A Call for Calm

[Josho]

A Call for Calm

You all may have noticed lately a few threads being locked, this was due to many breaches of the rules, a lot of disrespect, insults, hate, targeted personal attacks, denominational attacks, a lot of trying to tear each other down and a lot of heated argument was going on in these threads.

It disappoints me and other members to see a lot of threads ending up in heated arguments and it's not a good look to the outsiders and passer-byers on CyB. Keep in mind according to 2 Corinthians 5:20 "We are ambassadors for Christ". So if we can all do our bit to try and avoid heated arguments that would be great.

Christianity Board Forum Rules

So I ask that all of us on these forums calm down, learn to respect, learn to love one another a bit more, less argument and more getting along.

We need to remember Jesus's 2 commandments from

Matthew 22:37-39 "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. "This is the first and great commandment. "And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbour as yourself."

We also need to remember the fruits of the Spirit from Galatians 5:22-23 "the fruit of the Spirit are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control."

As Christians we should not be trying to wipe each other out. As the body of Christ, each member is important. It doesn't matter whether if you are Baptist, Lutheran, Orthodox, Pentecostal, Catholic, Presbyterian, Anglican, Methodist, some other denomination or a Non-denominational Christian, if you have accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior and believe that God has raised Him "Jesus Christ" from the dead, we believe you are born again and have received Jesus in your heart and are now a member of the Body of Christ.

John 5:24

"Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgement, but has passed from death into life."

Romans 10:9-10

"That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved."

Also for the Body of Christ see
1 Corinthians 12:12-27
12 For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. 13 For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body - whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free - and have all been made to drink into one Spirit.
14 For in fact the body is not one member but many. 15 If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I am not of the body," is it therefore not of the body? 16And if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I am not of the body," is it therefore not of the body? 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would be the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where would be the smelling? 18 But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased. 19 And if they were all one member, where would the body be? 20 But now indeed there are many members, yet one body.
21 And the eye cannot say to the hand, "I have no need of you"; nor again the head to the feet, "I have no need of you." 22 No, much rather, those members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary. 23And those members of the body which we think to be less honorable, on these we bestow greater honor; and our unpresentable parts have greater modesty,24 but our presentable parts have no need. But God composed the body, having given greater honor to that part which lacks it, 25 that there should be no schism in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another. 26 And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.
27 Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually.

So fellow members of the Body of Christ, fellow Believers please try and get along.

May God Bless you all and God's peace and joy be with you.

 

[Heart2Soul]

A Call for Calm

You all may have noticed lately a few threads being locked, this was due to many breaches of the rules, a lot of disrespect, insults, hate, targeted personal attacks, denominational attacks, a lot of trying to tear each other down and a lot of heated argument was going on in these threads.

It disappoints me and other members to see a lot of threads ending up in heated arguments and it's not a good look to the outsiders and passer-byers on CyB. Keep in mind according to 2 Corinthians 5:20 "We are ambassadors for Christ". So if we can all do our bit to try and avoid heated arguments that would be great.

Christianity Board Forum Rules

So I ask that all of us on these forums calm down, learn to respect, learn to love one another a bit more, less argument and more getting along.

We need to remember Jesus's 2 commandments from

Matthew 22:37-39 "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. "This is the first and great commandment. "And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbour as yourself."

We also need to remember the fruits of the Spirit from Galatians 5:22-23 "the fruit of the Spirit are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control."

As Christians we should not be trying to wipe each other out. As the body of Christ, each member is important. It doesn't matter whether if you are Baptist, Lutheran, Orthodox, Pentecostal, Catholic, Presbyterian, Anglican, Methodist, some other denomination or a Non-denominational Christian, if you have accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior and believe that God has raised Him "Jesus Christ" from the dead, we believe you are born again and have received Jesus in your heart and are now a member of the Body of Christ.

John 5:24

"Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgement, but has passed from death into life."

Romans 10:9-10

"That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved."

Also for the Body of Christ see
1 Corinthians 12:12-27
12 For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. 13 For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body - whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free - and have all been made to drink into one Spirit.
14 For in fact the body is not one member but many. 15 If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I am not of the body," is it therefore not of the body? 16And if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I am not of the body," is it therefore not of the body? 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would be the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where would be the smelling? 18 But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased. 19 And if they were all one member, where would the body be? 20 But now indeed there are many members, yet one body.
21 And the eye cannot say to the hand, "I have no need of you"; nor again the head to the feet, "I have no need of you." 22 No, much rather, those members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary. 23And those members of the body which we think to be less honorable, on these we bestow greater honor; and our unpresentable parts have greater modesty,24 but our presentable parts have no need. But God composed the body, having given greater honor to that part which lacks it, 25 that there should be no schism in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another. 26 And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.
27 Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually.

So fellow members of the Body of Christ, fellow Believers please try and get along.

May God Bless you all and God's peace and joy be with you.

Good OP, @Josho, and I agree wholeheartedly with what you said. I will keep praying for this forum and it's members.
We all need to be exhorting and edifying one another in love.
God Bless!

 

[Heart2Soul]

I agree with everything you've written. My question is - why are non-Trinitarians being censored?

They are not being censured.
The Trinity topic is a closed topic for debate. So if a thread is started about the Trinity whether for or against it will be deleted.

 

[Traveler]

You will find that the front lines in the war is not out in the world because the world already belongs to satan. The front lines are right in the church where satan is trying to corrupt the message and head the saints off at the start. Trying to preserve an image is not the best way to go. Rather allow all side of an issue to be presented so that those following can grasp an understanding of the subjects.

I have found that where there is excessive religiosity there is also a demonic influence.

 

[Traveler]

They are not being censured.
The Trinity topic is a closed topic for debate. So if a thread is started about the Trinity whether for or against it will be deleted.

What should really be asked is what did the original Apostles believe. You will be quite surprised at how much doctrine is out there that the writers of the new testament knew nothing about. It all came later .

 

[O'Darby]

A Call for Calm

You all may have noticed lately a few threads being locked, this was due to many breaches of the rules, a lot of disrespect, insults, hate, targeted personal attacks, denominational attacks, a lot of trying to tear each other down and a lot of heated argument was going on in these threads.

It disappoints me and other members to see a lot of threads ending up in heated arguments and it's not a good look to the outsiders and passer-byers on CyB. Keep in mind according to 2 Corinthians 5:20 "We are ambassadors for Christ". So if we can all do our bit to try and avoid heated arguments that would be great.

Christianity Board Forum Rules

So I ask that all of us on these forums calm down, learn to respect, learn to love one another a bit more, less argument and more getting along.

We need to remember Jesus's 2 commandments from

Matthew 22:37-39 "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. "This is the first and great commandment. "And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbour as yourself."

We also need to remember the fruits of the Spirit from Galatians 5:22-23 "the fruit of the Spirit are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control."

As Christians we should not be trying to wipe each other out. As the body of Christ, each member is important. It doesn't matter whether if you are Baptist, Lutheran, Orthodox, Pentecostal, Catholic, Presbyterian, Anglican, Methodist, some other denomination or a Non-denominational Christian, if you have accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior and believe that God has raised Him "Jesus Christ" from the dead, we believe you are born again and have received Jesus in your heart and are now a member of the Body of Christ.

John 5:24

"Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgement, but has passed from death into life."

Romans 10:9-10

"That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved."

Also for the Body of Christ see
1 Corinthians 12:12-27
12 For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. 13 For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body - whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free - and have all been made to drink into one Spirit.
14 For in fact the body is not one member but many. 15 If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I am not of the body," is it therefore not of the body? 16And if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I am not of the body," is it therefore not of the body? 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would be the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where would be the smelling? 18 But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased. 19 And if they were all one member, where would the body be? 20 But now indeed there are many members, yet one body.
21 And the eye cannot say to the hand, "I have no need of you"; nor again the head to the feet, "I have no need of you." 22 No, much rather, those members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary. 23And those members of the body which we think to be less honorable, on these we bestow greater honor; and our unpresentable parts have greater modesty,24 but our presentable parts have no need. But God composed the body, having given greater honor to that part which lacks it, 25 that there should be no schism in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another. 26 And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.
27 Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually.

So fellow members of the Body of Christ, fellow Believers please try and get along.

May God Bless you all and God's peace and joy be with you.

Commendable sentiments, @Josho, but nothing will ever change. This site, I must say, is one of the more "calm" and civil I've encountered in nearly 30 years on a large number and variety of forums. Partly, it seems to me, this is because the moderators don't seem to have favored "pets" and to administer the forum in an inconsistent way that is obviously intended to protect the pets. The contrary has been my observation on many forums. One I just left was theoretically about Religion & Spirituality but was administered like an Atheist Protection Society!

Internet forums are inevitably a wild mixture of ages, intelligence levels, educational levels, personality types, mental illnesses and all the rest. As I always joke, it's like standing in the middle of a crowded Walmart and screaming "Hey, what does everybody think about the Dead Sea Scrolls?"

Add into this mix that Christianity is a fantastically fragmented religion full of people who think they are God's personal spokespersons on earth. There is good reason for the old saying about discussing religion and politics at the dinner table.

There are several characters here whom I would ban in a heartbeat simply because they are completely unconducive to civil, rational discourse. That would pretty much be my standard - take any position you want, but if you're an incorrigible jackass you're gone even if we love your theology.

Anyway, thank you for the reminder and hopefully it will have at least short-term benefits. The problem is, those who are the real problem always think reminders such as this are aimed at the other people.

 

[Duck Muscles]

I was reading some of the discussions here prior to finding this one.

I must say, for all we are suppose to emulate as those who put on Christ as our testimony, there are some people who make a very bad impression as to what that means.

There's a lot of anger here. It's scary if this community is as someone claimed in saying this is one of the calmer sites.

 

[Gottservant]

If there's nothing you hold back, you are lying to yourself and your brother (selah)

 

[JohnDB]

 

[ScottA]

A Call for Calm

You all may have noticed lately a few threads being locked, this was due to many breaches of the rules, a lot of disrespect, insults, hate, targeted personal attacks, denominational attacks, a lot of trying to tear each other down and a lot of heated argument was going on in these threads.

It disappoints me and other members to see a lot of threads ending up in heated arguments and it's not a good look to the outsiders and passer-byers on CyB. Keep in mind according to 2 Corinthians 5:20 "We are ambassadors for Christ". So if we can all do our bit to try and avoid heated arguments that would be great.

Christianity Board Forum Rules

So I ask that all of us on these forums calm down, learn to respect, learn to love one another a bit more, less argument and more getting along.

We need to remember Jesus's 2 commandments from

Matthew 22:37-39 "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. "This is the first and great commandment. "And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbour as yourself."

We also need to remember the fruits of the Spirit from Galatians 5:22-23 "the fruit of the Spirit are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control."

As Christians we should not be trying to wipe each other out. As the body of Christ, each member is important. It doesn't matter whether if you are Baptist, Lutheran, Orthodox, Pentecostal, Catholic, Presbyterian, Anglican, Methodist, some other denomination or a Non-denominational Christian, if you have accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior and believe that God has raised Him "Jesus Christ" from the dead, we believe you are born again and have received Jesus in your heart and are now a member of the Body of Christ.

John 5:24

"Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgement, but has passed from death into life."

Romans 10:9-10

"That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved."

Also for the Body of Christ see
1 Corinthians 12:12-27
12 For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. 13 For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body - whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free - and have all been made to drink into one Spirit.
14 For in fact the body is not one member but many. 15 If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I am not of the body," is it therefore not of the body? 16And if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I am not of the body," is it therefore not of the body? 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would be the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where would be the smelling? 18 But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased. 19 And if they were all one member, where would the body be? 20 But now indeed there are many members, yet one body.
21 And the eye cannot say to the hand, "I have no need of you"; nor again the head to the feet, "I have no need of you." 22 No, much rather, those members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary. 23And those members of the body which we think to be less honorable, on these we bestow greater honor; and our unpresentable parts have greater modesty,24 but our presentable parts have no need. But God composed the body, having given greater honor to that part which lacks it, 25 that there should be no schism in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another. 26 And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.
27 Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually.

So fellow members of the Body of Christ, fellow Believers please try and get along.

May God Bless you all and God's peace and joy be with you.

Indeed, calm is good and called for--and according to forum rules. However, as long as the truth from God is not fully known...iron sharpens iron, for that two-edged sword of Christ is at hand.

 

[ShineTheLight]

Is this thread stickied because of all the arguing and fighting going on around the forum?

 

[Pierac]

Was Jesus a Pharisee?

The teaching of Jesus had more in common with the teaching of the Pharisees, especially the school of Hillel, than with any other group of his time. In fact, there are many similarities between the Lord and Hillel himself, who was 30 years older than Jesus. For example, Hillel made his popular summation of the Law: "What you would not have done to you, do not to another; for that is the whole Law, the rest is commentary." This statement is almost identical to Jesus’ well-known statement of Matthew 7:12 known as "the Golden rule," another of Hillel’s quotes is that men should "love peace and draw their fellow men to the Torah."​

Some scholars believe that in his contentions with the Pharisees, Jesus was simply taking the side of the school of Hillel against the school of Shammai. Scholars have pointed out that Hillel would have permitted prayer for the sick on the Sabbath, while Shammai would not have.

In short, anyone who believed in the entirety of the Scriptures, the Oral Law, resurrection of the dead, Angels, and aionian judgment was considered to be of the Pharisaic philosophy.

The Pharisees: Heroes or villains?

Many modern Christians think of the term Pharisee as being synonymous with the term hypocrite or Christ killer. However, according to rabbinic tradition, Hillel (50 B.C. to A.D. 10) was the most important figure in Pre-70 Pharisaism. In reviewing his words, one would conclude that not all Pharisees were hypocrites. As stated earlier, Hillel taught the essence of Torah in a way very similar to Christ's teachings. Hillel, is also known for his statement: "if I am not for myself, who will be for me? But when I am for myself, what am I? And if not now, when?" Hillel exhorted his followers to “be disciples of Aaron, pursuing peace, loving mankind, and bring them near the Torah.” The fact is that many of the teachings of the Pharisees were quite sound and were never condemned by Jesus he even told the people to follow the teachings (Matthew 23: 2-3).

Mat 23:2 saying: "The scribes and the Pharisees have seated themselves in the chair of Moses; 3 therefore all that they tell you, do and observe, but do not do according to their deeds; for they say things and do not do them.

 

[Verily]

Was Jesus a Pharisee?

The teaching of Jesus had more in common with the teaching of the Pharisees, especially the school of Hillel, than with any other group of his time. In fact, there are many similarities between the Lord and Hillel himself, who was 30 years older than Jesus. For example, Hillel made his popular summation of the Law: "What you would not have done to you, do not to another; for that is the whole Law, the rest is commentary." This statement is almost identical to Jesus’ well-known statement of Matthew 7:12 known as "the Golden rule," another of Hillel’s quotes is that men should "love peace and draw their fellow men to the Torah."​

Some scholars believe that in his contentions with the Pharisees, Jesus was simply taking the side of the school of Hillel against the school of Shammai. Scholars have pointed out that Hillel would have permitted prayer for the sick on the Sabbath, while Shammai would not have.

In short, anyone who believed in the entirety of the Scriptures, the Oral Law, resurrection of the dead, Angels, and aionian judgment was considered to be of the Pharisaic philosophy.

The Pharisees: Heroes or villains?

Many modern Christians think of the term Pharisee as being synonymous with the term hypocrite or Christ killer. However, according to rabbinic tradition, Hillel (50 B.C. to A.D. 10) was the most important figure in Pre-70 Pharisaism. In reviewing his words, one would conclude that not all Pharisees were hypocrites. As stated earlier, Hillel taught the essence of Torah in a way very similar to Christ's teachings. Hillel, is also known for his statement: "if I am not for myself, who will be for me? But when I am for myself, what am I? And if not now, when?" Hillel exhorted his followers to “be disciples of Aaron, pursuing peace, loving mankind, and bring them near the Torah.” The fact is that many of the teachings of the Pharisees were quite sound and were never condemned by Jesus he even told the people to follow the teachings (Matthew 23: 2-3).

Mat 23:2 saying: "The scribes and the Pharisees have seated themselves in the chair of Moses; 3 therefore all that they tell you, do and observe, but do not do according to their deeds; for they say things and do not do them.

The above would definately fit the bill for hypocrital concerning them, these "which say, but do not"

Pharisees and hypocricy are just about everywhere concerning them

Luke 12:1 In the mean time, when there were gathered together an innumerable multitude of people, insomuch that they trode one upon another, he began to say unto his disciples first of all, Beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.

Mat 23:13 But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in.

Mat 23:14 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation.

Mat 23:15 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves.

Mat 23:23 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.

Mat 23:23 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess.

Mat 23:26 Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also.

Mat 23:27 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness.

Luke 11:44 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are as graves which appear not, and the men that walk over them are not aware of them.

Their teachings or doctrines of men are also mentioned here

Mark 7:6-7 He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.

Mat 16:6 Then Jesus said unto them, Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.

Which is the doctrine of both of these

Mat 16:12 Then understood they how that he bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.

The doctrine of the Pharisees here does not seem to be that which is problematic because they confess what the Sadducees deny

Acts 23:8 For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, neither angel, nor spirit: but the Pharisees confess both.

The Pharisees were the ones who said,

Mat 9:34 But the Pharisees said, He casteth out devils through the prince of the devils.

The Pharisees also rejected the counsel of God against themselves concerning Johns baptism

Luke 7:30 But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the counsel of God against themselves, being not baptized of him.

Jesus told them they reject the commandment of God for tradition

Mark 7:9 And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.

They make the word of God of none effect through the same

Mark 7:13 Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye.

It seems as long as they taught out of Moses and bid them to observe out of that they would be good, but are warned not to look to them as an example of the same because they were saying but not doing what it said anyway. This last one was to Jews not so much specifically to the Pharisees, but same thing here

John 7:19 Did not Moses give you the law, and yet none of you keepeth the law? Why go ye about to kill me?

 

[Simonides]

.