God’s only version of evolution-

So how do you measure the difference between a dirty rotten sinner and a fine upstanding sinner?

 

This passage is mainly talking about identifying false prophets, not believers or non-believers.

The Mormons quote this all the time to "prove" they are Christians.

 

With a holy ruler... :laugh:

 

That's not evolution; that's creation. The English word "creature" in 2 Corinthians 5.17 is used in the sense of "created thing", or "creation" as it is translated in several English versions.

 

After the new creation we are "changed" (metamorphoo) by the Spirit to show forth the image of Christ.

2 Corinthians 3:18 But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.


HankD​

 

This is a side topic, but it hits on something I've been thinking about.

My wife had a door visit by Jehovah's Witnesses. It rattled her a bit, not because of them but because of herself. She was polite and turned them away but she felt ill-equipped to defend against their comments, biblically. She knows there is miss-alignment between Jehovah's Witnesses and Christian Baptist but she didn't know the touch-points differences.

Since then I have been looking for study material on apologetics and/or study guides how to handle cults in a Christian way.

Anyone have suggestions?

Again, sorry if I'm stealing the thread :}

 

The Gospel and the epistles of John.

Know these books and you will be armed against any and all who deny the Deity and/or the humanity of Jesus Christ.


HankD

 

That's the way it starts out.

Mat 7:15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
Mat 7:16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?


But there is definitely a break here and the same point is applied to "every good tree." Verse 20 applies to all of us. Besides, aren't false prophets non-Christians? So identifying one type of non-Christian can be used another type as well.


Mat 7:17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.
Mat 7:18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither [can] a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
Mat 7:19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
Mat 7:20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.

 

This is great info. I printed everyones reply my wife to read.

More, I want more = : D

Is there a book that dives into these details, or should we start a new topic and dive deeper?

Are there other, related BaptistBoard threads that have good content on this subject (I wouldn't want to be repetitive <grin>)

Thanks.

-Allen

 

I have been appalled at how little these visitors know.

My practice has been to invite them in and tell them that I do not consider myself a candidate, but I am intensely interested in hearing their story firsthand. "After all, you know that there's a lot of false information that gets passed around about y'all."

Once I had a pair of J-Dubs saying this and that, and the leader eventually spoke against the idea of eternal torment. I replied, "Well, over in Revelation it does say that the smoke of their torment ariseth up for ever and ever. So it seems that something must be going on there." He countered with the claim that he'd done some study on that word and "torment" actually meant "prison." Which allowed me to casually ask, "So you understand that verse to say that the smoke of their imprisonment ariseth up for ever and ever?" He changed the subject.

I had a couple of Mormon kids in here one night. The little squirts didn't even know the answers to the most obvious objections. I let them talk for a while, tried to get them to talk about themselves and their experiences. Eventually I asked them what they did with the verses that speak so strongly about there being one God, and one only. They were oblivious of them. I got a KJV and showed them two or three passages in Isaiah. They were stunned.

All of which is to say, a conversation with these folks is not like an encounter with an armed bandit where you have to slay him in order to survive yourself. Any book that outlines the cult's doctrines and gives verses will provide enough raw data. The real open door for me has always been to ask them about their meetings, their visitation experiences, and eventually their heart. Some of them yearn for the true God, and they tell me so if they perceive that I'm not out to win a fight.