Bible Think Tank

This site is designed to help you interact with others about God's Word. I further some thoughts we developed during morning and evening gatherings at church. I have my NT translations from the original Greek to English. Also, I have book reviews and other current events.

Tuesday, October 24, 2006

Hell No!


Just checked out the Brian McLaren book, The Last Word and the Word After That. The basic premise of the work is that there is no hell. At least no place of eternal conscious torment. Why does Brian feel this way? Because his daughter is sad that her unsaved friends will go there. Is this how Christians should form their beliefs? Maybe it IS how they do, but I do not think it is how they SHOULD. Let us entertain a few foundational principles when we form our systems of belief:

  • We ask 'What does it say' not 'how do I feel'
  • When I don't like what its says, what has caused my feelings to be different than God's?
  • Does the Church's belief match up with the Bible
  • If the idea I am entertaining does not match up with my study of the Word, which will I discard? No pretending or fudging.

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Monday, October 23, 2006

Greek of the Week

Philippians 3:1-11


Paul is concerned for the humility of his brothers in Philippi. Here he urges them to put the old self aside and focus on the Lord. What do you and I take satisfaction in? Our own accomplishments or Jesus work on the cross?


GreekTranslation

1 τὸ λοιπόν ἀδελφοί μου χαίρετε ἐν κυρίῳ τὰ αὐτὰ γράφειν ὑμῖν ἐμοὶ μὲν οὐκ ὀκνηρόν ὑμῖν δὲ ἀσφαλές 2 βλέπετε τοὺς κύνας βλέπετε τοὺς κακοὺς ἐργάτας βλέπετε τὴν κατατομήν 3 ἡμεῖς γάρ ἐσμεν ἡ περιτομή οἱ πνεύματι θεοῦ λατρεύοντες καὶ καυχώμενοι ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ καὶ οὐκ ἐν σαρκὶ πεποιθότες 4 καίπερ ἐγὼ ἔχων πεποίθησιν καὶ ἐν σαρκί εἴ τις δοκεῖ ἄλλος πεποιθέναι ἐν σαρκί ἐγὼ μᾶλλον 5 περιτομῇ ὀκταήμερος ἐκ γένους Ἰσραήλ φυλῆς Βενιαμίν Ἑβραῖος ἐξ Ἑβραίων κατὰ νόμον Φαρισαῖος 6 κατὰ ζῆλος διώκων τὴν ἐκκλησίαν κατὰ δικαιοσύνην τὴν ἐν νόμῳ γενόμενος ἄμεμπτος 7 ἀλλὰ ἅτινα ἦν μοι κέρδη ταῦτα ἥγημαι διὰ τὸν Χριστὸν ζημίαν 8 ἀλλὰ μενοῦνγε καὶ ἡγοῦμαι πάντα ζημίαν εἶναι διὰ τὸ ὑπερέχον τῆς γνώσεως Χριστοῦ Ἰησοῦ τοῦ κυρίου μου δι' ὃν τὰ πάντα ἐζημιώθην καὶ ἡγοῦμαι σκύβαλα ἵνα Χριστὸν κερδήσω 9 καὶ εὑρεθῶ ἐν αὐτῷ μὴ ἔχων ἐμὴν δικαιοσύνην τὴν ἐκ νόμου ἀλλὰ τὴν διὰ πίστεως Χριστοῦ τὴν ἐκ θεοῦ δικαιοσύνην ἐπὶ τῇ πίστει 10 τοῦ γνῶναι αὐτὸν καὶ τὴν δύναμιν τῆς ἀναστάσεως αὐτοῦ καὶ τὴν κοινωνίαν τῶν παθημάτων αὐτοῦ συμμορφιζόμενος τῷ θανάτῳ αὐτοῦ 11 εἴ πως καταντήσω εἰς τὴν ἐξανάστασιν τὴν ἐκ νεκρῶν

1 Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things again is no trouble to me, and it is a safeguard for you. 2 Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of the false circumcision; 3 for we are the true circumcision, who worship in the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh, 4 although I myself might have confidence even in the flesh. If anyone else has a mind to put confidence in the flesh, I far more: 5 circumcised the eighth day, of the nation of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the Law, a Pharisee; 6 as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to the righteousness which is in the Law, found blameless. 7 But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. 8 More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ, 9 and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith, 10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; 11 in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.

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