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
Why don't you quit harassing the good folks here on this forum? There are people here who would like to be able to have friendly dialogues without the consistent rude and harassing remarks that you make post after post.
"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."
Excellent truth halback, thank you for sharing.
Thank you IWA for trying to keep this site respectful.
One anyone is born again as is mentioned in the case of Saul becoming Paul, it is an instantaneous deliverance from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of His dear Son, Then Saul received his salvation being the sum total of God's blessings already bestowed upon man.
2Ch 20:17 Ye shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the LORD with you, O Judah and Jerusalem: fear not, nor be dismayed; to morrow go out against them: for the LORD will be with you.
Ps 3:6 I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people, that have set themselves against me round about.
Ps 3:7 Arise, O LORD; save me, O my God: for thou hast smitten all mine enemies upon the cheek bone; thou hast broken the teeth of the ungodly.
Ps 3:8 Salvation belongeth unto the LORD: thy blessing is upon thy people. Selah.
Transformed as in Romans 12:2 is an ongoing process as man is faithful to do his part.
The message to the lost is come and join the family your sins are not imputed against you.
To imply it is wrong to exhort people to make a public confession of Jesus, has no foundation in the word of God, nor does one believe standing up in front of a group of people saves anyone it is always by faith in THE lord Jesus.
"How is it then, brethren? when ye come together, everyone of you hath a psalm, hath a doctrine, hath a tongue, hath a revelation, hath an interpretation. Let all things be done unto edifying..... Let the prophets speak two or three, and let the other judge. If any thing be revealed to another that sitteth by, let the first hold his peace. For ye may all prophesy one by one, that all may learn, and all may be comforted." I Corinthians 14: 26,29-32
This is a glimpse into one of Paul's home assemblies, which reveals that many members participated in an active way, and did not just sit and listen to someone teach and preach to them - as Paul, Timothy or others of Paul's group apparently did at times. But the assembly also allowed a lot of participation.
"And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled. In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight: If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister; Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body's sake, which is the church:" Colossians 1:21-24
In most verses of the NT in which ekklesia is used, it describes a particular assembly, meeting or congregation at some particular city, usually in a home. But in Colossians 1: 24 Paul equates the Body of Christ with the ekklesia, the meeting, assembly or congregation.
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.
But those in organized groups called the church have redefined church, and in fact the meaning of church as a Body of Christ has undergone several re-definitions going back to the time of the Capital C Catholic Church. So Church today clearly does not mean the same thing as Paul meant in Colossians 1: 24 by the ekklesia when he equated it with the Body of Christ.
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.
Church also means something a little different today than it meant in the period from the Reformation to the 18th century.
And church is something very different today than it was in Paul's small assemblies in the First Century.
So much as been redefined that the spiritual condition of the ekklesia as a generalized group made up of many local assemblies fulfills Paul' prophecy in II Timothy 3: 5, 7-8, "Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away......Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith."
"And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee: for thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived." Revelation 18: 23
"Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues." Revelation 18: 4
What is "thee" and "her?"
The issue is not about whether someone just born again in Christ should or should not profess this to others, but about the re-definition of fundamental doctrines and terms, such as faith, the church, grace, how to become saved, being born again, transformation, what makes up the Gospel, the "essentials" and the "non-essentials," truth, opinion and on and on.
