Romans 5 16-21

  01/31 ~ From New Testament Letters

  🕊️ (In the Order Believed Written)

         Paul’s Letter To The Romans

16 - The free gift isn’t like the result of that one man's sin. For the judgment {result} of one trespass brought liability, but the free gift, which followed many trespasses, brought acquittal and pardon.

     17 Because of one man's trespass, death has reigned, through that one trespass. (How God planned it, one and done.) How much more, will those who receive the abundance of grace, and free gift of pardon and righteousness, reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ? {Also all die through Adam and because of Adam, how much more shall all live through Jesus and because of Jesus.}

     18 Therefore, as the one trespass led to condemnation for all (imperfect/entropy doesn’t reverse course) so also, the one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all. 19 For as by the one man's disobedience “the many” were made sinners, so by the one man's obedience “the many” will be made righteous. 20 Now the law was given to magnify the trespass, but where sin abounded, grace abounded all the more, 21 so that, as sin reigns in death, grace reigns in life. Justification/pardon and righteousness leads to enduring life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

                          ~ * ~

🗝️ [  ] - word/language insights, usually from biblehub dot com - peering through translator partial unbelief; facts, cross references, etc.

      {  } - thots

Tomorrows verses - Romans 6:1-7

By Necessity Paraphrased

A Daily ‘Enter the Story’ N.T. Letter Reading & Study

1 Corinthians 15 18-26

12/08 ~ From New Testament Letters

  🕊️ (In the Order Believed Written)

18 - If there’s no resurrection, then those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished {are forever gone}. 19 If in Christ we have expectation in this life only, we are of all people, the most to be pitied!

     20 But in fact, Christ has been raised from the dead [nekros - (from being) dead, deceased, lifeless, without life]. And so he is THE firstfruits and first of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. {This, with Mt.13:33, key word 3, Which says “the kingdom is like a woman working leaven into three loaves” three harvests.} But each in their own order — (1)Christ THE firstfruits {barley harvest} then (2)at his coming those who belong to Christ {the wheat}. 24 Then (3)comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying eveRy rule and every authority - and - power [overflowing grape harvest, Rev.21:1-5]. 25 For he must reign until he has put all enmity under his feet. 26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death. [1Tim.4:10 - “God is savior of all.”]

                          ~ * ~

🗝️ [  ] - word/language insights, usually from biblehub dot com, and facts, cross references, etc.

      {  } - thots

Tomorrows verses - 1 Corinthians 15:27-33

By Necessity Paraphrased

Annual Daily Reading & Study

Genesis Chapter Two

Why is there a second account of the creation of man?

Man is made of the soil of Eden?

Acts 17:26, The Living Bible - "He created all the people of the world from one man, Adam, and scattered the nations across the face of the earth.."

Genesis 3:20 - "The man called his wife's name Eve, because she was the mother of all living."

An inheritance from one man - "Romans 5:12 - "Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men.."

The second account is an insert and addendum to the first.
The first says man was created. The second tells us how.

The first account's setting is the world and universe. The second account is how the creation of man and woman occurred in the section of the world designated as the Garden of Eden.

"Then God said, `Let us make man in our image.. ...So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female created He them." (Genesis 1:26,27) with "Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female." (Matthew 19:4) -- Which is what is described in the insert/second account.

A Note to Gnostics

If the problem here on planet Earth is earth.. matter. And a case of man having fallen from a higher state into a material body - "dust thou art" - which knowledge (gnosis) will deliver us from, the scene around us would seem to suggest otherwise. This Earth is glorious! And so is the living machinery we call our bodies. When God visited Earth in Ezekiel chapter two, he arrived on a living platform with living wheels, and which was borne about on living wings.

The problem is not creation itself. From where do wars come from? Do they come from trees? Perhaps from the ocean.. or the mountains? ...Is it the wind?

Logically, at most, if we are "trapped in a body" that would be a symptom, or an effect, and not a cause.

Why did God bar the way to the tree of life after Adam and Eve had changed? For surely, they did change. In the Genesis chapter two insert account of the creation of Adam and Eve, we are told how Adam was formed of dust, and Eve from his rib, and the two were one. "Be fruitful and multiply.. dress the trees and keep the garden.. the fruit and herbs shall be for food.."

What changed in Adam and Eve? Surely it was something in their thoughts.

Their psyche changed! The serpent had said to them, surely God was lying.. the one forbidden fruit was surely desired to make one wise. It was not unpleasant to the sight.. looked harmless enough. Indeed, if it was knowledge to make one wise.. and to be like God..!

But what was the change? They hid themselves. If there was a substance change, I believe it was in their clothing. From a raiment of light to fig leaves, and then to animal skins (in which God clothed them). They and the world became imperfect, and death now existed.

And what of the serpent? The one Revelation, chapter twelve calls Satan (adversary) and dragon? Was the issue that he fell into a denser substance?

I think the Pandora's box is thinking ability. If one is a rational creature, one can (sooner or later) make choices. What could possibly be God's motive in letting it run its course?

Fuzzy Memories Of Eve?

Adam called Eve "the mother of all". The very oldest artifacts found by archeologists are rough hand held size carvings of a rather heavy woman. Found in all lands, some have been found as simply torsos, perhaps what a small babe would see if held under their mother's garment. Or perhaps the head and limbs of these fell off easily during the centuries before they were unearthed. These ancient hand held 'gods' could cause one to wonder if perhaps Eve didn't become a big lady during the course of her long life.

The mother of us all,
the oldest of all,
hard,
splendid as rock.
Whatever there is that is of the land
it is she
who nourishes it...
             ... A Homeric hymn (approx 750-800 B.C.?)

When Adam called Eve, "the mother of all" perhaps unknowingly he helped to create one of the first man made 'gods' for the Mother Goddess is a tale and religion which has been found in all lands, and which later became a major deity of Babylon, Semiramus, which eventually spread to other lands as the India Indus goddess, Isis in Egypt, Kwan-Yin in China, Aphrodite in Greece, and the Venus of Rome.

See more ancient artifact images here:
http://www.lunaea.com/goddess/creativity/ancient.html
http://www.arden.com/theartifact/aprehist1/
With some later images:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mother_goddess

No More Death Nor Graves

COLOSSIANS 1:20 - "..through him God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven.."

JOHN 12:32 - (Jesus said) "If I be lifted up from the earth, I will draw all to myself.."

1 TIMOTHY 4:10 - "God is the Savior of all men, especially of those who believe."

1 CORINTHIANS 15:22 - "..as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive."

REVELATION 21:4,5 - "..God will wipe away all tears.. there shall be no more death.. Behold, I make all things new.."

Truth Will Win

I don't know why untruth (untrue things) get such a deep hold within people and within institutions. Why?

If Christians (the churches) think they are going to, or are supposed to "subdue the world" they're wrong! Jesus said His kingdom was/is not of this world"! Yes, I'd like to see the mad dash toward collapse,etc slowed down (my interest in politics). But that's about all I can hope for. This world is going to, and actually is supposed to, collapse! Why? So God can be proven right! God is life. A person (or angel, or any other rational creature) cannot wander away from God. That's the whole thing/lesson in a nutshell, this chewing upon the knowing of good from evil (life from death, true from untrue).

Yes, God could have spared us all this! Himself too! He being Life, lives through and experiences it all! Why'd he put Himself, and all of us, through all this? I can only assume, through logic, that it's because He's not creating robots or an ant farm. And this life is a unavoidable journey and lesson, if there's to be thinking ability or rational creatures that is! Because, thinking ability sooner or later includes being able to choose and make choices, etc.

"It pleased God to reconcile ALL things to Himself through Him (Jesus), all things whether in heaven or on earth" Colossians 1:20

"For even as in Adam all die, so also in the Christ all shall be made alive, 23 but each in his proper order, " 1 Corinthians 15:22

Resurrection of all - Contemporary English Version (CEV)
"22 Adam brought death to all of us, and Christ will bring life to all of us. 23 But we must each wait our turn. Christ was the first to be raised to life, and his people will be raised to life when he returns. 24 Then after Christ has destroyed all powers and forces, the end will come, and he will give the kingdom to God the Father." [oh! 1st, Jesus was resurrected, then 2nd, the resurrection of all believers at His return, and 3rd, another raising to incorruption and immortality at the 'end' when ALL things are made new.. after the millennium and its purpose, and what is commonly called judgment day, and its purpose.]

"25 Christ will rule until he puts all his enemies under his power, 26 and the last enemy he destroys will be death. 27 When the Scriptures say that he will put everything under his power, they don't include God. It was God who put everything under the power of Christ. 28 After everything is under the power of God's Son, he will put himself under the power of God, who put everything under his Son's power. Then God will mean everything to everyone."

"God is the savior of all, especially those which believe" 1 Tim 4:10

Will God Lose Lucifer?

~ Colossians 1:20, New King James Version (NKJV)
"..by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross."
 ~ Colossians 1:20, Contemporary English Version (CEV)
"And God was pleased for him to make peace by sacrificing his blood on the cross, so that all beings in heaven and on earth would be brought back to God."
~ Isaiah 14:12,11, New King James Version (NKJV)
“How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, you who weakened the nations! Your pomp is brought down to Sheol" (translation="the grave") "And the sound of your stringed instruments; The maggot is spread under you, And worms cover you."
~ All the people were born after Adam and Eve and inherited their imperfect nature. (To turn from God in any teeny, tiny way is to turn from Perfection - which is God - and away from Life, which too is God.- So God sent "the Firstborn of all creation" to rescue us with His 'paid in full for all of us, death upon the cross'. His totally innocent death overcoming death.
~ Therefor we get to thank God for His rescuing us from death. Yet also (for a time) we get to thank Him for death (as an impersonal thing that is) because if it hadn't come to be, it would mean we had all been created as robots or (perhaps?) as forever very small children.
- - Perfection makes no mistakes.