I cannot intelligently discuss the clobber passages but I disagree with you. Where am I going wrong?
by Rick Brentlinger
(Pace, FL, USA)
Asleep in the light
with apologies to Keith Green
This strange email arrived on Sunday afternoon, April 8, 2012. Please pray that Matthew will begin to study the Bible for himself as he grows in the Lord.
First Name: Matthew
E-mail Address: in@time.com
Country: United States
"Words cannot express the sadness I feel for you, and those you are leading astray. If you wish to live a life that is un-biblical, fine. But please don't twist Scripture to meet your desired ends. You seem intelligent, so I can only assume you know full well what you are doing.
Why did you not mention the entire context of Paul's letter where he said, "It is better to marry, than to burn?" Or what about Jesus' statement that no effeminate (practicing homosexual) person will enter into the kingdom of Heaven?
I know you get a lot of these messages; most of them probably extremely vitriolic. But I truly feel bad for you. Please do not lead any more people astray, least of all yourself. The cost is too much."
Matthew didn't provide a real email address so because my answer to him bounced back as undeliverable, I'll post it here.Hello Matthew-
Thanks for writing to me. Here is where you are going wrong.
First, please notice this
list of pages on my website where I quote 1 Cor 7:9,
"it is better to marry than to burn." As you can see, I do mention and quote 1 Cor 7:9 five times on five different pages of my website.
Second, it strikes me as passing strange when a Christian who refuses to study the alleged anti-gay passages and is therefore unable to discuss them intelligently, writes to condemn me. If you refuse to study and acquaint yourself with the context, how will you ever convince anyone that your views have merit?
Third, how odd that someone who does not know me is willing to lie about my "lifestyle" as you did in another comment, and condemn me. I'm not sure if it's arrogance on your part or a hyper-judgmental attitude but I'm pretty certain it isn't the Holy Spirit prompting you.
Fourth, do you foresee a time in your life when you will obey 2 Tim 2:15 and
"study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." KJV
"He that answereth a matter before he
heareth it, it is folly and shame unto him."
Proverbs 18:13, KJVFifth, while I appreciate that you took time to write, my prayer is that you will also care enough to study before you condemn people you've never met. I marvel that so many professing christians like you, who think they know the truth, have no qualms about writing to condemn me without ever performing due diligence via study. Reading a few verses in an English translation and looking up a few words in your Strong's concordance is not studying in depth.
Sixth, Jesus never said, "No practicing homosexual person will enter into the kingdom of heaven." The words you attribute to Jesus are found in 1 Cor 6:9. They were written by Paul and in case it interests you, Paul never used the word homosexual in 1 Cor 6:9. The Greek word Paul used was arsenokoitai and that word NEVER meant homosexual in its Biblical usage.
I explain the meaning of arsenokoitai at these links and I also list the first 56 usages of the arsenokoit stem during the first six hundred years of church history. Facts have always interested me and I hope they interest you. Will you take the time to read this information and begin the process of educating yourself?
What does arsenokoites mean?
Can you define arsenokoites?
How do you answer the verse that
says homosexuals will not go to heaven?
What words could Paul have used if
he intended to condemn homosexuality?
What did Paul mean when he
used the Greek word arsenokoitai?
Why and how was
the Bible mistranslated?
Does the Bible say homosexuals
will go to hell?I hope this information is helpful to you Matthew. Your brother in Christ, Rick Brentlinger
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