Church language

[SolaSaint]

Do you have a problem with the word "saved" or "born-again"? Obviously a Seeker Sensative Pastor named Tim Stevens does. He's a megachurch pastor who has decided Christians need to stop using such language because it scares away the unchurched. Sound familiar? Yes Rick Warren has endorsed him and his books..geee anyone think this watering down of the truth is still spreading in the church today.

http://www.christianpost.com/news/i...ould-be-removed-from-church-vocabulary-54890/

 

[RLBosley]

Do you have a problem with the word "saved" or "born-again"? Obviously a Seeker Sensative Pastor named Tim Stevens does. He's a megachurch pastor who has decided Christians need to stop using such language because it scares away the unchurched. Sound familiar? Yes Rick Warren has endorsed him and his books..geee anyone think this watering down of the truth is still spreading in the church today.

http://www.christianpost.com/news/i...ould-be-removed-from-church-vocabulary-54890/

"Saved" and "Born again" are GREAT terms however they have been used (over-used) in so many meaningless ways that they have lost a lot of their power I think. That doesn't mean we shouldn't use them though; that's just my observation.

the church as a whole needs to expand the common vocabulary to include other great phrases such as "regeneration", "justification", and "propitiation."

 

[salzer mtn]

I think people have changed the words saved and born again to the popular phrases of today like, I accepted the Lord, or I gave my life to Jesus, or I committed my life to the Lord, or I made a proffession, I made a decision. When i hear someone use phrases like these to describe their salvation i immeditaly wonder if some proffesional religious used car salesman pitch man has led them down the road to easy believism.

 

[RLBosley]

I think people have changed the words saved and born again to the popular phrases of today like, I accepted the Lord, or I gave my life to Jesus, or I committed my life to the Lord, or I made a proffession. When i hear someone use phrases like these to describe their salvation i immeditaly wonder if some proffesional religious used car salesman pitch man has led them down the road to easy believism.

:thumbs::thumbs: Precisely what I was meaning. You have a great way with words.

 

[awaken]

Do you have a problem with the word "saved" or "born-again"? Obviously a Seeker Sensative Pastor named Tim Stevens does. He's a megachurch pastor who has decided Christians need to stop using such language because it scares away the unchurched. Sound familiar? Yes Rick Warren has endorsed him and his books..geee anyone think this watering down of the truth is still spreading in the church today.

http://www.christianpost.com/news/i...ould-be-removed-from-church-vocabulary-54890/

If you can change the words but not change the message...and still reach people for Christ..why should that bother anyone? I did not watch the video..just my opinion!

 

[SolaSaint]

What worries me is the words saved and born-again are in the bible. When we have to change the bible to reach people we are treading on dangerous ground.

 

[awaken]

What worries me is the words saved and born-again are in the bible. When we have to change the bible to reach people we are treading on dangerous ground.

Well, we do not have to speak King James to lead them to Christ! If they have accepted Christ as their Savior..that is what matters most!

 

[Yeshua1]

Do you have a problem with the word "saved" or "born-again"? Obviously a Seeker Sensative Pastor named Tim Stevens does. He's a megachurch pastor who has decided Christians need to stop using such language because it scares away the unchurched. Sound familiar? Yes Rick Warren has endorsed him and his books..geee anyone think this watering down of the truth is still spreading in the church today.

http://www.christianpost.com/news/i...ould-be-removed-from-church-vocabulary-54890/

Wonder how he would criticise the One who called others children of the devil?

or has he forgotten that paul called it the OFFENSE of the Cross when preached/taught to siiners?

 

[Salty]

"Saved" and "Born again" are GREAT terms however they have been used (over-used) ... ."

What worries me is the words saved and born-again are in the bible. When we have to change the bible to reach people we are treading on dangerous ground.

Well, we do not have to speak King James to lead them to Christ! If they have accepted Christ as their Savior..that is what matters most!

Acts 16:31​

NKJ: So they said, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved"..."

Living Bible: They replied " Believe on the Lord Jesus and you will be saved..."

CEV: They replied " Have faith in he Lord Jesus and you will be save"

HSCB: So they said, "Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved ..."

NASB: And they said, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you shall be saved,..."

NIV: They replied "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved..."

The New American Bible (The New Catholic Translation) :There answer was,Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved,..."

John 3:3​

NKJ:Jesus answered and said to him "Most assuredly, I say to you unless one is born again,..."

Living Bible: Jesus replied, "With all the earnestness I possess I tell you this, unless
you are Born again...."

CEV: Jesus replied. "I tell you for certain that you must be born from above before you can see God's kingdom"

HSCB: Jesus replied "I assure you: Unless someone is born again,..."

NASB: Truly, Truly, I say to you , unless one is born again..."


NIV: In reply Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again"


TNAB:"I solemnly assure you, no one can see the reign of God unless he is begotten from above"

 

[Revmitchell]

The words "saved" and "Born Again" do not scare anyone away. That is just silly. Now if we are hitting people up with a short 5 minute presentation of the gospel that will "scare" people away. But some it will not scare away. That is what we need to stop doing.

But do you know what else will scare people away? Telling them that they are sinners and they need Jesus to atone for their sin.

People do not reject the gospel because of the words in the gospel. They reject it because:

Joh 3:19 And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.
Joh 3:20 For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed.
Joh 3:21 But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God."

 

[RLBosley]

Salty,

Read my sentence in the full context, not cut off half way through. I wasn't saying that the words themselves are overused and should be dropped. By no means! Instead they have been used in so many meaningless ways that they've lost their power. The lost have heard these phrases applied to those who show NO fruit of regeneration and therefor think they are meaningless. When in reality these phrases ought to give us pause as we consider the radical implications of what "born again" and "saved" really mean. The only ones that really get the meaning are the ones that are truly born again.

The words "saved" and "Born Again" do not scare anyone away. That is just silly. Now if we are hitting people up with a short 5 minute presentation of the gospel that will "scare" people away. But some it will not scare away. That is what we need to stop doing.

But do you know what else will scare people away? Telling them that they are sinners and they need Jesus to atone for their sin.

People do not reject the gospel because of the words in the gospel. They reject it because:

Joh 3:19 And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.
Joh 3:20 For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed.
Joh 3:21 But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God."

Truth:thumbsup:

 

[SolaSaint]

The words "saved" and "Born Again" do not scare anyone away. That is just silly. Now if we are hitting people up with a short 5 minute presentation of the gospel that will "scare" people away. But some it will not scare away. That is what we need to stop doing.

But do you know what else will scare people away? Telling them that they are sinners and they need Jesus to atone for their sin.

People do not reject the gospel because of the words in the gospel. They reject it because:

Joh 3:19 And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.
Joh 3:20 For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed.
Joh 3:21 But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God."

AMEN....:wavey:

 

[Yeshua1]

AMEN....:wavey:

thank god the early Church did not have problem with "offending sinners", or else there never would have been a generation surviving the persecutions under the Roamn empire!

 

[Salty]

Salty,

By no means! Instead they have been used in so many meaningless ways that they've lost their power. The lost have heard these phrases applied to those who show NO fruit of regeneration and therefor think they are meaningless. ..

Then this just indicates that we need to explain exactly what this Biblical term means to the unbeliever.
When some one says they are saved, I will asked them exactly what it means.

I always remember the man who wanted to be our pastor in Germany. As the current (temp) pastor, I spoke to him first. His salvation statement was "I joined the Navy, got involved in drugs, and the Lord saved me." A week later at a full church meeting, he repeated the same statement. I did not believe he was saved - and made my opinion know. But he had a Bible college education (I did not). After the first vote, he did not receive the required 75% affirmative vote. One member stood up and said if this church was not going to obey Gods will, he was leaving. A few days later, we had a nother vote. My wife and I abstained from voting - He then received his 75% of members voting. A year later (this was after I left) a new pastor came in and had to clean up the mess this so-called pastor had made.
To this day, I do not believe that this man has ever been truly born again.

If I recall,the term saved and born-again became very popular during the Carter Administration.
Harry Truman was the previous Baptist POTUS. But when I googled "was harry truman saved" and "was harry truman born again", I did not find anything.

 

[RLBosley]

Then this just indicates that we need to explain exactly what this Biblical term means to the unbeliever.
When some one says they are saved, I will asked them exactly what it means.

:thumbs: I wholeheartedly agree! And I do the same thing. 90% of the time the person does not give a convincing testimony. Usually involving a repeat-after-me prayer or infant baptism (lots of Catholics in my area).

I always remember the man who wanted to be our pastor in Germany. As the current (temp) pastor, I spoke to him first. His salvation statement was "I joined the Navy, got involved in drugs, and the Lord saved me." A week later at a full church meeting, he repeated the same statement. I did not believe he was saved - and made my opinion know. But he had a Bible college education (I did not). After the first vote, he did not receive the required 75% affirmative vote. One member stood up and said if this church was not going to obey Gods will, he was leaving. A few days later, we had a nother vote. My wife and I abstained from voting - He then received his 75% of members voting. A year later (this was after I left) a new pastor came in and had to clean up the mess this so-called pastor had made.
To this day, I do not believe that this man has ever been truly born again

.
Yup. Unfortunately I think that's WAY more common than we realize.

If I recall,the term saved and born-again became very popular during the Carter Administration.
Harry Truman was the previous Baptist POTUS. But when I googled "was harry truman saved" and "was harry truman born again", I did not find anything.

Interesting facts.

 

[salzer mtn]

No doubt in the future someone will come out with a new version of the bible that says, Verily Verily i say unto thee, Ye must have therapy in order to enter into the kingdom of God.

 

[RLBosley]

No doubt in the future someone will come out with a new version of the bible that says, Verily Verily i say unto thee, Ye must have therapy in order to enter into the kingdom of God.

isn't that the message? :tongue3:

 

[Tom Butler]

I have come to the point where I am careful about the use of the term Christian.

If you're trying to determine someone's spiritual situation, I suggest that you not ask "are you a Christian." The term means different things to different people.

I have come to prefer the term "believer." I believe it's easier to quickly define the term than to try to define "Christian."

Interesting thing. Several years ago, a contingent from my home area went on a mission trip to Romania. There, Romanian Baptists described believers as "Repenters."

Our use of the terminology relating to salvation and other matters should clarify, not confuse.

 

[Salty]

No doubt in the future someone will come out with a new version of the bible that says, Verily Verily i say unto thee, Ye must have therapy in order to enter into the kingdom of God.

isn't that the message? :tongue3:

It is for Liberals

 

[RLBosley]

I have come to the point where I am careful about the use of the term Christian.

If you're trying to determine someone's spiritual situation, I suggest that you not ask "are you a Christian." The term means different things to different people.

I have come to prefer the term "believer." I believe it's easier to quickly define the term than to try to define "Christian."

Interesting thing. Several years ago, a contingent from my home area went on a mission trip to Romania. There, Romanian Baptists described believers as "Repenters."

Our use of the terminology relating to salvation and other matters should clarify, not confuse.

That's really cool. Probably rolls off the tongue better in Romanian. :smilewinkgrin:

I too try to avoid the term "Christian", like you I prefer "believer" or "disciple"

It is for Liberals

OOPS, I wasn't clear.. I meant "The Message" as in that abomination masquerading as scripture... but that works too