Sorry for the delay but I've been away for a while.
I use the term to consolidate what Paul is talking about. He is the one who brings up flesh not I. He is clearly making a distinction between children of flesh and children of promise.
Rom. 9:6 But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel, 7 and not all are children of Abraham because they are his offspring, but “Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.” 8 This means that it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as offspring.
What do you understand his point to be?
Sure it can mean that but it also applies to people being “cut off”.
Gen. 17:14 Any uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin shall be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant.”
Physical nation of Israel was a shadow like the law? I base it on what makes someone a Jew. What to you makes someone a Jew?
The reason I say “I understand” is because we read the same bible yet understand it differently. I usually say “my current understanding” because it can and has changed as I’m sure yours has. I don’t see how anyone can say they understand perfectly what the bible is telling us. You say you “let the bible say what it says whenever possible”, I do the same yet we see still see it differently. We both can’t be right, either one or both of us doesn’t really understand what the bible is telling us. That’s why I’m on here, to see if I’m missing something.
I agree God has changed his mind but not with prophecy. If a prophecy doesn’t come true, that prophet is false.
Duet. 18:21 And if you say in your heart, ‘How may we know the word that the Lord has not spoken?’— 22 when a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, if the word does not come to pass or come true, that is a word that the Lord has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously.
Also, when God does change his mind, he lets us know. I believe he is omniscient and knows exactly what will happen so he never really changes his mind. I believe it's just earthly terms that we can understand to describe something we cannot understand.
It was conditional.
Deut. 11:22 For if you will be careful to do all this commandment that I command you to do, loving the Lord your God, walking in all his ways, and holding fast to him, 23 then the Lord will drive out all these nations before you, and you will dispossess nations greater and mightier than you.
I understand that to be a warning and not a prophecy.
They did deserve it.
I agree not just by their birth. God set the Jews apart as his people and they were born into it. In the OT there were his people (Jews) and everyone else (Gentiles). That was a shadow of what we have in Christ. Christians and everyone else.
It looks to me like Jesus took the law to a new level.
Matt. 5: 27 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ 28 But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
Jews did not practice stoning a man because he lusted in his heart, only if he committed the act.
Baptism for the repentance of sins was new.
That is exactly what I’m saying. Jesus said before being rejected by the Jews he was going to build his church.
I do take it for what if plainly states.
They were not forced. There was/is no command to do so but they willingly did it as they saw Christians in need. Peter makes it clear that Ananias and Sapphira’s land was theirs to do with as they pleased,Acts 5:4.
I don’t see it as Paul explained the gospel to the 12. He went to the 12 to be sure he was correct and lest by any means I should run, or had run, in vain. He's not saying the 12 were possibly running in vain but himself.
That is what the plain reading says. Here the Corinthians were converted by Peter, Apollos and Paul yet Paul tells them to be of the same mind and same judgment.
1 Cor. 1:10 I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment. 11 For it has been reported to me by Chloe's people that there is quarreling among you, my brothers. 12 What I mean is that each one of you says, “I follow Paul,” or “I follow Apollos,” or “I follow Cephas,” or “I follow Christ.”
I haven’t seen any proof that Peter and Paul converted Christians any differently. They preached Christ and baptized the believers into one body. That one body(church) was created at the cross, Eph. 2:16.
As always, I look forward to your comments.
