How is it possible for a person to be a great student of the Bible, but so lacking in spiritual discernment and lifestyle? How can we keep our churches orthodox but not legalistic and judgmental? God has spoken and disclosed Himself in the written Scriptures, so we need to hear the Scriptures, in order that we might respond to the Lord’s invitation to turn from our sins and receive Christ as our Saviour. Once we have responded the Scriptures become our handbook to life here on earth. We may become a great student of the Bible but without being born-again it in itself will have no true meaning. We have to be looking for Christ in the Scriptures, as any mastery of them at the literary level will not give eternal life. Salvation is not based on good works. One does not become a Christian by living a Christian life, or by merely reading the Bible. The Son alone gives life, and He is met in the Scriptures. We read in 2 Timothy 3:16-17: “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” However, without the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives the Bible will have no special meaning. There has to be a renewing of the Holy Spirit which brings about a complete transformation, and we become new creatures by grace! We need Him to open our minds and to soften our hearts to make us receptive to His Word. Even then, spiritual growth takes time and is a lifelong commitment, as we are obedient to His Word and become more and more like Christ. As our knowledge of God’s Word increases does our faith grow. We have to come before our God in full reverence and there must be a certain standard of dignity in our services. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lighthouse2014 Posted November 15, 2014 Report Share Posted November 15, 2014 Q5. (John 5:39-40) What should be the role of the Scriptures in our lives? How is it possible for a person to be a great student of the Bible, but so lacking in spiritual discernment and lifestyle? How can we keep our churches orthodox but not legalistic and judgmental? The role of scripture in our lives should not only be read, studied and taught but applied to our daily lives. Remember as believers the Lords commandments are written in our hearts and in our minds. We have been set free from the law because of Christ sacrifice for us. The greatest commandment, to love God with your whole heart mind and soul and to love your neighbor as yours self. To be a great student of the bible and not have discernment is like the pharisee's of old, they had not the Holy Spirit to enlighten them so they could apply them to their lives. To keep our Churches orthodox and not legalistic judgmental , we should remember what Christ has taught us, His grace is enough for us and all mankind. We should keep Christ teachings and not become full of legal duties and become judgmental of everyone else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blezed Posted November 15, 2014 Report Share Posted November 15, 2014 What should be the role of the Scriptures in our lives? 1. The role of the scriptures is to point us to Christ. We should digest what they say and apply to our lives. How is it possible for a person to be a great student of the Bible, but so lacking in spiritual discernment and lifestyle? 2. We need not only to study the Bible but apply to our lives. Some people can quote the scriptures front and back but never live by the words. They enjoy the prestige of being able to quote the scriptures. Some may believe that this will get them to heaven. But Jesus said you must come unto him so he could give you eternal life. How can we keep our churches orthodox but not legalistic and judgmental? 3. We must abide by the teachings of the scriptures and not man made laws. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jen Posted November 15, 2014 Report Share Posted November 15, 2014 What should be the role of Scripture in our lives? How is it possible for a person to be great student of the Bible but so lacking in spiritual discernment and lifestyle? How can we keep our churches more orthodox but not legalistic and judgmental? Scripture should be of primary importance in our lives. It is our road map and it is how we understand and know the Lord and how to live the Christian life, pitfalls to avoid, our enemy and his cunning devices. It is everything we know about our future move, from one who has moved often to totally unknown cultures and places I value what I can learn about my new home ahead. All that there is to look forward to. There is so much in scripture. How can we be so lacking? Its the value we put on living scripture, our willingness to be at odds with the culture and whether we just read words or if we really believe. Love God and His Word, be forgiving, don't gossip, pray for each other, let all that you do be done in love. God Bless! Jen Numbers 6:24-26 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RebeccaMallinson Posted November 15, 2014 Report Share Posted November 15, 2014 We need to read the Scriptures regularly and meditate on what they mean and their application in our own lives. It is possible to memorise large chunks of the Bible, but concentrating only on being word-perfect without any real consideration of the meaning and the intention in writing the Bible. We must have a balance of following Christ through the Gospels, together with prayer and contemplation. Jesus emphasises repeatedly that we should not stray, but equally should not become like the Pharisees. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Commissioned Posted November 17, 2014 Report Share Posted November 17, 2014 Q5. (John 5:39-40) What should be the role of the Scriptures in our lives? How is it possible for a person to be a great student of the Bible, but so lacking in spiritual discernment and lifestyle? How can we keep our churches orthodox but not legalistic and judgmental? The role of Scripture in our lives should be held very sacred as it is God's Word to us. It becomes most beneficial, eternal value, when we allow the Word to dwell in our heart and live our lives according to the Word of God. There could be people who are great student of the Bible, but they lack spiritual discernment and their lifestyle does not testify of one who allows the Word of God to be the guiding light for their Christian journey. When we allow the Holy Spirit to give revelation and discernment by the Word of God we will not be a people who are legalistic and judgemental. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoiKosum Posted November 20, 2014 Report Share Posted November 20, 2014 (John 5:39-40) What should be the role of the Scriptures in our lives? How is it possible for a person to be a great student of the Bible, but so lacking in spiritual discernment and lifestyle? How can we keep our churches orthodox but not legalistic and judgmental? The role of Scriptures in our lives is for us to know God's word and which in turn guides us in our lives. A person can study and know the Bible inside and out. However, this only gives him head knowledge. Together this person must have a personal relationship with Jesus. We must also allow the Holy Spirit to guide us into a deeper understanding and relationship with Jesus. Otherwise, we will not be living in the victory that Jesus died on the cross to give us. The Holy Spirit is absolutely necessary for us to understand and apply the Scriptures. "The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned." (1 Corinthians 2:14). To keep our Churches orthodox and yet not be legalistic or judgmental, there must be an equal emphasis on Bible study and prayer sessions asking for God's wisdom and the Holy Spirit's guidance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Azh Posted November 25, 2014 Report Share Posted November 25, 2014 I believe Ray Stedman sums it up nicely in the following 2 paragraphs... In him[Christ] you also, who have heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and have believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, which is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory. (Ephesians 1:13-14 RSV) Notice two things which are emphasized here which are always found together in Scripture -- the Word, and the Spirit. Both are absolutely essential. There is no salvation without both of these. These are the instruments by which God performs his work. It is always a mistake to emphasize one of these to the exclusion of the other. There are groups today who are doing this: Some say, "No, we don't need the Word. All we need is the Spirit's guidance within. All we need is simply to trust the feelings we have. God the Spirit is dwelling in us and he will lead us." But whenever a group does that, they follow the pattern of similar groups in the past, and it invariably results in impractical ideas, in mysticism, in fanaticism, in rigid, hard-eyed determinism, and in individualism -- everybody going his own way and doing his own thing. Utter confusion results if you set aside the Word and try to follow only the Spirit. On the other hand there are those who try to follow the Word alone. On my recent trip around the country I visited several churches in which it was evident that they had lost all the freshness and vitality of the Spirit and had been reduced to mechanical, orthodox, perfunctory performance of the Word. They were orthodox to the core, but there was no life. They were sterile and dull and lifeless. This is what results when you try to adhere to the Word without the Spirit. It results in dry, mechanical services which only go through a certain form, a ritual observance, and the people go home deadened and dried up. It results in a kind of clenched-teeth piety in which the people resolve that they are going to "do their duty" as Christians, but there is no motivation, no hunger, no satisfaction, no love, no warmth, no joy, no life. But in Scripture you always find the two together. The Word is interpreted by the Spirit, and the Word becomes fresh and vital as you look to the Holy Spirit to make Jesus Christ step out of the pages and stand in your presence in living flesh. You feel the heartbeat of the human Lord who walked here on earth. It is the job of the Spirit to do that, and you never should come to the Bible without asking him to take these words and make them come alive. The entire article can be found at <http://www.raystedman.org/new-testament/ephesians/the-word-and-the-spirit> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Jerry Posted December 18, 2014 Report Share Posted December 18, 2014 The role of the Scriptures in our lives should be to guide us through our daily circumstances. We are to follow what the Scriptures say and obey them. It is possible to be a great student of the Bible and be licking in spiritual discernment. Just look at some of the atheists, they know the scriptures cold but still don’t believe in God. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grace2free Posted January 18, 2015 Report Share Posted January 18, 2015 Q5. (John 5:39-40) What should be the role of the Scriptures in our lives? The Scriptures is our life, it is the food of our soul. How is it possible for a person to be a great student of the Bible, but so lacking in spiritual discernment and lifestyle? It is not possible to be a great student of the Bible without spiritual discernment and lifestyle. Just like what Nicodemus felt after being a student, graduated, and working in the torah, mishnah, and kabbalah,having good position, employees, and reputation, he found out he is still missing something. No Spirit of God living in the man's heart, no discenrment, no Jesus lifestyle. How can we keep our churches orthodox but not legalistic and judgmental? There are a lot of laws in the Bible but the Lord gave only two to fulfil them all. 1. Love thy God from your heart, mind, body, and soul. 2. Love thy neighbors more than yourself. If your doing these, the Spirit of God is in you, what a miracle. Study the Scriptures - Bible study with listening and obidience in the Word of God. Being orthodox following only the law/love of God and only letting Jesus to judge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
linda bass Posted January 27, 2015 Report Share Posted January 27, 2015 The role of the Scriptures in our lives should be to testify to us about Jesus. It is possible for a person to be a great student of the Bible, but so lacking in spiritual discernment and life style because, they fail to apply what the learn to their life. We can keep our churches orthodox, but not legalistic and judgmental by studying the bible, being obedient to God's word, and following the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stanley Tavaziva Posted February 7, 2015 Report Share Posted February 7, 2015 The role scriptures in our lives is to walk with God. Feed our soul, body and mind with the word of God, get saturated and over spill to others as well The religious leaders knew what the Bible said but failed to apply its words to their lives. They knew the teachings of the Scriptures but failed to see the Messiah to whom the Scriptures pointed. They knew the rules but missed the Savior. Entrenched in their own religious system, they refused to let the Son of God change their lives. Don’t become so involved in ”religion” that you miss Christ without the Spirit of God living in the man's heart, no discernment, no Jesus. Whose praise do you seek? The religious leaders enjoyed great prestige in Israel, but their stamp of approval meant nothing to Jesus. He was concerned about God’s approval. This is a good principle for us. If even the highest officials in the world approve of our actions and God does not, we should be concerned. But if God approves, even though others don’t, we should be content. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoanG Posted May 9, 2015 Report Share Posted May 9, 2015 Scriptures should be our reference book to the teaching of God and Jesus. It should give us examples of how to live. Not be the only thing we read in the hope to have salvations. There are a lot of people that are book smart. They can read and comprehend, but they do not live what they learn. They have no common sense on how to relate what they read to how they are suppose to live. We need to bring the bible to life. We need to be the words. Our actions need to scream the message for the world to see. We need to keep to the heart of the word. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe_Applegarth Posted June 24, 2015 Report Share Posted June 24, 2015 What should be the role of the Scriptures in our lives? The scriptures are the word of God and we should study them every day, on our own and with our friends, families and other believers. Studying His word will grown our faith and allow us know our Heavenly Father and Christ Jesus better. As we get to know Him, He’ll bless us all with the power to witness to non-believers, to resist the evil one and give us the strength to face our daily challenges. That said, just reading and studying isn’t enough; you could (theoretically) memorize the Bible front to back and if you don’t put the things you’ve learned into practice in your life, you’ve simply memorized words. As a faithful Christian you are also “required” to apply His words and His guidance in our daily lives. “The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.” [Phil. 4:9] How is it possible for a person to be a great student of the Bible, but so lacking in spiritual discernment and lifestyle? Many who claim to be atheist study the Bible in order to argue against it. I’ve met several of this ilk in my 66 years on this earth and, even though atheistic as they are, they are/were, in their own right, great students of the Bible. They diligently read and studied the word but simply refused to believe. There are also a lot of us who claim to be “good Christian” men and women who simply delude ourselves into believing that we are righteous simply because we've memorized and can quote scripture at the drop of a hat. Those who profess to believe and are non-committal or really don't fully believe and put the Word of God into practice, their belief in their own righteousness is false. The truth is that, in addition to study and prayer, you still (first and foremost) must have an unshakable faith in Christ Jesus and apply his teaching in both word and deed to our daily lives. “What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them?” [James 2:14] How can we keep our churches orthodox but not legalistic and judgmental? There are several definitions of orthodoxy and I suppose you could probably apply any of them to this discussion. However, the definition I choose to go with is this one: “sound or correct in opinion or doctrine, especially theological or religious doctrine.” Time and space doesn’t allow for a full accounting of my thoughts on this subject so I’ll keep this brief. Obviously, we can start by teaching and preaching the ONLY sound, correct church doctrine available; the Bible (and only the Bible)! In order to be non-legalistic and non-judgmental we have to stay with what’s worked from the very beginning of Christianity and that is faithfully teaching and preaching the word of God and removing any/all man made teachings and traditions from our churches. The Bible is, as it should be, our only teaching tool. Scripture tells us quite clearly that God is the unquestionable Creator of the universe and He and only He, reigns supreme; Jesus Christ was (is) God in the flesh and that He died for the redemption of the sins of ALL mankind. God made us in His image but He also gave us a free will and because we have that free will, we will be judged solely on our own faith and on our own works and not because of the sin of Adam or anyone coming before us. We also need to teach and preach that we can be saved only by faith (hearing and believing the word), accepting Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, repenting our sins and being baptized in the name of the Father, the Son and of the Holy Spirit and living our lives the way The Lord expects us to live without question and without apology! If we do these things, Jesus will not have died in vain! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pickledilly Posted December 11, 2015 Report Share Posted December 11, 2015 Scripture is a vital source of our spiritual nourishment because it is God's direct Word to man. It feeds our spiritual life with truth and wisdom that the Spirit uses to direct us from within. We must internalize the Word in order for it to transform our minds, guard our hearts, and lead our steps. Scripture is where we learn who God is, what our relationship is to Him, what He has done to redeem us to Himself through Christ, how we are to live, the inheritance He has promised to all who trust Christ. The Word is a living force that gives discernment and wisdom when we submit to the Spirit's application of the Scripture to our hearts. A person could be a devoted academic student of the Bible without ever internalizing the truths contained in it and putting them into practice. If the knowledge is only in the head but is never received into the heart, the Scripture has no influence on one's world view, philosophy of life, understanding of self, foundation of truth, processes of decision-making, motives, goals, or desires. In other words, it has no transformational impact on how one lives or what one believes. That requires the indwelling of the Spirit, because the spiritual realm can't be comprehended in the natural realm. Without Him, it would be a little like an earthworm attempting to understand the human mind. We must teach and know the Scriptures as Christians if we are going to have discernment of spiritual truth and wisdom to apply knowledge for living. But we cannot become legalistic about it, making rules and passing judgment on others. In fact, I think that the more you rightly know and comprehend God's Word, the more humble you actually become as you realize you must rely solely on the grace of God for understanding. And the hard, often painful work of applying the principles of Scripture to our own lives should keep us humble. Also, we should always be dealing with others according to the Royal Law of Love – first for God and then for others. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RuthRW Posted July 17, 2017 Report Share Posted July 17, 2017 Every time we come to the scriptures we come to Jesus and receive God's word straight from the mouth of Christ. Just like the disciples did 2000 years ago. We grow in our relationship, have fellowship with Him, receiving much love, encouragement and guidance and discipline. His word is alive and active. It has all to do with our relationship with Him and living in Him. There was a time when I saw the scriptures to a great extent as being God's history book and rule book for Christian living and instead of searching for Jesus Himself I was searching for His promises and healing. Then slowly I learnt that everything centres around Jesus and the bible took on a whole new meaning. Our churches must preach the whole truth and stand on the word of God, helping people to understand that everything God tells us or commands us to do, He told us out of love and for our protection and our good and as we obey His commandments we do it out of love for what Christ has done for us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Jerry Posted July 5, 2018 Report Share Posted July 5, 2018 The role of the Scriptures should be out lives. Some atheist know the bible cold but they lack the spiritual discernment and lifestyle. It is just another book to study and doesn’t mean anything to them. It is hard to keep our churches orthodox but not legalistic nor judgmental. Therefore we need to focus on our relationship with God and judge others about their relationship with God. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Godswriter Posted February 15, 2019 Report Share Posted February 15, 2019 Q5. (John 5:39-40) What should be the role of the Scriptures in our lives? How is it possible for a person to be a great student of the Bible, but so lacking in spiritual discernment and lifestyle? How can we keep our churches orthodox but not legalistic and judgmental? It should be our primary authority and guide for our lives for all we do and say. There are people who say they believe in the Bible yet don't read it which says it a lot about them. It says that they aren't what they seem. It is possible to study it and not to penetrate the heart at all. The only way for that happen is to focus God and not judge others about their relationship with God. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paula Price Posted August 7, 2019 Report Share Posted August 7, 2019 Again, we have no church. The church belongs to God and Jesus is the head over all who are saved and everything the church. It is not our will but the father's will. We can do nothing concerning it. All that is required of us to do is to follow the example Jesus left for us concerning His Church. Everything that is to be done is found in the bible... That was the purpose of it. God chose inspired men to write it so that we would know how he wants us to live in order to receive eternal life. The churches you speak of are man made with all the extra stuff that has been added to please man. That is not GOD"S CHURCH. When we read the New Testament. in Corinthians, Ephesians, Romans, Timothy......Hebrews... they tell us how God wants us, His Church, to be. We need to follow that pattern. That is His Way. Not our way. We are not to read the bible to become students, but to learn how God wants us to live our lives and what He want us to do concerning our souls. It is not a religion, but a relationship that he wants with us. To walk holy and righteous before Him and with Him. To trust and obey Him and His word and to do His will. The Church belongs to Jesus. He died for it, and bought it with His blood. We belong to Him and He is head and ruler. Only He has authority over it. Man does not have a heaven or hell to put anyone in and man certainly do not have a Church! The earth is the Lord's and the fullness there of.......It all belong to HIM: We did not make ourselves and we did not make the world... Nothing belongs to man. We all belong to God. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonathan Edwards Posted September 6, 2021 Report Share Posted September 6, 2021 It is important to have a thorough Bible study at home. No doubt about it! It is wonderful to know Greek, Aramaic, Chaldean and other languages. Form criticism and other disciplines can help to a degree. ON OUR KNEES MUST WE MEDITATE ON BIBLE. We must ask the Holy Spirit to lead us to Christ each day. Charles Templeton a close associate of Billy Graham left the altar of prayer at one point of his life. Templeton was a thorough Bible student but book knowledge is finite. St Thomas Aquinas had a vision from heaven in which God revealed to him that his vast theological treatises were all straw. Solution is prayerfull Bible conferences and retreats. Absolute necessity to get away periodically to seek the Lord. Expository preaching is absolute and thorough preaching on Christain mortification as well. The Church of Alexandria in Egypt was evangelistic and was a center of great Christain theological study. Many pagans were attracted to the Gospel. Various preachers were able to present the Gospel in such a way that the various pagan religions declined. Yet the Alexandrian church remained a bastion of truth. We respond with meekness for the truth we possess but like St Anathansius we do reprove error. Arians were not happy with Remonstrances from Bible believers. Anathansius and John Chrysostom were persecuted and sent into exile. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.