29- Questions & Comments - (1)

If you are with me from the beginning . . .or WERE with me from the beginning - (I purposely put it that way to help us focus on how words are used - notice two different phrases mean the same thing, when we know the context) then you realize that several MAIN concepts dominate my thinking and theology.

First - Colossians 3:11 - "Christ is ALL . . .and IN you all" Colossians 1:18 instructs that in EVERYTHING HE might be preeminent" but the whole book of Colossians has the theme of "Christ IN YOU" - including (but not limited to) "The whole fullness of Deity dwells in Christ bodily - and you have come to this fullness in HIM" Colossians 2:10; and the argument settling concept that the feast days and OT structures are "SHADOWS - but the substance is CHRIST" Colossians 2:17. The Hebrew author starts out saying (1:1-2) that prophecy and OT structure told us many things from God - but in the last days He HAS SPOKEN in 'Son-language'" - in other words JESUS is the Message from God. Obviously that doesn't mean we refuse to listen to HIS words - but don't miss the FORCE of the concept - Jesus is what the OT Message is about - and Jesus is the NT Message from God. (And - obviously the focus of Hebrews - more to come)

Second - Christ - is the Covenant sent to Jews and Gentiles - Isaiah 42:6; 49:8; Isaiah 61 (which Jesus read and proclaimed as fulfilled in Luke 4:18-21) a theme which is returned to several times especially in Hebrews as Jesus is lifted above Prophets and sacrifices and anything else. My error in this regard was to try to lift NT Scripture above Jesus Himself - I KNOW I shouldn't have done that - and it was an innocent error to some extent - but when Jesus said to the Scholars of OT that they "searched the Scriptures because they thought that IN THEM they had eternal life - but those Scriptures talked about JESUS - and they failed to come TO HIM for Eternal Life" John 5:39, I personally repented of dishonoring Jesus. As long as we make Scripture the New Covenant, we'll think we're being diligent - but from my perspective, I failed to allow JESUS to be Lord and Christ. So - do I ignore Scripture ? NO - it is meant to SERVE me in seeing Christ - and that seeing is meant to cause change to ever-increasing Glory - 2 Corinthians 3:18. BUT - it is also meant to serve us in knowing God's heart, and God's focus - JESUS Himself. The worry Paul had was the focus of those who got people thinking and focusing on THEMSELVES (and their actions of keeping laws) was that they "have fallen away from CHRIST" Galatians 5:4 - in other words, that context isn't about whether we can fall from Grace - but if Christ is not the focus, we sever ourselves from CHRIST as our only hope. NOT GOOD.

OK - someone says - so you think Christ is the whole thing - right ? NO - but PAUL DID - and I want to know what Paul meant - my thoughts are not only not important - they are in the way. TRUTH - (the concept in Greek is "Reality") is what Jesus claimed for Himself - "I AM the Way, the Truth, the Life" - that doesn't come from Scripture as a focus - but from Christ Himself - isn't it wonderful we can learn that in the Bible ? Christ is THE Reality ! Well - that means I have to adjust my NT focus to accommodate Ultimate Reality - Jesus Himself.

Third - what I am sharing is my pilgrimage toward a Christ focus. Those of you who responded with an objection don't reject any of the Scriptures I share - but always introduce another contextual construct which made a point to you. I don't object to that - but please realize, if we are to discuss Scripture - show me how my use of Scripture is wrong first - then we can evaluate your idea. Most of this I will do privately - since those of you who write are very kind to start there - certainly a Biblical construct for objection - even though a few have written to me about something I wrote and actually sent the same three line response twice and then said they dis-fellowshipped me according to Matthew 18 and Titus 3:10. That violated 2 Timothy 2:24ff.

The "reprove, exhort, instruct" of Paul's admonition is followed with "all long-suffering and doctrine" 2 Timothy 4:2. There is a serious error in how we have applied this concept in Christendom over the centuries - we SELDOM get to any long-suffering - or its other possible translations - even though it is prerequisite to talking about ONE Lord, one faith, etc. in Ephesians 4:1ff. I desire to restore that in my life and I implore all in Christ's family to aim at that as well. Love is a "first-focus" in our conversations, so we don't simply jump on someone (even if they are much more wrong that you might feel I am) - we love first, second, and last - and out of that love, we are "patient, easy to be entreated . . ." and about a dozen other qualities which Paul instructed towards us - summed up by PURSUE LOVE ! 1 Corinthians 13-14:1. If we don't stay with agape - whatever we do amounts to NOTHING ! (Well, Paul wrote that in 13:1-3.)

So - let's reason together. But, be assured that I love YOU - unconditionally and permanently- whether you agree or not - and whether you love or not. You are just gonna GET IT ! More to come - my Gmail - theverner@gmail.com