Eternity in heaven?

God didn't use two different expressions. It's the same word, translated different ways. I suspect (just a guess) that it was translated "born again" in many translations because it makes more sense in the context of the reaction of Nicodemus. Assuming Nicodemus heard "born from above", he no doubt wondered how he could be born again from above, since he was already born once. He was thinking physically, not spiritually. "How do I get born from above? Do I have to to back into my mother's womb and get born a different way, now?"

I find that various translations obscure these or those passages all the time. Translators make judgement calls, and they don't always get things right (or they're more or less right, but not as literal as they should be). And, as I've pointed out elsewhere, publishers change things against the wishes of translators in order to make their Bibles sell more.

 

Umm... What text are you reading?

John 3:3 has "γεννηθῇ ἄνωθεν" (born from above), and 1 Peter 1:3 has "ἀναγεννήσας" (regenerated).

God uses two different expressions to convey two different, but similar, ideas.

[FONT=&quot]1 Peter 1:3-5tells us,"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ (who begot us from above), which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time." Notice in verse 3, it is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who begot us again unto a living hope. For him to have begotten us again, the Father had to have begotten us before and that was when we were born from above in John 3:3. Again, there are two beginnings in this verse. One from above and the other is unto a living hope. And what is that new beginning? What is the hope of a Christian?[/FONT]

 

No, can't see it your way, if we are still earthbound in what will be made new. We were bodily raised long before the "new earth" comes into existence. But also the promise of the earth was never given we today.

When we use scripture we find truth, and in understanding we can then see clearly. We are as Paul says, heavenly- I Corinthians 15:48.

Yes, more light is always a big help.

Dear friend, you misread my post/s, as in the above. Wish I could better explain myself, but I endeavor to back up my belief with scripture. If you read any of the thousands of posts I made, and can find anything I have written, you will find it points the way to heaven, and not the earth. Promises made are promises kept by God.

God's Son says we are His in the Spirit, which looks to be sons of God in the making, i.e. if we can believe two that have seen heaven, John and Paul. John could tell us about all, and Paul not near as much outside of this dispensation that God had hid. Perhaps what Paul could not tell us, God saved for John to tell us, as he tarried. But they both tell us we are sons of God. But Old Testament saints under the covenant were promised the earth, and not the heavenlies. Also please notice the earthly Apostles are promised their own "kingdom" that Jesus gives to them.

 

I understand 1 Thess 4:17 to teach "eternity in heaven." Am I missing something? What does Paul mean when he says that our citizenship is in heaven? Phil. 3:20. How should we understand "citizenship"?

 

Sorry, I guess I got lost where we were in the conversation. I thought you were referring to "born again" vs. "born from above". The word translated "again" is the same word translated "from the top" and "from above" in other verses.

 

Hope, you could be right but I doubt it. Why upon hearing the term "born from above" would Nicodemus immediately talk about returning to his mother's womb??

However, we do know one thing about the OT saints like Nicodemus -- when the are born again, it will be from "above." The angels will bring their souls and spirits to their graves and the Spirit will resurrect them and gather them to Jesus' MK thrones.

skypair

 

That was the exact point that I made somewhere earlier in this thread. That John 3:3 is from above, not again.

 

Like I said, sorry. I got mixed up somewhere. I'm not surprised, I have a lot on my mind.

 

Well, your picture looks like you have more than a "lot" on your mind! (Your avatar.)

I think it's important that God saw fit to include two different expressions, although they have been translated the same in the KJV. I see people using "regenerated" (which is correct for the word in 1 Peter) synonymously with "born from above", and it leads to all sorts of confusing (and often contradictory) doctrines, such as (but not limited to) baptismal regeneration.

 

:laugh: That's Daggett Beaver from a long-since-cancelled Nickelodeon cartoon show called Angry Beavers. It was my favorite cartoon of all time. Very clever, '60s retro themes, incredible voice-acting. But it was too geared to adults rather than kids, so they cancelled it. I don't mean it had "adult" (as in "for mature audiences only") humor, but a lot of humor that only people in my generation would understand, like spoofs on the Beatles, spoofs on '50s sci-fi b-movies, etc.

 

Shame it took you all 1600 years to say the eternity is here on earth.
Go ahead and stay here, I am going to where God is. "My Father, which art in Heaven, Hallowed be Thy Name, Thy Kingdom come on earth as it is in Heaven.
If you are not part of the eathly Kingdom now, it will be too late then. "My Kingdom is within you". He shall reign until He hath put all enemies under His feet and the last enemy to be destroyed is death. New Earth, what is your bodies now except the old earth, will you get a new one?

Jhn 18:36Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence.

1Cr 15:24Then [cometh] the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power.


Do you know what UP is?

 

Has anyone addressed the fact that Genesis (which is the foundation on which we should build biblical doctrine) tells that God created us to replenish,subdue,and have dominion over the Earth.!At what point did that design change?God being all knowing knew how sin would come into the world yet when it happens he says "You guys messed up real bad now I have to send my Son to die so you won't spend ages upon ages in the lake of fire,and ya'll are going to come hang with me in the third heaven that whole Earth thing didn't really have a purpose it was where I wanted you but oh well!These were some of the question I asked as a teenage yet untill I was shown the kingdom no doctrine I looked at answered my questions of which I still have many ,but now that I know God restored the Earth in six days and rested on the seventh and is restoring man in six thousand and will rest on the seventh day which is the kingdom I find scripture supporting it self not contridicting.

 

The Jewish nation is still looking for the Messiah and His Kingdom.

Hebrew. 12:

22: But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels,
23: To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect,
24: And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.
25: See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven:
26: Whose voice then shook the earth: but now he hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven.
27: And this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain.
28: Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear:

 

Lacy, I expected a better response than that from you. There is a whole big bunch of difference from being delivered up from the earth, from your enemies etc, than to deliver up the Kingdom all the way to Heaven where God is, surely you can come up with a better answer than that?

 

Lacy,

You may as well give it up...

(Sorry, I couldn't help myself on this one. I will repent later.)

 

I think not. Look at Rev 20:11 -- "And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away;..." This is the rapture of the MK saints straight up to heaven -- the Son on the throne delivering His earthly kingdom UP to the Father -- so that God can renew the earth. Then the kingdom of Christ comes down in NJ presenting God with His bride, Israel!!

Well, there you go. You knew about the "delivery" but not about the direction! :laugh:

skypair