Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!ginosko!gem.mps.ohio-state.edu!sunybcs!rutgers!aramis.rutgers.edu!athos.rutgers.edu!christian From: bnr-fos!bmers58!davem@watmath.waterloo.edu (Dave Mielke) Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian Subject: Re: Translation (and still "Re: I Corinthians 7:1") Message-ID: Date: 22 Oct 89 17:42:49 GMT Sender: hedrick@athos.rutgers.edu Organization: Bell-Northern Research, Ottawa, Canada Lines: 32 Approved: christian@aramis.rutgers.edu In article kilroy@mimsy.umd.edu (Darren F. Provine) writes: >Maybe we're supposed to learn something from the process that we >couldn't learn from having the book handed to us already complete. God has written the Bible in the way He has so that only those whom He wishes to save can begin to understand its real message. Mark 4:11-12 says "And he said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all {these} things are done in parables: That seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest at any time they should be converted, and {their} sins should be forgiven them.". We may not like this very much, but the fact that God has even bothered to give us sinful and rebellious people the Bible complete with all of His warnings, offers and promises is far more than we deserve anyway. Let us be greatful and thankful for what we have and do our best to be as truthful as possible to it. We ought never use the apparent difficulties in the understanding of any given passage as a means to ignore what God is telling us. If we are not expending every possible effort not only to understand what God is saying but also to sincerely desire that it become our way of life then we are not really recognizing Jesus as the Lord of our lives. Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 says "Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this {is} the whole {duty} of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether {it be} good, or whether {it be} evil.". Dave Mielke, 613-726-0014 856 Grenon Avenue Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K2B 6G3