@JoelOsteen "Version"????
The Greek and original author's intent and meaning is
ἐκλεκτόν βασίλειον ἱεράτευμα ἔθνος ἅγιον λαὸς
Literally means a chosen (not by human choice) royal PRIESThood, a nation, a HOLY people.
εἰς περιποίησιν
For God, not for yourselves.
"Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear... Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice." (Eph 4:29, 31)
How did early Christians survive the 3rd century?
From Decius’s mandatory sacrifice certificates to Valerian’s execution of church leaders, these persecutions nearly broke the Church. This sparked the Donatist Schism over how to forgive those who "caved"
#Faith#Church#History
@Paula_White, why not cancel everything that causes someone to sin, since "canceling" is a power you think you have. Cancel what grieves God the most and hurts people the most: sin
Cancel sin.
That's if you can "cancel" things...
“He covers his hands with the lightning
and commands it to strike the mark.” Job 36:32
The Bible has no category for natural laws that function as though they were not the actions of God.
The job of the church is to make disciples.
Disciples are followers of a teacher.
Our teacher (and Lord) is Jesus.
Therefore:
What did he teach?
How well do we know what he taught?
How effective are we at obeying it?
What is our plan to teach others to obey what he taught?