Featured Not Closed Theology

I Don't disagree Jon I've met most of them... Brother Glen

 

First, Wiersbe is wrong.
Second, if we go with your view, the lawyer just needed to be a neighbor to everyone and he would inherit salvation. After all, Jesus said, "Go and do likewise." Thus, from your interpretation of the parable Jesus is telling the man he can be saved by good works. Now, do you think that is what Jesus is saying?

(Luke 10:25-37)
One day an expert in religious law stood up to test Jesus by asking him this question: “Teacher, what should I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus replied, “What does the law of Moses say? How do you read it?” The man answered, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind.’ And, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” “Right!” Jesus told him. “Do this and you will live!” The man wanted to justify his actions, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” Jesus replied with a story: “A Jewish man was traveling from Jerusalem down to Jericho, and he was attacked by bandits. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him up, and left him half dead beside the road. “By chance a priest came along. But when he saw the man lying there, he crossed to the other side of the road and passed him by. A Temple assistant walked over and looked at him lying there, but he also passed by on the other side. “Then a despised Samaritan came along, and when he saw the man, he felt compassion for him. Going over to him, the Samaritan soothed his wounds with olive oil and wine and bandaged them. Then he put the man on his own donkey and took him to an inn, where he took care of him. The next day he handed the innkeeper two silver coins, telling him, ‘Take care of this man. If his bill runs higher than this, I’ll pay you the next time I’m here.’ “Now which of these three would you say was a neighbor to the man who was attacked by bandits?” Jesus asked. The man replied, “The one who showed him mercy.” Then Jesus said, “Yes, now go and do the same.”

Why did Jesus give parables? It wasn't so that the hearer would take them literally.

(Matthew 13:10-17)
His disciples came and asked him, “Why do you use parables when you talk to the people?” He replied, “You are permitted to understand the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven, but others are not. To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given, and they will have an abundance of knowledge. But for those who are not listening, even what little understanding they have will be taken away from them. That is why I use these parables, For they look, but they don’t really see. They hear, but they don’t really listen or understand. This fulfills the prophecy of Isaiah that says, ‘When you hear what I say, you will not understand. When you see what I do, you will not comprehend. For the hearts of these people are hardened, and their ears cannot hear, and they have closed their eyes— so their eyes cannot see, and their ears cannot hear, and their hearts cannot understand, and they cannot turn to me and let me heal them.’ “But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear. I tell you the truth, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, but they didn’t see it. And they longed to hear what you hear, but they didn’t hear it.

 

Primitive Baptist are hyper-Calvinists.

 

So you do not agree with Wiersbe. Well I can understand that as he points out the error of your approach to these verses. By your own words you show that you want to allegorize Luke 10:25-37.

How do you get that out of those verses? Jesus did not indicate that the lawyer could be saved by his good works, that is just you reading something into the words again. Where do you see in those verses that the Samaritan was saved by good works?

What the Samaritan did helps us better understand what it means to “show mercy” (Luke 10:37), and it also illustrates the ministry of Jesus Christ. The Samaritan identified with the needs of the stranger and had compassion on him. There was no logical reason why he should rearrange his plans and spend his money just to help an “enemy” in need, but mercy does not need reasons. Being an expert in the Law, the scribe certainly knew that God required His people to show mercy, even to strangers and enemies (Exodus 23:4-5; Leviticus 19:33-34; Micah 6:8). Wiersbe Bible Commentary

Remember Jesus directed the lawyer's attention to the law. What did the law demand? It demanded that man love the Lord supremely, [Deuteronomy 6:5] and his neighbor as himself [Leviticus 19:18]. Jesus told him that if he did this, if he were perfect, he would live. But the lawyer would know this was an impossible task for sinful man such as himself.

You are allowing your philosophy to cloud your vision. Read what the text says not what you want the text to say.

 

You've actually shown me to be correct with your own words.
Jesus never gives a parable to have it be taken literally. I provided the scripture that tells you this, yet you treat allegory like it comes from hell. The Bible uses allegory and here, in the parable of the good Samaritan we see Jesus using the story to get a bigger message across. Those who narrow the story to literal words miss Jesus point. The reason Jesus gives this parable is precisely because the lawyer asks "What must I do to inherit eternal life?" You rightly discern that the lawyer cannot follow the law and keep it in order to inherit eternal life. So the lawyer tries to justify himself (not by faith in Christ, but by his own works). He asks Jesus who his neighbor is. He thinks he has it figured out and is proud of his actions. Jesus tells the story to show him that he is looking to get salvation like a priest and a levite, but in reality, he is the man who has been beaten and robbed. He needs help and it has to come from Jesus who is being treated by the priests and Levites as though he were a Samaritan. If this lawyer is to be justified, he has to see himself as he really is and have his healing paid for by Christ Jesus. Then, he needs to live his life by following the example of Jesus, the good Samaritan, and be the good neighbor. "Do this, and you will live " You will inherit eternal life. Jesus answers his question for him and those who have ears to hear and eyes to see will understand the parable.

This is not reading into the parable something that is not there. This is seeing and hearing what Jesus is doing in telling this parable.

We disagree, but my explanation isn't really for you as you cannot see what is being said.

 

Let me ask you… where does life begin?

 

You have created a story to fit your theology. By that method of bible study you can make the bible say anything that you need it to say to justify your view.

Who was the good neighbor that showed mercy? The Levite, the priest or the Samaritan? Jesus did not tell that lawyer to be like the injured man but rather to be like the one who showed mercy [Luke 10:36-37] which puts a hole in your theory that the lawyer was to see himself as the injured man.

Jesus was not teaching the lawyer that he could be saved by his fulfilling the law as the Jews thought but that he has not and could not fulfill the law [Luke 10:25-28] and therefore could not save himself.

You are reading this as a Christian looking back but the lawyer was trying to prove that Christ was a false teacher. This parable is not about how to be saved but that the law will not save you.

 

Which life, mortal or eternal?

 

Your first sentence has been shown to be demonstratably false.
You are attempting to create a literal interpretation of a parable that is never to be taken literally.
If you take the parable literally then you have to state that salvation can be inherited by works of the law. You rightly deny that, which means Jesus is using analogy to show the lawyer how he inherits eternal life.

The lawyer can see that he is the Jew that has been beaten, robbed, and left for dead. He can see that in having the good Samaritan care for him, he is healed and thus should go and follow the pattern of the good Samaritan. The story is clear.

We will disagree on this parable as you do not see or hear what Jesus is saying.

 

I agree we will disagree on this parable as you do not see or hear what Jesus is saying. As you said your are reading into the text what you want to see rather than just reading the text as Christ said it.

When you take that parable in the literal form it does not teach that one can be saved by works but just the opposite. You are reading it looking back from our Christian position the lawyer was looking forward from his position as a Jew. Christ just pointed out to him that he had already failed as far as keeping the law.

The Jew knew what was required by the law [Luke 10:27] and Jesus pointed out to him that he had failed [Luke 10:37]. Remember the lawyer had attempted to trap Christ via his test. [Luke 10:25] So sorry but you have missed the boat on this one @taisto. This parable is teaching that one can not keep the law so as to earn salvation.

 

First, it is only you who tells me I am reading into the text. Many pastors and Bible scholars understand this parable exactly as I have provided. Indeed, Wiersbe knows this, otherwise he would not have mentioned it. Consider Terry Johnson, Eric Alexander, Alistair Begg, and John Piper as person's who hold the position I have presented.
Second, the lawyer wanted to justify his original question: "What must I do to inherit eternal life?" Jesus doesn't answer him, but instead Jesus asks what the lawyer thought. The lawyer gave the patented legal answer to which Jesus told him to go do. The lawyer, like you and me, knows he has already failed so he looks for a loophole and a justification to himself and his question. The good Samaritan story is given to do exactly what I have already explained to you.

But, you reject the explanation and accuse me of "reading into the text what you want to see." That accusation is proven false upon looking at the text and upon seeing what Bible scholars have presented regarding this text. Wiersbe is wrong and you are using his error to ignore the question I asked you, which was "What free will does the half dead person display in being saved?"

 

Mortal

 

Says who? Prove out your statement or shut up.

Doctrines of Grace is generally defined as Calvinistic however John Calvin did not invent them nor were they characteristic of his thoughts alone during theReformation period. The truths are contained in Old Testament Psalms. They are taught by Jesus, even to His enemies, as recorded in John 6 & 10 and elsewhere. The apostle Paul confirmed them in his letters to the Romans, Ephesians and others. I’d surmise that they are parented by scripture’s.

 

I have not ignored your question but I have pointed out the error in your approach to the text. The injured man is used by Christ to point out the failure of the lawyer. You seem to think he represents the lost and I would conclude that most Calvinists would do that as they think it supports their philosophy. Reading into the text as you have just shows how much one can distort scripture.

It does not matter how many pastors and scholars read it your way if they do not actually follow the text. I had come to my understanding of Luke 10:25-37 long before I read Wiersbe or any other scholar. The text is not that hard to understand as Christ makes it quite clear. But you feel comfortable allegorizing the text so you can make it fit your theology.

Funny you say I have it wrong and then say what I said is true. That Christ has pointed out to the lawyer, he has not nor can he keep the law. The lawyer thought he did keep the law but found out that he failed in the most basic part of it.

 

At conception.

 

The text contained within the { } brackets is a summary of TULIP from the Calvinist view. @Earth Wind and Fire you have said that PB are not Calvinist butyou do seem to hold to the same understanding of the core philosophy.

Shoal Creek Primitive Baptist Church
Welcome to Shoal Creek Primitive Baptist Church

Doctrines of Grace
Our five most basic doctrines are the Total Depravity of Man, Unconditional Election, Limited Atonement (also known as Particular Redemption), Irresistible Grace, and the Preservation and Perseverance of the Saints. We often use the acrostic TULIP when referring to these doctrines.

T
When Adam & Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden, they died, both spiritually and physically. As a result, all mankind is born with a nature that is spiritually dead and separated from God. Every faculty of man has been affected by sin — his thoughts, his heart, his emotions, his understanding, etc. Thus, he is Totally Depraved. (Romans 1-3)

{The elimination of all human ability to understand or respond to God. The effects of sin destroyed man's ability to accept God's gift of salvation.}

U
God did, before the world began, Unconditionally Elect or choose out for Himself a people for His own glory and praise. This election was based entirely on God’s sovereign choice and good pleasure and was not influenced by any works on man’s part, good or bad. (Ephesians 1; Romans 8, 9; John 10)

{God predestines those who will be saved and those who will be lost. This predestination is based solely upon the will of God and has nothing to do with the response of man.}

L
Jesus Christ came into this sin-cursed world to give His life as a sacrifice for the sins of every one of those given to Him by the Father. This Atonement was Limited to God’s elect. Christ, by His death, redeemed all for whom He died. (Matthew 1:21; John 10:15; John 6:37)

{Christ died only for the elect and not the whole world. If Christ died for the whole world then everyone would be saved which is contrary to scripture}

I
During the life of those chosen of God, He graciously draws them to Himself by His Irresistible Grace, and makes Himself known to them by the quickening of the Holy Spirit. This quickening is an operation of the Holy Spirit upon the heart of man. (Acts 13:48; John 6:44)

{The Holy Spirit extends to the elect a special inward call that inevitably brings them to salvation. This internal call cannot be rejected. The divine and sovereign act of regeneration effected by the Holy Spirit precedes the human activity of repentance and faith.}

P
Every one of those thus chosen and called are Preserved by the power of God and will Persevere by His grace unto that everlasting Kingdom. The Preservation and the Perseverance of the Saints is made certain, not by man’s own free will, but by the covenant, decrees, and promises of God. (Romans 8:33-39; Philippians 1:6)

{OSAS teaches that the believer will be preserved by the grace of God. No saint will ever be lost. The believer is eternally secure.}

 

Yet, you won't accept what the text is telling you.

 

@taisto you will continue in your distorted understanding of that text until you just read what the bible says without adding your own philosophical view to it. I don't know how Christ could have made it any clearer for you.

I do not need to read special meaning into the text as you are doing.

 

Considering I have more Bible scholars and preachers who hold the position I have shared than you have for your opinion, I will take your opinion with a grain of salt.