Invitation or Summons 2

Don, I am not obstinately holding on just to keep from admitting error.

I can say I am wrong when I believe I am. I have done so plenty of times on here.

As a matter of fact, first thing this morning I responded to someone who corrected me in a pm and I yielded. I do not have a problem admitting I am wrong when I really am.

But your relentless prodding to get me to admit something that isn't so, and on something so infinitesimally insignificant, is draining.

This is the last thing that I will say about verse 1 of chapter two and then you can have the last word whatever it may be.

This exchange began with a discussion of 2:14 and whether or not the "natural man" in that verse refers to a carnal Christian or an unregenerate sinner.

Yours, or somebody's, contention was that Corinthians was written to carnal Christians and therefore 2:14 is speaking of carnal Christians.

I pointed out that beginning in chapter 2 Paul begins a discourse to the Corinthians recollecting to them his ministry to them when he first arrived at Corinth.

That puts chapter two in context.

The pronoun "you" in the phrase "when I came to YOU" refers to the Corinthians in the state in which he found them.

The state in which he found them was natural- unregenerate.

He goes into speaking in verse one about his spirit anointed preaching which brought about their conversion and he speaks of why some do not convert culminating in verse 14- because they remain in their natural state.

Verse one sets up the proof that verse 14 is NOT speaking about carnal Christians. Verse one is clearly speaking about his preaching ministry- but the clear implication is that it was his preaching ministry to the lost Corinthians.

That they are there in verse one is plainly manifest: "when I came to YOU"

I have not misspoken on this. I meant what I said and I was correct.

I will provide no commentary on this because no commentator would bother to point out this obvious fact. You cannot provide a commentator to prove the contrary either. All you can do is provide a commentary that says that in verse one Paul is speaking about his preaching ministry. That is absolutely, unequivocally true. It does not in any way negate the obvious fact that when he came to them they were lost, natural.

What I suppose you miss is that verse one is not directly speaking to their lost condition and since it is not that is all you can see.

But their lost condition is there nonetheless.

I'll give you the last word.

 

Wow! Smmmack!

 

Rev 22:17 And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely. Sounds like a Invitation to me!

 

In some places in the scriptures, there's no question that the call to repentance and faith is couched as a command.

In others, it is couched in softer language, giving room for describing the call as an invitation.

So, if both are there, why does Paul, say, command some and invite others?

Either way, there is an obvious urgency in Paul's writing and preaching, but it's also obvious that he used different language to different audiences.

Anybody got any thoughts about this?

 

Maybe because time is at hand! Just a thought

 

Could be. But when Paul was calling men to Christ, time obviously was not at hand, and wouldn't be for 2,000 years. Paul obviously didn't know that, though. But he may have been given insight from God that a terrible time was coming in AD 70, who knows.

Either way, the gospel is a serious matter and shouldn't be softened.

 

Time is always at hand for all of us! :thumbsup:Joh 7:6 Then Jesus said unto them, My time is not yet come: but your time is alway ready.