Acts 28:28

First of all, whoever translated that passage confused it with the words he chose for the text. I believe that fellow will not fare very well in the judgment. I would hate to be in his shoes.It is ok for God to choose the people in advance for his salvation but not the words to tell about it. That was awful. I don't even want to read them again.

I would post here a parable by the Lord Jesus Christ that gives us information about this time. Then I will give you some information from an epistle written to the Hebrews during this time with some conclusions.

Lk 13:6 He spake also this parable; A certain man (Jesus Christ) had a fig tree (Symbol for national Israel) planted in his vineyard (Palestine); and he (Jesus Christ) came and sought fruit thereon, and found none.(see footnote)
7 Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground?
8 And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it:
9 And if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down.

It was cut down and removed from the vineyard in 70 AD, about three years after the events of Acts 28.


Hebrews

3:6 But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.


3:14 For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end;


6:11And we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end:


The number 40 is the number for probation in the scriptures. The parable in Lk 13 outlines a probationary time for the fig tree.to remain in the vineyard but it must produce fruit at the end of it. In Hebrews 3 this generation is likened to the same people for the same period of time under Moses, a like prophet to Jesus Christ. One should read it in this connection. They could enter into the rest of God after this probation if they believe.They did not and they died and was buried nationally and time stops for those who are dead.Time stopped for the nation of Israel. This is why Paul dismissed the Jews and did not preach another sermon to them nationally. God will not deal with them again until sometime after he raises the nation from the dead. He did that in 1948 but they are raised as a great army but without the Spirit. They must be born again.

.Rom 11:15 For if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead?

Life from the dead is a resurrection.

So, it was 40 years from the death of Jesus Christ to the destruction of Jerusalem and the dissolving of their nation and the dispersion of her people. That was the end of the generation of Jesus Christ. From here they will be considered as gentiles because they are no longer under the ruler-ship of God and the church will be built from gentiles only. It has a gentile character and is typified by 8 gentile women of the OT who married to Jewish men, types of Christ. This is during what the scriptures refers as "the times of the gentiles" when the political system is controlled entirely by gentiles.

Our Bible makes perfect sense by sensible men who understands that God is ministering to people who have a will of their own and who have more than one deity they can serve. It is a matter of choice who they serve and there is much deceit.If men harden their hearts to light then they will not get any more.


Footnote:

18 Now in the morning as he returned into the city, he hungered.
19 And when he saw a fig tree in the way, he came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only, and said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever. And presently the fig tree withered away.
20 And when the disciples saw it, they marvelled, saying, How soon is the fig tree withered away!

(This was on Monday morning before the crucifixion on Friday morning)

 

Not to start a bunny trail off this thread, Mr. Pollard...
and I actually found your post above very agreeable, but I don't use the NASB because of this:

" who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:" ( Philippians 2:6, AV )
"who although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped," ( Philippians 2:3, NASB ).

...and this:

" For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high [places]. " ( Ephesians 6:12, AV ).
" For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual [forces] of wickedness in the heavenly [places]." ( Ephesians 6:12, NASB ).

...and finally this:

" This is he that came by water and blood, [even] Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth.
7 For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.
8 And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one.
9 If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for this is the witness of God which he hath testified of his Son." ( 1 John 5:6-9, AV ).


" This is the One who came by water and blood, Jesus Christ; not with the water only, but with the water and with the blood. It is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth.
7 For there are three that testify:
8 the Spirit and the water and the blood; and the three are in agreement.
9 If we receive the testimony of men, the testimony of God is greater; for the testimony of God is this, that He has testified concerning His Son." ( 1 John 5:6-9, NASB ).


Depending on which translation(s) are the actual words of God in English...
and which one has had them either added, changed or subtracted, someone has to answer to God for mishandling His precious words, because they do not read even close to the same in some places.

In the case of 1 John 5:6-9, here is what is either added or subtracted depending on who one asks their opinion of it:

" ...in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.
8 And there are three that bear witness in earth..."

Whether it's the translators of the AV or the NASB who have man-handled God's words is for you to decide, good sir.
But it has happened or is happening, and it's serious.


So serious, that I would not want to be the person who has to answer for those changes.

 

@atpollard :

To respond to your OP,
I posted my reply to MB in the other thread and don't feel the need to repeat it here in its entirety.
But:

I still maintain that it is only those who have ears to hear within the Gentile nations that will hear.
And hear they do, to this day.

I also see that you've brought up an important point, and that is what we find in Romans 11...

Amen.
Elect Gentiles, as a group, now grafted in to the olive tree with elect Israel.

 

That depends on the "Greek".

As you and I both know, there are several collated Greek texts floating around...
The "Received Text", the Critical Text and the Majority Text.

I'm not going to get into the differences among them, but to be brief, they don't all say the same thing.

I disagree, and to me there is a significant difference in many areas, depending upon how closely one looks at the words...translated or otherwise.

Since this is not in the Bible Translations section, I feel that we probably should start a thread over there...
But, since you've consented to it, here's what I will address, and it's the very words of Philippians 2:6;

Notice the difference:

In the AV, NKJV and YLT, it says very clearly that Jesus Christ, being in the form of God, did not think it was robbery to be equal with God.
In other words, He, as God in the flesh, did not think it was stealing from the glory of God to be His equal.

In the NASB it says the complete opposite:
That Christ did not think that equality with God was a thing to be grasped.
In other words, that He was not equal with God.

The NIV states it even worse...
That He did not consider equality with God something to be used to His own advantage....when in the words of the Gospels, He did indeed claim to be God, when He said, "...before Abraham was, I am."
He also said that He could have called 12 legions of angels to assist Him if He so wished.

You don't make that connection?

 

Having thought at some length about my earlier reply, I'll amend my above to read:

"In the AV, NKJV and YLT, it says very clearly that Jesus Christ, being in the form of God, did not think it was robbery to be equal with God.
In other words, He, as God in the flesh, did not think it was stealing from the glory of God to be His equal."

" In the NASB it says it just a bit differently:
That Christ did not think that equality with God was a thing to be grasped.

What that means I'm not entirely sure, but it doesn't mean the same as the AV, NKJV and YLT.
To me, they are noticeably different."


With that said, I will leave the thread to you, sir, and bid you a good evening.