Al, please. If you are going to shoot people with scriptures, please make sure your gun is loaded with knowledge, otherwise you are shooting blanks and will end up looking like a pious ignoramus to those you are trying to preach to.
The passage in Galatians has nothing whatsoever to do the two passages in Mark.
I am asking you to stop giving Christians a bad name by throwing up scriptures that have been pounded in your head over the years without at least taking a few moments to see if they are relevant to the discussion or to check and make sure they aren't saying the exact opposite of what you are claiming.
Just so you know the entire book of Galatians is a letter written the the Galatian Christians. They originally understood the freedom they had in Christ. They had been released from the law and given a new law, one that resides in their hearts. But some of the people there just couldn't understand how there could be salvation unless there were strict rules and regulations to follow. So they started teaching the Galatians that they must follow this rule or that rule from the past law in order to be saved.
Paul didn't like that one bit. So he wrote the letter telling them to go back to their first way, the way of trusting Jesus and letting his spirit do to the work of salvation in them instead of falling back into the slavery of rule-keeping. Paul disliked it so much, he, as he is wont to do, proclaimed his dislike with a smart-alec remark. They had been requiring circumcision as a condition of salvation, so Paul basically told them "Hey, while you are at it, why don't you just cut the whole thing off?"
This is humorous, sarcastic, biting, scathing, loving and teaching. It likely broke the ice of the hearers and caused some to not take themselves so seriously. Much like Joel Olesten who likes to "start off with something funny".
This is exactly what I have been doing here Al. This whole thread is humorous, sarcastic, scathing, loving and teaching.
Ron has been abused so much in this business the question is, "When are you going to be happy people? When Ron is Dead?"
But apparently that concept is well over your head and much of my other points are well over other's heads like Michael P.
I would try to tone down my communication process and bring things down to a simple cave-man like level on here, but I'm afraid I would simply fall asleep at the keyboard.
Please, Al, if you don't understand something, call a few other people and ask them to help you get it before stepping up to the podium and lecturing.
Well Tony I don’t call it Preaching,
But you are not going to stop me from talking about God.
Just curious Question for the Mods…Tony’s defaming my Character as Christian …
Y’all don’t see a problem with that? Why is he the only one doing it?
Well since you asked for a challenge from me, I might as well post it Here
First…..If you think Gods Word is Inappropriate or want some of it retracted…..I suggest you take it up with Him
And not me.
For those who want to read it for themselves, Here is the passage Tony is referring to.
What message was Paul trying to get across?
Galatians chapter 5 nkjv
Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free,[a] and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.
2 Indeed I, Paul, say to you that if you become circumcised, Christ will profit you nothing.
3 And I testify again to every man who becomes circumcised that he is a debtor to keep the whole law.
4 You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace.
5 For we through the Spirit eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness by faith.
6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but faith working through love.
Love Fulfills the Law
7 You ran well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth?
8 This persuasion does not come from Him who calls you.
9 A little leaven leavens the whole lump.
10 I have confidence in you, in the Lord, that you will have no other mind; but he who troubles you shall bear his judgment, whoever he is.
11 And I, brethren, if I still preach circumcision, why do I still suffer persecution? Then the offense of the cross has ceased.
12 I could wish that those who trouble you would even cut themselves off!
13 For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. 14 For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 15 But if you bite and devour one another, beware lest you be consumed by one another!
Mark 9:47 nkjv
47 And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire—
Mark 9:43 nkjv
43 If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life maimed, rather than having two hands, to go to hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched—
“Couldn’t you use the same contents of the above verses…..Lets just say hypothetical
If someone had a problem with adultery or any other sexual sin…Would he be better if cut it off so He could sin no more and enter into the kingdom maimed or be not maimed and be lost for eternity.
The good thing is We will be made whole again when we enter the Kingdom of God.
My Waterdown version