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XianDominSJ -> RE: Oneness christians here? (11/24/2007 12:03:45 PM)
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quote:
ORIGINAL: TheHeretic
I was dragged along to some of these fringe, so-called, Christian churches right before I rejected organized religion completely. Isn't there a verse somewhere about it being better to be cast into the sea with a millstone around your neck, than to turn a _____ away from God?
Yes, the millstone warning was apparently a common phrase of his. Specifically, it refers to causing someone to stumble in their walk; to sin. If an alcoholic is struggling through their recovery, we’d say someone caused him to stumble by taking him out drinking again. That’s just an obvious example. His actual warning(s) read like this:
"...but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.” [Matthew 18:6]
"Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea.” [Mark 9:42]
"It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were cast into the sea than that he should cause one of these little ones to sin." [Luke 17:2]
If someone took you to one of the whackjob charismaniac places, well, I’m sorry that was your exposure. People feel “driven away” from churches for so many possible reasons. Sometimes -- way too many times -- it's due to actions on the part of the church attendees. Sometimes it's simply because they don’t like the message of the Gospel or they just have a deep spiritual hatred for Christians. Those who follow Christ were warned long ago that we would be received poorly, mocked, reviled, etc.
Side note but sorta related: When dealing with those outside the church (i.e., non-Christians) the first job of the church is to present the good news of Christ and then help meet any charitable needs we can. More specifically (and here’s a verse they don’t teach much), Christians are not to judge non-Christians, as specifically it states: “For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? God judges those outside.” [1 Corinthians 5:12-13] That’s not to say we can or should have no opinion on anything (Christianity is not a call to moral neutrality of course) but only that all visitors should welcomed and that non-Christian visitors are just that.
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