Repentance is the Gift Of God !

[brightfame52]

How can you hate someone you don't know?

I just showed you, and you dont get it ! Saul of tarsus hated Christ and his followers and persecuted them. Acts 9

[footwasher]

You still dont get it, even when its written right in front of you !

How can you hate someone you don't know?

[brightfame52]

It's the same reasoning. Paul didn't even know who he was persecuting!

You still dont get it, even when its written right in front of you !

[footwasher]

You just dont get it. Who asked Saul why persecutest me ? Acts 9:1-5

And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest,

² And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem.

³ And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven:

⁴ And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?

⁵ And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.

It's the same reasoning. Paul didn't even know who he was persecuting!

[brightfame52]

How can Paul hate Christ when he never met him? He was in Tarsus, which is in Turkey. Even Peter and the other disciples were tempted several times, to leave Jesus. It requires time and experience to develop trust and love. Paul had neither seen nor had time to spend with Jesus.

You just dont get it. Who asked Saul why persecutest me ? Acts 9:1-5

And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest,

² And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem.

³ And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven:

⁴ And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?

⁵ And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.

[footwasher]

You still dont get it. Paul when Saul hatd Christ and Christians who followed Him, He persecuted the Church.. Then He had a change of mind and began to Love Christ and Christians who followed Christ. He was given repentance !

How can Paul hate Christ when he never met him? He was in Tarsus, which is in Turkey. Even Peter and the other disciples were tempted several times, to leave Jesus. It requires time and experience to develop trust and love. Paul had neither seen nor had time to spend with Jesus.

[brightfame52]

You don't understand. Jesus was claiming to be equal to God.This was a very serious sin for Jews. Faithful Jews had to act. It is clearly written in the Old Testament.

You still dont get it. Paul when Saul hatd Christ and Christians who followed Him, He persecuted the Church.. Then He had a change of mind and began to Love Christ and Christians who followed Christ. He was given repentance !

[footwasher]

You still dont get it. Paul hated jews also that believed in Christ. Who do you think Paul was breathing out threats and slaughters to in Acts 9:1

And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest,

You don't understand. Jesus was claiming to be equal to God.This was a very serious sin for Jews. Faithful Jews had to act. It is clearly written in the Old Testament.

[brightfame52]

If you were a Jew you won't believe immediately. It is a very serious commandment, not to worship anybody except God the Father.

Do you really not know what the Shema is?

You still dont get it. Paul hated jews also that believed in Christ. Who do you think Paul was breathing out threats and slaughters to in Acts 9:1

And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest,

[footwasher]

You still dont see it !

If you were a Jew you won't believe immediately. It is a very serious commandment, not to worship anybody except God the Father.

Do you really not know what the Shema is?

[brightfame52]

Peter knew Jesus, meeting Him in person. He slowly learned Jesus was God. It was a shock to him too, this realisation.

So how is Paul supposed to react to a claim that a person us God? Unless he studies or learns slowly, carefully, it's going to be very difficult, especially if you are a Jew, and you believe in the Shema, the first commandment.

Hear, O Israel...

Deut 6.4“Hear, Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one!

You still dont see it !

[footwasher]

You dont get it.

Peter knew Jesus, meeting Him in person. He slowly learned Jesus was God. It was a shock to him too, this realisation.

So how is Paul supposed to react to a claim that a person us God? Unless he studies or learns slowly, carefully, it's going to be very difficult, especially if you are a Jew, and you believe in the Shema, the first commandment.

Hear, O Israel...

Deut 6.4“Hear, Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one!

[brightfame52]

He was in Tarsus, he never met Jesus in person, so how can he hate Him?

You dont get it.

[footwasher]

Didnt Saul of Tarsus hate God in Christ and His People at first sir ? Yes or no ?

He was in Tarsus, he never met Jesus in person, so how can he hate Him?

[brightfame52]

See, in Israel, there were two types of people. Those who loved God and those who didn't. The remnant and the rest.


The remnant read the Bible and believed God's word, which said they had to fast and tithe, without neglecting the weightier requirements of the law, justice, mercy and faithfulness.


The rest said God must compulsorily bless us, because we are Abraham's children, because only Abraham's children fast and tithe, which we do.


God was patient, but when the people neglected His laws too much, did not believe that all of the law was needed to be obeyed, He placed His wrath on them. They were defeated and taken into exile. In fact, if there had been no faithful people, those who believed God's words, that all the law was to be obeyed, Israel would have disappeared, like Sodom and Gomorrah.


This happened many times, and it was happening in the time of John. People got scared, because they knew God was unhappy. There were signs that a big disaster was about to take place. A tower fell in Siloam, and many people were killed. Pilate desecrated the Temple by killing Jews inside it. It was like the small temblors you feel before an earthquake. But the people did not know what they were doing wrong. John told them that they had disbelieved God's word, that He wanted them to obey ALL His commands. They were wrong to twist Scripture to say that being children of Abraham forced God to protect them, because Abraham's children were recognised as such, not because of fasting and tithing, like the self righteous Pharisee in the Temple, but because they were loyal, believed ALL of God's words, like the Publican in the same Temple. They were not like Adam, who sinned, disbelieving God's words, twisting them, saying, 'Did God really say we should not sin?' :


Luke 3.7So he was saying to the crowds who were going out to be baptized by him, “You [d]offspring of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8Therefore produce fruits that are consistent with repentance, and do not start saying [e]to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father,’ for I say to you that from these stones God is able to raise up children for Abraham. 9But indeed the axe is already being laid at the root of the trees; so every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”


After John, Jesus kept teaching the SAME things:


Luke 11.42“But woe to you Pharisees! For you pay tithes of mint, rue, and every kind of garden herb, and yet you ignore justice and the love of God; but these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others.


So what do you think? Was Paul like the faithful Jews or the unfaithful ones? Like those who believed God's words or those who neglected it?

Didnt Saul of Tarsus hate God in Christ and His People at first sir ? Yes or no ?