'PASSION OF THE CHRIST' will top the box office

Yes it is. Do want to open another thread?

What is the difference between "latria" and "hyper-dulia" would be a good place to examine the Vatican double-speak.

I don't want to do this in a free-for-all forum.
I have already done that.

Baptists should be able to discuss the grievous errors of Rome without any outside interference.

After all that's why we have Baptist only debate forums.

HankD

 

Here's the huge problem with any film about Jesus: if there are inaccuracies, or as in The Passion, a morbid focus on the brutality, sadism, cruelty inflicted on Jesus, it will be extremely hard to erase these impressions from the already darkened minds of unbelievers and backsliders. What a shame we turn to Hollywood, and Cinemaplexes, and a questionable Latinized Catholic actor, to have a Gospel Revival in USA. This is truly weird and shameful. Crying over Jesus' suffering is not equal to repenting and hating one's sinful condition and turning to the Risen Saviour. Wake up people. Blackbird and Forever Settled in Heaven, I tend to agree with you.

 

Hank,

I'm not a Greek or Hebrew scholar, so I wouldn't be able to defend an accurate translation or debunk a false one.

 

I'll use the Catholic encyclopedia and try not to be unfair but terms like "double-speak" will be used.
I wont ask you to participate unless you want to do so. I won't insult you or anyone who participates.

I think it's important to do this in a Baptist only forum. If enough Catholics email me I'll go to the free-for-all afterwards and take my licks.

But it will have to wait until the weekend.

HankD

 

nor can Mel! he's the one who'll laugh all the way to the bank--within the 1st week!

 

I read an interesting article in BP NEWS (Baptist Press). Mel describes "...a lot of biblical epics, which quite frankly, suffer from either being too corny, or laughable, or have bad hair, or really bad music." (article by Holly McClure, "First Person: Mel Gibson's Passion for Jesus" 2-24-2003. Weirdly, Mel thinks a Jesus film should have more Hollywood slick appeal. Biblical accuracy is apparently low on the priority list, along with tastefulness and reverence for our blessed Savior. Remember: what Mel's film shows is the Devil's favorite chapter of Jesus' life. The Devil loves recalling the torture and pain he inflicted. The Devil hates to be reminded of Jesus' life & teachings & love & Resurrection & the giving of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost. You tell me where the Real Inspiration of this sick movie is coming from.

 

I cannot comment on Gibson's Film since I have not seen it BUT the Death and Suffering of Christ is NOT Satan's favorite chapter since it was through Christ death He destroyed death(Heb. 2:14) The Cross was no place of victory for the Devil and we will sing of the Blood shed there in eternity (Rev. 5:9). It would do Christians good to remember the love that Christ had for us in enduring pain for us and becoming our sacrifice (Isaiah 53, Psalms 22). Reflections on Christ passion as found in Scripture remind us that Salvation is Free but it is not Cheap.

There is a danger also of viewing the Death and Resurrection as 2 separate events. They however form one thread and one event (Romans 4:25) and cannot be separated. There is also a danger of implying (I don't believe on purpose!) that the Cross was the place of Defeat while the Empty Tomb was the place of Victory. That however is false! Criticize Gibson's Movie, but be careful in saying Satan enjoys looking back at Christ suffering. That implies the Cross was a place of defeat when in fact Satan's kingdom was being destroyed by the death of the Crucified Christ and it is by His wounds we are healed!

 

God had to forsake Jesus briefly while Jesus bore our sins and its punishment, dying on the cross was the curse of God. Yes, the devil loved that part, the Innocent suffering unjustly. In fact, if the rulers of this world knew the whole story (resurrection) they would have never crucified him. It wasn't the crucifixion alone that did anything, it was this plus who it was, plus rising from the dead. Better read 1 Corinthians 15 if you're still confused on what saved us and Ephesians for how we are seated in the heavenlies, that when Jesus rose from the dead, we arose with Him.

 

I am sure he enjoyed it at the time but certaintly you don't believe he enjoys reading the details of Christ death in Psalms 22, Isaiah 53, Gospels now? I am certain you don't believe that. He now knows it was through these wounds, his kingdom was being destroyed.

Colossians 2

13When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature,God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, 14 having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. 15 And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.



The Crucifiction is not a place of defeat but a place of triumph as Paul states! The Devil I am sure thought it was a place of defeat but the Resurrection declares the Cross is the place of victory (Romans 4:25) He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.

In a previous post I made mention you cannot separate the Cross and the Empty Tomb. They form a single thread. Jesus was raised for our Justification. The problem is your implying that Satan looks back at the Cross with happiness. That is certaintly a falsehood. I don't believe this is your intent but probably a oversight on your part. I think you need to clarify that. The Crucifiction and Resurrection form one single thread.

 

This is one of the most excellent posts I've seen on here! Thank you.

 

Kiffin, yes you are correct about the cross and the resurrection being one unit, yet I would go a little further and add the ascension to heaven and the outpouring of the promise of Power from On High, the Holy Spirit on Pentecost and then the Book of Acts evangelism program as the total deal. The devil knows that the suffering and cross paid for our sins, and now devil realizes it was a mistake to inflict it, and the rulers of darkness regret Christ's crucifixion, but at the time of the scouraging they were happy.

 

I think we are starting to agree vaspers

 

Thanks for the smiley, and let's really try to love each other whether we agree or not, for this is the great and rare strength of the Baptist movement: autonomous decisions based on personal conscience guided strictly by the Bible. Thanks for using biblical text to support your points and for your strong position on the Cross and the Empty Tomb being a single thread. If we lose sight of that, all, and I mean all, is lost (I Corinthians chapter 15).