Right Behavior Inherits Eternal Life

No. They are not.Of all the references to trees and fruit in the New Testament, to my knowledge the only one mentioning "teachers/prophets, false and otherwise" is Matthew 7: 17, which I did not quote.The verses I quoted, as far as I can tell, refer to everybody. (In Matthew 12:33, Jesus was speaking to the Pharisees - not Christians.) I deliberately left that part off - I didn't want it to look like a jab at you.

Since you ask:

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Mat 3:10 And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.

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that's John the Baptist.

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Mat 7:19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.

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That's Jesus.Where does it say, "Wait indefinitely for the tree to bear fruit"?Here's an example that does have a specific timeline:

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Luk 13:6 He spake also this parable; A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none.
Luk 13:7 Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why encumbereth it the ground?
Luk 13:8 And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it:
Luk 13:9 And if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down.

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Four years. After that length of time, if no fruit is produced, the tree is deemed worthless.Your notion of pruning comes from a different anaolgy:

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Joh 15:1 I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.
Joh 15:2 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.

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Here, Christians are portrayed as part of Christ - and the parts that do no produce fruit are cut off.So, where do you get your idea that a Christian doesn't necessarily have to bear fruit in his entire lifetime?

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People who think they have all the answers usually don't understand the questions.

Hmm... It doesn't seem so long ago that you were saying: (in the Thou Shalts and Thou Shalnts topic).So, the "sole" purpose of the law has now become a fourfold (at least) purpose, which doesn't even mention condemnation?A little consistency might be in order. Since you seem to have difficulty remembering your own position, allow me to reiterate mine: The main purpose of the law is for our benefit - not God's - to help us to get along with each other. Remember that the law can be a blessing as well as a curse?"The law" is about outward things that we do, not about what we inwardly believe, or claim to believe.How do you propose to "lead someone to Christ"? By stepping over the tramp in the doorway? Or by helping him, as the good Samaritan did?

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People who think they have all the answers usually don't understand the questions.

Okay, let me add that to my Irish-to-English phrasebook: sole = multitude. Now, let's look at your analogy. Your motorcycle engine doesn't fulfil any of its multiple mini-purposes unless it actually does something - i.e. unless it actually works. You can "believe" as fervently as you want that it is a good engine but unless you can actually start it and get from A to B with it, it's worthless. In fact, it's worse than worthless - it's dead weight.Similarly, you can "believe" as vehemently as you want that you are saved, but unless you do what Jesus told you to do, your "belief" is just as worthless as a shiny motrcycle engine that won't run.By the way, I wish you would also respond to the rest of my post - the part that purpledawn liked.

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People who think they have all the answers usually don't understand the questions.

This comes under the category of non-rocket-science. "Thou shalt not kill" is pretty straight-forwardly outward. Jesus expanded it to say don't hate each other either, but that doesn't change the primary outward nature of the law.And "thou shalt not kill" is clearly for our benefit. Our man-made law only makes sense in terms of the outward things we do. They can't arrest you for thinking about killing somebody. Our man-made law applies only to deeds/actions/behaviour. You're the one who brought up the concept of "leading someone to Christ". If you're not a good example in your behaviour (like many of the professing Chistians on this board) you are more likely to repel people from Christ. Jesus disagrees with you. He said:

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Mat 7:18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
Mat 7:19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.

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Even more explicitly, He said:

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Mat 25:41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:
Mat 25:42 For I was hungry, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink:
Mat 25:43 I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.
Mat 25:44 Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee hungry, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?
Mat 25:45 Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.
Mat 25:46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.

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Pretty straight-forward: don't take care of the poor and you're cast into the fire. Behave correctly and you get eternal life.And not one word about "beliefs".As I have been saying all along, if the behaviour is not there, the "belief" is a sham. Exactly. And a motocycle engine that doesn't go anywhere is just as useless as a "Christian" who doesn't behave like a Christian.

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People who think they have all the answers usually don't understand the questions.

That interpretation is not supported by Matthew 25. There are no "three groups of people" mentioned - only the sheep and the goats. And the only distinction between them is based on what they do - not on what they say or "believe".Some would say that that interpretation is supported by Matthew 24, but others would say that it is not supported anywhere in the Bible.In any case, the "millennial kingdom" and the "Antichrist" are not the topic of this thread. The topic is "Right Behaviour Inherits Eternal Life".

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People who think they have all the answers usually don't understand the questions.

All men are brothers (and that doesn't exclude the women either).The least of Jesus' brothers refers to everybody. Sometimes we are the hungry, sometimes we feed the hungry, depending on the circumstances. The point is that we all have to help each other: from each according to his ability, to each according to his need.The sheep and goats are the only two groups at the judgement. Either you're a sheep (eternal life) or you're a goat (torment). It depends on how you behaved toward your fellow man. That isn't the way it works around here. Topics are supposed to be quite narrowly focused. If you want to discuss the "tribulation" or the "Antichrist", that belongs in a different thread. I suggest that you use the search function and if you don't find anything, feel free to propose a new topic.I should also point out that, by tradition, threads are cut off at around 300 posts, so there isn't much time left to spend on tangents. (And while I'm in fake-admin mode: you can click the "peek" button in the lower right-hand corner to see how we do the "special effects" like quotes, etc.)On the other hand, if you can demonstrate that your interpretations change what Matthew 25 says about right behaviour, go right ahead.

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People who think they have all the answers usually don't understand the questions.

It seems that you were addressing your post to Carico, but you clicked my reply button by mistake. Anyway, you're over-complistificating the whole thing.I think that people emphasize the "evil" of sin too much. Adam wasn't "evil". All he did was eat some fruit. He screwed up, but not maliciously.For the most part, sin is just that: screwing up, imperfection. The story of "the Fall" is just an explanation of why humans are imperfect, why we screw up. You don't need a multi-step "God's plan" to fix it. You just need to be aware of it. Try to avoid screwing up and try to fix what you do screw up.Sin isn't mainly about mass-murder and orgies. Sin is stepping over the tramp in the doorway instead of trying to help him.That's what Matthew 25 is all about. The sheep, those who looked after the least of their brothers, are rewarded. The goats, those who merely paid lip service to "God's plan" are punished.It really is that simple.

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People who think they have all the answers usually don't understand the questions.

This is the Bible Study forum and the Right Behaviour Inherits Eternal Life thread - not the "Lets psychoanalyze Ringo" thread. Do you have anything to say about the topic? Particularly Message 256?It seems pretty clear that all nations will be divied into two groups - sheep and goats - based on their behaviour. If you have a different interpretation, please support it Biblically.

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People who think they have all the answers usually don't understand the questions.

I can only guess that you are suggesting that those who are "ministering" to the King are believers who have been "raptured"? That's a whole other topic, and I'm sure there are some around here who are willing to set you straight on that score. If that is what you are suggesting, then only the "ministers" are Jesus' brothers? The sheep are the ones who treated believers properly and the goats are the ones who mistreated them?Sooo... what you seem to be saying with your "three groups" is that you can get eternal life either by being a believer (minister) or by being nice to believers (sheep). Or you can get punished for mistreating believers (goat).Quite frankly, that's the most bizarre idea I've heard in a while.

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People who think they have all the answers usually don't understand the questions.

If you are suggesting that Jesus' brothers are not my brothers, you are going to have to back that up. Jesus was the Son of man, was He not? Well, so am I. Hence, we have the same brothers. QED. On the contrary, the goats say, in verse 38, "When did we see you a stranger and not take you in?" They thought that they could win salvation by simply proclaiming their belief. They thought they were off the hook because Jesus had never come to their door Himself.Jesus made it plain that they were expected to do what He told them to do - i.e. "Love thy neighbour as thyself". But all they did was profess their faith. Lip service, not real service.(Just to confuse you, I've discussed the rest of your post in my reply to your reply to jar. ) And that's the only subject of this thread.

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People who think they have all the answers usually don't understand the questions.

And the interests of the Lord include His commandment: Love they neighbour as thyself. Any body who does that is ministering to the Lord. That applies to all of us at one time or another. Therefore, we must all be brothers of the Lord.I see no way that you can get three groups.

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People who think they have all the answers usually don't understand the questions.

I'm quoting what the Bible says:

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Mat 25:32 And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:

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All nations. No exclusions. Not the "Gentile nations", not "the heathen". All nations.

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Mat 25:40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

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Nobody is excluded from the brethren. We are all the sons of man. We all minister to the Lord when we love our neighbours. You have not shown otherwise.You claim that the brethern are an elite group? A private club? Back that up.

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People who think they have all the answers usually don't understand the questions.

You are trying to inject a "third group" which simply is not there in Matthew 25. You admit yourself that you only think it logically "should" be there. The fact is, it isn't there.Logically it makes no sense at all.Why would the sheep and goats be judged on their treatment of a third group instead of on their treatment of each other. The law has always been about how we treat each other, not about any outside group. Jesus said "Love thy neighbour" - He didn't say "Love thy minister".Your confusion is based on the idea that there "must" be some "third group", an elite group. Jesus didn't say that. He said all nations - all of us - will be divided into two groups - sheep and goats. He didn't mention any private club - the sole recipient of our good behaviour - because there is none.

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People who think they have all the answers usually don't understand the questions.

We're not talking about "my" position here, we're talking about the Bible's position ("Bible Study", remember?). You agree that that's what the Bible says, don't you? Well, all the other nations would be Gentiles, wouldn't they? But that would include the Christians living in those nations, wouldn't it? So how can they be part of a "third group"? You keep asserting that but you haven't demonstrated it. Where does Jesus say that? Surely those that "receive" Him are those who do what He told us to do - "Love thy neighbour as thyself" - the sheep. The goats claim to have "received" Him, but their claim is empty because it is not reflected in their behaviour. "Judge not lest ye be judged." We are not capable of discerning who has really "received" Him and who has not. Only God can tell, and that is how He separates the sheep from the goats.From our viewpoint, we have to treat everybody as if they were our brother. Yes, He did. You quoted it yourself:

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For whoever does the will of My Father who is in the heavens, he is My brother and sister and mother.

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Whosoever does the will of God - behaviour, not belief. So the "brotherhood" is also based on behaviour. Why would the brotherhood be different from the sheep and the goats? Nope. "Whoever does the will of My Father...." Never mind the hand-signals - He wasn't giving a coded message that contradicted His words. Look at the words: "Whoever does the will of My Father...." I think you've fallen far short of "proving" anything, or even demonstrating it. But who is or is not Jesus' brother is not the topic of this thread. You've already agreed that judgement is based on behaviour. Your only point of contention seems to be about an elite group that isn't judged. No. Elitism has nothing to do with standards. It's about separation. You seem to think that those who profess a "belief" are somehow set apart, that they are exempt from the judgement according to deeds. That is elitism.

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People who think they have all the answers usually don't understand the questions.