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Study to Shew Thyself Approved Unto God. . . / IS THERE PROOF THE APOSTLES WENT TO THE NATIONS?

« Last post by doug on March 09, 2026, 12:10:51 pm »

Someone made a few claims about the apostles.

People want to believe the twelve apostles went to the nations, why?

[Mark 16:14 KJV] "Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen."
[Mark 16:15 KJV] "And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature."
[Mark 16:16 KJV] "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned."..........could it be they want a verse to uphold everyone being water baptized?
[Mark 16:17 KJV] "And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;"..........could it be they want confirmation that tongues are a sign of being saved?
[Mark 16:18 KJV] "They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover."
[Galatians 2:9 KJV] "And when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given unto me, they gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship; that we [should go] unto the heathen, and they unto the circumcision."...........the apostles decided not to go to the heathen, how could it be said they did?
CLAIM 1 Peter: Preached in Antioch and Rome, where he was martyred 64-67 AD. (as commissioned by Christ, besides an Apostle to the Jews, Peter was also an Apostle to the Gentiles as well)
"There is no solid evidence—textual or even archaeological—that Peter died in Rome.".......... from the Biblical Archeology Society
"That St. Peter taught and died and Rome is a tradition of the Catholic Church, ".........from EWTN
Britannica said the first evidence of Peter's death in Rome came from a letter written by Ignatius, a catholic bishop.
I couldn't find any historical evidence outside of letters from Clement and Ignatius, who being Catholics makes their claims dubious.
There is no evidence that Peter's bones were found under the Basilica. "Antonio Ferrua, the archaeologist who headed the excavation that uncovered what the Catholic Church says is Saint Peter's Tomb, said he was not convinced the bones found were those of Saint Peter"....... from Legacy.com
CLAIM 2 James the Greater (Son of Zebedee and brother of John): Preached in Spain and was martyred in Jerusalem 44 AD.
I could find no historical evidence other than those of Catholic origin.
" All the association with relics associated with him supports that this is Catholic tradition".........from New Advent
CLAIM 3 Philip: Preached in North Africa and Asia Minor, and martyred in Hierapolis, Turkey 60s-70s AD.
This all the Bible has to say of Philip's missionary journeys:
Philip, driven by the Spirit, went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed Christ to the people there (Acts 8:5)
Philip's evangelistic journey continues as he is directed by an angel of the Lord to go south to the road that descends from Jerusalem to Gaza.
After baptizing the Ethiopian eunuch, Philip is supernaturally transported by the Spirit of the Lord to Azotus (a city in Israel). From there, he continues to preach the Gospel in all the towns until he reaches Caesarea.
I found no historic account of missionary journeys elsewhere.
In regard to Philip being martyred in Hierapolis, Turkey 60s-70s AD., that rests on a claim of finding his tomb there:
"The remains of the apostle Philip are no longer in the tomb, however. According to D’Andria, the saint’s relics were very likely moved from Hierapolis to Constantinople at the end of the sixth century and then possibly taken to Rome and placed in the newly dedicated Church of St. Philip and St. John (now the Church of the Holy Apostles), although 12th-century reports describe seeing Philip’s remains still in Constantinople, the seat of Christian Turkey"..........Biblical archaeology society

Study to Shew Thyself Approved Unto God. . . / IS THE SOUL IMMORTAL?

« Last post by doug on March 08, 2026, 02:34:43 pm »

I have come across someone saying the Bible doesn't teach the immortality of the soul. Please look at these verses closely and follow me here.............[Revelation 19:20 KJV] "And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone."............... I have read some saying that the beast is not a man, but a system. The beast is without question a man, as seen in the verse saying "The beast was taken and with HIM the false prophet" The prophet is identified as being a man as well as seen in the verse saying "HE deceived them". Both the beast and the false prophet were cast ALIVE into the lake of fire.................[Revelation 20:2 KJV] "And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,"...............Satan was bound for a THOUSAND YEARS...............[Revelation 20:7 KJV] "And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison,"............AFTER THE THOUSAND YEARS. Satan was set free...........[Revelation 20:10 KJV] "And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet [are], and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever."...........The devil/Satan was cast into the lake of fire where the beast and false prophet are STILL ALIVE after a thousand years. They will be alive in the lake of fire FOR EVER AND EVER. This isn't a parable, which in saying it is, can then be used to dismiss it's veracity; this isn't just a spiritualized metaphorical passage. This is prophecy and proves that we have immortality. Christ tells us through Paul that he has brought immortality to light................[2 Timothy 1:10 KJV] "But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel:"

Study to Shew Thyself Approved Unto God. . . / ANOTHER PROBLEM ARISES IN SAYING THERE IS JUST ONE CHURCH

« Last post by doug on March 08, 2026, 02:28:33 pm »

Let's examine saying Paul was made an apostle along with Peter and the disciples. If that's the case, then Paul and the twelve all oversee the one and only church. If they are all apostles, then they all give doctrine to the church..........................[Acts 2:42 KJV] "And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers."................... Here arises a problem, here is conflicting doctrine; Paul communicates to the church that they aren't under the law................[Romans 6:14 KJV] "For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace."..........Peter was taught by Jesus in regard to the law..............
[Matthew 5:17 KJV] "Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil."
[Matthew 5:19 KJV] "Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach [them], the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.".............Jesus taught Peter that if he taught anyone not to keep the law he would be least in the kingdom..............Peter was to teach all Jesus commanded him.................[Matthew 28:19 KJV] "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:"
[Matthew 28:20 KJV] "Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, [even] unto the end of the world. Amen."...............it must be concluded that Peter would teach that the church was under the law. Now here is the conflict, who has authority? Paul and Peter have differing doctrine, who should the church obey?

Study to Shew Thyself Approved Unto God. . . / WHAT IS MEANT BY NOT IMPUTING THEIR TRESPASSES?

« Last post by doug on March 08, 2026, 02:22:39 pm »

[2 Corinthians 5:19 KJV] "To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation."
[2 Corinthians 5:20 KJV] "Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech [you] by us: we pray [you] in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God."..........I read this verse and thought I understood that it was saying the world's sins wouldn't be held against them and it had to be believed. Like my initial understanding of scriptures I may not have had a grasp on it. I now think this view has more weight........[Romans 5:21 KJV] "That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.".........sin reigned unto death. Paul has revealed that sin no longer reigns, grace reigns by our Lord Jesus Christ. Christ blotted out the ordinances contained in the law, nailing it to his cross...........[Colossians 2:14 KJV] "Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;"............By his death he redeemed us from the curse of the law...............[Galatians 3:13 KJV] "Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed [is] every one that hangeth on a tree:"............Sin was in the world and still is, but sin is imputed to the world as long as there is law.............[Romans 5:13 KJV] "(For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law."............. Christ's death took the law out of the way, therefore, if there is no law then the sins imputed by law are no longer imputed. The penalty for sin remains, only the imputed sins of the law are removed. Sin outside the law still exists and will be judged. We need to be reconciled to God by faith in Christ and his blood.

Study to Shew Thyself Approved Unto God. . . / HOW DID THEY BECOME SONS OF GOD?

« Last post by doug on March 07, 2026, 12:57:34 pm »

[John 1:10 KJV] "He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not."
[John 1:11 KJV] "He came unto his own, and his own received him not."
[John 1:12 KJV] "But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, [even] to them that believe on his name:"............Note that those who became the sons of God didn't do so by believing the death and resurrection, they believed on his name, nothing more. They had to believe he was their Messiah, the Son of God..........[John 20:31 KJV] "But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name."
[1 John 5:13 KJV] "These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God."

Study to Shew Thyself Approved Unto God. . . / THE BLOOD OF THE COVENANT WAS FOR ISRAEL NOT US

« Last post by doug on March 07, 2026, 12:44:02 pm »

[Exodus 20:6 KJV] "And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.",...............Now about this verse; This verse is found in the passage concerning the ten commandments. God was speaking to Israel...............[Exodus 20:2 KJV] "I [am] the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.".................He gave the ten commandments to Israel as a covenant.............[Exodus 34:28 KJV] "And he was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights; he did neither eat bread, nor drink water. And he wrote upon the tables the words of the covenant, the ten commandments."....................the covenant, which included the ten commandments, was made only to Israel...............[Exodus 24:7 KJV] "And he took the book of the covenant, and read in the audience of the people: and they said, All that the LORD hath said will we do, and be obedient."
[Exodus 24:8 KJV] "And Moses took the blood, and sprinkled [it] on the people, and said, Behold the blood of the covenant, which the LORD hath made with you concerning all these words."...............We aren't Israel, nor under any of the covenants, and therefore, are not required to keep all he commanded under the covenant, including the ten commandments. You cand find the essence expressed by the ten commandments in Paul's epistles: the only one not found is the sabbath.

Study to Shew Thyself Approved Unto God. . . / THERE ARE TWO COMINGS

« Last post by doug on March 06, 2026, 08:25:18 pm »

I am redoing a post. I was wrong in saying "It is obvious that these two verses demonstrate two comings, one on the ground, and one in the air." No excuses, but I knew what I am about to say, but forgot it. I apologize

This post will examine the claim that there is only one coming of the Lord Jesus.

There are two comings.

THE FIRST COMING
The first coming is when the Lord Jesus was made flesh........[John 1:1 KJV] "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God."
[John 1:14 KJV] "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth."

THE SECOND COMING
The second coming isn't just one event:

The first event is "the rapture":

[1Corinthians 15:51 KJV] "Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed," [1Corinthians 15:52 KJV] "In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the
trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed."
[1 Thessalonians 4:15 KJV] "For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive [and] remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep."
[1 Thessalonians 4:16 KJV] "For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:"
[1 Thessalonians 4:17 KJV] "Then we which are alive [and] remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord."..........These verses describe the coming of the Lord at the "rapture". The dead in Christ rise first then we who are alive shall be caught up together with them in the AIR. The first event is meeting the Lord in the AIR..........[2 Thessalonians 2:1 KJV] "Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and [by] our gathering together unto him,"..........This verse is speaking of the coming of Lord Jesus to gather together the saints of the body of Christ to himself........... [1 Thessalonians 3:13 KJV] "To the end he may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints."..........This verse is not talking about Christ coming at the end of the tribulation, but rather the "rapture".

The second event is at the end of the tribulation

[1 Corinthians 15:23 KJV] "But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming."..........This coming isn't the resurrection of the body of Christ at the "rapture". Christ was first to be resurrected, then they that are Christ's. This occurs at his coming at the end of the tribulation.......... [Matthew 24:29 KJV] "Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:" [Matthew 24:30 KJV] "And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory."..........These events occur at the coming of the Lord after the tribulation. All the tribes of the earth shall see Christ coming in the clouds. The Lord meets the body of Christ in the AIR and when he comes at the end of the tribulation he is once again in the AIR. The second coming ends here.........The Lord remains in the air until his feet touch down on the Mount of Olives........... [Zechariah 14:4 KJV] "And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which [is] before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, [and there shall be] a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south.".

Study to Shew Thyself Approved Unto God. . . / A SECRET THING

« Last post by doug on March 06, 2026, 11:16:29 am »

[Deuteronomy 29:29 KJV] "The secret [things belong] unto the LORD our God: but those [things which are] revealed [belong] unto us and to our children for ever, that [we] may do all the words of this law.".........The secret things include the mystery revealed by Paul. The mystery is the gospel of the grace of God and formation of the church, the body of Christ. The secret things were hid until revealed to us........[1 Corinthians 2:7 KJV] "But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, [even] the hidden [wisdom], which God ordained before the world unto our glory:"
[Ephesians 3:9 KJV] "And to make all [men] see what [is] the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:"
[Colossians 1:26 KJV] "[Even] the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints:"

Study to Shew Thyself Approved Unto God. . . / A FALSE ASSERTION THAT PETER WAS IN ROME

« Last post by doug on March 06, 2026, 11:09:39 am »

I read a catholic apologist, citing Romans 15:20, say Paul didn't go to Rome because Peter was there and Paul couldn't preach where Christ was already named.

[Romans 15:19 KJV] "Through mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God; so that from Jerusalem, and round about unto Illyricum, I have fully preached the gospel of Christ."
[Romans 15:20 KJV] "Yea, so have I strived to preach the gospel, not where Christ was named, lest I should build upon another man's foundation:"............. Christ was named in Israel/Judaea/Jerusalem/among the believing remnant of Israel. Paul wasn't permitted by Christ to minister in Jerusalem where Christ was preached by Peter and the disciples..........[Acts 22:17 KJV] "And it came to pass, that, when I was come again to Jerusalem, even while I prayed in the temple, I was in a trance;"
[Acts 22:18 KJV] "And saw him saying unto me, Make haste, and get thee quickly out of Jerusalem: for they will not receive thy testimony concerning me."
[Acts 22:21 KJV] "And he said unto me, Depart: for I will send thee far hence unto the Gentiles."
[Romans 15:21 KJV] "But as it is written, To whom he was not spoken of, they shall see: and they that have not heard shall understand."
[Romans 15:22 KJV] "For which cause also I have been much hindered from coming to you."...........Paul was hindered from goin to Rome.
[Romans 15:23 KJV] "But now having no more place in these parts, and having a great desire these many years to come unto you;"........ Paul wrote this letter from Cenchrea (Corinth)
[Romans 15:24 KJV] "Whensoever I take my journey into Spain, I will come to you: for I trust to see you in my journey, and to be brought on my way thitherward by you, if first I be somewhat filled with your [company]."..........Paul intended to go to Rome thru Spain.
[Romans 15:25 KJV] "But now I go unto Jerusalem to minister unto the saints."
[Romans 15:26 KJV] "For it hath pleased them of Macedonia and Achaia to make a certain contribution for the poor saints which are at Jerusalem.".........Paul had to go to Jerusalem first.
Paul clearly didn't go to Rome because Peter was there, he was hindered from going to Rome. When he was able to go to Rome he made plans to go and did indeed go.

Study to Shew Thyself Approved Unto God. . . / YOU CAN'T FIND THE STRAIT GATE

« Last post by doug on March 06, 2026, 11:01:32 am »

[Luke 13:24 KJV] "Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able"..............in order to obey this command you must enter the strait gate. By this gate Israel would enter into their kingdom on earth. Jesus wasn't speaking of entering eternal life through him, he was speaking of being able to enter into the millennial kingdom on earth (the kingdom was in view as can be seen in a following verse; [Luke 13:29 KJV] "And they shall come from the east, and [from] the west, and from the north, and [from] the south, and shall sit down in the kingdom of God.")