The Evangelical Universalist Forum

Mt. 25:46

I’m more humble than both of you put together! :mrgreen:

Aaron,

You continue with the arrogant imputation of vice to any who expose or challenge your own. Textbook arrogance and pride. You can be free of this.

God deals with us all often and in different ways. It’s just lies within our responsibility (and opportunity!) to let the divine word plunge as deep as God wills to cut its way through to the healing work the Spirit desires. You’ve obviously taken to accusing me simply because I’ve brought a word from God to you. Won’t you stop your arrogant talk of others and receive the healing word which is able to make you whole? Won’t you HUMBLE yourself and not seek the satisfaction of pointing your finger at others just because God’s using them to call you out?

Please, my brother, HUMBLE yourself. Repent.

Won’t you let God heal you of your arrogance and pride?

Tom

Done.

But who won?

I’m not sure about the “sheep being more valuable” part, but I do know that sheep come in black, brown, grey, spotted, and maybe more. Goats also come in many colors, including white.

I’ll try to find some more info about traditional herding practices–mostly for my own curiosity! – but I doubt it’s very important to the meaning of the parable. Anyone who’s worked with livestock is familiar with separating herds for different purposes.

Sonia

Tom,

I doubt A37 understands you’re sarcastically mimicking his wording and attitudes back at him. You’ve gotten him to judge against such behaviors, which was very amusing, but it’s derailing the thread to keep at it. Once a thread is quite enough. :slight_smile:

A37,

Not that we don’t appreciate the commentary ref you gave–we probably appreciate it a lot more than you do–but you already shot your wad pretty thoroughy back on July 1st, here.

Unless you’re saying now that your pontifical announcment was mis-inspired, or something of that sort, then you are currently doing something you insisted “God does not approve of” and condemned us for doing: “We are never to waste time “debating” other believers about doctrine when a lost and dying world needs to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ preached and demonstrated.” “The devil wins when you spend valuable time on forums debating and arguing scripture with believers when people are dying without Jesus and going to hell.” You then declared you were going to leave the forum, having justified (in your own mind at least) why you were doing so. (And “handing” us “over to Satan” as “sinning and condemned in themselves”, so that we “may learn not to blaspheme”.)

No, you didn’t type out the words that you were leaving “for good”. But you did type out that you were “leaving the forum”, and tried to justify it on the (supposed) ground that God does not approve of believers debating or even “discussing” doctrine at all when they disagree with each other, much less when that time could be spent off evangelising instead. And you chose the most condemnatory (and insulting) way you could find to slam the door behind you with (handing us over to Satan as condemned sinning heretics.)

You aren’t likely to find many people here who are willing to seriously discuss anything with you, after you wrote that. Not unless you’re willing to take back what you wrote as being a hugely major mistake on your part.

“Do you guys see this?” Yes, we saw what you did just fine. Don’t slam the door on your butt on the way out.

Jason,

Was it obvious? :wink:

Sorry for carrying on, but “carrying on” was a necessary part of making the point. It wouldn’t have worked with just one post. But now that he’s condemned such behavior he’s condemned himself. The trick would be getting him to SEE this, but that ain’t happn’in.

Thanks for tolerating me for a while.

Pax,
Tom

Tom, I thought that was perfect, except for the parts that were pure trolling. :wink: But those parts were pretty hilarious.

Anyway, I think that it’s pretty clear that the “sheep and goats” were all the Jews. Some were truly righteous, while others were only pretending (and had a different definition for righteousness).

Jason, perhaps it’s worth noting that if (for example) you said this to A37 it would carry a very different meaning and intent: for Universalists believe that’s exactly what is necessary for certain stubborn and recalcitrant minds in order to SAVE them – not in order to punitively punish and destroy/dispose of them. Thus, said by you to A37, it could seen as a caring and kind thing to say – but said by A37 to YOU (for example; to us in this case) it is neither kind nor caring.

Tom:

Your insightful dialog simply shines the spotlight on A37’s double standard – which we’re all doubtful he sees as such. I guess I’m impressed that you still have the will and energy to try and break through!! :smiley:


But logically, it seems that (while we, as Christians, are ALL to be “nice” to each other) in a way our obligation to be “nice” to A37 is greater than his to be “nice” to us. Since our belief means we’ll still have A37 around eons hence, his belief holds that we WON’T be around! Lessening the sense of need to be “nice”.
I’m just sayin’ :wink:

TotalVictory
Bobx3

Your behavior will be dealt with, Tom. You will reap what you sow, my brother. :wink:

I knew Tom was pretending to hear from God because if he could hear from God Tom would not be teaching and preaching UR. :wink: I plan on having a serious discussion with Aug about the verses that he believes present a problem for UR. :wink:

Everybody shall reap what they sow Aaron. Everybody.

And I’ve no fear of reaping what I sow in your case. I know the compassion for your dysfunction and misrelating that motivates me. And I truly DO wish you’d come to see yourself truthfully. It really would empower you to make your case more convincingly. But you’d have to relinquish your love for the “throne” and for judging others and that will take some doing.

Tom

Does anyone else think that the winky smileys scattered throughout his judgmental posts are a tad bit creepy? Not that it’s threatening, just makes me sad for him.

Jason’s points are spot on. We’re justified in believing Aaron intended to leave us permanently.

Tom

Do you have a frog in your pocket, Tom? :laughing:

You’re right, Jason. It was a graceful exit and the content of my post and Lester Summerall’s testimony on the link was powerful. I won’t slam the door… I will close it quitely.( and keep it closed). I hope your eyes are opened to the lie of UR. No hard feelings. Remember Eph 6:12" For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." I love you all despite our differences. Go get some people saved, healed, and delivered in Jesus name. God bless. :wink:

Oh, I’ve read it carefully and the focus is on how we treat one another. When we treat others badly, especially those less fortunate than we, we’re treating Jesus badly. “What you’ve done to the least of these, you’ve done to me.” The “Father, forgive them…” passage is not in the immediate literary context.

Thanks for sharing Sonia.

So noted already, back when he did it. :slight_smile:

I’m doubtful this is his rationale, even subconsciously. He typically (if grudgingly!) allows that we’ll be around. I’m sure that, overtly, he’s acting the way he does to try to protect us.

(I’m also sure that, tacitly, he’s acting the way he does to try to protect himself. I expect he would even agree with that, once he thought about it for a while, although I wouldn’t be surprised if he reflexively denied it at first. :wink: )

Point taken. :slight_smile: