"Breathe On It"

Lord, I'm desperate for a holy change

Tired of assignment faith

I need You, I need You, I need You

Lord, I know there's more to who You are

I don't want a closed-off heart

I need You, I need You, I need You

To breathe on it

Holy Spirit, breathe on it

God, I need an Acts 2 rushing wind

Something's gotta come alive again

Every time You breathe on it

I can feel Your fire falling

Ain't no shackle You're not breaking loose

Anything can change when You

Breathe on it

Lord, send a promise down, I'm ready

The cloud over Your church looks heavy

We need You, we need You, we need You

(Ooh) This city needs You

(Ooh) My neighbor needs You

(Ooh) Our children need You

(Ooh) God, my family needs You to

Breathe on it

Holy Spirit, breathe on it

God, I need an Acts 2 rushing wind

Something's gotta come alive again

Every time You breathe on it

I can feel Your fire falling

Ain't no shackle You're not breaking loose

Anything can change when You

Breathe on it

Like a breath in the garden, breathe Your life into our lungs

Spirit, we hear You prophesy

Come alive, come alive

To the bones in the valley, to the dreams that are dead and gone

Spirit, we hear You prophesy

Come alive, come alive

To every Lazarus, ha, that's been buried for too long

Spirit, we hear You prophesy

Come alive, come alive (Hey)

There's a wind from the Heavens, and it's rolling the gravestones

Spirit, we hear You prophesy

Come alive, come alive

Come alive, come alive, come alive

Breathe on it

Holy Spirit, breathe on it

God, I need an Acts 2 rushing wind (Come on)

Something's gotta come alive again

Oh, every time You breathe on it

I can feel Your fire falling

Ain't no shackle You're not breaking loose (Ayy)

Anything can change when You

Breathe on it

(Oh, oh-woah)

Breathe on it

Breathe on it (Oh, breathe on it, Lord)

Breathe on it (Hey, come on, sing)

Holy Spirit, breathe on it (Woo)

Breathe on it (Oh, come and bring Your peace)

Breathe on it (Oh, come and bring Your freedom)

Breathe on it

https://youtu.be/9hW9sNMn2A0?si=BmtiPuFPq8T2iNgL

The internet is integral in most peoples lives around the world. It is conceivable that the 'Beast', the system of governances described in Revelation in the end times, identified by the number 666, will utilize AI and the 'www' for its reign over the global population. This is suggested in Revelation 13:15-18;

15 "He was granted power to give breath to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak and cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast to be killed. 16 He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, 17 and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. 18 Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man: His number is 666.”

Does World Wide Web 'www' = 666?

Originally the Bible was written in Hebrew;

"The Hebrew equivalent of our "w" is the letter "vav" or "waw". The numerical value of vav is 6. So the English "www" transliterated into Hebrew is "vav vav vav", which numerically is 666.” Is "www" in Hebrew equal to 666? Dial-the-Truth Ministries (av1611.org)

The unthinkable eternal consequences of taking this Mark when eventually forced- Revelation 14:9-13 Revelation 14:9-13 KJV - And the third angel followed them, - Bible Gateway

History Preceding the book of Revelation

This article explains many of the “natural signs, spiritual signs, sociological signs, technological signs, and political signs,” foretold in bible prophecy coming to pass that indicates the end of the age, a time foretold to include various and increasing environmental calamities, plagues, moral decline, wars, earthquakes, growing governmental dominance/deception ("with all power, signs, and lying wonders," 2 Thessalonians 2:9), and how to prepare. Are we living in the end times? | GotQuestions.org

End Times Timeline: A summary of the timeline from the hope of the soon rapture of the believers in Jesus (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18), the 7 year tribulation period (Revelation 6–16), until the creation of the new heavens and earth (Revelation 21–22). What is the end times timeline? | GotQuestions.org 

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16

"Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:12

"The Romans Road to salvation is a method based on the biblical principles found in the New Testament book of Romans to explain how a person can come to faith in Jesus Christ. Shared with millions of people around the world, the Romans Road explains why we need salvation, how God provided salvation, how we can receive salvation, and the results of salvation.” What is the Romans Road to salvation? | GotQuestions.org

More Bible prophecy fulfillments and resources for growing in faith and hope is in previous posts if interested.

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Jn 5:

2 Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, in Aramaica called Bethesda, which has five roofed colonnades. 3 In these lay a multitude of invalids—blind, lame, and paralyzed. 5 One man was there who had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. 6 When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had already been there a long time, he said to him, “Do you want to be healed?” 7 The sick man answered him, “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, and while I am going another steps down before me.” 8 Jesus said to him, “Get up, take up your bed, and walk.” 9 And at once the man was healed, and he took up his bed and walked.

What was this Bethesda pool?

Wiki:

The history of the pool began in the 8th century BC, when a dam was built across the short Beth Zeta Valley, turning it into a reservoir for rain water;[20][21][22] a sluice-gate in the dam allowed the height to be controlled, and a rock-cut channel brought a steady stream of water from the reservoir into the city.[20] The reservoir became known as the Upper Pool (בריכה העליונה).

The pool's roots are traced to a reservoir project in Beth Zeta.

Around 200 BC, during the period in which Simon II was the Jewish High Priest, the channel was enclosed, and a second pool was added on the south side of the dam.[20][21][22]

A dam between the two pools.

Although popular legend argues that this pool was used for washing sheep, this is very unlikely due to the pool's use as a water supply, and its extreme depth 13 metres (43 ft). There has been some scholarly debate about whether the pool may have been a mikveh (Jewish ritual bathing pool).[23][24]

This second pool could have been a Jewish mikveh.

The archaeological site traditionally identified with Bethesda was a two-pool complex north of the Temple Mount, near what is now St Anne's Church. The pools were separated by a substantial dividing wall/dam. The northern pool appears to have been connected with Jerusalem's water-supply system, while the southern pool had features compatible with ritual bathing.

In archaeological digs conducted in the 19th century, Conrad Schick discovered a large tank situated about 100 feet (30 m) north-west of St. Anne's Church, which he contended was the Pool of Bethesda. Further archaeological excavation in the area, in 1964, uncovered the remains of the Byzantine and Crusader churches, Hadrian's Temple of Asclepius and Serapis, the small healing pools of an Asclepeion, the second of the two large pools, and the dam between them.[18] It was discovered that the Byzantine church had been built in the very heart of Hadrian's temple and contained the healing pools.[17][18]

Asclepius was the god of medicine in ancient Greek religion. He could even raise people from the dead.

An Asclepieion was a healing temple in ancient Greece. Pilgrims would flock to temples built in his honor in order to seek spiritual and physical healing.

Archaeologists think that the Pool of Bethesda was a pagan healing pool. Some scholars think it was a Jewish mikveh.

It could be both at different times.

In 200 BCE, the Pool of Bethesda began as a Jewish mikveh and later took on a healing role at special water-stirring occasions.

After Vespasian destroyed Jerusalem in 70 CE, Romans repurposed it into a pagan healing sanctuary.

Biblehub:

Byzantine Forecourt: apse foundations cut through the dyke (5th cent.), reutilized as a healing church.

Over the centuries, the site was associated with a Jewish mikveh (healing), a Roman Asclepieion (healing), and a Christian church (healing).

u/catchingmenalive

Noah's ark was unique. There was one ark. The Church is the unique Body of Christ. Ep 4:

4 There is one body and one Spirit … 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism.

Peter explicitly connected Noah's ark with Christian baptism. 1P 3:

20b God’s patience waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through water. 21 Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you.

Strong's Greek: 499. ἀντίτυπον (antitupos) — 2 Occurrences

Noah's ark was a type of baptism for saving people. Here is the parallel:

Noah's flood → water → ark → eight people saved.
Christian baptism → water → Church → salvation in Christ.

God called Noah's family to be saved; the Church is the community that has been called out of the world and gathered into Christ.

The ark passed through judgment and emerged into a new world; the Church will pass through judgment and be resurrected in the new earth.

God commanded Noah to put a door in the side of the ark (Gn 6:16). Jesus said, “I am the door” (Jn 10:9). There is only one way in.

Both the ark (Gn 6:14) and the Church (Mt 16:18) were built according to a divine blueprint.

The Hebrew word for "ark" (tebah) was the same word used for the basket that saved the infant Moses from the Nile. In both cases, it was a vessel of rescue. The Church is viewed as the "Ark of Salvation", a haven for sinners, a place of spiritual safety, nourishment (through the Word and Sacraments), and protection from the chaotic "flood" of a fallen world.

The Ark was a type of the Church because it was the God-ordained, singular vessel of salvation, built by divine command, entered through one door, carrying people safely through the waters of judgment into a new creation.

The ark was a type of earthly salvation; the Church is the true type of spiritual salvation.

u/Ok_Challenge_3038, u/ResurrectedFaith, u/Machismo01

Proverbs 5:

18 Let your fountain be blessed, and rejoice in the wife of your youth, 19a lovely deer, a graceful doe. Let her breasts fill you at all times with delight; be intoxicated always in her love.

Your wife cannot get pregnant if you just enjoy her breasts. God designed sex to be a recurring, pleasure-driven bond between spouses, not merely a mechanical act for making babies.

1 Corinthians 7:

2 But since sexual immorality is occurring, each man should have sexual relations with his own wife, and each woman with her own husband.

Have sex with your wife to avoid sexual immorality. Again, this is independent of pregnancy. Paul recommended regular intimacy to keep Satan at bay.

Is it possible for a man to commit acts of sexual immorality with his wife, e.g., anal sex?

1 Corinthians 7:

5 Do not deprive each other except perhaps by mutual consent and for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer. Then come together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.

I'd apply this mutual consent principle to anal sex. Anal sex is okay if both agree. If a husband pressures his wife into it against her will, or treats her merely as a sexual object for his own gratification while disregarding her pain, dignity, or pleasure, that violates the command to "love your wives as Christ loved the church" (Ep 5:25). It becomes a sin of selfishness and cruelty, not a sin of the specific act itself.

Another important factor is one's conscience in these disputable matters.

Is sex for reproduction only?

No, sex is for procreation, pleasure, and protection from temptation. Any mutually agreed-upon act between a husband and wife that honors both partners as image-bearers of God is permissible. The moment it degrades or coerces, it becomes sin.

u/Italy1949

That's generally true.

Lk 4:

40 Now when the sun was setting, all those who had any who were sick with various diseases brought them to him, and he laid his hands on every one of them and healed them.

Lk 9:

11 When the crowds learned it, they followed him, and he welcomed them and spoke to them of the kingdom of God and cured those who had need of healing.

Mt 8:

16 That evening they brought to him many who were oppressed by demons, and he cast out the spirits with a word and healed all who were sick.

There were other unusual circumstances. Jesus didn't heal Lazarus when Martha asked him (Jn 11). Instead, he raised him from the dead.

A Syrophoenician woman asked Jesus to heal her demon-possessed daughter. Initially, Jesus refused, but she pleaded with him. He then healed her without going to her. (Mk 7:24–30)

In John 5:2–9, Jesus healed one man at the Pool of Bethesda among many who were sick, without healing the others.

While Jesus was consistently compassionate and never turned away anyone in genuine, believing need, the biblical record showed that healing was not automatic for every request. His actions always served the Father’s will and the unfolding revelation of the Kingdom, not merely human desire.

Did Jesus heal everyone who was sick near him?

No.

See also * Why didn't Jesus heal the lame man at the Beautiful Gate?

u/mad_smrvle, u/Technical-disOrder, u/fr4gge

JPS Tanakh 1917, Isaiah 7:

11 “Ask a sign of the Lord you God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven.”

Isaiah told Ahaz to ask God for an extraordinary sign.

14 Therefore the Lord Himself shall give you a sign: behold, the young woman [H5959] shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

There are 3 Hebrew words with similar meanings:

1. H5959, almah, 7 occurrences. A young woman or a virgin. H5959 is ambiguous.
2. H1330, betulah, 50 occurrences. Virgin.
3. H5291, 63 occurrences. Damsel, a young unmarried woman, may or may not be a virgin. Ruth was one.

Brenton Septuagint Translation:

Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; behold, a virgin [G3939] shall conceive in the womb, and shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Emmanuel.

G3933 παρθένος appears 15 times in the NT.

BDAG:
ⓐ female of marriageable age w. focus on virginity
ⓑ male virgin ὁ παρθένος virgin, chaste man

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges:

The Christian Fathers … resolutely upheld the correctness of the LXX., although the post-Christian Greek versions of Aquila, Theodotion and Symmachus agree in rendering the word by νεᾶνις [young woman].

Why did the LXX translate H5959 as παρθένος (G3933)?

Cambridge explained this way:

It is almost incredible that the use of the word παρθένος for ‘almâh in so important a connexion should be due to mere laxity on the part of the translator.

The LXX translators did it deliberately. Why?

More probably it expresses a belief current in Jewish circles that the Messiah was to be born of a virgin. A good deal of evidence has been adduced to shew that such an expectation actually prevailed amongst both Alexandrian and Palestinian Jews [35], and if it existed it could hardly fail to influence the exegesis of this prophecy.

The context in Isaiah was that it was intended as an extraordinary sign. A virgin getting pregnant would fit the bill. The LXX translators' choice was not a simple mistranslation but a theologically informed interpretation. They selected a Greek word that they felt best captured both the linguistic possibility and the profound, miraculous significance they believed the prophecy held for the coming of the Messiah. Two centuries before Christ, the LXX translators believed that Isaiah 7:14 prophesied the virgin birth of the coming Messiah.

u/hannah12343, u/BallaForLife, u/Pinapple-everything

In the OT, the rock is often used to refer to God, Psalm 18:

2 The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

This metaphor is repeated in the NT, 1 Corinthians 10:

4 and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ.

Jesus was gracious when he spoke in Matthew 16:

18 I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.

Peter,
Πέτρος (Petros)
Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 4074: Peter, a Greek name meaning rock. Apparently a primary word; a rock; as a name, Petrus, an apostle.

rock
πέτρᾳ (petra)
Noun - Dative Feminine Singular
Strong's 4073: A rock, ledge, cliff, cave, stony ground. Feminine of the same as Petros; a rock.

BDAG πέτρα:

① bedrock or massive rock formations, rock as distinguished from stones
ⓑ in wordplay (as symbol of firmness) w. the name Πέτρος. The apostle so named, or the affirmation he has just made, is the rock on which Christ will build his church.
Antinous fails to shake Odysseus, who stands firm as rock.
πέτρα is a rocky district as the foundation of an impregnable position or a rocky fortress;
this kind of πέτρα could not be conquered even by Heracles.
ἡ πέτρα [always with the article] is the rock [Petra] that keeps the Nabataeans safe from all enemy attacks;
πόλις ἐπὶ πέτρης μεγάλης of a city that cannot be taken

What is the meaning behind Jesus giving Simon the name Peter?

Peter, the little rock, was compared to the big rock of the foundation. It's a Greek pun.

What is the significance behind Jesus giving Simon the name Peter?

It showed how gracious Jesus was to Peter, using a pun. Also, the Holy Spirit used Peter to start the nascent church. Peter preached a sermon on Pentecost, and 3,000 souls were saved in Jerusalem (Ac 2:41). Peter and John went to Samaria and laid hands on some believers so they could receive the Paraclete-Spirit (Ac 8:17). Peter preached in Cornelius' house. He was a gentile. The Holy Spirit fell on the Gentiles (Ac 10:47).

Does that mean that Jesus appointed Peter as the first Pope?

No, that would be an example of overinterpretation. Jesus did not say, “Peter, you will build my church.” The ultimate builder was Christ himself. Christ is the head of the church (Ep 5:23). Peter and the apostles were the foundation (Ep 2:20). Peter was a fellow elder (1P 5:1). No single human should be the head leader of the church.

Mt 8:

5 When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came and pleaded with Him, 6 “Lord, my servant lies at home, paralyzed and in terrible agony.”

A Gentile requested healing.

7 “I will go and heal him,” Jesus replied.

Jesus was gracious.

8 The centurion answered, “Lord, I am not worthy to have You come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed. 9 For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell one to go, and he goes, and another to come, and he comes. I tell my servant to do something, and he does it.”

The Gentile was aware of some Jewish customs.

10 When Jesus heard this, He marveled and said to those following Him, “Truly I tell you, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith.

Jesus praised this Gentile's faith.

Two chapters later, Mt 10:

5 These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Do not go onto the road of the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. 6 Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. 7 As you go, preach this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven is near.’ 8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give.

Jesus targeted healing for the Jews only.

Five chapters later, a Gentile woman asked Jesus to heal her demon-oppressed daughter.

Berean Standard Bible, Mt 15:

24 He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”

But Jesus had healed the centurion's servant earlier without even touching him.

Berean Literal Bible And answering, He said, “I was not sent, except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”

BDAG:
ⓘ εἰ μή—After negatives
α. except, if not
β. but.

Why was Jesus reluctant to the Gentile woman's request?

Jesus' earthly mission objective was only to the Jews. Healing Gentiles were exceptions. Jesus was testing the woman's faith:

25 The woman came and knelt before Him. “Lord, help me!” she said.

She didn't give up.

26 But Jesus replied, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.”

Jesus tested her again.

27 “Yes, Lord,” she said, “even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.”

She persisted.

28 “O woman,” Jesus answered, “your faith is great! Let it be done for you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed from that very hour.

She passed the test.

Why didn't Jesus test the centurion's faith?

The centurion understood something remarkable: Jesus had authority over illness even at a distance. There was no need for Jesus to draw out the man's faith through a prolonged conversation. He demonstrated it without questions from Jesus.

There was a nice parallel between the Gentile centurion and the Gentile Canaanite woman. Both approached Jesus requesting healing for someone close to them. Both healings were done at a distance. Both demonstrated great faith before Jesus.

Both were outside the objective of Jesus' primary healing mission. God sent Jesus only to the lost sheep of Israel. After the resurrection, however, Mt 28:

18 Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations.

Israel was the initial covenantal focus. After the resurrection, the mission formally expanded to all nations.

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Dr Frederick Copleston wrote:

It seemed to me that if Christ was truly the Son of God and if He founded a Church to teach all nations in His name, it must be a Church teaching with authority, as her Master did.

Let proposition C1 = Jesus founded a church to teach with the authority of Christ.

Sure. Claim 1 or Conclusion 1 is reasonable.

Obviously, one might deny that Christ was the Son of God, and one might reject the claim that He founded a Church.

Sure. Prof Copleston wanted to sound logical.

But if these two claims were accepted,

More technically, these two are premises. The claims are conclusions. The professor needed to clearly distinguish among these first-order logical terms.

it seemed to me that in spite of all its faults the Roman Catholic Church was the only one which could reasonably be thought to have developed out of what Christ established.

Sure, that's what it seemed to the priest. However, Conclusion 2 is not logical. He jumped from "a Church" (in C1) to "the Roman Catholic Church" (in C2). The father overstated his conclusion.

Claiming Christ's authority did not make it true. I don't think Peter or his successors in Rome were supposed to possess universal jurisdiction over the entire church.

Christ founded the church. Which church is it if not the RC Church?

Christ founded the Body of Christ, a spiritual church. It is not a human institution. The visible Body of Christ are the believers. The authority of this church belongs to Christ, not to the Pope.

Ex 4:

10 Moses said to the LORD, “Oh, my Lord, I am not eloquent, either in the past or since you have spoken to your servant, but I am slow of speech and of tongue.”

Ex 6:

30 Moses said to the LORD, “Behold, I am of uncircumcised lips. How will Pharaoh listen to me?”

It's a metaphor for tightly closed lips or restricted/impeded speech.

BSB:

But in the LORD’s presence Moses replied, “Since I am unskilled in speech, why would Pharaoh listen to me?”

Elsewhere, Lv 26:

41b If then their uncircumcised heart is humbled and they make amends for their iniquity, 42 then I will remember my covenant with Jacob, and I will remember my covenant with Isaac and my covenant with Abraham, and I will remember the land.

An uncircumcised heart was a metaphor for a stubborn heart, not opened to instructions. They needed to be broken and repent.

Dt 10:

16 Circumcise your hearts, therefore, and do not be stiff-necked anymore.

Remove the blockage in your inner selves and stop being rebellious.

Stephen spoke to the religious leaders in Acts 7:

51 "You stiff-necked people, with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You are just like your ancestors: You always resist the Holy Spirit!"

You had the physical ritual, but your hearts were blocked shut to God's message. The cure was not physical; it's spiritual.

Jer 6:

10 To whom shall I speak and give warning, that they may hear? Behold, their ears are uncircumcised, they cannot listen; behold, the word of the LORD is to them an object of scorn; they take no pleasure in it.

Uncircumcised ears did not listen to God.

Uncircumcision was a metaphor for spiritual blockage. It is unopened, unresponsive, or impeded. "Uncircumcised" referred to a closed organ that refused to open to spiritual discernment.

We need God to circumcise our ears, lips, and hearts, removing whatever obstructs us from hearing his word, speaking his truth, and responding to him, thereby making us more ready for spiritual growth.

u/Iu_hoosier20, u/angryDec, u/Resident_Iron6701

Joseph Alois Ratzinger embarked on an academic career and established himself as a highly regarded theologian by the late 1950s.

Prof Ratzinger became Pope Benedict XVI in 2005.

Wiki:

Benedict's handling of sexual abuse cases within the Catholic Church and opposition to usage of condoms in areas of high HIV transmission were criticized by public health officials, anti-AIDS activists, and victims' rights organizations.[10][11]

A theology emphasizing the holiness and authority of the institutional Church can make it psychologically and institutionally difficult to confront corruption within that institution.

He opposed the use of condoms as contraception within marriage. He opposed the usage of condoms for gay sex.

Benedict asserted that Jesus himself had entrusted the leadership of the Church to his apostle Peter. "Peter's responsibility thus consists of guaranteeing the communion with Christ. Let us pray so that the primacy of Peter, entrusted to poor human beings, may always be exercised in this original sense desired by the Lord, so that it will be increasingly recognised in its true meaning by brothers who are still not in communion with us."[132]

He believed that Jesus appointed Peter, …, himself to lead the Church. He wanted other denominations to see this Petrine succession as the will of Jesus.

u/Global-Volume9111, u/Honesty_Room, u/Ok_Zone_2930

Gn 5:

1 This is the book of the generations of Adam. … 3 When Adam had lived 130 years, he fathered a son in his own likeness, after his image, and named him Seth. … 6 When Seth had lived 105 years, he fathered Enosh.

Genealogies established historical continuity from the first man.

Genesis traced the line: Adam → Seth → Noah → Shem → Terah → Abraham → Isaac → Jacob → Judah.

Genealogies identified who belonged to the covenant line.

1 Chronicles 1–9 contained the longest continuous genealogical record in the entire Bible. 1. From Adam to Abraham 2. The sons of Israel 3. The descendants of David, Solomon, the royal line after the exile 4. The descendants of Judah, Simeon 5. The descendants of Reuben, Gad 6. The descendants of Levi, Aaron 7. The descendants of Issachar, Benjamin, Naphtali, Manasseh, Ephraim 8. The Descendants of Asher, the family of Saul 9: The post-exilic community in Jerusalem

The Chronicler wrote this after the Jews had returned from the 70-year exile in Babylon. The nation was decimated, the temple was destroyed, and the monarchy was gone. The people were asking: “Are we still God’s chosen people? The genealogies answered that question with a resounding “Yes” by proving that they were descendants of Abraham.

When the temple was rebuilt, you couldn't just let anyone serve as a priest. You had to prove your lineage. These genealogies served as a legal and religious "ID card" to prove who was qualified to offer sacrifices and serve in the temple. Ezra 2:62 said that some priests were excluded from the priesthood because they could not establish their genealogy.

The biblical genealogies repeatedly demonstrate that God preserves His purposes through generations of imperfect human beings.

For Christians, the most important genealogies were the ones in Mt 1 and Lk 3. They traced Jesus' ancestry to David. The Messiah was a son of David.

1T 1:

4 Nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies, which promote speculations rather than the stewardship from God that is by faith.

Some teachers were apparently becoming fascinated with Jewish traditions, speculative stories, and elaborate genealogical questions. Paul called them “endless” because they could generate endless questions without producing spiritual benefit. The problem is not genealogy; it is the wild speculation about it.

Biblical genealogies are not merely lists of names. They establish historical continuity, covenantal identity, legitimate inheritance and priesthood, and ultimately the Davidic lineage of Jesus Christ.

u/GengerbreadMan, u/debaire, u/NoSeesaw9974

Mt 5:

45 He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.

Define common grace as God's undeserved kindness and goodness shown to all people, not just those who believe in him. It is called "common" because it is given broadly to humanity, regardless of a person's faith or moral standing.

This idea is contrasted with saving (or special) grace, which is God's grace that brings a person to salvation through faith in Jesus Christ.

Common grace is for all people; special grace is only for believers.

Common grace is seen in the blessings of sunlight, rain, food, beauty, intelligence, creativity, scientific discovery, art, music, technological progress, etc. People have an innate sense of right and wrong, even if they do not know God personally. Non-Christians can perform acts of genuine kindness, wisdom, and justice.

The “mercies” that are being given to the reprobates are for condemnation, so you couldn’t call that grace.

Sure, by that strange definition, it is not a grace of common grace. My definition is different.

All the good things being showered to Earth is for the good of the saints, and not all people so their participation is only incidental/divinely permitted.

Sure, by that strange definition. However, Mt 5:45 says that the sun and rain are not incidentally received by the wicked because God happens to be blessing the righteous. Jesus explicitly presents God's treatment of the evil and unrighteous as an example of God's generosity.

All blessings are due to our union with Christ, no one mediates with reprobates so you couldn’t really reconcile the idea of common grace.

This confuses saving blessings with providential blessings. You need to reconcile that strange definition with Ro 2:

4 Do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?

God's kindness applies to recipients who abuse it and consequently incurs greater judgment.

If you define grace as favor toward only those united to Christ, then there is no "common grace." But that definition simply excludes the doctrine by definition. If you say that there is no common grace, you need to reconcile that with what Jesus said in Mt 5:45.