Who was the Book of John Addressed to?

[jeremiah1five]

@jeremiah1five , dont be as my grandpap would say.... ανοησία

@GodsGrace posted this above, and you have as usual ignored.

YOU said " God never identifies non-Hebrew Gentiles as Olive tree in Scripture. The Olive tree is Israel and those being "grafted BACK in" are disobedient Jews/Israel."

Paul says you are wrong.

See what the following says about Gentiles... I reddened the important words in case you get lost.


Romans 11
11 I say then, they did not stumble so as to fall, did they? May it never be! But by their transgression salvation has come to the Gentiles, to make them jealous.

12 Now if their transgression is riches for the world and their failure is riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their fulfillment be!

13 But I am speaking to you who are Gentiles. Inasmuch * then as I am an apostle of Gentiles, I magnify my ministry,

14 if somehow I might move to jealousy my fellow countrymen and save some of them.

15 For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?

16 If the first piece of dough is holy, the lump is also; and if the root is holy, the branches are too.

17 But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive, were grafted in among them and became partaker with them of the rich root of the olive tree,
18 do not be arrogant toward the branches; but if you are arrogant, remember that it is not you who supports the root, but the root supports you.

19 You will say then, "Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in."

20 Quite right, they were broken off for their unbelief, but you stand by your faith. Do not be conceited *, but fear;

21 for if God did not spare the natural branches, He will not spare you, either.

22 Behold then the kindness and severity of God; to those who fell, severity, but to you, God's kindness, if you continue in His kindness; otherwise you also will be cut off.
23 And even they, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God has the power to graft them in again.

24 For if you were cut from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and grafted, contrary to nature, into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, the natural branches, be grafted back into their own olive tree.

Do you not understand that In Romans 11:11–24 Paul compares Israel to the natural branches of a cultivated olive tree and the Gentile believers to the branches of a wild olive tree. Some of the natural branches (Israel) were broken off, and the wild branches (Gentiles) were grafted in (verse 17).

The Gentiles, then, have been made partakers of the promises and inherit the blessings of God’s salvation.

Show me in the Old Testament God identifying Gentiles as Olive tree.

Being raised for 15-20 generations without their Temple living in Gentile lands heavily influenced by Greek culture makes a people disobedient when they lose sight of their religion. Their whole life centered around the Tabernacle and later their Temple. Take away their Temple and all that's left are their Feasts and calendar. Let's see how long you remain a knowledged Christian if there's no Bible in your hand. The same thing happened to the Samaritans. The Jews prevented them having their Scripture (among other factors) since worship was centered in Jerusalem before the kingdom split in two. The Samaritan woman was a daughter of Abraham but because of their conquest and eventual exile they became a figurehead of their former selves. But Judah is a different story.

 

[ProDeo]

Sheol is the grave.
"Hell" (Hades) is the grave.
Both are "unseen" (Strong's.)
Too many medieval interpretations confusing the literal definitions.
Stick with the literal unless the context indicates another understanding. Don't be too heavenly minded to be of any earthly good.

The Lake of Fire was not in the OT.

Your "not in the OT" logic fails.

 

[Red Baker]

Do you believe in baptismal regeneration @Jim?

@Johann

Listen to what he said:

I believe the one baptism of 1 Corinthians 12:13 is water baptism which is the occasion of two specific results; the first is the forgiveness of sins and the second is the receiving of the gift, the indwelling, of the Holy Spirit. Baptism in/with/by the Holy Spirit is the giving of the gift of the Holy Spirit.

The difference between John's baptism and Christian baptism is that Christian baptism is not only for the forgiveness of sins, but also for the baptism in the Holy Spirit.

First, water baptism has not one thing to do with our sins being legally forgiven. Only the life, death (blood) and resurrection of Jesus Christ secured the forgiven of our sin. period!

Second, 1st Corinthians 12:13 is not speaking about water baptism, Consider:

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1st Corinthians 12:13​

“For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.”

The! formation of a visible church is the work of the Spirit putting all the members into one body.​

What forms various members into one spiritual body to be used by the Spirit (Ist Corinthians 12:12,14)? A spirit in man makes him a living soul and animates his bodily members (James 2:26). A church is more than an organization: it is a spiritual organism with life from the Spirit. All the members of a church are united together spiritually by the Holy Spirit of God. God dwells in a local church by the Presence of the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 2:22; Ist Timothy 3:15). The Spirit takes spiritual children and makes them living stones in His temple (Ist Peter 2:5). In the spiritual union in a church there is no Jew, Greek, bond, or free (Galatians 3:28).

The body here is obviously the local church, for it is all that is mentioned before and after.

Those exalting a universal church as the only church that counts interpret this verse to be teaching infant baptism making church members and national citizens, simultaneously. Paul is writing the local church at Corinth, and he is dealing with gifts in a local church. He will tell them plainly in a few verses that he is talking specifically about them (Ist Cor 12:27).

Paul did not jump subjects to water baptism admission into some universal church. The baptism here is not water baptism, for it is a baptism performed by the Holy Spirit.

Not every baptism is a baptism involving water and burial in it (Matthew 3:11; 20:22). Water baptism is an individual act of answering God with a good conscience (Ist Peter 3:21). Water baptism is performed by a human administrator, not by the Holy Spirit (Acts 8:38). Water baptism does not make church members except in Roman Catholicism, for the eunuch was not made a member anywhere by his baptism by Philip (Acts 8:39).

Joining one self to a local body of believers, the outward organization, is by mutual assent in Christ, for Paul’s baptism had not made him a member in any sense of any body (Acts 9:18,26).

Since baptism is an immersion, the verse describes the Spirit immersing us into a church. We lay claim to this verse by asking for it to be done when we receive new professors to worship with us, which is the opposite action we take when excluding a member from our church body.

The church has binding and loosing authority, which the Spirit applies (Matthew 18:18). The Holy Spirit immerses, buries, plunges, dips, and otherwise sticks new members into the body until they are grafted onto it and participate in the same Spirit in the body.

The result is not salvation, membership, gifts, or anything else, but participation in the body. “To drink into one Spirit” is mutual participation in the lively energy of the Holy Spirit. This is a passive work done to members, just like the baptism in the first part of the verse.

Also, consider Matthew 3:11,12:

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Matthew 3:11​

“I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire: Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire."

Here is a baptism preached by the Charismatics that they encourage their follows to seek, yet a closer considerations of these scriptures proves that this baptism is something to avoid at all cost.

Matthew 3:7​

“But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?”

John warns these generation of vipers that Jesus will baptized them with the Holy Ghost and fire! Listen carefully: "Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire."

This baptism will be when the wicked are cast into the LAKE of fire, after the final judgement!

Water baptism is only for those who are ALREADY BELIEVERS, and it is an answer of a GOOD conscience not in order to receive one! 1st Peter 3:21; etc.