That was an excellent post there. I especially enjoyed this part here:
Phat writes:
Adam: "I had no Bible at all, but I walked with God in the cool of the garden."
Abraham:"I had no Bible at all, but at different times God would appear to me and speak to me."
Moses: "My Bible contained 5 books?Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy"
King David:"My Bible contained the same 5 books that Moses had as well as Joshua and Judges and many of the Psalms which I wrote, etc."
Ezra: "My Bible contained most of the Old Testament books but not all of them"(Of course, Ezra would not know that more books were to come!)
John the Baptist: "My Bible contained all of the Old Testament books but none of the New Testament books" (John was Jewish, and the entire O.T. was written to him! He was also a prophet.
Apostle Paul: "My Bible contained the Old Testament books and most of the New Testament books but not all of them" (He wrote the N.T. part)
John, the Disciple whom Jesus loved:"My Bible contained all of the Old Testament books and all of the New Testament books. Shortly before I died God used me to write the last New Testament book."
Different rules for different people at different points in time! Does this make sense? Consider the rules for three kids born to the same Dad with different ages. Some could stay out late, others could not. Some could drive, others could not.
Now look at three Biblical figures:
Noah (after the flood)
He had the privilege and responsibility of believing what God had said.
He had the privilege of walking with God (Gen. 6:9).
He had the responsibility of obeying God (compare Heb. 11:7).
The murderer should be put to death (Genesis 9:6).
Animals should be sacrificed to God (Genesis 8:20).
God did not tell him to keep the Sabbath or to circumcise male children or to baptize believers in water.
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David (under the law of Moses)
He had the privilege and responsibility of believing what God had said (and he knew more about what God said than Noah did).
He had the privilege of walking with God.
He had the responsibility of obeying God (Deut. 8:1).
The murderer should be put to death (Exodus 21:12).
Animals should be sacrificed to God (Leviticus 1-5).
God told him to keep the Sabbath and to circumcise male children (Deut. 5:12-14 and Leviticus 12:3).
God did not tell him to baptize believers in water.
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Paul (a New Testament believer under grace)
He had the privilege and responsibility of believing what God had said (and he knew more about what God said than Noah or David).
He had the privilege of walking with God.
He had the responsibility of obeying God (1 John 2:3-5).
The murderer should be put to death (Romans 13:1-4).
Animal sacrifices are no longer necessary (Hebrews 10).
God did not tell him to keep the Sabbath or circumcise male children.
God did tell him to baptize believers in water (Matthew 28:19-20).
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Different rules at different points in time.
™ Version 4.2
