Post by Grace Book Man on Feb 11, 2015 15:16:53 GMT -6
GREAT spiritual analogy...RIGHTLY DIVIDING THE WORD OF TRUTH COMPARED TO MAIL IN A MAILBOX
Delta Charis explains it simply by using this analogy…
“As saved and seal members of the church, the body of Christ living in the dispensation of the grace of God…ALL scripture is written FOR us but NOT ALL scripture is written TO us."
2 Timothy 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
Consider this mailbox analogy. Picture a tree lined street in Any Town, USA. There are mailboxes out in front of every house. The mailman mistakenly puts your neighbor's mail in your mailbox. Does that mean it's your mail? Just because you find it in your mailbox? Does it belong to you? Can you claim it?
There may be a paycheck in there. Does that mean you can cash your neighbors check? A check is a promissory note. It's a promise. Can you claim a promise that was made to someone else?
There may be a bill in there. Does that mean you are responsible for paying your neighbors electric bill? A bill is a debt owed. Do you claim the debts that are owed by someone else?
There may be a letter from your neighbor's grandma in there. You can read all about your neighbor's family news by reading granny's letter. Aunt Millie and cousin Johnny are going to do this or that in the future. Does that make your neighbor's family your family?
When we find something in our Bible that was addressed to Israel, it is much like reading someone else's mail. It's not yours. Just like we can learn an awful lot about our neighbors by reading their mail we can learn about Israel by reading their mail. That's why God put it in our Bible.
We, as the members of the church the body of Christ, can learn a lot about Israel by reading their scripture. But that does not make us...Israel. We are not Replacement Israel. Their promises are not our promises. Their debts and curses are not ours. Their future is not our future.
I'm not saying that it is a mistake that Israel's mail is in our Bible. The address for Israel's mail is correct. But just as the mailman made the mistake in the analogy above, some preachers mistakenly teach the doctrine that was written to Israel as if it were doctrine to the body of Christ.
There are things that are different in the Bible. Things that are different, are not the same. As honest Bible students, we should first acknowledge these differences. As good Bible students, we should then endeavor to understand these differences. We do this by considering the differences in the CONTEXT of scripture. Context tells us TO WHOM scripture is addressed.
Don't claim your neighbor's mail. And don't claim the biblical doctrine that is meant for Israel. It's not the same.”
Delta Charis explains it simply by using this analogy…
“As saved and seal members of the church, the body of Christ living in the dispensation of the grace of God…ALL scripture is written FOR us but NOT ALL scripture is written TO us."
2 Timothy 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
Consider this mailbox analogy. Picture a tree lined street in Any Town, USA. There are mailboxes out in front of every house. The mailman mistakenly puts your neighbor's mail in your mailbox. Does that mean it's your mail? Just because you find it in your mailbox? Does it belong to you? Can you claim it?
There may be a paycheck in there. Does that mean you can cash your neighbors check? A check is a promissory note. It's a promise. Can you claim a promise that was made to someone else?
There may be a bill in there. Does that mean you are responsible for paying your neighbors electric bill? A bill is a debt owed. Do you claim the debts that are owed by someone else?
There may be a letter from your neighbor's grandma in there. You can read all about your neighbor's family news by reading granny's letter. Aunt Millie and cousin Johnny are going to do this or that in the future. Does that make your neighbor's family your family?
When we find something in our Bible that was addressed to Israel, it is much like reading someone else's mail. It's not yours. Just like we can learn an awful lot about our neighbors by reading their mail we can learn about Israel by reading their mail. That's why God put it in our Bible.
We, as the members of the church the body of Christ, can learn a lot about Israel by reading their scripture. But that does not make us...Israel. We are not Replacement Israel. Their promises are not our promises. Their debts and curses are not ours. Their future is not our future.
I'm not saying that it is a mistake that Israel's mail is in our Bible. The address for Israel's mail is correct. But just as the mailman made the mistake in the analogy above, some preachers mistakenly teach the doctrine that was written to Israel as if it were doctrine to the body of Christ.
There are things that are different in the Bible. Things that are different, are not the same. As honest Bible students, we should first acknowledge these differences. As good Bible students, we should then endeavor to understand these differences. We do this by considering the differences in the CONTEXT of scripture. Context tells us TO WHOM scripture is addressed.
Don't claim your neighbor's mail. And don't claim the biblical doctrine that is meant for Israel. It's not the same.”