On a Christian forum someone wrote: "Our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ", (Philippians 3:20). I don't know for sure which translation this is from but I see that the New International Version says "a Savior." I know it then says "the Lord Jesus Christ." But why add an article before "Lord Jesus Christ" when the Greek has no article there? And why add "a savior" instead of "the savior?"
"For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:" Philippians 3: 20 Not "a Saviour" but "the saviour." KJV.
The Greek literally says "from which also savior we are awaiting Lord Jesus Christ." To be accurate, Greek to English translation should always be word for word unless the Greek is so different from English that following the word for word Greek makes no sense in English, which is not often the case. And, if you are going to add an article to the English translation, make sure it fits the overall meaning of the sentence. The NIV "a savior" does not fit the meaning of the sentence or sentences of Philippians 3: 20.
"Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus" (Philippians. 2:5)
"Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: " Colossians 1: 12-13 This verse was also quoted on the forum, though inm another translation.
"Translated," from methistano, is like transformed in Romans 12: 2, "And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." Transformed is from metamorphoomai, metamorphosed, changed from one form to a very different form. "Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God......That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again." John 3: 3, 6-7
Going through a procedure - making an alter call or reciting the sinner's prayer - as taught in many churches today does not in itself guarantee that the person is transformed or born again in Christ, and suddenly has the mind of Christ in him (Philippians 2: 5).
"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! Behold, your house is left unto you desolate." Matthew 23: 37-38
"He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second." Hebrews 10: 9
Even Paul, who experienced the most dramatic and sudden encounter with the risen Christ on the road to Damascus, was not instantly transformed by that traumatic experience. Acts 9: 8-9 says "And Saul arose from the earth; and when his eyes were opened, he saw no man: but they led him by the hand, and brought him into Damascus. And he was three days without sight, and neither did eat nor drink."
Then in Acts 9: 11-18 the Lord sent Ananias to Paul, and in verse 17-18, "And Ananias went his way, and entered into the house; and putting his hands on him said, Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way as thou camest, hath sent me, that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost. And immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been scales: and he received sight forthwith, and arose, and was baptized."
The scales coming off of Paul's eyes is a metaphor for him receiving a new, transformed spiritual sight, in addition to him having his physical eyesight restored. Paul was transformed by Christ through the Holy Spirit, and not by a procedure of doing something like making an alter call, joining a church, or reciting a sinner's prayer without really repenting. Much of the contemporary church appears to teach a Gospel saying that one can be saved in his sins, that we have a Christ who will forgive us our sins, which to the church means we can remain in sin and be saved. In this kind of "salvation" there is no lasting spiritual transformation, no becoming a new creature in Christ (II Corinthians 5: 17). We have to battle the flesh all the time, but the will of a transformed person is to avoid sin. And staying in obvious false doctrines is a sure indication one is not born again.
In Paul's case, his will was not to be transformed in Christ, and in fact he was fervent in his opposition to Christ when he set out for Damascus. But Christ himself appeared to him and that broke his will. This one example, however, does not mean that everyone who comes to be born again in Christ, is opposed to being born again in him and that that will has to be broken. Some people who come to Christ are initially willing to do so and be transformed, contrary to Five Point Calvinism.
Anyone, after the Cross, must be transformed in Christ, born again, made into a new spiritual being, as a Son of God, and no longer just a servant (John 8: 35-36), whether he is of physical Israel or of any other blood to be in the kingdom of God. " Christ "...hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth," Acts 17: 26
The doctrines taught in the generalized ekklesia are man made theologies built upon earlier man made theologies. Dean Gotcher, who is the expert on the dialectic in Christianity, said that after he got a teaching degree in Christian education, and was out of college for a while, that he decided to go to a Christian seminary. He enjoyed learning Greek. [[[ But one day in a class focused on some theologian with good image, he asked the teacher and the class ((( why are we spending so much time in studying a man's opinion on the Word of God rather than studying the Word itself? ))) He got nothing but silence. He walked out, never to return to a Christian seminary. ]]]
*** Yup!!!...Interesting that no one could answer his question...I believe this is referred to as "the Falling away"...2 Thessalonians 2:2-4...Realizing that some of the main stream church's as well as seminary follow this teaching of "other" than "Word" itself...just my two~bits...xo
If a large number of people in these assemblies had not been transformed or born again, and were still in the state of the natural man of I Corinthians 2: 14, who cannot receive the teachings of the Spirit, he would not have equated the meeting or assembly in a generalized way with the Body of Christ, which has also to be the elect. If the assembly is made up of more people who are not born again than those who are transformed, it as a group cannot be called the Body of Christ, though some in the group are of that Body.
In rightly dividing the word of Truth, you will have have a problem calling the New Birth a transformation.
Man was never a natural man even after the fall, he was still made in the image of God a spiritual man. When man is born again, the old spiritual man is buried and the new man in Christ is a Completely New spiritual being, he is not a transformed man, nor a renewed man.
Eze 36:25 � Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you.
Eze 36:26 A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.
Eze 36:27 And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.
This was part of a prophecy out of the mouth of Eze concerning man being born anew.
"The ekklesia is an assembly of the eklektos. (the elect) "
In the II Timothy 3: 5, 7-8 church the church and ekklesia may be defined as the elect.
But if the Word of God is absolute truth, has been preserved, and was inspired by the Holy Spirit, and what is taught in the church is doctrine out of that way of looking at the Word, then meanings in the Word do not shift over time, but remain the same. In fact, the meanings of scriptures still stand when men claiming to be Christians oppose and argue against those meanings.
This means the meanings of Greek words used in the NT remain the same as when the NT was written, and cannot change. The popular and secular usage of some English words change over time, and this has to be understood.
Ekklesia, Strong's Exhaustive Concordance Number 1577 is said to mean "a calling out, i.e., a popular meeting, especially a religious congregation, Jewish synagogue or Christian community of members on earth or saints in heaven or both - assembly, church."
The first definitions in Strong's are the primary meanings of a word. When many read "A calling out" they immediately think ekklesia refers to a calling out of Christians from the world. But the abbreviation i.e., means "that is." Strong's then explains that calling out refers to a popular meeting, or to a religious congregation of religious meeting.
In Matthew 13: 30, toward the end of the parable of the sower, when his disciples asked if they were to pull up the tares, Christ answered, "Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn."
When those in the ekklesia, those who go to Christian meetings, who remain in the state of the natural man which Paul talks about in I Corinthians 2: 14, that he does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, are much more numerous than those who have been transformed in Christ (John 3: 1-7, Romans 12: 2, Colossians 1: 13), this is a tare church. Calling it the elect is a lie, though a few who are of the elect might somehow still be there, even though they have been called out.
There is some ambiguity in the re-definitions of born again, transformation,and the process of being saved in the church now. But the process of being saved is often thought to be something different and not involved in their term for being born again, or being transformed in Christ, which is the "New Birth."
Exactly what the New Birth is, I am not sure, but it appears to be something that may happen after salvation, and not necessary for salvation. This contradicts John 3: 1-7, and is another obvious false doctrine.
3And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.
Luke 22
31And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: 32But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren. 33And he said unto him, Lord, I am ready to go with thee, both into prison, and to death. 34And he said, I tell thee, Peter, the c0ck shall not crow this day, before that thou shalt thrice deny that thou knowest me.
It appears that Peter was not "converted" until after the Crucifixion of Christ. 3 years spent with Jesus and performing miracles before Peter was "born again".
Luke 22:32 But I have prayed especially for you [Peter], that your [own] faith may not fail; and when you yourself have turned again, strengthen {and} establish your brethren.
Peter was a born again believer.
Matt 16:15-18
He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?
And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
John 6
65 And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father.
66 From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.
67 Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away?
68 Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.
69 And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God
Re 1:5 And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,
The devil believes and trembles. Conversion is being "born again", being transformed into Christ's likeness. Peter was not in Christ's likeness when he denied Jesus 3 times. Jesus knew Peter would be born again, but He also knew that Peter wasn't born again yet. Judas also believed Jesus was the messiah and worked miracles, etc. Jesus knew Judas would fall away instead of being converted and born again. "Foreknowledge".
Matt 10:33 But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.
While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled.
Jesus kept all that the Father gave him -- including Peter
