Forgot to mention that
being on the "static side" does not preclude change. The changes
of expanding, and growing, however, are in us rather than on
God's side because His Truth does not ever change. Jesus is and
has been the same yesterday, today, and forever and God says "I am the
Lord, I change not"
Trying to
spiritualize differences which most often is the
adversary sowing discord and strife is calling evil
good. Spiritual growth should never cause
division in Christ because someone who has a heart for truth is able
to recognize it even when they do not fully understand it ..
We all press on together to aprehend
Christ.
John writes:
Let me take at shot at this one. If I am
right, then Lance's comment is not veiled in any kind of mystery.
A
"dynamic understanding of the Nature of God and His Gospel"
tells me that Lance's view is one that is in flux, changing, expanding,
growing. The use of the wording "dynamic
understanding" would demand a difference of
position and opinion among believers and if this dynamic is of
God, a differenc of opinion and teaching will exist within the
assembly of Saints. We should expect
differences. They are of God and
are not necessarily evil or even undesirable. A static positioning is a closed system, fully
understandable by all of (I assume) an honest heart. Those with this understanding will argue that we can AND
MUST be of the same mind and speak the same things on all points of
import within the Gospel of Christ.
How did I do?
Smitty
jt: Has Lance given you a grade
yet John. How did you do? I know you are weighing a lot of
things right now. This dynamic understanding was neither taught nor
promoted by the writers of the NT. In fact they taught "static
understanding" exclusively. You can find it in all of the
following:
1 Corinthians 1:10,
2 Corinthians 13:11,
1 Peter 3:8, 1 Peter 4:1, Romans 12:16-18, Philippians 2:2.
The reason we must be of the
same mind and speak the same thing is that we should have the "mind of
Christ" 1 Corinthians 2:16. which mind is the "same yesterday, today, and
forever" which sounds pretty static to me. This is the ONLY way that
we will grow into Him in all things.
jt
From: "Lance Muir" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Jt:I'm
drawing a distinction between a dynamic understanding of the Nature of
God and God's Gospel and a static understanding (yours, I believe). Read
the three points again with that in mind then, tell me your
understanding. thanks
It might be better if you explain your
definition of dynamic vs static. Are you saying that your gospel has
signs following, that is, the
signs Jesus spoke of (the
works He did and greater); my understanding of a dynamic gospel is one
where the power of God is evident.
Static is a form of
godliness that denies the power. I doubt we are 'as they say' on
the same page. jt