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To: Starwind; xzins; ksen
Again your analogy fall short in that God know precisely how many will be at the feast. There are no empty chairs. All of our "nametags" are already recorded in the Book of Life from the beginning of time. Why would the host set up empty chairs? What purpose does this serve?

I've ignored nothing. I believe ksen responded with a paragraph from John Calvin that 2 Peter 2:1 is referring to those who are in the faith but who are false teachers. There are several incidents in scripture where those in the faith displease God; Job 42 (Jobs' friends) and 1 Tim 1:20 (Hymenaeus and Alexander whom Paul handed over to Satan) are just two examples. It should give us all pause.

Again, 2 Peter 2:1 with a little bit more from Calvin

"Observe also, that no one time in particular is mentioned by Peter, when he says there shall be false teachers, but that all ages are included; for he makes here a comparison between Christians and the ancient people. We ought, then, to apply this truth to our own time, lest, when we see false teachers rising up to oppose the truth of God, this trial should break us down. But the Spirit reminds us, in order that we may take the more heed; and to the same purpose is the whole description which follows.

He does not, indeed, paint each sect in its own colors, but particularly refers to profane men who manifested contempt towards God. The ,advice, indeed, is general, that we ought to beware of false teachers; but, at the same time, he selected one kind of such from whom the greater danger arose. What is said here will hereafter become more evident from the words of Jude, who treats exactly of the same subject.

Who privily shall bring in. By these words he points out the craftiness of Satan, and of all the ungodly who militate under his banner, that they would creep in by oblique turnings, as through burrows under ground. 1 The more watchful, then, ought the godly to be, so that they may escape their hidden frauds: for however they may insinuate themselves, they cannot circumvent those who are carefully vigilant.

He calls them opinions of perdition, or destructive opinions, that every one, solicitous for his salvation, might dread such opinions as the most noxious pests. As to the word opinions or heresies, it has not, without reason, been always deemed infamous and hateful by the children of God; for the bond of holy unity is the simple truth. As soon as we depart from that, nothing remains but dreadful discord.

Even denying the Lord that bought them. Though Christ may be denied in various ways, yet Peter, as I think, refers here to what is expressed by Jude, that is, when the grace of God is turned into lasciviousness; for Christ redeemed us, that he might have a people separated from all the pollutions of the world, and devoted to holiness ,and innocency. They, then, who throw off the bridle, and give themselves up to all kinds of licentiousness, are not unjustly said to deny Christ by whom they have been redeemed. Hence, that the doctrine of the gospel may remain whole and complete among us, let this be fixed in our minds, that we have been redeemed by Christ, that he may be the Lord of our life and of our death, and that our main object ought to be, to live to him and to die to him. He then says, that their swift destruction was at hand, lest others should be ensnared by them.

60 posted on 02/09/2005 11:58:00 AM PST by HarleyD
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To: HarleyD
I've ignored nothing.

I said you ignored xzins post #47, which was posted to you to which there are still no replies. First you ignored his post and now you pretend to not understand that you ignored it.

I believe ksen responded with a paragraph from John Calvin that 2 Peter 2:1 is referring to those who are in the faithbut who are false teachers

Brilliant! Only you would argue that "2 Peter 2:1 is referring to those who are in the faith but who are false teachers"

Have you not read what was written?

2Pe 2:1 But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.

You now argue that "false teachers" who bring in "damnable heresies even denying the Lord that bought them" are in the Calvinist view "in the faith", yet you further ignore these same "false teachers" have brought upon themselves "swift destruction".

Destruction, HarleyD, swift destruction. They are not in the faith. They have brought upon themselves swift destruction.

62 posted on 02/09/2005 12:20:08 PM PST by Starwind (The Gospel of Jesus Christ is the only true good news)
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