benchwarmer wrote:
I'm sorry, but trying to get someone's soul saved (by making Jesus known) is not the same as saving their soul.
Joint team effort. Jesus is
hosting the party, and his believers/disciples are out
handing out the party invitations.
benchwarmer wrote:
Sure it is, you just said it above. Team effort. If you (believers) don't participate, then it seems Jesus/God are out of luck and left hanging. Which is it?
Jesus/God are out of luck and left hanging? No...those names that aren't found in the Lamb's
book of life (Rev 20:15); they are the ones that will be
out of luck and left hanging.
I don't know what you've been told, but we need Jesus/God...they don't need us.
benchwarmer wrote:
No doubt. I gave up trying to cobble together the Bible tales long ago into a coherent message. Seems odd that such godly work could ever be disappointing. Maybe you are doing it wrong?
Jesus got disappointed at times, too. I guess he was doing it wrong, also. SMH.
benchwarmer wrote:
So not to do the soul saving then. I'm confused, you keep switching answers. Before it was to save souls, now you are the 'introducer' to the soul saver.
I am throwing Jesus the alley-oop (passing the person to Jesus), and Jesus is the one slam dunking the person into the hoop..the basketball hoop that is
eternal life.
Like I said,
joint team effort.
benchwarmer wrote:
But you already claimed no one but God/Jesus(/Holy Spirit) are required. Maybe you want to go back and change the answer to that one?
Joint team effort. Matthew 28:19..
19 Therefore (believers/disciples) go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit (Trinity).
benchwarmer wrote:
Sure, I get that. It would be hard to get people to believe in something only written about in an ancient religious text.
But it apparently aint hard to believe in things written in
contemporary science books...you know, things like inanimate matter coming to life and beginning to talk...and reptiles evolving into birds.
benchwarmer wrote:
Been there, got the t-shirt. Still nothing about soul saving here though.
Disingenuous. To become a disciple is to have your soul saved.
benchwarmer wrote:
Are you suggesting that if you managed to successfully make someone a disciple, their soul is automatically saved?
If by becoming a disciple, they believe with their
mind, body, and spirit that Jesus is Lord and Savior, then yeah..their soul is
automatically saved.
benchwarmer wrote:
That's news to me. It seems whether a soul is saved rests in the final decision of God when you show up at the pearly gates - at least according to the tales.
The
tale actually states; he who believes in him (Jesus) shall not perish, but have everlasting life (John 3:16). It says nothing about having to "wait until the final decision of God at the pearly gates".
That is
you talking, not the Bible.
It also states that, contrary to John 3:16, verse 18..
"....but whoever
does not believe stands
condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God's one and only Son"
This verse also says nothing about "having to wait until the final decision of God at the pearly gates".....rather, before you even get to the point of judgement, you are "already condemned"...basically, a
dead man walking.
So, since this was obviously "news" to you, maybe you should shake the dust off of your Bible, read it, and THEN critique it. Instead of the other way around.
benchwarmer wrote:
And a single drop of water can prevent a forest fire. What's that got to do with soul saving?
Well, there was no
drop of water to prevent Christianity from spreading from 11 devout men to now the worlds largest religion.
Again, not an argument ad populum, just a
fun fact that I enjoy sharing whenever I get the chance.
benchwarmer wrote:
So believers are required then. God/Jesus/Holy spirit are powerless to save souls without believers.
So, because I'd like my son to
assist me in changing the car's tire, therefore, I am "powerless" to change the tire without him.
Non sequitur. In other words, your conclusion does not follow from your premises..thus; all in all..
fallacious reasoning.
benchwarmer wrote:
And I note you still avoided the question. Why? Is it because you've created/noticed a contradiction? Surely God could do anything, yet now we have to maintain that believers are required or the whole thing goes up in smoke. It's one or the other. Believers required or not? God able or not without believers? Seems like an uncomfortable corner you are backed into.
There is a difference between
preferred, and
required. You do understand the difference, don't you? Or would you like me to explain it to you?
benchwarmer wrote:
Umm, I do see the word 'Save' there. Are you really not reading what you post? And why are you accusing me of not seeing something you haven't even posted yet?
It sure is in there, isn't it. I missed it. My bad. '8-)' Its all good. Try this one..
34 And the eunuch said to Philip, “About whom, I ask you, does the prophet say this, about himself or about someone else?�
35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning with this Scripture he told him the good news about Jesus.
36 And as they were going along the road they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “See, here is water! What prevents me from being baptized?�
38 And he commanded the chariot to stop, and they both went down into the water, Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him.
39 And when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord carried Philip away, and the eunuch saw him no more, and went on his way rejoicing. 40 But Philip found himself at Azotus, and as he passed through he preached the gospel to all the towns until he came to Caesarea.
*carefully reads verses*
Nope, no words
"soul" or
"save". I guess the words "save soul" doesn't have to be literally
placed in the verses for the implication of a
soul being saved to apply..which was my point in the first place.
'8-)'
benchwarmer wrote:
It's funny how things are 'obvious' to you in scripture that must be heavily interpreted, yet when you argue against science every scrap of evidence must land in your inbox to be convincing.
?
benchwarmer wrote:
All that scripture says is that the particular thief in question is going to see Jesus later that day in Paradise. No mention is made of what happens after that meeting. Maybe the thief gets judged by God and thrown into the lake of fire. Maybe the thief gets to move in next to Jesus.
Maybe reptiles never evolved into birds in the first place.
benchwarmer wrote:
Who knows? I can make things up just as easily as you. Thus, I ask for actual references, not your interpretations that are 'obvious' when clearly they are not.
Yeah, Jesus took the thief on a
grand tour of Paradise before sending him to hell. LMAO.
And yeah, it is clearly obvious...since we have
Scripture after
Scripture after
Scripture of Jesus preaching all of this stuff about
"faith", and how faith is so
much required for eternal life...and also
Scripture after
Scripture of those who exercised
faith in Jesus, and the
good things that happened to them as a
result of their faith in Jesus..with the thief being no exception.
Now, if that
reference ain't good enough for you...then too bad.