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Featured I am confused.. Please explain this

Discussion in 'Baptist Theology & Bible Study' started by evangelist6589, Jan 12, 2014.

  1. Rippon

    Rippon Well-Known Member
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    Many public libraries in America have religious sections. You'll find some junk and some gems.

    Perhaps you can introduce yourself at another church and tell them you are not willing to join but would like the opportunity to borrow some good Christian books. Present yourself as sincere and earnest.
     
  2. John of Japan

    John of Japan Well-Known Member
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    If anything, that is an even stronger term than "winning souls." To capture someone indicates greater strength in the one who captures.

    Concerning exegeting the verse, remember that Hebrew poetry is done in parallelism, so in this case the first half of the verse means the same as the second: "The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life." So a Christian should be a tree of life, bringing Christ's eternal life to others.

    By all means Spurgeon's The Soul Winner should be right down your alley. Be careful which one you get though, since some of those available are condensed.

    The John R. Rice book is a classic of course, but rare, and very expensive 2nd hand on Amazon. The R. A. Torrey book is great and a classic, but I doubt if you can find it anywhere.
     
    #22 John of Japan, Jan 13, 2014
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  3. John of Japan

    John of Japan Well-Known Member
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    Not many authors take a scholarly approach to personal evangelism. Those who do would include David Hasselgrave and Robert Sumner.

    Edited in: I did find in my library an excellent scholarly textbook, Personal Evangelism by J. C. Macaulay and Robert H. Belton. It cites many sources, has a good bibliography and index. It's old, 1956, but can be bought 2nd hand on Amazon for less than a dollar.

    My own very small and not scholarly contribution to the field can be found here: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00070XYII/?tag=baptis04-20
     
    #23 John of Japan, Jan 13, 2014
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  4. evangelist6589

    evangelist6589 Well-Known Member
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    Excellent idea. Just checked online and they do house some books. I may also check with other churches as well, thank you. However my last 6 books I got for FREE the reality is that I only spent $85 total on books last year as I always shop for the best prices and or buy the books used. I did buy a book by Jerry Bridges today but its a christian living book and I shopped for the best price, but I did not see that the library also had a copy. Thank you.
     
  5. evangelist6589

    evangelist6589 Well-Known Member
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  6. Archie the Preacher

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    6589

    To respond to your initial question as simply as possible:

    Jesus commanded His followers to preach His message, make believers, baptize those believers and teach them how to be followers of Him. (See Matthew 28:19-20, Mark 16:15-16 for the essential command.)

    How can a faithful - as much as is possible for the individual - Christian NOT follow the directions? At the minimum, a follower should understand he OUGHT to be doing what Jesus commanded. So, why would a Christ claiming church ignore the command?
     
  7. agedman

    agedman Well-Known Member
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    Talk about inflation!!!!!

    The cover says $1.00.

    Amazon price? $7.00 used!!!!!

    I have become well inflated as I have aged - my mother used to say when I was skinny I was "to big for my britches." What would she think of me now!
     
  8. agedman

    agedman Well-Known Member
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    I would present the following perhaps as a clarifying statement to what has been so well stated, above.


    The Lord's commission was not just a command, but a condition of life.

    Acts 1: "You shall be..." is what every believer will be. They will be a witness. There is no other option. It is not a suggestion, not even a command. It is the manner of living that will occur in the life of the believer.

    Some may never be a street preacher, or even bring but reproach upon God, but if they are a believer, they will confess, they will be a witness.

    The new nature in them will not be hidden as a light under a bushel but will burn down the bushel if need be to get out.

    They will have rivers of living water flow - even if they live as a reproach to the gospel, the others will see the rebuke of the God brought to them.

    The believer cannot no be a witness. It is a statement of fact, not of option or opinion.
     
  9. John of Japan

    John of Japan Well-Known Member
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    Yeah, I'm pretty inflated myself! :laugh:
     
  10. Archie the Preacher

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    Excellent point

    Agedman, agreed without stipulation or correction (except for the spelling in the penultimate sentence: should be 'not', I believe.)

    The statement '"Go into all the world..." can be understood - due to the difficulties of simple word substitution translation - as "As you are going (about) in the world..." Or, in simpler terms, "As you live your life..." and then the directions to preach, teach, convert, baptize and so forth.

    So these directions are not so much special commands, but a condition of the Christian life, as my brother Agedman says.

    (By the way, Agedman; I am known as Old Man Montgomery in some circles. Nice to have your agreement.)
     
  11. Yeshua1

    Yeshua1 Well-Known Member
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    The great news is that our theology never saved the sinner, its due to the grace of God alone, and many arminians preach and teach Jesus death for sins, resurrection for justification, so God will use them as His tools to prolaim to the lost, in order to have His elect saved!
     
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