Comments on: Among the Saved? http://ceruleansanctum.com/2007/01/among-the-saved.html Looking for the 1st century Church in 21st century America Tue, 22 May 2012 03:53:34 +0000 hourly 1 By: Reyhttp://ceruleansanctum.com/2007/01/among-the-saved.html#comment-23179 Rey Tue, 09 Jan 2007 20:30:34 +0000 http://ceruleansanctum.com/2007/01/among-the-saved.html#comment-23179 Achan might be there. I mean, they had to finally corner him to confess and that he did but he still had to suffer the consequences of his action. Achan might be there. I mean, they had to finally corner him to confess and that he did but he still had to suffer the consequences of his action.

]]> By: Reyhttp://ceruleansanctum.com/2007/01/among-the-saved.html#comment-23154 Rey Tue, 09 Jan 2007 15:34:51 +0000 http://ceruleansanctum.com/2007/01/among-the-saved.html#comment-23154 Gooding was pointing out that their ultimate sin was not the action of withholding possessions and lying. He was pointing out how their material action was a reflection of their internal action against God. Like Judas' thievery and subsequent betrayal were bad, what was uber bad was that he sat there hearing Jesus' words, seeing the signs and wonders, having the private conversations with the disciples and utterly rejecting it in the inside resulting in an outside exemplification which reflected all that. So when A&P were in this community where there were signs being performed in public, and they were hearing the testimony of the apostles, and they were sharing in the benefits of the rest of the community their action of lying to the community in their giving reflected that they didn't really believe that God was who He said He was--the all knowing, living and all powerful God. Their action reflected their internal heart discord with the rest of the actually believing community. I guess Hebrews would point out Jewish believers going back to the temple and that being a sign of something internally worst. So yes, they could have withheld for themselves and said it but somehow they honestly believed they could lie about it and not get caught, even in light of pointed questioning. Now I don't know what the modern equivalent action could be (as in external action that reflects internal reality) because it's not like we have a temple and its not like we live in that Acts scenario (which even that seems to have receded with how the apostles were working later on: Paul never remaining with the Jews, Peter going about, James and John somewhere else) and baptism doesn't result in the same potential persecution that it would have back then. Gooding was pointing out that their ultimate sin was not the action of withholding possessions and lying. He was pointing out how their material action was a reflection of their internal action against God. Like Judas’ thievery and subsequent betrayal were bad, what was uber bad was that he sat there hearing Jesus’ words, seeing the signs and wonders, having the private conversations with the disciples and utterly rejecting it in the inside resulting in an outside exemplification which reflected all that. So when A&P were in this community where there were signs being performed in public, and they were hearing the testimony of the apostles, and they were sharing in the benefits of the rest of the community their action of lying to the community in their giving reflected that they didn’t really believe that God was who He said He was–the all knowing, living and all powerful God. Their action reflected their internal heart discord with the rest of the actually believing community. I guess Hebrews would point out Jewish believers going back to the temple and that being a sign of something internally worst.

So yes, they could have withheld for themselves and said it but somehow they honestly believed they could lie about it and not get caught, even in light of pointed questioning.

Now I don’t know what the modern equivalent action could be (as in external action that reflects internal reality) because it’s not like we have a temple and its not like we live in that Acts scenario (which even that seems to have receded with how the apostles were working later on: Paul never remaining with the Jews, Peter going about, James and John somewhere else) and baptism doesn’t result in the same potential persecution that it would have back then.

]]> By: Dan Edelenhttp://ceruleansanctum.com/2007/01/among-the-saved.html#comment-23143 Dan Edelen Tue, 09 Jan 2007 05:35:26 +0000 http://ceruleansanctum.com/2007/01/among-the-saved.html#comment-23143 Michael, I like the way you're thinking on Saul. Quite thought-provoking. Michael,

I like the way you’re thinking on Saul. Quite thought-provoking.

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