ChristiansUnite Forums

Many people read the scriptures and often for different reasons.
There was a great throng around the LORD who were 'touching' Him when He healed the woman "with the issue of blood"
Yet though the power of God to heal was Avalaible to ALL yet only ONE receved it.
So it is with scriptures.
many people read the scriptures but not with faith and so receive nothing from them.
Others study them only for tjheir own prestige and the winning of arguments over others.
Others study them to justyfy THEMSELVES rather than God and seek thier OWN rightousness. and in doing so   find also nothing but the pleasing of thier own vANITY.
The study of scripture is to gain an UNDERSTANDING and 'KNOWING  of God.
His "WAYS and His "ACTS"
His CHARACTER,DISPOSITION and NATURE.
His ETERNAL WILL and PURPOSE.
To gain an proper understanding of the PAST and by doing so have the key to understanding the PRESENT.
by which we may with patience gain soem understanding of that which is to come.
To "come to a UNITY OF THE FAITH"
For "FAITH COMES BY HEARING -" and we see that it is by the UNDERSTANDING not just the hearing "of the Word of God"
Therefore the astudy of the sdcriptures by each PART of the BODY of Christ is nesscerasary for the TRUE unity of the BODY which uis CHRISTS;He being the head and by the scriptures conveys HIS MIND.
Some take the scriptures APART and out of CONTEXT and so make a PRETEXT for error.
The book is a WHOLE book and INDIVISIBLE and EACH PART dovetails with the rest.
"line upon line,precept upon precept"
and should be treated as such.
So for instance soem take the DISPENSATIONS of God and make that ONE doctrin the LIGHT or LENSE to read the WHOLE of scripture.
But to do so means that you will have to twist and torture some scripture to 'FIT' into that FRAMEWORK.
When clearly they do not.
Others with the COVENANTS.
Some MAJOR on PREDESTIANTION to the exclusion of all those scriptures that put that subject in CONTEXT.
Some major on being BORNagain but NEGLECT the "going on to perfection"
Some think and major on the MILK to the EXCLUSION of "the MEAT of the Word"
Perhaps the major mistake of many is that though they are BORNagain and were by the Word AND the SPIRIT of God.
Who QUICKENED that WORD so "that thier eyes of their understanding were opened"So that in understanding ;FAITH in GOD was BORN.
Yet either by thier own thinking or that of others feel  that now that they ARE Bornagain have NO NEED for the HOLY SPIRIT to CONTINUE to quicken the Word and "LEAD them into ALL truth"as HE HAD to thier Salvation so now ONTO THE MEAT.
But instead seek to understand the scriptures with their as yet un-"renewed mind"
But even as we were LED to the truth concerning the message of salvation we must al;so be WILLING to be LED into "all truth"
ALL truth.
Peter made the mistake in thinking that though the revalation and UNDERSTANDING of that great truth "thou art the Christ the Son of the living God" was and is the FOUNDATION of the church and the ROCK on which it is built.
Yet it was not ALL the truth.

For when the LORD went "a little further"  and spoke of His coming death ect peter took it upon himself to say otherwise.and was strongly rebuked for it.
Just because we have a knowledge of the truth of our salvation and of BAPTISM and of sancatifacation. the covenants of God or the dispensations or the BAptism of the Holy Spirit does not meen we yet have ALL the truth.
and we should walk 'softly' before God if He would have us"go a liittle further" on to perfection.
So then we do not or should not SUBJECT the Word of God to OUR thinking and exxperience but rather subject our thnking and experience to the Word of God.
For it is OUR thinking that is to be RENEWED in the Spirit of our MINDS.
and that we do not bring DOWN the Word to our experience but LIFT UP the Word and seek to conform to the Word.

continued:
To those who are ignorant of the things of God and perhaps "little children" of God may be swayed and troubled by their foolish and vain arguments.
Id say this.
Those who are ignorant of the things of God.
Look at the scriptures and point to this or that APPARANT contradiction which 'PROVES' the scriptures unreliability and credibility.
Are like those who looking at a largepeice of machinery say a 2 colour printing machine and focusing on the ONE part while ignoring the WHOLE seek to convince others of thier 'arguments'
For if you was to look at such a peice of machinery.
You will find that if we focus on the PARTS we will find that while some parts go FORWARDS at the same time others go BACKWARDS.
And while these are doing this there are others that are going UP at the same time that others are going DOWN.
and while ALL these are moving there are some that have LARGE cyclycal movements and others small ones.
While some seem not to move AT ALL!
Yet if you wait long enough they move ONCE on a cycle that is longer than all.
Some parts are DRAMATIC some hardly noticed.
Yet with it ALL in seeming confusion AND APPARANT contradiction the paper goes in one end and comes out the other PRINTED AND IN TWO COLOURS as it is DESIGNED TO DO.
Now to those who have "humbled themselves under the mighty hand of God" and repented and have been BORNagain they KNOW in thier spirits that it WORKS yet may as yet not be able to fully articulate "the hope that lieth within them"
Nevertheless have the 'PRINT' of the HOLY GHOST upon them.
To those who believe NOT it is "FOOLISHNESS" and impossible.
But to them that believeit is the power of God unto salvation.
So dont be swayed by the 'learned' arguments of others which denies the working of His power within you.
For the DISCIPLES were called "IGNORANT and UNLEARNED men"
Yet they took note "they had been with Jesus"
We are to be READ by all men.
and that which has been IMPRINTED as it were on our hearts AND lived out in the world is 'proof' enough for those with eyes to see it.
The scriptures are a GREAT 'machine' as it were.
and though we may not know or understand all its parts.
Yet we DO KNOW it WORKS and have PROVED it beyond doubt.
But even as we study them and walk in the light of them we will find how more glorios and TRUE they are and become ourselves  able to rightly divide the Word of God that even as we freely receive we also give freely to others.
And those who bring spurios arguments are such that they 'clog' the printing and we ;KNOWING the truth" see and understand the false by the truth we KNOW.
So seek the BIG picture or pehaps more accurately the WHOLE picture.
"For God in sundry times and in divers WAYS spoke by the prophets hath in these LAST days spoken to us by His Son"
And we understand that "prophecy is in PART."
and if we are to become ESTABLISHED in the truth and GROUNDED we must seek to understand the PARTS as well as the WHOLE.
For the OLD testament contains the FOUNDATIONS of FAITH. and the ROOT of our UNDERSTANDING.
but the NEW testament contains the fruit AND THE GLORY of it.
WE NEED BOTH.
If we are to "know the BREADTH,HIGHT AND DEPTH and the love of Christ which passeth all understanding"
For we are not to be "swayed by every wind of DOCTRIN" for it seems that 'doctrins' become popular and while everyone gets moved in that 'days' fashion ;like the tide unawares get moved FAR away down the beach or out to sea,away from safety.
We should be BALANCED,four square"immovable"
So when they say "lo Christ is here or there or in the desert'
Do not go after them.
For CHRIST means ANNOINTING.
and the annointing is as the dove which RESTED on Christ so it is on the PURE UNADULTERATED WORD of God.
and those who KEEP it.
For the dove in the Old testament found no REST and so came back to the ARK but with a TOKEN of it.
But the SECOND time it came not back fro it found a PLACE OF REST.
The HOLY SPIRIT has and is at REST on and in Christ.
and even as the Lord said of Himself as a "seed falling into the ground and DYING"
So was THAT seed  had to QUICKENED by the HOLY SPIRIT when He was "RAISED from the DEAD"
So too then the WORD of God.
For the LETTER killeth bu the Spirit giveth LIFE.
and so as the WORD (WHICH "IS A seed")is SOWN in our hearts and minds,it too must be QUICKENED by the Holy SPIRIT and made ALIVE to our understanding.
and even as the HOLY SPIRIT QUICKNED AND RESTED on Christ so to does it QUICKEN and CONFIRM the WORD  TO US.
and WE are QUICKENED by the Spirit through the Word as we OPERATE in faith looking unto Him who is the AUTHOR and the FINISHER OF IT.
The more we are STEEPED in the WORD not in the letter only but with that which the Spirit quickeneth.
So too will be be STRENGTHENED and fully equiped for every good work.
So SOW to yourselves the WORD and if you do not understand it. seek it!
For the scriptures say "get understanding"!
For if we SOW much we will REAP much and the Spirit of God has soemthing to WORK on and in time will bring things back to our remberance "all things I have said"
The study of scripture then is not an interlectual 'excersise' but a LIFE giving/PRODUCING ,work effecting,SIGHT....seeing and life changing,strength giving WORK.

DITTO  ;D

You have not understood what has been said.
The doctrin of the LAW and GRACE is ONE part OF THE GOSPEL.
Yet the laws ARE instructive and worthy of study for any number of reasons.
The doctrin of the LAW of sin and DEATH should be preached to urrepentant sinners for the preaching of the LAW convicts of sin for that si its job.
The doctrin of GRACE should be preached AFTER the LAW so that the REMEDY for sin may be properly applied and UNDERSTOOD in CONTEXT.
But to the christian or TRUE BORNagain child of God who has been taught by both is still in need of a COMPREHENSIVE understanding of them so that those who still seek to be justyfied BY THE LAW can be so recognised.
and if contentios avoided.

For Paul in writting to Timothy said "that he had all the scriptures that were ABLE to make hi wise unto SALVATION"
Seeing that he had no NEW testament it is clear that Paul was speaking of the OLD testament.
You seem therefore to think that ALL the scriptures speak of is the LAW when they do not.
But as the Lord said they spoke OF HIM!
and it is clear and can be proved that Paul was saying that a person could be SAVED by UNDERSTANDING the MESSAGE of the OLD which was given in PARTS by the FATHER.
Therefore i the OLD testement there is the Law AND Grace.
and OUR faith which is THAT "faith that was ONCE and for all delivered unto the saints" is the SAME faith which is in God and has its FOUNDATION in the OLD.
Therefore what YOU call ALL the scriptures seems to be ONLY the LAW.
when it is clearly not.
All being "the WHOLE council of God"
The LAW being but a PART.
NESSCERSARY and VITAL to the teaching and understanding of TRUE righousness.But not the GAINING OF IT.
For it is not for the MAKING of rightousness but the "SCHOLLTEACHER" who LEADS us to the TRUE rightousness of God that is NOT by the LAW but by GRACE.

Perhaps it might also help?
If its understood that the "commandments of God "under the LAW and the comandments of God to His SONS have TWO aplications.
For there is "the LAW OF SIN AND DEATH."
and "the LAW of CHRIST"
The attmpted obedience to the FIRST IS WELL EXPLAINED BY pAUL IN THE LETTER TO THE ROMANS.#

The LAW of sin and death si written on stone and is applied to the OUTWARD man.
The LAW of Christ is written on the heart AND APPLIES OUTWARDLY from the inward man.
the efects are TOTTALY different.
For the LIFE WE now LEAD IS NOT OURS seeing we are DEAD(by the LAW) and the LIFE we live we do by the "faith of the Son of God" there fore the WORKS we DO according to those rightous comandments of God "are not grevios" but it is CHRIST IN us who doeth them .
and so are if we walk in Him WORKED perfectly.
For the LAW outwardly applied and sought to be CONFORMED to producEs not peace but strife. for you ;by so doing ,CONITNUALY are seeking to establish NOT Gods righousness but your OWN.

but those who are Christs "have RESTED from all thier WORKS even as God did from His"
and it should be no longer I that worketh" but Christ that worketh within me" Both to DO and to WILL His good pleasure  and by so doing we fullfill the comandmnents of God.
Not as BONDMEN bound by the LAW.
But as SONS. FREE MEN.
and by so doing establish GODS righousness and therefore ALL the glory is Gods.

PHOOOOOOOOOEY ON You Michael  ;D

OSAS Thats me  ;D Thank You Jusus

One More Time, PHOOOOOOOOOEY ON You Michael  ;D ;D ;D

Michael:

If you had a proper understanding of Christ and what He accomplished for us through His sinless life and His perfect sacrifice, you would know that the day Christ died was the day that the Law of Moses was fulfilled in every detail and then abolished!

The New Covenant brought a new Law of Love, written on the hearts of believers by the Holy Spirit. Since this is God's love, only God within the believer can keep this Law, and does keep it: *FOR IT IS GOD THAT WORKETH IN YOU, BOTH TO WILL AND TO DO OF HIS GOOD PLEASURE* (Philippians 2:13). That is totally different from keeping the Law of Moses in our own strength or with our own efforts, since it is supernatural. Study the New Testament Scriptures and ask the Lord to opne your eyes. You have been blinded.

DITTO  ;D

Michael,

You keep insisting one must use ALL the Scripture, yet you hardly ever use ANY Scripture in your rebuttals. I asked you numerous times to explain 2 Cor. 3 verse by verse which says beyond any doubt that the Ten Commandments are done away with and abolished yet you never do. We both know the reason is because you can’t explain away the plain meaning of this passage so you act as if it doesn’t even exist. It makes me wonder if you tore that chapter right out of your Bible or not. Please tell me what has been done away with in 2 Cor. 3:11 if it is not the Ten Commandments. Please tell me what has been abolished in 2 Cor. 3:13 if it is not the Ten Commandments. I await your answer to these 2 questions although I learned a long time ago not to hold my breath waiting for you to answer.

God bless,
Pilgrim

Pilgrim:

Galatians and Hebrews are also powerful antidotes for the Judaizers. You might be aware that Messianic Jews today are doing exactly what those to whom the book of Hebrews was written were doing at that time -- returning from Christ to Moses.

Hi Sower,

Greetings in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Quote from Sower “Galatians and Hebrews are also powerful antidotes for the Judaizers. You might be aware that Messianic Jews today are doing exactly what those to whom the book of Hebrews was written were doing at that time -- returning from Christ to Moses.”

Yes, I am aware of Galatians and Hebrews, in fact I believe the key to understanding Hebrews is to realize that the author is comparing the Old Covenant which was good with the New Covenant which is better. One of the key words in Hebrews is BETTER and is used numerous times if reference to the New Covenant or aspects of it being better then than Old Covenant. Hebrews 9:15 teaches that the redemption of Old Testaments saints is by the New Covenant.

Heb. 9:15 “And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions [that were] under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.”

Chapter 11 which is well known because it deals with faith is interesting to and supports the teaching of Hebrews 9:15. A careful student of the Bible will notice to important things about Hebrews 11.

1. Only Old Testament saints are mentioned in the roll call of faith.

2. It is always by faith that these Old Testament saints pleased God. Every time it says BY FAITH so and so did so and so. Not one time does it say BY WORKS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS or BY THE DEEDS OF THE LAW so and so did so and so.

We do see that the faith of these Old Testament saints produced good works but never do we see works producing faith. The Old Covenant was a Covenant based in works which could be summed up “Do this and you shall live, don’t do this and you shall die.” The New Covenant is based in faith and is summed up “believe this and you shall live, don’t believe this and you shall die.” This is why Hebrews 11 is so interesting because it shows Old Testament saints living by faith (which is the bases of the New Covenant), and not by works (which is the bases of the Old Covenant).

I am aware that many Messianic Jews are doing just as you say. I did however find one web site of Messianic Jews who did not and spoke out against going back to the law of Moses. I tried to find the sites address to post for you but it looks like I lost it.

I have enjoyed reading your post and can tell that you have done a lot of study. You might not hear from me again until next month as I will be leaving for the Dominican Republic in a few hours. Maybe I might be able to find a computer linked to the internet down there and be able check back now and then. Until then.

God bless,
Pilgrim

Perhaps your choice of word is misleading.
'ABOLISHED'

The LAW is NOT abolished for it is there to "CONVICT OF SIN" and to act" as SCHOOL TEACHER to lead men to Christ"
To abolish is to do away with.
It is now made of NONE effect to the SAVED in that they are no longer UNDER IT. or condemned by it seeing that In Christ it is FULLFILLED and as we are DEAD in Christ crucyfied WITH Him as Pal pointed out a woman whos husband is now dead is now longer UNDER the LAW even though she marrieth another.
Now being now DEAD to the law and alive to GOD we are set FREE from the curse of the LAW to all who believe on Him.
But seeing that the LAW is both JUST ann TRUE AND is ofn God how then can they be abolished?
But whereas they were once written on STONE are now written on the fleshly tables of our hearts.
and we do not conform to the OUTWARD LAW but to the inward LAW of Christ which sets us free.
For now we UPHOLD the LAW being made RIGHTOUS not by the LAW but through FAITH in Christ who fullfilled them.
and the LIFE WE NOW LIVE is not by the LAW but by the faith of the Son of God.
For we do not seek to conform to the OUTWARD law and so seek to establish our OWN rightousness.
But because "He who knew no sin became sin" so that we might become the righousness of God" and so do declare both the rightousness of the LAW in the condemnation of sin in the flesh and the rightousness of God by the WORK and ACCEPTANCE of Him who fullfilled BOTH.
and so give glory to God.
"For the power of sin is the LAW" and the law is STILL present and EFFECTIVE to those who do not believe.
But to them who do believe are set free from the CURSE of the LAW and its CONDEMNATION.
for there is now "no condemnation for those who WALK after the SPIRIT and not after the flesh"
for the LAW condemns sin in the FLESH but in the Spirit we are DEAD in the FLESH but ALIVE unto God and the life we now lead and the flesh we now walk in is QUICKENED by the Holy SPIRIT.
For are we not to COUNT our selves DEAD to sin? SEEING that we are CRUCYFIED with Christ?
and if we are DEAD then we are free from the law.
But is then the law abolished?
No.
But we are set free from it.
being DEAD!¬
TO IT.
For the power of sin is the LAW and therefore if we are TRULY dead to sin THEN the law can have no effect.
So we are to count ourslves DEAD to it for that in Christ we are if we but realise it.
For the struggles we have is not to die but THATwe are still trying to LIVE!
and are not yet willing to let the WORK of the cross WORK in soem area of our lives.
We are "crucyfied WITH Christ"
Therefore the POWER is not ours even to DIE to sin but Gods. and it by and through FAITH in Him who DIED and WITH whom we are by that faith CRUCYFIED WITH are we 'put out of our misery.'
Even as PAUL described in Romans.
But IF we are crucyfied WITH Christ by FAITH we are ALSO raised TOGTHER WITH Christ.
Not by the LAW which condemns us to death.
But the RIGHTOUSNESS OF GOD.
Not OUR righousness for we are or rather were condemned sinners. and allm our rightousness was as filthy rags in His sight.
But according to HIS rightousness .
and so we LIVE "but not I but Christ who liveth in me" and so the rightousness of God is manifested to the world in and through the body of Christ to His eternal glory.

Now to the BODY and therefore to each beleiver in the truth the LAW has been fullfilled and has no more EFFECT on them being dead to SIN and therefore the LAW has no more POWER over them and so nit subject to its curse.
But to the World and those who do not believe on Him whom God sent ;the LAW is STILL in effect because they have NOT yet believed on the truth "and the wrath of God abides on them still"
So to those nwho are not yet dead but still struggling to 'live' are not yet "finished doing thier own works even as God did from His"
And have not yet realised that even as FAITH was a GIFT. even as our salavtion was a GIFT.
So too is the VICTORY a GIFT.
"THANKS be unto God who GIVETH us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ"
The law then STILL needs to perhaps teach that ALL the victory over whatever sin so easyly  besets us(which realy si unbelief) is by the SAME MEANS and the SAME POWER of the cross.
For by WHAT power WAS Christ crucyfied and condemned?
By the LAW.
and BY what MEANS AND POWER was He led there?
By the POWER OF GOD according to the scriptures.
Therefore we are CRUCYFIED ...........WITH.......CHRIST by the SAME means and POWER.
and as with EVERTHING through faith that comes by UNDERSTANDING the SCRIPTURES.
We are ALSO"raised TOGETHER WITH Him"By the SAME means the POWER of God and through or by the scriptures.
Now it is clear then that the POWER OF THE LAW of sin and death is LESS that the POWER of the RESURECTION.
For the LAW condemns and brings forth death by sin.
But the power of the resurection or if you will the LAW OF CHRIST brings LIFE ETERNAL.
 For By the LAW of gravity a jumbo jet is 'condemned' to stay on the ground.
But by the LAW of areodynamics and the APPLICATION of POWER it is then ABLE to RISE up into the air.
So then though we are DEAD by the LAW we are made alive by the resurection of Christ.
Paul was praying for CHRISTIANS when he asked that their eyes ofr thier understanding may be opened,that they may comprehend with all the sainst(the body) what is the exceeding greatness of His power that is TOWARDS them (continualy) who belive,even the SAME mighty power that raised up Christ from the dead"
For it is NOT by our power that we are CHRISTIANS but Gods.
and it was the LAW of God that brought us to Christ and it was the LAW of Christ who  gave us a new life.
And it is GOD who "worketh within us bot to DO and to WILL HIS good pleasure"
But only if we LET HIM!
For it is not our ABILATY but our AVALABILTY that enables Him to so WORK.
To what end?
That we may be MADE conformable to CHRIST.
and the devil would have us keep struggling under the LAW.
And many think they are trying to DIE when in fact they are still trying to live!
But if we LET God work in us and make us comformable to His death then we will be more comformable to Hs resurection also.
bUT WHAT DOES THE SCRIPTURES SAY?
We are to "COUNT our selves dead to sin"
Even there then we do not struggle but "rest in faith" in the WORK of Christ on calvaries tree.
and as we WALK by faith looking unto Him who died that death will be WORKED out in us and we shall find that as we face things everyday that God in deed "GIVETH us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ"
For even as were are DEAD to sin we are ALIVE now unto God and aware  in some measure at least of that power that is CONTINUALLY  "towards us"
and so "fullfill the law of Christ"
For we find that the LAW is good and true and worketh that which is RIGHT.
and we ALSO find that Christ and the rightousness that is NOT of the law but of faith is based on better things. and on better promises.and everlasting.
But the LAW written on STONE passeth away.

I know that I am new here, but gosh you guys sure  argue a lot. And these long posts quotting scripture after scripture.

Are you reaching out to offer Christ as their Lord and savior or are you just trying to impress us with how many verses you know.

I can quote them too, but would rather lead someone to Christ.

Laura

geralduk:

You have posted a lengthy post, but you have missed the heart of the New Covenant:

The Law of Moses, of which a central part was the temple, the priests, the sacrifices, and the feasts, was (1) fulfilled in and through Christ (2) nailed to the Cross (3) abolished and abrogated by the New Covenant in the blood of Christ and (4) replaced by the Perfect Law od Liberty, the Law of Love.

You seem to forget that Christ Himself (1) magnified the Law by giving it an entirely new meaning in Matthew 5, and also showed the utter futility of righteousness by the Law by stating "Be ye therefore PERFECT, even as your Father which is in Heaven is perfect"; (3) reduced the Law to the two greatest commandments, both of which are "LOVE" [agape], and (3) then further reduced it to just ONE COMMANDMENT  - again love.  Therefore Paul and the other apostles taught emphatically that "LOVE IS THE FULFILLING OF THE LAW" (Rom. 13:10).  Read the first Epistle of John for more light.

You also seem to forget that when the Judaizers wanted Gentiles circumcised, the apostles were told by the Holy Spirit that only four injunction from the Law applied, of which two were already in place for all mankind since the time of Noah .  The other two -- fornication and eating meat ofered to idols, were also brought under the Law of Liberty. Fornication is a work of the flesh (Gal. 5:19) to be overcome by living in the Spirit (Gal. 5:25).  Meats offered to idols are to be refused since they indicate communion with devils, therefore affecting our communion (love) to Christ (1 Cor 10, 2 Cor. 8).

In a nutshell if God's love flows out of the believer to God and to his fellow man, he or she is free from the Law of Moses, which was a death penalty on the human race (Read Romans). This Law can only be obeyed by the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit, so man's efforts ar "obedience" are null and void. This is called "walking in the Spirit".

First I am not sure what you are replying to.
But in any event was seeking to get peoples thoughts directed to some of the principles concerning the study of the scriptures.
I do not hold that the OLd testament is ONLY concerned with LAW.
But is God speaking in PARTS or in "divers ways and in sundry places" what He has spoken to us in these last days by His Son.
As such we need to understand the PARTS as much as we need to u nerstand the whole.
For if we do not we will not realy come to aknowledge of the hights and depths and breadths of scripture and in consequence fully underdstand the love of Christ towards us.
The LAW is only a PART of the MESSAGE.
as is the salvation by grace and not of those works of the law.
It took 4000 yeas for God to prepare the 'soil' "for the seed to be able "to fall into the ground and die"It is also the revaltion of God the Father even as the gospels are of the Son.
So....It folows that if wqe would understand more of the trinity of God we also need to study the Old testament to do so.
More given that in the LAST book  it speaks of the "tree of life" it is not unreasonable then to sugest that we also need to understand the FIRST book if we would understand the LAST one.

I do not think you can gain from ANY of my posts the idea that I believe or advocate salvation by Works.
But on the contrary.
But I DO believe and advocate that the gospel has beennTRUNCATED to fit MANS experience rather than letting the scriptures chalenge our present experience to be conformed to what the scriptures SAY.