Bible Study - Class meets on Thursday from 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM CST.

[BoyRescue]

Hmm... if you could post up that verse whenever you find it, I would be interested in seeing it.

Exodus 30:22-25

22 Moreover the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 23 “Also take for yourself quality spices—five hundred shekels of liquid myrrh, half as much sweet-smelling cinnamon (two hundred and fifty shekels), two hundred and fifty shekels of sweet-smelling cane, 24 five hundred shekels of cassia, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, and a hin of olive oil. 25 And you shall make from these a holy anointing oil, an ointment compounded according to the art of the perfumer. It shall be a holy anointing oil.

[LadyLionness]

James 5:19,20 - "19 Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back, 20 let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins.

This is saying that if a believer wanders from the truth and someone turns him; the sinner, from the error of his way will save his soul from death.  Self explanatory.  Now, if a believer does not turn away from sin then his soul will not be saved from death, correct?  

Does this mean "once saved always saved" is true?  

BoyRescue, I am one of those that believe that once saved, always saved.  

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,[a] neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

I think that in here, James is not negating all the other scriptures of saved by grace (not works) and once saved, will stay saved until Christ come back, but he is saying that true salvation means that their FRUITS must bear witness to their faith... and if the fruits are different from what they are claiming, then we need to bring them back.

Jesus will keep you strong until the end so that there will be no wrong in you on the day our Lord Jesus Christ comes again.

For the Son of Man in his day will be like the lightning, which flashes and lights up the sky from one end to the other.

hand this man over to Satan, so that the sinful nature may be destroyed and his spirit saved on the day of the Lord.

This quote kind of say to me that James is talking about his physical death so that this spirit might be saved... just speculating...

Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us

May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day.

 

Barnes' Notes on the Bible
Who shall also confirm you - Who shall establish you in the hopes of the gospel. He shall make you "firm" (βεβαιώσει bebaiōsei) amidst all your trials, and all the efforts which may be made to shake your faith, and to remove you from that firm foundation on which you now rest.

Unto the end - That is, to the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. He would keep them to the end of life in the path of holiness, so that at the coming of the Lord Jesus they might be found blameless; compare John 13:1. The sense is, that they should be kept, and should not be suffered to fall away and perish - and this is one of the many places which express the strong confidence of Paul that those who are true Christians shall be preserved unto everlasting life; compare Philippians 1:6.

That ye may be blameless - The word rendered "blameless" ἀνεγκλήτου anegklētou does not mean perfect, but properly denotes those against whom there is no charge of crime; who are unaccused, and against whom there is no ground of accusation. Here it does not mean that they were personally perfect, but that God would so keep them, and enable them to evince a Christian character, as to give evidence that they were his friends, and completely escape condemnation in the last Day; see the notes at Romans 8:33-34. There is no man who has not his faults; no Christian who is not conscious of imperfection; but it is the design of God so to keep his people, and so to justify and sanctify them through the Lord Jesus, that the church may be presented "a glorious church, without spot or wrinkle" Ephesians 5:27 on the Day of Judgment.

In the day ... - On the Day when the Lord Jesus shall come to judge the world; and which will be called his Day, because it will be the Day in which he will be the great and conspicuous object, and which is especially appointed to glorify him; see 2 Thessalonians 1:10, "Who shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe."


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Clarke's Commentary on the Bible
Who shall - confirm you - As the testimony of Christ was confirmed among you, so, in conscientiousl y believing and obeying, God will confirm you through that testimony. See 1 Corinthians 1:6.

In the day of our Lord Jesus - In the day that he comes to judge the world, according to some; but, in the day in which he comes to destroy the Jewish polity, according to others. While God destroys them who are disobedient, he can save you who believe.


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Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible
Who shall also confirm you unto the end,.... The author of this blessing of confirmation is not the Lord Jesus Christ, though he is mentioned in the latter part of 1 Corinthians 1:7; and seems to be the antecedent to the relative "who" in this, but is not, for this confirmation is made in him; see 2 Corinthians 1:21; and besides, it is in order that the saints might be blameless in the day of Christ, and so must design some other person distinct from him, which is God the Father, 1 Corinthians 1:4, to whom the apostle gives thanks, and continues to do so unto this verse; in which he assures the saints of confirmation in grace by God, the author and giver of all grace: and which may be understood of their confirmation in the love and favour of God, from which there can be no separation; and of their establishment in the person of Christ, and in the doctrines of grace; and of the permanency of the grace of the Spirit in them, and of their perseverance in faith and holiness unto the end: that is, of their days; even until the day of Christ, when the good work begun in them shall be performed and finished; that is, "for ever", as the Ethiopic version reads it; for the love of God to his people always continues; their interest in Christ can never be lost; grace in them is an immortal seed; nor shall they be ever finally and totally moved away from the hope of the Gospel:

that ye may be blameless; not in themselves, for no man is without his faults; none of God's children are without their failings and infirmities; they have whereof to blame themselves, and may be blamed by God too in a providential way; but they are so in Christ their head, being justified by his righteousness, and washed in his blood; and so in the sight of God, as considered in Christ; and will appear such

in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ, when he shall descend from heaven, and take his saints to him, and present them to himself a glorious church, without spot or wrinkle, or any such thing.

[BoyRescue]

Okay, maybe the anointing oil isn't to be used on the body, but just oil.

[LadyLionness]

Okay, maybe the anointing oil isn't to be used on the body, but just oil.

I have seen it used on the head.. and then the laying of the hands...

[LadyLionness]

Exodus 30:22-25

22 Moreover the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 23 “Also take for yourself quality spices—five hundred shekels of liquid myrrh, half as much sweet-smelling cinnamon (two hundred and fifty shekels), two hundred and fifty shekels of sweet-smelling cane, 24 five hundred shekels of cassia, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, and a hin of olive oil. 25 And you shall make from these a holy anointing oil, an ointment compounded according to the art of the perfumer. It shall be a holy anointing oil.

Hmm... ok... sounds interesting... Now I gotta think about this one...

[LadyLionness]

Sorry about quoting so many scriptures and passages on salvation, but I think this is very important and is fundamental.

[BoyRescue]

BoyRescue, I am one of those that believe that once saved, always saved.  

I think that in here, James is not negating all the other scriptures of saved by grace (not works) and once saved, will stay saved until Christ come back, but he is saying that true salvation means that their FRUITS must bear witness to their faith... and if the fruits are different from what they are claiming, then we need to bring them back.

James is not referring to fruits, but to the truth - Jesus Christ.  James is speaking about Christians who have been deceived by other teachers from the truth in Jesus.

For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 4 They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.

Let me re-phrase my original question:  If Christians turn away from the truth Jesus Christ, will they still be saved?

Sorry about quoting so many scriptures and passages on salvation, but I think this is very important and is fundamental.

No problem, I definitely welcome it. 

The meaning "save a soul" is not referring to a physical death, but a spiritual death.  This meaning is also used in James 1:21:

"Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls."

Receiving an implanted word with meekness does not save a person from physical death, but a spiritual death.

[LadyLionness]

James is not referring to fruits, but to the truth - Jesus Christ.  James is speaking about Christians who have been deceived by other teachers from the truth in Jesus.

Let me re-phrase my original question:  If Christians turn away from the truth Jesus Christ, will they still be saved?


The meaning "save a soul" is not referring to a physical death, but a spiritual death.  This meaning is also used in James 1:21:

"Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls."

Receiving an implanted word with meekness does not save a person from physical death, but a spiritual death.

Can a true Christian, one who have truly given his heart to Christ still turn from him? 

[LadyLionness]

Dear Heavenly Father,

Thank you for this day and for the friends we have.  We love you and honor you.  Lord, please be with each of us today as we get ready to study your word.  Clear our minds and our hearts so that we can listen and understand that which you want to teach us. 

All this I pray in the name of our Lord and Savior, Christ Jesus.  Amen.

[BoyRescue]

Can a true Christian, one who have truly given his heart to Christ still turn from him?  

I believe to say it's impossible would be ignorant in my opinion.  Losing salvation is simply doing the opposite of receiving salvation - rejecting Jesus.

[LadyLionness]

There are four gospels with a different emphasis in each.
 1.Matthew wrote to the Jews,
 2.Mark to the Romans,
 3.Luke to the Gentiles, and
 4.John to everyone.
 
There are extensive quotations from the Old Testament in Matthew, more than in any other gospel.

Matthew began his book with a presentation of the ancestry of Jesus Christ (1:1-17) because of its strategic argument for the Messiah. Matthew presented the genealogy of Joseph, and Luke presented the genealogy of Mary (Lu 3). Thus, we have both a legal line and the blood line of Jesus. Matthew proved that Jesus had the legal right to the throne of David. He had the judicial and prophetic right to the throne (2 Sa 7:8-18; Ps 89:20-37).

[LadyLionness]

Author:  Matthew, the tax collector who left everything to follow Jesus Christ;  also called Levi by Mark and Luke.

Date:  This Gosped was written fair early, before the destruction of the temple in A.D. 70.  Some Scholars proposed a date as early as A.D. 50.  

Matthew's purpose is to demonstrate that Christ is the Kind and Messiah of Isreal.  This gospel quotes more than 60 times from the Old Testament prophecies to show how Christ is the fulfillment of all those promises.  He wrote as an eyewitness of many of the events he described, giving first hand testimoney about the words and words of Jesus.  

More than 400 years has passed since the last Old Testament prophecies, and faithful Jews all over the world were still awaiting the Messiah.  Matthew wrote this book to Jes to present Jesus as King and Messiah, the rpomised descendant of David who would reighn forever (Is. 11:1-5). 

The Gospel of Matthew links the Old and New Testaments and contains many references to how Jesus fulfilled Old Testament prophecy.

[LadyLionness]

Matthew 1:1

The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ,
 
Matthew began with the ancestry of Jesus Christ to prove his Messiahship to the Jews. Genealogies are crucial to the Jews, so this list of names is vital to prove Jesus' Messiahship. The genealogy divides into three historical sections, each with 14 generations:
 
1.    Abraham to Jesse (leading to David),
 
2.    David to Josiah (the kingdom period),
 
3.    Jeconiah to Joseph (the royal descent during the exile in Babylon, 586 B.C. and following).
 
the Son of David,
 
Matthew presented two unconditional covenants to establish the Messiahship of Jesus to the Jews: (1) the Davidic Covenant (2 Sa 7) and (2) the Abrahamic Covenant (Ge 12-15).
 
the Son of Abraham:

Takes his royal lineage all the way back to the nation's (Israel) inception in the Abrahamic Covenant. The Abrahamic Covenant was the launching of the Jewish people into existence. Abraham was a Gentile who became a Jew by faith (Ge 15:6; Ro 9:6-14). The founding of the Jewish nation came by regeneration, not physical generation. Abraham believed in the promise of the coming Messiah and that made him a believer. Thus, the nation of the Jewish people was founded on Abraham (Ro 9:6-14). Abraham became the pattern for salvation or justification by faith (Ro 4:1-7). Abraham was an example of someone who walked by faith (He 11:8-19; Ja 2:21-24).

[WindComeWindBlow]

One of the first chapters I read from the Bible.  I often read Matthew for leisure.  

[LadyLionness]

One of the first chapters I read from the Bible.  I often read Matthew for leisure. 

That is interesting.  Can you explain more, Wind?  I often find Matthew to be the drier of the four gospel.  I really enjoyed Luke... almost read it straight through the first time.  Many people like the book of John.