------=_NextPart_000_01BC093B.B9F51B60
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
Carl,
Given what follows in Mat 25:33-34 I am convinced that this separation of
sheep and goats must refer to indivduals, and your comments have helped.
However, the question of what basis the judgment takes place is difficult
and complex. I am "feel" (not a safe hermeneuetic term) that Jesus often
uses specific descriptions of what is implied by faith, and therefore,
salvation. For example the lawyer who asked him about eternal life. The
issue is eternal life, salvation. When Jesus turned the tables and asked
him about his own opinion, the lawyer recited the crux of the law "To love
the Lord you God...." (Luke 12;25-26). The whole of the Sermon on the
Mount smacks of this kind of specific exposition of what is involved in
righteousness. Christ even said that he had come to fulfill the law, that
is establish its righteousness, but it is clear that he had something very
different in mind to the religious observance of the Pharisees. He is
addressing the community of faith and saying that faith in God will produce
righteousness that is like this and this, and so on. What if the passage
under discussion is actually not a parable but exposition, it would be
typical of Christ to cite the characteristic marks of the believing
community by underscoring specifics (10:35-45) while underscoring unbelief
by highlighting those characteristics. Faith in Christ seems to effect an
"instantaneous" transfer from the condition of being lost to being found
and is always at the heart of Christ's teaching, shown particularly well in
His encounters with people whom others would consider beyond hope. Since
his comment includes that the Kingdom has been prepared for these from the
foundation of the world, it is hard to conceive that this refers to those
who have treated the believing community with compassion, when elsewhere it
is the believing community for whom the kingdom has been prepared.
This is dangerously off from the lists guidlines! Just let me say this,
the AP' ALLHLWN tends to confirm that it is individuals not groups
separated in the context.
Paul F. Evans
Pastor
Thunder Swamp Pentecostal Holiness Church
MT. Olive NC
"Endeavouring to make use of NT Greek in a real life ministry!"
------=_NextPart_000_01BC093B.B9F51B60
Content-Type: text/html; charset=ISO-8859-1
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
Carl,
Given what follows in Mat =
25:33-34 I am convinced that this separation of sheep and goats must =
refer to indivduals, and your comments have helped.
However, the =
question of what basis the judgment takes place is difficult and =
complex. I am "feel" (not a safe hermeneuetic term) that Jesus =
often uses specific descriptions of what is implied by faith, and =
therefore, salvation. For example the lawyer who asked him about =
eternal life. The issue is eternal life, salvation. =
When Jesus turned the tables and asked him about his own opinion, =
the lawyer recited the crux of the law "To love the Lord you =
God...." (Luke 12;25-26). The whole of the Sermon on the =
Mount smacks of this kind of specific exposition of what is involved in =
righteousness. Christ even said that he had come to fulfill the =
law, that is establish its righteousness, but it is clear that he had =
something very different in mind to the religious observance of the =
Pharisees. He is addressing the community of faith and saying that =
faith in God will produce righteousness that is like this and this, and =
so on. What if the passage under discussion is actually not a =
parable but exposition, it would be typical of Christ to cite the =
characteristic marks of the believing community by underscoring =
specifics (10:35-45) while underscoring unbelief by highlighting those =
characteristics. Faith in Christ seems to effect an =
"instantaneous" transfer from the condition of being lost to =
being found and is always at the heart of Christ's teaching, shown =
particularly well in His encounters with people whom others would =
consider beyond hope. Since his comment includes that the Kingdom has =
been prepared for these from the foundation of the world, it is hard to =
conceive that this refers to those who have treated the believing =
community with compassion, when elsewhere it is the believing community =
for whom the kingdom has been prepared.
This is dangerously off =
from the lists guidlines! Just let me say this, the AP' ALLHLWN =
tends to confirm that it is individuals not groups separated in the =
context.
Paul F. Evans
Pastor
Thunder Swamp Pentecostal =
Holiness Church
MT. Olive NC
"Endeavouring to make use of =
NT Greek in a real life ministry!"