How to Succeed at God's Work

Readers, when the government finds a criminal guilty of robbing a convenience store, does it mean that the judge also robs convenience stores? When a man is convicted of arson, does it mean that everyone on the jury also sets fires?

No, "You who judge" refers to "You who judge," not to the government.
 
Look at how many times the death penalty is mentioned in the passage...this is not talking about someone thinking that they are better than their neighbor.

Can I condemn my neighbor to death?
No.
I am not a judge.

The Gentiles, by nature, hand out judgment and condemnation, including the death penalty, for the same crimes as the Jews handed it out for, the Law of God being written in our hearts at Creation.

You can try to redefine the terms like "condemn", and "worthy of death", but it won't budge me.

This is talking to those who execute legal judgment, period.

Carry on, Nicodemus, the wind will blow.
 
prophet said:
You can try to redefine the terms like "condemn", and "worthy of death", but it won't budge me.

You can ignore the referent "man/mankind" to "them" and "they" in vs. 18. Until then... your attempt to argue around this is futile.
 
prophet said:
Look at how many times the death penalty is mentioned in the passage...this is not talking about someone thinking that they are better than their neighbor.

Can I condemn my neighbor to death?
No.
I am not a judge.

"Though they [evildoers] know God's righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them" (Rom. 1:32).

Paul is not saying that the evildoers have been condemned to death. He is saying that according to God's laws, their deeds deserve death. But they hate God and his laws, so they do them anyway.

When we hear of a particularly heinous crime, do we not often remark that the perpetrator deserves to die? Are we passing a judicial sentence on him when we say so? Are only judges allowed to say that?

Of course not. We all believe that heinous acts deserve strict punishment. We only reflect God's righteousness when we say so. But what Paul is addressing in chapter 2, is the hypocrisy of people (Jews who boast in the Law, by the context) who condemn evil acts in others, while they do something like it themselves.
 
Ransom said:
Vince Massi said:
Man, Ransom, you've really put a lot of work into explaining away Romans 2:1.

Fixed it for you. Hope that helps.

Anyway, I can justify my interpretation by going through the first three chapters of Romans bit by bit. I highly doubt Vince can say the same.  (In fact I highly doubt Vince can say much of anything unless it's the same point repeated ad nauseam and peppered with invective against "scorners.")

Also, I think Vince and I are more or less in agreement about what Rom. 1-2 mean from what I can tell, so I have no idea what he's gabbling about. I think at this point he's just being contrarian for the sake of being contrarian. Talk about an argument going to seed!
 
prophet said:
Look at how many times the death penalty is mentioned in the passage...this is not talking about someone thinking that they are better than their neighbor.

Can I condemn my neighbor to death?
No.
I am not a judge.

The Gentiles, by nature, hand out judgment and condemnation, including the death penalty, for the same crimes as the Jews handed it out for, the Law of God being written in our hearts at Creation.

You can try to redefine the terms like "condemn", and "worthy of death", but it won't budge me.

This is talking to those who execute legal judgment, period.

Carry on, Nicodemus, the wind will blow.

I can't see how you can make such an argument when Paul uses "whosoever" in Romans 2:1? It clear that Paul is making a case against a very large number of people..... not just a few governmental rulers/judges. I.e. fallen humanity.
 
Our recent "success"

I'm not in the video. I was behind one of the cameras and Adobe CC.

http://vimeo.com/122346365
 
Readers, I took a look at the coint3ext of Romans 2:1. The Scriptures continue for a while on judging and blend into a section on ungodliness. Then Romans talks at length about how the Jewish Law cannot save you, and that salvation is by faith. Then it talks about the requirement that Christians live Godly lives. In the section on Godly living, it tells us to obey the government ELEVEN CHAPTERS after Romans 2:1.

No, "You who judge" refers to "You who judge," not to the government.
 
Thank you, Captain Obvious.
 
I am going to make a bold statement here and I hope you aren't offended but::



VINCE IS AN IDIOT!!!!!
 
I think this thread is a rousing success. At what I'm not sure but it is certainly successful at something.
 
Readers, I've been looking at Ransom's attempts to explain away Romans 2:1 by saying that "You who judge" refers to government, not to "You who judge." I am concerned about the context of Romans 2:1 Immediately before the verse, Paul talks about homosexuals and evolutionists and makes the statement "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,"

In the context immediately after the passage, Paul states about those who judge "But in accordance with your hardness and your impenitent heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God,"

Readers, we have a tare problem here. One scorner has already identified himself as lost, and the other scorners have rallied to defend his sins. One scorner opened his series with blasphemy and slander, and later threatened to post a lie every day about it (He quit after two days). Another scorner has referred to the Word of God as "empty" and "vapid," and in another post called God's promises of answered prayer "empty BS."

Tares look, act, and grow like wheat. Even an expert cannot tell the difference by looking. But when they bear fruit, you see that they are tares. In order to succeed in God's work, you have to be able to deal with tares.

Paul then begins a lengthy discussion of the inability of the Jewish Law to save a man. No mention is made of government for another eleven chapters.
 
Vince Massi said:
Readers, I've been looking at Ransom's attempts to explain away Romans 2:1 by saying that "You who judge" refers to government, not to "You who judge." I am concerned about the context of Romans 2:1

Since that most definitely is not what I've been saying, I am concerned about your ability to read and understand plain English. Sheesh!
 
Romans 1 is about evolution?
 
Vince said..."Another scorner has referred to the Word of God as "empty" and "vapid," and in another post called God's promises of answered prayer "empty BS.""

Um no Vince, he was referring to your inadequate reasoning, Not God's Word.
 
Vince Massi said:
Readers, I've been looking at Ransom's attempts to explain away Romans 2:1 by saying that "You who judge" refers to government, not to "You who judge."

This post alone should reveal to the "readers", whoever they are, (maybe those out there in internet land)....that Vince is completely out of touch and has no ability to even read much less comprehend anyone's point.  Now back to our regular scheduled next inane post for the "readers"...bwhahahahahaha
 
Okay, seriously. Is this guy really related to Bassenco (Jeri Massi)?

The stubbornness and inability to understand counterpoints seems to match but only one of them has any real ability to write.
 
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