Swords99

I agree with you on this. Nothing is sadder that Christians bickering and many do it in a spirit of meanness. Posts are getting longer and longer and more difficult to read and sort out. What we need to remember is that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is a simple one that even a child can understand it and get saved. The Trinity is somewhat more difficult to understand and explain, however, but the concept of it is clearly seen in the Scriptures. God the Son came to earth in order to become a man so that He could die for our sins. He was always deity. He never gave that up even when He had to lower Himself for a little while for humanity's sake. He is and always will be God, the 2nd Person in the Godhead (Trinity).

I was speaking generally.

There was no Roman Catholic church in Peter's day.

What was the mystery Babylon that Peter referred to? Was it Rome, as the Catholics claim, or something else?

Amen. So true. I get a kick out of atheists, agnostics and philosophers who tell Christians what the Bible actually says.

The Reformation was necessary because of the errors of the RCC. Not to mention the abuses. What the Reformers did was bring the Bible back to the people. Their desire was for "every plow boy" to have a copy so he could read it himself. God's word was never meant to be hidden in a church, but to be read by all. No church should ever have a monopoly on it.

Yep, I know that.

What I don't get is why then are the majority of Christians wrong about tongue speaking if it's for us today?

Someone once tried to describe the Trinity this way: Take water for example. It comes in 3 forms: liquid, vapor and ice. but it's all from the same source: water.

No we do not become our own interpreter. We must yield to the Holy Spirit. The born again Believer in Jesus Christ has the indwelling of the Holy Spirit who has many functions, one of which is illuminator of the scriptures. The NT church had Christ and the Spirit as it head. They are the only Authority along with the Holy Scriptures which testifies of them. The pope is human. He sins like everyone else. He is not the authority of the Church Christ established. No man is nor can be.

If I thought you really wanted to learn, then I would be happy to answer. But I saw how you put down another poster and it looked more like entrapment than a civil discussion. Sorry, but I'm not interested in being told something went over my head or I've been snookered.

Let scripture interpret scripture. Its all one unfolding story.

Condescension is not very Christ-like. Would be nice if we could all have a polite discussion for a change.

There aren't multiple interpretations. Many misinterpret scripture because they either are not saved, or they inject their own beliefs into the text. The only case where there is room for more than one interpretation is when a passage is ambiguous.

Sounds similar to what the JWs now believe about Jesus. He is a god, but separate and inferior to God the Father. Doesn't this make one polytheistic since one definition of it is : belief in the existence of more than one god.

Fixerupper, I mean no disrespect, but you said on another thread which may have been deleted and please correct me if I'm wrong, that you have a low opinion of Christians and destroyed all your bibles. How is it that you now presume to teach Christians?

Does not the scriptures say that not everyone receives the gift of tongues? (1 Cor. 12) Then why do Pentecostals insist that all must be baptized in the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in tongues?

So very true. This is why Christians MUST remain teachable. We have to allow the scriptures to teach us. The scriptures says those who are saved will be kept from God's wrath. The Tribulation has nothing to do with the church. It's God's dealing with Israel and the soon return of their King. What makes these discussions difficult is there are a lot of unbelievers on here.

I always heard that the gift of tongues is different from speaking in tongues as evidence of the Holy Spirit baptism.

I attended a Pentecostal church years ago. Several men came up front and prayed out loud in tongues. It was quite animated and loud. I am still on the fence concerning whether tongue speaking is for today. Those Christians who speak in tongues say that Christians who do not, lack power in their ministry. I don't know. The whole thing is confusing. Can the majority of Believers in Jesus Christ be so ignorant on this if tongues is of vital necessity?

But is ALL tongue speaking a foreign language? Ask any Pentecostal and they will tell you there's such a thing as a "heavenly" language where the person speaks in a language no one can understand but God. This is what they mean by "praying in the spirit." They claim a Christian cannot pray in the spirit in English.

It's in the Scriptures.

Born again Christians will be raptured before the tribulation.

God the Father is not greater than God the Son. When the Son came to earth, He temporarily lowered Himself in order to become a man so that he could die for the sins of the world. He has since returned to the glory he had always shared with the God the Father. All the lexicons and hours of studying all these books, cannot opens one's spiritual eyes of understanding. Only the Holy Spirit can do that. Like blueeyedjewel said in her post: "You need the new birth so that you can understand and respond to spiritual truth."

Amen, jewel. Great post!