Bible

[Psalm45_9]

Continuing solely by his grace!

YAQUBOS:

1. Does it have the power of God?

No! It even says that it is not sure that it has a strong human power…

“Report to all men the majestic power of God.” (2 Maccabees 3:34)

Yes, they have the power of God.

YAQUBOS:

Just read the following conclusion of the human

author of 2 Maccabees:

“So I too will here end my story.
If it is well told and to the point, that is what I myself desired; if it is poorly done and mediocre, that was the best I could do.”

This is the author’s humbleness. He is speaking of his style of writing, not the truth or the narration.

YAQUBOS:

1. Was it accepted by the People of God?

No! And we saw this in the previous paragraphs. Although some of the Fathers and some of the churches accepted them ( and we saw why and how… ), but many others didn’t!

And as those writings are supposed to belong to the era of the Old Testament, we must see if the Jews accepted them as Scripture… And we see that they didn’t! And our Lord Jesus Christ didn’t even say a word to them about this!

The New Testament demonstrates how the Sadducees and the Pharisees disputed over the scriptures. Given that secular and Jewish sources say that the Scripture that the Palestinian Jews was not determined until the 2nd century AD and that they disputed over Ezekiel and Song of Songs at Jamnia circa 90AD, and that synagogues still used Sirach up until the 2nd century demonstrates that there was no official canon at the time of Christ.

Given how the Deuterocanonical books were found with the Dead Sea scrolls demonstrates that these books were indeed circulated throughout Israel at the time of Christ.

Given how the New Testament authors made allusions to the Deuterocanonicals and referenced apocryphal works demonstrates that the Apostles did not openly accept or reject the Deuterocanonicals and other works outside of the Pharisee’s unofficial canon. This is further demonstrated by how Church Fathers used them and were divided about their authenticity. If the Apostles openly objected these books, then the Fathers would not have used them at all.

Given how the council of Rome was called to end the dispute over the canon demonstrates the work of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit at that council led the Bishops to determine that the Deuterocanonicals are indeed scripture. Given how every council that mentioned the canon from that point, reaffirmed the determined canon up to Trent, dispels the myth that that they were added at the Council of Trent.

Did the real people of God accept these books? Yes, as was guided by the Holy Spirit that leads us to all truth.

 

[YAQUBOS]

Peace be with you!
Church Militant:

I have absolutely NO respect for you, your biased scholarship, or what you seem to think evangelisation is.

I have much respect for your person, for God who saved me is LOVE.

Do I really have to evangelize Christians???
Church Militant:
Honest people want answers…not tirades of anti-Catholicism. I’ve asked people like you before. “Just why is it your preachers can’t seem to get up in their pulpits and preach what you believe without knocking someone else’s beliefs or ridiculing them?” Most hang their head because they have no good answer and they know I’m right. If the Gospel is true…then it needs no comparison to other’s beliefs. It certainly didn’t need or get much of that in the NT or in the early church…and it sure as life eternal doesn’t get it today, when preached from the pulpits of Catholic Churches all over the world.

I’ve never felt that I need to attack anyone to preach the Gospel. But as soon as you talk to Roman philosphers about the plain truth of God, they begin their philosophy, because that philosophy is a way to escape the truth… In this case, a true Christian needs to stand for the truth of the Scripture with boldness, although those philosophers will get upset.
Church Militant:

So…in all charity and with all due respect…I’m recommending that no one else post anything on this thread to show that we really are sick of your antiCatholic tirades. You’ve abused your welcome sir.

In all charity and with all due respect??? And “I have absolutely NO respect for you” ( said by your other personality ).

You recommend, but I am sure Psalm45:9 will prove you wrong. I think he represents Romans pretty well.

N.B.: I am not antiCatholic. I am just honoring my Lord, and you are dishonoring me.

I didn’t find any real welcome here since I arrived, just as my Lord didn’t find a welcome among His own. For I thought you are Christians and you love even your enemies. I thought you are like the Christians in our lands who, although affected by Roman philosophy, but have love and respect for those who do not agree with their philosophical views.

In Love,
Yaqubos†

 

[Psalm45_9]

Pax Vobis Cvm!

My reasons for saying amen:

To point 1. Indeed all prophets do write scripture, but it is how you define a prophet. People who God the Father speaks to and preach what he speaks are prophets, like Isiah; which is the type of prophet 1 Maccabees is referring to. All people who write under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit are also prophets; but not public prophets like Jerimiah. The Deuterocanonicals were written by inspiration of the Holy Spirit, so all scripture indeed is written by prophets. I’m speaking of prophet in the 2nd term, 1 Maccabees is speaking in the first term.

To point 2. Without the Holy Spirit, scripture would not be scripture. Since the Deuterocanonicals were written under Divine Inspiration and record miracles, therefore I said “amen.”

To point 3. They tell the truth about God.

To point 4. They have the power of God.

To point 5. They were accepted by the real people of God, the church.

 

[Church_Militant]

YAQUBOS:

Peace be with you!

Do you know what’s the meaning of “self-righteousness”, my friend?

Whatever… This is a natural reaction when the Spirit works in men’s hearts, and they don’t want to obey…

I guess you would say the same thing to James, and even to Jesus Christ, if you were in the place of those Pharisees to whom He was speaking…

When we don’t have answers, we begin to play on conscience and feelings… You are just trying to tell me I am sinning because I am standing for the Word of God…

Don’t take it personal, but Satan does the same things…

In Love,
Yaqubos†

I know Jesus and I know James and YOU certainly aren’t either one of them.

Last Post

 

[Psalm45_9]

YAQUBOS:

Was David a Christian?

Was David a prophet? He wrote many of the Psalms.

 

[Psalm45_9]

YAQUBOS:

Daniel studies the Book of Jeremiah considering it as Scripture! So, according to you, he was in error!! He had to wait until the Christian Church decides if it is Scripture!!!

St. Jude read the Assumption of Moses and the Book of Enoch.

 

[Psalm45_9]

YAQUBOS:

What a GREAT Lord we have!!! Alleluia!!!

AMEN!!!

 

[Psalm45_9]

YAQUBOS:

But the so called “Gospel” of Thomas only claims to be authentic! But it was written after the time of the apostles, without any confirming act of God for its author. It tells many non-sense! It doesn’t have the power of God. The REAL People of God and the apostles didn’t accept it!

No respect for the DIVINE CANON!!!

So you accept the authority of the church in such matters?

One minute you’re saying it was written after the Apostles, the next you’re saying the Apostles didn’t accept it. Be consistent.

 

[Psalm45_9]

YAQUBOS:

She doesn’t know if they sinned in the last moment of their life!!!

Your ignorance is showing again. In order for a person to be declared a Saint, the person has to live a holy life faithful to the gospel. The other requirement is two miracles attributed to that person’s intercession that cannot be explained by science.

 

[Psalm45_9]

YAQUBOS:

Hey! Where did you go??? We are not talking about that! We were talking about dead people who, according to your philosophy, can still accomplish their Salvation. I asked you if they can be saved without faith. Answer the question. I mean, do you think the dead can still believe, although they see the Lord?

Are you talking about the Maccabean soldiers or non Christians. For someone who has never heard the Gospel, salvation is still possible for them. For a Christian who turns away from the faith but repents at the last moment, salvation is possible. But since God is the only one who can read hearts, he is the only one who will know. Now the dead undergo purgation as they enter Heaven. Once you are dead, your dead you can not accomplish salvation after death. For those who die unreconciled, they go to hell. For those who die reconciled go to Heaven, but as they enter heaven, they are purged from their sins. A person in purgatory is going to heaven. It is not a second chance and the soul will not go to hell, it is going to Heaven.

 

[Psalm45_9]

YAQUBOS:

Do you believe almsgiving can PURGE away EVERY sin?

Only when almsgiving is done with faith in the Lord will it purge away every sin. (This is called penance) Without faith in the Lord, every thing we do is futile, empty, and useless.

 

[Psalm45_9]

YAQUBOS:

And those human writings say clearly that they are not written by an inspired man of God.

Nor does Esther.

 

[Psalm45_9]

YAQUBOS:

And by the way: At the times of the Maccabees, Jesus Christ was yet to be born!!! There were no prophets in Israel since the last prophet who wrote, promising that God would visit His People again, and that He would send a messenger before Himself!

There was privite revelation before the ministry of St. John the Baptist:

“Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, looking for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he should not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.” (Luke 2:25-26)

“And there was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phan’u-el, of the tribe of Asher; she was of a great age, having lived with her husband seven years from her virginity, and as a widow till she was eighty-four. She did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day.” (Luke 2:36-37)

 

[JDisciple]

Peace be with you!

Psalm45:9, by your unbelief you are even trying to show that the DIVINE CANON is wrong, just to prove those human writings right!!!

* 1. Were they written by a prophet of God?*
No, they are not written by a prophet of God, as we read in those books themselves!

“Thus there was great distress in Israel*, such as had not been since the time that prophets ceased to appear* among them.” ( 1 Maccabees 9:27* )

If the prophets ceased to appear in Israel long before these lines were written, then who wrote these lines??? Of course, NOT* a prophet of God!

Psalm45:9:

There are parts of the Bible that had no prophets:

The Old Testament speaks of periods that had no public prophets: “Now the boy Samuel was ministering to the LORD under Eli. And **the word of the LORD was rare in those days; there was no frequent vision.” **(1 Samuel 3:1)

How is your English? Do you know what’s the meaning of “rare”??? And what is the meaning of “no frequent”???

Ah… You deny the Word of God to accept those human writings! Don’t you know that Samuel is a prophet of God. This is clearly said in many parts of the Scripture!

To be continued, if the Lord wills.

In Love,

Yaqubos†

 

[JDisciple]

Peace be with you!

We continue by His Grace.
Psalm45:9:

When Lamentations was written public prophecy ceased:

“Her gates have sunk into the ground; he has ruined and broken her bars; her king and princes are among the nations; the law is no more, and her prophets obtain no vision from the LORD.” (Lamentations 2:9)

No, when Lamentations was written, prophecy didn’t cease yet, because after that we read:

“When the prophets, Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo, prophesied to the Jews who were in Judah and Jerusalem in the name of the God of Israel, who was over them,

then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and Jeshua the son of Jozadak arose and began to rebuild the house of God which is in Jerusalem; and the prophets of God were with them supporting them.” ( Ezra 5:1-2 )

And Lamentations and its author are mentioned in other passages of Scripture.

And in the passage you quote, can’t you understand what is the meaning of “her prophets”??? So they are prophets, but they are not obtaining a vision! What kind of vision is the PROPHET talking about? If you read the context of Lamentations, you will understand that he is talking about a COMFORTING vision about when all that was going to end!

By the way: do you know who wrote Lamentations, and what does the Scripture say about that author? Was he not a prophet?

And: do you know how many tenses has the Hebrew verb?

After the time of those last prophets, a time of famine came, just like God told us through Amos:

“Behold, days are coming," declares the Lord GOD,
"When I will send a famine on the land,
Not a famine for bread or a thirst for water,
But rather for hearing the words of the LORD.

      "People will stagger from sea to sea
     And from the north even to the east;
     They will go to and fro to seek the word of the LORD,
     But **they will not find it**. 

      "In that day the beautiful virgins
     And the young men will **faint from thirst**.” ( Amos 8:11-13 )

But you, with your unbelief, you say No, there was not a famine for hearing the words of the LORD, No they found the Word of the LORD, No they didn’t faint from thirst!

And those human writings say clearly that there was no prophet in their times. They say that prophets ceased in Israel from a long time, and that they are waiting for a prophet to come! This is a real cry of thirst for the Word coming from those ages in these human writings!

To be continued, if the Lord wills.

In Love,
Yaqubos†

 

[JDisciple]

Peace be with you!

Continuing by His Grace.
Psalm45:9:
Some of the Psalms were written during a period with no public prophets:

“We do not see our signs; there is no longer any prophet, and there is none among us who knows how long.” (Psalm 74:9)

Same as for Lamentations!!! Don’t you see in the context here what I already explained to you: “none among us who knows how long.”

Do you know who there was among them in those times? Read Ezra 5:1-2 again, and you will know!

YAQUBOS:

• 1. Does it have the power of God?*
     No! It even says that it is not sure that it has a strong human power…

Psalm45:9:
“Report to all men the majestic power of God.” (2 Maccabees 3:34)

We didn’t say that they have to talk ABOUT the power of God, but they must HAVE IT!

YAQUBOS:

• Just read the following conclusion of the human* author of 2 Maccabees:

“So I too will here end my story.
If it is well told and to the point, that is what I myself desired; if it is poorly done and mediocre, that was the best I could do.”
Psalm45:9:
This is the author’s humbleness. He is speaking of his style of writing, not the truth or the narration.

This is what we are saying! As this human writer is the author of these lines, so he has to be humble and say that he doesn’t know and that this is ALL HE COULD DO! But God talks with power and authority!
Psalm45:9:
Given how the Deuterocanonical books were found with the Dead Sea scrolls demonstrates that these books were indeed circulated throughout Israel at the time of Christ.

Given that many non-canonical and even non-religious books and writings were also found with the Dead Sea scrolls, so this proves nothing!
Psalm45:9:
To point 1. Indeed all prophets do write scripture, but it is how you define a prophet. People who God the Father speaks to and preach what he speaks are prophets, like Isiah; which is the type of prophet 1 Maccabees is referring to. All people who write under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit are also prophets; but not public prophets like Jerimiah. The Deuterocanonicals were written by inspiration of the Holy Spirit, so all scripture indeed is written by prophets. I’m speaking of prophet in the 2nd term, 1 Maccabees is speaking in the first term.

In fact, the first point was saying “prophet or a man directly inspired by God”. And you said a huge AMEN to that! So you accepted both definitions of the prophet! As also the Word of God clearly says what kind of men can write Scripture!

To be continued, if the Lord wills.

In Love,
Yaqubos†

 

[JDisciple]

Peace be with you!

We continue by His Grace.

YAQUBOS:

• Was David a Christian?*

Psalm45:9:
Was David a prophet? He wrote many of the Psalms.

Read the Scripture, Psalm45:9!

“Brethren, I may confidently say to you regarding the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day.

"And so, because he was a prophet and knew that GOD HAD SWORN TO HIM WITH AN OATH TO SEAT one OF HIS DESCENDANTS ON HIS THRONE” ( Acts 2:29-30 )

And as our Lord says:

“Then how does David in the Spirit call Him ‘Lord,’” ( Matthew 22:43 )

David was an inspired man of God!

But as you say that the Church is the REAL People of God, so don’t you think that David belongs to the REAL People of God? Or maybe you think he was a Christian, even a Roman…

YAQUBOS:

• Daniel studies the Book of Jeremiah considering it as Scripture! So, according to you, he was in error!! He had to wait until the Christian Church decides if it is Scripture!!!*

Psalm45:9:
St. Jude read the Assumption of Moses and the Book of Enoch.

The big and huge difference is that David studies Jeremiah AS SCRIPTURE! Paul quotes pagan poets, but he doesn’t say they are Scripture!

YAQUBOS:

• But the so called “Gospel” of Thomas only claims to be authentic! But it was written after the time of the apostles, without any confirming act of God for its author. It tells many non-sense! It doesn’t have the power of God. The REAL People of God and the apostles didn’t accept it!* No respect for the DIVINE CANON!!!

Psalm45:9:
So you accept the authority of the church in such matters?

One minute you’re saying it was written after the Apostles, the next you’re saying the Apostles didn’t accept it. Be consistent.

I accept the WITNESSING of the REAL PEOPLE OF GOD ( believer Jews in OT and believer Christians in the NT ) just for ONE of those FIVE points of the DIVINE CANON!

Wake up! The fact that the Apostles were not alive then to accept or reject those writings is in itself a proof that they were not written by an inspired man of God!

To be continued, if the Lord wills.

In Love,
Yaqubos†

 

[JDisciple]

Peace be with you!

We continue by His Grace.

YAQUBOS:

• And by the way: At the times of the Maccabees, Jesus Christ was yet to be born!!! There were no prophets in Israel since the last prophet who wrote, promising that God would visit His People again, and that He would send a messenger before Himself!*

Psalm45:9:
There was privite revelation before the ministry of St. John the Baptist:

“Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, looking for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he should not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.” (Luke 2:25-26)

“And there was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phan’u-el, of the tribe of Asher; she was of a great age, having lived with her husband seven years from her virginity, and as a widow till she was eighty-four. She did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day.” (Luke 2:36-37)

I never said that inspiration ceased forever! It ceased until the times of Jesus Christ! The prophecies you read in Luke are said in the times of Jesus Christ!

By the way: don’t you believe Amos who said that God will send a FAMINE FOR THE WORD OF GOD?

Believe GOD, Psalm45:9!

In Love,
Yaqubos†

 

[JDisciple]

Peace be with you!

Lord, bless this study. Amen!

Those who don’t want to accept what God is saying do not hear what He is saying! Although the Lord declares clearly the truth, but they don’t stop asking: “Where does God say this or that?” They listen to their human false prophets, and they do not study the Scripture to see what God is saying very clearly! Therefore, they think God didn’t say anything! And thus, relying on their ignorance of the Scripture and the ignorance of their human philosophers, they attack the faithful children of God who proclaim the truth of God with all boldness. But they are surprised by the clear answers that the children of God give them from the Word of God. And they ask themselves: “Didn’t our leaders notice these things in the Scripture before?” But they prefer to think that their leaders know better, and thus they deny the clear Word of God, and they follow the blind…

God has clearly said all what we have to know about His Word. But humans create many philosophies with their father, Satan, to mislead people and make them think that God didn’t say anything clear about this. As the Scripture says:

“Indeed God speaks once, Or twice, yet no one notices it.” ( Job 33:14 )

They prefer to listen to humans.

“Behold, let me tell you, you are not right in this, For God is greater than man.” ( Job 33:12 )

Don’t let philosophers deceive you and present for you God as not saying things clearly. They are unclear for those who don’t believe.

“Why do you complain against Him That He does not give an account of all His doings?” ( Job 33:13 )

Now they have disabled my account. As my Lord said:

“They will make you outcasts from the synagogue, but an hour is coming for everyone who kills you to think that he is offering service to God.” ( John 16:2 )

When they can’t answer the clear Word of God that the children of God proclaim, they kill them or they do something to close their mouths, as they did with Stephen.

Our Lord said:

“But whenever they persecute you in one city, flee to the next” ( Matthew 10:23 )

“Whoever does not receive you, nor heed your words, as you go out of that house or that city, shake the dust off your feet.” ( Matthew 10:14 )

I shake the dust off my feet.

The Lord bless you all!

I leave you with the following Scripture text in the next reply…

In Love,

Yaqubos†

 

[JDisciple]

Peace be with you!

I leave you with this Scripture:

“But some men from what was called the Synagogue of the Freedmen, including both Cyrenians and Alexandrians, and some from Cilicia and Asia, rose up and argued with Stephen.

But they were unable to cope with the wisdom and the Spirit with which he was speaking. Then they secretly induced men to say, “We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and against God.”

And they stirred up the people, the elders and the scribes, and they came up to him and dragged him away and brought him before the Council.

They put forward false witnesses who said, "This man incessantly speaks against this holy place and the Law;

for we have heard him say that this Nazarene, Jesus, will destroy this place and alter the customs which Moses handed down to us."

And fixing their gaze on him, all who were sitting in the Council saw his face like the face of an angel.” ( Acts 6:9-15 )

“But they cried out with a loud voice, and covered their ears and rushed at him with one impulse.

When they had driven him out of the city, they began stoning him; and the witnesses laid aside their robes at the feet of a young man named Saul.

They went on stoning Stephen as he called on the Lord and said, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!”

Then falling on his knees, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them!” Having said this, he fell asleep.” ( Acts 7:57-60 )

The Lord bless you all!

In Love,
Yaqubos†