Craigbythesea
Well-Known Member
Prior to his death, almost every word that Jesus spoke was spoken exclusively to Jews, not Christians, but Jews. The Church, the body of Christ, did not yet exist. So do we therefore cut the four Gospels out of the New Testament and paste them into the Old Testament and write them off as Jewish history that is irrelevant to the Church. Personally, I don’t think so.Originally posted by JackRUS:
DeafPosttrib.
One big problem with your understanding of Luke 15:11-32 is that all of Jesus' parables were directed toward Israel (Mt. 13:10-15. What percentage of Israel at the time of Christ would you say was in the body of Christ?
This error falls under the heading of not rightly dividing the word of truth. Many make the error of directing passages that were directed toward Israel and apply them to believers. Mt. 24 is a prime example.
1. For I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that our fathers were all under the cloud and all passed through the sea;
2. and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea;
3. and all ate the same spiritual food;
4. and all drank the same spiritual drink, for they were drinking from a spiritual rock which followed them; and the rock was Christ.
5. Nevertheless, with most of them God was not well-pleased; for they were laid low in the wilderness.
6. Now these things happened as examples for us, so that we would not crave evil things as they also craved.
7. Do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written, "THE PEOPLE SAT DOWN TO EAT AND DRINK, AND STOOD UP TO PLAY."
8. Nor let us act immorally, as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in one day.
9. Nor let us try the Lord, as some of them did, and were destroyed by the serpents.
10. Nor grumble, as some of them did, and were destroyed by the destroyer.
11. Now these things happened to them as an example, and they were written for our instruction, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.
12. Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed that he does not fall.
(1 Cor. 10:1-2, NASB, 1995)
Even in the Old Testament we find a warning to true, born-again, baptized believers in Christ that those who live lives which are not well-pleasing to God may be laid low on this side of the Jordan River and never see the Promised Land. But of course there are many Baptists who will say,
“Hey, man, don’t worry about it. You have been saved and you can never lose your salvation. Paul was the worst of sinners and said so himself. We know that Paul is in heaven, so obviously you will be there too. Besides, if God used the worst of sinners to write a third of the New Testament, just think how much God will use you if you sin as much as Paul did. Hey, man, don’t worry about it! God created sex for your enjoyment and for you to deprive yourself of as much of it as you can possibly get is to show God that you do not appreciate His gift to you. It is a slap in God’s face for you to be legalistic—get out there and start having some fun! Eat, drink, be merry, and have all the sex you can get for tomorrow you will be in heaven and you won’t be able to get any sex there!"